AAR: [10H] The Truth Points to Itself 2021-6-5 @ 1700 gmt

[ChrisDDickey]

LFG: The Truth Points to Itself
GM: Chris D
Organized by: Zivilyn (Sharkforce)
Difficulty: 10H Probably limited to 4 players.
Time: 2021-6-5 @ 1700 gmt Saturday (1 pm eastern)
Rumor: viewtopic.php?f=58&t=2335

Zivilyn has been having enormous trouble getting anybody to agree to Initiate him into Illusionism. The highest ranking members of the Discipline (who are highly talented at finding truth) think him unfocused and doubt his dedication to a fifth(!) Discipline.

After much negotiation and correspondence among themselves, the Masters have finally agreed to set a test for him to accomplish.

There is a Warden Illusionist who has brought much dishonor to the Discipline. Soben Tarl, the Deceiver, was one of the leaders of the Scourge. She (or He - Descriptions vary unusually widely) was reported as a major instigator in the assault on Kampung Gajah. He or She has not been positively seen since, but rumors of her presence have attached themselves to every unfortunate occurrence for the last year. Only by tracking this person down and bringing back proof that they have been brought to justice will the Masters agree to Initiate the Aspirants into Illusionism.

Reward: Unlock Illusionist
Note: Defeating Soben Tarl in a fight is not expected to be the major challenge of this adventure She has little interest in a direct fight with a whole party of Adepts. Success or Failure will probably depend upon finding her, outwitting her, and keeping her from escaping. Bring your thinking caps.

[verse86]

Name: Thorkell Gulbrandsen
Date of Last Game Played: 2021-05-22
ECR: 11
Discipline: Weaponsmith 11/Warrior 8
Unique: Thorkell brings the downtime activities. Besides that he is a perceptive and tanky troll.
Downtime:
[Craftsman] Rank 11 / 38 (+2 if metal) can make mundane items, weapons, and armor
[Efficient Forge Weapon] Rank 13 / 31 (+2 if metal) (can forge rank weapons at once)
[Rapid Forge Weapon] Rank 13 / 31 (+2 if metal) (can use extra successes to reduce downtime by 1 day each)
[Rapid Forge Armor] Rank 13 / 31 (+2 if metal) (can use extra successes to reduce downtime by 1 day each)
[Item History] Rank 4 / 26
[Research] Rank 6 / 24
[Design Enchanting Pattern] Rank 12 / 34
[Craft True Pattern] Rank 12 / 39 (+2 if metal)
[Craft True Pattern] Ring of Endurance: Ask for details.

[sigfriedmcwild]

Name: Norg
Last played on: 2021-05-21
ECR: 10 (861945lp)
Discipline: Gauntlet 10 / Air Sailor 5
Quote/Unique: The punch is not the goal, the punch is the way
Notable Abilities: PUNCH! JUMP! some awareness, some navigation, some wilderness survival, the worst physician this side of the mountains
Downtime: none

[Sharkforce]

Name: Zivilyn
ECR: 10
Last Played: It's my unlock
Discipline: Shaman/Wizard/Elementalist/Nethermancer 8/7/6/5
Notable Abilities: Spells, a little bit of everything at this point. Good with animals. Only *mostly* incompetent at social stuff.
Downtime: Downtime: Animal Training (Talent) - Step 20 including karma (Rank 10) (can train up to 10 commands total, or improve non-combat skills by +1 per command used on it)
Research - Step 28 including karma (Rank 8). +3 to the step is available at a cost of 20 sp for access to the Great Library of Throal.
Item History - Step 20 including karma (Rank 8)
Design Enchanting Pattern - Step 21
Create Blood Charm - Step 21 (can make Absorb Blow, Bone Charm at +5 TN to the crafting)

[predajey]

Name: Vralino Hammer-Shield

Date of Last Game Played: May 11
ECR: 9
Discipline:

• Spear Master (Circle 7)
• Elementalist (Circle 7)

