Session 1: Industrial Revolution and WarIt was a bitterly cold morning in late autumn when verified reports of Edol's children invading the eastern kingdoms finally reached Paelor's Sanctum city proper. Senator Leides (lee-AH-dees) called the various senators into session along with any available mercenaries. The word quickly spread that civilians were also invited to attend.
Leides stood atop a dais with a look upon his face so solemn that there was no need to call for order. Dead silence met his first, mournful words, and they dropped like clashing gongs of doom from his lips.
"Citizens and nobles, mercenaries and soldiers. Long has the world held our city-states in favor, for Paelor's Sanctum was founded by those nations who first defeated World-King* Edol and brought freedom to the land. We are a nation descended from heroes and valiant citizens who took upon themselves the burden of pulling ourselves from the clutches of a terrible tyrant."
"After Edol's death at the hands of a nameless footsoldier, Edol's sons took command of his armies. Faced with the option of annihilation or retreat, they retreated back to the eastern coasts. There, they began wars amongst themselves and further divided into nations, then tribes and, today, small groups living in caves and trees and isolated valleys."
"Until recently we have kept a careful watch on Edol's Children. Brave researchers have reported that they've undergone a kind of reverse evolution, becoming both more bestial and even partially elemental in some cases. A barbarian human has two brains; one in the chest that will allow the monster to live for decades without the ability to hear, speak, smell, talk or see. Dwarven descendants of Edol's armies have become part stone and taller, elven flesh turned to wind and dragonborn regressing to little more than quadrupedal elemental lizards.**"
"Long have we feared that these monsters might organize under a single leader and attack again, but we have also known how unlikely it would be considering their low intelligence and tendency to make war with each-other."
"Unfortunately, citizens, it seems that our worst fears have been realized."
Shocked gasps and muttering ensued. Leides raised his voice and continued, nearly shouting now.
"The kingdoms of Mastille and Vench have already been invaded, perhaps even now their capitals are burning. Two armies, each over a thousand strong, are marching westward at an incredible pace."
Leides waited patiently for nearly five minutes for the shouting, muttering and whispering to finally die off enough for him to continue.
"We have here three proposals from senators. They will speak in turn. Snaketongue?"
The man named Snaketongue stood. His cloak obscured his face, his dark brows were pulled down over beady eyes. He looked shifty. "A delegation of spies will be arranged. These spies will be paid for certain information. Interested hire-swords will meet at the entrance to the west meeting hall after this session is called to a close." With no further words, he turned and walked in the indicated direction, his silent passing causing titters of dismay amongst nobles and soldiers alike.
"And now, senator Mileshoshand and the liaison for Mercenaries, Captain Stavor."
Mileshoshand, a female dark elf of some notoriety amongst her peers, stood beside her husband, a well decorated human with graying hair and functional armor. "We will be hiring mercenaries to travel with groups of delegates to the other kingdoms. These delegates will be representing The City-States in an effort to rally armies and concert our counter-movement. Interested mercenaries can hear more at the east meeting hall following the vote."
Having not mentioned the vote yet, Leides cleared his throat with a slight note of irritation. "Yes. The vote. We must vote on whether we will be taking military action at all."
Several people in the crowd cheered, prompting an equally hearty boo from others. A young senator stood and waited for Leides to indicate that he might speak. "There are those amongst us who do not wish to go to war. They say we should let the barbarians dull their blades on the other kingdoms. They say we should wait to strike until, as in the past, the barbarians are spread across the world and more easily routed. Those people are cowards who are spitting in the face of-"
Shouts and cries drowned him out and he sat down again. The oldest senator in the room stood. "Indeed. Thank you for making our argument for us. We know this plan would work, and we fully endorse it."
The two senators were now both standing and arguing loudly.
"You cannot ask us to forswear our historical oaths-"
"There were no oaths made. We did what we had to do, as we will now."
"But our own ancestors were citizens and soldiers of those kingdoms. We share common ancestry and have an obligation to help!"
"Obligation? What obligation? We represent those who were strong and survived. We will survive again! And we don't need to-"
"Need is not a factor! We must! We cannot abide another World-King!"
