Lady Celiira Nesten's page

"My Lord, we had mostly evacuated the town, but from the reports I heard from my scouts, the horde simply overran the place from the west, burning and destroying everything that came in their path. Granted, Talar does not . . . excuse me, did not have anything nearly as fortified as the walls of Brindol, and naturally with nobody left to resist their approach the horde simply marched in by land. I think it would be hard to compare that attack of Talar with the attack of Brindol. They are completely different towns."

Lady Celiira Nesten looks to the Heroes with a small smile on her face. "I am sorry to inform you that Talar has been taken by the Red Hand, but I am grateful for your assistance rendered. My people would not have escaped safely had you not warned me in time. I also wish to thank you for the help you gave in the personal matter I was dealing with. I am ever grateful!"

"M'Lady, we've been down to look at that door. Yes, it's strong--but you should know that it is NOT secure. I could get through it, even without this . . . and I hand her the key."[/b]

"Oh my goodness! You found it! You truly are a remarkable halfling! How can I thank you enough."

"Tirion assures us that a strong enough wizard could dispel the magical lock as well. And . . . I give a nice, pregnant pause "I *know* there's more you're not telling us. But I'll assume you have you reasons."

"I am not sure I know what you are saying, Master Beerswizzler. I have told you everything I could. If there is more that I have failed to mention, I assure you it is not because I do not trust you. You have shown your value in more ways than I could imagine! As for the security of this door, perhaps we can help its security by keeping it a secret. If it remains unknown, we won't attract any unwelcome guests to come in and try and open the door in my absence!"

"We must be off to fight the coming scourge. We implore you, get your town clear of this place. Head to Brindol where a reasonable stand can be made, with all haste!"

"You can rest assured that I will do that! I do not wish to put my people in any further harm, and you be assured that I will evacuate them to Brindol at our earliest convenience!"

"That about covers it, doesn't it boys? With that, I bid you good day and good luck."

"Good day, and fare well, my friends! I look forward to seeing you safely back in Brindol when this is all over!"

As Bofus searches the Duke's chamber he easily finds a key hidden in a small compartment in one of the posts of the bed. It appears to be made out of silver with a collection of small gems encrusted to it. There is an elaborate letter N crafted into the handle of the key.

"Thank you, my dear, Mr. Beerswizzler! I don't know how I can thank you enough!"

"Well, I don't mind taking a little time to search his quarters for that key . . . if you're confident that this passage isn't passable (except, of course, for things like Teleporting or disintegration), then I'll respect your opinion and not suggest trapping it further. Let's check out that room!"

"I would very much appreciate you searching his quarters. That is the most likely place for him to have hidden the key. Once the key is found I will be able to rest assured that we will not have any drow surfacing in Talar."

"M'lady, a door like this will merely slow down the Drow and from the letter, they are planning an attack. I think that collapsing this whole passage might be the best idea."

"Dear Master Tirion, I appreciate your concern for our safety, but I assure you the Drow have not come out of this entrance for many years. Perhaps the Duke had villainous allies within the darklands, but I am certain that with the Duke's recent demise, that will no longer be a problem. However, I thank you kindly for all of your concern. You are a most thoughtful gnome!"

"M'Lady, perhaps we can take a few moments to check out the entrace to the Underdark. We could juryrig something that, while it won't keep them out forever, might at least give you the advantage of foreknowledge of their presence?"

"Of course you are welcome to see the door. However, I assure you that it is sealed shut, and certainly cannot be opened from within the darklands."

Lady Nesten leads you down several corridors, through a secret passage and down a spiral staircase into a chamber with a huge sealed and elaborately crafted iron door with no door handles, but a single key hole in the center.

"The only way it can be opened is from this side of the door and even then only with the key that I have temporarily misplaced. However, until recently I had it secretly hidden in my jewelry box. I am sure the Duke has stolen it, and has it hidden somewhere nearby."

"Good morning, my dear company. So tell me, where will you go today?"

Please let me know if there is anything else that you do before departing.

" You are the law of this town, and this man was found carrying a missive to those being directed to lead an assault on the town through the use of drow forces. I do believe that you would be best situated to pronounce whatever punishment is due."

