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Uro hoists the unconscious wood elf over his shoulder, and you make it the rest of the way without further incident. Lady Vanderboren of course sees you immediately.
She apologizes for not serving wine this time: "I just sold the entire contents of the cellar to pay the Jade Ravens, who haven't come back yet... I'm a little concerned about that. But what of your mission? Did you find my brother? Did he have the money?"
Spotting Uro's burden, she adds, "Do you need some help with this, uh, person?"
"My Lady, while at Kraken's Cove, we encountered a portion of the Crimson Fleet, who are also searching for your brother because he apparently owes them money. We think that Gwlybwr was slaughtered by one of their captains, a lady named Harliss. While there, we learned that she is hoping that you have her money, and if not, your death will send a message to Vanthus. When we learned this, we rushed back to Sasserine as soon as we could, but we just got attached by four hired goons right down the street. My guess is that they're from the Lotus Dragons, so assassins from the Crimson Fleet might still show up!
"Your dress looks lovely, by the way! It would go really nicely with an emerald necklace, if you could still afford jewelry. Quite fetching! Is there a place where you can hide until this gets sorted out? Oh, and this is an elf we found. We accidentally turned him against Vanthus, so we allied ourselves with him before he could find a reason to turn against us, also."
Uro nods. "Yeah. More or less that."
She stares at you, and if she weren't so well-bred, she would gape open-mouthed.
Then she pulls herself together and shakes her head. "I'll not hide in the vault where Vanthus stole our family fortune," she says, "I have nowhere outside the city to run to, and would not invite death into the houses of anyone in the city I could stay with."
She pushes a small pile of coins across the table. "Since the Jade Ravens aren't here to claim this, I'd like to use it to hire you to hang around the manor until this menace is abated or they money runs out."
Then she reviews your report in her head, and says, "To the side of that, may I ask what makes you think these 'hired goons' were from the Lotus Dragons? Is there any chance you are mistaken?"
"Well, they singled us out of the crowd -- implying that they recognized us -- AND they wanted to kill us, so the Lotus Dragons are the only ones I can think of that check both of those boxes. However, I once asked my Oma for Vorspiel at Hassenbock Heritage Month Dinner instead of Vorspeise, so after that, it's pretty much always possible I'm mistaken."
She suspects you're not telling her everything you know, but apparently fails to pick up on your outright falsehoods.
Uro cocks his head at Jyms explanation. "I think the goons were hired by that Harliss nutjob, not the Lotus Dragons."
Lady Vanderboren blurts at Uro, "If that's true, perhaps there's still hope for the others!"
"The others?"
Uro cocks his head at Jyms explanation. "I think the goons were hired by that Harliss nutjob, not the Lotus Dragons."
"Possible, but I don't see how Harliss got here before us, and the men that she sent here had already left Kraken's Cove before they even knew we existed."
Drevoraz is moving overland through the swamps, which is hard going, but he's pushing himself as much as he can safely -- fast march for 8 hours, then forcing himself to rest, etc. That's what those "secret" rolls were -- his Survival and Endurance checks.
The module declares that whenever you get to the manor, it's already too late, and Drevoraz has already taken Lady V hostage, which is really stupid, because he has no teleportation ability and can't possibly outpace a ship. But remember, the Sea Wyvern is large enough that it needs a crew to sail, so he couldn't take that, either. So he's hustling, but by hiring a ship thanks to Jym's Streetwise, you managed to get back first.
"The others?"
"The Jade Ravens -- you met them on your first visit here, I think. I, uh... I might have been foolish. After you came back from the Lotus Dragon headquarters with no trace of the money, I sent them to look more carefully..."
Despite her breeding, she's about to break out sobbing, but calls on some steel inside her to maintain her poise.
"You see, if the goons had been hired by them to kill you, it would have been a clear message from the Lotus Dragon. But if they were unrelated, it could be that the Jade Ravens are lying low and still haven't been discovered."
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Jym considers the bloody elf lying on the ground.
"Oh! I had just assumed that these were vials of rum lying around on Captain Harliss' ship, but thinking about it, that doesn't make much sense. I bet they're healing potions! Ha ha! Oops!"
Jym starts pouring the vials down Ixotl's throat.
Yep. He heals him right up.
Ixolt coughs and sputters as you pour the "rum" into him, and soon sits up and looks about him in surprise, as the halfling continues force-feeding him the contents of the vials.
Meanwhile, looking at the coins on the table, Lady Vanderboren asks Uro, "Can I rely on you to guard the manor? I've sent the remaining servants home, so until the Jade Ravens return (I must assume they will), there is only myself and one house-guest: a priest who knew my parents somewhat."
