After two weeks passed since the RNS Coaltongue incident, and rumors spread to the headlines of the Flint Tribute about the entire episode on board the RNS Coaltounge. On the 15th of Spring, Inspector Delft called a secret meeting for the RHC party in his office, with a special VIP present: Danorian Minister of Outsiders, and fiancée of King Aodhan, Lya Jierre. The Danorian Minister quickly tested the party with a riddle before revealing the true nature of her visit.
After the RNS Coaltounge incident, the Duchess assembled a small army, and seized Axis Island from the local Danorian colonialists. Axis Island is in the contested territory of the Yerasol Archipelago between Danor and Risur, and has been a major battleground in both the 3rd and 4th Yerasol wars. At this time, Axis Island is considered sovereign Danorian territory, and the Duchess’ invasion, should it be formally recognized by the Danorian public, would be seen my the masses as a blatant disregard for cease-fire agreements, and an act of war. For now, Danorian Sovereign Han Jierre has kept information concerning the seizure of the island classified, out of respect for the upcoming peace summit next year, but with a stern warning that King Aodhan needs to get his house in order. Risur has 3 days to arrest the Duchess and turn the island back over to Danorian authorities, or else the situation will become an international incident that could be a prelude to war.
The Duchess’ foothold on the Island is Axis Fort, a palisade that her small force was able to seize via teleportation magic. Danorian Intelligence estimates that a force about 1/3 the size of the typical garrison was able to somehow break the magical passcode to use the teleportation circle inside the outer wall, and walked her force right to the central keep where she forced a surrender from the garrison commander. The passcode has since been changed, and it is suspected that even if one were able to break the new code, the teleportation circle is likely trapped now. The walls of the fortress itself are of dwarven design, and have gold weaved into the masonry to prevent short burst teleportation, like that of racial Eladrin, from being able to breach the wall. Laying siege to the outer wall by a single Frigate would be possible given that the walls are undermanned, but such a proposition would result in extravagant causalities for the ship’s crew that would make keeping the mission clandestine impossible. But there is a bold plan, ginned up by a commander just crazy enough to try it…
Captain Rutgar Smith was brought into the loop on this mission precisely due to the fact he was already aware of the Duchess’ betrayal. In spite of his lack of combat experience, the Risuri Admiralty decided that he was capable enough for the mission, and the bigger priority was maintaining secrecy via keeping the number of those privy to the details down to the smallest number possible.
Captain Smith’s plan is to take a frogman infiltration team to make an amphibious landing on the island via an underwater sea cave in the Northern cove of the island. They will surface inside a mining tunnel and emerge at the mine exit (Marked Mine “C” on the Axis Island Map).
From there the team will attempt to link up with local Danorian Resistance members if possible, and then make their ways through the jungles and swamps to the Southern portion of the out wall of the palisades, where they will find a small portion of the wall that was repaired following the 4th Yerasol war, and use a scroll of “Passwall” to get through the Outerwall. The team will then infiltrate the fortress until they get to the Sea Gate (See Axis Fortress map) where they will open the wet dock for the RNS Impossible to sail into the fortress and blow a hole in the wall to the inner keep with a full broadside of cannon fire. Then the RHC Party will make landfall with the main contingent of marines and storm the keep in order to demand the surrender from the Duchess, and arrest her for treason.
Minister Jierre made a personal request from the party, however. She wants her cousin, Nathan Jierre, who was conducting research on the island prior to the invasion, unharmed.
2 x Potions of aid per person
The Frogman Infiltration team has:
6 x Scrolls of water breathing
2 x Scrolls of Silence
3 x Scrolls of Passwall
For the Party, Adventure now awaits aboard the RNS Impossible!
Episode 1-2: “The Island at the Axis of the World”
After making several equipment requisitions from the RHC Supply Room, the Party came aboard the RNS Impossible in Upper Flint Bay. One of the party lagged, having spent the night heavily drinking, and was hung over as he attempted to stealthily row up to the ship, and sneak aboard (Rolled Nat 1, Crit Failure!). Stover Delft, at the last minute, wanted to drop off an extra Cure Light Wounds potion with the party, and wish them well before departure, but caught the dullard late for duty in the bay, shouting curses from his dingy, and docking 150 GP from the rouge as punishment for his dawdling.
Soon after, Captain Rutgar Smith, the Commander of the RNS Impossible came aboard to much formality form the ship’s crew, and invited all of the ship’s officers, the Infiltration team, and the RHC Constables to his quarters for a dinner symposium. The party made quick friends with the infiltration team, quickly realizing they were an experienced band of war heroes (Level 7), and the mission Sea Gate mission was in good hands.
