Strength and Fear: An Ustalavic Kingmaker Campaign

Game Master vayelan

"Yes, I guess they are. But child? How old do you think I am? You Aasimar are hard to judge, but chances are, I could be your grandfather."
Shontar paused the conversation to study the more importants matter again. He looked around, watching for any surprises and followed the negotiations for a minute. Hearing they went on in a meaceful manner, he turned his head back to Valda.
"I'm sorry. I am well versed in many languages, but yours isn't one of them. The Sign we can teach you. Chao will be thrilled to do so and he's a patient teacher, too. Won't ever shout at you, you know?"

Bashuk clears her throat pointedly, placing her hands on her hips and glaring around at theses strangers. "So do we have a deal or no? My people are in danger and cannot afford delays."

'OH my.' Turning from her conversation with Shontar, Valda looks towards where the countess is meeting with the orcs. 'The one called Bashuk is quite direct. I shall pray grandmother crow gives the dear patience.'

Turning back to Shontar, she smiles. 'We are all grandmother crow's children, dear." She winks, "and if not her's now, eventually Pharasma's, whom I revere as well."

Removing her helm to make sure her lips are visible, she turns to Chao. "Dear boy, do you read lips?"

Chao appeared to be observing carefully the opposition and made no movements be himself, except those from his horse that he doesn't seem to becontrolling perfectly well.

When Valda addresses him, he looks at her with a questioning face and shakes his head in a clear no-I-don't-movement.

I was here, just giving others a chance to chime in and RP.

Your proposal has merit, Fire Dancer. But, there is no time to iron out the details right now and each side must think things through as to what makes the most sense.

We will take you on good faith, and follow you into the maw of darkness. Will you trust us to be open and fair in our negotiations in the aftermath?

Valeska looks to her people, including Gargan and his crew then up to the Orcs.

History will be made today. How shall we be remembered? Those who would walk forth in the name of... What's the right word, here?

Moved, she raises her starknife as a symbol and not a weapon. ...LIGHT... prepare yourselves.

Fire Dancer, are there any among you who are in need of urgent healing? It seems the gods have provided. She indicates Valda.

Firehair appears impressed - or at least satisfied - by Countess Valeska's oratory. The epithet "Fire Dancer" seems especially pleasing to the chieftain.

"None of our kin are in immediate danger of death," she replies. "The Burning Angel has blessed me with a healing touch that has saved the worst injured. They will need some time to recover, but they will survive. It is more important that we prevent another raid by the dark folk, or else we risk more injuries and worse."

Bashuk and Mahja are able to inform the rest of the party that there are a number of caverns along the base of the cliffs that connect to a large tunnel system through a number of fissures and widened passages. The dark folk have been using these to sneak out at night and conduct their raids. Thus, the Burning Suns members have set up camp only in the caverns without such connections or ones with singular, narrow passages that are easy to guard.

"I have no doubt that these tunnels wind up and down through the cliffs, reaching up to the fortress' cellar and down into Nar-Voth," the chieftain adds. "Whether they were carved by orcs, humans, or the dark folk themselves, I cannot say."

So, they are not to be reasoned with? I've never had the pleasure of encountering their kind, these dark folk. And, from a more tactical perspective... how does one best deal with them in combat?

Do they... bleed? Valeska's look is sharp.

Kain listens intently to Nikolai as he goes over his knowledge of the fort.

Aye, some of the goes without saying as far as the fortress itself goes. What do you know about its layout? Where do you think the best locations to act as a staging point would be? If there are tunnels leading deeper into this underdark, do you think it would be possible to close them off without damaging the structural integrity of the fortress?

Seeing the conversation with the Orcs go well, Valda takes a moment and returns her greatsword to the scabbard on her horse and mounts her grey mare so she may advance with the others.

Answering the Countess, she quotes, almost as if from memory. "Dark folk are a race of humanoids that primarily dwell in the upper reaches of the Darklands. They speak a language known as Caligni. They have gaunt builds with pale complexions and white eyes." She shrugs, nodding toward her companion, "I'd wager the good Doctor knows more than I." She smiles, "And I would assume the best way to deal with them would be with extreme prejudice."

"They bleed. I made sure of that," Firehair declares with grim pride.

"Our arrows, when they found their mark, pierced their bodies same as any orc or human. We slew a number of them, but they reclaimed the bodies in the dark of the night. All the same, we know they are mortal.

