Mottul Marches on Fina's Lands

[Haltherrion]

From Chris:

First the loot- just to be clear, we can convert all loot to gold at 100% of book value, right? Is that what you meant by match? Or is she paying us some sort of loot bounty?​

Fina is giving you an additional amount of gold equal to 100% of the value of the loot you picked up. She will also buy the loot you have at 100% book value.

That's really cool. I knew there was a reason why she was my favorite duchess

Can Christina add up the loot for us? Not sure there is anything of interest for folks so maybe we convert all to gold?

 

[Haltherrion]

To get the thoughts going on a plan, if we were to try the direct approach, here's my own thoughts.

• I think in all cases, the ultimate objective is to prevent the fortress from supporting attacks against Fina.
  • At the minimum, this means making it immobile
  • It would probably also be useful to disable the portal to Mottul but perhaps that isn't absolutely required.
  • We therefore need to get to the control room and probably the portal room as well. From our own experience on FFs, we know these are well protected.
• There are two main options, a frontal assault and a sneak attack.
• In a frontal assault, we'd need to gather other aerial forces to assist in an attack
  
  • Most likely, we'd use the main force as a distraction while we tried to gain entrance
  • This type of "main force feint and sneak in" approach has got to have been pretty standard in the history of FFs and therefore not much of a surprise.
  • Alternately, we just battle our way in with superior force. This seems a foolish course.
• On a sneak attack, we need some way to sneak. It doesn't mean we have to sneak all the way to the control room, just get close in before we get discovered so that we don't face a completely armed and ready garrison. It does mean we should assume any magic defenses have been triggered.
• Some sneak options:
  
  • Drop in from above. Since the target is moving, this can't mean dropping from an upper island but maybe we could drop in from the FF's way above (tens of miles: high enough they couldn't see the FFs well)- you could do it at night and get Fina with magic and fire to light the ground below the Mottul FF so we could see its outline on the way down.
  • Draeca could summon a storm and we could use it as cover at night. Dracea and other casters could summon continuous storms for days so that Mottul got used to it. The storms last for a half day per casting, I think.
  • We could try to approach in disguise. Not too keen on that one.
  • We could approach ethereally. I'm not sure how well that magic works in Ophir though and there are countermeasures anyway. This would be an obvious line of attack.
• We will need to try to research the magical defenses of this fortress. Remember the Mithguard had a number of defensives including places for the garrison to do monster summons. Even if we can't find specifics on this fortress, we should consider what sort of defenses have been created for other fortresses
• We should look for some way to provide a distraction after we sneak in: some sort of way to summon or gate a lot of distracting critters.

Thoughts?

 

[Chris the Bigger]

Don't mininterperate Fina's council as a command. She was only raising a point agianst goign throgh Mottul.

Azz: I'm in infavor of exploring the Mottul to FF scenario. There is more than one good reason to try it. Surprise for one - no one in their right mind would go to Mottul to attack in Edios. Simplicity for another - much less corrdination, well at least as far as getting in/onto the FF. And let's not forget the biggest reason - Demoralizing the Mottul forces. They'll think twice about attacking us again if we not only prevent the FF from contributing to the invasion, but actually take it as our own. three FF's are better than two.

As Draca mentioned there are only so many ways to attack these places. Mottul will have to assume that Fina will try and attack the FF. any frontal assult will be costly and sneaking on will require a good deal of luck.

WE shoudl keep the options open a this point.


On a meta note. I am prepraing the reaserch notes for the Mottul FF but it will take another week or so.

 

[Haltherrion]

Well, without knowing what the situation looks like on the Mottul end, it is hard to say. if there is a massive army camped on the verge of the portal, we won't be able to go through. But most of the portals are in some chamber or other so there is probably some distance between the reinforcements and the portal. We should be able to get some sort of idea of the arrangement from research.

Beyond that, we'd have to go check it out in person. Given the timeframe (2 weeks), we probably don't have any time except to go to the Mottul portal (either leaving now on a FF or finding an existing portal) and hope it is is assault-able from that that side.

I guess to be my own devil's advocate, the trouble with the go-to-Mottul plan is there is not sufficient time to know that the portal is accessible from that side. We could go there and find out we can't take the portal and then have no time to execute any other plan. Without reason or intel to know that the portal is vulnerable maybe it is too much of a crap-shoot.

