It is at this point that I would urge you to all start taking notes. I have started, because there is WAY too much information that I'm sharing here and in emails to you individually to be able to keep track of it without some sort of notes. :)
Georgia begins by giving everyone a bit of the recent history, to make sure everyone has the same information to start from.
The group ate their exquisite salads, followed by a cheese plate with raw sheep's milk Roquefort Coccinelle and toatsted hazelnuts. The third course consisted of a Gorgonzola and Pancetta pasta dish with orecchiette, fresh red bell pepper, scallions, walnuts and gorgonzola cream sauce. The meal concluded with small trays of sea-salt caramels.
Small talk continued throughout the meal. Once the plates had been cleared, Georgia asked Jeeves <i>(the servant)</i> to invite Ragnar and Ceilith to join them.
Under his breath, Jeeves whispered, "My vast knowledge is wasted here!"
Once Ragnar and Ceilith had entered and taken their seats, the meeting and strategizing began.
Under his breath, Jeeves whispered, "My vast knowledge is wasted here!"
Once Ragnar and Ceilith had entered and taken their seats, the meeting and strategizing began.
Georgia begins by giving everyone a bit of the recent history, to make sure everyone has the same information to start from.
- Georgia begins the breakdown in a very businesslike manner. Ishmael and his false Lathanderian priests have done quite a lot of damage through both direct and indirect assaults on Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate. It's suspected that his lot are the reason for the silence from Candlekeep and Luskan.
Tarryn Kallis (formerly known as Councilwoman 2, sitting between Johan and Councilwoman 3)
- She explains that the City Council has not been idle, and has spent the past year working to formed an alliance with several other cities in the area, including Candlekeep, Scornubel, Athkatla, and Murann, as well as several smaller towns. They were starting to try to raise an army to defend themselves, but about six months ago, their emissary to Candlekeep stopped writing, and none of their attempts to contact them have been successful.
- Evelia adds that they she had even begun having some regular, if rather tense, discussions about mutual defense with the druids of the Moonshae Isles, but that Algor, the leader of the druids, had not been at the agreed upon meeting place for either of their last three meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for less than a week away, but they're beginning to lose hope.
- As if reciting a long-worn argument, Delilah brought up the undead and how to ensure they would be able to protect the city against them. She mentioned a city watch and armed guards patrolling both the city and the sewers, but warned that the watch was stretched extremely thin with all of the refugees pouring into the city. If an attack comes, they will have to cut back somewhere, and that means they will be exposing themselves to an attack somewhere. They just don't have the resources to do everything at once.
- Abarrion stood up with a really big gesture to draw attention to himself and said, "Things are bad!" Having said his piece, he promptly sat down and tried to continue staying awake.
Talathel was fairly annoyed with Abarrion's assessment. Not that it wasn't correct. Things were indeed bad, but he was less than impressed with his lack of contribution. He decided to try his luck elsewhere on the table.
ReplyDelete"Councilwoman Tallis, can you tell me more about your writings and correspondence with Candlekeep. And how have you tried to contact them? It seems odd that they would cease communication, no?"
Beranhond found the meal a little excessive considering the general lack of food found he had seen in this city.
ReplyDelete"Have their been any envoys or messages from Ishmael's forces? Demands for surrender, or requests?"
Councilwoman Tallis responded to Talathel's question. "We sent an emissary to them in the beginning, of course, and in normal times there is enough traffic between Candlekeep and Baldur's Gate to ensure a constant flow of information back and forth." For a second, Tallis' eyes unfocused, and she seemed to look into the distance as she said, "I visited Candlekeep quite frequently in my youth..." Her focus came back to the present. "It is a grand place of learning. It would be a great shame if it were to be soiled with all of the undeath and chaos that we have seen so much of recently."
