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<blockquote data-quote="Vaxalon" data-source="post: 454135" data-attributes="member: 789"><p><strong>Crown on a knife edge</strong></p><p></p><p>CROWN ON A KNIFE EDGE</p><p></p><p>This adventure should be attempted by PC's of around tenth level; powerful enough to be able to take on a Death Slaad in single combat, but it needs to be a tough fight.</p><p></p><p>A pair of <em>worried gnomes</em>, Geedel and Geidel, contact the PC's. They were the legal representatives for princess Lobelia Fuscue, onetime Royal Wizard and <strong>sister</strong> to the high <strong>priest</strong> Canterbin Fuscue, head of the official church of the land. Lobelia has been convicted of trafficking with demons. Because executions are not allowed by the Church during the Festival of the Surusian Games, she is presently waiting in prison. While her cell is warded with an antimagic field, the gnomes are concerned because some of the things she has been asking them to bring her could be used as spell components.</p><p></p><p>As a condemned prisoner, she has the right to ask for certain "comforts" to ease her time until the day of execution. As long as they aren't dangerous or too costly, the gnomes are bound by law and tradition to provide them.</p><p></p><p>Geedel and Geidel have already taken their case to the King, but he wouldn't hear of any warnings, having faith in the cell and the prison warders to prevent her from causing any mischief.</p><p></p><p>The straw that broke the camel's back for the gnomes was when they found out that Lubelia's laboratory had been broken into. It was very expertly done, but only one item was taken: a magical violin she had been working on. This was particularly troublesome, because she had asked for a violin to be delivered to her cell the previous day. They are worried that somehow this unknown magical device has been delivered to her in prison, for some unknown purpose. Since "Locate Object" spells have failed to locate the violin, they worry that it may be safe inside her antimagic field.</p><p></p><p>The Surusian Games are an annual festival of peace, celebrated by several nearby nations, with friendly contests and sporting events, culminating in an Orcball tournament on the final three days.</p><p></p><p>There are a number of ways that the PC's can investigate.</p><p></p><p>1> Look into the construction of Lobelia's cell</p><p></p><p>This will require either a very favorable reaction, or an unusually good scam to accomplish, but if successful will reveal that Lubelia herself enchanted the cell, and that Canterbin certified it secure.</p><p></p><p>Visiting Lobelia will be difficult, but if they manage it, they will be unable to find a magical violin; only the mundane one will be found.</p><p></p><p>An extremely careful search may discover that the antimagical field ends a fraction of an inch above the floor; since this is completely insufficient for spellcasting, it is judged to be a simple mistake on Lobelia's part.</p><p></p><p>Only if the tapestry on her wall is placed on the floor, is the magical "passwall" passageway to a secret chamber below revealed. This should be a highly unlikely event. This is where the magical violin, the body of the real Lord Marshal, and his magical sword (which isn't just a brilliant energy falchion, but a HOLY brilliant energy falchion, and thus not wieldable by the Death Slaad) are found, shielded against detection by lead lining on the walls. </p><p></p><p>Lobelia has had to be very careful to conceal this, because her brother Canterbin is very perspicacious. The PC's should be no more able to pierce the veil than he was. She will not stand for a great deal of disruption; "I am going to be executed within the week; may I not have some quiet to make peace with my God?" the prison guards will not put up with hauling everything out of the antimagic field and analyzing it.</p><p></p><p>2> Interview Canterbin</p><p></p><p>Canterbin claims to despise Lobelia, and all that she represents. Canterbin is conservative, stolid, and law-abiding; he claims that Lobelia was always a "loose cannon" and that his disappointment with her knows know bounds. It was, in fact, he himself that discovered her crimes.</p><p></p><p>Canterbin is very much a creature of habit, almost obsessive in his daily rituals and requirements that things always be done exactly the same way.</p><p></p><p>Anyone familiar with the two of them can confirm this; the two have been at each others throats for years.</p><p></p><p>3> Check court records.</p><p></p><p>Lobelia offered little in the way of defense. In point of fact, she was discovered in the company of a demon, in peaceful conversation, and little in the way of defense could be made. The trial really was whether she deserved the death penalty, rather than whether she was guilty or not.</p><p></p><p>4> Check prison records</p><p></p><p>Lobelia has had three visitors since her conviction - Geedel and Geidel, and Marzash, the Lord Marshal of the Army, a well-known paladin. Prison gossip is evenly divided over whether Lobelia was asking the holy knight for some kind of absolution, or if they were lovers.</p><p></p><p>If the PC's don't check the prison records, they should learn of the visit before too long, probably on the grapevine. If they don't investigate the Lord Marshal after hearing that he had visited her cell, they deserve to fail at the mission. This is the lynchpin; do your best not to let them miss it.