"It is good to see you again Octavio," Geoffrey responds warmly even as he settles into one of the couches resisting the urge to retire to his room for some much needed rest. "Like the ladies said our trip was a success, allowing us to secure the aid of both Vyre and Acisazi, though it was not an easy undertaking. We did not have time to reach the Menador Gap however as the journey back was fraught with danger. Not only ogre bandits but roving fiends crossed our path! Still considering the rebellion is in good shape I feel we can risk another trek...once we have equipped ourselves, that is."
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Stone-faced Octavio doesn't seem to get the devil fart joke, but as you explain your successes abroad in garnering support for the Ravens, he can't help but finally smile. "Outstanding job, truly. With the aquatic elves and the Queens and Kings of Vyre aligning with us, we've already greatly bolstered our regional support against Thrune's next move. The Menador Gap will take us yet another step further."
Octavio takes a seat next to Geoffrey. "There's been lots of talk of Thrune throwing a costume ball for the city at the opera house, even sending invitations across all walks of life. If you ask me, it's just an attempt to soften his public image," he rolls his eyes.
"He's not doing very well at said softening though, considering he's hiked the bridge toll is also up to 2 gold pieces each way. Ridiculous."
"Even still, you must be exhausted. Why don't you rest for the night? Tomorrow, I'll gather our officers and we can have our next Silver Council meeting, and talk about how we might organize our efforts this week."
Victor strolls in with the others but doesn't say much as they recount the last couple week's efforts. He finally pipes up when Octavio mentions the 2g toll hike "Wow, the city must be really cut in half now. No way many can afford that kind of scratch." He comments as he roots around for something to eat.
"Hey, who ate those rolls I had stashed back here? One of those dang birds I bet, they can't keep their beaks out of anything with seeds in it to save their feathers!" He shakes his fist into the air, cursing their avian allies and their keen eyes.
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"Yes, a mission to Menador Gap is our next diplomatic effort, though before we depart, we might want to consider attending - or at least disrupting - this costume ball." The handling regards Issil. "Sounds like the sort of party you'd hate to miss."
"Octavio, you once told us that while the Menador Mountains aren’t impassably rugged, there’s only one navigable pass through the mountains as far as troop movements and trade with the rest of Cheliax are concerned: the Menador Gap," Pádraig Henry recalls. "You said that if this pass were to close, Cheliax would be unable to send additional ground troops directly to Kintargo, and would have to move around the mountains through Nidal or up through Pezzack—both significant detours through areas fraught with their own political troubles."
"What can you tell us about the area and those who control the pass?" he asks.
"I do like parties." Issil grins. "Perfect chance to change minds, or at least cause mischief."
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Octavio sits up and leans forward towards Padraig, a dour look on his face. "You recall correctly, but I've now learned a little more, as well. Based on what the locals have been saying, Menador Gap's all but closed to traffic, and one of Thrune's distant relatives is overseeing the closure. Worse, they are only allowing Thrune loyalists through the pass."
"Geographically, Menador Gap is quite wide, yet at one point, the rugged mountains close in and constrict the pass, transforming it into a section of narrow, winding roads that cling precariously to the mountainsides. At the point at which the mountain roads grow the most narrow, there's a small, but defensible gatehouse, known as Menador Keep. The Keep is how the pass remains controlled."
He leans back. "While I do agree attending or disrupting the costume ball is a strategic course of action, there's still time between now and then, and I think the Keep would be better tackled first."
"So, let's say we try to tackle this Keep. Frontal assault seems unlikely. I could seduce some of the low level guards, but the head honcho isn't that dumb. Probably." Issil laughs. "Maybe there's a structural weakness we can use to cause some chaos?"
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"Hmm, also consider certain recruits who specialize in sabotage, covert actions, or who may be able to place a cache of supplies inside the keep under cover," Octavio adds.
"You may also be able to gather additional information from the locals about Menador Keep as part of your weekly rebellion activities."
"I believe scouting the Keep out first would be the most prudent course of action Issil," Geoffrey responds. "Octavio, getting our hands on the floor plans for the Keep would also be useful. Any ideas on where to find them?"
"Mm, having extra hands at our disposal would certainly be a boon but how long would it take to recruit and get them into shape? We may not have enough time to do this before we need to act against this Keep," Morvena points out. "By all means, we should proceed with adding saboteurs to our ranks but we should also plan as though we will need to proceed without them, at least in this particular case."
"Another party? Wasn't that creepy dinner enough to wet your whistle Padraig?" Victor shoots him a straight faced glance, letting the Halfling incriminate himself if he so chose.
