Quest 012: Recover the Storm Lens

Classification: B-Class
Type: Recover Artifact
Status: Open

Contract Summary

Benefactor: Ambassador Talia Windwhisper, Outsider Emissary
Compensation: Excessive (600 ceramic pieces + "favors owed")
Stated Danger: High casualties likely (7)
Location: The Howling Desolation—storm-wracked badlands, 4 days east

Mission Briefing

The Job

Ambassador Talia Windwhisper, representative of a distant city-state called Kaldros, seeks the recovery of an artifact called the Storm Lens—a crystalline device her people lost when a diplomatic expedition was destroyed in the Howling Desolation three months ago.

The expedition was caught in one of the region's infamous perpetual storms and presumably killed. The Storm Lens was being transported as a gift for Tyr's council.

Target Artifact

• Name: The Storm Lens
• Description: A disc of blue-white crystal, approximately 18 inches in diameter, set in a frame of silver-like metal
• Properties: Unknown, but reportedly valuable to Kaldros
• Last Location: The expedition's planned route through the Howling Desolation

Objectives

1. Primary: Recover the Storm Lens intact
2. Secondary: Recover the remains of the Kaldros diplomats for proper burial
3. Tertiary: Determine what happened to the expedition

Client Terms

• The Storm Lens is irreplaceable—partial recovery is unacceptable
• Ambassador Talia requests respectful treatment of any remains found
• Speed is valued—Kaldros needs the artifact returned urgently

Known Complications

• The Howling Desolation is one of Athas's most dangerous regions
• Perpetual electrical and wind storms make travel extremely hazardous
• The expedition's exact route is only approximately known

Guild Assessment

Recommended Team Size: 4-6 members
Required Skills: Survival (extreme weather), navigation, combat
Estimated Duration: 10-14 days
Special Note: Danger rating at upper B-Class threshold—A-Class consideration recommended