The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by Magile »

This is what Layali would propose to the group.

1. We get all the information together from Aglaril's scrying - we've heard that Dolfen Reed seems to speak with someone he confides in or differs to when it comes to Skaug and the raiders. Finding this man, or figuring out from the scrying where Dolfen Reed resides, is the information to move onto the next phase.

2. Once we know where Dolfen Reed is, we deal with him. He's an Overlord who enslaves people when they're out during bell tolls, allows the raiders to do as they please and likes to wheel n' deal slaves. We want him alive to give us information, but we may have to muscle him to learn what we can. We're aware that he is Fire Genasi, we know he can use spells of some sort, so we know he's a capable Wizard, Sorcerer or possibly Warlock - prepare accordingly, just in case. We move onto phase three now.

3. Dolfen Reed and/or his contact is muscled into giving up the information we need. We know that the raiders come to Skaug monthly, and we just had them depart, so the goal is to figure out where the raiders may or may not be for next week. Why? We set up an ambush, that's why. There's no way we can catch up to where they're going this weekend, but if they have any semblance of a schedule, we can try and lay a trap the following weekend to catch them off guard. Once we get this information and plan, we move to the final phase.

4. Scout out the area we plan to set an ambush in. This will require disguises of some kind - not necessarily arcane, but definitely don't go strolling in as we normally would. We want to get a lay of the land, we want to see if there's a point that we can actually hold them in... and most importantly, we need to have a vantage or a means of trying to get the stone off them - Layali would suggest either finding an area where line of sight is blocked so that we can sneak ONTO the ship, or dealing with the raiders as they have left the ship and risking fighting into a stone (and, therefore, going for the stone). That would all be the week after, when they go to that location, but we need that knowledge.

And there you have it! This is Layali's four-point plan for the weekend. If things go awry at any point, she's not going to be able to swing the plan on the fly - she's smart, but pressure isn't going to work well for her. Of course, others may not even want to go with this plan, which is fine... but this is what she will be pushing.
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by Ithildur »

Aglaril's response would be supportive; he's been anticipating a return to Skaug since the day we left.

Further details from additional scrying pending; may or may not have much impact on plans. May or may not even happen depending on RL schedules. Scrying btw in this campaign is not per 3.5e by the book (which is fine), and apparently will not happen offline/outside the game engine. If any efforts are being/have been made to gather more information about Overlord Reed, we need that info. Horatio was ingame for a good chunk of time with Ari last night; whatever he learned might be helpful to convey to the group long before the next session so it can inform our plans.

Aglaril mentioned he has access to a spell that will telepathically link 3 or 4 others to himself and each other, facilitating instant and silent communication (with the inevitable potential for faux pas, amusing or otherwise) for operations that require sensitive coordination/communication. He'll plan on preparing a casting when the group returns to skaug.

re: Travel: Aglaril can teleport 4 others besides himself; with a group larger than 5, Teleport options are not ideal travel plans but emergency contingency. It'll be a good idea to confirm whether Skaug's port activities have returned to normal or not, or better yet - charter our own ship/borrow one through the Queen. I'll see if there's time to set this up with Aglaril since Toby's not in a position to ask. The way the meeting with the Queen went down, I'm not sure how responsive she will be to the rest of the group; there was very little time for proper introductions/recognition.



Once we have more information on the Raider ship's location/destination/schedule it'll better inform our plans to set up an ambush of some kind, though Aglaril is in favor of the idea of an ambush in general at some point. It'll be nice to turn the tables, and numbers favor some sort of ambush/infiltration rather than frontal assault vs the Raiders. A frontal assault at some point is not outside the realm of possibility with high lvl PCs involved, but the results may be an unnecessarily high casualty count for now.

[edit] Recon of the ship (if at all possible) before said infiltration/ambush is assumed.

