Chapter Seven: The Stalemate At Loton's Cove

load previous
Jan 28, 2020 6:03 pm
Zangua tries to hide his wince as he shakes the impact from his body. He draws his sword, ready for whatever lies beyond, and steps forward past the doors.
Jan 28, 2020 6:29 pm
Zangua finds himself in a dark, half-trapezoidal antechamber. A spiral staircase made of iron stands to his right. The room is about 40' wide and 25' long, with one door set directly across from the entrance and another in the angled wall to Zangua's left. Between them, a deep niche holds a pair of candles burning on a corpulent mound of white wax. A black woolen cloak hangs from a peg to the left of the entrance. There is a faint but lingering smell of baked bread and spices.
Jan 28, 2020 8:58 pm
you hear a snap as you shove yourselves into the doors

Did Zangua break a bone?
Jan 28, 2020 9:42 pm
It was a metallic snap, i.e. the lockpin breaking.
Jan 29, 2020 7:00 pm
"Well, we can add break and enter to our list of horrible acts done in the pursuit of the cult." Domarc says, looking at the cloak. "Seems like someone's home, unless the doorman was making bread?"

He heads over to the cloak - what size is it? Does it have any pockets, and if so, what might be in them?
Jan 29, 2020 7:33 pm
The cloak is sized to fit a human male of average height. There are no pockets.
Feb 3, 2020 6:20 am
Leth sniffs the air.

"Well, at least it smells nicer in here than I was expecting."
OOC:
Someone jog my memory - we're here to find and fight Tezu Nomo, right?
Feb 3, 2020 5:25 pm
This fortress belongs to Gavrel Gorham, it's where they tracked him after he attacked the estate in Hazard you were staying at and kidnapped Martjan. From what you heard on your way up here, he has styled himself "dragonlord" and commands the loyalty of the tribes of orcs and other nonhumans led by Tezu Nomo at Old Hilltown. Probably your ideal outcome would be to find and kill Gorham here, but who knows what's inside?
Feb 5, 2020 6:29 pm
As you hesitate near the entryway, you can hear something -- likely footsteps -- sounding from high up the iron stairs.
Feb 5, 2020 6:33 pm
Zangua draws his sword and tries to find someplace near the foot of the stairs to ambush the approaching person.

Rolls

Stealth, Disadvantage - (1d20+2, 1d20+2)

1d20+2 : (17) + 2 = 19

1d20+2 : (7) + 2 = 9

Feb 5, 2020 7:06 pm
The footsteps stop. You hear a woman's voice cry down from the upper floor: "Who--who is it? Who goes there?"
Feb 5, 2020 10:55 pm
Zangua looks to the others, particularly those that have demonstrated a knack for conversation.
Feb 11, 2020 1:22 pm
Mordred invokes infernal energies to summon up the the sounds of a rat or other vermin running down the metal stairs, chittering away, and scratching at the door.
[ +- ] Minor Illusion
Feb 11, 2020 6:31 pm
"Just an animal..." the voice says quietly. The footsteps resume; two bodies descend into view and stop short as soon as they have a line of sight to the party. "Oh!" exclaims the smaller one, who holds a small lantern. The other, considerably larger, holds very still. "I--Domarc?"

The lantern-carrier starts down the stairs, but the larger figure places a hand on her shoulder and she stops short. "Domarc, is that...you all...wait, where's Zora?"

Shrugging off the belaying hand, Martjan va Locra rushes down the rest of the stairs, standing before you in a nightdress. Her companion follows her down: a six foot ochre-skinned half-orc woman in hide trousers, hand resting on the pommel of a dagger sheathed at her hip.

Y'all remember Martjan right? Zora's mom, Domarc's employer? You delivered Zora to her in Hazard, she filled you in on some backstory, and enlisted her wealthy patrons, the Gahmez family, to provide you with a place to stay and hide from the Six-Pronged Crown. While you were pursuing leads around Hazard, Gavrel and some of the other cultists (including the dragonborn you later killed) attacked the Gahmez estate, burning it down. Zora was able to escape, but Gavrel took Martjan captive.

At that point you all decided to go off on a side quest to hunt down Pafthinel, the elementalist who enchanted the Iron Sphere, after which you returned to Hazard. You sought and obtained a meeting with the Hierophant, who was able to scry some of the personal effects Gavrel left behind and locate this fortress hideout that you have, at great length, finally reached.

Also, none of you know exactly where Zora is now. The party split up after the attack on the Gahmez estate, and Zora went off with former party member Vad Fekete.

As always, more info on everything you've done and seen can be found in this Google Doc.
Feb 11, 2020 6:40 pm
Zangua lowers his longsword, but does not sheathe it as he regards the half-orc. However, he does make room for Martjan to approach Domarc.
Feb 12, 2020 9:30 pm
Domarc steps forward, looking around warily. "Martjan? I hoped -- we heard you might be here. I - um, we, we came...expected Gavrel..." he trails off, uncertain. Whatever he expected, this was not anticipated.

"Zora is - well, she's fine, I'm sure, she went into hiding after the attack...," he looks uncertainly at both Martjan and the half-orc, and then at the rest of the party.
Last edited February 12, 2020 9:30 pm
Feb 14, 2020 8:45 pm
Leth thinks of several things to say, but is unsure how much to voice in the presence of the half-orc woman, without knowing her allegiance. He takes a couple small steps towards them, and looks to Martjan with a nod towards the half-orc. "She a friend?"
Feb 16, 2020 3:44 am
"She has my confidence," Martjan says, flicking the briefest of inscrutable glances toward the half-orc. "Why did you come here? How did you even -- does Gavrel know? Did he send you here?"
Feb 16, 2020 5:38 am
Leth looks perplexed. "Did Gavrel - what? No, we were under the impression that he had captured you and brought you here; that this was his fortress. We came to rescue you! Is that... were we fed false information?" He looks at the rest of the party worriedly.
OOC:
Or am I misremembering things? lol
Last edited February 16, 2020 5:39 am
Feb 16, 2020 8:48 am
No, you got it.

Martjan draws a breath, hesitates a moment, and says, "If your business here is to rescue me, then I think you had better leave. I know well how to negotiate for my own life and I have done what needed to be done. Do you understand me? I believe the cause you are fighting for is already lost. Kharin--" she glances again at the half-orc-- "will show you safe passage down."

The half-orc shakes her head.

"Or she won't. Well, I'm sure the ascent was the hard part. Good health to you all. If you see Zora again..." She struggles to finish the sentence and dismisses it with a toss of her hands. "The gods will what they will. Go, now."
load next

Thread locked