Session 29 (May 29, 2021)
16 O-Zar (cont’d)
They head to the palace from their meeting with the Bishop. The guards recognize them, and they are immediately taken to the Dogaressa.
“Hail and welcome back. What news?”
Runor says, “We think there may be a demon pretending to be human, and working for Sir Clarence.”
“He is Sir Clarence’s personal captain, and not part of the mercenaries,” adds Aleep.
“We are hurrying reinforcements here. Do we think they will have time to arrive?”
“We think so,” says Runor.
“Ah. Could be worse, then.”
“He also has access to powerful poison. We’re not sure what he intends with that.”
Merreep adds, “And there was also abyssal hay. It would cause any animal that eats it more aggressive.”
The dogaressa is very concerned about this, both with the effects on cows but especially on horses.
They also tell her about the long-lasting delay poison potions.
“You have rendered a great service here. I will order the palace sealed—it can be done surreptitiously. We will come up with some excuse—mourning for a distant ally or something.”
“You must remember they have access to the sewer system,” adds Runor. “They could use that to try to get people within the palace. Or to poison the general water supply. But we might be able to use some of the green slime we found to block off their entrance to the sewers.”
The dogaressa agrees that might be possible, and could be passed off as simply natural.
“Aleep thinks that the Bishop thought the attack might come before the reinforcements arrive.”
“Oh. That would make things much more difficult. I have found the military of the city has been… much more lax than I had realized. But I cannot not be seen in public. I will declare three days of celebration—my distant cousin has been found to be with child, I think. That will make it harder for them to plan things, I think. Besides, people will drink from the cellars instead of water, which would protect them from the poison.”
Ulgorio points out the poison could be in things besides water—wine, or beer. Any liquid.
Aleep also points out that some of the dogaressa’s guards have been drunk on duty before. It would be bad if they would over celebrate.
The dogaressa is concerned about that. “There is one other possibility. Sir Clarence has made a romantic interest in me known since shortly after my husband’s death—quite too soon, it’s still too soon, but perhaps if I invited him to a private meal in the palace.”
Runor responds, “I am almost certain he would try to kill you.”
“I am as well. But if you could arrange to be the guards assigned to accompany him, he would be alone. And I am not without my own capabilities. I have a special chain shirt that I can wear under my dress.”
Runor adds, “We must make sure that his guards are not allowed to enter.”
“Unless you are his guards. I think you have substantial influence. I can invite him for two or three days in the future, bringing six guards—the same number of guards as your group. I do not think he would attack if he thinks he can win without an attack.”
Runor comments that they know that Sir Clarence is not the top of the authority. “He serves a being on the power level of a lich—a greater vampire. But it is not here.”
“He may be place bound.”
“Aleep thinks Aleep’s friends know that, that he cannot leave the manor north of East Haven.”
“If you cannot arrange to be his guard when he comes in 3 evenings’ time, try to let us know in advance.”
“And if things go badly,” says Runor, “make sure that the people know, so he cannot take over without the opposition of the people.”
“I will send the invitation within an hour.”
“Aleep thinks you might also seek allies for at the dinner. Perhaps people from the temple, and perhaps some of Lady Fooblu’s troops.”
“Yes, I will ask her. Thank you again.”
They depart. Runor mentions that he would like to get some better armor, and they have plenty of money.
Almost as soon as they have left the palace, the Bishop’s chief demonologist slips up to them. “I verified it. The one you speak of is a field marshal under the Worm that Bores Beneath. He is a minor field marshal, and he partakes of the essence of Socothbenoth - Lord of Perversion and Taboo. His power relates to charm, travel, chaos, and evil. He is a competent torturer. He wields a quarterstaff, and is deadly with it. He has few spells, but he can often charm people, even in combat.”
“Abyssal field marshal sounds scary. Is that as scary as it sounds?”
“No, they all take whatever titles they can. He is potent, but not nearly as potent as say a field marshal in Hell would be.”
