Knightfall
World of Kulan DM
Okay,
At this point, the PCs have several options. You can either enter the wilder Eastern Gardens to hunt for the creature, investigate the shop known as The Crossed Candles (either waiting for Custodio or going in yourselves ahead of time), you can use the crystalline flower to enter the portal into Phelix's Enclave, or you can investigate the missing guards.
Remember that if you go into the extraplanar enclave without knowing the exact phrase, your PCs run the risk of being trapped there. Akos did come up with a few ideas for what might need to be spoken to get in and out safely:
It's possible that the PCs might discover something at The Crossed Candles or by figuring out what happened to the guards. Note that Custodio did tell you that the owner of the Crossed Candles is widely respected in Old City and if you go in with gusto, you might end up causing an incident that might go against the popularity of group (if you care about that). It might take time for Custodio to convince the Lord Commander to raid the shop with the evidence that you have provided.
Until the PCs get someone to cast legend lore for them, they would be going in blind against the creature. Your PCs have just under an hour and a half of daylight left. When dusk comes, they'd been roaming around the Eastern Gardens in the dark.
They could also follow up on other possible assassinations. Shylock did mention that Phelix's loyalists will be going after their allies... most notably Lady Pomander (one of The Five) and Lord Commander Oakfirst. Now, Custodio will warn the lord commander (who will warn The Five), so you don't have to worry about him unless you want to check on his whereabouts yourselves. (Big Tim and Relgar know that Oakfirst is usually at the Palace or the open-air Tribunal, although he could be at his other home [not where the PCs are staying] right now, since it is so late in the day.) Lady Pomander probably will be at her estate at this time of the day.
While Shylock didn't name anyone else that might be attacked, if there are any other characters that Big Tim and Relgar know well, those NPCs could come under attack too. But, they would have had to have helped the PCs significantly in the past. Since most of the other PCs are new(ish) to the group, their close family and friends aren't like being targeted, yet. Local PCs might have more to lose if Phelix goes after their kin or friends.
Big Tim and Relgar know from their time with a former PC, Terger, that Phelix has several places that interested him in the past (mainly in New City). There is the inn known as The Winsome Heart where he pretended to be a simple caretaker for the inn. He also had a safehouse in New City that was destroyed after a nearby building (with illegal fireworks in the cellar) blew up. Both building are rumored to have deep cellars/complexes in them that held secrets.
The inn was sealed off by the Regulars and no one has been down in it since. The safehouse is in ruins and the whole area has been avoided since the disaster. The Regulars did try to investigate the underpart of the safehouse but it was deemed to treacherous.
Phelix also took an interest in texts in the Teacher's Library and stole several passages out a handful of books; I believe he wrote in/defaced several books on planar lore. He's also been in the tavern known as the Golden Lantern. That is where he set up the traps that were triggered by Relgar. The Growers' Tower that Phelix was using as a workshop (including a planar map carved into the wall) and the portal on the Garden's interior wall are both near that tavern.
If you guys want to know more, it would all be under Knowledge skills, especially local and dungeoneering.
Anyway, taking a break from post for the rest of the day. Might check back in before heading to bed.
At this point, the PCs have several options. You can either enter the wilder Eastern Gardens to hunt for the creature, investigate the shop known as The Crossed Candles (either waiting for Custodio or going in yourselves ahead of time), you can use the crystalline flower to enter the portal into Phelix's Enclave, or you can investigate the missing guards.
Remember that if you go into the extraplanar enclave without knowing the exact phrase, your PCs run the risk of being trapped there. Akos did come up with a few ideas for what might need to be spoken to get in and out safely:
I'm not sure if @Neurotic even came up with the other two phrases. I believe I said that the phrases will allow the PCs to enter without being at risk of being hurt, but there is no guarantee the same phrase will get them out. One of the other phrases might work, but there will be risk.
It's possible that the PCs might discover something at The Crossed Candles or by figuring out what happened to the guards. Note that Custodio did tell you that the owner of the Crossed Candles is widely respected in Old City and if you go in with gusto, you might end up causing an incident that might go against the popularity of group (if you care about that). It might take time for Custodio to convince the Lord Commander to raid the shop with the evidence that you have provided.
Until the PCs get someone to cast legend lore for them, they would be going in blind against the creature. Your PCs have just under an hour and a half of daylight left. When dusk comes, they'd been roaming around the Eastern Gardens in the dark.
They could also follow up on other possible assassinations. Shylock did mention that Phelix's loyalists will be going after their allies... most notably Lady Pomander (one of The Five) and Lord Commander Oakfirst. Now, Custodio will warn the lord commander (who will warn The Five), so you don't have to worry about him unless you want to check on his whereabouts yourselves. (Big Tim and Relgar know that Oakfirst is usually at the Palace or the open-air Tribunal, although he could be at his other home [not where the PCs are staying] right now, since it is so late in the day.) Lady Pomander probably will be at her estate at this time of the day.
While Shylock didn't name anyone else that might be attacked, if there are any other characters that Big Tim and Relgar know well, those NPCs could come under attack too. But, they would have had to have helped the PCs significantly in the past. Since most of the other PCs are new(ish) to the group, their close family and friends aren't like being targeted, yet. Local PCs might have more to lose if Phelix goes after their kin or friends.
Big Tim and Relgar know from their time with a former PC, Terger, that Phelix has several places that interested him in the past (mainly in New City). There is the inn known as The Winsome Heart where he pretended to be a simple caretaker for the inn. He also had a safehouse in New City that was destroyed after a nearby building (with illegal fireworks in the cellar) blew up. Both building are rumored to have deep cellars/complexes in them that held secrets.
The inn was sealed off by the Regulars and no one has been down in it since. The safehouse is in ruins and the whole area has been avoided since the disaster. The Regulars did try to investigate the underpart of the safehouse but it was deemed to treacherous.
Phelix also took an interest in texts in the Teacher's Library and stole several passages out a handful of books; I believe he wrote in/defaced several books on planar lore. He's also been in the tavern known as the Golden Lantern. That is where he set up the traps that were triggered by Relgar. The Growers' Tower that Phelix was using as a workshop (including a planar map carved into the wall) and the portal on the Garden's interior wall are both near that tavern.
If you guys want to know more, it would all be under Knowledge skills, especially local and dungeoneering.
Anyway, taking a break from post for the rest of the day. Might check back in before heading to bed.