"Let's gather some intel on the place then head out once we can. I'm sure we can find something out about the who's, when's and why's of that Keep once we get closer to it. Must be a gambling hall nearby it right? People's lips get pretty loose when they start winning gold and taking shots." He smiles, jingling some of the ogre's coins in his pocket.
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"Floor plans?" Octavio looks perplexed. "I don't think that's the sort of thing you'd just come upon in any old library, but if anyone would know about such a thing, it would be Rexus. I'll see if he can dig anything up this week. Or perhaps one of you may already know a thing or two about the Keep?"
Morvena shakes her head in the negative. "Not a thing, I am afraid. But I admittedly did not study history as much as magic. Padraig is much more the well-rounded scholar, perhaps he might recall something?"
"Don't look at me. I'm no history buff." Issil shrugs.
"Maybe it's time we hit the streets and try to gather some information. The old fashioned way." Issil grins. "I need to find an enchanter who can glamor this mithral, anyway."
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The next day, you quickly get to work in getting things back on track. First, Laria joins Morvena and Geoffrey as they pass through Aria Park and make a quick stop at the market to gather pamphlets, charcoal, and some noisemakers. Then they hang outside the Temple of Shelyn, asking anyone exiting who looks at least a little trustworthy if they'd support the Silver Ravens.
Managing his team of butchers, Pádraig fans them out across the market for as a different strategy rather than setting up a central shop. Each one offers a dried meat sample to drive sales, the 'Silver' soppressata sausage soon a new crowd favorite.
Finally, Victor and Issil head to the dodgiest part of Kintargo. Where else would you hope to recruit outlaws? He comes upon a disheveled man trollying around an empty yet filthy cart. It's... wait... George aka the Corpse Nuzzler? Seems he's fallen on tough times, with rewards no longer given for vermin extermination, and Thrune has become something of a thorn in his side. Eager to get back on track, and maybe pull some sneaky operations against Thrune, he gathers two of his ex-Chelish Citizens Guard allies and joins the cause.
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"Hey there Mr George! I've heard quite a bit about you. Some fella named Pug that always hangs around trying to sell pigeon hot wings has good things to say about you." Victor gives him a smile "Whatcha up to these days..." And the group heads off for a beer and a chat.
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As the team preps for the trip ahead, Grel makes an appearance, seeing what he can dig up about this Menador Keep. He hits up one of the favorite watering holes of the Chelish Citizen's Guard to see if anyone there is in the know.
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Victor puts on his best CCG disguise to look like Grel, then hits up The Dark Squid, a tavern off the Yolubilis river known to be frequented by the guards.
"Menador Keep, eh? Hummm... I heard it's one of ours now!" A stocky man tells Grel. "One of the Lord-Mayor's relatives is running the joint. Also heard it's got one of those cool self-destruct machines. Press a button and the whole thing comes down! FWOOM!"
"But good luck finding it!"
Issil makes for the market district, where she visits The Newt's shop. This time, a spritely halfling is standing behind the counter, repairing a chain shirt with new links. The apprentice eagerly agrees to help enchant Issil's armor, and though The Newt doubts his abilities, he says to come back at the end of the week to retrieve it.
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Late in the week, everyone returns to the Lucky Bones for the next Silver Council meeting. Rexus, Laria, Octavio, Vendalfek, and Setrona are all in attendance, seated at a round table with the rest of you.
Next to Rexus is a box filled with an old, bound set of documents: the Silver Ravens' records that you had found originally.
"Octavio filled us in, and I was able to find more details in the documents about the Menador Keep. Unfortunately, floor plans aren't one of them." Rexus frowns.
"The keep was constructed by Dwarven engineers in the Age of Darkness. The roads winding through the Gap were meant to increase trade throughout the region. and the keep was meant to defend it."
Rexus continues. "When the keep was constructed, a failsafe - an engine of self-destruction called the Anvil of Unmaking - that could destroy the keep and close the pass was added. The ancient dwarves reasoned it was surely possible to rebuild what they’d already built once, so being able to destroy a structure to deny its use by enemies in the meantime just made good sense."
Octavio scoffs. "Are you seriously suggesting we -"
"One moment, please." Rexus holds his finger up. "Just listen to the facts, for now. The original Silver Ravens learned of this failsafe in the last days of the Chelish Civil War, but by then they were in no position to take advantage of it."
