Ashe C2 Episode 48 - Team Copenhaus Under The Rule of Vernabogge...
Previously on Liters of Tomorrow...
As the Pineapple Blade docked at the seaside level of the Ulatan Spire in the city of Copenhaus, a sense of dread came over you. Mausim and Finn felt a strange magical sensation pass through them as the entered the city limits. Nuth and Finn ascertained that it was a tracking spell of some kind. The team was met with a group of guards at the end of the gangplank who informed them that their presence was requested at the table of Lord Vernabogge.
Nuth and Demaia quickly looked for exit strategies. Demaia noticed some onlookers staring down the team from a hidden positions. She spoke with some crows to learn if they were friendlies or dangerous. The crows demanded a payment of a whole croissant but informed her that the hidden figures were most likely a way out of the situation. Nuth used a clever magic coin trick to dumbfound the guards as the team slipped away into the crowd.
The onlookers turned out to be part of the resistance group led by Cat, Mausim's sister. She brought you all to an old Thieves Guild that was their acting headquarters. From there you were informed of the current situation in the city. The Fallen known as Vernabogge has taken control and imprisoned the previous leader, Baron Nuxhall. He has also led a brutal campaign of reprisals against any citizens who speak out against him or commit minor infractions. Many of these political prisoners are held in the old Aarokocran embassy now turned into a brutal Gulag. To prove their worth to the city they are set against each other in deadly gladiatorial games.
With Finn and Mausim marked by the guards and vernabogge it was up to Nuth and Demaia to head out into the city to find a way to free Mausim's father. Cat took Nuth to speak with the Lion's Wing mercenaries and to obtain a new spell. Jugwell Fletch took Demaia to the Alucard dome to scope out the prison's defenses and to enlist some rats to do some reconnaisance.
Nuth and Cat ran into some Drow who were hiding in an alleyway. Both parties decided to talk it out instead of killing each other and the Drow informed the two that there is a bomb somewhere in the city that is set to detonate in the Underdark. Vernabogge's plan involves a great war to engulf the entire continent into conflict, including the Drow. After they spoke with the head of the Lion's Wing who flat out refused to help them claiming that his problems were far more pressing. He told of a military build up that threatened the entire continent and that his meager forces had their hands full trying to hamper those efforts. However one of his fighters, Citrine Wagtail, decided to offer her help instead.
After you all reconvened back in the safe house to go over the plan. Let's return now to the meeting room...
As the Pineapple Blade docked at the seaside level of the Ulatan Spire in the city of Copenhaus, a sense of dread came over you. Mausim and Finn felt a strange magical sensation pass through them as the entered the city limits. Nuth and Finn ascertained that it was a tracking spell of some kind. The team was met with a group of guards at the end of the gangplank who informed them that their presence was requested at the table of Lord Vernabogge.
Nuth and Demaia quickly looked for exit strategies. Demaia noticed some onlookers staring down the team from a hidden positions. She spoke with some crows to learn if they were friendlies or dangerous. The crows demanded a payment of a whole croissant but informed her that the hidden figures were most likely a way out of the situation. Nuth used a clever magic coin trick to dumbfound the guards as the team slipped away into the crowd.
The onlookers turned out to be part of the resistance group led by Cat, Mausim's sister. She brought you all to an old Thieves Guild that was their acting headquarters. From there you were informed of the current situation in the city. The Fallen known as Vernabogge has taken control and imprisoned the previous leader, Baron Nuxhall. He has also led a brutal campaign of reprisals against any citizens who speak out against him or commit minor infractions. Many of these political prisoners are held in the old Aarokocran embassy now turned into a brutal Gulag. To prove their worth to the city they are set against each other in deadly gladiatorial games.
With Finn and Mausim marked by the guards and vernabogge it was up to Nuth and Demaia to head out into the city to find a way to free Mausim's father. Cat took Nuth to speak with the Lion's Wing mercenaries and to obtain a new spell. Jugwell Fletch took Demaia to the Alucard dome to scope out the prison's defenses and to enlist some rats to do some reconnaisance.
Nuth and Cat ran into some Drow who were hiding in an alleyway. Both parties decided to talk it out instead of killing each other and the Drow informed the two that there is a bomb somewhere in the city that is set to detonate in the Underdark. Vernabogge's plan involves a great war to engulf the entire continent into conflict, including the Drow. After they spoke with the head of the Lion's Wing who flat out refused to help them claiming that his problems were far more pressing. He told of a military build up that threatened the entire continent and that his meager forces had their hands full trying to hamper those efforts. However one of his fighters, Citrine Wagtail, decided to offer her help instead.
