Grocery Run

Basic Description
The group is sent to pick up some exotic groceries, and gets more than they bargained for. this is intended as a lead-in for later adventures and may be used as an initial adventure for a campaign.

Rough story flow

 * 1) Group is given the assignment.  Answer questions, should be minimal legwork.
 * 2) Travel time - 1 week if humans on foot, 3 days if mounted.
 * 3) *   Minor combat encounter 2 nights out.
 * 4) Reach meeting point.
 * 5) *   Meeting point is an inn, the other party isn't there.
 * 6) *   Group will likely look around.
 * 7) *   They should eventually become concerned the merchant isn't there and start asking questions.
 * 8) *   After some investigation, they should get a lead on what direction to go.
 * 9) Search party, 1 1/2 day travel time out.
 * 10) *   Group should travel a bit further  and find the remains of the merchants caravan
 * 11) *   Another combat encounter
 * 12) *   Clues about a scavenger party
 * 13) (optional). Group may pursue the scavengers.
 * 14) *   Catch up with 'raiders', as the players are likely to think the scavengers are.
 * 15) *   Possible combat, may resolve with social talents/RP.
 * 16) *   Group should get their hands on the Architect's Key.
 * 17) *   If group doesn't go after the scavengers, make sure they encounter the Key elsewhere.
 * 18) Return journey - Travel time 1 week due to cart.
 * 19) *   Another combat encounter if players enjoy the fighting, skip it otherwise.
 * 20) Delivery
 * 21) *   Deliver the groceries and receive compensation.
 * 22) *   If they show anyone the Key, have them meet Bane.
 * 23) Andrew 'Bane' Corrollan
 * 24) *   Will only meet him after they have shown others the Architect's Key.
 * 25) *   Corrollan will approach them and ask to examine the Key, hoping it is his brother's dagger.
 * 26) *   If the characters ask, he will tell them about his brother.
 * 27) *   This is a set up for a later adventure, likely the next one.

Setup
The group will be called to the Inn to meet with Querena, the head chef. The quintennial anniversary celebration fo the village's founding is coming up, and she wants to prepare a special meal for the event. However, some of the ingredients for the dish she is planning are rather exotic and the only merchant who has been able to procure them for her will not arrange delivery to the village. She is sending the group to meet him at a pre-arranged point on his normal trade route. There they will make the final payment for the comestibles, hire a cart, and transport them back to the town.

The merchant they are going to be meeting with is a Dwarf called Kegan. He has a decent reputation as a trader, generally honest, but known for being rather inflexible with his customers. He specializes in obtaining rare or difficult to obtain goods, as well as trading in many types of minor magic items and similar goods. Any of this information can be found out if the players wish to ask around about him.

The place where they are supposed to meet Kegan is a trading post called Alachii Point, formerly a Theran Guard post which was abandoned after the Triumph fell. The population there is moderate, with about 120 permanent residents and usually anywhere form 5-20 trader caravans present. It mainly acts a place for large merchants and traveling traders to meet up and do business. the only permanent buildings are the rather large inn, a saloon which does fairly brisk business, and a number of houses where the locals live. There is also a large "tent" city where the traders and merchants live and do their business, as well as a number of ramshackle pseudo-permanent buildings providing whatever the traveling businessmen might want in terms of accommodations and entertainment.

Kegan's trade route is bringing him northwest from Travar to do trading at Alachii Point before he heads north to V'Strimon.

The Trip
The trip will be mostly uneventful, with one exception. On the second night, a small swarm of larval prisma. These larva are very hungry and will actively attack the party to feed on them, but they will flee when heavily injured. If the group manages to capture one or more of them alive, the animal will be worth 2d4 x 10 silver, which is worth Legend points.

Larval Prisma x 3

Alachii Point
The party will eventually reach Alachii, either after seven days of travel, or three days if mounted. Once there, they will find that Kegan hasn't arrived. It will take very little questioning to determine that he is already a week late, and that this is not normal for him -- he keeps to his schedules like clockwork.

At this point the party may just decide to give it up as lost, try to keep them going, and remind them of the people back at the town they will be disappointing, plus the fact that they won't get paid (or whatever you use for motivation). Hopefully, they will start looking around and maybe decide to hunt this guy down. Once they do, make it easy for them to find out the direction and path Kegan normally uses.

Scavenging
As long as they follow the directions they're given, they will find what is left of Kegan's caravan about a day and half riding distance out. It will be a bit off the road, but not hidden well enough to be missed by anyone looking for such things. If the party is not mounted, they will probably reach this place slightly before dusk on the third day, possibly morning of the fourth day if they travel slowly.

In addition to the bodies, there are several coyotes present which will defend the area, but will be driven off in a manner similar to krilworms.

