The Cabin
| The Cabin | |
|---|---|
| Date | 7/30/23 |
| Storyteller | Dag |
| Tier | Trainee |
| Player Characters | Aleth, Drake von Bach, Cedric Fairbane, Vik |
| Rewards | 250 exp, 10 gp each, cognitive mutagen (lesser) and its formula, Alchemist Lab, repair kit, blacksmithing tools |
| Result | Success? |
| Author | Aleth |
A gnome of small build, name of Copper, requested we search the mountain for Matthias, a human hermit and inventor, to check up on him. We received a brief description; it seems he was striving for a way to stop the cataclysms and "on the verge of a breakthrough" (supposedly a common refrain from him) when contact was lost. We received supplies to deliver to him at his cabin.
Our journey into the mountains was uneventful. Conditions were remarkably cold, even for this time of year. We found the cabin damaged, the sole occupant dead next to his invention. We found a note from a previous occupant who had abandoned the inventor, but no signs anyone else had been present at his time of death.
It appeared Matthias was overwhelmed by the power of his own invention, or rather, the Shard of Divinity that powered it. Unfortunately, so was Cedric after some time spend handling the device, despite having avoided direct contact with it. Strange phenomenon followed his apparent death; phantom writings in the snow, doors slamming shut. Afterward, We discovered these were all Cedric's doing, though his means of doing this are still unknown and his visions from this time are not recorded here.
It seemed, despite being warned, Matthias had created the artifact with one piece left missing, which left it unable to contain or safely channel the power of the god within it, and we were unable to leave the cabin without activating it. Thus cornered, I agreed to drink a cognitive mutagen found on site which was made for the purpose and crafted the missing piece, activating the artifact to use it to shield us all. Groetus' might wasn't contained perfectly, even then; Drake, who was under the cabin rather than safely within, was splashed during a torrential rain of acid, and we found him near death when we went outside.
Fortunately for Drake, none of us thought to use the healing elixirs we'd been given before departing, and were able to tend to him without the use of positive energy, which he later explained to us was essential to his survival. We fashioned a sledge from salvaged materials around the now-abandoned cabin, and returned to the city with everything we went out with, the body of Matthias, a second lesser cognitive mutagen and the formula to make more, tools and equipment from the lab and workshop, and four barrels of cheap wine, the least of which we used to store the shard-powered artifact.
Copper accepted responsibility for burying his old friend and paid us for the expedition; the only consolation we could offer was words and wine, but we offered them. With this report you receive the artifact containing the Shard of Divinity. I warn, from first- and second-hand knowledge, any tampering with it risks the searing brain-death of the tinkerer and may well bring about one or more new cataclysms to the surrounding area.