During dinner, Captain Rutgar Smith engaged the Yerasol Veteran in the party, concerning the value of strategic theory, Religion, Philosophy (in particular, Heid Eschatol vs the Clergy vs the writings of William Miller) , and eventually a discussion of the political ramifications of the mission. The Party agreed with Captain Smith that everything hinged on the successful arrest of the Dutchess, who was attempting to draw Risur and Danor into a war neither country wanted.
After Dinner, the Skyseer received a vision as he gazed upon the cloudless, night sky from the ship’s crow’s nest.
Before dawn, as planned, the RNS Impossible coasted into the Northern cove of Axis Island, and the ship weighed anchor next to the submerged entrance to the Sea Cave. The infiltration team suited up, checked their gear, used one of the “Water Breathing” Scrolls on themselves. The Engineer of the infiltration team, a goblin named Burton, tied a rope to himself for signaling back to the RNS Impossible. Once the infiltration team was ready, they dove overboard into the water, cracked their Sunrods, and swam into the mouth of the cave.
Suddenly, the Skyseer (Bard) felt a sense of disconnect to the sky, but the feeling quickly passed. And immediately, the signal rope began jerking wildly. Sensing something that was amiss, the party tried to haul Burton back in with all their might (One player rolled Nat 1, another Nat 20). They fished his disembodied arm out of the water.
The Ninja immediately jumped into the water, holding his breath, and found Burton in the cave, delirious, but still alive. Burton’s Right leg was pinned under a giant boulder, which had fallen from the roof of the cave, and he was bleeding profusely from his shoulder stump where the party had ripped his arm off. The ninja returned to the RNS Impossible, explained the situation, and with the assistance of the Paladin and a crowbar, the party move the boulder off of Burton’s crushed leg, revealing the paste-like remains of the rest of the Infiltration team. The Ship’s surgeon was able to save Burton’s life, and possibly crudely reattach his arm, but the soldier will likely never adventure again. Fortunately for the mission, Tanya, the Infiltration Team leader, had enough wits about her to toss her satchel to Burton as the bolder collapsed on her, saving the mission supply of scrolls, sunrods, flares, and potions.
Captain Rutger Smith called attention to quarters, requesting volunteers from the ship’s crew to assume the Infiltration team’s mission. The RHC Constables volunteered without hesitation before any of the ship’s crew even had a chance to consider the proposition.
The Party swam through the Sea Cave tunnel, and surfaced inside an underground cavern with a giant rock formation gripping a gold medallion with the inscription of the constellation of the Eagle, symbolizing the wind elemental plane of Avilona.
Continuing up the wooden walk way leading up out of the cavern, the Paladin was “donkey konged” by a barrel of oil that ruptured on impact, dealing damage and covering him in oil. The barrel was thrown by a small earth elemental controlled by a man (Wearing two medallions) named Nicolas Dupires, the Mine Foreman. After talking him down, Dupires became convinced of the party’s mission to arrest the Duchess, and turn the island back over to the Danorians. Dupires agreed to guide the party to the the base camp of the Danorian resistance.
The Party emerged from the Cave at Mine Exit C. After discussing the plan amongst themselves, the Party decided for the Bard (and his two trained dogs) to follow Dupiers to the resistance base camp while the Paladin, the Rouge, and the Ninja continued on to Axis Fort.
En Route to the Resistance camp, the Bard lost a dog to a trap, while the scouts encountered a headless Iron Gollum leaking a strange, oil-like substance. The oil-like substance is black, but with bright white, floating lights in it. The Paladin cast detect evil, and determined that while the golem itself was not evil, the oil-like substance gave off a putrid stench of pure evil. The ninja burned some of the substance on a stick, and the flames nearly engulfed his hand, as unholy shrieks of countless victims pierced the forest as the oil burned. Taking an empty poison vial, the Rouge collected a soil sample where some of the strange substance had leaked and saturated the ground.
The Scouts successfully determined the patrol patterns to wall security, and made note of the static guard posts on the vertices of the palisades.
The Resistance leader, a Danorian officer, referred to only as “Che,” agreed to supply a platoon of freedom fighters to assist the party with creating a diversion in order to allow the party to sneak through the passwall point (3) near the southwest vertex of the palisade wall. In return, Che wants the party to rescue the Danorian Soldiers currently held prisoner in Axis Fortress.
On the second night, just 24 hours until Danor’s Deadline, the party breached the wall using the passwall scroll as soon as the rebels attacked the outer wall near outside, North East gate next to the sea wall.
