"A deep game, my friends, with many pieces on the board," says Pel "As yet I do not clearly see whose hand it is that moves them all against us. A masterful player, to be sure, but we've a few moves of our own to make before contest ends."
Enemies and others to watch out for
The Lords of Dust
The Emerald Claw - known to have negotiated with the Tyrants
The nations of Breland, Aundair and Thrane
uh, King Boranel
The King's Dark Lanterns
The Tyrants and Boromar allied crime families
The fake Wandering Wolves - who/what are they?
The fake Pel - who is it?
Sharri d'Deneith and House Deneith
Uncle Aeromus and House Orien
Lucan and Grilsha
regular old Bounty Hunters - I really do hope we run into some, actually.
Allies and potential help
House Phiarlan (intel and PR)
The Native
Brand's boss's daughter - (forgot her name, if I ever knew it) she could probably help w/travel, our reputation in Orien, getting through to Hackrazet?
Lady Elaydren - compromised by apparent spies in House K'nieth
Cardinal Hetrion - hindered by Thrane's war stance
Lucan Drosa - Thranish spy
Verodin Atrelioth - Thranish paladin
The church of the Traveler - dicey but potentially useful
Chance - preist of the Traveler and casino mogul in Sharn
The Traveler him/herself - why not?!?
Captain Alastair of the Golden Dragon
The Swords of Liberty - Brelish anti-monarchist revolutionaries (are they just Brelish? what's their deal? Classic movements of this type are often composed of a wealthy merchant middle class, or disgruntled peasants)
Ambassador Avadarrn of Karnath
Lysander's contact in Zilargo
just thought of him - Halas Martain?
our friends at Clifftop Guild including...
Elias Volan (mage) and his band which at last count also had a rogue, a cleric and a bard.
Hackrazet, Farmer Demon - surrounded by House Orien guards.
Tyman Karch - wealthy merchant of Fairhaven, has a paper and printing concern in Sharn
Cord Lanner - former enemy, current status unknown
Moloch - Daask Lt., status unknown
Theories and questions
Who is ultimately behind this? How are the Lords of Dust involved?
Is this a monolithic conspiracy or is a single individual/organization pulling the many strings?
Who would stand to gain by this war?
Is King Boranel a mover in this or is he being manipulated? Has he gone mad?
Why have the Wolves been specifically targeted? Who wants us out of the way and why?
How did they know about Gareth's Gear? Did they know we own it or were they just targeting Tock?
ok, well, I guess that's just questions. Answering some of these will help formulate the theories...and suggest more questions, I'm sure.
Suggested actions
Before we go to Xen'drik I suggest we do the following:
1. Make contact with our...contacts in House Phiarlan. They may be our best conduit for info/msgs in and out of Sharn and can help on several fronts.
a. General intel gathering - no one's better for this
b. Spreading positive WW PR thru bards and such. Manipulate teh scuttlebutt.
c. Vampirism cure research at Morgrave - I'd suggest they approach Elias Volan for this job, and he can put to good use the education that we paid for.*
d. If needed, Elias could likely also get general geo-political knowledge from Morgravian scholars as well. I'm sure the war is a hot topic on campus.
e. Sniff out Swords of Liberty as a possible resource
f. perhaps employ pamphleteering by SoL, poss. using Tyman Karch somehow**
g. if discoverable, Pel is curious about the fates of Cord Lanner and Moloch
i. find the spy in House K'Neith?
k. anything else?
*when all this is done we ought to set up a WW sholarship at Morgrave. or maybe just a Pel Grant. Ooooh!
**got the seeds of a scheme in mind how to do this, i'll put them at the end.
2. Pel would like to get a message to Chance at the Traveller's church in Sharn, whether through Phiarlan by some other means. The msg would re-state the Wolves innocence, breifly explaining where we've been, and point out that the "Pel" in Sharn is not Pel (if he hadn't already figured that out). It would likely include some cryptic phrase that would prove the sender's identity. Pel would ask that the truth be spread through the church's grapevine, with an appeal to render us aid when and where possible. (I blew a feat on having clerical clout and I expect it to pay off, damnit!)
3. Get similar messages to as many of the following as possible, however we can:
a. Ambassador Avadarrn
b. Brand's "girlfriend"
c. Captain Alastair (where is the Golden Dragon currently? what's it's schedule?)
d. Lysander's "gnomie" in Zilargo
e. Lady Elaydren (w/warning about spies)
f. Tyman Karch
g. Anyone else we can think of
These notes would all need to be be cryptically bland enough to escape undue scrutiny, yet with clues that mean something to the intended receiver.
4. Find a way to revive Tock. Shipped to Zilargo/vice versa?
5. Maybe have "Gareth" make an appearance in Sharn, perhaps filing some kind of claim on the shop. Pel can't do this, obviously, and the only person I can think of that might be able/willing to is Chance. I'm not married to this idea - it has some complications.
