GM Peachbottom's War for the Crown

Game Master Peachbottom

Tychus assists Henrika with securing the vigilante. After a few careful tugs, he rights himself and examines their work. Nodding and satisfied, he turns to Icabhod.

"We will see what information we can gather from her. And then she will be tried as per our laws. We can afford her that at least. We can speak with Onora about keeping her in the cell."

You secure the Night Swan and bring her down to Onora's jail cell. Onora isn't too pleased to hold this particular prisoner but promises to ensure she remains in place. When she comes to, any initial attempts to interrogate her end with her spouting a string of curses and screaming about how terrible the nobles are.

Baron Telus and Baroness Voinum return to their homes. Baron Okerra remains your guest. He plans to ride to the Palace of Birdsong with you as promised.

The Baron will come, but I intend for him to remain on the outside of the palace. You'll do the inside, yourselves.

Now is the time to make any final preparations you want to make before the final assault. Let me know if there is anything you want to do or if you are ready to go. You can take as much time as you need.

As the local expert on planar bindings, Trevor discusses strategies dispatching the various extraplanar threats the group might face with Xallis. Meanwhile, the two lovers argue for several days on if Malphene is to join the battle, Trevor feeling extra protective after Navia's demise.

After the battle is settled and the Night Swan is captured, Xallis makes sure to get in touch with local contractors to see to the repairs to his estate. That, and to take the time and resummon Navia to get her healed up. Being close friends with the clergy is the kind of investment that pays back with interest.

After early attempts at interrogation, Xallis sighs with exasperation. "No poison more vile, no disease more virulent than Galtan ideology. That woman is a pain among pains to talk to. Perhaps some time alone will let her brain detox, but I suspect she's going to be a project."

In the final stages of prep time, Xallis will go over his own notes and half-remembered Pathfinder strategies with Trevor. Common types of outsiders and their weaknesses, and some of the beings at his disposal. He will also get in touch with his merchant contacts to warn them of is coming retribution, all the better to allow the them to quietly relocate investments if need be.

With Xallis's advice, the day of the assault, Trevor prays to Cayden Cailean, focusing on cleric spells to protect from or hinder summoned creatures and outsiders.

Henrika debriefs with Jack after the battle, where he reluctantly gives her some constructive criticism on her form. He seems especially tired after the exertion of the fight, and Henrika urges him to take it easy. "Can we trust you to look after the Betony estate while we are away?" she asks him. He is annoyed and reluctant, since he wants to come with them, but she insists that she needs him to guard their fallback position should things go badly at the palace. Jack does not seem convinced, but agrees under duress to stay behind.

Henrika goes through their treasure chest and distributes various scrolls and potions among the party, to those who can use them. "Let us not hoard items that may come in handy," she suggests. (She can carry the bulk of the extra items and pass them out as needed if anyone is struggling with the extra weight.)

We can keep our agents here to look after the estate while we go to Birdsong Palace.

Tychus spends what little idle time he has left in quiet prayer at the church. He pens a few letters to Opara, but instructs the priest not to send them unless news comes that their plans had failed.

"Should we scout the Palace while we have the chance? Wisdom would have us prepared for anything. The Count is nothing if not crafty."

Erastus 14, 4718 (Starday) (Palace of Birdsong, County of Meratt, Taldor)

After a few days of rest and preparation, the time to finally wrest control from the Lotheeds has come. You ride north to Lotheedar and the Palace of Birdsong.

You encounter no resistance along the road and once you arrive at the palace, you are able to do some preliminary scouting.

Palace of Birdsong Map

From a distance, you discover that the main entrance is guarded by just three Lotheed Soldiers. (During you previous visits, it was guarded by six.) Besides the main entrance, there are two other ways into the palace, the veranda in the back or a servant’s entrance along the east side by the carriage house. Neither of these two entrances has any guards that you can see.

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.

Veranda: A marble porch overlooks a garden of bushes, green grass, and hedges cut into rampant lions and owls, all arranged around a fountain. The tweeting, twittering, and hooting of songbirds arranged in gold cages around the porch is nearly deafening.

Although you don’t see any guards, you recall from interrogating Sul Gul Gusairne that he mentioned Living Topiaries in the area.

Service Hallway: The door into the hallway is concealed from the outside and likely locked.

Most of the rooms are already revealed because you discovered them through previous visits or from Gul. The only area unknown is the circular tower on the western side of the palace which is the private quarters for the Lotheed family.

You can set the stage for the assault. You can decide on which entrance you want to approach and whether you want to approach during the day or night.

