GAME (Azag, with Dungeon Goons)

[tibbius]

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You're a small group of adventurers who have just plundered the house of a sorcerer in the Amaranthine City.

The City is all opulent towers of crystal and marble that seemed to grow overnight. They had, in fact, been summoned from some other place or time by the city's rulers; a cabal known as The Amaranthine Sorcerers. This order draws power from a mysterious patron who demands only a tithe of dreams from any within the metropolis. Either the wizards or their master grow ambitious and seek conquest of further realms. You infiltrated a sorceror's home and pillaged her secret papers, which you should bring to Byzaron. Now you flee the sorceror's ethereal servants, who move through dreams. You need to find some kind of ward against the stalkers of dreams. Your dreams grow increasingly strange and worrisome each time you sleep.

You've encamped on a bluff overlooking the western end of the Sunset Sea, enroute to your spymasters in Byzaron. A new companion has joined you at the campfire: a Tifawin warrior, her steel-gray dreadlocks matching the blade of her spear and the glint of her eyes. She speaks of a war preparing in the central plains.

"They say the Amaranthines gather steppe-land mercenaries in the waking world, and summon things to stalk the dreams of their foes. Meanwhile the webmasters of Byzaron lay plots, and connive with the City of Masks to make my folk serve their purpose. … But you do not look surprised?"

[Gorethirster]

Etul casts an appraising glance up and down the figure at their fire.

"How can we be surprised when all who travel these lands hear the same tidings? You yourself lead with the news of war before you even offer your name. Who might you be, who shares our fire?"

I know we're still vaguely hashing things out in the other threads but I just wanted to get the ball rolling!

[tibbius]

The old woman grins. "Call me Lyin. I am who you see, an elderly warrior of the Sunset Sea. I look to recruit other warriors for the coming clashes. Are you interested in glory?"

[silifi]

Rhul looks suspiciously at the stranger."Glory is all well and good but I suspect we have different ideas what that means," he says, staring at her spear point.

[Gorethirster]

Etul chuckles

"Indeed. As my partner says, we are more interested in the sort of immortality one gets from a self-comissioned statue than from songs. Songs end when the singers fall, but bronzes last through nearly all."

The last sentence is delivered in a sort of chant, like Etul is quoting some poem or epic.

[tibbius]

Lyin nods, still smiling. "There's plenty of coin to be had, m'lads. Not only front pay and win pay, but also the plunder."

[Gorethirster]

Etul gives Lyin an appraising look.

"I like a rich payday as much as any man, but over haste for coin has cost many their lives. You seem to be dealing in war as much as any of the rumours you bring. Why don't you tell us plainly what you're planning, so we can bargain on an even field."

As he speaks Etul looks to Rhul, seeing if he has any objections to his speaking so bluntly.

[tibbius]

(keeping mind you're meant to be bringing the Amaranthine sorcerers' war plans back to your webmaster)

"I'm retained by the elders of the City of Masks, to gather likely leaders for their host. You two look as such; sergeants or better, I think. If you can bring a squad of your own, we'll each get five coins per man for ourselfs, and I'll get ten coins more for each of you leaders."

[silifi]

How much are the webmasters of Byzaron paying us? Sounds like we could defect for the right price.

Rhul remains tentative about the stranger. "We are no warriors, madame, but we may have things to offer your cause. The webmasters are indeed busy little spiders, and there's more we could tell you, should you make an offer."

[tibbius]

How much are the webmasters of Byzaron paying us? Sounds like we could defect for the right price.

Rhul remains tentative about the stranger. "We are no warriors, madame, but we may have things to offer your cause. The webmasters are indeed busy little spiders, and there's more we could tell you, should you make an offer."

A mere fifty coins for your troubles.

"I'm no spy, myself," says Lyin, "nor one to trade with such." She briefly shows a mien of disapproval now. "I think we have no further business. If you'll let me share the fire, the night is cold and I'm grateful. If not, I know to dig a burrow and sleep in the warmth of the sands." She looks at you both with a neutral expression.

[Gorethirster]

"You're of such strong convictions that should we arrive with men you'd turn them away? Well, that is your choice to make. You may share our fire, if you don't fear catching some taint from spies"

[tibbius]

"Oh, you misunderstand me and I misunderstood you. Should you help me with recruiting warriors, the deal I offered stands. I just want nothing to do with information trading."

[silifi]

Trying to understand the political angle here, and maybe we just don't know yet - but I take it she and the City of Masks are opposed to the Amaranthine Sorcerers, but is Byzaron working with them in this conflict, or using them for some tangential purpose?

[tibbius]

Trying to understand the political angle here, and maybe we just don't know yet - but I take it she and the City of Masks are opposed to the Amaranthine Sorcerers, but is Byzaron working with them in this conflict, or using them for some tangential purpose?

play to find out

[Gorethirster]

"Recruiting will take time. Should we find the men willing to rally to your cause, we'll need to know where to rendezvous and more importantly what cause to tell them they're rallying to. I assume it would reflect poorly on us if half our recruits cut and run when they find out who they're supposed to fight for."

Going by Lyin's opening comment, she's working for the Amaranthine, since she says that the Byzaron and the City of Masks are "conniving to make my folk serve their purpose." So I'm assuming that we'd be recruiting for the Amaranthine, while working as spies for the Byzaron. I'm assuming that while we're currently employed by the Byzaron we aren't too deeply entangled with them? Catspaws at best? Never hurts to play both sides a bit when war is brewing.

[tibbius]

"I'm recruiting for the City of Masks," Lyin says — with a faint expression of disgust. "Still, better to serve them than those weird dream wizards." She looks seriously at the two of you. "So if you're interested, I have the Sunset Sea tribes. Need folk to gather warriors from the Leviathan Steppes. You have any experience dealing with those nomads?"

[Gorethirster]

Etul gives Lyin a faintly surprised look.

"Aren't you of the steppe? Why do they have you recruiting in the Sunset Sea? Surely you'd be better placed among your own people, or similar folk."

Etul winces briefly as he realizes he might be poking at a delicate topic.

"You need not answer if you'd rather not. I've had little contact with the steppe nomads myself."

[tibbius]

"Surely I am not of the steppe," Lyin answers with hauteur. "My lineage is in the red sands back to time immemorial." She looks puzzled. "Can you not see from my locks that I am Tifawin?Have you only encountered my folk on the steppe? My kindred often work as guards for the traversing caravans."

The Sunset Sea Far inland, between the Frostfire Peaks and The Copper Vein, is this ocean of deep red sand. It is known as the Tafoukt Desert by those nomadic people who make it their home. Called the Tifawin, these amber-robed warriors wield blade and spell in equal measure. They are also known for their duck-billed dinosaur mounts, which are as quick as they are loyal. Many Tifawin range far from their desert home and are held in high esteem throughout the lands for their martial skills.

[silifi]

Rhul grimaces at the thought of going to war. "We'll see what happens after our task is complete. Tell us where to meet you, we will be heading to Byzaron and have to return in several days."

are the war plans in a form that we could read them?

[tibbius]

The war plans are in a set of scrolls, written in the special script of the Amaranthine Sorcerors. You might be able to read it with a successful Erudite roll. DS 8 for a bit of it, DS 12 for the whole gist.

"You can meet me in the City of Masks in three weeks — the next half moon," says the old warrior. "Do you know any good camping tunes?"