You enter the ruins and hear a group of six cultists in the next room over, busily preparing things, making a lot of noise and chatter. "I'm not sure how they expect us to do all this work without giving us more pay." Second cultist, "You shouldn't talk so loud, the high priest will hear you." Chattering, "I'm all for more chaos and those spells they let us cast are super intense but I wish they respected us more."
You can surprise these six cultist or you can use stealth to move past them.
Looking at the door to next room, you spot a cult fanatic entering and then closes the door behind himself. You could probably sneak past these cultists and catch the fanatic alone in the room or you could try to catch 2 or more cultist in a 15 foot cone. Or just leave and report back. Depending on how you dealt with the Black Fang Guards, it may be a while before they are able to get more guards, not knowing if they were killed or just wandered off.
On your return to Everwood Hollow, you notice a Black Fang member, watching you from a distance (spy
You find Marshal Thorn and tell him all about the shadows and the sigils but you also tell him about the ruins you found, deep within the forest. And you mention that inside were several cultists but outside it was guarded by members of the mercenary band, Black Fangs.
His face, seemingly troubled, looks back at you and he says, "Thank you." before sitting down at his desk. "Thank you for telling me something that I already knew but couldn't bring myself to believe. That the same mercenaries that tried to help me deal with this problem are involved with it. I could kick myself."
He stands up and begins to pace. "We have to get you safely out of town. Go back to the council and get reinforcements. Where is your companion Gralden. I fear, he may already be in danger. Do you still have those potions of invisibility? Why, you could use those to escape."
He stops and shouts, "I've got it. We send you out of my office, like nothing has happened, you check into your inn but then sneak out. There is an old dragonborn who lives on the edge of town, back past the alter, you go find him and he'll let you stay at his place for the night, both you and Gralden. Then we meet back, in secret, in the morning to plan our next action."
"What do you say? Stick with us and plot to fight another day or stealth out of town and report back to the council." Or do something else.
"I'll need reinforcements to to bring this cult down for good. I'll report back to the council."
You make haste, grabbing Gralden and you hop in the wagon and bolt from the town. Before you get far out of the town, you see the same spy chasing after your wagon but he slowly fades from view.
Four days journey lands you back at the council tower before sunset on the last day.
You tell Lord Aldric about the cult and he agrees that it's time to gather mercenaries from the town, and follow you back to the ruins in the woods. He hopes that you will join the Assault to subdue the cultists and to gather information they may have kept in writings and documents.
"We leave at first light, so find a place to stay for the night, Gralden can come, if he's interested in driving his wagon. We will be selecting as many mercenaries from the many mercenary bands that the town has to offer and gathering them to join, say 20 men strong?"
"That should be enough. Thank you Lord Aldric. If there is nothing else you need from me, I'm going to get some rest."
Arriving in the morning, outside the Council's Tower, you find a small group of adventurers and a large group of mercenaries mustering into squads.
Gralden is perched on his wagon. There are four wagons, each with a different porter as a driver.
Lord Aldric is issuing orders and making squad leaders for each group of five.
You notice that some of the men have the Black Fang tattoo. After watching for a minute, you notice that all of them have the Black Fang tattoo, except for the adventurers, an Eladrin Ranger, a Tiefling Warlock, and a Dragonborn Sorcerer.
Levi walks up to Lord Aldric. "Are you sure it's wise to trust these Black Fangs given their recent history?"
Lord Aldric replies, "I recall you told me that they were possibly tied to the goblin attack at Briarwood. What are you saying now, that they have ties with this Shadow Cult as well? If that's the case, we will have to cut our dealings with a great number of mercenaries, as the Black Fangs have an enormous presence here in the capital."
He pulls you aside to ask, "Can you go it alone with only a handful of unaffiliated adventurers?"
Lord Aldric makes the announcement. "We are cancelling the entire campaign. Everyone return to your guild houses and we apologize for the disruption." He pulls the Ranger, Sorcerer, and Warlock over to Gralden's wagon. "You four", now looking at Levi as well, "Will be the only mercenaries going. The mission is the same. Get into the hideout, and round up as many cultists as you can. Pay special attention to those who may want to destroy evidence or documents. Recover as much evidence and documents as possible and bring in all the cultists alive (if possible). Because we don't know how many cultists there might be, I am sending a second wagon and porter with you and two dozen sets of manacles."
OOC: Give me a few hours to RP these new NPCs and get their character sheets ready for the four day trip. Maybe make a post where you spend some of Lord Aldric's money gearing up. If you are out of magic missile scrolls, he will give you 10x more.
Gralden shouts greetings to the new adventurers in the wagon,
Yoku Ikkari, an Eladrin Sage, new to this kingdom, a dragon hunter and Ranger Keu Weyna, a Brass Dragonborn Entertainer by trade, now he's discovering his Draconic ancestry and unlocking his Sorcerer powers And their leader, Juno Brimstone, a typical Fiendish Tiefling Warlock, who spent a lifetime as a petty thief and criminal, now finds misfits, like this lot, to build adventuring parties, to turn a new leaf and to really strive to do "good" in this world, or at least to do "better"
After traveling for four days, you begin to feel kinship with this adventuring group.
Gralden parks the wagon and the four of you use stealth to enter the Silverwood Forest.
After a short time, you lead the group back to the deepwoods hideout to find the guards are back but instead of Black Fangs, you see they are using two cultists to guard the entrance.
Your group gets to surprise the two guards and then roll initiative.
Short rest?
You enter the ruins and hear a group of six cultists in the next room over, busily preparing things, making a lot of noise and chatter. "I'm not sure how they expect us to do all this work without giving us more pay." Second cultist, "You shouldn't talk so loud, the high priest will hear you." Chattering, "I'm all for more chaos and those spells they let us cast are super intense but I wish they respected us more."
