Anaxian, the Fractured Wyrm |
Tell us more about this bargain preventing Shadow travel. Anaxian said, tilting his head in consideration.
Drisquar |
Dris listens intently as the Drow envoy explains again the situation of her city "I should be able to scout the Urdefhan armies unseen, gathering information about their numbers and potential capabilities."
The Dapper GM |
"We don't know," Nyrinda replies first to Anaxian. "The Plane of Shadow is...compact. Perhaps they simply built a wall of dirt a few hundred feet thick—that would be enough to prevent any shadow walker from sneaking past the camps."
And to Drisquar and Illia-, "We know of their numbers. It is not hard to skirmish the urdefhan camps; those fiendish creatures practically beg for the embrace of death. We kill a few, when it pleases us. But we used to trade with the Duergar in caves far above us for blood, and slaves, and spices, and they have no interest in crossing the siege lines without safe passage. Urserf is a talented war-leader, and while his forces are veterans of many urdefhan campaigns, for every one we kill, he brings in new recruits from further vaults to replace them, unwilling to split his spoils among a large hoard but quite willing to maintain a smaller one. And the urdefhan war-leader is crafty and strong enough to foil every assassin we've sent after him; it's quite possible he's under the protection of some unseen spell or aegis from the priests of Noktoria."
Drisquar |
"Perhaps you know of their numbers, but I can practically guarantee I can get right up close to Urserf without him noticing. Not only that, but I can take Anaxain with me, who should be able to determine if the war-leader is indeed protected by any spells you're currently unaware of"
The Dapper GM |
Nyrinda shakes her head. "The Blightburn of the Black Desert blocks all incursions through the Astral or Outer Planes. Astral Projection sends only a soul; proper teleportation cannot leave or enter the whole of the vault."
"Do not underestimate Urserf; he has eluded our assassination attempts many times, and he and his warriors make a terrifying force in open combat. Still, if you think you have some secret way to cut off the horde's head, it would be most welcome."
Illia- |
"I'd say don't underestimate us either. We've overthrown the established status quo in a drow city, an aboleth city, and the Worldwound, primarily with our own absurd force of personal power."
"That said, presuming we were too weak to actually solve any of the problems, what you said you actually wanted was the solution to the symptom of not enough corpses right? How would you assume we get them to you if we don't take out Urserf?"
Meredian Adriatnaic |
Almost randomly Meredian replies:
"Are you using Astral Projection on your cattle to further preserve them? I have no direct experience with feeding from astral bodies, but it seems that they do bleed until the point of death. As a means to preserve your stock could you not carry a number of blood-slaves to a demiplane then astral project them back to your city. Then you could feed on them until it 'dies,' but you wouldn't lose the original body and could re-astral project it infinitum. It wouldn't solve the problem of you needing fresh corpses, but surely it would slow the rate at which you need them. By all appearances you have the resources to do so. Though as a long term strategy i'd consider creating a device that does this for you. Perhaps a pair of them. One for the demiplane and one for the city so that the city device automatically pulls the astral body for feeding and re-casts Astral Projection whenever a subject dies. That'll solve the travel issue and keeps any of the sacrificial lambs from getting off course in transit. *Meredian thinks a moment* You know, one such device, properly built, could solve the entirety of your blood issue. You'd continually be feeding off the same small population of slaves, but that's what they're for. Then any addition blood-cattle would simply be to experience new flavors. Alternately, though less fun, you could create an item similar to a decanter of endless water, but instead of water it'd spout blood. I imagine it'd be bland, but if you could get the formula right it'd at least be nourishing."
"I've rambled, but have you considered either of those things? "
Meredian Adriatnaic |
Nyrinda thinks for a few second, and then whispers into her hand. "That is... a very good idea," she muses out loud a bit after. "We'd still face losses to Urserf's raids, but we'd have more time to find replacements."
"Not a perfect solution, but could help in the mean time. Then as the process is refined it may solve the dilemma altogether."
"You see. One meeting and we're already useful."
Anaxian, the Fractured Wyrm |
If your city is so besieged that even Astral and Shadow travel are blocked or too dangerous to attempt, how are you here? Anaxian asked the envoy.
Meredian Adriatnaic |
If your city is so besieged that even Astral and Shadow travel are blocked or too dangerous to attempt, how are you here? Anaxian asked the envoy.
