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The Defenseless Scholar

by RealmForging Posted on

The Defenseless Scholar

Current Status: Lead Uncovered

✓
Phase 1: Intelligence
Source: Bandit journal

Phase 2: Reconnaissance
Target: Defenseless Scholar

Phase 3: Verify
Target: Unknown

Current Objective:
Skimming through a bandit’s logbook, you notice an interesting entry about a scholar that the gang has been tracking for a while. It details sightings and encounters by the gang over many months. Find the scholar to learn more.

Adventure Hook

A criminal gang has noticed a lone, seemingly defenseless scholar carrying many artifacts through the region without any visible guards. While they have attempted to ambush him, he has managed to give them the slip every time. They’ve taken to keeping track of his travel patterns and escape methods to improve their odds.

  • The Trigger: Triggers upon discovering the bandit leader’s journal on Monsherba. The party clears out a bandit hideout on Monsherba and intercepts a smuggler’s cache. Among the recovered loot, they find a heavy iron lockbox containing a private journal.
  • The Objective: Upon examining the book, the party finds the bandit leader’s personal notes tracking a traveling scholar. The text reads: “Cornered the curator outside of K’utu. No weapons, no guards. But when my boys lunged, he didn’t even flinch. He just blinked out of thin air like a ghost. We have seen him traveling in the direction of Maslova and Zhaan as well. He always returns toward the same area, The Spires Basin.” A small crudely drawn map details his observed paths. The party must use these notes and the map to navigate the wilderness and find whatever lies at Phraenon’s destination.

Adventure Progression

Time Limit: 14 days after the initial discovery.

  • If Navigating to the Destination: Should the party utilize the crude map to cross-reference his paths between K’utu, Maslova, and Zhaan, they may successfully track Phraenon back to the Spires Basin before he changes his trade routes. Should they find and confront Phraenon peacefully regarding what they know, he will offer them a single gold coin and explain that it grants the ability to communicate with him over long distances. When held against a magical object, the coin vibrates slightly and sends information about the item to Phraenon. He identifies the item for them within 1 hour, reveals its forgotten historical lore, and details its exact mechanical quirks, curses, or hidden properties. He will make every effort he can to not lead them to The Somnium Archivum, but the party may attempt to follow and if successful, track him to the vault entrance.
  • If the Timeline Expires: If the party chooses to ignore the information or fails to investigate the trail within the time limit, Phraenon moves on to other opportunities and the trail goes cold.

Major Players

Phraenon