Unique: Spears, Spells, Speaking, and some Surgery. I also navigate and alchemate... in moderate.
Downtime:
Item History (Rank 8, ESR 19)
Alchemy (Skill Rank 1, ESR 8)

• Booster Potions

[bronzemountain]

Name: A'horangi Ha'hana Syrtis
ECL: 10
Discipline: Monk
Quote/Unique: "Respectfully, I must now punch you."
Notable Abilities: Very polite dinosaur. Fully Item History/Research a Journeyman TI in one week.
Downtime: Research 1/22 (+3 for 20sp), Item History 4/25
Last Game Played: 2021-05-22

[Xzandrate]

Name: Moe'uhane
Date of Last Game Played: 2021-05-11
ECR: 11
Discipline: Illusionist(11)/Messenger (6)/Boatman(7)
Unique: Fear banishing, stealthy inducing, Phantom Fireball machine (with a side of Dragons)
Downtime: Research 5 - step 13(16 with library bonus)
Craft Spell Matrix Objects:(11/23) Standard - 5 days -1000 SP; Enhanced 6 days - 2000 SP; Armored Matrix 7 days - 4000 SP
Design Enchanting Pattern:(11/23)

[Sharkforce]

Thorkell, Norg, and A'horangi will be joining Zivilyn on this mission. Let's go find that crazy cultist and put an end to her(?) scheming!

[ChrisDDickey]

AAR:

Player Rewards: 
Zivilyn: 104,000, lp, 2,100  sp, 5 TIPs, Illusionist unlock.
Thorkell: 104,000, lp, 1735.2 sp, 5 TIPs, 8 True Earth, 8 True Wood.
Norg : 104,000 ,lp, 2,100  sp, 5 TIPs
A'horangi : 104,000, lp, 2,100  sp, 5 TIPs
GM Rewards (Truck) 13,000 lp, 775 sp, 3 TIPs.

Downtime:
Zivilyn:
Animal Training (Talent) - Step 20 including karma (Rank 10) (can train up to 10 commands total, or improve non-combat skills by +1 per command used on it)
Research - Step 28 including karma (Rank 8). +3 to the step is available at a cost of 20 sp for access to the Great Library of Throal.
Item History - Step 20 including karma (Rank 8)
Design Enchanting Pattern - Step 21
Create Blood Charm - Step 21 (can make Absorb Blow, Bone Charm at +5 TN to the crafting)
Thorkell
[Craftsman] Rank 11 / 38 (+2 if metal) can make mundane items, weapons, and armor
[Efficient Forge Weapon] Rank 13 / 31 (+2 if metal) (can forge rank weapons at once)
[Rapid Forge Weapon] Rank 13 / 31 (+2 if metal) (can use extra successes to reduce downtime by 1 day each)
[Rapid Forge Armor] Rank 13 / 31 (+2 if metal) (can use extra successes to reduce downtime by 1 day each)
[Item History] Rank 4 / 26
[Research] Rank 6 / 24
[Design Enchanting Pattern] Rank 12 / 34
[Craft True Pattern] Rank 12 / 39 (+2 if metal)
[Craft True Pattern] Ring of Endurance: Ask for details.
Norg: None
A'horangi:
Research 1/22 (+3 for 20sp),
Item History 4/25

Alternate rewards:
The grateful followers of Choloris offer you a 15% discount on anything that can be found in Travar, which is to say anything.

Further Information:
After tracking down several rumors, the party traveled to Travar to apprehend Soben Tarl, the Deceiver as she was attempting to rob Barsaives most opulent shrine of Chloris. She was brought to justice.
Bisen Shadowsinger Eleventh Circle Ork Illusionist, Initiates Zivilyn as an Illusionist.

