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Major Spoiler Alert – So please do not read if you haven’t played or will be playing this excellent adventure.
Yesterday we restarted the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path. Here is an account including some of the past events. We had so much fun with it that I used this day off to write a little story about what happened. Enjoy! It is a bit long. So forgive my indulgences.
We left off with our Heroes doing some side quest for the Lord Mayor of Magnimar. Twice before our Heroes had encounters the Lamia Matriarch Xanesha. Each time Xanesha managed an escape. Xanesha has been masquerading around Magnimar as a Lady Carla from Korvosa in the weeks since her last tryst with the Heroes, recruiting a new group of spies, cohorts and lovers, plus a few survivors of the Skinsaw Cultist, including the notorious Justice Ironbriar.
Xanesha is cleverer than her sister Lucrecia gives her credit. Plus Xanesha has her spies. A servant in the estate of the Lord Mayor has kept tabs on the Heroes and their plans, including their intent to find out about the fate of Fort Rannick. And their departure date to travel up river to Turtleback Ferry. A spy for Xanesha in Turtleback Ferry has reported back the sinking of Lucrecia's Paradise Barge and her sister's departure from that town. In addition, a spy amongst the Pathfinders in Magnimar has found out that an old acquaintance of the Heroes has also been sent to Turtleback Ferry.
A wannabe Pathfinder Lyrie Akenja was spared death at the hands of the Heroes by the pleas of an Orik Vancaskerkin. At the Goblin Stronghold of Thistletop, Orik was a sword for hire by the Aasimar Nualia who had made Thistletop her lair, and the Goblin Warchief Ripnugget's clan her servants. Orik had mixed feelings about Nualia's nefarious schemes. But not so mixed feelings about his infatuation and growing love for Lyrie Akenja. So when the Heroes stormed Thistletop, Orik abandoned his hire and aided the Heroes in their taking of the stronghold, which included the deaths of Nualia and Warchief Ripnugget. Lyrie was taken by the Heroes. But Orik pleaded with the Heroes to spare Lyrie's life. The Heroes reluctantly agreed. The Heroes shared some of the silver coin found at Thistletop as an additional reward for Orik's aid. Relieved to be alive Orik and Lyrie said goodbye to the Heroes and departed Thistletop.
Lyrie and Orik travelled to Magnimar where twice Orik fought off Goblin scouting parties in their journey. Orik's devotion and desire to protect Lyrie did not go unnoticed. Lyrie never had someone that cared so much for her before. The bitter hard young woman began to soften. When they reached Magnimar they stayed in a quiet inconspicuous Inn where over the next week or so Lyrie chronicled the events at Thistletop and the Heroes taking of the Stronghold. And for the first time in her life, Lyrie gave her heart to one that also cared for her. Lyrie's cold dark heart began to warm.
Though spurned by the Pathfinders, Lyrie tried again and approached the Magnimar Pathfinders with her chronicles on Nualia, the Thassilonian ruins and coming of the Heroes. Impressed by her prose, the Pathfinders sent Lyrie to Turtleback Ferry to chronicle the recent events in that region. The Pathfinders seemed most interested in the activity of the Heroes. Lyrie quickly accepted the assignment seeing this as an opportunity to help accomplish her desires to become an initiate of the Pathfinders; hopefully without the dark acts of her sordid past coming to light.
With everything pointing in the direction of Turtleback Ferry, Xanesha decided a move maybe in order. So she packed up her finery and with the remnants of the Skinsaw Cultist, including Justice Ironbriar now disguised as her Butler, began the long barge ride up river. Xanesha's plans now are to finish off the Heroes at Turtleback Ferry and deliver her new kill as a prize to her sister Lucrecia. The Heroes had already become well known in the region. Even Mokmurian now knows of these Heroes, and their deaths would be quite the feather in the cap of the one who destroys them. And Xanesha has come close before and believe she can complete the task.
