The Heist

## The Estate's Inhabitants

The **advanced ultroloth Eusyrixas** has many holdings all over Gehenna, but his estate in the Crawling City is the finest of those holdings. His majordomo is the **arcanaloth Nesevera**.

Nesevera is somewhat lust-driven arcanaloth, which is why she has staffed the estate with **dozens of maids** whom she finds attractive: they must be mortal, female-looking, at least five feet tall, and possessing of absolutely no chitin or scales on their body. The maid uniform is adorned with genuine skulls like this, and comes with makeup (including dark lipstick), a corset, pantyhose, high heels, and optional but strongly encouraged skull-earrings. Nesevera bans maids from carrying any recording devices, familiars, psicrystals, *cubic gate*s, weapons, armor, or ammunition; she sincerely claims "security concerns" for the former four and noncommittally cites "aesthetic concerns" for the latter three, pointing out that arcanaloths have constant *true seeing* that makes even *glamered* gear visible, but in truth, Nesevera simply loathes martials on principle. This is why many maids have builds that need no weapons nor armor. Eusyrixas finds Nesevera's obsessive-compulsiveness rather eccentric and unnecessary, but it does not cause any harm, so the advanced ultroloth lets it slide.

The head maid of the estate is the half-giant **Meloria**, and she handles recruiting and interviews. Half-giants have a rooted history of being slaves, and Eusyrixas and Nesevera enjoy reminding her of it. However, Meloria actually enjoys her position, as she is a switch and enjoys both being submissive to her master and acting cruelly torturously to her underlings. Meloria also happens to be the sister of Kona, or perhaps a cousin, though this fact has only a 1% chance of ever being mentioned. Meloria's second in command is the winged half-Unseelie-fey **Senna**, and she is eager to explain the "rules" concerning promotion to senior maid, which involves killing off preexisting senior maids without being caught.

Aside from Eusyrixas, Nesevera, the dozens of mortal maids, Meloria (Perception +25, Sense Motive +25), and Senna, the estate is home to:

* **5 other arcanaloths**, some of which are liveborn embarassments. They assist with the manor's defenses (using *blood money* to avoid having to pay for anything), but they do not work together often and cattily hate each other. One of them is intently studying magic-research journals concerning recent True Word breakthroughs in Arborea. Perception +33, Sense Motive +33, *true seeing*.
* **9 phasmaloth**s, mighty daemons of illusion born of a failed attempt to produce artificial greater baernaloths. They were created from the stock of illusionist fey, so they have a soft spot for fey. A half-fey like Keiko **will** catch their eye, and she could regale the phasmaloths with stories from her fey-filled homeland, thereby pushing the phasmaloths up to a friendly, if not helpful, attitude. The phasmaloths rank just below arcanaloths, and they tend towards insanity and/or odd behavior even by daemonic standards. They look like this. DC 32 Knowledge (planes) to identify due to rarity, Perception +30, Sense Motive +30, *true seeing*.
* **~170 yugoloths** of CR 14 and below.
* The **fallen gate archon Asyamiriel**, who lends clerical spells to Eusyrixas's forces. DC 27 Knowledge (planes) to identify, Perception +26, Sense Motive +26, *true seeing*.
* **Dozens of aoandons** who float through the five-foot-thick walls and keep an eye out for disturbances. They are spirits sworn to Eusyrixias, Nesevera, the other arcanaloths, and the phasmaloths. DC 22 Knowledge (planes) to identify, Perception +20, Sense Motive +20, *true seeing*.
* **Dozens of myrmidons** that patrol the estate. They are alchemical constructs programmed to obey the orders of Eusyrixas, Nesevera, the other arcanaloths, and the phasmaloths. DC 22 Knowledge (arcana) to identify, Perception +20, Sense Motive +2 (just +2), see invisible creatures and objects.
* **Over a dozen gray goos** trapped within magical barriers that deactivate if ever an *antimagic field* should make contact with them. They are alchemical constructs programmed to obey the orders of Eusyrixas, Nesevera, the other arcanaloths, and the phasmaloths. DC 24 Knowledge (arcana) to identify, Perception +13, Sense Motive +0.
* A **single lotus tree** within the great vault, which has been constructed in such a way that the lotus tree's aura covers the whole vault. Eusyrixas, Nesevera, and the other arcanaloths are immune to mind-affecting effects, of course. The myrmidons and gray goos are as well, but they lack the clearance to be in the vault in the first place. DC 30 Knowledge (nature) to identify, Perception +40, Sense Motive +37, thoughtsense 60 feet, tremorsense 120 feet.
* **Several advanced cetuses** kept in a pool for crudo/sashimi. The pool is warded to disable a cetus's Impossible Leap, and even then, they find mortals vastly more delicious than yugoloths. DC 24 Knowledge (arcana) to identify, Perception +25, Sense Motive +25, tremorsense 120 feet, DC **28** (roll twice and take the lower result) Mariner's Misfortune aura.

