Wow, I love the rooms you've built for the miniatures. That seems to really add a great deal of visual immersion to the gaming experience. Does it take a long time to set these things up?
Are you able to re-use a lot of the same walls, furniture, etc, without it getting too visually repetitive?
These set-ups were done outside of the game session. We play at a friend's house, because I live far away from everyone else, so my scenery stuff is usually in his apartment, but I brought it home for the holidays to test out my new camera.
During play we only set up the areas where combat takes place, to allow for the strategic movement. It takes a fair few minutes during play to set up a scene, more so since I've been expending my collection and now I need to browse through more boxes to gather the pieces I need. I've been reorganizing a bit to try and improve this situation in the future, but since I do not play at home, I cannot set up scenery in advance, so that is a pity.
Setting up these larger sceneries requires even more time, especially when you add the time to take pictures and rebuild things to make a second floor or something. Still, the fact that I have all this wonderful material urged me to try something like this for once. I also photographed some scenes that are still to come, so I'll be adding more pictures in the future. Get ready to see my version of the Marbledome opera house, the Shingle chase or the courthouse from Hangman's Noose which will come into play soon.
As far as the repetitive issue is concerned, I've never been bothered by that, even when I had less material. During our previous campaign our DM used print-outs of the battlegrounds, but in my opinion nothing compares to the modular 3D options of Dwarven Forge and Psomminiature pieces.
The companions continue their search in the dock area to find the mysterious rabble-rousing Vudran beauty, Selena. The anti-queen sentiments flow strong in the northern ward of the Midland district. Although the Korvosan Guard still patrols this area, the soldiers seem self-conscious and wary.
Suddenly two shadows sweep over the young friends, as two Sable Company marines fly over on their hippogriffs. A third rider is falling behind: his flying mount is bleeding from several wounds and struggles to remain in the air. The black-armored pilot cannot keep his animal airborne any longer and crashes around the corner, immediately followed by a crowd of angry dockworkers: "Over there! He went down! Get him!" Puk promptly sets off in pursuit, followed by the others. The halfling surprises one of the hot-headed rioters in the back, while Quint weaves his bardic magic to put another troublemaker to sleep. Balian's greatsword cleaves down another two, so the remaining hooligans quickly abandon their efforts to kill the soldier - whose leg is trapped under his wounded mount - and flee the scene.
Sjo pulls the marine from under his hippogriff and heals both the man and riding animal. The soldier is grateful and recognizes Sjo from his days at the Great Tower, the headquarters of the Sable Company. He warns him to be careful in this neighborhood, as things are getting more out of hand every day. After another well deserved 'thank you' he leaves for his home base.
The information gathering trail finally leads to the Bailer's Retreat, a rough tavern that is actually pretty close to the companions' home at Zellara's shop. This place is normally frequented by a high number of Korvosan Guards who like the strong coffee, but rumors say that soldiers avoid the spot at the moment. The young investigators decide to don a disguise before continuing their hunt for Selena. Quint dresses up as a dockworker, Balian takes off his armor and reconnects with his simple oarsman outfit. Sjo ties a strip of cloth over his eyes and hides his big frame in a dirty cloak, assuming the guise of a blind beggar. Puk trusts his ability to keep to the shadows and remain from sight, allowing him to track his friends and step in when necessary.
At the Bailor's Retreat Quint finds no clues to Selena, but he does learn the name of another rabble-rouser, a man named Birold who frequents The Bountiful Mermaid, an alehouse in West Dock. A witness who dislikes the riots attests to having seen the man inspire hatred for the queen and government in others. Quint decides to give the watering hole a quick look-over, but at this nightly hour there are only drunks left at the bar and Birold is not among them, although - when served with a drink - one of the patrons states he will most likely be in tomorrow evening.
22 Desnus 4708
The first order of the day is getting a new wand of cure light wounds, as the current one is almost depleted. Sjo knows that the best place to find such an item is the temple of Sarenrae. On the steps of the Sun Goddess's church two parties are locked in a violent discussion with a priest. A couple of soldiers are carrying an unconscious colleague on a stretcher. Facing them is a tear-faced mother and her wounded 12-year-old son. The boy is clinging his left arm closely to his body, trying to prevent his broken bones from hurting too much.
"In the name of the law, I demand you see to my man!" the sergeant of the Korvosan Guard commands.
"But my son, he's so young ... he's hurting so much, the poor thing can hardly breathe. Please heal him, we're devote followers of Sarenrae", the woman sobs.
"Young, you say? He was old enough to cause a riot and throw stones at my men! If you heal him instead of my soldier, I'll arrest the lot of you for disturbing the queen's peace!" the sergeant bellows as his hand slides towards the hilt of his blade.
Seeing how hard pressed the priest is, Sjo steps in. "There is no need for a fight. There is enough healing to go around, don't fret." Nathan, the priest, recognizes the former acolyte of Sarenrae and his face lights up. Sjo gauges the situation and quickly establishes that the boy's wounds need to be treated sooner than the soldier's. If the broken arm is not set right, it won't heal properly and leave the kid handicapped for the rest of his life. The soldier might have lost consciousness, but his wounds are not severe. He urges the priest to heal the boy, while he tends to the soldier with a cure light wounds of his own.
Balian is the only one who sees through the weeping mother's deceit. Although she claims to be a true follower of Sarenrae, she sports a medallion of Asmodeus around her neck. Still, Sarenrae's priests are the only ones who hand out healing for free, so she has come to the home of the Sun Goddess instead. Nathan still helps her by giving her son his last cure spell of the day and hopes that this charity will make her see Sarenrae's value.
When the guards, the mother and son have left, Nathan invites the companions in. He is really pleased to see Sjo. Although he still doesn't quite understand where the big man gets his divine powers from, he figures it has something to do with his Shoanti heritage, giving him a shaman's skills rather than a priest's. Even so, he claims that this mystifying source of Sjo's powers should not prevent him from praying to Sarenrae. He also explains that he and his fellow priests have been very busy helping the wounded. As Sarenrae is the only church in town that heals people for free, the clergy has been hard pressed by requests for medical aid. As the priests only hand out their daily allotment of spells free of charge, they usually go through their curing arsenal pretty swiftly. Most people who are turned down because there is no more healing left, return early the next morning, which leaves most priests depleted of healing magic by the time the sun has properly risen. That also explains why he had only one cure spell left for the two wounded parties. Nathan takes his guests to see Iris, who handles the commercial transactions. She happily sells Sjo a fully charged wand of cure light wounds.
Quint and Sjo also wonder what the queen is up to. Since she hasn't really shown her presence over the last couple of days and she hasn't made any decisions to solve the chaotic situation, they fear there might be trouble. Quint would like to procure an audience with the monarch to offer his help, but doesn't know how to proceed to get in to the castle to see her. So he decides to write a letter to the captain of her bodyguard, Sabina Merrin. In it he explains what he and his friends have done and learned over the last few days and offers his services to the city and the crown, urging her to contact him. He hands the letter to one of the Gray Maidens who are guarding the palace. He also notices a strong presence of Hellknights in the streets surrounding the castle, which explains why this area is so quiet.
Sjo suggests paying a visit to the Gray District, since he would like to find out what happened to the seneschal. Neolandus Kalepopolis disappeared during the first hours of unrest, but nobody seems to have a clue what happened to the man. Sjo questions the priests of Pharasma to find out whether the seneschal's corpse might have been brought in and buried. Keppira d'Bear assures him that she has not seen Kalepopolis' body among the victims of the riots. She knows the seneschal in person and unless his cadaver was so badly damaged that it was unrecognizable, she is sure he was not buried with the nameless deceased.
Sjo also establishes that the Shoanti are still here. Gaekhen explains that their diplomatic mission has not changed, but the visitors from the Cinderlands are waiting for a more opportune time to approach the queen. Since the feud between his people and Korvosa is buried in three centuries of blood and hatred, it would not be wise to be too hasty. The conflict is three hundred years old, a few more weeks won't matter. Sjo also questions Thousand Bones about his take on the riots and the presence of the castle on top of the mastaba. The old shaman does not understand the situation. Although the Shoanti know both leadership by family ties and leadership by strength, all parties involved are always open and upfront about their intentions. The people of Korvosa act incoherently and no strong leaders have presented themselves and taken control. As far as the castle is concerned, he regrets this insult to his people, as the mastaba is a holy place for Shoanti, but he realizes that he has to accept this fact if he wants to negotiate with the city's leaders.
That evening the companions get into their disguises again and head to The Bountiful Mermaid. Tonight they are lucky, as one of the patrons is Birold. The good-looking dockworker is in the middle of a game of darts. The target is a roughly-hewn likeliness of the queen, on which the more deadly areas have been painted red and yellow, granting more points when they are hit with a dart. Birold wins the game of death to the whore and treats his comrades to a drink afterwards, toasting to a quick downfall of the queen. Quint joins them and introduces himself as a dockworker from Old Korvosa. He challenges the winner of the previous game to a new round of darts and comes out the victor, leaving him to pay for the next round of drinks. He notices that Birold does not finish his mugs so as not to get intoxicated. During their conversation Birold spills that something is going down tonight and that he will have more to offer supporters of the just cause tomorrow. If Quint is interested, he should probably come back then.
At half past eleven Birold leaves. Puk stealthily follows him, with the others hanging back even more . The dockworker makes for a warehouse, where he is joined by four more laborers. By midnight a dashy fellow arrives in the company of two bodyguards. While the man slips through the doors, the guards take up position outside and watch the area. Curious to know what is going on inside, the companions decide to act. Quint manages to take out the two guards with a successful sleep spell, giving Puk and Balian the opportunity to sneak into the depot. There are plenty of crates where they can hide and listen in on the conspirators, who have gathered in the back of the building.
The dashing man is addressing the dockworkers: "Friends, the whore still hasn't understood. She continues wallowing in the luxury that our sweat provided. We have to raise our voices even louder. Tomorrow we'll organize another march against the usurper. Gather as many sympathizers as you can and bring them to the Gold Market and Eodred's Walk. There we will issue our complaints once more. The market and its stores will be the regrettable target of our actions, as grievances are only heard when it hurts! The power of merchants in the city will serve as our coin in this confrontation.
Just like in the demonstration against Citadel Volshyenek you will be joined by others, hailing from all over the city. Once more I have to stress the importance of keeping our destination a secret until the last moment. We don't want the Guard to be in the loop.
We also feel that civilians have to be well informed on what is going on. That is why our men infiltrated the university of Korvosa last night and started the presses to print a special number of the Korvosa Herald, the Korvosa Rascal. I've brought a few hundred copies for you to hand out among your friends.
I also fear that we'll be opposed again, by both the Guard and the Hellknights. It is too bad that these bucket-heads can't see what is really going on, they are so blind in their obedience. But when they face us with sharp steel in their grasp, we cannot afford to stand empty-handed. I've brought clubs that you can distribute among your strongest supporters. Here!"
At that the man pulls the sails off a cart, revealing numerous weapons inside. "Don't get me wrong, friends. I abhor violence, but if that is the only language they understand, we have to be prepared. Remember, comrades, if your mighty voice erupts, all of Korvosa stops! Death to the Chelish whore! For a free Korvosa!"
The dockworkers join in as they gather around to get their copies of the Korvosa Rascal and the clubs. By this time Quint also sneaks into the building, but when Sjo follows him, one of the men inside hears something and notices that the front doors are open. "Feldon, why aren't the doors closed?" he asks the dashing gentleman. This is the companions' clue to spring to action.
Quint overtakes one of the dockworkers with another successful sleep spell. Balian and Sjo attack from the right and knock down one of the conspirators. Birold is the first to counter; he draws his mace and smashes it down hard on Spyder's back. Balian reacts furiously and cuts heavily through the man's chest, but Birold is tough and remains afoot for now. Quint has less success on the left side, as he gets hit twice by a club. The dockworkers might not wear any kind of armor, but their muscled arms can dish out some serious damage. The bard tries to hold the left flank, aided by Puk's stinging short swords, but both of them get wounded seriously while taking down an opponent. Feldon, the dashing gentleman, mumbles the words of a spell and blinds Sjo, Balian, Spyder and Birold with a splash of golden particles. He joins the fray and thrusts his flashing rapier twice between Balian's ribs, badly wounding the ranger. Still, the two blinded friends quickly regain their sight and take out one more enemy.
Quint manages to disarm another adversary and Puk can finally take him out. When Feldon sees that most of his supporters have been defeated, he decides to run for it. He catches Balian and Sjo in a spot of slippery grease, dropping them both to the floor, as he makes for the door. While the ranger and healer drag themselves out of the greasy area and overpower the final dockworker, Quint uses his last spell to stop Feldon. For the third time tonight he mutters his incantation and for the third time in a row the magic hits home. Feldon stumbles to the ground and lays down his head, slipping away in the warm embrace of slumber.
I'm really liking this journal and all the work you've put into fleshing out Korvosa. You're making me want to start up a second Crimson Throne campaign to flesh out the city as much as you have. If only I had the time :(
Having followed one of the rebellious dockworkers to a secret meeting in a warehouse, the young heroes have discovered that someone is actually instigating the riots. A brief but tough fight left most of the rabble-rousers unconscious, although Puk's vicious blades made one casualty that cannot be saved. The main instigator, a dashing bard by the name of Feldon, failed to get away when Quint's sleep spell took him down. The companions tie him up and decide to interrogate him before they call in the guard.
