Date: Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
Players: Andrew, David, Henk, Hertzog, Peet, Rich
Level: 7+

Note: The Estenwood Field Office does not have a Mission Announcements notice board. Instead, Tavius Hume is assigning missions to groups on an ad-hoc basis, and briefing teams as events require.

It has been eight days since the establishment of the Estenwood Field Office, and it has been a busy time for the Irregulars based there. Strange events, inexplicable phenomena and dangerous creatures plague the western side of Comack Island.

Two researchers from Lockenport have been following these missions closely, and they have now been assigned by their respective organizations to work with the Irregulars to investigate further. Tandergard the Tardy is a Professor of Planar Cosmology at the Lockenport Academy, while Laspri Pentiford Hassip – an elderly half-elven woman – is Dean of the Faculty of Metaphysics at Lockenport University. The two researchers seem to have a healthy rivalry.

Tavius assigns the group to protect the two researchers as they search for more planar tears, in an effort to establish what might be causing the increase in the number of planar openings.

Special note: This mission debriefing is based on a short interview with the party immediately after their return, plus more extensive interviews with Tandergard the Tardy and Laspri Pentiford Hassip.

Case number: 210/01/069

Irregulars participating: Ash (1618), Petru (486), Gloomhol (2198), Ubu (3699), Zulak (69), Corrin (5106)

Leader: Petru

Summary: The objective of this mission was to protect Tandergard and Hassip while they conducted their research into the planar disruptions. After the researchers and the Irregulars had visited the location of three ruptures, they were able to narrow down the source of the problem to a Planar Orrery. The group elected to attempt a full scale assault on the location of the Orrery, but it was heavily guarded and their attack was unsuccessful.

Fatalities: Petru lost his life during the aborted attack on the Orrery site. (Drat, now I owe Gralik 5 gold.)

Notes:

• Tandergard and Hassip reported that the first planar disruption was a “transposition” with the shadow realms. There were a number of spiders involved, and apparently a missing child that no-one remembered to look for.
• Next they were forced to guard a gate to the spirit realms by an angel. Hassip was apparently possessed by one of the spirits and wants a note included in the file about the “unnecessary slapping incident”.
• The third location for Tandergard and Hassip's measurements was in the mountains, and was an elemental vortex. Tandergard wants a note added to the file commending the Irregulars for going above and beyond the call of duty for rescuing both him and his equipment from certain death. The Irregulars apparently protected them against earth and fire elementals.
• Tandergard and Hassip took responsibility for urging the Irregulars to continue on to the origin of the planar ruptures, instead of getting reinforcements, or recovering from their earlier battles. They were concerned that any delay might lead to the establishment of permanent portals to other worlds.
• Their attack on the Planar Orrery did not go very well. The researchers described huge, terrifying skeletons leaping across canyons, and hails of arrows peppering the Irregulars. The group was forced to retreat. During their brief post-mission interview, they described the forces protecting the Orrery as posing “overwhelming odds”.
• Given the presence of undead at the Orrery site, it seems fair to conclude that there is a link between the Orrery and Vedroth's forces.
• A genasi woman named Jezel returned to the camp with the group, and seems to be expecting me to help her be reunited with her colleagues. The genasi were apparently also researching one of the planar rifts.

Declarations: Ubu declared that he'd brought Petru's lips back with him. And there I though Xav was the newcomer who needed the most watching.

Commendations: Tandergard reported that Ash ran back into battle to rescue Corrin.

Leadership: Deceased.

Further investigations:

• A follow-up mission lead by Bratis and his team was dispatched to attempt to capture the Planar Orrery (see Mission Report 210/01/075).
• All patrolling teams will need to be alert for any evidence of permanent planar ruptures.

Accounting notes:

• This is a non-commissioned mission. Compensation will be assessed once the Field Office shuts-down, and the files for these missions returned to the Guild.
• See also the letter from Guildmistress Tarn regarding this mission, which Hassip provided.
• See Field Office accounting memo.

/=========================================================\
| XP notes                                                |
|---------------------------------------------------------|
| Ghost Spiders (2 x 1200)                     =  2400 XP |
| Baby Ghost Spiders (10 x 175)                =  1750 XP |
| Servile Ghosts (4 x 150)                     =   600 XP |
| Ghostly Legionnaires (3 x 800)               =  2400 XP |
| Rockfist Smasher (3 x 500)                   =  1500 XP |
| Demonic Fire Elemental (2 x 800)             =  1600 XP |
| Pale Reaver Lord                             =   700 XP |
| Skeletal Archer (5 x 150/2 x 0)              =   750 XP |
| Cyclops Skeleton                             =   500 XP |
| Elite Skeleton Troops (2 x 300/2 x 0)        =   600 XP |
| Boneclaw Guardians (2 x 0)                   =     0 XP |
| Undead Bodyguards (2 x 0)                    =     0 XP |
| Orrery Operator                              =     0 XP |
| Quest: Protect the Planar Researchers        =  2100 XP |
| Quest: Missing Shadar-kai                    =     0 XP |
| Quest: Capture the Orrery                    =     0 XP |
| Quest: Destroy the Orrery                    =     0 XP |
|---------------------------------------------------------|
| Total                                        = 14900 XP |
| Per person                               ÷ 6 =  2483 XP |
|---------------------------------------------------------|
| Special award for Ubu: Body Parts                100 XP |
| Special award for Ash: No One Left Behind        100 XP |
\=========================================================/