After you all reconvened back in the safe house to go over the plan. Let's return now to the meeting room...
Plot points/Scenes
The Prison in the Old Aaronola Embassy
As you discuss what to do next in the complicated web of tragedy that is Copenhaus under Vernabogge's rule, Cat has a quick discussion with Jugwell Fletch. Mausim, Cat turns to you and says
"I realize I've just dumped a lot on your plate right now, but we may have some new recruits that can help shoulder the load. The streets will be dangerous but I think we can navigate our way to the Rakish Imbibery easy enough. Jugwell has some information that there may be people there who would be willing to join the cause. I'll send Jug ahead of us, grab anyone in your group that wants to make the trip."
Rakish Imbibery - The Atomo Dome -
Tends to be a little more popular with the locals and shop keeps in the dome. The Interior is a dark timber structure reminiscent of driftwood. Orange and gold magical lights are affixed to the walls that have an artificial flicker. A shark skeleton hangs from the ceiling behind the bar.
Staff - Kolin Tuft, a human man bartender, Drudilan, the half orc barback and Villus the half elven man who owns and manages the place. On a raised platform on the north side of the tavern is a band playing. Fronted by a blond human man wielding a steel lute, he is surrounded by other musicians. Dozens of patrons are enraptured by the performance.
In a corner with an empty glass in front of him is a Triton man who looks surly and annoyed.
The rats scouting report - [DM Note: three rats were enlisted by Demaia to scout out the prison. Remy, Vonk, and Paco demanded a side of bacon and several breakfast sandwiches for their trouble. They mention the guard rotation of four every four at the front of the building. Inside from what they could see on the first floor is the main offices of Redeye, Venomtooth and several guards who live on the premises. Second Floor has about 40 prisoners held in four main cells. Third Floor they only got a glimpse of but seems to have higher importance prisoners. These have individual cells and hidden staircases on the east and west to get up there. There is also a large room for private beatings.]
[DM Note: Mausim's Father and several other old friends of Mausim's family are being held within. Unfortunately the prison also holds some of the most vicious killers and deadly thieves that had been in the city when Vernabogge took power. He captured any who didn't immediately swear fealty to him. In the last couple of weeks he has been pitting them against each other in gladiatorial games held at the zoo.]
Redeye Riskelli - A massive bugbear man with one eye glowing red. It has been enchanted to see invisible creatures. He gets a heat signature predator style.
Guard Captain and head of security for the Prison
His second in command is a Female Yuan-Ti woman named Tessafore Venomtooth.
Both of them can usually be found on the ground floor of the embassy in the offices. Whenever the team decides to go to the prison they can be found interrogating an aarokocran man with the look of a black and white Puffin. They accuse the man of smuggling goods and people out of the city in violation of order V1203.
First floor of the Aaronola Prison facility.
What used to be the main offices of the embassy are now used as guard quarters and offices for Redeye and Venomtooth. The large marble looking room is the interrogation room. Start there and follow the map clockwise.
Interrogation Room - The floor and ceiling are large tiles of marble and a dark granite alternating in check pattern. The room used to be a conference room or presentation room for greeting diplomats. Now it's austere walls are splattered with dark fluids and courtroom rails have spikes and chains bolted into them. A dozen heavy oak tables can be seen in the room with iron rings and chains dotted on them. A raised platform in the middle holds two pillars for a subject to be chained to.
Cloakroom closet - This thin room is a storage room. It holds cleaning equipment and the new prison guard uniforms.
Kitchen 01 - This large kitchen area has stoves and ovens that are lit with magical fire. You can see runestones that glow brightly above them built into the wall. They need to be replaced or recharged every few weeks depending on use.
Kitchen 02 - Sinks and dishwashing equipment as well as some of the finer baking machines.
Bathroom - A classic corporate style bathroom. Several stalls and unirals on the east wall. Sinks on the west wall.
Office of Venomtooth - Redeye's second in command has made her office here. The walls are a reddish brown wood paneling and a marble floor. Paintings of Aarokocran aristocracy have been replaced by snake totems and living plants that have been brought over from Ventenheim.
Guard Check - These three smaller rooms once held a coat check, a screening room, and a valet greeter. Now they have been replaced with steely eyed guards in heavy armor. They leer out at anyone passing the building and threaten to crack heads if anyone gets out of line. They have a steady guard rotation every four hours. Four heavily armed guards are on duty at anytime. Two standing in front of the building and two in those rooms.
Stairs to second floor -
Redeye Riskelli Office - Once the office of the ambassador to Penthaheim, it too also has a rich red wood paneling and a polished marble floor. Now the many paintings of aarokocran nobles have been gashed or painted over in garish obscene ways. The furniture has been replaced with a bar setup complete with round tables and stools. Redeye likes to entertain at night.