At first Feldon seems fervent in his belief that the queen is incompetent. Her lack to take control over the last few hectic days only proves this point. Quint wants to know who Feldon is working for, but although the man is quite chatty, he is also extremely vague. He lets on that he might be more willing to cooperate if his captors provide him with an outlook on a future. To say it plainly, if he's handed over to the guard, his fate will be sealed. He wants a way out. It takes two broken knees (apparently this is turning into Sjo's trademark interrogation technique) before the squirming prisoner can convince the companions that he will only speak if they guarantee not to hand him over to the guard. If the heroes give him their word - especially Sjo, who clearly demonstrates his faith in the law and in 'a word given' - he is willing to stay in their custody until the problems in the city quiet down. He's even prepared to give his own word not to try and escape during this time, if he'll be allowed to go free afterwards. In exchange he can provide valuable information or so he claims. After some deliberation the heroes agree.
Then Feldon confesses: he is working for someone who has no political agenda at all. His employer only has his own economic interests at heart. By destabilizing Korvosan society his boss hopes to plummet real estate prices, so he can buy up huge portions of the city and acquire a position of note in Korvosa. Feldon's help in this scheme is equally inspired by greed as the bard is handsomely paid for his services. With some luck he might even be able to copy his employer's plans on a smaller scale and invest in some Korvosan houses or businesses. The man Feldon works for does not hail from Korvosa, but from Cheliax: he's the Chelaxian ambassador Amprei!
While most of the dockworkers are still unconscious from the fight, one of them was defeated with a sleep spell, just like Feldon. This man was tied up and awoke shortly after the battle, before the companions started interrogating their prisoner. He has heard every word the honey-voiced bard has confessed to, and now he fumes with anger. Quint and Sjo use some charges of the cure wand to bring the man's fallen comrades back to consciousness and when they all realize they have been played by a money-grubbing Chelaxian dandy, they are equally enraged. Now they understand that they have been risking their lives so someone else could get rich off their blood. Instead of wanting to march against the queen and convince others to join them, they now want to stop as many Korvosans as possible from rioting for a misguided cause. This insight more or less turned them from misled enemies of the state into defenders of the peace, so the companions decide to let the men go, as they are now bent on preventing tomorrow's demonstration.
Feldon is taken to the old fishery and locked up in Gaedran Lamm's old room. He explains that the Vudran beauty Selena is someone like him, who was inspiring another cell of instigators elsewhere in the city. Those people will have the same agenda as the one Feldon was trying to give to the dockworkers. Tomorrow at noon, they will gather their supporters and head for the Gold Market for a violent demonstration. Balian remains behind to guard the prisoner while his friends make for Citadel Volshyenek to inform Field Marshal Kroft of the impending uproar in the city's commercial center.
Cressida Kroft is asleep behind her desk when Sjo, Quint and Puk arrive. She is shocked to learn that ambassador Amprei has been feeding the riots for his personal gain, but she immediately states that it is impossible for anyone but the queen to act openly against the Chelaxian emissary. She will have to consult with some people to see what can be done about the man. Until that time the companions should not take action against Amprei. Still, priority has to go to tomorrow's demonstration. Kroft will inform her officers and work out a plan to prevent the manifestation. It looks like another night without sleep for her ...
23 Desnus 4708
When the companions wake up the next morning, they feel well rested and even more equipped to tackle today's challenges (level up to level 3). When to head to the market they find it completely locked off by the Korvosan Guard. Anyone trying to get in is turned down and sent away. Quint and his friends join some men who have come from the Shingles and return home after the guards refused to let them pass. A fellow called Evald, who normally hangs around in The Blue Drake, told them that today would mark a turnaround in Korvosan history as the people would demand to be heard in a massive manifestation in the Gold Market. Apparently someone snitched on these plans to the guard, as the soldiers were not supposed to be in the loop.
More disappointed marchers have gathered in the Blue Drake, but there is no sign of Evald. The innkeeper knows where he lives, though, in a flat two blocks away. Quint leads his friends there, but finds only a young frustrated woman, who is annoyed that her husband is out rioting again. She has no idea where Evald is and actually gets worried when she hears that he is 'missing'.
Back in the Blue Drake Quint inquires about Selena. The innkeeper confirms that Evald has met with a Vudran lady a couple of times, although he doesn't know her name. She was quite a looker, though. A few hours later Evald shows up in his favorite haunt. Quint gets to talking with him, informing him that people in the docks are telling strange tales: the riots are apparently caused by someone who wants to throw the city into chaos to undermine the real estate market and buy up huge portions of the city. Tales about the queen's incompetence were fabricated to fuel an evil scheme of a power-hungry villain, who was using Korvosan citizens as propellant. He also adds that a woman named Selena is one of the evildoer's agents. Evald is shaken; as the news sinks in, he gets furious at having been deceived, a sentiment that is quickly shared by other patrons in the tavern.
Seeing that their rumor spreading is so successful, Quint and his companions spend the rest of the day in the Shingles, feeding the gossip channels, dissuading more people from supporting the anti-queen movement. They make sure to mention the Vudran snake in the grass, Selena, as an accomplice of the unknown manipulator. After all, she's not the only one who can sway minds with words.
24 Desnus 4708
This morning Sjo makes some time for the three remaining ex-lambs: Mouse, Korwick and Heldrin. He gives them some basic weapon practice and tests their ability for the divine and arcane arts, discovering that Heldrin shows some spiritual talent. Meanwhile Balian trains his dog Spyder and Quint goes into the city to gather more information on ambassador Amprei. He locates the man's impressive villa in South Shore. He already knew that Amprei frequented the gambling ship Twin Tigers in Eel's End, but now he learns that the ambassador also likes to visit the House of Clouds, the brothel ship.
In the evening Quint, Sjo and Puk head for the brothel in Eel's End, hoping to find out more about the Chelish nobleman. It's a hard job, but someone has to do it ... Sjo disappears with ginger-haired Danarella in one of the rooms, while Quint visits with his favorite Vudran girl, Yuuna, and Puk meets the cute halfling Reena. The rogue is so overwhelmed by this new experience that he forgets to ask about the ambassador, but Sjo and Quint pick up that the Chelaxian prefers the twin sisters Lani and Leni.
Later in the evening the three friends pay Lani a drink. When they inform about the ambassador, she lets on that he is a client, but she is reluctant to share what happens between the sheets. Quint's smooth talking finally gets her to admit that Amprei never sleeps with her and her sister at the same time, but always with just one of them. During his climax he addresses them as "Vera", as if the girls remind him of someone by that name. Quint wonders if there is a link with Verana Ornelos, a noble born girl from House Ornelos (she is Lord Toff's grand niece).
Since the Twin Tigers gambling den is another of Amprei's favorite haunts, the three friends stop over there as well. Quint joins a game, and while winning some money, he learns that the Chelish ambassador occasionally enters the private quarters of Eel's End's big boss, Devargo Barvasi. When the heroes enquire if they can meet with the 'spider king', they are told to return the next day in the afternoon, when Barvasi will be interviewing candidates to join the enforcers that guard his docks.
25 Desnus 4708
In the afternoon Puk, Sjo and Quint return to Eel's End. They are allowed into Devargo Barvasi's cabin, which has been converted into a throne room of sorts. The walls are covered in webs which hold dozens of spiders, some as big as a man's fist. Two sturdy oaken tables with chairs flank the door and seat half a dozen burly blokes. On the other side of the room a wooden stage supports a large throne; in it rests a tall man in black leather armor with steel spider-shaped ornaments. His legs are casually slung over the right arm of his seat while he's petting a hairy spider on his chest. He smiles lazily at his guests and invites them to take a seat. Sjo also notices the desperate look in the eyes of a tiny purple dragon in an iron birdcage hanging from the ceiling next to the throne.
Quint immediately cuts to the chase and says they are not here to join the enforcers, but rather to talk to the spider king. Barvasi reacts by remarking how tall Sjo is and invites the Shoanti to entertain him with a small game of knivesies, a pirate tug-of-war from Riddleport. Knivesies has two contestants standing opposite each other on a wooden table. Their right hands are bound together with a wet leather strap and they have an empty belt pouch strapped to their belts. Fifteen gold sails are put on the table between them, as is one dagger. The person who ends up with most coins in his purse wins.
Sjo is bound to one of the enforcer candidates and figures he has the best chance in an honest fight without weapons. Being the first to act, he tries to kick the dagger off the table, but it has been planted in the wood firmer than he expected and the big Shoanti only manages to partly dislodge it, thus providing his opponent with the opportunity to pull the small weapon out of the table. Still Sjo feels confident that his armor will protect him and decides to make a show of it, sending jolt after jolt of flaming fire through his hand until his opponent drops to his knees. The poor man only managed to nick him once with the slightest of cuts. Sjo recovers the knife, cuts through the leather strap and stabilizes his adversary before reaching for the gold and placing the sails into his pouch, one by one. When his purse is full he tosses it at Devargo Barvasi, who smiles contentedly. The King of Spiders weighs the pouch in his hand and then gives it back to Sjo: winner's keeper's! Next he sends out the candidates, giving his three other guests a private audience first.
Quint impresses his host by recognizing his Riddleport accent and by pointing out that the big spiders are much more harmless than the small brownish specimen in the webs behind him. The poison of that 'recluse spider', or 'violin spider' as it is also called, can lead to skin necrosis. Fortunately these spiders are rarely aggressive, unless provoked.
Barvasi appreciates Quint's little display of knowledge and asks him why he is here. The bard tells him that he tried to contact him before, in vain that time, to talk about Rolth, a drug brewer. As he senses that the spider king dislikes the man Quint continues by saying that he has now left the city and is out of the picture for the moment. Today however he has a different agenda: he would like to know more about the troublesome ambassador Amprei. Devargo replies that he's met the Chelaxian a few times in person and - as he feels the companions bear the foppish nobleman no love - he lets on that he has some power over the man that he'd be willing to sell to his guests, for the right price, of course.
Sjo offers him 500 gold and Devargo claps his hands in delight: "I love the way the world works, you invest 15 gold in a game of knives and get 500 in return, marvelous!" He asks his visitors to wait while he goes below. When he returns he's holding two letters which he hands to Quint. Both sheets bear a whiff of perfume and contain an overtly sexual message from someone called Verania Tvastiox addressed to her secret love Amprei. Quint knows her as the wife of Agmanar Thrune, a mighty conjuror and cousin to Her Infernal Majestrix, Queen Abrogail II of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune in Cheliax. If the ambassador has been sleeping around with this powerful man's wife, evidence to the fact would surely destroy him. Barvasi admits to having stolen the letters from the ambassador and selling them back to him at the rate of one every few weeks. By paying 500 gold sails the companions have just secured the last two copies in Barvasi's possession. The spider king bids his guests good luck with their new acquisition and says goodbye.
Realizing that these compromising letters give them a real hold over Amprei, the companions hurry to citadel Volshyenek, where they report their findings to the Field Marshal. Cressida Kroft is very pleased, and while the scandalous nature of the letters sends a blush of red to her cheeks, she states that they should work perfectly as leverage against the cursed Chelaxian. She will contact the castle and make arrangements for the companions to be received there tomorrow at ten o'clock. She is also very grateful for the fact that the heroes' actions with the rioters have had such great results, as order is slowly returning to the city. Yesterday and today have been the first two relatively quiet days since the king died. She repays her agents the 500 gold sails they spent procuring the letters and hands them another 500 gold as a reward.
BALIAN, CG Male Human ranger 3 (urban ranger)
Init +5; Senses Perception +7
AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 17
hp 31 (3HD)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +2
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee masterwork greatsword (two handed) +8 ((two handed) 2d6+6/19-20)
Melee masterwork dagger +8 (1d4+4/19-20)
Ranged masterwork dagger (thrown) +7 (1d4+4/19-20)
Ranged masterwork longbow (composite/strength rating+4) +7 (1d8+4/x3)
Base Atk +3; CMB +7; CMD 21
Atk Options Favored Enemy (Humanoid (Human)) +2
Abilities Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 7
Special Qualities Favored Community Korvosa +2, Track +1, Trapfinding, Wild Empathy +1
Feats Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Endurance, Following Step, Step Up
Skills Acrobatics +2, Acrobatics (Jump) -2, Disable Device +3, Handle Animal +3, Heal +5, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (Geography) +2, Knowledge (Local) +4, Perception +7, Perform (Act) +3, Sense Motive +1, Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +5, Survival +5, Survival (Follow or identify tracks) +6
Possessions masterwork greatsword; ring of protection +1; breastplate; masterwork dagger; Masterwork Longbow (Composite/Strength Rating+4)
Favored Community Korvosa (Ex) You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (local), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks. An urban ranger traveling through his favored community leaves no trail and cannot be tracked (although he may leave a trail if he so desires).
Favored Enemy (Humanoid (Human)) (Ex) You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks when using these skills against humans. Likewise, you get a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against such creatures.
Trapfinding (Ex) At 3rd level, an urban ranger can find and disable traps, as the rogue class feature of the same name.
Trained actor You trained as a child to be an actor. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perform (act) and Perform (act) is always a class skill for you. You also gain a free skill point in Perform (act).
Child of the Streets You grew up on the streets of a large city, and as a result you have developed a knack for picking pockets and hiding small objects on your person. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sleight of Hand checks, and Sleight of Hand is always a class skill for you.