## The Estate's Security Levels

The estate implements a system of "security levels," which correspond to different types of wardstones possessed by the estate's inhabitants:

### Security Level 0

* **Creatures:** Guests
* **Places:** The estate's courtyard, foyer, ballrooms, galleries, recreation rooms, dining rooms, torture rooms, library (but only half of it), and adjoining powder rooms and private rooms

### Security Level 1: Khalas-Level

* **Wardstone Always Feels:** Moist
* **Creatures:** Junior maids, CR 1 to 9 yugoloths
* **Places:** Their rooms, the kitchen, and the storerooms

### Security Level 2: Chamada-Level

* **Wardstone Always Feels:** Hot
* **Creatures:** Senior maids, CR 10 to 14 yugoloths, aoandons (wardstone floats incorporeally in middle of body), myrmidons (wardstone embedded in body), and gray goos (wardstone floats in center of swarm)
* **Places:** Their rooms, most of the other half of the library, the alchemy lab, the armory (which contains the recording devices, familiars, psicrystals, *cubic gate*s, weapons, armor, and ammunition of the maids who choose to leave gear in the estate)

### Security Level 3: Mungoth-Level

* **Wardstone Always Feels:** Caustic
* **Creatures:** Arcanaloths other than Nesevera, phasmaloths (wardstone embedded in scaly hide), Asyamiriel (wardstone embedded in graven wings)
* **Places:** Their rooms, some parts of the library, most of the vault, the room containing, the atelier, the crafting chamber, the ritual chamber, the two scrying and teleportation chambers, and the two control rooms

### Security Level 4: Krangath-Level

* **Wardstone Always Feels:** Cold
* **Creatures:** Eusyrixas, Nesevera
* **Places:** Their rooms, some parts of the library, the spot in the vault containing the schematics (adjacent to the lotus tree), and the holding chambers of the devices of law and chaos

The wardstones themselves are alchemical, not magical. They are simply used to help the *teleport trap*, *selective alarm*, and *symbol of fear* spells tell who is who. They are nearly impossible to replicate.

## The Estate's Alert Tracks

There are two alert tracks for the inhabitants of the estate: social alert and stealth alert:

* **Normal**
* **Suspicion**
* **Caution**
* **Alert**

Social alert and stealth alert are tracked separately. Whenever the party fails a social skill roll or otherwise does something incriminating, social alert raises one level. Whenever the party fails a physical skill roll or does something loud and obvious, stealth alert raises one level. If the party assuages suspicions (social alert) or lays low (stealth alert), the track drops one level.

## The Estate's Security Features

* All locks in the estate are amazing locks (DC 40 Disable Device).
* The estate's walls all contain a six-inch layer of lead, so as to prevent divination.
* The estate is illuminated by *corpse lanterns* at caster level 20th that each shed normal light out to 10 feet and dim light out to 20 feet. Within either light, Stealth checks take a -5 penalty. Due to the influence of the plane of Gehenna, the light is not necessarily colored green, but still eerie.
* The entire estate, including the courtyard, is under a *mage's private sanctum* at caster level 20th, preventing all scrying and *detect thoughts* within. "Anyone looking into the area from outside sees only a dark, foggy mass," lending a mysterious air to the estate, for none can see it from the outside.
* The whole estate is also under a Heightened-to-9th *teleport trap* at caster level 20th (Will DC 28 negates, Knowledge [arcana] DC 29 identifies it for what it is). The trap's destination is a well-guarded "guest prison" the estate, full of hazards and well-guarded so as to ensure that all "visitors" are accounted for. A **security level 3 or 4** wardstone exempts a creature from the *teleport trap*, allowing them to teleport outward (but not inward).
	+ Two rooms are exempt from both the *mage's private sanctum* and the *teleport trap*, so that they can be used for scrying, communications, and teleportation. However, these rooms are very heavily guarded and under **security level 3**. They are perfectly viable escape routes in a case, if the party is willing to get past the defenders.
* Various locations in the manor have a Widened *selective alarm* at caster level 20th upon them, each with a 40-foot-radius. The alarms are audible alarms. Any new maids are shown the level 2, 3, and 4 alarms that are **not** past other alarms, so that they can avoid tripping said alarms; new maids need not be shown level 1 alarms due to having wardstones for them anyway. Remember that *see invisibility* does absolutely nothing against an alarm, that the Trapfinding class feature is required to find and disable them the mundane way, and that *detect magic* is necessary for the party to find the alarms unless they have been given the tour.
* Various locations and objects in the mansion are protected by a phasmaloth-cast *symbol of fear* at caster level 20th (Will DC 22 [**not** the erroneous 21] negates). These visible symbols are **not** located near alarms, because that would defeat the point of the alarms being invisible. Instead, the symbols are placed as highly conspicuous "please do not touch/enter" signs. The phasmaloths' symbols cause a failed saving throw to force the target to scream aloud, thus attracting attention.
	+ Some of the alarms and symbols can be bypassed by level 1-4 wardstones, others take level 2-4 wardstones, a handful demand level 3-4 wardstones, and a couple require level 4 wardstones.
* Past the level 3 and 4 symbols and wards are many Heightened-to-9th *illusory walls*, *permanent images*, and *programmed images* at caster level 20th (Will DC 28 negates). Eusyrixa, Nesevera, the other arcanaloths, and the phasmaloths can ignore these due to *true seeing*, but intruders are out of luck.
* Physical alarm bells are scattered throughout the estate. They have magical activation means, but manual bell-ringing can also work.
* Once at **social alert level caution**, the resident yugoloths push a special button. This causes the walls, floor, and ceiling of the manor to create a mystical resonance that vocalizes all telepathy used within. There is no saving throw against this effect. This inhibits the resident yugoloths as much as it does any intruders, and it consumes a great deal of energy, which is why the resonance is not always active.
* The arcanaloths use *blood money* to avoid having to pay for anything. Having their effects dispelled will disgruntle them quite a bit though, and will place the estate on **social and stealth alert level alert**. They use caster level tricks to push their caster level up to 20th, but they sometimes slip up with the duration, leaving some spots at caster level **19th**, though the only way to really tell is to "take 20" on at-will dispellation and see if it works.

