====== The Riddle ======
===== Initial Brief =====
Over the last few days anyone drinking a veil potion has witnessed a man shining out to them across the night. Few other details have emerged, but there is concern that to be affecting all visions that this is a serious problem that needs to be investigated and if problematic for Acryn, dealt with. Funds have been made available for a group to investigate the visions further.

Those who experienced the vision say the man’s mind was like a beacon cutting across the veil. They saw the man circling a hole in the ground. Others report a tree or river nearby. Not much to go on. One of the people who saw the vision claims that the landscape looked similar to a field near his home village of Aran. As no-one else reported the scenery looking familiar, this is considered the “best lead” currently available.

===== PCs =====
  * [[:user:vickyh:pc:xavier_octavio_sarmandastra|Xavier]]
  * Howard / [[user:matthewa:pc:leaf]]
  * [[user:joew:pc:Glassinger]]
  * [[user:thomasl:pc:jeremy_fitzwilliam|Jeremy]]

===== Debrief =====
The party are met by a group of concerned citizens who are paying a small amount to investigate the mysterious visions people are experiencing from Veil potions. A representative of the council also agrees to fund danger pay if a genuine threat to Acryn is encountered and negated.

The party have barely left Acryn when they are confronted by Farmers who have had dreams of the Party’s destruction of the world, and are willing to throw away their lives stopping them. It seems this news has also reached the Thunderer, who visits the party to test their strength and remind them that destroying the world isn’t a smart life choice. Glassinger has a bit of a run in with the Thunderer, but comes away having impressed the God.

On the way to the village of Aran the party encounter a merchant caravan which was attacked near the village and had their delivery of mana stolen. Weirdly the caravan’s memories of what happened are vague. Shortly after the party run into a gang of Serradic spies led by a Serradic Leader priest, a fight ensues and the party defeat the Serradics.

Eventually the party reach the Village of Aran. There they learn of a local legend known as the Wizard who may be the same as an Anomaly previously encountered by 2 of the party. They also discover that many of the geographical features seen in the visions are infact near the village and that several other caravans have been attacked when delivering supplies to the forest.

Heading towards the forest in the south the party come across a stone head which wishes them to answer a riddle before they are willing to pass. After some confusion as to whether the question “what am i?” refers to the context of the riddle or the riddle-head, and some not-so-subtle threats from Glassinger, the party get through. Shortly there after they find a tall pillar of darkness being guarded by a number of magical constructs. Rather than fight, the party head round, following an automaton who has headed to warn its master that the beta site has been compromised. The party arrive shortly after the automaton, and find a rather elated The Wizard completing a ritual, apparently keen to see how survivable his ritual will be for regular humans (or at least adventurers). Waves of arcane energy wash against the party, overcoming all but Howard. Lost in a featureless void, the party wonder if the entire world has been destroyed, with Howard commenting that he cannot feel any consensus while Glassinger ponders whether he is just 3 people short of achieving his life’s goal. Before much else can be considered, apparitions appear before the party: Howard sees an apparition of a limbless man who could be his brother, Xavier sees a Warrier priest who once accused her of heresy, Jeremy sees himself realise what he has become, and Glasinger is confronted by an apparition of his father’s spirit. Each manages to overcome the apparition, although Xavier’s is defeated by a combination of Xavier and Howard.

Finally, the party find themselves once again in front of the Wizard, who is keen to experiment with what the pure potential they find themselves is capable of, and most of the party are only too happy to experiment with him. Only Glassinger holds himself back, instead focussing on a disturbing piece of news: that the Wizard believes dragons should be unable to enter this space. Luckily for him (and terrible news for everyone else) it seems the Wizard is wrong, and draconic tendrils start entering the space. Some keen to destroy the humans found there, others seeking to guide the humans to recreate the world that once existed in this area. Eventually the party co-operate to bring the world they remembered back into existence, successfully recreating the glad they had been in, but with even more flux and a large wizards tower. The Wizard is somewhat frustrated by the failure of the experiment, believing that Glassinger is the reason it failed. A great deal of discussion is had about what to do, before it is suggested that Glassenger’s link to the dragon’s should be severed. Keen to try, the Wizard begins a ritual but before he can complete it, Glassinger escapes. As he does so he hears a chord from a song of ruin drifting from the incomplete ritual.

With Glassinger gone, the party discuss next steps with The Wizard. With things calmer the Wizard finally queries if Jeremy is in fact the same adventurer who attempted to attack him in Acryn. Jeremy confirms that this is true, but they only did it to trick The Wizard into working with Frederick Dines. Something The Wizard is NOT happy to hear, heading into his tower and increasing the security outside.

Jeremy, Xavier, and Howard return to Acryn, receiving their basic reward. They also claim that most of the threat came from Glassinger, a story the council representative seems to take seriously. They also inform the guild about the Wizard, who are disappointed that the anomaly was not collected, but are keen to mount a capture attempt. Finally, they visit Frederick Dines, who is disappointed to hear that Glassinger has ruined his relationship with The Wizard, but is pleased that Xavier has brought further allies to the cause. In the following weeks he contacts each of them providing them with drop points in order to contact him. Finally, they visit Xavier’s room to view the formula. Jeremy copies it down and provides it to the consumption mage that gave him his eyes.

Glassinger stays behind to confirm the attacks against the caravan’s have ended. When he returns to acryn he collects his payment, but is treated in a very standoffish manner by his employers. It also looks like the watch are looking for him for some reason.

=== Outcomes ===
The Watch have been warned about Glassinger several times now. They have no evidence that he has committed anything illegal per se, but his intention to end the world means they might try to make a crime stick when they would otherwise look the other way.

A small part of Xavier is now in Howard. For the most part this doesn’t have any effect bar some confusing dreams for Howard. If either one flux-resurrects, this connection is likely to have an effect on the nature of the resurrection. It will also have an effect on any attempt to repair Howard’s shattered nature.

{{tag>"the riddle" adventure xavier_octavio_sarmandastra jeremy_fitzwilliam glassinger leaf the_wizard}}