resources:adventure:how_to_win_friends_and_influence_people [Memento Mundi]

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====== How to Win Friends and Influence People ======

===== Initial Brief =====

In the darker corners of Acryn, word begins to spread through hushed whispers and subtly-delivered letters of an employment opportunity. A well-paying individual has a few odd jobs to be done, and those capable of discretion and willing to operate outside of the law who would take up an opportunity to earn potentially as much as 150 Riel per head are invited to come to the warehouse district on the Western edge of the Merchant District four hours after the sun sets, on the first Saturday of the month.

===== PCs =====

[[user:thomasl:pc:hugh_branch|Hugh (|Branch> + |Marsh>)]] - Tom\\
[[user:khimaera:pc:jemiker_chacony|Jemiker Chacony]] - Anna\\
[[user:seb:pc:batts_marbeq|Batts Marbeq]] - Seb\\
[[user:swampselkie:pc:pig|Pig/Unit-01]] - Sally\\
[[user:joew:pc:glassinger|Carl (Not-Glassinger)]] - Joe\\
[[user:zacsmith:pc:darius|Darius]] - Zac\\
[[user:matthewa:pc:karlos_farblade|Karlos Farblade]] - Matthew\\
[[user:michaelc:pc:paradai|Vincent Jackson/Paradai]] - Michael

===== Adventure Summary =====

Various people arrive at the warehouses at the specified time, and are directed by a bouncer to one of several other warehouses to wait behind. Those inclined to notice such things make note of the figures stationed on the roofs with what appear to be bows. The members of the party all happen to be directed to the same warehouse, though not before the bouncer has a private word with Hugh, revealing themself to be one of the many guises of the Chairman of the Adventurer's Guild.

Whilst the groups sent to the other warehouses are all sent off on other less interesting jobs, the party meet with their employer, a mysterious man calling himself "Grey", who tells them that he expects satisfactory completion of each task with no questions asked, and that they can stand to gain up to 150 Riel if all are completed as requested. He gives them a 9 Riel advance and their first job: to break into another warehouse in the docklands, steal a crate marked with a particular symbol, and bring it to him at a provided address the following day.

The party head to the docks, getting only slightly caught up in a street brawl on the way, and break into the warehouse, sneakily at first and with some of them disguising themselves as guards but resorting to more violent means once spotted. Karlos sets about eating all of the evidence of their break-in as the others head further in to find the crate. Hugh thinks with portals and places a couple of additional crates in the warehouse in Triskelion for "safe keeping", whilst Not-Glassinger (going by the name Carl) finds and makes off with the box they want. Pig opens a faintly humming box, which turns out to be full of bees. Once the party have fought off the swarms of bees, they continue examining boxes until one which seems to be pulsing with mana is opened, spewing forth a cloud of dust in the shape of a Symbol of Calamity and exploding violently on everybody. This is enough to break open another box which contained some experimental Gleam, which break out and proceed to cause the party some difficulties. They flee the warehouse, Hugh and Karlos escaping to a pub somewhere nearby to hide out, whilst the others struggle to deal with the remaining gelatinous beasts. Havoc and destruction are abound as they roam the streets dissolving all they touch, including all of Vincent's clothes and possessions.

Finding themselves suddenly bleeding and in a lot of pain whilst chilling in a pub, Hugh and Karlos realise that they are still subject to the Divine Aura of the Splintered Man, which Karlos attempts to rectify by performing a full 5 mana Wounding ritual to sever their ties to the god. This leaves them safe for the time being, but Hugh begins to feel as though something is very strange about his connection to his father, and feels as though use of his miracles could be... interesting.

Meanwhile, Batts has eaten some Gleam as a way of getting rid of them having been troubled by this particular strain's apparent ability to regenerate, and is rapidly coming to regret this decision as his Fortified Consumption begins to wear off. He performs a ritual to attempt to contain the creature, attempting to use what knowledge he can gleam of the nature of the thing he has consumed. Determining that it could be contained with the right sort of structure, he attempts to recreate such a thing within himself, effectively creating a sort of organic glass jar stomach within his skeletal body. He finds that this is sufficient to keep the creature contained for now.

