Zeitgeist S03E03 to END: Digging for Lies
This is a catch-up summary of what happened in the remainder of Adventure 3 of Zeitgeist: Digging for Lies.
After confiscating the relics from Kaja, the members of the Bloodstone Vigil took the items to Pardwright University to have them identified. The relics had come from an archaeological dig on Tempest Island, a mysterious location in the Shadow Archipelago. Professor Meredith Xambria had returned a month ago as the sole survivor of the expedition, suffering from 'eldritch syndrome,' a psychological disorder brought on by exposure to extradimensional horrors.
The Vigil questioned Xambria and learned that her expedition had been sponsored by Caius Bergeron.
The Vigil then spoke with Caius, who assured them he was a rich, benevolent philanthropist with an interest in archaeology. He spoke of sending another expedition to Tempest Island and asked if the Vigil was interested. The Vigil agreed to go to the island to discover exactly what had happened to Xambria's expedition. Xambria traveled with them, as she was insistent and possessed all the institutional knowledge.
On the island, the Vigil investigated a ziggurat in the swamps. It appeared that Xambria's expedition had been attacked. Worse, a mysterious second expedition had arrived between the previous expedition's departure and the Vigil's arrival. The ziggurat was full of terrifying traps, and its key magical artifact, a golden disk, had been removed and replaced with a decoy. The Vigil escaped the ziggurat and spoke to the Voice of Rot, one of the great fae beasts that lingers in the world. The Voice warned the Vigil that outside horrors lurked beyond the veil of the world, waiting to enter.
The Vigil returned to the City of Flint. They met with Caius Bergeron, only to find he had been murdered by something that burst out of his skull. They also found a mysterious gold ring. The Vigil traced Bergeron's known associates and identified mercenaries led by Finona Duvall, who had likely been part of the second expedition that stole the golden disk. Finona had returned to sea in a ship carrying the artifact.
Commandering a university-funded vessel, the Vigil overtook Finona's crew near an island. They left their ship to investigate in a longboat and found that Finona and her allies had descended to the sea floor, where they were attempting to summon a powerful elemental into the world. Rather than fighting them directly, Tahl'zair used his elemental powers to warn the summoned elemental not to enter. This succeeded, and Finona and her expedition drowned beneath the waves.
However, when the Vigil returned to their ship, it had been damaged, and Xambria had escaped in the commandeered vessel! The Vigil repaired their ship and chased Xambria back to Flint. When confronted, Xambria admitted she had been possessed. They attempted to update Margaret Saxby and noted she had been fiddling with a gold ring similar to the one worn by Bergeron. Yet upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a normal wedding ring. Enraged, Saxby dismissed them, and Stover yelled at the group for accusing a senior officer of corruption with insufficient evidence.
As the Vigil discussed what to do next in the Red Lion tavern, Giles Catburn, head of Personnel, approached them. Something strange was happening at the Bloodstone Vigil HQ! The Vigil returned to discover the building affected by dimensional distortions. Inside, fellow agents and supporting officers were possessed by eldritch horrors. The Vigil fought off the horrors and knocked Stover Delft unconscious. They found Saxby and Doctor Vokharis in an extradimensional chamber beneath the HQ, trying to activate a magical device. Sijhen, the creature that had possessed Xambria and murdered Bergeron, was present. After an epic confrontation, Saxby was taken into custody and Sijhen was defeated. The extradimensional contamination was contained.
The Vigil learned that the group that Saxby and Bergeron had worked for called themselves the Obscurati. This was the organisation interested in the seals found in the ruins of Precursorite sites, who wanted to open them. Why? What were they planning? However, the Obscurati appeared to operate in cells, with each cell not aware of the other. Only someone higher up in the organisation would have a full picture of what the Obscurati was doing.
The Vigil wanted to question Saxby, but learned she had tragically perished in a carriage accident. Even though the Vigil was suspicious, there was little they could do. Saxby's secrets died with her.
Catburn agreed to let Mickey's unit pass the audit. One of the auditors, Nigel Pryce-Hill, was revealed to be a high-ranking member of the Bloodstone Vigil, Lord Nigel Grimsby, in disguise. Grimsby was pleased to make the squad's acquaintance and said that he may call upon them in the future.