Jeramiahh
2009-09-05, 03:26 AM
The short version: My city is under attack, not by one army, but by five. Soldiers, wizards, and myriad monsters roam the streets, fighting one another, in an attempt to claim the city, or its smoldering ruins. I play a 4th level rogue, with a few magic tricks up my sleeve, with a good charisma and plenty of social skills. Along with me, I have a first level rogue, mystic, and two experts, along with a decent amount of money for non-magical supplies.
What sorts of tricks can I pull? Cheap traps, plots to play one side off another, etc.; anything would be useful, and would be easy to work into my schemes, since, in general, direct confrontation is out. A typical guard patrol squad might be 8 1st level warriors and a 4th level fighter, with other groups mixing in magic users or devils, depending on which side they are.
Long version: Absalom, The City at the Center of the World. Built on the Isle of Kortos, for over 4000 years has it been the center of civilization, and the city has never fallen to invasion in all that time. Founded by the Last Azlanti, the god Aroden, the city has also been the site of ascension of four deities that attempted the legendary Test of the Starstone. But a century ago, on the year that it was prophesied that Aroden would come down from the heavens and take the throne of the Empire of Cheliax, Aroden died without apparent cause or explanation, and the power of prophecy seemed to have been rent asunder.
The wars that followed in the aftermath of Aroden's death were brutal, as Cheliax became dominated by House Thrune, who made pacts with the dark god Asmodeus himself. This tradition continues to this day, and has been renewed in recent years. But Cheliax was weakened by several provinces breaking off in order to avoid their dark rule. To the east, the ancient realm of Taldor eyes Absalom hungrily, wishing to reclaim its glory with the power that Absalom could give them, for their empire once encompassed the entire periphery of the Inner Sea, including Old Cheliax before they were attacked on two fronts. The decadent and declining empire is still powerful, with legions and ships enough to defend themselves, but it is rotting from within. The only daughter of the Grand Prince of Taldor has plans to return them to glory, however.
South of Taldor, and the cause of Taldor's fall from glory, is the Satrapy of Qadira, a sub-state of the far off Padishah Empire of Kelesh. Chafing for war with Taldor, the Satrap Xerbystes II wishes for the glory and wealth that it will bring him, and he waits only for the permission of the Emperor himself to do so. Osirion to the south of the Isle of Kortos was once the leader of the lands south of the Inner Sea, but the Empire of Kelesh ended the rule of the Pharaohs of Old Osirion over 800 years past. The Satrapy of Osirion did not stay loyal, however, and the Empire ended up sowing the seeds of its own destruction, when they introduced the faith of Sarenrae to Osirion. The Cult of the Dawnflower bore fruit when it ended the rule of Kelesh over them just over 100 years past. A supposed descendant of the Pharaohs ruled, and his grandson, the Ruby Prince Khemet III has been building up his armies, though the purpose for this is unknown.
Two months ago, things went from unstable to disastrous in Absalom, when an infiltrator assassinated ten of the twelve members of the Grand Council, including Lord Gyr, the Primarch of the council, and stole eleven of the twelve cornucopias that give the members their positions, and are capable of pouring out nearly endless amounts of supplies during any siege on Absalom. This disaster merely preceded the worst of what was to occur. Next Princess Eutropia assassinated her father, the Grand Prince of Taldor, and took control, promptly sending her fleet toward Absalom with three full legions of soldiers. The Grand Prince had the title of Primarch in Waiting, and she hoped to take advantage of this to take Absalom for her own. In response Qadira sent a fleet of its own, but it was slightly behind the forces of Taldor. Both forces landed about the time that Osirion sent their own forces, backed up by elementals to aid them. And that was when the impossible happened.
Clerics of Aroden had been hoping that he would return for ages, but hope had been dying over the past century. And then, on the day that Absalom fell by districts to Taldor, Qadira, and Osirion, the roses of the gardens of Egorian, the capital of Cheliax, turned from black to white. The roses had turned black with his death, as one of the miracles he had performed was to turn them white to begin with, but this was an omen that Cheliax could not afford to ignore, particularly House Thrune and Asmodeus himself, as the ancient clerics of Aroden began to regain spells once more. Within days their own expedition was at sea, heading for Absalom to conquer it for Asmodeus and House Thrune, for if they could prevent the return of Aroden, it could only be done in Absalom.
