Session 23 Prep

Session Title: The Great City of Neverwinter?

Housekeeping and Updates

Please have thoughts about what you’re feeling for lunch as we might try and play while eating to make sure we get through the whole session.
- Thai Food from greystanes?????
Congratulations Emily for new jobbo!!

Review

You took a moment to collect yourself after the combat with Dagult and Dixon before some of you spread out to find your horses and the other stayed back to fix the cart.
Alberic got lost while Fill and Mike, and Illsaiim separately found varying quality evidence of Goblins.
Illsaiim headed East towards the trail the Goblins had left and the rest of you performed some gymnastics to get onto the cart in time - only to abandon the cart less than an hour later, following after Illsaiim’s lead.
Upon the night setting in; you all gathered around for a long rest before Illsaiim headed off to scout the nearby area - despite the poor stealth from Fill.
After a bit of a back and forth; and a wild javelin being thrown by one maned member of the party - a combat encounter followed directly after the sound of a pained neigh.
With some clever planning and a lot of luck; Illsaiim managed to escape the swarm of Goblins that had him surrounded alongside a new, unfamiliar figure the Shadar-Kai male had rescued from a cage.
We ended last session with the combat closing as the last of the goblin pack got away and Fill healed Stitch; the injured horse of Salvador from a “mysterious” javelin.

Bridge

”You look around the plains that surround, there are very few trees and only thin ones at that.

It seems to be quiet now that the combat is over.”

Champion (steed) Watches

If anyone asks to roll a general perception or has a passive perception over 15 - they can see a far off glimpse of Champion (steed); one of the Four Steeds of Armageddon towards the North-East.

”You seem what you thought was another horse for a second until you look up to see a humanoid torso. The skin is likely a deep brown but it’s hard to be sure from this distance. You catch the gaze of the creature and large, glowing, red eyes peer back at you until you’re forced to look away.

You’ve never felt fear like that before - but there’s nothing there anymore.”

A Mysterious Book

If the party search the Goblin’s belongings - they’ll find a mysterious book that; if shown to Fill, he will somewhat recognise - but not recall specifics about.

”You see a large, old, leather-bound book that is locked on the side. All attempts to open the book are resisted from some unseen force.

The book has 12 round inserts spaced evenly in an oval around the front cover. The title is faded but reads ‘T.. Te.l.al. B.o…r.’ “

A DC16 investigation check will reveal this book is requires a specific magical key and it has something to do with the number 12. A natural 20 awards more information about the title “‘T.. Telltal. B.o…r.’ “

Continued Travel

The party has managed to recover their horses and cart and can continue travelling.

Daily check:

A natural 20 awards them 50% bonus travel distance
A natural 1 reduces travel distance by 50%.
A lone multiple of 4 for the daily check will cause heavy rain and slow their progress down by 25%.
A multiple of 5 for the daily check will cause a random encounter of Wolves - 5 wolves min + 1 extra for each multiple higher than 5.
A lone multiple of 3 and the cart will malfunction slightly and cause them to make successive survival, animal handling, or creative uses of spells to get back on track. They lose 1 mile of distance each failed check for a maximum of -5 miles.
Rolling a multiple of 3 for the daily check will cause heavy rain and slow their progress down by 25%.

If the party haven’t heard from Zhentarim by the end of Day 4. They will be told that night that Dagult has encountered stronger than expected resistance and their timeline has been increased by at least 7 days.

Neverwinter!

If the party arrive at Neverwinter, give them the vague description of the city from the outside

”You see a large, flat, coastal plains area interrupted by large gaping cracks in the ground. Beyond that you see the towering granite brick walls that make up what you believe is the outer wall of Neverwinter and then the long, durable bridges made of a darker wood and steel that connect the city to the main landmass.

Those of you aware of modern history would gather that these are the scars of The Ruining that destroyed the then outer rim of the city and lead to Dagult’s rise to power.” - Description of Neverwinter, as narrated

Anyone interested can roll a DC16 Perception check to see that the outer walls have been adorned with new banners made of a blue cloth that have a emblem of two odd shaped symbols.

