The dwarves staying at the Lord's Dalliance are surprised and pleased to see a cousin in town, they quickly invite Blau to tell stories of his clan in exchange for their own.
---
Selena "accidentally" bumps into Captain Eddarly the next day and begins her work. She definitely gets his attention, and soon enough he is chatting amiably enough with the strange woman. She catches a flash of guilt in him from time to time. She gets the distinct sense that he's in love with someone else, regardless of what you were told about him being unattached.
---
Ozette finds out there is only one Inn in the town, a relatively nice place called the Lord's Dalliance. According to your new companions, the name hails from before the Mitrans took over the country, and the local lord that owned the fort here would frequently visit the brothel that eventually became the Inn.
She presents herself at the castle, and gets inside quickly enough after identifying herself as a hedge knight looking for steadier work than a life of wandering offers. A boisterous young man who introduces himself as Lieutenant Fritter escorts her to a small office before sitting down with a rather resigned expression and taking out a thick logbook and a quill. "Now then miss, I'm going to need your full name, the primary locations you've lived, primary jobs you have worked, and then the same information for your parents and grandparents. After that we can get to the really fun questions."
Blau uses his own history well, pulling up anecdotes and real stories from his life as a dwarven child to bolster his tales and help him gain their openness. Steering the talk towards construction, mining and the earth, he sees what comments or information about the mysterious 'project' he can elicit without directly mentioning it. Later that evening, he notes what he's learned in his book to relay to Ozette later on in the week. The next day, he's back at his post as the happy hedge priest, healing and soothing and chatting with the Father for more intelligence.
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?" "Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied ― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Renting a room at the Lord’s Dalliance was a simple enough affair. Ozettes cover story and illusionary appearance meant people were welcoming to her, which was a different experience for her. She spent most of her time in her room, with the door locked and the window shuttered closed. It wouldn’t do to have her true form spotted by some random civilian. Her tail was becoming an increasing risk; it was invisible while her amulet was active, but that just meant she had to be extra careful someone didn’t bump into it. Since Ozette couldn't see it, it bumped into things more often as well. Luckily Ozette has been able to shift blame to bad luck or just general clumsiness.
---
They next morning she left early and presented herself at the castle, joining Lieutenant Fritter in his office to answer his questions. Luckily, the cardinal saw fit to grace her with a very convincing cover story. “Well, Sir Fritter; their is honestly not much to tell. My name is Avelina Maker. I’ve lived on my grandparents farm for most of my life, working the fields, feeding the chickens, that sort of thing. My Gandpapa’s name is Alexi Maker and his wife’s name is Susan Maker. My mother, Alyssa Maker died when I was very young. I never knew my father and Grandpapa never spoke of him.”
“A few years back, a wild fire claimed the fields and the old farmhouse. Grandmama and Grandpapa died fighting the flames.” Ozette played up the sorrow with a few sniffles. “I was left with no home and no family; but I made a vow that day. I would protect those who could not protect themselves. For the last few years, I’ve been wandering the lands, working as a farmhand and when the need calls for it, a warrior. My Grandpapa taught me how to fight, he was a guard in Highbridge for years, until he took an arrow that ruined his leg. And now, I come to you because I want to make a difference in the world and working for Lord Havelyn is the best way I can think of doing it!”
Once she was done with her family history, Ozette looked up and stared into Fritter's eyes. "Apologies for the mournful history. Perhaps you should ask some of the "fun" questions now, and I can give you some fun answers." She said with a wink.
Kiven grins an evil grin when Ozette remarks that he 'must be the leader'. Regarding her comment on his height, which is still over six feet anyhow, he replies "yes, you make an excellent point." "I personally know a great many lords who attribute much of their rise to prominence to the distance of their brow from the ground. Most wise indeed."
Regarding Respar stating that Kiven is not the leader and admonishing them for their various demeanors, Kiven apologizes to the newcomer. "You must forgive my dearest Repsar here, he prefers to look at the most minute aspects of any larger tapestry. It has its uses, I suppose, and I am here to discern the larger game afoot. He can also sneak well, I've heard, so there's that."
