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The town of Torch has long enjoyed a singular claim to prosperity—a violet flame that burns atop Black Hill in the heart of the town. This flame burns incredibly hot, and while it’s usually the size of a bonfire, several times a year the fires spew up into the heavens in a brilliant beam of purple violence. These eruptions are presaged by about an hour of soft rumbling, giving nearby smiths a chance to retreat before the fires can consume them. At all other times, the violet energies allow for the smelting of all manner of skymetal. Torch is one of the only locations where skymetal can be worked with relative ease outside of Starfall, and its entire economy has risen around these purple flames, with traveling smiths coming from across Avistan to pay for the opportunity to work with them. Of course, Torch needs all the visiting trade and coin it can gather, for while the town’s distance from Starfall makes it inconvenient for the Technic League to maintain a permanent presence here, the taxes and tariffs it charges the Numerian town on a monthly basis are significant. The town prospers, but the bulk of its income does not belong to it.
Which is why, when the fires atop the hill suddenly go out, the town is in trouble....
Khonnir Baine discovered the signs of unusual traffic on the banks of Weeping Pond, and shortly thereafter, the submerged tunnel that provides access to several heretofore unknown tunnels under Black Hill. His emergence from the caves with a deactivated semi-humanoid automaton sparked worries that something strange might be going on in the caverns, but when he failed to return from his second expedition a few days ago, those worries turned to outright fear. Several other adventuring parties have gone missing in the caves, and Torch finds itself running short on new volunteers.
Ever since Councilor Khonnir Baine, one of Torch’s more powerful wizards and a well-liked individual, went missing on his second expedition under Black Hill, the citizens of the nervous town have edged closer to outright panic. With their hands full handling the growing refuse and waste problems in town now that their primary disposal method is gone, the town council is eager to find out what happened to Khonnir and rescue him— they’ve made public a reward of 4,000 gp to any group that can recover Khonnir’s body; if he can be returned alive, they’ve promised to throw in the scroll of resurrection they’ve been holding on to in case they need to revive him. Interested parties are invited to speak to the council at Town Hall....
"'Eh! Who else is brave 'nuff ta find Baine and get this fire started 'gain?! Our livelihood's at stake!", cries out a scarred half-orc. A long-time resident of Torch, Kharax is usually found at one of the forges, or treating those who got too close to them.
"Baine has repaired me and saved me from being obsolete. The logical thing is to repay him by helping to find him."
"I will go." Alpha says, a statement few found surprising. Though there was no outright hatred, few fully trusted the android. There was always a suspicion that he was a spy from the Technic League. Khonnir Baine and his daughter were some of the few who did trust Alpha. The last of course being the smithy Kharax, who knew a little about discrimination and who on occasion helped with maintenance on Alpha's chassis.
"Yer jus volunteerin' so I'll owe ya some free dent repairs!", laughs the half-orc, patting Alpha on the back.
"Well that makes, wha, one an' a half brave souls now, amirite?"
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"Negative. I am volunteering so we can locate Baine. Oh, you were being sarcastic. I can never tell."
"Heh, I keep on forgettin' that apparently you can't wire up funny. May hafta fix that sometime so if I ever lose a hand I can take my show in the road and have a regular customer!"
A sniveling, hunchbacked beast of a man with short horns, vestigial wings, and a wiry tail hobbles by the blacksmith's shop, stopping to eavesdrop without concealing his motives of listening in on the two friends. His clawed hand grips the door frame as he pokes his head in. His beady eyes look at the half-orc and android as he gives an extended snort that seems to emanate from the depths of the Abyss deep within the creature's bowls. "HHHHHYRRRRRRRRUUUCKKKKKKKKKK!" He lets out a high-pitched whine of a voice that sounds as if he speaks entirely from his nose, "Nnyyyyyehhh! I'm The Cobbler!"
The foul tiefling pauses to lick his chapped lips with a tongue as black as the dirt caked in his filthy nails. "HHHHHYRRRRRRRRUUUCKKKKKKKKKK!" he lets out another snort, "Are you going looking for the missing wizard? I came to Torch only to find the flame gone out! Nnyyyyyehhhh! I'll join any ye if ye think the wizard can put the flame back!" His beady eyes stare back at the two comrades expectantly.
