The Lights in the North
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This map is the one found on one of the umberhulks which attacked a Damaran caravan carrying diplomatic envoys to High Hold. The map contains the locations of several small towns and villages around Damara, Narfell, The Great Dale, The Giantspires and even up along the Icelace Lake.
What do all the locations mean? That is for you to find out.
[This will be a multipart plot. You will have to pick where to go, what to search for. Choices will come with rewards and consequences. Any actions can be sent to me. Even if PM'd, I will try to do most of them IG.)
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A brave group of adventurers left on the captured Neogi Deathspider, renamed to Starhunter by the forces of High Hold. They struck back at the Neogi stronghold on an asteroid called Jounrey's Legg, in the Tears of Selune. Corporal Frederick Silver, Makoto Yamamoto, Lence Arnimannes, Nathelin Kenset, Eve Tanner, J.T. Firefly, Tory, Rika, Vin Domne, and newcomer Geriance Isolon. Although unable to destroy the Neogi fortress due to its sheer size number of forces, they struck a crippling blow that will hopefully give the Neogi pause, if they ever decide to turn their attention towards this area of Toril again.
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The small man leans over the map and points the spot out to Eric. This is the furthest East and south they have hit. We managed to damage their ship, so it might slow them for a bit. If we get another chance we definitely need to split parties if possible and one concentrate on tying up the ground forces and the other attacking the ship to see if we can bring it down. It tends to hover withing bowshot range of the ground. We managed to hit ti with lightning and magic missiles, with a more powerful mage we may have been able to bring it down.
We are still to thin to cover all areas. This happened to be a caravan, so it was a target of opportunity, the ship seemed to be hunting the area for others, and it was near the middle of the night when the lights attracted eyes on the ground.
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After the others have left, the small man meets with Eric.
Can a mage make a simple crystal that is attuned to another crystal or object? Make 30 different sets and then, distribute to the towns leaders with a warning. They are to crush their crystal when lights approach form the sky. Then match each to the different villages on the maps.
Rumors are probably already getting out so this might give some hope at least, rather than just the fear that will set in. You might have a traveling mage on duty at all times and then pull in who you can to try and break the kidnappings while we work on a more permanent solution.
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Eric listens to the suggestions and nods lightly. 'We need to look into these 'devices' and even the possibility of this flying ship. If you told me about a flying ship a few tendays ago.. I would have likely laughed at you.
I wonder though about Rika's idea. If we could maybe get some lenses to improve sight. We may not cover the whole area of town obviously but we could cover the ones closest to us? Simple signal fires could be used then?
Do we have any experts in the arcane or divine that could possibly explain these things? Most of our troops are out safeguarding various towns now, including our mages and priests.' Eric looks around for any arcane or divine experts..
[DM Gatekeeper]
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Eve speaks up in a quiet but determined voice: "Seasoned adventurers in Peltarch spoke of a friendly skyship, known as the 'Star Harpy'. It was hinted that the bards of the College may know a way to contact it. If that's true, then it would be a tremendous advantage. We need eyes in the sky and eventually we may need a way to get up there ourselves. Many villagers were unaccounted for in the caverns near Marren's Eve and potentially are held onboard the Neogi vessel."
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standing off to the side, regarding the flames of the fireplace, she speaks softly in her foreign accent
.. I once heard... of outposts... use a enchanted device... to let the garrison know that there... was risk of attack... Perhaps... this could be.. distu.. dusotru... shared to.. the village elders...
the short woman shifts position a bit and folds her arms under her chest
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Eric looks to Rika and sighs lightly
'Maeve is.. unable to offer aid at this time.
We might be on our own on this one. Also, the towns stretch from Narfell to Damara, to the Icelace and down to the Great Dale. We can't watch it all from one spot on the mountains.'
[DM Gatekeeper]
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Rika - Find a really tall mountain where we can see all directions. Bring Maeve. When the lights show up, she can send us there!
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Lieutenant Eric calls a meeting of those involved. He unrolls the map of the various towns out on the table and shows two spots.
'I have crossed off two towns in green - I use green to mark those towns that have been 'saved' though are not secure. Due to your recent efforts, Marrens Eve in Damara and Peatsland in the Great Dale are still standing. Marrens Eve made it out of the attack not scarred by the actions of these 'Neogi'. I would add that the Damarans are pleased with your efforts, as is Lord Sent. We have much to do though.
I will provide the information of these towns still.
- Marrens Eve. Population of 36. Mostly pipeweed for the King and spices for trade.
- Peatsland. Population was originally 98, though due to the recent incident that population has been moved down to about 61. I know this is a sore point for some of you but what you did stopped more from facing the same fate, or worse. These were simple people who deal in wool and clothing mostly.
We need a plan of attack and the Vanguard is out searching areas in the immediate area. We are stretched thin.
Thoughts?'
[DM Gatekeeper]
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Lieutenant Eric shares the following information they have on the towns that were attacked with anyone involved.
'Beckinsdale is a Damaran town iron mining village. Estimated population at the time of the attack is anywhere from 60-70 people. The leader of the town is a half-elf named Javon Jakobe. Appointed to the position three years ago. Like most of the population of Damara, the major faiths of the people here were the Triad.
Snowmelt is an independently run town that is mostly self-sufficient though sometimes trades furs and meat with neighbouring villages. The town is 'ruled' by a half-orc woman, Godiva of Tempus they call her. The outlying areas of the village have many smaller homesteads that have been counted in the numbers, putting the population of the town up in the 80's.
What are the connections? The trade goods? Iron, fur, meat. Isolation of the towns themselves making it easier to strike? Not one person is found dead? Maybe trying to capture one of the creatures will work. First we need to know where to look.'
[DM Gatekeeper]
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In a private meeting, a small man looks over the map and makes suggestions to Erik.
There are several ways to look at a this.- You can list which of these places have already been hit and see what was taken. Things of some sort of value, at least value to them; People is one, resources another. Beckindale and Snowmelt have already been crossed off, start there. Perhaps we can see what they want and try and narrow down a target.
- You can lay out what has been hit and what has not and see if you can find a pattern or make an educated guess at what might be hit next. Then send your forces there. We can have the Vanguard Scouts with eyes in the sky try and get a look at the areas, circling out from High Hold; Bamborough, Dewherst, Stonepeak and so on. They are avoiding large cities and they are moving quickly so we may have more targets already hit than we think.
We need information. These Umberhulks and other creatures seem to have been left behind to do something. Perhaps capture one alive, see which creature had that spider leg, and aim to trap that one. Some sort of flying spider thing, the leg may make some sort of control connection. Perhaps have someone observe the creatures and see what they do, wander off, are picked up, die off...something must happen with them.
Keep me informed.
