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Krowe finds Gossamer off to the side of the table, taking hits from a wooden flask. "Potential ally? Another human to log and destroy our homes? My Queen bade me come and I am here. I thought we would be fighting, but this is just talking. Tell you what fancy man, you and me can settle this right now, fisticuffs. I'll even give you Marquis of Absalom rules if ya need 'em." She appears completely serious. Krowe gets the sense she would rather take action and talking is not her favorite activity.
The general views Bazsil with a weary eye and a wearier sigh. "I bring the most powerful weapon available to you, peace. If you allow me a place at this table, and convince me your plan is sound, there will be a temporary truce between Nirmathis and Molthune. Your focus can be on the Ironfang alone."
The third day of the conference finds most of the participants on edge. The appearance of General Lord Sebine has clearly thrown everyone off.
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Krowe finds Gossamer off to the side of the table, taking hits from a wooden flask. "Potential ally? Another human to log and destroy our homes? My Queen bade me come and I am here. I thought we would be fighting, but this is just talking. Tell you what fancy man, you and me can settle this right now, fisticuffs. I'll even give you Marquis of Absalom rules if ya need 'em." She appears completely serious. Krowe gets the sense she would rather take action and talking is not her favorite activity.
The general views Bazsil with a weary eye and a wearier sigh. "I bring the most powerful weapon available to you, peace. If you allow me a place at this table, and convince me your plan is sound, there will be a temporary truce between Nirmathis and Molthune. Your focus can be on the Ironfang alone."
The third day of the conference finds most of the participants on edge. The appearance of General Lord Sebine has clearly thrown everyone off.
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Faolan will pause with Weslen for the moment and discover what makes Sebine tick.
vs DC 30
Bazsil, with all his diplomatic skills, will try to settle some ruffled feathers. He’ll spend some time buttering up Daq, even with the penalty.
vs DC 30
”Hold that thought a moment.” Krowe bows to Gossomer and slips over to Faolan. ”The fey wants a boxing match. Could you entertain them a bit?”
He then heads over to find common ground with Santila. ”Pardon me, but I think we may speak the same language here. In my work as a craftsman I understand the risk of this business venture for you. I lost my shop, and have had to turn my talents away from fancy ornaments and jewelry to fight the Legion. But I have also learned to combine my crafting and magical talents. I could be a valuable business partner after this war, helping to create weapons of war and give your mercenaries an edge, thus demanding more for their services.The Legion would make no such offer.”
Having little success in the last couple days, Krowe finds himself wandering over near Sabine.
”Sebine, I’ve found myself a little lost during this conference. We all must find a way to take on the Legion, but we are stepping on each others feet constantly. The fey seem to think we all pose a threat to their forest. Do you think Molthune could agree to stay out of the Fangwood?”
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Influence Checks Profession (architect or barrister) DC 20;
Knowledge (engineering) DC 25; Bluff or Diplomacy DC 30
Successes Needed 2
Krowe and Faolan cozy up to Sebine and manage to figure out how to gain her trust. Krowe gains her favor while Bazsil works on Daq.
Weslen is too deep in his feelings to listen to Bor, though you get the impression he's not completely intractable. By the end of the night you see him talking and laughing with the Molthuni general, so your words must have had some effect.
Sebine shakes her head at Krowe's suggestion. "A temporary peace I can guarantee, even perhaps keeping my own troops out of Fangwood, but the forest represents too many valuable resources for us to remain out of it. Trade could perhaps be established."
Weslen 2/3
Gossamer 0/3
Santila 0/3
Sebine 1/2
Obsik 1/1
Sir Daq 1/3
You are halfway through the proposed conference. You haven't made as much progress as you'd hoped but you've almost secured several allies. It seems at least one person finds the proceedings too boring to continue.
The smallest member of the council takes flight and booms in a shockingly powerful voice, "We waste precious time sitting around arguing over petty details! While you quarrel over every fraction of silver, the fey of the Fangwood have learned of an onyx tower within our realm! Everyone should be ashamed that while we talk, the Accressiel Court alone takes action to push back against the Legion!"
Gossamer storms out of the room, followed by Sir Daq. Weslen emits a heavy sigh. He simply states, "Let’s retire for an hour or so. It seems some members have more important items to attend to."
Obsik has a look of distress on his face at this news, a look quickly supressed.
Faolan ignores the hot tempers, assuming it's just pre-war jitters. He knows he certainly has them. If only some diversion would present itself.
”Hold that thought a moment.” Krowe bows to Gossomer and slips over to Faolan. ”The fey wants a boxing match. Could you entertain them a bit?”