Away from the group meetings, Kiven is focused on the poison. He continues to negotiate with Snowball with this in mind. "I have a suggestion, my dear Snowball. You can aid our cause with very little risk, and ask what you will of me in return. We have a need to perform a labor intensive task, but one that should not put you in harms way to any notable degree. If I teach you exactly what herbs are needed, would you be willing to scour the nearby forests and hills for them? You can fly wherever you like, away from roads, patrols, or the dens of various beasts as needed. The sooner we can collect these materials, the sooner we can rid ourselves of these Mitrans and leave this foul place. You can stay with me, and I shall leave my window open at the Inn so you can come and go as you please. What do you say?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Selena smiles as she looks into the captain's eyes. Mentally she informs Poe, " I have the captain occupied. Go inform Respar that now is a great time to search his home. I get the feeling that Adderly is in love with someone. Tell him of that...if we can find who he is love with we can gain a huge hold over him. We will warn him when the captain is headed his way. "
She then twists her long blonde tresses while gazing at him. " I am so lonely captain. My boyfriend died at the hands of a gambler back home. It is so difficult ....sometimes..." She caresses his hand softly. " Is there anyone else you are interested in here?"
Bluff: 29
Diplomacy is the proper stat. Take 4 off of my total.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Respar receives the message and heads for Eddarly's home, looking like on of the guards he has seen at the inn, but once he nears the home, he waits for a moment of being unseen to make his entry and begin to explore the man's home. Letters and papers are his first interest, of course. He also tries to leave little trace of his time there.
Blau tries to steer the conversation towards useful subjects, but doesn't quite manage it. He does end up hearing far too many tales about the things that "grand uncle Himmler" used to eat on a dare, but the nature of the dwarves' work here remains shrouded.
---
Lieutenant Fritter frowns a little, "That was sarcasm I'm afraid, there are no fun questions. They go way overboard on this stuff, but Lord Havelyn would have my hide if he learned I skipped anything."
He starts droning on, listing out probing and rather personal questions, most of which require open ended answers
I'm going to need a Bluff check on Ozette's part, and possibly a Will save vs psychic damage :P
--- Captain Eddarly flushes a bit as Selena continues to pour on the charm. "Ah, well, ah, yes, yes there is. My lady, I would like to hear from you some more, but my heart is already taken I am afraid."
---
Meanwhile, in Captain Eddarly's home, Respar pokes around, eventually finding a stash of hidden love letters, some of which have rather salacious details. The name of Eddarly's lover is of particular interest.
Respar smiles to himself as he looks over the letters. He quickly flips through a few and takes three or four, from the middle of the stack, leaving their envelops behind in their position in the stack. He tucks them into his belt and quickly leaves the residence, watching carefully to leave when he would be unseen. He eagerly waits for the rest of the team to return so he can debrief them. While he waits, he begins formulating possible plans to take advantage of this new knowledge.
Once the group is back he presents the letters. "Friends, what we have here is the key to possible plans for our mission. These are only a few of the letters I found in Eddarly's place. By the way, well done Selena, on keeping him busy. These letters were written by Captain Eddarly's mistress. She is none other than Mrs. Mott, wife of the dour Captain Mott. And I made sure to select letters that reveal some of the more sordid details of their physical relationship. So I have two basic ideas for the moment. Regardless, we can use these letters and our disguises to lure the three members of this love triangle, one at a time, into quiet ambushes. We can kill them and replace them. We can do this the day before the attack begins, and go through the keep, learning all we can. Spike the food and drink, whatever we wish. Then we can either allow people to find the three, obviously having all slain one another. Terrible tragedy, of course. And that might leave everyone here in a sort of hangover when the attack hits. We can infiltrate through the tunnel and begin killing enemies and open the gates. Or we can just stay in disguise and, again, try to kill people and open the gates. I think if we keep moving, and changing our guises to look like different various inhabitants of the keep, and mostly strike individuals and very small groups, we can get quite a few. I just hope we can get the gates open. Once the army gets through, I have no doubt the battle will go to our side." He pauses and asks, "So, thought and opinions? I'm sure there will be changes and refinements to the plan."
Ozette answers the questions to the best of her ability. What parts she hadn't been briefed on, she came up with on the fly, and when she couldn't do that, she used misdirection to lead Lt Fritter on to other ones. She was always quite good at leading people around with her words, the Cardinal called it an inherited boon from her blood line, but Ozette always just said you could get anyone to believe anything if you believed it. Right now, Ozette played the perfect part of a farm girl looking for a slice of glory in a lords army.
As they neared the end of the questions, Ozette let out a sigh. "You certainly weren't kidding, Lt Fritter, they do go a little overboard, here and there. Don't tell Lord Havelyn I said so though. He has every right to know everything and anything about the people who work for him, of course."
