The GP Advent Calendar - Door 20

Amid the bustle of Waterdeep, within the Castle Ward where barristers, nobles, and emissaries battle with word and contract, stands an inn not quite like any other: The Yawning Portal. The place is a stone building with a slate roof and several chimneys. Most of the ground floor is taken up by the tavern’s common room, which contains a 40-foot-diameter open well - the entrance to Undermountain. A rope-and-pulley mechanism is used to lower adventurers into the well and hoist them out. Balconies on the tavern’s second and third floors overlook the well, with those floors accessed by way of wooden stairs that rise up from the taproom. Guests sitting at the tables on the balconies have an excellent view of the well and the action below.

And, it is on the second of these balconies where you find yourselves on this sweltering summer evening.

You sit around a sturdy wooden table lit by a brightly burning candle and littered with plates cleared of food and half-drained tankards. The sounds of gamblers yelling and drunken adventurers singing bawdy songs nearly drown out the off-key strumming of a young bard three tables over.

What has brought you here tonight is the Battle of the Bards competition. It wasn't easy, but you've secured a berth in the Sword Coast's biggest music contest. Tonight is your first performance in the contest, and the house is packed. Success means moving up the ranks, failure means elimination.

You see your competition a few tables over. One band hailing from Skullport calls themselves "Beauty," and they are rumoured to play for The Xanathar to soothe the temperamental beholder's cruel heart. Krentz is their lead singer, who perhaps was once human. His bald pate is covered in stylized eye tattoos, but he himself has no eyes.

The other band, "Black Wyrm," is an up-and-coming band that seems to get all the best gigs. They are all dressed in black, carry the finest instruments, and have impeccable hair. Rumour has it that Zhentarim gold has paved the way for their success. Yagra Stonefist, the band's half-orc manager, looms behind them, an ice-cold stare directed at Krentz's many eyes.

Bonnie the serving maid comes by with a round of ale for the table and big smile for you all.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you, but these are courtesy of Durnan. Liquid courage he called it!"

If you glance over at Durnan, he is conspicuously busy with polishing pewter mugs behind the bar.

"Good luck today!" She says cheerfully, giving Prince a wink on her way back into the busy bar.

The camera in our scene now slowly pans around the table from one character to another. What are each of your characters doing as you wait for your turn to take the stage?