6. Once we have a better idea of what the vampire cure is, it may be needful to locate William before we head out - depends on what it is. I'm really excited about this idea and can't stress enough how important I think it is. Not only will it solve the William/Sharri/House Deneith problem, it could potentially do the same for Lucan, or anyone else who doesn't want to be a vampire anymore, thereby revolutionizing the entire undead economy!
7. Any other ideas, anyone?
a pamphleteering scheme might work as follows - If Karch and the SoL (or others) can be contacted and are willing to help, Master Karch's facility could be "broken into" and the necessary supplies "stolen". This would divert suspicion from Karch when tracts produced on his equipment begin to appear.
Before any of that of course, Pel will send a Message to Tyman Karch (Pel takes 10 on his diplomacy when composing this, giving him a 20):
Dear Master Karch,
Appropriate salutations.
I wanted to express once again my gratitude for your patronage, and the pleasure of having met you and your lovely family, despite the mildly unpleasant events of our journey.
I regret to say that due to the current circumstances, the speculative venture we discussed has been temporarily put on hold. My stating this may cause you some suprise at this missive, but may also allow you to correctly conclude that a certain politician is not who he claims to be, nor that my associates, whom are also known to you, have committed the acts which have been reported of them.
Though our proposed business matter cannot be pursued at this time, it may be possible for you, if you are willing, to lend some rather invaluable aid to our just cause, such as would greatly put us in your debt. If so, we will attempt to contact you again, either directly or through a verifiably trustworthy representative.
An appropriately pleasant closing statement.
Your Truly,
P of the WW
Monday, October 15, 2007
Characters, Backup Characters & House Rules
In order to help me with planning, can folks make sure and update their characters on the blog sometime in the next couple of weeks? If nothing else, if everyone could post in the comments what level you are (I believe everyone but Pel is 10th, but Pel may have reached 10th as well), that would be much appreciated.
Does everyone have a backup character that they might want to play in place? If not, it might be worth making one just in case.
Backup characters will always be built one level behind the average level of the party, which as of the last adventure is now level 10. This does mean that resurrection, even though it costs a level, is just as viable an option as a backup character, *if* you can find someone to resurrect you. You will have the XP in the middle between the level you are and the level of the rest of the party.
So currently, if you build a backup character, that character is level 9, and has 40,500 XP. You can spend as much of that XP as you want on building magic items if you have Crafting feats, as long as you don't exceed the cash limits for those items.
Which are: You will start with the wealth indicated on the Character Wealth by Level table (DMG, p. 135). Currently, that is 36,000 gp. You can spend up to 19,000 gp on a weapon (up to +3) or up to 16,000 on any one other magic item (no more than +3 armor, in other words). Other than that, no more than 9000 gp on any one item. This means that with the exception of the one special bonus item, you're limited to +2 weapons and armor. In addition, any wondrous item that costs more than 2500 gp, or any item that comes from a source other than the main Eberron book or the DMG, is subject to GM approval. You'll probably get it, but I reserve the right to say no.
I'm also instituting a new house rule regarding death. Instead of dying at -10, your character now dies if you exceed your Constitution score in negative hit points. This will make you considerably more durable and a little more resistant to instant kills, I hope.
Does everyone have a backup character that they might want to play in place? If not, it might be worth making one just in case.
Backup characters will always be built one level behind the average level of the party, which as of the last adventure is now level 10. This does mean that resurrection, even though it costs a level, is just as viable an option as a backup character, *if* you can find someone to resurrect you. You will have the XP in the middle between the level you are and the level of the rest of the party.
So currently, if you build a backup character, that character is level 9, and has 40,500 XP. You can spend as much of that XP as you want on building magic items if you have Crafting feats, as long as you don't exceed the cash limits for those items.
Which are: You will start with the wealth indicated on the Character Wealth by Level table (DMG, p. 135). Currently, that is 36,000 gp. You can spend up to 19,000 gp on a weapon (up to +3) or up to 16,000 on any one other magic item (no more than +3 armor, in other words). Other than that, no more than 9000 gp on any one item. This means that with the exception of the one special bonus item, you're limited to +2 weapons and armor. In addition, any wondrous item that costs more than 2500 gp, or any item that comes from a source other than the main Eberron book or the DMG, is subject to GM approval. You'll probably get it, but I reserve the right to say no.
