Current expedition/event

This is where you will find information on the current expedition or events going on. So at least you'll know what it is that's killing you.

There's also info on the available expeditions so that you have an idea about what might kill you next.

# Available Expeditions

## Traveller's Guild Artifact Retrieval

A contract received from the Traveller's Guild. It details the recovery of a relic from a nearby ruin. It states that the relic remains unrecovered because of "Local hazards." The man clarifies very little about what "Local Hazards" means, stating only that the hazards are living creatures. He seems to pause when he says living through, as though trying to think of a better way to put it. (My guess is undead.)

### Pending Matters

* What will we be paid?
* Does this also count as our initiations to the Traveller's Guild? Beceause joining the guild requires retrieving an artifact with their knowledge.
* If this is an initiation, we should ask what benefits and obligations are attached to membership.

## Ethral Archives Giant Ant Nest Exploration

The Ethral would like more information about the Giant Ant Nest located near the intersection of God's Breath and Providence River. They would be willing to offer payment for information about where its core is located. The core (the main hive) should be fairly noticeable due to its sheer size. They ask for the location, plus any samples, observation, or other data you can gather. The more the better. One would probably have to follow the veins deeper in in order to reach the core. The Ethral promised a few hundred fathoms for the location alone, plus more for any artifacts or useful info recovered. People could instead choose to be paid in information instead of fathoms.

## Crystal tree expedition [Crystal restoration questline]

Through his communion with the Crystal Overmind Clate received knowledge of the location of a "branch" of the True Crystal, part of the ever-expanding entity that "gave birth" to the Crystal People. Through it, one could create more of the Crystal "Toothpicks" that can be used to convert organic beings into Crystal People. However, the branch is located outside of the Local Area, so making it there would not be easy and would require some preparations, like extra fuel and provisions.

## Molten Heart expedition [Crystal restoration questline]

One of Kara's Gemstone People tablets is a Diary. Among other things, it talks about a construction project. Said construction project is some sort of energy weapon located very deep, somewhere near the Molten Heart. The writer doesn't know exactly what the weapon is but they say it "Feeds on the Great Heart of Fire" and "Awaits awakening to destroy the enemies of the True people." There are no exact coordinates but it must be either directly on the edge of the Heart or very near it. Kara decided to keep this information a secret for some time.

Kara eventually shared that information with Clate after his transformation into one of the Crystal People. The two agreed to look into this, each for their own reasons. To do so Clate required access to a great concentration of Crystal. Kara managed to convince the Ehtral of Chamel to grant her and her team access to the secret lab located in the Crystal Ruins below their settlement. There Clate communed with the Crystal Overmind and learned the truth about the Crystal Superweapon and the "death" of the Crystal People. It turns out that the Crystal People are not really dead. The Crystal People are part of a hive mind and the superweapon was meant to forcibly convert all intelligent life into Crystal People. However, after its activation, the Crystal Hive Mind was unable to adapt to the rapid expansion and was torn apart, becoming weaker and confined to large concentrations of Crystal. However it is likely the Superweapon can be used to reverse the effects and return the Crystal Hive Mind to its former state, allowing the Crystal People to "reawaken" and their abilities to be restored to their former glory.

The expedition would require modifying the Crystal Mover to install the necessary life support and heating insulation equipment that would allow it to carry organics. Some sort of mini-sub with the similar equipment or a specialized Magma suit made with Diving might also be necessary to allow people to navigate inside the ruins, if they end up being exposed to the heat of the Molten Heart.

## Korax ruins expedition

The Korax was an ancient race of bird people that looked more like birds than the Corven, having wings instead of arms. The Korax were described by the Ethral texts as being "Timid" and "Creatures born for different age". They apparently have a hard time in the underground, with few places to really stretch their wings in a literal sense. They are treated as a good natured but inherently primitive group, willing to trade what they had for shiny baubles and food.  However, the accepted church history states that when humans descended to the underground the were the only "true" society and intelligence but that they spread their gifts to others. They make specific mention of the uplifting of the species now known as the Corven, with the phrase "Took wings made useless by the stone and gifted them mind and purpose in return." Its possible the early civilization of mankind somehow uplifted the Korax, altering them physically and mentally.

Kara has found information in the Crystal Text that points to an old Korax settlement being somewhere in the fault beyond Fathomless Falls. It is possible that trade with the nearby Moleman settlement of Mistcliff might reveal more information about the location of the old Korax settlement, though it might be enough to just thoroughly explore the fault while looking for locations that would make for good nesting location for a race of avian beings.

Discovery and exploration of the settlement could help provide more information about the first Human settlers and their interaction with the other races of the underground. It could also provide more information about the Korax and their potential modern day descendents, the Corven and the Fire Singers. The priceless artifacts and information that could be found would also fetch a good price. Or perhaps the Church would pay well to suppress that information, should it turn out to contradict official church canon.

## Mole people ruins expedition

Kara has found information about an abandoned mole people settlement located below the Local Area, somewhere below the Molten Heart. This could shed some light into the culture of the reclusive mole people and the rumors of the secrets they hide. And it is certain that such information and artifacts could fetch a very good price.

## Crystal mover retrieval

A great crystal mover was used to retrieve a large number of artifacts from the Crystal ruins below Chamel. It is currently sitting in the fault below Chamel (grid coordinates [168,36]). It can be commanded to move through the the use of an Obedience Rod or through Clate's abilities. However it cannot move for great distances before becoming tired due to the weakening of the Crystal Overmind. It would require an escort by the Bore to somewhere where it could be sold or used to upgrade the bore.

It can also be used to travel through Lava with a few modifications.

## Cult followup

The drug-ring/cult that was arrested in Chamel apparently has links to a wider movement to destabilize the church. There is also a box that might contain more leads, but it's heavily protected by anti-tamper diving.

## Cist extermination

A saint in the newly constructed messenger path tasked AsHul with the destruction of the creature trapped in the local cist. The creature is an old human construct, some sort of intelligent war machine. After merging with the results of a failed dive its power grew even more than before. Killing it now requires the use of both mundane and magical attacks of extreme power hitting it at the same time.

# References

1. ↑ http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg7843727#msg7843727
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg7846547#msg7846547
3. ↑ http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg7871803#msg7871803
4. ↑ http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg7872985#msg7872985
5. ↑ http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg7874737#msg7874737
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg8069253#msg8069253
7. ↑ http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg7866601#msg7866601
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg8144612#msg8144612
9. ↑ http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg8079013#msg8079013
10. ↑ http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg8081570#msg8081570
11. ↑ http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg8136313#msg8136313
12. ↑ http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171120.msg8141379#msg8141379