He replies with a shout of excitement, Grinning like a fool, he suggests, ”Not to the death or anything though. We need all our resources for the fight ahead!”
If he still gets an action Faolan tries again with Weslen. Three times a charm, right?!
vs DC 30
Bazsil will spend more time with Santila, trusting in his skill to get her on their side before time runs out.
vs DC 30
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Faolan does indeed box with Gossamer, the atomie proving to be a tough opponent for Faolan. Eventually you decide to call it a draw and nurse your split lips and bruises over a pint or two.
Faolan manages to convince Weslen that you are the right heroes for the job and Bazsil works with Santila.
Bor attempts to track down Gossamer and Sir Daq but gives up in disgust. Deciding to leave the social situations to others in his group, he wanders the area and hears boisterous laughter coming from a side room. Quite by accident he has discovered Gossamer and Daq drinking heavily and swapping war stories.
Gossamer looks up at Bor with suspicion and holds up an earthenware bottle. "Whatta want? Here to drink with us? Maybe you can hold your booze better than this one, eh?"
"Sir Daq?" Krowe will try to get the man's attention and see if he can be persuaded to return to the council.
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Bor downs the drink and feels it attempt to magical induce dancing. He resists and stares Gossamer straight in the eyes as he does. The fiesty atomie is impressed and smiles at Bor, raising a class then continues drinking with Daq. They don't say much but you can tell you've made progress with her. Krowe arrives in time to watch Bor down the drink and is put off his game by the display of constitution, finding Sir Daq committed to his drinking and not to listening.
Weslen 3/3
Gossamer 1/3
Santila 0/3
Sebine 2/2
Obsik 1/1
Sir Daq 1/3
On the morning of the fifth day, as the delegates settle in once again, one of Weslen’s aides approaches the forest marshal and begins whispering into his ear.
Weslen’s features grow grim as his attention turns to Gossamer. He approaches her and very quietly informs her that the battle at the Fangwood onyx tower went poorly. "The fey pushed through some token defenses and entered the stronghold, only to be inundated with explosives and fire and then set upon by reinforcements waiting in ambush. It was a massacre."
Gossamer sits stunned for several seconds, then speaks: "That isn’t possible; the only people who knew were us." After an awkward silence, the fey’s tears turn venomous. "Traitor! Who is it? Who is the snake in our midst? I’ll skewer the conspirator!" She turns her wrath and her blade toward the knight Daq, and screams, "You! You knew all the details! Curse you for taking advantage of my drunkenness, but I shall have my revenge!"
Fort +18, Reflex +18, Will +17
Front Row
Opponent: None
- - -
Conditions: Flying, Flexibility (1/10r, improved grapple, greater grapple)
Equipped: None
Shield Melee: Attack: BAB 16/11/6/1, Str +7, Focus +2, Magic +5, (flurry -2) Damage: Str +7, Bash +1, Magic +5, Specialization +4 (crit: 20)
Shield Ranged: Attack: BAB 16/11/6/1, Dex +2, Focus +2, Magic +5 (flurry -2) Range: 20’, -1 per increment
Shield DR: magic, cold iron, silver, alignment, adamantine
Silver Blanch, Cold Iron Arrows: 12/12; Ghost Salt, Cold Iron Arrows 8/8
Champion Defense (Fort save DC damage dealt to take half damage >0): 1/1
Improved Iron Will (re-roll will save): 1/1
Martial Flexibility (1x immediate, 3x swift): 9/11
Knockout (DC 25, 1d6r): 3/3
Shield Bearer (free, adjacent ally +2 AC (trait)): 1/1
Ironfang Survivor (free, roll twice vs goblinoid (intimidate, sense motive, stealth)): 1/1
Cap (re-roll failed mind-affecting effect): 1/1
Shield (daylight: 1/1, 60m, 60’r) (determination: 1/1, 5d8+10 >0)
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As Faolan and Gossamer were just sparring partners, he steps in between them and tries to grapple Gossamer (hah!). He swiftly learns improved grapple and greater grapple feats to aid his attempt.
If he succeeds, using greater grapple, he tries to move Gossamer away a bit.
(maintain grapple bonus)
”Wait! Let the smart folk figure out who the traitor is, and we’ll take ‘em together! It might not be Sir Daq!”
Sorry, I forgot the initiative.