Taking the MFF with the other methods sounds dicey to me, too, but if we fail at one of those approaches, there are probably more options for a renewed approach. if we fail at the Mottul approach, we are probably without further recourse.

Alright, we can try the take it from this side approach. Of all the methods, the only plan that I've suggested that has any real appeal to me is:

• Use Draeca and others to keep the Mottul FF and the Mottul army in constant storms
• Position Castelleon in the path of the MFF (with storm cover, the positioning could happen just a few hours before MFF approached so it would not be necessary to know their path with any great foresight)
• When they get within a mile or closer, pop Castelleon into the air and board MFF from it. Might not be able to physically get the two touching but could probably get the castles within a few hundred feet. At that distance, Draeca could airwalk the non-flying folks over in seconds if we had a good wind at our back (which we would with the storm in place).
• get as many other troops across as flying allows. Try to get castelleon into boarding distance to board (probably can't but might distract them trying to avoid that).
• Then we'd fight like hell. Still would give them time to put the magic defenses up. Probably nothing but finding a way to sneak right into the control room would prevent that. But we could attack before they deployed the garrison or summoned many troops through the portal. We'd have to fight through to the portal and shut it down as quickly as possible.

Still a risky, go-get-her kind of plan. I'm open to other suggestions but if no one cares to venture one soon, we should just start pursuing this one.

 

[SuperBeast]

I don't know...after reading Marc's last post, I am liking the sneaky, go through Mottul and secure the portal ourselves.
Does anybody else have an opinon as to which tatic we take?

 

[Haltherrion]

I don't know...after reading Marc's last post, I am liking the sneaky, go through Mottul and secure the portal ourselves.
Does anybody else have an opinon as to which tatic we take?

One problem I have about the mottul path is not knowing until we are there that it is feasible. And it occurs to me that there is a way to find out: we interrogate a captive. Remember in this world not all demons are pure evil and in any case, it is traditional to ransom, not slaughter captives.

Maybe Fina already has a captive or maybe we can take one. We can interrogate them about the army on the otherside reasonably enough without revealing out intent (to ascertain how well guarded the portal is).

Could save a trip...

 

[Haltherrion]

In the interests of moving this discussion along and since the two active folks on this thread prefer the Mottul route, Draeca with Kestrel's assistance (I hope) does the following:

• Draeca interrogates any non-undead captives using her diplomacy with dragon voice (+30 or so). She conducts the interrogation as a general fishing for info starting with how the individual got here from Mottul and what they were doing in Eidos but obviously looking for info on what situation at the gate in Mottul is like. She'd like Leg and a few other heavies to back her up on the interrogations. She would like to coordinate with Fina so that she could offer freedom to a captive for the right info (release to occur after the mission).
• Draeca tasks the two pathfinders with learning everything they can about the MFF portal(s) and the Mottul to MFF portal at the Mottul side and portal routes to Mottul that we can use to get there.
• Draeca tasks Princep's castellon with researching information on the MFF floorplan as well as magic defenses.
• Kestrel is to gather useful magic items, including but not limited to the potions and scrolls above. We will use party treasure, including Fina's treasure bounty to acquire this. People should not assume they have any funds distributed from this in the meantime. However, they can make a request, say, for instance, if you need to buff an ancestral relic.
• Draeca is going to converts all spare party cash to gems for use in bribes (for extracting info, maybe for passing through Mottul). Preferably in denominations inthe 1000GP range.
• Draeca is going to convert 10,000GP of party cash to spell components for true seeing and stoneskin. She will take this as an advance on her loot share if necessary but would prefer it to be considered party stuff.

BTW Draeca won't talk to captured undead, if there is any. She will not treat with them unless they are looking for absolution before being destroyed.

Comments? Thoughts?

 

[cc22153]

Party treasure from our last outing works out to be 82,266 per player (this includes Fina's bonus). Please remember that this is for both your PC's so in my case it actually works out to 41,133 for Gel and 41,133 for Leg.