Reactionary You were bullied often as a child, but never quite developed an offensive response. Instead, you became adept at anticipating sudden attacks and reacting to danger quickly. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
Spyder, dog companion level 3, N Small animal
Init +4; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +8
AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)
hp 26 (3d8+6)
Fort +5, Ref +7 (evasion), Will +2
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +7 (1d4+2)
Str 14, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 18 (22 vs. trip)
Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon focus (bite)
Skills Acrobatics +4 (+12 jump), Perception +8, Survival +1, (+5 scent tracking), Swim +10
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PUK, CG Male Halfling rogue 3 (swashbuckler)
Init +5; Senses Perception +7
AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 15
hp 26 (3HD)
Fort +5, Ref +9 (evasion), Will +2, +1 morale bonus vs. fear, +2 vs. fear
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee main hand silver short sword +2 +9 (1d4+2/19-20) and masterwork short sword +8 (1d4/19-20)
Ranged shortbow (small) +8 (1d4/x3)
Ranged sling staff (halfling) (small) +8 (1d6/x3)
Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 16
Atk Options Sneak Attack 2d6
Abilities Str 10, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10
Feats Martial Weapon Proficiency (Halfling Sling Staff), Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (short sword)
Skills Acrobatics +12, Acrobatics (Jump) +8, Appraise +3, Bluff +5, Climb +6, Diplomacy +4, Disable Device +10, Disguise +5, Escape Artist +10, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +3, Knowledge (Local) +3, Linguistics +3, Perception +7, Perform (Percussion Instruments) +4, Ride +5, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +14, Use Magic Device +4
Possessions small masterwork short sword; small silver short sword +2; studded leather +1 (small); Shortbow (Small); Halfling Sling Staff (Halfling)
Sneak Attack (Ex) If you can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from your attack, you can strike a vital spot for extra damage. Your attack deals 2d6 points of extra damage.
Fast-Talker You had a knack at getting yourself into trouble as a child, and as a result developed a silver tongue at an early age. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks, and Bluff is always a class skill for you.
Personal Addiction You were the addict. You blame Gaedren for your brush with death and hate how his drugs are causing similar problems among other youths. Fortunately, your body recovers quickly from toxins, and you have a +1 bonus on Fortitude saving throws.
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Quintilian, CG Male Human bard 3 (court bard)
Init +2; Senses Perception +3
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15, Combat Expertise
hp 23 (3HD)
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2, +4 vs. Bardic Performance, sonic, and language-dependent effects
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee rapier +1 +5 (1d6+3/18-20)
Melee longsword +4 (1d8+2/19-20)
Melee masterwork whip +5 (1d3+2)
Melee sap +4 (1d6+2)
Ranged shortbow +4 (1d6/x3)
Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 16
Known Bard Spells (CL 3rd):
1st (4/day) (DC 14) - cure light wounds, innocence, memory lapse, sleep
0th (at will) (DC 13) - detect magic, ghost sound, light , lullaby, mage hand, message, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic
Abilities Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 16
Feats Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Skill Focus (Perform Comedy)
Skills Acrobatics +7, Bluff +13, Climb +5, Diplomacy +9, Disguise +7, Escape Artist +5, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Knowledge (Geography) +6, Knowledge (History) +6, Knowledge (Local) +8, Knowledge (Local/Art & music) +10, Knowledge (Nature) +6, Knowledge (Nobility) +6, Linguistics +7, Perception +3, Perform (Act) +8, Perform (Comedy) +12, Perform (Dance) +7, Perform (Oratory) +7, Perform (Sing) +7, Perform (String Instruments) +7, Sense Motive +3, Sleight of Hand +5, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +5, Use Magic Device +7
Possessions rapier +1; masterwork chain shirt; masterwork buckler; longsword; masterwork whip; sap; wand (feather step); wand of cure light wounds; Shortbow
Bardic Performance You can use this ability for 11 rounds per day.
Versatile Performance (Comedy) (Ex) You can use your bonus in the Perform (Comedy) skill in place of your bonus in the Bluff or Intimidate skills.
Countersong (Su) You can counter magic effects that depend on sound.
Distraction (Su) You can use your performance to counter magic effects that depend on sight.
[b]Fascinate (Su) You can use your performance to cause up to 1 creature to become fascinated with you (Will save DC 14).
Heraldic Expertise (Ex) A court bard gains a bonus equal to half his bard level on Diplomacy, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks. 1/day, the court bard can also reroll a check against one of these skills, though he must take the result of the second roll even if it is worse.
Satire (Su) A court bard can use performance to undermine the confidence of enemies who hear it, causing them to take a -1 penalty on attack and damage rolls (minimum 1) and a -1 penalty on saves against fear and charm effects as long as the bard continues performing. This penalty increases by -1 at 5th level and every six levels thereafter. Satire is a language-dependent, mind-affecting ability that uses audible components. This performance replaces inspire courage.
Mockery (Su) A court bard of 3rd level or higher can subtly ridicule and defame a specific individual. The bard selects one target who can hear his performance. That individual takes a -2 penalty on Charisma checks and Charisma-related skill checks as long as the bard continues performing.
Trained actor You trained as a child to be an actor. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perform (act) and Perform (act) is always a class skill for you. You also gain a free skill point in Perform (act).
Fast-Talker You had a knack at getting yourself into trouble as a child, and as a result developed a silver tongue at an early age. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks, and Bluff is always a class skill for you.
Child of the Street You grew up on the streets of Korvosa, and as a result you have developed a knack for picking pockets and hiding small objects on your person. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sleight of Hand checks, and SoH is always a class skill for you. You also gain a free skill point in SoH.
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SHAOBAN, LN Male Human oracle 3
Init +0; Senses Darkvision (30 ft.), Perception +2, Clouded Vision
AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 19
hp 23 (3HD)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +5
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee masterwork mace (heavy) +6 (1d8+2)
Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 15
Known Oracle Spells (CL 3rd):
1st (6/day) (DC 15) - endure elements, magic weapon, shield of faith, cure light wounds, burning hands
0th (at will) (DC 14) - create water, detect magic, purify food and drink, read magic, stabilize
Abilities Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 18
Feats Armor Proficiency, Heavy, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (Heavy Mace)
Skills Bluff +7, Diplomacy +11, Heal +7, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (Religion) +5, Perform (Act) +8, Sense Motive +8, Sleight of Hand -2, Use Magic Device +5
Possessions masterwork mace (heavy); ring of protection +1; banded mail; shield, light steel
Clouded Vision Your eyes are obscured, making it difficult for you to see.
Flame Mysteries You draw upon the divine mystery of Flame to grant your spells and powers.
Touch of Flame (Su) As a standard action, you can perform a melee touch attack that deals 1d6 points of fire damage + 1 per two oracle levels. Alternatively you can use this power to ignite your weapon as a free action, adding the same amount of fire damage to each of your weapon attacks during that round. You can use this ability a number of times or rounds per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier (7).
At 11th level, any weapon that you wield is treated as a flaming weapon, adding 1d6 points of fire damage + 1 per two oracle levels.
Molten Skin (Ex) You gain resist fire 5
Trained actor You trained as a child to be an actor. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perform (act) and Perform (act) is always a class skill for you. You also gain a free skill point in Perform (act).
Child of the Streets You grew up on the streets of a large city, and as a result you have developed a knack for picking pockets and hiding small objects on your person. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sleight of Hand checks, and Sleight of Hand is always a class skill for you.
Ease of Faith Your mentor, the person who invested your faith in you from an early age, took steps to ensure that you understood that what powers your divine magic is no different than that which powers the magic of other religions. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks, and Diplomacy is always a class skill for you.
26 Desnus 4708
The next morning the companions finally get their second audience at Castle Korvosa they have been hoping for. Before they leave they wonder what they should talk about with the queen. Opening up the gates so trade can resume and food can get back into the city is definitely a priority. Quint also wants the Hellknights out of the city, as those narrow-minded fools cause more problems than they solve. As far as increasing the popularity of the queen is concerned, 'bread and games' are a sound concept. Maybe there should be some kind of official coronation with festivities.
A knock at the door pulls the young friends out of their brainstorm. A Korvosan guard is waiting outside. The shape of the soldier's armor betrays that she is of the female sex. As she takes off her helmet, the heroes immediately recognize Amarice, the woman who was in Lamm's lambs with them when they were children.
"Good morning," she says, 'I'm here to officially remind you of your appointment with the queen at ten o'clock. Meeting her majesty ... that's a great honor! You've been doing a fabulous job for our city, I've been told. Preventing riots, arresting deserters and what not? You even helped out my dear colleague Grau when he was down. I guess the city and the queen owe your their gratitude. Not bad for three little lambs ... I see Lamm's cruel upbringing didn't spoil your true hearts, it even strengthened them." Amarice looks a bit self-conscious before continuing: "Anyway, enough with the big words, I also sought you out to ask for a personal favor. You remember when we were kids and we witnessed King Eodred showing off his new bride to Korvosa. The Field Marshal presented Ileosa with her own private guard, the Gray Maidens. We were only a few yards away, as you recall. Well, ever since then it has been my dream to serve her majesty as one of her Maidens. I wonder if you'd be willing to put in a good word for me ... please." Amarice holds her head slightly slanted and bats her long eyelashes. "For old times' sake ..." Sjo is open to Amarice's request, but tells her that they have more urgent matters to discuss with her majesty, so he can't make any promises. Still, he'll see what he can do.
At the castle the companions walk in on a familiar scene: in the entrance hall they meet the impatient and nagging man in impeccable clothes again, ambassador Amprei. He looks as haughty as ever and immediately starts ranting as the company comes in: "By all the gods, good and evil, what is wrong with this stupid, boorish dump? You maggots are here again while I'm wearing a hole through the floor, being made to wait like ...uch ... a servant? An outrage!"
At the same moment Sabina Merrin steps in and interferes: "You'll be right up, mister ambassador ... thanks to these heroes no less. Enjoy the peace and quiet, while you can!" Then she welcomes the companions and escorts them to the throne room. Seated on the crimson chair of power is Ileosa, dressed in black. The only ornament she is wearing is her father's brooch. Despite her sober outfit she still looks gorgeous. Field Marshal Cressida Kroft is already in there with the queen.
"Your majesty," she bows, " these are the heroes I've been telling you about." Quint kneels and his friends quickly follow his example. Ileosa lifts her black veil as her sweet voice resounds through the great hall: "Noble heroes of Korvosa, you have my thanks ... again", the queen smiles radiantly. "This time you do not only prove a favor to me, but to the entire city of Korvosa. If I'm to believe the Field Marshal, you singlehandedly prevented a bloody manifestation and took out several agitators who were plotting against me. But worst of all is this low-life Amprei who thinks that he can turn my own people against me! The traitor! Fortunately you've provided me with the prefect weapon to get him out without burning our bridges to Cheliax." Ileosa's hands shake as she holds up the two compromising letters from Verania Tvastiox.
"But first things first. I would like to reward you for your services to the city." Ileosa rises and approaches the companions. Sabina Merrin steps forward as well, presenting a small box to the queen. Ileosa opens the lid and takes something from inside. "Quintilian of Korvosa, Sjo the great, Balian the bold and Puk of the small-folk, for services provided to the city of Korvosa I hereby proclaim you honorary members of the Order of the Pseudodragons." She hangs a medal around each of the four men's necks. The gleaming medallion portrays a tiny dragon in flight.
"And now we must see to more pressing matters, the unfortunate case of ambassador Amprei. I would like you to bear witness to the fruit of your good deeds, although I must ask you not to interrupt. This is between Amprei and me!"
Sabina Merrin leaves the hall and returns a few moments later with the Chelish ambassador. "Your majesty! Finally I get to see you! You won't believe how long I've had to wait. Truly, a disgrace! I've been waiting here from well before your husband passed away ... for which I offer my condolences, by the way. But now to more urgent matters ..."
"Indeed, there are other matters we need to discuss!" the Queen bellows. "Time for each of us to learn their rightful place!"
"And that starts on your knees, KNEEL!" Sabina Merrin hisses as she forces the surprised Chelaxian to the ground.
"Your Highness! Now you can witness firsthand what I have to go through in this hellhole. You come from beautiful Cheliax, just as I do. These primitives don't know the meaning of the word manners", Amprei grunts as he tries to rise, but Sabina Merrin clutches his shoulder and keeps him down.
"Primitives, you say?" I see only one primitive here, even though the term sounds too kind for you. A worm, a conniving lowlife ... that is what you are!" Ileosa spits out.
"But, your majesty, please, I do not understand ..."
"What is it that you don't understand? That I'm on to you and your cowardly plans? Do you take me for a fool? Because I'm a woman, perhaps? Do you deny your ambitions to buy up buildings and lands in this 'hellhole', as you so condescendingly call it?" the queen rages.
"What do you mean? I've never bought anything here, except for my villa ..." Amprei stammers.
"Of course you haven't bought anything yet! Everything is still too expensive. Allow chaos and disorder to run wild in the streets a little while longer ... and then our little ambassador will open his wallet to save the poor citizens by purchasing their properties for next to nothing. Why would you buy today what you can get for half the price tomorrow? Oh, don't get me started on the likes of you!" Ileosa counters.
"Ileosa Arvanxi, I have to warn you, when her Infernal Majestrix learns of how you're treating me ..." the ambassador attempts, while he slips from Merrin's hold and rises to his feet.
