Ashe C2 Episode 16 - What's in the Box?!
Previously on ...
The Witchy wanderings of Wes and his Winter Bound, Wanton, Westerlings.
You repaired the carriage and rigged the horses for the return trip to Ashe. After dispatching the thieves that stole the carriage and the mysterious box from Porsk, you decided to take action against the thieves guild itself. The Vestal Moth and it's leader Premalkin Po. Since the carriage was headed south towards Ashe and Po had been seen there before you decided to head home to Ashe and come up with a plan to pose as the thieves and infiltrate the organization by completing the mission yourselves.
In the meantime you investigated the strange, locked chest that Wes and Crashe finally admitted was real and in their possession. Finding the chest to be heavily enchanted with protective spells and an arcane lock you decided to hand it over to Jaron Dartmoor in Ashe. On your way into town you were greeted by Ulah Bearpaw a local who works at the brewery. The recent scuttlebutt in town was that a hunter had found large valuable pearls in the forest. Wes raised an eyebrow at this but the team continued on to Dartmoor's Technique the artificer's shop and home.
Jaron got to work identifying some items for all of you and began preparations to open the chest by disabling the arcane lock temporarily. When his work is complete the box will be open for ten minutes before the arcane lock reseals the chest.
With some time to kill the team headed out to the Rusty Gem tavern and began to sling back some ale. Finnix inquired about the enhanced bathing services offered by the establishment and the rest of the team listened in on local conversations. Eventually the talk of the strange orbs found by the hunter began to become clearer as the team deduced that they must be eggs from some creature. As screams emanated from outside their suspicions were confirmed as giant spiders began to march through town.
As Finnix relaxed in his bath the rest of the team battled the giant spiders to save townsfolk as well as return their eggs. After several minutes the situation was resolved and the surviving spiders wandered back into the great forest.
As you all retired to rooms provided by Jaron Dartmoor for the night the morning brings many decisions and revelations. The box is ready to be opened, The head of the thieves guild known as the Vestal Moth, Premalkin Po, awaits his prize unaware that his team has dispatched and replaced with you lot.
Plot points/Scenes
[DM Notes: At this point need a thieves guild base / Map as the team decides how to handle the box. And who paid the Vestal moth to steal it in the first place? Possibly a second fallen who is curious what Lord Darkhorse is doing. Let's have this fallen pose as a good guy looking into things. He will appear as a force for good and can give some good information. He can turn on the group later after they have killed Darkhorse. In the meantime the box will be stolen and taken to Castaliogne manor to set up our finale for this chapter.
Isringus - new alias is Kirana Vargiese Castaliogne, and attractive half elven woman with black hair. She poses as an aristocratic woman whose family was destroyed by Lord Vedemire Darkhorse. She is looking into what he is doing to use it as a way to destroy him. All she needs is group of powerful but dimwitted adventurers who can help her.
Exatron Saul is in Westinox. He is there to threaten Finnix and to spur him along on his mission. Gaspar's Reclamation want to light a fire under him and the best way to do that is to add some competition into the mix.
Willwug Leafside will visit Wes on the road and tell him about the various forces arrayed against him in the Ashen Forest. Wes is marked by Kormirra Gravca and has a feywilde vibration about him. An ability or a curse to open doors into the feywild. He also warns of an elven man in a green coat that has been spotted on the road. That is Willwug's mission given to him by the Verdant Sigil, to investigate this man and find out if he is dangerous. ]
Begin Here at Dartmoor Technique
The following morning you awake to a chill and look out the window to see a frost covering the ground. As you make your way downstairs you see Jaron has already brewed coffee and has several small cakes laid out for a basic breakfast. His small dining room and kitchen is still surrounded by small boxes filled with flakes of metal, small gears and clock parts, and various tools he either uses or is creating.
"Now there boys, have a cup of coffee and let's get this chest open. I only need to do the final preparations and I can disable the arcane lock for ten minutes. Let's hope it's not a bomb. Haha!"
You all assemble in the workshop just behind the shop. On a wide thick wooden table sits the chest. Jaron writes some symbols in some gold flakes and then burns a small ball of tar and in one smooth motion taps the front of the ornate box. A series of runes of yellow, orange, and red move seamlessly past each other in a smooth motion and then a gap appears between the geometrically aligned lines of characters. When they fall away the lid of the box opens.
