The Extortion of a Magistrate
This is a quite open scenario where a lot depends on the heroes' strategy and what has happened before. It could be a culmination of the plotline.
As part of their scheme to gain control within Honeyngton, the cultists have identified the Magistrate Gwyn ui Ludh as potential target for extortion but surveillance didn't show any immoral behaviour to exploit. That didn't deter the cult leadership as they found their target to be a loving family man. Threatening his family should make him comply to the cult's demands. Should he resist, the next step would be to kidnap a family member and threaten to maim and eventually kill it. As the cult perfers to stay hidden they hope to avoid to escalate and their initial instructions to the magistrate were clear to warn him of involving the guards. And with their spy Larissa they are confident to detect and subvert any attempt by Gwyn to seek help. This is where the heroes could come in. Gwyn could ask his cousin or the Innkeeper if they happen to know some trustworthy heroes for the delicate job of protecting him and his family.
A secret meeting could happen in the White Vagabond where the heroes would be brought upstairs to meet the magistrate.
He will tell them he was cornered by masked men one night threatening him and his family with "dire consequences" if he doesn't follow instructions he will receive. And he was warned "We will know if you try to involve the Guards, you will regret this". So far he has not had specific instructions to fulfill but he would like someone to look into this and be available to protect him and his family.
If the heroes are detected in their protection role (especially likely if the had already thwarted the cult efforts), the cult has essentially three options:
Back off (perhaps using the heroes attention to this case to look at other plots while the heroes are distracted)
Force the plot by going all in to kidnap family members
Assault the Heroes directly to get rid of them once and for all.
Please note that for options 2 and 3 the cult could use their influence in the guards via their spy to great effect, weakening the heroes by accusing them of crimes for example.
While the cult has no hesitations to use violence if needed, their ultimate goal is subversion of the city of Honeyngton.
Unless they are confident to have already enough Garadan (=aventurian chess) pieces in place, they will not risk an open revolt. More likely they will try to lure the heroes into dark alleyways or even into the sewers, when the use of the powers of the nameless god would not attract too much attention.
The next couple of entries will see a number of sidetracks to flesh out the campaign also with some events outside the main store of the cult.
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