(Campaign6) Factions

General Summary

The Sixth campaign played in Farrah. Set in 496 AQ and played by the Diplomats (PC Group).
The Diplomats began in their base in the countryside west of Kimbol. Their base is known as The Embassy, and the servants there are under the authority of Alfred Maxwell Jeeves, the loyal butler/head of household the Diplomats installed.
The Diplomats are approached by Daniel Hargraves, who asks for their assistance. Hargraves' wife is missing, and he suspects that a Kimbol local known as Jacob Ironwork is behind it. Hargraves asks that the PCs capture Ironwork and bring him to the Embassy for questioning. Ironwork frequents a riverside tavern in the city. The PCs have their stableboy, Peon, saddle their horses. This includes the heroic Ironhoof. The Diplomats head into the city at night, enter the tavern and convince Ironwork to come outside with them. They quickly subdue him and return to the Embassy. The Diplomats question Ironwork, who denies any knowledge of Hargraves or his wife. When the Diplomats send for Hargraves they deliver Ironwork to him. Hargraves tells the PCs that he is actually a member of the group known as the Reformers, who seek to improve Farrah. Flummoxed, the Diplomats investigate and discover that Ironwork is the son of Nathaniel Ironwork, the head of criminal gang known as the Covenant. The PCs also find out that there is a rumour around town that a rival gang, the Reformers, are the ones that kidnapped Jacob. The PCs decide to hold Jacob for the time being.
Alfred informs the Diplomats that a servant of Lord York has requested a meeting. The Diplomats meet with the servant, Samuel Merryweather. Merryweather is taking a train of food wagons to the Steppe, where there is a famine. He has no money to pay the Diplomats, but promises them the favour of Lord York and a meeting once they reach the Steppe. The Diplomats agree to the long journey to the desert. They spy an opportunity to profit and also begin to invest in food trains to the Steppe. This profiteering continues for the rest of the campaign. While they are away the PCs ask Simon the Summoner, a local criminal/information broker for a report on the underworld gangs they are now entangled with.
The Diplomats travel with the food train up to the Steppe. They arrive to find the town on the edge of riot. The villagers watch angrily as the food is taken under guard into the town granary. The Diplomats meet Lord York, who is very grateful that they protected the food. Lord York plans to ration it out gradually and fairly. At the same time a chain gang of slaves are brought into the walled granary. They are owned by the rich Ellmere family, and are being called back to the lake. They are held in the fortified area under the watch of local town guards. Beth's Diplomat Beldon (BD) abhors slavery, and vows to free them given the chance. That night the hungry townsfolk gather around the fortified granary and attempt to storm it. The Diplomats and the guards begin to drive them off. In the fighting, Beth's Diplomat goes to the slave cages, knocks out the guard there (Corporal Leigh) and begins to free them. The other guards notice and rush over to stop her. Beldon, a nixie, if flying in the air. The guards try to shoot her down. Dreagan (PD) joins in the fight. He hopes to shoot her down non-lethally and make peace between the Diplomats and the guards. Dreagan critically hits Beldont, and she is killed as she falls from the sky. (1st PvP kill). The townsfolk are driven off, the slaves remain bound, and the Diplomats return to bed. Lord York sees them off the next day, suggesting it would be best if the left the Steppe. York promises to investigate Beldons death and determine whether further action need be taken. On the way home to the Embassy, Beldon is buried at a fork in the road, in keeping with her religious belief in Fharlanghn.
Lord York later sends a letter in coded language stating that the Diplomats could be hanged for what happened, but given they helped his town he will let it pass.
Upon their return to Kimbol, the Diplomats are called to the Castle to talk to Royal Guard Captain Antillies. Antillies informs the PCs that a war has broken out between the Reformers and the Covenant. Several people have been killed in the street, shops burned down. Separately an assassin attempted to kill High Priestess Simian while she was praying alone. Antillies asks the Diplomats to investigate and end the underground war. The PCs go to Simon the Summoner, having first to get past his doorman, a young boy with a penchant for apples. Simon provides his report on the gang activity to the PCs. The PCs are offered a job by the Reformers. The Reformers want revenge for the losses they have suffered so far in the underground war. The Reformers ask that the Diplomats kill Nathaniel Ironwork at the religious gathering of the Covenant leadership in a few weeks. The Diplomats decide that this would be within their royal orders to tackle underworld crime, and take the gold offered.
