Mystery of Saromen Fro

Sleep
Range: 240'
Arcane 1
Duration: 4d4 turns
With a sleep spell, the caster may attempt to put creatures into
a magical slumber. All creatures to be affected must be visible
and within range of the spell. The caster may choose to target 1
specific creature of 4+1 HD or less, or a group of up to 2d8 HD
of creatures of 4 HD or less. Calculate monsters with less than
1 HD as having 1 HD, and monsters with a bonus to HD as having the flat amount. For example, a 3+2 HD monster would
be calculated as having 3 HD. Hit Die that are not sufficient
to affect a creature are wasted. Creatures with the fewest HD
are affected first. Creatures with more than 4+1 HD cannot be
affected at all.
Sleeping creatures are helpless and can be killed in one round
by unengaged opponents. Slapping or wounding awakens
an affected creature, but normal noise does not. Sleep does
not affect creatures that are already unconscious or undead,
constructs, oozes, and other creatures that do not rest.

On recent time

The reason the women know the finer detail of the information they present is because they have been casing the Saromen Fro Fort out for almost a quarter cycle (7 days). They have been looking for an opening to get in and get the loot, but it is a tough and potentially dangerous task. They mean to be thorough and make this an expert-level performance of successful thievery.

On how they heard about it originally

"Word got out" that Castellan Eramus, Centurion Omander, and the Tower 4 Legion forces found a Dwarven Vault somewhere in the foothills, apparently earlier in the spring. Baudecca will not reveal the name of her source, but it seems over the course of the conversation that the information likely came from the local Krysean loggers, from the community of Dalagni (more on that later).

On how they know there is treasure

They have heard Omander and his troops and the foreigners talk about it openly. Aduorix has apparently crept into the perimeter of the fortifications multiple times, scaling over the palisade walls. With deliberate stealth and eavesdropping, she has gleaned much of the story from observation of movements and firsthand statements by the current residents of Saromen Fro.

On how they know there is magic

There is a glow that emits from the top balcony level of the tower. A sweltering heat is present across the whole area of Saromen Fro, centered on the tower. Several of the soldiers and the foreigners have been heard talking about the magic, and more magic and treasure that they want to gain.

On who else knows

Right now, no one else. If the information was out on a wider scale, there would already be others here to threaten the post and win the treasure for themselves. Time is of the essence though. It is likely that this information will get out, if it is not leaking already. It should be expected that others will come - most specifically the gang of Tertulius Veruecco, a notorious Krysean bandit lord who operates in the region and has been seeking to gain control of the Lusetem. The secret of Saromen Fro's vulnerability and potential yield will not remain secret for much longer.

On the Saromen Fro forces

Saromen Fro is severely undermanned. It has been the suspicion that the fortress was poorly manned, but not until now has it been confirmed. Rumor had it that there was desertion during the winter. Then other rumors that the Legion had suffered heavy casualties from an ambush by goblins. It was also known that Eramus was force-pressing some local Kryseans and some Amanuctum convoy members into service at the Tower to recover force numbers. The foreign convoy has also been integrated with the Legion force as well now, that is more than clear.

Whatever the detail and history, the current force at Saromen Fro commanded by Drus Omander is a hodge-podge mix of trained legionnaires and stand-in conscriptions, and the overall numbers are reduced down to a very thin line. Saromen Fro is a crumbling endeavor, and is ripe for a fall or a dissolution. Baudecca believes it is clear already: Saromen Fro is no longer a Legion outpost but instead a den of rogue men under the corruption of a foreign witch and Dwarven magic.

On the foreigners

The Krysean women don't know when the foreigners came here, but there are three of them. They are Opeleneans. It is two men and the witch woman. Aduorix is the only one that has seen the woman.

On the witch

The witch's name is Annuba. When Aduorix is asked how she knows Annuba the Opelenean woman is a witch, her answer is that she just knows it. The men are all enthralled by her, and they act like hungry wolves striving to possess her for themselves. They fall like boy slaves to her every word. One of the other Opeleneans is said to be her brother, but Aduorix thinks that he is secretly her husband. Aduorix knows that Annuba is having sex with most if not all of the men, there in the top room of the tower where she stays most of the time with the glowing magic. Drus Omanader believes that Annuba is exclusively his woman. He proclaims this to the group - and everyone plays along because they fear Omander - but it is clearly untrue.

Another note about the known magic of the Tower: Annuba uses a levitating carpet to ascend and descend from the balcony of the tower!

