Chapter 1: A Worthy Contract
Your last job went off without a hitch. Your victim stood no chance. You stood over the bloody body as they drew their final, shuddering breath, the life fading from their eyes. A satisfactory kill. You felt the approval of Achaekek himself, He Who Walks in Blood granting you his blessing.
Now, as you gather your belongings from the hideout in which you have been staying and prepare to leave this place behind, you are approached by a familiar figure—a slender aiuvarin man with golden brown skin and long white hair who wears a red hooded cloak over leather armor. His dark red eyes glitter, but he approaches calmly and in a non-threatening manner. His name is Vatum, and you recognize him as a high-ranking courier who serves the Vernai and is known as a favored contact of Blood Mistress Jakalyn. Red Mantis assassins in the field are assigned new missions through couriers like Vatum, but this is the first time he has been sent to your group. His presence here indicates a great honor and trust from your leadership.
"Congratulations on your latest success," Vatum says. "A new target has been selected for a visit from He Who Walks. General Ordulf Bladecaller, a notorious priest of Gorum."
The courier proceeds to describe Ordulf's history in great detail Ordulf was born in a now destroyed fishing village along the shores of Glacier Lake in Irrisen. He escaped from the winter witches of Irrisen as a young man and fled west, eventually seeking shelter in the neighboring Lands of the Linnorm Kings; rumors that he personally wrestled one of the chicken-legged animated huts that guards the borders of Irrisen to the ground swiftly won him acclaim and respect in the eastern regions of the Linnorm Kingdoms.
Ordulf earned the byname “Bladecaller” for his intimidating nature: he had a noteworthy tendency to win conflicts through insults alone even before drawing a blade—his words, many say, cut as deep as any sword or axe. Today, Ordulf’s standing in the church of Gorum is obscure. Some rumors say that he is one of the god’s favorites and been blessed so that he cannot be killed, while others insist that he’s turned to other sinister powers to ensure his longevity and that his faith in Gorum is a sham. Of note, all those who confronted Ordulf on matters of his faith were swiftly slain by the warlord.
Ordulf wields a frost greatsword and a wounding battleaxe capable of fighting on its own at his side in battle. Ordulf single-handedly slaughtered a clan of adlets who had taken residence in an ancient dwarven fortress in the foothills of the Stormspear Mountains. Now renamed Crownhold, this fortress is his seat of power. The closest settlement to Crownhold is a remote trading post called Glacier’s Rest.
Recent rumors say that Ordulf is preparing his forces to wage war against Trollheim, the capital of the kingdom of Hagreach in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, rather than following local tradition and killing a linnorm to become a king. Many in Hagreach and kingdoms beyond see this as an affront to tradition, but Ordulf’s reputation is such that none dare oppose him—least of all King Freyr Darkwine, who arrogantly considers Ordulf to be a “mountain-squatting troll” and not worth his time to even consider a threat.
"The call for Ordulf’s assassination reached the Red Mantis via many whispers," Vatum concludes. "While none in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings would dare claim responsibility for setting these events in motion, the assassination of General Ordulf Bladecaller, a man who would abuse his position of power to usurp the rightful traditions of rule, is now a matter for you to handle. You are to return to Ilizmagorti once the deed is done with his personal religious symbol in hand as an offering of respect to Achaekek."
"A braying oaf who kills through boasts, and bellowed blessings?" Kemlyn's rounded face moves all at once from polite attentiveness to a graven mask of malevolent amusement. "Still his tongue and the rest shall follow then. What of his army? If he singlehandedly slew a clan of adlets I can assume he does not hold them in great esteem, but surely a warlord must have some manner of retinue."
Kemlyn knows that Glacier's Rest is a relatively large but remote town, and should make an excellent place to begin the work of planning an infiltration of the fortress of Crownhold. The majority of locals revere Gorum. She is familiar with a tavern there called the Frosty Stein, run by the friendliest innkeeper in town, a man named Gundar Icebreaker. He earned his surname after a demonstration where he punched through a solid block of ice, a demonstration he still performs on request.
"Of course, Ordulf has a significant force of soldiers that man the defenses of Crownhold," Vatum says. "But with your skills and expertise, I have no doubt you will devise a method of avoiding becoming bogged down in unnecessary battles against them. Isolate Ordulf and assassinate him, and make sure to leave no doubt that his death took place upon the blades of the Mantis."
The woman known as Vespid moves in fluid, practiced motions as she pauses her packing and stands to regard Vatum while he delivers their next assignment. She had shed her disguise as a priestess of Sarenrae which she had used to help the group gain access to their previous target.
