Doug's Strength of Thousands Campaign

Game Master Doug Hahn

Froglegs grins. “Good. And you'll take me to the chime ringers?"

Chimwemwe lays a hand upon Curling-Wisps-of-Smoke's shoulder and infuses her with healing astral energy. "Yes. We will take you to the chime-ringers if you tell us who in the city council is working with you," says while he shackles and collects the other thieves. "We need to search these huts for evidence."

--Later--

"Asanda? You can't be serious!" he blurts out when the grippli bandit begins his explanation. "You're saying that not only did he facilitate the assassination a--, hmm, but it was his ideas? What else has he done with you?" He gives the grippli a dubious look underneath his iridescent peacock mask.

None of you are able to detect lies from the Legs of Frog.

If you think about it, Asanda willingly met you and helped you solve the issue of the Lightning-GOAT, in addition to being kind and introducing himself to you and letting Akoril party on his boat.

Therefore, it does seem odd Asanda would have a whole work crew helping him repair his manor after the flood, and ignore the plight of his fellow citizens who are asking for assistance. This timeline also aligns with Froglegs' story about Asanda being "changed."

Akoril shakes his head and furrows his brow. "That doesn't sound like the Asanda I know... Maybe we should pay our own visit. If its froglies we'll just have learned more, if there's something suspicious we'll learn more and if it's a trap we can at least be prepared for it."

"We should talk to Janatimo before we do anything," Chimwemwe says. "And search this place for evidence of their crimes. We might even find that statue to put the poltergeist to rest."

You search the swamp. In the collapsed house you find a strongbox that contains 24 gp and a Singing Muse. In the next hut is another strongbox with a Chime of Opening.

Finally, in Froglegs' hut is a strongbox beneath the hammock with 400 gp in various gems, a bismuth leopards wondrous figurine (the item Gerrus longs for), a warcaller’s chime of blasting.

Gerrus / poltergeist reference

In addition, Froglegs' cugel is a powerful magical item.

"That's Habu's cugel. my old boss. He got what came to him when he betrayed me and my friends."

Habu's Cugel

She also has a set of infiltrator thieves’ tools that match the grip you found at Oba's zoo.

Akoril recovers his bow from the swamp and spends a bit of time looking for his missing note but has no luck.

Nearly crying he looks to Chizire for help. "I know what you've been working on and I'm not looking for a drink, I'm looking to take some of the non-drinkable bit off your hands. Somebody dunked my bow in the swap and I haven't been able to get the stench off..."

Wrapping up froglegs

You take Froglegs to the chime-ringers, much to their amazement. They reward you with equivalent treasure from everything you confiscated.

Janatimo is pleased. "Thank you. While Froglegs might have enough clout to bribe her way out of custody, she now knows she has enemies who see her and have the power to stand up to her. and who knows? You have shown her and her gang mercy — perhaps this is the first step on their long road to redemption. This the good that is expected of Magaambyans in the world."

Janatimo is disturbed by your report. "I have known Asanda for many years. he is far more responsible than he has shown himself to be lately. Froglegs’s outlandish-sounding implications might have some merit. Do you remember when we first met, and I asked you to think of intentionally outlandish answers? As you can see, sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction."

"I will discuss this matter with the faculty. Return to me tomorrow morning."

______
Wrapping up with Tokku

That evening you walk to Tokku's house to return the figurine.

Tokku invites you inside… he looks like he's getting tired again, and it seems Gerrus is acting up again — but not quite as frequently as before.

You place the figurine on the mantelpiece… the skeletal catfolk appears a moment later, stroking the wondrous figurine like a lost pet.

"Thank… you… everything is right… again… my… figuring… in my… home… I… can rest… at last… The spirit fades. Somehow the room seems a little brighter, the air a little cleaner in here. Religion check would tell you the spirit has passed on as you fulfilled its with to see the figuring in the home again.

