Silver Dragon

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2,384 posts. Alias of overlord_laharl.


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Skipping over some meaningless stuff, but you do find a number of things of interest.

One is another raided tomb. Another is a spiral staircase leading up. Third is a strange pillar that extends throughout both the ceiling and floor and feels oddly cool to the touch.

Now you stand in some sort of ancient guardroom, long disused. There is another door to the east. There is also one to the south. It was long ago bricked up, but recently someone has bashed a hole in the bricks, with rubble from this still on the floor.

They weren't happy with whatever they found though. Scrawled on the brick in lipstick, the same that was used to deface the king's resting place before, is "Don't bother with this one, nothing but death beyond". It is signed with a crown.

More map revealed


Which way you want to go?


Alright, there's a door to the south of where you are now, or the one back in the room where you started.


So no questions for the corpse, then? Where to next?


The bricks easily give way under Searok's blow.

Beyond is a ransacked burial chamber like the others, but the body in this one is far fresher. A partially decomposed corpse, mouth agape in a painful death scream, lies slumped against the wall at the entrance to this otherwise empty room. The corpse, which is clad in a rich, dark purple outfit, is that of a thin, bearded humanoid with a hunchback, pointed ears, and a pair of vestigial horns sprouting from his brow.

There is also writing on the wall, a piece of loose mortar having been used like chalk.

"My confession. I aided Queen Ileosa in killing my brother Eodred with poisoned playing cards. I was lured by promises and jealousy, but the blame is my own. I slew the only man who ever showed me kindness. In the end I am the monster everyone thought I was, and have given the throne to an even greater monster. Even as I succumb to my wounds in the dark, I know only regret for what I've done. I'm sorry, brother. -Venster Arabasti"

You recognize the name, Neolandus told you about him.


Whoever did this job clearly had no idea what they were doing. Cheap bricks, wrong type of mortar, applied sloppily and unevenly, no attempt to match the aesthetic of the surrounding stonework (which is ancient and excellent). Honestly, quite shameful, by dwarven standards.

Oh, and Searok also spots the exact spot where a good strong blow would likely collapse the whole shoddy mess.


The hallway turns a corner and continues to the south. More vaults of various important people, all robbed blind.

All except the one to the north of your current position. That one is bricked up, and the mortar looks suspiciously new.


No sign of magic present.

There's an additional door going east from this room, or the south one back a room. Marked on map


Ziranu finds that the door once had a fine lock on it, but it has recently been broken off.

Beyond is a crypt, with the quality of the coffins suggesting that this is the burial place of some some very important people indeed. As Korvosans, you instantly recognize the names that are engraved upon them: Lord Arbust, King Eodred I, Queen Domina, King Eodred II, and King Cardraith.

Whoever was here last didn't feel much reverence, though. Each coffin has been broken into, and any finery the occupants were buried with has been pilfered, with the bodies simply left exposed to the elements. Broken fingers on the corpses suggest rings were pried off, and missing teeth imply the thief was very thorough.

The late Eodred II, Ileosa's husband, has gotten the worst of it. In addition to robbing his grave, the perpetrator seems to have amused themself by using a needle and thread to affix an actual hog's nose to his face. And carved "SWINE" on the coffin lid, in case this joke was too subtle.

With the place so enthusiastically plundered, there are no obvious valuables. The coffins themselves are works of art if one could find a way to transport them and a suitably macabre buyer.


Where to now?


You know of barbed devils, a horned devil, and hellhounds. Togomor is some sort of devil, but as he's possessing a human, his real form can't be ascertained. Sabina could also mention erinyes. I figure she'd be familiar enough with all these breeds to tell you the basics, she's worked alongside Hellknights in the past.

Also imps, but Korvosa is lousy with imps, and I'm pretty sure the anathema for them is just a fly swatter. ;)


@Tronar I'm assuming you took some time to get the maps drawn up by Sabina and to discuss plans, so those buffs would be over...however, there's no reason this has to be the same day, you could have returned to the other rebels to inform them of the situation and rested a night, so if you want to re-cast those buffs you can.

The southern door looks like it was once a very well concealed secret one, with bits of plaster expertly painted to blend in with the surrounding walls. However, now it hangs open.

The air within feels cold and clammy, with a sinister atmosphere. All that is within is a sort of plinth that holds a ceramic coffer that looks centuries old. The lid to the coffer has been removed, and it is empty save for some fang-shaped scorch marks.


Downstairs it is!