Bluff Result: 35, critical success! Will Save Result: 14 (Or 19 if its a charm or compulsion effect)
Later that day
Ozette had a look over the letters. It wasn't a bad plan and it would work to remove two captains from the equation, she was just wondering if it was the best use of the information. "This Eddarly, do you think we could use this as leverage to get him to crack? Maybe we can learn what the Lord is working on that requires the dwarven engineers? Depending just how "in love" this Eddarly is, we could send him other messages in Mott's hand writing and get him to kill Captain Mott for us. Tell him the Captain hurts his wife or something of the nature. A goodly captain of the guard would not stand for such a thing."
Blau, upon hearing the details within the love letters and Respar's analysis, replies "Bah! Why be so complex? With two of the keep's leaders dead, the armies will have an easier time of it. Arrange a day for the attack, get them to come to a secluded spot the day before and we kill them. Then, as you say, use our disguises to mill among the defenders and arrange useful accidents and broken things to let our allies inside. Complicated plans have frequent failures. The dwarves may still prove useful as I work on them, but so far it's all about their stomachs"
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“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?" "Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied ― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Selena muses over the letters while Poe perches on her shoulder and reads them as well. Her green eyes glimmer as she gazes at the others. " Well done Respar. I knew to trust in your expertise. You ooze competence at your work. " She smiles at him.
Poe nods his head. " Mistress, he has done well for a human. My help was instrumental as well. " He bobs his head and squawks as if joking. "
Her cold eyes look upon him. " Of course my friend. Our connection means you will never fail me. I trust you more than any other. "
She listens to the others debate the plans for utilizing these letters. " I like the idea of killing them the day before the attack and then assuming disguises to create chaos and get these gates open. It wouldn't hurt to use this information against Adderly. He can tell us what we wish to know or Mrs Mott is tortured in front of him. " She rubs her hands. " That could be rather entertaining. She will die either way. Nothing wrong with dangling a little false hope in front of someone. " She nods at Ozette. " We must of course get the gates open. If we do then the attack will be successful. If we can't get them open...... Let us not speak of that. We cannot and will not fail.. "
Respar says to Kiven, "How goes your attempt top recruit the ice imp to our cause? I do like the idea of him freezing all the ravens just before the attack. We don't want any chance of them getting word out. We will also need to do our best to remove their battle mages and the good father from the board before things really get rolling. I know he is on decent terms with a few of us. We might want to also get him alone and slit his throat, so we can impersonate him as well." He thinks a bit. "As for the battle mages, since they spend many an evening in the company of lady companions, we can probably leave them alone until they hear the alarm. Since we'll be looking like their superior officers, we should be able to order them into ambushes. I think if we can do that, it will seriously tilt the battle our way. I'm sure the army will be ready to smash the gates eventually. If we can get them open, so much the better. But at a minimum, if we can help remove the magical and ranged threats, that should allow their trolls and such the time needed to smash through." After one more pause he says, "And we should also be ready to slay the commander. I have no doubt he will be dangerous, so we should hope to face him alone, or with as few of his allies as we can arrange."
Ozette somehow manages to power through the interview without a single misstep, crafting a story that certainly seems to be airtight, and unlikely to be uncovered any time soon.
Lt Fritter diligently records her answers. Then files the papers away. "That's it, we're finally done. I'll talk to Lord Havelynn, and he'll make the final decision, but I think you can expect to formally join our ranks and swear your oaths in the chapel tomorrow. Come back in the morning if you would."
Ozette shrugged at Blau’s assessment of her idea. “You would know better than me in such matters.”
“My interview with the Lieutenant went well today. Tomorrow I’ll be taking the Vows and joining the castle guard proper. From there, I should be able to get you any information on the castle you need. If you show me where that tunnel you speak of leads, I do my best to keep the castle side of it clear, so you can come and go as you please. I'll also try to learn where Havelynn will hide during a siege. Maybe as part of those accidents the morning of, we can also arrange it so we’re among his castle staff when the battle begins?”
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Selena moves on to other plans as nothing more can be done regarding Eddarly for now. She will spend a lot of time at the tavern playing up the tourist role. If the Father enters when she is there she will gradually work on talking to him.