## The Schedule

* **Day #1:** All security level 0 areas are used for the exhibition ceremony.
* **Day #2:** Maintenance day for the myrmidons and the gray goos. The maids are to inflict pain upon themselves in some way, which the yugoloths can extract to restore the energy supplies of the myrmidons and the gray goos.
* **Day #3:** A squad of five advanced trumpet archons launches a mission to rescue and redeem their friend, the gate archon Asyamiriel. Their mission is a gross failure, although it does give the party a good distraction. All maids in the manor are asked to prepare as many batches of "barghest, Shemeshka-style" as possible, because the phasmaloths and the arcanaloths want to eat exactly that.
* **Day #4:** A balor of the Doomguard and his harem of a dozen advanced succubi demand and receive hospitality in the estate. They are here to spy on behalf of the tanar'ri, although the balor claims to act purely as a Sinker interested in the devices' destructive properties. The tanar'ri might be interested in the maids or other noble, esteemed guests.
* **Day 5:** All security level 0 areas are used for the actual auction.

Security around the devices of law and chaos is very high during days #1 and #5, and relatively low during days #2, #3, and #4.

## Casing the Joint

Casing the joint is incredibly difficult because of a simple, mid-level, core rulebook spell: *mage's private sanctum*. "Anyone looking into the area from outside sees only a dark, foggy mass. Darkvision cannot penetrate it. No sounds, no matter how loud, can escape the area, so nobody can eavesdrop from outside. Those inside can see out normally." They can identify this spell with a DC 25 Knowledge (arcana) check, as is standard for a 5th-level spell with an obvious physical component.

Exterior guards are positioned within the area of the spell and thus cannot be seen.

The party **can** find the main gate where all of the guests seem to be entering through, including some Godsmen, Takers, Sinkers, and half-yugoloths, denoting that all are welcome in the exhibition. They can also find a servant's entrance and the flyer for maid recruitment (see below).

## Recruiting Aid from Others

Certainly, the party can press other people for aid, whether through bribery/hiring or coercion. The most viable options are hiring out other yugoloths (Gehennan, Gray Waste, or otherwise) to run distractions, or harassing or bribing maids to help with infiltration. They could even return to Seranoa for major aid in infiltration (see below).

Any given bribe **must** be accompanied by a solid, verifiable guarantee that the party will not just kill the bribed NPC afterwards to reclaim the money. All bribes are half up-front, half later.

## Getting Into the Exhibition Ceremony

Eusyrixas has offered the courtyard, foyer, ballrooms, galleries, recreation rooms, dining rooms, library (but only half of it), and adjoining powder rooms and private rooms (**just** those areas) of his grand estate to be used for both the exhibition ceremony and the auction.

The players can come up with their own methods of ingress into the exhibition ceremony, but the following six are the most likely means. As the party begins to undertake any one of these six courses of actions, the pros and cons of each method should be made crystal-clear to them somehow, such that they can weigh upsides and downsides and possibly switch to another method.

### Entry Method #1: The Sword

The party can bully the sword into vouching for them as "servants of Ebolixithus." The yugoloth bodies do not have physical invitations, but the sword's word will do. The gatekeepers will allow the party to enter and roam around as a group.

* **Pros:** The party preserves their equipment and can roam around as a group, though not into security level 1-4 areas.
* **Cons:** The sword makes it crystal-clear that Ebolixithus will not be pleased by any tomfoolery from the party. They are effectively representing Ebolixithus, so anything the party does will affect her own reputation. If the party tarnishes Ebolixithus's good name, she will almost certainly know and seek retribution. The sword does not fear destruction, because such will alert Ebolixithus to the fact that someone has demolished one of her most prized servants, though the sword will fold to being bullied (e.g. by threatening to chip its extremely hard and durable blade). Also, the sword might insist that they bring along the live halfling for sacrifice.

### Entry Method #2: Factions

The party can enter as factioneers. Lucine can introduce herself as a Fated and claim Ako and Keiko to be bodyguards, Ako can enter as a Godsman with Lucine and Keiko as bodyguards, or Lucine and Ako can make ingress as members of their respective factions with Keiko as a bodyguard to **one** of them. They can also all claim to be Doomguard interested in the weapon. Whatever permutation is taken, the gatekeepers will allow the party to enter and roam around as a group.