On the corruption

As mentioned above, the men are being corrupted - becoming unwell and animalistic. Unlike most soldiers, they do not wear armor but instead strut around in scant clothing, many going shirtless. This trends seems to be amplified by the intense heat that generates from the tower. Also, several of the men, the two Kryseans especially, seem to be increasingly gaunt and wasting. Everyone is sweating and their skin is dull. One of the men has glazed eyes now and seems truly demented.

On Eramus

Baudecca knows of Eramus as the authority Amanuctum nobleman at Saromen Fro. She has never met him herself. It is also well known that Eramus is not only a nobleman, but a renown soldier and commander.

Eramus was generally well thought of by the Krysean community of Dalagni and the nearby rural Tirenean village of Baetulo. Eramus was working closely with the Krysean logger Itosius to cut a new trail from the Tower 4 spur across the precarious Crow's Wedge ridge line and down into Vallo Canyon platform west of Reultisligh Lake.

Eramus is missing now though. Baudecca knows of no one who has seen him in weeks or maybe a month. She is not sure on timing, but he is nowhere to be found around Saromen Fro. Drus Omander is the highest authority here now.

On movement of the Saromen Fro band

Nearly every day, Omander, his guards, and the two foreign men travel out from the fort and move through the woods to the east, climbing up a now worn path to a thick growth of thorns and gnarled hedges that cling tightly on the rugged terrain. Despite multiple efforts to trail the men, Baudecca and Aduorix always lose the trail at the same area. It has happened four times now, no matter how close and visible the men are.

Aduorix says that there is magic that falls over the area, and the men have some passage through it. Baudecca is convinced that the men are going back and forth from the Dwarven Vault.

On the goals of the raid on Saromen Fro

Aside from the score of loot and the discovery of the hidden magic, Aduorix believes there are secret scrolls and maps that Annuba keeps in the top of the tower - maps and secrets that will reveal how to find and reach the Dwarven Vault!

Plan:
1) Overcome fort defenses / bypass guards.
2) Enter the watch tower.
3) Claim the treasure and the maps to the hidden Dwarven Vault.

The moment of tonight, Under the Full Moon...

On the departing faction

Earlier tonight, not long ago and in a hurry, 1) Centurion/Commander Drus Omander left with the following crew...
2) Regenus, Krysean soldier bodyguard
3) Legionnaire, Tirenean, name unknown
4) Danelus, Opelenean, witch Annuba's brother (whom Aduorix believes is actually her husband)
5) Other Opelenean, name unknown
6) Another person, veiled heavily in cloaks and robes. They think it is Annuba, but are not completely sure. At least they think it is a woman.

The group left with haste, following the route to the mysterious thorned ridge. Instead of following them again to lose the trail, Baudecca and Aduorix decided to remain at the fort and finally make their move to infiltrate and raid.

On present defenses expected

If there estimations are right, this leaves a very small force now defending Saromen Fro. They suspect this...

1) Galopan, Tirenean soldier
2) The cook, name unknown
3) Igolio Crausus, Krysean, known expert swordsman

Aduorix and Baudecca have come to know Galopan over the last week. He is a diligent and respectable guard, absolutely the only man maintaining his post duties among the entire Saromen Fro gang. He wears different armor than the rest of the group. Before she knew his name, Aduorix called him "shiny head" because of his polished brimmed helmet. He also maintains and wears his full uniform despite the heat. He is often seen sweating and drinking quantities of water from the well.

Aduorix has overheard the others berating Galopan quite often and making constant demands of him. Aduorix has also made note that Galopan never goes into the tower, and instead always sleeps out by the stables on the east side of the compound. Galopan is a relatively young troop, not a child soldier but under 20 years old for certain. Galopan is known to patrol the palisade walls and checks all of the fort defenses frequently. He manages fires and lanterns meticulously. Strangely, tonight all lights were extinguished just before Omander's departing company left.

Igolio is a deadly man. He is from the Crausus people, highlanders of the Mearleigh Mountains known for their ruthlessness and warlike tendencies. It is known that Igolio joined with Omander and Eramus last year, recruited on as a competent bushman and renown swordsman. Alongside Eramus and Omander, Igolio slaughtered many of Tertulius Veruecco's brigands during at least two clashes last fall.

As mentioned by Aduorix previously, Igolio shows signs of severe corruption. He is thin and no longer wears the Legionnaire armor. His face is gaunt and his eyes are hollow. He is often seen staring into the central hearth fire near the well. The others give him a wide berth. Aduorix knows that Igolio has been laying with Annuba in the tower. Is this what is making him descend into madness?

