[pbp] Rise of the Runelords - Sayal's Side Plot

Game Master RyanH

This is for Sayal's eyes only. The rest of my players, stay out!



Two familiar voice ...


It is early morning with you sitting at a table in a back corner of the Rusty Dragon, nursing your wounds, now just bumps, bruises and soreness, from the past couple of days. You are looking down at a small plate of bread and cheese, nibbling a little, enjoying the welcome quiet after a long night of congratulations, free food and drinks from many thankful customers, and the increasingly embellished stories being told of the goblin attack and how it was thwarted during the Swallowtail Festival.

It's at this time you hear a familiar, but unidentified woman's voice, "Ameiko, how is our patient faring?", the words clear and deliberate.

Approaching the counter are two women. A raven haired beauty in a fine dress (on the right in the link), and the speaker, a woman moving with purposeful precision. (The one on the left)

Images of the women


I stay in the shadows of the back corner, but strain to listen to their conversation. I am pretty sure from the voices, their words, and the very fine clothing, that these are my rescuers, but I want to try to find out their interest in me without first revealing myself. I try to discern more about them, and their connection to Ameiko.


"That woman, Sayal, is doing rather well. One of her companions healed her that night.", Ameiko glances your way, with a questioning look, but before making it obvious shifts her gaze back to the two women."Did you not hear Ms. Sorn, she is one of our new local heroes. She and her friends helped repel the goblin invasion!"

Moving smoothly Ms. Sorn glides to the counter. Her words again with clear and specific enunciation, each word spoken with thought. "Astonishing. We found this, Sayal, lying face down in Rat Alley, near death. Now she is a hero. You make me much more anxious to meet her."[/b]

The other woman, the one in the fine dress holds up a small burlap bag. "Well I suppose if she is running around slaying monsters she won't need this Jalmeray tea I took from father's shop ...", her voice, younger and less deliberate.


I stand up and walk toward the women at the counter. I extend my hand to the younger woman, smile and say, "Am I correct that you are the ones who came to my rescue when I had been beaten in the alley? I am most grateful; I believe you have saved my life. How is it that you came to be there?"


Sabyl replies, "Yes, that is correct miss. We did find you and bring you here. Ms. Vinder and I had been training at The House of Blue stones, my monastery, on our way to a delicacy at Sandpoint Savories. This path took us directly through Rat Alley, where we found you in your plight."

Katrine Vinder interjects, "... and how did you find yourself unconscious in Rat Alley ... I imagine that is quite a story!"

Sabyl raises her hand, "Katrine that is likely no business of ours." She takes the bag from Katrine and pulls out a smaller pouch of containing tea leaves. "Ameiko, would you be so kind as to brew up a pot of this tea. Do you enjoy tea miss Kayal? This Jalmeray leaf is a wonderful brew that will help to relieve the pains you may be feeling from the ordeal of your last few days."


"I would love some tea, thank you. My name is Sayal, It's an honor to meet you both. I am newly arrived in town, and have never heard of your monastery; you say you were training?" I invite them to come sit at my table, share the tea, and invite them to tell me about themselves and their monastic work.


You enjoy the tea with the two women. You learn that Sabyl Sorn is a Vudrani human probably in her mid to late twenties. She inherited the House of Blue Stones from her father after his passing. In the Monastery she and other followers study to perfect their body, movements, and mind per the teachings of the god Irori. She had been teaching Katrine self defense and she welcomes you to come train with her in the martial arts.

Katrine Vinder, a Chelaxian human not yet 20, is the daughter of Ven Vinder the owner of the General Store. Her mother Solsta and younger sister Shayliss also work there. She invites you to shop there ... and as a friend (she already treats you as a good friend) and a "local hero" she offers you a discount on the goods. She talks of her relationship with a man from the lumber Mill, Harker, and her dad is not happy about it. The father has no idea, but he should be much more worried about Shayliss ... her reputation is growing by the month!

They have never met a Kayal. They ask about the Shadow Plane and what brought you here. They ask about the goblin invasion and are curious if you know anything more than they do. They have heard something happened at the new cathedral, but don't know what. They ask about your companions.


Over the course of the conversation, I agree to come train with Sabyl - it's always good to stay fit and combat-ready, plus she might be a useful contact for me in my quest to free my people.

I open up to them a bit to explain some about my companions - how we met up on the road and I don't know that much about any of them yet, but we find ourselves in company now that we're here. I explain how I have started to befriend the Kobold and appreciate the dwarves who have been useful in a few different skirmishes already.

I ask if they know anything about the recent goblin activity and various goblin tribes. It seems odd that after such a long detente, they have become so emboldened and violent. I wonder if they know what might have started off the recent hostilities?


