c02s03e01- Planting Seeds of Contempt day 53 (raining) The ivory planes city of Bodak Larkin's safehouse When the team parachutes into a side-street off the west market, their arrival was far less grandoise than the ballista-fire and falling gunpods on the upper class buroughs, A sending stone later between Dhraksis and Larkin yielded no time for Larkin's crew to locate the team. They provided shelter in a safehouse while the team recovered from fatigue and had a Long Rest. Larkin's return to Bodak from Salt View has been slowed by the increasingly difficult terrain across the Ivory Plains. There's been nearly three years now since Athas landscape fused with Khorvaire, and the ivory plains are southwest of Thrane which is a strong spring and autumn rain season. the dusty silt expanses of the Ivory Plain have been soaking sasonal rains for three years. First year, the silt compacted into dry flake but the tarmac below absorbed the moisture. but by the end of summer's heat the majority of silt dehydrated and returned to its expected condition. second year, the rains couldn't filter into the earth below that still retained last year's moisture. The silt compacted into hard, cracking clay third year, the terrain isn't able to abosrb any more... sections of the plains collapseunder the weight in steppes ranging from five to fifty feet shifts in elevation. Sinkholes and quagmires forming in what used to be featureless expanses for hundreds of miles. Now the three day trek between Bodak and Salt View requires 5. Two days from Larkin's arrival, the team is laying low. Fully recovered, THX, Frank and Dhraksis have had 2 days with Larkin's men-- and the athasians are becoming very engaged. Not only are the heroes able to perform divine feats, but the athasians can read the legitimacy of what they're being told. Draegoth comes from a position of desperation and calculated sacrifice for gains. The purity of connecting to the primal emotions that exist so deep in the human core that it becomes externalized as a force of its own. Meanwhile THX crushes a d20 on sermons about the connectedness of individual sentients... the two perspectives merge into a description of why Athasians seek purpose and how it manifests. To properly frame the conversation, Understand that Athasians are naturally psionic. This generally manifests itself as any combination of low-level spell-like ability; detect thoughts, viscous mockery and nondetection are common. The team's surface thoughts are open broadcasts to telepaths. Day 55 (still raining) By the time Larkin arrives, nearly his entire crew have introduced themselves to the team. Many stay around far past their own shift's end to just... listen more. The team is learning as well. Bodak's primary problem is that their crops are drowning in the amount of rain Khorvaire weather offers. The town has been an active community for over a year.. their first season of crops were successful, but the spring rains are so heavy this year that the fields are flooding out and the arid plants are wilting before they can fully grow. Draegoth is offering their "Gift" of Necropolix to remove fear of starvation.. of the 6,000 adults in the community.. 2,000 of them are Necropolic. Draegoth propoganda reports 1500 more conversions will allow for current food resources will stabilize for the remaining 2500 adults and 6000 children. The largest criticism is that this is not a sustainable model, but the pressure of immediacy is leading to more and more conversions every week... Propoganda promotes "stabilize, then recover". Larkin notes that a druid from Gulg bought passage aboard larkin's mekillot caravan in Salt View to Bodak. She specifically stated she sought audience with the cult of Draegoth and the ruling council about stabilizing their ecology for future production... which is the first offer of help Bodak has received from Gulg or Nibernay since the population migrated nearly 2 years ago. Bodak is ruled by a council of 7. The original 5 adventurers that reclaimed the city from the desert each have a seat. the other 2 seats are a combined vote of 50 wealthy families that left Gulg and Nibernay to establish their own power as investors that help further establish the infrastructure of the city and secure commerce prospects with Salt View and beyond... but the backlash from Gulg and Nibernay for the mass exit of so much community wealth left the birthing city isolated. Draegoth's arrival in Bodak was predictable in hindsight: the cult controls all of Balik and the Ledo collective to the West near both Zilargo and Breland's population center. As the only citystate offering mercantile support to the city, their presence was welcome. 3 of the original 5 adventurers converted to Pacts with Draegoth while 34 noble houses took the Gift of Necropolix and began promoting its spread 9 months ago. The two remaining adventurers having resisted Draegoth pressure are Leroy and Estala-- they have villas in the northwestern burough of the city That evening the team pays Leroy's vila a visit and are granted easy access to the interior where they learn that both Leroy and Estala have left town on a "retreat" in Gulg. It takes nothing for the remaining staff of Leroy's political counsel to read the team's intentions to provide an external source opposing Draegoth to provide the support to resist the cult's expanding control over the community. THX throws some nat 20 on crops, irrigation, and how to make Thrane crops work in the Bodak soil.. basic grains are in abundant supply since the team took responsibility of old man wither's farms south of cragwood. The silos should already have enough grain to feed the population for the following year... plus good horticulture practices provided by The All Spark is a good start to the team holding up their end of the bargian. day 56 (still raining) Before sunrise, the team is already trekking the muddy plain towards Cragwood on the back of Princess Triceratops, Frank's magical mount and spirit guide incarnate. she immediately gets stuck in the mud. icky athasian tentacle plant thing drags her into deep quicksand where THX doesn't care about not breathing. ModronSG make mulch fairly fast.. Frank eventually banish/summons the magical mount and everyone gets back underway... just a little more distance from Bodak and the Sturdy Turtle can safely pick up the team. About 5 miles out of town, 2 Karrnathi Scythe Fighters buzz the team shortly after dawn. the two snipers Dhraksis and Rogar are able to damage the small craft on crits or overcharging the shots with divine smite.. When the Turtle arrives the scythes engage. Frank's Misty Step puts him on the wing of th closest fighter ship.. two man crew; one pilot one gunnery one necrotek core engine. while the snipers and Turtle fire upon the second scythe, Frank carves open the cockpit and ends the pilots. Frank takes fatigue while attempting to pilot the craft, he immediately drives it into the ground. the second ship has had enough and retreats to the southeast. the team doesn't have a chance to salvage the necrotek components before they pick up new inbound on the scrynoculars. This time 4 scythes threaten the Turtle, so they bug out to Thrane before the Karrnathi ships pursue. Once back in the borders of Thrane, the team can begin organizing Old Man Withers' grain, get some recovery, and prepare their next move. <end of session> 3 days spent in game Day 56 afternoon (still raining) the team is now level 9. Loot Acquired: Karrnathi long arm (heavy rifle necro damage) Loot expended: none