Tokku shoves the figuring into your hands. "Please… take it! I don't want that thing in my house! Plus, my rock collection can finally go back on the mantlepiece where it belongs! I've had them locked in a cabinet for ages because that ghost loved throwing them around!"

"Thank you!"

You walk back to campus feeling good about things.

Chizire and Akoril

Mmmm. Would you like something with a mango scent? Chizire blinks at the look on Akoril's face. No… fine… mmm. Here, take some of this bottle of this undiluted spirit. It's called 'vodka.' It will take the stink off anything"

That night Binji helps Akoril clean his bow, as well as getting the swamp muck off his armor and gear. She scrubs as hard as she can, almost hyperventilating. "Binji help! She read, she do chores… can she take classes soon? Will you teach her more stuff?"

We'll bump up Chizire's attitude to Akoril to Liked.

Interlude

That evening, Janatimo sits on his rooftop, looking up at the stars for several hours. Later, he goes into his office, and writes a letter to his friend, Teacher Ot:

So often, I see people meeting their circumstances on the level they were confronted; violence meets violence, pettiness begets pettiness. It’s so rare to find individuals who, when challenged, rise above and find the part of them that is better than circumstance dictates. It’s not that they ignore the realities of what happens around them, but rather that those realities become starting points to investigate and explore—to go deeper. By going deeper, they address what lies in front of them, but also what could await them and others. To approach life in this way is to blaze a trail that others can and will follow.

Take these conversants, for example. They have been given tasks in the world. They have completed these tasks admirably, but they have not confined their thinking to only the performance of those duties. They have drawn the connections between them, and they have discovered the patterns and underlying conditions that caused those tasks that needed to be done. Repeatedly, they show that they go further than is expected or is even known to be needed.

They’ve protected their friends. They have taken in misfits — ones who I know will make the Magaambya — the strength of thousands — wiser and stronger. They have shown her mercy in several situations where most would not, at great risk to themselves. These conversants have learned that our magistrate-mayor may have turned corrupt, possibly because of snakes among us.

These heroes have blazed a path that leads them into the heart of corruption and beyond. I don’t know where the path ends, but from where I stand, I can see that they will soon propel themselves past the realms where the Magaambya can teach them. I’ve never seen a rise so sudden in the school, but I suspect will have little time to contemplate my surprise before they display their heart and talent yet again.

My time is precious. I have a ceremony to prepare.

— Janatimo

Please level to 7.

Akoril nods to Binji "We've got to deal with this problem first, but I'm going to sponsor you joining, and I'll teach you everything I can."

"Asanda? It's always the ones you least expect. If he's joined the cultists, that could explain the changes to his personality, and why he's suddenly fortifying his manor. He's preparing to go to war for his demon god!"

I believe Soomdevi is leveled, just needs to update profile. So we can move on.

You meet at Jamatimo's the next morning.

“After speaking with the faculty, we are in another position where taking direct action could be politically harmful. Nantambu has its own leadership, separate from the Magaambya, and we respect that independence. Conversants can more easily inquire and take any necessary action without the political risks. I know that you can handle yourself in challenging situations, so I feel confident sending you in our stead. We don’t know what awaits at the magistrate-mayor’s mansion, but something villainous is going on there.”

“The magistrate-mayor has jeopardized Nantambu with his inaction regatding the flood, and I believe he is behind the attack on Ignaci. We can’t ignore this any longer. Get as much information as you can, respond to any threats, and return safely. Do you feel prepared for this task?”

He opens his desk drawers and sfuffles some scrolls around. "I do not want you going unprepared. Each of you should choose a scroll, and take it. I might recommend defensive spells Freedom of Movement, Clairvoyance, or Restoration… but the choice is yours."

Each of you may choose a 4th-level or lower spell to have on a scroll. Of course, you can go shopping before heading off as well.

"If he is behind the attack on Iganci, we must proceed. Freedom of movement seems wise."

Akoril will take a scroll of Freedom of Movement.