I like the idea of using Mottul's portal to get to the FF. I am less inclined towards a frontal assault for all the reason's Marc listed above. I think grabbing a captive and interrogating for intelligence is a great idea.

I'm for using some party treasure to fund the purchase of potions and scrolls and also bribes if need be. If we used 10,000 gp from the loot then that would leave us with shares of 78,933 per player.

Chris, what information can Fina's advisors provide us on the MFF?

 

[Chris the Bigger]

Azz is all for using some of the loot to buy party items like Draca has mentioned.


Fina's sources have come up with some interesting news:

First, from one of her spies that is on Mottul holding the Edios gate. Mottul does indeed have an army of undead ready to launch through the portal. they are close to the portal but not right on the door step. If done correctly a small diversion coupled with some invisiability magic should get you through the portal. you'll have to trust to luck that you are not detected going through but getting through should be a minor problem.​

Second, her scribes have located a very old set of diagram's showing the Mottul fortress. they are transcribing them now so you can use them. They will not stand up to much handling in the condition they are in right now. They will be ready by the time you leave.​

Thrid, Fina has a spy on the Mottul FF. She just recieved word from her agent that he is indeed on the FF and is in a position to help when the attack on her lands starts. She is pretty confident in this agent but will not take the risk of sending any instructions too soon. She will send instructions once you are rady to go through the portal.​

Fourth at your request Fina sent out raiding parties tasked with caputring high ranking Mottul Foreces - living forces. the raids were sucessful and brought back two officers. Draca interegates them and they tell you the same info about the undead army ready to come through the portal and destroy you. they do not know anything about how the portal is gaurded but hink you are pretty stupid to believe you can take the FF and then use the portal to attack Mottul.​

You also learn that the leader of this invasion is called Naxel. Draca also manages to pull this last bit of information from them. Naxel is a half fiend half giant and is apparently an up and coming military leader. this raid as the captives call it is just the start for him. They both expect that Naxel will be aboard the FF directing the attack.​

Fina's Military advisors believe this to be a true statment and start making plans to try and cut off the flying messengers that will be needed to relay ordes to the army.​

The party can find the following magic from Draca's list:
Wands
Cure serious or moderate wounds x3 10/12/40
Restoration x1 15 charges
Deathward (too high level for potion) x2 10/5 charges
Dispel magic x1 25 charges

Scrolls
Dispel magic, greater (from 16th level caster) x5
Heals x6
Summon monster IX x2
Implosion x4

Potions (all at min caster level needed or at min caster level +2 for duration spells)

Invisibility x15
Cure moderate or serious wounds x12
Bear’s endurance x8
Lesser restoration x5
Shield of faith +3x3, +4X4
Spider climb x10
Gaseous form x3
Haste x6
Greater magic fang +5x3 +3x5
Magic vestments +4x5, +3x6
Barkskin +5x2, +4x7, +2x4
Keen edge x4

Fina's sources have also found a tome describing how to silver a weapon. They thingk they can make it work but there is a 10% chance that the weapon is destroyed in the process and they do not know if it will be permanent or how long it will last. This can only be done to metal weapons. Because of the risk Fina will pay for all costs assocaited with this process.

Any one who has a post on this thread by Thrusday night will recieve 500 XP pregame.

 

[Haltherrion]

We've got a ton of money so I think we should buy every last thing on the last. Meta-game wise, I am not going to volunteer coordination of who gets what since I won't be there. We should give as many of the wands as possible to people other than Draeca. The wands' purpose is to let other people be mini-Draeca's. At the least Draeca's dragon Aura is a paladin and can use some of these. If anyone has these spells on their spelllists, then they can use them too. Dreace doesn't need much of the protective clerical potions either. But she may be best for all the scrolls.

Draeca's sword is a family heirloom so she is not going to have it silvered. Great news on the intel below. It should help a lot.

One thing I should have made more clear (although I did say a little to the effect in the earlier email), Draeca would have conducted the interogation without specific reference to the MFF because these people can theoretically be contacted by sending or what not and she did not want to reveal our interest in the MFF. She would start with the captive in Mottul and interogate them all the way to the point of capture with no special emphasis on the transit through the MFF.

On a personal note, a half fiend, half giant sounds pretty challening but we have one of our own and can let Gel take care of him