"And just how much might this "golden monkey" likely be worth, do you think? Don't suppose there's any rumor of it being an exceedingly rare item or exceedingly valuable to anyone in particular for any reason?" he says with a half smile. It sounds like he is still tossing the idea of looking into it around in his head, whether just for the challenge factor, because he wants to raise cash for one reason or another or both.
"Well, if such a thing were real... and mind I'm not saying it is... I'm fairly certain it would be rather small, and of little intrinsic value. However, whoever is good enough to find it would get to join an exclusive group." Cassian pauses. "You know, if such a thing were real."
Amongst the rumors, there is another... a golden monkey has been hidden somewhere in Westcrown. Follow clues cunningly hidden in plain sight all over the city and find the prize!
GM:
The prize, of course, is entry into the Golden Monkey Syndicate.
GM:
Cassian sweeps Crosael up into his arms. "Feels like I haven't seen you in months," he says, holding her close. "As for the official, the easiest thing to do would be to delay his arrival. If he comes by ship, a light bit of sabotage should do the trick. By road, and we can knock some trees over. He'll get here while the Days of Wrath are in full swing, but too late to spoil our fun."
Someone's gotta be really sure they want to date Tarvi before they do. And Cassian is not above sharpening one of his two +7 weapons in the presence of a young suitor.
...and if he's this bad with his sister, imagine how he'll be when it's his daughter.
"We're a fractious bunch," says Cassian agreeably, not looking the least bit offended. "All right, let's get this thing going, and we can take some much needed time off. And when we're done, we'll start this silly business of ruling Westcrown from our Shadow Council."
Rygel chirps. Cassian rolls his eyes, and deliberately says, "Rygel wants you to know that he came up with the name and will graciously allow all of us to live here under his protection."
Cassian turns to the monkey. "I said it. Happy?"
Rygel nods, whips his cape about him and vanishes. A moment later, he reappears, munching on a giant mango.
The Lyre of Building was a group claim, although it was used primarily by Zsz. As such, since I don't think it was specifically mentioned where it was, I would assume it could have been with Tarvi or Amaya and would be accessible by any of the party members.
Just my two cents.
That would make sense. Cassian was using the lyre for renovations on the Walcourt, since Tarvi is apparently fine being housemates with her lame brother.
"Let's let our mages do the research and have the plan ready to go the minute it becomes necessary. Until then, let's enjoy our city... victory, good company, new love, all that good s+&!." Cassian breaks into a grin. "A street festival might be just what we need to celebrate. We could probably make up some kind of religious justification too."
Cassian listens carefully, hangs his head, and finally nods. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I'm going to fortify Westcrown against attack, and I'm going to keep tabs on both of them, and as soon as either one of them does something within our borders, I'm going to move."
He pauses to let that sink in. "Until then, I'll leave her alone. Thanks, Fi. Never thought I'd appreciate someone keeping me honest."
Cassian chuckles. "This is probably the only fun part. I don't think I'm going to actually enjoy cutting her throat. I'll do it..." he shakes his head. "Getting sentimental in my old age."
He focuses. "All right, then here is the plan as I see it. Gravlax, you disguise yourself as me. I know you don't need it, but Crosael can help, and possibly lend her ring to help for the deception."
"First, Tarvi, Amaya, and Fiosa, if you would both research the succubus. Whatever you need to summon her. One or more of you should also look into some way to prevent teleportation away. I trust you three to figure out who is better at researching which, and if you need anyone else from the group to help, don't hesitate to ask."
"Second. Arena. That basement seems to be amenable. I can't remember what the ceiling is like. Preferably we want some place where their flight will be nullified."
"Third, tactics. Gravlax, you're the toughest one of us by a good margin. You do what you can to draw their aggression. Azhar, you're on beatdown. As for me, if it's possible to get a flank I will do so. If not, I have a new trick of wrapping people up in shadows. It only lasts a short time, but that should be long enough for some impromptu surgery."
Suggestion: we continue what planning needs to happen in flex, while assuming the research arm has begun their tasks.
"No reason we can't do both. Summon the succubus out into a trap, possibly getting our primary quarry as well. Then we head back through and clean that place out top to bottom."
"And yes, you're our best chance against her. I might be best served as a distraction. If she's too focused on me not getting behind her, she might lose track of you." Cassian waves that away/ "Any plans of those type will go out the window the instant we're engaged. Let's talk about the basic plan. Is everyone on board with summoning the succubus? If so, we need to move on to delegating research responsibilities, first how to summon her, then how to keep her. And we should choose a proper venue. I was initially thinking that basement where we fought those" he shudders "Vampires."
Cassian smiles at that and concedes the point with a nod.
"In the meantime, Tarvi, Amaya, and Fiosa, you three or some combination are probably the best suited to research Joriavah if we do the summoning. Whoever isn't doing that can look into some form of group teleportation, either item or scroll?"