While awaiting the religious gathering of the Covenant, the Diplomats search for other employment. They receive an invitation to come to a tavern 'The Skewered Boar' to meet get a job to hunt down a group of criminals known as The Advengerers. The job pays 500gp. Dreagan (PD) is a past Advengerer, so wants to find out who is hunt them. The Diplomats head to The Skewered Boar, where they are directed upstairs to a meeting room. In the room are Honorious, a Djinn, and Klover, Laurie's Advengerer who was abandoned the group. Honorious is in human form and Klover is invisible with a crossbow. Honorious begins to talk to the Diplomats about the Advengerers, he then asks Dreagan if he remembers him. Honorious changes to the form of the Djinn who tormented Dreagan in the dungeon. Dreagan attacks, and a fight breaks out. Klover appears and joins on Honorious' side. Laurie's Diplomat kills Klover. Honorious, losing the fight, causes the fireplace to explode in blinding light and flees out the chimney.
The Diplomats return to the Embassy to more job offers. They do a few small jobs around the city for low pay. During this time, Beth's second Diplomat Isadora, an assassin, goes on a spree of murdering innocent townsfolk. The Diplomats are hired to try to hunt down the mysterious mass killer, but do not find her. The Diplomats are approached by Lady DeFarge, the niece of one of the four powerful lords of Farrah. Defarge offers the PCs 50,000gp if they kill her uncle, the current lord, before his wedding. Another 10,000gp to them if it looks like an underworld hit. The Diplomats are deeply divided on assassinating a loyal Lord of the Kingdom. Some advocate against such treason, while other want the money, or suggest turning in DeFarge. In the end Koi (KG), Azoroth (MD), and Isadora (BG) sneak away and kill Lord Defarge. On the way back from the Lord's household they pass a few traders on the road, but otherwise make a clean escape.
The Diplomats attend Lord Defarge's funeral. Queen Esmerelda offers the Lordship of Levinas to a noble who turns in the killers, or a large gold reward to a commoner who does the same. Dreagan is suspicious of this fellow PCs, but has no evidence that they committed the crime. They take their payment in secret.
The Diplomats are once again hired for a job by Daniel Hargraves. They are mistrustful, but he is offering good money. Hargraves tells them that a high ranked member of the Covenant is leaving the city to avoid the war. Hargraves tells them the road he will be taking, and asks that he be killed. The Diplomats travel out to the countryside and set up an ambush. They spend a long time setting up ghoul glyphs and buried ropes to incapacitate the target or his horse. When the target arrives one of the Diplomats shoots at him, which spooks his horse. The target is flung from the horse and breaks his neck on the ground, well short of the proper trap. The Diplomats identify the corpse as a high ranking member of the Reformers, the organisation Hargraves said he worked for. They return to Kimbol to confront Hargraves, but he has vanished.
The time has come for the Covenant's holy ceremony. The Diplomats know that the meeting will occur in one of two places: the Turned Tables restaurant in town, or the private dining boat Antioch. The Diplomats split into two groups. The group going to the Turned Tables go to the restaurant the night before. Dreagan (PD) goes into the toilet and climbs into the dry drop, planning to wait the night and enter the party tomorrow. He strips naked and holds his clothing aloft all night. Almost 24 hours later the party begins. Isadora, a changeling, easily gets past the guards and enters the party. Dreagan is still in the toilet when a guest comes in to use his stall. Dreagan climbs up the toilet, jumps out of it a grabs the guest. He pulls them both into the toilet and knocks the guest out. Dreagan climbs out of the toilet and begins to try to wipe himself clean of poo on the stall walls. He then realises the unconscious man in the toilet is at risk of drowning in excrement. Dreagan climbs back into the toilet and hoists the man out. Another guest has heard the commotion and alerted a staff member, who comes in and asks if everything is alright in the stall. Dreagan, naked, flith stained and holding an unconscious man in a similar state, asks for towels. When the towels are delivered Dreagan emerges from the stall and knocks out the staff member who brought them. Dreagan gets dressed and looks in the mirror. He realises that his face and beard are still flithy beyond repair and he will never pass for a guest at this party. He emerges from the bathroom and begins to walk quietly across the ballroom. The other guests slowly notice him and conversation tapers off as the poor dwarf slowly builds speed across the room. When around two thirds of the way across he breaks into a run and frantically smashes out a window, escaping onto the street and into the night. Town guards lying in wait, planning on raiding the Covenant party, have not heard from their man on the inside (he is knocked out in the toilet) and decide they need to storm the party. Shortly after Dreagan exits the guards burst in, arresting everyone there including Isadora.