Her ability to pass herself off as clergy of the varying faiths of Golarion has served her well, even if it did cause suspicion in the lower ranking Mantises. Whether Vespid is unaware of the rumors surrounding her, if she merely ignored them, or if she fostered them is hard to say. Most refer to Vespid as "that Calistrian whore" when out of earshot, because the one thing absolutely known about her is that she had been a sacred prostitute for the Savored Sting before paying for an assassination contract by serving in the Honey Gardens herself. Rumors that Blood Mistress Jakalyn herself enjoyed Vespid's services during that time are spoken in hushed tones and never in the presence of either party.
Now she is back in her blood-red vestments, although always tailored to evoke a waspish silhouette of her slender form. "Indeed. The scalpel will serve far better than the sword." She sighs as she rubs her temple. "Gorum. Such a boorish faith."
Her brow furrows slightly as she muses aloud. "The Lord in Iron generally bestows his favor to those willing to settle their grievances with strength of arms. Why would one known more for his sharp tongue receive such a blessing?"
"Of course, of course." Kemlyn waves off the reminder to publicly honor Achaekek with Ordulf's death.
"Before his death though, we may wish to be discreet in gathering further information. Simpler to hide within their midst; who else travels to Glacier's Rest besides warlords and their doom?"
"Ordulf's presence has brought increased trade to the village. Disguising yourselves as traders will avoid drawing suspicion to yourselves," Vatum suggests.
Lost in a secular haze after riding a divine high, Kindûl isn't all 'there' when Vatum comes to see them. In a corner of the room, a particularly pretty lady flashes a smile at Kindûl. When he smiles back at her, because who could resist her, she points at Vatum and silently mouths 'pay attention!'. This causes a frown, but Kindûl knows she's probably right and so he sits up straight and shifts his attention to Vatum.
When he speaks, there's a certain hoarseness to his voice. Someone has been enjoying the waterpipe a little too much perhaps? Paired with Kindûl's lust for all things alcoholic, it's no wonder his voice is about to fail him.
"This Glacier's Rest you speak of, is it cold up there? I might need to bring some of my merchandise along, there might be a market for liquors that set your belly on fire." Bluster and bravado be damned, the thought of snow and ice causes him to shudder. In return, the quiet lady shakes her head from side to side, disappointment written all over her oh-so-pretty face. Fine. I'll get myself a fur coat and bring a bottle of Vidric rum.
The final member of the group, a muscular Garundi woman crosses her arms over her chest. Her armor and weapons are etched with ornate runes, and a few other sigils are tattooed on her body. "We will complete our assigned task first. Sell your wares on your own time," she says to Kindul with a scowl. She turns to Vatum and nods. "By His command."
Your journey to Glacier's Rest is uneventful. An icy wind blows across the open tundra south of the town, which crouches atop an upthrust escarpment of stone that looms a hundred feet above the surrounding plains. To the north stand the formidable Stormspear Mountains, while a treacherous-looking trail consisting of three switchbacks ascends the ridge to the town from the trade road that winds into the distance to the east and west.
The town itself is bordered by further defenses—palisades of pine that block the frigid winds and deny townsfolk a view of the southern tundra, further accenting the dominance of the mountains to the north. Clusters of log cabins, alehouses, trading posts, and storehouses huddle together around a massive longhouse, ribbons of smoke reaching to the sky through holes on either end of the town’s largest building. A single track winds north from town into the mountains—the only indication that this remote settlement is not the last bastion against the frozen wilderness to the north.
Once you have had some time to gather information, you quickly learn that a large merchant caravan recently arrived and is in the process of shipping supplies north to Crownhold. This, combined with the fact that the merchants are spending a fair amount of time relaxing and cavorting in town before they head back east to Turvik, makes for the perfect cover for you to begin plotting an infiltration of the fortress. The merchants plan to leave town in two days, at which point the locals look forward to spending several weeks in the calm comforts of isolation. At this point, as outsiders to Crownhold, you would be unwelcome in town.
EXPLORATION, MANIPULATE, SECRET
You create a single-use tool specially designed for infiltrating the fortress, such as a camouflaged cloak that perfectly matches Crownhold’s stonework, forged invitations to a war council, etchings on armor to match those worn by Crownhold’s guards, or the like. Attempt a DC 30 Crafting check to create this one-use tool.
