Curse of the Crimson Throne Location: 3 Lancet Street

[chamber]

The interior of this small, humble home consists of a single cozy
chamber filled with a fragrant haze of flowers and strong spice.
The aroma comes from several sticks of incense smoldering in
wall-mounted burners that look like butterfly-winged elves.
The smoke gives the room a dreamy feel. The walls are draped
with brocaded tapestries, one showing a black-skulled beast
juggling human hearts, and another showing a pair of angels
dancing atop a snow-blasted mountain. A third tapestry on
the far wall depicts a tall, hooded figure shrouded in mist,
holding a flaming sword in a skeletal hand. Several brightly
colored rugs cover the floor, but the room’s only furnishings
are a wooden table covered by a bright red throw cloth and
several elegant, tall-backed chairs. A basket covered by blue
cloth sits under the table.

[chamber]

On the table you see a note weighed down by a rock. It reads:

Thank you for coming.
I had to step out for
a bit, but shall return
shortly. Please, have a
seat while you wait.
The basket under the
table contains bread and
drink for you.

[chamber]

After you've all had enough time to greet each other, the door opens one last time and a middle aged women walks through. She's playing with a deck of cards as she walks, and the skill with which she handles them imparts that its something she does often.



She motions for those of you who are still not sitting to do so, and then begins to speak in a soft but clear voice.

“Thank you for coming, my friends, and for putting up with
my unconventional method of contacting you. I have reason to
remain hidden, you see—a vicious man would see great harm
done to me if he knew I was reaching out for help. This man
has done something terrible to each of you as well. I speak, of
course, of Gaedren Lamm, a man whose cruelty and capacity
to destroy the lives of those he touches are matched only by
his gift for avoiding reprisal. You see, a year ago, his thieves
stole this, my harrow deck, from me. It is important to me, an
heirloom passed down through a dozen generations, and also
my sole means of support. When Lamm’s pickpockets stole it,
my son Eran tracked them down and returned my deck to me.
But Gaedren had him followed, and soon after he left my home,
Gaedren’s thugs murdered him.
“I sought help from the Korvosan Guard, but they turned
me away. And so I asked around. I paid bribes. I consulted
my harrow deck for advice. And recently, I was rewarded—I
found out where Gaedren dwells. “But I need your help. I
cannot hope to face this man on my own, and the Guard
moves so slowly that if they were willing to help, Gaedren
would certainly know of their coming well in advance. And
even if they arrested him, what guarantee would I have he
would be punished? This criminal has evaded the law for decades.
But you know of these frustrations as well, for word on the
street has it that Gaedren has wronged each of you, too. So
there we are. It is time for him to pay.”
"Before I tell you where he is I must consult my deck one last
time. Please, each of you, draw a card. We shall see what
it says about your chance of victory when you face Gaedren
and his goons.

[Each of you please choose a number between 1 and 54]

[chamber]

card 29 please

The Rakshasha, A card that represents evil and intelligence, as well as domination and slavery.

I'll take card 33

The Peacock, A card that represents Beauty that's been frozen.

I'll take card 2.

The Midwife, an enabler, a conduit of the new

Dietrich pulls card 48

The Wanderer, and appreciation for trinkets and things others overlook

Card 3, please

The Cyclone, an unstoppable chaotic force. An inauspicious card for one so cautious and frail to have drawn. I'd be careful in your near future.

#6

The Marriage, a Uniun of people.


After revealing to each of you the cards you chose, she draws 3 additional cards and begins to skillfully shuffle all 9 together, dealing them face out on the table in a 3x3 grid. As she does so she looks to Freda and says "I would trust my sources with my life, the greater concern is for how long he will stay still"

Now shall we see what the cards say.

The Peacock
The Midwife
The Publican

The things we valued, now only in our memory, brought about our fellowship.

The Paladin
The Rakshasha
The Brass Dwarf

If you resolutely stand against Gaedren as you are, he will be invulnerable to the threat you pose.

The Marriage
The Cyclone
The Wanderer

But if you learn to work together, you will be an unstoppable force.


The message couldn't be more clear. You're not yet ready to hear where he is. You must first truly come together as a group before facing him.
I know the adventurer's guild often has a few odd jobs for prospective groups. Or perhaps you know of some other way to learn to work as a group. Which ever you choose, learn quickly. I don't expect my information to be good for more than a few days.

[chamber]

No one is more frustrated than me that you aren't yet ready. If being told no is all it takes to make you get violent, it's not much of a surprise. Spend a day or 2 learning to work together, and then focus that anger where it belongs.

[chamber]

OoC: I'd rather not set the precedent of PCs using abilities on each other. With that said, Minor illusion doesn't require a save. If interacted with at all you immediately know it's fake. Otherwise you could spend an action investigating it against said 14 to learn that it's fake.