The Challenge with Changelings

## Introduction

Professor Benvador Ashencrown is seeking any who are willing to help locate his aide Derith, who disappeared in north-western Breland. Her disappearance may be linked to the emergence of the strange plant creatures that have appeared in the area. Those that are interested are to meet the professor in three weeks at the new location of the Fallen Sun where more information will be supplied.

## Expedition Summary

After a quick meeting with the client the party heads to Passage, Aundair and 'Derith's last known whereabouts. They introduced themselves to **Lemon d'Ghallanda**, the halfling proprietor of the Horn of Plenty. He acknowledged that Derith stayed there, but she seemed troubled and quiet as usual then left. As Lemon was explaining, the party was overcome with a terrible smell. Apparently it had appeared a few days ago and seemed to be coming off the lake itself. Lemon said Derith's room had been turned over already, but they were welcome to dig through the lost & found, though. They found a Vera Samir book titled*The Aundairian Affair,* a glove and some other things. The party split apart, investigating the clues they found inside the lost & found.

Mik'Hael and Relic (Team Silver Forged) went to the Church of the Silver flame and a Jorasco healers guild. They learned from **Knight Commander Meredith** that a displaced Thaliost noble named Lady Ixbia ir'Sur had been entertaining many people with wild and lavish parties and that the guards were investigating something at the lake.

Amber and Quarion (Team eclectic) met a changeling entertainer and pick-pocket. He said he saw some fancy noblewoman named Ixbia ir'Sur had been seen escorted around town by Oriens. They continued on, trying to find Changelings but met **Tolce & Cabbage** -- fashion experts and designers. The elf & dwarf explained that they had provided many dresses to a Lady Ixbia ir'Sur. Quarion also got a job offer and a plea for him to meet with his entourage at the docks to take a cruise with the designers as their model.

The party met back up, talked, and couldn't come to an agreement with what they should be doing next. They were stymied for a moment, but Lemon frantically pawed at Relic and the book he kept from the lost & found. With Lemon's the party finally connected the dots. Ixbia ir'Sur was from a Vera Samir novel. She was not who she said she was at all. And she wasn't in Passage anymore. She had left on a pleasure cruise a week ago.

In the morning Lemon allowed them into the orange Banana Room where Derith was staying. The party felt that the bed and some of the flooring was wet. They also found bark shavings or dirt. With no other leads, the party went down to the docks to try to book the same cruise Ixbia had taken not too long ago. Tolce & Cabbage were delighted to see Quarion, and the rest of them.

The pelasure cruise was interrupted by creepy lake people who invited the party to their home below the lake's depths. A Lord d'Orien disagreed, but Relic imparted some life lessons about 'doing the right thing.' The party drank some magic potions and jumped overboard to the lake people's home under the waves.

Their leader **Soft-Sand** explained that the creatures called themselves the sahuagin. Unlike their oceanic cousins this group of inbred lake people had forgotten most of their cultural traditions except one. They all worshiped a pregnant shark and were unknowingly poisoning it with their infected, moldy, eggs.Thankfully the party was able to heal the mama and her six babies. In gratitude the sahuagin gave the party eggs to eat, but only Mik'Hael was hungry.

The party traveled to Xandrar, home of the Xandrar Sugar Beet Festival, on the back of the sahuagin and attempted to pick up Ixbia's trail. They were greeted with her wanted poster instead. Confused, but determined, the party decided to continue their plan and have Amber shift to Genevieve, the other protagonist of *The Aundairian Affair,* in an attempt to draw her out. On the way they met a soft gray cat. However, they were interrupted and attacked by infected horses. Then Deriths. The party fought the horses and captured a Derith.

Before they could ask her questions the guard arrived and hauled them all in to the station house. After a short conversation with **Sergeant Major Falia Grimes** the party was able to interrogate the Derith. Except this Derith said she had poisoned the sugar beets with the "Empress's" bathwater. Then she drank salt water and died, until Relic revived her.

The party met with **Kola d'Jorasco** and convinced her (through money) to test the sugar beets. She was able to pick out the infected ones and assure that the sugar was safe for consumption.On their way back the party met with Ketaal. After a short chat it turned out that this Ketaal wasn't Ketaal, but another changeling named **Xin**. She explained that she, **Zol** (in prison), and **Not** were friends with Derith -- their Empress.

Xin showed the party where Derith and Not were staying. They confronted her, Quarion put Derith to sleep, and they managed to capture both Derith and Not without bloodshed. After an interrogation they learned that Derith was vain, cruel and mad. There was nothing left for the party but to see her to prison and leave Xandrar far behind them.