Success: You create an effective, single-use tool that grants 1 Leverage Point for a complication. At any point during a complication, you can spend an LP to describe a flashback scene of you preparing just the right tool for the job. In doing so, you must describe how the tool helps overcome the specific complication. This Leverage Point should be represented as a special token or a specific entry on your sheet, and when you (or another player) uses the tool to help in a complication and spends the Leverage Point this tool granted, the tool is consumed.
Failure: You create a middling tool. When you or another PC use this tool, it’s consumed and its Leverage Point is wasted.
Critical Failure: As a failure, but a PC who tries to use the Leverage Point to help with a complication gets a critical failure, even if they use the LP after rolling a failure.
DISCOVER ORDULF’S SECRETS
EXPLORATION, SECRET
You seek out and learn secret information about General Ordulf Bladecaller. Attempt a DC 30 Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Society check. Alternatively, attempt a DC 28 Gorum Lore or Warfare Lore check.
DISCOVER CROWNHOLD’S SECRETS
CONCENTRATE, EXPLORATION, SECRET
You learn key information about Crownhold through interviews and investigation. Attempt a DC 30 Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Society check. Alternatively, attempt a DC 28 Dwarven Lore check.
ORCHESTRATE TIMELY DISTRACTION
CONCENTRATE, EXPLORATION, MANIPULATE
You organize an attention-grabbing event that’s primed to occur during your infiltration of the fortress. This might be an explosion, a fire, or other crisis. Attempt a DC 30 Deception, Performance, Religion, or Society check.
Critical Success: As success, plus the distraction is so spectacular that it pulls the fortress guards’ attention away from your infiltration and drowns out subtle signs of your presence. Reduce your Awareness Point total by 1. The party earns 1 Leverage Point.
Success: The party gains 1 Leverage Point from the minor distraction.
Failure: The distraction fails; the fortress guards hold fast to their duties but don’t notice that you tried to distract them.
Critical Failure: The distraction backfires significantly when you use it, reminding the guards of the need to remain vigilant against danger at all times. Gain 1 Awareness Point.
APPROACH CROWNHOLD
EXPLORATION, MOVE, SECRET
You attempt to get close enough to Crownhold to observe it for a period of time while remaining unseen. Attempt a DC 30 Stealth or a DC 28 Scouting Lore check. If you have a means of becoming invisible or similar magical aid, adjust your rolled result up by one degree of success (with GM approval).
Critical Success: You sneak up to Crownhold without being detected. If your next exploration activity is to Observe Crownhold, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to that check.
Success: You sneak up to Crownhold without being detected.
Failure: You sneak up to Crownhold, but leave traces of your passage for others to find. Gain 1 AP.
Critical Failure: You’ve been spotted! Any PCs who also attempted this activity at the same phase cannot get higher than a Success on their check. You manage to avoid getting caught, but gain 2 AP.
OBSERVE CROWNHOLD
EXPLORATION, SECRET
Requirements: Your last exploration action was to Approach Crownhold and you did not critically fail.
You study Crownhold from several vantage points, examining its layout, likely complications, and defenses. Attempt a DC 30 Perception, Stealth, or Survival check or a DC 28 Architecture Lore, Scouting Lore, or Warfare Lore check.
Vespid easily slips into the role of a traveling merchant, wearing the symbol of Abadar prominently upon her travel clothes. She makes light conversation, speaking in vague terms about the various crime bosses of Riddleport during their travels if anyone is interested.
Once in Crownhold, she leads the group of Mantises in prayer before discussing the task ahead. "Great and mighty Achaekek, we, your children of blood, prepare to offer this false ruler to sate your unending appetite. He has been deemed a pretender, unworthy and unrighteous in his rule. Just as you destroy those who would supplant the gods, we remove all but those with the divine right to lead. May our blades strike swiftly, silently, and surely, to pour blood upon the ground wherever you walk."
Vespid pauses to allow for silent reflection on her words. After a moment, she says, "The hour approaches, so let us be swift but cautious as we prepare. I shall venture into the marketplace and see what can be learned of our target."
Kemlyn follows Vespid's prayers along with a twist to her mouth that speaks of either anticipatory glee or simple contempt, depending on the look in her well-shadowed eyes.
"You go right on then dear. Enjoy your little trip to the shops." She peels her shadow from where it sits on her foot, and begins kneading it into new shapes. "I have a need to take in the sights and sounds of Crownhold myself."
Outside of the wintertown, Kemlyn feels no need for a disguise, so she vanishes into the shadows themselves, shrouding herself in Invisibility as she draws near Crownhold itself, reworking her familiar to serve as a scout as unnoticed as any other shadow.
"What kind of a scout sees through only her own eyes after all?"