If the Raiders do indeed have and learned to control a stone, the risk of any sort of confrontation/attack may go up dramatically. A combination of a forceful quick strike diversion by the heavy hitters to set up stealth and trickery infiltration by the more subtle ones may be the way to go, unless an extremely effective pure infiltration plan is on the table... With Telepathic Bond and Dimension Door, there's extra insurance that if anyone gets in over their head a relatively quick rescue/extraction is within reach.

With the makeup/lvl range of the current group, this kind of approach might be suitable in a number of situations, within limit.
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by Magile »

Folks!

Arianna mentioned to me when I first came aboard and asked about some spawns, that there are a lot of quests and plots left open still - mostly because everyone wanted to chase the main goal. We just spent a session going back to square one to check out the past, and learned more than we could have ever hoped to learn (and I feel, we've learned in a good while). This is incredible, and it makes me come to my next conclusion.

We need to resolve the open plots, if we want to get better information on what we have to do in the all-encompassing main quest.

1. Red Death - it is suggested that this did not feel like it closed properly. What happened? What can we continue to look into?
2. Dire Croc population in Lewyrr - these things showed up, out of the norm for the region, and wreaked havoc. Elves even requested aid. Population out of control and ferocious when they never existed? Seems like a lead to complete.
3. Arizma's Temple - I know nothing of this, but it seems like unfinished business.

In-character, as far as I'm concerned, backtracking should have been an eye-opener for everyone involved. There is absolutely no reason for us to avoid it anymore, since the leads have dried up and we've been grasping at straws - we almost went to war with Skaug because Layali had a hunch. It's time we looked to the past, so that we can have our backs protected as we push forward to the future goal.

edit:
My opinion, for what it's worth, is that we go to Lewyrr. I know the Dire Crocs are vicious, but the elves in that region requested aid and the whole area is just a mess that needs protection. The Red Death plot is something that feels unfinished to some people, but isn't necessarily the case. Arizma's Temple is whether or not Mick remembers, and might be better saving for another day.
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by Ithildur »

Aglaril has made promises to the Lewyrr and needs to visit asap/get news, etc., which might result in #2 being opened up for the entire group.

I'm wondering if we're not following through as much as we can on existing leads however, for whatever reasons. We had time to check in on the myrkul temple but not the rest of the areas in Macsheean relevant to the plot. Skaug may still be an unexplored lead. Also:
~In the last month

-- Efforts by the group seem to have Cleared the weather across the Isles
-- Oddly within a week of Oman being cleared of strange weather the Weather on Moray also cleared up without effort from the group
-- Raiders have taken the villagers of Skein and Trondhelm on the Isle of Oman, razing the grounds and burning the structures.
-- The Northmen are now blaming the Ffolk for the raids . . . tensions between the two areas are high . . . but the peace is not yet broken.
I'm not sure whether some of those leads have been followed up on; they are relatively recent and normally would merit looking into, whereas the crocs situation is over a year old.

Having said all that the crocs/lewyrr is high priority for Aglaril (way overdue); he'd initially consider it his responsibility to handle alone because of promises he made, but eventually invite others to assist if they were willing to divert their attention from other existing leads.

Aglaril personally would also want to check in on Toby, possibly have the group meet with the Queen again, scry some more, get to know the new faces better, try to figure out wth is up with Horatio, etc etc. So much to do, so little RL time that lines up schedulewise.
Last edited by Ithildur on Mon Oct 09, 2017 7:21 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by Magile »

edit: Right. Decided I'm done trying to figure out the best course of actions or even suggesting actions. My PC isn't a leader, no reason why I should be OOC.
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by SwordSaintMusashi »

Magile wrote:edit: Right. Decided I'm done trying to figure out the best course of actions or even suggesting actions. My PC isn't a leader, no reason why I should be OOC.
Because you've posted good ideas and given a direction for us to go. Which is appreciated, Magile.
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by Ithildur »

SwordSaintMusashi wrote:
Magile wrote:edit: Right. Decided I'm done trying to figure out the best course of actions or even suggesting actions. My PC isn't a leader, no reason why I should be OOC.
Because you've posted good ideas and given a direction for us to go. Which is appreciated, Magile.
+1

Please understand that suggestions/information put forth that might seem contrary to ideas suggested by others is not meant to be dictatorial/my way highway by any means. Occasionally there may be things said that's meant to add a different perspective or possibilities, opinions and options to discuss, which is part of planning.

