DM Fang Dragon’s Ruins of Adventure (Inactive)

Game Master FangDragon

The Paladin shrugs.
You make a fair point, Kardas. It may well be that it is stuck here. Yes, let us rest for this encounter. Not certain where we pick up silver weapons around here; although its defenses will not stay my blade!

"I say let's release the angel."

"Not certain where we pick up silver weapons around here."

"Surely there's a smithy in Phlan that might sell such things?", interjected Delenn, "There always used to be dozens although that was before."

Is the chest too heavy to carry out of here?

If we're going to rest anyway, should we take the law book to our friend on the council? We can just stay at our normal inn and buy some silver weapons on the way back, right?

When Ishta agrees with her about freeing the angel, she nods and asks

Hey Ser, would you please break this gem?

She hands him the gem that will free the Angel.

Sbrugging his shoulders, the gold elf complies.

Grateful that the paladin had agreed to rest and prepare before confronting the demonic creature, the priest made ready for the gem to be broken, mace in his hand although held in a non-threatening manner. Hopefully this encounter would go smoothly and the angel would continue on towards its version of Heaven, but it might very well be furious about its imprisonment and lash out immediately upon being released. "Are we heading back to New Phlan after this, then?" The relief was fairly evident in the cleric's voice.

At least temporarily, yes. We need the sleep and to communicate what we've found so far. If some other group hasn't co-opted our job again, we should get silver weapons and come back and finish, but you never know with some of the members of the council being completely corrupt.

The chest is pretty heavy, perhaps three of you working together can push it around. It might be possible to carry it if you found some long poles and all worked together. Getting it up the 60' shaft to the level above will take some creativity.

Ser Armithia crushes the gem under his armored boot. It actually takes several attempts to crush it but rather than fracture like a normal gem it flared as it crumbled into ash. Deep below you hear a bell toll and the sound of grinding machinery which stops after a while.

Looking thoughtful Delenn remarked, "Well that did something..."

So back to the surface then? Are you planing to go openly or will you attempt to sneak into civilized Phlan? Do you plan to speak to anyone in particular, or do anything beyond purchasing silver weaponry? NB silver weapons are available from Rohan's Smythy at the usual price.

The gold elf Paladin looks down at his heavy full plate armor, glances at his heavy steel shield, and roams his blue eyes along the long blade of his bastard sword.
Did someone suggest sneaking back?

He laughs.

Let us make our report to the proper channel.

I know we had to enter a strange way, but I thought that was just getting in. Is there another way out, or is that the only way?

Unless something stops us on the way, I want to go visit our friend council member who needed the law book we found in order to help the women we rescued earlier.

I also have a secret thing I need to do, which I already mentioned in a spoiler, but just to list it here officially so that it doesn't get overlooked.

Then I want to sleep at the inn.

... but of course all of that is dependent on what happens when we leave, like if some other group is lying in wait to take our stuff or something, or there are vampires, or dragons, or you know... whatever it is that made the DM ask if we were going to sneak. :)

Zane listened with foreboding after Ser Armithia crushed the gem, but then just shrugged as it seemed nothing consequential was going to come of it. Certainly something had happened in the restricted area, and it was just as well they weren't there to witness it.

"Let's leave the chest, for now. If we're coming back, maybe we can think of a solution for that, as well, while we get ourselves equipped to fight that thing." Unless anyone objected, the priest was definitely wanting to exit the premises, keeping a keen eye out in case they were followed.

I can't imagine having any IC reason to sneak back into the city...I don't think we were working incognito. Let's just strut in and say what's what.

You decide that discretion is for now the better part of valor, to engage the avian foe without silvered weapons would have been little short of suicide. So you begin the long climb up to the angelic gate and past the metallic mirror in which you saw the hounds. The hounds are depicted in the mirror but they seem to be frozen in time as if awaiting a trigger. You then pick your way out of the library past the garden of incredibly life like statues who you now know to be basilisk victims. You then make your way back to the barricade that marks the boundary of civilized Phlan where your hearts sink to see a familiar and rather unwelcome figure waiting for you.

With a look of pure avarice, Morven surrounded by a bored looking detail of guardsmen welcomes you, "Excellent! Excellent! Welcome back, it's time to asses your taxes! What goodies do you have to declare for me today?"

Sense Motive (Wis): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

The Paladin doesn't even pause in his step. He continues to make his report.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

Sighing, Azarra runs through the things that they found, but just mentioning books in general, showing them in a stack, and bringing out the most valuable ones, like the black-covered one. (She will not hand over the law book, no matter what, and keeps the other ones with "clues" back as well.)

Wondering if the angel they've just liberated is friend or foe, and whether it will be able to roam free through the Library and encounter the demon, maybe needing some help, Ishta goes with the rest to the street level, only to find the tax collector relentlessly razing through their well earned goods. She notices Azarra is cautiously keeping some books away from his eyes, and decides to let the half.elf do the rest of the job.

I'm going to need a bluff check or a slight of hand check or something creative to distract the bean counter from his mission (lawful highway robbery).

