ATG Misson 9.3 - The Death of Baron Thelypteris
Previously on Liters of Tomorrow-
The team had traveled to The Points, A southern city of the Forest Realms currently in the middle of a festival, to stop an assassination. The guest of honor at this ceremony was one Baron Garizon Thelypteris, an elven diplomat and descendant of a great Elven House. Your old foes the Morendath Ever'Rend were going to use the murder as a flashpoint to draw the Elven Realms into the war raging in Penthatheim. Their greater motives for this are unclear even to the greater Underdark government and their agent, the drow woman known as Vorleana. The mysterious Rogue known as Ijin whom you picked up in Kalevoor Castle spent most of the day looking for information. He bumped into a man who looked just like him and with the same name who suggested they meet in the morning. He too claimed that he was just trying to foil the assassination attempt.
Vorleana approached you the previous night realizing that you were all attempting to foil the same plot. After some warm greetings you all came up with a plan for the following morning. An annual parade was to snake through the city stopping briefly on King's Street so that the Baron could give a speech. Figuring that this was the moment when the assassin would strike you chose that as a meeting point. Vom Fass, Baji and Blizzard Hops decided to ride with the baron on the float. Vom Fass and Baji chose to move invisibly and stealthily sneak aboard. Hops on the other hand used his powers of persuasion and his love of whiskey to talk his way aboard, convincing the Baron that he was there to promote his distillery. Ijin worked the streets of the parade route acting as a go between. Mew and Vorleana stayed near the two tallest buildings on King's Street and looked for any shady actors.
As noon and the speech approached Ijin went to meet with the version of himself from our reality. What he found was a trick, A small note dosed with a powerful sleeping agent. Realizing his mistake a moment too late he was knocked unconscious by the agent. Meanwhile on the float Vom Fass noticed that the baron's assistant had a slight shimmer as the sunlight hit her just right. He deduced that she was one of the Morendath in disguise! As she fled he transformed her into a sea cucumber, but this form was quickly stepped on by the large crowd long the parade route. Soon she had escaped into the throng of people. Realizing that they didn't have much time Baji and Vom Fass took to the sky using a fly spell. As they made their way to the top of the maycroft building they encountered the Sniper just in time. The man known as Ijin lost his focus as Baji leapt towards him.
Down below Hops saw the arrow hit the float instead of the baron and he rushed forward to shield the man with his heavily armored body. Mew who was investigating the Constellation building ran into some mercenaries as well as some dangerous infiltrators who used cloaking armor to surprise her. Using her great speed and psionic abilities she subdued them just in time to see the Baron's assistant, now without her disguise, directly in front of her. Brutally severing the woman's leg with her sword her killing blow was stopped by Vorleana who wanted to take the woman alive for questioning. Mew instead went to the top floor and revived Ijin and as they saw what was happening on the opposite building they leapt into action. Mew used her tattoo wings to transport them both across. Once there Mew used that same sleep agent to incapacitate the assassin Ijin. This left the interdimensional Ijin to make the final decision, standing over the unconscious man he hesitated. A terrible look crossed his face as he struggled psychologically, finally he plunged his sword through the man's chest piercing his heart.
After the parade the Baron invited you all to the gala at the Zodiac Casino. As everyone joined in the festivities eventually Ijin wandered off alone to find the Baron in a private room. Vom Fass, ever curious followed invisibly and watched as the Baron and Ijin spoke. Ijin posed a series of philosophical questions and the baron answered with vanity, elitism, even cruelty. With a stoic look on his face Ijin stabbed the man killing him quickly and efficiently, and before Vom Fass could act he rung a small bell and faded from our reality....
Plot points/Scenes
As we left it, Vom Fass, you watch in stunned silence as the strange concentric circles and otherwordly chime of the strange bell leaves you alone with the body of Baron Garizon Thelypteris in an unused VIP lounge of the Zodiac Casino.
Now the team has to deal with the consequences of this
[Optional] - There are two Morendath Operatives still active in the city that Vorleana wants to take in alive. There is evidence that the Morendath's next objective is Agrimor's stronghold and all of the artifacts that ATG has collected for him. This is a powerful cache of magical weapons and objects that I need to catalog. They will use Panthrus Murcielagus himself to help them with this. He will bring an entire battalion and siege the stronghold.