Inside you see a beautifully carved statue, A magnificent horses head affixed with several types of large jewels. The stone of the statue has a purple color to it and veins of shiny otherworldly metal run through it.
Jaron studies it for a minute and reports "Well lads, that there is a large piece of shard rock. Probably enough there to bring in half a million in gold. But these crystals and gems have a purpose to them. Something tells me if this Castaliogne man wants it back bad enough to kill for it then it must do something."
"My best guess is it may be an arcane focus. You could channel enough magic through this thing to bring down a city. Of course the Assembly of the Weave would sense that spike and send fifty witchfinders after you. If they could cut through their own bureacratic red tape that is. Whatever Castaliogne is up to it's bad news."
The original plan was to pose as the thieves and to follow the leads back to whoever is trying to acquire this as well, correct? Then heading to Westinox and pulling on that thread may be the best way to uncover this mystery as well as finding out what Castaliogne is up to. Tinovar Incenzo, an old associate of mine, runs an arcana shop there he may be able to tell you more about this piece. Don't worry he harbors many grudges against the Assembly, trust his judgement but maybe don't trust him.
Premalkin Po and the Vestal Moth are said to be operating out of Westinox as well, it may be worth it to shake some trees and find out where he hides.
"No matter how you assemble the pieces all roads lead to Westinox."
Isringus - new alias is Kirana Vargiese Castaliogne, and attractive half elven woman with black hair. She poses as an aristocratic woman whose family was destroyed by Lord Vedemire Darkhorse. She is looking into what he is doing to use it as a way to destroy him. All she needs is group of powerful but dimwitted adventurers who can help her.
Exatron Saul is in Westinox. He is there to threaten Finnix and to spur him along on his mission. Gaspar's Reclamation want to light a fire under him and the best way to do that is to add some competition into the mix.
Willwug Leafside will visit Wes on the road and tell him about the various forces arrayed against him in the Ashen Forest. Wes is marked by Kormirra Gravca and has a feywilde vibration about him. An ability or a curse to open doors into the feywild. He also warns of an elven man in a green coat that has been spotted on the road. That is Willwug's mission given to him by the Verdant Sigil, to investigate this man and find out if he is dangerous. ]
Begin Here at Dartmoor Technique
The following morning you awake to a chill and look out the window to see a frost covering the ground. As you make your way downstairs you see Jaron has already brewed coffee and has several small cakes laid out for a basic breakfast. His small dining room and kitchen is still surrounded by small boxes filled with flakes of metal, small gears and clock parts, and various tools he either uses or is creating.
"Now there boys, have a cup of coffee and let's get this chest open. I only need to do the final preparations and I can disable the arcane lock for ten minutes. Let's hope it's not a bomb. Haha!"
You all assemble in the workshop just behind the shop. On a wide thick wooden table sits the chest. Jaron writes some symbols in some gold flakes and then burns a small ball of tar and in one smooth motion taps the front of the ornate box. A series of runes of yellow, orange, and red move seamlessly past each other in a smooth motion and then a gap appears between the geometrically aligned lines of characters. When they fall away the lid of the box opens.
Inside you see a beautifully carved statue, A magnificent horses head affixed with several types of large jewels. The stone of the statue has a purple color to it and veins of shiny otherworldly metal run through it.
Jaron studies it for a minute and reports "Well lads, that there is a large piece of shard rock. Probably enough there to bring in half a million in gold. But these crystals and gems have a purpose to them. Something tells me if this Castaliogne man wants it back bad enough to kill for it then it must do something."
"My best guess is it may be an arcane focus. You could channel enough magic through this thing to bring down a city. Of course the Assembly of the Weave would sense that spike and send fifty witchfinders after you. If they could cut through their own bureacratic red tape that is. Whatever Castaliogne is up to it's bad news."
The original plan was to pose as the thieves and to follow the leads back to whoever is trying to acquire this as well, correct? Then heading to Westinox and pulling on that thread may be the best way to uncover this mystery as well as finding out what Castaliogne is up to. Tinovar Incenzo, an old associate of mine, runs an arcana shop there he may be able to tell you more about this piece. Don't worry he harbors many grudges against the Assembly, trust his judgement but maybe don't trust him.
