The Gang Commits Treason (Again)

**The Gang Commits Treason (Again)** is the 50th session of the first WGA campaign. After saying their goodbyes to Blitz and Finch, the Red Thread prepare to teleport to the Pearlbow Wilderness. Their mission, assigned by Essek, is to steal one of the Beacons currently being researched in the Vergesson Sanatorium.

### Shopping spree

Flush with cash, the party heads to Rainy Blossom Arcana, where Sarven's brother Syris Cauchemar works. Kismet spends almost all of his money on spell components, then proceeds to wander about the store trying to find useful items for his party members. Florian purchases a Bracer of Flying Daggers and a Rope of Climbing. Valac finds a Bloodwell Vial, and immediately attunes to it. Agatha buys a crossbow and a Cloak of Protection, and Arabella the Nature's Mantle.

While Kismet is content to simply browse, he spots an Amulet of the Devout. He approaches Valac and asks if he can borrow 200 gold. The tiefling simply plucks the amulet from his grasp, adds on a pellet of Dust of Dryness and the Boots of Elvenkind, and haggles a little before buying the lot. He gives the amulet and boots to Kismet, and leaves the drow spluttering while he continues looking around.

Florian and Agatha feel a little nervous dumping so much money into one place. Kismet asks Syris about the owner of the shop, but finds no information out. Syris's mentor remains a secret. Finch buys some perfume for her girlfriend.

### Losing her mind

On the way out, Arabella is suddenly struck by a vision. Before her stand three portals, each containing a precious and important memory. One is the first kiss she shared with Agatha. The other is dinner with her adoptive family. The third is the view of a moon, the first time she ever saw natural light. She inherently knows she must choose one, though she doesn't know what it all means.

The moon memory is the most unfamiliar to her, the furthest, the faintest. She steps through, and the memory replays before her eyes as if she is simply an observer. She crawls through the dirt, out of a tunnel, heading upward to a strange light. Emerging in a clearing, there are bleached trees all around, framing the full moon above. To her, it was like meeting a person she's heard so much about, but never crossed paths.

As she relives the memory, it fades, eaten away. Each moment is more confusing, the preceding seconds disappearing, and by the end it is completely gone. The vision fades, and Arabella stands stock still in the street. Agatha notices immediately, and asks her what happened. She isn't sure. Kismet asks if it's to do with the spell she talked about, but she affirms that it feels different. It feels like someone reached out and *took* something. All she knows is that something is deeply, deeply wrong. They agree to talk about it later, and proceed onward.

### At midday we plan

The Red Thread return to Essek's tower to plan out their heist. They have very little information beyond what Sarven can remember the last time he tracked a beacon to the sanatorium. With a tentative plan of having a few people enter the building in disguise, Kismet pulls out his new scrying mirror, and checks in on Maynard, who they know is at the compound. He sees a stone hallway, old bloodstains on the floor. Maynard leans against a wall next to a door, occasionally checking a pocket watch. Volstrucker researchers pass him by, some stopping briefly to talk. Kismet cannot hear, but the researchers never keep Maynard long. Peering closer, he reads the plaque on the door. It says "Echo Lab".

Kismet returns to the present to find Florian in his face, a pen in hand. He'd been drawing something on the drow, but Valac had been immediately clearing it with prestidigitation. Kismet berates Florian, telling them not to draw things on his face while he's dissociating. He relays what he saw to the group - the sanatorium is rather busy where Maynard is. All they can do is teleport in, scout out the perimeter, and finalise their plan on the spot.

### What do your hawk eyes see

Arriving on the north end of the sanatorium, the party sneaks as close as they dare. Arabella wildshapes into a hawk, and makes a perception check. The roll is not great, but thankfully the meta pigeons coo that hawks have advantage on perception checks using sight. "Watch me roll a nat twenty," Al says, and proceeds to roll a natural twenty. With guidance, the total comes to 30. Arabella proceeds to see into the Return to Form campaign.

Around the northwest tower, researchers enter and exist the building. The other buildings are mostly populated with attendants and guards. Sarven pipes up that he remembers the last beacon was taken into the tower with the researchers, and Kismet is fairly certain this is where Maynard currently is. Valac casts *Clairvoyance* beyond the main door. There is a small lobby with a reception desk, stairs leading up and stairs leading down. The group finalises their plan and failsafes.

### Team Half-elf, team Elf

The party decides to split into two groups - *Team Half-elf* consisting of Agatha, Florian, and Valac, and *Team Elf* with Arabella, Keldrym, Kismet, and Sarven. They choose a word to signify trouble, should either team run into any - "Crispy lettuce".

Using *Pass Without a Trace* and the Rope of Climbing, Team Half-Elf scale the fence stealthily. Team Elf remains outside, Sarven preparing *Teleport* to use as soon as everyone is gathered together. They all put up disguises, pretending to be researchers, and as nonchalantly as possible enter through the main door. Florian plays the part well, but Agatha and Valac detract from the performance. A researcher approaches them, asking them why they are here. Florian takes the lead, saying they are interns and met on the way. The researcher asks about their projects. The three launch into surprisingly detailed spiels about their theses. Agatha claims she does not yet have a topic, but hopes to find one during their stay.

The deception check passes with flying colours, and the researcher leaves them be, descending downstairs, telling them to sign in at the register. Alone in the lobby, the three sign their false names. Florian uses the name of his ex, Vrinn. Valac doodles a dick next to his signature. Agatha casts *Locate Object*, disguising the components with a coughing fit. The nearest beacon pings toward the downstairs area.