"We don't need to worry about the wall if we summon Joriavah to us. We'll need a way to keep her from teleporting away, sure. And if we get lucky and Buzz teleports in behind her -- I don't know if she's that dumb, but supposedly she's in love with the monster -- and we can take them both out. We go back up, we clean out the rest if we're so inclined, and we control the portal and such for whatever we like. I'm thinking prison."
Cassian snorts in amusement at Khazrae's blatant inhumanity. "Anyone who dies will be resurrected, assuming there's anyone to do it. I will steal as many scrolls from the Church of Asmodeus as required." He says this last with a hard look at Khaz, one that softens fairly quickly.
"Do either of you have any objections to my bringing Khaz into this conversation? If anything, she hates Buzz and the succubus more than we do, and she knows them better."
Assuming no objections -- feel free to make them -- Cassian calls for Khazrae to join them and will bring her up to speed.
"I don't have a timeline," Cassian concedes. "It's not even a fully formed thought. I was debating between actually recruiting people and merely keeping an eye out for a band of crusaders she might never see coming."
"The idea of summoning her succubus is f&%#ing brilliant. If we could figure that out, we could either eliminate her closest ally or use her to draw Buzz out of her lair." Cassian's spreading grin says either he loves this idea or he's a sadistic cuss. Maybe both.
"In terms of magic items, I would recommend caps of the free thinker for everyone." Cassian shows off his brand new hat whose wide brim spreads the shadows over him. "Unfettered tunics would be good to get out of her hair, as would rings of freedom of movement. I'm not certain if anything specifically resists getting turned into a pig, but having access to scrolls of dispel might be helpful. As would cloaks of resistance and belts to make us hardier."
"I have a few new abilities she hasn't seen me use yet. I wouldn't match her spell for spell, but I can enhance what I already do well." He smiles a little, his hand covering Crosael's. "Turns out when the shadows of this city wanted to change me, it was for the better."
"You're not wrong," Cassian says to Azhar with a smirk. "But I think our best avenue for victory comes down to what Jan said. If Buzz is preparing for us specifically, we'd have a better chance if we weren't us. More to the point, if we sent someone else, and prepared them for her tactics. That way they know what to expect, and her traps -- probably still deadly, but maybe not as deadly?"
Cassian fingers the amulet around his neck. "There's one thing I'm good at, and that's not being seen. If anyone could assemble a group without her knowing... it's me."
As Janiven describes Zsz's attitude, Cassian scoffs under his breath. As she mentions the likely fortification of the moon, he nods ruefully.
Cassian smiles with real affection at Azhar's words. "I was just about to say that it looks like we stay back and spread rumors and hope someone else cleans up the mess. I knew I was going to get in trouble joining up with a bunch of crusaders!"
He sweeps the assembled people with his gaze. "If we do this, we have to all do this. Together. It has to be unanimous, because if we fail, it's all our asses."
He sighs. Then he rolls his eyes. It's fairly easy to tell that what's coming out of his mouth annoys him to say, possibly because he never thought he'd have to say it. "My decision has to be based on... certain other people... who live here... who are short... and young... and might not be able to provide for themselves. Do we think Buzz or that monster she lives with will come to Westcrown for us or our... um... allies?"
Cassian listens to Gravlax, nodding in agreement to each of his points, and maintains a poker face during the slight breakdown at the end.
"To each of your points. First point, yes. As far as I'm concerned, the group that brought down the Council of Thieves, minus Buzz, are still a group. Maybe a little looser than before, but we're allies. And yes, I agree."
"Second point, again, yes. I am offering to assassinate the succubus." He sighs, shifts uncomfortably, and glances briefly at Crosael. "I don't think I have a good chance of doing it and getting away with it. And I think if I do it and don't kill Buzz, she'll be after me and everyone in this room."
"And your third point is entirely correct and one of the many reasons I'm bringing this to the group. It's not just my life that I'm playing with, and as it turns out, I accidentally ended up with a lot o live for, as have all of you. If we hit her, we do it as a group. Otherwise, I was planning a whispering campaign to clue in other adventurers to the location of her lair. Doesn't wash our hands of any of the blood, but does keep us out of it."
"If our only goal is to keep her out of Westcrown, we don't need to go up there. I was thinking if we wanted a more... permanent solution." Cassian spreads his hands. "It's not something I'd enjoy... gods, that's weird to say... but it's something I'll do. Her, and that succubus. But it's not just me or mine on the hook for this, it's all of us. I don't want to go after her and find she's taken that as an excuse to take it out on all of you. If we do something, it should be as a united front."
Cassian smiles at the offer. "Thanks. Crosael and I are already training doubles for her, though they probably won't be as good as you. Of course, having you double the woman I love might be a little disturbing. Any help with the traps is appreciated. I know I need to have magic traps, which Tarv can help with, because otherwise she might be able to disarm them. And I need a ridiculous amount to make sure she can't have enough dispels for them all."
He sighs and shakes his head. "In terms of actually going up there to the moon..."