Guard Barracks - This room has been restructured into a barracks for eight of the guards. All told there are 30 guards who patrol the prison. Only half of them live at the prison, however, the rest are commuting form elsewhere in the city.
Guard Mess Hall -
New Prisoner holding cell. - This central room holds any new prisoners who haven't been assigned a cell yet. It used to be dining room for the ambassadors. The walls are still a high end wood paneling inset with beautiful tile mosaics of Alcan Island.
Back Entrance - This entry facing the sea cliff has been sealed up. The massive oak doors are locked tight and heavy beams have been fastened to them from the inside.
Roof - The roof is patrolled by four more guards and a griffon named Amber Tempest. Mausim would have met this Griffon and knows that he is normally even tempered and very kind. Now though a small device has been placed on his neck causing his eyes to darken to a reddish color. He is under the control of a new griffon rider named Crowves Wright. A human man with black hair and broad shoulders. He has a bronze helm with a horse mane tail coming off of it.
Themes
The Bomb in the Lighthouse
Defusing the Bomb - The device hangs from a tripod crane that has been built over the pit that descends into the underdark. It is a spherical shape with six spikes jutting off it like a deep sea mine. These are meant to protect it as it tumbles through the space in between. It has been programmed to detonate when it reaches the ground. This requires a magical timer that can be tinkered with if the Arcana check is high enough. DC 18. Underneath an iron grating you can see a series of lights and runes that make up the detonator and the timer.
Everybody roll initiative. The bomb explodes in three rounds. The bomb is modular and actually six different sections that each correspond to the core attributes. Disarming each of these sections reduce the blast by 1/6th
Strength/Athletics: Two iron bars have been welded over the control panel. It is possible to remove them in another manner but the fastest way would be to just bend them.
Dex/thieves tools: there is a switch hidden inside the bomb that needs to be pressed without touching any of the other mechanisms inside the bomb. Failure means you get shocked and one of the other modules that was previously turned off (other than CHA or CON) turns back on.
Wisdom/perception: a hidden switch needs to be found and pressed. Perhaps don’t reveal one of the other challenges until this switch is pressed. Or perhaps the bomb is 100s of switches and only 1 is real.
Int/investigation/possibly Arcana: a panel on the bomb has a formula inscribed on it because the person that designed this module had trouble remembering the safety codes. The formula has to be decoded and The solution entered into the mechanism.
Con: Probably the hardest one to descibe, but possible a circuit has to be held down while the rest of the bomb is being disarmed. The person holding this makes con saves each round -AND- each time another section of the bomb is solved to avoid being electrocuted.
Defusing the Bomb - The device hangs from a tripod crane that has been built over the pit that descends into the underdark. It is a spherical shape with six spikes jutting off it like a deep sea mine. These are meant to protect it as it tumbles through the space in between. It has been programmed to detonate when it reaches the ground. This requires a magical timer that can be tinkered with if the Arcana check is high enough. DC 18. Underneath an iron grating you can see a series of lights and runes that make up the detonator and the timer.
Everybody roll initiative. The bomb explodes in three rounds. The bomb is modular and actually six different sections that each correspond to the core attributes. Disarming each of these sections reduce the blast by 1/6th
Strength/Athletics: Two iron bars have been welded over the control panel. It is possible to remove them in another manner but the fastest way would be to just bend them.
Dex/thieves tools: there is a switch hidden inside the bomb that needs to be pressed without touching any of the other mechanisms inside the bomb. Failure means you get shocked and one of the other modules that was previously turned off (other than CHA or CON) turns back on.
Wisdom/perception: a hidden switch needs to be found and pressed. Perhaps don’t reveal one of the other challenges until this switch is pressed. Or perhaps the bomb is 100s of switches and only 1 is real.
Int/investigation/possibly Arcana: a panel on the bomb has a formula inscribed on it because the person that designed this module had trouble remembering the safety codes. The formula has to be decoded and The solution entered into the mechanism.
Con: Probably the hardest one to descibe, but possible a circuit has to be held down while the rest of the bomb is being disarmed. The person holding this makes con saves each round -AND- each time another section of the bomb is solved to avoid being electrocuted.
Structure
Exposition
Nuxhall Manor and the Key
Conflict
The Great Game
[DM Note: Vernabogge is eager to meet Finn and Mausim for they entered his lost sanctum underneath the Ashen Forest. Allesandre Manor was once his ancestral home when he was Victor, a weak tiefling lordling lusting after power. Vernabogge is impressed that Finn and Mausim made it in and out of the manor and is intrigued by their survivability. Especially what happened to Lord Vedemire Darkhorse. He very much wants to speak with them...]
