Balodek's Ironfang Invasion

Game Master Balodek

"Perhaps we can pool together some resources and find someone to make it permanent on one of us?" Bor looks around. "I can get us to a few cities until we find someone what would something like that cost?"

GM- Can we get permanency on True Seeing and what would the cost on that be? Bor as 3500 GP he can contribute towards it.

Permanency does not allow True Seeing. There is an item, Truesight Googles, but you'll need 184,800 gold for them.

Bazsil grouses about the lack of security as the party discovers the needed item has been stolen. ”I thought I had it, but maybe you did? I dunno. It’s just weird that it was stolen so easily.” He is annoyed, and wonders how to work this setback into his Edda.

He gratefully accepts the goblinbane arrows, and stores them in his magical quiver. ”Four scrolls of raising the dead, huh? I guess we are really expecting some blood in this continuing war, aren’t we?”

"After that, we attack Fort Phaendar!" He grins again.

”Agreed. And yeah, I’m gunna jam my sword so far through the illusionist’s back he’ll need a mirror image just to see where to wipe his ass,” Bazsil agrees roughly. He has no answer on how to avoid the illusionist’s images, but does worry about mind control.

”Might be that we set up circles of protection to prevent our minds from being overridden, Bor? That might help.”

Is there a protection spell for that? I am not familiar with all of them.

I suspect he's talking about protection from evil.

"What we need is a druid that knows the landscape and can detect an evil blot upon it." Faolan sighs. "Let's at least get there and see if there are any obvious signs. After all, wizards love their towers, right? Maybe he's showing off?" Though he says it, he has little hope of it.

Any divinations help us?

I suspect he's talking about protection from evil.

Ayep, circles of such.

"How about any flying scouts? I can make us unseen for a time, might we have some aerial units? Would the fey be able to lend us a few of theirs?" Bazsil asks, hopeful. "Though, those scouts might miss an illusionist's veil, but maybe not. Sure sure what to expect."

Hoping Krowe has some ideas.

Krowe considers a moment. ”I could bind an extra-planar being with true sight to be our eyes. An erinyes would suffice.”

The spell is a bit complicated, but I was thinking Krowe could cast planar binding to force servitude from an erinyes (which has true seeing) for a stretch of time.

You can attempt that, it could go a bit sideways. I will say that if you're just worried about one fight there's no reason to go through a binding, just doing a summon once you're there would get the job done.

You can also attempt to scry the camp, you are familiar with it from the last time you were there. You chariot wouldn't work very well in the forest but you still have Rangers and other groups who can help. Really just need to know prep and then we can see how it plays out.

Faolan will take the shield as a 'backup' for now, though he has no use of the 'wild' ability and that's where the true power of the shield lies. Perhaps they'll find a druid with deep pockets.

Faolan is ready to go.

"I'll scry on the location from here and be prepared with spells for us to see things truly as well as call some servants with that ability."

Scrying DC is 22, or 24 if I boost it with some arcanist points.
Regarding Phantom Chariot, it can fly now at Krowe's caster level, so if teleport isn't possibly, that could still probably get us there quickly.

GM: Thanks for making this less complicated.

”I’m ready to go clean up our mistakes,” Bazsil says, checking his bow again. ”But yeah, we can wait to see if we can get a good look at it.”

Bazsil has his usual magics ready to go.

The prior night Bor sets into place with a spell. "We know his name and hopefully what he looks like. Let's make this Obsik as paranoid as we are."

Cast Nightmare (DC 22 Will Save)

As we get closer I can Veil ourselves as well if anyone has any ideas. We could look like a troop of Hobgoblins for a short bit." He continues to plan as he sets up a feast in the morning for breakfast.

Heroes' Feast

Temp HP: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

1d20 ⇒ 18
1d20 ⇒ 9

Your scrying fails, but it fails in a way that tells you someone has blocked you. The caster is obviously quite powerful but also inexperienced at being hunted, since the block itself makes it obvious something is there.

Bor isn't sure if his spell took or not, so you will find out. You prepare your long term spells, mount Krowe's flying chariot, and fly towards the camp. Bazsil's deep voice belts out a song by the bard Johnny Cash and the trip seems to take no time at all.

Before long you see the clearing you once attacked so long ago. The hobgoblin tents have been cleared out and a small pavilion sits there now. Smoke is coming from a fireplace vent and you see no movement from the camp.

Faolan, from the chariot and well back presumably, is eager to fly out and take the fight to the traitor. But he know's they face a wizard, and an illusionist, so he studies the scene and waits for the smart folk to suggest an approach that isn't Faolan yelling at the top of his lungs.

