The Shattered City: Chapter Five

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"The people you see before you are... well, Andre," Lia replies as she dismounts. She briefly seizes her fellow academic's hands and looks him in the eye. "We could not find the others when we were attacked. As for the attackers..."

Lia extracts Andre's ring from her pocket and puts it in his hand with a curt nod. "A mutual friend tells us they are on the move to conquer the land," she says in a low voice. "In light of this, I must admit I have my doubts about your choice of a refuge.

Andre, are you alright? We went to your house to find you, and it was soaked in blood. That, and we found tracks of a friend of our old friend from the Monastery is Sebua. You remember his Lordship, the one with the big dreams for his future?"

[Nerit]

Nerit was off her summoned horse as if she'd never been on it at all. She stood with a hand slightly raised, still as a statue all but for her eyes, which peered back and forth over Andre and the manor.

"Where did you meet the Duchess? How do you know her?"

[The Whistler]

Celeste seemed...extremely surprised that Andre wasn't some sort of elaborate simulacrum. Pleasantly so, though: her abiding enmity with the Duchess aside, Andre was a good friend, and he was safe now. She would parse out all of the nuances of the situation later--at present, there were unbelievably effusive greetings to be said.

None of them involve questions that anyone else has not already asked, and they are a good deal less usefully phrased. Hooray!

[NeoTiamat]

The Auerbach Residence, The Quartier Savant, Early Afternoon of June 8th, 770
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"Where did you meet the Duchess? How do you know her?"

"A mutual friend tells us they are on the move to conquer the land," she says in a low voice. "In light of this, I must admit I have my doubts about your choice of a refuge.

“She’s a… friend isn’t the best word for it? Colleague, fellow-traveller?” Andre said, looking for the proper terminology, then deciding to give up the battle as a lost cause. “Point of fact, there’s few I’d trust more, present company excluded. But that’s neither here nor there. And this isn’t a refuge. It’s a forward strike base.”

"Professor. Given the state of your home we had feared the worst."

Andre, are you alright? We went to your house to find you, and it was soaked in blood. That, and we found tracks of a friend of our old friend from the Monastery is Sebua. You remember his Lordship, the one with the big dreams for his future?"

“Ah... Yes... That...” Andre said, coughing delicately. “Believe me when I say that the other side had the worse of it by far. His Lordship is a… vassal, nowadays, of another mutual acquaintance from Expedition days.”

“You needn’t worry. He’s on our side. A bit of an ace in the hole, if you would.” Theroux said, then paused. “Well, point of fact, the Brotherhood is trying to kill us, and so there is plenty of reason to worry, but not about Lord Night Terror, at any rate.”

“Listen. This is important.” Andre said, leaning forward, gesturing for all of you to listen, and listen closely. “The Fraternity’s taking control of Port-a-Lucine, if they haven’t yet. But there’s more to it than that. I still have a few contacts, and they’ve told me something important. Men in black scholars’ dress have been seen in the Palace of Justice. The Palace of Justice, which is where M. Gauvain stores all the unpleasant nastiness he collects, including that box of death that you managed to wrench from Boucher a few weeks ago.”

“If the Fraternity gets its hands on that, there’s no end to the trouble they can cause.” Andre said, his face more serious than you had ever seen it before. “Someone needs to stop them, and do it fast… and since we seem to be lacking in army divisions just now, that someone is us. I’m calling in every favor I have, every contact or ally I’ve ever made. We’ll strike at the Palace of Justice, tonight, and we’ll do stop Lord Balfour de Casteele in his tracks. Or die in the attempt, whichever is more likely.”

“If you came… that would help. I’d try and tell you to stay safe, but I don’t know if there’s any safe left, not in Dementlieu.” Andre admitted ruefully. He looked up. “If you want, I can have the Duchess arrange for a carriage to get you out of Dementlieu. You should be past Chateaufaux when the trouble starts. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best I can offer.”

[yalenusveler]

"Is there any chance you could tell us what to expect? Who to expect?" Kerrian offered, still trying to process the information that was coming to them. "I mean, going in blind we're likely to just be going into some sort of heroically futile last stand, aren't we?" Kerrian didn't voice an opinion on if they were going into one anyway even with a bit of foreknowledge.

"Knowledge of what they'd be targeting besides the box, any of it which may be useful to US if we can get to it before them, knowledge of what they could bring to bear in terms of resources and manpower...anything besides a weird multi armed dream thing?" Because even if it was on their/andre's side, that thing was damn creepy in concept, let alone in execution.

Kerrian began to pace, looking at the group, then Andre, then down at his feet. "If we had time, I could try to contact "help", but I don't know if it could even offer anything besides moral support, and considering last time I may just end up getting myself hurt, but all things considered it may be worth a shot. I doubt they exactly favor the church, after all."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I can think of a few people to contact myself," Lia offers. "If we only have the time! But I am definitely coming. The Fraternity of Shadows is responsible for too much evil to allow them this victory - or any other."