Before, we got to choose what to give him. Is that not the case this time? Is he looking for something specific? Darn.

Azarra distracts him by showing him some of the bizarre stuff, and telling him about the "questionable" room where they found the sword.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

As she is digging in her back to show him other things, she pushes the law tome to the bottom and grabs the blue and black tomes they found most recently.

These are the other books that looked valuable, although we would like to keep them. We also found a big chest, but it was really heavy, so we are going to have to go back for it. There are tons more books in there, but we are planning on going back, so we didn't bring much out. Did you see the huge sword?

Bluff: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

I honestly don't remember all the stuff we found, but I don't remember it being a lot. Maybe we should have brought a big stack of minor magic books for him. :)

Knowing that Azarra is good at talking her way around problems (of which Morven is certainly a minor one), Zane decided to let the lovely half-elf take point. The priest couldn't pretend to interact with the tax-collector without clear disdain evident in his tone. Instead, he watched the man closely, looking to see if anything caught Morven's eye more than usual.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31

Any aid anothers? I'll tot up what you found later.

I think that means I didn't quite make it... quick, someone help me out. :)

Being what you call a straight shooter, the gold elf Paladin merely grins.

Bluff Aid: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Ishta notices Azarra getting a bit nervous, so she desperately tries to lend her a hand. Getting closer with decided stance, she breaks in.

"Okay, okay, please let us do our work and, when we're finished, we'll let you do yours. Did we say we're finished? I didn't hear anything about it, right? So please, stay out of the way. This is for your own safety!" she finally shouts to everyone.

OK so four thousand gold bounty was offered by the city for you to escort Delenn into the library and clear it. This task is almost complete.

As you show Morven trinket after trinket he grows more and more rapturous to the point at which it's getting really quite uncomfortable as he tallies the ridiculously large sum you'll be taxed. He was very taken with the estoc and this combined with Azarra's subterfuge and Ishsta's words managed to distract him (just) from certain books you wished to hold back.

"You're not finished? Oh sweet Waukeen please tell me there'll be more!" he breathed as you showed him the last thing

Some of those items are not yet priced, if somebody's feeling keen there's a job there. If not I'll figure it out later.

Azarra will look at it all with detect magic... anything that Ishta and I should try to identify? ... Also, do we have a painting of a wizard or something? I seem to remember grabbing something like that and being worried that an actual guy was going to come out of it and try to kill us. But maybe he did jump out and I don't remember?

"We're not sure yet, but that's our job - being sure of it. So let us finish and we'll do business later, right?"

Oh yes you do have that painting, its worth 8000g to a discerning buyer although it might be hard to sell with a potentially hostile wizard inside. Oh and let's assume everything is identified.

OK so if I got that right you're withholding: The Grand Historian's Records of the Arts of War, Fyerdetha’s Discourses On Power, Urgund’s Description of Darkness and the The Proceedings of the Council of Phlan. Volumes XI to XIV.

After spending what seems an age tallying things up, Morven informs you with a beatific expression, "The tax bill less the four thousand gold reward is the princely sum of forty three thousand three hundred and thirty six gold and fifty silver coins. Payable within one week." His smile is like a cheshire cat as he enthuses, "You are my very best customers, I shall be awaiting your return from the library with baited breath!"

Zane's eyes widened as Morven announced the amount of the tax owed, the sum itself incredulous. Then, of course, he realized suddenly that he and his companions were incredibly wealthy...what good could they do with such a large sum of money? "One week, got it. Please excuse us."

The priest moved past the tax collector and his thugs guards and continued on into New Phlan with the others, wishing to inform Eberhard and his allies of what the party had found in the archives of the Library. Cadorna was seemingly up to something, and moves needed to be made to stop his now.

Ser Armithia previously mentioned reporting your findings as well as Zane just now. Is there anything you'd like to do first? If not I'll move us forward tomorrow.

Azarra wants to send that secret message.

Ishta's plan is to get what we need as quick as possible and return to the library. In her idea, leaving the demon and the "we-don't-know-if-friend-or-foe" angel on their own is not the smartest idea, so that's part of why she made clear the job's not finished - she doesn't want any innocent injured. Getting back to the library would help reinforce such a statement. Then, if the group needs to rest, they can always do it in the sealed room.

To help with that, Ishta offers to stay here, vigilant, while others go find some silver weapons and any other needed stuff, maybe studying a new spell in the meanwhile.

Ser Armithia guards Azarra's movements.

Azarra you find a pen and some paper and can write a note to place in the dead drop which your Harper contact (or one of her other agents) will pick up before long.

There are several smiths in town it shouldn't be hard to find or commission silvered weapons.

I assume you all want to visit the councillors. Do you want to try and meet Eberhard directly or go via Bishop Braccio or von Urslingen?

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

Azarra tells the group about Duncan's Smithy, where they can get any kind of weapon made, even with fancy scroll work. He's a little grumpy, but an amazing craftsman.

When we go to the Smithy, Azarra wants to buy 60 silver-tipped arrows.

On the councilors, I don't remember all the names very well. I think that Von Urslingen is the one that is on our side... is that right? We want to go through him, if so, and make sure that the law book is safe (and hopefully even copied), and not given to someone who will destroy it.