“Do we need any special weapons?”
“Yes, they should be silvered. And he is immune to cold and lightning, resistant to poison and regular weapons.” [Resistance (30) poison, damage reduction 10/silver.]
He departs quickly, and takes a carefully circuitous route back to the cathedral.
They decide to head to armorers to get better armor and silvered weapons. (Light and medium armor is 10% cheaper than standard, heavy armor is 10% more expensive.) Bartix gets two silver short swords; Bartix and Merreep both get silver arrows. Runor gets half-plate for 675 silver, borrowing some from the rest of the group. Ulgorio and Ashaltir each get silver swords.
The group then heads back to Sir Clarence’s tower, and when they’re waved through, they go into the barracks.
They head into their barracks room. One of the (Paranswarmian) captain’s trusted men comes to talk to them.
“Did you get the word out?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need anything else?”
“If we can delay the attack, that would be good.”
“Do you know how long until the reinforcements arrive?”
“No.”
“They’re preparing a caravan to head off with the trade goods to the frontlines; our unit might be one of the ones guarding it.”
“The dogaressa is inviting Sir Clarence to dinner to delay things.”
“Ah, good. But you folks are probably on your own until we get back.”
“Aleep, erm, Helmut wonders why they are sending a large caravan of supplies to the frontlines.”
“Brunhilde” suggests, “Maybe they’re concealing something dangerous in a large caravan.”
“Then Helmut wonders if they should prevent the caravan from being delivered, or make sure the Hastur inspect it before the goods are dispersed.”
Brunhilde agrees with that suggestion.
The captain’s man agrees that, by the time they reach the Shadowline in several weeks, they will either search the caravan for problems or make sure the Hastur do, since by that times everything here will probably be resolved. He wonders aloud whether they are distrusted, and thus being deliberately gotten out of the way.
After he leaves, Merreep wonders if they might be bringing the abyssal hay and poison to the frontlines to try to disrupt the Shadowline armies.
Runor decides to use detect poison and disease on the caravan. He casts the spell first, and then he heads into the courtyard and wanders near the caravan. He detects disease in the hogsheads of flour—a cholera like disease—and he detects the poison we knew about in the barrels of ale, beer, and wine. There is clearly also a lot of animal fodder, though he doesn’t detect anything there—but then, the abyssal hay is neither technically a disease nor poison. He also sees that the demon-disguised-as-a-captain is carefully watching the caravans. Runor slips back into the barracks and tells the rest of the group. They then make sure the Paranswarmian captain knows about the poison and the disease.
The group spends some time planning for how to try to make sure they get selected. Runor suggests making it clear they’re available, while Bartix and Ulgorio plan a one-two punch: Bartix making himself seem powerful and intimidating, and Ulgorio using his persuasiveness to befriend people.
Ulgorio starts performing in the mess hall, trying to impress people, while Bartix engages in displays of strength. Bartix is enormously impressive, lifting armored soldiers up to show how strong he is and so forth. Fortuitously, Lord Ishulvan enters along with several officers, and a robed figure, that looks vaguely familiar from the border, but now Sir Clarence is dressed in overdone mage clothes and with a staff. The group cannot help but notice that Sir Clarence is extremely thin. They stand watching Bartix and Ulgorio’s performance. The captain speaks to Sir Clarence, and gestures towards the group, and the group makes its way over.
“Sergeant. Have you met your employer?”
“No.”
“This is the Magus, Sir Clarence of the North. I was just telling him what an exemplary job that your group did retrieving the special delivery from West Haven. And Sir Clarence has a special mission for you. He would like your group to accompany him to a special dinner with the dogaressa on the third night. You should dress in your best armor, make sure that your clothes are clean, and if any of you are lousy, see the medical personnel for a powder.”
Sir Clarence nods to the group briefly.
Runor, even without casting an active detect good or evil, can sense the evil periodically rolling off Sir Clarence when he’s not in disguise.
