Episode 18: Bailing Out Nels Report
General Summary
Welcome Back! A Message for the Players
It’s been a month since the night Sigrid was kidnapped. All the leads that you were following dried up. The week after she disappeared, Sigrid’s twin Nels also disappeared, he sent a message back saying he’s looking for his sister, and then went dark. It’s a week before Lunapalooza and you’ve been throwing your attention towards that.
Nels has sent a message to Nia, saying he has a lead on Sigrid and he’s in the Commonwealth of Corgi (north of the Sovranty of Lozar, just south of Ta-Arma) hunting for her. He’s in trouble and needs help.
Simultaneously, Lance gets a message from the Eljor family. Their daughter Filaurel is progressing with her pregnancy wonderfully. They have a lead on the Wood of Telperion that they agreed on. There’s a piece in Ta-Arma stolen by Gray Angels up there. If they’re ever up there, they can contact the wolf shifter, Coyote Rose in the Ta-Arma Tito Corbin's Tavern to follow up on it.
Sly Spenser has a myconid refugee who wants to get out of the Zone and away from the dwarves. Ta-Arma is far away from both of those. Could they bring it with them and drop it?
The journey is 1800 miles away, a week of non-stop flight on the Blackjack. Of course you go there to find Nels as soon as possible! You know that if you can get the Wood of Telperion, you can make the return trip in less than a day.
Rescuing the Foolhardy Brother
The crew finds Nels Silversång engaged in a pitched battle on the rooftop of an island fort on the Reaver's Deep coast of the Commonwealth of Corgi. Nels' party members had been slain by a gang of ghouls and ghasts.
Nia brought the officers of the Blackjack down just as a strange vampire summoned the hidden moon to eclipse the island enough to abduct Nels, but Elenwe was able to intervene halting the abduction.
Nels was instantly smitten with the elven witch. Spark then unleashed a fragment of magic left over from his excursion as Takrish Mihm. A destructive wave laid waste to the assaulting undead save the wizened vampire and some airborne boroka aswang. The air assault harassed Nia, Lance, and ended up gouging out Thunderfox's manhood (luckily we have a spare below deck).
The vampire does get away, and Nels reveals that he tracked Sigrid here. Nia rebuffs him for not bringing enough help. He asserted his right to adventure. So, he followed as the crew dove into the fort.
They found a shadow demon hanging around an infamous vampire war hero, Valaine of the Blood Moon Covenant bound with silver chains. Investigation found that not using the correct key would cause the chains to burst with sunlight vaporizing said vamp lady. Key around the neck of ugly vampire deemed the Corrupted One.
Party pursues the corrupted one into the catacombs and their combined magical might annihilates him after a little weird blood puke session. Get key, his cloak, a cursed gem that makes you a vampire, the wax seal of the vamps who support Malfador and a missive complaining about vampire politics.
So, the party unlocks Valaine the vamp lady. She agrees to come to Lunapalooza and not eat anybody if there is blood for her and her girlfriends to drink. Also, reveals that Sigrid was there with Dirk to commune with the Corrupted One. She will help look for more Malfador Vamps.
Crew head to Ta'Arma to look for wood. Spark is told by his grandfather through the Jragathon Board to seek the heir of Atho the Blue. Oh, also ancient spirit is now somehow awake on board the Blackjack?
Rewards Granted
Silver chains of radiance and cold iron key.
Blood Vampire Gem - curses wearer to become a vampire for 1d6 days.
Book of grievances, Cult of Malfador vampires vs. Blood Moon Covenant vampires.
Wax seal of the Corrupted One.
