DivineDetritusHoardersRunnersEdition
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Summary
May 1, 1236 AD
After a fine night of rest, Nidri decides to check up on the souvenirs from Lord Trout. The ring has burnt to ash and is worthless. But the lens Nidri found is similar to the Lens of Detection, minus some kind of curse Nidri doesn’t understand. After reporting this information to the party, they decide to visit the East Ferren Trading Company to give their report.
According to Melodie, Team Magmere seems to be dwindling rapidly - something has them scared and Lord Dakan is personally investigating Lord Carfen. It seems there was an outbreak of Doru Divs that she helped handle. He still seems broken up about his death.
Marjorie is pleased with the party’s progress. She can’t figure out what the curse on the lens is, either. When she hears they didn’t have to pay Lillikur anything, she lets the party keep the bag as a reward.
Micel Verdantflame also awards the party for finding more Black Sendrine for him. He knows more and more people will discover the secret of it, so he’s pleased to get ahead of the curve. He teaches Nidri, Fi and anyone else interested more about basic chemistry and determining Black Sendrine from other similar looking rocks. As a favor, he inspects the magical lens and determines that is keyed to let the user read something very specific - read the wrong thing and the reader is blinded by a curse.
Fi takes this opportunity to head to the Temple of Laniss and removes the negative level he gained when Lord Carfen tore him apart.
May 2, 1236 AD
That morning, everyone gathers in Marjorie Mel’s office and decide they want to track down the crate the Runners lost track of. Marjorie dispatches Torras Lendolay and Adrias Stonebottom to help on the search. Adrias inspected Carfen’s warehouse thoroughly while Torras used to be a Runner; her connections may present a lead.
Torras springs to action. The normally reserved and strict manager is energetic, practicing her wordplay and taunts, always with her red rapier at her hip. Adrias rolls his eyes and grunts, personable as ever. Torras leads the party to one of the bars in Traderstrip to meet her successor in the Runners.
Porri Keetblossom is a rather timid elf who keeps to herself. As the party talks to her about the shipment, it becomes apparent she’s hiding something - and that she’s an illusion. The party slowly yet surely chases after the real Porri. She’s trying to flee on horse and has paid a gang for her protection. They may be dirty scoundrels, but they’re loyal to whomever paid them!
Luckily Porri didn’t plan things through and failed to find a combat-trained horse willing to enter combat. While she was stuck pushing the horse out of its stable, the party routed the crowd of thugs. Porri surrendered and admitted she let a fellow Runner named Derrin Ebonpyre take the crate she was supposed to deliver. He and his witch lie in an abandoned mansion outside of town.
This mansion is used to store large and rare products for the Runners. The party makes a lot of noise and Derrin, his Witch and the group take cover and summon rats. Derrin spends his time tripping everyone within range, while a swarm of rats overrun Fleir. Despite this, the party defeats them, and they beg for their lives.
Moving back in the storage room reveals another crate, already opened. Inside the chest there are several items from the Draugh Empire: art, jewels, and stories about the empire. In the room are several broken weapons, all with blades and ends seemingly made of Black Sendrine. In the corner is a statue, with black-tainted wounds. It is seemingly moving and breathing, but severely labored.
The statue calls itself Penitence, after an angel of self-suffering, forgiveness and personal growth. It felt full of sin and had asked Derrin to help destroy him. It instructed Derrin to assault a shipment of Orcs who had carried some black-bladed weapons. Derrin used them to destroy the statue, but the weapons broke. He then took Merki’s crate and planned to use the Black Sendrine inside when he heard the party approach.
At this point, everyone notes the Black Sendrine is gone. The statue noted a black, dark void appear and the sounds of Orcs just as the fight started. It’s clear they stole the Black Sendrine, using the fight as a distraction. Torras sweetalks the guards while Adrias takes the Draugh Empire goods. The party notices a lump of starmetal, not part of the expected goods.
The fact that one of the crates is in Orc territory with the Redtooth Clan makes things very suspicious.
Notes
Chat Log(Text Only)
Party + 1 million thugs
I did wonder if Claire would try to charm Porri and then ask her to stop the fight. Diplomacy takes 1 minute (10 turns) to affect normally, so it needs to be used in a non combat situation.
I decided to be a bit more free form in my combat preparations, so I kinda just threw generic level 1 foes onto the board.
Handout Discussions
To help record conversations and prevent scrolling through the chat too much, I began moving conversations and NPC talk to handouts. It seems a bit more impersonal than the back-and-forth I’d get normally. But it gives everyone a chance to respond and ask questions. I just need to set a good time limit for Q & A so it doesn’t drag on.
You’re level 4!
I think I know what power levels I want you at, so I pushed you through level 3 a bit quickly. Hope it’s not too quick. It’s important you have the money you need to buy good gear. Hopefully you should buy magic weapons soon.
