DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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DM Galadriel
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DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Rumor spreads that a wealthy, retiring adventurer is looking to sponsor the building of a tavern in the town of Soubar.
The word is that he is willing to pay 25% of the building costs and has already secured the plot of land for the structure.
There is speculation on the fact that he does not want to be responsible in any way for the business itself, and only wishes a permanent open tab for food and drink, and a bed should it become necessary.
As well as 25% profit until his initial investment is bought out.
His name is Roland and he is currently staying at the Elfsong for an extended period, looking for investors.
In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair!
DM Galadriel
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair!
DM Galadriel
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair!
DM Galadriel
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair!
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Vukodlak
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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A renowned traveling paladin of Torm, Sir Thomas Rothwild, was rumored to have taken up temporary residence in the town of Soubar, allegedly to investigate reports of Zhentarim activity in the northern regions and to protect the town from menace. Not long after, the light of morning cast over the small village revealed Sir Thomas's decapitated head impaled on his Holy Avenger sword not far from the tavern in the center of town, an amulet of Bane dangling out of the head's open mouth. There was no sign of his squire and investigators would find his tent within the town's walls totally ransacked.
DMogorgon
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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(((note, the post says DM RUMORS.... Non DM posts here will be deleted without explanation.)))
DMogorgon
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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The Duke's of Baldur's Gate send various missives summoning members of factions most loyal to them.

A large plume of smoke is seen SE of Thundars Ride, South of Triel, and for miles around (1 plume, seen from several miles around).

......

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A week later

DMogorgon wrote:
The Fate of Triel: Part 13 Blackorc Occupation


For more than a day the orcs are camped at the edge of Triel. They feast and prepare for war, hold spars and chant in their preparation. The defenders remain within the town, awaiting their assault, the air thick with tension.

The mercenary reinforcements from Triel remain within the palisade, where they took refuge as a defensive force claiming they will aid the defenders, who take the vanguard.

The orcs fall upon the town, the first wave. The defenders meet them on the open field, and it is beaten back. Catapult fire is flung through the air, bombarding the defenders, who hold their ground. The next wave comes, and the next. The lines start to break. War trolls appear on the horizon.

As the fever outside the palisade walls rises to a pitch, as the waves of orcs crash into the defenders lines... a throat is slit, another, and another... the few flaming fist defenders within the walls fall quietly, unceremoniously.
* The two archers stood together until the end, a hail of arrows launched from their bows. Suddenly, there are attackers behind them. Mercenaries paid to aid the defense turn on their former allies. Swords slash. Metal clangs. Wood shatters. One recalls something her mother told her many winters past, "Trust is the biggest liability of all." Pain. Falling. Nothing…

Hours after the battle, the vile victors pull two females, a barbarian human and moon elf, from the wreckage that was once the stairs into the hilltop fort of Triel. They were strangely clinging together in their apparent deaths. The brutes of the Dark Horde failed to notice both are barely alive, each flirting with her last breath, then not.

The river was stained red with the blood of the fallen. The two women were unceremoniously tossed into the cold water along with other former citizens and defenders of Triel. The barbarian's fur-lined leathers naturally protect her from the wet and cold of the distant north and now protect her from the river's cold waters. She easily floats to the surface. Her partner however is weighed down by her metal armor. After a few moments in the water, she struggles to breathe before the river finishes what the Horde started. Hands clasp. Air. Life.
As the chaos of war descends, bodies from both sides begin to litter the ground, The palisade lost to the treacherous mercenaries from Soubar the defenders call for retreat. They fallback to the northern bridge and hold their, skirmishing with the forces that follow.

The Soubarian mercenaries cheer from within the palisade walls... but their victory is short lived, for the mad dogs, lose from their bindings do not relent. The Mercenaries look on in horror as the Orcs rush the palisade. They quickly overwhelm the mercenaries, no longer bolstered by the defenders, and slaughter them to the last man. The defenders at the bridge hear the cries and choas. The chieftan rises up the steps of the palisade, spreads his arms and lets out a bellowing warcry in victory. It is echoed by his hoard and heard for several miles. Triel has fallen.