[Sharkforce]

From the Journal of Zivilyn, Windling Magician: The Truth Points to Itself

At long last, one of the villainous perpetrators of the many crimes against Barsaive committed by the scourge cult has been dealt with. Soben, an illusionist who has been behind many plots starting with the theft of three drakkars from the Scorched Tusk moot and culminating in the assault on Kampung Gajah (or rather, these are some of the plots we can connect her with... who is to say there are not many more?).

Joining myself, Howler and Haze were Norg, who I don't think I could've kept from coming along if I'd tried (he has more than a few bones to pick with her, and I'm fairly certain he intends to start by ripping them out of her body with his bare hands), Thorkell (who was also mad, though I'm not certain he was as intent on immediate violence as Norg), A'horangi, who I have heard is an excellent detective (she is, for the record; her assistance was extremely valuable) and Vralino, who seems to have managed to rope herself into the expedition somehow (but it was most fortunate that she did, her magical tracking abilities proved to be just the thing we needed).

The first step of course was to just get an idea of where she could even be found. A Warden Illusionist is no slouch at covering their tracks, and she had been able to avoid notice for far too long. I'd heard rumblings of her presence, and was set on her trail by an Illusionist Named Bisen, an Ork (or so she wants me to think... she is, after all, an Illusionist). There were a number of false leads to chase down, and we took care of a few obvious ones very quickly (supposedly she had set up shop in Dubhan's home, which we ruled out by simply checking if Dubhan was alive, or that she might be in Irondelve's mines, or a haunted mansion in Throal, or fleecing merchants in Salt Cellar... but at least we ruled them out as possibilities. We later heard a rumour that she might be in the Poison Forest capturing creatures to twist for the scourge's evil ends, which most mercifully turned out to be untrue... although I still find myself thinking we should look into that one, because if someone else survived and is doing that, it is the worst kind of news).

In time, Vralino managed to talk a Questor of Chorollis into asking his Passion if a rumour about the Chamber of Vaults in Travar was accurate. He must've thought little of it at first, because he sort of waved her off, but a few hours later he was pounding on her door shouting for her to go to Travar and put an end to whatever plot Soben was planning. Needless to say, we made haste to Travar.

Thankfully, we had gotten a letter of introduction from the Questor in Throal; Aldrac Honeytongue, the Questor who maintained the Chamber of Vaults would likely have not taken us as seriously if we had not showed up with evidence that Chorollis was aware of their need and had sent help. They had also sensed the Passion's agitation and were unsure of what to do, and gave us fairly broad permission to go problem-solving. Again, chasing down leads proved less fruitful at first; none of the clerks were suspect, a local enchanting center had not recently made anything to be stored in the vaults in the Tower of Chorollis, no recent suspicious deposits of door-like objects had been made, the walls were too thick for her to pass through easily, she had not recruited any help from the local underworld... until A'horangi found that one of the night guards had been present (according to the other guards) on a night when she was at home, sick.

Vralino tracked her back and indeed, on that night she had not been present, which led us to suspect Soben had been disguised as the guard, a corporal Named Niamina. If she was doing recon, we suspected her full attempt would be coming shortly after. Less than a day later, we received a suspicious letter saying that the captain of the night guard, Zorus, had tracked Soben down and we should investigate. This positively reeked of a distraction to me, so I asked Norg and Vralino to go with one of the guards (who was to return for help, a good swift Windling, in case it turned out to be really her) to take a look while the rest of us stuck around to watch the vault.

It was really her, and it was also a distraction. She tried to lead Norg and Vralino on a wild goose chase while the guard ran to get the rest of us, and after reaching her carpet it seemed like she might actually get away... until Vralino tracked where she had come *from* to lie in wait, that is. When Soben returned to her hidey-hole, she found it full of angry Troll and did not much enjoy finding out how being made to punch himself made Norg feel. She will not be causing problems for anyone any more.

I had been searching for a master to train me in the art of Illusion for some time, and it seems Biden had left this to me as a test to see if I would be a worthy student. I expect many frustrating lessons will follow, but also enlightening ones.