Group Two Plot Hooks

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Hooks

• An elven merchant named Sindar needs a package delivered to Selenica, far to the north in the Republic of Darokin

• A merchant named Hakeem has been asking around, looking for a group of adventurers "bold and good of heart" for some unspecified job of some risk but great reward.

• The local merchant Clifton Caldwell has recently purchased the old Antilles Castle to the southwest of Threshold and has put the word out that he is looking for "Qualified Eviction Personnel".

• Rumors of an evil temple and caves filled with all manner of dangerous humanoids just outside of Castlellan Keep -- far to the northeast of Threshold -- have filtered into town, brought by soldiers on leave. Apparently the garrison at the Keep has is too busy fighting feral giants to spend time rooting around the caverns, which are said to be vast and labyrinthine.

• There have been a rash of disappearances around Threshold over the past two years. At least fourteen individuals have vanished without a trace. The only clue linking all the disappearances is that each was either a member of the Thieve's Guild or had ties to it.

• Most everyone is looking forward to the Gnomish caravan. Benedir gathers that worthy individuals can be hired on as guards for the trip down to Specularum, or on the way back as the caravan makes it way back into Darokin.

The following contests have been announced: 1)Riddles. The winner will be awarded a gold medal and 100 gold pieces. 2)Archery. The winner will receive a medal and a quiver of enchanted arrows. 3)Single combat with blunt weapons. The winner will receive a medal and a magical sword. 4)Wrestling. The winner recieves a medal and 100 gp. 5)Footrace. The winner will receive a medal and 100 gold.

• Oleg Highstreet, a herbalist and hedge wizard, is said to be offering potions for trade in exchange for flowers from the golddark shrubs, a rare plant found in the mountains to the north of Threshold.

• A traveling tinker claims to have discovered a magic spring to the south. When drunk, it's waters increase the strength of the imbiber for a short while. He offers to draw a map to the spring for 100 gold.

• There are rumors of an ancient barrow discovered on an island in the middle of Lake Windrush.

• Gan the Unknown, the Vagabond Mage, was reportedly ambushed and killed by gnolls in the western hills. His spellbook is rumored to have been with him at the time of his death.

• A wizard name Myraal -- the local Guild mage, in fact -- has made it be known that he is seeking certain "body parts" from slain monsters for his experiments. He is know to pay handsomely for such trophies.

"I am interested in abberrations, in the blending and melding of creatures that should not be. The owlbear, for one. The chimera, for another. And some more mundane, less dangerous creatures as well: carrion crawlers, rust monsters, and the like. I seek either parts -- such as a crawler's tentacles -- or live specimens, and will recompense accordingly." "I would surely pay for any ancient artifacts, pre-Halav, of course, or maps of an underground network, or other such snippets and trinkets."

• One of the roads north out of Threshold has become increasingly dangerous now that a bandit known as Crissos the Black and his crew of thugs have begun to prey upon unsuspecting travelers. There is a 500 gold piece reward for his capture, as well as a share on the value of all returned goods.

• Monastery near the village of Guido's Fort has been corrupted to "the worship of fell Immortals and practicing blasphemous rites". Arcturis' mystic henchman Po, who's family once ran the monastery, would someday like to reclaim it.

"My ancestors founded an abbey outside what is now the small village of Guido's Fort. For many generations they trained young men and women the art of self-discipline and quiet contemplation. Then, three generations ago, a corrupt monk led a revolt that resulted in the exile of my forebears -- the monks of the monastery began worshiping fell Immortals and practicing blasphemous rites. We moved away, so as to confuse the assassins the monks sent, but kept up the family practice in the secret arts of self-defense. One day I hope to return to reclaim what my mother's people started, and turn the abbey once more to a source of good in the world."

• A popular local cleric named Aleena has gone missing. Rumor has it she was exploring some caves to the west of town and never returned. The church of Karameikos is offering a handsome reward for her return or the return of her body.

