The Drow War Book Two. The Dying Of - RoseRed

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but it is considered very dishonourable to slaughter an
opponent who is much weaker than you are.
Event: A Sceptical Reception
To speak to the Iron Dukes, the Player Characters must
try to talk their way past the guards at the gatehouse
on top of the Shadrill Stair. If the Player Characters
have not given the Iron Dukes any advance notice of
their arrival or do not have one of the dukes with them,
the guards adamantly refuse to let them in. The upper
city is for the commanders of Jehannum’s armies, their
families and the nobility. Nobody else is allowed in
without an official letter from the dukes, sealed with
their personal mark.
The Player Characters can attempt Bluff and Diplomacy
checks to their hearts’ content but the guards will not let
them past. What they will do, if they end up believing
the Player Characters’ stories and the Player Characters
are persistent, is send for their superior officer, Captain
Chalham. He has heard of the Player Characters’
activities in Caldraza and, if he is given proof of their
identities, will escort them to the Iron Dukes’ presence
right away.
Captain Chalham, Male Human Ftr10: CR 10;
Medium humanoid; HD 10d10+20; hp 75; Init +0; Spd
20 ft.; AC 20, touch 10, flat-footed 20; Base Atk +10;
Grp +13; Atk +15 melee (1d8+5/19–20/x3, masterwork
battleaxe) or +11 ranged (1d10/17–20, masterwork
repeating heavy crossbow); Full Atk +15/+10 melee
(1d8+5/19–20/x3, masterwork battleaxe) or +11/+6
ranged (1d10/17–20, masterwork repeating heavy
crossbow); AL LN; SV: Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +4; Str
16, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 8.
Skills & Feats: Climb +4, Craft (blacksmithing) +5,
Handle Animal +5, Intimidate +9, Jump +2, Ride +5,
Sense Motive +6; Cleave, Combat Expertise, Exotic
Weapon Proficiency (repeating heavy crossbow), Great
Cleave, Improved Critical (battleaxe), Improved Critical
(repeating heavy crossbow), Improved Disarm, Point
Blank Shot, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (battleaxe),
Weapon Specialisation (battleaxe).
Equipment & Treasure: Full plate armour, heavy steel
shield, masterwork battleaxe, masterwork repeating
heavy crossbow.
The Iron Dukes who are present laugh politely at the
Player Characters’ concern for their country. Jehannum
has been armed and armoured by the nearby dwarves
for centuries. Duke Carom is the most sneering and
dismissive of all; however, Duke Gormick (if he is
present) seems concerned enough to investigate in case
there is a threat of some kind, however exaggerated.
The Iron Dukes dismiss the Player Characters’ comments
with lines such as the following:
Duke Carom: ‘Even if they did suddenly burst up
through the paving stones, the drow simply do not
have weapons that can prevail against the iron walls
of Burgenstoch Castle. One can understand the
Caldrazans being frightened of a bunch of degenerate
elves, but you must understand that the Caldrazan
kingdoms are decadent and weak. In Jehannum, we are
men and women of iron.’
Duke Frederick: ‘We had heard that the drow were
stirring once again. That much we do not question.
Why, though, would they be so insane as to strike here,
where we are strongest of all? It is rather a pity that
they are not coming, as I would have liked to see them
try!’
Duke Ambar Lone: ‘The legends of the drow are
clearly exaggerated, in the manner of all legends. Why,
we have heard that the drow even had trouble routing
the peasants of Chillhame. What could we possibly have
to fear from them? If our city is to be assaulted, I would
prefer a real challenge. Let the men of Visk take to the
seas again and attack us, or let the Sun King unleash
the Phoenix Legions on us. Now they are warriors to
be respected.
Duke Morgenstern: ‘This talk of an invasion from
below is absurd. Your sources are clearly wrong. Every
inch of every tunnel beneath Crom Calamar is mapped.
The cartographers saw to that long ago. This is not
Chillhame. There are no drow tunnels here.’
If the Player Characters have found out about the
massacres of drow that took place in the past, the Iron
Dukes grudgingly concede the point. Morgenstern
explains:
‘Ancient history! Pah! It is true that the drow once
held land in our country and that there was a misguided
pact to leave them undisturbed. It is also true that the
humans declared that pact invalid and all but wiped
the drow out. It is therefore understandable that the
drow would have a grudge. However, what you do not
know is that the drow broke the pact long before we
did. They stole human children, they desecrated our
burial grounds and they seduced our women. They took
money from the tyrant of Visk, Uzbal Jin, to sabotage
our bridges, cripple our horses and poison our soldiery.
Ibon Presno Gonzalez (order #73006) 8