In Turtleback Ferry Lady Carla took over a comfortable house outside of town, recently abandoned by a now missing fur trader. As Lady Carla, Xanesha used her charms to make acquaintance in town, including a couple now in town chronicling the recent events. Lady Carla with her Butler met Lyrie Akenja and Orik Vancaskerkin in the Bottoms Up Tavern. Lyrie mostly ignored Lady Carla, until the subject of fine wines came up. The wine in the Bottoms Up Tavern is poor bordering on vinegar. So when Lady Carla invites Lyrie and Orik to her house outside of town with the promise of fine wine, Lyrie is quick to accept. And Orik goes where Lyrie goes, though he was quite happy with the tavern’s mead.
Lady Carla’s wine was fine indeed. In fact it was exquisite. Lyrie was impressed. And after several bottles Lyrie was telling all about her exploits, including her encounter with the Heroes at Thistletop. Lady Carla seemed most fascinated by the Heroes and inquired about every detail, of which the tipsy Lyrie was happy to oblige. Lady Carla asked Lyrie if the Heroes should visit Turtleback Ferry they would be most welcome for supper. Lyrie responded that she hopes she never sees them again, not fully aware that her purpose in Turtleback Ferry was to be an observer for the Pathfinders on whatever the Heroes do.
Only three days later on a cold and rainy morning, the Heroes walk in to the Bottoms Up tavern and sees Lyrie working on a scroll at a back table with Orik staring into a goblet of mead. When Lyrie sees them, her heart begins to race with both fear and excitement. The Heroes buy them around of drinks and renews their acquaintance. Lyrie tells the Heroes much of what she has seen and heard around town since their arrival. Lyrie tells the Heroes that a Lady Carla would enjoy their company for supper tonight outside of town. The Heroes accept the invitation.
That evening Lyrie, Orik and the Heroes go to supper. Lady Carla’s Butler invites them into the parlor offering wine. Lyrie quickly informs the Heroes that the wine is very good. No one recognizes the well disguised elf serving the wine. Once wine was served, Lady Carla comes out in a beautiful green dress, a long spear in one hand a mask in the other. “So we meet again”, Lady Carla says slipping on the mask as she transforms into the Lamia Matriarch Xanesha. Lyrie and Orik are stunned. A battle ensues, as a couple of Skinsaw Cultist rushes the party from a back room. In her first opportunity, Lyrie heads toward the front door from which they entered followed closely by Orik. Spells and arrows begin to fly. The Skinsaw Cultist was quickly dispatched. But the Butler shows his true color as Justice Ironbriar, and begins an assault of spells in an attempt to control a Hero. He was unsuccessful. The Heroes principle fighter a Female Half-Drow name Eleisa engages with Xanesha, as Shalelu Andosana unleashes a barrage of arrows at Xanesha. Lyrie standing at the front door notices that no one is attacking either Orik or herself. Stealthily Lyrie moves to a corner table where she pulls out her scrolls, ink and quill and begins writing what she sees. Orik stations himself in a guarding position in front of his love, and to the right of the front door to the house.
The battle wages for some time as the Heroes female Elf Rogue Nirga was temporarily turned to stone. But a tipping point is reached and Xanesha turns invisible and heads toward the front door in an attempt to flee. But Orik Vancaskerkin was there blocking her path. The parties Sorcerer a female Halfling named Fedra managed to successfully dispel Xanesha’s invisibility. Seconds later Xanesha lay dead from a few quick arrows from Shalelu. Justice Ironbriar, his escape routes blocked, surrenders to the Heroic party. Part one and two of Rise of the Runelords invading into part three finally comes to an end.
It was a great session to restart the adventure having previously played through the first two books. We were able to use the new figurines for Lyrie and Orik, plus two of the Skinsaw Cultist. Xanesha’s new stats were more manageable. Justice Ironbriar surprisingly was much tougher. The party was a level higher now since they last fought Xanesha. In the end it was tough but very much a doable encounter for the party. It looks like both Lyrie and Orik will be hanging around with the party.