"It lies in a hidden chamber above the keep, which is itself built into an arch of stone that hangs above the pass. If the device is triggered, not only would the keep be destroyed in a massive landslide, but the gap would be erased in a cascade of rock and stone, closing the path to landbound traffic for years—perhaps even decades—before the damage could be repaired."
"Destroy the keep, and close the roads, and stop any potential of reinforcements. I... see." Octavio scratches his chin. "Even still, there may be prisoners there, or valuable intelligence that should not go to waste. I would thoroughly explore the Keep before carrying out any... destruction."
With a frown, Issil plunks 2700 gold pieces and her +2 mithral chain shirt. "Now, take good care of it. I need to look fabulously protected by the end of the week."
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Issil grins as Rexus talks about Anvils. "So we bonk the anvil and the keep collapses? Oh man, that's too easy." She sighs as Octavio mentions the catch. "Right, I guess we should free prisoners. Maybe I'll leave a mark on Thrune's errand boy as he runs screaming from us." She grins again.
"Oh ya? Dang, if they were smart its as far from the bar as they could get!" He slams his mug down and laughs, sloshing foam all over the table. "The dare to end all dares... I DARE you to hit that BUTTON! HA!" Man, that's a dare I'd prolly take cuz I'm a moron sometimes...
"Who's running the place? Doesn't Thrune have, like a lot of relatives? What's their name? Just so I know how to greet 'em if I get promoted and all... " He gives his patented self confident grin.
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Victor attends the meeting in his usual fashion: portraying a lack of attentiveness while really been pretty keen on what's going on. Victor likes people, he deals with people. Always good to have a strong read on someone while they don't have as good a read on you. "Hope you brought more scones this time Laria. Its been a hard few weeks without them..." His eyes wander over, his nose right behind.
"Prisoners? I hadn't thought about that... we best be thorough, real thorough.." His voice trails off as he bites into yet another pastry. "I heard one of Thrune's relatives is running the place now, wonder how many horns they have?" He smirks, apparently most everything is a joke.
"I agree with you Octavio, we should not destroy the Keep until we have had a chance to ascertain whether there are any prisoners or other valuables located inside."
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Pádraig Henry heads to the Tooth & Nail to see what he can learn about Menador Keep and to maybe earn some coin doing a little busking around the neighborhood.
He casts aspect of the nightingale to aid his singing, aware that it won't last long enough to help him gather information about the keep.
With a little coaxing, the halfling convinces Rosebud to help him. The lyrakien summons her fiddle and accompanies the bard's song. "All right, folks. Throw the poor hobbit some coin, why don't you? Feed the starving artists!"
"Mm...it would be best to make some additional observations of the surrounding area then, yes? If there are prisoners to be released then they will need somewhere secure to fall back to while we continue about our business in the Keep," Morvena points out. "Since I highly doubt any of them would be in much shape to aid us directly, at least from a physical standpoint. I would much rather plan for such a potentiality - as much as we can with the information we have - before we actually venture inside."
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"Pshhh, I'd hit the button if I were *hic* there, just to see what happens! It'd be hilarious!" The guard clinks mugs with Grel. "I dunno man, I think it's his cousin, but it's not like I know the Thrune family tree. Does anyone actually *hic* know that thing? Guy's got too many connections. But don't tell him I said that, man!"
Pádraig heads to the more well-known, less dodgy Tooth & Nail, where the locals already know him pretty well, and are eager to see his latest performance, especially with the fiddle-playing lyrakien now bolstering his routine. It's an extraordinary performance, and the crowd showers the duo with silver pieces.
Later on, he speaks with one of his fans inside the tavern. "The Menador Keep, huh? A man by the name of Lucian Thrune is currently running the place. Accessing the Keep is challenging, given the surrounding terrain is both trackless and steep. Unless you take the Ravounel Road directly, you'd need to climb or be able to fly. Could be more dangeorus."
At Morvena, Octavio nods emphatically, an impressed look on his face. "A very strategic point to make. It would be worthwhile to ensure they have somewhere safe to flee to."
"Why not just earthquake the place down!" Squeaks Vendalfek.
"I suppose alternative means do exist, if the goal is to destroy the keep," Rexus nods. "But we'd need a scroll with such a spell, and we'd have to activate it at just the right point. I'm not sure if any of you are engineers, but it sounds like it would be challenging to target the structure in such a manner."
"Challenging but so COOL!" The faerie dragon does a lap around the table, picks up a lemon scone that tests its strength, and drops it on Victor's head.
After rolling his eyes, Octavio leans forward on the table, looking at the party. "Well, what do you think, Silver Ravens? Are you ready to leave for the Keep?"
