Chapter 8: Structuring the War

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Part Three of The Cloven Lands details the heroes’ efforts to wage or prevent war between Kendaria and Nalathesh, culminating in Kellion Blacksky’s treachery and the heroes’ final confrontation with him.

Leveling Up In Part Three, heroes should level up based on approximately what time of year it is. Time these level-ups with the end of notable adventures to ensure that leveling up feels narratively appropriate. At the end of each of the following time periods, heroes should reach the corresponding level. Late Winter: 12 Early Summer: 13 Early Fall: 14 Late Fall: 15

At this point, tabulate the amount of Goodwill that the heroes have garnered and the “points of Alliance” that Nalathesh and Kendaria have each procured (noted at the end of each relevant quest in Part Two). Whichever nation has more successes gains Bridgemoor’s favor. Preliminary back-channel talks begin between Bridgemoor and its favored nation. Rumors of formal war swirl.

If Nalathesh and Kendaria are tied, then the heroes will have a chance to prevent war altogether, but even if they are tied, this chance for peace is difficult and unlikely to prevail. Details on this are the first major section of this chapter, so skip it if it is not relevant to your campaign.

Bridgemoor’s favored nation declares war on the other nation. Details on this, and on the remaining timeline, are in Part Three.

Preventing the War

If both Nalathesh and Kendaria have equal points of Alliance with Bridgemoor, and if the heroes have learned enough to be in the right place at the right time, then they might prevent war outright. This will dramatically decrease the length of Part Three as Kellion Blacksky will not be able to execute his plans. If the heroes prevent the war, make sure that they are able to follow investigative threads tying the murders to Kellion, so that the final confrontation will still happen.

Tense Diplomacy

If Adelaide and Reza Luxxor can remain peaceably and securely in a room with Brimmel Rockwall and Blaise Sutian for a long enough time period, then they will be able to reach a tense, but enduring, ceasefire. If this is a possibility for your campaign, then Kellion Blacksky’s primary objective will be disrupting this possibility. He will leverage his network to cause chaos in the countryside near Bridgemoor in an effort to draw the heroes’ attention away from the Luxxors and Sutians in Bridgemoor. With the heroes’ attention elsewhere, Blacksky will utilize his assassin to kill Adelaide (see “The Assassin” below).

If the heroes are undeterred by the chaos in the surrounding countryside and remain involved in the discussions, then the Luxxors and Sutians will be able to negotiate in relative safety. Uninterrupted by any assassination attempts, the peace discussions between the Luxxors and Sutians will take two weeks and take place entirely within the Meritocrats’ Palace.

If the heroes allow the negotiations to progress naturally, then the negotiations will conclude with the Luxxors and Sutians establishing a new trade agreement that benefits both houses, but is skewed in favor of the Sutians. The Luxxors are content with this agreement, given that they lost no life and a Sutian was killed in the devolution of events.

The Sutians will be able to convince Kendaria not to go to war, as they were the primary militant voices in Kendarian politics. The Luxxors might have a harder time convincing General Tenemei not to press forward with military operations, potentially leading to more conflict.

The Assassin

If the heroes remain within Bridgemoor or otherwise keep a very close eye on the Luxxors and Sutians involved in these discussions, they may be able to prevent the assassination. The assassin will not strike if the heroes are present, unless the negotiations are completely resolved and peace has been reached. In this case, the assassin’s hand is forced and he will attempt to kill Adelaide to spark unrest again, even at the risk of his own life.

In such an event, the assassin will attempt to ambush Adelaide, even in the presence of the heroes; if he can kill her before he is intercepted, then his mission might still be successful. Allow Adelaide to use Death Points as a hero would during this confrontation. If the heroes do intercept him or manage to stabilize Adelaide, they can pursue the assassin.

The assassin will attempt to flee using STR/Sprinting, climb buildings using STR, hide in shadowed alleys using DEX/Sneaking, and run along narrow or windy rooftops using DEX/Balancing. The heroes may make contested checks in order to keep up with the assassin, or at least keep track of him.

Each time the assassin makes a skill check to escape, if any of the heroes meet or exceed it with their own contested rolls, then they are able to keep track of the assassin. If the assassin beats every hero a total of three times, then heit escapes. If three or more heroes beat the assassin on a single roll, then they manage to track him to a dead end and can fight him. He has the stats of an Assassin (CC chapter 4).