[End session 29]
16 O-Zar (cont’d)
They head to the palace from their meeting with the Bishop. The guards recognize them, and they are immediately taken to the Dogaressa.
“Hail and welcome back. What news?”
Runor says, “We think there may be a demon pretending to be human, and working for Sir Clarence.”
“He is Sir Clarence’s personal captain, and not part of the mercenaries,” adds Aleep.
“We are hurrying reinforcements here. Do we think they will have time to arrive?”
“We think so,” says Runor.
“Ah. Could be worse, then.”
“He also has access to powerful poison. We’re not sure what he intends with that.”
Merreep adds, “And there was also abyssal hay. It would cause any animal that eats it more aggressive.”
The dogaressa is very concerned about this, both with the effects on cows but especially on horses.
They also tell her about the long-lasting delay poison potions.
“You have rendered a great service here. I will order the palace sealed—it can be done surreptitiously. We will come up with some excuse—mourning for a distant ally or something.”
“You must remember they have access to the sewer system,” adds Runor. “They could use that to try to get people within the palace. Or to poison the general water supply. But we might be able to use some of the green slime we found to block off their entrance to the sewers.”
The dogaressa agrees that might be possible, and could be passed off as simply natural.
“Aleep thinks that the Bishop thought the attack might come before the reinforcements arrive.”
“Oh. That would make things much more difficult. I have found the military of the city has been… much more lax than I had realized. But I cannot not be seen in public. I will declare three days of celebration—my distant cousin has been found to be with child, I think. That will make it harder for them to plan things, I think. Besides, people will drink from the cellars instead of water, which would protect them from the poison.”
Ulgorio points out the poison could be in things besides water—wine, or beer. Any liquid.
Aleep also points out that some of the dogaressa’s guards have been drunk on duty before. It would be bad if they would over celebrate.
The dogaressa is concerned about that. “There is one other possibility. Sir Clarence has made a romantic interest in me known since shortly after my husband’s death—quite too soon, it’s still too soon, but perhaps if I invited him to a private meal in the palace.”
Runor responds, “I am almost certain he would try to kill you.”
“I am as well. But if you could arrange to be the guards assigned to accompany him, he would be alone. And I am not without my own capabilities. I have a special chain shirt that I can wear under my dress.”
Runor adds, “We must make sure that his guards are not allowed to enter.”
“Unless you are his guards. I think you have substantial influence. I can invite him for two or three days in the future, bringing six guards—the same number of guards as your group. I do not think he would attack if he thinks he can win without an attack.”
Runor comments that they know that Sir Clarence is not the top of the authority. “He serves a being on the power level of a lich—a greater vampire. But it is not here.”
“He may be place bound.”
“Aleep thinks Aleep’s friends know that, that he cannot leave the manor north of East Haven.”
“If you cannot arrange to be his guard when he comes in 3 evenings’ time, try to let us know in advance.”
“And if things go badly,” says Runor, “make sure that the people know, so he cannot take over without the opposition of the people.”
“I will send the invitation within an hour.”
“Aleep thinks you might also seek allies for at the dinner. Perhaps people from the temple, and perhaps some of Lady Fooblu’s troops.”
“Yes, I will ask her. Thank you again.”
They depart. Runor mentions that he would like to get some better armor, and they have plenty of money.
Almost as soon as they have left the palace, the Bishop’s chief demonologist slips up to them. “I verified it. The one you speak of is a field marshal under the Worm that Bores Beneath. He is a minor field marshal, and he partakes of the essence of Socothbenoth - Lord of Perversion and Taboo. His power relates to charm, travel, chaos, and evil. He is a competent torturer. He wields a quarterstaff, and is deadly with it. He has few spells, but he can often charm people, even in combat.”
“Abyssal field marshal sounds scary. Is that as scary as it sounds?”
“No, they all take whatever titles they can. He is potent, but not nearly as potent as say a field marshal in Hell would be.”
