ATG Mission 7 - Into the Wild

Adventure Team Grimm was captured by the evil interdimensional imp Mr. Nyx and placed into miniature bodies inhabiting an artificial town. They eventually escaped their plight and returned to their true bodies just in time to see Nyx escape once more. Now they find themselves far into the north in the Eigerlands in an ancient temple of some sort. Outside the temple the freezing temperatures and night sky tell them just how far away they are from their boat docked in Vellen Falls. As they camp for the night and explore their surroundings the temperature controls will begin to fail in the ancient structure forcing them to find some way to return to warmer climes. The easiest way to do this would be to call for help using their PACT communicator and ask for emergency teleportation. If they do Agrimor himself will show up and they can have a meeting with him. He will pay them for their recent mission and maybe offer them information going forward and another mission coming up. It may be a good time to deliver information from Mew's mother the Queen in the Kingdom of the Sun and Stars.
The Abyssal Knife, a dangerous world threatening cult, is trying to summon enormous demons to raze the current civilization. They want to remake the world and are willing to sacrifice all to achieve their ends.
The Order of Opan - A collective of Monks, Clerics, and paladins who are knowledge keepers. They hold the secret of Oppapan, a Kaiju like protector of the natural world. They are fighting to preserve the world and stop they abyssal Knife. They will seek out the players once they reach the west. May be able to lift some ideas from the Candlekeep Mysteries story The book of Inner Alchemy.  ( Several tomes have been stolen by a new order of evil monks.  Players must retrieve them to find out how to summon / find Oppapan!)
Time Variance Authority confronts Tyll Bebo.
The Adherents of Iron confront the team on the Wyvern Sea!
The Assembly of the Weave tries to abduct Cog and Vom Fass in Vellen Falls!
Mew's mother is using Mew and her psionic abilities to open an ancient fortress.  She wants the Hydellical Mechanoid that resides inside.  She offers to pardon mew and make her past go away.  She also tries to convince mew to give up on the adventuring and be a princess again.  The team must venture to the Tanzarian desert to find the Hydellical Mechanoid before HACT team finds it first!  They must first travel through a Mimic Forest of Ventenheim.

Plot points/Scenes

Notes on the ancient temple that is built into the mountain.  A pictographs wall can be found under a mass of old webs and dust featuring immense creatures with symbols towering over tiny human bodies. A large pictograph of a tailed creature facing a red creature with a huge crab hand.

Previously On Liters of Tomorrow -

Adventure Team Grimm sailed to Vellen Falls after acquiring the Arcanist Circlet from Helle's Adventuring company operatives. You were directed to the majestic city on the great waterfall to deliver the Arcanist circlet to Agrimor himself who will meet you there. After arriving at Vellen falls the team woke up to an idyllic country town setting discovering that you had been body swapped and placed into normal townsfolk. Bereft of your powers and fighting skills you were forced to figure out the reason for these disturbing circumstances. After some detective work and exploration you deduced that the evil extra dimensional imp known as Mr. Nyx had abducted you and placed you into tiny polymorphed bodies. Defeating a Meazel with just your impotent norm core bodies you eventually restored your powers and escaped the miniature town. After returning to your real bodies you found that you are in an ancient temple built into a mountainside deep in the Eigerlands. A collapsed wall has exposed the area to the extreme cold temperatures of the frozen north. Now alone in the temple and clear of any monsters the only threats are the rapidly dropping temperatures and your location. What would you like to do? The ancient temple is carved into a mountain side itself but the majority of the walls and columns are made of a sandstone like material clearly imported. How that happened must have been quite a feat considering your current location. At this point the temperature is in the 40's but every few rounds will drop it considerably into the 30's and 20's. Within the hour without any intervention the temperature will be close to 0.

Once the multiple battles have been resolved ...

