Session Overview#
The party continues their journey toward High Forge while dealing with the aftermath of their recent adventures. They face the reality of having significant bounties on their heads and encounter dangerous enemies seeking to collect the rewards.
Downtime Activities and Resource Management#
Silas’s Joel Headshot Business#
Silas initiates a downtime activity to sell the autographed Joel headshots the party acquired during their interdimensional adventures. Working with Tien (the tiefling trader who has established an arcane shop in the area), Silas successfully negotiates a deal:
The Transaction:
- 7 autographed Joel headshots (including Red ’s and Jasper ’s from their belongings)
- 200 gold each for a total of 1,400 gold
- Payment split between 700 gold in coin and 700 gold in violessence crystals and arcane components
- The arcane materials go directly toward their rocket ship schematics project
Tien’s Background Knowledge: Tien recognizes Joel as a member of the legendary Steve Squad but admits he’s more of a Helisanna Doomfall fan, having several of her MP3s. The transaction proceeds smoothly due to Olivia ’s Zone of Truth verification of authenticity.
Engineering Progress#
Bru and Elspeth continue their downtime work on advanced projects:
Pocket Village Construction:
- Bru : Rolls 22 on his Intelligence check (needed 22) for invention
- Elspeth : Rolls 18 on her Arcana check (needed 18) for construction
- Helisanna provides bardic inspiration to enhance their work
- Successfully complete another milestone toward the pocket village project
Project Status: The pocket village construction requires three more successful sessions to complete if the rolls continue to go well.
Meeting Scarlett#
The party encounters Scarlett, a younger version of the scientist they met in Marcus’s destroyed timeline. In this dimension, she specializes in time and space research rather than art, while Marcus is focused on painting rather than temporal engineering.
Key Differences from the Previous Timeline:
- Scarlett is the scientist working on dimensional and time travel theories
- Marcus is the artist focused on landscape painting
- Their roles are essentially reversed from the destroyed timeline
Recruitment Success: After some discussion about the dangers of time manipulation research, the party successfully convinces Scarlett to abandon her temporal experiments in exchange for helping with their pocket dimension workspace project. She brings valuable expertise in extra-dimensional magic that complements their existing schematics.
Gathering Intelligence at the Refugee Camp#
Helisanna conducts reconnaissance at the growing refugee camp, which has expanded significantly and developed semi-permanent structures since their last visit.
Important Information Gathered#
Smuggling Operations:
- A dwarf named Maria successfully transported a large haul through High Forge’s back tunnels
- Violessence smuggling has become a lucrative black market trade between High Forge and Eldoran
Job Opportunities:
- Sarah (telephone operator): Seeking help to retrieve her grandfather’s Sunstone hammer from her shop in High Forge
- Lab assistant: Looking for help with escaped specimens from High Forge universities, offering cash rewards
- David: Bank vault issues - clockwork guardians malfunctioning, creating security vulnerabilities
Economic Situation:
- Helja (Iron Claws leader) is collecting protection money and high taxation
- Funds are being donated to the dragons as appeasement to prevent them from eating the city’s population
- The dragons and Helja appear to be working in cooperation
Conspiracy Theories#
Joaquin the Tin-Foil Hat Man: A raggedy conspiracy theorist warns that:
- Dragons, Iron Claws, and the resistance are all working together
- They’re collaborating to open a portal and bring back “the old one”
- Scientists and soldiers are all part of a “big welcome party”
- Everyone is being fooled and will be brainwashed unless they listen to his warnings
Meeting Lark - The Inside Contact#
Helisanna encounters Lark, a muscular woman with an Iron Claws tattoo who offers crucial assistance:
Lark’s Background and Offer#
Personal Information:
- Former Iron Claws member who has turned against the organization
- Has inside knowledge of tunnel patrol patterns and Iron Claws operations
- Seeking help to rescue her brother Tony’s family (including a dog) from High Forge
Intelligence Shared:
- Taco Cat bounty: $50,000 dead or alive
- Silas specifically has an enormous price on his head from Helja
- Iron Claws are actively searching for the party
- Lark knows safe tunnel routes and can guide them into the city
Communication: Provides the party with a sending stone for coordination when they’re ready to infiltrate High Forge.
Van Upgrades Attempt#
Elspeth and Silas visit Mr. X’s garage to acquire defensive upgrades for the Vroomfall before entering dangerous territory.
Available Upgrades and Pricing#
Armor Options:
- Basic armor plating: 1,000 gold
- Advanced crystal-based force fields: 5,000 gold
Offensive Capabilities:
- Rocket launcher system: 4,000 gold (includes 10 rockets)
- Individual rockets: 15 gold each (can be manufactured by capable alchemists)
Performance Enhancements:
- Nitrous oxide system: 7,000 gold installed, 3,000-4,000 gold for parts only
- NOS canisters: 5 gold each
Sponsorship Negotiation Failure#
Silas attempts to negotiate a sponsorship deal, emphasizing Elspeth ’s racing achievements:
- King of the Hill race winner
- High Forge Grand Prix champion
- Team Cooper (legitimate racing) and Team Taco Cat (underground racing)
Critical Error: When Silas mentions the Taco Cat name, Mr. X immediately recognizes them as wanted criminals with a $50,000 bounty and refuses any business association. He becomes nervous and asks them to leave quickly to avoid bringing trouble to his shop.
