1354DR - Baldur's Gate & Surrounding Lands [DM Posts]

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DM Golem
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Re: 1354DR - Baldur's Gate & Surrounding Lands [DM Posts]

Unread post by DM Golem »

The Flaming Fist Headquarters hosts yet another delegation: the Knights of the SIlver Rose attending Duke Eltan in closed counsel with him.

Meanwhile, a recruitment drive for the city watch seems to be underway - although Flaming Fist officers are present during inductions, and siphoning off the best recruits to the Fist.

Similarly, rumours abuzz in the Temples of Helm and Tempus, and in any tavern where off duty soldiers spend their time, of the recall of those Flaming Fist companies currently being hired out as mercenaries about the Heartlands, with bodies of troops arriving back every few days. Similarly, two fresh companies of Flaming Fist are being raised from new recruits from the Watch and the best of the Watch currently serving.

Its apparent that Baldur's Gate's preparations for war are accelerating.
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DM Golem
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Re: 1354DR - Baldur's Gate & Surrounding Lands [DM Posts]

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The recall of the Flaming Fist troops being hired out to other cities usually means a flood of off duty, freshly paid mercenaries looking eagerly for some rest and recreation. Not this time, however. The recalled companies are kept under arms, in a camp outside the walls to the West of the city. There they drill and train.

The official reason given for this is "exercises".


(((There will be an event at 21:00 GMT / 16:00 EST on Saturday 2nd February 2019. It will be open to all characters who are in good standing with Baldur's Gate, thus no orcs, underdark races, or currently banished characters)))
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VDub
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Re: 1354DR - Baldur's Gate & Surrounding Lands [DM Posts]

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The Luckbringer known as Solomon might be seen by those watching, spreading coin around the city. He may be overheard placing orders with various vendors for healing supplies. Clean and sterile cloth, various healing herbs and balms as well as wooden poles for splints. Orders were placed with vendors for large tents as well, a few cots and portable wood burning stoves for use within canvas tents, along with enough firewood for several days use. Many coin changed hands and many hands clasped in the finding of agreement.
Solomon, Luckbringer of Tymora ~ A copper to the Lady, returns tenfold in gold!!
Dartryn Mallocant, Evoker Mage ~ "Do you have time to talk about magic?"
Traegan Daershun, Archer of the Whitewood Vanguard ~ "Of course we'll help...for a price."
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DM Golem
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Re: 1354DR - Baldur's Gate & Surrounding Lands [DM Posts]

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Traders report unusual levels of wagon traffic on the trade way, heading from Baldur's Gate in the direction of Kraak Helzak, over the last couple of days.
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DM Golem
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Re: 1354DR - Baldur's Gate & Surrounding Lands [DM Posts]

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The Tymount Offensive

Image
Flaming Fist soldiers in action.

The culmination of a month of planning, Duke Eltan ordered an offensive across the Winding Water, ostensibly to capture Tymount but actually to lure the devils into a trap. No less than seven companies of Flaming Fist took part, along with auxillaries from the adventuring population, and including representatives of the Order of the Radiant Heart, the Order of the Silver Rose, the Northern Watch, the Bladestone Foundation and the Zhentarim.


Image
Map of Operations


The attack plan was multistage. General Scar led a company as bait, to draw out the defenders of Tymount by openly building a bridge across the Winding Water using wood provided by House Darius. This force was assisted by a group of adventurers led by Baldurian native and Flaming Fist veteran Thedran. Notably the Zhentarim were present in this action as well. Both General Scar's troops and the adventurers held off multiple assaults by the devils who had marched out from Tymount, and also engaged a strange troop of armoured devils until these withdrew north.

The second stage of the attack was the assault on Tymount, after its garrison had been drawn out, by another force of adventurers including elements of the Order of the Radiant Heart, Bladestone, and the Order of the Silver Rose. This force was led by Sir Aaron Lyonaler, with Derik Ranloss commanding some siege engines. The swift assault took the town, and provoked devil reinforcements to march from nearby outposts - as Eltan had predicted. The force in Tymount held off these counter attacks.

The third stage of the attack was the assault by five assault columns crossing the winding water, to encircle the devils attacking General Scar as well as those assaulting Tymount. All columns saw fighting, and there was more success in the west than the east.

In particular, while the fist wreaked a bloody toll among the troll soldiers in service to the Devils, and even the bearded devils among them, a series of running engagements with strange armoured devils took place, with many (although not all) of the armoured devils withdrawing north in good order.

The operations were assisted by raiders behind enemy lines led by Commander Di'Corvi of the Northern Watch. Heavy fighting intercepting devil columns headed for Tymount forced the raiders on the back foot for a while, and while the flow of devil troops was slowed, the group was not able to interfere with the withdrawal of the disciplined bodies of armoured devils.

The operation has ended in a significant victory. Its estimated the majority of the troll soldiers and devils within the region of Tymount were killed, and the remainder routed. The forces marching from the outposts suffered heavy casualties, particularly of fodder devils. The only setback was the ability of the strange armoured devils to avoid or fight off encirclement and make good their escape, but for all their discipline, their first appearance on the battlefield has been defeat.

While the Tymount's buildings and fortifications were leveled by Flaming Fist engineers before the place was abandoned, and the Flaming Fist are now constructing forts on the Winding Water, meaning to use the river as a natural defensive boundary against devil encroachment.

A note has been taken of all participants in the battle at Duke Eltan's order, so their service to the city is not forgotten.
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Re: 1354DR - Baldur's Gate & Surrounding Lands [DM Posts]

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Early in the noon, the City of Baldur's Gate was enjoying a warm and pleasant day- one full of mercantile progression, new bonds being forged and overall happiness. The Wide has seen a large crowd gathering over the exceptionally good deals being given to buyers by the merchants.

...That changed when suddenly a sound of explosion tore through the air near the Sorcerous Sundries and smoke begain to rise. People entered into panic and started to run towards the other end of the street. Then another explosion happened- right at the end of the other side of the street. It's said that when a large crowd of people gathered from both sides, a third, even larger explosion happened and killed majority of those that survived the previous ones.

The carnage is said to have been quickly investigated by local adventurers and the flames that started to rage around few buildings were put down, however two sizeable houses were completely burned down to ash. It's rumoured that around one hundred people have died in those explosions- few survivors having been carried out to nearest temples and taken care of by the priests.

A good number of families are currently in mourning, having lost husbands, wives, parents or other family members. Tongues are wagging around the taverns and Inns that it was the fiends from Dragonspear Castle and, specifically, tieflings that were aiding them in creating the carnage.

The fiendblooded denizens, since now, are commonly avoided more than before- even though most people in Baldur's Gate are otherwise quite welcoming to people even of such descendance. After all, gold knows no major difference depending on race.
~All Their Days are Numbered~
~Campaign Coordinator for 1353DR, 1354DR and 1355DR Metaplot~
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