* **Pros:** The party preserves their equipment and can roam around as a group, though not into security level 1-4 areas. Additionally, the party stands to gain faction support.
* **Cons:** The delegations from the Believers of the Source and from the Fated are comprised mostly of Gehennan yugoloths trying to win the artifacts for their respective factions, so the party is stuck dealing with more daemons. Additionally, the Gehennan branches of both factions are quite cutthroat and promote competition between faction members as part of their philosophies, so while Ako and/or Lucine stand to gain faction support, they will also be scrutinized and watched as potential rivals. In other words, the Godsmen and the Takers **will** be keeping an eye on Ako and/or Lucine respectively, for good or for ill. Alternatively, if the party claims to be Sinkers, they will be scrutinized by actual Doomguard who may grow suspicious.

### Entry Method #3: Seranoa

The party can contact Seranoa the half-arcanaloth, whether through a messenger of the Fated or through returning to Sigil and directly speaking to the her. They can convince the foxgirl to come back to the Crawling City with them, but she will be quite reluctant and demand a high price as befits a Taker. Seranoa can enter the exhibition as a non-faction-affiliated yugoloth, and she can explain the party to be her retainers. The gatekeepers will allow the party to enter and roam around as a group.

* **Pros:** The party preserves their equipment and can roam around as a group, though not into security level 1-4 areas. Additionally, the party stands to gain support from Seranoa.
* **Cons:** Seranoa really, **really** does not want to do this. If she was willing to help out the party directly like this, the half-arcanaloth would have offered to do so from the beginning. The foxgirl demands that after all is said and done in Gehenna, the party is to knock out and capture Malcanthet's aspect in the Lady's Ward and then deliver the prize to Seranoa, all without leaving any trace that implicates Seranoa. The half-arcanaloth needs the aspect in good condition for *simulacrum* abuse and Charisma increases.

### Entry Method #4: Signing Up as Maids

The maids of the estate will have an especially increased workload during the exhibition ceremony and the auction. Unfortunately, a recent incident involving a pyroclastic dragon elsewhere in the Crawling City claimed the lives of a few of them. The arcanaloth Nesevera has thus instructed the half-giant Meloria to open the call for new maids.

If the party cases the joint around the manor, they might notice a flyer announcing that Eusyrixas's estate is hiring new maids, provided that they are mortal, female-looking, at least five feet tall, and possessing of absolutely no chitin or scales on their body. The flyer explains that maids can either live and sleep outside of the manor, or take up quarters as live-in maids. The flyer directs applicants to the servants' entrance, which is as well-guarded as any other entrance.

If the party heads there, they join up with several other applicants. These applicants are evil, spiteful, catty, and antagonistic, save for a lawful neutral fey'ri named Janerren; she is desperately seeking a way out of the Crawling City, but is having trouble because others assume her to be a honey trap who subsequently backstabs people, when Janerren is actually innocent. They party is told to wait for the head maid Meloria, who promptly arrives.

* **Interview Step #1: Face Control:** Meloria turns away anyone too bland or ugly to be a maid.
* **Interview Step #2: Basic Questions:** Meloria asks for everyone's names and fully expects fake names from at least some applicants. She lets this slide. The half-giant then follows up by asking for a brief background and history, why they want to work at Eusyrixas' estate, and what prior experience as maids they have. Meloria asks no loyalty questions, because nobody expects loyalty in Gehenna. Still, she uses Perception +25 and Sense Motive +25 in case anyone is trying something fishy.
* **Interview Step #3: The Rules of the Estate:** Meloria explains the rules of the estate. This mostly amounts to naming the banned items (recording devices, familiars, psicrystals, *cubic gate*s, weapons, armor, and ammunition) and mentioning that murder is allowed, but leaving evidence is **not**.
* **Interview Step #4: Contraband Inspection:** Meloria first uses her Perception +25 to visually inspect if anyone is concealing any of the banned items. She then uses *greater detect magic* and Read Spell Traces to identify any and all magical and supernatural effects. If the half-giant detects any extradimensional spaces, she has a high enough Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft to identify their carrying capacity; Meloria brings out a set of weights and asks the subjects to make every weight disappear, thereby forcing them to unload their extradimensional spaces. If any contraband items are discovered, the half-giant demands that they leave such items behind before moving on to the next stage of the interview.
* **Interview Step #5: Changing into Uniform:** Meloria gives all applicants maid uniforms, replete with skulls, makeup (including dark lipstick), corset, pantyhose, high heels, and optional but strongly encouraged skull-earrings. Whether there are changing rooms or everyone has to undress in front of the others is up to you.
* **Interview Step #6: Cleaning Test:** There is a room wherein someone has spilled several vats of "Maeldur ichor" (a historical relic of Gehenna) all over the carpet and furniture. The ichor is magically volatile and will generate a wild magic catastrophe if even a cantrip is cast in the ichor's presence. The applicants are to use their skills to gather up as much of the ichor as possible, place it back in the vats, and then clean up the rest of the room. Only if they are absolutely sure that none of the ichor lingers should they cast *prestidigitation*.
* **Interview Step #7: Food Preparation and Backstabbing Test:** There is a vast pool wherein the yugoloths keep several advanced cetuses for crudo/sashimi. The pool is magically warded to disable a cetus's Impossible Leap, and even then, they find mortals vastly more delicious than yugoloths. Anyone coming within 30 feet of a cetus must make a DC **28** Will saving throw (roll twice and take the lower result) or suffer the Mariner's Misfortune aura; this applies **per advanced cetus**, so it is safe to assume that all NPCs around the pool are suffering from it. A DC 24 Knowledge (arcana) check reveals the creatures to be advanced cetuses, and brings up the tidbit that their digestive systems literally disintegrate anything they swallow. Nesevera sits a safe distance away, demanding that the clumsy maids serve her up crudo/sashimi. She does not expect anything high-quality due to the Mariner's Misfortune, but the thought counts.
	+ **Secret Backstabbing Test:** Meloria and Nesevera expect applicants to push other applicants into the pool, and turn a blind eye to such. The NPC applicants all have CMD 22 (flat-footed CMD 17) and CMB +12, but remember that they roll twice and take the lower result on combat maneuvers due to Mariner's Misfortune. Bull rushing normally provokes an attack of opportunity, but remember that an attack of opportunity train between unarmed creatures usually results in the initial attacker landing an attack first. Demonstrate that pushing other applicants in is acceptable by having an NPC do so, and play up the NPCs' overall bitchiness and unlikeability. Successfully doing so effectively guarantees an applicant a job at the estate.

