Chapter 4: The Offer of a Lifetime

While riots break out across the country a desperate scholar from the College of the Eight Nations reaches out to our heroes with an offer: if they can help him raise the last remaining funds needed to sponsor his expedition north he'll bring them along on his expedition as full partners with the potential to triple their investment

Structure

Exposition

Having secure Davon safe in his home, he bids you farewell and asks that you meet him the following day at the College of the Eight Nations. With the sun setting, and the sounds of rioting fading into the night you each make your way individually for your chosen place of refuge. As the sun falls a ghostly fog settles over the abnormally empty streets, giving The Sylvan Quarter a feeling of a ghost town abandoned to the darkness.
Ouna and Neff, a chill settles over you as you pass through the fog, and you find yourself grateful for the dim light provided by the few lamps that line the main street in the district. The few people still out this late seem as nervous as you, and they quickly shuffle past you in the fog avoiding meeting your eyes a little too obviously. The feeling in the city is the air, you can taste it, feel it in your bones, it vibrates in the wind and the trees: its fear. Although the riots calmed down drastically several hours ago, and the city watch once again restored peace to the city the storming of the Bastion laid bare the current regimes inadequacies, and the whole city is sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for the next pin to drop.
You make it back to the Red Pony just before midnight and the creaking of the cheap wooden floor underneath your feet is a welcome change from the damp stone of the avenue outside. You each make your way to the lone booth in the back that has, over the past six months, become as much your personal booth as it could be short of nailing a sign with your names on it. The old run down padding on the seat collapses under you and signal the bartender for some food. Meal is day old bread and hard cheese with mold on it, and the inn keep shrugs at your concern.
"Market's run dry, couldn't get anything newer." He says, as if that explains it all. And perhaps after today's events, it does.
No sooner have you begun to pick through your meal when the door to the Pub rapidly opens letting in a plume of fog from the outside, catching the attention of you and the handle of other patrons in the Pub. Standing in the doorway is Saphryn, her hair a little tussled, face spotted with blood and her wardrobe bearing the evidence of a few strikes that came a little too close for comfort...

Components

Goals

After meeting with Davon Krebeaux the characters will be charged with the goal of raising 3,500gp, representing the final investments or loans that the expedition requires to purchase the remaining resources of assets needed for success. Davon explains that he has been unable to secure all of the funds he needs from the museum and his creditors and even went to the Trios for help...but he still came up short.

Hooks

A Way In

Ouna has been looking for Rain nigh unto a year now, and was finally given a solid lead as to where he may be: Kaer-Duval, however entrance into the Dwarven city-state is not something usually given to someone who has gone through the tedious and expensive bureaucratic process of getting permits. Interestingly enough, Davon already has secured the necessary permits and therefore, should they be accepted into the expedition, would provide access Ouna otherwise wouldn't have.

Save Our City

Six months ago Saphryn established a relationship with Seigneur De la Mar, Seneschal to the King. She recently received a letter from the Seneschal requesting a meeting after breakfast the following morning where he hopes to present her with an interesting opportunity. He has heard of the intended expedition by the same M. Davon Krebeaux, and believes this expedition, if successful, could prove to be the saving grace of the city. If that treasure was, say, secured for the crown instead of the people of Aldir not only would it help recover some of the King's debts, but it would give them the much needed funds to secure more mercenaries and gain control over the burgeoning revolution. He has worked up some falsified documents that Saphryn could plant in the treasure hoard that would establish the King's direct control over the treasure and in return the King himself would be indebted to Saphryn specifically.

Ancient Treasure

Whatever the characters' individual reason's for wanting to raise the funds to buy a partnership into the expedition, the fact should be obvious that if this expedition succeeds they stand to gain quite a bit of fame, wealth and recognition. Not to mention life experience.

This Time it's Gonna Work

While several such expeditions into the Wastes have been attempted in the past, none of them have been successful. This is the main reason that Davon has found it so hard to secure creditors and capital in order to fund the venture. However, Davon is confident this expedition will work as he has, through his research and travels, found a person who has been to the Fell Stones and returned to tell the tale.