"Freedom of Movement sounds like a good idea, thank you." Alrinkiri also makes a point of stopping by the Powder Pile and picking up a couple scrolls of healing magic as well. Buying two scrolls of heal (2nd).

Chimwemwe works to try to restore his original design on his armor, but for some reason it keep absorbing and redistributing thermal energy rather than syncing with his bioelectrical energy. He does not have time fix the problem and to be rested before meeting with the others at Jamatino's office.

The Next Day

"The snakefolk masquerading as students in the old building could change form," Chimwemwe notes. "I wonder if Soomdevi's paranoia is close to the truth again. Rather than Asanda joining the cult, could the snakefolk have successfully replaced the magistrate-mayor?"

Once Jamatino offers from his collection of scrolls, Chimwemwe thinks carefully. His puzzle box pops into his hand while he wonders aloud, "To disguise us and assist our infiltration or obtain magical reconnaissance?"

If you choose to scout

Those of you who are trained in subterfuge make your way to Anda'a manor. You remember visiting before, passing through a lush, dense orchard towards beautiful mahogany double-doors.

It's much different now.

The orchards around the manor are waterlogged, with fruit rotting on branches. Weeds grow wild and grass grows tall, even on the main path leading to the wide front door.

Asanda’s manor is quiet and seemingly lifeless. Both the north and south sides of the building have collapsed walls, with the remaining walls are dirty and supported by makeshift scaffolding. The mahogany double door to the mansion is smeared with flood water. Water is pooled under the double door.

An air of neglect hangs about the manor like a fog.

Three figures wearing heavy, deeply-hooded cloaks crouch at the front entrance. An fourth, a bald, burly human guard, stands with them.

The sides of the building are collapsed and might be accessible if you had a way to cross the floodwaters without being seen, crossing shorter areas with little to no cover. A task those skilled in stealth might accomplish, but probably hopeless for the others.

You can approach to about 50 feet away without being seen with a successful stealth check, but you will need some way to observe the hooded figures closely — within a few feet — to see under their hoods. You will be unable to do that with mundane means such as stealth alone as there is no cover.

I've included an overview of the map from the outside, as well as a second map showing what you saw of the inside of the manor from when you visited Asanda.

______

Those scouting will need to make a stealth check to not be seen, let me know and I will make a secret stealth check for you.

You hide in the bushes while Wisps hangs back, watching the manor and gathering information. One of the guards catches a glimpse of Alrinkiri, but thanks to the cover they seem to think it was only the wind.

You know all of the above and have not been spotted yet — so far as you can tell, at least.

While Akoril and Alrinkiri surveil the Magistrate-Mayor's compound, Chimwemwe continues to work on restoring his armor to his original function. Finally, he has the original configuration working as designed.

The Next Day

"Based on their reconnaissance, a scroll of invisibility sphere will serve to get us inside the building," Chimwemwe explains to Janatimo as they regather at the Learned One's office again.

"And a scroll of shape stone." I'll take that instead of FoM.

You cast Invisibility Sphere well away from earshot and carefully make your way to the Northern break in the wall.

Long tables and chairs, the remains of a once glorious dining hall, drift as flotsam in the water. The top of a mostly submerged doorway can be seen on the leftmost wall and a massive hole gapes in the northern one. The water here is probably chest-deep.

Akoril and Wisps notice ripples swirling among in the debris. There are large-sized creatures below the water — perhaps natural denizens of the canals, such as crocodiles or even water cobras. Luckily, they don't see you… yet.

Map updated. For now I am just using 1 token to designate general party location. Invis scroll is 10 min… say you have minutes to sneak over here: 1d3 ⇒ 2 2 minutes of it getting here. You can make it around to the Southern wall but probably not back here again as you need to go the long way around (remember, the back of the manor abuts the canal wall).

"And a Soothe," Soomdevi says.

Chimwemwe whispers, "The water is pretty deep. We could stone shape a hole in the wall back there." He points toward the back of the compound where it abuts the canal wall. "Or we could keep following Alrinkiri's lead and try to sneak across."