Provided that the heroes defeat the assassin, they can search his body for clues or can interrogate him.

Looting the Body

Whether alive or dead, the heroes can loot the assassin’s body as long as he did not escape or fall off of Bridgemoor.

Have one hero make a DC 24 AWR/Investigating check. On a fail, they only find the assassin’s obvious equipment: 4 daggers, a heavy crossbow with 1d20 bolts remaining, and 1d4 vials of poison. The poison, when applied to a crossbow bolt or dagger, causes the next hit with that weapon to deal an additional 7 (2d6) toxic damage.

On a success, the heroes find a hidden pocket in the assassin’s clothing, which has an unmarked, mundane key. A DC 24 INT/Appraising check will reveal that this is the key for one of the inn rooms in Bridgemoor. It would be impossible for the heroes to identify which inn on their own, but if they network with innkeepers and locksmiths and succeed on DC 24 AWR, INT, and CHA checks, then they can identify the assassin’s quarters (see the Assassin’s Quarters subsection below).

Interrogating the Assassin

The assassin himself is a human in his late twenties, lean and athletic, clean-shaven, with blue eyes and short-cropped dark hair and a nose that’s been broken several times. Notably, he has burn scars all over his hands and arms.

The assassin is extremely professional and trained to resist nonviolent and violent interrogation techniques. The heroes can get the following information out of him based on their average checks. For each hero that participates, give their group average a +1 bonus.

These results are cumulative, so if the heroes meet a DC of 20, they also learn the information from a DC of 17.

DC	Information
<17	None
17+	“I’ve been staying in the Breeze Tavern. It’s condemned, so nice and quiet and out of the way.”
20+	“I’ve been a contract assassin since I was a teen. You could say my scars were part of my… anti-interrogation training. No, I’m not going to tell you who hired me.”
24+	“Look, all I will say is family first. I would die for my brother.” A glimmer in his eyes suggests that he would die for his brother out of loyalty bought through fear, rather than devotion.
27+	“My name is Tomas, and my family grew up in Bridgemoor until the Bridge Commander had us forcibly relocated to the Nalatheshi town of Lonerock. I think he did it so that I wouldn’t worry about retaliation against my family for my line of work.”
30+	“My brother used to be named Georgify… he always hated that name. Now he goes by Kellion. Kellion Blacksky.”

If the heroes roll at least a 20, then they might be able to press a little more information out of the assassin. They can learn that his name is Tomas, that his scars are from his brother holding his hands over fire when they were children, and they can make another roll in an attempt to hit a higher DC.

Assassin’s Quarters

The Breeze Tavern, which has been condemned due to unstable magic beneath it, has been abandoned for some time. It is not difficult for the heroes to find the one room that has signs of someone staying in it recently. Tomas has left little to search through, however: just an efficient and practical change of clothes, a coin purse with 60 sc, and a few extra vials of poison.

If the heroes take the time to check under floorboards, in drywall, and the like, have them make a DC 27 AWR/Investigating check. On a success, they do find a locket hidden above one of the rafters in the stairwell just outside the assassin’s room. Within the locket, there is a picture of a much younger Tomas and his two parents. If the heroes have been to Lonerock before, they recognize his parents as Simon and Skylar, the librarians.

Case Against Kellion

The heroes might build a case against Kellion Blacksky over the course of the winter and early spring. They can do so in part by interrogating or otherwise interacting with Tomas the Assassin. They might also build a case against him through the process of the “Investigate Kellion” quest (see Late Winter: Bridgemoor quests).

Once the heroes have what they deem to be sufficient evidence against Kellion, they can take the matter to the Meritocrats and the head Magister.

Confronting the Commander

Provided that the heroes have enough evidence to levy a case against Kellion Blacksky, he will not give up his position without a fight. He will remind them that he has the legal right to arrest anyone in the city-state, up to and including any meritocrat and even the magisters. Removing him from power will necessitate a showdown. See Chapter 11: The Blacksky Regime; skip to the confrontation at the end of the chapter where the heroes face Kellion directly, as the rest of the chapter will not be relevant if the heroes manage to accuse him before he takes over Bridgemoor.