ReplyDelete"Six months ago, our emissary stopped writing. It took us a month before we thought something might be amiss, but we trusted our woman on the scene. After waiting another month, we sent a letter asking for an explanation of the lack of communication. Our messenger was strangely turned back at the gate to the fortress, by a monk who promised to see that the letter was delivered safely, but denied the messenger admittance personally. We did not receive any response to that letter, either.
We hired a seer to scry into the fortress for us, but were blocked by a spell or some other force. We sent several scouts and spies, and the only thing we have been able to learn is that the keep is being well defended, and the monks will not see anyone. All traffic in and out of the fortress is being rebuffed, even the merchant trains. We aren't sure what they are eating anymore, as the fortress does not have any available areas to grow crops or raise animals."
The trip to Candlekeep is about a 2 days' ride by horseback.
Georgia responds to Beranhond's questions, "Ishmael sent us a letter about six months ago. He demanded that we show our acceptance of Bane as lord by sacrificing 20 people every night just outside the city walls, leaving the bodies where they were killed. Of course, we didn't accept this horrendous offer, and sent an ambassador to ask why he felt the need for us to submit to his will and to ask that he stop this wasteful war. The ambassador's entire party was murdered except for the ambassador himself. He was sent back without any arms or legs as a message, after being forced to watch as his party was raised from the dead to serve Ishmael and carry him back to Baldur's Gate. They left him outside our gates one night. The gate guards didn't know what was happening when the crew of people in Baldur's Gate uniforms didn't even try to gain admittance before dropping off a screaming bundle of pain and leaving in the night."
ReplyDeleteDelilah adds, "We don't even know exactly where Ishmael is. The camp near Waterdeep is where we have been sending messages to him, but he has been creating a gateway to the spot to accept people he wants to see. He isn't actually there, and hasn't been for at least 9 months."
ReplyDeletePosting for Nick who is unavailable to post today.
ReplyDeleteDarvin turned and asked Jeeves a question. "Jeeves, where did all this abundant food come from?"
Jeeves responded, "The salad fixings came from several small farms less than a day's ride from the city. The cheese came from Triel, the hazelnuts and walnuts from Soubar, and the pancetta from Greenest. The vegetables and herbs came from Athkatla, and the Sea-salt caramels from Llewellyn. More immediately, all of these foods came from the kitchens."
After listening to the other questions and responses, Nym asks Evelia, "Why are you seeking an alliance with the druids who destroyed the city?"
ReplyDelete"It depends on who is telling the story whether the druids destroyed or saved the city, dear," Evelia replied. "There are a lot of people in the city who either believe that the druids may have saved us all from a far worse fate, and the priests and priestesses of Sune and Istishia have been speaking very loudly about the fact that without them, the mysterious kidnappings and people missing in the night would still be the terror they were before the sewers were cleaned first by the druids and then by yourselves."
ReplyDeleteShe lowered her voice a bit, "There are many whispers that it was them and not you that were the heroes that saved us from the corruption within."
She raised her voice again, "There are also many people that look for any source of strength or protection in a storm. Obviously, the druids have a great deal of power, to be able to cause the devastation they did. Many people feel that it would be better to have a group that powerful as friends than as enemies."
Hring piped up, "You must admit you faced very few undead in the sewers. That had not been the case before the flood of water into the sewers killed most of them. We lost as many scouts to undead as we did to the wererats before the druids' assistance."
ReplyDeleteDelilah added her voice to the conversation as well. "And unlike the brave crew of the Lady Narath," She said in an extremely sarcastic and biting tone, "The druids have continued to help out with our problems the past two years. Beranhond at least let us know what happened to Waterdeep, but other than his one letter, it's as if you ceased caring about the city entirely!"
As she started raising her voice in anger towards the end of her small speech, Delilah was hushed by Tarryn, "Hush. I'm sure they meant well and have been working elsewhere to help us out." Ignoring the irate glares she was receiving from Delilah, Tarryn looked from face to face of the adventurers, "You have, haven't you? There are still some of us who believe that you are our cities' only hope."