Leides bangs his gavel. "There will now be a vote. The senate has determined that citizens shall be allowed to vote on this matter, as they represent the families of soldiers who will die in the conflict. All in favor of going to war?"
* World-King translated into common is one of the most profane words that can be used. Here, Leides uses it to shock the audience into paying closer attention to his words.
** The subject of Edol's Children is avoided because of pride issues, especially amongst elves, dwarves and dragonborn. Leides is again trying to shock his audience with the gravity of his words.++++++++
Gregor - ungendered shapeshifter Assassin of unknown age
One of the senators stepped back into shadow, his features melting and reforming into those of a grizzled mercenary. He walked to the east meeting hall doors where an administrator for Snaketongue stood holding a clipped board and an ink pen.
"Am I on the list?"
The administrator looked down at his papers and then back up. "Yes." He stepped aside and let the large man pass. Gregor nodded and walked into a well-furnished and dimly lit room containing a table encircled on three sides by a velvet-covered bench. The mahogany table was headed by Snaketongue. Also in attendance were a minotaur, a warrior named Shamal (translation: beef) and a thief.
Gregor sat down and waited with the ever-present patience of a sniper.
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Zenzi - 12-year-old female dwarven Spirit Shaman
Zenzi was having a hard time seeing where she was going, lost amongst a sea of knees and swinging arms and sword sheathes. "Shamishir, where am I going?" Something under the floor moaned woefully in a language only she understood and she corrected her course, heading directly for Snaketongue's administrator. "Thanks Sham."
The administrator looked down on Zenzi with a distasteful frown. "What do you want little girl?"
"I wanna go inside!" Zenzi was consciously unaware of how effective her doe-eyed gaze could be, but in this case asking nicely didn't seem to be doing the trick.
"Only grownups with special abilities are invited. Go find your parents."
Zenzi did not like being disregarded and Shamishir did not like it when Zenzi was unhappy. He pulled himself up from the cold stones of the floor behind the administrator and blew a gust of frozen wind onto his neck. "You are going to make Shamishir unhappy. You shouldn't do that. He's very protective."
The administrator had been ordered to allow anyone of sufficient talents into the room. He didn't know how exactly to translate those orders, however, but shrugged slightly and decided to let Snaketongue sort the girl out if he disagreed. "Go on in. Tell your... uh, friend not to cause problems."
Zenzi clapped her hands and bounded inside, once again light as a feather and happy to be exploring.
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Freiderick - 24-year-old human Battlemind
Freiderick didn't feel like arguing with a secretary. When he approached and the man was already shaking his head 'no', The psionic warrior merely teleported behind him and reached under his arm to write his own name on the list, then phased into the room, right through the door.
"NO MORE APPLICANTS!" shouted the administrator with a slight crack in his voice.
I deserve a raise, he thought as he shooed the remaining hopefuls away with his clipped board, the paper attached with only one name written upon it, and that somewhat messily.
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Snaketongue got right to the point. "Beneath your seat is a bag of gold containing a slip of paper. Do not lose these slips of paper. They will grant you transportation to Mastille in a few hours. The 45 gold pieces are for greasing palms and personal expenses. I will pair you up according to talents and observation. Do not lose sight of your partner; for the next few days they might be the only friend you have..."
Gregor was paired with the minotaur, Shamal (beef) with the thief (who had already stolen Gregor's gold bag), and Freiderick with Zenzi.
"We are offering 100,000 gold for the head of the leader of Edol's Children's army. 50,000 for a live captive of his cabinet. 20,000 for information on how and why the barbarians are attacking. 10,000 for reliable information on their plans for the next month of movements. A list of lesser items we will pay for are also in your bags. Go to the eastern block of the trades district where the Ancto Balkeen sits. You will take the Ancto Balkeen to Mastille and be there by tomorrow evening."
Snaketongue left while the thief argued loudly with Shamal about the impossibility of being in Mastille by evening the following day. "We'd have to fly!"
"Maybe we will." shrugged Shamal, his incredible biceps rolling like machinery as he tested the pull of his sword unconsciously.
Zenzi wondered aloud if Freiderick could see Shamishir. He ignored her, slightly miffed at being partnered with a child.