If the party passes the interview, Meloria explains that the party can leave their contraband items at home (as most maids do), or, if they insist on leaving such gear in the manor, they can request for a senior maid to come along. If the party asks for the latter, a senior maid arrives to confiscate banned gear and deposit them in the armory under **security level 2**.

Trying to bribe Meloria into letting them keep their gear is probably a bad idea, because it calls to question why they actually need the job in the first place. They could, of course, bribe a senior maid into fetching gear for them. The bribes must take place away from the myrmidons and the aoandons, who cannot be bribed and will report any bribes they see happening. Bribing such a senior maid costs 40,000 gp (half up front, half later) and requires a a solid, verifiable guarantee that the party will not just kill the bribed NPC afterwards to reclaim the money; if the bribe is accepted, the senior maid explains that there is a chance they will get caught anyway, and indeed, a natural 1 on a 1d6 results in the senior maid being caught and security being ramped up around the armory.

If the party is fully accepted as maids, Meloria bequeaths upon them level 1 wardstones and shown the level 2, 3, and 4 alarms that are **not** past other alarms, so they can avoid tripping the alarms; they need not be shown the level 1 alarms due to having the wardstones for those anyway. She then puts them to work attending the exhibition ceremony.

* **Pros:** The party is given long-term access to the estate (potentially as live-in maids), level 1 wardstones, and a tour of **most** of the alarms. Some time afterwards, a winged half-Unseelie-fey senior maid named Senna approaches them and informs them of the "rules" concerning promotion to senior maid, and requests the party's aid in killing off some preexisting senior maids so that they can all become senior maids themselves. The half-fey might even let slip that the phasmaloths are highly interested (in a friendly way) in fey like her.
* **Cons:** The party has their gear rendered inconveniently inaccessible, and they will frequently be given the kind of orders a maid might receive. They each receive several inappropriate butt-slaps while serving at the exhibition ceremony, which they have no right to complain about. Meloria might even bully them while cooling down after the exhibition ceremony.

### Entry Method #5: Pretending to be Maids

The party can acquire maid uniforms somehow. Perhaps they beat up a few maids leaving the servants' entrance (the uniforms will be ill-fitting though), or they might memorize the details of the maid uniform and run off to commission a similar outfit from a tailor in the Crawling City. Either way, they can go through the servants' entrance as maids. They must abide by the ban against recording devices, familiars, psicrystals, *cubic gate*s, weapons, armor, and ammunition to complete their disguise, but this avenue of entry gives the party more leeway with which to smuggle their gear in. They will have no wardstones (unless they beat up real maids beforehand) or knowledge of the alarms. Still, the party will be able to enter the exhibition ceremony as servants.

* **Pros:** The party is given short-term access to the estate (they are pushing their luck if they try to linger as maids). They might acquire level 1 wardstones, and they might smuggle weapons and armor in somehow.
* **Cons:** The party might not acquire level 1 wardstones, and they might not smuggle in gear. They will frequently be given the kind of orders a maid might receive. They each receive several inappropriate butt-slaps while serving at the exhibition ceremony, which they have no right to complain about.

### Entry Method #6: Pure Stealth

The party can simply, physically sneak into the exhibition ceremony, past all the wary eyes of the guards.

* **Pros:** The party preserves their equipment and can roam around as a group, though not into security level 1-4 areas.
* **Cons:** Sneaking in is quite difficult, and even then, someone may realize that the party has entered uninvited.