Ceilith stood up from the chair she had taken behind Beranhond. "I can't speak for how much they have accomplished as a group, but Beranhond and I have led an expeditionary force of Tormish Paladins to Baldur's Gate. Although we only number one hundred troops, we are quite effective against the undead, and are well versed in combat as we are all veterans of the conflict in Torm. More should be arriving in the near future."
ReplyDeleteBeranhond took this chance to add his own points as well. "I also have received some words about the current war in heaven. At the moment Istishia and Sune are allied against Bane and Cyric. My goddess, Narath, and Torm, are currently allied against Bane and Cyric as well. However, Istishia, Sune, Narath, and Torm have no formal arrangements, even though they have a common enemy."
Nym continued listening, feeling very disturbed that the council would align with the druids after they had basically raised the city and threw it into decline.
ReplyDeleteDan, how many people were killed in the tidal wave?
Out of a population of roughly 40,000, there were about 500 deaths. The toll to property was enormous.
ReplyDeleteI I recall properly, one of the centers of the destruction was the temple to Lathander and a big number of the dead were Lathanderian priests. Is that correct?
ReplyDeleteThat is completely correct. Most of the dead were focused there, with a small smattering throughout the city who were trapped in rubble or killed by bandits.
ReplyDeleteWhooo were the Lathanderian priests again?
ReplyDeleteBeranhond reflected on this knowledge. The druids hadn't been up to much good, but the attack on Baldur's Gate had largely damaged the temple to Lathander - a complex that was later shown to be full of corrupted priests. Beranhond had a fleeting memory of a corrupted Lathander priest in a hidden room under the city. It was shortly after he'd met Nym, and looking back on the memory, he remembered how talkative and insecure she had been. He glanced across the table and saw none of that talkative or insecurity.
ReplyDelete11/24/09 is where the Lathander priest was found
Do we know the deaths of priests to others ratio? And other than the priests, how widely were the people of the city impacted by property damage? Ex. 75% of poor and middle class people lost everything, or something like that
ReplyDeleteI don't think you'd know that type of information. You haven't asked anyone (in character), and nobody's really talked about it. Your characters don't really know how many died, other than that it seemed pretty concentrated near the temple, and a feeling that it seemed like around 1 in 100 people in the city died.
ReplyDeleteNym leaned forward and asked the council, "Can you give us a better picture of how Baldur's Gate is faring? How many were homeless after the tsunami, and how many remain so? How many were killed, and what were the repercussions of their deaths on the city?"
ReplyDeleteGeorgia responded to Nym's question first. "The city is doing both well and poorly at the moment. The infrastructure of the city has been repaired almost completely since the earthquake and tsunami, and in normal times we would be very happy about how well our recovery has progressed. All of the homes destroyed by the tsunami have been repaired and we have taken this opportunity to build additional housing for some of those who were homeless before the tsunami."
ReplyDeleteCouncilwoman Kallis adds, "This is true. In normal times, the city would be faring exceptionally well. Unfortunately, with all of the refugees pouring in, the demand for food has grown far too fast and the amount of money people have to spend on it has grown too slow. The price of grain and other essential foods has raced ahead of the wages people are making to feed themselves, and only the charity of some of the wealthier families and the churches in the city has kept the city from utter devastation because of starvation."
Delilah piped up, "We think about 500 people died in the earthquake and tsunami. We don't have a completely accurate tally, of course, as we never have an accurate count of the population. Most of those killed were the priests of Lathander and their disciples and students. The temple was esteemed, and so attracted a lot of privileged youth who were not able to make a name for themselves in other ways, so most of those that died were upper class. The priests of Lathander provided a lot of healing and other community services, and with their diminishing ability to provide these services, many other community organizations were strained, but we were able to make it through. The druids actually were a great help through the toughest times, providing help for our farmers and some healing services as well. That is partly why they have earned such goodwill over the past two years. They did kill innocents in their quest to destroy the undead menace in our sewers, but they did not leave us on our own to face the consequences of their offensive."