For now the rest of the day is up to you. Agrimor is set to arrive in the morning. He is arriving via teleportation circle at the High Enclave, an elven embassy in the city. As you wander the streets and find lodging for the night you are approached by a small retinue of official looking types. An Elven man with his light brown hair pulled back into a long braid says “You are new to the city, yes? May I ask what business you have in the bright city?” He is flanked by two elven guards in a ornate plate mail that is cut through with jade steel and has curvy designs through the breast plate that continues on to the helms and gauntlets. “And what is the nature of your organization?” [DM Note: the Elven man is Vice minister Zedelus Tallis, he works for the ministry of trade.] “Of course, the city of Vellen Falls is open to all.”

As you enter the city of Vellen Falls through one of the great gates you walk or ride onto neat colorful cobblestone streets. The streets themselves are wide enough for two carriages usually and spiderweb around the large central building which houses most of the government offices. A dull roar fills your ears as the not too distant Archon Falls drop into the southern half of the largest river in Penthaheim. The spring sun beams down through dozens of short but wide trees with light green leaves and pink blossoms on them. The pink blossoms dot the cobblestones making a pastel mix of dots all around you.
Dozens of traders, some with hand carts, some with mules carrying goods and some well dressed with servants carrying chests move about the streets around you. Wide polished stone bridges stretch out over the river and are easily recognizable as the famous bridges of Vellen Falls. Over by cities edge as the area is called that hovers over the cliff overlooking the waterfall a series of hundreds of wooden docks are built into the side of the cliff. Moving platforms tied together with winches, chains, rope and metal grommets work in concert to move goods and people down to the water below. Vellen Falls is also different from other cities in the region due to the high population of elves. Elves are commonly seen in Penthaheim but usually only a small number, here though you can see elves walking in groups and milling about the coffee shops and taverns as well. The university here has a large contingent of Elven students and professors. Their are also several embassies devoted to different elven kingdoms and their ambassadors and aides as well. [DM Note: Have VF and COG make perception checks to notice pedestrians wearing the symbol of the Assembly of the Weave. You notice several students wearing the raiment of the august organization usually walking in pairs as they move about the city.]
[DM Note: Once the team finds lodging and begins to explore the city the Vice minister, A half elven man named Bolerean, will approach them again and invite them to a meeting with the Prime Minister himself Mistan Kandantalus. The prime minister is an elven man but secretly a Drow in disguise. The meeting will take place in the Grande Olix Building in the center of town. Walking through Vellen falls you are struck by the large amount of elves and gnomes in the city. Though all races are present throughout the continent usually a full blooded elf is rare. Vellen Falls is known for it’s large contingent of elven embassies and Vellen University is one of the few schools that elves from the Forest Realms consider worthy of their attention. There is also a strong tie to the Assembly of the weave in Vellen falls. At This point the Assembly of the weave will become aware of Cog and Vom Fass' presence in the city. Make some perception checks for the two available. The assembly then gets a strike team together to try to separate the team using guile or even magical devices. Then they get Cog and Vom Fass alone and try to abduct them.]
Several bridges span the fast moving water and most have a viewing spot so that tourists can sketch the view and watch the falls. As you move towards the west side of the city the houses and store begin to line up a little better and look like they are newer with brighter coats of paint. In the distance you see the large stained glass clock face of the Grande Olix. At the end of the bridge you are met with a retinue of guards. “ State your business please.”

After waiting in a sitting room for a time you are eventually taken into the large meeting room. It has light green walls and several enormous paintings of past leaders. Most of which seem to be human by looking at them. In walks a tall, attractive elven man with platinum blonde hair that he wears in long cascade down his back. His hair and cape match with a circular curve at the bottom. He wears a uniformed armor fashioned of lightweight elven metal that is royal blue and black. He is ornamented with several hoop earrings that match his armor. He is tall and imposing and carries himself with a regal manner. [DM Note: this is Prime Minister Mistan Kandantalus he is secretly a Drow]. “So this is adventure Team Grimm, your patron, Agrimor mentioned that you would be in town for a few days. Welcome to Vellen Falls.” He allows them to introduce themselves and answer why they are here. “You may wonder why I am meeting with you, I do not often entertain travelers such as yourselves. I am concerned with a cult that may be operating in the city a source of mine mentioned an altercation in Copenhaus that may be linked. I have my own guard force and intelligence sources but occasionally it is good to bring in a neutral party to investigate. I also have suspicions that a few of my guard force may be compromised or working with this cult. Can I call on you to do some digging if you will be in town for a few days?” [DM Note: Cog you can make a perception check as he speaks to you DC 17. On a success Cog notices a slight shimmer as PM Kandantalus turns. How odd.]