Von Urslingen is the one we kinda-sorta work with/for, yes. There's also Eberhard, who is, I think, a good guy. And the priest of Tymora, Braccio, I think. Cadorna, and one other I can't recall.

Zane went with the others to Duncan's smithy, finding that he is truly as grumpy as promised. The priest thought about it for a moment, then decided to purchase a silver mace to compliment his magical weapon. The potential fight against the demon-thing would fare poorly indeed if the priest were forced into melee combat, but better to be prepared, just in case.

Silver Heavy Mace for 102 gp

Once that was done, Zane was ready to fill in Von Urslingen on the information they had found in the secretive Restricted Vaults, wanting to get that taken care of before the group rested and regrouped to clear out the remainder of Mantor's Library.

Ishta stays behind, making sure to let know that the place is not to be cisited yet. She asks that some guards are placed at the entrance to avoid visitors, and informs the Wardens of Dawn are going to resupply and then finish their work.

When all of this is done, she'll go buy some scrolls (which I'll detail in the Discussion tab later).

I'm going to move us forwards a little.
Having returned to the surface and purchased silver weapons the watchers of dawn where keen to report their findings. Returning the missing Volumes XII and XIV of the proceedings of the Council of Phlan where vitally important. The first transcribed a bill entitled: A General Reform of Archaic Powers, among other things it severely limited bills of attainder. Armed with this the hope was the women rescued from the clutches of the former cult of mask would be spared the noose. The second volume was theoretically even more important, it contained another bill which added a sunset clause which limited the otherwise sweeping promachos powers to a six week period after which they would have to be voted in again by a full session of the council.

So the Watchers of Dawn set out to find von Urslingen. Having visited his private residence before you tried there but nobody was at home. The next logical place was the council chambers but these too were deserted as was Braccio's house. As you debate what to do a boy of seven or eight summers runs up to you and hands Ser Armithia a note. He looks expectantly at you.

Ssr Armithia turns to the group.
We shall be attending service tonight.

He hands the boy a gold piece.
Helm favors honor. Tithe.

I think Braccio is on our side, and (I hope) the temple is a safe place to meet... although we can't be sure he wrote the note, so if anyone suspects a trap, speak up now. We can't let anyone bad get their hands on these books.

Also, Ishta, do you want us to send for you since it seems like this is going to go late? Also, what silver weapon do you want us to pick up for you (retroactively)?

As you wish. I don't really need a silver weapon, I bet you've probably never seen me using a weapon :p

True, true. But I think it is highly resistant to magic as well. If there is a weapon that you want, I am happy to get it for you. Maybe a crossbow with some silver bolts as a backup plan? :)

Zane read the note after Ser Armithia sent the young boy scurrying off with his treasure. He frowned, looking concerned as he passed the note along. "Since when did the councilors start going off to personally confront the undead? It definitely seems strange timing. Still, is there really much else to be done but go to the assigned meeting and hope for the best and prepare for the worst?"

Do you intend to keep any of the loot you found? I assume you're going to sell some of it, do you have any plans for what to do with it all?

We're talking in the discussion thread about what we're keeping, but I assume after we pick out the things we are keeping (and finish up the library) we'll sell the rest, pay the out of control tax, and then pick up some new gear? Totally willing to help the women we saved start new lives or pay a ransom for Delenn's brother as well though, if we find that is a way to save him. We can have a charity fund or something (totally optional to donate to from your share). Is that along the lines of what you were asking?

OK shall I fast forwards to the meeting?

Ready for the meet.

Yeah, sounds good. Can we assume that I have already sent the dead-drop note before this?

Azarra yes, you imagine it will take a little while before your contact replies.

It is a deceptively calm evening in Phlan where the town seems half deserted. The day had been long and hot so this was something of a surprise, the heat of the day had faded and there was a welcome breeze. The watchers of dawn make their way to the Temple of Tymora and are ushered in to find the service underway.

Inside was a large congregation and Braccio wearing his ceremonial robes was delivering a sermon, "The joy of the doubt and the danger is one that everyone here knows, those of the watch in particular. Every time you go out on patrol you are taking a chance it's true but Fortune favors the bold! A brave heart and willingness to take risks beat out a carefully wrought plan nine times out of ten and look how far our stout hearts have takes us! Civilized Phlan is twice the size it was last year." The congregation cheer and when they quieten down Braccio continues, "Our progress is a sign of the ladies favor. They say a copper to the Lady returns tenfold in gold, well my friends what you of the watch are donating here every day with your hard work and your courage will be repaid a thousand fold the day we are finally able to call all of Phlan home!" This sentiment seems to please the crowd greatly leading to cheering and excitement.

Later after the traditional blessing the service wound down and you where left alone in the temple with Braccio and von Urslingen. Braccio smiled when he saw you and said, "I'm glad you where able to come. The auguries suggested you met with success in the Library, which is good because the City has been having a bit of a Torrid time while you where away. You see something is making the dead restless, so much so that I was called out of retirement to help."