You can surprise these six cultist or you can use stealth to move past them.
Looking at the door to next room, you spot a cult fanatic entering and then closes the door behind himself. You could probably sneak past these cultists and catch the fanatic alone in the room or you could try to catch 2 or more cultist in a 15 foot cone. Or just leave and report back. Depending on how you dealt with the Black Fang Guards, it may be a while before they are able to get more guards, not knowing if they were killed or just wandered off.
Levi, low on health, will report back at the village and sell the loot.
On your return to Everwood Hollow, you notice a Black Fang member, watching you from a distance (spy
You find Marshal Thorn and tell him all about the shadows and the sigils but you also tell him about the ruins you found, deep within the forest. And you mention that inside were several cultists but outside it was guarded by members of the mercenary band, Black Fangs.
His face, seemingly troubled, looks back at you and he says, "Thank you." before sitting down at his desk. "Thank you for telling me something that I already knew but couldn't bring myself to believe. That the same mercenaries that tried to help me deal with this problem are involved with it. I could kick myself."
He stands up and begins to pace. "We have to get you safely out of town. Go back to the council and get reinforcements. Where is your companion Gralden. I fear, he may already be in danger. Do you still have those potions of invisibility? Why, you could use those to escape."
He stops and shouts, "I've got it. We send you out of my office, like nothing has happened, you check into your inn but then sneak out. There is an old dragonborn who lives on the edge of town, back past the alter, you go find him and he'll let you stay at his place for the night, both you and Gralden. Then we meet back, in secret, in the morning to plan our next action."
"What do you say? Stick with us and plot to fight another day or stealth out of town and report back to the council." Or do something else.
"I'll need reinforcements to to bring this cult down for good. I'll report back to the council."
You make haste, grabbing Gralden and you hop in the wagon and bolt from the town. Before you get far out of the town, you see the same spy chasing after your wagon but he slowly fades from view.
Four days journey lands you back at the council tower before sunset on the last day.
You tell Lord Aldric about the cult and he agrees that it's time to gather mercenaries from the town, and follow you back to the ruins in the woods. He hopes that you will join the Assault to subdue the cultists and to gather information they may have kept in writings and documents.
"We leave at first light, so find a place to stay for the night, Gralden can come, if he's interested in driving his wagon. We will be selecting as many mercenaries from the many mercenary bands that the town has to offer and gathering them to join, say 20 men strong?"
"That should be enough. Thank you Lord Aldric. If there is nothing else you need from me, I'm going to get some rest."
Arriving in the morning, outside the Council's Tower, you find a small group of adventurers and a large group of mercenaries mustering into squads.
Gralden is perched on his wagon. There are four wagons, each with a different porter as a driver.
Lord Aldric is issuing orders and making squad leaders for each group of five.
You notice that some of the men have the Black Fang tattoo. After watching for a minute, you notice that all of them have the Black Fang tattoo, except for the adventurers, an Eladrin Ranger, a Tiefling Warlock, and a Dragonborn Sorcerer.
Levi walks up to Lord Aldric. "Are you sure it's wise to trust these Black Fangs given their recent history?"
Lord Aldric replies, "I recall you told me that they were possibly tied to the goblin attack at Briarwood. What are you saying now, that they have ties with this Shadow Cult as well? If that's the case, we will have to cut our dealings with a great number of mercenaries, as the Black Fangs have an enormous presence here in the capital."
He pulls you aside to ask, "Can you go it alone with only a handful of unaffiliated adventurers?"
"Now that I've rested, yes."
Lord Aldric makes the announcement. "We are cancelling the entire campaign. Everyone return to your guild houses and we apologize for the disruption." He pulls the Ranger, Sorcerer, and Warlock over to Gralden's wagon. "You four", now looking at Levi as well, "Will be the only mercenaries going. The mission is the same. Get into the hideout, and round up as many cultists as you can. Pay special attention to those who may want to destroy evidence or documents. Recover as much evidence and documents as possible and bring in all the cultists alive (if possible). Because we don't know how many cultists there might be, I am sending a second wagon and porter with you and two dozen sets of manacles."
OOC: Give me a few hours to RP these new NPCs and get their character sheets ready for the four day trip. Maybe make a post where you spend some of Lord Aldric's money gearing up. If you are out of magic missile scrolls, he will give you 10x more.
How much money do I have at my disposal?
2500 gp
I'd like a +1 rapier if that's possible.
Magic Rapier +1 and 2500 gp
Levi will go to Gralden and wait to go.
Gralden shouts greetings to the new adventurers in the wagon,
Yoku Ikkari, an Eladrin Sage, new to this kingdom, a dragon hunter and Ranger
Keu Weyna, a Brass Dragonborn Entertainer by trade, now he's discovering his Draconic ancestry and unlocking his Sorcerer powers
And their leader, Juno Brimstone, a typical Fiendish Tiefling Warlock, who spent a lifetime as a petty thief and criminal, now finds misfits, like this lot, to build adventuring parties, to turn a new leaf and to really strive to do "good" in this world, or at least to do "better"
After traveling for four days, you begin to feel kinship with this adventuring group.
Gralden parks the wagon and the four of you use stealth to enter the Silverwood Forest.
After a short time, you lead the group back to the deepwoods hideout to find the guards are back but instead of Black Fangs, you see they are using two cultists to guard the entrance.
Your group gets to surprise the two guards and then roll initiative.
Initiative 9. Levi will cast Magic Missile on one of the cultists. 11 force damage.
OOC: Crazy week for me at work, I'm posting in the next hour
First cultist dies,
Juno casts eldritch blast, Attack: 17 Damage: 14