Poe is gone a lot as he flies around on his own patrols. He will take note of and keep up with any patrols moving or anything of note. The raven will use one day to fly out to where Selena told him the army was hidden at. He will keep his distance and learn what he can of how the army is holding up. Upon getting closer to the village he will inform Selena of what he has seen.
Poe reports that General Sakkarot appears to have assembled a very impressive force, if not exactly a very well disciplined one. The army occupies several valleys along the river, with ramshackle shelters and tents forming a small city. Banners from dozens of different tribes are on full display. The bulk of the numbers are bugbears, but hobgoblins and goblins are also present in force. Scattered here and there are representatives from a number of other races, from ogres and trolls to boggards and diminutive mites.
From the looks of it, Sakkarot is mostly keeping his violent charges occupied with mock battles, wrestling matches, and the occasional blood match with human prisoners given arms and sent up against the greener warriors. It isn't hard to see why there is a time limit. This host is bound together by the promise of violence, blood, and plunder, not true loyalties. Sooner or later if the warriors here don't get a real taste of what was promised, they will wander home out of boredom, or decide to initiate some violence and blood right where they are.
---
Ozette returns to the fort the next day as requested, and Lieutenant Fritter leads her to the chapel, "If you will please wait here, I will inform Lord Havelynn that you are ready to meet with him. He likes to make his final assessment in the light of Mitra."
The lieutenant departs, but something feels... off as soon as the tiefling sets foot into the chapel. Its a beautiful place, designed to catch and amplify the light of the sun, spreading its warmth throughout. The images of various saints are carved into the walls. After a few moments, the saints begin to glow.
A ball of pure white light detaches from one of them, and drifts down towards Ozette. It speaks, somehow, its voice musical and yet accusing, "Darkness fills your heart, begone, and repent!"
Selena backs off from engaging with Captain Adderly after this revelation. She speaks with Poe one day. " Poe, i have another important mission for you. Please go seek out the leader of this ragtag horde, General Sakkarot, and update him. Tell him of me and that you serve me. Throw in the names of the others if needed to gain his trust. Tell him what we have found and that we are still working on weakening the defenses. Also inform him that you can increase your size and can ferry smaller creatures such as goblins over the wall one at a time to a meeting up place. "
Poe struts some as he enjoys being entrusted to something important like this. " Yes, mistress. I will gladly carry this out. This fortress is ripe for the taking. I can smell bloodshed here as if it has already happened. "
She smiles at this. " Yes, these fools will soon join the afterlife. I truly long for the day we unleash this violence upon these fools. "
He flaps his wings as he soars upwards. With a tip of his wings he is off toward his destination.
OOC: She will inform the others of this before sending Poe. He will also carry anything they wish for the general.
A chill wove it way down Ozette's spine as the little orb of light spoke to her. So, their little god was on to her, she thought. The question was, would this orb speak to Havelynn when he arrived, and even if it did, could Ozette convince him that she was a soul who wanted to be saved. She had little time to decide, if Havelynn appeared before she could concoct a proper story, she would jeopardize the entire mission. Damnit, this was not the time for rashness, she thought and left the chapel after making some mental notes about the interior.
Once she was outside and felt like her thoughts we once again her own, Ozette mused on what to do next. Castle security was a no, but perhaps she could do some questioning around town; people had to be wondering what Havelynn was working on and have their own theories on the matter.
Fortunately the chapel is very close to the fort's main gate. The guards at the gate look at Ozette curiously as she departs, but they had just seen her welcomed within, and so do not challenge her.
Soon enough she was out, and out of sight of the guards on her way back to the village. A few hours later, guards show up asking around the village for someone meeting the description of the Mitran knight that Ozette had disguised herself as.
It would be a Knowledge religion check for Ozette or anyone she describes the thing to to identify the orb of light for what it is.
In the meantime, what's the next move? Kiven's working on the poisons, you can rest assured those will be ready before long, Respar's sitting on his blackmail material, and the dwarves aren't talking so far. If people wish to fast forward through additional preparations and move on to the day you kick everything off, just let me know what you'll be working on in the meantime and I'll cue up the montage music.
As Selena is informed of this she grimaces. " That sounds like you ran into a lantern archon celestial servant Ozzette. It didn't read your thoughts. It does have the ability to detect evil in someone though. The Mitrans will soon learn that someone evil attempted to join the garrison. I would imagine that they will be looking for you. You should probably lose your current appearance Ozzette . "
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The dwarves staying at the Lord's Dalliance are surprised and pleased to see a cousin in town, they quickly invite Blau to tell stories of his clan in exchange for their own.
