War for the Crown

Game Master PJP

You have the gist of it--we went through the same things.

"Fear not," says Bimble as Thalasou stops short. "You're among friends here."

Bimble begins to reminisce. "The night of the gala, it's still hard to believe what transpired that night, not so long ago."

He begins twirling and pulling on one side of his mustache, a habit of nervousness. "Lady Valeria is back at the Betony estate. Better that she not be involved in our more forceful effort to take these lands."

Having assembled, you pack up your gear and prepare for the journey. It is not all that far, and you pass through Lotheedar on the way. As a group, you raise a few eyebrows, but no one seems to pay "too" much attention.

Then you see it: the Palace of Birdsong. This sweeping estate is nestled among beautiful vineyards and orchards heavy with apricots, olives, and plums. As you know, the estate belongs to the Stavian family, though it’s been under the administration of the Lotheeds for some time. At first glance, the home is breathtaking, with graceful arches and domes made of expensive marble. However, behind this facade lurk hints of neglect: the marble is crumbling and the ivy creeping up its gates is uncontrolled. The Lotheeds have gone to the trouble to ensure that the estate’s overall upkeep is handled, but no loving hands have seen to the estate’s finer details in many years.

Through rumor mongering and espionage, Valeria was able to give you some information regarding the palace.

The two-story palace is built around a central gallery containing entertaining space and offices, with the eastern wing outfitted for servants (along with the grand ballroom) and the west wing for noble apartments and visitors. In addition, a tower rising behind the west wing contains royal apartments exclusively for the use of the emperor and his family—in theory, at least. Unless otherwise stated, ceilings are 20 feet high, walls are magically treated superior masonry, and the good wooden doors are left unlocked. The windows are kept locked (Disable Device DC 30) and are made from magically reinforced glass (hardness 8, 1 hp).

The lush palace gardens extend for over a mile in every direction, consisting of flower gardens, low hedges, fruit and nut orchards, and vineyards. A number of swans and peacocks roam the grounds freely. These birds rarely attack visitors, but they tend to follow alongside people, honking and calling to demand handouts. This noise imposes a penalty on Stealth checks. A dozen outlying cottages for guests line the western edge of the property, each a well-appointed, cozy affair with three rooms; these structures lack locks but are checked twice a day by guards.

H1. Front Drive

Fine laburnum trees blossoming with yellow flowers flank the drive leading up to the palace, with a large fountain and several statues providing ostentation. Six guards stand at attention at the palace’s front stairs.

Hargus Kryn, in his guise as the Forest Knight, stands at a distance, watching the front stairs. Turning to the others, he says, "We should see if we can find an alternate means of entrance than the front door."

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Capricia, also disguised as "The Silver Fox"--a fox-masked warrior woman (thanks to her new hat of disguise)--nods at Hargus's words. Looking at the mostly-treeless landscape surrounding the palace, however, she asks, "We might need to be invisible to do any reconnaissance here."

Note to Self: Always look at the map before making any grand plans.

Sara lets the magic of her own hat wash over her, transforming her Not into a stunning fox or forest, but into a pretty but otherwise forgettable maid. "Invisibility can be handled in a variety of ways." a vert Sara like smile appears on the maid's lips.

knowledge local?: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22 to know what the maids in the estate wear

ah, one of the hardest parts of pbp... planning. :) Okay, we can storm the place or attempt to sneak in. Those are the two most basic options, then once we decide on that we can start tailoring. Sara is for sneaking, of course. Six of us, so if it comes down to a tie, a random roll?

Could we also just diplo our way in initially?

Ah, third option. Talking. Sneak, Attack, Talk. With each of those branching out to the general plan, which will probably eventually involve attacking, so this is just talking about the initial way in.

Yeah, I'm thinking that whatever we choose, we'll see how far it gets us before we have to resort to combat. There's an outside chance that the Count will just see things our way and leave on his own...

"Guards. Let us try to sneak past them. I can go first, and once inside can be on watch. If a guard sees anyone coming, I will try to induce him to sleep." The elf said. "Waiting here will get us nowhere. We should attempt to move to the east first. It appears that there is a door there...at least from where I can see."

It seemed to her that the time for action was now, and she was eager to prove herself brave enough to be a member of their team.

Stealth to get up to H2 unnoticed: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"Well I guess that is one way to make a decision." Sara shrugs as the elf disappears. "I'll follow him to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble. You all decide your best course of action and we'll meet up sometime, or come with, whichever is your Best."

stealth to follow Aerith: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (13) + 17 = 30

I will assume you are therefore tying up horses and such a ways out and approaching by foot, correct?