He watches.

Perception: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (12) + 29 = 41

"How do we know when it is a good time to cast True Seeing?" Bor looks to Krowe for guidance in this matter as he too looks around with Faolan for signs of obvious foul play.

Perception: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (18) + 21 = 39

”I think if you’re asking that question now, then now is the time.”

Krowe casts true seeing on Faolan. ”Behold the true world Faolan. This is the equivalent to a fly spell for your eyes.”

He then summons in 1d3 ⇒ 1 Erinyes and gives them orders to point out hiding or shapeshifter enemies.

Bazsil to see what is what and what might be learnt.

”Yeah, good job Krowe. Send in the clowns.”

Krowe casts true seeing on Faolan. ”Behold the true world Faolan. This is the equivalent to a fly spell for your eyes.”

"Awesome, thanks Krowe!"

”Yeah, good job Krowe. Send in the clowns.”

Faolan accepts the challenge and, with eyes wide open, fly-charges the tent and its nefarious occupants.

He resists yelling a battle cry, so as not to warn them. When he gets to the entrance of the tent he peers within.
Perception: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (5) + 29 = 34

As Faolan flies off, Krowe glances at Baszil. ”You meant the erinyes, right?”

Nearby, the erinyes glances at Krowe. ”Sod off, berk…” then flies after the shieldman.

”You meant the erinyes, right?”

”The Erinyes? Oh, I didn’t know you were going to summon those,” Bazsil responds as he prepares for battle, bow in hand.

”But of course, yes, right. Definitely.”

You prepare well and swoop into the tent, shield raised. The tent is lavishly appointed and there are many silks forming partitions throughout. Boxes are piled haphazardly and Obsik is tending a cook fire off to the side.

Your dwarven foe doesn't seem to have expected to be found so soon, so violently, or indeed at all.

Faolan will get one surprise attack. Full init will see everyone acting, then finally the dwarf. If he somehow survives two rounds of Faolan we'll go from there.

Faolan will use his surprise round to close, laughing at the man's poor preparation, "Didn't expect us so soon ay?"

Then he'll hesitate to let the others catch up and do as they will before attacking. (so going first to close, then last in case of singing or other buffs as usual)

Faolan flies next to Obsik and waits for the group. For the rest of you, Faolan has disappeared into the tent and you are flying 100' above (I assume, tell me if otherwise).

Round 1

Bazsil is quick to engage. He double moves to get into position, and starts his song when he sees the tweed of the dwarf's beard.

"We come for what is ours,
Our song is one of reknown,
We come for what is ours,
We have sent in the clowns."

Bor rushes inot the tent, using his faith as a shield as he doesn't know what to expect inside. "Your best bet is to give up!"

Shield of Faith.

Faolan fills his mind with Bazsil’s song, and starts bashing away at the traitor. HIs first swing has the strength of a knockout punch!

Shield*^: 1d20 + 28 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 28 + 2 = 50 (song)
damage: 2d8 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (7, 3) + 17 + 2 = 29 (song)
critthreat Shield*^: 1d20 + 28 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 28 + 2 = 43 (song)
damage: 2d8 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (7, 6) + 17 + 2 = 32 (song)

^ Knockout punch - If he hits, DC 25 Fort or be knocked unconscious for rounds: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Shield*: 1d20 + 28 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 28 + 2 = 44 (song)
damage: 2d8 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (3, 1) + 17 + 2 = 23 (song)

Shield*: 1d20 + 23 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 23 + 2 = 43 (song)
damage: 2d8 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (6, 6) + 17 + 2 = 31 (song)

Shield*: 1d20 + 23 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 23 + 2 = 35 (song)
damage: 2d8 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (5, 7) + 17 + 2 = 31 (song)

Shield*: 1d20 + 18 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 18 + 2 = 24 (song)
damage: 2d8 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (6, 6) + 17 + 2 = 31 (song)

Shield*: 1d20 + 18 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 18 + 2 = 38 (song)
damage: 2d8 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (2, 2) + 17 + 2 = 23 (song)

Shield*: 1d20 + 13 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 13 + 2 = 33 (song)
damage: 2d8 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (6, 2) + 17 + 2 = 27 (song)

Toppling Bash: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (12) + 22 = 34 (swift action trip the target of my first hit. If successful, Greater Trip (link) grants an AoO…)
AoO Shield*: 1d20 + 28 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 28 + 2 = 48 (song)
damage: 2d8 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (3, 2) + 17 + 2 = 24 (song)

* Targets hit by my shield take -2 to their AC until the end of my next turn.