After penetrating the wall with the spell, the party split, with the Rouge and Ninja sneaking to the West side of the dock, following the inside of the west outer wall. The Bard and the Paladin travelled toward the makeshift prison to free the Donarian Soldiers. Once finding the Danorian captives, LT Marseine refused to risk his men in an assault without any weapons, and following his lead, the prisoners staged a sit in, even with their cell doors unlocked.
Having successfully bluffed several of the Duchess’ men, the Bard, along with the Paladin (who cannot tell a lie as a LG character), rushed to the East entrance to the dock, as the Duchess’ forces rushed to defend the East Gate from the Danorian Rebels sniping the walls.
Meanwhile, the RNS Impossible moves into its final position, to prepare for a run on the Sea Gate, along with two amphibious landing ships carrying the main force of marines (and any party members who missed episode 1-2) for the assault on the Central Keep.
The crucial moment in the infiltration mission has arrived. To be concluded (hopefully) in Episode 1-3. To the Sea Gate!
Episode 1-3 “The Island at the Axis of the World”
The Rouge and the Ninja successfully infiltrated the dock of the sea gate, but waffled during the seizure of the lighthouse. The Ninja activated the Sea Gate controls and disabled the light house before defeating all of the Risuian rebels guarding the facility, and alarms began blaring across Axis Fort.
Meanwhile, out at Sea, Captain Rutgar Smith noticed 4 steam-powered Danorian Corvettes approaching the bay, positioning themselves to intercept the RNS Impossible and the 2 amphibious landing ships with the main contingent of marines needed to assault the central keep. Apparently the Danorian Naval commander became trigger happy, and decided to engage the covert, Risur expedition ahead of the deadline, which was still 12 hours away. As the Danorian ships adjusted their formations, Captain Smith assessed the situation, realizing he was out gunned, and soon to be outmaneuvered. As he looked at Midshipman Hornblower and the rest of his officers, he thought of their lives, and the lives of countless others about to be ended in what could be the opening salvos of the 5th Yerasol war, should he refuse a surrender. Just then, Captain Smith saw the Sea Gate lighthouse dim, and he turned to his ship master, Mr Eggleston, asking for a spyglass. Scanning the now impenetrable darkness for some news of hope in this impossible situation, suddenly, he saw the signal flare.
"The enemy’s gate is open. Full speed ahead. Rake the Danorian Corvette off the Port Bow, and on my command, fire as she bears! Damn the Danorians. We are giving the island back to them properly whether they like it or not. Lieutenant Williams, Signal to the landing vessels to flank left between the two port side Danorian vessels, but not to engage, then bypass and follow in file behind the Impossible. Let’s earn our ship’s namesake, men.”
Back in barracks of Axis Fort, the Paladin and the Bard heard the alarms sounding for the Sea Gate opening. The Risurian Rebel officers began shouting orders reorganizing squads and platoons from perimeter security where they were engaging the Danorian resistance fighters harassing the North East Gate, and planning an assault on the lighthouse. The Paladin and Bard intercepted the lead squad of 5 men, and bluffed and intimidated their way into rendering the first wave of the attack ineffective.
As the Ninja and the Rouge continued to fight the lighthouse defenders, the second wave of about a platoon arrived to seize the gate controls back from the party. The Ninja then destroyed the sea gate controls, causing the gate to suddenly stop opening, only partially open. In the distance, the party could hear the cannons of the RNS Impossible, firing a full broadside into one of the Danorian Corvettes and then penetrating the center of the blockade in a mad dash for the sea gate.
The enemy platoon prepared to leap from their attack positions, just as the Bard showed up disguised as a rebel Risurian officer, and created a momentary confusion in the enemy ranks before coating the formation in oil, which the Paladin then ignited with a spark from his sword and shield. As the Rebels dove into the Sea to extinguish their agony, the remainder of their company arrived to destroy the party. Just as about 20 Risurian Soldiers formed ranks to attack the party, the RNS Impossible crashed through the Sea Gate at full speed, firing a full broadside of cannon into the enemy ranks at point blank range. The assault vessles followed in close hold to the stern of the RNS Impossible as the Lead Danorian pursuit Covette closed into the choke point of the gate. It looked as though Captain Smith has played out his hand, and his luck had finally run out…Suddenly, the lead Danorian ship exploded in a massive fireball as an Ancient Eladrin Warrior leapt from one of the assault vessels onto the shore, and began cutting a swath through any that stood in his way, regardless of their allegiance. The destroyed lead Danorian vessel now blocked entrance of what remained of the sea gate.
