View source for Zhentarim Instruction: An Asset at the Bridge

{{Correspondence
|date=Hammer 9, 1489
|sortkey=1489-01-09a
|type=Instruction
|sender=The [[Zhentarim]]
|recipient=[[Shade]]
|summary=Recruit a standing asset at Boareskyr Bridge: a trader who can move goods — and, when needed, people — for the Black Network, off the books.
|method=Passed through [[The Broken Latch]]'s channels; nothing on paper
|cell=The Broken Latch
|status=Fulfilled — [[Bolo]] recruited in [[Session 54 - Serpents at Boareskyr Bridge (2026-08-30)|Session 54]]
}}
'''Zhentarim Instruction: An Asset at the Bridge''' — the instruction the [[Zhentarim]] gave [[Shade]] during the downtime at [[Nuts Deep]]: recruit an asset at [[Boareskyr Bridge]].

== The instruction ==
Boareskyr Bridge is where the [[Trade Way]] crosses the [[Winding Water]] — road traffic north and south meets river traffic east and west, and the crossing sits at the edge of Elturgard's customs watch. The Black Network wanted a standing asset there: '''a trader who can move goods — and, when needed, people — for the Zhentarim''', off the books. Publicly the Network sells caravan protection; being the largest supplier of hired hands gives it control and leverage over who moves what, and its actual freight needs movers, and officials paid to look the other way.

== Outcome — completed ==
'''Fulfilled in [[Session 54 - Serpents at Boareskyr Bridge (2026-08-30)|Session 54]].''' Shade recruited '''[[Bolo]]''', the halfling trader who has run the bridge's midway trade for eight years — buying from caravans on one side of the customs line and selling to caravans on the other, running the market, and keeping a '''concealed smuggler's cache''' under a patch of grass beside her circus tent (spotted by [[Karma]] and [[Xanphina]] on the walk over, and confirmed by Bolo's own guilty glance). When Shade dropped the pretense — "Ah, fuck it. Yeah, actually, I work with the Zhentarim" — Bolo relaxed entirely: "The Zhentarim, they're always good in my book. What do you need?"

Terms, call-signs, and percentages were settled off-screen; word went back through [[The Broken Latch]] to Shade's Zhentarim contact. '''Bolo is now the Network's path through Boareskyr Bridge''', and the recruitment earned Shade renown directly.

== See also ==
* [[Correspondence]] — the campaign's letters, gathered
* [[The Broken Latch]] — Shade's crew
* [[Zhentarim]] · [[Shade]] · [[Bolo]]
* [[Boareskyr Bridge]]
* [[Quests]] · [[Renown Tracker]]

[[Category:Lore]] [[Category:Zhentarim]] [[Category:Rise of Tiamat]] [[Category:Completed Quests]]