"Indeed I am the law in this town, and I thank you for removing the heavy burden of villainy that until recently has plagued my life. I will certainly deal out justice as befits this man. You most certainly have my favor and I will sing your praises whenever possible. Now, let us retire for the evening and in the morning I will see you off on your journey. Good night, gentlemen!"

""Come to think of it, that letter does not look at all familiar to me at all. I think I need to be going. I wish you all a good day!"

"Not so fast, Mr. Ledmar! You are not to be dismissed until I have given you permission! Your master is dead, and you may be dead quite soon unless we get your full cooperation. Now, tell me, gentlemen, do you have any further questions for this humble servant of Duke Murandal?"

"Well, I hope that we did right, but considering the Duke just attempted to backstab a paladin while invisible, I am guessing that the Duke was as bad as you claimed."

"You most certainly did, right as I originally told you. Do you not trust the word of a Lady, dark gnome?"

"Finally, and while I know that Mantooth will not condone this, I think that we should partake in some misinformation that the Duke was killed by drow."

"You would lie about such information?! I do not think spreading false rumors about Drow returning to the surface is a wise idea, especially since the drow in the past have surfaced out of Nesten Keep. I implore you to not tarnish my family name more than it already has been, especially by filthy rumors!"

"Now then M'lady. You need to get your counsel together and evacuate this town. Unless you believe you are capable of stoping an army of thousands of hobgoblins supported by giants and dragons, I think that retreating to Brindol as have the people of Drellin's Ferry and other villages to the east is a good idea."

"Naturally, I evacuate the town and lead my people to safety. I thank you again, for now you have made that possible for me."

Lady Nesten comes in at the end of the battle, clearly relieved. "Thank you, all of you! I knew I could trust you to do a job well done! How can I ever thank you enough. Now I can get on with my life again!"

"M'Lady, may I suggest you step back? I don't want to put you in any more physical danger!"

"I will not feel safe until the Duke is safely captured and in your custody. So until that time, please permit me to stay nearby. I promise that I will not put myself in any unnecessary harm's way."

"Perhaps we should seal this entry."

"There is no worry of that. My father, Lord Nesten, has ensured that the entrance is sealed up. It is held shut by a locked iron portal, and there is no way that anyone can get in or out unless it is opened from this side by the key around my . . . Oh dear. It is missing! I wonder if the Duke has taken it! My key is missing! Quick, by all means go and arrest the Duke, find the key and let's prevent any more disasters from coming our way."

Who goes where? Please post your plans. Use bold if your character is talking, but regular print for what your character actually doing!

"Here; I'll hold it up so the seal won't break, read it!! hehehe!!"

The Lady Nesten appears greatly relieved as she hears the letter.

"Very interesting, House Kzlashtarr is not the noble house where my father's friend Xzartice came from. I wonder if this is a rival house. This would explain a lot! You have done well, Master Beerswizzzler. Now, I will kindly take that letter from you,! For indeed this is all the evidence that I need to ruin the Duke and his plans. We can then get on with the plans of saving as many of my people as we can!"

"Did anyone else learn anything more about the Duke? What forces he has here and so forth?"

"Master Tirion, he has a small entourage of guards and servants, but they will not be a problem. The Duke himself is the most dangerous of all of them. I cannot thank you enough. Tonight, you will stay as my guests of honor, but first would you be kind enough to assist my own guards and capture the Duke. Let's put him in my dungeon so as to prevent him from causing any more trouble!"

"Oh, greetings mam. Oi didn't meet to interrupt and a'."

"That is quite alright, Son of Throtgar. You didn't miss much. If you are still quite able, perhaps you could help your companions with the last of this little episode! Let's at the very least capture Duke Murandal and send him back to Lord Jarmaath in Brindol where the High Lord can deal with this breach in his trust!"

Turning to all of you, the Lady Nesten sighs a great relief and addresses all of you.

"I can't thank you enough, but that was too close to call! I am not sure how much he has heard, but he is certainly going to be suspicious of my every move. I may be safe for the moment, but I do fear for my own life!"

"What proof does he have of his claims?

"I admit, I am not clear of what proof there is, but the fact that he has spoken to me of this family secret that I have known to be true, assures me that he indeed knows the truth of my father's relationship with the drow."

