"You sound pretty happy about the town's leadership. Can you help us find our friends or not?"
"You sound pretty happy about the town's leadership. Can you help us find our friends or not?"
Eurdan replies, "I have told you where I believe your friends are. Is that not enough for you? I cannot compel Tygora Cinderfury to free them, and even asking could place my people in danger."
"How is the Cinder fellow about gifts? Does he have any soft spots, a person, a hobby, food?"
"Tygora Cinderfury seeks power. I don't know of any soft spots. She has been training our Ifrit kin, and having our smiths in town work overtime to forge new weapons. For what purpose, I do not know. She has full control over Crystalcrag and doesn't need more armaments to keep us in line. I can only imagine she seeks to attack either neighboring genie-kin villages, or perhaps foes elsewhere, such as on the Plane of Fire.
Gifts of weapons or armor or magical items, as well as swearing that you will not threaten her power here or interfere with her ambitions, might be able to free your friends.""You seem hesitant. I would ask a question; how many times in the last century have you had an opportunity to make a change to the status quo? Mayhaps there is something to be gained here for you peoples as well as ours."
"Well.... it is true that opportunities for change are not frequent. But Tygora Cinderfury does not like to be challenged, and she commands the loyalty of many of our Ifrit kin.
There are some who are more eager for change. It is possible that with my influence I could lend some support to you, but do you have any hope of success? How would you seek to go about effecting change?"
"Ask yourself Deluge man: why did the Society send me. The answer should give you a clue as to how this'll go down! HA HA!"
So after the disaster of another game I am running, I am inclined to take a slightly more "nudging" role as a GM. Yes, you can do whatever you want. But there is one path that the scenario "expects" you to do.
"The Society doesn't send me when talking is the preferred approach. But, you seem like you're full of hot air Deluge... I don't mind if you give it a try!"
Patience. First outline the very basics of your plan to Eudran, and then he may tell you about some of the locations in town.
The fortress of Fury's Hold is not on the map, so if you choose to go straight there to petition for your allies' release we could just do that.
Note, however, that even successfully negotiating the other Pathfinders' release would most likely end in you all being escorted out of town and told not to return upon pain of death. Or at the very least being watched and followed.
Doing the Diplomacy route is likely to make more challenging any attempts to recruit allies.
The best at Diplomacy in the party had been my Eldritch Knight with his natural Dwarven charm (+14). Morka I think is next-best at +11.
Patience. We're not on a clock here. I will keep this moving, have no fear, but this is a big decision.
Let James and Morka weigh in.
There is also the possibility of talking to the NPC about these ideas instead of just to each other IC or OOC.
I should add that the "recruit allies" approach also involves a good deal of social skills.
Sneaky sneaking it is then...I'm in!
"I don't know," says Eudran. "My people would support you if you planned to actually remove Tygora Cinderfury from power.
If they were to rally to you, provide a distraction, and then you were to escape with your friends, we would all be left to face the wrath of our Efreeti ruler. I fear her reprisals would be terrible.
If you promised to use their aid to defeat Cinderfury once and for all, they would support you."
"We will take her down. You can count on it. Now give us any information that could help: we're risking our lives for your people."
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Fethril steps forward, "What my eager friend is trying to express is that we both have something at stake. Our allies and your beloved families. Please believe that we have a vested interest in maintaining a relationship with your people beyond a few brief moments. Our organization prides itself on seeking out new cultures and working with them to strengthen and deepen our understanding of their larger contributions to history. It is most apparent that to open true discourse between us, a more amenable leadership would be required."
Eudran responds to Valeros's charm offensive with an impassive stony face.
Fethril has more luck. "I trust the truth of your words. I will commit to aiding you to the best of my abilities. My influence will motivate many oreads but will not rally them all.
There are three locations in town that you should visit to seek additional allies:
I ask two things. First, try to avoid killing any of Tygora's ifrit soldiers. Second, even if you were to depose Tygora, I could not lead Crystalcrag alone in the difficult years that would follow as we recover from centuries of servitude. If my fellow councilor Glaheri still lives, ensure her safety as well."
"Now we're talking. I'm starving as well."
Finally! A tavern...I could use a drink.
Merisiel nods her head at Morka.
That's not a bad plan at all....good idea!
Looks like GM Fez might have overlooked something in the original mission briefing... you were supplied with a potion of Remove Curse, a potion of Cure Serious Wounds, six potions of Endure Elements, and 2 doses of Oil of Taggit. Not sure how useful any of that is, but you have it.
