Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cypherblade" data-source="post: 9835686" data-attributes="member: 7048389">Back on track after some holidays and some illness:[spoiler]According to Carlao, Saxby said that we did not need to investigate the break-in at her residence; it was unnecessary, nothing had been stolen. Ayleen considers this all the more reason to proceed with an investigation and fears that evidence may disappear.We decide to first go to Hans Weber’s house. He is not home, but we find him at the museum. Meredith has been missing since yesterday, along with all her belongings, without saying a word. He last saw her yesterday morning; by evening she was gone, taking everything she owned, and she had left the place completely tidied up.He accompanies us back to his home so we can search Meredith’s room. We find nothing suspicious. Detect Magic shows nothing, but Detect Planar Energy does—once again, Gidim energy. Kane focuses and attempts to follow the energy. The trail leads west, to a dock at the mouth of the Stray River. Sarïa enters the water in octopus form, but finds nothing beyond murky water.A few men on the dock ask what we are looking for. We ask whether they saw a woman yesterday (Ayleen conjures an illusion). She left from here yesterday aboard a large fishing vessel, the Dagger, which headed out to sea. However, the ship did not return yesterday. We ask for the captain’s name: Jack Glassmaker. He is from Flint, has no family, prefers drink, and lives on his boat. Some of the crew do have families. We track down the wife of one of the sailors; her husband has sailed to Ber—it is about a week’s journey. They were paid by a wealthy woman. Felix wonders whether Meredith herself was emitting the Gidim energy and may be possessed. Perhaps she robbed Bergeron and obtained money that way.I retrieve one of the Sending scrolls from our evidence and hand it to Ayleen. We compose a message:“Meredith, this is Ayleen of the RHC. Are you on your way to the Temple of Mavisha? Are you in danger?”There is no reply. Ayleen briefly feels a connection, but then it is blocked.Back at the RHC, we seek out Saxby. Felix goes to her office; she is not alone—Lord Price-Hill is with her. Felix reports the trail leading toward Ber in connection with Xambria Meredith and receives permission for our team to depart on an expedition. Lord Price-Hill wishes to speak with us again tomorrow before we leave. Saxby tells Carlao that another team has followed up on the break-in. That night, Ayleen still checks the exterior of Saxby’s villa with Detect Planar Energy and finds a faint trace of the same energy near the front door. With the guard’s permission, she also searches inside. There are traces in the living room, and faint remnants of the energy upstairs, at the locations that were ransacked the day before yesterday. Ayleen conducts a more thorough search of the study. Inside the desk she finds a hidden drawer containing bank documents and securities. She then leaves.<h3>11 Autumn 500 AOV</h3>Reconstructing the timeline, the murder of Bergeron must have occurred first, followed by the break-in at Saxby’s residence, and finally Meredith’s departure.At 8 a.m. we meet Lord Price-Hill in Saxby’s office, though he is not there yet. He arrives five minutes later. Staf is with us as well. Lord Price-Hill brings two folders: a thin one containing issues, and a thick one containing results. We have not done poorly, though not always in the correct manner. Flint demands much, and sometimes improvisation is required. Afterwards, however, reports, evidence, and clarity are essential—areas in which we can improve. Ayleen excels in craftsmanship, but her work and inventions need to be more visible and better documented; she will receive support in this. Sarïa does exactly what is required, though she is encouraged to share her insights more often. Felix also receives compliments, but must align internally before speaking externally. Kane has held the team together and served as an anchor. He is awarded the title of Chief Inspector, as the RHC trusts his judgment. Staf also has qualities, but can sometimes act as an unguided projectile that could damage the RHC; to reorient himself, he will temporarily return to the rank of Assistant Inspector.With Chief Delft, we confirm that Alaric will be responsible for documenting Ayleen’s inventions. Carlao will return to his own team.We receive our pay: 800 gp, plus 200 gp in operating expenses. For the mission, each of us receives a potion of Water Breathing and two healing potions. As a group, we are given three Sending scrolls.Our ship is the Audacious, and we are its crew. Two light cannons are mounted at the bow. That day, Kane sends a Sending to Doctor von Recklinghausen:“Doctor, RHC Flint here. We are en route to Ber, investigating a sea expedition toward a ziggurat. Is anything publicly known about this?”The reply is no; he is in the mountains among the goblins and nowhere near the sea, so he has heard nothing of it.Kane speaks with Staf to ensure he clearly understands what is expected of him in terms of conduct.<h3>17 Autumn 500 AOV</h3>After seven days, we spot three ships clustered together on the water through our spyglass. We wait until sunset before approaching more closely.Sarïa transforms into a dolphin to scout ahead. She sees a large ship, the size of a three-master, with three sharks swimming around it (guards?). She does not see an underwater ziggurat, but there is a light beneath the water, behind the ships.We anchor the Audacious, and using Water Walking we cross the water to the shore, where we find a place to rest.<h3>18 Autumn 500 AOV</h3>We walk along the rocky coastline for about six hours, reaching the point where the ships are anchored roughly three kilometers offshore. The two smaller ships lie some distance from the larger one, which flies a Crisillyirian flag. The two smaller vessels fly the flags of Ber and Risur.Using Water Breathing, we approach the large ship underwater, where three sharks are swimming nearby.[/spoiler]</blockquote>

Verification