Now Absalom is embattled, with at least five factions battling over the ancient city, and none know whom will win. But the Starstone shines brightly from the temple where it rests, and the people of Absalom know that no matter what occurs, Absalom will never be the same.
What sorts of tricks can I pull? Cheap traps, plots to play one side off another, etc.; anything would be useful, and would be easy to work into my schemes, since, in general, direct confrontation is out. A typical guard patrol squad might be 8 1st level warriors and a 4th level fighter, with other groups mixing in magic users or devils, depending on which side they are.
Long version: Absalom, The City at the Center of the World. Built on the Isle of Kortos, for over 4000 years has it been the center of civilization, and the city has never fallen to invasion in all that time. Founded by the Last Azlanti, the god Aroden, the city has also been the site of ascension of four deities that attempted the legendary Test of the Starstone. But a century ago, on the year that it was prophesied that Aroden would come down from the heavens and take the throne of the Empire of Cheliax, Aroden died without apparent cause or explanation, and the power of prophecy seemed to have been rent asunder.
The wars that followed in the aftermath of Aroden's death were brutal, as Cheliax became dominated by House Thrune, who made pacts with the dark god Asmodeus himself. This tradition continues to this day, and has been renewed in recent years. But Cheliax was weakened by several provinces breaking off in order to avoid their dark rule. To the east, the ancient realm of Taldor eyes Absalom hungrily, wishing to reclaim its glory with the power that Absalom could give them, for their empire once encompassed the entire periphery of the Inner Sea, including Old Cheliax before they were attacked on two fronts. The decadent and declining empire is still powerful, with legions and ships enough to defend themselves, but it is rotting from within. The only daughter of the Grand Prince of Taldor has plans to return them to glory, however.
South of Taldor, and the cause of Taldor's fall from glory, is the Satrapy of Qadira, a sub-state of the far off Padishah Empire of Kelesh. Chafing for war with Taldor, the Satrap Xerbystes II wishes for the glory and wealth that it will bring him, and he waits only for the permission of the Emperor himself to do so. Osirion to the south of the Isle of Kortos was once the leader of the lands south of the Inner Sea, but the Empire of Kelesh ended the rule of the Pharaohs of Old Osirion over 800 years past. The Satrapy of Osirion did not stay loyal, however, and the Empire ended up sowing the seeds of its own destruction, when they introduced the faith of Sarenrae to Osirion. The Cult of the Dawnflower bore fruit when it ended the rule of Kelesh over them just over 100 years past. A supposed descendant of the Pharaohs ruled, and his grandson, the Ruby Prince Khemet III has been building up his armies, though the purpose for this is unknown.
Two months ago, things went from unstable to disastrous in Absalom, when an infiltrator assassinated ten of the twelve members of the Grand Council, including Lord Gyr, the Primarch of the council, and stole eleven of the twelve cornucopias that give the members their positions, and are capable of pouring out nearly endless amounts of supplies during any siege on Absalom. This disaster merely preceded the worst of what was to occur. Next Princess Eutropia assassinated her father, the Grand Prince of Taldor, and took control, promptly sending her fleet toward Absalom with three full legions of soldiers. The Grand Prince had the title of Primarch in Waiting, and she hoped to take advantage of this to take Absalom for her own. In response Qadira sent a fleet of its own, but it was slightly behind the forces of Taldor. Both forces landed about the time that Osirion sent their own forces, backed up by elementals to aid them. And that was when the impossible happened.
Clerics of Aroden had been hoping that he would return for ages, but hope had been dying over the past century. And then, on the day that Absalom fell by districts to Taldor, Qadira, and Osirion, the roses of the gardens of Egorian, the capital of Cheliax, turned from black to white. The roses had turned black with his death, as one of the miracles he had performed was to turn them white to begin with, but this was an omen that Cheliax could not afford to ignore, particularly House Thrune and Asmodeus himself, as the ancient clerics of Aroden began to regain spells once more. Within days their own expedition was at sea, heading for Absalom to conquer it for Asmodeus and House Thrune, for if they could prevent the return of Aroden, it could only be done in Absalom.
Now Absalom is embattled, with at least five factions battling over the ancient city, and none know whom will win. But the Starstone shines brightly from the temple where it rests, and the people of Absalom know that no matter what occurs, Absalom will never be the same.