[lostboy]

"Have you ever thought about writing Opera?" Nicolas quips to Andre whilst aimlessly attempting to feed the spectral horse a sugar cube. "You certainly have a flair for eulogizing the tragedy of a drama mon ami. Still as I've always said, without insane attempts to thwart evil, that involve besieging veritable fortresses and hanging out with multi-armed figments of a nightmare... life would just be plain boring. Count me in."

"Besides think of all the trouble you'd get into without me." The poet adds with a winsome smile and lights a cigarette.

[The Whistler]

“If you came… that would help. I’d try and tell you to stay safe, but I don’t know if there’s any safe left, not in Dementlieu. If you want, I can have the Duchess arrange for a carriage to get you out of Dementlieu. You should be past Chateaufaux when the trouble starts. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best I can offer.”

Celeste's lip trembled for a few seconds; then, wearing the painfully earnest look she tended to wear in such situations, she stepped forward.

"Desert Lord and Country in favor of ignominous flight, with arcane calamity at hand and consequences nigh-unimaginable? Why, Professor, you would as likely persuade the roseate Dawn itself to forsake its morning round than spur a true Viardot to pursue such an ill-starred course! I may be untutored in the stratagems necessary for such a dire conflict as you describe--for though I dine with Adventurers, I yet lack the greater part of their unique expertise--but you may count on my presence, Sir! I shall...provide morale! Yes, Professor, you may depend upon that provision, though all else be lost!"

Celeste had somehow segued into shaking Andre's hand now. Vigorously.

[NeoTiamat]

The Auerbach Residence, The Quartier Savant, Early Afternoon of June 8th, 770
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"Is there any chance you could tell us what to expect? Who to expect?" Kerrian offered, still trying to process the information that was coming to them. "I mean, going in blind we're likely to just be going into some sort of heroically futile last stand, aren't we?"

“You can expect mages.” Andre said, very simply. “They’re an arcane secret society, so there will be spellcasters in spades, but thankfully they don’t have all that many truly powerful wizards. Nevertheless, Lord Balfour de Casteele will be there, and he’s worth ten lesser mages. There will also be various henchmen and bully-boys, mostly hired muscle though some professional retainers, and a large selection of arcane horrors summoned up from some highly unpleasant abyss.”

"Knowledge of what they'd be targeting besides the box, any of it which may be useful to US if we can get to it before them, knowledge of what they could bring to bear in terms of resources and manpower...anything besides a weird multi armed dream thing?"

“I expect that their main goal is to suborn or eliminate any leader that can threaten them. The box is a secondary target, but one we need to worry about more than anything else.” Andre said. He began to pace, mirroring Kerrian’s actions. “As for allies… I have some former students, protégés, and other such people to contact, as well as the Duchess’s agents, not to mention Lord Night Terror. And perhaps my Lady will be willing to help.”

"If we had time, I could try to contact "help", but I don't know if it could even offer anything besides moral support, and considering last time I may just end up getting myself hurt, but all things considered it may be worth a shot. I doubt they exactly favor the church, after all."

"I can think of a few people to contact myself," Lia offers. "If we only have the time! But I am definitely coming. The Fraternity of Shadows is responsible for too much evil to allow them this victory - or any other."

“You have eight hours. Contact them.” Andre said. “We need all the help we can beg, borrow, steal, or gently blackmail.”

"Besides think of all the trouble you'd get into without me."

“Yes. I’m thinking of it.”

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Endgame," Mercator mutters, flexing his fingers in a rather odd manner. "Eight hours...will help." He looks skyward as he says it.

[lostboy]

“You have eight hours. Contact them.” Andre said. “We need all the help we can beg, borrow, steal, or gently blackmail.”

"Help...hmmm" Nicolas says screwing up his face as if thinking hard on who he might know of any use, or specifically any use in a fight rather than a drinking competition. "Well there is a certain lady I could pay a visit to, although considering the circumstances of my departure from our previous *ahem* encounter, I'd prefer an armed guard for that meeting. Alternatively we could send the "real" Benoit this time."

[Cronax]

"Still.." Agale says in a complete deadpan, "Masters of magic or no, they are men, not monsters. Men have goals and understandable motives. A Diplomatic solution is still not completely out of the realm of possibility. The attempt on our lives notwithstanding, they have done little to upset the status quo. We may be able to find common ground. I will make what arrangements are possible. It would do no good to negotiate without a position of strength to fall back upon."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"The Fraternity - or at least the faction trying to take over Dementlieu - wants me, personally, dead," Lia says, looking Agale in the eye. "I was part of a group that caused their leader such embarrassment that he had to resign from leadership for a time. The same goes for Andre, Sebastian Marchand-Renier and Remy."

A beat of silence passes before Lia speaks again: "You all know about the Fraternity as well, now. If they find out about that, they will want the rest of you either dead or controlled. Think carefully about how you wish to negotiate, sir diplomat."

[NeoTiamat]

Le Palais de Justice, Quartier-Publique, Nightfall of June 8th, 770
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Anyone at the Front Gate, Back Gate, or Large Tunnel must Roll Initiative. If you roll equal to or above a 18, you may act this turn, before the FoS do. If you roll below a 18, you must wait until after the DMs post and the FoS take their turn.