"Either Astral is not blocked or she is not projecting from her city. As she is in astral form on the prime I assume the latter. "
The Dapper GM |
"So," Nyrinda attempts to conclude things. "You have already provided clever advice. Let us say that House Shraen owes Escarra a small favor, but a favor nonetheless. If you can find a way to restore our trade in the coming weeks or months, we will allow the merchants of Escarra to collect a ten percent tariff on any such trade. And I will, of course, mention none of this within earshot of Nektoria's spies. Do we have an agreement?"
Meredian Adriatnaic |
"So," Nyrinda attempts to conclude things. "You have already provided clever advice. Let us say that House Shraen owes Escarra a small favor, but a favor nonetheless. If you can find a way to restore our trade in the coming weeks or months, we will allow the merchants of Escarra to collect a ten percent tariff on any such trade. And I will, of course, mention none of this within earshot of Nektoria's spies. Do we have an agreement?"
"I support this as a 'gentlemens' agreement. However, should we find a solution we'll probably need to at least incapicate Nektoria preemptively to their attacking us. Perhaps the council should think on both issues. "
Illia- |
"Oooh, I've got a fun idea, how bout I go to the dreugiii? drauger? um... Evil Dwarves, and convince them to send a convoy of stuff, and then I protect it! If the bat-riders don't show up, then hey, convoy gets through, if they do, I get to murder them all!"
Meredian Adriatnaic |
"Oooh, I've got a fun idea, how bout I go to the dreugiii? drauger? um... Evil Dwarves, and convince them to send a convoy of stuff, and then I protect it! If the bat-riders don't show up, then hey, convoy gets through, if they do, I get to murder them all!"
"Worth a try"
Anaxian, the Fractured Wyrm |
I have come to greatly enjoy your mind, Illia. Would you like accompaniment, or is this intended to be a solo venture?
Illia- |
"Not a problem, the more the merrier! I'm sure there'll be enough places to hide a cat, though the big you might have a little trouble. One thing I was worried about was if they hit and run. Depending on how good they are, they might wreck the convoy before I kill them all. But with a little help, I'm sure we could do it."
"That said, one problem I'm not sure how to solve is shifting responsibility if you come along. If I go, and Noktoria complains, we can just say 'Hey, that's how Illia- makes her money, she rents her services out to various entities... See Neolithid and brain eat-y people conflict. If you'd like to pay her to not aid Shraen, you're free to make an offer when her contract expires in insert absurdly long time. Devils being all about contracts and immortal and all.' But if you go along, I dunno if that's as plausible."
"That said, if we get into a fight with Noktoria, I'm ok with that, so I guess we win either way!"
Drisquar |
"Anaxian, is there a version of you that could accompany me as I go scout out Urserf? Could use your enhanced senses, and keen intellect"
Anaxian, the Fractured Wyrm |
"This body is best suited to scouting." Anaxian said flapping from Meridian's shoulder to Drisquar's.
Jiator the Architect |
"So..." Jiator muses, just a bit later. "Do we seek to antagonize Nektoria, then? Or attempt to keep this meeting secret? I do not think even the Council of Colors could survive the wrath of Kortash Khain, if Nektoria's High Priest turned the whole city towards our destruction."
"Then again, we could always double cross the city of Shraen. The Duergar... may not be willing allies of Escarra; back in the days of the first city, they were ever our enemies."
Illia- |
"My plan was to threaten them with utter annihilation if they didn't do what I wanted, so that plays pretty well into enemies. As for keeping it secret, I already said my whole sphiel for how to explain away my intervention. And if anyone knows Drisquar intervened, there's already a problem."
Jiator the Architect |
"I'm not sure if that's how the ghouls would see it. But if you are planning to pay any Duergar cities a visit, I'd remind you to keep an eye out for Lord Zeshar the Golden... according to Sir John, he last departed Escarra to attempt a truce with Hagegraf several millennia ago, and has been missing since."
Jiator the Architect |
"So, then. It seems a majority of this council has resolved to take actions against Nemret Nektoria, Urserf's horde, a few private residents of Pangolais, and possibly a Duergar city. Is there an order of business you'd like to pursue these tasks in?"
Drisquar |
"That's where we found that super interesting house that we couldn't gain access to"
Meredian Adriatnaic |
Let me see if I can kick start this thing.
