Hett Varn

Start-class article · First seen: s15 · Last seen: s16
Hett Varn
Het Varn · Het Warn
Hett Varn — portrait.
Character
StatusAlive
First seens15
Last seens16
FactionPhil's old brigand network, Aurelian-side underbelly

Hett Varn is the red-headed dwarf with forehead goggles named by Phil Flowerforge in session 15 as Phil’s contact at the White Lantern Shrine — a half-ruined wayshrine on the freight road, “a few miles from Aurelia’s outer approaches” [7] — “a bit north towards the coast” and roughly three days of sailing from the Eldwythe Sewers outflow [5]. Phil’s note instructs the party to use the code phrase “Phil sent you” on arrival [8]. Hett lives in a safe house in Ash Ward of Aurelia, where the dock workers and tanners live [12], and is described by Phil as a “tingerer”. The party is sailing toward him as of the s16 ending; meeting him is the first scheduled scene of the next session.

Overview

Hett Varn is the named contact Phil Flowerforge gave the party in session 15 as they fled the Aurelian occupation of Eldwythe through the Eldwythe Sewers. Phil first names him as “Het Van” [1] and immediately re-spells it as “H-E-T-T Warn V-A-R-N” with a safe house “in Ash Ward” [2]. Phil’s description: red-headed dwarf, forehead goggles, tinkerer; lives in a safe house in Ash Ward of Aurelia (where “the normal dock workers and the tanners live”); met at the White Lantern Shrine — a half-ruined wayshrine on the freight road, “a few miles from Aurelia’s outer approaches” [7]. Code phrase: “Phil sent you.”

Phil gave the party a written note to hand to Hett. The party set sail toward the shrine at the end of s16; per the DM the journey is roughly three days of sailing from the Eldwythe Sewers outflow, with the shrine sitting “a bit north towards the coast” of Aurelia [5]. Hett has not yet appeared on-screen.

Phil’s introduction

“But his name is Het Van. He has a small safe house in what can only be described as the side of Aurelia, where the normal dock workers and the tanners live, where you won’t be as bothered as if you were to be anywhere in Aurelia… Also, I think your friend with the horns is going to have a bad time.” — Phil Flowerforge, [1]

“Give him this note and tell him that Phil sent you.” — Phil, [8]

Session 19 — independently corroborated as the Aurelia smuggler

In session 19, a second, unrelated source confirms Hett Varn’s role. On Steven’s night watch the goblin Gristleback, hearing that the party need to get into Aurelia to recover a stolen trinket, offers: “I could probably hook you up with my contact, but… It’s gonna suck” [9]. Asked for the name, he answers only “Dwarf” [10] — and the party recognise the contact before he can say more: Hugo, “Called Het Van. Goggles Redhead. Yeah, we know of him” [11].

The significance is that this is the first independent corroboration of Hett Varn. Up to s19 he existed only on Phil Flowerforge’s say-so; now a destitute goblin with no connection to Phil names the same red-haired, goggled dwarf as his route into Aurelia, which strengthens confidence that Hett is a genuine, established smuggler rather than a single contact’s word. (The party note they “know someone else who knows him who’s told us to meet him” — i.e. Phil — but have not yet met Hett themselves, [11].) Since the party abandoned the Aurelia raid this session (and never visited the White Lantern Shrine), the meeting with Hett remains pending; no status change.

Status as of session 19

Alive, off-screen, still awaiting introduction. The party deferred their Aurelia approach in s19 and did not reach the White Lantern Shrine, so the planned hand-off (Phil’s note + the code phrase “Phil sent you”) has not yet happened. Hett’s standing as the Aurelia smuggler is now corroborated by Gristleback independently of Phil Flowerforge [6]. The party’s Hat of Disguise addresses Phil’s “your friend with the horns is going to have a bad time” warning.

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 15, line 655 — Phil names the contact ("his name is Het Van... safe house... side of Aurelia").
  2. ^ Session 15, line 660 — Phil spells the name "Hett Varn" and locates him in Ash Ward.
  3. ^ Session 15, line 693-695 — Phil writes the note; describes the White Lantern Shrine; code phrase "Phil sent you".
  4. ^ Session 16, line 1710 — Hugo recaps the contact description ("red-headed dwarf with forehead goggles").
  5. ^ Session 16, line 1717 — DM places the shrine "a bit north towards the coast" — three days' sailing.
  6. ^ Session 19, line 645-648 — **Independent corroboration from a second source.** The goblin [[Gristleback]] offers to "hook you up with my contact" for getting into Aurelia — "Dwarf" (L647) — and the party immediately recognise him: Hugo, "Called Het Van. Goggles Redhead" (L648). Confirms Hett Varn as the Aurelia smuggler from a source unconnected to [[Phil Flowerforge]]..
  7. ^ Session 15, line 693 — Inline citation.
  8. ^ Session 15, line 695 — Inline citation.
  9. ^ Session 19, line 645 — Inline citation.
  10. ^ Session 19, line 647 — Inline citation.
  11. ^ Session 19, line 648 — Inline citation.
  12. ^ Session 15, line 655-660 — Inline citation.