Beneath Tattered Wings
Twenty Third Day of the Third Month 294 AC
Reports from Slaver's Bay paint a region mired in conflict, in which your forces are only a single faction, albeit an important one, with your agents in the field taking a personal perspective on the general orders dealt.
New Ghys:
From Alysande in New Ghis, you get news that the city is more stable than anything you have seen in Mereen, mostly owing to a bold young tribune by the name of Sarker zo Mehle, who was responsible for curbing the influence of the Harpies even at the zenith of the Harpy Queen's influence and moved decisively against the Sons of the Harpy when that power broke. The other two tribunes are an ailing old man and a known lotus eater, which is to say political non-entities, though ones that could be potentially swayed to paralyze the city's decision making at the right time.
In more worrisome news, it is widely suspected that the Green Grace, Nandazda Aoq, is a sorceress and able to enchant and possess the wills of others. Whether that marks her out as a skilled sorceress or simply a shell being worn by a devil, Alysande was not yet able to safely ascertain. The umbral spy is still working its way up the chain of command in the temple, with the mages present carefully checking each new target before it makes the jump.
The last person of interest is one Gramdal mo Ia, Preator of the People, who had been identified as doing seemingly entirely legal business in the Imperium through a shell company headquartered in Elyria. He is apparently a rival to Tribune Sarker, but hobbled by being bound to a lifetime appointment and ancient precedent that holds one man cannot hold both offices.
Salted Earth (New Ghys Information): 25/35 Progress (2d6 the PCs 1d6 for the watch creatures; 2d6 for the Umbral creatures; 1d6 for the mind dragon)
***
Meereen:
Shara and Teana's attempts to hold off the further machinations of Baator in Mereen have unfortunately met with less success, though the Myrish golems proved their worth in a raid on one of the inquisition's safe houses. Though a pair of the servitors were destroyed, their ability to not only ignore but counter most sorcery turned what could have been a massacre into something approximating an even field until reinforcements could arrive and drive the devils off. They took their dead with them as they retreated and Teana was not inclined to press attack with the identities of dozens of agents compromised.
In better news, the Sons of the Harpy took the open confrontation with baatezu as an opportunity to launch their own attacks, slaying a round dozen members of the Council of Elders and one Preator. When one adds the effects of your own assassinations last month, the city is teetering on the edge. Shara makes a compelling case that whatever else the servants of the Lord of the Ninth are doing, they must be diverting resources to keep Mereen stable.
Salted Earth (Mereen Contested Action): 23 vs ??? (2d6 the PCs, 1d6 for the watch creatures; 2d6 for the Umbral creatures; 1d6 for the mind dragon)
Lost 2 Glass Golems
***
Astapor:
In the Red City, Wyla reports no overt diabolic activity, though 'enhanced' Unsullied are growing ever more common. There seems to be a cleavage forming between those Masters who will accept this arcane boon and traditionalists who rightly see it as a poisoned fruit. Some of the latter families are even quietly liquidating properties and fleeting the city entirely. Several opportunistic assassinations were timed with these departures to sow dissent and remove those loyal to baator from power.
Towards the end of the month devil guards, particularly ones possessed of true sight, are growing more common. From the tone of Wyla's message, it seems she misses the power of enthrallment that undeath had granted her. 'It would be so easy to make all the pieces tumble', she writes.
Salted Earth ( Astapor Contested Action): 18 vs ??? (2d6 the PCs, +3 Teana Synergy; 1d6 for the watch creatures; 2d6 for the Umbral creatures; 1d6 for the mind dragon)
Yunkai:
It was in the Yellow City, however, where the greatest clash of the region took place, and it did not favor you. The use of some arcane poison mean to render the mind more on to suggestion by devils skilled in illusion and enchantment compromised five full inquisition cells, with only rigorous adherence to protocols and decisive leadership from Inquisitor Anya preventing your presence in the city from being swept into the sea. A full scale raid was organized on a demonic fortress built in the hills beyond the city, leading the the death of scores of lesser devils and cultists, and the capture of compromising information which might be used in the future... after it has been thoroughly checked.
Salted Earth (Yunkai Contested Action): 9 vs ??? (2d6 the PCs, +3 Teana Synergy; 1d6 for the watch creatures; 2d6 for the Umbral creatures; 1d6 for the mind dragon)
Lost 7,000 IM In replacing material and personnel
Lost 8x Black Brutes
-4 Progress next turn due to damage
169 HD of Sacrifices Gained (Max CR 5)
What should you do following the report?
[] Encourage a more circumspect strategy in the future like in New Ghys
[] Encourage a more collaborative strategy like in Mereen
[] Encourage a more assassination based strategy as in Astrapor
[] Encourage more direct attacks as in Yunkai
[] Write in
OOC: I hope the contested rolls work, you guys don't see them but the enemy is rolling d6s to depending on the quality and quantity of their assets. Not yet edited.