Uro nods. "Certainly. We came here to protect you. That's what we intend to do." The orc looks around. "We need to get somewhere defensible though. Any thoughts?"
Jym offers up what he knows of the manor and the surrounding area to help Uro plan.
A poisonous flash crosses Ixotl's eyes as he regains consciousness. The look of unbridled horror is fleeting as he gains control of his expression and rises to his feet.
"To strike from surprise and overwhelm your enemy before he is aware of the danger is something I have studied my whole life. I have not been so humbled by another since I was a child. My quarry - our common enemy - is powerful indeed to have such capable followers."
Turning to the discussion in securing the house, he offers his perspective.
"I will conceal myself upon the roof, or within a high window overlooking an entrance. Any who attempt to enter with hostile intent shall receive a lethal strike to the skull. The unspeaking one will alert me to any who approach so no entrance will lie unguarded. I will rejoin the fight wherever is needful, though melee is not my forte. Obviously."
I've never really had to guard...anyone...ever...so uhm...
Elebrin punctuates her confusion by pointing at various location she could move to or stand at and then shrugs and looks at the others.
It occurs to Uro that Lavinia's manor is one of the least-defensible places one could have picked. There's a front gate and postern door, and even a small stream entering the grounds and flowing under part of the manor, to feed a pond in the inner courtyard. The place isn't fortified in any way except for an impressive-looking (but easily climbed) stone outer wall. The grounds inside the wall have a lot of trees giving convenient cover to invaders -- obviously they'd been trimmed way back at one point, but no one has done that in a while. You could maybe hole up in the cellar, but that leaves nowhere to escape to if things go bad.
The area surrounding the grounds is urban, meaning there are plenty of alleys and other buildings that attackers can use to sneak up, or for vantage points or cover. Your one happy thought is that the Crimson Fleet don't seem to go in much for subtlety, so you figure a frontal assault is about their speed.
Jym, looking at the neighborhood, remarks that your best hope may be for a lot of commotion to break out so that the neighbors and/or city watch show up very quickly.
Assuming you look around the manor, the numbered locations on p. 8 are as follows:
GROUND FLOOR
1. Atrium; 2. Statues of Vanderboren ancestors; 3. Library; 4. Study; 5. Art Gallery (now mostly empty); 6. Trophy Hall w/taxidermy (sabre-toothed tiger, giant toad, 8-legged golden badger, etc.); 7. Courtyard; 8. Kennels (with 3 mastiffs -- Uro thinks he might be able to make friends with them); 9. Storage; 10. Servants' Quarters; 11. Bathroom; 12. Private Dining Room; 13. Washroom; 14. Privy; 15. Hidden Armory.
FIRST FLOOR
16. Guest Rooms (2); 17. Laboratory; 18. Shrine (to Fharlanghn); 19. Training Room; 20. Laundry; 21. Balcony; 22. Kitchen.
BASEMENT
23. Basement; 24. Reservoir.
SECOND FLOOR
25. Lavinia's BR; 26. Vanthus' BR; 27. Master BR.
Ixotl stakes out a vantage on the roof overlooking the main gate. Laying supine on the cold clay tiles, he sends his consciousness out into the void.
Opening his eyes, he watches as the city slides slowly beneath his gaze, the sound of the unspeaking one's wings cutting through the air reassuringly familiar in this vigil. He smothers the doubt that sprouted in his recent defeat, putting it aside as the thrill of the hunt consumes him.
He watches all whom approach the wall, especially near the front gates and the flowing stream. Anyone he spots attempting to climb the wall or sneak inside will not be given charitable warning.
Shouting is audible from outside the hall where the group is gathered, and suddenly a door is flung open with a crash. A powerfully built, fairly short man with an unruly mop of brown hair and an open, cheerful but currently anxious countenance bursts in on the groups council of war.
Lavinia! Lavinia! Oh there you are My Lady!
Turning to the group with a brief smile -- Im sorry everyone I didnt mean to intrude! I am Bal - Bal Main, a house guest of the family.
Turning back to Lavinia, in a whisper that is clearly audible to the group (although not intentionally) --
Lavinia, what is this the major domo was telling me this morning before leaving in a hurry - are you in some kind of trouble? Even I can see that something is amiss here. After everything you have done for me these last weeks in my time of need, please, is ... is there any way at all I can begin to return the favor?
