From 1615706bc810648a45eb40d84ecd192e065fa62d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: jyelon Date: Sat, 30 May 2026 23:17:27 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] More work on skyledge --- sections/5-the-carrion-bird.md | 256 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++------ 1 file changed, 214 insertions(+), 42 deletions(-) diff --git a/sections/5-the-carrion-bird.md b/sections/5-the-carrion-bird.md index a5622b7..a8ba4c1 100644 --- a/sections/5-the-carrion-bird.md +++ b/sections/5-the-carrion-bird.md @@ -818,8 +818,8 @@ definitely time for them to do so. ## Rico Learns About Crow This is a good time for Rico Sparks to show up and say, "I've -learned a little information about the incantifers. -20gp for research plus 5gp for the conversation." +learned a little information about the incantifers." +Don't forget to charge the PCs for Rico's information. Here are the points of information that Rico can contribute so far: @@ -844,7 +844,129 @@ appeared to be mostly just a ceremonial meeting place. Finally, Rico promises to keep looking for information on Crow. He says he's sure he can find more. -## The Goblins in the Casino +## Rennick's House + +At some point, Rico says, "I've located Rennick's house." +Don't forget that Rico always charges for conversations +and for research. + +By this time, Rico is fond of the PCs. If the PCs say +they're going to Rennick's house, Rico says: + +> Okay, but really, be careful. Crow might be watching +> Rennick's house. +> +> Back in Saint Parnas, you guys were big fishes in a little +> pond. But here in the Cage, you're not in a little pond +> any more. There are people walking around on these +> streets who are archdemons in disguise. There are wizards +> who are famous all over the multiverse. I *really* doubt +> you guys are strong enough to fight Crow. If you go +> starting fights with powerful people, you're going to put +> yourselves in the dead book *very* fast. If this Rennick +> is so scared of Crow, then you would have to be real +> leatherheads to fight him unprepared. +> +> So go and investigate if you have to, but please, keep +> a low profile, and get out of there fast as you can. + +Rennick has an apartment is in the clerk's ward. Appendix +XYZ contains a map of the building. It is a two-story +building, with one apartment on the lower floor, and +Rennick's apartment on the upper floor. There is an +exterior staircase that leads to the entrance of Rennick's +apartment. + +The front door opens into the living room. There's a sofa, +a few comfortable chairs, a desk, and a fireplace. The desk +contains a viking helmet, which is a portal key to a +portal the PCs will encounter later. The fireplace has a +place to hang a pot or a roast, so it's also a bit of +kitchen. Next to the fireplace is a table for food prep. +There's no full-fledged kitchen. + +The living room connects to a short hallway, with three +doors: a bedroom, a latrine, and a closet. + +The latrine is basically an indoor outhouse with a big +round pipe that drops down into the sewers. There's not +much to it. Rennick is not wealthy enough to afford +running water, so like most people in Sigil, he +fetches water from public wells in large jugs. There are +a few jugs in the latrine. + +The closet is one of the most jam-packed and disorganized +closets ever. It serves as storage, pantry, and place +for Rennick to stick things and then forget that he has +them. It's not the closet you would expect from a member +of the Fraternity of Order. + +The bedroom is small. It contains a bed, a dresser and a +wardrobe. There's nothing of any real interest in the +wardrobe. The dresser, however, contains two odd items: +a tin whistle, and a pair of heavy earmuffs. The tin +whistle makes an unpleasant screech. The heavy earmuffs +are extremely good sound deadening - while wearing them, +you can't hear much of anything. + +The whistle is a portal key. If you blow it while standing +in front of the chaotic closet, the closet door becomes a +portal to a small cavern in Pandemonium. As soon as the +portal opens, the sound of Pandemonium's horrible howling +wind screams out into the hallway. If you're in the hallway +and not wearing the earmuffs, you take 2D6 + 4 psychic +damage. + +The cavern in Pandemonium is quite small - roughly, a +sphere about 15 feet in diameter. There are no tunnels +going anywhere. The PCs may be surprised to find a howling +wind in a fully enclosed cavern - the wind just spins +in a circle around the room, tornado-like. + +The cavern looks nondescript. Just a hole in the endless +rock of Pandemonium. In the corner of the cavern is a pile +of collapsed rock. Digging through the pile reveals +a small chest: Rennick's Stash. The chest is not locked. +It contains 9000gp! That's most of Rennick's life savings. + +The influence of Pandemonium is why Rennick can't keep his +closet organized. + +Crow is still searching for Rennick. So, he bugged the +front door of the apartment. Attached to the front door is +an invisible magic eye, looking out over the living room. +Crow can peer into a scrying device and see what's going on +in here. The eye can easily be detected using "detect +magic". If you cast the detect magic while still outside on +the stairway landing, you can detect the eye before it +detects you. The eye is vision only - no sound, no smell. +If a PC is invisible, the eye can't see them. + +When Crow sees somebody in the living room, he immediately +sets out for Rennick's house. However, Crow is not in +Sigil. To get to Rennick's house, Crow will have to cross +quite some distance, take a portal to Sigil, and then cross +the city. It will take him a while. + +It is possible to enter the building without using the front +door. Rennick's bedroom has a window, which opens out onto +the back of the building. The eye cannot see anyone +entering this way. There is also a window in the living +room, but of course, if you enter though that window, the +eye can see you. + +If the PCs get spotted by the eye, then let the PCs do +everything they need to do inside the building, and then let +them leave. When they leave, they spot five small figures +in the sky, flying toward them. This is Crow, and his four +orbs. + +If the PCs are smart, they will run. Crow does not follow: +he does not see the PCs leaving the building. + +WHAT TO DO IF THE PCS CONFRONT CROW? + +## The Golden Hoard Casino Rico tells the PCs that he located Green's Casino, the Golden Hoard, in the market ward. He says it is barricaded, @@ -877,22 +999,22 @@ doors, which are closed too. Both floors have windows. The windows have a layer of glass on the inside, and steel bars on the outside. The glass is a half-inch thick, and the steel bars are about six inches -apart. They are tough, but the glass can be -broken with sufficient force (make it genuinely difficult). -The steel bars can also be damaged with great effort (make -it extremely difficult), but it's probably easier for a PC to +apart. The glass is tough, but it can be broken with +sufficient force (make it genuinely difficult). The steel +bars can also be damaged with great effort (make it +extremely difficult), but it's probably easier for a PC to make himself small and squeeze between them. The bottom floor windows are painted with translucent paint to make them look like stained glass. Without the paint, the windows would look like prison windows. The paint also serves to make it difficult for the PCs to see what's going -on in there. +on inside. There is one last way to break into the casino: it is hypothetically possible to climb from the sewers up into the casino latrine. It would probably only be possible for a -very small character with a strong stomach. +very small character with a very strong stomach. On the second floor, there are windows looking in all four directions. In each of these windows is a fixed ballista @@ -913,10 +1035,11 @@ floor is quite large, and fills the majority of the space. On the second floor is the stairwell, a hallway, and a number of administrative offices. -All of the rooms were emptied out by Green and his employees: -anything valuable was removed. The large pieces of furniture -were left behind, as were pieces of art that were too bulky -to easily remove. +When Green left the casino behind in order to start his +deck-of-many-things adventure, he first locked up the casino +and removed all the valuables. The large pieces of +furniture were left behind, as were pieces of art that were +too bulky to easily remove. There is no alcohol in the bar. Sadly, there is no treasure in the casino. But there are two things that the PCs need: the casino tax ID number, @@ -927,6 +1050,9 @@ The tax ID number is relatively easy to find: just rifle through all the desks on the second floor. Eventually you'll find some old paperwork. +The VIP room contains lushly padded chairs, cocktail +tables, and its own small bar. That's all that's in there. + Over the VIP room is a sign that says: "VIP Room / Greatest Show in Ysgard". Next to the words "Greatest Show in Ysgard" is a picture of a stereotypical viking helmet, with @@ -988,42 +1114,88 @@ them. The goblins don't want any attention, due to their illegal possession of the casino. So they just hope that visitors go away. -But that means that the PCs are likely to try smashing their -way inside. If they do, the goblins will put up a fight, -trying to defend their home. After the