Rising Action
The Lion's Wing - Resistance Group
The Lion's Wing are a group of Aarokocran mercenaries who have been trapped in the city after the rise of Vernabogge. They do have flight but not the ability to fly all the way to Alcan Island. Some have escaped through the continent but the remaining members are here to fight Vernabogge. They know that if he succeeds their home island will be invaded.
They have intel that Vernabogge plans a multi front assault drawing most of Penthaheim into combat immediately. It is through the Lion's wing that the team will learn that he is creating a bomb that he plans on detonating in the Underdark. Within months all of the continents will be drawn into a world war.
The Catspaw resistance group
led by Mausim’s sister is focused on getting political prisoners out of prison before they are killed in the gladiatorial games. Specifically her father who is being held in high security prison.
[DM Note: The team also needs to find the key that unlocks the shield around Vernabogge’s phylactery. That should be hidden in the manor house that he is using as his home base.]
They have intel that Vernabogge plans a multi front assault drawing most of Penthaheim into combat immediately. It is through the Lion's wing that the team will learn that he is creating a bomb that he plans on detonating in the Underdark. Within months all of the continents will be drawn into a world war.
- Members of the Lion's Wing - They are all fighters and barbarians.
- Chaffinch Brightwing - Fairly hawkish female Aarokocra with bright white feathers on her arms and wings.
Ouzel Bluefeather - Male Aarokocra with a bluejay shaped head with blue and black feathers.
Nevatar Goshawk - White eagle shaped head, male. Brown feathers with white speckles.
Carrion Crowntail - Thinner head with dark grey, orange bands cover her arms and wings. Oriole looking colors.
Caspian Tern - Finch like head with dark blue feathers, a bright pink group of feathers on his chest.
Chukar partridge - Pigeon like colors and features. Male Aarokocra with grey tones highlighted with bright blue and pink.
Citrine wagtail - Finch like head with bright yellow feathers on his head and neck. Grey and black bands about his shoulders.
The Catspaw resistance group
led by Mausim’s sister is focused on getting political prisoners out of prison before they are killed in the gladiatorial games. Specifically her father who is being held in high security prison.
[DM Note: The team also needs to find the key that unlocks the shield around Vernabogge’s phylactery. That should be hidden in the manor house that he is using as his home base.]
- Catspaw Resistance Group:
- Unacather Baramus- Allow Eman to describe her to us. Human Woman with dark hair.
- Restovar Graphus - Human man, bald with a face tattoo of a snake on his cheek. Former soldier of Copenhaus.
- Hiram Westov - Half Orc/Half Dwarven man, former Griffon Air Corp member but never made pilot.
- Pelia Nuxhall Dover - The Niece of Baron Anton Hebrides, human woman with long brown hair and brown eyes.
- Istael Drudge - Dwarven man who used to run the Whistling Blade. A weapons shop specializing in knives and swords.
- Erasmus Piton - Gnome man and former thief, he has thinning grey hair and a large nose even for a Gnome.
- Jugwell Fletch - Halfling man and former thief. Has rogue abilities and several scars around his left eye. Black curly hair.
- Talis Sonia - kender woman with short spiky hair dyed blue. Former spy for Lamborginus, now determined to kill Vernabogge.
Climax
The Drow Stalkers- Members of the Mist's Eye, See their article in World Anvil.
Languages, Elven, Undercommon, Sylvan
Fey Ancestry: The drow has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put the drow to sleep.
Innate Spellcasting:
The drow's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 11). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: dancing lights
1/day each: darkness, faerie fire
Sunlight Sensitivity: While in sunlight, the drow has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
- Captain Xiv Shadowborne
- Ensign Keltavin Exanomic
- Hunter Raxon Trexhaven
- Hunter Nuntalos Rex
Languages, Elven, Undercommon, Sylvan
Fey Ancestry: The drow has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put the drow to sleep.
Innate Spellcasting:
The drow's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 11). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: dancing lights
1/day each: darkness, faerie fire
Sunlight Sensitivity: While in sunlight, the drow has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Crimes against Mausim are as follows:
- Grand theft Aerial, a griffon “True Grit”
- Instigating an Escape, Felony. The escape of Prisoner 4428 Trick Redfern
- 27 counts of Assault on duly deputized soldiers of Copenhaus
- Tax Avoidance to the sum of 458 gold.
- Treason and Sedition - Joining the underground resistance movement known as Catspaw.
- Associating with an enemy of the state Unacather Baramus
Plot type
Main Story
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