The Zygnessian Threat – Gunpowder Retrieval:

If persuaded with good checks he will offer the group a mission in exchange for a full
coach wagon of gunpowder. He explains that even though they recently won the much-
discussed battle against the Akivvi, he needs as many soldiers guarding the fort and the
mountain ranges in case the Akivvi still have enough numbers for a counter-attack. For this
reason, he has not sent anyone after a group of scouts that he has not heard from since before
the battle nearly 2 weeks ago. He asks the group to find some evidence of their fate, dead or
alive.
If they agree, they will set off north through a mountain gate pass. There they will
encounter some more guards that guard some mining camps north of the main mountain
range. A few hours in, a group of 3 Southern T’Toci approach them out from behind a crag.
They say they come on behalf of Kresten Vo’Rut and that they know about their mission to get
gunpowder. They offer the group a deal. These men are actually here to ambush a caravan full
of gunpowder coming from the northernmost mine in the coming days and subvert it to Vo’rut
lands. They offer the group one of the coach wagons if they are to help them in the raid. The
party can agree to help, disagree, kill them, or later tell Hjalmar about the Vo’rut planning the
raid.
If they agree to help they will be brought to a small camp hidden behind a crag where
they will wait two days then raid a caravan of T’Toci, with a druui rider and 4 T’toci soldiers, and
some T’toci miners.
If they disagree to help but keep quiet nothing will change but they may hear news of
the attack later.
If the group decides to continue with their original mission they will need to pass
survival checks as they enter the coldest parts of the known world. Luckily Vekel being with
them prevents them from dying from cold but they will have to pass HT checks to see how
badly they are fatigued from 6 hours of arctic travel. At one point the group must hide from a
herd of Akivvi venturing north. Eventually behind a crag they see 4 bodies on stakes flayed with
campfires smoldering underneath them. The Akivvi will immediately attack with spears and
throwing spears and will not yield until dead. 4 Akivvi to kill. Upon inspecting the flayed men,
one of them is still barely alive. He asks the group whether the T’toci won the battle and then
begs them to take him to Valkhall. The group can take back the scouts equipment and their sigil
or can take back their bodies to be “passed.”
At this point the group will be asked by Vekel to accompany his group during their
attack. Depending on how the group plays this it can go down in a few ways. The group can
accompany the men and participate in the attack as described above. Or, they can accompany
them and attack the Vo’Rut once the combat starts. If this happens the group has to fight Vekel
and 7 of his men alongside the Im’Lok dralk and 4 soldiers. The group can choose not to
accompany Vekel and his men in the attack, where Vekel will be disappointed and tells them
Kresten will never help his group. But, Vekel will refuse to attack the group, instead warning
them not to tell Hjalmar about the attack or Kresten Vo’Rut will kill them.
If they decide to tell Hjalmar he will be grateful and offer the group a special hand-
crafted pistol. Though this will cause unrest in the T’Toci and may affect future events.
The party is then offered to sleep at Fort Im’Lok for the night before venturing back to
Skeleria. If they choose to do so, and they told Hjalmar about the pending attack they will see
Vekel being brought in in chains the next day, where he spits on the group and promises that
Kresten will find them.
Their journey back down the Der Channel and into Farmoor is uneventful. GM reminds
them that Farmoor is Vo’Rut lands and that perhaps they should be careful. Upon returning to
their ship, the group is met by a Il’khelm (M’Loc) raider captain who explains that a bunch of
men wish to follow Eirik on his journey and that two large longboats will accompany him back
to Skeleria (200 M’Loc raiders)
The group then has a random naval encounter.
Back in skeleria, the group again notices that the entire Golden Sails and various other
mercenary companies are now acting as a standing naval blockade and army surrounding
Gadskar and the Skelerian archipelago.
The party may do as they wish in Gadskar or may go meet with Scipio right away. He is
pleased with their retrieval of gunpowder and congratulates Eirik on his family’s victory and the
T’Toci who chose to follow him. Depending on their choices he will comment on a pending civil
war between the Vo’Rut and the Im’Lok and wonders what Rawlig will do in this situation.
Regardless, Scipio will explain that the situation in Nian is worsening. He describes that Akane
Akasuki still refuses to stop the war. In fact there is an underground Kianese movement
attempting to overthrow Akane Akasuki and install a new General who will make peace with
North Nian and help them fight the Zygnessians coming from the Scar periodically. Several
assassination attempts against Akasuki have failed. She is now preparing to siege the Sala Asari
college of mages. Scipio notes that these mages would be useful in fighting the Zygnessians,
and that if the college falls the north will likely be consumed entirely by the Kianese and
Zygnessians.
He also describes he has received a raven from Ymmit’s Finger – a large group of Cherubian
Healers are holed up in the Temple atop Ymmit’s Finger, guraded by the surviving members of
the Cleansers. They fear the Zygnessians will find them and Scipio wishes to recruit the healers
to prepare for the coming war against the Zygnessians.
Further, he has received a request from the Lantinians to escort a Erudite who believes he can
decode the Zygnessian Language and create a device to try to speak with the Zygnessians but
he requires an escort to observe the Zygnessians and the government is too concerned with
preparing for and attack to entertain his idea. Also, Irue Aurea was reportedly involved in a
scandal and was imprisoned and then escaped, but his location is no longer known.
The dowsing rod is still a viable option, which is believed to be hidden in the Ruined Temple of
Ebnopis, in the Western Desert of Welyst, in the remants of the Qero civilization. Rumor has it
they used to be master farmers and terraformers but their tampering with the lands of Welyst
turned them into a desert over a short period and caused massive starvation, ending their
civilization in a matter of months.