You move back and open a hold in the wall. Inside you find… an empty storage room. It's noisy in here.

From the single door in front of you emanates the sound of a cocktail party. A harp plays gentle music and a susurrus of conversation filters through, though you cannot make out the words.

The doors to your right stand open, revealing a short empty hall and another open door on the right.

You're also still invisible.

Chimwemwe raises an eyebrow. He then turns to the others and shrugs.

No one sees their invisible friend shrug or raise his eyebrow.

With bow in hand Akoril motions the party to head further in, away from the cocktail party.

Moved token to next room.

The closer door to your left is closed. You can hear two voices talking from the room ahead:

"Three thick thistle sticks."

"Mmmm. Good. My turn. Ssome sshun ssunshine. Do you sshun ssunshine?"

"No… no… that's not right.Salthisss said you're too sibilant."

"UGH! How interminable this practi-s-s-s-s is-s-s-s-s is!"

Do you stop and listen? Do you want to get a look inside or past the door? If the latter, I need a stealth check. You can also open the door to your left; you hear nothing from within.

I labeled the areas

Alrinkiri sneaks forward and peeks in the door with the voices, expecting by their voices to see more serpent-people. Stealth +15E if you want to roll it secretly, otherwise I'll include one in spoilers below.

The rest of you wait while Alrinkiri pads ahead.

Alrinkiri sneaks back to their allies, drawing out their journal and writing TWO SERPENTFOLK IN MAYOR'S LIVERY in large block letters, showing it to their allies.

The voices continue talking, for the moment returning to nonsense. Those of you who took Zuma's theater classes, however, are reminded of the voice and diction exercises practiced by thespians.

"Theophilus-s-s-s This-s-s-stler, the this-s-s-stle s-s-sifter, in s-s-sifting a s-s-sieve of uns-s-sifted this-s-stles-s-s, thrus-s-st three thous-s-s-ssand this-s-stles-s-s through the thick of his-s-s thumb…

Will you stop and listen, or push on into another room? Moving into another room will require opening a door, which may arouse suspicion. On the other hand, you could probably get intel if you wait for a few minutes here, but because their conversation is meandering and peppered with voice and diction exercises, it will run down much of the remaining time on your invisibility sphere.

"So it is snakefolk. Check the other door," Chimwemwe whispers to Alrinkiri. "If there is no danger there, it may be best to deal with these two here."

Chim peeks under the door and sees a pair of feet at a table. Something hisses. Were you almost noticed by someone, even invisible, just from that?

A deep voice: Is something wrong, Longshimmer?

Chim steps quickly away from the door.

A languid purr: "Mmmm. Nothing, I suppose. Nothing, nothing, nothing."

Is there anything I can use to cast Grave Impressions? Maybe we could use to listen through the bones while further away, and not risk getting caught.

Soomedevi looks around for dead insects or vermin.

"I have an idea."

Possibly; the cast is 1 minute using V/S components, and you would need to locate a corpse (maybe Blinks can go find one to save you time).

Chimwemwe quietly confers with the others. "We try to take down the serpentfolk in there quietly. We face whoever is on the other side of that door. Or we break into the party, though I fear the guard behind that door would come. Best not to, hmm, to have a repeat of Froglegs' compound." He looks over to Soomdevi. "Yes?"

"We can listen through a corpse. Noxolo taught me."

Soomdevi sends Blinks to sniff out a dead mouse or something.

Do you want to do a perception check to see if something is around?

Blinks leaves the invisibility sphere, as he goes to retrieve a dead animal from the flooded grounds. Retrieval time: 1d6 ⇒ 3 In the meantime, you eavesdrop on the Serpentfolk Alrinkiri spied upon for 1d6 ⇒ 2 three minutes. So waiting for blinks, you have about 4.5 minutes left on your sphere. Let's round it down to 4 accounting for getting blinks out and moving around etc.