</p><p></p><p>An interview with the Lord Marshal turns out to be somewhat difficult to accomplish; he has been spending his time in seclusion at his country house, some miles out of the city, and the <em>map</em> to this house that is available from the servants at his home in the city turns out to be <em>misleading</em>. Eventually, however, the PC's find it.</p><p></p><p>Something is definitely wrong. The creatures of the forest that live nearby the house are lying in great heaps, dead of a myriad of terrible wounds. The Lord Marshal is also acting strangely, and refuses any contact with the PC's. In spite of the fact that he is encountered wearing all of the other items of regalia associated with his office, he is not found with the <strong>brilliant energy falchion</strong> that is the primary mark of his office; instead he is bearing a flaming burst falchion.</p><p></p><p>If the PC's attack him at this point, he will flee. There is too much at stake to fight now. The Lord Marshal will always seem to be just out of reach; whatever stratagem they use to try to catch him, he's always too far.</p><p></p><p>What has happened is that in spite of her lack of spellbooks, her <strong>spell mastery</strong> has allowed her to cast certain spells, including Planar Binding, within the safe confines of the secret room under her cell. It was her plan all along to be arrested and placed in this cell. The fact that her brother Canterbin was so incredibly predictable made it even easier. She asked the Lord Marshal to come to her cell and pray with her. While he did so, the Death Slaad attacked and easily overcame him.</p><p></p><p>On the morning of the last day of the games, the Lord Marshal visits Lobelia in her cell, and takes the magic violin. He takes it directly to the colosseum where the games are reaching their climax. If he is pursued by the PC's, he will lead them to the vacant underground chamber where the final confrontation will take place. There, he will show his true nature. He is a <strong>Death Slaad</strong>, summoned by Lobelia for the purpose of bringing down the theocratic nation in a bloody coup. He <strong>animates</strong> the <strong>violin</strong>, causing it to emit a terrible screech that makes speech impossible and spellcasting difficult. He summons other slaadi, and attacks. His only task is to keep them from getting to the violin, but he wants a good fight, too. If the violin is allowed to play for twenty rounds, the colosseum will be razed to the ground by the sonic vibrations building up in it; in other words, the <strong>playing fields will be 'leveled'</strong>.</p><p></p><p>If the plan is successful, there will be a <strong>military coup</strong>; the "Lord Marshal" will declare that the destruction of the colosseum, with the high priest, the king, and thousands of the city's faithful, to be a sign from God that they had erred terribly in convicting Lobelia. He will exonerate her and raise her up as the new monarch, and then quietly disappear.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Vaxalon, post: 454135, member: 789"] [b]Crown on a knife edge[/b] CROWN ON A KNIFE EDGE This adventure should be attempted by PC's of around tenth level; powerful enough to be able to take on a Death Slaad in single combat, but it needs to be a tough fight. A pair of [i]worried gnomes[/i], Geedel and Geidel, contact the PC's. They were the legal representatives for princess Lobelia Fuscue, onetime Royal Wizard and [b]sister[/b] to the high [b]priest[/b] Canterbin Fuscue, head of the official church of the land. Lobelia has been convicted of trafficking with demons. Because executions are not allowed by the Church during the Festival of the Surusian Games, she is presently waiting in prison. While her cell is warded with an antimagic field, the gnomes are concerned because some of the things she has been asking them to bring her could be used as spell components. As a condemned prisoner, she has the right to ask for certain "comforts" to ease her time until the day of execution. As long as they aren't dangerous or too costly, the gnomes are bound by law and tradition to provide them. Geedel and Geidel have already taken their case to the King, but he wouldn't hear of any warnings, having faith in the cell and the prison warders to prevent her from causing any mischief. The straw that broke the camel's back for the gnomes was when they found out that Lubelia's laboratory had been broken into. It was very expertly done, but only one item was taken: a magical violin she had been working on. This was particularly troublesome, because she had asked for a violin to be delivered to her cell the previous day. They are worried that somehow this unknown magical device has been delivered to her in prison, for some unknown purpose. Since "Locate Object" spells have failed to locate the violin, they worry that it may be safe inside her antimagic field. The Surusian Games are an annual festival of peace, celebrated by several nearby nations, with friendly contests and sporting events, culminating in an Orcball tournament on the final three days. There are a number of ways that the PC's can investigate. 