Adventure 2# The King of the Hive

Adventure Background

Six hundred years ago, Vartus Timlin was the most powerful man in Sigil and the Expanionists were a Faction that dominated most of the others through bribery and intimidation. The Expanionist Factol had dreams of using Sigil as his base for launching a series of conquests throughout the Multiverse and ultimately holding most of the universe hostage through the control of its portals. The Expanionist head even dreamed of gaining the aid of several powers in order to bind the Lady of Pain to do his bidding.

Vartus Timlin's ambitions came to nothing in the end. Vartus was cast into the Mazes and the Expanionists immediately degenerated into civil war over who would hold the crown next. The chaos was enough that the Lady of Pain made the decree of banishing all but a handful of Factions from Sigil. This became known as the Great Upheaval and is still infamous as one of the most important events to occur in the cities' history.

Somewhat lost in the backstory of this event is the story of Motoko Ji. Motoko Ji was a plane walker of moderate skill whose chief claim to fame was that she was the wife of a god's proxy from Ortho. Motoko became enamoured of Vartus Timlin and abandoned her husband to take up the cause of the Expanionists. Ultimately, Motoko ended up being sent to assassinate a group of Baatezu that clearly overmatched her but whom Vartus Timlin intended to manipulate into a larger scheme. Motoko died without Vartus knowing much more about her than her name.

Unfortunately, for Vartus, Motoko Ji is still remembered quite strongly by her husband. Po Ji, the Chosen of the goddess Jislana, is widely believed to be the best warrior on his homeworld and is certainly nothing to sneeze at in Sigil. Being immortal thanks to the infusion of divine essence, Po Ji is still alive after six hundred years and remembers Vartus Timlin's causal disposal of his wife quite clearly. Vartus Timlin, recently escaped from the Mazes thanks to some well-meaning bashers, is personally powerful enough to dispose of nearly any potential assassin. Unfortunately, again for Vartus, Po Ji is just strong enough that he's not sure who would come out in a fight between them.

Vartus Timlin didn't get to be Factol of the Expanionists by being a fool though. Rather than waste money by sending a small legion of outclassed berks against Po Ji, he's decided to buy himself a weapon that'll even up any contest that might emerge between them. The sword, Lightbringer is a signature weapon of Vartus but he's actually wielded several with the name. The latest one that he's comissioned from the Voshkyk Bladeling clan is the most powerful version yet. Once Vartus gets his hands on it, he'll be strong enough to take on Po Ji in a fair fight (not that he'd fight that way he didn't have to).

This plan probably would have worked out well if not for picking the wrong time to comission a sword from the Bladelings. The Old Clanlord, Voshkyk the Slicer of Wrists, has just died by an accidental overdose of Acheron Mercury Wine (a taste that would kill anyone in sufficient quantities). His two heirs, Vospal the Storm of Razors and Vollpp the Breather of Knives, are now feuding over who will get to take his place. No work, new or old, is getting done as the Foundry has been reduced to an armed camp between the two feuding siblings and their supporters.

All of this intersects with the Illuminated Eye thanks to a drunken Tiefling gambler of all things. Great Gorby, a part-Yugoloth, is a member of the Illuminated Eye that converted to the faction from the Athar after regaining his faith. This almost immediately put him on the bad side of the Godless and it wasn't helped by the fact that he helped himself to a couple of relics, including a Fruit from the sacred Bois Verdurous tree. In the end, some Defier thugs of Vartus Timlin ended up knifing him under the excuse that he owed them money (which he probably did). Riffling the man's pockets, they made off with the Fruit amongst some other values.

Aola has since become aware that the Fruit is necessary for his resurrection of Aoskar. If the PCs have completed adventure one of the Module, then he's probably heard of them from there. If not, then he's simply heard of them from another source. Aola will claim that Great Gorby was bringing him the fruit and will reward the PCs handsomely if they can get it from Vartus Timlin. What seems to be a simple job is likely to get much more complicated in the meantime....

Good point.

Two options.

1. Yes, they can in fact keep Lightbringer as a weapon. It would be part of the potential "loot" for the adventure.

2. Lightbringer is specifically made for Vartus Timlin and is only a minor weapon by comparison when wielded by someone else.

(though we could suggest that that the blade is capable of having its full power awakened)

My personal inclination is that the Blade is a +4 or 5 Defender or similarly strong weapon, possibly with some other quality (Quickness or Smiting). I'm open to suggestions personally of what is realistic. It only needs to be a slight advantage for it to work.

Interesting suggestion, but it's just a newly forged weapon for Vartus' use.