resources:adventure:beyond_the_blue [Memento Mundi]

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====== Beyond the Blue ======
===== Initial Brief =====
In recent weeks, the council has grown concerned about a new narcotic that appears to be sweeping the streets of Acryn, especially around the docks. In most cases it leads to a harmless few hours spent watching pretty nights, but infrequently its consumption leads to violent outbursts and breaches of the peace that the city watch has grown tired of. Evidence seems to indicate that the trade in it originates from the isle of Thys, and the council wishes to engage a group of adventurers to track the supply to its source and remove the threat it poses to the city.  Pay is by results but rumoured to be generous, and the normal guild bonus has been increased in light of the ocean travel that will likely be required.
===== PCs =====

  * [[user:joew:pc:mark_carter|Mark Carter]] - Joe W
  *[[user:jamesi:pc:rafe_white|Rafe White]] - James I
  *[[user:matthewa:pc:henry_haldrad|Henry Haldrad]] - Matthew
  *[[user:olivers:pc:jon_mcwizard|McWizard P.I.]] - Oliver 
===== Debrief =====

As the party head to the docks to board their boat, they enter the seedier parts of the docks and find some who take objection to their mission. A fight is mostly averted, and the PCs head off with some samples of the drug and even the offer of a pay-off if the drug trades continues to flow to the correct individuals.

Out on the ocean the PCs face several challenges, including some aggressive weather, a monstrous sea serpent, and an island full of creatures which sing sailors to their death (the party being non-sailors are completely unaffected).

Following up on the rumours in Thys eventually leads the party to a warehouse full of the drug in its raw form - in which is seems to have a strange, destabilising effect on the surrounding area. Interrogating the wayfinder running the place, they discover that the drug is coming from a Flux Island, where the wayfinder’s business partner is overseeing operations. More workers are due to be shipped out to the Island shortly, and the PCs intercept the boat that’s doing so and bribe the crew to carry them instead.

On the island, the wayfinder in the party feels an overbearing presence in the Flux, of a powerful yet alien mind. The party find the previous set of workers, listless initially then violent, and they knock them out.

Moving inland, the PCs encounter a grove of silver flowers growing on purple tendrils, then things start to get weird. They encounter various dreamy visions, including finding themselves talking to various individuals who have recently taken the drug far afield. They also find a strange force preying on the gathered minds, which they intervene to fight off. After a great deal of discussion the party conclude that the people who they have seen burn away in green fire have simply left this shared dream, and decide to experiment by taking more of the drug in the hopes of getting out. Henry Haldren attempts this first, but finds his own protections against insanity prevent him from getting any further into the dream. Jon McWizard tries next, taking substantially more of the drug than recommended and starts to sense a great entity which wishes to devour him.

Proceeding onwards, the PCs find themselves face to face with a manifestation of the entity at the centre of this - a strange, plant-like anomaly called Thistle. After an extended discussion it is clear that at least some of the PCs are unwilling to accept that Thistle is benevolent, Jon McWizard going so far as to ignore his own soul start to burn away in green fire in order to continue his rant against Thistle. Before he can be consumed entirely, the rest of the party interven, attacking the new presence to drive it off Jon. A short argument is had as the new entity claims that everyone in the world belongs to it for the purposes of being consumed and the party briefly assumes it must mean something slightly more reasonable. This assumption comes to an end as the new entity begins the process of consuming Thistle and a confusing three way fight breaks out between the new entity and its minions, Thistle and his, and the party. eventually the new entity is driven off, although not before seriously wounding Thistle. Thistle agrees to release the party, and they awaken on the island.

Once released, it is a short job for the party to track down the Wayfinder responsible for the drug. The Wayfinder has completely lost it and is even harder to reason with than the alien Thistle, instead simply attacking the party while cackling about their newfound power. A power which, it turns out, is very real. The Wayfinder creates flux summons of the parties innermost fears, quickly breaking the party apart with the psychological attack. Eventually the party manage to rally, fighting off each other’s fears in order to open up a path to the Wayfinder. With the Wayfinder defeated, the party start to discuss what to do with the drug trade and Thistle. Eventually deciding to bring Thistle with them and to pass control of his drug to the Spicers Guild, so long as they guarantee that consumers of the drug will be given full details of what is entailed by consuming it.

As the party head back, Mark Carter keeps his attention on Thistle as it follows them towards Acryn. After a few days at sea he feels Thistle weaken and die.

Once back in Acryn, the party report to the Spicer’s Guild, informing them that this will be the last shipment of the drug but that it should be safer than ever.

== Consequences ==
Jon McWizard now has access to the Burning Soul epic tree.

{{tag>"beyond the blue" adventure jon_mcwizard henry_haldrad rafe_white mark_carter}}
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