Lady V seems mortified at the breach of propriety, but is also aware that she can't afford to turn down help. "Jym, Uro, Elebrin, this as you have just heard is Bal Main, a friend of my parents', who was gracious enough to come immediately when he learned of their funeral."
She introduces him to the group in turn: "Bal, please do join us. Jym Withawye has become something of an unofficial emissary for the House. His companions are both brave and resourceful, and have rendered us no small service: Uro is as staunch a friend as one can ask for; Elebrin is quiet, but perceptive and wise. There is another elf, whom I've not properly met, on the roof -- perhaps talking to pigeons or checking for leaks, I'm not certain. A few others have come and gone as well -- I don't believe I'm kidding myself when I say that Jym seems to know everyone in the city."
"Bal is a priest -- though not of Fharlanghn, my parents' patron, his advice and counsel are always well worth listening to."
"Hello, Bal! Nice to meet you! Lavini--" Jym stutters at Lady Vandorvoren's glare, "--Lady Vandorboren is likely to be attacked by assassins very soon! We're not sure if it's pirate assassins or carnie assassins, but the difference seems academic at this point!
"I like your boots! They seem very sturdy. Arch supports can be very important. Uro was just about to tell us where he wants all of us positioned to best defend against these taxidermist assassins!"
Jym absently scratches at the wound where the mutated roadrunner pecked him. He is surprised when pieces of gray skin and hair flake away.
Elebrin nods with thanks at the praise and purses her lips at Jym's shedding but thinks twice on mentioning it in the presence of the Lady Vanderboren. It did not seem that Jym was dying this second and there was no point in fretting if the assassins killed them all.
I believe Ixotl is using the moment to lie in wait should someone choose to come through the top of the house...but I too would like Uro's assessment of best tactics in this situation.
Ha - arch support and a good stout toebox Bal grins at Jym briefly before returning to business. My old master at arms would tell us to expect the unexpected - a feint in the east and a surprise attack from the west. There seem to be more obvious weak points on this plan of the estate than we have bodies to defend them. Can we barricade some of these access points and funnel the enemy towards us? Pirates would probably use boats and water access if given the choice and if they felt that would be to their advantage... Elebrin, Jym, Uro - well met. I am going to arm and will meet you back here shortly to discuss further. I think the basement water access is a major defensive weakness we need to consider though. After his flurry of speech, Bal is as good as his word, abruptly leaving the room, and returning adorned in segmented armor, and bearing a sheathed straight sword and a serviceable well-used shield, shortly thereafter. [/B]
Elebrin nods at Bal's introduction and as Uro seems otherwise occupied, tunrs to Jym, Perhaps the best option is to simply find the most defensible place we can with perhaps a less than obvious means of retreat and wait for them to come to us?
Lady Vanderboren seems confused as to what to do.
"Father Bal, Sir Uro, the basement is this way, if you'd like to follow me?"
Yes indeed - Lead on!
Lady Vanderboren leads you into the taxidermy room (#6)and unlocks a heavy wooden door on the north side of the room. From there, stairs descend to the basement.
The situation there is worse than you thought. The basement has no obvious doors, etc. except for the stairs back up and a small closet (#24) that holds row upon row of jars of fresh water -- so a siege, at least, seems unlikely to accomplish much. However, there are archways to the north and south, allowing the stream to flow directly through the basement. Small fish swim in it, and algae grows on the bottom. Any creature that doesn't mind swimming (or simply wading waist-deep in water) could easily wander into the basement that way.
The lock on the door to the stairs seems almost like an afterthought, as if the builders were vaguely aware that the stream-flowing-through-the-basement, which makes for a catchy gimmick and neat conversation piece, isn't exactly security-conscious.
Elebrin offers a half sigh, So...Do we try to bar the door or...?
Uro dips a foot into the water. "Where exactly does this stream lead? Maybe we can use it to escape?"
Elebrin perks up as though hearing something for the first time, Oh can we escape? Is that...an okay thing to do?
Lady Vanderboren looks crestfallen.
"Sir Uro, the stream leads out onto the grounds of the estate, and past them into the drainage system and canals of the city. Certainly our friend Gwlybwr could swim to safety that way, but for the rest of us, it's not so sure."
"Dame Elebrin, the real issue, I think, is that I could escape to... where, exactly? As I said, I'd not willingly bring an assassin down on any of the friends I have in the city...
"Wait, I have my mother's journal here; she mentions father establishing a colony he called Farshore, on an island she gives the unwelcome name of 'The Isle of Dread'... if that colony even still exists, it would be certain to be secret from our pursuers.
