Lord of the Coast
Infiltration, and Investigation
Lord of the Coast
Gathering Information
One of the first missions for the Atheran Marshal. If the Players are returning from a mission then they return to find the doors of the council hall ajar, and a faint light coming from within. If the players are already in the hall they would wake to find a man sitting at the table. The Marshal is sitting at a table with half facing the table, and half facing the players. A low fire burns in the hearth, some meats and vegetables roasting over the low flames.
- The players have many utilities at their disposal to identify what’s within. Skill checks will tell minimal information as the figure has taken great care to leave no direct trace of their movement.
- There are many spells the players may use as well as some channel divinities or class/racial traits. The entity within does emanate a faint magical aura from their weapons and armor, however as a normal humanoid they will not give off any sense to detect evil and good, undead, or like magic. All players can feel a weight to the air, a stillness and presence. An Oath of Wills Paladin, or Way of Wells monk however can read this aura or ki as that of an immensely powerful humanoid.
When the players engage with the Marshal, the interaction will depend largely on how they approach it. If the players are initially hostile the Marshal will easily toss aside their attacks or spells with either counterspell or some maneuvers such as disarm. The marshal is not hostile and seems somewhat amused by the attempts of the players.
If the players are not hostile or he descelates them, then he will welcome them home and offer food and ask them to join him around the table. If any players have met the Marshal before then they would recognize him. The Marshal talks to the party for a time, explaining the political issues of Athera and his very limited resources. He explains what immediate threats he faces. He explains that the player’s reputation has caught his attention and he appreciates their presence as it has freed up some of his resources. Continuing he will tell the party about some of the local issues and his concerns with the local lord. The Marshal has suspicions that the local lord has at worst been assisting the raiders, and at best his selfishness and incompetence has jeopardizes the security of this portion of the coast. He notes that several raider camps and a fortress has been established. Explaining that the raiders are a direct and short term threat, it is one however which can be handled by Mercenaries or the Legion. It is handling the Lord which requires a more deft and unofficial touch. Directing the players to infiltrate the Lords fortified estate and to find any incriminating evidence within. He cautions that the Lord is a domineering man with a large contingent of mercenaries which guard his estate. The Marshal is seeking all information they can provide on the Lord's activities and dealings.
- Information on missing taxes, raider movements, agreements with raiders or unexplained payments, as well as abuses of power, and threats of force against the people.
He stresses that this information can help him take action against this Lord, potentially even replacing this Lord with someone more proactive in combating this threat. That perhaps this region will need stewardship of those capable of being vigilant.
The players will be given information about the location of the Lord's estate, as well as a very rudimentary map of the Lord’s estate. There are many other hidden back entrances, weak points, and patrol routes that can be made note of. However there is a base set of entrances noted if the players wish to just go ahead and attempt to infiltrate the compound without gathering additional information. These entrances are however usually heavily guarded and will have a higher DC to get past.
Depending on where the party gets this assignment, will depend on how long travel will take to reach the Lord’s estate. From Aleswell the estate is two days travel to the northeast when traveling by foot or one day by horse. The Estate is located along a river near a small town. The town itself has a number of available amenities, in town there is:
- An inn/tavern located near the center of town.
- A blacksmith shop towards the edge of town along the river.
- A stable along the road into town.
- A fletcher in a shop adjacent to the blacksmith shop.
- A baker.
- 10 Farmsteads spread about the southern edge of town.
- A small church in the heart of town.
- A windmill near the southern farms.
- A merchant shop of general goods.
- A carpenter, and lumber mill on the east side of the town by the river.
- A small stone mason’s work near the lumber mill.
- A small alchemist shop near the general goods store.
On the north end of town a single bridge leads across the river, the road continues to the east once across the river and a path breaks off up to the Lord’s Estate. A road leads up to the gatehouse, a wooden palisade and gatehouse at the edge of the roadway. On the other side of the gatehouse the road continues and winds up the hill to the fortified homestead. There are low ramparted stone walls and another small gatehouse. The house itself has some classical home elements, but the entire ground floor is stone, and there are also fortified towers that extend up from the first floor. It is clear that this is the Keep for the village but also the home of a wealthy Lord.
The Lord Henry Pyke, is the regent of the land, he is a tall proud man. Shrewd and money focused, his reputation about town is one more concerned with his station and wealth than the well being of his people. On arriving in town the players can gather information on Lord Pyke and his habits from the local residents. This information may come at a cost when Lord Pyke seeks out who infiltrated his estate. Should the players engage with the townsfolk they may leave a trail of evidence for Lord Pyke to follow back to Aleswell.