I'm also instituting a new house rule regarding death. Instead of dying at -10, your character now dies if you exceed your Constitution score in negative hit points. This will make you considerably more durable and a little more resistant to instant kills, I hope.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
I'm Rich, Bitch! - Dividing The Treasure
I've also updated the Party Treasure listing, and you'll find that you've got roughly 17,800 GP worth of gold, platinum, silver and gems therein. If you want to divide it and leave the party treasure empty of everything save a few silver, you could have 4,450 GP each. On top of that, you have the following if you sell it all in Stormreach:
TOTAL SALE VALUE
43,335 GP (or roughly 10,800 gp each with 135 gp left for Party Treasure)
+1 Buoyant Splint Mail (2675 gp)
Granite Cup (100 gp)
Adamantine Armband with Ruby Inlay (400 gp)
Silver-Plated Copper Anklet (120 gp)
(1) Scale Mail (25 gp)
(1) Heavy Steel Shield (10 gp)
+1 Slick Studded Leather Armor (2475 gp)
Cloak of Resistance +1 (500 gp)
+2 Greataxe (4160 gp)
+1 Spear of Returning (4150 gp)
Masterwork Longsword (160 gp)
+2 Full Plate (2) (5,650 gp for both)
+1 Heavy Steel Shield (2) (1,170 gp for both)
+1 Healing Half Plate (4875 gp)
+2 Twilight Leather Armor (4580 gp)
+1 Studded Leather (585 gp)
Amulet of Natural Armor +1 (2) (2000 gp for both)
Cierra's Spellbook (Sell for 1700 gp)
8000 gp worth of spell components
As you can see, this will leave each of you quite wealthy to buy magic items or engage in your various plans and schemes. It will also leave the magic shops of Stormreach quite well stocked for a week or two at least.
In addition, here's what you each claimed personally for your treasure from the Corrupting Flame's hoard:
PEL
Ring of Invisibility
+2 Glamered Studded Leather
Eternal Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds
Hat of Anonymity
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds
LYSANDER
Ring of Protection +2
+1 Brutal Surge Whip (4150 gp if sold)
(13) +1 Arrows
Amulet of Health +2 (the Hand of the Mage will fetch 450 gp at market)
Wand of Magic Missile (5th level, 32 charges)
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds
Talisman of the Disk
BRAND
+3 Warhammer (9160 gp)
+2 Morningstar (8154 gp)
Minor Cloak of Displacement
+1 Hunting Longbow
+1 Bastard Sword
Potion of Cure Light Wounds
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds (2)
LUGGOTH
+2 Greataxe
Masterwork Composite Longbow (Str 15) w/ (14) +1 Arrows
Bolt Shirt
Potion of Cure Light Wounds
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds (2)
Potion of Cure Serious Wounds
It seems worth noting that upgrading a magic weapon from +1 to +2 costs 6,000 gp (and takes 6 days), upgrading from +2 to +3 costs 10,000 gp (and takes 10 days). Upgrading armor from +1 to +2 costs 3,000 gp (and takes 3 days), +2 to +3 costs 5,000 gp (and takes 5 days) and +3 to +4 costs 7,000 gp (and takes 7 days). Anything above that is beyond the scope of Stormreach's shops, or indeed most cities that aren't the size of Sharn or Fairhaven. Those costs are cumulative, by the way... upgrading from a +1 weapon to a +3 weapon costs 16,000 gp and requires 16 days total. Buying equivalent bonuses (keen, shock, etc.) are usually the same, although some abilities (especially ones in the Magic Item Compendium) have flat costs instead that tend to be higher. Buying a +1 magic weapon generally costs between 1,300 and 1,400 gp.
Oh, on an unrelated note, one of my regular customers (Chris Jones) has gamed a little bit with the Sunday group, and he's a nice guy who I think would fit in well with the group. Though a novice gamer, I asked him if he'd be interested in joining the group and he expressed an interest. Since he's a relatively new gamer, I don't know that he'd want to take on the daunting task of playing your spellcaster, but he might be able to play a new ally for the Wolves to help bolster the gaming party back up to five members.
TOTAL SALE VALUE
43,335 GP (or roughly 10,800 gp each with 135 gp left for Party Treasure)
+1 Buoyant Splint Mail (2675 gp)
Granite Cup (100 gp)
Adamantine Armband with Ruby Inlay (400 gp)
Silver-Plated Copper Anklet (120 gp)
(1) Scale Mail (25 gp)
(1) Heavy Steel Shield (10 gp)
+1 Slick Studded Leather Armor (2475 gp)
Cloak of Resistance +1 (500 gp)
+2 Greataxe (4160 gp)
+1 Spear of Returning (4150 gp)
Masterwork Longsword (160 gp)
+2 Full Plate (2) (5,650 gp for both)
+1 Heavy Steel Shield (2) (1,170 gp for both)
+1 Healing Half Plate (4875 gp)
+2 Twilight Leather Armor (4580 gp)
+1 Studded Leather (585 gp)
Amulet of Natural Armor +1 (2) (2000 gp for both)
Cierra's Spellbook (Sell for 1700 gp)
8000 gp worth of spell components
As you can see, this will leave each of you quite wealthy to buy magic items or engage in your various plans and schemes. It will also leave the magic shops of Stormreach quite well stocked for a week or two at least.