• A savage beast has been terrorizing the woods and hills around Threshold, killing or maiming several farmers and shephards. No one can quite agree as to what manner of beast it is -- bear, boar, wolf or something else entirely -- but all concur it is a threat that needs to be ended. The Patriarch of Threshold has offered to gift whomever slays the beast with a puissant sword of magical powers.

Bargle and Elwyn

• "My people, we are not from here. We are from the West, from the mountains. One day a wizard appeared in our camp, promising us money, and horses -- for there is one food we crave above all others, and it is horseflesh -- and glory if we would move to this cave, to this place. He paid us in the shiny coin you took, and bade us wait for instructions. If we did as we were told, he would reward us with more coin, and more horses. The wizard's name . . . the wizard's name is . . . Bargle. He was here a short number of nights ago, when the two sun-lovers were snooping around. He was here and he killed them and then left us, after giving us more coin and the woman priest's horse." (Snee, Goblin)

• "The wizard was here that day to bring a chest full of treasure for us to guard. The chest is for some cleric, El-something, who should be sending someone to pick it up in the next few cycles" (Snee, Goblin)

• "Bargle is not a mage to be trifled with! He was at one time an advisor to Baron Hendricks, the Duke's cousin and ruler of the Black Eagle Barony; he may still be, for all I know, though I had heard they had a falling out. There had been rumors that Bargle is in the area. I hope this is not true, for our sakes! Not only is he one of the most powerful wizards in Karameikos, he is totally without scruples or morals and is as cunning as a fox!" (Father Varis)

• "First, the cleric. I believe the name the goblin heard was Elwyn. Elwyn the apostate, banished from the church for, among other things, practicing with edged weapons. I have heard tales the Apostate has turned to darker gods, and is building a fastness some distance to the west of here. If Bargle and Elwyn were to join forces it is bad news indeed.

Now. What I am about to tell you shall not leave this room. Few know that one of the Ducal mints is located in Threshold. It is a well kept, closely guarded secret. But almost two months ago a shipment of coin, bound for Specularum, was intercepted and stolen, the guards and caravan drovers slain. Twenty thousand pieces of electrum were stolen. It is possible that, given the evidence collected from the goblins, Bargle was involved with this. We shall have to put a price on Bargle's head, I see. For the murder of Aleena and this young lad, if nothing more. I sense a storm cloud ahead. First this news you bring, then the discovery the Iron Ring -- a vicious gang of assassins, thieves and slavers working out of the Black Eagle Barony -- is present in our town. For, you see, a band of adventurers (much like yourselves, come to think of it) recently cleared the Old Mill and discovered what turned out to be almost twenty corpses, the remains of many of those gone missing over the past two years. All of them, to a man, connected to the Thieves Guild. It appears the Iron Circle had moved in, and was conducting a brutal campaign to wrest control of crime in this town from the Guild. Not that I approve of thievery, but at least the Guild had the decorum to be . . . civilized about it. Keep your eyes and ears open. If you see anything that might help, bring it to us. And please, if you encounter Bargle, do not engage him. He is a potent warlock and a cunning adversary." (Father Varis)

• "I know nothing of this cleric, but Bargle I know. I have actually met him once, back when he was the Baron's official vizier. Now he ... I don't know ... freelances might be the best term for what he does. I had heard he and the Baron had a falling out, and the Baron was going to have him executed, but Bargle somehow convinced him not to. Not that the Baron has anyone capable of killing him, at least not if Bargle is aware of it. He is one of the most powerful mages in the Karameikos, and one of the most twisted. There are tales the Iron Ring is in Threshold -- I'm sure Bargle must be involved, as the 'Ring operates with consent of the Baron." (Myraal)

• Little is known about Bargle outside of idle speculation and rumor: he is half-demon, or he has a demon for a familiar. He drinks the blood of children. And so forth. There is more information on Elwyn, who used to serves as a cleric in the town of Kelvin, some days south of Threshold. Various rumors connect the apostate to the theft of the "Bell of Chardastes", an artifact of the Traladaran church that vanished about the same time Elwyn did. It is rumored the cleric, in addition to experimenting with edged weapons, was trying to learn the spells of the magic-user, an act of unthinkable heresay. It is reported that Elwyn's fortress is located somewhere near the Highreach River, and that the cleric employs a number of humanoid troops in addition to a contingent of human followers.

