DivineDetritusShadowOverRedtooth

Navigation

Next: Quest of Dragons

Prev: Hoarders: Runners Edition

Story

May 1, 1236 AD (Harvest Wharf)

The team talks to Marjorie, giving her an overview of what they found, but not mentioning the black-edged weapons. Marjorie pities the statue’s demise, but thanks the party for supporting. She tells the party to rest for the day, as Torras and Adrias are taking the day off. Hawk notices a slip of paper in his pocket. It’s from Abraxinal, warning him that Marjorie knows they omitted information from the report.

Micel Verdantflame is displeased that the team couldn’t find the whole chunks of Sendrine (and also by the shoddy worksmanship,) but he is willing to buy the blades as a token of good faith. He notes that some extraplanar entity probably teleported the Orcs into the mansion to steal the weapons, and wonders if these could be used to permanently kill outsiders. The team eventually decides to keep the weapons.

May 2, 1236 AD

In the morning the team gives an update to Lord Dakan. He said Hannelore gave him a detailed report, but he was glad to hear they survived. In the meantime, he had investigated the Carfen residence, which had been trashed. He managed to recover Lord Carfen’s diary, and let the party take a read. It chronicled his descent into madness. The Magmere Construction Company had retreated or surrendered, claiming assaults from the “Night Guardian”.

The team concludes that it’s better to trust Marjorie than Micel. After this mission, they will tell her everything. Dakan is reminded that Shavanni mentioned she would meet them in the Krimson Forest in a few days.

May 3, 1236 AD

Torras has a terrible hangover, but otherwise it is business as usual. Marjorie gives a briefing. The Krimson Forest has noticed increased aggression in the Redtooth Lands. The Orcs there are in the middle of a civil war, but the attacks on the Krimson Forest have gotten more brazen. A week before the renewed violence, some Orcs stole a crate with the East Ferren Trading Company’s emblem on it. The team will escort Jovias Dewleaf as he ships more supplies to the Krimson, and then they will accept the town’s request.

Fi examines the lump of starmetal they found from the crate. This comes from the gods and can be forged into a powerful weapon if forged correctly. Why is it in the shape of a cube? Who knows?

May 6, 1236 AD (At camp)

At camp, Fi and Jovias are taking third watch when they hear some kind of chorus. Fi also hears a tiger for some reason. A horde of dancing zombies and a blood-drained tiger wander into the camp. One of the zombies, wearing a top hat, tells the tiger to claim more bodies for the “Troupe of the Damned”. Almost on queue, it quickly tears into Jovias, nearly snapping him in half. The top hat zombie tries to command Nidri to join his troupe, but earns a palm of positive energy for his trouble. Eventually the zombie with the top hat turns into a cloud and flees the scene. Fleir chases the cloud into the night, but eventually stops when it flies straight up and away.

The party is otherwise unhurt, but the death of Jovias weighs heavily on them. They preserve the body to the best of their ability before continuing their trip. The party eventually concludes the lead zombie must have been a vampire spawn.

Krimson Forest

The town has been converted into a military base. On cue, Shavanni Tinderrain is there to greet them, and ready to clear up the negative level she is sure they gained. She is quickly upset when she learns Jovias died and her prediction was wrong. She eventually teleports away to help Jovias recover and recollect her thoughts. She returns and guides the party deeper into town. The interior is even more xenophobic than the outside, but Shavanni is able to set up a meeting with the Master at Arms.

May 7, 1236 AD (Krimson Forest)

Jovias was revived overnight and is spending the day recovering from his wounds. He’s glad to be alive, and thanks the team for keeping enough of him intact. He bids the team good luck and enters his trance.

The Master At Arms, Dorrel, addresses the team and thanks them for their aid. He plans to march 500 of his strongest warriors across the border between the Krimson Forest and the Redtooth lands to repel Orc camps. He is also on the lookout for an Elven blacksmith who was kidnapped along with his students. He notes it will be a good opportunity for the team to carry out their mission.

Before the elves march on, Shavanni wishes the party good luck. She is still flustered over Jovias’s death.

May 7, 1236 AD (Redtooth Lands)

Under the cover of battle, the party entered the Redtooth Lands to look for the crate. Carefully conserving their resources, and getting some kills stolen by the Krimson Guard, they are able to rout some of their foes. They soon spot several goblins, gathering around a familiar face. It’s Reeta Headeeta.

