Part I: Spy Games (Karlene Blackcloud intro)

[Chris1234]

"Bianca, you have told me truth. I repay you in kind," Karlane replies. "I have ended several that treat people as you describe and shall end more. They, or their masters, seek to return the favour."
She rests a hand gently on the girl's shoulder, "If you tell any of me and mine then the soulless, brutal people may catch up with me and will likely mistreat you, despite any other promises. Go to that range and the result is the same. To protect myself I should leave your lifeless corpse in this bog but I shall not. Will you let me check this cloak?"

Karlane checks the cloak for anything untoward, any pockets, written notes, anything in the linings. {OOC: Does she find anything?}

"Thank you. Walk that way," as she points north, "and you will reach a town in maybe 10 miles. Change your name and never speak of me, mine or anything that happened in the place where I found you and do not return to your old town for at least one year and maybe you shall see a ripe old age. Take this." Karlane gives the girl a dagger, one day's rations and 30gps. "It is the best I can do for you. Go now and never look back."

The siblings return to the safehouse.

[spike]

Lady Bianca cried, 'that's the kindest any has been to me in ages. Here, take this' she hands you a wooden coin with a symbol of a bat winged succubus, 'err, sorry for the insignia. But if you show this to the madam of the Succulent Succubus in Lor, ever, she will provide you an army of my sisters to come to your aid. They might be working girls, but they can fight tooth and nail and stand up to the worse that life has to offer' she leaves.

You found nothing in the cloak.

[Chris1234]

After leaving Bianca and before entering the portal back to the safehouse, Karlane tells Idrys, "Nyssa, that first priestess you met during the start of your adventures, isn't all she seems." She describes Nyssa from her vision, and continues. "I had a vision, which I believe to be true, showing that Nyssa knows I have the stargems and that she covets them. She plans to kill me, be rewarded by our sister and take the stargems for her own. Can you tell me much else of Nyssa?"

[spike]

Idrys (vs. INT: succeeded)

Nyssa
female priestess of Lor
unusually beautiful (high comliness)
sent men in to rescue Idrys from days of captivity, they were black cloaks
seemed to be genuinely good at the time
alluded to bigger possibilities for his future
told him that another would come after you and not to trust anybody

this is all he knows.

[Chris1234]

Karlane hugs Idrys and replies, "I know; I've been told the same. Of all, I trust you and Lor. I think Sarancen is the spy that Ash warned about. I am wary around him but want the shot at the dwarf he was on about, but that's for another day. Say nothing about this but watch. And if I give you a portal password share it with no one. Finally I had a vision that in a circle of some kind you were going to attack me. Know that I will not attack you no more than I believe you would me and remember our secret words." She smiles at him and they separate, ready to return to the safehouse.

[spike]

IDRYS: 'you're wrong, sweet sister. Had I even detected a modicum of treachery in Sarancen I would have slit his throat and been done with it. However I noticed he was trying very hard to earn my trust, and yours. While you were away he dutifully kept vigil over me while I stole some rest when that Meazel attacked. He could have easily take my weaponry or attacked while the creature came and busied me. Little things like that. Rest assured, I have a natural instinct to sense treachery in others'

ERODAN emerged from the shadows and said 'mistress, I have taken liberty of going out into the world and testing my new form's capabilities, and in doing so have gathered a considerable deal of intelligence to further thine weal.' he laughed then said 'you would be most pleased, I'd wager. For in this form I can travel by way of the demiplane of shadows, and move great distances. I have spied on kings and eavesdropped on your enemies who have hatched some minor plots, nothing you would not be able to overcome even if I weren't to tell you. But then, you should hear my full report.

The empire has dispatched two different caravans, both similarly disguised as wine merchants. However, one is a trap. A party of black souled adventurer's called black company hired to identify and obtain you.

The courier will have an illusory decoy of herself, and she's a skilled spy adept at subterfuge and espionage. However, I believe you could do far better than simply insert my original letter into her care. You may entice her to try and have Karnak eliminated, since she has his complete and full trust. I have read her thoughts and she loathes the mage, but only does his biddance for easy coin. He has he family held hostage somewhere.

There was a second team, comprised of black cloak assassins. They were to apprehend some orphans, the ones you mentioned before. However, one in their midst was a double agent working for a group calling themselves 'The Watcher's' and he lead them into a dungeon and picked them off one by one.