Premalkin Po and the Vestal Moth are said to be operating out of Westinox as well, it may be worth it to shake some trees and find out where he hides.
"No matter how you assemble the pieces all roads lead to Westinox."
Themes
On the Daggerun Road -
As you get underway the morning sun warms the ground and the frost melts away within the hour. The leaves on the trees of the Ashen forest never fall but they have changed to a brilliant wall of red , orange, and yellow. The town of Ashe begins to buzz as the sawmill workers gather and the shops begin to open. As you begin your journey down the road several locals wave at you they head off to grab their morning coffee.
Willwug Leafside - Riding a large goat you see a short lumpy looking man in a green and brown cloak. As you get closer you see a toad folk man with bulbous yellow and black eyes. He smiles up at all of you and waves, he asks "Please my friends, may I have a sip of water or ale?" When he sees Wes he introduces himself. "Ah a proper ranger. My name is Willwug Leafside a member in good standing of the Verdant Sigil. I am investigating some strange reports coming from those that walk the Ashen Forest." Willwug is looking into the Kormirra Sisters as well as reports of a green dragon. He reminds them that many dragons take the form of a human or an elf to walk amongst the populace. He says his next stop is finding the Knight of the Dead Rose who lives deep within the Ashen Forest. He doesn't want to take up much of their time just wanted to chat. Perhaps in the future they may meet again.
[DM Note: two mossy horrors attack, a way for Kormirra Gravca to send a message to Wes now that her sigil has been blocked by his pendant. When the horrors are defeated a small figure will form from the plant guts.]
"Wes, my dear naughty boy. You have hidden yourself away from me so I sent this message with my friends here. Though you have been clever, you can never really hide from me. See you soon..." And with that the dark green plant blood falls back down to the ground and all is still.
As you get underway the morning sun warms the ground and the frost melts away within the hour. The leaves on the trees of the Ashen forest never fall but they have changed to a brilliant wall of red , orange, and yellow. The town of Ashe begins to buzz as the sawmill workers gather and the shops begin to open. As you begin your journey down the road several locals wave at you they head off to grab their morning coffee.
Willwug Leafside - Riding a large goat you see a short lumpy looking man in a green and brown cloak. As you get closer you see a toad folk man with bulbous yellow and black eyes. He smiles up at all of you and waves, he asks "Please my friends, may I have a sip of water or ale?" When he sees Wes he introduces himself. "Ah a proper ranger. My name is Willwug Leafside a member in good standing of the Verdant Sigil. I am investigating some strange reports coming from those that walk the Ashen Forest." Willwug is looking into the Kormirra Sisters as well as reports of a green dragon. He reminds them that many dragons take the form of a human or an elf to walk amongst the populace. He says his next stop is finding the Knight of the Dead Rose who lives deep within the Ashen Forest. He doesn't want to take up much of their time just wanted to chat. Perhaps in the future they may meet again.
[DM Note: two mossy horrors attack, a way for Kormirra Gravca to send a message to Wes now that her sigil has been blocked by his pendant. When the horrors are defeated a small figure will form from the plant guts.]
"Wes, my dear naughty boy. You have hidden yourself away from me so I sent this message with my friends here. Though you have been clever, you can never really hide from me. See you soon..." And with that the dark green plant blood falls back down to the ground and all is still.
Structure
Exposition
Westinox -
As you stop for the night you find a small clearing to make a campfire.
Castaliogne Manor - The ancestral home of the minor house, Currently occupied by Lord Vedemire Darkhorse posing as the late Ionn Castaliogne. The manor is within the inner walls on the northwestern corner from Durrilan Manor. It is a massive house of three floors, a belltower, and a secret basement. [DM note: maps are up on roll 20.]
As you stop for the night you find a small clearing to make a campfire.
Castaliogne Manor - The ancestral home of the minor house, Currently occupied by Lord Vedemire Darkhorse posing as the late Ionn Castaliogne. The manor is within the inner walls on the northwestern corner from Durrilan Manor. It is a massive house of three floors, a belltower, and a secret basement. [DM note: maps are up on roll 20.]
Plot type
Main Story
Related Characters
Related Organizations
Related Locations
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