Gregor realized his sack of gold was missing and grabbed the thief just in time to catch him walking out the door. "My bag?"
"What makes you so sure I have it?" the thief grinned and dropped it into the shapeshifter's palm. "Next time watch your personal belongings more closely."
"Next time you'll be dead." Something about Gregor's flat tone caused the thief to gulp audibly and he went along his way feeling rather annoyed at being reprimanded so casually.
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The Ancto Balkeen turned out to be a metal tank roughly the size of a house sitting on twin tracks of metal. It had doors on the right side, one in front and one in back, and a large dome atop with a window cut out and various pipes twisting over the frame. It looked for all the world like an oversized still on wheels.
The tracks rolled over the streets in a perfectly straight parallel line all the way to the main eastern gate of Paelor's Sanctum. One could stand at the head of the machine and stare out almost directly to where the tracks rose into the foothills, cutting a swath through the forest.
"This device rolls on metal tracks and is powered by steam." Zenzi relayed the information Shamishir sent her as it explored the metal monster, scouting it for threats. The typical reaction adults gave Zenzi when she spouted seemingly omniscient information about things was dulled quite a lot in both Freiderick and Gregor, both of whom understood that people are not always what they appear to be. The Minotaur was not the type to voice his opinions unnecessarily, and so he kept his skepticism of Zenzi's authority on the subject to himself.
Two people appeared to be arguing in front of the A.B.: a female human with bottle glasses and her hair pulled up into a fierce bun and a very wealthy-looking merchant were exchanging very emotional and angry words. The woman suddenly spun about and knocked Zenzi down, her countenance stern. "Watch out!" she snapped, then her expression softened and she stooped to help the child up.
"Why are you so angry?"
The woman introduces herself as one of three owners of the A.B. She is apparently the V.P. of the company. She describes the other man as "Thomas, the investor," with a remarkable amount of derision in her voice for someone describing a business investor. She says she's upset because her friend and other partner is missing.
"Byson Drench, the inventor, is missing. Without him, nobody can operate it." She appears to be pleading slightly with the other men around Zenzi, as if hoping there is something they can do.
(failed insight checks for the entire party; she's lying but they don't know it)
After more prompting the woman explains that Byson Drench has been agitated at Thomas McMillain, the investor who funded the A.B. project, and had planned to confront him about certain mysterious concerns late last night. He never arrived at Thomas' house. She suspects Thomas knows why Byson is missing.
The party splits into two, Gregor and the minotaur peeling off to investigate Byson's home. There they discover that the place has been sacked. The walls and floor have been drenched in kerosene but a burned-out match near the door reveals why the arson did not succeed in burning Byson's house down: It landed in one of the few kerosene-free areas of the floor. Gregor, being a shifty fellow, knows how to hide and therefore find hidden things. He discovers a letter in a secret, fireproof compartment in the desk.
Dearest Mariel, I suspect that my business partner is trying to sabotage the A.B.
I think he took bribes from his competitors to keep this miraculous machine from
putting them out of business. He stands to gain a lot more from taking such bribes
than we will make in the first few years of business. If something should happen to
me, Thomas is responsible. I'm going to his house tonight to confront him.
Byson DrenchFreiderick and Zenzi confront Thomas, who says that Byson never arrived at his home last night at all. The four meet up again and decide to investigate Thomas' house illegally and they take separate paths to the house to avoid suspcion.
Unbeknownst to them, Thomas has been receiving death threats from his competition; other traders who don't wish to have their businesses put out of commission by a newfangled metal cart. Thomas has hired mercenaries to guard his house. Said mercenaries are on the other side of the door they are lining up behind.
In walks the party. Three minion dagger-tossing stun/daze hire-swords and three level 5 fighters attack. Gregor extinguishes a torch and hides in shadow in that corner. Gregor causes the shadows of everyone in the enemy party to attack them, killing the annoying minions who keep stunning Frederick. Zenzi's spirit bears the brunt of the melee damage from the enemies through some very efficient powers uses and as a finishing blow, Freiderick attacks with an AOE that looks like snake-blades rushing from another dimension but is actually just his sword phasing through reality to slice his enemies at range.
One soldier still alive spills the beans.
