The fighting on the border between Molthune and Nirmathas has lasted for generations. Officially the war ended in ’55, but that was just a paper peace. The fighting has never stopped—it just holds its breath every once in a while.
“Every bleedin’ acre south of the Marideth has been fought over so many times that the people who live there hardly care who’s in charge anymore. Lucky for them, most of the borderlands that haven’t already been razed to the ground are too heavily wooded to be of much use to either side. still, even small companies of soldiers with nothing to lose can cause plenty of trouble...”
—Aris Reloni, Molthuni sergeant, to a barmaid at the Gorged Gorgon
Where on Golarion?
The border fort known as Fangwood Keep is located in the central-western region of the Marideth River valley, which constitutes the constantly shifting border between the warring nations of Molthune to the south
and Nirmathas to the north.
You have been recruited by the Nirmathi army for a special operations assignment. You are in the city of Tamran at the mouth of the Marideth River. Forest Marshal Weslen Gavirk is your liason. A huge, rough-looking bear of a man, he speaks with a gravelly voice worn out from decades on the battlefield.
"There's been a Molthuni incursion against Fangwood Keep, an important border citadel that's changed hands many times during the war, but most recently belonged to us. Sending Nirmathi troops to retake it could restart hostilities just as peace talks are going on. I want you to go in and retake the fortress with as little noise as possible."
"I've found out through my Chernasardo scouts that a rogue Molthuni commander has taken Fangwood Keep and slain numerous Nirmathi soldiers in the raid. The Molthuni soldiers bore the sign of a mailed fist grasping a broken arrow, but otherwise we possess no clues as to the troops’ specific station within the Molthuni military. Scouts report that the force was about thirty strong, and that its apparent commander is frequently seen alongside a changeling spellcaster of some sort. I advise you to use stealth during your mission, since taking on the entire Molthuni force all at once would almost certainly result in defeat."
"Send word to the scouts once you have seized the Keep and eliminated the rogue Molthuni troops there, and I'll send in a force to hold it."
"I've gone over what is known about the keep and found that there are two secret entrances, both on the north side of the keep. Look for a stone engraved with four interwoven circles as a marker for one of the secret entrances."
He plunks down a bag that has the heavy sound of coins within. "This is two hundred fifty gold. It is your advance payment. You will receive a further seven hundred fifty gold upon completion of your mission. In addition, here are two elixirs of hiding, a scroll of knock, and a scroll of hold portal. You may purchase additional supplies from the quartermaster at your own expense. Questions?"
|
Skipper salutes smartly. He's not entirely sure that retaking the fortress with a stealth team won't disrupt peace negotiations just as much as a highly visible assault... but at least then the Nirmathi are negotiating from a position of strength. Good enough.
"That'll be sixty-two gold to the each of us," he says to the others. "--and five silver."
Which is good, because Skipper had been skint.
"Sir, do we have a map of the region? Any further intel on the keep?"
|
|
After her last mission--her last failure--Saki had been at a loss of what to do. Failure hit her like a tonne of bricks; every last, little mistake she made hung like a chain binding around her entire body. She had almost died. She had almost gotten three other good people killed through her weakness...
Needless to say, the paladin was down in her spirits, although she tried her best not to show it. Requesting a brief leave from the regular Society missions, she went on a pilgrimage around the Inner Sea, travelling between churches and shrines and small town medical clinics to offer her services. At some point, while travelling through Nirmathi, she had been recruited by promises of justice and freedom--and, perhaps, a chance to repent.
The halfling mentioned something about gold to which Saki merely shrugged off. The monetary reward meant little to her. More important was being able to make a difference here. Nirmathi was a struggling fledgling nation and had a good chance of becoming another quintessential democratic force in the region alongside Andoran--and that would surely be a boon for the forces of good.
"Sir," she asks with a polite nod of her head, "do the Molthuni forces know of the secret entrances, or do you expect we will be able to infiltrate unawares?"
"No maps, to my knowledge," replies the Forest Marshal. "But I know it well and can tell you a bit about it. It sits on the site of an older structure. Only the foundation of that older tower exists now, but it forms a circular curtain wall around Fangwood Keep proper, about fifteen feet high. It has one obvious entrance, on the south."
"Inside of that circle sits the keep. The keep itself is a two-story, clover-shaped structure. It has no windows or arrow slits. The real problem will be approaching it unseen. The ground around it is devoid of cover or concealment for a hundred feet or more. However, because of the geometry, anyone standing at the base of the outer wall is hidden from view of those atop the tower."
