Interlude 1 - Stuck in a Rut

Interlude 1 - Stuck in a Rut

Encounter Summary: The group may be at a loss, either unwilling to investigate the shrine (as it may appear to be a red herring) or otherwise stumped as to how to proceed. If they follow-up with their previous contacts, and possibly some additional information sources, they receive further clues that lead them either to the main docks district, or Bleakshore, the smugglers docks.

Background

The group has a few decisions to make at this point. Their initial mission is to find the gem and return it to the Museum, however, their leads may have appeared to dry up. Though there may be a couple of threads, one leading to a meeting with Kief and the strange cult and another leading to the cult’s shrine in the Bleakshore district.

Developments

As the characters knocked around the shantytown, the story moved on without them. Spotted in the Freedocks district, Bittersnail was tracked and captured by Archogados and his minions. Once Archogados realized what the unfortunate thief held, he took the thief and the gem to the shrine to begin the Ritual of the True Servant. Prybel learns later that Archogados has the gem. From the perspective of the party, nothing much changes. They are still just pawns in a larger game.

The Directions to Hell

Yoa, the Dagon priest from the previous scene, carried a piece of paper with directions from the Shrine of Belian to O'Mosh's house. Following up on these directions leads to the next scene.

The Meeting That Never Happens

An investigation of the meeting between Kief and the Cult of Dagon leads to an abandoned bolt hole in the central area of the shantytown. The characters' encounter with Davi, whether they killed him or not, spooks Kief and he never shows up. Additionally, he finds out that the cult has captured Bittersnail and the Purple Sapphire and has chalked it up to experience, abandoning his plans for the djinni.

Shaking the Trees

The group may also go back to their resources, or attempt to cast a wider net for the elusive Bittersnail. The following information can reveal a few tidbits:

King – If presented with a description (or the body) of the priest, King can set the group on track to the Bleakshore district, though he knows nothing of the shrine, he has heard of the cult and their suspected activity in the district.
Investigator Prybel - Prybel is visibly annoyed if the group comes back to him before retrieving the gem, though on a Streewise raise, he reveals that Bittersnail was seen in both the Freeports and Bleakshore districts recently.

Note: If the characters are really at wits end, Prybel could send them a message letting them know this information.

Thieves Guild – The party may have contacts in the Greenstone thieves' guild. Unless they have membership, they get little information. With membership and a Streetwise raise, they find out that the guild had been tracking Bittersnail, but lost him in the Freeports district yesterday. On a second raise, or with 100 rilks or more ‘donation,’ the guild also passes on the manifests of the three ships leaving Greenstone tomorrow night, all three from the Freeports district docks.
Freeports or Bleakshore Districts – Similar to the Thieves Guild, the group can gain information if they have contacts inside one of the several organizations that handle shipping and cargo. On a Streetwise raise or 100 rilks or more in bribes, the group can get the manifests of the three ships leaving Greenstone the following night. On a second raise, they also get the manifest of a fourth ship leaving from Bleakshore on the same night.

Note: None of the manifests lists Bittersnail as a passenger. In fact, he had bribed a sailor on the Black Zephyr, leaving from Freeports district.

With the above information, the group could bypass the next scene and squat on the four ships. Unfortunately, Bittersnail has a date with destiny, and doesn’t make it. The ritual described in the next scene still fails and the group hears about the rampaging creature later. If they continue to squat on the ships, they witness (and can interact with) the final scene between Prybel and Archogados, as the latter attempts to takes Bittersnail's spot on the Black Zephyr.