Mission 6: Felicium

## A simple delivery to uncovering corruption

The crew of the Leviathan celebrates their victory against the pirates and enjoys their evening. In the morning the captain wakes them with an announcement that they are approaching Dilanar 3. A beautiful world with dense jungles beautiful beaches, and peaceful rolling woods, many of which incorporate cities.

Captain Ramsey addresses the crew,

> *"Simple supply run, The people here make a medicine which has become the only effective treatment for a plague on Fendery 8. Our job is to collect the cargo from its processing center in the jungle, escort it back to the ship, take it halfway to Fendery 8, we will meet a cargo vessel carrying payment halfway there. We will exchange goods, our representatives will sign contractual agreements as well there's and we'll bring back payment to the planet."*
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As the Captain continues to spill out the details of their latest mission Ornithal walks into the common room with all of his bags,

> *"Everyone, I apologize for my demeanor these past days. I have been deep and thought. It is not lightly I have come to the decision to leave the ship. There has been a change in the wind and I must follow."*
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And with that he grabs his bags and leaves.

The Captain lands the ship at the spaceport in the forest city, Silvis Prime. The beautiful city sprawls before the spaceport wonderfully merged with the forest around it. It is by far the most beautiful location in the crew has visited so far.

The Captain informs the crew they are looking for a purple tie fling in a local bar called *The Smoking Bark*. The spaceport is kept away from the main city as it is a large empty eyesore, The crew takes a train into the city and find a bustling metropolis. After engaging with some locals they quickly find A quaint little hookah bar in a busy shopping district.

They locate their contact **Bakiror** who wastes no time leading you to another district where they manufacture the medicine. To get there you took land vehicles some of you piling into one others taking individual two-wheeled vehicles. Upon your return you find a set of traps that destroy your vehicles and lead to several significant crashes. Rodney having been writing passenger seat reacts quickly enough to avoid bruising.

> *In a burst of frantic speed Rodney pulls his belt off and leaps skyward out of the speeding vehicle as it tumbles off the road and hits two small trees. Stretching out his gliding flaps he absorbs the horizontal land speed and sores upward, slowly circling and coming for a soft landing he runs to check on Cora and Iris.*
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Bakiror is not taking the crash nor the isolation alone in the woods with unseemly amounts of valuable medicine. She starts talking to herself while you're walking and makes some concerning comments.

> "*I'm going to get killed, I should never ever have signed on for this job. This is so stupid, I could have just relaxed. Then at home with a cozy warm blanket. But no I had to make some gold had to get some more money to buy some more stuff! God's damn it now I'm going to die, leave them yes yes I can leave them then nobody just kills anybody random in the woods no valuables no reason to kill me! This is dumb I'm definitely leaving.*"
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### Ambush!

The crew was attacked by those who would want to steal the precious medication for their own gain. They manage to fend off the attackers with little struggle thanks to the crew's fast acting battle tactics. Taryn took a good beating from hidden archers, but Rodney lit up the surround area with fire and the rest of the crew made quick work of the enemies.

When the crew reaches their ship with Bakiror and the medication they set out for the exchange location. Upon arrival they discover the exchange ship is derelict and broken down. Upon entering the ship, they discover there is no breathable atmosphere and only two crew members were discovered. They were hiding within an energy dome which provided them a safe location with air, allowing them to survive long enough to be found. These two men, Marius and Cadin, were suffering severely from their condition. The crew jumps into action and quickly brings them to the Leviathan.

During conversation, the crew discovers that the medication is delivered in doses and is only a treatment, not a cure, to a disease that has run rampant for decades on their planet. Everyone is infected, and nobody can be cured.

> "*Well when you dose is getting low you can tell. at first it starts with irrational agitation and anxiety. After that your muscles start to ache, then you can't sleep, you start sweating then vomiting.*" - Marius
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It is also at this time that the crew discovers that Bakiror's planet relies on the payment of goods to survive. It is a symbiotic relationship that teeters on the edge of collapse at all times. Both planets require help from the other, and death of thousands will result if either side doesn't provide.

> "[Their payment is] 15,000 gold, 12 hectares of wheat, 100 hectares of corn, 12 hectares of soi. You see My people will literally starve I have to think of them." - Bakiror
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### Crew conflicts

As soon as everyone is safely on the Leviathan, heated discussions regarding payment and delivery of medication fire up. Rom becomes wary of the scenario and begins to sniff out something more nefarious. For the time, Rom does not pursue this matter too much, realizing through Cora that it is not the appropriate time to start pointing fingers.

