infestation 2 quest

**Quest Title:** A Growing Infestation
**Participants:** @FantasiticPython2002#6330 @SirStaleBake#2072 @ProvedItBoyz#1776 @YaBoiMatt#6059 @ProblemParty#9926
**Duration:** 12 days
**XP:** 1000 each (5000 total)
**Loot (Gold/Items):** 153 each (765 total -- 500gp reward, 5x Greataxe, 4x Longsword, 2x Morningstar, 25gp worth of metal scraps, all sold for 265 gp); 2x Uncommon Universal Essence (given to Heyne and Clay), 1x Helm of Telepathy, 1x Elemental Gem (Red Corundum) (given to Heyne), 1x Boots of Striding and Springing (given to Stale)
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**DM's 20% Reward:** 1000xp 153gp
**What happened, roughly:**  The party traveled to a mine near Merzna.  It took a few days during which they were attacked a couple of times and Clay was visited by Veles because Perun sent a thunderstorm.  Said thunderstorm drove party into the cave where they fought off a group of Kruthiks and found some loot.  They returned to the mining foreman to relay their findings and that concludes the quest.
**Future consequences:**  Not much; the spreading of the Kruthik infestation in the wake of the purple worm continues.  Mining operations in Merzna are beginning to shut down due to the incidents.

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Killed: 1x Orc War Chief (CR 4 / 1100), 4x Orc (CR 1/2 / 4*100), 1x Bugbear Captain (CR 3 / 700), 2x Bugbear (CR 1 / 2*200)
4x Adult Kruthik (CR 2 / 4*450), 6x Young Kruthik (CR 1/8 / 6*50)

Found:  5x Greataxe, 2x Javelin, 2x Mace, metal scraps worth 25 gp, 4x Longsword
265 gp total
1x Helm of Telepathy
1x Elemental Gem, Red Corundum
1x Boots of Striding and Springing
2x Uncommon Essence (Universal)

765 gp (153 each) + 5000 xp (1000 each)

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> *__A Growing Infestation__*
> **From:** Merznian miners
> **Summary:** *Our mining crews have been disappearing down there.  An occasional death is normal, but ever since those tremors, only about a third of our guys are making it back.  We're losing men and we're losing money.  Go down there and find out what's going on.*
> **Guildmaster's Difficulty Rating:** F (Level 4-5) [~5000 XP for the party]
> **Offered Reward:** 500 gold pieces

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This is another quest in the infestation storyline.  The party will travel to Merzna, likely without incident, where they will meet the foreman of the mining operations and be directed into the cave.  Travelling through the cave, the party will periodically encounter kruthiks, culminating in an encounter with the Hive Lord and some minions (as is standard).  There is little to no additional lore here, just more cleaning up after the purple worm / the kruthiks left in its wake.  The party will briefly encounter the purple worm but will not have the opportunity to attack it.  At the end of the quest they may or may not receive a communication from Professor Hightower.

The party will have the opportunity to obtain Uncommon magic items -- 3 rolls on Table F and 2 on essence table (uncommon).