I was hired to protect this man's property. I don't know what he's up to. He is revealed to not only be innocent, but to be protecting what appears to be the home of a perfectly innocent man, judging by the papers found in Thomas' basement.
Zenzi decides to check out Millie's house. Her spirit companion easily finds Byson hiding in the wine cellar, but Millie closes a panic room door, locking Byson safely downstairs and despite now-successful insight checks indicating that she is lying her pants off, she refuses to admit to it.
Byson secretly sneaks out, having had enough of hearing doors slam and shouting from upstairs. He assumes he'll be better off on his own rather than hiding like a trapped rat in Mariel's cellar.
The party retreats. Frederick is the only person who has fully comprehended the situation the party finds itself in: They've killed five innocent men and left a sixth witness to their actions. He sneaks away to a bar where he finds... Byson Drench! City guards have been following the party for some time at this point and one of them notices Byson and Freiderick talking. Freiderick slips his guard and gets back to the A.B. just in time for the guards to haul a loudly protesting Byson back to his post.
Byson's contract with Freiderick states that Freiderick will get 95% of all profits from the A.B. venture and Byson, the A.B.'s inventor, will get only 5%. Byson wanted his disappearance and apparent death to be blamed on Freiderick, following which he would emerge again, famous inventor of the wonder machine. Amidst the publicity he was hoping to find another investor and start a more profitable business.
Byson's revenge is still exacted: The fish that were to be shipped east have been purchased wholesale by the senate for pennies on the dollar and are rotting beside the tracks as the A.B. pulls out on her maiden voyage; on to Mastille, the most recently invaded of the kingdoms.
After the train reaches the outskirts of Mastille, it hits a herd of Bonboons - water buffalo-sized baboonlike monsters with four-inch-long fangs. They scatter from the train as it explodes sidelong into a knot of them slowly wandering across the countryside. The A.B. is utterly stopped in its tracks. At least seventeen beasts are dead, one mortally wounded.
As Zenzi and Freiderick tend the animal, Gregor and Baal slip out to reconnoiter. They hear something in the forest. Gregor creeps closer and sees nothing at all.
Nothing at all is making a repeating, slurping, wet, muddy noise in the foliage just beyond the nearest tree. Gregor can see as if it were broad daylight, but he cannot see what is making the noises. It sounds to him for all the world like someone slapping in the mud.
Just then, Zenzi comes bounding around the corner, her dress pulled up to her waist and her millions of braids flashing with trinkets, complaining about needing help with the dying animal. She stops and looks and sees what Gregor could not; an earth spirit is pulling handfuls of mud up from the ground and smearing it onto its eyes. It repeats the action, this time smearing the mud on its ears.
"What are you doing?" Zenzi asked politely.
"I'm preparing to go to war." replied the earth spirit. "Some foul metal beast has killed many of my precious herd, and I am going to kill the invader before it kills again."
"Oh, you don't need to do all that. That thing won't hurt you. One of your herd is dying. We need help!"
She rushes off, and the spirit follows. With the spirit's help, Zenzi unconsciously taps into the spirit's powers and the beast is fully healed beyond what should have been possible. Miraculously, the quite lethal monster bounds away, sensing the presence of its god and leaving peacefully.
"I promise you that I will destroy this thing. Will you let it pass?" Zenzi spoke, as she always did, with perfect honesty. The spirit sensed this and knew she was a spirit-sage.
It nodded. "We are bound together by your promise. I cannot leave you until it is complete." Zenzi felt the pull of a band of power form between them. It sat flashing in her mind beside the one connecting her to Shamishir. Shamishir hadn't needed a promise; he followed Zenzi for reasons entirely his own secret. Whatever the reason, these bands were not leashes, they were instead amplifications. Her spirits and her shared a mutually beneficial relationship - each became more powerful as a result of the band.
Bandal joins the party. He's not much more talkative than Shamishir. Spirits seem to Zenzi to be a rather quiet lot, though this is just a matter of personality and spirits can, in fact, be QUITE annoying.
The party finally reaches the final crest before the valley Mastille rests within when they see this:
And after a bit of recon, this:
Author
Topic: Duality - DnD from the DM's perspective (Read 969 times)