"Ironically, the best approach would be through the fortress itself," the chieftain says, pointing towards the gothic battlements above.

"They avoid the sunlight, even more so than our own warriors." She hazards a look skyward, able to endure the cloud-cloaked sun. "I suspect it is still too bright for them. For now, they leave the parapets and towers unguarded, which is more than I can say for the caverns and tunnels within the cliffside.

"Thus far, the counterattacks I've led have been through those tunnels, so they keep them guarded. An assault through the fortress' cellars, along with your timely arrival, would doubly take them by surprise."

Nikolai takes all their thoughts and information together, his eyes unfocused as he processes through it all. When Valda mentions his knowledge, a sly grin spreads across his face as he clears his throat.

"The Caligni, the name that they prefer, are incredibly sensitive to any light that has the intensity of daylight. They would be blinded if exposed and then their sensitive sight would leave them frazzled and unfocused as long as they stay within such brightness. Their talents, however, are far more dangerous." Nikolai's tone becomes grim as he speaks of their abilities.

"All of the Caligni are skilled in violent tactics emphasizing maximum damage as well as the use of poison on their blades. The dark creepers, the shorter and more numerous of their kind, are fanatically loyal to the dark stalkers to the point of suicidal charges. The latter uses this hierarchy with no regrets. They can see in all kinds of darkness, including magical darkness, and all of them are capable of creating magical darkness on their own. Furthermore, all of them have some kind of strange reaction upon death. The smaller ones explode into a flash of bright light, enough to automatically stun the others nearby them. Dark stalkers erupt into catastrophic flames. The dark dancers tend to encourage and aid their allies through mystical dances and can bestow curses upon their enemies." Finishing his words, he would nod to the others. "We will want to be observant and keep things lit as much as possible. Fight alongside each other and keep them from being able to flank us too much. If anyone can create daylight or other equivalent sources of light, it would be most effective against their magic." Nikolai would point to the fortress's gate, nodding in agreement with the orc chieftess.

"Attacking through the fortress's cellar would be unexpected. We must be careful of any threats that may be lingering within however. I-I am ready whenever you are, Countess."

Shontar listens thoroughly to the new guy and nods heavily. His gestures suggest he knew all of this already and is confirming Nikolai's statements.
Bluff: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

"How do we handle their darkness and light sensitivity? I and many others here do not see well in darkness."

Informative but, not encouraging... Nikolai. Luckily we need little encouragement.

Valeska looks to Ms. Kindler. It's too dangerous to take you with us for the assault. Are you alright staying with Gargan and the Burning Suns? I believe you will be safe.

Igaz, are you coming? If not, you can stay.

If they create darkness, would an everburning Ioun torch keep the area lit? I've heard they are made from magic, but I have no real clue if the magic used to make them is powerful enough to deal with this magical darkness.

I won't have blind fight for another level or three haha. Ain't that how it goes XD.

"Well, if we do not have the magical means to prevent their magic, then the next best bet is to eliminate them quickly and with extreme prejudice. Long-range spells and ranged attacks would be best to avoid their death throes as well." Nikolai ponders Kain's question, his head going back and forth. "Possibly against the darkness created by the creepers. The stalkers have more powerful magic they are capable of though, so I do not think it would work against them."

"The magic I've recently imbibed makes me sharper of mind and of tongue. It'll last for awhile but not indefinitely. I would like to begin our incursion at our earliest possibility if we are to do so today."

ninja'd by Nikolai, will edit

I won't have blind fight for another level or three haha. Ain't that how it goes XD.

I though leaving Valda with darkvision instead of a halo would make thinks easier, apparently not.

'Good, the one called Bashuk will be joining us.' Riding near, Valda turns to the orc, "Bashuk dear, how difficult will it be to get to the Fortress' cellar?" The big dapple-grey war horse turns, prancing slightly away. 'And who may I leave my mount with, she would not do well in the cellar let alone dark caves."

Nodding in agreement with Nikolai, Valda looks to the Countess. "The good doctor, has a point Dear. Are you people well rested? Can we start soon or do they need some time to recuperate?"

Do my flames generate light? If so, how much?

Do my flames generate light? If so, how much?

Your Basic Pyrokinesis, which I believe you get by default at level 1 as a fire kineticist, can reproduce the effects of Flare, Light, or Spark spells, albeit while also giving off heat. In accordance with the spell description, the Light effect would produce illumination akin to a torch.