In addition, here's what you each claimed personally for your treasure from the Corrupting Flame's hoard:
PEL
Ring of Invisibility
+2 Glamered Studded Leather
Eternal Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds
Hat of Anonymity
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds
LYSANDER
Ring of Protection +2
+1 Brutal Surge Whip (4150 gp if sold)
(13) +1 Arrows
Amulet of Health +2 (the Hand of the Mage will fetch 450 gp at market)
Wand of Magic Missile (5th level, 32 charges)
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds
Talisman of the Disk
BRAND
+3 Warhammer (9160 gp)
+2 Morningstar (8154 gp)
Minor Cloak of Displacement
+1 Hunting Longbow
+1 Bastard Sword
Potion of Cure Light Wounds
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds (2)
LUGGOTH
+2 Greataxe
Masterwork Composite Longbow (Str 15) w/ (14) +1 Arrows
Bolt Shirt
Potion of Cure Light Wounds
Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds (2)
Potion of Cure Serious Wounds
It seems worth noting that upgrading a magic weapon from +1 to +2 costs 6,000 gp (and takes 6 days), upgrading from +2 to +3 costs 10,000 gp (and takes 10 days). Upgrading armor from +1 to +2 costs 3,000 gp (and takes 3 days), +2 to +3 costs 5,000 gp (and takes 5 days) and +3 to +4 costs 7,000 gp (and takes 7 days). Anything above that is beyond the scope of Stormreach's shops, or indeed most cities that aren't the size of Sharn or Fairhaven. Those costs are cumulative, by the way... upgrading from a +1 weapon to a +3 weapon costs 16,000 gp and requires 16 days total. Buying equivalent bonuses (keen, shock, etc.) are usually the same, although some abilities (especially ones in the Magic Item Compendium) have flat costs instead that tend to be higher. Buying a +1 magic weapon generally costs between 1,300 and 1,400 gp.
Oh, on an unrelated note, one of my regular customers (Chris Jones) has gamed a little bit with the Sunday group, and he's a nice guy who I think would fit in well with the group. Though a novice gamer, I asked him if he'd be interested in joining the group and he expressed an interest. Since he's a relatively new gamer, I don't know that he'd want to take on the daunting task of playing your spellcaster, but he might be able to play a new ally for the Wolves to help bolster the gaming party back up to five members.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Upcoming Schedule for October & November
October 12th - Savage Worlds Pulp
October 19th - Expedition to Castle Ravenloft Arc Three
October 26th - Halloween Movie Night at Nate's
November 2nd - Expedition to Castle Ravenloft Arc Three
November 9th - Expedition to Castle Ravenloft Arc Three
November 16th - No Gaming - Wizard World Texas
November 23rd - No Gaming - Thanksgiving
November 30th - Eberron: Lure of the Ancient Spells Part One
OK, here's the schedule for the next couple months. Let me know in you comments if you guys would rather I prep for Eberron (the Wolves) or Deadlands at the end of November. Post about what's been going on while you've been hunting the Lords of Dust for a couple months should be coming later tonight or tomorrow.
October 19th - Expedition to Castle Ravenloft Arc Three
October 26th - Halloween Movie Night at Nate's
November 2nd - Expedition to Castle Ravenloft Arc Three
November 9th - Expedition to Castle Ravenloft Arc Three
November 16th - No Gaming - Wizard World Texas
November 23rd - No Gaming - Thanksgiving
November 30th - Eberron: Lure of the Ancient Spells Part One
OK, here's the schedule for the next couple months. Let me know in you comments if you guys would rather I prep for Eberron (the Wolves) or Deadlands at the end of November. Post about what's been going on while you've been hunting the Lords of Dust for a couple months should be coming later tonight or tomorrow.
Eberron Interlude: Return To The Eldeen Reaches
Eyre 28
When the Wandering Wolves reached the community of Sheryn Wayfinder, they were surprised to see several familiar faces. Arenydee had arrived from Sharn about two weeks ago, and with her were Luggoth's girlfriend Savannah and her son Borgoth. There was another shifter, too, a ruggedly attractive woman named Cavoletta whom they had met on the road.
Arenydee fills the Wolves in on what has been happening since they last communicated with Sharn, almost two months ago. After spending a couple of days in Fairhaven visiting with old friends, Arenydee took the Lightning Rail back to Sharn, where she did a variety of work for House Phiarlan. After getting some of the messages from the road from Lysander, she did a little digging on Cardinal Hetrion, to find out when he was traveling, but she never knew where to send the message.
On Therendor 20, Arenydee was relaxing in the House Phiarlan enclave when a pair of frightened shifters came in, asking for her. They were Savannah and her son Borgoth, and they claimed to have been attacked in the streets by fiendish looking humanoids of some sort. They fled to the Silver Flame chapel where they worshiped, but Savannah wanted to talk to Luggoth and let him know about this, because of the messages they had exchanged and the worry he had shown for them. Arenydee arranged for Savannah and Borgoth to stay with her until they sorted things out.
That turned out to be trickier than she had first thought, because on the night of Therendor 21, in the middle of a City Council party at the Celestial Vista Restaurant, someone tried to assassinate King Boranel. And House Phiarlan being what it is, they knew before the Sharn Inquisitive printed it the next day who that someone was.
