Main Story 9: The Search for Water

**Previous: Main Story 8: The Search for the Other Pieces**

**Next: Main Story 10: Needs Prep**

“Should we go around the desert or just risk it”

“Hmm…”

# *The Gang Dies of Dehydration*

Kristianna trying to find the place:

The spell pointed her southwest, towards the Dust Caravan’s lair. [unknown: assuming they head out first thing in the morning, they’ll arrive shortly before nightfall the following day. Unless whatever spell she’s using allows her to know this i guess] If they decide to do this, cool (and also nice).

Party Members:

James, Venu, and Durneviir (i think?) need to be brought in.

James: Kristianna told her through the sending stone where they were going and what’s going on with their water situation. They could always communicate more through the stone.

Chandler: we don’t know anything, like at all. I think he was making an arcane archer.

Durneviir: fuckin idk dude. How about Durneviir meets Chandler’s character in town and recruits him to help him, James, and Dinkly follow the party into the desert and since it’s just the 4 of them they go super fast.

Robitussen reinstates Durneviir into Robitussen’s Raiders and grants him Chandler’s character as a personal escort, in exchange for inside information about the inside operation

Bran: knowing Jake, he’ll say in chat at 2:53pm on Monday that he’s gonna make it to the session that’ll probably start at 3 so just throw him in say he recognizes Durneviir and Dinkly and then probably asks them if he can come with them or something.

Looking for Ashlynn and Benjamin, thinks the party is the best way to do it, suspects that they were kidnapped, wants to confront the main suspects, the dust caravan.

I don’t think anyone who was there needs to be taken out. I think we had Hex, Kristianna, Voltuun, and Lysandre last session? They’re all coming unless they liars.

Idea: Push the party lower than ever, then once they defeat the Dust Caravan and retrieve the piece of the SoP, they get good loot, good insight into the future of the campaign, and water

Travel Encounters:

* Small Redwyn force ambushed by Dust Caravan.
	+ Redwyn Squad: (1 Barbarian Ancestrial Guardian), (2 Berserkers), 4 Guards(PHBorMM), and 1 Enchanter(VGtM)
	+ Dust Caravan Squad: 2 Gray Thirster(IB), 1 Gnoll hunter(MM?), 3 Gnolls(MM), 1 Flind(VGtM)

The party sees off in the distance (about 2 miles) a small group of humanoids walking around a horse-drawn wagon towards you from the west. They don’t seem to have noticed the group of [Hunched over hyena-like humanoids] walking in a single-file line towards them very quickly from about a mile north of them since there’s a hill between them. Since you’ve noticed them they’ve almost certainly noticed you too.

-Insight will determine that the humanoids are likely from Redwyn (DC14) and/or that the others are likely the dust caravan mentioned in the Silver Tongues’ orders (DC18)

Options: The party can attempt to leave while both parties are distracted (stealth roll?), or move in and help either group.

Outcomes:

-Successful escape: 500xp, will likely encounter the dust caravan group again later as they spotted the party going towards their lair (the Dust Caravan will be aware of the party’s arrival since they’re able to cover much more ground over sand than the desert) and will defeat the Redwyn scout group.

-Help Redwyn: The leader of the group (don’t let him die in the fight but if he does then damn) will begin thanking the party before he stops and takes a closer look at each party member, realizing who they are. He’ll agree to forget he saw them but will ask why they helped them.

-Help Dust Caravan: they probably won’t do this I mean come on but if they do the Dust Caravan will also attack them for their precious moisture.

[Note] the redwyn nibbas have 2 barrels of water and 2 empty barrels, as well as 15 days of rations

Note: Upon killing the Flind the demonic power from its eyes and flail will fade, and a quick red streak of magic will fly towards whoever successfully killed it. The player may choose to accept this magic or deny it. If they choose to accept it, they will gain darkvision up to 60 ft, proficiency in intimidation, and each weapon attack they make deals an additional 5 psychic damage. The flind’s flail shatters, and the player’s eyes magically turn blood-red and they have a craving for raw meat every 24 hours that must be sated or they will suffer a stack of exhaustion.

* A line of disturbed sand along northeast/southwest

       Investigation:

           DC10 it was made by something with feet walking on the sand.

DC16 it was made by many different creatures walking in a single-file line.

DC19 Insight (after the above check was successful): this is likely meant to intentionally hide their numbers.

If the players don’t remember: give Kristianna (the smart one) memory check, DC12 to remember that the Dust Caravan walked in a single-file line at their last meeting.

At this point the landscape has changed a bit from the sand and dunes to large rocky mounds with sandy paths between them. Many of the stone hills have small holes burrowed in them, most likely by wild animals.

* Night Encounter: 12 Rust Monsters
	+ The Rust Monsters will show up in the night, burrowing towards the party after they discovered a large assortment of metals in the area.
	+ If the watch doesn’t have a passive perception of 14 or higher, the rust monsters will have a chance to damage some metals before the fight:
		- Ask what items everyone has that are made of metal. 1d4+2 of them are hit by the Rust Monsters’ “Rust Metal” trait. (weapons gain a permanent -1 to hit, armor and shields gain a -1 to AC. weapons that gain a total -5 are destroyed, armor that is reduced to 10 is destroyed, shields that are reduced to 0 are destroyed. Magical items are unaffected)
		- If they attempt to eat Hex he will notice before they attempt to do any damage (for the watch, not for the fight).
			* Idk what to do about Hex for the fight, maybe whenever he’s hit, he has to attempt a DC13 Con save or his str/dex/con score takes a -1 until repaired by… tinker’s tools? mending? greater restoration? wish?
	+ The watch will hear the Rust Monsters when they begin devouring the metal regardless of passive perception.
	+ Anyone from Redwyn can attempt an intelligence check to recall what they are, anyone who sees them eating metal will be able to deduce that they like to eat metal without having to make a check, obviously.
	+ In-battle: the Rust Monsters will only attack those wearing metal armor or wielding metal weapons: Voltuun, Hex, Shawarma, Tobias, Durneviir, Lysandre
		- Focus: Voltuun’s armor and shield, Hex’s self, everyone’s weapons.

* Easier Encounter to Recover from Having their Weapons and Armor Eated
	+ 14 Legendary Air Elementals 6 Gnolls (MM) , 2 Gnoll Pack Lords (MM), 1 Gnoll Deathmage (MaD, statblock at bottom) with a conveniently diverse array of weapons:
		- Gnoll 1: Warhammer (replace spear)
		- Gnoll 2-6: Normal (spear)
		- Gnoll Pack Lord 1: Greatsword (replace glaive)
		- Gnoll Pack Lord 2: Normal (glaive) [also tbh kinda wanna give it polearm master feat ngl]
		- Gnoll Deathmage: Worn wooden staff with a translucent red crystal on top (standard spell focus)
	+ Battle Strategy: after the Deathmage has used Conjure Fiends, have the Pack Lords use their Incite Rampage ability on the Fiendish Hyenas.

**Next: Main Story 10: Needs Prep**