OOC: House Millithor in COSQ part 4

[Xael]

The game has gotten... ...interesting lately, don't you think? Flying pools of tar, mutated goblinoids, my Robe of The Archmage disappearing...

Endur, you need some help, dude.

Ps. Icho rules.

 

[Serpenteye]

ooc: Does Quertus have permanent Arcane Sight? If so, he knows that the Forbiddance is no longer up.

I've operated under the assumption that very little time has passed since the conversation with Edwin began. But it seems the attack is already underway and we don't have our forces in position. So, I guess we're officially ed.
The Matron did order her forces to "prepare for an attack" but hasn't actually spelled out her plan yet. The heroes will be inside the Noble level long before we are done with whatever weird stuff is happening in the throne room and can react to them. All because I misunderstood the DMs intentions, when I should have known to expect the worst.

So, what now? Fighting is pointless when our trap has been bypassed before we even got the chance to prepare the battlefield. I guess all we can do now is flee or die.

 

[Xael]

So, what now? Fighting is pointless when our trap has been bypassed before we even got the chance to prepare the battlefield. I guess all we can do now is flee or die.

Kill them! Kill them all I say! They're no match for us! *Insane laughter*

Seriously, this does hamper our fight a bit, but we can still toss up something nasty. Maybe we could lead them to the inverted tower. Let them have fun with Solom. If he dies, too bad, he's weakened them. If he kills them, good for him.

Or we could just run. Quertus can't teleport us all unless he uses the scroll he bought. Oh well...

But we need to hunt Edwin down later, that's for sure. I want that robe. He probably had Contingency or something, though I can't explain the Gargoyle.

 

[Serpenteye]

Quertus would have immediately noticed (thanks to his permanent arcane Sight) when the Forbiddance disappeared. He could not have missed that. Therefore I will have to assume that it was dispelled the moment before the Gargoyle appeared. That is too much of a coincidence.
That leads me to the conclusion that the Heroes did not dispell the Forbiddance, but that whoever is the Gargoyle's master did. The conclusion should be obvious (if the universe operates logically); The Gargoyle's master is our enemy (and a damned smart one to have manageed to time his attack so perfectly) and we have nothing to gain by buying his expensive lies.

 

[Xael]

(if the universe operates logically)

I wouldn't count on that, we're talking about Endur here after all. But I agree that the Gargoyle appearing is just a bit too damn interesting to be just coincidence.

But we have a s**tload of goblinoids, giants and spellcaster drow to take care of first.

 

[Endur]

Well, the inspiration for the flying pools of tar and the mutated goblinoids came from the Book of Vile Darkness, but, honestly, the pool of tar and the goblins and the person who mutated both are all in the original COSQ module. If you bypass the commoners and let sleeping dogs lie, you don't really have to worry too much about the Mutant Master.

With regards to the Robe of the Archmage disappearing, blame the TSR novel "Song of the Saurials" (Elminister did it). A variant teleport spell where you trade places with someone else. The spell is in one of my FR sources and its lower than 9th level.

With regards to the Forbiddance disappearing, you definitely have an enemy that removed it. It is probable that the enemy removed the forbiddance simultaneously with your attack, although its possible Quertus wasn't paying attention and it was removed some time prior. While Edwin could have removed the forbiddance, you didn't see him try to do it and you don't even know if he knew about it.

 

[Endur]

Edwin, Zieggrek, and Tierak heard the adventurers entering the crypts. i.e. the adventurers were one hundred feet or so behind the party of drow.

The adventurers did spend some time poking around and splattering the few remaining undead in the crypts, but the crypts are mostly a one way trek to Szith Morcane. The adventurers are hasted and nothing they encounter can last more than one round, so they moved pretty quickly through the Dodrien Crypts.

I've operated under the assumption that very little time has passed since the conversation with Edwin began. But it seems the attack is already underway and we don't have our forces in position. So, I guess we're officially ed.

 

[Xael]

Well, the inspiration for the flying pools of tar and the mutated goblinoids came from the Book of Vile Darkness, but, honestly, the pool of tar and the goblins and the person who mutated both are all in the original COSQ module. If you bypass the commoners and let sleeping dogs lie, you don't really have to worry too much about the Mutant Master.

Really? I own the module but I haven't read it very throughly (for obvious reasons). But you're still a nutcase.

With regards to the Robe of the Archmage disappearing, blame the TSR novel "Song of the Saurials" (Elminister did it). A variant teleport spell where you trade places with someone else. The spell is in one of my FR sources and its lower than 9th level.

Yes, I happen to know the spell, and in fact thought of it at first (really!) but then remembered the forbiddance. It's a damn cool spell, and can be used to cause some nice confusion.

...But what happened to Edwin? Will we ever know...

 

[Serpenteye]

Ok, ok, so the gargoyle traded places with Edwin (because Edwin certainly didn't cast any spell, and "Elminster's Escape" is likely too high level to be put in a contingency.) Why would he have traded places with that particular creature anyway (and coincidentally at a time when it was carrying a message to us)? Obviously we're dealing with an archmage messenger-gargoyle.
What's the status of our armed forces? (in the Axebane time-frame)Where are they and how many?
If I had known that you ran all the plots simultaneously I would have posted my reply to Edwin sooner, it was never my intention to have Ki'Willis stand around and wait without communicating any of my plans to her subordinates. If I would have known about that ruling (and it seemed more likely that the opposite to that ruling was in effect) I would have acted differently. I would have ordered the "living missile plan" into action.
(Details in an earlier post) Vampires above (all of them since we don't have many), Bebiliths below, and our main forces arrayed safely behind our party in the Noble Level.

That's all I need. What's your ruling?

 

[Endur]

FYI: You are certain that Edwin's tattoo initiated the transfer. The way the spell works, is that Edwin can trade places with any arcane caster willing to travel here. It just so happens that there is an arcane gargoyle-type creature willing to visit the drow and sell them information.

With regards to waiting around, I'm not assuming that the Matron waited very long. Its just that the party of drow only had a few minutes lead on the hasted heroes. While Edwin was talking to you, the heroes were already setting the web on fire. You thought you had time; perfectly normal assumption, just based on facts that weren't true.

With regards to the armed forces in the axe-bane time frame, you have the full garrison I mentioned previously. Minus the two vampires that were destroyed by the black pudding and never recovered.