Crimson Sands of Time

Quote from Wile_E_Coyote >>

To be clear, it was actually temporal displacement.  It's very philosophical to consider if a thi g you remember thar happened then didn't is in fact a dream, but that speaks to a potentially expanded definit9on if the word in a world aware if reverse tine travel.  My confusion is, I'd she showed up at Ussa's, then didn't tbe next time, something must have changed he'd.  It's totally possible in a butterfly effect sort if way and oddly makes for a monocanonical retcon.  In any event, it is as youbsay - for whatever reason, Navarra bever arrived at Ussa's house.  Since her presence is in no way connected to the mundane events that followed the embassy break-in, she does t have to leave in the night, u less she's trying to use the cover if dark to depart undetected.  Whoxh suggests someone would be interested in knowing of or perhaps preventing her departure.

(That's a potential plot hook, but she's deliberately leaving behind clues to draw the party or enemy towards the northern region. Is there any in-game books that might contain lore about giants?)

Angus will quest or craft the mithral armor Plate +1(rare) or Plate +2(very rare).  So, are you thinking that I come up with the story of how he encounters it, or is that something you want to do?  Could be an old armor of Dove's, or another friend of his that died.  Could be an item that he heard about in the Myth Drannor area but never had time to chase down.

<sorry im a bit behind on tha campaign.  I deliberarely set it up to create extra workfor mysekf, then thr etiming plopped tjst right when my wife is out if town and the kids im left to watch start getting sick and so im a bit more oressed for time thsn i thought i woukd be.  I am concocting stories though and thst is 90% of my writing bottleneck generally.  Youve all been great with your leads gooks and other inputs. No promises on ptogress buy im pretty optimistic most of the party will have things to do by midweek.>

<giant 'lore' in game. Some mention in Agalond's "A Guide to the Cold North". Certainly "Living a Dream: Three Years Among Stone Giants" would have some useful information, and rhough the events are fictitious, it's possible some intimate knowledge of giants could be gleaned by reading rhe chapbook "The Giantess' Curse"

While we're on it, it might be handy to find a copy of the very rare "Transubstiality Across Potentialities".

Quote from rob88scps2 >>

Angus will quest or craft the mithral armor Plate +1(rare) or Plate +2(very rare).  So, are you thinking that I come up with the story of how he encounters it, or is that something you want to do?  Could be an old armor of Dove's, or another friend of his that died.  Could be an item that he heard about in the Myth Drannor area but never had time to chase down.

 You can literally just buy it in the city you're already in.  Like, with money.

(How much for mithral half plate +1? Shield +1?)

Quote from ikarbino >>

(How much for mithral half plate +1? Shield +1?)

According to our source over at Level Up (aka A5e) these are the prices.

65gp for +1 half plate.

1000gp for +1 shield 

I thought that top line value was an error, so I checked the book.  It's 2000gp.

Since Angus doesnt have that kind of money he will need to quest for items

Maybe I'll stick with a breastplate and get a +2 for 2,000gp. What about a magic shield?

How much money do we have?

I have absolutely no idea how much money you have.  Just like I don't know how much hp you have at any given time.  My sense is you have tens of thousands of gold or equivalent in items.  It's kind of a boon that you're in a city with a strong seller's market, meaning you get an extra 25% on items sold, but do pay an extra 25% on items bought.  Unless you just go someplace else to buy them.  Uniquely, fine armor is the main export of Mulmaster, so realistically if you're going to buy +2 or better armor, this is the place to do it. Adding 25% seems crazy, but the odds of actually finding it in any given place aren't great. (I question the economics of this, but remember it's just a game, so I just let it ride.  Also, there's probably a lot of sham +x armor in this city, but on the level, I wouldn't do that to you. I did try it once, but as an open-to-the-player dice roll to discern quality.  I did not think it added to the fun for anyone.  @Legion4 might recall it.

