"I wonder why he still has so many mercenaries. They could have been those that returned from the attack, but if he had so many more troops why would they not have come along. He may be planning a second attack." Mikhail says.
Alister considers this. "That could be devastating for us. But mercenaries have a major downside. They get very cranky if they're not paid." He taps his lips for a moment. "Perhaps we start a rumor that the Baron has run out of money and can't pay them. That he's been squeezed too much by Pitax. Either they desert or they turn against him. Either way would be an opportunity for us."
Esteban looked at Alister with amazement.
"By god sir, that is positively diabolical! We really should do just that."
Fizz, you wander about looking for your teammates, little knowing that they are hidden by a powerful spell. But Alister spots you and soon the whole team is gathered at the Velvet Corner.
You learn that Baron Drelev is not paying the mercenaries. They belong to Pitax. And Pitax very definitely hasn't run out of money.
_____________________________________________________________________
Satinder has some food brought in to you, but the brothel is getting crowded with soldiers now that evening is falling.
"Look," she says to you. "This isn't the first time the Velvet Corner has been used for private meetings, but ahem, I've spent years reading my customers and if you lot are just random visitors I'm the queen of Osirion."
"Let's just say that if someone you knew were looking for a way to get at the baron in his castle, well, soldiers like to talk when they're whoring. I just may know a few things."
"If you knew anyone like that, I mean."
Fizz, you wander about looking for your teammates, little knowing that they are hidden by a powerful spell. But Alister spots you and soon the whole team is gathered at the Velvet Corner.
You learn that Baron Drelev is not paying the mercenaries. They belong to Pitax. And Pitax very definitely hasn't run out of money.
_____________________________________________________________________
Satinder has some food brought in to you, but the brothel is getting crowded with soldiers now that evening is falling.
"Look," she says to you. "This isn't the first time the Velvet Corner has been used for private meetings, but ahem, I've spent years reading my customers and if you lot are just random visitors I'm the queen of Osirion."
"Let's just say that if someone you knew were looking for a way to get at the baron in his castle, well, soldiers like to talk when they're whoring. I just may know a few things."
"If you knew anyone like that, I mean."
"To be completely frank, we know several people 'like that' ..."
Piotr listens intently as Evindyl speaks with the madam. He quickly looks at the door to confirm that no one is listening.
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entering back into the parlor some time later, "Pardon the intrusion madam, I found some friends in town. I hope its okay I brought them back here, seems there is little elsewhere safe,"
Fizz regaled the rest of the group, catching them up on what they had already learned about the Fort and how the Baron is holed up inside fortress, afraid to leave.
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Aristu offers the madam a pair of gold crowns to cover his food, and to help make sure that harboring the group remains profitable for her.
Between bites he says, "It sounds like it's possible that Baron Drelev was not an entirely willing participant in the attack on Tatzlford. Perhaps helping him is the best way to help ourselves."
Aristu offers the madam a pair of gold crowns to cover his food, and to help make sure that harboring the group remains profitable for her.
Between bites he says, "It sounds like it's possible that Baron Drelev was not an entirely willing participant in the attack on Tatzlford. Perhaps helping him is the best way to help ourselves."
" ... and apologies, I really have been listening since we arrived, but are you interpreting that the Baron might in fact need to be rescued!?!? I really am from far away, I did NOT see that."
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"Astounding! But, shouldn't we confirm this first? We are speculating like mad at the moment." Observed Sir Esteban.
"Perhaps someone could use telepathy, or sneak in to speak to him discreetly."
Satinder looks from one to the other of you to see if you're kidding.
"No. I'm saying that he is the vain, venal, tiresome puppet of men far more dangerous than he, but he is still quite dangerous."
"Things are bad. The baron sold us out to bandits and barbarians, and now he and his favorites never come out of Drelev Keep. They leave the mercenaries to do what they want by day, and at night, hill giant minions patrol the streets, murdering anyone who dares to show their face."
"Business continues during the day, but no one’s buying anything. The tavern and brothel are doing well, but mostly just because of the mercenaries in town. Shipments of food come in every week or so from Pitax, but most of that goes to the guards or up to the keep. The common folk have to beg or scavenge what they can."
"No one knows for sure where the barbarian warlord Armag has gone. After accepting Drelev’s offer of an alliance in exchange for sparing the town, he took several young women as hostages and marched into the hills. He’s supposed to return the hostages once the baron has proven his loyalty to Pitax (whatever that means), but most folk assume the hostages are already dead."
"So what I -am- saying is that if you know anyone with an interest in killing or capturing the baron and seizing his castle, I can help."
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Alister stares hard at the woman, trying not to let his gaze slip to her figure. "You said yourself the brothel is doing quite well with all the foreign coin." He glances back towards where some of the mercenaries are surely seated. "If we knew of such people who would act against the Baron, surely it would be less business for you. But, I would be interested in helping the people of Fort Drelev. And if that means major things need to change..." He shrugs, looking expectantly at her.
"Honey, business is only good for the moment. When those barbarians come back? I'm reasonably certain business will take a powerful turn for the worse."
"You're not going to get the people around here to rise up, if that's what you're hoping. Most of them don't have the grit. Those that do are dead or locked up. While the Baron's in charge, the people will sit quietly in their homes hoping Armag doesn't come back."
Sir Esteban fixed the woman with an implacable gaze.
"You live here. Tell us how we can break this impasse, as we are heroes, courageous and bold." Ventured Sir Esteban.
A smile plays across Satinder's blue-painted lips.
"As I said to your companions before you arrived, I know a secret way into the baron's castle. Heroes, courageous and bold, could go and seize control, confront the baron and begin to set things aright."