"Is it not possible to simply call his bluff, and when he makes the claim, pooh-pooh it off as absurd?"

"I wish it were that easy, but the fact that the entrance to the underdark is below Nesten Keep does seem rather incriminating, don't you think? All I need is for the Duke to mention it and then the people will demand to see it. I can see our good name being darkened by words and the clear evidence of this cursed entrance."

"If you perchance have a few samples of the Duke's handwriting, I think I could draft a few nice letters of correspondence between the Duke and some known, or made up, leader of the Drow. Bofus here could then plant one or two on the Duke while we could leave the others where they could be found by those who would lay blame on the Duke."

"I could certainly provide you with a few samples of his writing. That would not be difficult. He has written me several letters in the past."

"It is not the laws of the land that force me to marry the Duke, but the blackmail that was forced upon my father. Failure to do so will result in the downfall of the Nesten family. If I vanish with my people, fleeing before the horde, it will buy me time, but eventually he will find me and if I fail to adhere to his demands, then the price will be paid. This is why I seek to destroy the man and the secret knowledge of my family that he possesses!"

"Ok, this is the situation. Duke Murandal's father, Festar, was a friend of my father, Lord Nesten, who use to rule this area from this very keep, but who is now very old. Well, the story goes that in the dungeons deep below this keep, my father discovered an entrance to another realm deep below the surface of the earth called the underdark!"

"It was in this underground dark subterranean world where he became acquainted with a dark elf, a black colored creature called a drow who sees in the dark and lives entirely without sunlight! This drow, who's name was Xzartice, was a noble in his own land and my father became close friends with him. Because of the evil nature of these creatures, they kept this friendship secret for many years, but one day, Duke Festar Murandal, the father of the current Duke of Witchcross, discovered this relationship and in his hatred, he killed Xzartice."

"The repercussion from that murder was a deadly raid from this noble drow family. When it happened, Talar never knew what hit them. Many people in the town as well as several members of my family were killed by this raiding party of dark elves. Nobody knew the truth of where these Drow came from, and my father kept silent, afraid of the implications if they found out. Well, for many years, Duke Festar Murandal threatened to expose the truth of where this deadly raid came from, but most importantly, he wanted to place the blame entirely upon the Nesten family. To placate Duke Festar, my father agreed to marry me, his eldest daughter, off to Festar's son when he was of age."

"So, here we are, years later Duke Hestar, the son of Festar, is making his claim to marry me on threat of exposing our family as consorting with the drow and supporting the raiding party to massacre many in the town of Talar. This may not sound so urgent in the light of the oncoming horde, but my family's good name is all I have. This is a very dark piece in the history of Talar and in my family, but should the connection between my old father and the the drow, Xzartice, ever get out, our family honor will be ruined forever. People would not be able to understand the truth of the matter and our local governance would collapse. Clearly you understand the power vacuum this would create in this region."

"I do not love the Duke and I cannot bear the thought of marrying him. I also do not see any way to placate his awful threat other than through his death! I suppose I will simply have to submit to this arrangement. However, it is the thought of having to live with that Duke that makes me contemplate Pharasma's realm. I'm sure you understand that. Don't you?"

"If there is something that you know which would demonstrate that the Duke wishes ill upon yourself or upon Talar, it would be very beneficial to tell us so that we can resolve this issue before we head north in the morning."

"I will tell you of the blackmail and the awful secret that has plagued my family for years, but you must all give me your word that you will promise not to tell anyone else. This is a secret that you must take to your own grave, for it will disrupt the security of the entire vale. Do you all promise?"

Charisma Check 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

Tirion, you will need an opposed Charisma Check DC 15 to persuade her to tell you anything she does not want to tell you.

"What could you possibly cast that would help me with my problem?"

Sense Motive 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

The Lady Celiira Nesten is unclear what you plan to cast upon her, but she does not resist your efforts.

Will Save 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Tirion casts Charm Person upon the Lady.

"M'lady. You misunderstand. Our goal is to make this Vale safe, whether it is from human ruffians and thugs, or hordes of hobgoblins and giantkin."