Coyotes x 5

After the coyotes are dealt with, the party can begin examining the area. There are four bodies here: Kegan, his driver, and two guards. With a successful Evidence Analysis(6) test (Wilderness Survival, or Tracking can be used, as well as Awareness(8)) the characters can determine that the bodies were dragged here about a day ago from the direction of the road and the people that dragged them here left with the cart that Kegan appeared to arrive on. IF they investigate further, a second test, TN 10(12 for Awareness), will tell them that Kegan's group was killed 3 days ago, and that although there are traces of Kegan's group, there is no trace of the attackers.

If the party examines the bodies, they will find that almost all valuables and weapons have been removed. A successful Evidence Analysis(7) or Physician(5) skill check will tell the players that the bodies have been dead for a few days, although there is little decomposition yet, which is unusual. The test will also let them know that the mortal wounds were caused by something that ripped flesh open rather than cuts, like a large, single claw or tooth. Any astral examination will reveal that the bodies have an enchantment on them. A Patterncraft(17) test will reveal that it is an animation spell which will turn them into Cadaver Men at sunset one week after they died. This can be prevented by destroying the bodies before the spell activates, either by dismembering or burning them. Other methods can work as well at the GM's discretion, as long as the bodies are destroyed completely. Note that these times assume the characters were mounted. If they are on foot or took too much time for some other reason, then the cadaver men will rise at sunset of that day. If the players take exceptionally long getting here, the cadaver men may have already risen, killing the coyotes and either still haunting the area or traveling elsewhere, most likely back to Alachii Point.

Cadaver Men x 4

Assuming the Cadaver men are ignored or dealt with, the party will probably follow the cart tracks. The tracks lead them right to the semi-permanent camp of a couple of Orkish scavengers, Stieg and Gern. The camp is set up in a cave off of a small arroyo, with bedding and most homey-stuff kept in the cave. The cart is outside and only half loaded. The Orks will fight only if attacked first, and once they either take a Wound or half their unconciousness rating in damage each will flee or attempt to surrender if fleeing isn't possible. If one flees or surrenders, the other will follow suit next round. Each of them is armed with a crossbow (5/9) they took off the dead guards, as well as Gern having a broadsword (7/11) and Stieg wielding broadsword (7/11) and a "magic knife" (7/7) (actually The Architect's Key, treat as a normal knife since its enchantments are not active). Stieg is wearing hide armor(PD:5, MD:1), and Gern is wearing leather armor (PD:3), also taken from the trading caravan.

Ork Scavengers x 2

Once the pair is overcome, wither through combat or social means, they are easy to interrogate (no rolls needed). All they really know is that they found the wreck of the caravan yesterday, and looted what they could off the bodies. They then brought the cart back here to start divvying up their windfall. If they feel threatened, they will start bargaining for their safety, starting with a full share in their loot and rapidly escalating until they will let the players take everything as long as they get to live. If there hasn't been a fight yet, Stieg will try to talk and act tough, even brandishing his magic knife to intimidate the players, although any magician or smith can easily see that the living crystal of the knife has allowed its enchantment to fail.

The cart is loaded with a total of seven crates. Four of them are the cargo the party was sent after. The fifth one has already been opened and the contents, three dozen bottles of cheap wine, have already been 1/3 consumed by the scavengers. The sixth one has also been opened and the contents, several bolts of fine cloth and leather, have been dirtied and some of them have been torn, but most are salvageable. The final crate is the smallest, and still sealed. It is addressed to an Andrew Corrollan in Serrav'Alle, who the characters may know is a traveler staying in the town for the past month and a half (Per(9) test). If they break the seal, they will find it contains a number of books about magic, Horrors, and other esoteric topics.

Heading Home
The party should be ready to head home now. If they noticed the Cadaver men, they will receive 200 legend for letting folks at Alachii Point know about it, 400 legend if they dealt with the problem themselves. Reporting what has become of Kegan and the results of dealing with the scavengers will be worth an additional 200 legend points. The extra cargo can be dropped off at Alachii Point for 3d4 x 10 silver. The cargomaster there will ask them to complete the delivery to Andrew Corrollan and will pay an extra 50 silver for it. He will also take payment for the goods Kegan was bringing to you, which includes the cart, leaving an additional 100 silver pieces for the inconvenience.

If the party doesn't go back to Alachii Point, they forfeit all the legend they would have gained there, but can sell or keep the extra cargo, as well as having the entire 500 silver pieces of the purse to split between them.

The trip home will take one week and will be uneventful. You can add an additional encounter if you feel so inclined.

Once they arrive back home, Querena will be overjoyed to have her special fruits and pays the party 25 silver each for their labor, but she isn't interested in hearing about the details of their trip. If they show the Architect's Key to anyone or tell anyone about it in a public place, Andrew Corrollan will seek them out and ask to study it, claiming that he thinks it may be his brother's work. This conversation can also happen if they deliver Corrollan's books to him. In thanks for completing the delivery, he will offer a depleted alchemist's kit (will caost 100 silver to restock) as payment. He may also be willing to teach any Adepts in the group if they approach him about it, with a 10% discount over normal teaching costs or charges in barter.