One of Sabina's recommended ingress points is a collapsed passage that has been crudely filled in with bricks and rubble, awaiting further repair as the queen has fired much of the castle's support staff in her paranoia. It takes a couple of hours to clear enough of an opening to enter, but you manage it.

You stand now looking at one of the most heartbreaking sights any adventurer can fathom - an empty treasury that someone got to before you. It seems that whatever project Ileosa is working on, she has spared no expense in pursuing it.

Well, almost no expense, you do find a couple of neglected valuables - 53GP, 23PP, and three small garnets worth about 30 gp apiece. Other than that the place has already been ransacked, with empty chests and coffers strewn about.

There are doors to the north, south, and east.

And you are on a new map.


So where would you prefer to start, and how would you like to go about it?


Alrighty then, sounds like everyone's ready.

So, Castle Korvosa isn't meant to be a massive dungeon crawl like Scarwall was (thank goodness). It's not a haunted old ruin, it's an in-use building much of which has been open to the public at one time or another, and you've got a source of information who knows the place well.

So I'm totally cool with just showing you these maps and letting you do with that information what you will. You wanna try teleporting right to the throne room with 50 barrels of gunpowder and a vial of alchemist fire, have at it!

But be aware that also unlike Scarwall, this place is more actively defended, the queen is paranoid and fully expecting attempts on her life, and what exactly she's been up to recently (which you glimpsed in the visions you've had) isn't known to Sabina.

So basically there are multiple ways to go about this. You can pick an infiltration point, try to be stealthy, and go room by room taking out threats like a regular dungeon (which maximizes loot), or you can potentially skip large sections and as long as a couple of mandatory plot-points and encounters take place (and NPCs move around the castle, also unlike Scarwall) you're good.


Doesn't sound like anyone has anything. Okay, any prep/shopping/selling you want to do for your assault on the castle?


Any more info you want from her before moving on?


"The crown isn't attached to her, at least physically. You could simply snatch it off her head. But I knocked it off myself once, and it didn't cause any change in her. If the crown is responsible for her behavior, and it may just be wishful thinking that it is, then its connection to her is magical, not just physical."


"When did this start?"

"It's hard to be certain, it came on gradually. At first I took it for Ileosa grieving for her husband, and adjusting to the stress of rulership. As time went on, even as she's eliminated threats and stabilized her rule, she became more irrational and paranoid, seeking ever more power. Recently she has begun looking into ancient texts for some sort of secrets, and I have no idea how she's getting these ideas. She has many admirable traits, but was...never particularly scholarly."

"Any idea what caused it?"

"I suspect the crown she wears plays a part. A hideous thing, and yet she rarely removes it. At first I thought it might completely be controlling her, so I arranged to "accidentally" knock it off once. Alas, no change occurred. I've made a few discreet attempts to determine if any charm or domination is taking place, but I can find nothing. I fear whatever madness grows within her sprouted from a seed that was always present."

"Is she redeemable?"

"I would...very much like to think so. I am well aware my own view on this matter is biased, I have always loved her, though lately I have begun to suspect that any love she returned was merely because I reflected the regard Ileosa has for herself. She loved me as a great and vain beauty loves a mirror, nothing more. Perhaps I always knew that. But, and I want to make this clear, she was never cruel. Never hateful. Until now. Even if she wasn't the person I hoped she was, she was not this. And any good influence I had on her has been replaced; The queen mostly listens to her fiendish seneschal Togomor now. This city is lousy with imps, and even the brattiest child knows that when one advises you to steal candy you chuck a rock at it and go about your day. For Ileosa to seek the counsel of a greater devil like Togomor, she must be a long way down a dark path. I want her to be able to find her way back. I don't know if she can."

"What threats do we face in the palace?"

"I can provide a detailed map, even some hidden doors and chambers. I can't guarantee it's complete, but if there's anything I don't know about then it's something I've never seen Ileosa use in all my years guarding her. Though with Togomor advising her, and whatever foulness I suspect to live within that crown whispering in her ear, who knows what secrets she may possess. Togomor...his real name might be Sermignatto, though he uses both...has been helping her summon devils. This is not unheard of in Korvosa, we used to be protected by the Hellknights after all, and they employ them. But Hellknights are well trained in dealing with such fiends to limit their freedom and minimize the corruption of bargaining with them. I doubt Togomor has encouraged such discretion with the queen, and I think the devils are likely free to run amok. She has three barbed devils called the Yallops who make a nuisance of themselves, some large hellhounds, and a horned devil named Mavrokeras who guards the towers. What he guards there I don't know. The fourth floor also houses some more of the Red Mantis assassins. I gather they suffered a setback recently when their leader was killed, thank you for that, but they seem to have a new one recently arrived."