---
Selena "accidentally" bumps into Captain Eddarly the next day and begins her work. She definitely gets his attention, and soon enough he is chatting amiably enough with the strange woman. She catches a flash of guilt in him from time to time. She gets the distinct sense that he's in love with someone else, regardless of what you were told about him being unattached.
---
Ozette finds out there is only one Inn in the town, a relatively nice place called the Lord's Dalliance. According to your new companions, the name hails from before the Mitrans took over the country, and the local lord that owned the fort here would frequently visit the brothel that eventually became the Inn.
She presents herself at the castle, and gets inside quickly enough after identifying herself as a hedge knight looking for steadier work than a life of wandering offers. A boisterous young man who introduces himself as Lieutenant Fritter escorts her to a small office before sitting down with a rather resigned expression and taking out a thick logbook and a quill. "Now then miss, I'm going to need your full name, the primary locations you've lived, primary jobs you have worked, and then the same information for your parents and grandparents. After that we can get to the really fun questions."
Blau uses his own history well, pulling up anecdotes and real stories from his life as a dwarven child to bolster his tales and help him gain their openness. Steering the talk towards construction, mining and the earth, he sees what comments or information about the mysterious 'project' he can elicit without directly mentioning it. Later that evening, he notes what he's learned in his book to relay to Ozette later on in the week. The next day, he's back at his post as the happy hedge priest, healing and soothing and chatting with the Father for more intelligence.
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?"
"Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied
― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Renting a room at the Lord’s Dalliance was a simple enough affair. Ozettes cover story and illusionary appearance meant people were welcoming to her, which was a different experience for her. She spent most of her time in her room, with the door locked and the window shuttered closed. It wouldn’t do to have her true form spotted by some random civilian. Her tail was becoming an increasing risk; it was invisible while her amulet was active, but that just meant she had to be extra careful someone didn’t bump into it. Since Ozette couldn't see it, it bumped into things more often as well. Luckily Ozette has been able to shift blame to bad luck or just general clumsiness.
---
They next morning she left early and presented herself at the castle, joining Lieutenant Fritter in his office to answer his questions. Luckily, the cardinal saw fit to grace her with a very convincing cover story. “Well, Sir Fritter; their is honestly not much to tell. My name is Avelina Maker. I’ve lived on my grandparents farm for most of my life, working the fields, feeding the chickens, that sort of thing. My Gandpapa’s name is Alexi Maker and his wife’s name is Susan Maker. My mother, Alyssa Maker died when I was very young. I never knew my father and Grandpapa never spoke of him.”
“A few years back, a wild fire claimed the fields and the old farmhouse. Grandmama and Grandpapa died fighting the flames.” Ozette played up the sorrow with a few sniffles. “I was left with no home and no family; but I made a vow that day. I would protect those who could not protect themselves. For the last few years, I’ve been wandering the lands, working as a farmhand and when the need calls for it, a warrior. My Grandpapa taught me how to fight, he was a guard in Highbridge for years, until he took an arrow that ruined his leg. And now, I come to you because I want to make a difference in the world and working for Lord Havelyn is the best way I can think of doing it!”
Once she was done with her family history, Ozette looked up and stared into Fritter's eyes. "Apologies for the mournful history. Perhaps you should ask some of the "fun" questions now, and I can give you some fun answers." She said with a wink.
Bluff Check: 19
Kiven grins an evil grin when Ozette remarks that he 'must be the leader'. Regarding her comment on his height, which is still over six feet anyhow, he replies "yes, you make an excellent point." "I personally know a great many lords who attribute much of their rise to prominence to the distance of their brow from the ground. Most wise indeed."
Regarding Respar stating that Kiven is not the leader and admonishing them for their various demeanors, Kiven apologizes to the newcomer. "You must forgive my dearest Repsar here, he prefers to look at the most minute aspects of any larger tapestry. It has its uses, I suppose, and I am here to discern the larger game afoot. He can also sneak well, I've heard, so there's that."
Away from the group meetings, Kiven is focused on the poison. He continues to negotiate with Snowball with this in mind. "I have a suggestion, my dear Snowball. You can aid our cause with very little risk, and ask what you will of me in return. We have a need to perform a labor intensive task, but one that should not put you in harms way to any notable degree. If I teach you exactly what herbs are needed, would you be willing to scour the nearby forests and hills for them? You can fly wherever you like, away from roads, patrols, or the dens of various beasts as needed. The sooner we can collect these materials, the sooner we can rid ourselves of these Mitrans and leave this foul place. You can stay with me, and I shall leave my window open at the Inn so you can come and go as you please. What do you say?"
