Agents of Cheliax: Infiltrating, Subverting and Corrupting for Thrune (Inactive)

Game Master Molech

House Phandros of Westcrown, a major House in Cheliax's Longmarch Archduchy, is sending one of its sons west to Gheradescci County, to the new Barony at the fort town of Varni in the Eismont foothills and badlands. There he is to be married to the new Baroness-Regnant Stella Spartaco, niece of Count Vocaturo Spartaco and Olivia Spartaco. Archheathen Kettermaul Charthagnion himself will marry the two, making the journey from his seat of power in Corentyn.

The groom-to-be, Francesco Phandros, is travelling by caravan and, unbeknownst to all involved, is to be accosted by those with the ambition of taking over the new Barony for themselves.

After considering where to ambush the caravan, four Chelaxian diabolists have chosen a spot just east of Gheradescci County.

Twelve-hundred empty feet away from a perfect ambush point of overgrown forest and small cliff-sides, yet still reasonably covered from the caravan path by a small clump of flora and topography, the reivers wait for Francesco Phandros and his caravan.

As expected, the first indication of the caravan to emerge into view, over a thousand feet away, are three eagle-eyed scouts, Rangers. Advancing forward, they continue looking behind them, their backs to the ambushers, wary of the vulnerable area they are leaving, seemingly paying less attention to the lightly covered area twelve-hundred feet further down the path.

And the four ruthless highwaymen wait, white-knuckled in hiding, as the caravan guards get ever closer. 1,000 feet away. 800 feet away.

Through the heavy trees and dense foliage 1200 feet down, the four raiders can now begin to make out the sounds and sights of Francesco Phandros' caravan.

And the scouts, now just over four hundred feet away, getting closer to the actual ambush spot, are looking more relieved. Having passed a perfect ambush spot unmolested, perhaps they can breathe a sigh of relief and relax for a moment.

At 400 feet away all three scouts stop their approach. They whip back to face the tangle from which they emerged.

Then you hear it, too. The sound of combat.

Someone else is attacking the caravan. The scouts missed them hiding. They charge back in defense.

Roll initiative.

Initiative: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

The beautiful half-elven widow sits astride a pale horse. Seeing the other group attacking her intended victim, her eyes flash and her lips curl briefly into a snarl.

Initiative: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Moving ever quickly to the ambush site, safely hidden in the sphere of invisibility, you begin to hear the sounds of a battle's aftermath in the dense woods.

You are still a half-minute away at your current pace.

No line of sight is yet available to the caravan or to any of the combatants, but you hear small voices nonetheless. Fragments of conversation reach your ears:

--"I'm fully healed now, thanks, finish Avarin Littlehat and Arlo Yellowknuckle; they still need some healing."

...."This happy stick is almost completely exhausted, we'll have to start using the new one."
...."I just started."

--"She's stable but still unconscious and we need our wizard in case we have to teleport out of here. Get her back up fast!"

...."And I need her to Dispel the magic on this lock before I can free all these slaves. It's a complicated lock and I want insurance that these poor Halflings won't get blasted away in the rescue attempt we've been planning for six weeks."

--"One more coup de grace and the hell-lovers are all gone for good!"

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17 Initiative

Magnius curses "Sounds like Bellflower agents. We need to cut them down before they have a chance to escape!"

Ray, would double move or run get us there much quicker? I assume we're currently moving at normal speeds.

Yoas moves forward on her pale horse, careful to keep her movement co-ordinated with those who want protection from Alfred's invisibility sphere. Arcane energies crackle around her, for those who can she, as she draws forth giant cats that crackle with lightning and fly and slavering for the blood of her foes.

That is two uses of the Summon Monster IV SLA, summoning :-

Leopards: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Leopards: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

These are each Augmented , +4 Str and Con, Superior and given the Aerial template by Versatile Summons. The leopards can keep up by using there standard action to move.

And lastly encasing herself in the portective energies of the Shield spell.

Rushing forward lest potential enemies get too healed after they ambushed Francesco Phandros' caravan, you enter the thick forest wherein the caravan of Francesco Phandros lays.

The first sight of the caravan comes into view as you gain foot on the road, such as the tiny dirt path be called, entering the heavy thicket. Down a boulder-strewn cliff and through heavy trees you see the bloody caravan.

The first sight is of the three Rangers, advance scouts who obviously didn't see the ambush here as they moved ahead of the caravan. They three are caught in the tangles of floating, livid-black tentacles hovering in a wide arc before the caravan. The Rangers look blasted as though by lightning, dead on arrival.

The second sight you see is a large and noble wagon, surrounded by corpses-- eight humans in the armor and heraldry of House Phandros, and four filthy halflings, garbed like common thieves. A ninth human lays dead in the open door of the wagon, nobly dressed and with a beauteous and elegant longsword. All nine of the humans have had their mouths cut off their faces, postmortem.