"Yes, you have made that point very clear and that is why I took a chance and came to you, but I see now that I cannot ask such a thing of you. It is fine, I will go ahead and proceed as my duty must demand. However, some day, should you ever have reason to take down Duke Murandal of Witchcross, I urge you to take no delay. Well, I'm sure you have your important work to do. I bid you farewell, gentlemen."

"Which returns to my question to you. If you wish for us to remove him as a problem for you and your town, then you must provide us with details regarding how he is blackmailing you and what deeds he has done which would allow the Knight of the Inheritor to judge him evil."

"Yes, I feared this would be a problem. Life is a rather complicated affair when dealing with nobility of this sort and the treacherous games they play. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to be able to tell you more at this time. All I can say, is that it involves my father and a secret that he asked me to take with me to the grave. I just hope that I won't be going to the grave anytime soon."

"Here here! I have no problem embarrassing the Duke . . . here I idly flip the gemmed dagger a couple times while continuing . . . but killing a duke on only your word? That's, er, something. No--that's something ELSE. Something else ENTIRELY!"

"Naturally, I would have the same reaction that you have. What goodly person wouldn't have that reaction? I am sorry to have imposed on you as such. Naturally, you have no reason to trust me and even if you did, it is certainly not fair to ask you to commit such an act." With fear still in her eyes and a waver in her voice she asks, "Could I then kindly ask you to please forget that I even asked such a question? I think it would be wise for me not to involve you in this messy affair. Thank you for all you have done for me and the kind warning you have given to this town. I will see that the people of Talar are properly warned."

"We have little time, and we are not assassins. In fact, I believe that undertaking such a task would result in at least one of our group falling from the grace of his goddess."

"Are you referring to the Iomedean Knight? Well I fail to understand how serving justice and righteousness would put the good fellow out of favor with the Inheritor?! Trust me, the man is wicked and deserves to die. Did you hear him speak in there? What more convincing do you need?"

"My dear Master Swizzler, I am completely aware of the great risk I take by even talking to you of this, but if you knew him, you would understand that his threats are dangerous and most real. I have thought a great deal about this, and I cannot foresee how to solve this problem with courts and the burden of proof. I assure you, the best solution to this problem is the dispatching of this villainous fiend. The matter of the blackmail is a delicate one, and I do not wish the matter to be brought out into the public. However, his untimely death would certainly bring me a great relief. Please, I beg of you to consider. There are few that I can turn to now!"

"M'Lady, you've been hiding something ever since you invited us into your home. And now you come to strangers--granted, heroic, dashing and able strangers with a well-earned reputation, but strangers nonetheless--and ask us to ice your fiancee?? He's a jerk and a fop and an ignoble coward, but is that enough reason to kill him?!?! give me a bone here. What's up???"

"My life is rather complicated, Master Swizzler! I do not love the Duke. He is clearly many of the words you have used to describe him, but he is also ruthless and cunning. If he knew what I just asked you to do, he would certainly kill me within the day. He is a nobleman and a deadly swordsman who really just craves power. You see, he has blackmailed me into marrying him and I am at a loss for what I should do. I agreed to marry him, but all he really wants is Talar and the surrounding lands. I think he is trying to expand upon his territory and his power."

"My lady, that is not at all who we are! That is the work of the horde and their kind. We came to warn of horrors not become them."

"If you will not help, then, I am at a complete loss as to how I should proceed. Perhaps taking my own life would solve the problem. Then at least he would not be able to hold anything over me! However, then the poor people of Talar would be at a loss without anyone to govern them."

"M'lady, has the Duke always been so crass and overbearing? Or has he changed as some point in the past few months?"

"No, he started out rather charming and attractive, but I eventually discovered that he is really a wolf in sheep's clothing. He may have a great deal of charm, but I have also seen him viscous and cruel. I think, now that he has me under his thumb, he stopped worrying about trying to charm me, and simply let's his true colors shine."

Wrapped tightly in a cloak, a woman approaches out of the shadows of the keep. Whispering in a desperate voice, Lady Nesten speaks to Bofus, Mutamba and any other heroes present. "I need your help! I don't know who to turn to or who I can trust, but I beg of you, could you please kill Hestar Murandal, the Duke of Witchcross?!"

"You will kindly excuse me, please!"