"I think her Infernal Majestrix would rather know how you are treating her cousin's wife, Verania Tvastiox," the queen retorts, "who likes to please you with every hole of her body!" Ileosa pulls out the two letters the companions gave her and stares down Amprei, who pales and is left lost for words.
"Oh no, what's this? Don't know what to say anymore? You can count your blessing that you are here as the official ambassador to Cheliax, or I'd have you quartered and beheaded for such an offence! Here's what you are going to do, Darvayne Gios Amprei! You're going to resign your post and get the hell out of this city forthwith! Let's call it health issues, because if you stay for even one more day, your health will most certainly be at risk! Even this far-away hellhole won't protect you from the ire of Agmanar Thrune when he gets a hold of his wife's letters! And that piece of property you already own here in Korvosa, you'll sign it over ... well to Korvosans who truly deserve it, these brave heroes!" Ileosa gestures.
Amprei is shaking in his shoes while the companions are dumbstruck by this sudden turn of events. The Chelaxian throws the heroes a venomous glance and turns around. Then he walks out without speaking another word.
"That takes care of business", the queen smiles as she straightens her dress and reclaims her throne. "As far as you are concerned, my loyal citizens, I could use your help again. The unsettling first week of my rule as queen of Korvosa has not been a success. Time for mourning the king is over, however. It is time I prove to Korvosa once and for all that I'm capable of ruling her and that I can restore order. In two days time I'm calling the great council to the palace. I would like for the four of you to be present as well, so you can report on what you've witnessed in the streets. I don't have to remind you that we cannot discuss the Chelish ambassador, as we do not want to lose our hold over him by exposing his dirty laundry. But you can inform the council of all the other things you've discovered. Furthermore, I'd appreciate any ideas you have to offer to improve the image of the Korvosan government in general and my person in particular. Can I count on you?"
"It will be our pleasure, your majesty", Quint replies.
"Then I will see you in two days. We'll convene at eight in the evening. And you, Field Marshal Kroft, are expected as well"; the queen concludes.
"I'll be there, your majesty", Kroft replies. She bows and signals for the companions to follow her out.
As they step into the open air again, Cressida beams with pride: "Congratulations! You've made quite an impression on the queen, Order of the Pseudodragons, a villa in the finest district of the city and an invitation to the council, alongside the high and mighty of Korvosa. Not bad, not bad at all."
Back in Zellara's parlor the companions examine their medallions. The amulets carry magic that slightly hardens their wearers' skin, making them harder to hit. A precious gift.
In the evening Quint and Sjo spread the word in various inns and alehouses that the great council will gather in two days. Apparently the government is getting ready to take control again. They also find out that the common people of Korvosa are mostly interested in getting fed and feeling safe. Others also add that they would like to get back to work. Quint will make sure to mention this at the council.
27 Desnus 4708
Two Gray Maiden show up at our friends' place to guide them to their new home, Amprei's villa. Sjo tells the three kids, Mouse, Heldrin and Korwick, to remain in Zellara's shop while he and his friends go and check out the new place. The kids are very disappointed, but their sad faces and teary eyes cannot convince the Shoanti to let them come.
While walking to South Shore, Balian suddenly gets a broad smile across his face, but his mates cannot get him to tell them why he's smiling. When they arrive on the villa's doorstep, the urban ranger grins again, as he signals the three kids closer who have been following them secretly. The children are beaming with enthusiasm as the double doors open and the magnificent edifice lays before them. The Gray Maidens hand Quint the deed to the place and take their leave.
The building looks mostly intact, as Amprei only got time to pack his personal items. His clothes and papers are missing, but all the furniture is still in place. The villa also includes a large walled garden and a coach house with stables. There are no horses anymore, but there still is dashing carriage. The companions are overwhelmed by the beauty and luxury of their new home, but decide to get settled in nonetheless. They spend the rest of the day moving in their meager possessions and waiting for a locksmith to replace the lock on the front doors.
28 Desnus 4708
Now that they have a classy home in South Shore the companions realize that their clothes have to match their abode, especially since they'll be meeting with the leaders of the city later that day. So they spend most of the day buying a new attire and having their outfits fitted to perfection.
At eight in the evening they make their way to the palace again and meet the bigwigs of Korvosa, who have all gathered in the throne room. Cressida Kroft waves the heroes over as they enter and introduces them to Commander Marcus Endrin of the Sable Company, Lord Mercival Jeggare, one of the richest men in the city, and Lord Valdur Bromathan IV, who has broken with his family's tradition of military service in favor of a career as a priest of Sarenrae.
Also present is Archbanker Darb Tuttle of the bank of Abadar, the city's most powerful priest, who is locked in conversation with two magistrates, Syl Gar, the Magistrate of Expenditures, and his 'counterpart' Garrick Tann, the Magistrate of Commerce. While Syl Gar is responsible for spending levied taxes on the city's behalf and is thus greatly loved all over, Garrick Tann is the chief tax collector, who is often referred to as the most hated man in Korvosa. The companions met this man before and already dread their next encounter, as they will have to pay a ton of taxes for the various magical items they have recently acquired and for their new home.
Another familiar face is that of Zenobia Zenderholm, the high judge. She is talking to another noblewoman, Eliasia Leroung, the head of the university of Korvosa who responsible for printing the Korvosa Herald. The third person in their company is a handsome man with a clever look in his eyes, Glorio Arkona, the only nobleman who lives in Old Korvosa, where he is considered somewhat of a hero by the poor, for whom he provides cheap housing.
There is one more person in the room, a sour-faced old man with a long white beard and purple robes. He is seated all alone by the hearth. Quint recognizes Lord Toff Ornelos, the headmaster of the Acadamae and possibly Korvosa's most powerful arcanist. The bard greets the loner and kindly inquires about the Breaching Festival, the annual competition in which students and a number of invitees attempt to break into the Acadamae and breach its many magical defenses. Tomorrow is the 29th of Desnus, on which this festival normally takes place, but Quint has picked up rumors that the holiday will be cancelled this year. Lord Ornelos confirms the news, groaning that it wouldn't be proper to celebrate while people are killing each other in the streets.
Next Sabina Merrin, the commander of the Gray Maidens, steps into the room. "Ladies, and gentlemen, I give you ... the queen!" The leaders of the noble families bow, while the two magistrates and the four young heroes get to their knees. Queen Ileosa walks in, as glorious as ever. She is no longer dressed in black, but strides forward in a flowing green silk gown which is once again complimented with her father's brooch. She glides over to the throne and takes a seat, allowing herself a few breaths to let her eyes wander over her guests. When she speaks her voice is calm but strong: "Ladies Zenderholm and Leroung, my lords Jeggare, Bromathan, Arkona and Ornelos, Commander Endrin, Field Marshal Kroft, Archbanker Tuttle, Magistrates Tann and Gar, sirs Quintillian, Sjo, Balian and Puk, I bid you all a warm welcome."
The guests are all ears as Ileosa continues: "I have convened the council to discuss the state of things in Korvosa, and for this occasion I have asked a few advisors to join us. Would you all please follow me to the royal reception room so we can commence healing our wounded city?"
The queen leads those present to the next room, where she sits down at the head of a long table. The nobles take up position close to her majesty, leaving the companions and the magistrates the places at the other end of the table.
When everyone has settled, Ileosa speaks again: "Ever since my husband died the city has been sinking away in chaos: riots, destruction, pillaging, battles with the Guard or other representatives of the state, numerous wounded and too many dead ... all in the name of a queen who cannot rule! This has to stop, right NOW! That is the reason why we have all gathered here today.
The Sable Company and the Korvosan Guard have been working night and day to prevent us from slipping away completely into the Abyss. I was even forced to call in the help of the Hellknights to enforce order. But disorder overwhelmed us nonetheless.
We may count ourselves lucky that we have creative citizens like these heroes and sharp minds like Field Marshal Kroft. Their firm actions saved us from even worse. Field Marshal Kroft, would you please fill us in on what has been going on in the city?"
Cressida Kroft rises and addresses the members of the council: "I understand that our citizens were shocked by the King's death. Eodred was a good ruler and the people loved him. But why did they react so vehemently? I had a hard time understanding that. Grief was normal, but all this anger, hatred and rebellion were out of place. That is why I sent out these gentlemen, to find out what was going on. I'll let them fill you in on what they discovered."
Next Quint takes the stage: "When our good king died, it felt like there was a sudden void in power. We have to respect that his widow needed time to bury her spouse and properly grieve him, but some people seemed bent on not allowing her that time. Individuals who had some personal reason to criticize the government, who had their own agenda. They took disadvantage of the moment, swaying the minds of other Korvosan, honest, hard-working citizens who unfortunately don't exactly grasp how politics work. One thing led to another and the situation got out of hand, fast. The city reacted promptly to these challenges, but while actions like closing the gates probably saved innocent lives, it also provided these enemies of the state with more fuel for their fires of rebellion, as food supplies quickly dwindled away and the people grew hungry and malcontent."
"I appreciate your report, good master Quintillian," Glorio Arkona interferes, "but you're not telling us anything we don't know yet. Can you give us something more concrete?"
"I can. We walked in on a manifestation that almost got out of hand. If we hadn't convinced the misled protesters that killing guards would only make matters worse, the day would have ended in blood. This was the first time we felt that most people were just following some agitators who spewed filth on our beloved queen. We found more evidence to this theory when we stopped a business called All the World's Meat. A clever agitator had duped a lovesick guard and some of his unworthy colleagues into handing out free meat to the poor. The leader didn't even realize it, but his men were actually killing people and carving up their flesh to feed the citizens. We also saved a member of the Sable Company from being torn to pieces by agitated dockworkers and witnessed a troop of Hellknights slaughter a dozen people who had been dumb enough to follow a handful of rabble-rousers into manifesting against the queen. We weren't able to save them all, but I don't even want to imagine the bloodbath that would have taken place if we hadn't been there. We came across honest citizens who were so brainwashed that they almost tore captain Jalento's young son to pieces or who were so hungry that they threatened to kill a baker for food.
Finally we were able to track some of the agitators. We shut down their little operation and with the help of the Guard, we were able to prevent another march that was meant to end in violence and blood. Since then we have been using the same weapons as our enemies, a silver tongue, spreading the word on their treasonous, self-serving manipulations and convincing the good people of Korvosa to give queen Ileosa a chance.
After all, when you talk to the average John Doe, you quickly find out that all he wants is to be fed and to feel safe. You have all noticed it, but the last couple of days have been more or less quiet again. We have turned the momentum of the enemies of the state, now we have to press on!"
"And when you talk about enemies of the state, do you know who they are?" Archbanker Darb Tuttle of Abadar wonders.
"I'm afraid not", Sjo replies. "We have been fighting and rooting out the symptoms rather than the cause. But we have been successful nonetheless. Our priority has always been the safety of the people, so that has been our terrain of operation, the common man in the streets. Even an invisible enemy can be beaten if we take away his weapons and prevent his evil schemes."
Eliasia Leroung adds: "What these young men are saying is true indeed. There have been people at work who want to taint the queen's reputation. Just a few days ago our presses were abused by such rabble-rousers to print a fake edition of the Herald with all kinds of filth about her majesty. I learned that these heroes intercepted about half of those papers, but several hundred copies were still distributed. You might have seen them. Even when we don't know who is behind these evil plans, we should act! I will make sure that the next edition of the Herald rectifies the situation and reveals the fact that rabble-rousers have been at work."
The council readily agrees with this proposal, as Leroung continues: "My family also holds a stake in many of the city's docks. Our laborers have to get back to work, there might be a dozen grain ships waiting in the bay to be unloaded. Getting people back to work and bringing food into the city is the best way to get things back to normal. There's no business than business as usual."
Garrick Tann, the tax collector, supports this proposition, as it would allow him to resume his work as well. "People were attacking soldiers in the streets, even without me there. I couldn't risk causing even more of a stir by doing my job. Still, part of these missed taxes will never be recovered. Getting the city back to running will cost money. I propose that those who can afford it, help us out. I think the noble houses should make an extra contribution, lest we go bankrupt."
It is clear why Tann is so unpopular, as about half the people at the table raise their eyebrows in surprise and annoyance at his proposal. Glorio Arkona keeps his bearings and replies: "I'd be willing to contribute a little extra, lord magistrate, but I'd have to be sure that the money goes to the right place, to the people of Korvosa, who are starving as we speak. Make sure they don't go hungry and I'll get you your money."
"I guess the Bank of Abadar could always allow the city an extra loan to bridge this difficult period", Archbanker Tuttle adds. " We could even discuss profitable terms this time, as long as Korvosa continues paying off its other debts."
"There are ways to solve these monetary issues, no doubt", Commander Marcus Endrin steps in. "Let's focus on more pressing matters. The Hellknights are trouble. Their presence seems to backfire. The stringent way in which they handle things is not right for this complicated situation. They see everything in black and white, while things are mostly grey. These young heroes confessed to it, the Hellknights respond to disorder with the blade rather than with common sense and words of peace. That is not the way to restore order. I say they should go!"
"I agree, Lord Commander," the queen says. I will speak to the Order of the Nail about leaving. But your marines and the guards will have their hands full. Even during this last week I've had my own bodyguard, the Gray Maidens, stand guard over my palace. But my Maidens are at the end of their game; there are only a handful of them and there is more work than they can cope with. I would like to expand their ranks so your men in the Sable Company and the soldiers of the Korvosan Guard can concentrate on the city."