"And what of the sinking ships?" Talathel asked. "We have reasons to suspect the druids are sinking ships off your coast. Many of the ships attacked are fishing boats and merchant vessels. In a time when your city could use aid, surely you must be wondering why these attacks are happening just off of your shores."
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBeranhond tried to hold in his annoyance. Conversations lately always seemed to return to the damn druids. He feined a cough and covered his eyes with his fingers so that no one could see him roll them. The real enemy was sitting out there ready to bring the world to its dark God, and we sit around discussing druids.He thought to himself, before returning to a more composed form.
ReplyDelete"We have heard similar rumors of druids sinking ships," Evelia responded to Talathel's question with a concerned look, "There are tales about cities being ransacked by them, as well. These rumors started shortly before the first meeting that Algor missed. We have been very nervously watching as things have gotten worse, and even the Istishian druids here aren't sure what is happening.
ReplyDeleteBefore, the druids claimed responsibility immediately for the strikes against Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep. Delegations arrived shortly beforehand and stayed to continue aiding those in need of support.
These latest attacks seem different. They are rash, wild attacks, some against longstanding allies of the druids. It is deeply troubling, and we are not sure what we can do without being able to make determine who is behind the attacks."
"Perhaps these attacks are the result of the true enemy in the region - Ishmael. Perhaps we can return to our conversation about how we are going to deal with the corrupted force, and the undead?"
ReplyDelete"Do you have any ideas on that front, oh noble one-time cleric?" Delilah asked, her voice dripping with disdain.
ReplyDeleteBeranhond gave Delilah a sweet smile. "Of course noble councilwoman. It is clear that Baldur's Gate is being isolated and is quickly losing friends and allies. If the current trend continues it is likely that Baldur's Gate will fall. Contact needs to be reestablished with Candlekeep, I would recommend an armed party as it is likely that Candlekeep is at least somewhat corrupted. An armed militia within the city needs to be established and strengthened, and preparation should be made for evacuation of the citizens in case war gets too close."
ReplyDeleteErin, did you get a satisfactory answer to your question about the Lathanderian priests?
ReplyDelete"Where do you expect to find the funds for an armed militia?" Delilah shot back, "We have the City Watch, but our budget is already strained with trying to help the many refugees we've let in to find education and medical assistance. Do you intend to assign paladins as our stand-in military might? I assume their commanders back home would greatly appreciate you using their troops in such a wonderfully productive manner."
"Recruit some of the refugees to fill the ranks of the City Watch as special units. They won't get paid, but many will volunteer to help defend the city, plus it will give them something to do, and will help maintain stability." Beranhond continued to smile pleasantly at Delilah. "The commanders back in Tantras would be glad that the expeditionary force protected the lives of the innocent by defending the walls of Baldur's Gate. They are here to help how they can."
ReplyDelete"That would help with the problem of the refugees, though it won't completely fix the problem," Councilwoman Kallis interjected over Delilah's scowl. "Do you expect they'll actually do much good? Most of the people in the city are malnourished. Without pay, they will still not be able to afford food. I can't imagine that a starving militia is a match for a hungry undead army."
ReplyDelete"If you don't train them you end up with a mass of people who will simply die if and when the assault comes. They might not be the best troops, but at least you are giving them a chance to support their city. The other option is to evacuate the city and prepare for the onslaught. If the city is evacuated the guards and the Paladins could make a much better stand in a fortified section of the city. However, the best bet still remains on finding more allies and information. We need to contact Candlekeep, and we need more allies. The main force of Paladins is still some ways away, but is there anyone else in the region we can ask for help?"
ReplyDeleteDarvin was tiring of this exchange between Beranhond and the councilwoman and decided he should interject, plus he had a direct answer to Beranhond's question.
ReplyDelete"If I may," Darvin spoke up for the first time, "I have spent the better part of the last year in Joro far to the Northwest. It's where I met our friend Ragnar," Ragnar nodded toward the rest of the group.
