Session 118: The Kymal Gamble

General Summary

27th-28th Brussendar 836PD   27th Brussendar   Following Raphael’s temporary departure and Council debrief, the Unbroken return back to their Keep to send to their spy contact, Pick, based in Kymal. They ask him to gather more information on the Dark Eye’s operation and details on the upcoming arms deal. He’ll get them what he can within later today.   The party continue on their various downtime activities: Raven receives his +1 studded white dragon leather of cold resistance expediated from Syngorn; Enessa starts working the Hag’s chitinous hide into something to use as protection for her or Ussi; Arthur scribes a couple of spell scrolls; Simeon gets some healing potions for the group; and Orlando crafts some bullets with his tinkering companion Sprocksmith.   By early afternoon, the party are informed by their Major Domo Jeremy Darling that they have a visitor, a dwarven female, Rodonna. She introduces herself as Pick’s local agent and liaison for Emon. She shares what Pick has been able to find out in Kymal:   The cult’s cargo is being held in a warehouse, guarded by magic wielding Cultists, some ravagers, including a Slaughter Lord, and mercenaries led by an ex-member of the Righteous Brand, Jeremiah Northwood. The mention of the Dwendalian military causes a rare darkened flicker within the radiant aura of Simeon.   The cargo is several thousand’s worth of gold and residuum. There’s been a flurry of activity recently that suggests they are getting ready to leave soon, and join the other caravans. Although exact details of when and where aren’t known, but are suspected to be held in the warehouse office or known by the Cult Leader.   Pick offers to have someone on his crew sneak in and sabotage the cart, and the group agree that now is when to hold ‘em, even if for another day or so. The party realise that Kymal is too far to travel by terrestrial means, and they lack any magical hook or connection that can safely and quickly get them to Kymal.   Spending the rest of the day preparing but also to no avail finding a sure way to Kymal, that evening Arthur proposes to teleport the party there, but it’s gamble as he has no familiarity of the area. He estimates there’s a 73% chance they can end up far off course or worse. Raven as a former spy for Syngorn has operated in Kymal before, and offer’s up a detailed description of a discreet alleyway behind a pub, The Lusty Orc, he frequented to give Arthur a target to teleport.   The group disguise themselves with magic and cloaks, Simeon playfully adopting the guise of Raphael. Then with the arcane equivalent of rolling the dice, Arthur conjures the spatial magic to teleport them and they arrive instantly at the back of an alley, next to a loud pub that Raven thankfully recognises as the one he just described. Arthur had beaten the odds!   The party enter the pub, arranging to meet Pick there to plan their next moves on the warehouse. Pick shares some more info he’s gathered to inform potentially approaches: that some of the guards could be bribed; Northwood and his mercenaries set up an encampment just outside the city, there is potential to sway them away from supporting the cultists. But Simeon does not want to tempt himself in the risk of meeting with a member of the military force that oppressed him and his religion.   Deciding to seek a bit more privacy, Raven uses his familiarity with the bar owner to use a backroom that’s often reserved for such conversations. However, there’s a high stakes card game taking place, and the players are not inclined to end their game, but do offer to play for the room.   Arthur and Pick don’t partake, but Simeon, Orlando, Enessa and Raven decide to be dealt in. Raven and Enessa use their deft hands to slightly tip the cards into their favour, Simeon blusters more than bluffs, and Orlando made a life of readin’ people’s faces.   After the first two rounds, Simeon and Orlando know now is when to fold ‘em. Enessa busts at the last hand, leaving Raven and a purple skinned tiefling in the final showdown. Raven attempts to cheat, but is clearly caught although he would have lost to the tiefling’s cards anyway. The tiefling Gambler, introduces himself as Jack, he gives them the room now, since “they’ve paid for it”. The tiefling, leaves with the obvious card shark’s grace of knowing when to walk away, especially with 600 gold of the Unbroken’s money.   The party and Pick plan through the night, he takes them for a quick scout around the warehouse. Raven wildshapes and provides an aerial view, relaying that there are guards on the roof, but sees there’s a less guarded spot behind the back that connects to the neighbouring warehouse. The party decide to hit the warehouse at dawn, once the guards have changed, take out the forces and try to keep the Cult leader with the deal knowledge alive to question or magically persuade.   28th Brussendar   Dawn, as the last of the new guards take their positions and with enough of a gap in time that the previous guards won’t be aware of the attack. The group sneak round the back alley to the ground level rear entrance to the warehouse, Simeon covers them all in the shadows so that they can pass without a trace.   After the intense late-night planning, Raven restates the plan as he takes up the first point, “To get in before the roof guards notice, Enessa and I will take out the bottom guard quietly with our bows. When the guard is down and I open the door, then you’ll know when to run, and we try to hold the surprise as long as we can”.   As planned, Raven takes the shots with his radiant bow, quietly and quickly felling the guard. Raven runs up to catch the body before it falls heavily, and then tries the door, it opens and he steps through into the warehouse, instantly triggering an unchecked alarm ward…