1> Look into the construction of Lobelia's cell This will require either a very favorable reaction, or an unusually good scam to accomplish, but if successful will reveal that Lubelia herself enchanted the cell, and that Canterbin certified it secure. Visiting Lobelia will be difficult, but if they manage it, they will be unable to find a magical violin; only the mundane one will be found. An extremely careful search may discover that the antimagical field ends a fraction of an inch above the floor; since this is completely insufficient for spellcasting, it is judged to be a simple mistake on Lobelia's part. Only if the tapestry on her wall is placed on the floor, is the magical "passwall" passageway to a secret chamber below revealed. This should be a highly unlikely event. This is where the magical violin, the body of the real Lord Marshal, and his magical sword (which isn't just a brilliant energy falchion, but a HOLY brilliant energy falchion, and thus not wieldable by the Death Slaad) are found, shielded against detection by lead lining on the walls. Lobelia has had to be very careful to conceal this, because her brother Canterbin is very perspicacious. The PC's should be no more able to pierce the veil than he was. She will not stand for a great deal of disruption; "I am going to be executed within the week; may I not have some quiet to make peace with my God?" the prison guards will not put up with hauling everything out of the antimagic field and analyzing it. 2> Interview Canterbin Canterbin claims to despise Lobelia, and all that she represents. Canterbin is conservative, stolid, and law-abiding; he claims that Lobelia was always a "loose cannon" and that his disappointment with her knows know bounds. It was, in fact, he himself that discovered her crimes. Canterbin is very much a creature of habit, almost obsessive in his daily rituals and requirements that things always be done exactly the same way. Anyone familiar with the two of them can confirm this; the two have been at each others throats for years. 3> Check court records. Lobelia offered little in the way of defense. In point of fact, she was discovered in the company of a demon, in peaceful conversation, and little in the way of defense could be made. The trial really was whether she deserved the death penalty, rather than whether she was guilty or not. 4> Check prison records Lobelia has had three visitors since her conviction - Geedel and Geidel, and Marzash, the Lord Marshal of the Army, a well-known paladin. Prison gossip is evenly divided over whether Lobelia was asking the holy knight for some kind of absolution, or if they were lovers. If the PC's don't check the prison records, they should learn of the visit before too long, probably on the grapevine. If they don't investigate the Lord Marshal after hearing that he had visited her cell, they deserve to fail at the mission. This is the lynchpin; do your best not to let them miss it. An interview with the Lord Marshal turns out to be somewhat difficult to accomplish; he has been spending his time in seclusion at his country house, some miles out of the city, and the [i]map[/i] to this house that is available from the servants at his home in the city turns out to be [i]misleading[/i]. Eventually, however, the PC's find it. Something is definitely wrong. The creatures of the forest that live nearby the house are lying in great heaps, dead of a myriad of terrible wounds. The Lord Marshal is also acting strangely, and refuses any contact with the PC's. In spite of the fact that he is encountered wearing all of the other items of regalia associated with his office, he is not found with the [B]brilliant energy falchion[/B] that is the primary mark of his office; instead he is bearing a flaming burst falchion. If the PC's attack him at this point, he will flee. There is too much at stake to fight now. The Lord Marshal will always seem to be just out of reach; whatever stratagem they use to try to catch him, he's always too far. What has happened is that in spite of her lack of spellbooks, her [b]spell mastery[/b] has allowed her to cast certain spells, including Planar Binding, within the safe confines of the secret room under her cell. It was her plan all along to be arrested and placed in this cell. The fact that her brother Canterbin was so incredibly predictable made it even easier. She asked the Lord Marshal to come to her cell and pray with her. While he did so, the Death Slaad attacked and easily overcame him. On the morning of the last day of the games, the Lord Marshal visits Lobelia in her cell, and takes the magic violin. He takes it directly to the colosseum where the games are reaching their climax. If he is pursued by the PC's, he will lead them to the vacant underground chamber where the final confrontation will take place. There, he will show his true nature. He is a [B]Death Slaad[/B], summoned by Lobelia for the purpose of bringing down the theocratic nation in a bloody coup. He [B]animates[/B] the [B]violin[/b], causing it to emit a terrible screech that makes speech impossible and spellcasting difficult. He summons other slaadi, and attacks. His only task is to keep them from getting to the violin, but he wants a good fight, too. If the violin is allowed to play for twenty rounds, the colosseum will be razed to the ground by the sonic vibrations building up in it; in other words, the [b]playing fields will be 'leveled'[/b]. If the plan is successful, there will be a [b]military coup[/b]; the "Lord Marshal" will declare that the destruction of the colosseum, with the high priest, the king, and thousands of the city's faithful, to be a sign from God that they had erred terribly in convicting Lobelia. He will exonerate her and raise her up as the new monarch, and then quietly disappear. [/QUOTE]
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