3. Ongoing Conflict: Geroldine's Invasion

Ongoing Conflict: Geroldine's Invasion


  • Internal Zhentarim Correspondence (Intercepted)
    Nightal 01/01/25 (One day until expected arrival of initial 3,000, now 2,500, Zhentarim reinforcements.)
    From: Zhent. 3.W. Comm. Ravenhead
    To: Zhent. 2.E. Comm. Col Geroldine

    Col,

    The numbers don't bode well for your north eastern effort.

    Consensus is such that you ought withdraw and regroup.

    We both know that won't happen. Not when even the corpse of Gulderhorn's champion remains in the north. Perhaps, one day, you will explain to me your obsession with that woman.

    You should know that I ran into a group of your new northern friends yesterday.

    They took one of your and Jurne's "exchange program" subjects.

    Bypassed our surveillance and magical defenses as if they were nothing. No trace of magical involvement, either. It was very peculiar.

    Care to shed some light on how they might have done that?

    -- Zhentatim Third Western Commander Ravenhead.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]


  • Internal Zhentarim Correspondence (Intercepted)
    Flamerule 09/12/24 (Six days until expected arrival of 3,000 Zhentarim reinforcements.)
    From: Zhent. Cr. Lt. L. Palehand (C-01)
    To: Zhent. 2.E. Comm. Col Geroldine

    Commander,

    Please accept my apologies for the delay.

    A black dragon has been giving us trouble us on our march northeast.

    Slippery thing has made our lives hell. Thinned our air and ground units.

    Apparently, it is one of the old captives from the west, trained for our sky-riders but escaped some 10 years ago or so.

    No need for assistance. I've asked a friend for a favour. Next time it rears its ugly head, we will end the problem.

    We proceed under double-time after that.

    I understand you're having some trouble with the northern locals.

    Once we rendezvous, we will deal with them and the north.

    Until then,

    -- Your Core Lieutenant Ludwig Palehand.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]


  • Internal Zhentarim Correspondence (Intercepted)
    Flamerule 09/12/24 (Six days until expected arrival of 3,000 Zhentarim reinforcements.)
    From: Zhent. Cr. Lt. Dodds (C-05)
    To: Zhent. Cr. Lt. Fenwick (C-04)

    Core Lieutenant Ava Fenwick,

    Internal investigation has concluded.

    You are cleared for resumption of battlefield duties.

    Be advised that prior correspondence has been subject to interception.

    Report directly to Commander Geroldine for new immediate orders, to be delivered in person.

    Happy to have you back, Ava.

    -- Core Lieutenant Victoria Dodds, designate C-05.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]


  • Internal Zhentarim Correspondence (Intercepted)
    Flamerule 09/12/24 (Six days until expected arrival of 3,000 Zhentarim reinforcements.)
    From: Zhent. Priv. Sd. A-203.
    To: Zhent. Corp. A-3.

    I'm afraid to sleep.

    In every dream, I'm someone else. A local. That Bard. The Princess. Both at once, somehow.

    Or it's nightmares. About red hair. Everywhere. Strung up by it. Suffocated by it.

    I'm not alone. A-299 tells me he dreams of holes. Black holes, in his brain, his eyes, his body. Holes "in his mind." A door to nowhere, that he's afraid to open.

    A-150 stays up and stares at the fire. Says he sees faces in it.

    It isn't the war. We've been through those before. Worse ones, even.

    Don't know how much more I can take.

    Why is this happening? Are you getting any of this?

    -- Soldier A-203.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]


  • Isolde reports back after a small detour south and east over the past days, directly to Gom and the rest of the Geese:

    "I'm pleased to report the successful extraction of the mercenary skullduggery expert Barton Cade from Zhentarim captivity. Cade has agreed to lend his skills to our cause, by springing a handful of family members of Geroldine's closest officers from Jurne's clutches. With the addition of turmoil caused outside the fortress proper at the time of his operation, he thinks he can get as many as six persons out, but obviously success will rely on having the proper intelligence beforehand. Dissent with Geroldine's losses in this region seem to be growing and if this works, it might crumble his support from within the ranks. At least if our other operations also turn out being successful.

    I've also obtained the marching details about the 3,000 from my informant. Routes they expect to take, times they'll be moving, sitting and so forth. It's all regimented and planned, though as we have learned, Geroldine doesn't always keep all his underlings in the full loop of his paranoid planning. He recently had an officer's family killed and the officer themselves sent off to a slave camp, for being an informant to the enemy. I suggest we still keep Jonni busy, knowing this paranoid streak of our opponent."


  • Internal Military Correspondence
    Flamerule 07/12/24 (Two days post Eastland Skirmish; seven days until 3,000 Zhentarim arrive.)
    From: Pelt. Gen. Leonard Gom
    To: "The Pink Haired Elf With A Plan"

    Hey, Pink Haired Elf,

    It's General Gom.

    I like your plan. I've instructed Commander Lycka to assign a band of Ceruleans to stay behind and assist with any emergency evacuations, should they become necessary.

    I want your people to figure out the best places to hide in the Gypsy Pass. Something hard to detect, including when it comes to magical mumbo jumbo.

    As you know, when it comes to that asshole Geroldine's 3,000 new troops, the Golden Geese's plan is to work with the Moonreacher priestess, who'll hide virtually all of our forces among the Giantspires for an ambush using her freaky fog. We have 8 of the enemy's explosive munitions, plus our own. And that'll be after our new-fangled allies in the sky have harassed the enemy's forced march.

    If the enemy catches on that we've left the city proper vulnerable through all of this, we'll need a back-up plan, and yours strikes me as a good one.