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The Fifth Facet is a square, two-story, stone tavern that sits on the main roadway of Crystalcrag. The smell of charred timber and cooked food waft gently out of multiple windows hewn into the building’s facade.
The tavern is busy, with many Oreads speaking quietly in a language you do not understand.
As you enter, many of the Oreads watch you surreptitiously while others do so with open curiosity. The bartender waves you over.
He sighs, and tries again in accented Common. "Visitors! Come have a drink on the house."
He offers you pints of ale. "I am Delgur. What brings you here?"
"Ale. From grains. Dwarf recipe."
The tavern has some hearty food you can purchase as well (not worth tracking the coppers). The food is not too dissimilar to what you might find in a human community, with the limitations of what you could find or raise in a mountainous environment.
"We don't get a lot of visitors. Were you sent here?"
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Deluge perks up at the mention of dwarven ale.
"Ale! Dwarven, even? Well, then, I'll take a glass or pint or whatever size you serve here, along with a nice meat pie."[b]
Deluge swivels and waves his hand in the general area of the other pathfinders.
[b]"We've been sent on a rescue mission. That Cinder fellow seems to have incarcerated our friends."
Deluge says this in a low enough voice that unless someone were to get closer they would not likely hear it. Then he observes to see if anyone tries.
"Thing is, the odds are pretty steeply slanted against us from what we've heard, so we've come looking for allies."
Deluge pauses to wait for a reply - and ale.
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Fethril glides a finger over the bar before inspecting his tips for dust. He quietly rubs it away while shaking his head. "I suppose wine you be too much to ask for? It matters not. Whatever you think would be most...appropriate." The elf listens to the druid's assessment of the situation. He waits to hear the bartender's response before adding anything else to the conversation. He does look around the bar to see if there is any reaction from any of the locals.
Thank you, Delgur. That's one effective way to get people to stick around and order more drinks. I'll have an ale too, please. And if you have any chunks of bread too? Been working up a hunger walking here. Wasting away to practically nothing... the elf says slapping her flat stomach.
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James sits and says "I'll have an ale as well and whatever meat you are serving tonight. If you mean sent to town they have explained that. If however you mean sent to this tavern, Eudran recommended that it would be a good place for us to visit. Some associates of ours went missing and we were sent to retrieve them. It seems they have been imprisoned by the local tyrant. Gods I hate tyrants."
Fethril can definitely see a reaction from the locals when some overhear Deluge and begin whispering to each other. But it soon becomes obvious what that reaction is...
The bartender nods. "Thought you might be with the ones who came here before.
There are many here who would like a change."
An Oread comes up and talks to Delgur in Terran, animatedly. Delgur waves him off.
"He asks why I am talking to you, and says that Tygora Cinderfury may come for this place next. Well to that, I say, that may happen, but nothing will improve unless we act."
Another Oread chimes in, shouting in broken Common.
Delgur explains, "He means Andoran. One of your fellows was talking about their 'voting' and 'Common Rule'. He likes the ideas."
Still another talks angrily in Terran, and Delgur translates. "His aunt started asking questions about the coming war and tried to talk the Ifrit into deserting Tygora a few months back. Her son, an Ifrit, did leave the barracks and go home, but then he was beaten and dragged back to the barracks. She was angry that not enough of us stood by her. Then she disappeared."
The angry Oread speaks some more, and Delgur continues. "He says if we are going to take action then we had better be committed like an avalanche. He wants to know if this time it will be different."
"It is truly a rare boon to live in a land where the leaders are generous and seek the betterment of their charge. In most lands, however, one must sadly take their own destiny, freedom and prosperity with their own hands. This place here is no different, despite the bonds of kinship that exists between you and the Ifrit sons and daughters that have been force marched into Tygora's ranks..."
Merisiel and Morka, do you wish to make your own checks or Aid Another?
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Morka shakes his head, "we are not from Taldor, and believe me that voting is not always as fun as it sounds." The halfling passes it off as a joke, one which i doubt the oread would understand, "I can understand that deserting such a cause can be seen as weekness, but perhaps the young Ifrit had his own reasons. Mind them now. We come here on good faith from Eudran, who supports this matter entirely. We were sent here to help, and if you want an avalanche of a commitment..." he takes a some ale and scuffs it down quickly, "...you've got one!"