The Endless Divide - Episode One

==Synopsis:==
Luya Barie set out months ago on an expedition to cross the Endless Divide, also known as The Quiet Lands. She and her crew were seeking the eastern coast of Alune. No one ever heard back from them until one day, a message was sent to the Court of Abishot through some sort of magic. 25 words came from Barie:
"We almost died on journey. Found massive city in quiet lands. Cannot get back. Too dangerous. Met their wizard. They need help. Safe currently. Luya."
Abishot hired the Whispering Cutlass to seek out this lost city of the Divide and its citizens. Over 100 individuals set out on the journey.
This is the first adventure in the The Endless Divide Saga.
During this leg of the journey, the mercenaries travelled for seven days beyond Inzet. They encountered Iron Wheel merchants, got caught in a sandstorm, found a Wandering Knight and raiding clay people, fell into sink holes, were struck by lightning, nearly got dragged under quicksand, and fought off Dread Hounds with the help of the Vanguard. A dream had by two individuals foreshadowed coming doom.
==Client:==
City of Abishot
==Mercenaries:==
*Roars into the Storm "Rits" - Leonin Paladin (Sponsor: Samarthak Khan)
*Berkham - Minotaur Cleric (Sponsor: Vindica Sean of House Shadhavar)
*Dorxidor "Dork" - Eladrin Monk (Sponsor: Kyanite Kiwi of House Stars)
*Bandin Volward - Deep Gnome Rogue (Sponsor: Faithful Boar of the Circle of Faith Guild)
*Relc Katman - Tabaxi Fighter (Sponsor: House Shadhavar)
*Enery Wan - Shadar-kai Barbarian (Sponsor: Contessa Meridian Selvaggia of House Stefarni)
==Adventure Summary:==
===Day One: Heading Out from Inzet===
In Inzet, the Whispering Cutlass caravan met with Virgil Holt, leader of their organization. He would not be accompanying the caravan on the expedition, but he had spent a year in the Quiet Lands himself. He passed on his wisdom, telling of sandstorms, Dread Hounds, and worms, among other monstrosities. His best advice was to be as silent as possible when travelling through the area.
Holt also gave the caravan enough ale to last a full month in order to boost morale.
Just as Holt finished his speech, a messenger arrived and gave him a tome. The messenger explained that it was part of a Travelers Book set from House Stefarni of Abishot. It would help the caravan stay in touch with the wider world during the journey. The book was placed in the care of Arbiter Uke. Two pages of the book were dedicated to be used for cartography if at all possible.
With all preparations finished, the caravan headed out east from Trinity Lakes, planning to travel thirty miles per day. The caravan consisted of over 100 individuals, from mercenaries to helpers and laborers, in a line of twenty-five wagons pulled by sowaries.
After the day’s travel, the caravan set up camp and rested for the evening without issue.
===Day Two: Iron Wheel Merchants===
The Whispering Cutlass encountered another caravan coming from the north and heading west towards Inzet. The wagons of this caravan glowed.
They were part of the Iron Wheel, a merchant company that travelled the far edges of the land between Ilsum and Sibet. A member of the company, Ront Dittor, spoke with the Whispering Cutlass. Dittor reported that a creature took four of their wagons, and as such, the Iron Wheel was retreating back to civilization to regroup and replenish their supplies.
The Iron Wheel offered to sell two green potions to the Whispering Cutlass for fifty ounces of gold, but the Whispering Cutlass passed on the opportunity. The Iron Wheel then gifted a large diamond to the Whispering Cutlass as an offering to the God of trade. In exchange, the Whispering Cutlass agreed to bring something back from their travels to give to the Iron Wheel.
After the day’s travel, the caravan set up camp and rested for the evening without issue.
===Day Three: Sandstorm===
The caravan’s journey slowed down due to a massive sandstorm. They could only complete a half-day’s worth of travel before setting up camp and resting for the evening.
===Day Four: The Wandering Knight===
The storm continued to beat into the caravan through the night and into the morning. Before they could break camp and continue on their way, a massive foot the size of four wagons fell from the sky and crushed one of the caravan’s wagons. Mercenaries ran towards the noise. They discovered that the foot belonged to a Wandering Knight, an animated statue that roamed the Quiet Lands.