• "Oh, the wizard forbade us, upon threat of an excrutiating death, to touch that chest. He paid us, or at least the chief, with a smaller chest full of shiny coins. The chief has that chest, still. I know not when the cleric was to arrive; they were to have gotten it without bothering us. I think they were to arrive within a week." (Snee, Goblin)

• Bargle's chest for Elwyn:
  • 5000 of the newly minted electrum coins.
  • A letter that reads:

"E-

Here is everything you requested. The tiara once belonged to Petra; while not one of the greater artifacts -- or even magical, for that matter -- it should serve for what you intend to do. The map leads to the valley in which the Eye of Arik resides. The foolish residents do not know what they have, or why the Eye was placed there for safe-keeping. While the valley is under Immortal protection, I plan to move against it by midsummer. The spells are, while arcane in nature, hopefully close enough to clerical magic to work for your purposes. The dagger, as well.

You know the cost.

B"

• A map that shows what appears to be a valley in the southeast of the mountains of Karameikos.
• A scroll with two arcane spells.
• A potion a dagger, and a tiara studded with greenish stones.

West caves

"That corridor leads out of here, I believe, and the one we passed earlier leads deeper into the complex, though not to where we dwell. There are ghouls and other horrid beasts that way. I wasn't with the wizard when they were killed, another of my kin was. I know not what they were doing, and I we've left the bodies alone because they do not concern us, and travel here is dangerous. In addition to the threats we have seen, ghouls sometimes roam these halls. I am surprised they have not devoured the corpses yet." (Snee, Goblin) "There is a . . . beast . . . that lives in the level below us. In order to satisfy its voracious appetite we occasionally give it the occasional sun-lover." (Snee, Goblin) "You speak truth, friends. I tire of this new place, as do many of my cousins. And now, that you have taken the chest, we have nothing left for us to do here. I shall speak to my chief and convince him that we leave, posthaste, never to return to this cursed land. This place is not the home where I was whelped. It is too close to man, and there is the terror below us that, if we do not keep it satiated with sacrifices, will eat us one by one! I can tell you of the beast. There is a staircase in our lair that descends deeper into the earth, and the creature makes it home there. It us taller than a man, yet terribly skinny, with sharp claws and teeth and rubbery green skin. I have never seen it, but some of my cousins have, and they claim it is a troll!" (Snee, Goblin)

Rumors

• "The Eyrie", a big warehouse, whitewashed with big windows, was bought by rich foreigners, converted into apartments, and is beoing sold to rich folk. This is ruining the lives of the folks living on Fogor's Island.

• A group of adventurers recently cleared the ruins of the Old Mill from insect infestation, clearing the way for a "mixed-use development".

Notable people

• Aleena

Cleric, Patriarch's niece. Killed by Bargle.

• Father Varis

Karameikan church. In charge of Threshold temple. A slender man, dressed in simple robes and wearing a pair of gnomish spectacles.

• Quintas

Sergeant in charge of the Westgate. Beefy man with a large mustache.

• Ilya sr.

"Thank you sirs, for returning my boy to me. Not many would have thought to do this, seeing as I couldn't offer a fat reward like the church can. You ever need anything, though, come to me and I'll see what I can do."

• Myraal

Old, portly and with large, bristly side whiskers, dressed in brown trousers and a stained linen shirt. Has a large badger as companion.

• Snee, golbin

Former Chief's guard. Now Chief? Charmed by Arcturis on Thaumont 7th.