Selena smiles as she looks into the captain's eyes. Mentally she informs Poe, " I have the captain occupied. Go inform Respar that now is a great time to search his home. I get the feeling that Adderly is in love with someone. Tell him of that...if we can find who he is love with we can gain a huge hold over him. We will warn him when the captain is headed his way. "
She then twists her long blonde tresses while gazing at him. " I am so lonely captain. My boyfriend died at the hands of a gambler back home. It is so difficult ....sometimes..." She caresses his hand softly. " Is there anyone else you are interested in here?"
Bluff: 29
Diplomacy is the proper stat. Take 4 off of my total.
Respar receives the message and heads for Eddarly's home, looking like on of the guards he has seen at the inn, but once he nears the home, he waits for a moment of being unseen to make his entry and begin to explore the man's home. Letters and papers are his first interest, of course. He also tries to leave little trace of his time there.
Stealth 16
Perception21
Blau tries to steer the conversation towards useful subjects, but doesn't quite manage it. He does end up hearing far too many tales about the things that "grand uncle Himmler" used to eat on a dare, but the nature of the dwarves' work here remains shrouded.
---
Lieutenant Fritter frowns a little, "That was sarcasm I'm afraid, there are no fun questions. They go way overboard on this stuff, but Lord Havelyn would have my hide if he learned I skipped anything."
He starts droning on, listing out probing and rather personal questions, most of which require open ended answers
I'm going to need a Bluff check on Ozette's part, and possibly a Will save vs psychic damage :P
---
Captain Eddarly flushes a bit as Selena continues to pour on the charm. "Ah, well, ah, yes, yes there is. My lady, I would like to hear from you some more, but my heart is already taken I am afraid."
---
Meanwhile, in Captain Eddarly's home, Respar pokes around, eventually finding a stash of hidden love letters, some of which have rather salacious details. The name of Eddarly's lover is of particular interest.
Respar smiles to himself as he looks over the letters. He quickly flips through a few and takes three or four, from the middle of the stack, leaving their envelops behind in their position in the stack. He tucks them into his belt and quickly leaves the residence, watching carefully to leave when he would be unseen. He eagerly waits for the rest of the team to return so he can debrief them. While he waits, he begins formulating possible plans to take advantage of this new knowledge.
Once the group is back he presents the letters. "Friends, what we have here is the key to possible plans for our mission. These are only a few of the letters I found in Eddarly's place. By the way, well done Selena, on keeping him busy. These letters were written by Captain Eddarly's mistress. She is none other than Mrs. Mott, wife of the dour Captain Mott. And I made sure to select letters that reveal some of the more sordid details of their physical relationship. So I have two basic ideas for the moment. Regardless, we can use these letters and our disguises to lure the three members of this love triangle, one at a time, into quiet ambushes. We can kill them and replace them. We can do this the day before the attack begins, and go through the keep, learning all we can. Spike the food and drink, whatever we wish. Then we can either allow people to find the three, obviously having all slain one another. Terrible tragedy, of course. And that might leave everyone here in a sort of hangover when the attack hits. We can infiltrate through the tunnel and begin killing enemies and open the gates. Or we can just stay in disguise and, again, try to kill people and open the gates. I think if we keep moving, and changing our guises to look like different various inhabitants of the keep, and mostly strike individuals and very small groups, we can get quite a few. I just hope we can get the gates open. Once the army gets through, I have no doubt the battle will go to our side." He pauses and asks, "So, thought and opinions? I'm sure there will be changes and refinements to the plan."
Ozette answers the questions to the best of her ability. What parts she hadn't been briefed on, she came up with on the fly, and when she couldn't do that, she used misdirection to lead Lt Fritter on to other ones. She was always quite good at leading people around with her words, the Cardinal called it an inherited boon from her blood line, but Ozette always just said you could get anyone to believe anything if you believed it. Right now, Ozette played the perfect part of a farm girl looking for a slice of glory in a lords army.
As they neared the end of the questions, Ozette let out a sigh. "You certainly weren't kidding, Lt Fritter, they do go a little overboard, here and there. Don't tell Lord Havelyn I said so though. He has every right to know everything and anything about the people who work for him, of course."