She has rallied the goblins and are liberating them from the number one War Chief, Borrax the Red. She’s also seen a new crate and a group of captured elves, and a giant guarding them. She volunteers to fight the giant while you fight the others. She runs off with the goblins from the camp while you finish off the Hill Giant and his orc cronies.

The Blacksmith Zey thanks the team for rescuing them. He was forced to use the Black Sendrine to forge weapons. He did a crude job at it, but knew he had to do something to protect his students. This camp was under orders from Riga Plague-Bringer himself, who wanted them to kidnap the blacksmith and forge the new weapons using this material. Besides the Black Sendrine, the party also finds an encrypted sheet of paper. Hawk translates it:

Only trust Midnight. Use lens on the starmetal. Planning my final trick. -Merki

May 8, 1236 AD (Krimson Forest)

The party gave their report to the Master At Arms and recruited Jovias, who had fully recovered. They decided to explore and find more about CF. After buying new equipment, the team leaves the Krimson Forest. Among the border the party travelled past many slain Orcs some were killed by disease, most likely Filth Fever. They hear a panicked Orc cry for help!

The Orc is under assault by several worms and a half-fiend Orc. The team managed to rescue him and slay the Orc. His name is Lugtan (It means “Idiot” in Orc,) and he warns the team to avoid the black-tinted ground. His sister (named Lugton, “Chosen One”) turned into a half-fiend as they fled their home and sicced several carrion worms upon him. Fi eventually tells him to seek refuge with Halgresh.

The party spends the afternoon scouting the Redtooth Lands (see the Redtooth Scouting Results.) They conclude CF is somehow spreading Filth Fever, and is somehow converting some orcs into half-fiends.

Returning to the Krimson Forest, Fi delivers a report to the Master At Arms. Fi also suggests a disease scan, and indeed many were somehow infected during their investigation. Fi suggests a joint effort between the East Ferren Trading Company, the Krimson Guard, and the Harvest Wharf City Watch.

Zey asks them to visit his smithery, where he expresses interest in forging weapons out of Sendrine, and offers the party new equipment.

May 9, 1236 AD (Krimson Forest)

The party picks up their new equipment from the smith, then heads off to Halgresh’s Hut.

Halgresh’s Hut

Allshai is outside, ready to greet the adventurers and ready for stew. Lugtan made it there alright, and has already taking over cooking duties. Halgresh is in bed for most of the day. She is concerned about what is happening to the Redtooth Clans, as it’s still her home. Allshai wonders if the clerics will do their research, or will get caught up in politics. He is thankful for Lugtan’s help, as he has been busy for the last few days.

May 10, 1236 AD (Halgresh’s Hut)

A new day breaks. Allshai wishes the party good luck. He foresees them making a breakthrough in the search for Merki, although he’s not sure what it is.

Handouts

Chat Log(Text Only)

• Chat Log

Lord Carfen’s Diary

As you look through the diary the pages become more and more frayed and the handwriting degrades. Eventually the pages are nothing more than black scribbles across shredded pages.

February 12, 1236 AD Alexen gave another speech supporting me tonight. He asked my creditors to wait for another month before calling my debts. He spoke about my family’s efforts during the Fifty Years War. Reminded everyone that the entire town came together to repel the enemy. In all these years, he’s supported me, for worse or for worse. How would I ever handle this debt without his aid?

March 20, 1236 AD Team Magmere showed up again. They are inviting more agents to the town, as construction workers. I gave them my tools for cover as usual. They say it’s time for retribution against a traitor. Alexen says he’s tracking them, but it’s only a matter of time until he tracks it to me. I’m a traitor to my best ally.

April 2, 1236 AD CF is incredible. She appeared in my home one day. She had some money and paid off some of my debt. It was generous of her. She wanted to stay in town for a few days, and paid me handsomely. I just need to keep my mouth shut and not tell anyone about her. Why would I? She’s my guardian angel! She even offered me a beautiful ring to wear.

April 6, 1236 AD She speaks so clearly. So true. She’s right, you know. Everyone is lying to me. I don’t owe anyone anything, I was a hero of the war! Dakan took all the fame for himself. Now he just mocks me, probably laughing at me. And the Mel family profited off my loss! Oh, the Mel family probably started the war! I hate them. She’s right. They need to die. They need to pay!

April 8, 1236 AD My fingernails grew instantly as I lunged for his throat. He never saw it coming. As he bled out, I took his money - more than enough to pay off some of the more zealous debt collectors. I should make a habit of this! CF told me this ring gave me the power...I’ll never take it off. Never!