I would rule that your other kinetic abilities would also produce light on the level of a torch, although the duration would vary - a kinetic blast would be instantaneous, a kinetic blade would last as long as you wield it, etc.

Bashuk rolls her shoulders. "I can go now, Chieftain Firehair's magic has healed our injuries from the night, so I am ready whenever you are ready."

Igaz vigorously shakes his head, clearly dead set against entering the stronghold. From what he could understand of the conversation, he interprets that the orcs are afraid of whatever is inside, so he has no desire to discover what that might be.

"I'll keep an eye on the goblin and the orcish fop," Kindler reassures the party, jerking a thumb towards Igaz and Gargan. "I'll make sure they're alive when you get back. More importantly, I've seen more than my share of dark, foreboding castles in my time, so I doubt I'll be missing out on much. I'm far more keen on learning from our new friend, the chieftain."

The author and the Burning Suns leader exchange nods, acknowledging their mutual curiosity.

...

Bashuk leads the party to a narrow staircase carved into the cliffside, twisting back and forth like a badly broken arm. The steps are cracked and weathered, yet they remain sturdy and raise you towards the summit. However, their narrowness makes each step a cautious effort.

As you crest the top of the cliffs, the clouds above begin to thin, leaving the rocky plateau draped in greater volumes of light. Valorfoe's gates hang open, its occupants evidently possessing no fear of orcish intruders.

Kain dismounts from Silverwing, and gestures for the griffon to follow close.

I won't be as effect in here I fear. Are we to try and be cautious? Or take the element of surprise?

Nikolai, despite his appearance and bookish nature, eagerly takes up the lead with whoever else joins him. He lowers the owl-motif goggles upon his face once more, scrutinizing the shadows that now brighten somewhat. Errant was left behind with the camp as his rider went on ahead into the decrepit fort.

The open gates of Valorforge awaited them, light shining down upon them all. A smile spread across his face as he whispered a prayer to the gods to keep them safe and took a breath. Kain's question made him turn his head around as he nodded.

"I can be surprisingly quiet. I will look ahead if anyone wishes to join me and you think it is best." He draws his rapier out, the beautiful blade glinting in the sunlight for a moment as he gives it a few practiced movements. For the more martially trained, it became obvious that the man had received some dueling training with the blade. He awaited the opinions of others, either to enter in quietly and scout ahead or to travel as a group.

I will roll my Stealth and Perception in a spoiler in case we take that path.

Dismounting her mare, Valda, tucks her walking stick into a scabbard on her pack, removing her shield from the saddle swinging it over her shoulder and drawing the greatsword from it's saddle-scabbard she rests it on her shoulder. Turning to one of the locals, she hands the reins of her mare to them. "She's very gentle, Dear. Please see that she is allowed to graze, She winks, "But if you want her to like you a carrot or apple would buy her affection."

Moving near the countess as Nikolai heads into the darkness, Valda asks her, "Valeska dear, As I mentioned earlier, I was sent here to keep you alive. Now that the negotiations are over may I create a life link with you to help with your safety."

"Kain was your name? Can your griffin perch somewhere high, and keep an eye out for any other visitors--or darkfolk trying to sneak out? It would be good to have them watching our backs." Bashuk points to Valorfoe's keep with a nod at Silverwing.

Kain pauses for a moment. Yes, you may call me that. The full name is Arden Kain Brandt, and I would rather not leave him out here alone, and honestly I would rather have him with me in a fight. But you have been in these tunnels, would they accommodate him? Or are they far to tight and narrow? He glances towards the fortress, it seemed huge, but he knew oftentimes looks can be deceiving. He had figured he would not be able to fight from atop Silvering, but had hoped to have his companion with him during battle all the same. Perhaps that had been a fools hope.

While the spires and ramparts of Valorforge would provide plentiful perches for Silverwing, once Nikolai is through the open gates and raised portcullis, he identifies that the inner passages of the fortress would be quite the squeeze for the griffin. However, the bailey would offer some space for the unusual mount.

Meanwhile, Bashuk's experience informs her that whilst the griffin might fit into some of the more spacious caverns or cellars beneath the fortress, the tunnels that connect them would be prohibitively small.

I've updated the encounter map with a layout for Valorforge. The gold-hued spaces are open-air.

Nikolai passes through a stone barbican lined with sharply pitched arches that open onto stalls that may have once served as stables. Beyond this sits the guardhouse. He finds these doors closed, though neither locked nor trapped.