"How would we communicate with you"

"That depends on what purpose you put me to. As I have said, I may be best suited out in the city, using what influence I can muster with the Gray Maidens to aid your revolt. If you can arrange a means to message me, either via magic or otherwise, I will do my best to respond."

"What ways can we employ to soften up the castle defenses?"

"A disruption out in the city, such as a large riot or attack on a Gray Maiden garrison would force Ileosa to send some of her forces out of the castle to provide aid. Especially if I succeed in recruiting some of the Maidens myself, then they can send the message to those inside the castle requesting backup, who will not know they have been betrayed. Use of the remaining Guards under Field Marshall Kroft would be good as well, if both the Guards and Maidens are jointly requesting aid then it must be serious."


Globe of Invulnerability will buy you enough time to scoot off somewhere and ask her whatever you like, so go ahead.


Sabina: "We don't have much time. People will see that the dragon was slain very shortly, and when I don't report back they'll eventually try scrying on me to see whether I'm dead or captured. Even if I successfully resist the spell, that will just tell them I'm alive, so we need to speak quickly."

"You don't have much reason to trust me, I've been complicit in my share of horrors. But I beg for the chance to undo some of my deeds. I believe the queen has gone well and truly mad, and if she is not stopped then every person in Korvosa may be doomed. She also knows to expect an assault on the castle soon, your return to the city was observed so she expects you to be on the offense."

"I can give you information on the layout and the allies Ileosa has gathered. I also may be able to provide a distraction. The Gray Maidens in the castle work closely with the queen, and will obey her over me. But those out in the city have mostly never met her, and see me as their commander. Your ragtag rebellion can have some true force behind it, if you'll give me a chance."

Feel free to ask specific questions of her, I'll give general info regardless, but the better the questions the more detailed the answers.


No loot on the dragon, no sign that Sabina is being tracked.


Yes, you got Trifaccia's gear in this post None of the mooks had anything worth grabbing.


Sabina puts her hands up, suitably cowed. "I surrender. I didn't come here to fight, appearances beside. In fact, I need your help. I will tell you everything, but we need somewhere safer to speak. The appearance of the dragon drove everyone away for now, but they'll be back to gawk, and I must say this in private."

To make her surrender more apparent, she unbelts her sword and removes her helmet. The face you see is the same you saw in the vision, beautiful but somewhat marred by scars, albeit not as severe as some you've seen on the Gray Maidens.

Sabina Merrin


You're right!

Deprived of his magical protections, and distracted by the unexpected betrayal of his rider, the dragon is ill-prepared for the latest onslaught of arrows from Ziranu. Its hide is peppered with shafts, and it collapses, dumping Sabina and Trinia on the cobblestones.


I notice the "against human" description in those rolls, you're shooting at the dragon, right? They're both your Favored Enemies, but the bonus is different, does that change anything?


@Shaeda Sure, it's been eons, so a little recap.

Sabina Merrin is Queen Ileosa's personal bodyguard. She's the head of the Gray Maidens, the all-female knights who tortured and brainwashed new recruits (you put a stop to that), make them scar their faces as a sign of loyalty, and have basically supplanted the city's guards so the main law enforcement in the city now answers directly to the queen.

As you learned in one of the shared dreams you had in Scarwall, Sabina is also Ileosa's lover, and very devoted to her, but also has some trepidation about how the queen has been acting recently, and tried to get her to remove the crown (Kazavon's fangs) out of concern but was rebuffed.

Tronar successfully dispels both Mage Armor and Shield from the dragon (Mirror Image was already kaput).

Reduces its AC by 8, so this will make a BIG difference.

Ziranu's up


Running AV right now, been tons of fun. So much fun in fact that I made the possible mistake of indulging my players with too much sidequesting and bonus content when they wanted to follow up on a plotline or interact more with a particular NPC, so they've wound up a bit over-leveled and over-geared for the AP as written.

Which isn't a huge deal, the Elite adjustment exists for a reason, and you can just add an extra monster here and there when necessary. But now they're most of the way though level 9 of the Vaults, and I'm a little worried about the Final Boss.

One nice thing about AV is that the "Belcorra Attacks!" events mean the party can get a taste of what they're up against and plan accordingly. The first of these, on floor 8, went off fantastically - I only let Belcorra stick around for three rounds, but that was enough for the fighter to wind up Confused, he left the thaumaturge bleeding on the ground, and the Wizard crit failed against Feeblemind and had to be carted back to Otari to have his brain fixed. As a lesson that this lady ain't nothing to mess with, it worked a treat.