Also if you want any long-term spells going, let me know what you cast.

After they arrive and just before they approach, Henrika will cast false life, heightened awareness, Hermean potential, and mirror image. She will implant her Mesmeric Mirror trick in herself and in Navia, and attune her magenta ioun stone to Bluff. Finally, she will confer with Jack and her other agents to inform them of her plans (and to create a plausible reason for potentially using her Young Reformer trait later). She will openly carry her wand of color spray in her left hand and Koriana's blade in her right.

False life hp: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
Mirror images: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Can we assume we were healed to full strength?

Icabhod uses Barkskin(+3) and Perceive Cues(+5 Perception and Sense Motive) extracts

When arrival is imminent...

Xallis considers his options as he looks over the team and nods, confidant in this plan. "As I recall, our dear Lotheed favors putting elemental magic on his blade. When we do engage him, I could potentially put Navia away and replace her with a summoned fiend that's resistant if not outright immune to his tricks."

Navia perks up. "Hey, if you wanna go through the front door all stylish and proud, should I sneak around the back? Maybe invisible and off the leash for a bit? I might be able to locate Lotheed, or cut off some reinforcements. And if I get caught? Oh well, I just come back the next day, right?"

The eidolon laughs. Xallis smirks. "Well one thing is for sure. I'd like to come in at the front and demand an apology. Really throw him off his A-game, maybe make him do something foolish."

Casting mage armor from the wand on himself and Navia, also casting barkskin on himself. He's willing to send Navia out with extended invisibility and unfetter to potentially run interference our do some scouting, depending on the party's need for a front line. Also more castings of barkskin if people want it but that does eat up the same spell slot as haste and glitterdust which may also come in handy.

Xallis smirks. "Well one thing is for sure. I'd like to come in at the front and demand an apology. Really throw him off his A-game, maybe make him do something foolish."

"Going through the front would certainly suit you. Just in case we do want an alternate infiltration route, I have this here grappling hook I can shoot."

As he explains this, he retrieves the Grappling Hook Bolt and puts it into his crossbow, miming the act of shooting onto an imaginary roof. A roll of silk rope hangs from his belt.

I’m going to assume you are approaching during the day.

You decide to take the direct approach and walk towards the front doors making no attempt to mask your presence, with the exception of Navia. Baron Okerra rides on his warhorse next to you in a slow canter. This time, he wields a boar spear in two hands.

The Baron makes a comment on the guards, ”Either the Count has made unlikely cutbacks or less soldiers are willing to work with Bartelby than before. That’s promising.”

Upon spotting you, one of the guards turns and rushes into the building, vanishing from sight. The remaining two raise their halberds and call out.

”Halt, traitors! We’ve been warned that you’d eventually show your faces. But Baron Okerra, this is a surprise. You’ve always been a law-abiding vassal. But if you’ve thrown in with this lot, you’ll suffer the same fate. Surrender or forfeit your lives.”

Meanwhile around back, Navia sneaks through the garden invisibly. Swans and peacocks roam the grounds freely. They honk loudly as they walk making hearing over them difficult. Knowing what to look for, Navia spots two life-size bushes shaped like lions whose bodies rhythmically rise and fall as though breathing. They seem to be dozing peacefully in the sun and not noticing Navia’s presence. Just in case, Navia gives them a wide berth.

To the east, through the many floor-to-ceiling glass windows, Navia can see three more soldiers guarding the Grand Ballroom.

To the south, she can look into the gallery. Unsettlingly white walls flank this otherwise opulent grand hall. The walls are decorated with portraits and four carved columns support the ceiling. A soft, plush carpet provides traction on the shiny marble floors.

The four marble columns are carved in the likenesses of Abadar, Aroden, Cayden Cailean, and Shelyn and thanks to the warning from Gul Gusairne, these are most likely the caryatid columns that he warned about.

Probably going into combat with the front guards, but I’ll pause a moment in case you want to do or say anything.

Active Spells/Effects
Henrika: ▲False Life (14 hp, 6 hr), ▲Heightened Awareness (60 min), ▲Hermean Potential (6 min), ▲Mirror Image (6 images, 6 min)
Icabhod: ▲Barkskin (+3 AC, 60 min), ▲Perceive Cues (60 min)
Trevor: None
Tychus: None
Xallis: ▲Mage Armor (60 min), ▲Barkskin (+3 AC, 60 min)
Navia: ▲Invisibility (120 min), ▲Mage Armor (60 min), ▲Unfetter (60 min)