Chapter 9 Old Enemies

9.1 Overview

  • After the retrieval of the fifth shard, either by Mencius or the PCs, Mencius will begin his endgame. His first priority is to reclaim as many of the remaining shards as possible. To that end, he has secretly supported Shargak’s attack on Bracken. He hopes the attack will draw the attention of the PCS and lead them away from Waterdeep. He is planning to kill or capture Benoit and steal the shards. At the same time, the Purple Dragon Knights will also consolidate control over Marsember by arresting Gregor and Max, on suspicion of treason, and temporarily take over the security of the city.

  • The PCs will be asked by the dwarfs to help in the defense of Bracken. At the same time, they will receive a message from Benoit, asking them to Waterdeep to learn about his discovery of a banishment ritual.

  • The PCs will have to choose which path to take.

  • If the PCs decide to defend Bracken, they can organize the city’s defense in Section Bracken Under Siege. The Purple Dragon Knights will attack Benoit and kill him. They will retrieve 1d4: 1 no shards, 2-3 1 shard, 4 2 shards.

  • If the PCs decide to go to Benoit, proceed with Here Come the Purple Dragon Knights. Bracken will be attacked by Shargak and the final outcome depends on the dwarf’s defense. Roll a 1d6 (add +1 if the PCs did well in The Mountains of Madness and the dwarfs of Mirabar supplied a lot of support to Bracken): 1 Bracken is destroyed, the residents killed or captured, 2 the town is partially destroyed, many killed, Bracken never fully recovers;

1D6 Result
1-2 Bracken is destroyed, the residents killed or captured. All friendly NPCs known to the PCs die.
3-4 The town is partially destroyed, many killed, Bracken never fully recovers. At least 2 friendly NPCs known to the PCs die.
5 Bracken repels the attack successfully, but some losses are incurred. The town takes a year to recover. At least one friendly NPC known to the characters dies. Shargak survives but is overthrown by hos own troops and exiled.
6 Bracken routs Shargak’s attack and the Shaman is killed. The city sustain few losses and the victory leads to sustained growth.

9.2 Bracken Under Siege

9.2.1 Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

  • The closer the PCs get to Bracken, the more they see abandoned farmsteads, destroyed farmsteads, and refugees on the road. Everyone is scared and is trying to take refuge in Bracken.

  • On arrival, they discover the city changed.

  • Ever since the BMC left, the city has improved under the leadership of the dwarfs.

  • New buildings but also new fortifications.

  • You see a new town militia patrolling (mostly dwarfs).

  • Streets are also full with refugees and scared townsfolk.

  • Hints of preferential treatment for dwarfs are bubbling up. PCs may spot some graffiti, overhear some complaints in a tavern, or see the dwarven militia harass some humans in town for minor infraction on orderliness/cleanliness (e.g., militia are enforcing new health codes in the market square, forcing an old, established human butcher to close their stall).

  • The town is abuzz with worry about the impending attack, but also excitement for the presence of the PCs and the new contingent of Rumnaheim society warriors. This latter fact makes the human population even more worried about the power of the dwarfs.

  • PCs take part in a meeting between the Rumnaheim dwarfs, Orin, Osswald, and Mayor Falin Thurbrook. They should help prepare the town for battle. Here are some suggestions, but players may come up with their own ideas:

  • Basics of the town defenses:

    • Bracken has now a wooden palisade that rings the town, several guard towers, the main South Gate and a second, smaller Eastern Gate. The gates are reinforced. The South Gate is adjacent to a fortified stone barbican. On the Barbican is a mounted ballista (1 action to load, range 120/480 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) piercing damage).

    • Townguard are 20 dwarfs with sword, shield, crossbows, and chainmail. 50 militia with short bows, spears, leather armor.

  • PCs will do skill checks and accumulate victory points. At least 8 attempts + the mob + the investigation of the missing supplies. Skill checks with a roll over 15 are helpful (+1), over 20 are strong successes (+2), everything under 8 incurs a penalty (-1). Total points, together with the outcomes of the encounters + how many dwarfs from the Rumnaheim society are present, will determine the overall success.

  • Tasks:

    • Repair/finish/reinforce the palisades. Appropriate skill checks: Crafting with carpenter’s tools, Athletics for the manual labor, History for picking strategic spots for reinforcement (or others depending on PC ideas).

    • Train militia members in melee. Skill checks: attack rolls or History for strategy, Persuasion for morale.

    • Train militia members in archery. Skill checks: attack rolls or History for strategy, Persuasion for morale.

    • Reinforce the main gate. Appropriate skill checks: Crafting with carpenter’s tools or stone mason’s tools, Athletics for the manual labor.

    • Prepare fire pits, alchemical conconctions. Skill checks: Crafting with alchemical tools.

    • Set up the healer’s tent on the market square. Skill checks: Medicine.

    • Secure food stores and supplies (e.g., arrows and tar), in case of a longer siege. Investigation, History, Cook’s tools.

    • Scout the surrounding area to anticipate attacks. Skill checks: Survival or Stealth.