Turning to Saki, Weslen Gavirk considers before answering. "Molthune built the keep, originally. So I'm sure her commanders over the years were well aware of it. The question is whether this rebel commander knows of it. I wonder. But I just don't know."
To while away the time, the GM gets out his paddle-ball and kazoo...
Kyra tests out her brand-new body by instructing the voice in the sky on paddleball, Qadiran-style.
It's played while riding a camel.
"Hmm... we have to approach unseen," Kyra says with her brows knit together. "Saranrae is not a goddess of sneaking; I will be of little use in concealing us from sight. Perhaps we might purchase items to avoid being noticed, but I suppose our coffers are not deep."
She nods gravely to the elf in their midst. "Do you know more of such tactics?"
Saki, she can clearly identify as a paladin. There is no way she expects you to be sneaky.
|
|
Saki can totally be sneaky-esque assuming she removes the massive, ornate plate armour she wears. After dealing with shadow demons and alchemists, she sometimes wonders if it's not better to go unarmoured anyway... everything seems to be able to avoid it!
"Perhaps an invisibility potion? Will that last us long enough?"
The paladin had only recently been granted the barest speck of divine magics from her Goddess in the last few days. That was a good sign--it meant that Shelyn was not angry at her for failing her last mission--but she was also largely unfamiliar with the intricacies of such things as well.
"That may be expensive though..." she sighs.
After the introductions, Forest Marshal Weslen Gavirk answers Talhaearn. "Your best courses of action will involve stealth and guile for as long as possible. I would put maximum effort into those. But should that fail, you may be faced with the need to scale a wall to reach the upper ramparts. I'd consider a grappling hook or other means of climbing as well as any equipment or magic designed to keep you quiet and unseen."
"One more thing. I mentioned the keep was shaped like a clover leaf, with each of four leaves directed to the cardinal points of the map. Only the east, west and south 'leaves' have ramparts, and thus good lines of sight. Wise agents might approach from the north, which will mean finding your way around to the far side of the keep."
"Perhaps instead of dividing the gold between us," Kyra says thoughtfully, "we might purchase a scroll of the spider's climb. I cannot cast such, but Lady Seoni, here, might be able to. However, it would take a good chunk of our advance."
She nods gravely at the Marshal's words of a northern approach, committing that to memory.
|
|
Saki begins to realise more and more that she is possibly the least suited individual to an infiltration mission. Weddings? Operas? Now, those she could handle... but this? Yeesh.
"I'll leave the magic decisions to the two of you," the paladin nods to Kyra and Seoni. "Whatever of my advance funds you require, please feel free to take it."
- Camouflage Netting (20 GP)
- Periscope (20 GP)
- Climber's kit (80 GP)
- Elixir of hiding (250 GP)
- Cracked pale ruby trillian (200 GP)
- Scrolls/potions of invisibility, spider climb, etc.
"I doubt we can afford all of that," Kyra says with a head shake. "I am happy to put my own funds toward this enterprise, but I have only thirty gold pieces and some change. Together with the advance, that is two-hundred-and-eighty. A scroll of spider climb alone shall be one-hundred-and-fifty, I believe."
"It seems like a sound plan," Kyra says after a thoughtful pause. "We also have the scroll of knock and hold portal, courtesy the marshal, and two elixirs of hiding-- the latter two may be useful in our need to approach unseen to at least the base of the wall.
"We shall have to do it by cover of night, I believe, and try the northern approach mentioned. But before all this-- we must first get there."
"Marshal, how far is it to the keep from our current location? Do we perhaps have a map of the Marideth River's valley, that we might try and use backwoods trails, or similar, to reach the keep?"
"It is a little over one hundred miles, and sits quite near to the Molthuni fortress at Ramgate. Here are two maps to help you out."
|
|
"One hundred miles..." Saki muses to herself a moment, one hand on her chin. "By foot, that will take us up to a week to travel, I imagine. We'd best be prepared with supplies for a half-month's travel--food, water, and whatnot."
The paladin turns back towards their contact. "Sir, would we be able to borrow any riding horses to speed our journey? At the very least, we could do with a pack mule or two to carry supplies."
The Forest Marshal considers, then nods. "Draw your mounts from the quartermaster," he says. "Plus a mule."
Kyra nods fervently at Saki's suggestion. The idea of slogging for days and days on foot through the forests of this land doesn't appeal to her. Deserts are one thing-- she can take the heat. But at least it's open ground there.
"Thank you," she responds to the Marshal's agreement that they can take horses.
She studies the maps for a while, then rolls them up (presuming they are being allowed to take them. If not, she studies them for a longer while).
