February 26, 2005

Hook

WANTED: Mission Specialists to travel to a distant world on a resource-building exercise. If interested, contact Hester at the Stopover Inn, Meeting room 2.

Plot Synopsis

The respondents were hired to retrieve a statue, which was carved from a stone that was native to Jaern. In fact, the statue would serve Hester's employer now much better then the residents of the other world, in the employer's opinion. Hester passes out envelopes, in which the respondents may write what they would like as compensation, for due consideration by the employer.

The statue is located in an open plaza in the largest population center on Pendia. The natives may resist people trying to remove it, but they don't have a standing military. The respondents are to come up with a plan to take the statue and return it to Jaern. The group disperses for the afternoon to allow various preparations for the trip to take place.

On their way out of the Stopover, Hester is stopped by another woman, with bright green eyes and dressed in black leather armor. They have a quiet but heated discussion, and Hester obviously submits to the will of the other woman. She then approaches the group and introduces herself as Aurora, and states that she will be leading the group henceforth.

They all go to Terminal 3, and then through the portal to Pendia. Aurora tells the group that she and Hester will wait at the edge of the woods, and that they should use whatever meant they deem necessary. When they reach the city, they are met by a small contingent of local priests, who are on the lookout for any outsiders. Tanis, who dressed as a local merchant, was able to convince the priests he was a traveling merchant investigating the local livestock trade, and that the rest of the group is a bunch of harmless vacationers he met on the road. They pass into the city without further incident.

After checking out the local marketplace near the plaza, they initiate their plan. Mini-G, who has been invisible all day, grabs the statue and flies upward. The public panics, and flees the plaza. Some of the group flee with the citizens, making good on their escape immediately. Others take the opportunity to exercise their "Vacationers Five-finger Discount" program - to the tune of five shops worth of various merchandise.

They regroup with Aurora, sans Hester, and return to Jaern. The payment wasn't ready yet, as they thought the mission would take longer. Their agreed parcels, with a few exceptions, arrive the following morning.

Events of Note: The day following the adventure, the officials at Terminal 3 receive a note indicating that off-world vacationers are no longer welcome on Pendia, and that the logging company was also summarily evicted and all contracts cancelled. The portal was then closed by revocation.

Noteworthy Postgame Events