Player version: Ad Astra The Wright Commission Player Version
Prerequisite
The players know Saria the Vouivre, who mentions an old friend requesting help. Ideally the party has already encountered the Sarcophagus below Malachite — Kristen’s briefing references it directly. The deep-delve group (Bam, Grunk, Strunk, Schinsharo, Kazaman) having found and reported Facility 31 or the buried city is the natural trigger.
Saria introducing you to Kristen - “I have a… colleague. Brilliant, but prone to tunnel vision. She is overseeing a massive industrial project in Malachite City. The local labor unions and some ‘unexplained’ geological anomalies are slowing her down. She needs people who can handle themselves, not just technicians. I told her you were capable.”
This is the initial document Saria hands the players to introduce them to Kristen Wright.
Quest Content
RHINE LAB DIVISIONAL BRIEFING: INTERNAL/CONTRACTOR
Project Lead: Kristen Wright, Director of Scientific Research
Liaison: Saria, Director of Defense
Location: Malachite City - Sector 4 (Volcanic Sub-Basin)
OBJECTIVE:
To secure the “Structural Integrity Site” within the ancient volcanic tunnels. Rhine Lab has identified a series of resonance patterns originating from the “Sarcophagus” relic previously discovered by the contracted party.
SCOPE OF WORK:
- Provide security for Director Wright during on-site data extraction.
- Eliminate local fauna or geological “Swan-mimetic” remnants interfering with sensor arrays.
- Monitor energy siphoning equipment to ensure zero leakage into the surrounding Malachite crust.
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
All data recovered regarding the Sarcophagus is the sole property of Rhine Lab. Unauthorized biological or arcane interaction with the relic during this commission is strictly prohibited.
“We aren’t here to dig up the past. We are here to ensure the past doesn’t collapse our future.” — K. Wright
Hooks:
- Characters who have already encountered the Sarcophagus and want to understand what it is
- Those affiliated with or sympathetic to Rhine Lab
- Party members invested in Saria’s storyline — she is quietly using the players as her eyes on Kristen, not just as hired hands
- The Dragon Swan encounters below Malachite (vitrified dwarves and elves in facility tunnels) make this feel urgent and personal
- Kazaman’s Asmodeus contact mentioned the Al’ar and Rhine Labs are planning something involving the sky — this commission is the first concrete thread
Starting Point:
Saria arranges a meeting at Rhine Lab’s main facility. Kristen receives the party while seeming to look through them rather than at them — already calculating something beyond the room. She hands over the briefing document and answers questions with clipped precision. The commission itself takes place in the tunnel systems beneath Malachite, in the vicinity of Facility 31 (buried 800ft beneath Rhine Lab).
DM-Notes:
Kristen’s motivation is personal as much as scientific: she wants to reach the sky and break through the barrier that confines Terra. She is collaborating with the Al’ar and Dragon Logistics through RALA, but has not disclosed this to Saria.
Saria suspects something is wrong but cannot prove it. Her instruction to the party is unspoken: watch Kristen. Report back. She will not say this out loud.
The “Swan-mimetic” fauna referenced in the briefing are Dragon Swans — crystallised undead creatures found in the tunnel systems near the Sarcophagus facilities. They can vitrify targets (Dex save DC 15, half movement speed), use a lullaby effect (Wis save DC 15, drowsy), and create vitrified zombies. Their presence near the energy-siphoning equipment is not coincidental.
Facility 31 still has functioning energy units — the malfunction that killed the original occupants is documented, but the power source itself is intact. Kristen is draining that energy for the Horizon Arc Project.