"Between here and the keep, are there any outposts that are yet held by Nimrathi, or should we expect to bivouac in the field each night?"
"Nothing in the upper Marideth valley can be said to be held by either side save for Fort Ramgate. The villages have been ravaged by decades of war and mostly abandoned. The village of Purt is the only habitation with a significant population, and they've recently created some sort of magical hedge around them, probably with the help of the Acorn's Rest druids. They won't let anyone in. So in short, no. It's camping for you, my friends."
Are we ready to move on?
Anyone else wish to make a purchase before we move on?
The Quartermaster is a plump middle-aged woman named Barta who never seems to stop sweating. She is busily haranguing a pair of harried clerks about the location of a barrel of salted beef when the heroes arrive.
"Yes? Who are you lot, then?" she inquires peevishly and without much interest. Once you show her the requisition form from Weslen Gavirk she nods. "Fine, fine. Horses and mules are stabled out back. Take any ones you like so long as they ain't got a brand yet. Just be sure to take good care of them horses. We'd like 'em back in one piece. Now, says here you might want to buy something for whatever little expedition the Forest Marshal has sent you on. What'll it be then, eh?"
Barta fulfills your requests with a minimum of fuss, and within hours you are making your way west up the Marideth Valley.
Any particular plans for the journey?
Kyra suggests to the others that, much as she personally dislikes the closed-in, visibility-killing paths of the forests.... the trees are probably their best best to avoid being seen by outlying Molthuni scouts.
"We'll lose speed in the trees, of course, but I think traveling in the open is riskier. All it takes is one Molthuni outrider and we lose any element of surprise we might have."
Riding your horses through the woods, Fangwood Keep is six days away. It is late on day Four when Talhaearn and Saki spy a very large grey-skinned creature loping through the woods directly towards you. It is a troll! A troll in armor bearing a vast and savage-looking battleaxe over its shoulder. It is perhaps a hundred yards away through a stand of poplar trees.
Kyra comes from a desert land; she likes to think she knows something of horseflesh. She picks a small white mare and begins loading up their gear and purchases onto the mule.
"Anyone good with beasts? I can stay in a saddle, but beyond that..."
===
Kyra hurriedly dismounts when Tal and Saki point out the incoming troll. The last thing she wants to do is try and fight on horseback. She draws her scimitar, and prepares to cast a spell.
"This looks like trouble!"
|
|
Saki selects the calmest and yet sturdiest looking horse she can find, rather unfamiliar with the saddle and not wanting the headache of having to deal with a mount with attitude. She rides with her armour on, not wanting to be caught in danger without it, although she worries that the horse would have problems carrying the weight of the heavy plate. (She's not really an animal person, no.)
---
Spying the troll up ahead, Saki carefully dismounts and grabs her glaive. She watches the upcoming brute closely, trying to see the sin in its heart.
"Come no closer!" She calls out a warning in a strong voice. It occurs to her that she's unsure if trolls could speak the common tongue...
The immense, heavily-muscled troll looks dimly about it, as if looking for the source of the voice. It sniffs the wind and then its beady eyes focus in the party's general direction.
Throwing back its head, the troll bares yellowed tusks and a wicked set of sharp, shark-like teeth and bellows a challenge that shakes the leaves around it. The horses whinny in fear and turn this way and that under their riders. A frisson of fear causes the warm summer air to seem suddenly chill on your necks.
"Who said that?" it roars. "These be my woods...and you be trespassers! I don't like...trespassers!" It says every word of the last sentence slowly and distinctly, as if biting and chewing each syllable.
"Stay weapons, my friends-- perhaps we can avoid slaughter," Kyra murmurs.
Her scimitar remains drawn, but she keeps that hand lowered at her side and steps forward, a bit of sweat on her brow. The troll looks to be quite the brute... but it's talking. That's encouraging.
"We mean no trespass! We are passing through and wish no trouble with you! Our business is far from here!"
|
|
Saki breathes a sigh of relief to see Kyra attempting communication with the troll. Not only that they might be able to get out of this without needless bloodshed, but for the first time in a long time she was not working with people who were more likely to kill first, attack later.
Never mind that for now, though.
"We will happily leave your woods behind if you would allow us," Saki adds, moving up to stand beside Kyra with solidarity.
The troll stomps closer, but places its axe back up on its shoulder. It doesn't seem at all friendly, but it also doesn't appear that it will charge.
"You no hobgoblins!" it rumbles, seeming slightly mollified. "But you not come here either. Not like humans either."
It is close enough now to smell the rank sweat of the thing and see its massive arms and yellowed fangs. It stares at the four of you with small and flinty eyes.