“Do we need any special weapons?”
“Yes, they should be silvered. And he is immune to cold and lightning, resistant to poison and regular weapons.” [Resistance (30) poison, damage reduction 10/silver.]
He departs quickly, and takes a carefully circuitous route back to the cathedral.
They decide to head to armorers to get better armor and silvered weapons. (Light and medium armor is 10% cheaper than standard, heavy armor is 10% more expensive.) Bartix gets two silver short swords; Bartix and Merreep both get silver arrows. Runor gets half-plate for 675 silver, borrowing some from the rest of the group. Ulgorio and Ashaltir each get silver swords.
The group then heads back to Sir Clarence’s tower, and when they’re waved through, they go into the barracks.
They head into their barracks room. One of the (Paranswarmian) captain’s trusted men comes to talk to them.
“Did you get the word out?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need anything else?”
“If we can delay the attack, that would be good.”
“Do you know how long until the reinforcements arrive?”
“No.”
“They’re preparing a caravan to head off with the trade goods to the frontlines; our unit might be one of the ones guarding it.”
“The dogaressa is inviting Sir Clarence to dinner to delay things.”
“Ah, good. But you folks are probably on your own until we get back.”
“Aleep, erm, Helmut wonders why they are sending a large caravan of supplies to the frontlines.”
“Brunhilde” suggests, “Maybe they’re concealing something dangerous in a large caravan.”
“Then Helmut wonders if they should prevent the caravan from being delivered, or make sure the Hastur inspect it before the goods are dispersed.”
Brunhilde agrees with that suggestion.
The captain’s man agrees that, by the time they reach the Shadowline in several weeks, they will either search the caravan for problems or make sure the Hastur do, since by that times everything here will probably be resolved. He wonders aloud whether they are distrusted, and thus being deliberately gotten out of the way.
After he leaves, Merreep wonders if they might be bringing the abyssal hay and poison to the frontlines to try to disrupt the Shadowline armies.
Runor decides to use detect poison and disease on the caravan. He casts the spell first, and then he heads into the courtyard and wanders near the caravan. He detects disease in the hogsheads of flour—a cholera like disease—and he detects the poison we knew about in the barrels of ale, beer, and wine. There is clearly also a lot of animal fodder, though he doesn’t detect anything there—but then, the abyssal hay is neither technically a disease nor poison. He also sees that the demon-disguised-as-a-captain is carefully watching the caravans. Runor slips back into the barracks and tells the rest of the group. They then make sure the Paranswarmian captain knows about the poison and the disease.
The group spends some time planning for how to try to make sure they get selected. Runor suggests making it clear they’re available, while Bartix and Ulgorio plan a one-two punch: Bartix making himself seem powerful and intimidating, and Ulgorio using his persuasiveness to befriend people.
Ulgorio starts performing in the mess hall, trying to impress people, while Bartix engages in displays of strength. Bartix is enormously impressive, lifting armored soldiers up to show how strong he is and so forth. Fortuitously, Lord Ishulvan enters along with several officers, and a robed figure, that looks vaguely familiar from the border, but now Sir Clarence is dressed in overdone mage clothes and with a staff. The group cannot help but notice that Sir Clarence is extremely thin. They stand watching Bartix and Ulgorio’s performance. The captain speaks to Sir Clarence, and gestures towards the group, and the group makes its way over.
“Sergeant. Have you met your employer?”
“No.”
“This is the Magus, Sir Clarence of the North. I was just telling him what an exemplary job that your group did retrieving the special delivery from West Haven. And Sir Clarence has a special mission for you. He would like your group to accompany him to a special dinner with the dogaressa on the third night. You should dress in your best armor, make sure that your clothes are clean, and if any of you are lousy, see the medical personnel for a powder.”
Sir Clarence nods to the group briefly.
Runor, even without casting an active detect good or evil, can sense the evil periodically rolling off Sir Clarence when he’s not in disguise.
[End session 29]