November 12, 2005

Hook

Adventurers needed for a retrieval mission. We want to remain low profile, so subtle persons preferred.

Plot Synopsis

The adventurers arrive at the Dancing Draco at various times, asking for their employer. After being directed to one of the back rooms, they meet a man dressed in utilitarian clothes. He introduces himself as Valim and states that he is the Lead Foreman at an off world mine on a world called Rith Essa. He states that their new boss, Mr. Spax, has been treating the miners unfairly since he came into ownership. Pays have been cut and hours lengthened. More recently, a shift crew into mine shaft 14, who reported finding some unusual stratum disappeared, and the shaft was blocked off for ‘managerial reasons’. Shortly after, Spax said the mine was no longer profitable and would be closed. Valim states that he and the other miners are firmly convinced that something valuable was discovered in the shaft, and that Spax plans to shift the mine to one of his front companies so that he can keep any profits for himself rather than giving a commission to the miners, as stated in their old contracts. Valim says that whatever was found in the shaft is being transported down the mountain via train in the security car, and says that he needs the group to get the cargo off the train before the abandoned depot halfway down the mountain, where Valim’s associates can pick them up in a work train. He states that as payment, the group is entitled to 30% of the cargo’s value, or should it be worthless, 300 silver apiece for their time.

The group agrees and is taken to Rith Essa via the Selenic Hub, where security is high. They arrive in a mountain mining town, where Valim states that the mid-day train will be leaving in two hours. A number of party members buy separate clothes to disguise themselves, while Nefta asks to procure some crates identical to what the cargo will be stored in so that the switch can be made. Valim agrees and goes off to pick them up.

At the station, the party members, both alone and in groups, purchase first class tickets, as the first class car is closer to the armored security car. Roger surveys the train from a distance, determining how one might be able to infiltrate it. The groups fill two cabins and waits for the train to depart. They decide that Roger will scout ahead, and the group will one by one leave the car, heading forward towards the cargo cars. This is managed, as there are few other passengers aboard and the train crew is sparse. Roger picks the lock in the next car forward and bludgeons a sleeping train worker. They proceed forward, waiting for the train to curve so they won’t be seen between cars. Eventually they reach the security car, and Roger climbs up onto the roof, along with Musang. One of them is heard, and a worker comes out the door. Dalia uses her psionic abilities to immobilize the guards and workers inside, save for one worker who identifies himself as Nigel, and agrees to keep quiet. The group picks through the cargo car, locating two sets of crates like the ones they’re looking for, and they take both, with Nefta leaving duplicates from her shadow hide. As they are looting the other sections, a series of clunks as heard, and it becomes apparent that a smaller train is running on the parallel tracks, and the train is being raided by someone else. Nefta sets off a phantasmal fire spell to mask their retreat, and the group heads back to the passenger cars, running into a group of armed train guards on the way, who warn them that the train is being raided and they need to return to their cabins immediately. They do so.

The train crew battles the raiders, ultimately succeeding when the tanker car detonates. A number of the group convince the train crew that they want to return to the summit, and with some reluctance, the crew flags down a train going the opposite direction. During the switch, Nefta, Eve, and Musang sneak off, heading for the depot on foot. The rest of the group returns to the summit.

The three who break off reach the depot and Nefta opens her shadow hide to find that two of the crates burned, apparently rigged to ignite if moved. The damage to the other crates is minor, and they are found to contain several metal ingots, some gems, and several core samples and accompanying documentation. The work train arrives with Valim’s men, and they return to the summit, where they meet Valim and the rest of the group. Valim examines the findings and is quite surprised to find the metal, an unusual sample rarely found, with some fairly unusual optical properties. He says that the wealth being transported voids Spax’s ownership of the company, and the miners should be able to use this as leverage. As agreed, they divide up the metal among themselves, though several party members opt to purchase more. They return to Jaern through the portal.



Experience: 2800 exp

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