- Should the players investigate around town, there are several possible sources of information. The first would be at the tavern where drunk guards may say too much about the movements of their Lord.
- The second would be from the people who live and work near the Lord’s Estate. There are many cooks, carpenters, and stable hands which live in town but work on the Estate grounds. These workers who are in the direct employ of Lord Pyke are cautious as they are well aware of his ruthless reputation. The people in town are more open to discussing what they know, but can offer far less information on the goings on in the Keep.
- Depending on who they speak to they may find people in close enough employ of Lord Pyke to be truly afraid of him they talk of what he does to those who stand in his way.
- Additionally the players can directly investigate the castle grounds. There are many barriers to this information gathering. The first is the outer walls and the patrols there on which serves as an initial physical barrier and initial threat of detection. With every barrier the players move past blindly the risk of detection increases, and the danger once caught jumps significantly as well, as the number of guards also steadily increases. Once past the outer wall the players find they must pass a large clear courtyard and hillside that leads up to the inner wall and estate propper.
There are several structures in this area such as the stables, but cover is very limited, so other ways of avoiding detection would be beneficial. There are no patrols directly within this “courtyard” however there is a patrol that passes by on both the inner and outer walls. Upon clearing the inner wall the players will find a small yard with some decorative landscaping which can provide cover. There are again several small out buildings and structures which surround the central estate. There is one guard who patrols this central courtyard. While exploring this courtyard there appears to be several entrances to the main building, but all seem to have some activity about them, and are large locking doors. The Estate is fairly well guarded, more so than any of the surrounding villages, with a decent sized mercenary company as the personal retainers of Lord Pyke. This company has a wide range of skill levels, and abilities and is made up of various npc stat blocks. Mostly the mercenaries are not threatening one on one, however it is the small party size and number of mercenaries in his employ which provides the threat.
Available Information:
When Speaking to People in Town.
- Lord Pyke is currently out of town, and it is unknown when he might return.
- Lord Pyke still maintains a sizable garrison at his keep, and that it is said the garrison is exclusively mercenaries in his employ rather than members of the watch or army.
- The Town has not been raided in nearly a year (the Marshal noted that Lord Pyke has reported several attacks within that time frame).
- The reputation of Lord Pyke, as a domineering man who is cut throat and shrewd.
- That he levies a heavy tax burden (the players may note that this money has not been making it back to Cal-Corvec).
- When Speaking to Workers of the Estate:
- The Lord is expected to return in the next few days, and the servants are to make the keep ready for his return.
- Lord Pyke traveled by carriage with the accompaniment of four ranking mercenaries including their captain.
- That Lord Pyke is a dangerous man and should be avoided.
- Lord Pyke has been sending coin shipments out as “taxes” but they are headed north rather than to Cal-Corvec.
Overheard from Drunken Guards.
- Without the captain or Lord present the patrols have been lazy.
- The blacksmith is repairing some armor for the guards.
- Repairs of the blacksmith entrance have been delayed, the door is less secure than the others.
- The cellar entrance is on the northside of the Estate, locked and beyond the inner wall.
There may be other information that the players may find should you wish to provide it, but this serves as the base information as inspiration. With information gathered and plans made then it is time for the players to put their plan into action.
During the Day. Stealth DC’s are higher due to the lack of cover and bright light of day. As well the people of the town who work within the estate are on the premises and going about their various duties. At Night. Perception checks have a higher DC due to darkness, but stealth checks are easier as it is harder for the guards to see intruders. Additionally the patrols are easier to track as they carry lanterns. As well there are fewer workers within the Estate at night, so a somewhat lower chance of being detected. Early Morning. Like going at night there are fewer people working in the estate first thing in the morning and many of the guards will be doing theory shift change, with off coming guards fatigued and oncoming guards groggy having just woken up.Effects of Weather.
- Heavy Rains. Under heavy rain the DC of any climbing checks is increased, perception checks at distance have increased DC’s, and the guards are lazy in their patrols mostly keeping to covered posts since the Lord and Captain are away from the estate.
- Fog. In the early morning there is a chance for heavy fog. In the fog perception checks at a distance have disadvantage.
From this point the adventure will focus on the infiltration of the compound. The structure of this section will be organized by locations in the estate and the features and hazards therein. These areas are organized by distance from the central structure and relative position on the map.
Gatehouse
The initial gatehouse is a large wooden and stone structure with an iron portcullis and large wooden door. The gate house has two towers which extend from either side of the gate itself, which connect to the rampart which encircles the estate. There is one guard in front of the gate and the portcullis is raised. However the gate is shut. Within the gate house towers there are three more guards with heavy crossbows that are able to fire down to the road below.
-Gatehouse Features.
Comments