"An excellent suggestion, your majesty", Quint jumps in. "We will need every able-bodied soldier in the coming weeks. Which is why I believe we should talk about forgiving the deserters ... A few soldiers refused to come to work since the beginning of the riots because they felt they needed to protect their families. They were wrong and should probably be disciplined in some way, but we would be fools to have them executed, as the law demands, because we need them. A royal pardon would secure their help and send out a message that the queen is both capable of ruling and kind."
"True, sir Quintilian," Commander Endrin agrees. "Still, having the Grey Maidens guard the palace gives me pause. Although the day-to-day security of the Castle is customarily in the hands of the Guard, it legally befalls to the Sable Company. The presence of the seneschal normally ensures our presence in these walls, but with Lord Kalepopolis missing, the company has lost its watchful eye in here. I think we should talk about a replacement."
Sjo and Quint nod in agreement, as Darb Tuttle wonders whether it wouldn't be disrespectful towards the current seneschal to put someone else in his place while he might still be alive." He also adds that the post of the seneschal will not be crucial in solving the problems at hand, like resuming trade, so the matter of the seneschal should probably be saved for a later date.
Valdur Bromathan remarks that resuming trade is indeed high on their agenda, not only through the city's docks, but a lot of food comes from the mainland and is presently stuck at the gates. "We should open the gates again, but the farmers will need military protection if we want to prevent new acts of pillaging."
Mercival Jeggare likes the idea of feeding the people, but he also wants to feed them mentally. "By exposing the agitators and resuming trade, we will show our citizens that Ileosa is capable of ruling, but we can do more. I'm thinking of the ancient concept of bread and games. We should entertain the public as well, with a positive message!"
Quint takes this cue: "Ileosa is our new queen. You and I know and respect that. But the position of monarch is a highly respected one. If we want to entertain the people, why don't we give them a coronation?"
"An excellent idea," Glorio Arkona affirms, "crowning her majesty will serve all kinds of goals, we could feed the people, give them festivities and at the same time confirm the legitimacy of Ileosa's rule."
"The only question is", Quint continues, "how long should we wait? We can't just expect the Korvosans to happily dive into a public coronation so soon after Eodred's death and the riots."
"There is also the matter of how much this would cost", Syl Gar interjects. "Your ideas are wonderful, but costly as well. We'll need funds to pay for them."
"I think all this talk of partying is balderdash", Toff Ornelos throatily remarks. "The Acadamae has just cancelled the Breaching Festival as we didn't want to celebrate during these hard times, and now everyone is talking about fun and games! And not only that, now they also expect us, the noble houses, to pay for all this? We aren't the only ones in this city who have money. If I look at those young upstarts over there", he complains, pointing at the heroes, "they look all fancy in their new attire and shiny armor! Let them pay as well. They have come out of these troubled days as richer men, as have several other money-sharks in the city who used the scarcity of food to spice their own purses. A house like mine, that took a discreet stand in the background by closing the doors to the Acadamae and keeping our students off the streets, should not be punished. Find your money where it actually is and spread the effort evenly over all those shoulders!"
Lord Ornelos raises a sensitive point, but the approving looks in other noblemen's eyes give away that he made an important point. "Moreover, if we are to pay to clean up the mess, we should have more of a say in how it should be cleaned up. Give the council more power and I'll make a bigger contribution, but I refuse to pay for trouble I'm not responsible for and for solutions I have no say in."
"Well, maybe we should make the people who were more involved pay", Quint says. "Bakers and butchers were asking for higher prices when times were bad, maybe they can return the favor when times are good?" His suggestion is met with raised eyebrows, but the bard assures the council that he'd be willing to try and convince these people to contribute.
Sjo offers a refinement to that idea. "Why don't we turn it into a contest? Bakers will contend with each other to make the best bread and the best man will win a price!"
"That is an interesting line of thought, dear Sjo", Ileosa concludes. "Getting money will prove hard, and I still hope that the noble houses will contribute, although I cannot promise the council more power right away. Korvosa's laws and charters will have to be studied carefully before we can rewrite them. The precarious balance between the different stakeholders in the city has been overanalyzed and every little detail has been put into writing. Your ancestors have been so meticulous in constructing the power balance that it will prove a monster job to change it. For now, I can offer you this, though, Lord Ornelos, that I will ask the council for advice more often on a voluntary basis. I do agree with Magistrate Tann that common tax collection should resume as soon as possible. And I wouldn't object to a celebration in my honor, so if you want a coronation, I'd happily go along with it, certainly if all the noble houses would use the opportunity to show the people that they support my rule."
The queen looks around the table: "I think we've heard a lot of interesting ideas tonight. I thank you all for giving me your honest opinions. We'll have to investigate how plausible and affordable some of your suggestions are. My lords magistrate, I want you to study these ideas and give me a report on their feasibility. A few of us will reconvene tomorrow to discuss these plans further. Thank you again for being here. May the gods bless Korvosa!" Then the queen takes her leave and the council is over.
While walking out, Sjo seizes the opportunity to tell Sabina Merrin about Amarice, informing the commander of the Gray Maidens that his friend would make an excellent addition to her ranks. Merrin assures him she will look up this Amarice, a capable and motivated young woman would be most welcome.
I've uploaded a couple of pictures of the villa and one shot of the council on my deviantart page: Mister Vergee's Deviantart page.
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Wow, so much happened lately! It's very cool for your players that you're giving them such an active role in the campaign, instead of merely being Field Marshal Kroft's underlings. Getting the cool new house seems quite interesting. Are you guys going to let it deployed in your friend's house throughout the entire campaign, or do you need to dismantle it and re-build it for each game?
I think it's cool that your PC's get to interact with the movers and shakers of the city so early. How are they liking it?
Quint seems to really be the "face" of the group, are the other PC's getting their chance to role-play as well?
I also enjoyed seeing some familiar names in there... Mouse, Heldrin (not a dwarf anymore!) and Korwick. ;)
A more spoilery question... definitely one your players should not read.
Because one of the options I considered when preparing the campaign was to actually make Ileosa a victim: that she wasn't a bad person at the core, but just got possessed by the spirit of Kazavon, who was the true responsible for the atrocities that happened. And then in the last adventure, the heroes would've had a chance to save/redeem Ileosa.
Another option I considered was that they would defeat the real Ileosa, but what about her clones... Like the one in the pyramid in the last adventure? What if *they* could be redeemed?
In the end, I remained closer to the campaign as written, mostly because I guessed that my players didn't share the soft spot I have for this villain, and they would probably find it more rewarding to just kill her and anything even remotely resembling her.
Ugh, they have to pay a tax on their villa, and on all their magical items? Helps explain why more nobles don't have hoards of magical items, from inheriting them, if from nothing else.
How much, in taxes, do you think the party will be paying each week/month? They might have to open up, or buy, some legitimate business, beyond that of murder hobos, to keep their taxes in order. Will you be using the Downtime system for this? Or something else?
Your pictures of the scenery are, again, fantastic! That 'eavesdropping on a secret meeting' one gave me pause at all the loose material, crates, barrels and such, that you've collected.
Have you assigned each NPC a specific model? Do you set them aside so they aren't lost or broken for future use?
I really liked the whole Council aspect and that the nobles weren't just immediately willing to dish out money. Nobles are nobles after all. The exception being Glorio. Are you trying to play him off as a kind of 'philanthropic noble' so the party doesn't get an 'obviously evil' vibe?
I wonder how you will play off Doctor Davaulus? Will he still be her personal physician, or perhaps someone else? I tried to play him off as the 'family physician' from Cheliax, but one who is strongly opposed to Krovosa being independent from Cheliax and would like to see it fall. He was there before the plague started, and was the instigator from inside.
Also, I notice you had Toff cancel the Breaching Festival. I remember you're planning on skipping Scarwall completely, but about what time frame do you expect this part of the campaign to start? Because if you give it sufficient time, it's possible the students of the Acadamae will be able to 'double up' on protections from the previous year, if you wish to make it a little harder.
Looking forward to more.
Thanks for the compliments, guys.
We set out to do a very roleplay-heavy campaign and this part of the adventure really lends itself perfectly to that. The fact that the players are so pro-active and not acting because Kroft tells them to, is a very nice bonus. The players seem to be a step ahead of the scenario, so I reward their roleplaying and information gathering efforts with the next part of the scenario, thus creating a very natural flow of events.
The big terrain set-ups have always been done at my own house. I've brought most of my terrain pieces back home and I take what I need every week to the gaming table. The villa pictures were done a couple of weeks ago and I showed them to my players at the table to give them a better idea of what their new villa looks like. The terrain set-ups we do at the table are not as elaborate, usually just the rooms in which a combat takes place.
Having the PCs interact with the 'movers and shakers' is a lot of fun. It really binds them to the city and they have a big influence on what happens. Quint's and Sjo's players are the most active role-players, Balian's player has been absent from time to time, as has Puk's. They both enjoy the game, but take a less active role at the table anyway. Fortunately Quint and Sjo are the best at social interaction on paper as well, being a bard and an oracle, they are charisma-based characters with good social skills.
And yes, Moonbeam, your campaign was an inspiration: names and plots will appear from time to time. Thanks again.
Tels, since the city taxes everyone, it taxes the heroes as well. There is a flat 10 % tax rate on everything you earn (every month), so gaining several magical items worth maybe 20 000 GP in total and a house which will be estimated at 30 000 GP, will leave them with a 5 000 GP tax debt for this month. They don't have that much cash at the moment, so that will be nice ... I guess that playing an urban campaign comes with some disadvantages.
The PCs have their own figurine: Balian, Sjo and Quint were painted specifically for this campaign (as were a lot of NPCs), Puk is playing with an older painted miniature, but he might get a new fig soon. I'm painting a Reaper Bones plastic mini and if I'm happy with that, it will serve as Puk's new mini. Strangely enough it is hard to find a decent two weapon wielding halfling miniature. The Bones fig I'm painting only has one sword, but he's holding his other hand perfectly to attach a second weapon. The only problem is that these plastic Bones versions are slightly less detailed and that shows even better in a small halfling mini. I carry the miniatures in a foam-filled miniature case from Warhammer, which serves its purpose perfectly.
To keep the spoiler content in this thread to a minimum, I'll be answering your other questions in a new thread on the Curse of the Crimson Throne boards.
29 Desnus 4708
This morning sees bad weather with rain pouring down endlessly. The young friends decide to stay in, enjoying the comforts of their new home. Balian and Puk train with the dog and the children, while Sjo and Quint hit the books in the library, working on their language and knowledge skills.
Late in the afternoon a carriage arrives. A man jumps out and hurries through the rain: Mercival Jeggare, the head of one of the most powerful houses in the city, is at the door. He is actually on his way to the second, smaller council in the castle, but he came up with an idea he wants to run by the companions. Mercival likes the thought of a big coronation party, but agrees with Quint that this celebration should not take place too soon. Citizens have to soften up to the queen first and the city has to resume an atmosphere of peace and quiet before a large celebration can be thrown.
Still, Mercival thinks that there might be a way to introduce something festive on a smaller scale sooner. His family is a patron of the arts and Mercival would love to organize a musical in the Marble Dome opera house: The Passion of Saint Alika. This play celebrates the life of one of Korvosa's most popular heroes, Alika Epakena. It has not been performed for over a generation, but according to the nobleman it is a magnificent play that will certainly ignite the love for Korvosa and make people forget about the recent trouble. Although the common man will not get to see the musical, as the Marble Dome cannot house the entire city, Jeggare expects The Passion of Saint Alika to create a buzz all over Korvosa.
To add to the positive vibe that the play might generate, Jeggare would like the new heroes of Korvosa to join the cast. He already knows that Quint likes entertaining crowds and believes there might be a role for his friends as well. The nobleman is happy to learn that the companions like his idea and is sure that their consent to appear in the play will be enough to sway his peers at the council.
30 Desnus 4708
Another rainy day keeps the companions locked in their villa, until they are summoned to the Citadel. Field Marshal Cressida Kroft informs them that supreme judge Zenobia Zenderholm was attacked in the streets yesterday. Fortunately for her a patrol of the Guard was nearby and chased away the assailant. It is unclear who the aggressor was. Was he a chance mugger? Was his attack related to the unrest in the city or was the man a criminal out for revenge? The hanging judge has made a lot of enemies over the years, so the last possibility seems most likely.
Anyway, Kroft insisted that lady Zenderholm be protected, but the judge only agreed to that when the Field Marshal promised her to enlist the help of Korvosa's new heroes, as she seemed to like the young men. They must have made a good impression on her. Sjo jumps to the task and leads his friends to the Longacre Building, where the judge is still hard at work.
Zenobia Zenderholm welcomes the companions and immediately clarifies that she didn't tell Kroft the whole truth:
"An unknown assailant did jump me in the streets yesterday, that's true, and some soldiers of the Guard saw what was happening and came to my aid. They thought the man was trying to kill me, but I'm quite confident that wasn't the case. You see, my attacker was carrying no weapon and only whispered something in my ear before running off. If I wanted to know what had happened to my friend Jarbin Mord I'd have to go to the old courthouse tonight.
I don't know if you've ever heard of Jarbin Mord; he used to be the groundskeeper and executioner at the old courthouse. He was convicted ten years ago to the day for hewing his lovely wife and six-year-old son to pieces in their attic apartment above the courthouse with his executioner's axe. I was a public prosecutor in those days and I was friends with the executioner and his family. Jarbin Mord was not a handsome man by any definition of the word, although his wife Malene was absolutely ravishing. Many wondered what she saw in her droopy-eyed husband, but knowing Mord myself, I see why she chose him, because he had a heart of gold.