Meanwhile, the other section of the Diplomats sneaks aboard Antioch. Koi enters the boat through a toilet and into the bathroom. Azoroth (MD) is dressed as a waited and meets him in there. For some reason this involves Azoroth (MD) knocking out Koi (KG) and taking his pants. Talos (JH) approaches Nathaniel Ironwork on the ship and kills him with a leaping slash in full view of the party. The Diplomats split up and quickly abandon ship, swimming in the river and to safety. The two groups of Diplomats meet up (minus Isadora (BD) who is arrested and being interrogated) and swap stories. The next day Isadora is released as there is no evidence of her committing any crimes.
Upon return to the Embassy the Diplomats are confronted by a farmer, Jim Feeny. Feeny says that he saw them leaving Lord DeFarge's manor after the assassination. Feeny says he has a cousin in the town guard who knows he is meeting with the Diplomats. Feeny asks for a bribe big enough to not report the Diplomats. The Diplomats adjourn to another room to discuss the matter. Dreagan (PD) takes Feeny and tells him he believes the Diplomats killed DeFarge, but tells him to leave while he can, for the Diplomats are very dangerous. Upon realising Feeny is leave, Isadora and Koi murder Feeny. The group then tell Dreagan to return to his quarters and not leave without supervision. Dreagan does so, but he also provides his diary to a member of the serving staff and tells her to take it to the Royal Guard Captain Antillies (this diary implicates the Diplomats in many crimes and suggests they killed DeFarge.) The remaining Diplomats debate what to do with Dreagan, who is popular with the people. They decide he needs to be killed, or he will expose their treason. Azoroth, Isadora, and Koi sneak into Dreagan's room and Azoroth (MD) kills Dreagan while he sleeps. (Second PvP kill). The Diplomats spread rumours that Dreagan is mad and later tell the world he died of his madness.
Isadora and Koi are on good terms and take a job to go meet with a member of the Golden Sons, with promise of high pay for morally questionable work. When they arrive at the meeting the pair are ambushed and double crossed. Koi is injured and knocked unconscious, Isadora escapes narrowly. Isadora returns to the Embassy and tells Azoroth what happened to Koi. Azoroth (MD) rides to find Koi, then takes his broken, poisoned into the city with haste. Koi is quickly dying to the virulent poison. Azoroth crashes off his horse and rushes Koi into a church, where a priest is able to save Koi's life. The Diplomats try to find out who sent an assassin for them. They return to Simon the Summoner to try to ask, but Simon's door man (the child who likes apples) asks for a bribe to speak to Simon (as usual). Max's Diplomat attempts to kill this innocent child, who flees in terror. The Diplomats threaten Simons, and he tells them who the assassin is, but he does not have an address, but after this Simon refuses to do business with the Diplomats.
The Diplomats are hired by a nobleman, Dune Voitre, in Vaclav. They are asked to return a Lapis Lazuli to its ocean home to stop water element attacks occuring in the bay near Vaclav. The party takes a boat and sails out. They are attacked by the elementals and Azoroth (MD) is instrumental in defeating them. The party manage to survive a massive whirlpool and return the gemstone to the ocean, calming the elementals. On the return to the Embassy, Azoroth (MD) mocks Koi for being so weak that he always needs saving. Previously Koi had loaned Azoroth gold, and had not paid him back. Koi, angry at the slight, decides to take revenge. The night of their return Koi (KG) sneaks into Azoroth's bedroom and slits his throat. (Third PvP kill).
The Diplomats are joined by Dorlin (Paul's second Diplomat). Dorlin is sent with the Diplomats by Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo intercepted Dreagan's diary and will release it unless Dorlin is allowed with the party.Wells Fargo make the Diplomats raid a Golden Sons base. The Diplomats attack the base, and kill those inside. A cart with some Golden Sons flees, but is knocked over in the street by the Diplomats. Dorlin takes some of those driving the cart into a rope trick and eats their brains to gain their memories. This street battle was witnessed by Jasin Natael (DT) who was in Kimbol having just returned from the Atuk Islands.