Final Decision: The party cannot afford the upgrades at current prices and decides to return later when they have more resources or when the bounty situation improves.
The Bounty Hunter Ambush#
Morning Attack#
As the party prepares for their long rest by the river, they’re surrounded by the Jackals - a professional bounty hunter group seeking to collect the reward on their heads.
The Ultimatum: “Taco Cat, the bounty is $50,000 dead or alive. My associates and I would prefer alive. It’s less messy, but we’re not picky. Lay down your arms, you’re surrounded. And the ground around you ain’t as stable as you think it is.”
Combat: Fighting for Their Lives#
Enemy Forces:
- Heavy armored leader with helmet and sword (the one making demands)
- Multiple positioned fighters around the wood line and riverbank
- Mounted knight on a mechanical horse with lance and mace
- Additional infantry with crossbows and melee weapons
Terrain Complications: The bounty hunters had pre-positioned explosive traps around the van that would trigger when the party tried to leave.
Combat Highlights#
Round 1 - Initial Assault:
- Helisanna attempts Suggestion on the leader but he makes his save
- Elspeth spots multiple enemies through perception and engages with her magical gun, dealing 17 damage to the closest threat
- Silas uses stealth advantage to attack from the van, dealing 18 damage and tripping an enemy prone with his psychic daggers
Round 2 - Escalating Violence:
- Bru deploys his Eldritch Cannon in Force Ballista mode and attempts Firebolt attacks
- Enemy archers target the party through the van windows but miss their shots
- A mounted knight on a mechanical horse attacks Elspeth with lance and mace, dealing significant damage
Round 3 - Desperate Defense:
- The heavily armored leader climbs onto the van roof and attacks Elspeth directly
- Multiple mace hits with advantage knock Elspeth unconscious (death saves required)
- Helisanna emerges from the van and uses Eldritch Blast with Repelling Blast to knock the leader off the van roof
Round 4 - Turning the Tide:
- Silas dramatically leaps from the van onto the fallen leader, dealing 27 damage with his first attack enhanced by bardic inspiration
- Using Elspeth ’s blood on his dagger, Silas delivers an emotional finishing blow: “She may have been an idiot yesterday, but that’s still my goddamn friend”
- Bru eliminates another enemy with his Eldritch Cannon and Firebolt combination
Final Round - Cleanup:
- Helisanna uses Command to force the last fleeing enemy to return
- Silas eliminates the final bounty hunter with coordinated psychic dagger attacks
- Olivia provides crucial healing to Elspeth , bringing her back to consciousness
Post-Combat Investigation#
Evidence Discovered:
- The bounty hunters were “The Jackals” - a professional group specializing in high-value targets
- Planned coordination with a second group positioned halfway to High Forge
- Pre-positioned explosive traps around their campsite (successfully disarmed for 10 gold worth of scrap)
- Official documentation confirming the $50,000 bounty on Taco Cat
Intelligence Gathered:
- The Iron Claws are actively coordinating bounty hunter operations
- Multiple hunter groups are working the area between the refugee camp and High Forge
- The party’s location and movement patterns are being tracked and predicted
Character Development and Consequences#
Elspeth’s Learning Experience#
Elspeth learns harsh lessons about operational security when dealing with wanted status:
- Never volunteer group affiliations when conducting business
- Use cover identities consistently when interacting with strangers
- Operational security is crucial when multiple groups want you dead
Silas’s Emotional Moment#
Silas demonstrates genuine care for his companions when he dramatically defends the unconscious Elspeth , showing character growth from purely self-interested to protective of his found family.
Team Coordination#
The combat showcases the party’s growing tactical sophistication:
- Coordinated positioning between van interior and exterior
- Creative use of cover and environmental advantages
- Effective healing rotations to keep team members alive
- Successful focus-fire tactics to eliminate priority targets
Psychological Warfare and Message Sending#
After the battle, Silas proposes leaving the bounty hunters’ bodies outside Mr. X’s garage as retaliation for refusing to do business with them. The party compromises by loading the bodies in their van and dumping them at the shop with a clear message about what happens to those who cross them.
Session Themes#
This episode effectively explores the consequences of notoriety and the challenges of operating as wanted criminals. The session balances:
Resource Management: Continuing work on major projects while managing immediate needs Social Challenges: Navigating interactions when everyone wants to kill or capture you Combat Tactics: Fighting enemies who have prepared specifically to counter your group Relationship Development: Showing how shared danger strengthens party bonds
Ongoing Plot Threads#
- The $50,000 Bounty: Multiple hunter groups actively pursuing the party
- High Forge Infiltration: Planning their return using Lark’s inside knowledge
- Dragon Cooperation: Evidence that dragons and Iron Claws are working together
- Portal Conspiracy: Joaquin’s warnings about a larger supernatural plot
- Advanced Projects: Continued progress on pocket village and rocket ship construction
- Scarlett’s Integration: The dimensional specialist’s role in future adventures
Session Conclusion#
The session ends with the party successfully defending themselves against professional bounty hunters but realizing the true extent of their notoriety. They now understand that their return to High Forge will require extreme caution, inside assistance, and careful planning to avoid the multiple groups seeking to collect the substantial reward on their heads.
The encounter demonstrates that their reputation has spread far beyond local concerns - they’re now dealing with organized criminal enterprises and professional hunters who view them as valuable prizes rather than heroes to be respected.