I fear that his last execution, the hanging of the Key-Lock Killer, somehow took its toll on him. This serial killer haunted Korvosa from 4692 to 4697, butchering 38 women in the confines of their own room while their doors were locked. Every time it looked like the murderer had come in through the keyhole, but when he was finally caught in 4698, we found out that he owned a magical device to open and close doors. I was the one to prosecute him and of course Mord hanged him. The Key-Lock Killer was completely mad ... maybe he cursed his executioner with his dying breath, because the Mord I knew would never have harmed his wife. Tonight I hope to find out what really transpired a decade ago.
Mord's case was the last one to be tried in the old courthouse. The day after his execution the building, which loomed over the cliffs of the Heights, became instable as the ground underneath started to shift. The entire edifice was declared a safety hazard and abandoned. To prevent innocents from entering, its doors were boarded up and its windows nailed shut. Ever since it became known as a haunted house. People say that the old wood constantly creaks, even on windless nights, or claim to have caught a glimpse of a pale form inside. Others claim they still hear Jarbin Mord rasping through his crushed throat - the sound of breath pushed over bone and rot, a miserable inhuman echo of life."
"They call him the Croaker, don't they?" Quint interjects. Zenderholm nods. "You remember that bastard gnome who worked for Gaedran Lamm," Quint goes on, "Hookshanks Gruller. He loved humming this stupid nursery rhyme:
On Croaker day, on Croaker day
you will never get away!
When the Reaper comes for you,
old Broke-Neck will hang you too!
On Croaker day, on Croaker day
Come and see the Hangman play!
When he says it's time to die
You'll be swinging high and dry!
This song is about Jarbin Mord, then. The horror story even continued one year later, if I recall correctly", Quint muzes. "Some heroes ventured into the building and were all killed, weren't they?"
"Indeed," Zenobia confirms. "Father Kelgaard, a famed cleric of Sarenrae, led a band of adventurers into the moldering courthouse. Seeking glory and hoping to prove that they were Korvosa's greatest heroes, they tried to banish the restless soul of Jarbin Mord to the Abyss. They were quite famous at the time: young girls used to swoon over Kelgaard's blond locks and crystal blue eyes, captain Grisdom Twin-axe was a favorite among the men of the Guard and nobles lauded one of their favored scions, the highborn wizard Sashrala Ornelos. The best loved of Korvosa marched into the Heights courthouse at sundown on the first anniversary of Mord's hanging.
At dawn the next day only Grisdom Twin-axe emerged. Blind, his eyes hulled from his face, the guard captain cradled Sashrala's decapitated head as a lantern, a lit candle inside her silently screaming mouth. The man had gone completely insane. No one has crossed the building's threshold since.
I don't want to force anyone to join me, but I will be going to the old courthouse tonight. I want to understand what happened to my friend and I'm hoping to find some answers there. I don't believe in ghosts, but I've seen some horrible things in my career, so I'm not quite sure what to expect. I'd appreciate the company, but I'd certainly understand if you don't dare to join me ..."
"You can count on us, lady Zenderholm", Sjo assures the judge. "We'll stand by you."
Zenobia Zenderholm locks up her office and puts on a cloak. "Let's go then, and let's hope we have more luck than Kelgaard and his friends."
The judge and her protectors make their way across the city. Rain is still pouring down and they are completely soaked when they reach their destination. A leaning monument to the landslide, the old courthouse is a crumbling marvel of cracked plaster and chipped marble. What used to be a shining white beacon of justice turned into a crushed dream. Rainwater mixed with mulch oozes from ruptures in the walls like puss seeping from a wound. The bell tower tilts perilously as if it could collapse at any moment. Two massive pillars frame the double doors in the front. The wooden panles in the archway sags like the drooping eyes of a madman.
The salt wind blows up from over the sea, making the whole building groan, its tortured lamentation fading into a rasping hiss as the wind ebbs. Still, the croaking murmur never seems to fade away completely. The sun sets over the water, the last slivers of twilight painting the courthouse blood red as darkness creeps in.
Examining the mud in front of the entrance Balian makes out several tracks leading into the building. The sagging doors open with surprising ease. Puk's lantern and Quint's light spell reveal part of a great hall supported by enormous marble pillars. Years of dust cover the floor. A moan builds up from the darkness ahead as a sudden gust of wind slams shut the doors behind the heroes' back. The hoarse sigh swells to become a deafening scream, forcing the companions to cover their ears. Darkness overtakes them ...
---
Quint suddenly finds himself in a courtroom, abuzz with nervous anticipation. Dozens of eyes from the crowd behind him and from the jurors' box across the aisle focus on him. Their expressions range from contempt to pity. A magistrate slams down his gavel, snarling for silence. The murmur quiets down as the stocky magistrate draws up to his full height, smoothing his silver moustache with his left hand. He sets down his gavel and focuses on Quint with his shining green eyes: "Jarbin Mord, for the brutal and savage slaying of your wife and six-year-old boy, it is the verdict of this jury - with which I concur wholeheartedly - that you shall hang by your neck until dead. May the gods take mercy on your blackened soul.
---
Puk hears the clack of wood on wood, followed by a whip crack of rope drawn taut. The crunch of vertebrae echoes off the walls. He sees a man's booted feet twitch freakishly as his last breath rasps from his ruined throat in a choking death rattle. Puk suddenly realizes that he is staring at his own twitching legs. The crowd cheers with delight and laughs as he rasps his last.
---
Balian finds himself in a small attic. A voluptuous woman with dark hair sits in a rocking chair, swaying as she hums and knits a sweater for a small child. She looks up, alarm on her face, as Balian draws closer. Looking down he notices a heavy axe in his hand. When his shadow falls over the woman, the look in her eyes changes to one of pure horror.
---
Sjo is on his knees in a dark, dreary corridor. His right hand is working feverishly, sawing away at something with a bloody shortsword as he gibbers: "Show me the way, Sashrala, use your magic to get me out of here. I love you so much, please, just show me the way!" With a final wet snap blood pools appear around his knees as he hefts the gory head of a beautiful woman. "Thank you, Sashrala, I love you ..." Sjo cries as he kisses the blood-covered lips and thrusts her head forward like a lantern.
---
The visions fade as suddenly as they appeared. Blinking their eyes, the companions take a few moments to gather their bearings. Sharing their weird daydreams, they realize they have just relived some key moments of the horror that ended this courthouse's glory.
The doors behind them are now shut tight and won't budge. Another door to the right stands slightly ajar and suddenly reveals the groans of several people. As Balian pushes the door open, he discovers one of the old courtrooms. Eight people are spread over the jurors' box. They look disoriented as they wake up from unconsciousness. Fear grips them while they realize where they are and who they are with.
Sjo quickly takes in the rest of the room. Two sturdy tables are on a platform on the far side of the room, in front are benches for spectators, an evidence table which still holds a large axe rests against the left wall and the jurors' seats are located to the right. A shadowed mural decorates the ceiling above. It depicts the goddess of justice Iomedae in her shining plate mail of gilded sunlight, locked in mortal combat with Norgorber, Calistria and Asmodeus, the gods of greed, trickery and tyranny.
Quint hails the strangers, who he recognizes as the jury from his vision. These are the people who condemned Jarbin Mord to death a decade ago. Zenobia Zenderholm is familiar with one of these men as well, a paladin of Abadar whose name is sir Rekkart Cole. Being a priestess of the god of civilization herself, judge Zenderholm has known this man for many years. Sir Cole still stands tall in his chainmail armor and blue Abadarean tunic, although the snow in his hair betrays that he must be in his fifties. His narrowed eyes look down an impressive nose that resembles an eagle's beak. Cole is already comforting one of his fellow jurors, a blond-haired woman with vibrant red lipstick and an abundance of rouge to add to her appeal. She wears a figure-hugging gown of red silk that accentuates her considerable curves, as she is a bit overweight, but she carries it well. Her name is Patrissa Vrakes and she looks quite worried.
A burly man with broad shoulders and a leather apron comes over to introduce himself, walking with a slight limp. He says his name is Hal, but Patrissa whispers into Quint's ear that people call him Five-Toes, because he's missing all of his toes on one foot. Hal is followed by an older gentleman dressed in a worn suit and a tattered top hat. He has a white broad handlebar moustache and sports a monocle. His eyes look dull and grim when he informs the companions that his name is Killian Paltreth.
Quint is not pleased when he notices that one of the eight people in the room is Ebin Bazel. This desperate jester, whose ill attempts at jokes only invite beatings and scorn, is a failed colleagues of the bard in the circles of stand-up comedians. His yellow-tinged skin is covered in poor-quality white make-up that cakes unseemly on his brow and cheeks. He wears a scruffy jester costume over his wiry limbs and has several broken or missing teeth in his mouth, proof of close encounters with unamused patron's fists. Quint knows the fool as a most unpleasant type. The woman on the bench behind the jester is another artist, although she specializes in completely different skills than Ebin Bazel. She doesn't look a day older than thirty, so she must have been quite young when the Mord trial took place. She has a pretty face and her athletic build and tight-fitting clothes hint at her profession: a Varisian acrobat performer. Her bright blue eyes shine innocently when she reveals her name: Madge Blossomheart.
Two men remain; the first is a short-framed but muscular macho in leather armor, who fails to introduce himself. He has a glare of distrust and annoyance in his green eyes. Balian has heard of him before, a local thug and small-time gang leader, Malgar Hurkes, who has a reputation for strangling his enemies. The only non-human in the company is a gray-bearded dwarf by the name of Tablark Hammergrind. The grizzled old Janderhoff miner looks undaunted by the situation and offers his partners in misfortune a broad comforting smile.
While everyone is getting to know each other, a large piece of plaster breaks free from the mural in the ceiling with a loud crack. The heavy chunk of debris falls onto the evidence table and sends the double axe which lies on it spinning through the room. The weapon sinks solidly into Balian's shoulder. Sir Rekkart Cole rushes to his side and when he sees that the ranger survived the impact, he pulls the axe out of his shoulder. Quint uses the wand of cure light wounds to heal his friend while Cole hangs on to the axe as his sword seems to be missing from his scabbard. Everyone now moves to the front door to see if they can get out.
The dwarf Tablark joins Quint to examine whether a mechanism is holding the doors shut, but he cannot find anything. Quint also fails to find traces of magic around the entrance. Meanwhile Sjo wanders deeper into the hall and discovers an impressively large grandfather clock against the center of the left wall. The carvings show guilty souls suffering Asmodeus' torments. Zenobia Zenderholm does not remember the clock being so big and containing such elaborate infernal detail. The wooden figures seem almost alive.
Sir Rekkart Cole and his blond friend Patrissa Vrakes venture into the second courtroom, the one opposite the first. While they are in there Patrissa suddenly shrieks in fear. The companions rush to her aid and find her and the paladin beset by an immense swarm of undead carrion birds. The ghoulish birds of prey peck at their flesh to satisfy their morbid hunger. Balian swings his greatsword in great arcs through the murder of undead crows. Feathers, bones and rotten flesh fall on the ground at his feet. Quint tries to skewers as many fluttering pests as possible on his rapier while Puk's tiny swords and Sir Cole's axe make more victims. It doesn't take long for the heroes to disperse the swarm and send the surviving birds into hiding in the nooks and crannies that line the walls. This courtroom looks much worse than the first; its furniture is in shambles, the ceiling looks is full of cracks and holes and the windows are crisscrossed with heavy boards. Where nails breach the plaster around the windows, rust stains seep like bloody wounds from the walls. Quint uses the wand to patch up his allies who sustained some minor wounds from the storm of tiny beaks and claws. Everyone is still alive, but the bard can't help but wonder about how strange it all is: no mechanisms, no magic. This shouldn't be possible. They could be in here for a long night!
So now we've arrived at the Hangman's Noose. I think you've managed to integrate this great adventure quite seamlessly in the overall course of action and am really eager to see how it will play out.
Since there is no obvious way out, the companions decide to search the old courthouse. The next door in the great hall leads to the luxurious quarters of a former judge, Rayndros Felgor. There is marble on the walls and a mangy polar bear-skin rug on the floor. Behind an ornate darkwood desk with motifs of cherubs and vipers rests a skeleton in judge's regalia. His white beard still clings to his jaw and falls upon a rusted iron spiked chain which has been twisted around his neck. It looks like the judge was strangled. Zenobia Zenderholm confirms that Felgor disappeared around the time that the old courthouse was abandoned. At the dead lawman's feet is another skeleton, a large dog with a few broken ribs and a cracked skull. The animal bones come to life when Sjo steps into the room, but the undead hound is no match for Balian's blade.
Inside the desk are three vials with magical liquid, potions of lesser restoration, bear's endurance and cure moderate wounds. There is also a note on the table. It reads:
Most honorable colleague Zenderholm,
It is with great remorse that I script this. The chaos of our time has eaten many innocent souls, but this one was lost not to catastrophe, but to an evil deed of injustice. Lies have killed a man this morning and I for my part did nothing to stop it. My esteemed colleague Silman Trabe knowingly sent an innocent man to the gallows, as I stood silently. I only hope that Jarbin Mord's soul may find some rest if the truth comes out.