    • Set traps outside the walls. Skill checks: Survival or Thieves’s tools.

  • Events:

    • Calm the population (Stop a mob of human looters that are complaining about the dwarfs using this as a pretense for a full take-over). Skill checks: Persuasion or Intimidation or spells. Violence will incur a penalty. Increase bonus and penalty by 1 step.

    • Find a gang of thieves/smugglers that has been stealing from the supply stores. 2 Skill checks: Investigation/Perception, Insight/Intimidation/Persuasion. Increase bonus and penalty by 1 step.

  • Min and max points with 8 tasks and 2 events: -12 to 22. Basic Rumnaheim contingent present (+4), no Rumnaheim society present (-4), elite Rumnaheim society present (+6). -16 to 28 for min-max points.

9.2.2 The Long Night

  • Encounters throughout the night. As long as the healer’s tent is safe, the PCs can get augmented short rests (double the hit die effects).

  • PCs should decide where to allocate dwarfs, militia, and Rumnaheim dwarfs: South Gate, East Gate, Palisade, town patrol, auxiliary (or let players decide other locations)

  • The sun has set, heavy fog rolls through the trees (goblin shamans are casting fog cloud to cover the advance of the troops).

  • 1st wave: hordes of regular goblins attacking the walls. Goblins will shoot arrows and try to climb the walls with grappling hooks. They are also carrying some ladders. Wave ends when the PCs have killed 50 (or whatever is fun) goblins. Use regular Goblins. To simplify arrow attacks by goblins: Every PC in range and on the battlements makes a Dex ST DC-14 (+2/+4 for cover) or take 1d6+2 damage. Use 1-2 saving throws per round.

  • 2nd wave: Goblins and Ogres. If PCs order their troops into battle, kill goblins quicker.

    • Goblin arrow attacks keep coming during this phase.

    • 6 Ogres are carrying a battering ram. 3 are Ogre Battering Rams, 3 are Ogre Chargers. 4 need to be conscious to keep going. The gate has AC-15 and 80 HP. The battering ram has +5 to hit and 4d12+10 damage on a hit. Roughly 3 rounds until the gate breaks.

    • 3rd Wave: When the ogres are stopped, the defenders cheer but suddenly a rock flies over the palisade and destroys a house, killing several civilians. Defenders are shell shocked and frightened. PCs should try and uplift their morale by speech and acts (e.g., leading a sortie against the catapult). The fog lifts a bit and the PCs can spot a catapult on a small hill outside of town, protected by ogres. The catapult will take 5 rounds to breach the palisade. On the way to the catapult, PCs will be blocked by 20 Goblin Worg Riders. The catapult itself is protected by 4 Ogre Berserkers, 2 Ogre Hurlers, 1 Ogre Shaman, 1 Ogre King. Catapult has AC-12 and 60 HP.

  • 4th Wave/Event: A fire breaks out inside the wall, close to the supply storage. PCs need to decide if they go themselves and help out out the fire and how many of the 20 auxiliary to send. If PCs go, they need to: rescue civilians, douse flames, find tracks of bugbears. Let PCs use abilities and ideas to rescue civilians and douse flames. Possible skill checks: Athletics, Persuasion, Medicine (to treat burns) (+2 victory points). To spot the tracks and signs of bugbears, do perception and/or survival checks DC-15 (there are non-human tracks), DC-17 (3 bugbear stalkers are identified). If the PCs went to deal with the flames, depending on how many auxiliary are left, healer’s tent gets destroyed (-4 victory points). If the storage gets destroyed -2 victory points. A wave of Goblins attacks the palisade at the same time.

  • Final wave:

    • Goblins and ogres attack the walls (use regular goblin and ogre stat blocks). Siege weapon on the barbican is being attacked by elite goblin warriors on wyverns. Shargak also appears on a large wyvern. First, 4 Wyvern with 4 goblin archers (use Hobgoblin Archer statblock). Shargak arrives mid-fight. Shargak uses the stat block of an Archdruid and has a legendary action for spellcasting and is riding an Ancient Wyvern named Rizurrg.

  • Determine the final outcome:

    • Award points for wave 1: 50 goblins killed in less than 5 rounds (+2)

    • Award points for wave 2: Gate was breached (-4), the palisade was destroyed (-8), catapult destroyed (+2)

    • Award points for the fire: quick help with the fire (+2), if the fire burns down the storage (-2), healer’s tent destroyed (-4)

    • Award extra points for the distribution of troops: protection of the Western Gate (+2)

    • Award points for final fight: quick/impressive end to Shargak: +4 points, a hero or NPC falls (-4)

    • Final outcome: total range is -34 to 40, <0 most known NPCs die and the town has to be abandoned, 1–20 the town survives, 1 NPC dies, 20\(+\) minimal casualties, all NPCs survive.

