These daggers are ornately damasked with flame etching on the blade, and hilts of deep, reddish-golden hue. The hilts appear to be of laminate construction, with the chitinous red layer secured to the core (DC18 Nature to recognize dragon scale). The daggers do not give off the appearance of magic, and look more ceremonial than anything, although they are sharp. Each of them has a gem embedded in the pommel - sapphire, ruby, and emerald. A DC22 History check will recall mention of ceremonial daggers used for summoning dragons, but more details have long been lost. Anyone who speaks draconic can make an Arcana check (DC20) to know they have a ritualistic use involving sacrifice, but in those legends, there are five daggers.
Among the notes, you can find several spell scrolls, as well as a bundle of scrolls written in draconic. They relate to the actions of the cult tracking down the party and waiting to ambush them at a point about 10 miles upriver. There are also references to contact with a larger group of cultists from the south, and of an emissary from the town of Pinching expected in the next few days with news of the movement in the cities.
If the party decides to wait for the emissary, have them arrive the following day. The emissary is an adventurer with experience surviving in the wild. He brings sealed messages for the leader of the cult. If no one is on guard when he approaches, he will become suspicious and attempt to sneak in through the lower tunnels to determine if all is well or not. Doing so will make him instantly aware the fortress has been overrun, and put him on a defensive setting. He will try to gain as much information as possible before leaving to report the loss of the stronghold to the rest of the cult members.
If there is a watch posted, they will gain inquisitive looks from the emissary for their unusual appearance, but with no knowledge of who is in this chapter of the cult, he will not believe they are anything but the members he was sent to deal with. The more the players act the part, the more he will accept their hospitality.
Once he is inside the fortress and the dungeons, have him make an Insight checks against Persuasion or Performance for anyone interrogating him or actively trying to impersonate a cult member. He will naturally get more suspicious the longer any interaction takes place, particularly if the conversation strays too far into the activities of the cult. He doesn't know what this chapter was planning, or any strong details about the grand plans, if there are any, but he knows they have all been collecting dragon related relics of interest, and shipping them to a secluded location deep in the Molten Hills.
If there is an attack, treat defeat as non-lethal. Tomorrow, we'll consider what information can be found in the sealed messages, and maybe interrogate the prisoner...
If the party decides to wait for the emissary, have them arrive the following day. The emissary is an adventurer with experience surviving in the wild. He brings sealed messages for the leader of the cult. If no one is on guard when he approaches, he will become suspicious and attempt to sneak in through the lower tunnels to determine if all is well or not. Doing so will make him instantly aware the fortress has been overrun, and put him on a defensive setting. He will try to gain as much information as possible before leaving to report the loss of the stronghold to the rest of the cult members.
If there is a watch posted, they will gain inquisitive looks from the emissary for their unusual appearance, but with no knowledge of who is in this chapter of the cult, he will not believe they are anything but the members he was sent to deal with. The more the players act the part, the more he will accept their hospitality.
Once he is inside the fortress and the dungeons, have him make an Insight checks against Persuasion or Performance for anyone interrogating him or actively trying to impersonate a cult member. He will naturally get more suspicious the longer any interaction takes place, particularly if the conversation strays too far into the activities of the cult. He doesn't know what this chapter was planning, or any strong details about the grand plans, if there are any, but he knows they have all been collecting dragon related relics of interest, and shipping them to a secluded location deep in the Molten Hills.
If there is an attack, treat defeat as non-lethal. Tomorrow, we'll consider what information can be found in the sealed messages, and maybe interrogate the prisoner...
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