Victory Conditions:
Primary Condition
--Steal the Box of the Dead (F19) and get it either to Andre Theroux, or to one of the staging areas (and thus escaping).
Secondary Conditions
--Kill Lord Balfour de Casteele
--Kill Count Wilhelm von Lovenhorst
--Kill Simon de Casteele
--Kill Jacob de Casteele
Tertiary Conditions
--Find Remy Lessard

Lose Conditions:
--Die. (This is obvious)

Hints, Tips, and Tactics
--Enemies Respond to Stimuli: The FoS and their various servants and hirelings are not made of stone. They will gravitate towards large-scale commotions, and run away if they see the situation going poorly against them. This can be both bad (if you engage an enemy, they may receive reinforcements), and good (safe areas will become progressively less guarded as time goes on, a fact that clever players can take advantage of with distractions).

--Not All Characters are of the PCs’ Level Range: There are some very powerful NPCs in this battle, both friendly (Guy Benoit, Andre) and unfriendly (Lord Balfour de Casteele). If you confront such an antagonistic super-NPC, it is wisest to retreat, unless you either have a friendly super-NPC on your side, or can bring a truly overwhelming level of firepower to bear on them. If you try and go toe-to-toe with an Umbra, they will take you apart.

--Defeat in Detail: At the end of the day, the PCs do not have enough firepower to engage on all fronts at the same time. You are much better off focusing your attentions on one group of enemies at a time, overwhelming them before moving on. Splitting your attentions risks your groups getting overwhelmed, and long battles risk the enemy receiving reinforcements.


The Players

VIEW CONTENT:

PCs
~Prof. Lia Mournswaithe (L):
57/58
AC 25; F 20, R 22, W 21; resist 10 fire,

Celeste Viardot (Cv):
68/68
AC 21; F 20, R 22, W 24

Kerrian Mauganson (K):
74/74
AC 21; F 22, R 20, W 23

~Mercator Melanchthon (M):
37/65
AC 20; F 21, R 20, W 23

Rex Alistair Prescott (R):
69/69
AC 24; F 18, R 24, W 20

Mr. Agale (A):
60/602
AC 23; F 18, R 22, W 25; resist 10 fire, 10 psychic, and 5 poison

Nicolas Etienne de Castaigne (Nc):
77/77
AC 24; F 21, R 23, W 25

Nerit Doherty (N):
68/68
AC 21; F 19, R 23, W 25

~Tomas Eisenwald (T):
71/71
AC 26; F 19, R 19, W 22; Resist All/1

The Front Gate

VIEW CONTENT:

Allied NPCs
Guy Benoit (Blue G)
AC 30; F 31, R 31, W 30

Revolutionary (Blue Dots)
Minion
AC 26; F 23, R 22, W 21

The Fraternity of Shadows
Fraternity Wizard 1 (Medium Black 1)
AC 23; F 18, R 21, W 22

Fraternity Wizard 2 (Medium Black 2)
AC 23; F 18, R 21, W 22

Fraternity Wizard 3 (Medium Black 3)
AC 23; F 18, R 21, W 22

Fraternity Wizard 4 (Medium Black 4)
AC 23; F 18, R 21, W 22

Hired Thug (Grey Dots)
Minion
AC 26; F 23, R 22, W 21

The Government
Red Cap 1 (Golden 1)
AC 23; F 25, R 22, W 20

Red Cap 2 (Golden 2)
AC 23; F 25, R 22, W 20

Red Cap 3 (Golden 3)
AC 23; F 25, R 22, W 20

Red Cap 4 (Golden 4)
AC 23; F 25, R 22, W 20

The Back Gate

VIEW CONTENT:

The Fraternity of Shadows

Fraternity Wizard 5 (Medium Black 5)
AC 23; F 18, R 21, W 22

Fraternity Wizard 6 (Medium Black 6)
AC 23; F 18, R 21, W 22

Summoned Horror 2 (Large Black 2)
AC 23; F 25, R 22, W 20

Hired Thug (Grey Dots)
Minion
AC 26; F 23, R 22, W 21

The Montmort Tunnel

VIEW CONTENT:

The Fraternity of Shadows

Fraternity Wizard 7 (Medium Black 7)
AC 23; F 18, R 21, W 22

Summoned Horror 1 (Large Black 1)
AC 23; F 25, R 22, W 20

Hired Thug (Grey Dots)
Minion
AC 26; F 23, R 22, W 21

Others

VIEW CONTENT:

The Fraternity of Shadows
Fraternity Wizard 8 (Medium Black
AC 23; F 18, R 21, W 22

Allied NPCs Athene (Black A)
AC 25; F 23, R 22, W 22

[NeoTiamat]

Map is updated with PC positions, and Rex has been joined by Athene (Black A) our very own lethal mercenary type. Her stats are under the Other

Please roll Initiative, and let's get started!

Sorry about the cramped conditions, but remember that you can move through the squares of allies.