There is a section of the Control Rod underneath the city . Need a scene where that flares to life. Also let's have the Top hat man continue to cause problems for them. As they get closer to assembling the rod he begins to feel like they are up to something. Here he will often take over guards and give them information or warlock powers. At times when they are sneaking or hiding a guard will manifest a spectral purple top hat. Their eyes pulse with a purple light and they will have an epiphany. "Wait, they are over there! I can feel it!" With that they get Eldritch blasts with extra damage even being able to damage walls and floors with Cyclops like beams.
Jeznae Mizzruil -
Currently posing as one of the Point Guard ,Cory Lazar - Blue tielfling woman with curled black horns. She has bright yellow eyes and is always in on a scam or bribery situation. She is incredibly intelligent and wields several black daggers. Unlike the others she is actually using a physical disguise of costume horns and a little bit of make up over her already bluish purple skin. Her eye color is made with glowing contact lenses.
Zuncator Kharza'Can - One of the posted guards defending both Delthorne Thelypteris and Garizon. He is using a disguise self spell as well increasing the duration with the rune stone. He currently looks like an elven man with light skin and long brown hair. His uniform is a Light blue jacket with yellow embroidery on the epaulettes and going up and down around the buttons on front as well as around the cuffs in a complicated winged pattern.
Morendath Infiltrators - They also have several cloaked wetworks agents that use special armor equipped with invisibility runes. Once activated the runes will give the operative one minute of invisibility.
Now the team has to deal with the consequences of this
[Optional] - There are two Morendath Operatives still active in the city that Vorleana wants to take in alive. There is evidence that the Morendath's next objective is Agrimor's stronghold and all of the artifacts that ATG has collected for him. This is a powerful cache of magical weapons and objects that I need to catalog. They will use Panthrus Murcielagus himself to help them with this. He will bring an entire battalion and siege the stronghold.
There is a section of the Control Rod underneath the city . Need a scene where that flares to life. Also let's have the Top hat man continue to cause problems for them. As they get closer to assembling the rod he begins to feel like they are up to something. Here he will often take over guards and give them information or warlock powers. At times when they are sneaking or hiding a guard will manifest a spectral purple top hat. Their eyes pulse with a purple light and they will have an epiphany. "Wait, they are over there! I can feel it!" With that they get Eldritch blasts with extra damage even being able to damage walls and floors with Cyclops like beams.
Jeznae Mizzruil -
Currently posing as one of the Point Guard ,Cory Lazar - Blue tielfling woman with curled black horns. She has bright yellow eyes and is always in on a scam or bribery situation. She is incredibly intelligent and wields several black daggers. Unlike the others she is actually using a physical disguise of costume horns and a little bit of make up over her already bluish purple skin. Her eye color is made with glowing contact lenses.
Zuncator Kharza'Can - One of the posted guards defending both Delthorne Thelypteris and Garizon. He is using a disguise self spell as well increasing the duration with the rune stone. He currently looks like an elven man with light skin and long brown hair. His uniform is a Light blue jacket with yellow embroidery on the epaulettes and going up and down around the buttons on front as well as around the cuffs in a complicated winged pattern.
Morendath Infiltrators - They also have several cloaked wetworks agents that use special armor equipped with invisibility runes. Once activated the runes will give the operative one minute of invisibility.
Themes
Where we left off...
Vom Fass, With the Baron now dead and bleeding in front of you three of his personal guard stream into the room. The leader in front, an elven man with light skin and long brown hair. His uniform is a Light blue jacket with yellow embroidery on the epaulettes and going up and down around the buttons on front as well as around the cuffs in a complicated winged pattern glares at you. [DM Note: do a perception check! On a success he notices that same shimmer that the Baron's assistant had]
"You! the kobold is the assassin! Seize him!" They all rush forward to grab you. As you decide what to do in a split second you hear one of the Elven guards rush off to inform the Point Guard of the city of the ghastly murder by you and your companions. A Brown haired Elven man rushes off towards the door that leads out to the street. What would you like to do?
Mew, as you wander about the Gala unaware of any of what transpired with Ijin and Vom Fass you wander towards the bar. Blizzard Hops still in his armor sits there with two bottles of whiskey in front of him. He is quite drunk at this point and as he turns to see you his armor is starting to glow. Bright sparks of golden energy snap and crackle around him as you watch. Within a couple of seconds he blinks out of existence leaving a slight afterimage in your retina. On the floor of the casino underneath his barstool you hear a thunk. The piece of the control rod hits the ground and hums a bit. It is then that you the scream.