Part Three Timeline

Early Winter

Early winter lasts for 6 weeks.

4 Days: The Sutians are approached by Kellion’s spy posing as an emissary from the Luxxors. The letter states that the Luxxors will not rest until the Sutians have paid blood ten times that which they shed. The Sutians declare war on the spot.

5 Days: Adelaide Luxxor is found dead in Bridgemoor’s neighborhood of Nalatown.

2 Weeks: The falsified response from the Luxxors reaches Greenvalley. The Sutians begin preparing for war.

3 Weeks: News reaches Aridala. The Luxxors begin preparing for war.

Late Winter

Late winter lasts for 7 weeks.

Throughout late winter, the Nalatheshi and Kendarian armies mobilize to secure their borders along the Chasm.

The heroes might also become embroiled in scandal and skullduggery among the Meritocrats of Bridgemoor.

Early Spring

Early spring lasts for 6 weeks. During this time, the heroes might continue to investigate the Meritocrats.

2 Days: Bridgemoor’s favored ally moves through the city-state and occupies the other side of the Chasm within Bridgemoor’s jurisdiction.

1 Week: Hyleth sets up the potential for back channel diplomacy between the warring nations. Whether the Luxxors and Sutians utilize this or not will be up to the heroes’ diplomatic efforts.

Late Spring - Early Summer

Late spring through Early Summer lasts for a total of 16 weeks.

At this point, military engagements between Kendaria and Nalathesh begin in earnest. Meanwhile, cult pressure keeps Bridgemoor on the brink, allowing Kellion Blacksky to gain more power, claiming that he needs it in order to maintain stability in Bridgemoor.

15 Weeks: Blacksky frames Lauby as a cultist. The heroes might come to the aid of their friend and gather evidence in his defense. Lauby is incarcerated and awaits trial.

Late Summer

Late summer lasts for 6 weeks.

This marks the anniversary of Elarion Sutian’s murder, leading to a significant escalation in military urgency from both sides.

4 Weeks: Lauby is brought to the Grand Magister for trial. Because of the introduction of additional “evidence” that Blacksky has fabricated, the trial will take place over several weeks, allowing Lauby to defend themself and allowing the Bridge Knights to prosecute them. Unless the heroes intervene, public opinion sways in favor of the Bridge Knights.

Early Fall

Early fall lasts for 6 weeks.

3 Days: The Grand Magister exonerates Lauby, causing public outcry.

5 Days: The Governor, the highest authority in Bridgemoor, supports the Grand Magister’s decision.

6 Days: Blacksky arrests both the Grand Magister and the Governor on grounds of colluding with cultists and threatening the city.

1 Week: Commander-Governor Blacksky sends an elite force of Bridge Knights and fiends summoned by the cultists to attack whichever nation Bridgemoor is allied with.

3 Weeks: The Bridge Knights attack Dalewright if Bridgemoor is allied with Kendaria, and attack Aridala if they are allied with Nalathesh. In either case, they take the capital successfully given that majority of the allied nation’s military forces are across the Chasm conducting warfare against their enemy.

Late Fall

Late fall lasts for 7 weeks.

Throughout this time, Blacksky’s army consolidates control over west Kendaria and east Nalathesh as well as tightening control on the capital of whichever nation they have betrayed.

The heroes will be tasked with deposing Blacksky’s puppet-ruler from whichever capital has been captured. This will involve multiple military engagements, as described in the Warfare Encounters section, along with a showdown as described in the Late Fall Quests section.

Early Winter

Early Winter lasts for 6 weeks.

Having restored the rightful ruler or a reasonably popular successor to the bereaved nation, the heroes may now take the fight to Kellion Blacksky directly (or fight him again, if they already faced off with him in Dalewright).

After deposing Kellion Blacksky, the heroes may broker peace between the Luxxors and the Sutians.

A Legacy of War Optionally, Leon Marstemal and General Tenemei may both still have military aspirations, if they remain alive, but there are no official quests detailing how to confront them or force them to back down. Rather, the Sutians and Luxxors will be able to keep their nations’ generals in check unless you wish to develop this optional final quest for your own table.