Shattered Star - Prelude to Into the Nightmare Rift - The Tinpot Dome Scandal

In Sharn, Tryptic recalls he had been directed by Onatar to go and find "Spider". Tryptic and Morrigan start asking around trying to get information on this being. Eventually, they talk with the warforged they rescued who tells them there is another warforged by this name. Spider is said to lives near a district called Cogsgate. There is a a junkyard where damage lightning rail cars are dumped near there that warforged who were damaged in the last war live.  It is a very bad part of Sharn.

The party accompanies Tryptic to the area (also, Wil buys a couple of scrolls of reincarnation). They walk down. As they enter the area below Cogsgate they note they are being watched. A child dressed in rags calls out to Morrigan and warns them that the area is dangerous and Spider lives there. Tryptic indicates he is happy because Spider is who they are looking for. The boy kicks him and runs away.

They locate the junkyard and hear a clanking noise. They find a warforged hitting his head against a wall. Tryptic tries to examine him and notes that the warforge is missing a large portion of it's skull and is unable to think anymore. Wil looks to put it out of it's misery. Another warforge tells him to "Leave Bonkers alone, fleshy!". The warforge who spoke to him is in a wheelchair. Tryptic introduces himself and says he is to meet Spider. "Flash" takes them to meet Spider. They notice that various damaged warforged who are hiding are peaking out. Tryptic repairs some damage on Flash's chair in return for helping.

"Flash" takes them to a discarded boxcar. A warforged emerges to speak with Tryptic. Spider says, "Oh, wait you are talking to 'him', not Onatar" and begins laughing maniacally. "You've been talking to 'Aritoniel'". None of the party knows who he is. Spider points out that Aritoniel is an Emperial, a type of angel. Spider tells them that he talks to Aritoniel as well. He theorises that they can help each other.

Spider tells him about "Lt. Die-Cast". In the latter parts of the last war, Die-Cast fought with the Brelish army. She was known as "Lt. Tin-Pot" amongst her subordinates because she a ruthless dictator to her troops. In her last assignment, she was betrayed by her own battalion. Eventually, she found her way to this junkyard. She has been killing non-warforged who come in. It's drawing too much attention to the area and Spider wants her 'gone'.

Before going to her, Tryptic repairs and enhances Flash's chair. Flash takes them to where Die-Cast resides. From the pile of debris, a giant half-humanoid/half-boxcar form appears with a warforged-head on it. She proceeds to scream at them with her commanding presence as if she were still in the army. Tryptic attempts to diplomatically ask her to stop just "killing".

A fight ensues but the party manages to prevail and destroy her.

The party heads back to Spider. Everyone is awestruck that the party was able to take out Lt. Die-Cast. In return, Spider meets with Tryptic privately. He sees that Spider has 6 legs and 2 arms (hence Spider). Spider gives him a scroll which is a deed of ownership to a House Kunderak strong-box. Spider thanks him and gives him a small armband indicating he is welcome in the area.

The party heads back up with the head of Die-Cast. They take the head to Inspector Cassidy in hopes of a reward.  She says she'll look into the matter and let the party know.

They head to the House Kunderak branch where the strong-box is located. It contains an extremely magical mithral belt. Tryptic identifies it as a leonic belt. It allows a warforge to shape change, increasing it's size (with all bonuses) along with other bonuses.

The party heads to House Lyrander where the airship they are supposed to use to get to Xen'drik. House Lyrander and Ghallanda and  is about to start a cruise line between Sharn and Xen'drik to take the rich and powerful to Stormreach. The arrangement is that the party will join them on a test voyage as the only passengers and test out the amenities and protect the ship if anyone attacks.

Morrigan sees about ordering a Brelish Sunset.