Bluff Result: 35, critical success!
Will Save Result: 14 (Or 19 if its a charm or compulsion effect)
Later that day
Ozette had a look over the letters. It wasn't a bad plan and it would work to remove two captains from the equation, she was just wondering if it was the best use of the information. "This Eddarly, do you think we could use this as leverage to get him to crack? Maybe we can learn what the Lord is working on that requires the dwarven engineers? Depending just how "in love" this Eddarly is, we could send him other messages in Mott's hand writing and get him to kill Captain Mott for us. Tell him the Captain hurts his wife or something of the nature. A goodly captain of the guard would not stand for such a thing."
Blau, upon hearing the details within the love letters and Respar's analysis, replies "Bah! Why be so complex? With two of the keep's leaders dead, the armies will have an easier time of it. Arrange a day for the attack, get them to come to a secluded spot the day before and we kill them. Then, as you say, use our disguises to mill among the defenders and arrange useful accidents and broken things to let our allies inside. Complicated plans have frequent failures. The dwarves may still prove useful as I work on them, but so far it's all about their stomachs"
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?"
"Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied
― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Selena muses over the letters while Poe perches on her shoulder and reads them as well. Her green eyes glimmer as she gazes at the others. " Well done Respar. I knew to trust in your expertise. You ooze competence at your work. " She smiles at him.
Poe nods his head. " Mistress, he has done well for a human. My help was instrumental as well. " He bobs his head and squawks as if joking. "
Her cold eyes look upon him. " Of course my friend. Our connection means you will never fail me. I trust you more than any other. "
She listens to the others debate the plans for utilizing these letters. " I like the idea of killing them the day before the attack and then assuming disguises to create chaos and get these gates open. It wouldn't hurt to use this information against Adderly. He can tell us what we wish to know or Mrs Mott is tortured in front of him. " She rubs her hands. " That could be rather entertaining. She will die either way. Nothing wrong with dangling a little false hope in front of someone. " She nods at Ozette. " We must of course get the gates open. If we do then the attack will be successful. If we can't get them open...... Let us not speak of that. We cannot and will not fail.. "
Respar says to Kiven, "How goes your attempt top recruit the ice imp to our cause? I do like the idea of him freezing all the ravens just before the attack. We don't want any chance of them getting word out. We will also need to do our best to remove their battle mages and the good father from the board before things really get rolling. I know he is on decent terms with a few of us. We might want to also get him alone and slit his throat, so we can impersonate him as well." He thinks a bit. "As for the battle mages, since they spend many an evening in the company of lady companions, we can probably leave them alone until they hear the alarm. Since we'll be looking like their superior officers, we should be able to order them into ambushes. I think if we can do that, it will seriously tilt the battle our way. I'm sure the army will be ready to smash the gates eventually. If we can get them open, so much the better. But at a minimum, if we can help remove the magical and ranged threats, that should allow their trolls and such the time needed to smash through." After one more pause he says, "And we should also be ready to slay the commander. I have no doubt he will be dangerous, so we should hope to face him alone, or with as few of his allies as we can arrange."
Ozette somehow manages to power through the interview without a single misstep, crafting a story that certainly seems to be airtight, and unlikely to be uncovered any time soon.
Lt Fritter diligently records her answers. Then files the papers away. "That's it, we're finally done. I'll talk to Lord Havelynn, and he'll make the final decision, but I think you can expect to formally join our ranks and swear your oaths in the chapel tomorrow. Come back in the morning if you would."
What's the next move guys?
Ozette shrugged at Blau’s assessment of her idea. “You would know better than me in such matters.”
“My interview with the Lieutenant went well today. Tomorrow I’ll be taking the Vows and joining the castle guard proper. From there, I should be able to get you any information on the castle you need. If you show me where that tunnel you speak of leads, I do my best to keep the castle side of it clear, so you can come and go as you please. I'll also try to learn where Havelynn will hide during a siege. Maybe as part of those accidents the morning of, we can also arrange it so we’re among his castle staff when the battle begins?”
“What’s this about an Ice Imp?” Ozette asked.
Selena moves on to other plans as nothing more can be done regarding Eddarly for now. She will spend a lot of time at the tavern playing up the tourist role. If the Father enters when she is there she will gradually work on talking to him.