They do not know anything of the goblin activity and are concerned about this new threat. They've even heard that the goblins are now able to write. They wonder if this means they have new leadership, or are gaining training in some other way. They cannot think of any new actions from the town that would have caused the increase in hostility.

Sabyl, says that they are going to train now and you are welcome to join.


I laugh a little when they mention the writing and suggest that perhaps they are hearing wild rumors that are unfounded?


Perhaps.

They are leaving to train, do you join.


I join them for their training.


Sayal follows them to the House of Blue Stones. This stone building is primarily a single large chamber, the floor decorated with polished blue stones set within winding pathways of reed mats. She learns from the women that this structure was built 10 years after Sandpoint and was founded by a wandering monk named Enderaki Sorn, Sabyl's father who passed away seven years ago. — today, the monastery is tended by her.

Sabyl is a worshiper of Irori, the god of self-perfection and knowledge. Sayal also learns that Sabyl maintains a large collection of old books and scrolls in the basement chambers below, but she does not invite you to see those. She seems protective of her library. She also seemed protective the rest of the Monastery and you are honored to be let in. It appears that typically she only opens the meditation floor and her library to fellow worshipers.

After a good hour or two of training, some basic hand-to-hand self defense, Sayal heads back to the Rusty Dragon. As she approaches the building she sees Behnin leaving with a red headed beauty.

If you continue training with Sabyl periodically you can optionally choose to take "monk" when you level up at level 2 or later.


Does the redhead seem familiar? And do they appear to be leaving together together, or under duress?


They are together appearing to talk in a friendly manner. Sayal sees a smile. They are in the distance so Sayal can't really tell, but no duress is evident. The woman is only vaguely familiar, but over the past few days Sayal has seen many new people, and some people many times.


If there is time to train after our most recent encounter with Tsuto, I inquire of Sabyl about the different monastic orders around these parts, and ask if she has come into contact with Tsuto.

Assuming she is not aligned with him and appears to be unfamiliar with who he is, I explain that his fighting nearly got the best of me, and in fact our whole party, and would like to gain additional training to be better prepared for our next encounter. I express my concern for Ameiko's safety, knowing that she and Sabyl appeared to be on friendly terms.

If, on the other hand, she indicates that she is working with him, or that he is a member of the same monastery, I might train with her, but not give away any information about my group's recent encounters.

During our training, I chit chat with Katrine as well, inviting her to share more information about her sister Shayliss, and her lumberman.


She is aware of Tsuto as Ameiko's half-brother. It was a few years ago, but she understands that he left town after an altercation with Ameiko. She believes that is why Ameiko left for a year.

She is not aware of any Monasteries such as hers, where one could gain monk training, any closer than Magnimar.

She is happy to train you, and quite interested in your descriptions of the moves used against you.

Shayliss is a beautiful young red-headed girl. Again, her father should really be watching her as she breaks hearts throughout town. Maybe he will now though as he recently caught her with someone and has been in a rage since. Laughing she says she would not be surprised if the scoundrel didn't turn up at the bottom of Junkers Cliff. Sad for her sister, Katrine is happy to have some attention shift from her.

Katrine has been having a steady semi-secret relationship with one of the mill’s operators, Banny Harker. They often meet at the Mill (giggle, giggle). Her father has quite the temper, and if he caught them she imagines all hell would break loose!

Here is a link to Monk info. Look at what you would gain as a level one monk


Would this be the same redhead out with Behnin? I am interested in finding out if he might be the scoundrel, but do not wish to give away too much about him. I gossip lightly to see if I can get a description of this someone without giving away that I think I may know him.

I ask Katrine about Harker - what is he like, how old is he, - and whether her father would oppose her dating him or just anyone.

I continue to train frequently, and express an interest in becoming a monk.


Katrine does not know much about the incident with Shayliss, her sister. She does not believe it was a local. She says her dad was "killin' mad", so she just stayed clear. She describes Harker as a hard working man and sooo sweet. She says he's also been working late nights at the mill ... which has become a bone of contention around town as the noisy mill and its infernally creaky log splitter keeps neighbors awake as they work into the night. She laughs and says, "I think father would hate just about anyone ..."

Katrine trains hard, and is eager to learn, but she lacks the precision of Sabyl, or Sayal's natural talent for fighting. She sometimes has to take a break and knit while Sayal and Sabyl go at it.

This conversation happens the evening of the big fight with Tsuto or the following day. Before too many days pass the group needs to determine what they are doing next, how long they are going to wait before their next step.

Sayal is aware that Behnin has asked the town guard, and some local stone workers to seal up the tunnels but to add a large lockable iron door so you can access them. Until that happens, guards are stationed at the tunnel entrance.

Assume from this point forward that you are training some of the time in your off time. In these posts you can just refer to conversations with/ask questions etc and we can assume that the opportunity arises at some point.

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