As Nikolai takes point and starts scuoting and looking for traps, Shontar adresses Valda.
"I'm a good scout myself, if I may say so, but this new guy from the university seems eager to prove himself. Let's see what he can do. We need every capable hand we can get in these foreign lands."

At Shontar's swaggering, Chao reacts with a silent but obvious face-palm. The monk is seemingly embarrased about his friend.

Nikolai walks through the shadows of the gate and it was like the air suddenly changed. The brightness of the day outside seemed to no longer existed. It was just a solemn darkness. The sensation of being watched drove up his spine but despite his alertness, he couldn't see what observed him. Something was watching him though, he knew it as a fact.

"A haunting could have occurred as a result of the massacre here. There are an untold number of creatures that would find such a place as suitable to their needs for shelter and prove dangerous or annoying enough to not be dealt with by the dark folk." His skin begins to crawl and he takes a slow breath, calming himself. "Fear is the mind killer, my friend. Stay calm, stay focused, analyze the facts and find the truth." His mantra is only enough to somewhat calm his fears as he looks back at the party awaiting him in the sunshine. It was not acceptable to come back with a feeling, what tactical worth was that? He would not show himself as some sort of coward. Reaching for his waistband where a number of strange elixirs waited, he would pop one open and drinks its contents quickly.

That sense of anxiety only seemed to triple in intensity and he had to take a hard breath to keep himself from losing his composure. Instinctive senses told him to run, to flee, but his rational mind pushed through the slowly building dread. This heightened sense of awareness could be useful if he controlled it well enough. No time like a field test after all.

Nikolai will drink up an extract of anticipate peril, giving him a +5 insight bonus to initiative for the next six minutes. When running away to friends, it always pays to be able to go first.

Steeling himself, he would try to quietly open the door and see what laid beyond. He had to only go two rooms in to showcase his skill and that he was worth keeping around. Two rooms in this dreadful place alone would help cement his position.

I overlooked that when I cropped the map, I cropped out the scale. Each square is actually 20 sq ft, not the usual 5. This is big fortress.

Nikolai downs the extract, and the party watches him push open the heavy doors of the guardhouse. Sunlight pours inside, illuminating the sea of dust floating in the air. The floating motes waft upward, drawing Nikolai's attention to the ceiling.

The next set of doors are open a crack, revealing a sliver of the bright courtyard beyond. The western wall is lined by a series of five stout towers that watch eternally over the expanse of the Hold of Belkzen beyond. Like the other towers that cradle the fortress, they are forty feet wide and rise some sixty to eighty feet tall. Their slate-shingled roofs sit much higher than the rest of the fortress walls.

so does that mean it is fairly roomy even for ole griffon boi?

Kain watches Nikolai look ahead, sword and shield drawn and ready.

so does that mean it is fairly roomy even for ole griffon boi?

Yes. With the scale removed, I had misjudged the clearance, so Silverwing can fit in the fortress.

"Actually, now that we're closer the halls are bigger than they looked. Guess your griffon can come with." haha sorry Kain, I also thought it was smaller than it is!

Rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck, Bashuk waits patietly for the chatty bookish human to return.

Shrunk my token to more or less fit the 20x20 scale. The larger size makes those "cell" rooms much more understandable!

Still staying near the countess, waiting for permission to use life link, Valda nods in agreement with Bashuk, "She's right Dear, the griffon certainly would even the odds a little."

There wasn't a sound inside of this place outside of the thumping of his pulse in his temples, his eyes straining themselves to try and ensure that there was no threat. Either the dangers within this place were not yet present of they were of the undead variety. Only they could perfect such perfect stillness to not be so detected. The room seemed clear and up ahead, the next door was already sitting slightly ajar.

"As quiet as the grave." Nikolai thought to himself, deciding whether or not to reconnect with the others. With the large scale of this place, venturing in much deeper alone would be quite the risk. While he did not seem to find anything, he certainly did not feel like he was missing anything either. Quietly but with quick haste, he fell back to the welcoming sunlight and his newfound companions.

Nikolai continued to look back at the fallen fortress as he approached the assembly of skilled adventurers, uncomfortable to turn his back to the place that was watching him so intently. He would stop before Valeska, lifting the goggles off of his eyes for a moment as he addressed her.