From the shocked looks on the Risurian Sailor’s faces, it appears this unknown warrior was in fact a stowaway, likely an assassin sent by the unseen court. The Party seized the initiative as the Eladrin essentially plowed the way for the party through the enemy ranks, and as the bloodied warrior reached the wall of the inner keep, he pulled out a magical orb that tore a hole in dimensional space into the strange discolored swamp realm that the party had witnessed before during one of the strange interdimensional surges. The rip in space actually tunneled through the wall, and the party could actually see the hedge mage through an exit on the other side of the dimensional tear. Looking to the Risurian Marines who had followed them, the RHC Constables suddenly realized that none of their comrades had the courage to follow the hostile Eladrin into a tear in the fabric of reality. The party, on the other hand, had no such reservations, and quickly followed, nearly getting trapped in another dimension, but succeeding in leaping through the tunnel exit just as the gate closed.
After a brief dispute with a fey who controlled the hedge mage surrounding the Keep, the party was granted access without having to navigate the maze, and came upon the exhausted, bloodied, and frustrated Eladrin Warrior, who name it turned out was “Asrabey Varal” as he threatened the Duchess and Nathan Jierre in the Observatory in the tower.
The Party Engaged with Asrabey and the Duchess, and recalled the following exchange,
Duchess: “Asrabey, don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
Asrabey: “Save your pleading breath for prayer.”
Duchess: “If you have come for the reason I suspect, you should pray with me as well. You are a murderer, Asrabey. Did I so displease the Court that you needed to slaughter a hundred to reach me?”
Asrabey: “To forestall war, yes! Your people must not think we are the ally of a kingslayer. And worse,” he sneers at the tiefling, “one who consorts with devils.”
Tiefling: “Um, perhaps reason is a bit much to expect at this time, but can we talk about this?”
The eladrin flicks his sword, which extends out to a flaming whip and cracks the tiefling across his face, then snaps back to a longsword.
Asrabey: “You are lucky your cursed flesh will not burn. But I have other ways to make you suffer.” To the duchess he says, “Prepare yourself, and you may die with dignity.”
Duchess: “Wait! My brother won’t execute his own blood, and so long as I live I can still oppose him. There are more important matters than—”
Asrabey: “You struck the first blow. Aodhan was a soldier, as I am, and forgiveness does not come easily to our kind. He’ll never listen to you, not in the short years he has left. Already you are vilified. You promised your land would pull away from these fiends, would return to the old ways, yet you have fallen in with them yourself.”
Duchess: “You don’t understand. Nathan is on our side. There’s a threat to Risur and the Unseen. I told the Court as much—”
Asrabey: “Enough. Ethelyn, please do not make me watch you beg.”
Duchess: She glares. “Asrabey Varal, your closed mind has doomed us all.”
She sits up straight despite her stomach wound. “Very well. Finish it.”
Tiefling: “Wait a minute, Varal? Are you kin to a Kasvarina Varal?”
The eladrin stops before he has managed to raise his sword for a killing blow.
He turns away from the duchess, grabs the tiefling by his vest, and leans close.
Eladrin: “How do you know Kasvarina?”
Tiefling: “Um, what—? She … she was here, months ago! She was on the arm of a Crisillyiri man. In the company of my cousin. They took a tour of the mines. They left a few days later. I … I think she was the one who crafted the portal ring.”
Duchess: “Asrabey, I’m trying to tell you, he’s an ally. He’s seen things, and we’re trying to find out what it all means. I think Danor means to destroy both our nations. My brother wouldn’t listen, even the Court ignored me, but you have to believe me.”
Negotiations broke down between the party and Asrabey, as the party realized he had no intention of honoring a pledge to leave either the Duchess or Nephew of the Danorian Sovereign unharmed. As the party engaged a weakened Asrabey, they quickly realized he was a foe far beyond their capabilities to damage, but after successfully healing the Duchess, she managed a touch attack that disable the Eladrin long enough for the party to subdue him. The RHC Constables then completed the arrest of the Duchess, and turned all three prisoners over to Captain Smith, who upon the insistence of Asrabey, ordered the party to free the Eladrin and return him his sword and shield. The warrior then nodded respectfully at the party before teleporting away.
The party successfully prevented a war between Risur and Danor, and is now level 2.
The party found Slippers of Spider Climbing on Asrabey, which are now in their possession.
Your Expense account is now 3,000 GP (Minus any items you wish to declare and keep from Chapter 1). If you want to keep items without declaring them (other than your starting gear), let me know which items, and I’ll let you know if it results in an encounter or not at the beginning of the next session. Prestige levels are all still at a base level of 1 for the party, with the exception of some players who have special prestige levels with certain groups (you know who you are).
Next Episode: 2-1 “The Dying Skyseer”