Atlas wrote: Many of the Elves and such did survive this however having moved over away from the main hill-fort and over to the stone bridge and away from these super powered brigands.
Elven Perspective:

Orcs begin swarm. Elves remain in reserve and launch volleys of arrows. Then catapult bombardment. Elves move into double back west around the fort and begin flanking maneuver. The first elven scout moves out and begins opening a volley on Orcs to draw their attention, hoping to lead them into an elven ambush.

Scout sees Soubar Merc Crossbowmen in pathway to fort, runs back to elven archer line formed up to ambush. "Zhentarim have entered the fort!!", then all the elves come rushing around. "Hold your position!", lol that didn't work :P

Everyone runs into the fray,a quarter of them are cut down in the lag and chaos. Suddenly three freaking war trolls start stomping in. "Fall back", this time all the survivors listened, I don't think they even waited. They moved to the bridge desperately rushing to form up. Many of them began casting grease, web, fire wall and evards black tentacles.

The three war trolls brambled toward them and my character straifed one of them with arrows, getting it to follow him back to the village. Dipped out into hips to leave it stranded there snuck through the carnage and back to the bridge where the defenders were battling desperately with great effect to slow the behemoths with area spells but it wouldn't stop their advance.

I came up from behind and held ones attention long enough while the other continued after the force of mostly Dharashans. To her credit, Reyle Windchaser took the same tactic, sneaking behind the other to frustrate it's advance. The combined spellpower of Deacon and another mage took it down.

I let the last one go (my character didn't have any damaging effect) and it started for the others. Reyle, brave as she was, crept too close on sneak attacking. Now, Mendel began a series of brave runs to cut into, expose the beast, lower it's AC and move out of the way. Everyone began a dance around it, firing spell, slashing, firing volleys and slowly dwindling it down.

Mendel got to close and went down but the 2nd beast was mortally wounded and a giant blast of acid took it down by Deacon. We had just enough time to raise Mendel when the third one slowly crept back onto the screen. That is when the funniest part of the whole day happened! Deacon, being the bravest little bastard of all time, runs up to it and casts a spell to slow it. The beast nails Deacon for like 90 HP and he scurried off yelling, "OWWIE!!!". Who the he'll has time to type that out and not die :P

We began our dance again, darting in to expose, fire off many shot, cast spells and each taking a turn to frustrate it's path. The last one went down to Mendel, Lais, Shyn, Deacon and many others in a great combined effort. It truly was a great thing to see and we even rejoiced when it fell. But then we heard and saw the masses of Orcs and moved to form a line on the north bridge.

The rest will be covered in an IC post but I have to say, for killing 3 overpowered killing machines, I think that was awesome and a testament to tactics ruling the day. To bad the rest of it sucked for us :P

It's the little things, like Deacon yelling OWWIE when probably getting punted over a barn that You have to laugh about :lol:

Participants
Many

Rewards/penalties
2500xp for the survivors
3000xp - what is owed myrkul for the fallen.
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Vukodlak
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Any who have eyes and ears turned to watch the north might notice a sizeable group of fire giants descend from the Greypeak mountains and march off in the direction of the Zhentarim's bastion of power in the north, Darkhold. Estimates vary as to exact numbers, but the one common thread in all the whispers that follow is that they looked meaner and more heavily armed than what was typical for their vicious race.
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Vukodlak
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Word quickly travels south into Balduran lands of a large battle taking place along the Tradeway linking the towns of Soubar and Triel. If rumors are to be believed, the Zhentarim has reportedly established a fortified encampment right outside of the orc-infested town of Triel, with the bulk of its defenses pointed towards the town, indicating that they are there to fight the orcs. A large warband of elves and other goodly forces arrived en masse and - after some initial stalling - charged the Zhent forces attempting to liberate Triel. Unfortunately for them, the attackers were promptly massacred by the combined might of the Zhent defenders on the ground, a dragon that was circling overhead, and bandit reinforcements in the area after a relatively short but brutal battle. Significant casualties were inflicted on both sides, though only a small handful of the attackers survived by fleeing the battlefield, who managed to return later to collect the butchered remains of their comrades and pull them away for revival as the Zhents refortified the area and tended to their own fallen, spending the rest of the day completing the fortifications and fending off skirmishing attacks from the black orcs in Triel.

