1.08
Revised text is highlighted.
Complete the JOURNEY SPIRE mission.
At the end of your travels, the tower at the center of Spire has never looked more welcoming. You couldn’t shake the haunted look on Calypsa’s face when she saw those corpses, and ever since that day, you’ve felt a presence, like a patient predator lurking in the underbrush, hounding your every step.
Gain the WATCHER IN THE BRUSH mission.
As you cross the bridge to the center of town, Ben Amon, pilot of the Swift and master artificer, joins you. “Hello there! Elder Thrush asked that I come to Spire to check on the hydroelectric turbines just in case they suffered any damage during the flood,” he says. “What brings you here?”
You explain what brought you here, and his smile fades. Without delay, he accompanies you to see Elder Orlin.
You find Elder Mora Orlin in the heart of the Carbon Forge, bent over an air lathe with a heavy piece of carbon in her powerful hands. When she sees you, she shuts off the howling machine and straightens. “What is it?” she growls.
Her flinty stare never wavers as you describe the strange beings with the eyeless faces and dangerous looking claws. When you finish, she grunts and nods to you and Ben Amon. “My mother told me about these. When we first came over the passes into the Valley, our people encountered beings like the ones you described. Vicious biomelds. They called them ‘reclaimers.’”
You ask why “reclaimers?”
“I’m not certain,” says Elder Orlin. “But, they are biomelds—like the caustic mulcher and the toxin eater—and like all biomelds, they serve an ancient purpose. Perhaps they are compelled to capture something they perceive to be lost, or they search for some possession they believe to be theirs. The best way to discover the answer is to find them, and observe their behavior."
“When you head out into the Valley, keep your eyes open. If you find reclaimers, see what you can learn about them.”
Ben Amon clears his throat. “Elder Orlin, searching the Valley could take weeks. If we want to know where they are, I can set up a scanning rig. We just need to place a few relays around the Valley, and I can sweep for these ... reclaimers.”
Elder Orlin shakes her head and gives Ben a bemused look. ”Sensors. Always sensors! We have all the sensors we need. Right here!” She taps her chest. “And here!” She taps her temple. “Use your instinct. Use your intellect. And you will find them.”
Ben doesn’t waver. “Elder, it’s a big valley. If we don't send some sort of help, they could hike within a half mile of a swarm of these things and never know it.” He turns to you. “What do you think? Do you want to spend weeks searching the Valley for these things, or discover exactly where they are in just a few days?”
Rangers Choose
A) Agree with Ben Amon. Deploy the scanners.
You agree with Ben. The faster you find out if the reclaimers are in the Valley, the better. Elder Orlin grunts and turns back to her air lathe.
After you leave, Ben takes you to the Hearty Brew, the best tavern in the town. There you find his pincrawler parked in the courtyard. He opens the back hatch, revealing a store of parts and electronic components, along with a folding workbench. He sets to work crafting something, and when you ask what he’s doing, he distractedly mutters that you should think about getting some food.
By the time you’ve finished eating and return, you see a bundle of stakes about a meter long, each topped with a globe criss-crossed with complex circuit inlays. “These are relay scanners,” Ben explains proudly. “Set them up across the Valley, and they should generate a field that will pick up any biomeld activity. If there’s a swarm of reclaimers out there, we’ll see it. Just be sure to spread out the sensors as far as possible; opposite ends of the Valley would be best. When you stick them in the ground, just whistle this tune”— he blows three notes—“and the relay goes active.”
Ben hands you a glass disk in a smooth wooden frame. “Once all three are active, they will send the results to the biological outpost south of Branch. But you can see what they pick up with this.”
Gain the SENSOR NETWORK mission.
B) Agree with Elder Orlin. Rely on your senses.
Elder Orlin grunts approvingly. "You see, Ben? I am not the only one who believes we are naturally equipped to accurately perceive and interpret our surroundings."
Write IMPRESSED ELDER ORLIN on the campaign tracker.
"An ironic sentiment coming from the greatest artificer in the Valley," Ben replies.
"Nonsense! The tools we craft here at the Carbon Forge require real human effort. Our carbonforged blades, for example, have no equal in quality or durability, but they are nothing without the intention and skill of their wielder. A true artificer does not craft gadgets to replace the senses but creates tools to support and enhance them."
"Well said, Elder Orlin. Well said. No matter how many years of experience I might accrue, I will forever be your apprentice." Elder Orlin sets down her air lathe, gives Ben Amon a hug, and smiles at him. "Not forever, Ben. Not forever." She turns to you. "Take care out there. Stay alert. And may the ancestors and your instincts guide you."
Gain the SECRET INVASION mission.