Xavien stands tall outside the ruined gate. "Hail, Master Mosle!" he calls, his voice ringing loud and clear against the weathered stones. "We bring succor for the baron's curse, and seek an audience with him."
Corran looks a little nervous and keeps checking himself for spiders.
Between the slaughter of your last visit, and your truce with the master, Corran's watchful eye finds little to fear.
"Do you now?" the Baron's loyal servant seems a bit skeptical, but willing.
You enter the Baron's lair. Here little has changed, and webs abound. The Baron doesn't answer the summons, though he only half-heartedly hides in the shadows...
"Good Baron, we are here with help. Please, allow our priestly friend to attend to your affliction."
The tortured Baron shakes, fighting against the urge to attack. "Do it."
"Quick, Festo, heal him before he succumbs!"
Festo steps up and begins the spell before he even realizes he was told. the transformation is quick, but macabre to watch as eyes and flesh return to human.
It's immediately apparent that the baron's faculties have returned too. "YOU! It's... wait... you. You were here. You... my god... the curse is gone!"
He summons those who remain to him.
You listen to a sad tale...
Three old women knocked on the estate’s grand doors one stormy night a decade ago and asked for shelter from the driving rain. Araig ordered them to find an inn before slamming the door, unaware that the trio was theSisters of Indulgent Dreams—a coven of night hags in service to Duke Lotheed and the Immaculate Circle— on their way to the Palace of Birdsong. The coven burst through the doors and declared that Baron Telusshould have a form to match his verminous, lowly soul before disappearing back into the night. Araig thought little of the incident, unaware that the old women were anything but what they appeared, but over the coming weeks he grew increasingly disturbed: hiding in corners, chewing at insects, and becoming obsessed with weaving. Those servants who could left, and those who could not did everything they could to appeasetheir increasingly eccentric master. After a year, Araig’s skin began to slough off, revealing, bruised, stubbly flesh and claws beneath, beginning his transformation from handsome human baron into a prince of spiders.
He turns to you with heartfelt thanks before removing the crown from his head, "Take this. Take this and see that you do right by the county. I will spread your names and your deeds. See that you do for Merratt what you've done for me."
the baron and his men turn inward, towards a private moment. With care and tact, you leave them to it...
"Well done, Festo! Well done indeed," Xavien says with real feeling. He accepts the Baron's gift with grace, and replies, "Indeed sir, we shall. The diaspora of Jambis will be glad to know their old friend is himself again."
"Oh, and Master Mosle, your kind investment proved more than equal to the task! Much remains to be put to good use." Xavien sets a purse of 494 gold coins down on a nearby chair.
"Farewell, stalwart friends."
Outside the shattered gate, Xavien claps his hands in triumph. "A fine morning's work! Let us visit with Baronet Vort in New Towne and give him the good news."
"Then I should like to stroll in Lionsmane Forest before we journey to Lotheedar."
"Well done, Festo! Well done indeed," Xavien says with real feeling. He accepts the Baron's gift with grace, and replies, "Indeed sir, we shall. The diaspora of Jambis will be glad to know their old friend is himself again."
"Oh, and Master Mosle, your kind investment proved more than equal to the task! Much remains to be put to good use." Xavien sets a purse of 494 gold coins down on a nearby chair.
"Farewell, stalwart friends."
No objections.
Jambis, now safe, will soon see a renaissance. Spending a couple of days there, the party can start to set up and help.
As thanks, the newly settled use a lot of the leftover silk to to form rope.
"Given time, maybe a month, we have enough of this to supply you all with some useful items. "
Corran mingles and makes friends, and entertains any folk in need of a story or a song or a rap battle.
BEfore Heading out to the Lionsmane, roll either Diplomacy (Gather Information) or Knowledge (Local)
Xavien puts his back into the restoration work, helping to repair the delipidated structures. For part of each day, he follows Corran around and offers his voice for an accompaniment.
Gathering Info...
Kenton makes a mental note of the Sisters of Indulgent Dreams and bids Festo farewell.
Aurelia, who is naturally loquacious, gathers information from the people they meet.
She is very much off her game however.
Corran's work is the most comprehensive. On the way to the wood, he picks up a fair bit of information...