"Joro has committed and promised aid to the Sword Coast. Four Skei longships are ready to send us 320 troops. We just need to request the aid. However, it will take about 3 weeks for them to arrive. I propose that we fortify the city for the next 3 weeks using the Paladins and whatever refugees volunteer. I will volunteer, as I'm sure Beranhond will as well, to go to Candlekeep and scout out the situation. We will report back here and then hopefully head to Candlekeep with an army of northern shock troops at our backs."
At this last part, Ragnar piped up.
"I pity the fools who stand in the way of Joro's Bezerkers!" He said as he pounded his fist on the table.
Johan, Nym, or Talathel, anything to add to the discussion?
ReplyDeleteNot at this point
ReplyDeleteJohan has nothing to add either, although he is poorly attempting to hide a smile at the (in his opinion) posturing and blustering he sees in the discussion.
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling that Beranhond is a bit more knowledgable about the happenings here, and so I am comfortable with just gathering information at this point in time. Talathel may be more interested in knowing about the attacks on ships, but at this time, we may be focused on other activities.
ReplyDeleteAlright, then if you don't mind, let's finish up the information gathering so we can get to the decision making. Darvin and Beranhond, is there anything else you'd like to share or find out?
ReplyDeletenope.
ReplyDeleteI'll take Darvin's silence as notice that he has nothing more to add.
ReplyDeleteSo what would you like to go do? There are several different situations you've learned about that may benefit from your involvement. The ones I can think of off the top of my head are:
1. Strengthen the defense of Baldur's Gate
2. Investigate Candlekeep and see why they aren't letting anyone in.
3. Investigate the attacks on the ships and cities around the Moonshae Isles.
4. Look for Ishmael and his ilk. Find out what they are doing and try to put a stop to it.
I am probably missing some things, and if you have any other ideas, please add them here. You can all try to work together to try to accomplish these tasks, or you can split up, or whatever you'd like. Thoughts?
Ceilith and the Paladins are willing to help strengthen the defense of Baldur's Gate and to do some basic training for the refugees.
ReplyDeleteDarvin and Beranhond are planning on investigating Candlekeep, others are welcome.
Talathel would not mind staying behind and investigating the attacks on ships. I think that at times we had a lot of success (at least game wise) when we split up, and I'm up for a solo adventure of sorts.
ReplyDeleteJohan and Nym, what are your plans?
ReplyDeleteTalathel, that sounds great. I have no problem with you splitting up and focusing on separate tasks.
ReplyDeleteJohan is leaning towards plan 2, as he has always been curious about Candlekeep and wanted to visit for several years. However, he would not be against plan 4 either should that be the popular consensus.
ReplyDeleteJohan, it looks like the group might be splitting up and that at least Beranhond and Darvin will be going and looking into Candlekeep. It seems like this has become more of a personal decision than a group decision, so it's not really going to a vote.
ReplyDeleteAlright. Johan will ask Beranhond and Darvin if he might accompany them to Candlekeep to investigate their sudden xenophobia.
ReplyDeleteCertainly!
ReplyDeleteNym would want to explore the Druid ship sinkings
ReplyDeleteAdventures with Nym and Talathel!
ReplyDeleteAs the adventurers commit to trying to solve some of the area's problems, the City Council reacts varying levels of credulity and thankfulness.
ReplyDeleteAt one end of the spectrum was Abarrion's quick "Thank you," as he ducked out of the room to head to someplace with people that understood him and let him be happy without their big words and sooo much talking.
At the other end of the spectrum was Delilah's open mockery of Kilink's belief that their presence would actually make a difference that the people of the area wouldn't have been able to accomplish by themselves.
In the end, the City Council voted to continue giving Kilink their support, and reaffirmed their access to the city's information and resources in their quest.
It is now evening. Please let me know if you want to do anything special or make any special preparations for the following day.
ReplyDelete