    -- Peltarch Defender General Leonard Gom.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]


  • Military Correspondence
    Flamerule 23/11/24 (Immediately following the Eastlands skirmish)
    From: Zhent. 2.E. Comm. Col Geroldine
    To: Pelt. Gen. Leonard Gom & "Golden Geese" Guild

    Peltarch Defender General Leonard Gom & the "Golden Geese" Guild,

    I have captured five members of your elite Golden Geese, and now control the eastern passages.

    My fleet comes from the north, and my 3,000 reinforcements from the west. I maintain Norwick to the south.

    Your "Jewel of the North" is surrounded.

    Provide me with Temperance of Gulderhorn's corpse, along with the totality of your treasury, and a public oath to tithe 20% of all taxes for the next 10 years, and all this trouble goes away.

    Those are the terms for your city's continued existence.

    Do not expect me to wait for your response.

    -- Zhentarim Second Easterm Commander Col Geroldine.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]


  • Internal Military Summons
    Flamerule 23/11/24
    From: Q.M. River, on behalf of Pelt. Gen. Gom
    To: Pelt. Cpts. & "Golden Geese" Guild

    Hey. This is Gom.

    There's a lot of weird talk going around about what happened with Temperance in the infirmary.

    Nevermind all that.

    Get to the council chambers. Downtime is over. We have a war to win.

    Zhents are on the back-foot for now, but their 3,000 new friends are set to arrive in 7 days.

    If any of you have any bright ideas on how to deal with that new incoming force and what to do in the meantime, I will expect you to share them.

    -- Peltarch Quartermaster River, on behalf of General Gom.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]


  • Internal Zhentarim Correspondence (Intercepted)
    Flamerule 22/11/24 (Four days following the failed infiltration of Peltarch's City Hall.)
    From: Zhent. Priv. Sc. B-108.
    To: Zhent. Lt. B-1.

    I don't doubt they're all dead. Even the 5 elite.

    That thing -- what I saw -- is that the true power of a God?

    We should not have come this far north. Something is very wrong here.

    This is my final report.

    I write this as your friend.

    Run.

    -- Scout B-108.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]


  • Internal Military Report
    Flamerule 17/11/24 (Two days following the battle of the Witch and Seer.)
    From: Lt. Ben Keene
    To: Pelt. Gen. Gom, Cpt. Jorino, & Cpt. Longcloak

    General, Captains,

    I write with a report of the events that transpired in your absence during the battle of the Witch and Seer.

    Myself, several other soldiers, including Ser Henry Cade and Temperance of Gulderhorn, were gravely injured at the front-lines following an opening siege of acid explosives by the enemy.

    We were transported back to the military barracks in the city, for medical attention by the Archangels Unit.

    For the next, I have gathered reports from the surviving clerks and military personnel at City Hall.

    A squadron of 5 highly trained Zhentarim infiltrators teleported into City Hall. That is after the traitor Cerulean Third Star Reeving pierced the magical barriers for them and provided them with the teleportation particulars. The infiltrators brought with them three explosive munitions they placed at critical load-bearing locations in City Hall.

    The final load-bearing structure was in the infirmary. There, Temperance of Gulderhorn and I were present. I think she uttered a prayer that was undeniably answered. The priestess defended those in the infirmary, and killed 3 of the 5 infiltrators. Something else happened. Something I can't remember much of. Nor what happened after.

    After further inspection of the aftermath, the last 2 must have managed to finish her and then fled. I understand you have captured one of them, the thief. The last, i.e. the dirgesinger, remains at large.

    Far Scouts do not believe that the dirgesinger escaped back to enemy territory, nor do they believe the enemy currently knows that Temperance of Gulderhorn is deceased.

    -- Peltarch Lieutenant Benjamin Keene.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]


  • Military Correspondence
    Flamerule 17/11/24 (The day following the battle of the Witch and Seer.)
    From: Zhent. 2.E. Comm. Col Geroldine
    To: Pelt. Gen. Leonard Gom & "Golden Geese" Guild

    Peltarch Defender General Leonard Gom & the "Golden Geese" Guild,

    You should be proud to have lasted this long.

    Of course, soon I will be joined by an additional 3,000. That is without accounting for those in your ranks ready to defect.

    This could all be over, should you agree to hand over Temperance of Gulderhorn.

    Due to your continued refusal, however, the price has increased to include a tithe of all the gold in your treasury, plus 20% of all collected taxes for the next five years.

    -- Zhentarim Second Easterm Commander Col Geroldine.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]


  • Military Correspondence
    Flamerule 10/11/24 (The morning following Norwick's invasion.)
    From: Zhent. 2.E. Comm. Col Geroldine
    To: Pelt. Cpt. Reyhenna Jorino / Elizabeth Fisher

    Peltarch Defender Captain Reyhenna Jorino / Elizabeth Fisher,

    Of all this region's defenders, I expect you will be the first to guide your King to reason.

    Do inform him that we will make shorter work of Peltarch than we did Norwick.

    That is, of course, unless you hand over Temperance of Gulderhorn before tomorrow's dusk.

    -- Zhentarim Second Easterm Commander Col Geroldine.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]


  • Military Correspondence
    Flamerule 10/11/24 (The eve of Norwick's invasion.)
    From: Zhent. 2.E. Comm. Col Geroldine
    To: Pelt. Cpt. Reyhenna Jorino / Elizabeth Fisher

    Peltarch Defender Captain Reyhenna Jorino / Elizabeth Fisher,

    I will be overseeing this siege personally.

    Pay attention.

    I intend to make out of Norwick an example of what's to come for Peltarch.

    -- Zhentarim Second Easterm Commander Col Geroldine.

    [DM Xanatos Gambit]