The Diplomats travel to Mitraz, The Diplomats find the assassin, and Koi approaches him in an alleyway while the other Diplomats lie in wait above. Koi offers to pay the assassin to kill Isadora (hoping to lure the assassin elsewhere to kill him). Isadora believes Koi actually wants her dead, and attacks Koi from above. The other Diplomats join in the fighting. The assassin is killed and Koi is knocked unconscious.
The Diplomats take Koi back to the Embassy. On return they hear that the Golden Sons slaughtered a large number of nobles overnight. This event becomes known as El Nochte Triste. Dorlin had advance warning of this but was instructed not to prevent it, and didn't tell the rest of the Diplomats. The Public Safety Act is put in force, and Wells Fargo gains expansive powers to arrest and detain. The Diplomats come to a tense agreement to continue to work together.
Meanwhile, a separate group of PCs, a rival adventuring group, arrive in Kimbol. They are approached by Quinley Starbright, the Ambassador to Farrah from the Elven nation of Correlon. Starbright asks that these PCs assassinate Occam. The PCs find Occam in Kimbol and begin to follow him, looking for an opportunity to strike. They watch as he has diner with Florien the Reader. Occam and Florien talk, Occam leaves, then Florien collapses, poisoned. The PCs PCs approach the outside of Occam's booth. Occam is watching the show with his partner, Belle McNamara. Richard's PC forgets his lines, and sets up a ladder climbing to Occam's booth, pretending it is part of the play. The PCs burst into the booth and stab Occam. Occam jumps from the booth into the crowd, followed by some PCs. The remaining PCs kill Belle McNamara. Occam then teleports away, narrowly escaping the party. The PCs report their failing to Ambassador Starbright and flee Kimbol to avoid retribution. They include Ivan the Half Ogre (Max's second Diplomat). Some of them go and join the Diplomats.
The Diplomats attend the wedding of the Crown Prince, Aleski. Aleski marries Madeline Skorsky. The wedding is a rare ray of happiness amid the gloom following El Nochte Triste. That night, Crown Prince Aleski is killed by Captain Antillies. Queen Esmerelda, wracked by grief, abdicates the throne. Princess Stephanie, the next in line, is too young to rule. The Elector Council is called together to decide who should be regent. The candidates for regent are Lord York and General Occam.
The Diplomats, friendly with Lord York, support his candidacy. They begin to try to find out who the electors will vote for. During this, Koi (KG) is bitter at the Diplomats for attacking him in the alleyway, and believes they might turn on him like they turned on Dreagan. Koi allies with Dorlin, and the two make a dark pact. They agree to a night of wilful slaughter, and plan to kill Isadora (BG), Talos (JH), and Ivan (MD). The two drink potions of retribution. Koi hides inside Isadora's chest of drawers. At night, Dorlin turns to smoke and enters Isadora's room. Koi emerges from the furniture and the two attempt to murder Isadora. Isadora survives the coup de grace and, deeply wounded, flees out the window into the night. Koi and Dorlin then split up. Dorlin goes to Ivan's room, enters as a smokey form, and kills the sleeping Ogre with an axe. (Forth PvP kill). Talos, hearing the window smash in Isadora's room, is on alert. He flees his bedroom and heads to the stables with the intention to take Ironhoof (Dreagan's horse) and flee. Koi catchs him and the pair fight. Talos kills Koi and Koi explodes, wounding Talos and Ironhoof. (Fifth PvP kill). Talos flees on the back of the heroic horse. Richard's PC had been hired by Dorlin and Koi to kill any Diplomat who fled the Embassy, but he decided not to attack those who left, simply taking the gold and leaving instead. Dorlin, seeing his work done, leaves the Embassy. He reports back to Occam that his mission was completed; the Diplomats were no longer useful and no longer a threat.
Shortly afterward Occam is declared Regent by the Elector Council. Talos returns to the Embassy and tries to rebuild the broken reputation of the Diplomats.

PC group in the campaign:

• The Diplomats

Report Date

20 Mar 2020