Baudecca has no hesitation in saying that she fears a confrontation with Igolio Crausus. If Annuba is there in the tower, wielding her treacherous magic, perhaps she is a great threat. But perhaps Igolio is the greatest threat of all, whether Annuba Opelenean is present or not.

Syrena makes a connection on Baudecca's name. It is a name Syrena knows well, though she has never heard it given to a Krysean daughter. It is Rornish in origin, and quite notable even if controversial.

Baudecca was the name of a Rornish Queen who led a resistance against the original Auran expansion some five centuries ago. After her husband, a tribal King of the Uldanir tribe, was slain through treachery, Baudecca rose up to lead her kinsmen in a savage revolt. Under her leadership, the Uldanir defeated legions of Auran troops over a two year insurgency, including the massacre of 60,000 Auran invaders when the Uldanir and their united allies sacked the captured city of Thundur.

Baudecca was eventually defeated by Hostus Faventeus, and suffered a brutal death on the field. The lands of the old Rornish clans were claimed by the Imperium and renamed as the province of Ivorea. The clan leaders submitted to Auran dominion over time, but Baudecca's legend and spirit was an inspiration to the Rornish folk for centuries to come.

Syrena learned of Baudecca Victorious among her family in her youth, though this history is received with mixed reviews among most Auran nobility, if even remembered at all.

It is curious though to encounter the name, in an unlikely setting, carried by an axe-wielding armored warrior woman no less.

The young mage's eyes are drawn to the top edge of the tower almost immediately, as he can see wisps of green light swirling lazily in the air around the high balcony - almost like colored smoke that is weaving in and out of itself.

As he clears his mind and unlocks his augmented sight, he can see the rifts and sharp edges sliding and colliding against one another. Shifting his senses to the planes and frequencies that are most often undetectable, he can feel the crackling tension even here at this distance. The distortion aura must be potent indeed there at the tower.

The gravity of this situation begins to take hold of Damanandros. He can already tell that whatever arcana is in that tower is more powerful than any other magic he has ever encountered before.

SURPRISE AND SNEAKING
Sometimes an encounter occurs when characters are attempting
to sneak up on, or get past, monsters without being detected.
The Judge can resolve these situations through the interplay
of surprise rolls and hearing noises throws with varying risk
depending on how alert the monsters are.
If the monsters are actively watching an area, any characters
attempting to sneak through the area will be detected
automatically. Most monsters cannot sustain this level of
alertness for more than a turn and will lapse into passive
watching (see below). However, constructs and undead are
always considered actively alert.
If the monsters are passively watching an area, but aren’t in a
state of high alertness, the Judge should make a surprise roll
when the characters attempt to sneak past or up on them. If the
monsters are surprised (normally on a roll of 1-2 on 1d6), the
characters can move for one round without being detected. If the
opponents are ready, then the sneaking characters are detected.
If the monsters are distracted (e.g. by conversation with friends
or a loud noise elsewhere) or otherwise not looking, the Judge
should make proficiency throw to see if any of the monsters
hear any noises (normally an 18+ on 1d20). If all of the monsters
fail this throw, then the sneaking characters can move for one
round without being detected. If at least one monster succeeds
on this throw, it hears something which gets its attention. But that
doesn’t mean the sneaking characters automatically got caught.
The Judge should now make a surprise roll, as described above.
Under normal circumstances a passive monster can be snuck
up on 33% of the time (2 in 6), while a distracted monster can
be snuck up on 90% of the time (because it has a 15% chance of
hearing something and a 66% chance of detecting the characters
if it hears something). If the monster has the Alertness
proficiency, it will be surprised only on a 1 in 6, and will gain a
+4 to Hear Noise. The Alertness proficiency therefore reduces
the chance of sneaking up on a passively watching monster
down to 16%, and of sneaking up on a distracted monster to 75%
(because it has a 30% chance of hearing something and an 84%
chance of detecting the characters if it hears something).
If the monsters are watching an area that is dimly lit or otherwise
offers some concealment, a thief (or similar class) may attempt
to hide in shadows. If the thief is successful, the monsters don’t
see the thief – they are effectively distracted, as above. The thief
will be detected only if the monsters hear him make noise. If
the thief successfully moves silently, he cannot be heard. Thus a
thief sneaking through a dimly lit area can get past virtually any
monster if he successfully moves silently and hides in shadows.