Meredian pulls some chalk from her pocket with a red hue. It floats from her hand and as she points the chalk begins to draw a very ornate circle on the ground.
As she draws she speaks.
"This conversation is boring the hells out of me. Let's go to the edge of the black desert. We'll figure it out from there. You've got about ten minutes to grab whatever gear or minions you want to bring. I'm going regardless. Hope I don't screw it up. "meridian shrugs, smiles, and winks mischievously" "
Illia- |
"That's the spirit, Meredian, a new locale'll liven up this meeting."
*pop*
"So, now that we're all here, I say let's do my plan to badger some dwarfs around, or maybe use an illusion of a convoy, as a more simple plan, to lure 'em in while Drisquar scouts the desert for them. If we let a few of them run after ambushing a small group, Drisquar can shadow them back to their base, and we can slaughter them there."
The Dapper GM |
The party arrives, without much fanfare, on the edge of the Black Desert. Ahead of you stretches a massive cavern, pitch darkness save the glowing green specks of poisonous Blightburn crystals in the distant ceiling. Below your feet, a sea of black sand, the grains sharp and coarse. For anyone who's never visited the Vaults of Orv before, the sheer size of the empty blackness might have been hard to imagine just a moment ago.
Drisquar |
"Well, this place is rather huge. Alright, who's coming with me, and who's going to be a distraction?" Dris says, as his senses reel from just how enormous the desert actually is.
Drisquar |
Dris flashes Illia a grin "You're going to lead team distraction, as you are literally a walking distraction, in the best way possible."
Illia- |
"Oh, thank you... Uh, Drisquar." Illia-'s response seemed uncertain. She was unused to such compliments, especially from Drisquar. ~Perhaps he's just taking that earlier advice to heart? I mean, I guess that's a good thing..~
"Anyway, I'll start my illusion thing."
Illia~ Decided to make the illusion of a caravan wagon with a bit of a Vistani flair, the sort of gaudy one that would run up and down the coast with sparkles coming off of it. She'd give it a winged black horse at the front, carrying it forward decently swiftly, above the reach of the purple worms.
She figured, something like this would LOOK like it should be magical, and thus it would feel awry when indeed, magic was detected by that most basic of spells.
Meredian Adriatnaic |
"Oh, thank you... Uh, Drisquar." Illia-'s response seemed uncertain. She was unused to such compliments, especially from Drisquar. ~Perhaps he's just taking that earlier advice to heart? I mean, I guess that's a good thing..~
"Anyway, I'll start my illusion thing."
Illia~ Decided to make the illusion of a caravan wagon with a bit of a Vistani flair, the sort of gaudy one that would run up and down the coast with sparkles coming off of it. She'd give it a winged black horse at the front, carrying it forward decently swiftly, above the reach of the purple worms.
She figured, something like this would LOOK like it should be magical, and thus it would feel awry when indeed, magic was detected by that most basic of spells.
Meredian gives tips to make it look more accurate.
The Dapper GM |
Drisquar makes it relatively easily across the Black Desert--very few things, after all, can stop the wind.
The city of Shraen is an ancient ruin, built in the style of Old Osirion--small temples and obelisks form a civic center milling with zombies, chained Duergar, and the occasional Drow vampire or lich, perhaps a hundred or so working outside. Around this, high walls rising halfway to the cavern roof seal the city off, their gates barricaded with stone rubble. Skeleton-operated ballistae sit along the walls at regular intervals, poised and ready to shoot down any urdefhan mobats that might try to fly over the walls.
Beyond the walls sit ruined sand gardens and apartments. Perhaps half a mile out, in various directions, sit three shattered pyramids, each playing host to an encampment of Urdefhan veterans--while a few halfheartedly shoot arrows towards the city, none seem to notice the scouts flying overhead.
* * *
Purple worms are not skilled jumpers--several lunge upwards, attempting to prey on the flying caravan, but none come close to Illia- or the other flying party members. Of course, Drisquar and Meredian get to the city when you're only a fraction of the way there...
Drisquar |
Dris will fly around the first pyramid, low enough that he can easily make out individual soldiers, and look for anything useful that they might use to their advantage.
1d20 + 44 ⇒ (8) + 44 = 52 Stealth, just in case, since I'm closing in
1d20 + 45 ⇒ (7) + 45 = 52 Perception