But they learned it too well, and this last session they had their second bout against Belcorra and it was a whole different story; they were prepared and sent her packing. So now it's HER turn to learn a few new tricks.

Boosting her a level is certainly an option; she's level 12, the party is currently 10 (again, I let them partake of the sweet nectar of sidequests) and they'll probably be 11 by the end, so making her 13 keeps her competitive. But they've also seen a good portion of her spell list for countering purposes, they're all packing Ghost Touch weapons, and they're using strategies like Disruptive Stance. As a GM I'm pleased they're playing smart. As Belcorra I'm annoyed.

But of course she's learning their capabilities from these encounters too. I don't just want to play Rocket Tag and boost her numbers to be scary, the PCs are learning, Belcorra should as well. Can you think of any suggestions to make the final confrontation more competitive that won't just amount to Ghost Steroids?


Ziranu also notices that the ineffectiveness of the dragon was apparently deliberate.

Trinia, though you can't see her due to invisibility, tries to jump on the back of the dragon.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (19) + 23 = 42

She lands cleanly right next to Sabina and tries to grab her.

CMB: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16

But fails, becoming visible in the process. So she settles for brandishing her rapier in the woman's face.

Trinia: "Surrender or die!"

Sabina: "Not me, you idiot!"

Tronar's up.


Shaeda gets in a strike with her whip, followed by a blow with her spell.

But more interestingly, she and Thurrios are almost certain they saw something inexplicable just now. Sabina rides the dragon without a saddle or reins, holding its horns in her armored fists to guide it. And for just an instant, as the dragon was lining up its shot, you'd swear she deliberately jerked the horns to the side, making the stream of acid easier to dodge.

Oh, and because I forgot, rounds until dragon can breathe again: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Unfortunately, the dragon noticed this too, and lets out a frustrated snarl.


I'm just gonna spill the beans on his AC or you're going to think I'm picking on poor Ziranu.

Yeah, they really made this one to target with spells and touch attacks. And tragically, I must now roll against the Mirror Images. High is good for Ziranu.

Hit Real Dragon: 1d5 ⇒ 5

Ziranu scores a hit against the actual dragon, and another near miss that pops one of the duplicates.

So there are three duplicates when Thurrios goes.

Added tokens for the Lantern Archons, you should be able to move them.

Dragon Will: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30
Sabina Will: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

The first Light Ray pops a fake. Two fakes left
Hit Real Dragon: 1d3 ⇒ 1 The second also gets a fake. One left
Hit Real Dragon: 1d2 ⇒ 2 The third hits the real dragon. Still one left
Hit Real Dragon: 1d2 ⇒ 1 The final ray eliminates the final duplicate.

Acrobatics: 1d20 ⇒ 2

The dragon stomps east, clumsily ducking under the archon (provokes from the archon and Searok) and unleashes a torrent of acid toward Shaeda and that square where all the annoying arrows are coming from.

Sabina Ride Check: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25

Acid: 18d6 ⇒ (2, 1, 4, 2, 4, 3, 1, 1, 6, 1, 1, 6, 2, 3, 1, 5, 3, 1) = 47 DC 23 Ref Save for Half

Also, this time everyone please roll Sense Motive.

Shaeda's up.


Yeah, this one has some active spells.


Fort: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (13) + 18 = 31 - Takes 21 damage

Knowledge check is good enough to learn basically everything. This is a Very Old Black Dragon and you can know the whole stat block.

Ziranu's up.


Searok lands a solid hit.

Trinia will just move and take out and drink an Invisibility potion.

Tronar's up.


Ride: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (10) + 20 = 30

Sabina Reflex: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32
Dragon Reflex: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20

Shaeda's spell penetrates the dragon's spell resistance.

Shaeda, can you please give me a Sense Motive check

Searok's up


'Fraid so, that's dragons for you, super high natural armor, basically no dex, so being flat footed means practically nothing to them.

Sabina directs the dragon into the square. Surprisingly, rather than some sort of aerial strafe, she directs it to land. Upon doing so it casts Mirror Image.

Duplicates: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

The dragon also lets out a mighty roar, which rattles you to your very bones with the awesome power of the beast.

Everyone within 270 feet please give me a DC 23 will save or be Shaken

Trinia Will: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22


Ziranu scores but a single hit that pierces the beast's hide.