> "When she says symbiotic, she means parasitic. They benefit from others infection. Follow the money. We are complicit with their evil." -Rom
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Ultimately, an agreement is made and the crew is tasked with taking the medication all the way to the planet, and then they are to transport whatever remaining goods they can back to Dilanar 3. Once they arrive, they land to a massive riot of people which presents an entirely new challenge to the crew. In addition, they discover that Marius and Cadin are dead in their quarters which adds even more stress and confusion to the scenario! After several options are presented, Iris and Taryn attempt to connect with the Genasi heritage and call upon their innate powers to calm the crowds:

### *Wild* riots

A scene from the uncontrolled wild magic that Iris and Taryn tapped into when trying to calm the rioters

*Iris smiles and lets out a deep breath. She levitates just above the ships floor and winds gently swirl beneath her. As she rises up more her skin begins to change color and her true form is revealed, a light blue cyan with white swirls as if to blend in with the skies. what appeared as maybe birthmarks on her hands become crystal like and shimmer. Outside the ship any winds suddenly cease and then a wind can be heard through nearby trees and slowly weave its way through the cloud, almost dancing between the people, flowing through in a repetitive manner as if to soothe the crowds*

*Taryn walks to a window with Iris and stares down to the massive angry crowd. He takes in a deep breath and shuts his eyes. Speaking lightly,*

> "I am back within the crust, I am surrounded by stone and dirt. I see the veins of minerals, the layers of sediment that time has placed delicately and precisely. The world around me is quiet, calm, and cool."
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*He places his hand on the imagined walls of the stone and earth. He hums, matching his vocals to the frequency of the light quake that all crusts naturally express. He reaches deep into the dense planet and starts to direct the frequency to the surface, now making surface of the crust fluctuate like the top of a calm ocean. The ground ripples lightly, massaging the feet planted upon it. The rumble sends a calming hum through the surface and reverberates with the heart rates of the people. It matches the heart rates, then begins to transition to a slower pace, guiding the heartbeats down with it to calm and soothe the pumping adrenaline. The reverberations act as a mother rocking her child to a calming slumber.*

Unfortunately, their plan goes awry and they end up producing knee-deep mud plains and high winds that blow the rioters away.

The crew unfortunately does not take off and escape the rioters before they begin returning. Because they are left with no options but to wait (otherwise they risk the rioters breaking the medications or killing them in the takeoff sequence) they choose to give the crowd time to calm and disperse on its own accord. Eventually this happens, leaving only three people still screaming outside the ship's shield barrier. At this point, Olga and Cora lower the cargo bay doors and emerge with the medicine. This ignites the three and they begin to press against the barrier, causing themselves more injury. To counteract this, the crew agrees to drop the barrier and prepare to subdue them. As the three charge forward, Taryn catches one and in a moment of desperation, performs a Lay on of Hands. Miraculously, his prayer to Tyr is heard and the individual is immediately cured of all symptoms. Although confused with his ability to cure like this, Taryn doesn't hesitate to cure the second well. Unfortunately, the third individual perished during this time.

After learning the name of the first man Taryn cured, Waleed, they discover that the plague originated 40 years prior and progressively got worse while treatment was being used. It definitely didn't correlate with a standard disease which continued to imply something more nefarious was happening here. Taryn, at this point, is convinced that there is an addiction to the medication and the symptoms are withdrawal symptoms not associated with any disease. Regardless, they decide to have Waleed escort them to the city so they can meet with higher ranking government officials.

They make the dangerous trek into the city and immediately draw attention from the people. Soon, they find themselves surrounded by several thugs who threaten to kill the crew to obtain the medication they must be carrying. Taryn begs the group to do non-lethal damage and everyone does their best to comply, despite the challenges of not going for the kill shots. They manage to disable their attackers and not kill any of them and quickly move on to the government building.

Entry hall in an empty government building on Fendery 8

When they get there and enter, it's a desolate place. Nobody is in the main halls and it seems to be all but abandoned. The crew continues to travel up to the top of the building, hoping to find anybody that might be up there. Eventually they enter a large open chamber on the top floor which contains several guards surrounding a group of 6 men and 3 women eating.

Councilman Siltan opens up conversation with the group after realizing they might be of use. He asks them to get Councilman Vinsalon and bring him forward so that they could imprison him and keep him from being a nuisance. Rom takes this opportunity, while the others depart to fetch Vinsalon, to cast charm person on Siltan and have a friendly conversation with him. He discovers crucial information:

1. The medicine delivered requires a 1000-fold dilution or else it kills. (This explains Marius' and Cadin's death...)
2. They are using the medication to impart control over the people. It has become a form of currency in the city and a way to keep people in line.
3. One dose a day is all that is needed to relieve symptoms.
4. They are double-dosing the guards to keep them fully compliant

After his conversation, and weaseling 200 gold from Siltan, Rom reconnects with the others and discovers that councilman Vinsalon, a male gnome, is in fact needing rescue. He had discovered a cure but the other council members wanted to maintain control so they were keeping him and the information held hostage. Fortunately, Rom's charm allowed for the needed distraction to get Vinsalon out safely. The crew decided to head out to the meeting point for the Leviathan and determine what to do next.