Victor swipes at the scone but is too slow, sending a shower of crumbs all around him. "Two stars out of 5 Vendel. Step up your game while we're gone." He grins, picking up the leftovers and stuffing them in a pocket for later.
"Steep terrain? Flying? Not good. We're a bunch of city slickers here without so much as a compass. Maybe some scrolls of flying or something like that would help us out Morv?" He draws out some ogre coin and plops it on the table.
Geoffrey strokes his newly trimmed mustache in thought, "Yeah I think flying would be a good way to scout ahead, but keep in mind flying people are very easy to spot. Still," He glances over at Rosebud, "I think it is worth the risk."
He turns to face Morvena, "How about some form of teleportation magic? Would that be a way to bypass some of the obstacles in front of us?"
"Climbing kits, grappling hooks, and plenty of silk rope might prove useful," Rosebud adds.
"What about the climate and altitude?" she asks Octavio. "Any precautions we should take?"
"Climbing kits, grappling hooks, and plenty of silk rope might prove useful," Rosebud adds.
"What about the climate and altitude?" she asks Octavio. "Any precautions we should take?"
"The climate around here is pretty hostile, so I think that's a safe bet for there too. Attitude ain't great here either!" Victor smirks. You aren't quite sure if he's serious or just ignorant to the subjects at hand.
"Teleportation? Unlikely, unless someone is able to secure us the means to do so," Morvena respond, shaking her head. "By my recollection, even the smallest of such spells is still currently beyond my ability to grasp...and even if that weren't the case, I don't think I am powerful enough to take more than maybe two or three others with me."
"Now, flying...that is something I can help with, provided we can procure a scroll of such a spell," she quickly adds, not wanting to appear completely useless. "As Geoffrey says, flying people can be easy to spot but we might be able to utilize Invisibility to mitigate that."
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Issil leans back in her seat. "Potions or scrolls of flying are useful. Or we can ask Rosie here to fly around. No one's gonna notice her from afar."
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"I don't imagine the climate will be very different, but you'll be pretty high off the ground," Octavio shrugs, looking over at Rexus for a more exact figure.
"Perhaps a few thousand feet, at most," Rexus leans over to pull out one of the volumes, and fans through the pages. "Ah, yes. About three thousand feet, according to the records kept by the original Silver Ravens."
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On their way back from the Tooth & Nail, Pádraig Henry and Rosebud pay Newt a visit.
"One climber's kit, two silk ropes, and a grappling hook, please," the halfling says. "Here's 101 pieces of gold, thank you."
Stuffing the new gear in their handy haversacks, the pair bid farewell to the merchant and rejoin their companions.
"We're ready."
"Well. Time to get my armor back. And then buy a grappling hook. I got rope already." She grins.
Issil returns to Newt and dons her armor. "Nice! I'll sell the old armor once I get back." She snaps her fingers and dons her favorite red dress. "Perfect. See ya."
Geoffrey decides to equip himself with a climber's kit as well. Once he rejons the others he comments, "I did not spend much time in scaling sheer cliffs, preferring to enjoy dips in the harbor instead." He chuckles lightly, "Let's hope the cliffs are not too bad!"
"Good to know that there should not be an appreciable difference in the climate, aside from perhaps being slightly chillier," Morvena nods. As the group sees fit to begin scattering and purchasing supplies, the young woman considers her options...and then sighs.
"I suppose that one cannot always rely on magic alone. I suppose I shall pick up a climbing kit as well, if you think it would be wise. And either way, I will purchase that scroll and add it to my book..."
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Stocked with climbing supplies, flying spells, and enough rations and water to last more than few days, you depart Kintargo once more, this time due southeast, towards the sprawling Menador Mountain range.
Just as you exit town, Victor feels something moving in his pack. As he lifts open the flap, the trickster faerie dragon, Vendalfek, appears, canceling his invisibility spell and giggling as if he'd just gotten away with something. On his back is a miniaturized tome. "Feels good to get out of that dingy basement. Even with the remodeling, there's something about the Lucky Bones that has a permanent wet dog smell."
"Heard you guys might want a travel companion, and I happen to know a thing or two about these parts," he adds.
Weather: Cloudy, about 75 F, light breeze
You are here
You follow a stone path leading out of Kintargo due east for a few hours. Vendalfek points his tail to the woods as he combs through the tome. "Let's see. To our south lies the Ravounel forest. Rumors have begun to surface recently that a cult of Rovagug may be active within the wood, but no hard evidence has been found so far. Older rumours of strix and malicious fey have ensured the old forest has a dangerous reputation, and so the region has never been well populated."