"If by that you mean that I cannot compute your inane banter, then affirmative. For that I am grateful."
The Cobbler raises his eyebrow at the android. "The wizard! Baine!" A twitch spasms up the demon-kind's face. "HHHHHYRRRRRRRRUUUCKKKKKKKKKK! Baine is missing, right? You're going to find him? Don't you think the wizard will know how to fix the flame? I need that flame fixed or I'll have no excuse not to go back! HHHHHYRRRRRRRRUUUCKKKKKKKKKK!"
A soft laugh comes from nearby, belonging to a thin man. A local explorer and part time assistant to Khonnir Baine for the last couple years, his emotions are something rarely found in an android, though most folks are unaware he is one. He takes care to wear long sleeves and gloves over the markings on his arms, and his silver hair, held in a metal circlet, conceals the few marks upon his head.
"I thought Alpha's words were quite funny." He wears a thin smile, as if forced through pain. "Though I am sure his intention was not to be humorous."
Richard remembers the first time he met Khonnir, a powerful memory in his android mind because it belongs with the first memories Richard had after his renewal. He pictured Khonnir's face.
A blur, distorted through a veil of tears.
Android's did not have parents, but Richard always thought Khonnir was the closest thing he would ever have to a father.
"I volunteer to go as well."
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"What is your malfunction?" Alpha asks the tiefling genuinely.
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"What is your malfunction?" Alpha asks the tiefling genuinely.
"I beat my wife," the Cobbler responds without hesitation.
"So you are a fugitive?"
The Cobbler lets out another hefty snort. "In a manner of speaking," he whines in his nails-on-chalkboard voice. "An escaped slave, I prefer to say."
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...
He has a wife?
"So you are someone's property. Why do you not return to the one who owns you?"
The Cobbler sneers at the android, "Because she's a b$#&~."
"You are the property of a gnoll?"
Maruf snorts loudly in what you might assume is his form of laughter. "Yes, let's go with that."
"Actually, what he means... " Richard stops, then laughs and shakes his head. "Nevermind."
Kharax, at a loss of words with Maruf's entry, recovers upon the tiefling's dialogue with the pair of androids that ends up being more more entertaining that it should be.
"At least you are willing!", the half-orc moving up to greet Maruf with a firm handshake. "I'm Kharax, over there is Alpha,", pointing to the metal-armored android. "And that's Richard.", motioning over to the otherwise well-kempt 'man' nearby, not saying a thing about Richard's origins in comparison to Alpha's more obvious identity.
"So why ya need the fire back? You need it for work, too?", Kharax asks the eccentric tiefling.
Having decided to volunteer to search for the lost wizard, the newly formed party heads to the town council to inform them of your intentions. Arriving, you find only one counciler present, an elderly dwarf woman, Dolga Freddert. Everyone in town knows that Dolga is the town’s oldest councilor, was present at Torch’s founding over a century ago, and though her body has grown old in those 100 years, she remains alert and energetic.
As the party enters she looks up wearily. "May I help you? If your here about waste removal, I can only tell you that we are working on it." She says with a sigh.
"Howdy ma'am!", Kharax bowing his scarred body to the councilor. "We're here to find Baine and hopefully get some answers 'bout the fire!"
"So why ya need the fire back? You need it for work, too?", Kharax asks the eccentric tiefling.
"Precisely."
"Frankly, I think we've got a Zyphan in the town just waiting for something like this to put enough people in the ground so they can raise an army. Just my luck! HHHHRRRYYYYYYYYUCKKKKK!"
---
The Cobbler, recognizing his foul appearance and untrained speech is likely to offend, skulks in the back.
"Precisely.""Frankly, I think we've got a Zyphan in the town just waiting for something like this to put enough people in the ground so they can raise an army. Just my luck! HHHHRRRYYYYYYYYUCKKKKK!"
"Well, been hearing that the hills here be hollow, so plenty of room for that Zyphus army if both be true."