A shout goes up as an elven woman at the party sees the body of the baron lying there. Elven bodyguards of House thelypteris rush past you as they move towards the room where the baron's body now lies. You also see the leader, a blond elven man, shout orders at his soldiers one of which is instructed to chase down the kobold and inform the Point Guard that the baron has been murdered by the kobold and his companions. They were all seen at the parade especially the Cleric of Eigeralon known as Blizzard Hops.
[DM Note: When Mew and Vom Fass find an alleyway or a rooftop to hide in the control rod will flare to life. At this point there are two hawks circling over head. Ethan Hawke Informs Karnac that he has found them! Karnac enters now! As the control rod flares to life this draws the attention of a strange masked man who wanders closer.]
Von BloodBlight - No matter where we are Von Bloodblight notices the team and begins to skulk closer. Almost unaware of the busy city around him he wanders through crowds uncaring of the living world around him.
Von Bloodblight you feel a charge run through you, a beacon almost. As you follow it through the streets or up a building you push past the flow of drunk and disorderly revelers who are in town for the festival. Most of them are quite unaware of the murder of the baron or even that the baron is a big deal. Thousands come here for the White Gold Festival to drink, gamble, and get laid. You though are quite aware of the what the White Gold Festival is and the historical importance. It was drilled into you through your training and hundreds of classes that made you the great soldier you were. Through that is entwined the bullying and sometimes outright scorn for the man you were, your heritage. The devil blood that flowed through your veins, the color of your skin a giveaway no matter where you were or the heroic deed you were accomplishing. You mutter to yourself as you follow an unseen thread, something pulls you forward towards these strange criminals.
Structure
Exposition
Herradin -
The points was once an ancient city known as Herradin. It was a much larger structure with enormous walls and giant sections extending into the sea. A millenia ago some great catastrophe destroyed half the city. The sea and the land reclaimed most of the city leaving numerous underground layers below that have been untouched for centuries. There are two ways to enter the ancient city underneath. There is a manhole that can be uncovered just outside the Blue Cauldron Tavern or there is a way underneath the Maycroft Building. Both ways present problems by way of the Morendath Ever'Rend inflitrators or just the Point guard who are all looking for the team.
Underneath the Maycroft Building -
There is an entrance to the underground catacombs and ancient city streets below the building. The Maycroft building has a strange circular opening that is built into the center allowing higher floors to look down upon the floors below. The ground floor has a circular mosaic depicting an ancient castle lording over a woodland. It is created of sparkling crystals and minerals that are commonly found in the mining territory near the city. Underneath this mosaic is an entrance into the ancient city catacombs. A PC can smash through the mosaic with three DC 18 strength checks, or they can search the room for a secret switch that opens a door in the side of the mosaic and a staircase leading down. Underneath The Points are the ruins and catacombs of an ancient elven city from the second age. Down here are the Herradym Shades, former people who lived and worked in the city long dead. There are also constructs and mechanoids that can be turned on or set loose. These are large constructs powered by ancient shard rock orbs that act as batteries.
Conflict
Under The Points -
As you descend down the long staircase the warm South Sea air grows colder. You walk for minutes then almost half an hour and the humid air slowly chills until you get to the bottowm A wide marble landing looks out over an enormous cavern holding an entire city within. It's about 45 degrees down here and the city glows with a strange blue. As you look out over the hundreds of buildings, streets and squares every once in awhile you see a ghostly figure walk a few steps then fade again. Small blue motes bob and dance about all around you casting a bit of light, enough to see by anyway.
The Zhavendar Building - In this building there is a staircase that leads down to the catacombs and the resting place of the last piece of the control rod in this timeline. In a chamber known as the celestial conduit lies the shard.
Like most of this ghost city the only light around the building are motes of glowing blue light that bob and dance slowly through the air around you. It creates just enough light for those without darkvision to see the area around you for 20 feet or so. Those with darkvision can see close to 50 though the added light of the orbs makes it more difficult to see beyond that due to too much light for your sensitive eyes. The building is a fairly large manor house but not very tall, probably just a single floor with 11' foot ceilings. The manor is surrounded by a 12' stone wall with a wooden gate on the north side. The wood is bolstered by iron works around the edges though the wood looks slightly petrified at this point.
As you scout the grounds around the building there is a window that seems to peer into a large dining room and a door on the East side of the building. It has been long locked and the entire mechanism seems to have frozen.
[DM Note: The building is home to 2 Death Knights. Just walking the grounds will be enough to rouse them and they will attack the party.]