He shuts the book. "Say, it might be a good time to prepare yourselves, if there's magic you'd normally use. Never know what we're gonna run into out here!"
"A Cult of Rovagug? Didn't Lucinda follow that dark god?" Geoffrey loosens the hilt of his blade, ready to draw it quickly. "We should be on the lookout for trouble, but I see no reason to brave the Ravounel now."
"Lucina followed a different god. Some demon whore." She casts Resist Energy(Fire) on Geoffrey. "Just in case we need to burn something in the next 70 minutes. I'll try to avoid hitting you."
"Mm, I already have my Mage Armor up - these days I never begin my day without it," Morvena chuckles. "Still, any extra preparation cannot hurt. Especially if there are potentially rogue cultists skulking about!"
She flips through her book for a moment and finds one of the spells she'd deemed useful - and tasteful - enough to copy from the foul aboleth's spellbook. "Ah yes, here we go. Harnessing energies to bolster one's lifeforce..."
"Perfect! I am ready to proceed," Morvena declares, slamming the book shut and returning it to her pack.
3rd - Dispel Magic, Displacement, Haste, Summon Monster III
2nd - Burst of Radiance, Create Pit,
1st - Grease,
Victor draws out his dagger, then plucks out one of Vendalfek's scales and slices it in two "Yup, I'm good you little stow away. If this was last week I coulda had ya walkin' the plank fer that!" Instead he chuckles and slides the dagger back into its sheath. He does get his buckler attached though.
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"Hey, hands off the scales!" Vendalfek dives away from Victor, landing on Geoffrey's shoulder. "Nice 'stache, man. Hope you don't fancy faerie dragons the way that guy does." He points the end of his wing judgmentally at Victor.
The trail continues for some time, still largely paved in cobblestones, making for easy travel. All is quiet for some time, and the breeze and warmer weather makes the trip quite comfortable.
But an hour later, then there's a loud roar from the sky. Looking up, you see not one, but two dark blue dragons, their wings immense and their tails tipped with hooked stingers! They dive down and hover just above the party, kicking up a cloud of dust with their wings.
"See? This is what happens when you pluck my scales!" The faerie dragon snaps, hiding in Geoffrey's scabbard.
Rosebud
Geoffrey
Victor
Green
Morvena
Pádraig
Blue
Party Buffs: None
Environmental Conditions: None
Monster Lore: DC 21 Arcana
"They're blue dragons! Watch out for their special attacks, like ___________!" Rosebud warns the team, recognizing the pair of flying monsters.
"In the name of blessed Milani, I pass the judgment of sacred destruction upon you!" the inquisitor pronounces. "Everbloom, grant your servant your divine favor!"
The lyrakien azata flies a short distance away from the others, hoping to present a less lucrative massed target array to the dragons.
"Hey Rosie. Are they flammable?"
"Ah, yes, dragons. How fortuitous," Morvena groans as the pair swoop down on the group. "Rosebud is correct! These are blue dragons and I believe they are vulnerable to _____ !"
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Rosebud and Morvena recognize the blue dragons, more commonly known as wyverns. They have the rake special attack, allowing them to deal additional damage to any foe who they may grapple. Unfortunately, they don't have any weaknesses or vulnerabilities in particular.
Rosebud (Divine Favor)
Geoffrey
Victor
Green
Morvena
Pádraig
Blue
Party Buffs: None
Environmental Conditions: None
Monster Lore: Wyverns. Rake special attack (2 talons, +10)
"Wyverns eh?" Geoffrey grunts as he decides to break out his seldom used bow here. "Best to scatter here!' He adds as he steps aways from the others and nocks an arrow, letting it fly!
"The question is: do they like a face full of acid? PEW PEW!" Victor steps forward to get in range, flings a gob of acid at green to show Geoff how its done, then draws his trusty dagger.
"Time to dance dragons!" He wiggles his butt in their general direction, dropping it as if it were hot.
Debilitating Injury (Ex): At 4th level, whenever a rogue deals sneak attack damage to a foe, she can also debilitate the target of her attack, causing it to take a penalty for 1 round (this is in addition to any penalty caused by a rogue talent or other special ability). The rogue can choose to apply any one of the following penalties when the damage is dealt.
***Disoriented: The target takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls. In addition, the target takes an additional –2 penalty on all attack rolls it makes against the rogue. At 10th level and 16th level, the penalty on attack rolls made against the rogue increases by –2 (to a total maximum of –8).