1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

Obsik resists the stunning effect of Faolan's shield. One might think it would've been a mercy for him to be unconscious as Faolan proceeds to beat him to death. You stand over him for a moment, hardly believing that so much preparation went into such an easy battle. You search about with magical sight but determine that this was indeed the real Obsik.

Searching his body and tent, you find the shard and crates of weapons. They are of normal quality and bear the stamp of Santila Savros. Before you decide to enact bloody vengeance on her you remember that she is an arms dealer with no scruples who has been selling to every side in this conflict. She isn't guilty of betraying you, just capitalism.

On Obsik's body you find the following.
potion of barkskin (CL 12)
+4 chain shirt
assassin’s dagger
cloak of resistance +2
headband of mental prowess +4 (Wis, Cha)
ring of protection +2
courtier’s outfit
emerald rings worth 900 gp

You search the tent for any further information or clues and find another crumpled letter. It says only "It is good you have found him, when we arrive you will point us to the one calling himself Faolan and the reward will be yours." It is signed -L.

You have the shard, it is time to assault Fort Phaendar. You know the skies are patrolled and the gates heavily reinforced and guarded. What is your plan?

"Seems you have made a name for yourself Faolan." Bor holds the shard in his hand. "So now we can get Phaendar back. Any of you know a back entrance?"

”Who do we think ‘L’ is? Any idea Krowe? And it might be a good idea to question Obsik a bit. Something doesn’t feel right. Do we have the ability to speak with the dead? This feels off.”

1d20 + 29 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 29 + 2 = 48 Sense Motive - anything weird about how Obsik reacted?

He seemed to die in the normal fashion.

"Hah! Damn illusionists aren't so tough when you finally pin them down. Damn but they cause a lot of commotion before that though."

”Im not sure who “L” is, but perhaps magic can find them.”

Krowe pulls out his silver mirror and hangs it on a tent pole, then studies his spellbook for a moment before holding the letter up and focusing on the owner.

1 arcane point to swap a spell, then 1 more for potent.
Cast Scrying - DC 24

Krowe casts his spell and searched for the mysterious L.

1d20 ⇒ 11

He is able to see a group of Ulfen warriors in a room. The walls appear to be made of stone and the light is subdued. He observes for several minutes but they appear to be deeply engaged in a card game of questionable rules and unquestioned cheating.

As the spell is about to end, Krowe hears one of the Ulfen shout. "Einfridur, how much longer must we wait for your b"

Bazsil waits to see what might be the best plan to assault Phaendar, and knows that scouting must come first. He waits to see how they can scout to see what's what before launching an assault.

"Well, I know I can make us all invisible for a time, but I'd like to know what we're getting into. Let's fly over while invisible and see what we can see, maybe plan an attack for the morrow...with dinosaurs."

Bazsil will cast Invisibility Sphere if people are into scouting.

For me, I feel like we need a map or some overview. I feel disjointed from the scene and am having a hard time thinking about anything without having a better picture of things.

Faolan is totally up for some fly-scouting, and gets in close to Bazsil for the invisibility.

Bor stands back. "They fliers should go with your invisibility sphere Bazsil." He looks at the Fort, or at least what has become of it. "I'll hang back here and watch the Fort to see if they have an area they aren't paying much attention to."

You make yourselves invisible and do a quick recon of the fort. You aren't sure if they can see you but you don't seem to have a problem. You also don't spend a lot of time testing that, assuming that an army such as the Ironfang will have defenses.

Bor sees regular patrols with few gaps, and that the bridge you blew up so long ago has been rebuilt and reinforced.

Fort Phaendar

"Let's cross over the river bit. Bor I can carry you if needs be, or we can walk the bridge. Maybe I can fly inside the gatehouse and open the doors."

"I dunno, maybe you guys have some spells that'll help. Maybe a diversion at one of the other gates to buy us time to get inside?"

Faolan is open to just about any plan that involves hobgoblin deaths this day.

"Sounds good. We should probably cross the bridge." Bor nods in agreement. "I can set up some avenues of blinding walls if we get rushed and maybe Krowe can send some of his friends in the other side of the city to cause a diversion."

He stands up and strains. "Today is as good of a day to die as any. Too bad we couldn't get any of those troops with us to cause a good diversion."

You find once-familiar buildings shattered in heaps of rubble. In their place, a palisade surrounds tents and sturdy stone buildings. Within the town’s once-festive fairgrounds, a menacing onyx tower looms atop a motte.