It does get chaotic if there's a dozen cooks in the kitchen, but so far as far as proposals/suggestions posted in these threads, it hasn't been that way. No reason why we can't lay out a few different ideas/perspectives Monday, discuss, and settle on a plan by mid/late in the week.
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by Mick »

I think Arizma's temple can certainly be put on the back burner, unless there is a tie-in to the stones that is completely unknown at this time. We found one stone there, but little else that seemed related to that particular plot line.

We did find, however, drow working in the passages below the temple. Our impression was that they were using the portals there for transit only. If we want to investigate further with regard to drow involvements, it may be one option.

With regard to the crocs, I was always under the impression that they were appearing as a result of a nearby stone that was later claimed from some elven ruins. Most of the stones early on had similar effects on the surrounding fauna, resulting in abnormally large and/or mutated specimens. If the crocs are still a thing after removal of that stone, then they should be investigated. Arizma is certainly happy to see the servants of Sebek destroyed.

It was suggested that Arizma take the lead in some way or fashion. I will say that directing others has never been her strong suit, particularly in combat. That said, if there is some leadership role that she is expected to step into, then she will reluctantly do so. She is much better as a support PC, though.

This group is certainly hobbled by inconsistency in participation since the inception of the campaign. Aglaril and Arizma were involved at the beginning, but both Ith and I took long breaks from participation for various reasons. Toby and Balkr were really the only consistent PCs since the beginning of the campaign, which started now over 18 months ago. For my part, I am having to rely fairly heavily on Ith's record-keeping, as I lost all of my notes from early in the campaign and my memory is not quite what it used to be. Fortunately, Arri has been willing to remind me of some details as well and that is much appreciated. I offer all of this up to hopefully mitigate some frustrations that some or all of us may have while talking about the stones of Discord in particular.
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by gonz.0 »

((All to follow is OOC, player planning and attempt to understand ---

Please help my brain, as I am not UP on everything, despite reading all of this. Those of you who have information, please pipe in:

A little more than two years ago, Skaug suffered from a series of really bad storms which caused a lot damage and killed a lot of people. Those storms pass, and then around the time of the Midsummer Festival, reports start coming in that southern Alaron is being raided, whole villages and families disappearing, and the only witnesses give descriptions of pirates and ships with purple sails capturing and pillaging.

It was assumed I think, by those of you who have been dealing with the stones that the storm could have been the result of exposure to one of the stones. But what if it was exposure to multiple? Skaug was effected first, what if the stones were discovered there because someone had hidden them previously in that region and the exposing of them cause for the large storm?

Was any reporting of comparison done, for intensity? The reason i'm asking is that I think perhaps if the stones were uncovered there originally, it might be indicated by a larger, more powerful experience. We know what it felt like, if Lily was on Skaug when the storm hit, she might remember such an experience. H will ask Sasha as well. If we can find where the stones were first unleashed, we might find some valuable clues to the resolution. (edit, Yellow discounted by re-reading earlier post)

Further, the storms were resolved. Meaning that someone got the reactions under control, and if we can determine who that is, we might find their secret. (edit, Yellow discounted by re-reading earlier post)

When did the Fire Genasi take over Skaug? was it just after the storm subsided? If so, it's likely that he isn't just a minor player in the whole thing, but a head man.
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by gonz.0 »

Arianna wrote:Toby and Lunette spent 8 hours going through various information in the library at Broadleaf lodge


they found these references in regards to their research on Myrkul and the Stones of Discord

They found the resources the party already has acquired and the following:


- a second hand account about the duel between Blackstaff and Myrkul on top of the tower . . . .