It is at this point that Arenydee produces a copy of the Sharn Inquisitive for Therendor 22, with the front page article: "Renowned Adventurers Disrupt Event With Attempted Regicide." The article goes on to describe how the Wandering Wolves (made up of Luggoth, Maechen, Lysander and Brand), despite not having been invited to the party or seen prior to the attack, launched an ill-fated assassination attempt on King Boranel and his entourage, including his young bride. The King's guard held them off, and the Wolves were forced to flee. An investigation is ongoing, and King Boranel has offered a 2,000 gp reward for the capture of each member of the Wolves.
Arenydee tried to contact the Wolves. She had received a communique from Lysander just a week prior, indicating that they were heading to the Eldeen Reaches. She intended to set out for the Reaches immediately, but before she could leave, she heard word that Gareth's Gear had burned down, with at least two people inside it at the time. Gareth's was owned by a dear friend, she explains, and though his body was not found inside, the ruined metal and wood form of Tock, the store's artificer, and the body of dwarven manager Jalis ir'Mroranon were.
Baron Elvinor summoned Arenydee and told her that she suspected a conspiracy against the Wolves, and that they wouldn't hesitate to act against their loved ones. She arranged passage to Aundair on the Lightning Rail before things got worse, providing Arenydee with false identities and money to get them clear. The investigative powers of House Phiarlan were already being brought to bear on this clear frame of the Wolves.
Arenydee managed to keep up on the news, both through reading the Korranberg Chronicle and by using her own contacts. When Arenydee and her companions arrived in Fairhaven five days later, they immediately went to stay with Lady Elaydren, and she told them what had developed in that time. The Wolves had left about two weeks ago, and since then, Elaydren had been keeping tabs on information about them out in the world. She was quite distressed by what she had found.
After three days of investigation, the King announces that the Wolves had been involved in some sort of altercation in Thrane, and they were wanted there as well. Questions at their guild revealed that they had arrived back in Sharn a week ago, and that they had been seen talking with a half-orc who was now identified as a member of the Daask. Questioning Pel revealed that the group had taken on a contract from Droamm, which he had refused on moral grounds. He didn't know exactly what it entailed, only that it involved a great deal of money. Documents and platinum found in the living quarters of Luggoth revealed that they had taken on a contract from the Hags of Droaam to kill King Boranel. The King announced the formation of a special task force to hunt down the Wolves and bring them to justice.
He also announced that this was an act of war by Droaam, and increases the troops on the border. After a quick vote from the City Council, the Daask "arrest on sight" order was changed to "killed on sight," and a de facto martial law started in the lower territories of Sharn.
Statements were released in the Sharn Inquisitive and the Korranberg Chronicle by House Deneith and House Orien, both condemning the Wolves. Sharri d'Deneith promised the assistance of House Deneith to the King's task force, while Aeromus d'Orien expressed his deep regret about Brand, spilling dirty laundry about his father and saying that he should have trusted his instincts, rather than his desire to see his nephew redeem himself. Brand was officially exiled from House Orien, and Orien announced its intention to help capture the Wolves by posting information and making their own security aware of the Wolves and their compatriots. House Phiarlan issued a statement denying Lysander's involvement, claiming that this was a frame, but they could not provide proof of his whereabouts, and were generally discredited in the media by Sharri d'Deneith.
Arenydee explains that she, Savannah and Borgoth were only in Fairhaven for three days when they were attacked out in the open by fiendish agents of the Lords of Dust. She fought them off, but determined that their cover had been blown, and it was time to move again. Elaydren provided them with horses and Cannith security to get them to the Eldeen Reaches, where they could hopefully find the Wolves. She expressed her willingness to help, although Arenydee admits to you that she thinks Elaydren's house is compromised. She doesn't doubt Elaydren's sincerity, but believes that there are agents watching her and waiting for the Wolves to contact her for help.
While riding towards Varna in the Eldeen Reaches, Arenydee and her group was attacked. This time, in addition to a half-fiend leading from the air, there was a Zakya Rakshasa and other fiendish troops. The Cannith bodyguards fell quickly, and Arenydee was sure they were going to die. That's when Cavoletta made her presence known. Cavoletta burst in, and at first Savannah and Borgoth thought she was Luggoth. She tore into the attackers and drove them off, then revealed to Arenydee that she had been following them ever since they left Fairhaven. Arenydee tells you that this confirmed suspicions she had that they were being followed.