Between the voice and diction exercises, you pick out some key bits of intel:

Voice 1: "I loathe even speaking in this filthy tongue."

Voice 2: "You know, if I could leave sssssafely, I would."

Voice 1: "Not until we retrieve the egg."

Voice 2: "Woe is us! Ssssalthissss cannot even find it! At thissss rate, we'll be here until we shed our skin a hundred times! It wassss difficult enough to get to before, then they killed Oyo and Mtembe and hid it away. Does the warmblood female even know what power ssse posssses in that egg?"

Voice 1: "It's egg of Ydersius, of course."

Voice 2: Ssss. If only. I think it is isss ssssolidified magic. A powerful ancient artifact of our people, ssssstolen by the warmbloods from our ancestral ruins."

Voice 1: "Mmm. Perhaps. Or perhaps it contains a it contains a delightful monster waiting to hatch and lay waste to this region. One thing is certain: our commander has wasted much time waiting for the university to make a careless move. They didn;t get careless, even after an assassin killed a student. The university did not react the way he hoped. I think they know what they possess."

Voice 2: "Yesssss. It'sss too well hidden now! Ssssalthissss cannot get to the egg any longer. Why are we sssstill here? We should go home."

Voice 1: "Salthiss is too busy living in the magistrate-mayor’s skin. He’s too deep into the subterfuge! Obsessed. Deranged."

Voice 2: "Yessstersay I tried to get ordersss from him, and the he didn’t even know hissss own name. He sssstood there for nearly a minute, confussssed, unable to even think. Where does Ssssalthissss begin and Assssanda end!?"

Voice 1: "Call him 'Salthis the Warm.' Heh.”

Voice 2: "Ssssalthissss the warm… hah! And he sssits there at his ridiculous ilussssory cocktail party, nattering on, practisssssing sssspeches.""

Voice 1: "You speak with far too much sibilance! Let us get back to practice…"

"Mariama was right! Soomdevi says in a hushed voice.

He pantomimes ripping off his face to reveal a serpentine demon underneath.

As they go back to practice, you feel you've gotten all the info you can. It's time to move on before your spell runs out.

Where to?

Was waiting on Soomdevi to do what he was going to do.

"Illusory party?" Chimwemwe whispers to the others. "If that is true, we should head back to the door there." He points back the way we came. "If their leader is afflicted in the mind, he may not even notice the door opening and we can capture him."

You slowly push open the door. Sound washes over you — it becomes clear why you couldn't make out any words… the muter conversation is just background noise, mimicking the ambiance of party chatter.

Around a dozen illusory people stand dressed in fine clothing or sit on the benches lining the walls. In the middle of the floor is a cheetah-hide rug, matted with a thick green liquid. In the middle of the right wall is a bronze double door with a wooden bar on this side, preventing entry from that angle.

Two serpentfolk, clearly out of place, stand in a corner. They have bulky frames covered in hard, speckled gray plates and they look… bored out of their minds. When they see you their eyes light up and they grasp their longspears, which are decorated with rattling bundles of granite-like scales.

Magistrate-Mayor Asanda stands among the guests. He turns from a woman in a fancy dress and looks at you. it is clear he does not recognize you.

“I don’t know who you are, but if you don’t have an invitation, I’ll have to ask you to leave my manor right this moment.”

Art on slide 1.

"But we do have an invitation!" Chimwemwe quickly ad libs, then out the side of his mouth whispers at Curling-Wisps-of-Smoke. "We do have an invitation."

The other cocktail guests continue on as if you're not even here.

Asanda slowly blinks…

If you are trying to confuse him make a DC 25 Deception or Diplomacy check. I'll allow one attempt from 1 PC (with assists at DC 20) before they get deadly annoyed with you.

Was a push and a pass of the ball to our leximancer.

Wisps laughs musically. "Of course we were invited! Don't you remember meeting us at the gala last month? You insisted that we attend this little soiree. What a charming place you have here!"

Deception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (20) + 17 = 37