Poe is gone a lot as he flies around on his own patrols. He will take note of and keep up with any patrols moving or anything of note. The raven will use one day to fly out to where Selena told him the army was hidden at. He will keep his distance and learn what he can of how the army is holding up. Upon getting closer to the village he will inform Selena of what he has seen.
Poe Perception: 12
Poe reports that General Sakkarot appears to have assembled a very impressive force, if not exactly a very well disciplined one. The army occupies several valleys along the river, with ramshackle shelters and tents forming a small city. Banners from dozens of different tribes are on full display. The bulk of the numbers are bugbears, but hobgoblins and goblins are also present in force. Scattered here and there are representatives from a number of other races, from ogres and trolls to boggards and diminutive mites.
From the looks of it, Sakkarot is mostly keeping his violent charges occupied with mock battles, wrestling matches, and the occasional blood match with human prisoners given arms and sent up against the greener warriors. It isn't hard to see why there is a time limit. This host is bound together by the promise of violence, blood, and plunder, not true loyalties. Sooner or later if the warriors here don't get a real taste of what was promised, they will wander home out of boredom, or decide to initiate some violence and blood right where they are.
---
Ozette returns to the fort the next day as requested, and Lieutenant Fritter leads her to the chapel, "If you will please wait here, I will inform Lord Havelynn that you are ready to meet with him. He likes to make his final assessment in the light of Mitra."
The lieutenant departs, but something feels... off as soon as the tiefling sets foot into the chapel. Its a beautiful place, designed to catch and amplify the light of the sun, spreading its warmth throughout. The images of various saints are carved into the walls. After a few moments, the saints begin to glow.
A ball of pure white light detaches from one of them, and drifts down towards Ozette. It speaks, somehow, its voice musical and yet accusing, "Darkness fills your heart, begone, and repent!"
Selena backs off from engaging with Captain Adderly after this revelation. She speaks with Poe one day. " Poe, i have another important mission for you. Please go seek out the leader of this ragtag horde, General Sakkarot, and update him. Tell him of me and that you serve me. Throw in the names of the others if needed to gain his trust. Tell him what we have found and that we are still working on weakening the defenses. Also inform him that you can increase your size and can ferry smaller creatures such as goblins over the wall one at a time to a meeting up place. "
Poe struts some as he enjoys being entrusted to something important like this. " Yes, mistress. I will gladly carry this out. This fortress is ripe for the taking. I can smell bloodshed here as if it has already happened. "
She smiles at this. " Yes, these fools will soon join the afterlife. I truly long for the day we unleash this violence upon these fools. "
He flaps his wings as he soars upwards. With a tip of his wings he is off toward his destination.
OOC: She will inform the others of this before sending Poe. He will also carry anything they wish for the general.
A chill wove it way down Ozette's spine as the little orb of light spoke to her. So, their little god was on to her, she thought. The question was, would this orb speak to Havelynn when he arrived, and even if it did, could Ozette convince him that she was a soul who wanted to be saved. She had little time to decide, if Havelynn appeared before she could concoct a proper story, she would jeopardize the entire mission. Damnit, this was not the time for rashness, she thought and left the chapel after making some mental notes about the interior.
Once she was outside and felt like her thoughts we once again her own, Ozette mused on what to do next. Castle security was a no, but perhaps she could do some questioning around town; people had to be wondering what Havelynn was working on and have their own theories on the matter.
Fortunately the chapel is very close to the fort's main gate. The guards at the gate look at Ozette curiously as she departs, but they had just seen her welcomed within, and so do not challenge her.
Soon enough she was out, and out of sight of the guards on her way back to the village. A few hours later, guards show up asking around the village for someone meeting the description of the Mitran knight that Ozette had disguised herself as.
It would be a Knowledge religion check for Ozette or anyone she describes the thing to to identify the orb of light for what it is.
In the meantime, what's the next move? Kiven's working on the poisons, you can rest assured those will be ready before long, Respar's sitting on his blackmail material, and the dwarves aren't talking so far. If people wish to fast forward through additional preparations and move on to the day you kick everything off, just let me know what you'll be working on in the meantime and I'll cue up the montage music.
As Selena is informed of this she grimaces. " That sounds like you ran into a lantern archon celestial servant Ozzette. It didn't read your thoughts. It does have the ability to detect evil in someone though. The Mitrans will soon learn that someone evil attempted to join the garrison. I would imagine that they will be looking for you. You should probably lose your current appearance Ozzette . "