4 - 4.5 Lives
Kat's capture
Kat
Often you do not remember your dreams and the parts you do remember are hazy and fragmented, forcing you to rely on the contents of your journal. This dream? vision? is extremely vivid, below you stretches a hellish landscape as you float above, your body is forced to turn the opposite direction and you see Sunwood also streching out to the horizon. As you're suspended between the two you hear a voice, one that you haven't heard in years. “It is not the end yet. Wake up.”
You awaken coughing with a strong taste of salt, quickly scanning the area you find yourself on a straw mat in a small 10×10 cell, stone walls with no windows on three sides and floor to ceiling iron bars on the other. The cell is bare aside from the mat, some rations and a metal mug of water, outside the cell is a hallway leading left and right, there is a lantern directly opposite of the cell providing light.
After sometime or if Kat calls out. You see a dwarf come up to your cell “Who are you? an who you work for?”
If witholding dwarf just say “Still waking up to your situation?” and walks away, returning in an hour, if still not cooperating the second time dwarf says “We'll be nice one more time, if not we may have to start using alternative methods” and walks away again
If cooperating dwarf then goes on to ask about 'last night' and Kat's side of the story. Dwarf goes on to saying that she's upset members of the Claw as they were looking forward to that crate of fine wine, and Kat will owe them “compensation” for their loss.
If asked for his name the dwarf declines, but instead lifts a part of cloak to reveal an embroidery of six slashes forming an X, “welcome to the Torment of Claws, usually we reseve the cells for guests seeking protection or transport”
Meeting with Ansley
If at any stage Ansley Grimm is mentioned, the dwarf will ask what her connection is, he'll then pardon himself, half an hour to an hour later Dwarf returns followed by a red Tiefling, “This the one Ma'am”, “Thank you, you may leave us.”
“You mentioned me, now I'm here” Ansley is cautious but willing to hear Kat out, she is familiar with the story, and has had dealings with Halflar in past but hasn't heard anything about him in years
No meeting w/ Ansley
“The boys are awfully upset about losing the wine, ransom is set at 100 gold or a crate of fine wine. The coin on you.. call it a rescue fee but we understand the value of gear, you'll receive it back if you leave. hope you got someone on the outside willing to aid. Give us a name and location and we'll seek your friend”
If Kat claims no friends or outside help, dwarf will say he may have a job in a week, better get comfortable
Group
As each of you wake up in your new beds, not the most comfortable but far better than a sleeping roll on the floor, you all find that Kat is missing.
“I normally wouldn't give this info out as Kat paid for it, she asked me to gather info on Torment of Claws and Ansley Grimm, getting close to some info on Ansley, meeting a contact at noon. However Torment of Claws? They're the largest theives guild in the city and have been known to take on assassination requests, still gathering info on them but know their base of operations is somewhere in the Lotus Docks.”
Boots meets with a contact, Half-Orc called Thesh who provides the names of the four 'masters' of Torment of Claws: Rusty Dog, Ansley Grimm, Blue eye Brycen, and Six Finger. There is a leader but they're shrouded in mystery, and even the master can be hard to find when they don't want to be found.
Guild upgrades
As a result of investing and building the start of a base you gain 3 benefits for you and your crew, the establishment and the organisation, further investment increases stats and attracts others like yourself and Boots to join the guild.
Organisation
The organisation stats are used when you try gathering info or pressing an attack on other organisations, this includes milita groups, theives guilds, arcane orders, and even the city guard and Royalty.
Underworld syndicate
| Skills | Defenses |
|---|---|
| Diplomacy: +0 | Communications: 12 |
| Espionage: +2 | Resolve: 10 |
| Lore: −1 | Resources: 11 |
| Operations: +1 | |
Assassin's College Espionage +1, Resources +1
Spy Network Diplomacy +1, Espionage +1
Theives' Guild Espionage +1, Operations +1
Titles!
Enforcement Prof in all armours, Impose disadvantage on melee attacks against allies within 5ft of you.
Narcotics Advantage against poisons, when a creature drops to 0hp within 5ft of you give them 1d8+prof hp & 10+level temp hp.
Negotiations Prof in Persuasion, once per long rest make Cha check with Advantage alongside casting Disguise Self and Suggestion once each
Operations as an action pick one ally and one enemey within 30ft of you, Ally can use their reaction to move up to enemey and make an attack, if hit enemey, is knocked prone
Records Prof in Arcana, if unable to cast spells gain the below
| At will | detect magic, mage hand, minor illusion |
|---|---|
| 3/day each | comprehend languages, disguise self, faerie fire |
| 1/day each | invisibility, locate object |
Establishment
Front
The front, provides a disguise for your true business but as it is also a real business itself, it brings in 1,000 gold per season. Already in effect, Boots and other members are able to gather intel for you
Guild
As the primary investor Malum gains the class feature: Chosen Enemy
Chosen Enemy Your favored enemy has vulnerability to your attacks. You can do this to a number of damage rolls equal to your stronghold level, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.
While within the Tulip Downs you all gain the following benefits, the actions only being able to used once per day for anyone
- Effects
- One ally per level of the rogue’s stronghold can hide in the rogue’s demesne, and no mundane or magical means will reveal their location. This ability does not work on the owner of the stronghold.
- Actions
- You summon a fog cloud in a 60-foot radius that lasts for 1 minute. You and your allies can see through this fog as though it were merely a hazy mist that did not obscure vision.
- All enemies within 60 feet are marked for death. For the next minute, if you hit a marked enemy, you can remove its mark to deal an extra 6d6 slashing damage.
Boots
HP 22 - AC 13
Half-Elf - 3rd Level - Guild adept
Rapier +6 (1d8+3)
3/day cast Blur on self and one ally