Stakes

Chaos Without End

After the previous day's events Seigneur De la Mar is frightened and understandably sure that if the crown doesn't secure some vast amount of capital and soon, then the fledgling revolution will gain traction and possibly win out over the current regime. While that may not be too bad an issue from the character's point of view, he expresses his hesitation in the matter. While De la Mar agrees that the current regime is not perfect, and the times may eventually call for reform, yesterdays events should prove that the Amaranthine is not in a healthy enough state for a revolution. It will mean years of bloodshed and thousands of lives, and for what? An unknown quantity to take the reigns of a broken nation? The potential for disaster is too great, and the regime winning out in the revolution is the lesser of two evils in De la Mar's mind.

We're All Gonna Die

While the potential monetary rewards for the characters is extremely high, the fact remains that several such expeditions have been attempted in the past, all ending in catastrophic failure. The Kazus Wastes are a harsh and inhospitable environment and even with a guide and a map, there is a high chance that the expedition will fail and everyone will die.

Moral Quandaries

Red or Black?

While the options to gain the money they need to purchase partnerships in the expedition, the most obvious source of income should be their chosen factions. With the city rife with conflict the sudden need for tough and capable adventurers in Amaranthine has gone WAY up. That said, some patrons are going to be looking to take advantage of the chaos to further their own means, while others still will be trying to help stabilize their home where they can.

Backdrops

Locations

The College of the Eight Nations

Built in the height of Nesterly regime almost a century back, the largest university in the kingdom is actually quite humble looking from the outside. Following the rest of The Sylvan Quarter's architectural devotion to elven design, the college is little more than a large pyramidal building occupying the central, north most portion of the campus with several rectangular outbuildings filling the rest of the space. The entire campus is encompassed by a large limestone wall no more than ten feet high, with detailed geometric pictographs carved into the facade depicting ancient elven lore, the story of The Dragon Twins being featured most prominently.
Stepping through the main gates almost feels like stepping into a different world as you leave the bustle of the morning streets behind you and enter a quiet grassy area spotted with collections of squat trees and ferns. You can see several of the college's students milling about area carrying bundles of books or laying out on the grass and enjoying the hot summer sun.
You follow a neat path that leads directly to the massive stone steps of the main building, the dirt crunching beneath your boots as you step seems like the only sound in the area. Climbing the steps and entering the building takes less work than the large stairway originally implied, and you are directed down several passageways and out a side door of the pyramid by a clerk. Following the directions she gave you, you make your way across and active ball court marveling at the leather clad students playing the game as you pass.
Eventually you arrive at an older, rectangular building along the southern wall. The college museum's outer walls are stylized much in the same way the rest of the campus us, although the pictographs depict images from a far older time period visualizing elves taming a wild and hazardous world. Upon entering the museum you are assaulted with the scent of dust and mold and as you eyes adjust to the much darker lighting you find yourself in a small lobby with walls lined with tomes and scrolls and a few small cases displaying artifacts of a curious, but simple nature and design.

Threats

Kovirians

The social club has been pushing for political reform for the better part of five years, but only now have gained some traction. Even though the major riots and action of the previous day's events have calmed down quite a bit, the club is loathe to release any of the ground it has gained. Unofficially they have sent out groups of thugs into the streets of the city with the goal of continuing the riots of the previous day and accosting anyone that they feel might be loyalists to the crown.

City Watch

Since the storming of the Bastion the previous day, the city watch has adopted a no-tolerance policy. Knowing that they are suddenly the face of a collapsinig regime in a hostile city the watch has become rather edgy and very little provocation is required before they move to more aggressive means of protecting the city...and themselves.

Encounters

Social Encounters

• Meeting with Davon

• Meeting with Seneschal

Kombat Enounters

• Protect a Church

• Stop the Food Riots

• Rescue Prisoners

• Save the Art!

Skill Encounters

• Steal from the Trios

• Help Out the Spy

• Help Tim (supplies, partners, debtees)

Past Events

The most recent historical event of any import is the storming of the Bastion, which occurred only a day before the chapter's beginning. The city has been changed drastically since then. While day to day life continues more or less unmolested, small riots in the streets and bruisers patrolling the alley ways accosting anyone suspected of being a royalist is not an uncommon sight. In the governmental halls of the city they are facing even more disarray. With pressure coming from the populace and the Kovirian Society, an social club comprised of members of all the classes dedicated to political reform, the high court is already beginning to buckle. The foundations of the old regime are crumbling.

Plot type

Chapter

Parent Plot

Adventure I: The Last Place on Unorrea

Related Locations

• Amaranthine
• College of the Eight Nations