The Hunt for Zugs

X Worldbuilders:

GM James R

The Hunt for Zugs was a 50 year investigation set up independently by several organizations. The Hunt started with AID shortly after Zugs' disappearance, and continued years later when Killis Goodman obtained AIDs documents and continued the work with the help of Ex-Council of Wrath and Ex-SotS Inc members.

The Disappearance

Zugs McFlair disappeared in the late summer of 693 PR. Holding a grudge against Archmage Nimz of Jewelspar, McFlair pushed the wizard into a portal generated by shadow expert Zierda, also known as the Shade Maiden. Several witnesses watched him disappear into the Shadowfell, notably SotS Inc chairman Benny the Bard, and the Shade Maiden's infatuated sister Saendra.

Archmage Nimz was confirmed to have died in the Shadowfell in the years following. Divinations however, revealed that Zugs was alive in the Shadowfell for some time after the disappearance.

AID's Investigation

Desperate to find his friend, Anema funneled a lion's share of AID's initial investigations into matters related to planes, the shadowfell, and locating people. It was through this first decade's worth of work that AID determined that Zugs was most likely still alive and somewhere in the Shadowfell. However, opening gates to the shadow fell was not something that the minds of AID could do, as it requires a very capable mage. Mages in the area, such as those at Diphel's magic school attempted gates, but were unable to open something that would stay open long enough to launch an investigation inside the Shadowfell.

Project TVBR

Another share of AID's initial work came down to documenting everything Anema had experienced in his years as a full blown adventurer. As Anema spent a long time inside the labyrinth of the Tovag Baragu, many scholars poured through libraries and interviewed many figures trying to figure out the location of these permanent portals, through which the Shadowfell could be easily accessed in a semi-permanent way. Near the end of the first decade of investigation, a breakthrough revealed that the Tovag was possibly located on the island of Sarcof. Contacting his old friend Doraleous, the two of them decided to investigate the rumors personally.

Although Anema later returned from the Tovag alone under mysterious circumstances, Doraleous was lost to the Tovag. Anema called off investigations for Zugs, claiming to have inside knowledge of where (and when) Zugs was. Efforts began to focus of the goddess Tiamat and the possible reappearance of Dragons, as well as how to banish a god. All investigative resources related to Zugs were shelved.

Killis Takes Over

At the turn of the century, 700 PR, former assassin and conman Killis Goodman received an opportunity to gain freedom through the SotS Inc program (Under the psuedonym Kinky Guttsy). Although he followed the mandates expertly for several years, he soon began to feel that the company failed to deliver on it's mission statements. Using contacts with old friends at the Council of Wrath, Killis began to build an underground organization, uniting the ex-criminals members of SotS into a guild of his own. His connections allowed him to forge pardons from various cities in the area, and these pardons became the ultimate present for SotS members who proved loyal to his faction.

Once they were competent enough, Killis began his hunt. Paperwork taken from Anema's quarters proved Zugs was still alive, and Killis had unfinished business. Killis began to follow up on the leads taken from the stolen paperwork. One lead led to Ostrom, but it appeared that was a false alarm, as a very different shadowy night-stalker was found in that city. Though there was some good news from Ostrom, a powerful mob leader know as The Bookkeeper had helped them find a lead in the from of "Barovia".

Barovia led the research team to The Shadowfell, and when looking into that shadowy plane of existance, all roads seemed to lead him directly to Jewelspar and the very room where Zugs disappeared. He broke into the Jewelspar Specticade by using SotS Inc members as a distraction, asking the group to impersonate the Oprus Magnificus theatre troupe and perform for the nobility while Killis snuck around to investigate.

Vision of Destiny

Members brought through Killis' guild (Known as The Shadowgate) were also being screened for possible talents or skills that can be used if allied together in a "Zug-Hunting Squad". One member, Iris, was an elderly mage with a knack for crafting new items and spells. With help from the Shadowgate's own mages, a new spell was able to be created, "Vision of Destiny". The spell was a heightened form of scrying that did not just track the individual at that moment in time, but shows a reel of the individual's entire life at an expedited pace (similar to a timelapse).

Through the Vision of Destiny, Killis discovered that Zugs was alive, but in the future. Not having the years to go around the long way, Killis began his own research on how to speed up time or put himself into stasis. Research stolen from AID revealed that the plane with the most temporal anomalies was the Astral Plane.

The Astral Shortcut

Once his final army was procured, an army made of ex-SotS members, Killis took his team through the Astral Plane in an attempt to skip time and arrive with Zugs. However, their oh-so-well-thought-out plan was disrupted by the appearance of a monstrous Astral Dreadnought . Fearing for their lives, they fled and missed the window for entering Quelmar at the right time. Arriving in the far future, the group was doomed to live out their days in the apocalyptic end of days....until they found another plane jumper. A Scholar studying the geography of the future, Zugratta was gracious enough to escort the players back to the Astral plane and teach them the dangers of such traveling, such as the Githyanki and the Psychic Winds. When the window opened again, the group jumped their way into the future, arriving in the arctics of Breme over 50 years after they originally departed.

SotS v SotS

Popping up right on top of Anema E Core, the group was hesitantly welcomed with open arms after they showed their strength on a group of arctic Phase Spiders. As the group regathered to Anema's temporary shelter from the cold, they finally learned that Anema had traveled here with his companion...and for the first time in 100 years, Zugs and Killis were on the same plane again.

End of the Hunt

The hunt came to a close as Charne, one of the members of Killis' gang, revealed that Zugs had also killed his parents, and that the firearms he had wielded this whole time were actually Zugs, from the far future. Charne and Killis both wanted to land the final blow on Zugs, and an argument broke out quickly. However, what the two of them did not know was that Zugs was a lawful good version of himself now, having fallen victim to Krampus. Zugs was in deep sorrow for the deaths he caused and promised the two assassins that he would pay the ultimate price, he would banish himself to The Shadowfell, never to return to Quelmar.

Charne was quick to jump on the new offer, and he helped convince Killis that this was just as good as a vengeful killing, but with none of the bloodshed. Ultimately all opposing parties came to this truce, and over a dinner (hosted by Atnas and Colin, friends of Zugs) they enjoyed on last supper together. Following dinner, Zugs plane jumped back into the Shadowfell, never to be seen again.

Aftermath

Killis and his army returned through the Astral Plane to their proper timeline, satisfied that Zugs had finally paid the penance for his crimes. Killis happily retired, and Charne gave up his guns, ready to start the next chapter of his own life.