**TL;DR**

* Get to Passage
	+ Speak to Lemon and learn about Derith, clues -- and stench
	+ Split the party
		- Speak to Silver Flame, changeling thief, Jorasco and Tolce & Gabbana
		- Learn about Ixbia ir'Sur and her debts
		- Party reunites!
		- Talk with Lemon, learn about book
	+ Go on boat.
	+ Get off boat.
	+ Meet lake people who talk through movement.
	+ Meet pregnant shark.
	+ Meet pregnant shark's lovely children.
* Get to Xandrar
	+ Lake's clean.
	+ Pet Biscuit.
	+ Change into Genevieve.
	+ Fight but not eat horses.
	+ See multiple Deriths and capture one in a comical web.
		- Interrogate her, learn about the bathwater.
		- Also learn about smutty beets.
		- Make Falia mad.
	+ Talk to Farmer Jack, the junior members of the Brelish Ministry of Agriculture and Kola d'Jorasco.
		- The sugar will flow.
	+ Meet Xin, go to confront Derith and Not.
	+ There are no lessons learned.
	+ End.

## Epilogue

The doppleganger known as Lemon turns to the doppleganger known as Nana May in the orange Banana Room. “I'm telling you, I *thought* Derith would be a good agent for us. I had no clue she'd get all greedy and then end up, like, poisoning Passage.”

Nana May changes easily into Ixbia's form, “I can't believe you! You put the whole Cabinet at risk courting someone unstable like that. We couldn't trust her. What if she told those,” Ixbia changes easily into Mik’Hael, “Wayfinders?”

Lemon changes into Relic. “Relax. (Ha. Ha. Warforged voice.) No, Derith never knew about the Cabinet. I just talked to her a little when I found her crying. About how *hard* it must be to be a changeling. And wouldn't she like a *different* life? Next thing I know is she's pretending to be some ir'Sur and demanding money.”

Mik'Hael frowns and changes to Quarion. “So why help the Wayfinders when she was already off to Xandrar?”

Relic changes into Amber, “They were already on their way! I received all those letters and sendings from that Professor. I had to give them something to keep them from looking at *us* too close. Plus, she was *poisoning* Passage which meant she could do the same thing in Xandrar. We have *plans* for Xandrar.”

Amber shakes her head and continues, “It was reckless, yes. But the Wayfinders never suspected I planted all that stuff about Ixbia in the lost and found box. What sort of villain on the run leaves behind a bunch of obvious evidence? I had to practically beat them over the head with that trash novel.”

Quarion changes into Nana May again. “I like her other books,” she says off-handed. “But be more careful selecting agents next time. At least we have a few more Faces. And they're Wayfinders, too.”

Amber changes back into Lemon. “Yeah. I have to write to that elf and tell him to forget that debt. If I'm going to take over his life I don't want to have to send checks to a fake person who never existed in the first place.”

---------------------------- A Week and A Day Later ----------------------------

The Brelish prison isn’t the nicest place, but there is a visitor’s room. Xin looks around for a moment to get her bearing, then slides into a seat across a small table from another young changeling, “Hi D--,” The other changeling raises one eyebrow in warning, “Not.” Xin quickly corrects, “How have you been?”

Not sighs and leans back in her seat. She’s wearing a long-sleeved baggy jumpsuit. “Not. Great. It smells in here. And I haven’t had as much water as I need. The stuff is growing back on my arm and I don’t have my gloves.” Xin nods sympathetically. “Have you had a chance to see,” She leans in closer, “Derith?”

Not nods, “Yeah. Derith is fine. As crazy as ever. That paladin healed her though so she’s, like, better. I guess.” She looks around to see how mindful the guard is being. This being the non-violent offenders wing, not very much.

She leans in across the table to Xin, “When I told her, ‘**Okay. You’re Derith now.**’ I really didn’t expect it to like, blow her brain. But she’ll be out of here in a few years and she’s not even sick so it’s like whatever, you know?” Not clicks her tongue, “It’s clear we can’t be friends with her any more. We’re going to need a new friend.”

Xin nods excitedly, “Right. About that. Remember the other changeling? Her name is Su.” Xin blushes, “She’s *really* nice. She said we could come stay with her. In Sharn.” Not thinks and moment then nods, “Okay. Yeah, Sharn might be fun. I’m sure Su will be happy to let us move in.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fin.