The small forest straddling the county’s northwest border is little more than a collection of copses that, due to its rather remote location, no one in the past several centuries has bothered to exploit for timber resources. As a result, the wood is much healthier than other forests in the county, with ancient trees, unkempt foliage, and no structures to speak of. Wanderers and ne’er-do-wells have always found shelter here. However, more recently, the Lionsmane has housed a few dozen locals whose failure (or refusal) to pay the Lotheeds’ high taxes has led to the confiscation of their property and their reduction to beggars, hence the wood’s name.
You are likely to find sympathetic ears there.
You arrival is met with common folk armed with shortbows and pitchforks. You were expecting a sympathetic ear.... but it's going to take some work to win them over...
One man, not more that 18 summers speaks up, "You spoiled lot leave us alone. We ain't hurtin' nobody."
Aurelia holds up her hands in a placating gesture. "I have no doubt that your words are the truth. If anything, we're looking to see what we can do to help. It's our mandate, and we're more interested in peace and prosperity that trouble of any sort."
Xavien beams his friendliest grin. "Indeed, we might even offer to help sharpen your pitchforks."
A more confident voice emerges, "Go on. We're listening." It belongs to a young women bedecked in high quality, though well worn, gear.
"You spoiled lot leave us alone. We ain't hurtin' nobody."
We concur, you are not, Kenton says with a nod, gently raising a hand to lower the lad's rusty dirk. Nor are we, friend.
At the appearance of the newcomer, Kenton continues. We are not here to root out those who dwell here, I assure you. Our main aim is to help the people of the land. As such, we've been told we are pursuing the folly of the "enlightened noble" approach, a condemnation I found distasteful; but then the accuser had no more reason to trust us than you, so perhaps they deserve some measure of grace. They can see only our actions, after all, not our motives.
"To be fair, we've been following your actions. Stay this course and you'll not only have us out of your way, we'll help. This place needs a change in leadership." She and the others draw blades and nod heads, a sign that your reputation is becoming ever more powerful.
The party returns to a hopeful Stachys on the 13 of Pharast. It's been a hard month and a half for you, but you've made incredible progress.
Awaiting you are messengers and agents. They're abuzz with their own rumormongers about when you're going to take on Bartleby. The letter from Martella is tucked away behind a lose brick in the mantel, but the orders are clear.
Your agents await your orders.
------------------
Persona Phase 1 of 1.
Current Status
Aurelia: Go
Corran: Go
Ianthe: G0
Kenton: Go
Leo: Go
Xavien: Go
A wedge between Lotheed and Gusairne is just the thing to help turn the tides. Kenton sets his agents to find evidence of Gusairne spending the Count's coin without authorization.
Subterfuge:
It's tricky, but a thread is found, unraveling all the way to the half-elf seneschal and his dealings with the Great bank of Abadar.
Finding a bit more confidence in his voice these days, Xavien once again visits the public house to sing tales of prosperity for Meratt, succor for the downtrodden, and change on the wind... His agents soon spread the messages far and wide.
Kenton and Xavien both find fruit in their work. It's a boon a long time coming, and a good boost to morale before plotting a potential tyrannicide.
------------------
Persona Phase 1 of 1.
Current Status
Aurelia: Go
Corran: Go
Ianthe: Go
Kenton: Subterfuge to Rank 3
Xavien: Heroism to Rank 2
Alisanne takes up Kenton's cues and sets her agents to sow rumors of Guisarne's malfeasance in the court.
Lady Ianthe's skill is unmatched! She immediately earns the Brilliant Planner feat.!
Perhaps now the people are ready to hear all about our exploits! Corran goes to his room and composes a stirring ballad, heroically describing each party member, embellishing and extolling everyone. He pens the stanzas and papers the whole province with them before giving a stirring performance in a public square.
Develop Persona, Heroism: Vs. DC 19 SUCCESS, Finally!
Agents come and go as the party gives orders and reply to missives. Word and scuttlebutt is increasingly intense. Sometimes the messages are coded, sometimes they are overt.
Baroness Voinam sends a message of regret that she cannot lend direct aid to the cause of unseating the Count, but she offers her home as a staging point.
Sepsinia sends a personal message to Corran.
Okerra also overtly notes that if you decide to enact a regime change, that he is officially neutral.
Rena sends an animal messenger hinting that she's made travel to Birdsong... frustrating. That's all she says, it's quite cryptic.