Themes

Meeting with Agrimor -
At Barristan's Court Bar and Inn Agrimor has reserved several rooms.  As you arrive a green and brown rooster sits on a wooden crate and tilts his head. "By Corsun's Balls, it took you long enough.  Dude's inside holding court, nice to see you chumps again."  Mike the chicken goes back to sunning himself on the crate.  As you walk into the large common room of the inn you see old tapestries depicting ancient battles of penthaheim covering the walls.  There are some ancient armor pieces hanging on wooden dummies and a dozen big round tables all filled with war veterans and some younger men and women who seem to have experience.  Agrimor and an a human man in his fifties are telling a tale of some battle from thirty years ago.  A green elven man comes over to you with a tray of ale and hands them to you.  You hear the end of a joke as you sit down at a table.  "And then the goblin commander looks at me and says 'Well they don't pay me enough to clean up this mess'!"  The tavern erupts into laughter and after a few moments Agrimor looks up at you all and smiles.  He motions you to a back room and orders several whiskey's, wine, and beer.  As you join him in the other room he smiles again and says "Adventure Team Grimm!  I've heard all about your exploits, you folks are quickly turning into the go to squad to get things done!  I must say I'm most impressed with the reports from Adventure Team Bugbear, traveling into a pocket dimension and getting out safely is no small feat.  Also you crippled a dangerous criminal organization several months ago that I do NOT want the details of.  Most importantly you've been thrown more curve balls than any other team and come through with flying colors.  Cheers!"
[DM Note: Allow for a friendly dialogue here between Agrimor and the players.  Directly ask the players to describe some of the highlights of the last year, we will try to get a story from each of them. ]
Agrimor continues, "I know you've earned this cash and probably a vacation but let me throw another job your way.  An ancient tale of a golem known as the Hydellical Mechanoid is said to have disappeared in Central Ventenheim close to 1200 years ago.  Normally I would send out a research team to fact check this but the report comes from a "friend" I have inserted into Helle's adventuring company run by your favorite elvish dickhead Helleficks Kristalinn.  If this report is true this creature is far too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands.  If you've got time to look into it the pay will be good and maybe some hazard pay too.  This whole thing could be a trap, but if anyone could pull this off it would be you guys." [Allow for some pay haggling here and some questions.]   "I'll have Trusilla get you the current report on the area and the golem.  Though Mew here may have a good lay of the land since she's from Ventenheim."

Structure

Exposition

The Assembly of the Weave

Polius Hemiphyte, Witchfinder Second Class and the Witchfinder General of the Assembly of the weave, Kalindor Epiphyte are in Vellen Falls for a conference when the obtain information that Cog and Vom Fass are in the city. Despite the fact that Cog has been given leave to operate in Penthaheim by PACT and the town of Tellenor, the laws of the forest realms and of Epiphyte personally are much different. The law jargon of S'chall Gudman and Agrimor mean nothing to a true zealont like the Witchfinder General. He intends to abduct the two and take them to the forest realms for trial, gentling, and re-education.

Dealing with Vom Fass and Cog -

[DM Note: assuming that Vom Fass uses a teleportation spell] Cog you and Vom Fass feel the whoosing sound leave your ears and your stomach lurches back down to where it's supposed to be and you fall a few feet on to the clay shingles of a house in the middle of a bustling city. Make dexterity saving throws! You look down at cobblestone streets dotted with short trees dotted with pink blossoms. Hundreds of traders, students, and city folk walk up and down the web of streets going about their day. What do you do from here? As you gather yourselves and decide on a plan roll a perception check. [DM Note: on a success they see two acolytes of the Assembly of the weave looking up at them and then walking off quickly. On a failure they see nothing and continue on.] After a few minutes an elven man approaches you and looks directly at you with steely Nut brown eyes. He has long black hair pulled back into a practical pony tail. He wears leather and quilted armor with dozens of straps and pouches. No cloak or cape to weigh him down and a set of daggers properly sheathed on his belt. He is tall and stately with a hard leather badge on his left chest which looks like the symbol of the Assembly of the weave. He is accompanied by an second elven man with bright hair who wears similar armor but with metal pieces placed around it. He also bears the badge on his chest.

