Divine Inspiration was the first adventure released for the Covenant of Light Faction Adventure to be run as part of the Xen'drik Expeditions campaign.
Synopsis
The adventure begins with the PCs in the antechamber of a temple to the Sovereign Host maintained by the Covenant of Light . This temple has been the resting place of the Libri Mordahve for several weeks to no avail; the scholars here have not been able to glean anything useful from the book. Reluctant to give up the fascinating tome, they are now under orders to relinquish it into the care of the PCs and their contact Renvis , a Covenant courier of some renown.
After the tensions of trying to convince the priests to give up the book, something they are reluctant to do, the PCs escort Renvis through the streets of Stormreach tp the Sheltered Tome , a small shrine dedicated to Aureon . Along the way, there are several suspicious situations including a perfect ambush location that proves to be nothing. By the time the PCs arrive at the Sheltered Tome, they will likely be nervous and paranoid.
This is the perfect attitude to deal with the first true threat to the book. The acolyte in charge of greeing visitors to the shrine has been waylaid and replaced by Shellok , a changeling spy-for-hire. Shellok greets the PCs warmly and offers to take the tome in his master's name. If the PCs insist on following their orders to the letter and see the book into Brother Tiris 's hands personally, Shellok improvises and leaves the room, returning as Tiris in disguise. His ruse is not perfect and observant PCs can discover the truth.
Questioning or following Shellok leads the escort to the Vultures , a gang of humans and humanoids led by a self-styled 'crime lord' named Vrache . Here Renvis leaves the PCs, using his authority with the Covenant of Light to change the nature of their assignment. Wishing to be proactive, he sends the PCs to track down this new lead while he returns the Libri Mordahve to the Church of the Sovereign Host himself. Alone he can move faster and more quietly than with a group and besides, this lets the PCs prove themselves in ways they never could on a simple escort mission.
The trail leads the PCs, now alone and under their own direction, to the back alley described by Shellok. Vrache thinks he is the mastermind behind the theft attempt but is actually a mentally controlled pawn of the Inspired . When the PCs arrive, his arrogance is overwhelming. He banters, bargains and even offers to let the PCs join his organization. Since they likely refuse, a fight is almost guaranteed. Fortunately, what Vrache lacks in modesty, he makes up for in muscle. His Vultures are hiding in the shadows, leaping to his defense.
Once they are downed or scattered, nothing remains of Vrache's bravado. Willing to do anything to save his life, Vrache reveals that he was going to take the book to the docks and drop it through a specific porthole. He cannot clearly recall why he was going to do this, which provides the PCs with the first clue that something psionic may be behind the attempted robbery.
The docks as their next stop, the PCs find the ship just as described. An abandoned caravel with some serious hull damage, the ship is elevated over the water in a massive iron dry dock clamp. Boarding the ship doesn't prove difficult but maneuvering around the repaid scaffolding is difficult. Just getting to the inside of the ship's hold proves a job favoring the small and agile.
Adding to the complications of the scene is the next agent in the Inspired's scheme— Feral . Feral is a rare human with awakened psionic talents. His psionic awakening has manifested savagely; Feral is remarkably animalistic, more at home with wild beasts than sentient beings. Feral has no real interest in the Libri Mordahve but is acting on orders he cannot clearly recall. Whether he is actively opposed to the PCs or not, he will prove a most dangerous adversary along with the aid of his animal companions and trained beasts. Getting to Feral proves difficult; defeating him, harder still.
Once Feral is dealt with, the immediate threat to the Libri Mordahve is ended. With no further trail to follow, the mission is ended and the tome can be returned to the Covenant safely. Observant PCs may catch a glimpse of a female figure on a passing ship, but Whisper 's part in the heroes' destiny is a story for another time...