DivineDetritusRichesInTheSwamp

April 1 to April 4, 1236

"Merki here. Time to cash in that favor. Please meet me in my office at the East Ferren Trading Company right before lunch."

With that message, the party is summoned to their mutual supervisor, Merkinalious Urgh at the East Ferren Trading Company. He is eager to give them a top secret mission, and explains it is their sudden and unannounced vacation.

Merki talks about an angel named Perseverance. It focused on rallying people to subvert and rebel authority. It often wore a headband that many believe have magic properties. Merki wants the party to visit its last known location, Terria Swamp aka the Swamp of Despair. It is about 1 day’s travel outside of town by horse, which would be available on April 2nd.

Norvi is preoccupied on a special mission and is unavailable for the initial outing, but the rest of the party spends the day getting ready for a long outing. The next morning, Fi gives some of the more urban characters a quick primer on riding horses and the party travels along the road for most of the day.

During the evening, the party notices an abandoned caravan in a campsite. It isn’t abandoned and they party notices an elven merchant named Audren and his half-elven daughter Selina trying to hide from bandits. They have heard about the Gulliver Bandits, who split from the Magmere Construction Company, a recently exposed criminal organization. Everyone decides to stick together for the night.

On April 3, the merchants continue their trip to Harvest Wharf and the party heads the other direction toward the Swamp of Despair. Reaching the swamp, Fi decides to cover the search over two days, avoiding the large pond that separates the swamp. The swamp is eerily quiet, devoid of all life besides some dying plants.

Fi notices two people notice the party and run off. Vegeta gives chase and reaches a bandit camp. All 12 members of the camp exit and begin marching in perfect step, moaning “Throw them into the morass.” Everyone manages to defeat the bandits, although Vegeta is knocked out. As soon as the bandits are defeated, they die instantly. They do find some loot from the camp, including an item that belongs to one of Fi’s friends.

• Longbow
• Thorn Bracer
• 3 bolas
• 2 Studded Leather Armor
• Light Steel Shield
• 10 gp in coins
• Stash of gems
• Leather armor

The party leaves the swamp to sleep for the night outside of the moist swamp. On April 4th, the party heads toward the large pond. In fact, the pond is so large that Fi can’t see how long it is - the only effective way is to knock a rotting tree over and walk over the pond. Norvi’s incredible strength knocks down the tree, and Vegeta tests the tree’s stability. As soon as Vegeta closes in on the pond, the party is overwhelmed by a feeling of hopelessness and despair. Hawk, Norvi and Fleir are in fact so depressed they decide to walk into the pond and try to drown themselves. There are already about forty bodies in there, seemingly members of the Gulliver Bandits. Fi, Vegeta, Nidri and Claire manage to rally to rescue everyone. Fi especially chips in by leaping into the pool and swimming Fleir to shore.

Vegeta grabs a rope, crosses the fallen log and holds the rope to guide everyone else. Fi goes last and helps cross. The party continues along and actually sees a wolf in the swamp. Unfortunately they do not see the goblin hiding in ambush, who quickly opens fire and sics 3 giant flies at them. Vegeta distracts one of them, while Norvi quickly crushes another. Fi and Fleir kill the third and brave the goblin’s many arrows. They even avoid a direct hit from a flask of alchemist’s fire!

The goblin calls herself Reeta Headeeta, and giggles whenever she is hit. She thinks Claire shoots pretty fire, and doesn’t want to hurt “the divvy.” She thinks Fleir was poorly trained and his trainer stinks. Fi decides that insult was personal and quickly shoots Reeta while Fleir chews on her arm. Giving up the ghost, Reeta asks daddy to help her out and she bursts into flames! Her wolf quickly charges and bursts into flames, scorching Fi. Luckily Nidri is nearby to heal everyone.

From Reeta's remains:

• 1 Dogslicer
• 1 Small Longbow
• 1 flask of Alchemists's Fire
• 2 quivers
• 20 arrows
• 10 gp

Looking around, some of the members spot a headband. Claire identifies it as some kind of angelic headband and wears it. It glows blue as it conforms to her forehead. On the way out, the pond of hopelessness has shrunk, and even though Nidri slips and falls in she has no trouble climbing out. The party soon makes their exit from the swamp, and begin discussing their trip home.