Due to the large amounts of Elven and Assembly influence in Vellen Falls the two can call upon many fellow members to begin to separate the team. Epiphyte has read detailed files on the team and will try to get the Cleric into a bottle of whiskey with the help of a seductive dwarven woman. She will drug his drink and attempt to get him into bed for the day. The Druid will be more difficult to deal with but his flighty nature and his love of flying may be an in here. The Tabaxi is the real threat, her psionic powers and communication device make her the most dangerous of the team. Need a psionic creature or illithid to deal with her and keep her busy. Maybe her connection to the thieves guild could be used.
Polius as an artificer will have several devices at hand to blunt the powers of the two. Anti magic shard crystal manacles for the warlocks eldritch blasts. Force Bubble rune stones to trap Vom Fass. Several different potions and potion grenades to shrink or alter their forms. paralyzing gases. Maybe a Magnetic manacle that will force Cog’s arms together. It may have a heat metal ability that will begin to fuse his arms together and do damage. Could use the anti magic manacles on Vom Fass.
Dialogue for Epiphyte - "Master Cog, your reputation precedes you." Allow for response. " Your file says you were given leave to operate in the realm of Penthaheim.” Allow for response. “I do not recognize that leave, I believe you to be an incredibly dangerous entity. No, not because of who you are, your uniqueness of person and value set do not concern me. What you are on the other hand is a Warlock. You draw power from an unknown entity and that cannot be allowed. That does not just break the rules of the assembly and the realm you stand in now it also goes against the very laws of magic in general. The only safe way to wield the great power of the weave is to learn it spell by spell with the guard rails of runes, books, and components to guide you. You must understand the danger you have invited into yourself and into our fair, fragile world. A fount of unlimited power granted to you but at what price? Do you even know?”
Dialogue for Epiphyte to Vom Fass - “Ah, my kobold friend you are a unique blend of dangers all wrapped up in a tiny package. Your file says you channel wild primordial magics with pure instinct and talent. Have you not considered the peril you have placed your small material form in? What if you pull on the lightning a little too hard and it burns you to a crisp or turns you inside out? What if you can’t control it and it consumes your compatriots around you? You wouldn’t want to destroy your friends would you? The possibility that you rend our plane of existence irrevocably and leave a tear that begins to destroy everything around us? Think of the danger you present to the good folk of this land and verily the entire material plane. Come with me and I will help you control these terrifying powers and give you a place of rest so that you no longer need to traipse all over the world seeking adventure.
As you make your case to remain free and out of the confinement of the Assembly Epiphyte says with a solemnity “Ah, I figured as much but it was worth the try, I apologize for this. Polius, Now.” [DM Note: Roll a dexterity saving throw DC 18. ] A shiny metal device is tossed incredibly fast at your arm Cog and begins to glow. [DM Note: If the device touches Cog it magnetically pulls his arms together tightly and begins to heat up. Every round Cog will take 1d6 fire damage as the magnetic manacles heat up and attempt to fuse the metal of his arms together to stop his eldritch blasts.] Vom Fass you make a Dexterity saving throw as well as Polius tosses crystal manacles at your arms as well. The crystalline structure spins fast and begins to close around your arms. At this point let's roll initiative and find out what every one else is doing. [DM Note once battle commences use Hold Person, Bigby's Hand, Counterspell, Otiluke's forceful sphere and Sleep as well as force bubble rune stones and any other capture devices.]
Move to everyone else’s story, return for rest of combat. Reminder that Kalindor and Polius if they start to lose will cast wall of flame or protective spheres and then teleport out.
Dealing with Blizzard Hops -
Hops you feel the whooshing of the teleportation and the lurch in your stomach as you stumble forward onto a cobblestone street in a bustling city. You seem to be in an alley way with no one watching. As you stand up and collect yourself you feel that urge for a drink. You look around and see a plain wooden door in the side of an old building made of aging brick. It suddenly bursts open and a dumpy looking human man holding a ceramic pot dumps the contents onto an old grate. He grumbles to himself and then goes to head back inside as he sees you "Oy, my apologies sir, didn't expect to see a man of the cloth huddled in the old alley. I run this tavern, can I get you a drink?" You head inside remarking to yourself on your dumb luck and sit down at a well worn oaken bar. After finishing off your first tumbler of whiskey roll a perception check. An attractive dwarven woman keeps looking at your from a table to your right. Eventually the bar tender drops a drink in front of you and as you go to pay for it he waves his hand "Nah, friend, compliments of the lady." The dwarven woman blushes and looks down quickly. [DM Note: If Hops engages with the woman he learns that her name is Polity Meschalhammer. An emissary from the Urgolos Hold, the dwarven realm. She is in town on business trying to secure a trade treaty between the Elven kingdom of Westfvall and the East Tellenheim Trading Company. The reality is she has been hired by Kalindor Epiphyte to keep Hops busy and drug his drink. If Hops does accept the drink after fifteen minutes he will have to roll a Constitution saving throw DC 17. If he fails the first one he becomes incredibly susceptible and will have disadvantage on a persuasion roll. Polity invites him up to her room.] "I must say mr. Hops you are quite handsome and I'm only in town until tomorrow. Shall we move this discussion up to my room? It's on the second floor of this very tavern." [DM Note: Hop if he goes up or not will have to make a second constitution saving throw. DC 17. A fail here results in 8 hours of sleep.]
Dealing with Mew - Mew you teleport into a small farm town and you stop yourself from stumbling into pile of dirt with a small corn stalk sticking out of it. Rows of newly planted corn surround you and you see a small house with a thin plume of smoke coming out of the chimney about 500 ft. from you. What would you like to do? [DM Note: In the distance she can see the city of Vellen Falls. She can hear the river or even the falls if she asks. The small family of farmers are the Cullens, Thom and Marta. No matter what she does after a few hours she will be found and attacked psychically.] As you decide what to do roll a perception check DC 16. [on a success she sees a cardinal swoop down and look at her and then zip off quickly.] you feel an internal lurch as the scene in front of you begins to shift and gain a polygonal feel to it. You shift into the psychic plane like you see in your visions, the billions of tiny polygons reform into a jungle setting. The trees shimmer with green and brown tones and the air sparkles around you with bright yellow dust motes. From behind you a figure appears and to your surprise he looks like Andrax, your Dragon Born love from the future. “Hello, my love I am so glad I found you! I have been lost in this jungle chased by a dangerous creature!” [DM Note: Mew is being attacked psychically by a psionic high elf named Verrilous Phantalius. He was hired by the Assembly of the weave to keep her busy for a few hours.] She will be attacked by several creatures and Verrilous will taunt her and tell of his mastery of this domain. Allow her intelligence checks to determine that this is, indeed, her mental plane and she can control if if she figures that out. As you begin to take in what is going on creatures begin to emerge from the jungle. All of this is looking strangely familiar as giant apes emerge roaring and gnashing their teeth. A giant crocodile then pulls itself out of the water and begins to run towards you...
Dealing with Karnac -[DM Note- Depending on how the characters get to the city of Vellen Falls will need to find a way to separate them. If Vom Fass teleports everyone Karnac may find himself on the outskirts of town.] Karnac as you get your bearings and push down the nausea rising in your stomach and throat after teleporting you take in your surroundings. You seem to be on the outskirts of a large walled city. In the distance you can hear the dull roar of a large waterfall and the movement of a wide river. In front of you are several small houses with carts, wheelbarrows and other farm implements scattered around. A man driving a cart full of grain heads towards a small warehouse on the street nearest to you. To the east of you are rolling hills of farmlands, fields of wheat and alfalfa trade yellow and green back and forth. What would you like to do? [DM Note- Currently the communicator is down because of the attack on Mew. Karnac may try to wild shape into a flying creature.] As you make your decision or slip into your new form you hear a voice call out your name. "Mister Karnac! they said you would be here! It's your friends, they are in trouble, I'm to take you to them!" A brown haired halfling man is waving his arms as he runs towards you. "It's the Assembly, they are going to take them in. come quick if we hurry we can catch them." [DM Note: allow Karnac a perception check or a Nature check here. The halfling is a shapeshifter a Rakshasa! With a high enough check Karnac would smell a whiff of brimstone or infernal smoke. Rakshasa are fiends from hell planes. This one has been hired by the assembly to lead Karnac to a different part of the city and possibly kill him if necessary. It's real name is Corduroy and his halfling name is Beddledale.] Thinking he is still in his perfect disguise, Beddledale tries to lure Karnac into an alleyway with some thugs in it. These thugs have been convinced that Karnac is murderer who has evaded the guards. One of them is an aarokocra man with powerful wings in case Karnac tries to fly away. "Here he is gentlemen!" Beddledale exclaims "The Vellen Strangler! I believe he has killed 14 sex workers at this point. Take your street justice!" With that the halfling man streaks off into the city and dissappears. [DM Note: As a Rakshasa Corduroy can fly or turn invisible to evade Karnac.]