Thurrios is up.


250 works for me


Tronar goes invisible. He'll need to take a guess where to move though, can't just pick "not in the way".

Ziranu's up.


Turn order will be:

Trinia
Tronar
Ziranu
Thurrios
Sabina/Dragon
Shaeda
Searok

Trinia's up first, the dragon is not in range yet so she will ready an action to fire a crossbow at it when it is.

Tronar's up.


Just need Ziranu. Also, hope everyone's having a happy new year!


Inits?


Alright then, let's roll initiative and get this party started.

Trinia: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
Sabina: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 (dragon acts on her turn)


Sorry for the delay, holiday family stuff and driving happened in abundance.

Tronar sees that from the southwest approaches a huge black dragon, with an armored figure on its back. It's making a beeline right for the square in which you just fought, you have perhaps a little more than ten seconds before it arrives.

ie two rounds

But it's the rider that's interesting, you've seen that armor before, most recently in the visions you received of Queen Ileosa in Castle Scarwall. This is Sabina Merrin, head of the Gray Maidens, personal bodyguard to the queen (as well as her lover), and a major player in the city. Capturing or slaying her would be a huge blow to the queen.

It's just a shame she's arriving on the back of a giant, acid-breathing monstrosity.


Dragons are not exactly subtle, and Searok's intimidation check means the guy cracked pretty quickly and volunteered everything he knew, so you've got a couple of rounds to buff if you need it.


The Red Bellies don't have any info about who was pulling the strings (Ileosa isn't dumb enough to let little fish like these in on her secrets).

They DO have some useful info, though. They talk of receiving instructions only only after being led blindfolded through some sort of tunnel to a jail or sorts. Their description of it interests Trinia, as she was taken through what sounds like the same tunnel to a secret prison when she was arrested and framed for the king's death, and she suspects it connects to the castle, though if they use it to transport prisoners it will be far from unguarded.

But its their description of the people they worked for that is most interesting. Nothing directly linking them to the queen, but in addition to Yzahnum the genie who styled himself as a hero, there was a fierce armored woman who never took off her helmet in their presence. She and Yzahnum did not get along, with the genie considering her an unwelcome go-between preventing him from closer access to the person actually in charge. He questioned constantly whether the instructions he was receiving through her were 100% as they were meant to be given, and felt that he wasn't being rewarded enough for his services.

One particular conversation chilled the hired muscle to the bones, and convinced them they were dealing with truly dangerous people. It seems that to prove his value as an ally, Yzahnum charmed and enslaved a dragon and presented it as a gift. Cressida's list if issues to be dealt with does indeed mention a black dragon taking roost at the castle.

Yzahnum was horribly offended when the woman he was reporting too claimed the dragon herself, insisting their superior had rewarded it to her as a mount. Yzahnum thought this smelled funny, but she had a signed letter to prove it. But the last straw was when she went over his head and insisted on a Status spell being cast on the Red Bellies, as she didn't trust the genie to "finish the job" and wished to monitor the situation herself.

The spellcasters amid the party will of course know that Status will indicate the distance and direction to the subjects as well as their current overall health and condition. One of them currently lies dead on the cobblestones.

And in the distance you hear a loud roar...


Luckily, more brutal methods prove unnecessary, as the belligerent dwarf serves as a plenty potent threat.

The thug lets out a yelp. "We're just a gang from Chelliax called the Red Bellies! Yzahnum, that's his real name, offered us a Wish that would make us the top gang in Egorian if we helped him look like a hero! He said the guards were on his side and there wouldn't be any trouble if we played along! That's all, honest!"

Any specific questions you want answered?


Trinia helps restrain the thugs, who have clearly been instructed not to talk, though having Trifaccia slain in front of them has rattled them somewhat.

How you planning to loosen their tongues? Diplomacy, intimidation, magic, something else?


Will: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21 Not blinded.

Shaeda's first and Hasted attack strike the genie and knock him out of the air. by the time he hits the pavement, he has collapsed into cinders (except for valuable gear, natch).

The remaining crowd watches this and then breaks into cheers. The remaining thugs quickly realize the gig is up and surrender.

If Ziranu can't make his save, the Maze will run out after ten minutes anyway and he'll pop back to reality.

Amid the cinders you find a +1 Flaming Scimitar, Bracers of Armor +4, Minor Ring of Cold Resistance, and Ring of Protection +2.


Shaeda hits with her AOO, Searok misses.

Shaeda's up, followed by Thurrios.

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