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Faolan is indeed able to grab Gossamer right before she sticks a rapier into Sir Daq's gut, getting an atomie knee to his tender meats for his trouble. Due to the erupting conflict, Santila and Obsik retreat from the
chamber. Weslen tries to defuse the situation before his guards drag him away from danger. Finally, General Lord Sebine watches the fight with mild amusement.
Sir Daq appears confused by this attack.
There are signs of enchantment in Sir Daq's behavior.
Someone has cast Modify Memory on Sir Daq. There is an aura to this spell and you can easily detect it. You may attempt to dispel the spell.
”Sir Daq! You are bespelled!” Faolan turns to Bazsil and the others, ”Can any of you break it or dispel it? Some spell or other is upon him!”
He continues to hold Gossamer, though his testicles complain loudly at that suggestion.
Bazsil will dispel magic or break enchantment - if he has any of those spells. I don’t actually know. :) If he does not, he’ll shrug and look to Bor and Krowe for assistance.
(just in case it’s needed)
Krowe was staring into a cup, thinking about taking on Gossamer's challenge when suddenly everyone is fighting. Hearing Faolan's assessment, he wonders to himself how the shieldman could have recognized an enchantment when he himself noticed nothing. By the gods, he must be slipping...
Acting as quick as he can, he drops the cup and casts a spell recently learned.
Bazsil will try again to dispel the magics if Krowe fails.
Greater Dispel Magic
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Krowe's magic quickly unravels the spell on Sir Daq, who immediately seems to come out of a dream. He clutches his head and his stomach, an impressive feat, while looking at Gossamer.
"My good woman, I did not betray you. It was Obsik, he found me after our drinking and inducted me to break your confidence. Somehow he wiped my memory of it until these good folk snapped me out of it."
(is he telling the truth?)
Assuming Faolan trusts that info, where is Obsik? Faolan will immediately fly to find him with all haste.
Sense Motive - Sir Daq
Sense Motive - Obsik
Bazsil’s eyes dart around as he measures the reactions of those around him.
Ahhh, good question.
Faolan releases Gossamer when the truth comes out, "Gossamer, he's telling the truth. Come, let us go and find Obsik!"
He'll offer to carry Gossamer as he hunts for the greater speed.
Tracking Obsik to try and figure out where he went.
”Gossamer, there are games afoot. Come! We must work together!” Bazsil rumbles as he moves to find Obsik.
Diplomacy
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Gossamer is an atomie and can fly at 50', she keeps up with the group easily. "You may hold your liquor, scarred man, but you'll hold my earrings while I tear that dwarf apart."
You make your way to Obsik's room. The door is unlocked and within you find the man himself, pacing. He says nothing as you enter.
"Speak!" Faolan demands fuming. "We know what you did, but not why!"
(to detect falsehood and/or further enchantment)
Diplomacy
Sense Motive
Bazsil looks at the dwarf, wondering what is going on.
”Are you okay, buddy?”
Faolan nods to Bazsil, who casts another dispel magic - and quickly.
Faolan adds, aloud, "Gossamer, wait! He's ensorcelled too! He's not himself!"
Bazsil has, I think, two more castings. As many people as seem to be enchanted, he wants to reserve one, but there's a sick man here...
Faolan is impressed. "You made him disappear with a spell! Is that supposed to happen?"
Bazsil tries to figure out what Faolan doesn't know.
”What in the world…”
Krowe has been watching with interest, trying to understand what sort of magic was a play.
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Krowe's experience with these matters allows him to quickly determine that the Obsik you saw and stabbed was an illusion. In combination with the spell cast on Sir Daq, Krowe can only surmise that you are dealing with a powerful mesmerist, one capable of twisting minds and altering perception at will.
"So where's the real Obsik? Or was there ever a real Obsik? Damnation!"
Faolan is stuck, and has no where to vent his anger. He can only imagine how Gossamer feels.
He flies back down to the main group and gives the unpleasant report. He wonders if this will fracture the council. He hopes not!
"Yeah, Krowe? What do you think? Do you have any magics that might help us find Obsik? Or if Obsik never existed, whomever created Obsik?" Bazsil pauses, thinking about solutions.
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You can tell from the state of things that someone who was real lived here.
You search the room and discover a mud soaked cape. The mud has some briar thorns embedded in it and you recognize it as mud from the camp where you fought Scarvinious. Most of you look blankly at this information before you are reminded of the gully with the watch tower and the bugbear who fashioned clothes out of the faces of lumberjacks.
Searching the desk, you find a packed stuck to the underside of a drawer. Opening it, you discover a crumpled note.