Alister studies her for a moment, trying to see if he can gauge her honesty in committing treason. "Perhaps we should talk somewhere more private?"
Aristu gestures dramatically at his illusory attire, and flashes a sly grin at the madam. "Some of us are, of course, merely peasants. But I am curious, if a hero were to follow this secret passage, where in the castle would they come out?"
Mikhail listens in and considers the dire consequences to a community that comes with sudden removal of the local lord and how Abadar might consider such action.
Looking around at the others, beginning to pick up what the Madame is putting down, "Is there someone that would be a suitable replacement should the baron stand down, one way or another? Any locals that know enough about the surrounding area and its people that would be able to stand in for the baron in the short term?"
"I know that I am not from here, and there are a lot of things that are confusing, but if Baron Alister were to depose Baron Drelev, would he not then be Baron of Everything? That is usually how things work in Jalmeray, minus a few payments for 'endorsements' like I imagine he might need from Restov or the Swordlords. I'm missing something ...?"
"Once we leave, they may not opt to stay loyal. But we can try and claim this area. It would be much better for the locals." Mikhail says.
Alister dismisses their discussion with a wave. "We can sort politics out later. The important thing is to see whether we can truly confront the Baron about his actions."
Aristu gestures dramatically at his illusory attire, and flashes a sly grin at the madam. "Some of us are, of course, merely peasants. But I am curious, if a hero were to follow this secret passage, where in the castle would they come out?"
Satinder turns her bright blue eyes on the sorcerer. "Alas, that I do not know, but I do know where it lets out, some way north along the shores of the Hooktongue Slough."
Piotr sits back, listening to the conversation swirl around him. As is his wont, he thinks upon the costs and potential benefits of what the madam has proposed.
"The sooner we move the better. Perhaps we should rest and strike at dawn." Mikhail suggests as he is not sure how much of their resources his allies have used.
Nodding with Mikhail, "Sounds good enough to me, seems like if we are going to get anything done here, this Baron has to go. Falls in line enough with why we came,"
Aristu turns a questioning look on Alister, "Brother?"
Alister nods slowly. "Ok Satinder. Give us directions to this tunnel. If it can help us reach the Baron, then hopefully this will end well for everyone in this city."
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Mikhail gathers his gear to move.
Piotr ensures that he has not left anything behind, tucking things into his pack and pouch alongside Mikhail.
Ready ...
Satinder describes the place, a hundred yard north of the wall along the river, at a point where three boulders tumble down into the stream.
You move out at night, avoiding the patrols and find the hidden grate. It is rusted but the bars are thick. There is no sign of a key or way to open it. It is, after all, an escape tunnel.
When Mikhail reaches the tunnel, he takes a moment to examine the entrance for traps.
Mikhail searches and finds nothing dangerous. But he does recognize that the poor maintenance of the gate means that breaking it or forcing it open should be easier than usual.
Piotr looks about, trying to determine whether any of the troops are close enough to hear if they should need to break down the gate.
Looking about at the others, "Well, looks like this is the entrance, maybe I could squeeze through the bars and see if there is a lever or something to open it from the inside?"
Fizz walks up the to bars, seeing if there is any way to squeeze through them or if he can see a lever on the other side.
Piotr looks about, trying to determine whether any of the troops are close enough to hear if they should need to break down the gate.
It's quite far. You'd have to make a LOT of noise to be heard. More problematic might be anyone -beyond- the gate.
Looking about at the others, "Well, looks like this is the entrance, maybe I could squeeze through the bars and see if there is a lever or something to open it from the inside?"
Fizz walks up the to bars, seeing if there is any way to squeeze through them or if he can see a lever on the other side.
Fizz attempts to squeeze through the bars, sucking in his big halfling belly.
The bars are too narrow to admit any of you. But again, they're poorly maintained.
Failing to squeeze his way by the bars, Fizz looks to the others, "Probably just gonna have to break 'em, makes for a faster get away if we have to leave this way at least,"
"Here, let's try this instead." Alister pulls out a small key and inserts it into the lock. He taps it and send magic through the key.
You make the target easier to open. Knock grants a +4 status bonus to any creature that tries to open the target door, lock, or container with an Athletics or a Thievery check.
Alister points his skeleton key at the gate speaks the words of power. The gate audibly buckles and groans.
Mikhail steps forward to wrench the gate open.
The gates resist Mikhail's efforts with a groan, then suddenly some mechanism somewhere breaks and Mikhail hoists the gate above his shoulder, sweating profusely while everyone else hastens to get past them. With a crash, Mikhail drops the gate back down into place.
The stone walls of this massive cavern bear signs of discoloration from
occasional flooding, no doubt due to water from Lake Hooktongue entering
through the eastern passage when the lake rises during the rainy season. Stagnant runoff has collected in a natural limestone basin to the north. Another iron gate, also rimed with rust blocks a tunnel to the west.
Piotr mutters, mostly to himself, "I need more light. Stay close, Corb!"
He intones a cantrip and the end of his staff begins to glow, providing illumination for everyone.
"Come on. Let's hope she wasn't lying when she told us this was a way in. Or she didn't sell us out to the Baron for some accolades and minor life comforts." Alister casts Light on a stone and tosses it farther into the cavern. He looks around the place as he moves forward.
"Keep your eyes open for anything. Who knows what else is in here even if it really is a route to the castle."
Aristu pulls out a wand and casts Light on the tip. Before following Alister he takes a look around the gate they just passed through to see if there is an opening mechanism on this side.
Mikhail will nod and start down the tunnel.