April 10, 1236 AD The whore Shavani must have seen it. She whispers secrets to Alexen, using her Elven wiles. He calls off the meeting, saying something broke out and he needs to excuse himself. I was so close. Both of them, judging me with those eyes. CF was right, they never cared about me!

April 14, 1236 AD I have grown so hungry recently. In between hunger pangs, I wonder: why am I doing this? How many have I killed? I...tried to kill my best friend. He hasn’t tried to contact me since our meeting, but he’s been on edge since that earthquake. I must confess to Dakan. Everything. I just need to get rid of CF.

April 18, 1236 AD CF asked me to guard the shipment for a few more days. Something in that crate smells wonderful. Delicious. She gave me a sample yesterday, and it was scrumptious! I must get in there and eat more. But I mustn’t let her know. I told her about Lord Trout, an acquaintance in Mardens City. She said she would go to Mardens and talk to him. Good, get out. Get out of my life. I have to eat more. I have to stave off this hunger.

Redtooth Lands - Chiefs and Territories

There are four major clans in the Redtooth Lands. Thrak the Cook leads the territory closest to the Forest. It is the weakest of the group and they usually rely on traps. We suspect Gaemel is in their territory as the fighting is especially fierce.

Gorrag the Red's clan members are probably the best fighters of the lot and take the land North of the Cook's realm.

Riga Plague-Bringer stays to the West of the Krimson. His troops have gained a surge in power recently, we're not sure from what or where. Perhaps from his perverse worship of poisons and disease?

The ruler of the Redtooth is Borrax Rex. His realm is called the Wolfpack and is furthest away from the Krimson. Most of the members are experienced riders of wolves and wargs. He has the most number of goblin slaves (they love riding wolves), to the point where they call themselves The Wolfpack.

Redtooth Scouting Results

Your attempts to scout the Redtooth Lands were mostly successful. Taking Lugtan’s instructions into account, you were able to find different villages, note some refugees, and avoid the many diseased corpses and carrion worms.

Lugtan’s warnings about the Black lands still remain in your mind. The Redtooth Lands is known for its red, nutrient rich soil. But as you travelled from the border the ground became gray, like the life was sucked out of it. As you searched through some of the land you saw many corpses, different from those killed by sword, bow and flame. These bodies were clearly worn away by disease. Putting your collective intelligence together, you conclude the bodies were victims of a variant of Filth Fever. In fact, the very air and ground itself seem to be vectors for the disease. Normally Filth Fever is contracted through injury. This must be what Lugtan meant by the Black soil. Wait, how close are you to it? Uhoh.

Backing away from the worst of the disease vectors, you take the time to study some of the tribes and villages near the border. Some of them recently climbed out of some internal conflict, with many of them dead. Rarely you find some Half-Fiend corpses, freshly formed. Hawk notes the trashed symbols of Avase and a new symbol to represent Riga’s clan. Maybe it represents his new wife?

It does seem like Riga’s clan gained new territories, at the cost of Borrax Rex’s clan. The villages who were loyal to him were either decimated or converted to Riga’s clan. At least, that’s what you can tell from here. It would take days to march through the lands and you would certainly come up against more resistance by then.

Developer's Notes

Lots of Fighting!

I threw a lot of fights at you in this scenario. Since it was the last one you checked, I decided to make it the longest one.

The dangers of burst damage

I nerfed the tiger's to hit, I lowered its HP, I didn't let it pounce. That blood-drained tiger still crit twice and almost ate Jovias Dewleaf. Yeesh. Then again, this was how Fi died, right?

On the opposite side, Lugton, the Half-Fiend Orc had all sorts of plans, but she received two arrows from Fi during round 1 and had to retreat as a result. Also, Jovias's bombs pretty much fried the tiger, as well as the giant worms that should have blocked the frontline.

Railroad vs Freedom

I expected you guys to return after rescuing the Blacksmith Zey. And then you guys decided to continue investigating and chase CF. How do I tell you guys to save CF for later? Well, I did plan to raise some kind of barrier when you returned to Redtooth, so I instead said she made it now.

Fi came up with an interesting conclusion- it's a little different from what I planned, but hey, that's the fun part of this. Improvise!

Saving Lugtan

I know you guys can tank, so I tried a different challenge: A helpless potential ally, half-dead and mobbed by weak foes. Changes your priorities a bit. Nidri was waiting for an opening to heal the guy. Tension!