Summoned by Ariella Scarpetti the characters meet in Zobeck to hear her out. A mysterious illness last seen in the Stross Library has potentially shown up in multiple areas across Midgard. Fearing that a confluence of new ley lines utilized by creatures from the Shadow Realm are behind the outbreaks she hires the party to investigate.
The contract is full of legalize and long-winded clauses, but can be summarized as follows:
- Signing the document places you in direct employ of Ariella Scarpetti.
- This three-week expedition to the Ironcrags will explore the area between Juralt and Wagenstein, focusing on ruins around Villershall.
- Primary Goal: Return evidence pointing to the source of potential illness in the area
- Secondary Goal: Identify and eliminate the cause of despondency or other unnatural phenomenon
- Tertiary Goal: Record evidence of any powerful ley lines in the area
- An advance of 63 gold and expedition supplies will be given to each on signing
- Reasonable expenses incurred while traveling will be reimbursed upon return of leased animals and unused supplies
- Completion of the primary goal will give a final payout of 210 gold each, plus 13 gold per day in excess of the three-week duration.
- Completion of secondary or tertiary goals will give an additional payout of 150 gold each. Additional compensation will be negotiated depending on the expedition results.
- Addendum: Each member will be supplied with a horse equipped with saddle bags, and loaded with a bedroll, mess kit, tinderbox, ten torches, ten days of rations, and two waterskins. Each saddle will also have fifty feet of hempen rope lashed to the side. A mule will be provided and equipped with a pack saddle containing an additional sixty days of rations, two hundred feet of hempen rope, two grappling hooks, a crowbar, four small canvas tents, ten pints of oil, and two bullseye lanterns.