## Casing the Exhibition Ceremony

The party can certainly learn a fair bit while casing the exhibition ceremony, whether as guests or as maids. Take any of the baatezu-fed information below and give it to the players as discoveries from casing the joint. Anything they learn from casing the joint should **not** be repeated by the baatezu.

## Meeting Up with Glasya's Agent

Once in the exhibition ceremony, the party can find the **pit fiend Uruzan** and the **of Glasya**. If the party is maids, they can observe that guests can request to do anything to the maids at the exhibition ceremony. The guests have private rooms for this, and this is what lets Uruzan and the aspect of Glasya speak to the party in private. (Before the party leaves, **perhaps** the aspect of Glasya half-jokingly requests pleasure from Ako, as she knows a courtesan when she sees one.)

The baatezu explain to the party the following:

* There is a device of law and a device of chaos. One is powered by a piece of the *rod of seven parts*, and the other is fueled by an artifact rod of chaos. The baatezu do **not** know the nature of the latter rod; in truth, it can effectively act as both a *deck of many things* and as a *harrow deck of many things*.
* The estate implements a system of "security levels."
* Security will be extremely tight around both devices during the exhibition ceremony and during the auction. Security will be lower during the days and nights between.
* The baatezu explain the security levels of the estate (see above), the existence of the alarms, and the locations of the level 1 alarms. The locations of the level 2, 3, and 4 alarms are **unknown** to the baatezu (thus requiring that the party cautiously move around with *detect magic*), but if the party signed up as maids, they would already know of these locations.
* The baatezu are completely unwilling to use any spell-like or supernatural abilities to aid the party's infiltration, because they need plausible deniability, and leaving aura traces that can be picked up and identified with *greater detect magic* is absolutely not plausibly deniable.
* Caster level for all of the defensive spells is 20th due to caster level trickery, but the arcanaloths sometimes slip up with durations and leave some spots at caster level 19th, though the only way to really tell is to "take 20" on constant dispellation and see if it works. This is enough for Lucine to dispel with her *suppression charge*, though it will take 20 attempts and probably not be stealthy. The baatezu know of a way to increase effective caster level for dispelling these by 1: dousing a magical focus or a weapon with high-grade Oceanus water, which the party can acquire in the Crawling City or Sigil. The party will need plenty of this water though, and it will look suspicious in the estate if they swing around weapons doused in such water. They will also need to clean up any drips.
* The phasmaloths seem deeply interested in being regaled with literal fairy tales and other fey prose and poetry.
* The party will need **keys** to the devices' holding chambers. The keys are in the possession of the majordomo, the arcanaloth Nesevera. The aspect of Glasya instinctively knows that lusty Nesevera has conventional, mortal preferences in the female form... but deeply unconventional tastes in what she would like to do to those forms. The aspect of Glasya has a vague instinct that Nesevera's main fetishes are "getting pretty female-looking maids to pretend to be spellcasters hard-controlling martials" and "getting pretty female-looking maids to pretend to be martials who are being hard-controlled by spellcasters," and that can allow the party to briefly reacquire gear in front of the arcanaloth, but the aspect does **not** tell the party.
* The party will need **schematics** of the two devices in order to properly extract the piece of the *rod of many parts* and the chaotic artifact rod. The schematics are in the estate's vault. The baatezu know that the vault door has some sort of alert mechanism, but they do **not** know of the lotus tree guarding the schematics.
	+ The keys will function only while Neseveras is both alive and conscious. Additionally, both the keys and the schematics are under a *dust ward* at caster level 20th. The moment the party touches the keys or the schematics, they have one hour before the keys or the schematics disintegrate. The party cannot study or even look at the schematics without them disintegrating, so the schematics must be brought over to a yugoloth-subtype ally of the baatezu to be read.
* The party will need to insert a **rod-shaped substitute energy source** into each device immediately after extracting the original two rods. Otherwise, alarms will sound all over the estate, and security will ramp up dramatically.
	+ Somewhere in the slopes of Khalas lies the lair of the **Blowfish**, an incredibly strong monster. The baatezu know little more, save that it owns the proper rod-shaped substitute energy sources, and that an intra-plane portal to the Blowfish's lair's rough vicinity lies in a certain high-end clothing store in the Crawling City. Said store offers both despicably evil clothing like mortal- and celestial-skin garments, and more innocent wear like coats and dresses of lava and inky-black voidstuff.
* Anything else you think pertinent.

The aspect of Glasya also offers three vials to the party. They are caster level 20th *glibness* vials, but they last for 120 hours and are alchemical effects, not magical effects. In exchange, Glasya demands that they attend to an "event" in the continent of Cerilia, in the Prime world of Aebrynis. If the party accepts the offer, then some time after the adventure, they will be conjured via spell crystal to a pitched battle in a *philter of love* herb-factory nestled in the treetops of the elven kingdom of Lluabraight. If the party turns down the offer, Glasya hands over the vials anyway, saying that they can accept the offer at any time simply by quaffing one of the vials.