The third sight you see is a sturdy wagon behind the first. A dead human in arcane robes the color of Cheliax lays in front of it, an ineffable look of horror and pall magically twisted on his facade. What magic caused his death, who can say? His mouth has also been ripped off. Ten men with simple weapons and armor lay dead, sprawled on the wagon as if by some magical conflagration snuffed their lives even before they knew they were being ambushed.

The fourth sight you see is the final wagon, barred like a cage and holding twenty-one halfling slaves, dehydrated and malnourished and listless inside. Around this wagon are eight goats, bleating in quickly calming panic, as well as a handful of frightened human serfs, Chelaxian servants of Phandros minding the chickens and goats, minding the chores of traveling labor due their station. They clearly backed away from the caravan during the battle and are making no attempt whatsoever of even making eye contact with the remaining Halflings....

There are also Halflings, fresh from battle and looking to their spoils:....

Avarin Littlehat, wielding a magically enchanted Trident, is kneeling over a recovering wizard, a wand of Divine magic in his hands. You see him administering the magical healing to the wizard as she begins to pick herself, still bloodied, from the ground where an arrow dropped her.
Initiative: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

Arlo Yellowknuckle, wielding a magical shortspear, is finishing performing a coup de grace on the last of the eight human guards at Francesco Phandros' wagon, hacking off his lower jaw.
Initiative: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

Arnam Goodkin, wielding a magically enchanted longbow, is hovering over the door-lock on the slave wagon.
Initiative: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Amina is the Half-Elf Cleric of Iomedae who lays dead close to Arlo Yellowknuckle at the main wagon.

Avalia Greenheart, laying down on the ground and rubbing her wounds, nods appreciation to Avarin for healing her, and is getting ready to get back up and offer more magical assistance.
Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Round 1:
.
.
.
.

Avarin Littleheart ....(Halfling w/Trident) uses Wand to further heal Avalia, who is barely conscious on the ground

Alfred Ensbridge ....(NE Halfling Bard) With bow in hand will hold until other PCs indicate for him to fire

Arnam Goodkin ....(Halfling w/ Longbow) waits for Avalia to Dispel Magic on the lock so he can disable it without risk to halfling slaves

Arlo Yellowknuckle ....(Halfling w/ shortspear) performs coup de grace on unconscious House Phandros guard

Magnius Arvanxi ....(LE Human Inv/Inq)

Yaos Hellbringer ....(LE H-Elf Summonser)

Avalia Greenheart ....(Halfling w/ robes) coming to consciousness begins to get up

You guys are about 50' from the caravan, looking down at them from a higher vantage point, through the dense trees.

Yaos guides her horse forward, much slowed by the trees, and again uses her arcane powers to call forth creatures to do her will. These she conjures behind the Bellflower Agents, intending to flank them and prevent escape. She directs the leopards already summoned to charge the Bellflower Agents. Pale Wing is sent to follow just behind the charging great cats, but stop just short of the halflings, concealing itself among the trees.

Summon Monster: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

OK, this is kind of complicated and Yaos has a bunch of advantages on her summons, so I will go step by step.
Yoas moved forward at half speed due to difficult terrain, putting her 35 feet from the Bellflower Agents [BAs], inside an invisibility sphere.
Yaos has just conjured 4 leopards behind the BAs, exactly the number needed for one to attack each BA. The 6 leopards already summoned are charging, 2 will attack Avalia and 2 will attack Arnam, the other 2 BAs are only charged by one leopard.
The 6 charging leopards will appear flying at treetop height about 35 feet away when they emerge from the invisibility sphere.
Now the leopards stats. They all have the aerial template [versatile summon monster] which means they fly, have electricity resistance 10 and natural attacks do +1 electricity damage. They also have +4 str and +4 con [augmented summons]. These bonuses have been added to the copy of the leopard description that appears at the end of this post.
Now, the other bonuses I have tried to set the leopards up with. These have not been figured in the leopard stats below.
Due to resonance, any creature of the air elemental type withing 30 feet of pale wing, my Wysp, will get a +2 competence bonus to hit and damage. That is why Yaos sent Pale Wing forward.
6 leopards should get +2 to hit for charge, and -2 to AC. Note they have pounce and rake.
If my flanking plan works, they will all get a +2 flanking bonus to hit.

Leopard CR 2
XP 600
N Medium animal
Init +6; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +5
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 16, flat-footed 11 (+6 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 25 (3d8+12)
Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +2
electricity resistance 10

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +8 (1d6+6 plus grab), 2 claws +8 (1d3+6)
Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +8, 1d3+6)

STATISTICS
Str 20, Dex 23, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6
Base Atk +2; CMB +7 (+11 grapple); CMD 23 (27 vs. trip)
Feats Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +10, Climb +13, Perception +5, Stealth +13 (+17 in undergrowth); Racial Modifiers +4 on Stealth in undergrowth