-a small book that talks about Myrkul siring many offspring before his death . . which seems to have the mark of the church on it . . the children are known by a black skull birthmark

-one small volume that seems to have been written by a member of Myrkuls clergy . . in it there is mention of the Crown of Horns and how its power would soon increase 10 fold . . . how it does not specifically mention. . . . but it does go on to say that the power would come from that which was being created at Myksheen

-the first scroll seems pretty old and the writing does not seem to be that of the Isles . . .it talks about making a set of stones . .to sow strife and woe . . . no specific details on how they are made . . .but does mention that the touch of a god is required its dated at least 300 years ago

-the second scroll is dated about 200 years or so ago and includes a small sketch showing a pedestal with 12 points on it . . . . the document is half missing but mentions that each stone requires a soul sacrificed in its creation . . again talks about strife and woe as well as its use to set the weather in chaos . . .

-the third scroll seems much newer less faded but has no date on it * it seems to be some sort of letter ---its written to the Withering Lord and signed Bone Dancer. ( it goes on to say )"that all is in readiness for the creation of the stones of Discord . . the Sacrifices have been chosen from among the volunteers .. . . . they should be ready within a fortnight . . . the box has been delivered for their keeping already.. ((some of the letter has been damaged and lost ))

-the last scroll is also undated and is undetermined age . . . . it seems to be someones notes on the effects of a Discord stone . . . but does not seem to entail any more information then you have already learned . . .except for one small scribble to the side that reads . . . .What is done . . must be undone . .and underlined under that is the words Reverse the spell



Makes a lot more sense after visiting Macsheean. This last Scroll should be the target next of that legend lore thing you have.
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by Ithildur »

Reading through pages 10-12 or so of this thread, I just saw that page tonight as well; that's some pretty critical info discovered by Toby and Lunette last year.

Also, apparently there was an attempt to set up a meeting/consultation with none other than Khelban Blackstaff to hand over the stones. Would be greatly interested in finding out what came of that (perhaps it got ditched because Aglaril/Sai'ok's players were gone).

These plus Mick's post filling out some more info on the Stones (via a form of Legend Lore)... shed some very much needed light on the plot.


orangetree wrote:I have one idea. Have we ever looked at why that particular stone protects? Maybe we can use that knowledge to find better ways to protect ouselves
*wonders what this is about*

Also, any available info about the 'love/lust stone' would be great. A stone that influence the behavior of those exposed to it...


This is great folks, we've got new (or renewed) flow of information, and I suspect more to come very soon. Let's keep it going.
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It’s not the critic who counts...The credit belongs to the man who actually is in the arena, who strives violently, who errs and comes up short again and again...who if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement, but who if he fails, fails while daring greatly.-T. Roosevelt
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by orangetree »

Ithildur wrote:

orangetree wrote:I have one idea. Have we ever looked at why that particular stone protects? Maybe we can use that knowledge to find better ways to protect ouselves
*wonders what this is about*

Nothing. Just me being stupid as usual
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by gonz.0 »

I have to say I apologize. When I first got back, I was sent this information and I got wonked. There was so much, I glazed over and missed some details. I think the idea of revisiting sites that have already been 'cleared' to examine for new information with fresh eyes is the best any one has come up with. I know MacSheean meant very little to me without that.


Addendum: Just a reminder if it is not known; I will not be available Oct 21, returning afternoon of 22nd. My son and I are going to be living on the Battleship New Jersey for a day and night with his scout troop. It's a really cool trip for anyone who is into military history, eating in the mess, sleeping in crew quarters, learning about the ship's history and such. I hope that we can arrange so that Horatio is not needed on the 21st.
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by Mick »

We did meet with Blackstaff briefly and he refused to take possession of the stones. He suggested that they needed to be unmade and so our goal was to learn how this might be accomplished, in addition to finding the stones
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Re: The same thing we do every (ten)day... plot to SAVE THE ISLES (planning thread)

Post by SwordSaintMusashi »

It sounds like powerful players have been trying to play hot potato with these stones.
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