## Aftermath of the Exhibition Ceremony

If the party entered as "servants of Ebolixithus," as factioneers, or as retainers of Seranoa, the party will be asked to leave the estate after the exhibition ceremony. The yugoloths and the maids take this very seriously; they performed a head count of all the guests, and they are quick to note any discrepancies so as to prevent people from lingering around.

If the party had signed up as maids, then they can simply stay in Eusyrixas's estate after the exhibition ceremony ends.

If the party pretended to be maids, they can make a quick exit. Meloria will gradually tumble to the discrepancy of there having been three more maids than she had accounted for during the ceremony. However, the party can linger behind, approach Meloria, and express an interest in becoming maids for real. The half-giant considers this rather suspicious, but if the party can assuage those suspicions, she will run them through the application process anyway (see above).

## Reentering the Estate

It is quite likely that the party will want to reenter the estate so as to pilfer the rods during day #2, #3, or #4. There are four main methods of doing so.

* **Reentry Method #1: Esteemed and Noble Guests:** The party can present themselves as "servants of Ebolixithus," factioneers, or retainers of Seranoa (see above), and concoct a reason for them to request the hospitality of Eusyrixas. Nesevera will be the one to greet and accept the party into the estate as guests. This comes with all the pros and cons of the respective methods (see above), and might require Seranoa to stay with the party. If Seranoa indeed has to tag along, she gets bullied by some of the arcanaloths, but thanks to her tremendous Charisma, she manages to genuinely befriend one or two of the liveborn arcanaloths, who can sympathize with the woes of being born in mortal style.
* **Reentry Method #2: Sticking Around as Maids:** If the party already signed up as maids, they can simply stay. The estate's policies allow them to sleep in the estate, or to leave each night and sleep elsewhere.
* **Reentry Method #3: Signing Up as Maids:** Maid recruitment is still open even after the exhibition ceremony. The party can go through the application process (see above). However, if the party originally entered as servants of Ebolixithus, factioneers, or retainers of Seranoa, they will have to concoct some sly excuses for why they are now wishing to sign up as maids.
* **Reentry Method #4: Pure Stealth:** If the party feels daring enough to attempt pure, physical stealth, they can do so. It will be difficult due to the *corpse lanterns* imposing a -5 penalty on Stealth checks, but Ako could feasibly manage this all the same. Bear in mind that *stalking ghoul* loops will have to be cut short by using *detect magic* just to search for *selective alarm*s.

## The Keys Held by Nesevera

Nesevera keeps the keys on her person at all times, specifically, worn around her neck. She also tends to keep aoandon, myrmidon, and/or phasmaloth guards around her frequently, even when she is indulging her lust (the guards do not judge). There are five main methods of acquiring them:

* **Key Acquisition Method #1: Seduction:** One or more party members can seduce Nesevera. Her fetishes are "getting pretty female-looking maids to pretend to be spellcasters hard-controlling martials" and "getting pretty female-looking maids to pretend to be martials who are being hard-controlled by spellcasters." The arcanaloth removes the keys from around her neck when it is time for her to get down and dirty, at which point the keys can be filched.
* **Key Acquisition Method #2: Massage:** One of the other arcanaloths can be overheard speaking of how much Nesevera likes massages and sleeps like a liveborn baby upon receiving a particularly good massage. The party can offer to give the arcanaloth a massage, prompting her to fall asleep if the massage is good enough. The keys can then be nicked.
* **Key Acquisition Method #3: Bath:** Yet another one of the arcanaloths can be overheard speaking a new fur-care product being sold in the Crawling City. Supposedly, it can turn the fur of any arcanaloth delightfully fluffy and beautiful. If the party runs off to buy it, they can offer it to Nesevera, at which point she requests that they personally give her the bath. While Nesevera is naked, the keys can be yoinked.
* **Key Acquisition Method #4: Sleight of Hand:** If the party can raise their Sleight of Hand to reliable levels, they can simply steal the keys.
* **Key Acquisition Method #5: Combat:** If the party is willing to rumble in a relatively quiet and timely fashion, they can subdue Nesevera and take the keys. If the party exploited Nesevera's fetishes above, they might even have gear with which to fight.

Note that the keys will function only while Neseveras is both alive and conscious. Additionally, the keys are under a *dust ward* at caster level 20th. The moment the party touches the keys, they have one hour before the keys disintegrate.

## The Schematics Guarded by the Lotus Tree

The vault's door is solid adamantine and under a caster level 20th *hardening* for a total of hardness 30. The door's mechanism assures that there is always a one-minute delay before it starts to open, and likewise, a one-minute delay before it starts to close. The vault itself has no lock, but a subtle alchemical mechanism on the vault door ensures that opening the door will create a ringing in all security level 4 wardstones (DC 40 Disable Device deactivates, but each attempt takes 2d4 rounds due to the complexity of the mechanism). A means to disabling this mechanism should lie somewhere in the estate, or the party can acquire a baatezu contact to help with this.

The vault is behind security level 3, and the spot where the schematics are is under security level 4. The entire vault is constructed in such a way that a [1] (DC 30 Knowledge [nature] to identify) is in the middle, and its aura touches all the walls, floor, and ceiling of the vault. The spot where the schematics are is immediately adjacent to the lotus tree.