Over the next few days, scouts in the area could spot additional wagons headed towards the encampment under very heavy guard, as well as an increase in bandit presence around Soubar. As for the large green dragon that joined the battle, there is no sign, as it flew off after the last of the attackers were cut down and disappeared into the Forest of Wyrms. The war camp's defenses swell with each passing day as more Zhentilar soldiers arrive from Darkhold, and a one-eyed, heavily armored figure can be seen directing most of the fortification efforts.
DMogorgon
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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In the rural backwater town of Soubar, a days hard march from the orc occupied town of Triel, crowds gather around any of the few elves or half-elves who happen to live of pass through. Whispers and jeers pass between the residents as the crowds grow to mobs. Insults are over heard like "bloody knife ears."

As the mobs swell further and grow bolder, words grow bolder and louder, and turn to the nature of "manslayer" and "just as bad as the orcs."

As the roving mobs begin to wander through the streets in search of trouble, rumors abound that there have been hangings, or that their ought to be.
DM Novus
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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A rumor is passed on from Elturel...

Very recently, it seems a farmer from the town was solicited at night by four hooded persons, possibly not all human and one dwarf among them, for horses...five horses were sold.

The four were said to set out for Waterdeep—they most definitely were scene leaving the town, riding north.

Not a day or two later, strangely, the five horses returned on their own to Elturel, riderless and to the stable of the farmer who sold them...he, who was beside himself in joy, having made a fair coin off the sale, and now again, in possession of his herd—his evenings of enjoyment at his sister's Inn in the town proper, with wine and food purchases from his new found wealth, did loosen his lips to talk of this encounter...

...sometimes, in his evening drunkenness, he talked of the four adventurers as being some form of "testing by de Black Cloaks...I do hope I did pass...."

....other nights, he warns those in the Inn that would listen to him, to never accept less than coins
and gems for horses...else you be a farmer fool....

The most important post you will ever read:

THE LAWS OF THE LANDS (IC)
DM Novus
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

Unread post by DM Novus »

From the farmlands of Baldur's Gate, a rumor is heard regarding the Illmatari Orphanage: two children—thought to be those found in Triel shortly after it was liberated from the clutches of the Black Orc and Gajutar Spearback, seem to have run away from their care under Sister Juna.

Farmer Thorn is seen talking to Flaming Fist guards near the road to the northern territories, about how he discovered a bed made of hay, a few clothes and small doll in the loft of his barn a day earlier, thinking at first it was his own children's doing...but now...

It is only a matter of time before tthe rumor of their disappearance and loss—or the children themselves—reach Triel. Already, a precarious balance between trust and allegiance sways in Triel, and the first-hand understanding of who truly liberated Triel is thought to be within the children's knowing.

How this knowledge will effect Triel is left to future gossip.

The most important post you will ever read:

THE LAWS OF THE LANDS (IC)
DMogorgon
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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Several of the Order of the Radiant Heart were seen heading west to Triel escorting a wagon of supplies in a relief effort. The supplies were begrudgingly accepted, with forced pleasantries behind inauthentic smiles on behalf of the representatives of Triel. There was no discussion on previous points of contention between the Town and the Order, as apparently the citizens of the recovering village Had no wish to refuse aid.