The Defense of Bracken. Source: Homemade

Figure 9.1: The Defense of Bracken. Source: Homemade

9.3 Order of the Crimson Heart

  • The plan of the Purple Dragon Knights is as follows:

    • PDK leadership has been led to believe that the Silversword family is preparing a coup. The PDK are arresting Gregor and Max in Marsember, while a strike team is positioned in Waterdeep to take Benoit. The PDK have reached out to the authorities in Waterdeep to secured diplomatic support. The authorities of Waterdeep will allow the PDK to arrest benoit. The strike team arrives at the mansion, while the city guard is cordoning off the surrounding area.

    • Purple Dragon Knights have split up into two teams:

    • 4 Knights, CR 3 (2X)

    • 2 Blackguards, CR 8 (2X)

    • 1 Evoker, CR 9 (2X)

    • 1 Cult High Priest of Asmodeus, CR 6 (2X)

    • They enter the mansion and then start attacking everyone inside. The two teams will try to advance to the top level and enter the demi-plane. There, they will split up into two teams to pursue Benoit and the shards.

    • Once they have apprehended or killed Benoit and secured the shards, they will planeshift away (the Evoker has a scroll/spell).

  • Here is way of handling the whole assault via a skill challenge:

    • When approaching the mansion, streets are blocked by city guards. PCs need to negotiate passage or push through. The guards only know that there is a diplomatic incident and civilians need to stay away. Diplomacy, Intimidation or Stealth DC 14. Use of a spell (3rd level or higher Advantage, below +2) or class resource gives advantage. PCs need to make four checks, need two successes to proceed. Failure increases the threat counter by 1.

    • When the PCs arrive at the mansion, the front door is open and Dietrich lies in the entry hall, mortally wounded. He is 1 death save away from death. Bodies of knights are strewn about. DC 11 History reminds the PCs that these are Purple Dragon Knights from Cormyr. Healing spell or DC-15 Medicine check to safe Dietrich. Stopping to help him, increases the threat counter by 1.

    • Getting to the 4th floor. Three checks total, no PC more than once. DC 18. 2 successes needed. On a failure, threat counter increases by 1. Goal is to avoid the haywire magical traps across all four floors (arcana, acrobatics, athletics, thieves’ tools, crafting, dispel magic). For every failed roll, the PC loses 1/4 of their health.

    • Upstairs they find more evidence of a fight: dead bodies, destroyed constructs, fire damage–all the way up to the top floor. The top floor is a scene of total destruction and the portal to the demi-plane stands open.

    • When entering the demi-plane, the PCs see tracks of blood of a single person leading to Benoit’s study, followed by tracks of six heavily armed individuals and 2 lightly armored individuals. Similar tracks lead to the vault.

    • PCS need to decide to go after Benoit (who is unconscious when the PCs arrive and about to be killed) or the shards.

    • Going after Benoit: Threat counter automatically increases by 2. PCs need to confront a PDK strike team and save Benoit. Can use attacks, spells, grappling, intimidation, deception. DC 18, need 4 successes vs. 3 failures. Each failure, PC loses 1/4 of their health. Then a healing spell of Medicine check DC-15.

    • Going after the shards: Benoit dies. PCs need to confront a PDK strike team. Can use attacks, spells, grappling, intimidation, deception. DC 18, need 4 successes vs. 3 failures. Each failure, PC loses 1/4 of their health. Failing the challenge increases the threat level by 2.

    • Splitting up: They have to do both skill challenges, but start with an automatic loss in each.

    • Final confrontation: Stop the PDK leader from absconding with the shards. Final skill challenge. Each PC has to use two different abilities. DC is determined by the current threat level. 8 skill checks, final outcome is determined by the number of successes.

      THREAT LEVEL DC
      0–2 16
      3–5 18
      6–7 20
      NUMBER OF SUCCESSES OUTCOME
      0–2 PDKs flee with both shards.
      3–4 PDKs flee with 1 shard.
      5–8 PDKS fail to acquire any shards.

    • If Benoit dies, Dietrich can fill the PCs in on the story of the Lost City of Tzz’a and Paimoraxxas.

  • PCs can learn that the PDK have received official diplomatic right to apprehend Benoit. Him and Gregor are accused of planning a coup in Cormyr. PDK apprehend Gregor, take over security in Marsember. Maximiellene is on the run.

  • The Legend of the Lost City of Tzz’a:

    • He has uncovered some tales about the Lost City of Tzz’a.

    • The City of Tzz’a was an ancient city state in the Calim Desert (today’s Calimshan), populated by serpentfolk (also known as Yuan-Ti).

    • The city was embroiled in some religious schism between the main cult of Sseth and some new sect, which Benoit believes to be an earlier incarnation of the Church of Andromalion (the use of music and art, the theme of change and beauty).

    • Benoit has learned that the First Sorcerer-Priest of Tzz’a had developed a plan of banishing Andromalion from the material plane with the help of a devil: Paimoraxxas. Paimoraxxas may know more and Benoit has found a way of contacting him with a summoning ritual.

    • They city was destroyed by some unknown disease and lost to history–nobody knows its actual location anymore (somewhere in the Calim desert). Treasure hunters have been after it, but nobody has found it.

benoit's Demiplane. Source: Homemade

Figure 9.2: benoit’s Demiplane. Source: Homemade