It is completely up to the party to decide how they want to deal with the lotus tree. They lack the luxury of immunity to mind-affecting effects that Eusyrixas, Neseveras, and the other arcanaloths have.

The schematics are under a *dust ward* at caster level 20th. The moment the party touches the schematics, they have one hour before the keys or the schematics disintegrate. The party cannot study or even look at the schematics without them disintegrating, so the schematics must be brought over to a yugoloth-subtype ally of the baatezu to be read.

## The Substitute Energy Sources from the Blowfish

If the party takes the lead from the baatezu concerning the portal from the high-end clothing store to the Blowfish's lair, they arrive in the slopes of Khalas. It is a place of savage beauty, poisonous and steaming rivers, and towering geysers; refer to pages 32-33 of *Planes of Conflict: Liber Malevolentiae* when describing it.

Knowledge (geography) will be of no use for tracking down the Blowfish's lair, but Survival checks at DC 20 to 25 will be **very** helpful. As they search around for the Blowfish's lair, they obviously come across various monsters trying to kill them, but you can simply say that the party blows through the battles without expending resources.

The party should come across a strange, surreal sight: a radiant, silvery tube winding and thrashing down from the inky black sky. It deposits into the obnoxiously-angled slope a constant stream of naked humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, halflings, orcs, goblinoids, and other mortals. These are many of the LE/NE petitioners of the Prime world of Aebrynis. As they go tumbling, tumbling down, they gradually transform into hideous larvae. A Knowledge (geography) check, or a Knowledge (planes) check at a much higher DC, can reveal that the conduit leads to the Prime world of Aebrynis. It also reminds the party that despite the conduit appearing to be a one-way "river of souls," they can enter from the Gehenna side and pop out in the sky of the Aebrynis side.

Once the party arrives at the Blowfish's lair, refer to page 33 of *Planes of Conflict: Liber Malevolentiae* when describing the place. A few things should be very clear to the party:

* The *awnshegh* has grown incredibly powerful (and big) from having feasted on the souls of many a divine proxy. Those souls are contained in the Blowfish's rod-like spines.
* They want to grab a spine containing the soul of a lawful proxy, and another spine holding the soul of a chaotic proxy. Fortunately, the spines have color-coded aura glows around them to help discern alignment.
* The abomination is currently battling three solars, and three are already dead on the ground. This is a stupidly, stupidly strong monster. The party could take advantage of this distraction.
* The Blowfish has chained up two *tualleiaght*, a type of *garradalaigh*, or super-intelligent Cerilian wizard-pet. They are G-aligned big snakes named Solidaran and Liquiel. They are the beloved pets of the elven wizard-queen Llaeddra (pronounced HLAY-thra) of Lluabraight. *Tualleiaght* are curious about the aboveground world, so they "borrowed" *wings of flying* from their master and flew into the sky. They bumbled into a conduit to Gehenna, which just so happened to be the same conduit that the Blowfish flew up and got sucked into so many years ago. They stumbled into the Blowfish's lair, and the *awnshegh* decided to enslave them as entertainment; the abomination dislikes the taste of serpents, so eating the *garradalaigh* would have been a waste. The twin snakes would dearly love to return home to their master, having learned their lesson about "borrowing."

Once the party approaches the Blowfish to try to sever a law-proxy-soul-spine and a chaos-proxy-soul-spine, the Blowfish notices them and splinters off several of its spines, which include a law-proxy-soul-spine and a chaos-proxy-soul-spine amongst them. The spines embed themselves in the earth and release weakened shades of the proxy-souls within. The shades then fight the party. The party cannot just run off with the two spines they want, because the souls within are fighting the party; they must subdue the shades of the law-proxy and the chaos-proxy, thereby sending them back into the spines, and **then** run off with the two spines.

If someone (i.e. Ako) thinks to use Stealth to sneak up on the Blowfish, the Blowfish notices the party less, and thus releases fewer spines.

By the end of the party's battle with the proxy-shades, the Blowfish is close to defeating the last of the solars. The party would do well to blitz by this point, although they can spare the time to rescue the *tualleiaght* Solidaran and Liquiel. The party can send them back through the conduit, whereupon they will use their *wings of flying* to gently glide down to the tower of their master, the wizard-queen Llaeddra.

## Extracting the Two Rods

Once the party has the keys in hand, a transcription of the schematics, and the substitute energy sources, they can sneak into the holding chambers of the devices of law and chaos. The holding chambers are level 4 security areas and are thus guarded fiercely. Make it clear to the party that the extraction process will take a few minutes, so fighting the guards just to get into the holding chambers is probably a bad idea.

Call for whatever rolls you would like for the extraction process, probably Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (engineering), and Spellcraft. If the operation is successful, they retrieve both the piece of the *rod of seven parts*, and the chaotic artifact rod that functions as both a *deck of many things* and a *harrow deck of many things*. The rods being in proximity with one another without the shielding of the devices will cause a loud **thrum** and a flashy lightshow, so they had best make their exit quickly, or think to stuff the rods in separate extradimensional spaces.