Majestic Wilderlands 2 – Speculation, a short battle, and draconic politics

We start out having breakfast at an inn. +Peter V. Dell’Orto joins us playing an Elder of Mitra.

I believe the conversation begins trying to mitigate an uprising and prevent a war, or at least a slaughter, should actual troops come to put down the threat to the economic center that is Phandelver.

Carmina proposes confronting Halia and getting us to tell us what’s the deal with the list of people that she’s paying off that seems to be separate from her whole operation of purchasing fugitives to sell to the CityState as slaves.

That whole slave operation is a direct betrayal of her superiors, right up to the Invincible Overlord himself. Even if the Mitran revolution gets reversed, she’s in deep trouble there. That’s not kosher no matter who’s in charge.

I do a quick check on what the lay of the land is. Phandalin is kind of a nothing town. But the money from the mine has been shut off, and that will be noticed. We probably have a month at the near end, and three at the most, before the Big Dogs notice. Even before that, the local foes of Phandalin may show up to remind the townsfolk that they are, in fact, messing with the source of coin in the local region. The mine supplies the coin, which is used to buy food and other items from the surrounds. No mine, no economy.

An arrogant merchant comes in and starts insulting everyone. Not recognizing a Paladin of Veritas, she mouths off a bit. Mark stands up and calls divine light, rolling Intimidation at an advantage, hitting a 22, and she beats a hasty and chastened retreat. Mission accomplished.

We do a politics overview. The regents are led by the Myrmidon of Set. City State has been taken over by the forces of Mitra. The church of Mitra is present in the neighboring country of Modron, who had paid to finance a future rebellion. The Principality of Modron is a Ghinorian Successor Realm dominated by the Church of Mitra but is not a theocracy but the church of Tain.

Markbludiell speculates that the rumor of uprising in City State was planted. The inflammation caused the uprising (the casus belli) and the shutdown of the money from the mines provides the reason to actually care.

We discuss threats and eventualites and politics – and a young man bursts into the room shouting that the Redbrands (?) are back, and are under the inn. This seems to have been a feature of a previous campaign. 

Apparently “Carp” is in trouble. Little Timmy has fallen into the well, more or less. Rob pulls the ‘if conversation goes on too long, have ninjas kick in the door’

We pile into the area under the Inn, which can only be called a dungeon.

We advance, and eventually see a mage, four thugs, and Carp. The mage says “describe them again, starting from the top.”

Poor Carp starts spilling his guts. About the members of our party that he knows about. In great detail.

Sidwin the Sharp takes careful aim (“Hit him in the hit points!” says +Peter V. Dell’Orto), and rolls a 23 (and a 19! ” +Tim Shorts are you OK? Neither of those was a 1!”). The sneak attack strikes home and he hits for 15 HP total. 

Now for initiative, and Markbludiell rolls a 2. Gah. I am become Tim, roller of 1s. Look upon my order, ye mighty, and laugh maniacally. Sigh.

Carmina closes the distance to the northeast door. The mage then turns around and casts a Web spell at Sidwin. Web is good at preventing closing the distance, but doesn’t prevent a guy with a ranged weapon from peppering you with arrows. Vognur moves, sees the web, says “Aw, Crap!” and tries to start hacking through the web, not wishing to set the web on fire with Sidwin in it.

The thugs all shoot crossbows at Sidwin, two of which hit for 15 HP of damage. 

We discuss making the Shield spell +2d4 to AC instead of a flat +5 to make it less deterministic if it’s worth casting.

Markbludiell moves to the doorway as well, but cannot see a foe. Carmina charges to the south entrance, which she remembers comes around the back of the bad guys, though a 10′ pit must be crossed to get to them. 

Lamar burns away a section of web. 

The mage casts magic missile at Sidwin; he reacts with a shield spell. “You’ll have to do better than that!” and rolls an Intimidation check with DC 15 – he rolls 19 and nails it. They are intimidated.

Alb Irex moves forward and goes for another interaction – “Give up, and we’l spare your lives!”  We all laugh, so at least we aren’t intimidated.

Sidwin comes up and gets in an action, but then gets pasted for another 15HP. He’s down 30 HP, so this is bad news for him. 

We are having real issues with the web, and that’s when, of course, the mage throws a fireball down the corridor. 

“How many HP do you have left?” “Not enough to survive a fireball from a 7th level (or so) mage, likely”

Sidwin rolls a crit, and the door slams shut. The web burns away. And Carp, poor kid, turns into a crispy critter, screaming as he burns. Those that saved take 1/4 damage, those that don’t take half damage, thanks to the quick reaction/critical from Sidwin.

Vognur charges in “You killed Carp; he was just a boy!” but doesn’t get to attack. Alb Irex charges in, and casts a healing spell, healing him completely by the power of Mitra.

Sidwin charges forward, jumps on the mage with the neck, and gives him a little stabby stabby in the neck neck, to quote the player.

He also rolls an intimidation roll and nails it. The thugs are mostly cowering, but some are still active.

Markbludiell rolls in and protects the priest of Mitra and now-healed but still fallen child. It’s what he does.

Carmina rolls some flaming flaminess. “I’ll see your pokey stabbiness, and raise you flamy flaminess! It’s a third level burn!”

We basically finish the mage off. “That’s for Carp!” 

“Um, he’s alive!” “Tim doesn’t know that.”

There is still fighting to the south, with a bunch of bad guys peppering Carmina with crossbow bolts, so Markbludiell dashes forward, leaps a pit, and tries to close with the bad guys. Sidwin also jumps the pit and advances to the fray.

Tim runs forward and has cast Disguise Person on himself; he impersonates the mage and tells the remaining thugs that their cause is lost. They throw down their weapons, and we come forward, and Sidwin drops his disguise. 

We have six captured thugs and one dead mage. We loot ’em all, scoring a magic wand that shoots Web spells, 660d in coin, and a letter. We also find a blacked silver dragonhead token. It’s a sign of Pan Caulderax – she is a dragon. An actual, no-crap dragon that lives in Warwick, north of here. She’s been wanting to infringe on City State territories.