With tears nearly coming to her eyes, Lady Celiira Nesten quickly stands up and races out of the room.

The Lady Nesten turns pale at his bold entrance and replies quickly and a little defensively, "These are some messengers from . . . well, I'm not sure where they are exactly from, but they have come to warn us of a great evil coming upon the land. They were introduced as the Heroes of Elsir Vale."

Turning to you she introduces the newcomer. "This here, is the Duke Hestar Murandal. He is my uhhm . . . fiancé."

"Bofus is right, though, my Lady -while it is foolish to underestimate women, most of our adversaries so far have indeed been males. Though I haven't thought about it before, I now wonder why that is."

"Well, perhaps it is because your gender is so hungry in the search for power and domination. If they only focused on peace, family, and the prosperity of their neighbors and all the people instead of trying to oppress them!

"Aye, Oi haven't really seen any women Oi' call "dang'rous" or "intimidatin'", but Oi wouldn't want te cross Lulu! She's got a fierce bite, that one!"

"I knew that many female dwarves had beards, but I did not realize that they also bite! Perhaps that is another reason I will be avoiding the Hammersmith Holds."

"You know, m'lady, you remind me of someone. Who could it be???

Taking an even greater interest, the Lady Nesten pushes further for information.

"Come, now, Bofus Beerswizzler, tell me who I remind you of. You must know, otherwise you would not have mentioned it. Do I appear dangerous to you?"

"Mmm, no matter . . . to be honest, most of my foes happen to be men. Maybe it's the way I have with women--could that be it? *wink* but the nastiest and fiercest foes have happened to have been males. I guess I just tend to not think of women as particularly dangerous, if you catch my drift."

"Perhaps women do not have the sheer brute force that many males possess, but certainly you cannot ignore the subtlety and skill with which we operate. How do you know, Bofus, that they haven't already fleeced you and taken off with your precious treasure without you even being aware of it?"

"I'm sure you don't care about the details--besids, if we succeed, you'll hear all about it in bards' songs!"

"Are you kidding?! I love to hear of adventure! I admit that I have not experienced as much of the world as I would like, but how I do love to hear the stories, especially if they are true! So who is the leader? Is it an evil monster or even a dragon? Perhaps the leader is actually an evil she villain. Do you find yourselves face to face with any strong and powerful female adversaries in your adventures?"

"Now Oi don't really care where ye go, we're just here te warn ye. If ye choose te stay here an' die with yer axe in hand, defendin' yer land, Oi won't stop ye, but Oi'm sure ye'd be welcome in tha Holds or most anywhere else in tha Vale."

"Well, Thordak, I do thank you for kindly coming to warn me. That was most valiant of you! I certainly do not wish to die, and I would, especially if I had to defend myself with an axe. In fact, I'm not sure I could take on a tree with one of those blades. However, I do resent the idea of my people being displaced out of their homes. Those wretched beasts are really going to ruin our way of life! Well, I suppose we have no choice. Tomorrow we will depart this land and search for a new home."

"So you brave folks are going in search of their generals on the morrow? Where do you hope to find them? Do you think you could stop the beast if you cut off its head? Or do you think the horde is more like the hydra where it will simply grow another head to replace the old one?"

"Mantooth, could you kindly do the honors and cut the roast boar please?"

"M'lady . . . you ever fight a dragon? Two? Three??"[/b]

"Well, " the lady considers. "No, not exactly. I was not really convinced that such creatures still existed. You don't mean to be describing the slimy, reptilian, fire breathing sort do you?"

"Their combined power is far to great for us not to face it in the same manner. The greater our numbers, the greater our chance for survival of this test is. These places can be rebuilt easier than lost lives can."

"If what you say is true, then I suppose you are right. We will have to leave our homes." I wonder where I should go? According to your map, the dwarves up in the Hammerfist hold appear safe from harm, but who would want to live among such bushy bearded folk?! I can only imagine the conversations at the dinner table. Please pass the ale, Me and my axe are so thristy! No offense, Thordak, son of Throtgar, but no thank you. I am not sure I could endure the company."