There is a third team, hand selected and hired by your sister for a two pronged campaign. One is to track down and capture you and master Idrys, the second is to capture the orphans that the empire pursues. For the orphans are part of some ancient Lorian prophecy that the Lorian order themselves wishes to cover up. The arch priest of your order is corrupt and in cahoots with Dezloz Rygoz. He's become what you would call a dark Lorian. This band is comprised of the following members:

Morga-female barbarian
Storm-male cavalier
Kelta-female, Elsmyrian
D'yrnigon-drow assassin
Mergatroit-elven mage
Dagger-human human, thief
Bowgentle-male human, ranger

[Chris1234]

"I will trust in your instinct, Idrys," replies Karlane and thinks, ~but I may still take care 'in case'.~
Idrys just nods, lips pursed.

When Erodan appears and announces himself, the priestess replies, "It's fine, Idrys. This is one of my secrets. It was a precaution against Sarancen. Again, please say nothing to others." Turning back to Erodan, "You have done the right thing. Thank you. Please, make your report."

After hearing the report, Karlane asks, "The decoy team numbers just seven? Will they be first along the road? Will the courier have a party of seven too? Or how many? Do you know the courier's name? Or where her family is being held? Can you read the mind of Edrys? Or me? What is the name of the priest that is working with Dezloz?"

[spike]

"The decoy caravan's ahead of the real by a day, and the black company are accompanied by an attache of elite black guardsmen. Each heavily armored, armed to the teeth and all their weaponry coated with paralytic poison. Those total seven themselves, and are each mounted while these black company adventurer's only the knight is mounted. I have observed them in battle against a force of gnolls, two soldiers protect the spellcasters with tower shields. The real convoy is ran by a bald, tattooed man that reeks of magic, and seven stalwart black guardsmen who I believe are of the similar cut as the decoy.' he said, then said 'alas I have not the ability to read minds, only to smell fear and confusion'

he paused then continued 'the courier's name is Voraina Hule, her family is detained in Karnak's secret copper mine somewhere beneath the salt bogs. An ogre task master and a cadre of shades keep the slaves there in check, along with some orcs as backup'

[Chris1234]

"Just to be clear, the caravans you speak of are for wine shipments as a front to deliver mail? And the caravan expected today between 2pm and 4pm is the fake one, that's after Idrys? This comprises the seven of Black Company of which only the knight is on horse plus seven elite black guardsmen each whom are on horse? And the real mail delivery is tomorrow, between 2pm and 4pm and comprises Voraina Hule, a tattooed mage and another seven elite black guardsmen on horses?" clarifies Karlane, aware of the time.

[spike]

'No, mistress. The caravans are delivery of the weapons cache you sought to deliver to the elves, in the guise of wine merchants. Large weapons, siege weaponry, catapults and billistae, and crossbows. Everybody disguises themselves as fine wine merchants since Nyr is wine country in its northern and eastern parts.

[Chris1234]

"Erodan, now that was worth checking, thank you," acknowledges Karlane, thinking ~Time well spent.~ She continues, "So are both of the caravans on the road now? The decoy arriving into Harby in the next few hours and the real one about the same time tomorrow?"

======
OOC: So this is where the conversation mentioned the postman:

...ERODAN ...The empire has dispatched two different caravans, both similarly disguised as wine merchants. However, one is a trap. A party of black souled adventurer's called black company hired to identify and obtain you.

The courier will have an illusory decoy of herself, and she's a skilled spy adept at subterfuge and espionage. However, I believe you could do far better than simply insert my original letter into her care. You may entice her to try and have Karnak eliminated, since she has his complete and full trust. I have read her thoughts and she loathes the mage, but only does his biddance for easy coin. He has he family held hostage somewhere.

So does this mean there's the decoy weapons caravan coming down the East road to Harby in a few hours time, then the real weapons caravan coming down the East road to Harby at about the same time but tomorrow? Meanwhile the postman comes down the N road between 2pm and 4pm today? And Karlane has to be on the NW road to meet the blind seer sometime today?
And it's the postwoman that can be turned (albeit only to try to kill Karnac if her family is rescued)?}

[spike]

'Aye, however the real convoy may come earlier or later than the decoy, they had suffered a broken wheel and one of their horses shoes needed fixing'

The post-woman can be used as an assassin if the party agrees to free her cousins in Karnak's dungeon. Erodan tells you that the magic-users dungeon is guarded by a force of 10 orcs, 10 shades, and a half-orc priest.

[Chris1234]

{OOC: Does Karlane know if the weapons shipment stuff is likely to be transportable via a stargem portal? What's the size limit?}

[spike]

No, she doesn't know.

catapults, even modularized and broken down into assembly parts wouldn't fit, but others like the arbalests and crossbows would.

[Chris1234]

Karlane asks a final question, "THanks Erodan. You've been invaluable. And I haven't forgotten the thing you asked me to do for you. Anyway, one final thing, where's the entrance to Karnac's dungeon that holds Voraina Hule's family?"