@Sara - sure, you can get a good look at maids clothes, so your disguise should be fine.

H2. Carriage House
The garage stores Count Lotheed’s rarely used carriage and includes a small apartment for his driver.

Aerith and Sara sneak up to the back of it from the side of the estate.

So for time tracking, I need to know if you all will be generally searching rooms as they come (spending 10 minutes in each allows a Take 20 Perception), quick glance (I can roll perception for spotting something of interest - will take 2-3 rounds), or generally just making sure no threats (no time other than movement). We start the clock at 11:00 am. Does anyone want to start any spells now?

I really don't think dallying is a good idea, so Quick glance makes the best sense. If we succeed at our goal we can scour each room.

In case they are caught, Sara weaves two spells around her. One to turn her dark brown eyes into pools of seduction, and the other to honey her tongue. That way the estate 'maid' might be able to distract if needed.

honeyed tongue and seducer's eyes, both 40 minutes in duration

I second Quick Glance. Also, Capricia will start moving after Aerith and Sara, taking 10 on Stealth checks for a total of 24.

Thalasou watches Aerith and Sara head off towards the right. "I don't think it's a good idea for us to get separated so I'm going to stick with them." He jogs to catch up with them.

A quick glance shows nothing of interest in H2. But you are all able to get inside without being spotted.

"I can take a chance at one of those windows." Sara suggests, pointing through the stable's window to the ones opposite on the manor. "The narrow alley, and the slope might hide me from onlookers, and the rest of you can wait here in the stable until I manage it."

Unless anyone else has a better idea, the disguised maid lays down in the hay and rolls a bit. "If I get caught, I can blush about meeting someone for a quick roll, and was trying to sneak back in without the head maid noticing." with a grin, she is out at the southernmost window to the grounds attempting to ease it open with her lock picks.

disable device: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (16) + 16 = 32

There are no windows near the stable, but there is a door directly opposite. Since you didn't move your token on the map, I am guessing this is the entrance you meant.

The locks are exceptional, but Sara just manages to jimmy it open.

H8. Service Hallway
This long, rather plain hallway allows guards and servants to move about the entertaining spaces of the palace without disturbing guests. Though the doors accessing this space are concealed from the exterior, they are unadorned and obvious from this side.

Bimble uses his Wand of Mage Armor before entering the palace. He also uses Oath of Anonymity cantrip to appear like a nondescript palace servant.

As they go from room to room, Bimble spends a few moments searching for magic. Hoping that can be added to the standard operating procedure for quickly perusing rooms.

That will up the room time to 4-6 rounds, as required to concentrate and scan around. But if that is the case, then you do detect something in the carriage house. You find a set of magical horseshoes.

Palace of Birdsong - 11:01 am & 1 rounds

Sara, the tossed maid, looks into the window across from the door she just picked and waves her companions on. "I'll scout, looking the part and being quiet, if everyone is okay, stay close in case they want to stab me or something."

if that is okay with everyone she'll peek into the door next to her.

Okay, but it's only 4-6 rounds if he detects something, right? Like if no magic is detected in a room, it's still 3 rounds to figure that out?

"Magic horseshoes," says Bimble to nobody in particular. He doesn't move to grab them, though he also doesn't stop anyone else who does.

Bimble nods as Sara offers to scout.

Capricia shrugs and tucks the horseshoes into her pack.

Glad to see that they were now moving at full force, Aerith took a step back and let the others take point. It was clear that they were better than her at this, anyways. Sara moved like a living shadow, a sight that was most heartening to see. Or not see, as the case may be. She had thought about changing her clothes to look like a made as well. But doing so would require humility, which was so...humiliating. That, and who would expect that an elf like her was a common maid? There was no point in making an unbelievable deception. Rather, she decided that if she were spotted, then it was best to just make the unfortunate guard fall asleep. That was the plan, anyways.

OH, she'll shake off the hay outside, now that the door it open.

I think you are confusing doors and windows. The white ones are doors, grey are windows.

Peeking in the door, Sara sees a stairwell leading up to the second floor.

Hargus takes a minute, and adopts a disguise of a servant as well. His is realistic that you aren't quite sure if it's a whole new person or not.

Using Many Guises to craft a mundane identity. My alignment counts as Neutral, and the bonus from Seamless Guise applies to my disguise check.

He stays close to Sara in case help is needed.

that I am, sorry.

Sara looks back to the others and points up with a shrug. She has heard many tales of adventuring in the dockside bar she played in as her mother worked. All of them had the adventures methodically searching floor by floor, every room, to make sure they find and do everything before moving on.

But in her mind, a very important document like the charter has the best chance at being upstairs. Maybe even a teleportation circle... unless that is in the basement or something. Hmm... she was unsure.