You greedy sack of dwarf meat! You were paid for a job—do your damned job. So consider my counteroffer: instead of paying triple the agreed price, I’ll just send a few of my people to pick up the sardonyx shard in person. And then, once they drag your miserable, mud-eating carcass back to Fort Phaendar, we’ll see how many times we can regenerate your stubby little hands and feed them to you before they start growing back crooked.
I don’t care if you know everyone. I don’t care if the worm likes you. The worm isn’t here. So bring me that damned shard, or by Hadregash’s curdled coinpurse, I’ll use your skull to open the Stone Roads the old-fashioned way!
—Scabvistin
From this you learn several things. First, Obsik is real and was most likely working for the Ironfang. Second, you seem to have misplaced the sardonyx shard, finding it no longer in your possession. Third, it's likely he's hiding in the Fangwood Forest at the same location you killed the son of the woman he's hiding from.
There is still the matter of the conference and you have one last chance to acquire allies. You reconvene the attendees in one last bid to garner support.
Faolan, eager to be off to the forest to hunt down the miscreant, can hardly contain himself for another day of bending jaws. Ugh!
Still, he'll help with Gossamer, whomever tries working with the fey.
vs DC 10 to aid another.
In his head though he's cataloguing the gear he's going to need for the hunt. Starting with his headband and his shield. F@!%er can't hide from us! he swears to himself furiously.
Bazsil will explain the situation to Sir Daq, hoping that they are on the same page, and try to reason the man into getting completely on the same page as the party.
Diplomacy
With only Gossomer as the holdout among the diplomats Krowe decides it’s time to give the social situation a magical push. During a short break in the meeting he returns to his quarters and pulls out a handful of diamonds.
”This had better be worth it…”
He casts a spell and they turn to dust, floating away into the ether. As they do a magical glibness settles over him.
Approaching Gossomer, Krowe takes her aside and confides in her that the Molthune have secretly agreed to stay out of the Fangwood and even protect its borders, but cannot admit to such a deal openly while the war continues. As insurance, Krowe says that any who break the deal will suffer his own personal wrath.
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While you aren't sure if Gossamer really believes you she at least agrees to help and see if you are going to hold up your end of the bargain. With the revelation that Obsik was a spy and the conference is compromised, the attendees call the meetings concluded and go their own ways.
You acquired promises of assistance from Weslen Gavirk. He pledges to organize hit-and-run raids that will disrupt the Ironfang Legion forces. He also tells you of a hidden cache near Phaendar where you can acquire some supplies.
Gossamer says that Gendowyn will dispatch a large force of dryads and satyrs to harry Ironfang messengers and scouts. She also hands Bazsil 50 +3 goblinoid bane arrows.
General Lord Katra Sebine agrees to broker the truce between Molthune and Nirmathas during your fighting.
Sir Daq Sontine leads a regiment of mounted knights and it is his intention to take them into Nirmathis to assist with the war effort. In addition, he gives you 4 scrolls of raise dead and mass heal and his grandmother's +2 wild heavy wooden shield.
Santila Savros declares that you are all fools who wouldn't know the difference between a wet fart and a dry sneeze and she will have nothing further to do with you.
All told you have acquired assistance from 4 of the attendees, it is now time for your next move. You learned that the sardonyx shard is the key necessary to open the black obelisks from this side of the Stone Roads. You have learned that the Ironfang Legion has collapsed all but 4 obelisks in their consolidation and defensive move. This is your chance to strike by using the shard to open the Stone Road and taking out the Ironfang leadership, and their ability to raise obelisks wherever they please.
Of the four remaining obelisks, one is far to the south, one deep in the Fangwood, one in Molthune, and one located where this all began, Phaendar. Logistically it will be difficult for you to march forces to the south or through the Fangwood, and politically entering Molthune with a force would be beyond the truce that Sebine was able to negotiate. For this reason each of your allies will assault their respective obelisk while you attack Fort Phaendar. Forces of Nirmathis and Longshadow will accompany you and hold off the Ironfang troops while you accomplish your mission.
The one glaring flaw in your plan, of course, is that you are no longer in possession of the shard.
"Well, there's the hidden cache of stuff Gavirk talked about," Faolan begins reasonably enough, but he quickly grows angry, "but before we do that, let's get our shard back from that backstabbing illusionist!"
"After that, we attack Fort Phaendar!" He grins again.
He looks at the smart folks, "So we can't have true seeing going all the time, can we? How do we find this illusionist? I mean, we could be standing right next to him, hidden behind a magic veil!" Poor Faolan is frustrated at the thought of combing the forest and all the time it will take. Time away from the war.