Cavoletta at this point breaks in to explain. She has been trying to find Luggoth ever since seeing stories about him in the Korranberg Chronicle. Like him, she is a weretouched master, and she only recently learned the truth about her family. Her human mother and father told her that they had found her when she was just a tiny child, beaten and bloody and near-death. They took her in, but were never able to figure out where she came from. Cavoletta believes that she was a member of Luggoth's tribe who survived the attack, and she's been looking for him ever since. She heard of Savannah and Borgoth in Sharn, and following rumors about their travel north, she went to Fairhaven. She heard about the attack on them and went to offer her aid, but she quickly found out that it was too late, and that they had fled the city. Using her tracking abilities, she followed them, and caught up to them a day before the attack. She had been off hunting to find some food as a peace offering before making contact, and came back just in time to help Arenydee drive of the agents of the Lords of Dust.
After five more days of traveling together, Arenydee, Cavoletta, Savannah and Borgoth reached Varna. They arranged to stay the night at an inn while Arenydee checked in discreetly with House Phiarlan. Much had happened while they were on the road. "The Sigilstar Accords" were signed in Thrane, with Aundair, Thrane and Breland declaring war on the nation of Droaam. The very day before they had arrived in Varna, these accords were acted upon, and Droaam was invaded by military forces from those three nations. Back in Sharn, Councilor Sava was killed by Daask forces, and her trusted aide Pel had taken over and was taking a hardline stance against the Daask and the gang war, helping to mobilize increasing numbers of Watch forces against the Daask.
Five days later, Arenydee, Cavoletta, Savannah and Borgoth arrived in Sheryn Wayfinder's village, only to hear that the Wolves had gone into the Demon Wastes about a week ago. They resolved to wait, and hope that no further attacks from the Lords of Dust or whoever was behind this conspiracy against the Wolves materialized in the meantime. That was almost two weeks ago.
The day before the Wolves returned, Baron Elvinor d'Phiarlan sent a messenger to speak with Arenydee at the druid community. After verifying her identity, this messenger told them that Elvinor had discovered a few things about the conspiracy. First, she was certain the Tyrants were involved, as the impersonation of the Wolves during the "assassination" was nearly flawless. If she wasn't sure it was a frame, she'd believe it was the Wolves themselves. Certainly Pel's exclusion from the group of assassins pointed to Tyrant involvement, but Elvinor knows that Pel is with the Wolves, so it seems that he may have been excluded from these plans as well. Indeed, Pel is probably in more danger than the rest of the Wolves, because someone has taken his identity, and Elvinor very much doubts it was without the permission of the Council of Tyrants. She has heard that the Council has new leadership, a changeling named Vadis having taken over and formed an alliance with the Boromar, bringing the gang war in Sharn to a close. There are even rumors that this new Boromar-Tyrant alliance is cooperating with the Sharn Watch and King's Dark Lanterns to root out the remaining Daask, as part of the war effort.
Elvinor heard that Cardinal Ossul Hetrion launched a raid on an Archbishop's home in Thaliost almost a month ago. A bishop believed to be in league with the Lords of Dust was killed, and a paladin and town priest were found in the basement of the Archbishop's mansion, tortured but alive. Their tales of Rakshasas, however, were without physical proof, and Hetrion's charges and claims of the Wolves' innocence were shouted down by the other Cardinals. All of this information was hushed up, but Phiarlan has spies everywhere. Elvinor believes that because Thrane went to war with Droaam partially due to the actions of the "Wolves," they can't afford to believe that they were tricked, and so they are avoiding looking too deeply into the matter.
Elvinor also knows that the task force hunting the Wolves is exceptionally skilled, featuring agents from the Citadel, the King's Dark Lanterns and even the Redcloak Brigade. Though even House Phiarlan was unable to discern their makeup, Elvinor has heard rumors that they have tracked the Wolves to Fairhaven and are no doubt on their way to the Eldeen Reaches. She has no doubt that, as it stands, they are more powerful than the Wolves in stand-up fight. Her suggestion is that they should flee to Xen'drik, where the reach of Khorvaire's laws doesn't quite extend, while the resources of House Phiarlan are put to work finding out more about who framed them and how it can be reversed. To avoid legal entanglements, she suggests traveling on foot to Zarash'ak inside the Shadow Marches, then paying to get aboard an independent cargo ship headed to Stormreach. It will be slow, as the trip is nearly two months long, but better that than running across the military and law enforcement forces of Thrane, Breland and Aundair, all of whom are now looking for the Wolves based on agreements in the Sigilstar Accords. Elvinor has provided Arenydee with 100 platinum, which she believes will be enough to get them all aboard a ship.
When the Wandering Wolves reached the community of Sheryn Wayfinder, they were surprised to see several familiar faces. Arenydee had arrived from Sharn about two weeks ago, and with her were Luggoth's girlfriend Savannah and her son Borgoth. There was another shifter, too, a ruggedly attractive woman named Cavoletta whom they had met on the road.
Arenydee fills the Wolves in on what has been happening since they last communicated with Sharn, almost two months ago. After spending a couple of days in Fairhaven visiting with old friends, Arenydee took the Lightning Rail back to Sharn, where she did a variety of work for House Phiarlan. After getting some of the messages from the road from Lysander, she did a little digging on Cardinal Hetrion, to find out when he was traveling, but she never knew where to send the message.