The party regroup on Hugh's ship, the Crimson Mother, sailing out into Flux where they recuperate and Hugh shapes some equipment to replace that which was dissolved. The crate they need in hand and a couple of others they're hesitant to open in case they explode, they then go to meet their employer. One of his associates claims that the box seems to be as it should be, and Grey congratulates them on a job well done. He gives them their next task - to break into a jeweller in the Merchant Quarter and obtain some rare Rockwell Rubies, a rare form of ruby with a golden streak running through it (a description which may sound suspiciously familiar).

Investigating and discovering that the jeweller is a mage who attended the College of the Stars, they deduce that the place must have some magical defences and send in Batts. Once he enters, however, the door magically seals shut with Binding magic, as paper golems created with Scribing come to life. Carl uses his anti-binding affinity to force the door open, and they pull Batts out and attempt to reason with the mindless golems, whilst Pig takes the form of one of them to sew some confusion.

Eventually settling for the "just spam fire breath until everything dies" approach, the party clear out the golems, leaving the one human guard dead. Jemiker and Darius then grab some of the jewellery that hasn't been melted by all of the fire, managing to get 9 Riel worth each and finding a hidden safe containing a book. Karlos identifies it as a Tome of Removal, a ritually-created book of Scribing that can store objects within it in the form of pictures. However, whilst it should normally be possible with such an item to just pull items out of it, this one feels somehow different, and the party are hesitant to do so in case it is trapped.

They take it to their employer who tells them that he expects the rubies and that extracting them is their problem, so Carl attempts to remove them. In doing so, the book seems to pull back, and whilst the rubies do fall to the floor before he knows it he's in the middle of the book, scribbles forming around him to mock him. Carl laughs at them, and exerts the full extent of his unbindable nature, the book exploding in a shower of paper. The rubies successfully extracted, Grey thanks them for their work and provides them with their next mission. He provides them with a sealed letter and tells them to head to Leafhaven, a village South of Margush, give the letter to a priest there by the name of Luce, carry out whatever task they request of them and return with them.

Taking the Crimson Mother to the village, they find the priest, who it seems worships the Dreaming Ocean, and deliver the letter. He asks for their help in freeing some people nearby, who seem to have been trapped by creatures of the Flux in some cursed state in which they cannot dream. Meanwhile Millicent, Hugh's apprentice, manages to get herself apprenticed to a spice merchant who is in the area, and attempts to learn the ways of pickpocketing, whilst some drug dealers attempt to peddle the local narcotic "fairy dust" and a cheap knock-off. One of the merchants here is left with one of the boxes Hugh took from the warehouse earlier.


===== Debrief =====

Afterwards, our heroes find themselves lost in flux without a reliable Wayfinder. Unit-01 has absconded with the Prince - deep, deep into the flux. The rest of the party debate precisely how to return home. Eventually, it is decided upon that Karlos will use a Manipulation ritual to convince their captive Wayfinder that they are a Guild taskforce, and that it is urgent they are brought back to the city in order to make their report. Upon arrival, said captive Wayfinder is summarily killed and eaten. 

Meanwhile, Pig encounters a mysterious figure in the flux. She introduces herself as Mina Hatcher. She asks for the Prince's help in ensuring that news of what the Wayfinders' Guild did to him is made public. When he gives his assent, she agrees to take the Prince back home in the Wildeaves first - and once again, they set off through the flux.

Hugh Marsh wakes up in a cave. Here, the Abnegator sits by the fire. He tells Marsh that he is an irregularity, and they discuss the circumstances of Hugh Branch's seeming resurrection. Marsh maintains that all this Branch business must be coincidence; the Abnegator informs him that certainly //one// of them must have been resurrected. He asks if he has been in any danger recently, and Hugh replies that he doesn't think so. The Abnegator points out that both he and Branch have exactly the same claim to existence. 

In the end, Hugh leaves to report back to the Guild - and the Abnegator tells him to focus on what makes him feel alive. To hold on. 

The Abnegator also sends a shadowy figure to find out where precisely Hugh Branch left his boat. 

Meanwhile, the main party go back to speak with their employer and collect their payment, taking them up to 150R in pocket. Darius and Paradai then leave. Karlos, Batts and Not Glassinger hit one of Acryn's taverns to celebrate. Meanwhile, Jemiker reports back to Jimmy Hoskins. 