There appears to be a giant guarding the bridge, a patrol of hobgoblins circling the fort every 10 minutes, and several hundred hobgoblins inside.

A frontal assault is an option, if not perhaps the easiest one. Note that there is a cache of supplies you've been told to look for near the fort. The forces you fight will be reduced based on the allies you recruited. Also remember that your goal here is not to kill the hobgoblins, it is to get through the tower and into the Stone Roads.

Awww....

When the smart folk explain a frontal assault isn't to happen, he pouts.

"Oh yeah, the cache of supplies." He frowns, "Let's go see what's there. Maybe tomorrow we can make a move."

He sighs.

Thanks for the map. It helps.

Bazsil grunts as he thinks about the Fort, their goals, and the obstacles.

"It's really too bad we can't destroy that bridge. I just don't like it being there. Seems like they are always destroying bridges in the stories. I know it's not a goal, but maybe we should destroy it for the fun of it. Maybe send a few huge water or fire elementals to mess it up good. That would be fun, wouldn't it?" Bazsil offers, brainstorming.

"<Let's us distractions to open the gates.>"

"Why do we need to do that? We can just *blamph* in there if we need to, even while invisible. Getting in there isn't an issue. Probably being unseen isn't an issue. We don't know where to go yet. Or what we might face when we get there," Bazsil continues to brainstorm. "Unless you're thinking of trying to get an army too? Do we have that option?"

Bazsil can DDoor us in while invisible, as needed.

"Why don't we try to jump in near where we think the obelisk is, then go from there?"

"What about that big central building? It looks like it was maybe turned into a command post of sorts." Bor wonders, trying to remember what it was before this war.

The big central building is the obelisk, that is your goal. How to use the shard once there you don't know.

"Big central building it is. We can capture whoever is inside and make them talk. If they don't want to then we can make the dead tell us what we need to know."

"Cache of supplies?" Faolan reminds Bor. For while his enthusiasm is with Bor, he's always been well equipped for his fights, and he values that. They should see what's there before leaping into the unknown of that tower.

"They're not going anywhere until we pry them out. Might as well do it with whatever we can get."

"Alright, I suppose we have a few days. Let's draw some of them out." Bor nods in agreement, keeping his eye on that central building.

"Remind me again, where are the supplies? Where do we think they are? Or do we not know? Because we can send in more and better scouts, heck it might be good to send in an invisible scout one day just to see what happens, if they have defenses," Bazsil offers and asks.

Keep waiting for Krowe to chime in. But also happy to *blampf* in someplace while invisible to see if we can find the cache.

Krowe looks at the maps and listens to the strategies before offering his advice. ”I suggest we feint a full assault on the bridge, make it look like we are trying to destroy it again with some summoned support, a few big spells, and our allies making a ruckus. Once the enemy is engaged to defend it we slip past through a dimension door, steal the supplies if opportunity presents itself, then slip inside the tower.”

How badly do we need the supplies?

The supplies are located outside the fort, placed there by resistance fighters. They are well hidden but you are experienced at finding secret caches by now.

The cache is located near the eastern landing and would normally require a DC 46 Perception to spot. Because it has been described to you, it's only a 21 which you cannot fail. Since your plan is to assault the bridge, I will reveal the contents of the cache then.

A 30-foot-tall wooden wall surrounds Phaendar on three sides, while the northeast is protected by a 20-foot ravine plunging into the turbulent Marideth River below. A successful Climb check is required to scale the outer walls. The Marideth River is running much faster than the last time you saw Phaendar, thanks to seasonal storms, and requires a successful Swim check to cross.

The Legion felled the southernmost trees of the forest, both to build their fortress and to push back the tree line. The tree line ends 400 feet from Phaendar Bridge. A few well-concealed blinds dot the forest 50 feet into the trees, used as hidden scout redoubts by the Chernasardo Rangers to monitor activity. You can use these as fallback positions to hide if things go badly. The flat plains surrounding Phaendar afford sentries a clear view of anyone approaching. Sentries demand travelers identify themselves when they come within 60 feet of the walls, and the bored guards happily fire upon those who fail to reply. Wagonloads of human slaves traveling to and from farms and logging camps depart each morning and return at sunset, each overseen by a group of hobgoblins.

Your allies have already drawn away quite a few of the defenders and so only one giant guards the gate by the bridge and only one patrol moves through the area around the fort.

Sorry to draw this out, it's quite tricky and you have a lot of options at your level so I'm trying to give you the information as I can and understand your plan. Sounds like you're going to start at the bridge and play it by ear from there, feel free to buff and tell me if you're going at any particular time of day.