On Therendor 20, Arenydee was relaxing in the House Phiarlan enclave when a pair of frightened shifters came in, asking for her. They were Savannah and her son Borgoth, and they claimed to have been attacked in the streets by fiendish looking humanoids of some sort. They fled to the Silver Flame chapel where they worshiped, but Savannah wanted to talk to Luggoth and let him know about this, because of the messages they had exchanged and the worry he had shown for them. Arenydee arranged for Savannah and Borgoth to stay with her until they sorted things out.
That turned out to be trickier than she had first thought, because on the night of Therendor 21, in the middle of a City Council party at the Celestial Vista Restaurant, someone tried to assassinate King Boranel. And House Phiarlan being what it is, they knew before the Sharn Inquisitive printed it the next day who that someone was.
It is at this point that Arenydee produces a copy of the Sharn Inquisitive for Therendor 22, with the front page article: "Renowned Adventurers Disrupt Event With Attempted Regicide." The article goes on to describe how the Wandering Wolves (made up of Luggoth, Maechen, Lysander and Brand), despite not having been invited to the party or seen prior to the attack, launched an ill-fated assassination attempt on King Boranel and his entourage, including his young bride. The King's guard held them off, and the Wolves were forced to flee. An investigation is ongoing, and King Boranel has offered a 2,000 gp reward for the capture of each member of the Wolves.
Arenydee tried to contact the Wolves. She had received a communique from Lysander just a week prior, indicating that they were heading to the Eldeen Reaches. She intended to set out for the Reaches immediately, but before she could leave, she heard word that Gareth's Gear had burned down, with at least two people inside it at the time. Gareth's was owned by a dear friend, she explains, and though his body was not found inside, the ruined metal and wood form of Tock, the store's artificer, and the body of dwarven manager Jalis ir'Mroranon were.
Baron Elvinor summoned Arenydee and told her that she suspected a conspiracy against the Wolves, and that they wouldn't hesitate to act against their loved ones. She arranged passage to Aundair on the Lightning Rail before things got worse, providing Arenydee with false identities and money to get them clear. The investigative powers of House Phiarlan were already being brought to bear on this clear frame of the Wolves.
Arenydee managed to keep up on the news, both through reading the Korranberg Chronicle and by using her own contacts. When Arenydee and her companions arrived in Fairhaven five days later, they immediately went to stay with Lady Elaydren, and she told them what had developed in that time. The Wolves had left about two weeks ago, and since then, Elaydren had been keeping tabs on information about them out in the world. She was quite distressed by what she had found.
After three days of investigation, the King announces that the Wolves had been involved in some sort of altercation in Thrane, and they were wanted there as well. Questions at their guild revealed that they had arrived back in Sharn a week ago, and that they had been seen talking with a half-orc who was now identified as a member of the Daask. Questioning Pel revealed that the group had taken on a contract from Droamm, which he had refused on moral grounds. He didn't know exactly what it entailed, only that it involved a great deal of money. Documents and platinum found in the living quarters of Luggoth revealed that they had taken on a contract from the Hags of Droaam to kill King Boranel. The King announced the formation of a special task force to hunt down the Wolves and bring them to justice.
He also announced that this was an act of war by Droaam, and increases the troops on the border. After a quick vote from the City Council, the Daask "arrest on sight" order was changed to "killed on sight," and a de facto martial law started in the lower territories of Sharn.
Statements were released in the Sharn Inquisitive and the Korranberg Chronicle by House Deneith and House Orien, both condemning the Wolves. Sharri d'Deneith promised the assistance of House Deneith to the King's task force, while Aeromus d'Orien expressed his deep regret about Brand, spilling dirty laundry about his father and saying that he should have trusted his instincts, rather than his desire to see his nephew redeem himself. Brand was officially exiled from House Orien, and Orien announced its intention to help capture the Wolves by posting information and making their own security aware of the Wolves and their compatriots. House Phiarlan issued a statement denying Lysander's involvement, claiming that this was a frame, but they could not provide proof of his whereabouts, and were generally discredited in the media by Sharri d'Deneith.
Arenydee explains that she, Savannah and Borgoth were only in Fairhaven for three days when they were attacked out in the open by fiendish agents of the Lords of Dust. She fought them off, but determined that their cover had been blown, and it was time to move again. Elaydren provided them with horses and Cannith security to get them to the Eldeen Reaches, where they could hopefully find the Wolves. She expressed her willingness to help, although Arenydee admits to you that she thinks Elaydren's house is compromised. She doesn't doubt Elaydren's sincerity, but believes that there are agents watching her and waiting for the Wolves to contact her for help.
While riding towards Varna in the Eldeen Reaches, Arenydee and her group was attacked. This time, in addition to a half-fiend leading from the air, there was a Zakya Rakshasa and other fiendish troops. The Cannith bodyguards fell quickly, and Arenydee was sure they were going to die. That's when Cavoletta made her presence known. Cavoletta burst in, and at first Savannah and Borgoth thought she was Luggoth. She tore into the attackers and drove them off, then revealed to Arenydee that she had been following them ever since they left Fairhaven. Arenydee tells you that this confirmed suspicions she had that they were being followed.