Pig and the Prince return to the Wildeaves, and the Prince reunites with all his friends at the castle - who, naturally, like all flux creatures, have reverted to their original state, with no memories of previous events. Pig asks Mina if she can help with this, and she replies that she will consider it. She also gives Pig an extra 9R, on top of the 150R that it has received total.  

Marsh has managed to locate Branch's boat in the harbour. With the combined force of the Wayfinder's Guild and a small chunk of the Watch, he manages to clear the boat of all pirates - including Millicent the Apprentice, who takes her life in her hands and opts to swim away. The rest of the crew put up markedly more of a fight, but eventually the ship falls to Marsh's control. 

Back at the tavern, Karlos and Batts use Sleep of Death on Not Glassinger, and loot his possessions. Karlos takes hold of the Carleon Orb - which seems to seize hold of Bats when he peers into it. 

There is a rumbling. He hears a voice observing that he isn't its servant. Or... //is// he?

Batts trembles.

The voice of Carleon confirms that Batts is one of his creations - and Batts suggests that maybe they... can talk? 

That's not how it works, says the voice. Submit. 

Batts thinks, for a fraction of a second. Then: "I'm Bats Marbeq, and I only submit to people willingly! You can't change that! Dominate - leave me alone!" 

There is a pause. Then, the voice replies: //I can't change that, did you say...?//

Batts is released. 

Karlos and Batts have a rather frantic discussion about what to do with the orb - which Karlos has correctly identified as being draconic. After significant debate, they conclude that the best possible hiding place is probably in a hole in the wall in Karlos' room at the People's College. 

Karlos then does a Wounding ritual to cut Hugh's personality out of Not Glassinger. Hugh's personality is subsequently placed in a smallish lump of meat. 

Meanwhile, once the sun sets, Batts discovers that the starlight surrounding him no longer takes a form quite so pleasing to his vanity. Instead, he appears to be wearing starlit manacles. Sampling these via Taste of Knowledge proves to be... painful. 

More shenanigans ensue - eventually resulting in Not Glassinger gaining hold of Hugh's meat-personality. 

Paradia reports back to the True Council, putting word out that Hugh Branch is dead and that Pig has the body. This more or less makes up or the fact that he didn't find the information they were actually after.  

Darius goes on a Tuireann recruitment drive - which proves to be oddly successful at the point where he stumbles upon a waterlogged Millicent the Apprentice, who is looking for a place to stay. 

Karlos Sleep-of-Deaths Batts, but Not Glassinger manages to prevent him from cutting the fae out of him - leaving Batts dumped in a sewer somewere with an explanatory note. 

Karlos tastes Not Glassinger's blood. The vision he receives is not... wholly reassuring. 

Pig takes Hugh's corpse to the Tender Church. They are predictably unable to resurrect him. It also analyses the fairy dust from the villagers in order to replicate it. 

Marsh reports back to the Wayfinders' Guild. 

Meanwhile, the Prince tells his story to Acryn. A week later, everyone across the city shares a common dream. They dream that they are a guard in a secure facility, and see the brutal torture and vivisection perpetrated against creatures of flux. Officials within the city begin publically condemning the Guild, as the Prince goes public with his experiences. The outrage this provokes is amplified by a sudden burst of printed pamphlets crying out against the Guild's cruelty - author unknown. More or less.  

Public opinion is well and truly against the Guild. In light of this, the Council begins to debate the possible implementation of the Cargan-Graves-Everett Bill of Rights, which would limit the Wayfinders' Guild's sovereignity over Wayfinders and flux creatures. Jimmy Hoskins does all he can to stall this process, whilst Armand Cargan-Graves works with equal assiduity to campaign for it to be passed into law. It becomes clear that all four Cargan Councillors, four Guild representatives and the Union representatives are unswerving in their support - but others still remain undecided, and results of the debate are as yet inconclusive. Nonetheless, support for the Bill is substantially stronger than it was before. 

In the wake of all this, more anonymous graffiti is showing up in favour of clockwork golem rights... 


{{tag>"how to win friends and influence people" adventure}}
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