"Countess, my initial scouting seems to show that there is nothing within the fortress itself. I do have a sense of being...watched though, though I cannot say by whom or what. The courtyard is brightly lit and I can entrances into some of the western towers there. Otherwise, I have nothing else to report." He would pull the goggles over his eyes once more, offering a small smile. "I am ready to...uhh...lead you all in, if you wish."

During the scouting expedition into the bailey, Nikolai identified a few points of interest.

The northern end of the fortress is anchored by an impressive tower, more than 100 feet in diameter and easily twice as tall.

The southern half of the fortress is dominated by a mighty basilica that looms over the cliffs. A dome of dark stone tops the structure, ringed by gargoyles that leer over the environs; some of these grotesques have had their faces or wings broken away, evidence of the fortress's fall.

Overshadowed by the basilica and sitting just to the west of it is a sturdy great hall.

Lastly, between the bailey and great hall is an imposing inner gatehouse.

Shontar listens to the report of finding nothing. "That's good, I guess. Let's not waste any time and head in. No need for stealth, our presence is surely no secret. Chao and I will thoroughly look out for anyone that might be watching."

Perception once the group is inside: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

"That's quite an impressive building. But I've seen bigger. My family manor surely can match this..." Shontar kept on talking gibberish while they walked through the manor.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

It was obvious that Shontar was talking more than actually looking around. His friend's hyperactivity distracted Chao, too, who tried to calm the Elf down.

Still staying near the countess, waiting for permission to use life link, Valda turns to the General, "Arden dear, as the leader of military actions, where where do you want me positioned?"

Marching order? Valda has dark vision, built for melee not ranged

Bashuk flexes the fingers of her hands as flames dance across her fingertips, then gathers it into a ball held cupped in her hands. Her eyes flare with golden light as she summons the fire.

"I can fight at a distance or up close, it makes no difference to me. Do we wish to clear the upper levels before descending?"

Let me and Chao take point for areas we have already scouted,

I think, Kain, chao, nikolai in front, Shontar, Valda and Valeska in the back row. Bashuk and maybe silverwing in the very back, this way we have melee capable fighters in the back and front incase of a rear attack, and nikola can keep checking for potential traps and the like.

Nikolai gives a quick nod, moving forward with Kain and Chao by his side. It was difficult to keep the excitement he felt from stretching to his limbs, even as the sensation of being watched hung over him still.

That marching order sounds good to me! Feel free to roll my Perception if you'd like GM. Right now it is +13/+15 v.s. traps.

I would usually think the high ground... She indicates the basilica. But, will we be cut off from escape?

Kain, it's your call... I think there will be no retreat, one way or another.

Turning from Valeska to Kain, "General, with your permission I shall follow you?"

Shontar quickly responds to Kain's suggestion. "Uh, oh, yesyes. That sounds good. You go up front with the new guy, Chao. I'll stay in the back with the countess. I'll protect her and can snipe safely and accurately from there."

The rooms are so big, we don't need to glue each other together to fit the group through a narrow tunnel like usually.

Let us press on. The longer we tarry, the more likely we are to be ambushed.

Nodding in agreement, Valda draws her greatsword, resting it on her shoulder, then closes the vizor on her helm. She looks towards Arden, Chao and Nikolai as she steps behind Arden, leaning up. "Arden Dear, if I move forward to attack, I will try to move up your shield side."

You move south from the bailey and pass through the inner gatehouse. The shadows cast by the old stones loom menacingly, but nothing leaps out to strike from their depths. You bypass the great hall for now and move to claim the basilica.

The iron-shod doors yield to Kain and Valda's strength, groaning open. Beyond, you find a cavernous solarium almost reminiscent of a noble's manor. Stained glass windows and arrow slits sit in a strange side-by-side juxtaposition, letting shafts of light stab at the tiled floor like arrows.

The air inside is frigid, sending an involuntary shiver down Silverwing's feathered back.

"They know we're here. Be ready." Bashuk's golden eyes sweep the darkness for signs of theat, while the blood vessels beneath her skin begin to glow like molten gold. A heat shimmer ripples around the half-orc as the temperature in her immediate vicinity rises several degrees.

Going to Gather Power for a readied Empowered + Extended Range blast with Burning Infusion layered on. With Infusion Specialization that nets me 1 point of burn which will activate my Elemental Overload ability as well.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
"You're right, Bashuk. I can smell them." Shontar stops and brings his nose up high, as if he was a dog tracking something. He also brings his loaded crossbow up to his head.