Cavoletta at this point breaks in to explain. She has been trying to find Luggoth ever since seeing stories about him in the Korranberg Chronicle. Like him, she is a weretouched master, and she only recently learned the truth about her family. Her human mother and father told her that they had found her when she was just a tiny child, beaten and bloody and near-death. They took her in, but were never able to figure out where she came from. Cavoletta believes that she was a member of Luggoth's tribe who survived the attack, and she's been looking for him ever since. She heard of Savannah and Borgoth in Sharn, and following rumors about their travel north, she went to Fairhaven. She heard about the attack on them and went to offer her aid, but she quickly found out that it was too late, and that they had fled the city. Using her tracking abilities, she followed them, and caught up to them a day before the attack. She had been off hunting to find some food as a peace offering before making contact, and came back just in time to help Arenydee drive of the agents of the Lords of Dust.
After five more days of traveling together, Arenydee, Cavoletta, Savannah and Borgoth reached Varna. They arranged to stay the night at an inn while Arenydee checked in discreetly with House Phiarlan. Much had happened while they were on the road. "The Sigilstar Accords" were signed in Thrane, with Aundair, Thrane and Breland declaring war on the nation of Droaam. The very day before they had arrived in Varna, these accords were acted upon, and Droaam was invaded by military forces from those three nations. Back in Sharn, Councilor Sava was killed by Daask forces, and her trusted aide Pel had taken over and was taking a hardline stance against the Daask and the gang war, helping to mobilize increasing numbers of Watch forces against the Daask.
Five days later, Arenydee, Cavoletta, Savannah and Borgoth arrived in Sheryn Wayfinder's village, only to hear that the Wolves had gone into the Demon Wastes about a week ago. They resolved to wait, and hope that no further attacks from the Lords of Dust or whoever was behind this conspiracy against the Wolves materialized in the meantime. That was almost two weeks ago.
The day before the Wolves returned, Baron Elvinor d'Phiarlan sent a messenger to speak with Arenydee at the druid community. After verifying her identity, this messenger told them that Elvinor had discovered a few things about the conspiracy. First, she was certain the Tyrants were involved, as the impersonation of the Wolves during the "assassination" was nearly flawless. If she wasn't sure it was a frame, she'd believe it was the Wolves themselves. Certainly Pel's exclusion from the group of assassins pointed to Tyrant involvement, but Elvinor knows that Pel is with the Wolves, so it seems that he may have been excluded from these plans as well. Indeed, Pel is probably in more danger than the rest of the Wolves, because someone has taken his identity, and Elvinor very much doubts it was without the permission of the Council of Tyrants. She has heard that the Council has new leadership, a changeling named Vadis having taken over and formed an alliance with the Boromar, bringing the gang war in Sharn to a close. There are even rumors that this new Boromar-Tyrant alliance is cooperating with the Sharn Watch and King's Dark Lanterns to root out the remaining Daask, as part of the war effort.
Elvinor heard that Cardinal Ossul Hetrion launched a raid on an Archbishop's home in Thaliost almost a month ago. A bishop believed to be in league with the Lords of Dust was killed, and a paladin and town priest were found in the basement of the Archbishop's mansion, tortured but alive. Their tales of Rakshasas, however, were without physical proof, and Hetrion's charges and claims of the Wolves' innocence were shouted down by the other Cardinals. All of this information was hushed up, but Phiarlan has spies everywhere. Elvinor believes that because Thrane went to war with Droaam partially due to the actions of the "Wolves," they can't afford to believe that they were tricked, and so they are avoiding looking too deeply into the matter.
Elvinor also knows that the task force hunting the Wolves is exceptionally skilled, featuring agents from the Citadel, the King's Dark Lanterns and even the Redcloak Brigade. Though even House Phiarlan was unable to discern their makeup, Elvinor has heard rumors that they have tracked the Wolves to Fairhaven and are no doubt on their way to the Eldeen Reaches. She has no doubt that, as it stands, they are more powerful than the Wolves in stand-up fight. Her suggestion is that they should flee to Xen'drik, where the reach of Khorvaire's laws doesn't quite extend, while the resources of House Phiarlan are put to work finding out more about who framed them and how it can be reversed. To avoid legal entanglements, she suggests traveling on foot to Zarash'ak inside the Shadow Marches, then paying to get aboard an independent cargo ship headed to Stormreach. It will be slow, as the trip is nearly two months long, but better that than running across the military and law enforcement forces of Thrane, Breland and Aundair, all of whom are now looking for the Wolves based on agreements in the Sigilstar Accords. Elvinor has provided Arenydee with 100 platinum, which she believes will be enough to get them all aboard a ship.
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