Later that evening, the members of the Order were seen leaving the town and heading North East. They were not seen upon the trade roads returning to their Chapterhouse just outside Baldurs Gate.
DMogorgon
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

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The Fate of Triel:The Trial of Kaltyra and the Black Orc Prisoners

Summary: what had started as a trial, devolved into a huge fighting and battle royale. The setting started with the Zhentarims bringing Kaltyra to the town of Triel under the close scrutiny of the village elders and of a particularly bloodthirsty mob...
The mob's cries for vengeance quickly drowned out the elders and the cries for justice demanded by a visiting representative of the Radiant Heart. The ire against the orcs quickly manifest into a mob burning, as a pyre was prepared and the orcs dragged to it.

The situation was extremely tense, but slowly return(ed to) normal, while suddenly the lich Bazu appeared and asked for Kaltyra's returning. The Zhentarims relented... As they started to do so, though, the lich ignited the haystack upon which the orcish women and cubs had been bound, starting a huge fire. The situation escalated quickly, with zhentarims and their opposition exchanging blows... (Someone) set fire to a building inside the village's moat as a diversion.


As the fighting... raged on inside the town, with the Zhentarim (being pushed back), a column of zhentish reinforcements arrived from the north. The vanguards clashed with the heroes...

The banite priest then proceeded to heal the fallen zhent players and heal those others still alive, while the column of zhentarim soldiers quickly put out the flames and re-established order.


The Zhentarim basked in the adoration they had earned from the town that day, hiding their true intent behind hardened eyes and maniacal smiles. They had shown their solidarity with the towns past sufferings with the orcish sacrifice offered. They had shown their ability to enforce order in stamping out the chaos that ensued during the 'trial.'





As for the town's assailants and orcish sympathizers...

- The decry's of the orc Kaltyra in appeal to Tyr and the support of the Radiant Heart were dismissed by the villagers as Orchish lies.

- There is some rumor of foreign agents taking advantage of the chaos of the trial to assault the village.
-Some claim they were orc sympathizers trying to free the boisterous Grey orc female...
-Others say they were agents of the distant Nation of Amn...
-Some say they were agents of Baldur's Gate...
-Yet others claim they were servants of the Lich Bazu...
-Some more conspiratorial villagers among the town claim they were Zhentarim agents organizing a feint to ingratiate themselves to the town elders...
- None in the village are quick to blame the events upon the chaos of the vengeance-seeking mob.


Regardless of the clouded rumors continuously circulating within the beleaguered village, the displays of solidarity from the Zhentarim forces and their imposition to restore order from the chaos which descended upon the village that day were clear.

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Vukodlak
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Re: DM Rumors of the Northern Sword Coast

Unread post by Vukodlak »

A fresh scandal just on the heels of the recent debacle has erupted in the northern town of Triel, heralded by the scream of a woman that shatters the peaceful calm of the early dawn upon the discovery of a body hastily dumped in one of the abandoned buildings situated along the town's outskirts. The corpse reportedly belongs to one of Triel's residents, an older man by the name of Virgil Sendrik, who was known as being one of the town's more outspoken supporters of Darkhold's defense of Triel and of being unabashedly pro-Zhentarim, often arguing over politics with pro-Balduran residents over drinks at the local watering hole. He was found with a particularly brutal stab wound, having apparently been run through with a sword, and all of the evidence right now seems to indicate whoever was responsible for his murder was interrupted as they were dragging the body out of town and had to dump it in the house before presumably fleeing the scene.

Outrage flares as whispered rumors travel like a plague through the town's residents that once again the Gate is attempting to impose its will upon the town, that the Fist will be marching into Triel as they did before the orc attack and that the Dukes are murdering anyone who dares to stand up and speak against them, the claims growing more fevered and wild than the last which each telling. By the day's end an angry mob gathered around Virgil's funeral pyre with carts laden with parcels of aid sent to the town from Baldur's Gate in tow, hurling the goods into the pyre and burning them in protest of the murder. Some of the small handful of residents who were known to speak in favor of the Gate's forces were dragged from their homes and viciously beaten before the town's council of Elders were able to quell the mob's fury with pleas of solidarity and disperse them.
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