### Crispy lettuce

They are met with a wide corridor lined with doors. It's empty, but there's the faint sound of talking. At the end of the corridor is a heavy stone door. There's a sign over it saying "Authorised Personnel Only". Valac casts *Clairvoyance* behind it and sees the beacon sitting on a pedestal. On either side, standing guard, are two Volstrucker. He relays this information, saying, "Hear me out: we kill them both." After a short debate in which they agree not to immediately try and kill the agents, they decide to proceed. What else can they do?

As soon as the near the door, an alarm trips. The klaxon is incredibly loud, and without a second to spare Team Half-elf runs toward the door. Agatha reaches out to open it and is immediately shocked, taking lightning damage. She casts *Dispel Magic* to disarm the trap, but the door is locked. Knowing the jig is up, Florian casts *Knock*, the booming noise loud enough to be heard throughout the sanatorium. Researchers begin spilling out of doorways, running toward the beacon room.

The door is heavy, but Agatha casts *Enlarge* on herself and pushes it open. As soon as he gets sight of the Volstrucker inside, Valac casts a twinned spell *Polymorph.* Both Volstrucker fail, and are turned into rats. Spells begin flying over their shoulders as Agatha drops her *Enlarge* spell and the trio rush into the room. A spell misses them narrowly, but hits the beacon, and sends it flying. Valac screams "CRISPY LETTUCE" down the telepathic connection to Kismet, grabs Agatha's hand, and runs toward the beacon.

Outside of the compound, Kismet receives the codeword for "shit's fucked". He immediately tells Sarven to make sure the *Teleport* is ready to take them back to Rosohna, and after a moment remembers about Maynard. He sends a harried message. "That alarm was us. We're on the outside of the fence of the tower. Meet us there, as fast as you can."

### Reality tears

Back in the basement, Maynard follows the sound of the alarm, exiting one of the doors. He is about to run to the beacon room when he receives Kismet's message. In the chaos behind the stone door, still ajar, Agatha fires a polymorph onto Florian, attempting to turn them into an owl. A quick-thinking researcher retaliates with a *Counterspell*, but it fails. The gap in the door obscures vision, but it is enough for Florian to swoop through as a lilac-coloured barn owl. Valac snatches the beacon and prepares to *Dimension Door*. Another counterspell, and once more it fails. The two disappear.

Out in the hallway, Florian swoops through, and runs into Maynard. Hooting happily, they do a few circles around the aasimar's head. The pair begin to run, none of the researchers questioning the motives of the intimidating Maynard Callus. They exit the tower, but are faced with a chilling sight. Trent Ikithon approaches the tower slowly, and the pair stop in their tracks. Researchers begin to pile out of the tower, realising what is going on.

In May's head, Trent says, "What are you doing?" With a determined look, May simply says to him, "I was only here to get stronger." In a flash, he distorts reality to summon his echo, sending it into the crowd of researchers, and detonates it. A wave of force reverberates and shoves into people. After-images, pre-images, shunted off into waves as though souls were pulled out and away. The impact zone halts in a ring, then suddenly pulls back as if in a vacuum. The dilation shoves images, shards, back into people, broken into pieces before suddenly forced back into reality. Some cough while others falter. Some find their positions suddenly switched in a frozen moment of time.

Maynard's nose begins to bleed, but it is nothing compared to the sudden onset of pain he feels. The others who have line of sight watch in horror as May stiffens, then crumples to the ground. Trent approaches. Arabella with her keen vision casts a *Fog Cloud* around May's still form, some one hundred feet away. Valac follows up with *Bigby's Hand*, obscured in the cloud, safe from Trent's counterspell. He picks up Maynard, and as soon as he is pulled close enough, Kismet heals him to consciousness.

As they pile into the teleportation circle, through the fog, Trent sends one last message to May. "I don't appreciate people betraying me." It becomes clear that a *Geas* had been left on Maynard some time ago, culminating in enough pain to bring him to the ground when disobeyed. Sarven completes the spell, and the Red Thread disappear into thin air.

### Finally, rest

Arriving disheveled in the Marble Tomes, the party wastes only a few moments before collecting themselves and hurrying to Essek's tower with the knowledge they have a religious artifact hidden inside a bag of holding. Sarven opens the door, and they meet with Essek. The shadowhand asks them how it went, and after assuring him they all got out safely (plus one), Valac produces the beacon from his bag. "Oh, also, we got this," he says nonchalantly.

Essek looks the happiest he has in days. Before handing it over, Kismet asks him if he wants to see a magic trick, and proceeds to create a ritual for *Legend Lore*. He sees a room, and the beacon sitting on a pedestal. There are pillars around, somehow drawing power from it. Kismet watches as the beacon is taken away, walked through unfamiliar and alien streets. People pass by, not throwing a second glance to the artifact. This is Shattengrod, pre-Calamity.

Returning to the present, Kismet relays all that he saw. The beacon was used as a power source - a slap in the face to the way it is currently worshipped by those who follow the Luxon. Maynard comments that it isn't so surprising - the Assembly have been drawing power from it for a while in their experiments. Essek takes the beacon and concentrates on it for a minute or so. Emerging from whatever trance he fell into, he smiles. "This will work."

The shadowhand says he needs some time to prepare their jaunt to another timeline - about a week. Florian invites everyone to stay at his house for a while, and though Valac and Kismet agree to stay for dinner, they have other plans. A holiday (Florian teases them and calls it a honeymoon) somewhere warm and far away from both the Dynasty and the Empire.