Summary: The Mischief in Elsvogl ends
The party consists of Ninis, Shifra Rosewood, Raan Zayev, Evalwyn, Pierre Leone and Johanka Sigisdotter. Captain Ukren Schwerter of the Free Guard of Tyr recruits a party of freelance adventurers for a task in Elsvogl, a village near the town of Kirchall, as a test for recruitment into the Liwilai Adventurer's Guild; everyone in the group has a long history of happy clients and and a great track record, which also makes it possible for them to be immediately recruited into the Knight-Rank; but they have to pass this test mission first.
An apparent group of cultists that follow a so-called "Lord of Mischief" has been pranking the people of Elsvogl for about a month now. While their shenanigans have been harmless, the local priest did note that their symbol that they graffiti all over the village seems to resemble that of a demon lord; though he's not sure if that may just be a coincidence. The group has already shown that they can bop monsters like no other, but the group's task is to first meet the local priest of Pelor, Father Sommerfeld, apprehend the cultists and cult leader for questioning, and not to hurt anyone in the Village in the process; but should something happen, like bandits along the way, or something more dangerous than expected happens, then lethal force is fine.
As the party made their way to Elsvogl, they were accosted by a goblinoid band of bandits, which they, using that permission, quickly dealt with with prejudice, although Ninis had some reservations about killing one of the individuals that surrendered.
After arriving in Elsvogl, the team met up with Father Sommerfeld, who told them some details, namely that their shenanigans were, amongst other things, the switching of Beer with Apple Juice in the local tavern and Inn, as well as swapping out religious scrolls of Pelor with crude drawings. He also had some idea of who may involved, but that may need an investigation:
Elma, the granddaughter of the local shopkeeper, Old Lady Magda. Elma's father, the original shop owner, is out of town due to traveling due to his work at The Silver Heart Trading Company, and whose mother died in a goblin attack about a year ago.
Jonathan, a local man who likes partying in the tavern in the evening, who has his own hut and plot of land, where he grows vegetables and crops.
And Bronson Goldschmitt, the local landlords' son, who also is working as a village guard in training.
Father Sommerfeld gives them permission to search their properties and rooms with some letters, and off the party went to investigate. One investigation later, they found several practical jokes (a water-spraying fake flower in Elma's room, that sprayed Pierre, a pie-throwing contraption in Bronson's Inn-Room that nobody got hit by, and a bucket of pink paint over Jonathan's doorway that the party was able to circumvent) and PLENTY of evidence of everyone's involvement; even including the Tavern's and Inn's beers, and the original Scrolls of Pelor! They also found out the way to the usual meet-up place, in a cave in the outskirts of town.
The party and Father Sommerfeld then made their way to this cave and investigated, finding an altar and a living space. They also found a diary which confirmed that this whole thing was orchestrated by a young Baphomet man named Azgoled Silverwool, who initially tried to do his fathers' fake cult-con/prank, but actually got attached to his cultists, genuinely befriending them. The plan is now to do one last prank, then come clean to his cultists... today.
The group was then interrupted by Elma, Jonathan and Bronson, and as everyone hid except Johanka and Pierre (with Pierre sitting in front of the altar, and Johanka reciting a cookie-recipe in Giant, pretending to be a fellow cultist), the bewildered Tricker-Lord cultists shrugged and... started listening to her "sermon".
After a bit of that, a very confused Azgoled enters, and Shifra reveals herself, introducing herself as the Trickster Lady, furthering the confusion even more. Azgoled then, frustrated, used an amulet of his, which he intended to use for a Quasit-summoning ritual, as to start his final prank, only to have it blown out of his hand... and the crystal on that amulet turned black and started to crack... as it has been cursed to summon its users' most antithetical demon after all charges are expended... summoning a lesser avatar of the Abyssal demon-lord Baphomet, much to the horror of Azgoled.
The cultists flee, a fight ensues, and the party, thankfully, is able to send it back to the Abyss.
After a while, Captain Ukreg is able to enter as the fleeing cultists alerted a local representative of the Free Guard of Tyr, and is able to access the situation... and gladly welcomes the party into the Adventurer's Guild... including Azgoled, who gets inducted against his will into the support-tier, so that Ukreg, who actually has a bit of a history with the young Baphomet, can keep an eye on him.