The Four Hoods are slightly more overt. They've been... encouraging some of the Birdsong employees to... seek alternative means of making coin.
All your efforts at improving the county of Meratt have not gone unnoticed, and you've been slowly winning even die-hard Lotheed supporters among the populace to the cause. Indeed, servants and guards begin to abandon the Lotheeds; whether they believe in the reigning family or not, they refuse to fight against you, now local legends, changing the world for the better.
Lady Ianthe's skill is unmatched! She immediately earns the Brilliant Planner feat.!
Aurelia sends several messages within her extended retinue, asking them to stay close to Gul Gusairne. They ply the man with polite admirations that, she hopes, warms the man to her and her group.
She once more decides to organize a party, using the festivities as her typical way of staying current on local gossip as well as to build her brand.
Lady Aurelia works tirelessly. It bears fruit. Word has it that Gul has softened a bit. This brings with it a confidence that only experience can provide.
The party opts to approach the count with something of an open plan.
Rest ye now agents of Taldor. Destiny awaits in the morn.
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You have a dream... You are General Gerefein of the 7th. This time you see another impossible shot. Impossible for simple men, not for you. You somehow curve the bolt's path into the heart of a false lord.
You have a dream... You are in a land the likes of which you've never seen. The people are different of skin and culture. Their clothing is utterly foreign. Somehow, though, you speak the language and move about them like you were born to it.
You have a dream... You're fighting in a war against a magic-heavy foe. The smell of spent magic and burned targets nearly overwhelms you. An undead magic-user levels a finger at you. A ray of blackness streaks forth and you split the beam atwain with your blade. In the morning you find that
Koriana's Blade has had the black gemstone repaired...
You have a dream... You're at a gala moving through the crowd with ease. you collect thoughts and words from all as you pass...
Fine laburnum trees blossoming with yellow flowers flank the drive leading up to the palace, with a large fountain and several statues providing ostentation. It's been some time since you were here. The air is decidedly less celebratory though.
It's also quieter. It appears that support for the count is waning. you remember FAR more activity here....
Xavien wraps a heavy traveling cloak over his finer clothes and pulls the hood far down over his face. "Let's see who answers the door."
The party approaches, passing the fountain. Suddenly two of the topiaries come to life. The two creatures, each the shape of bears, take quick swipes with their thorn-based claws.
INITIATIVE:
They smash at the backsides of the two in the lead:
MISS
for
Surprise Round:
Topiaries: ATK
Ianthe: Go
ROUND 1:
Topiaries: TBD
Kenton: TBD
Ianthe: TBD
Corran: TBD
Aurelia: TBD
Xavien: TBD
-----------------------------
Location: Stachys
Ianthe takes a step back and shoots the one attacking Kenton.
Ianthe's shot is off aft erh topiaries continue their mission.
MISS
for
ROUND 1:
Topiaries: ATK
Kenton: Go
Ianthe: Go
Corran: Go
Aurelia: Go
Xavien: Go
-----------------------------
Location: Stachys
Corran starts to sing. Everyone's weapons vibrate and pulse with the tones.
Inspire Courage +2, +1d6 Sonic Damage from your weapons if you're within 30' of me.
"Rather a rude way to treat guests," Xavien chuckles, ignoring the scratches and unsheathing Koriana's Blade. He slashes overhand at the nearest topiary.
plus
Xavien uses the blade well, augmented by the power of Corran's music. It'll take another swing like that though to bring the guardian down.
Ianthe's shot is off aft erh topiaries continue their mission.
MISS
for
ROUND 1:
Topiaries: ATK
Corran: Bard
Kenton: Go
Ianthe: Go
Aurelia: Go
Xavien: Hit
-----------------------------
Location: Stachys
Kenton steps over to engage the shrubbery Xavien has already struck.
He finds his piercing weapon rather unsuited to the task.
Aurelia takes a careful step back from the threatening shrubbery. "I did not expect a warm welcome, but this is beyond rude."
She then draws upon her wellspring of magical power and moves through the gestures to cast one of the more common evocation spells in a wizard's repertoire. With a gesture, a quartet of magic missiles zip out to strike one of the bushes!
She then draws her longsword.
Ianthe inspects the weave of fate as she takes aim at the shrub and shoots.