If no one points in a different direction, like toward the double doors, she starts to move up the stairs.

Thalasou holds back in the stable even when Sara disappears into the house. He looks nervously at the others. "Should we follow her in or wait here for a signal?"

She waved you all to follow a few posts ago, but of course that decision is yours :)

Stealth: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (5) + 0 = 5

"I'll make sure that it's still clear and then we'll all follow." Aerith said, already moving after Sara. She moved with all of the grace of her race, but with none of the perception.

Capricia scoots across to the open door and enters the palace.

Usual take 10 on Stealth.

Up the stairs you go, a large group of sneaking servants.

Sara is on floor 2, everyone else in stairwell area.

The lead sneaking servant checks the first door.
on the right of her current position.

Capricia creeps up the stairs in Sara's wake.

I tried to drag Capricia's token to the other part of the map but it vanished.

The first room you check appears to be a servant's quarters. No one is here.

Sara will continue to the left, looping around the front of the building, checking doors, until she runs into trouble, finds a room that screams teleportation, charter, or the Lotheed, OR someone else has another idea.

Most of the rooms are servants quarters until you work your way down a long front hallway. There you come face to face with Count Bartelby Lotheed! He is flanked by two guard.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Sara, sir" Sara dips quickly into a curtsey, eyes properly lowered. "I am new here sir, so am trying to acquaint myself with where everything is, so when I am sent somewhere for service I don't fail to perform exceptionally." her brown eyes dash up taking him in "This place is just so... Big... sir." her eyes burn brightly as they linger before she lowers them again.

she has seducer's eyes cast on her, which is where the +2 is from. If he is unable to be attracted to her, then the +2 should not be applied.
bluff: 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 16 + 2 = 32

Despite the "crowd" of servants, the guards and the Count both sit rather stunned, trying to figure out whether or not this group is a threat.

"Very well, Sara. Go about your business, but best your learn the layout quickly and don't barge in on me again!"

Aerith shifted from foot to foot, waiting to see what the group would do. "Are we ready for this? When we get there, I can try and put the Count to sleep. If it works, we won't have to deal with his magic until he wakes."

"I'll get around to the double doors we saw in the room he's in. Give me one minute then attack" the maid slips into the door to the north of her as quiet as a mouse, well that is until she sees they have a great view of the hallway she is in so instead continues with her bluff of looking around the place to get a better knowledge of the layout to serve. She gives a quick shy smile to a guard then opens the door

bluff: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (12) + 16 = 28

Sara continues her ruse, and finds a long and empty hallway.

Map updated. ES refers to an Entertaining Space: These areas consist of a variety of drawing rooms, parlors, recital rooms, and solariums where guests gather to chat or for small events.

She will hurry (while counting in her head to tick away the minute) to the double doors. She hopes to be able to cut off one avenue of escape this way.

ready to attack. Capricia or Aerith do you want to kick it off?

Hargus grins as he readies his falcata, motioning to Capricia and Aerith that they can kick in the doors. He stands ready to follow them in.

Capricia uses her new hat of disguise to take on her Silver Fox alias; then she swoops in to attack, targeting the nearest lackey.

Not sure if we're doing a surprise round--in which case she'd have to charge to get in an attack--or a normal Round 1. I'll hold off on any dice rolling for now.

Thalasou tries to play the part of a servant. He's not sure if Lotheed has noticed him or not. Seeing Sara run off and the others making subtle preparations for battle, Thalasou himself starts to get nervous.

I moved myself up on the map next to Capricia since I think that's where we all are.

Bimble follows along and prepares to quicken the party's movements!

Also moved up, Bimble is going to Haste the party if possible.

Assuming Haste kicks off the attack, that will be Bimble's surprise round. Cap, you can do a partial charge if you only have 1/2 a round, like now - same as a normal charge, but 1/2 the distance.

Surprise round: (Bold may act)
Bimble cast Haste. Everyone else gets a move action to close in.

Round 1: (Bold may act)
Count Bartelby Lotheed
Sara (honeyed tongue til 11:40am, seducer's eyes til 11:40am)
Aerith
Thalasou
Eregos
Guards
Capricia
Bimble

Active conditions: Haste;

Capricia waits until the instant that Bimble's haste spell kicks in and then scoots forward at an exaggerated speed to attack the nearest of the Count's bodyguards.

Capricia Belacrest +1 falcata (Flagbearer, haste): 1d20 + 13 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 13 + 1 + 1 = 24 for magic, slashing damage (+6 precision {not multiplied on crits}, FB): 1d8 + 8 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 6 + 1 = 22 (17-20/x3)