So judge Felgor knew that Jarbin Mord was innocent and he was murdered for it ... while Silman Trabe, the judge who presided over Mord's case, knew the truth as well. According to Zenobia Zenderholm judge Trabe is still alive. His office used to be across the hall, so that is the next room the companions search. Silman's chambers are much simpler than Felgor's. There only is a plain oak desk and some shelves containing voluminous texts on Korvosan and Chelaxian law. When Balian enters the room, the spirit of a small fair-haired boy appears out of thin air and hurls one of the books at the urban ranger. The hefty tome misses its target and falls on the floor while the ghost fades away to nothing. Quint picks up the book, which is entitled Punish the guilty. It fell open to a passage that reads:
We, entrusted with justice, must prove to be above reproach. Those who fail to serve justice blindly shall reap what they sow.
While the companions search the rest of the room, Malgar Hurkes, the thug, claims the spiked chain from around the skeleton's neck in the office across the hall. It looks like he has some skill with the weapon as he swirls both ends through the air to get rid of the rust flakes. The man has no time to waste with silly ghost stories. He already tried bashing through the front door with a heavy stone, but to no avail. Now he makes his way up the grand stairs at the end of the hall to knock out a window, only to find the glass hard as steel. He opens the double doors to the first floor and walks through them. With a loud BANG the doors slam shut behind him. Malgar starts screaming, as Quint and his friends run up the stairs. From behind the doors they hear Malgar's frantic cries: "No! Get away from me! You're dead! I saw you swing! Nooo!" The jangling of a chain and wet gurgling follow. Then all goes silent.
A few breaths later the doors fall open to reveal a large room. Malgar's corpse hangs from the rafters at the end of his spiked chain, a pool of blood on the floor beneath his swinging boots. From the looks of it this space used to be a lounge with comfortable couches and a mahogany table, all covered in a thick layer of dust. Several portraits line the walls, each obscured with a sheet of cobwebs. There is a cabinet in the corner with a few bottles and glasses perched atop it.
Sjo contacts Zellara's spirit through the Harrow deck. The gypsy soothsayer confirms that this place is haunted. There are spirits here that do not sleep. They are out for revenge!
Feeling it is time to confront the other jurors, Sjo summons everyone to the lounge. He wants to know what is going on. The jurors had better tell the truth lest they end up like Malgar Hurkes! Sjo stares down the former members of Mord's jury one by one. Hal Five-Toes starts shifting nervously, his breathing is irregular and fear speaks from his eyes.
"Speak up, man!" Sjo pushes him.
The limping blacksmith raises his hand and points at Malgar's swinging corpse: "He ... he made me! He forced me to find Mord guilty ... cut off my toes, he did, and still I refused to give in."
"So he paid you, did he?" Sjo sighs.
"How dare you say that! I would never ... no. He went after my children, is what he did. Kidnapped them and threatened to kill them if I didn't do what he said. I had no choice. But now ... the croaker will be after me. I wronged him, he'll want revenge, oh no."
"Hmm, does anyone else have anything to confess? Now's the time!" Sjo shouts to the rest. He steps up to Patrissa Vrakes, the voluptuous woman in the red silk gown. "I only did what I believed to be right", she claims while fondling nervously with her necklace. "I genuinely thought he was guilty, all the evidence certainly pointed in that direction. If I was wrong, I didn't know it. I do not deserve to die for that!"
"Were you forced or did anyone pay you?" Sjo pushes on.
"That will suffice!" sir Rekkart Cole interferes. "The man was clearly guilty! If he's out for revenge, it is because he was evil at heart, not because we were wrong! And leave this woman alone, she's been through enough tonight already!"
"So you claim to be honest, do you?" Quint asks.
"Well excuse ME, young man, I'm not sure you know how paladinhood works. We cannot cheat, we must always abide by the truth and the law, if not, we lose our powers! Which I never did, so my conscience is clear!" sir Cole retorts.
"I guess he is right," Zenobia Zenderholm confirms, "I've never known him to have fallen from Abadar's grace."
The next to suffer Sjo's scrutiny is Tablark the dwarf, but the ex-miner denies the accusations, declaring that Jarbin Mord was "nuthing but a filthy child-murderer and wife-killer! Hanging was too good for the likes of him. Should have let me give 'm a taste of dwarven justice, with the same axe he used to butcher his loved ones, you hear!"
Then Quint looks Ebin Bazel straight into the eyes. The failed jester clearly gets uncomfortable as droplets of sweat draw lines in his white make-up. "Well, we all know who is next, don't we?" Quint spooks him. "I wasn't forced or bribed, I wasn't!" Bazel defends himself. "Maybe you weren't," Quint insists, "but there was something, wasn't there?"
"Let's be clear, there was enough evidence, the man was guilty ... but, yeah, I didn't like him. It's true. He embarrassed me once in a pub ... can you imagine. They said that even 'death' was funnier than me. A stupid, ugly moron he was, this Mord guy, and he upstaged me! They laughed and clapped at what he said ... and he wasn't even trying to be funny! They threw me out in the street, knocking out this tooth right here", Ebin lisps, pointing at one of the black holes in his mouth. "But he was guilty and I voted to have him killed! I'm not sorry I did. He deserved it, mister hilarious hangman!"
"Yeah," Quint grunts, "Croaker's gonna get you next!"
Sjo turns his attention to Madge Blossomheart, encouraging her to open her heart. The young acrobat stares back at him with her big green eyes and her innocent face. "I didn't do anything wrong. Mord was a cold-hearted killer. He deserved to die." When she speaks those final words, Quint notices a mean little twitch in her face, if only for a split second.
"And that leaves you, Paltreth", Quint says, facing the mustached man. "What were your motives for convicting the executioner?"
"I don't know ... I was pretty sure Mord did it. But there was some doubt in my mind, I'll admit. Still, the others all were convinced, so I just followed them. It had to be a unanimous vote, you know." The man straightens his worn-down jacket and pulls out a bottle of liquor, taking a sip, before calming down.
"That's easy for you to say now," sir Rekkart Cole snarls, "I didn't hear you protest back then ..."
"You're right, maybe I should have", Paltreth confesses.
"OH, MY GODS! It can't be!" Hal Five-Toes is standing by the cabinet in the corner. His whole body is quaking. When he turns around, he's staring at a glass jar in his hands with a look of utter disbelief in his gaze. Inside the jug some indistinct forms are floating in a semi-transparent liquid. "It's ... it's ... my toes. How did they get here? My toes."
"Looks like pay-back is a b&*%+", Quint coldly establishes. "The croaker wants to punish you all! You'd better fess up if you want him to stop."
"I can't believe you, you are so misguided", is sir Rekkart Cole's response. "There is the man who was responsible for what happened in his courtroom!" The paladin points at a painting on the wall, although the many cobwebs make it impossible to tell who's on it. Quint whispers a prestidigitation to clear away the webbing. When he recognizes judge Silman Trabe's face from his vision, he is suddenly pulled back into his daydream.
---
The stocky magistrate coughs and stands up, facing the culprit: "Jarbin Mord, for the brutal and savage slaying of your wife and six-year-old boy, it is the verdict of this jury - with which I concur wholeheartedly - that you shall hang by your neck until dead. May the gods take mercy on your blackened soul." Silence falls over the courtroom in the wake of this pronouncement of doom. The faces of the assembled crowd grow solemn as everyone feels the finality of the sentence, but there are a few exceptions. Three jurors show a schmuck grin on their face: Malgar Hurkes, Ebin Bazel and Madge Blossomheart.
---
The vision takes but a few seconds. Then Quint turns to the jury members again, staring down each of them. "I know who you are", he whispers, allowing both the incompetent jester and the lithe acrobat a slightly longer look. There is a curt hint of fear in Madge Blossomheart's glance, but the experienced street performer quickly regains her bearings.
"Anyway, if you don't want to die, you'd better stick with us", Sjo orders the self-conscious jurors. "On the other hand", Zenobia Zenderholm disagrees," wouldn't it be better to stay together in a safe room, instead of wondering around this place. Who knows what else we might run into?"
"Maybe you're right, lady Zenderholm", Quint concurs. "Take these people to the courtroom where we found them. They'll be safest there. Here, take Spyder with you, while we try to find out more about this place and the mysteries it harbors. But let's be methodical about it. Let us start at the bottom and make our way up. Is there a cellar?"
It turns out the old courthouse actually had a small cellar, where the archives were kept. While judge Zenderholm leads the jurors to the courtroom near the front door, the companions head into the basement. The record room is submerged in fetid water. Row upon row of bookshelves hold thousands of old court documents. There is a nasty smell of rot and mold in the air. The archives are filed chronologically. The most recent case discusses the key-lock killer. There are no records on the Jarbin Mord trial, though. Quint starts reading through the files on Korvosa's notorious serial-killer. The key-lock killer was a man called Bornan Ragus, a soldier in the Korvosan Guard. Some of his colleagues testified at his trial, describing him as a loner and a self-mutilating creep with a strange fondness for blood.
He committed his first three murders in 4690, gaining the nickname of the key-lock killer because he murdered his victims behind locked doors, making it seem as if he had come in through the keyhole. His first victim was a prostitute, Leana Castel. The files on her murder state that her killer got into her room and butchered her in a way that would become his trademark, by cutting her to little pieces. Apparently there was a witness to the murder, because a little baby was lying in a cradle next to the bed where his mother was cut up. Quint wonders whether this might have been Madge Blossomheart, but the records say that the child's name was unknown. The baby did have a distinctive feature, though, a birthmark on his shoulder in the shape of a scorpion.
Quint is suddenly lost for breath. Shocked he rereads the words: "a birthmark in the shape of a scorpion"! Quint's hand slides to his shoulder where he sports the mark described in the files, a curled-up scorpion, the spot Gaedran Lamm used to refer to as the devil's touch. 4690, that is 18 years ago, so that checks out. This Leana Castel was his mother? And the key-lock killer murdered her? The bard quickly resumes reading. The child was taken by a soldier from the Korvosan guard, a man named Nimor Seelen, who took it to the orphanage. While Quint takes a moment to process this information, his friends leaf through the rest of the key-lock killer's case. The man continued his crimes, killing more beautiful young women in the confines of their own rooms, getting more productive over the years: three victims in 4690, 4691 and 4691, one more in the two following years, then five, then six, amounting to nine in 4697. He committed his last murder in 4698, when he was caught in the act and arrested.
He used a magic bell to open the doors to his victims' rooms and close them again when he was done. Bornan Ragus appeared before court later that year where he was prosecuted by Lady Zenobia Zenderholm, who wasn't a judge yet in those days. He was condemned to hang by a jury under the supervision of judge Rayndros Felgor, the man who was strangled in his own office ten years ago. Jarbin Mord executed the sentence, his last hanging safe for his own.
While the companions leaf through the rest of the files, Puk, who is a bit too short to reach the higher shelves, examines the lower ledges. He finds the key-lock killer's bell, a small magic device that resembles a chime of opening. Ringing the bell opens a locked door once per day. Ringing it again closes that same door.
Jarbin Mord's name turns up again and again in the records. Each time someone was condemned to death, Mord carried out the sentence, mostly by hanging them, in a few rare cases by beheading them. One more file draws the companions' interest: the case of Daben Blossomheart, who was condemned for robbing a diplomat and stabbing him to death in 4693. He was hanged for his crime by Jarbin Mord. If he was Madge Blossomheart's father, it would explain why the street performer wanted Mord dead. She must have been twelve or thirteen at the time her father was executed, still a child. Five years later she would get a shot at revenge when she was chosen to sit in Jarbin Mord's jury. The record room reveals no more useful information, so the companions turn their attention to the other door in the basement.
It leads to the morgue: a cold room with rows of small steel doors in the walls. One body lies on a stone table. The corpse twists and slowly rises, while four more zombies climb out of the compartments in the walls. When the first corpse glares at Quint, it groans: "Leana's boy, so you have finally found me. Have you come seeking vengeance? Destroy me and put me out of my misery ... I beg you!"
Wow, that's a pretty creepy revelation for Quint's origin. It's a good thing he didn't become a serial killer himself... though adventurers do tend to do a lot of killing as part of their daily routine... :)
Well, as a matter of fact, I've never played in a campaign that left so many adversaries alive. It's a nice change of pace.
Quint realizes that no one has ever found a shorter path to revenge. He has only just learned that his mother was murdered by the key-lock killer and already he faces the culprit, albeit in undead form. Determined to end the miserable creature once and for all, the bard spins into the room. His friends join him - with Puk finishing off a first of the four zombies - but are then overcome by a sense of dread emanating from the horrible serial-killer. They immediately flee the morgue, making their way up, leaving the bard alone, surrounded by four undead. Although his raging heart withstands the key-lock killer's aura of fear, Quint sees and feels the precariousness of the situation as his mother's murderer viciously cuts through his flesh with a clawed hand. The dashing comedian strategically retreats, but suffers another grievous wound, leaving him just breaths away from the grave himself. Fortunately the walking dead don't follow the heroes upstairs, so they have a moment to regroup, heal and wait for Puk, who ran all the way to the great hall before coming to his senses.
Sjo informs his friends that the four undead who crawled out of the compartments in the wall are zombies, who can be damaged with slashing weapons like Balian's and Puk's blades, but have a certain amount of resistance to his blunt morning star or Quint's piercing rapier. The key-lock killer is something different though. While the Shoanti can't put a name on it, he understands that the undead's physique is probably vulnerable to bludgeoning weapons and magic. He enchants Balian's greatsword with a magic weapon for this purpose.