"As fer tha horde, it's about as "int'restin'" as three thousand hobgoblins, dragon-things an' manticores bent on destroyin' yer home can be. Now Oi know ye've got a very noice place here, Thordak says, waving his hand at the hall and keep an' ye'd like te keep it that way but there's really nothin' for it. We're here te warn ye, and you'll need te be givin tha orders to evacuate tha town on tha morrow."

"Well, you certainly paint a grim picture, Thordak, son of Throtgar! I certainly don't like the route they have selected on their map of the Elsir Vale. Talar seems to lie straight in the middle of their path."

The Lady Nesten thinks for a while as she considers what you are saying and finally replies. "You do not seem to be giving me much choice here. I am not use to running away when the going gets tough, but you appear to consider the battle already lost. You must think that I am naive, but is there any hope that you are all overestimating their strength. I mean, the Brindol Lions could be here in a few days and they could make a stand and resist their attack. I know the numbers in this horde are great, but what makes you think they could just crush us so easily? Aren't the Brindol Lions far superior?"

"Well you indeed sound very heroic! From dashing rogue to noble knight, you are all most impressive. However, I have not heard much from you, Thordak the Bushy! You appear most content to sit with your ale and share it with your friends! And you, Master Mutamba. You appear to be an interesting sort! What brings you together with such a group of people? You certainly seem to be the furthest from home!"

"So I juryrigged a tripwire with the rope and pitons I'd brought with me, suckered him down the stairs, and it worked like a charm!! The clumsy bloke fell to his death--serves him RIGHT for messing with ME!!"

The lady Celiira listens with great interest at your story and she finally asks. "May I have your name, little halfling? You have certainly aroused me attention. Do you ever fear repercussions from one of these fellas that you mistreated?"

""We have been in the company of some questionable individuals in the past weeks and they were not always apparent. I do not mean to question the integrity of your court or the security of it, for that matter, but you never know who may be lurking - seen or unseen. Please do not take it as a personal offense."

"Then I certainly will not take offense, but let's not have any more of this behavior in my home, shall we?"

As Mantooth begins casting Detect Evil, the noblewoman glares at the paladin and exclaims, "Enough of this behavior at the dinner table! I will not have you rampantly using magic to your own ends, even if it is for your relentless service to Iomedae in the name of righteousness. We are enjoying a nice pleasant meal. Let us keep it as such. What do you have to say for yourself knight?"

• Toilday, Lamashan 2, 4710; 8 hours after noon •

You are gathered around an elaborately set table eating a fine meal of roast boar with an apple and chestnut glaze served with corn and potatoes. Glasses of wine are filled and servants run about seeing to your every need. Landar Keenash, a local priest of Iomedae is present as well as several other dignified guests. The Lady Celiira Nesten is enjoying the moment and asks you,

"Please, tell me more of your adventures. I do love the idea of getting out there and experiencing the world! What was it like to encounter such an evil horde face to face?"

"My goodness! You are a brash little gnome, aren't you. Forgive me. Perhaps I got off on the wrong foot. I sometimes simply speak my mind, without giving thought of the consequences. Seeing your map, however, does make me think that you are indeed telling the truth. I doubt any of you would think of such horrendous things to write down on a map. I guess, I have seen too much deception in my short time as ruler, that I have grown skeptical of such nasty rumors, but I see now that you are not like the others that I have met. Perhaps you would care to dine with me tonight as my guests, and I can learn more of your heroic tales and this wretched horde that you speak of?"

"We, the Heros of Elsir Vale, come to you now to warn you of a great threat approaching on the horizon. A great horde of over three thousand hogboblins, dragons, and nearly every vile creature in between is marching its way to Brindol from the Wyrmsmoke Mountains as we speak."

"You are not the first person to bring me this news. There was a priest of Sarenrae that came through Talar not long ago and delivered such a message. However, I find it rather difficult to believe. Do you really expect me to believe rumors that the hobgoblin tribes of the Wyrmsmoke mountains are organized enough to muster three thousand and launch an assault against the vale? I may be a young woman, Mantooth Longbrow, by I assure you, I am not that gullible! You can't possibly expect me to simply abandon Talar, based on such an unsubstantiated rumor do you?"

A tall, elegantly dressed lady dressed who carries a great intensity about her beckons you forth. "The Heroes of Elsir Vale may approach. Where do you come from and what news do you bring that is so urgent?"