"But it occurs to me that whether I stay and die, or flee to some primitive colony, either way I lose my life and estate both. So, pragmatically speaking, I might as well stay here and fight."
Elebrin nods sheepishly, Well perhaps then we should secure the door in some way to ensure we aren't ambushed by ambitious swimmers but make it that we might be able to open it if we need to use the space as a last desperate refuge?
Uro shakes his head."I don't think that we should stay here. There in no place in this manor that is usable as a last stand." The orc scratches at his wiry beard in thought. "Lavinia, this is the noble district, i can't imagine the guard here would be happy with fighting in the streets, right? Maybe we make our way outside and make as much commotion as possible? Draw the guard into the fight in hopes of evening the odds?"
She looks deeply conflicted -- it doesn't take a sense motive check to see that one part of her is attaching a lot of hope to Uro's words, while another rejects them point-blank. Finally she stutters,
"That would preserve our lives, I'm fairly certain -- but how long can we remain in crowded public places under the guard of the Watch? Surely a killer determined enough to wade all the way here through the awful marshes from Kraken's Cove would be willing to wait a few days if need be?"
She adds, "I should also hate to lose the manor. Maybe if these, uh, people, arrive and find no one home they'll leave it alone? Or would they burn it down in a fit of anger? I don't know how people like that think. Jym, would it help to leave out cakes for them, do you think? No, wait, of course not. I'm not thinking well. What would my parents have done?"
She thinks a few more minutes, making you all very impatient, then finally draws a deep breath.
"They would want me to live," she says decisively, "and to hell with the house. So, okay, we go. But where to? Do you know of a place that's more suited to what you see coming? Maybe somewhere we can ambush them, instead of the other way around?"
She steps over to the basement stairs, fiddles with a candelabra, and a secret panel opens. Inside is a veritable small arsenal -- she buckles on a rapier and a dagger, then grabs a pair of boots and a suit of studded leather armor. You notice the baldric already has four potions set into belt loops. "OK, this is all I need from the house." With a gesture, she offers you access to the closet.
"I'm ready -- take what you need and let's go!"
"I don't know much about this place. What is the area with the most concentration of authority? We can draw them there. I assume if a brawl breaks out, the guards will be on our side and not the pirate invaders, you being a noble and a resident and all."
Frowning, she unbuckles the baldric and asks, "Did you not say that you were ambushed on the way here?" Without waiting for a reply, she unselfconsciously divests herself of her gown while adding, "Surely they would wait for a better chance, if there were guards about?" She pulls on the leather armor while adding pointedly, "I doubt we can simply move into the Watch station for an indeterminate period of time -- unless your plan involves us getting ourselves arrested?"
Finally, she pulls on the boots and re-buckles the baldric, armed and ready. She turns to the halfling:
"Jym, surely you have an idea? Where would you go?"
Uro shrugs. "Alright. I can kill people wherever." The orc pulls his great axe off of his back and begins hitting it with his whetstone, waiting for Jyms plan.
Jym picks up a very clearly labelled wand of cause fear and hangs onto it.
"How come Uro and the new guy can call you by your first name, but I -- okay, okay, nevermind. My Lady, I understand that you don't want to bring harm to your friends by asking them for help, but what about seeking the assistance of people that are not your friends? There are plenty of opportunistic nobles around who will readily provide you with resources now in return for a completely unfair and inordinately excessive payment or favor later. It's kind of what nobles are known for. No offense. The possibility of having a debt owed to them once your wealth is restored should be very appealing."
"I mean, I can't think of anybody that would take that deal, but maybe you could?
"Failing that, what we need most of all is time. If we do manage to escape, we can try to find someone who will be willing to hide you while we find these attackers and approach them on our terms."
"I have some ideas on where you would be safe."
Elebrin knows more than her fair share of attachment to homes, her mother often spoke of their own home as almost being the most important part of how they projected their "status".
Hopefully if we leave their drive to find us will minimize the amount of time spent trying to loot, pillage or harm the house?
She smiles. "Any who assist me at this time can address me howsoever they please -- and that certainly includes you, dear Jym. And your idea has merit, although many of the noble houses disdain my parents as 'nouveau riche' and would like nothing better than to see our ruin.
"I still worry about the Jade Ravens, who went to the Lotus Dragon headquarters and have thus far not returned. If only there were some way to send the assassins there, where either the thieves or the Ravens could deal with them? But of course, I must assume the Lotus Dragons and the pirates are in league with one another... or maybe not, if you say Vanthus was a friend of the Lotus and the pirates want to kill him now?
"Alas, I have no idea how to engineer that sort of double-crossing duplicity."