Looking over the strange man, Kharax can't help but ask, "What kinda work do ya do?"
"Khonnir is a good man." Richard says. "We heard the council is looking for volunteers to find him. We are willing to risk ourselves to do that. My name is Richard."
Looking around the empty hall, he asks, "Where is the rest of the council today?"
Dolga immediately beams with relief once she realizes you are eager to head into the Black Hill Caves to see whether you can help solve the town’s problems and find Khonnir. "Well, Bazlundi Otterbie is currently working with Joram Kyte to coordinate tending to Torch’s growing problem of waste disposal, while Soceal Murgrave is at home nursing a splitting headache, and Khonnir...well we all know he's missing."
She smiles again at you, and says. "I'm sure you all have heard of the 4000 gp reward for finding Khonnir, and a resurrection scroll if you find him alive. I want you to know that there is an additional 4000 gp reward if you find a way to relight the Flame." She leans forward. "Do you have any questions?"
"What is capable of putting out the Torch?"
Dolga shrugs. "Now if we knew that, we'd know a way to turn it back on! It’s been eight days since it went out, but only seven since the first explorers braved the new tunnels Khonnir discovered. Khonnir himself led his second foray into the caves just a couple of days ago—and, of course, he has yet to return.”"
She surveys the party for a moment, then says. "Let's get down to brass tacks. Once you’re on the job, I’ll give each of you a writ that you can show to any of the merchants in town for a flat 20% discount on any gear you need to purchase—I wish I could offer a greater discount than that, but that’s the best I can do." She says in an apologetic tone.
"Further, Val, Khonnir’s adopted daughter, has closed down her father’s tavern, the Foundry, for the time being. She’s told me that any group that’s going into the caves to look for her father can use the tavern, free of charge, as a headquarters and a place to rest between forays."
She leans over and gives you a meaningful look. "Finally, the entrance to the caves is flooded. You’ll need to swim a bit to get to the caves. Joram Kyte has agreed to cast water breathing on any group to aid in entering the caves—free of charge, of course. You can find him at the temple of Brigh or up at Crowfeather Palace when you’re ready to go.”
"So? Are you in?"
Without waiting for the others to respond, the energetic half-orc chirps, "Course!"
After waiting a few seconds for the others approval, Kharax then asks "So, did Mr. Baine leave any notes or clues about what he was lookin' for?"
"Affirmative."
The dwarf shrugs once more. “There’s an underwater passage connecting them to Weeping Pond, that Khonnir noticed a large number of human footprints on the pond’s banks—he was there the day the fires went out testing the water to ensure it hadn’t suddenly grown more toxic—and he realized that a sizable group of people had entered the pond but had not emerged."
"After that, four teams in all went in to explore, but only one came back to report what they found—Khonnir’s first expedition. Khonnir spoke at length with the council before going back in, and he confirmed what his group told us, that the caves are inhabited by several enormous vermin and other scavengers, along with some strange humanoids who had the ability to blend into the shadows of the cave walls, and a nest of gremlins, despite how outlandish it sounded." She stretches her neck and sighs.
"The first team was a group of halfling adventurers, the second a group of local thugs, and the fourth a small adventuring party devoted to the worship of Brigh from out of town. Khonnir’s team undertook the third and fifth expeditions under Black Hill, and it was on the fifth expedition—his second trip—that he went missing.”
"After his first expedition, Khonnir believed what he had found indicated a deeper connection in the caves to the Darklands, but of more immediate interest was his discovery of a wall of solid metal deep in the caves. A wall made of a skymetal alloy called glaucite. He said it was like the kind we mine from the hills and surrounding plains, but formed into a structure with doors. It was near one of these doors that Khonnir found the broken automaton that he brought back after his first expedition.”
"Where is the automaton now?" Richard asks, quickly adding, "Can we examine it?"
"HHHHYYYYRRRRRRUUUUUCCKKKK! I'll follow along if you'll tolerate me! And if I get my fair share of the reward, of course! Nyeeeeehhhhhhh!"
"And if we do not?"