Shield prices are reported accurately by the digital tool: https://a********/magic-items?field_mi_category_target_id[0]=301&amp;field_mi_cost_value[min]=&amp;field_mi_cost_value[max]=&amp;combine=. 1,000gp, 7,000gp and 49,000gp for +1,+2,+3 respectively.  If these numbers seem off to you, I recommend Pack Tactics' recent YouTube video on magic armor and AC.  The short of it is that the higher it gets, the more extreme the effect of a bonus is. It is a trap for all DMs baked into the 5e system, but my take is just to let everyone get really high AC.  I will find monsters that can hit it because I'm looking for cool monsters and running a high level campaign.  So, high ACs at this level aren't really the problem they might be for DMs at tier 2 who want to run games out of the box from WotC.  I almost just said "well, the tool says 65gp, so I guess it's 65gp" but then I realized I could just look it up for real.  I also recognize I'm using a 3rd party 'unofficial source, but I really recommend it.  Level Up is pretty good.  Ditto for Numenera, which is where I got the art for the lesser form of the monster you just fought. Also a major.part kf the maguc item house rules in play as.of.now.

Very well, Angus will purchase Mithral Plate +1 and a shield +2.  He would be interested in questing for an advanced weapon of some sort, or the materials to craft such.  He is ready to proceed with the next phase of the adventure.  We should be at level 13 now?

(Everybody OK out there?)

I think the DM is busy with our side quests.

I’m here!

I have been mostly IRL busy, but also prep time for this never off game is an illusory thing.  So, now that I'm prepped, I'm letting folks know that some of the PCs will continue to run in this channel, while others will run in PMs, and Tetrevess actually runs in both, playing out memories lost from the trip to the Astral in PM and still present in the events of the main thread as they please, noting that they are still obliged, in theory, to serve the Cloaks in Mulmaster until such time as they leave either by quitting or getting permission to do other things abroad.  In either case, there's nothing keeping Tetrevess from joining in the main thread (this thread) as this segment continues.  I'll update later today to kick off.

With the Thayan Ambassador dead and the artifact and research lost, the evidence of the Red Wizard's schemes lies in the hands of those dwelling in Ussa's house.  But, with the passing of night, the research has disappeared.  Akame's notes of the research conducted by the Red Wizards is theirs to share or conceal, but in the absence of hard evidence presented to the Lady of Crime, the political will needed to oust the Thayans completely from the city is lacking. 

Your contacts in the thieves' guild honor the agreement to furnish the now useless information about the late Knight Commoander, and inform you of the unfolding situation within the embassy, where the Necromancer you faced as you departed has been named the new Ambassador and additional knights and have been dispatched from Thay along with a battalion of undead, currently en route to the city.  The Blades are preparing for the occupied city to become a police state and fear the impact of such on the economy in the near term, yet know that the alternative to appeasement would be to invite the cataclysmic wrath of Szazz Tam's destructive power.  The red menace behind the curtain is no secret, but the threat is real and in the end, the decision to go to war with Thay is too heavy to carry the day.

Meanwhile, the information Morwena provides about the revelation of an Abeirian city in the North where Remi and Zehira await spurs the adventurers to act.  After equipping themselves adequately, availing themselves of the fine arms and warm clothes for which Mulmaster is known, Angus, along with Samogri, depart at Morwena's behest. <She is the one that recruited Angus into this mission previously, for those who missed it.>  For her nephew, Chadderlay, however, Morwena has a different instruction.  She informs him of something she heard about that interests her greatly, and asks him to accompany her to investigate.  She tells him of Tyreus and of the Stone of Creation.  She tells of how it is guarded know by the Sapphire Dragon of Highstar Lake in the High Moors.  She tells him of the power the item had, to make real illusions and goes on to say that there is ancient knowledge, lost even to the protectors of the stone, who were cursed upon their failure, but not lost to those who took the it, those for which it held a great potential, those whose presence on Toril left indelible traces, but which now linger as scant remnants of what once stood upon this world.

Tetrevess is obliged to stay in Mulmaster, by membership in the Cloaks, but can ask to leave if desired, though it would warrant an extraordinary explanation.

Akame has a thing. I'll handle that in PMs.

Chadderlay agrees to accompany his aunt Morwena having only recently reunited with her. The news she shares about the Stone of Creation and the ancient knowledge surrounding the artifact intrigues him greatly.

"Perhaps our paths will cross again but for now I will journey with my aunt Morwena. We must investigate a matter of great importance"

Morwena reveals to Chadderlay a smoky gray quartz orb the size of a grapefruit.  "With this, we will find what we seek.  Here: at the eastern edge of Icewind Dale, an ancient secret lays buried beneath the ice, and now I have found the key."

Morwena puts the orb safety away and produces a map of Icewind Dale with a remote location at the edge of the glacier marked on it.