Some players if they roll high enough DC22 on perception or a follow up history roll will get a whisper that these are firearms from Vaa’ruul

Entering the City

Neverwinter is clearly in a state of disarray and has been struggling with combat. A DC12 Investigation will detail signs of explosives recently being detonated in the area.

Play this mostly by ear as Illsaiim attempts to guide the party. If the party are not stealthy or walk in to the wrong places - they are likely to encounter the Alagondar Trust or Oskar Kryme’s gang.

IT’S A TRAP

On a 30%d or lower - the party will encounter a highly trapped area that will require careful attention to navigate. A failed perception/investigation check could:

A slicing trap that deals 2D10 damage, DC 16 dexterity check to avoid.
A poison trap that deals 2dD6 damage for 2 rounds, DC12 CON to resist.
A dart trap that will make a hit player unconscious for 2 rounds, DC18 CON to resist and DC16 DEX to avoid. Rollies if two players next to each other both fail.
A wire trap that springs a metal net that can capture the entire party if they’re close together; DC19 DEX to avoid.

”You see a woman with dark tan skin and grey hair; about 5’7” tall, - she looks a bit familiar to most of you but you can’t exactly place it.

She’s wearing a silver shirt and dark blue pants with a blue-er coat over the top. The distinct click of her heeled boots echoes through the surrounding area.” - Description of Samira Farrow

They’ll meet Samira Farrow; sister of Brick Farrow, who works for Oskar Kryme. Illsaiim will recall having seen her man Krymetime Kannons once or twice before.

”Well ‘allo there, what ‘ave we got ‘ere?

Samira Farrow, the pleasures all mine…” - Samira Farrow to the party

If the party are captured - let them be creative to escape or wing it if they can’t.

General rules:

Netting is made of metal and requires either a DC17 STR check to correctly cut with a dagger or other tool. Requires a DC14 DEX check to see if it can be reached from within the net. A stealth check is required to avoid detection with each action.
- The STR cut reduces by 1 each success but the Stealth increases by 1 with each success unless they are distracted by another players CHA skill.
The net is suspended 10ft in the air and will result in a small amount of dmg if they land - as well as potentially trigger other traps if they fall at a weird angle.
The net will begin to move if the players are not free after 10 attempted actions.
If they escape - they will have a choice to run or fight but Samira Farrow will shoot a warning shot with a Desert Eagle like weapon in each hand held upside down.

Familiar Faces

On a 31%d or higher, the party will encounter two people who will remain nameless for now unless heavily insighted (one of them is Marsha Corn and the other is Lucius Price; brother of Trick Price) wearing a familiar lion symbol on their chests with their faces mostly covered. They will interrogate the party first and validate their position before trusting them with anything.

The party will have to roleplay and make successful persuasion checks (DC16-14) to earn information about the city.

When Dagult died, the news was quickly communicated to the criminal underground in The Column and Oskar Kryme took his chance to seize the throne. He rapidly amassed a following and even acquired strong weapons from foreign powers.
The Wolf-Pelt Watchtower has been turned into a home base for a lot of those fighting with the Alagondar Trust - although they are more about protecting the innocent than progressing the cause.
Krymetime Kannons is back in business and located within Casino Cillian - providing a home base for them at the moment.
There’s been sightings of some weird green thing roaming around the Starling Family Sect which was transformed into a safety bunker for those left harmed by the turf war.

These people will award the party a map of Neverwinter if they trust them and give them directions to the location of The Column via Fontaine’s Fortunate Fluids. This is a new path Illsaiim was not aware of and it takes him to a location he’s never been too before.

Alagondar Trust HQ

”You crawl through endless very tight but well constructed staircases and hallways until you reach a landing about 12 flights of stairs down. Illsaiim, this is lower than you thought The Column ever went.

You are taken to a wooden door with a large steel Alagondar Lion on it and after a special knock is performed - the door opens.

You are presented with a large tavern with a substantial bar and plenty of seating room - there are a few musicians playing jovial music and the vibe in the room seems comforting. You see a mixture of people of all races; the usually expected suspects alongside Tortles, Firbolgs, Fire Genasis and Water Genasis, and a handful of different coloured Dragonborns.”

Let the players explore and make things up on the spot - I doubt we’ll get this far.