Conflict

The Delegation from the Kingdom of Crossing Sun and Stars-
Wandering through Vellen Falls and securing any shopping or planning that needs to be done you see a procession of Tabaxi holding purple and gold banners bearing a sigil of sun and stars. They approach Mew and the front two immediately kneel before her prostrate with their arms on the ground. The two standing behind them cross their arms and bow. A white and grey tabaxi that has the look of a snow leopard with many small braids coming off of his neck speaks. "Princess Mewtoolian Moon of the Midnight Sun Blood red moon and Crossing Stars over the ink black night. We have news from the Queen." The man presents a scroll and unfurls it and begins to read " Princess/Daughter your presence is required in one week's time at the Kettleclaw tower for an audience with the Queen. A threat has materialized and your intervention is needed. if you must you may even bring along your motley compatriots, though I must ask that they obey our laws and standards. It will be good to see you once more" - Greatest of Clan Mothers Queen Mewrulah of the Clawberry Briar First Daughter of Star Crossed Sun Scraper.
The Wet Dream-
Docked at the Kettledowne Docks on the Northerns side of the river most of the crew are out on shore leave. On the ship at this moment is Hicks who is monitoring the personnel schedule and some repairs from the goblin attack. "Are we in a hurry commander? I have several crew out on the town for the night. I can bring them in if need be but It will be a couple of hours."
Boat Side Quests - Vazquez was asked by the zoo keeper at Copenhaus to bring back a rare Quislan Seal. They are illegal to bring into Penthaheim due to the invasive species act of 2845. She approaches Hops about the idea and the amount of money she may be turning down.