It is eventually decided to approach a farm in this outlying region, convince them of the cure, and begin to rally the people to start producing the treatment immediately. Vinsalon reveals that boiling the indigenous tree bark extracts this necessary cure. After managing to convince one of the farmers by curing him with Taryn's Lay on of Hands, the entire farm bands together in celebration and preparation for the bulk production of the cure.

## Rebuilding a community

Over the next two weeks, the crew supports the community in various ways to help them prepare for expanding the cure across the entire planet *which included brewing, prepping, curing and caring for people. After the first 3 days of hell they had 50 able body men women and children to work six beds and help brew. Those 50 knowing the community around them recruited 400. By the end of the first week they had nearly 500 humanoids both cured and wholly devoted to the cause. Taryn did his best to avoid becoming a Messiah but it failed in every respect. His every word was being written down and compiled, and he was unaware of this. The people follow him around in packs waiting on his every desire to his ultimate discomfort. He tolerated it because he knows that in the end it will bring the best good. He did his best to meditate and receive instructions from his God and pass those on to the people. By the end of the second week there were 3,000 people on and around the farm. It had become its own community and people who were cured refused to leave and started building temporary shelters a few even bending together building permanent homes out of the nearby woods.*

Each member dedicated themselves to specific actions during these two weeks:

> Olga will have spent time helping the community and farmers day to day with manual tasks however is needed or useful. She will have had help mending and patching her clothes as best as possible as she won't have wanted to head to town to buy more yet. In the evenings, she plays music and stays up drinking with the farmers or around camps, wherever folk are up sharing stories and having a good time. Oh and she will have been very amused by Taryn dealing with his growing mass of followers.
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> Cora will split her time between showing healed members how to take care of those going through the first steps of the treatment in the medical tent and drilling people on how to make and use spears or whatever other weapons they have. Since they all refuse to leave, she knows something armed is going to come along to do something about them so she wants to make them as prepared as possible
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> *Iris works alongside Cora to share her knowledge of the sword and how to make weapons of what materials they have available. She also shares hand combat techniques she's learned through out her travels across planets, focusing the mind and body and spirit while fighting. She'll spend some of her time meditating while levitating in the clouds, praying to the Wind Rider Deity and learning how to communicate with the surrounding winds to aid in her future explorations*
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> In the first few days, Taryn remains adamant that he is not a messiah nor a master. He notices Olga at one point laughing and staring at him and realizes he will get no help from his companions who are also irritatingly referred to as his acolytes. After the third day, he submits to the undesired role and reminds himself that sometimes, the best leaders are the ones who never wanted to be. Emerging from his makeshift tent on the fourth day, he is wearing his ceremonial vestments which are simple but maintain a certain sophistication. They are white billowing robes with blueish-silvery accent on the arm cuffs, hood, and bottom. They a long enough to cover his feat, and a golden symbol of the scale atop a warhammer is proudly displayed on his chest. He begins preaching the words of Tyr and teaching his ways. Any who are willing are given extensive lessons and educated on Tyr’s tenants. He encourages those who show aptitude for his God to consider beginning their own sect here. He draws and describes the temple within which he spent many years as an acolyte as inspiration for them. He also helps to erect a small, makeshift altar with spare supplies from around the farm and attempts to bless the location with extensive prayer and meditation.
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> *Rodney spends the 2 weeks helping every way he can. He takes a special interest in keeping people's spirits up especially the children. Once the captain is convinced to land he pours power into the food replicator every one of his tethers for the day generating huge amounts of raw ingredients to help feed the people on the farm or no longer working their fields. During those two weeks he spends extensive amounts of time tinkering with small objects and playing with his magic abilities. By the end of the two weeks every once in awhile he is able to push enough magic into a rock for to light up for several hours. Children have great fun with these toys in Rodney reintensifies his research pushing magic into mundane objects*
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Finally, once the crew were satisfied with the community's progress, the elect to depart and let the community thrive by its own hand. Rom ends up requesting the crew take on a new member, Hadron Fieldsweep. He is drawn to this individual and sees in him qualities that are worthy of the Leviathan.

After the crew says their heartfelt farewells and departs, they head out into the astral plane yet again. They soon discover that other planets and communities are in the exact same situation - needing meds from Dalinar 3... They debate at length about what to do with the money owed to the government now that they know more people are being exploited. Cora gives a no-nonsense persepctive of Bakiror and her cowardice causing some tension on the ship and, ultimately, the crew decides to return the payment in order to keep the government off their tales. This will allow them to continue to pursue a full fix of this travesty without the worries of a bounty getting in their way. Bakiror agrees to help the crew by covering their tracks in the government records. Essentially, she changes the logs so that the Leviathan was never involved.

The final pass off of the payment and then subsequent compensation to the crew for the medication delivery goes swimmingly and the crew sets off for the Rock of Bral, hoping for a short period of rest before the continue their exploits.