Return, Gearing Up & Choosing Targets

Population Migration / Travel

1976AFA
12/9

1976AFA
15/9

The Bloody Misfits returned to the capital not as nameless adventurers, but as survivors of a naval siege, tournament champions, and now—targets of a rising shadow. The road ahead would be shaped by new choices, strange discoveries, and the tightening grip of those watching from afar.

The Shop That Changed

Before their departure from Mechanis, the Misfits decided to revisit the strange potion shop where Tiamat had once purchased his “mystery medicine.” When they arrived, the entire store had changed.

It had been magically remodeled, glowing with dense, conflicting magical energies. The elderly shopkeeper now appeared young, and the shelves were fully stocked with arcane oddities.

River, suspicious of the overwhelming aura of the place, cast Detect Magic—and was nearly overwhelmed by the mass of contradictory magical signatures flooding the shop. It was like stepping into a magical minefield. Shaken, she gave a warning to the others and left the building immediately.

Inside:

Tiamat, guided by instinct, selected a gold chain bracelet. River later confirmed it contained raw magical energy equivalent to four fireballs, and was designed to bond to the first person it touched. The shopkeeper also claimed to be related to the old man who had sold Tiamat his original necklace.
Vin was drawn to a ring that resonated faintly with him—its purpose still unknown.
Torgil picked up a ring that transformed into an adamantine half-gauntlet, a potent artifact that felt… incomplete. Wayland would later confirm it has a twin.

Whatever the truth of the shop was, none of them wanted to know. They took what they could and left, satisfied—if unnerved.

Farewells and the Journey Home

Outside the remodeled potion shop, River said goodbye to Laura, promising to stay in contact.

The Misfits gathered their belongings and made their way to the port, boarding the Sterling for the return journey. Elinor traveled with them—quietly observing, preparing for the next step in her own path.

Before boarding, Captain Liam confronted Tiamat about the suicide beads. Tiamat lied without hesitation, insisting he had none left. Liam, though clearly unconvinced, allowed him aboard.

They also discovered the Goliath sisters were passengers on the same ship—another quiet reminder that their fame was growing.

At Sea

The voyage was long, but uneventful—until it wasn’t.

River spent her time studying the Manual of Bodily Health, practicing spells, and learning from Lilly.
Tiamat deepened his connection with Captain Liam, leaning into diplomacy and long-term alliances.
Torgil drilled in both martial and magical disciplines.
Vin, Lilly, and Elinor used the time to recover.

A sudden lightning storm overtook the ship. While the Sterling sustained no damage, Torgil lost one of his weapons when he tried to use it as a lightning rod atop the mast—a costly display of bravery or hubris.

Return to the Capital

Once ashore, the party returned to familiar streets and colder gazes. Torgil received a discreet note summoning him to meet with Morgan.

Elinor parted ways here, officially stepping into her new role: building an information guild. It would take time, but if successful, it might become a valuable future base.

The remaining Misfits split to gather intel.

At the Merchant Association, they were met with skepticism until they were recognized as the group that destroyed the Blooded Anchor. The clerk shared news: a large merchant caravan had been wiped out by a new bandit group.
At the Adventurers' Guild, the party was immediately recognized. Their rank was upgraded from Silver to Iron—a quiet sign of growing influence. Torgil, ever the pragmatist, found the ranking structure confusing.

They agreed to join the hunt for the new bandit threat.

Wayland & the Tome

The Misfits visited Wayland’s Emporium.

Wayland, a friend to Torgil, greeted him warmly.
Tiamat received a much colder welcome—Wayland could sense the dangerous magic he carried, including the suicide beads.
Wayland examined Torgil’s new gauntlet and confirmed it was part of a paired magical artifact, offering to build a device to track its twin. He also serviced Torgil’s rare storage ring, built on spatial magic few understood.

Meanwhile, Tiamat collected the copied tome from the Quiet Tome. It was well-made, but lacked the magical resonance of the original—an echo of knowledge, but not its soul.

Meeting with Morgan

That evening, Tiamat, Torgil, and River met with Morgan.

She congratulated them on surviving the Blooded Anchor—but immediately launched into sharp criticism:

Their public tournament performance had exposed their skillset.
Their banking records tied them to Mechanis.
A pirate had escaped, and the Crimson Collar Syndicate had noticed.
Tiamat was nearly assassinated.
They had drawn civilian attention into an interrogation, specifically the harbor master.

Her frustration was part professional, part personal. Torgil knew why. The rest did not.

After venting her concerns, Morgan asked what they had learned.

The Misfits reported:

The location of the Crimson Collar HQ
Its use of a ruined keep
A mountain troll, a force of archers, and a leader specialized in illusion magic

The party declared their intent to target a forward bandit unit first.

Morgan agreed, offering support through operatives of her own.