At some point in the future during the downtime, Cassian invites Azhar and Gravlax to the Walcourt (along with Amaya and Mathalen, of course). Should they come, they are greeted by Cassian and taken up to the meeting room where Tarvi, Crosael, Janiven, and Fiosa wait. After everyone has a seat, and are gotten drinks if they want them (Cassian offers a lovely wine that, in a stunning coincidence, had a full cask go missing from a shipment recently), Cassian speaks.
"Thank you all for coming. I wanted to talk to everyone about our possibly former companion, and what we're going to do about her. I have already started the construction of traps beneath the mayor's house so any attempt to re-enter Westcrown would be met with... pain."
He pauses, sweeping the assembled people with his gaze, lingering on Azhar and Gravlax. "Should we do anything else? Are we... obligated?"
"Looks like you may have gotten yourself an apprentice," Cassian says with a smile.
"The dress shop... oh, the dress shop. Yeah, there was a gateway into another plane, where a cult of succubi were enslaving people and doing all sorts of horrible things. They're all dead now, except I think Buzz is going to be taking it over. In other, entirely unrelated news, I'm going to seed the gateway with a truly ridiculous amount of traps."
"'Fraid not. What Risy says goes, at least until the apes are a little tamer."
He pulls Crosael into an embrace. "I missed you too," he says, kissing her gently on the mouth. "Glad to see you've put the rugrats to work on thiefcraft. If we're to retain control of the city, we'll need the help."
Cassian welcomes them in, warning them of the dire apes of course, and gets everyone settled. He spends the next few days getting those who wish it homeward bound, those who want to stay jobs and other places to stay, and those who seem to have an aptitude or desire, a place in the Golden Monkey Syndicate.
Cassian comes through the door. "Listen to her, kids. She's a genius at this stuff." He smiles at Crosael. [b]"Sorry it took me so long. I guess time moves differently over there? Only felt like a couple hours... but then, a couple hours without you is a long time."
Cassian smiles at the group. "Ladies and gentlemen, I need to return to the Walcourt. If anyone needs a place to stay until you can be returned home, I have some space. There are demons, deadly traps, and a few children. So, you know, some downsides." He heads through the city on his way home.
"All right," says Cassian. "According to Fiosa, who is quite capable of figuring these things, the statues are extremely evil. So I am back on board with the original, 'let's smash them' plan."
I'm back on board with smashing them. I don't trust Buzz in the best of circumstances, and I sure as hell don't trust her with a bunch of evil artifacts.
There's a pause, and what Cassian was fighting to keep hidden bursts out. We never should have let the succubus live.
"I'll do it then." He grins. "Part of me kind of hopes she does try something. At least I'd get to cut her girlfriend's throat like I should have done before." Cassian touches Fiosa's shoulder. "Thanks for the warning, and if things do go south, stick with Tarvi, all right?"
Cassian walks over to Tarvi. "Hey, Tadpole, I need your expertise on something." And walks away from the group toward another section of the room.
Sense Motive DC 38:
Cassian is on edge and he clearly wants to get his sister alone.
GM:
Once they're alone, he says, "Tarv, I need you to set up a mind conference with Azhar and Gravlax."
"I can live with that," Gravlax says. "I can live with a lot of things, apparently. But I really would like to know what the deal was with the Marilith and that parchment. Anyone know?"
Tarvi, who had been staring at the mound of clay and bodies at the bottom of the pit starts. Sheepishly, "Sorry." And Cassian looks like his normal, ready to disappear into the shadows self.
"C'mere." And as a "reward," Tarvi gets a rough big brother hug and a little light noogying.
The intact figurines around the bed are incredible representations of a Vudrani maharajah, a sinister-looking Chelish man in the raiment of an Asmodean cleric, an elegant drow female, a Mwangi chieftain, and a male dwarf whose skin is etched with runes.
Azhar looks around at the others and taps his hammer. For some reason, he has a vision of watermelons. "Any reason not too?" ...and if no one says anything he turns the rest of the statuary to dust.
"It would be funny." Cassian pauses. "Oh, not to. No, no reason."
"Well, we'd be happy to get you back to Westcrown. And get you some clothes. Might not be the proper fabric to get you to the promised land, Miss Sirara, but it'll do for a boat and coach ride home to Druma."
The devil looks around at the group, briefly taking in their appearance. "I think you did well on almost all accounts," his gaze stalling on Joriavah, "I will ensure to keep myself apprised of your future endeavors."
"Show your face in Westcrown and I'll cut your throat," Cassian says mildly.
As four naked humans and a devil appear in amid the shattered remains of the dark mirror. Mathalan quietly comments, "Apparently that should be, BAM! You're naked in a pocket prison dimension..."
"Just sounds like an unpleasant situation all the way around."
The DEVIL wrote:
The had-been prisoners lie stunned - for a moment - with the exception of the devil who pushes himself to his feet, his claws held near his sides. He bows his head slightly to the group, "Thank you for the release from the succubus's trap."
"Not like you really needed that thing anyway. I mean, you check to see if you've got something in your teeth and BAM! You're in a pocket prison dimension."
And immediately after doing so, "Wait, you said breaking it would release them right? He says with more than a little apprehension in his voice at having acted so hastily on something he really does not understand.