Rising Action
The Celestial Conduit -
Different Versions of Adventure Team Grimm-
Warforged ATG
Vampire ATG
Khalesite Spawn ATG
Kobold ATG
Lich ATG
Rodent ATG - Mouse Hops, Mole Karnac, Kitten Mew, Metal Ferret cog, and Bat Vom Fass
On a pedestal in the middle of this strange room lies an object. A jagged piece of metal with a look of bronze alloy. On the map of the Celestial Conduit are several orbs that create a lattice of protection around the control rod. This lattice either fires off deadly bolts of energy or siphons the power of the piece to bring in deadly evil versions of the players to protect the artifact. Casting dispel magic on the orbs will disable them or they can be destroyed [DM Note: AC 18, 50 HP for each globe]
If the players succeed in defeating the other versions of themselves they are greeted by a hologram of the Fallen Demigod known as Glorian. A purple crystal lies on a device much like Superman II that activates the hologram. Glorian will answer questions as best he can but acknowledges that he is just an image and only knows what is in his database.
The History of the Control Rod - It is said that many ages ago lived the great wizard and artificer GravingKnoll Viendall. A talented half-elven dwarfkind he inherited a forge of great stature from his family. The ancient stories all say that he defeated his hated father and took control of the forge as well as the great castle and lands that it sat upon. The many lives that were given that day during that bloody battle seeped into the forge giving it unsurpassed power. Ruling over this area for a century Viendall became more and more angry with the gods and their interference in mortal affairs. This feeling was enhanced by a chance meeting with the fallen known as Glorian. The two began intense discussions on the relationship between the pantheon, mortals, and the planet itself. Realizing the great power of the gods the two devised a method of controlling or stopping a god should the great need arise. The solution was a rod capable of not only channeling enough power, but could separate itself from time and space itself. They amassed a great wealth of shard rock and forged new metals from meteors. The great forge and the power of glorian allowed them to craft a rod with the specific use of stopping a god and expelling that god from all planes of existence at the same time.
Morendath Ever'Rend-
Gwenevyar Umbra'Can [In Custody]- Current leader of this mission, she is undercover as the Baron's personal assistant. She is was going by the name Lydia Castamere.
Jeznae Mizzruil - Currently posing as one of the Point Guard ,Cory Lazar - Blue tielfling woman with curled black horns. She has bright yellow eyes and is always in on a scam or bribery situation. She is incredibly intelligent and wields several black daggers. Unlike the others she is actually using a physical disguise of costume horns and a little bit of make up over her already bluish purple skin. Her eye color is made with glowing contact lenses.
Zuncator Kharza'Can - One of the posted guards defending both Delthorne Thelypteris and Garizon. He is using a disguise self spell as well increasing the duration with the rune stone. He currently looks like an elven man with light skin and long brown hair. His uniform is a Light blue jacket with yellow embroidery on the epaulettes and going up and down around the buttons on front as well as around the cuffs in a complicated winged pattern.
Gwenevyar Umbra'Can [In Custody]- Current leader of this mission, she is undercover as the Baron's personal assistant. She is was going by the name Lydia Castamere.
Jeznae Mizzruil - Currently posing as one of the Point Guard ,Cory Lazar - Blue tielfling woman with curled black horns. She has bright yellow eyes and is always in on a scam or bribery situation. She is incredibly intelligent and wields several black daggers. Unlike the others she is actually using a physical disguise of costume horns and a little bit of make up over her already bluish purple skin. Her eye color is made with glowing contact lenses.
Zuncator Kharza'Can - One of the posted guards defending both Delthorne Thelypteris and Garizon. He is using a disguise self spell as well increasing the duration with the rune stone. He currently looks like an elven man with light skin and long brown hair. His uniform is a Light blue jacket with yellow embroidery on the epaulettes and going up and down around the buttons on front as well as around the cuffs in a complicated winged pattern.
Elven Shades in Herradin
- Umequinal Flowerbrook
- Elaven Wintersense
- Beinorin Duskflight
- Permaer Oakshine
- Thetoris Springriver
- Erlamin Nesiil
- Ilbar Shastero
- Wyace Fuldenna
- Choria Tanta
- Nasa Tejaran
- Gilvia Inorh
- Posey Quellis
Completion Date
3/18/22
3/18/22
Related Characters
Related Organizations
Related Locations
- The Arcanist's Circlet
- Gem of Amara
- The Sarcophagus of Electra The Unseen
- The Orb of Planar Travel
- Vaconto's Icosahedron
- Hundreds of pounds of Shardrock
- Hydellical Mechanoid
Comments