The Wandering Knight didn’t appear to be malicious, but instead plowed ahead heedless of anything in its path. The caravan scrambled to stay out of its way. However, some mercenaries noticed humanoids rappelling down the Wandering Knight’s legs and stealing supplies from the caravan. The mercenaries dispatched two of the creatures before the animated statue passed beyond the caravan and out of range.
The fallen creatures appeared to be made out of clay. The mercenaries decided to carry one of the bodies with them on a wagon.
After the day’s travel, the caravan set up camp and rested for the evening without issue.
===Day Five: Sand Pits===
Near the edge of the known map, the caravan encountered unusual sand pits filled with tentacles. Relc fell into one, and Enery followed when she tried to pull him out. Both of them were eventually rescued, but not without being scarred. The tentacles latched onto the mercenaries and left star-shaped wounds on their bodies. Upon inspection, Relc and Enery seemed physically well, if a little fatigued. Even after resting, this fatigue remained. It was suggested that special magics could restore their vitality.
The caravan continued on while using javelins to test the ground for more pits.
Later in the day, some mercenaries spent time getting to know other members of the caravan. Of note, they spoke with Silvana Threena, a peppy Tiefling who liked to ask leading questions, the answers to which she always expected to be “yes.” She was in charge of water rations. She gave an ambiguous wink directed at Bandin and Relc. Both believed that she was flirting with them.
After the day’s travel, the caravan set up camp and rested for the evening without issue.
===Day Six: Lightning===
The sky darkened this day, the air so charged that the mercenaries could feel it. Dorxidor recognized the sensation and informed the group that electricity was gathering. Roars into the Storm realized that his greatsword would act as a lightning rod, so he ran to a high dune to try to keep it away from the caravan.
He didn’t quite reach the top before the lightning struck. It hit his sword and flowed through him. For a moment, he tensed and seemed to take it all in, but with a crack of thunder, it launched him across the caravan. He was severely wounded, but after a breather, he assured the others that he could continue the journey. He even seemed defiant, as if daring lightning to strike him again.
After the day’s travel, the caravan set up camp and rested for the evening without issue.
===Day Seven: Quicksand and Dread Hounds===
The caravan encountered near-disaster when the ground beneath them crumbled into a horrific form of quicksand. Skeletal hands rose from the sand and grabbed the ankles of Silvana and others, pulling them down. With quick thinking and action, the caravan managed to escape the quicksand unharmed.
Even more disconcerting, after all escaped, the ground settled and was safe to walk upon.
After setting up camp, the mercenaries continued to mingle. They spoke with Silvana some more, as well as Nico McCall, a tall man with a nice singing voice. There was little time for rest however, as the camp was then attacked by hordes of Dread Hounds. The mercenaries felled about forty of the hounds, panic nearly setting in as another horde crested the western dunes.
Then, appearing suddenly, a group of the Vanguard arrived. They descended upon the hounds and massacred the creatures, fighting far more effectively than anyone of the Whispering Cutlass. The caravan was saved.
==Outcome:==
After the battle, the Dread Hounds were gathered up and burned. The caravan invited the Vanguard group to enjoy some ale as thanks for their aid. The Vanguard spoke of their duty to cull the Dread Hounds, and one Dwarf talked at length about Dread Hound and their breeding process. The caravan learned that Dread Hounds attack whatever is closest to them with reckless abandon. They spawn from ichor vomited up by the last Dread Hound in a horde. The ichor festers and spawns more of the creatures, but burning these pools would prevent Dread Hounds from forming.
While some of the Whispering Cutlass admired the Vanguard and their duties, the members of the Vanguard present appeared burdened and saddened by their work.
After ensuring that the corpses were burned and the caravan was safe, the Vanguard continued their travels, taking with them a barrel of ale given as a gift.
The Whispering Cutlass set up camp and rested. During the night, both Relc and Berkham had the same dream. They dreamed of a monstrosity with thousands of rows of teeth in the desert ahead of the caravan. It came towards the caravan, reached them, and swallowed them up in the ground.
When Berkham awoke, he realized that he had written the following message in his sleep:
“Be careful, the thread is not strong in the Quiet Lands.”
The caravan survived the first leg of their harrowing journey.
==Adventure Rewards:==
None.
Endless Divide - 01