Rising Action

On the Wyvern Sea -
[The Wet Dream has to sail down the river towards Copenhaus once more. They may have to face the demon they dropped in the water on the way to Vellen Falls. The Corrupted Juggernaut will explode out of the mouth of the river and threaten the ship! Corrupted Juggernaut!
The Wet Dream sails East down the Feron River, towards a rising sun in the distance. Apone shades his eyes as he looks out between the sails, Hicks activates the hull shift and the bottom of the boat once more magically adjusts into shallow water size. The large boat glides easily over dangerous rocks and muck that makes this river difficult to traverse for most large vessels. The morning air is warm for once as the season gets into spring proper. Hollefernes and Cog do some light modifications on the sails but the wind is fair and blows your way. You all scan the river banks looking for any signs of goblins or thieves but so far see nothing.
As you sail Vazquez and Hops head down to the Weapons deck and begin to do their cannon checks. She turns to you and says “Hey, when we were in Copenhaus one of the zoo keepers asked if I could procure a Quislan Seal. Offered me a pretty good price too. What do you think?” [DM Note: Hops make a history check DC 14. Quislan Seals are illegal to bring into Penthaheim due to the invasive species act of 2845.] “Well she offered me 1200 gold, which we could split…”
Mew as you take your usual position of sleeping in your quarters, sneaking into the galley, and petting your horse Crowe approaches you as you stretch after a nap. “Hey, I made you this. I found a great cut of beef back in Vellen Falls.” He hands you a metal plate with a filet Mignon, lightly seasoned and perfectly cooked. “Look I know you are married in the future (?) and all but I just wanted to say I like hanging out with you when you on the ship.”
Karnac you stand on the deck pipe in hand taking a few tokes. After doing his checks Borgullus Cro sidles up to you “Mind if I take a puff off of that?” He talks about a couple of wild shapes he learned after visiting the zoo in Copenhaus. “They had a Sea lion chimera that is fast in the water, fascinating”
Cog as you and Hollefernes tie off some ropes and settle in near the aft castle waiting for a wind change Captain Ro finally comes out to inpect things. “You know we should start looking into some new recruits for the crew. We’ve been through a lot with all you folk, and everyone here has done a bang up job, trustworthy and talented. But they are also strung out and doing a lot with little backup. We’ve lost Kal, Flaschenbier, and Knucklecrush. Mostly do to desertion and betrayal but we could still use a bit of help around here.” The sun gets higher in the sky and you can see the mouth of the river as it widens into the great sea beyond. Hicks hits the hull shift button once more and the boat prepares for deeper waters. After a few minutes anyone on deck roll a perception check. [DM Note: DC 17. Anyone who succeeds can notice a strange bubble pattern in the water. Probably roll for Apone and Hicks as well. Tracking the bubble pattern you can see a very large shadow down in the water approaching the ship.]. Six seconds later a gargantuan clawed hand clamps down on the rail to your right, and a moment later the other hand clamps down on the rail to your left on the other side of the ship. Huge flumes of water explode on either side of the ship with the motion of the huge arms. Roll initiative.

Climax

Sailing for a few days on the open water eventually they will see another ship not too far off. Captain Ro recognizes the ship and the captain as a friend. She allows the ship to sail near and tie up. The captain comes aboard and pulls captain Ro to the side. He asks for a private meeting “I’m sorry for this Eltera, they gave me no choice.” With that several knights of the Adherents of Iron raid the ship and demand to take Cog into custody. They have a warforged automaton with them that looks exactly like Cog. Battle here]
A gangplank and then another slam down on the rail of the boat as a few sharp commands are barked out by men as they rush across.  A dozen men in armor, weapons in hand stand imperiously on the deck.  Tabards with a black symbol dyed on white linen draped over their breastplates, black and silver helmets gleam in the sunlight.  A Paladin steps forward and begins to speak.  As you look on a familiar figure walks over the gangplank and clangs onto the deck.  A man made of metal and wood stands behind the armored figures and looks exactly like Cog.  Instead of the fluid and familiar movements of your friend and teammate this being walks stiffly and his eyes glow a dull orange.  The paladin speaks “We are battalion 23 of the Adherents of Iron. This vessel has stolen property on it and we demand the return of our battle warforged number 313.  This will be done promptly and no harm will come to your or your crew.”
If Cog is on deck the commander paladin is dismissive and treats him as a droid.  He purposefully avoids eye contact and always speaks to a human or dwarf that is present.  “You warforged will not address me as anything other than master.  You will return with us or be dismantled, any thoughts you are having to the contrary are a devil’s work and blasphemous.  Silence yourself or I will do it for you.”
If Hops is anywhere in view a Cleric will approach him angrily.  “You there! How dare you wear that symbol heathen! Bow down before us and ask for forgiveness.  Begin the prayer ritual immediately or I will strike you down.” He reaches out to grab the tabard on Hop’s chest and tear the cloth to shreds.

Plot type

Main Story