smashing begins, -and the fighting is triggered, it's hard to cool things back -down. If the PCs try talking, the goblins will keep fighting -for a round or two before they accept a truce. +The PCs are likely to try smashing their way inside. If +they do, they trigger a fight - the goblins just assume +they're under attack (they're a little hotheaded). After +the smashing begins, and the fighting is triggered, it's +hard to cool things back down. If the PCs try talking, the +goblins will keep fighting for a round or two before they +accept a truce. + +Initially, the goblins are scattered about the casino. +Wherever the PCs try to enter, there are two or three +goblins in the immediate vicinity. The other goblins will +rush to their aid. + +The goblins will use intelligent tactics. They will use +doorways for cover. They will leverage the ballistae if +they can do so effectively. They duck around corners if +doing so is helpful. + +The goblins will try very hard to keep their "family +members" from dying. If things look sufficiently dire for +the goblins, they will surrender and plead for mercy before +they allow one of their members to die. + +It is likely, given the steel bars, that much of the party +will be stuck outside while only the smallest character can +get inside. If just one PC gets inside, the goblins will +take advantage of that. They may try to overwhelm the one +character and take them hostage. If the goblins succeed +in taking a PC hostage, their main objective is to +obtain safety, money, and to mock the PCs. The goblins are willing to let randos explore their home, but only for a sizeable chunk of money. -## Rennick's House +Given that there are potentially dozens of ways that this +encounter could go, you will have to improvise. -At some point, Rico says, "I've located Rennick's house." -(Research cost: 20gp.) +## Skyledge -By this time, Rico is fond of the PCs. If the PCs say -they're going to Rennick's house, Rico says: +Inside the Golden Hoard, Green's Casino, is a VIP room. +Over the VIP room is a sign: "VIP Room / Greatest Show +in Ysgard", with a picture of a viking helmet next +to the sign. -> Okay, but really, be careful. Crow might be watching -> Rennick's house. -> -> Back in Saint Parnas, you guys were big fishes in a little -> pond. But here in the Cage, you're not in a little pond -> any more. There are people walking around on these -> streets who are archdemons in disguise. There are wizards -> who are famous all over the multiverse. I *really* doubt -> you guys are strong enough to fight Crow. If you go -> starting fights with powerful people, you're going to put -> yourselves in the dead book *very* fast. If this Rennick -> is so scared of Crow, then you would have to be real -> leatherheads to fight him unprepared. -> -> So go and investigate if you have to, but please, keep -> a low profile, and get out of there fast as you can. +If you walk into the VIP room while wearing a viking helmet, +the portal activates, and you find yourself in a *different* +casino: the Golden Sword at Skyledge. + +Skyledge is a club/resort for wealthy patrons. Most of +those patrons are elderly people who were born into wealth. +The Golden Sword casino is one of the casinos +inside of the resort. + +The entire resort is located in Ysgard. Ysgard's geology is +odd: much of the plane consists of large hovering islands. +Some of the islands are huge, the size of small continents. +One of those continents is Asgard, the home of the Norse +gods. Skyledge is built on the underside of Asgard, with +the permission of the Norse gods (in exchange for certain +favors). It is carved out of the rock. Most of the resort +is technically caverns - although it doesn't *look* like +caverns, given that it's carved in clean, rectilinear lines, +lavishly furnished, and brightly lit. Many of the caverns +have huge open-air balconies that allow the patrons to look +out at the sky of Ysgard. Since the resort is on the +underside of the continent, looking out over the edge of the +balconies, you see big sky below you. Hence the name of the +resort, Skyledge. + +For the entertainment of their guests, Skyledge hosts a +"Reality TV" show called "The Greatest Show in Ysgard." The +show is not televised, obviously, but the format is the +same. The PCs will in all likelihood end up contestants on +the show. + +The Golden Sword casino is a tiny little one-room casino +with just a few gambling tables. There are just a handful +of customers inside, wealthy men and women. There are also +several young attractive attendants. + +One of the attendants approaches the PCs and says, "Is the +Golden Hoard open again?" Back when the ## The Mercenary from Ysgard -## The Greatest Show in Ysgard -