The companions make their way down once more. Puk quickly puts down a second zombie in the hallway and this time only Balian falls victim to the key-lock killer's fearful aura. While the ranger flees upstairs again, the halfling continues his zombie slaying spree. Sjo uses his healing magic to burn the key-lock killer, but it is Quint's rapier that runs the poor wretch through, setting him free for his journey to a probably very unpleasant afterlife. As the undead abomination falls down, he whispers: "Forgive me."
The halfling, Shoanti and the bard search the room, but find nothing more than bones and decayed corpses, before they realize that the ranger still hasn't returned from his second retreat upstairs. As they make their way back to the great hall, they find their friend locked in conversation with the former jurors. The sound of running and the cries of fear alarmed them, so they came out to find out what was going on. The dwarf Tablark Hammergrind tells his fellows not to worry, but Patrissa feels safer staying with the heroes.
There is one more room that connects to the great hall that the companions haven't examined yet. Zenobia tells them it is the jury deliberation chamber. It contains a large table and a dozen rickety chairs. Quint's keen eyes spot some words carved in the side of the table: "Who's laughing now, Mord? E.B." How typical, the stupid jester Ebin Bazel thought it was funny to convict someone to the gallows, did he? As the bard grunts with frustration, screams erupt from the hall. Hammergrind's voice loses its steely resolve as the dwarf sighs in total fright: "It ... it's him ... the croaker has come for us ..."
The grizzled old miner drops to his knees as the companions rush to his side and notice a lumbering shadow at the top of the stairs. The thing's head jerks obscenely to one side atop a broken neck. Its face is covered in a rotten death shroud, a milky eye peering through one hole and its black teeth visible through another rent in the fabric. A horrid rasp of air croaks out pain and misery from the thing's crushed throat. The dwarf moans like a tortured animal and Quint is horrified to see that he is clawing at his own eyes. The bard grabs the old miner and tries to restrain him from hurting himself, but the frightened man struggles like a rabid dog and gives Quint a head but square in the nose. As the bard abandons the grapple his friends surround the panicked dwarf and try to knock him out, but he slips under their attacks and turns around to flee. Blinded by the blood Hammergrind can't see where he's going and slams into the huge chandelier lying in the ground. Losing his balance the dwarf trips. Blood spatters as the unfortunate creature impales his head on one of the candle spikes. His brain has been run through ...
Meanwhile Sir Rekkart Cole charges up the stairs and swings at the hulking headman with his own executioner's axe. "May the might of Abadar strike you down!" As he connects with the dark form his weapon hits nothing but air, revealing the shadow to be a mere illusion. Stupefied he returns to the others to calm down lady Patrissa, who is still trembling. Sjo and Balian pull the skewered dwarf from the chandelier and place his body in the deliberation room. When they come out, Madge suddenly notices that Hal Five-Toes is missing. He must have run off during the chaos and panic. But where did he go?
The companions decide to continue their search; with some luck they will run into the missing blacksmith on the way. Their next stop is the gallows. When they enter this cold and gloomy room with its large instrument of death, Puk's eyes turn white as a new vision washes over him. He finds himself swinging from the end of a rope again. Most of the onlookers are laughing and cheering as he is desperately trying to draw breath, others seem sad or shocked, but only one man has a satisfied, almost relieved look on his face. He is a handsome fellow with blond locks and piercing blue eyes. His fingers run across a fresh, thin scar on his lower left cheek. The halfling shares his new insight with his friends, wondering who the blond-haired person is. Could it be the cleric of Sarenrae who entered the courthouse one year after Mord's death and who never came out? He was said to be good-looking and cradled a burst of golden manes. Still, if he had anything to do with Mord's murder, why hadn't the curse ended when he perished nine years ago? Zenobia Zenderholm cannot really place the blond man either, so his identity remains a mystery for now.
Zenobia leads her protectors to another room which she identifies as the executioner's preparation room. Mord used to come here to ready himself before delivering justice. The windowless chamber only contains a small table, a stool and a chest. A black hood hangs from a hook on the wall, a length of rope coiled on the floor beneath. The chest holds an unopened bottle of Chelaxian Daemon-Spirit, which is just over 25 years old. The strong whiskey must be worth at least 150 gold sails, Balian says.
The far corner of the courthouse holds the cell block. In the lane between the cells lies a headless skeleton, obviously all that remains of the wizardess Sashrala. This time it is Sjo's turn to go through another flash back. Again he holds Sashrala's severed head in his blood-covered hands. He notices a shadow on the wall and suddenly feels a cold hand grasping his throat. Its iron fingers start crushing his neck. White spots dance before his eyes and then everything goes black before the Shoanti returns to the present. As he tries to shake off the disturbing aftereffects of this unnerving mind trip, Balian and Quint discover Hal in the last prison cell. The burly man is sitting on the floor, gently rocking to and fro with his back to the onlookers. In front of him is the jar that held his toes, its fluid spilled over the floor. Gazing over his shoulder they are horrified to see he has tried to reattach his pickled toes to his foot. The rot from his putrefied digits has already spread over his stomp. When he turns around the real horror becomes clear: the blacksmith has turned into a gangrenous ghoul. He sinks his teeth into Balian's neck, but the ranger fights off the paralyzing effect of this bite and chops his greatsword in the undead's body in return. Puk quickly finishes the job with his flashing short swords
The cell opposite Hal's turns out to the brig where Mord spent his final days. The executioner used a piece of rock to scratch a message in the wall: "I served as an angel of death my entire life. I shall have my own justice, even if it be in death. Sveth, my only friend, you will find this when you clean the cell. You are my avenging angel now. Bring these liars and fools back to me after I swing, so that I may have my peace. Ten years to the day, then they will pay. When the true murderer of my beloved Malene and my boy Gabe swings from the gallows as I did, on the tenth anniversary of my hanging, then at long last I shall be free. J.M."
Zenobia identifies Sveth as the son of the cleaning lady who served in the courthouse. The young man was indeed friends with Mord and his family. Quint connects the dots and says it is probably this Sveth guy who jumped lady Zenderholm in the streets of Korvosa and gave her the message to come here tonight. The judge nods in agreement.
One more room remains in this part of the building, the torture room. Brutal machines to coax confessions from the accused fill this mournful chamber. A flaying rack rests against the far wall, an iron maiden stands in one corner. Next to it sits a restraining chair adorned with all manner of crushing vices and punishing screws. Suddenly the spirit of a small boy rushes out of thin air, trying to push Sjo into the chair, but when his attempt fails the translucent figure disappears again, leaving no proof of his existence. Using a detect magic spell Quint sees a faint outline of magic appearing through the cracks of the iron maiden. As Sjo pulls free the lid he stands eye to eye with the dried corpse of Kelgaard, the blond priest of Sarenrae who was one of the adventurers that invaded the place one year after Mord's death. The undead horror emerges and uses his paralyzing touch to freeze the Shoanti in place while tearing through his flesh. Balian and Puk jump to the rescue and make short work of the former priest of Sarenrae. He drops to the floor with a loud bang as the weight of his full plate hits the stone tiles. The magic Quint saw a few moments earlier seems to emanate from this piece of armor. Sjo wipes it clean of the worst muck and sees the chest is decorated with a radiant image of the sun goddess. Quint cleans the armor properly with a prestidigitation, allowing Sjo to admire the true beauty of this full plate. Although the Shoanti's free spirit was too fierce to be tamed by the lore of just one god, he does feel a close connection to the Dawnflower and her power over fire, so he is proud to don the armor that bears her resemblance.
Heading back to the main hall the party of heroes and jurors passes the only other door in this edifice that should actually lead outside and to everyone's surprise, it opens easily. Rain and wind welcome the companions to a large open-air chamber, overlooking the stormy waters of the bay. Unfortunately it is a cage that bars off escape on every side, even overhead. The space is divided in two by another set of bars, with a rusted cage door providing access to the second half. Hollow indentations in the ground mark the shallow graves of criminals who were executed here in the past. There are no name tags or tombstones to identity the poor wretches.
Sjo walks up to the cage door and pulls it. Rust flakes jump off the hinges as the iron grate creakingly swings aside. Madge Blossomheart suddenly steps past the Shoanti with a blank stare in her eyes. Sjo grabs her by the arm, preventing her from entering the second half of the potter's field, but at the same moment rotted hands claw through the dirt: six corpses burst out of the ground! "Daddy? Daddy? I'm here ..." Madge moans as she tries to pull free off Sjo's iron grasp, reaching for the worm-infested ghoul on her right. The creature welcomes her embrace by tearing a huge chunk of flesh out of her belly. Some of the other undead assault her as well, quickly making her go limp in Sjo's hands. The Shoanti pulls her back and closes the gate, while his companions take care of the ghouls on this side of the fence. Still, the undead reach for Madge's unconscious body through the bars, clawing at her guts that are now spilt profusely over the ground. Anger wells up in Sjo's chest as he pulls the grate door open again and leads his friends in a short, but decisive charge against the three remaining ghouls. Then his rage give way to a touch of despair, as he realizes that death comes for the jurors, no matter how hard he and his friends work to prevent it.
Ebin Bazel, the failed jester, comes to the same conclusion. "Why are we still following these so-called heroes? Are we supposed to be safer around them? The undead are picking us off one by one! And they don't even have to come looking for us, because we just come to them! Why didn't we stay in the courtroom? Whose stupid idea was it to join them?"
"Well, I genuinely felt we would be safer around them ..." Patrissa sighs, still shaking from the gruesome butchery she has just witnessed. "Maybe we will be in less danger in the courtroom where we woke up", Sir Rekkart Cole admits as he puts his arm around Patrissa's shoulder. The ample-bosomed woman nervously toys with her necklace and agrees. Judge Zenobia Zenderholm, the dog Spyder and Killian Paltreth join the other jurors to the courtroom where this nightmare started.
Quint and his friends continue their search of the building on the first floor. The lounge where tonight's first victim, Malgar Hurkes, was hanged from his own chain sports a set of stairs and two more doors. One of these doors leads into the barrister's offices, a large area partitioned into smaller cubicles by wooden walls. Most of the old desks have been emptied long ago, but there are still some documents and books lying around. One of the offices apparently used to belong to public prosecutor Zenobia Zenderholm, while another desk was the working space of someone called Alastir Wade, a barrister. In a drawer Quint finds a red scarf of Varisian silk. Balian says that it looks a lot like the clothes worn by Malene, Mord's murdered wife. When the ranger saw her in his vision, she was dressed in a similar fashion. Quint also discovers a buyer's receipt for a string of 12 fire opals, made out to this Alastir Wade guy. The necklace's description matches the one Patrissa Vrakes is wearing. It was quite expensive, at 2,500 gold sails. It must have been a very generous gift indeed.
The second door from the lounge opens up into a long hallway with a small set of wooden stairs in the corner and a door to the baliff's office, a dank room with mold-covered couches, some wooden cabinets and a weapon rack with some rusted arms and armor. Quint weaves a detect magic and notices some slivers of green light emerging through the cracks of a coffer in the corner. When Balian unlocks the lid, the coffer bursts open revealing a wretched corpse of a man in a faded blue uniform. A handaxe protrudes from his chest. It lurches forward and bites into Quint's flesh, before it is finished off by Balian's greatsword and Puk's little blades. The magic Quint discovered traces back to eight potions of cure light wounds on the bottom of the coffer.
Quint convinces his friends to head back downstairs. He wants to question Patrissa about her necklace. As the companions walk across the great hall on the ground floor, the chandelier in the middle of the room swings ominously and breaks free, smashing down on Balian, Puk and Quint and pinning them on the floor.
Sjo, who remained out of harm's way hears a disturbing gurgle coming from behind. Madge Blossomheart's disemboweled cadaver draws closer, dragging her entrails behind her. As the bloated horror approaches, she is followed by the corpses of the three other jurors who lost their lives tonight: Malgar Hurkes, Hal Five-Toes and the dwarf Tablark Hammergrind. Strips of Madge's innards have wormed their way into the back of the heads of these three unfortunates, causing them to jerk about wildly like marionettes. More of miss Blossomheart's guts fly around her like sticky tendrils that suddenly lurch at the companions. One of the entrails lashes out at Sjo and wraps around his shiny new armor, which wonderfully protects him from the first bites and claws of the three undead puppets, but provides little protection against the more tentative way Madge's bowels attack. Puk and Quint wriggle free from under the chandelier, but the halfling is so nauseated by Madge's appearance that he has to empty his stomach first. Balian also pushes free and jumps to his feet, drawing his greatsword from its sheath. The gutdragging lurcher's entrails lash out at everyone now while her three servants attack viciously. None of the companions escape the repeated assaults unharmed and Quint and Sjo have to resort to healing to keep everyone standing. Balian feels a bit disoriented: he wastes precious moments hitting thin air before his sword swings true. Malgar Hurkes' husk is the first to fall. Meanwhile Sjo is struggling to free himself of the bowel that is creeping over his body, trying to force itself into his mouth. Quint makes for the source of the attack by leaping across the battlefield to Madge's position, but Five-Toes claws tear at his flesh while he does so. Madge's insides strike left and right and swirl around everyone's upper body now, moving up to try and choke them.
The sound of battle has alerted the people in the courtroom. Sir Rekkart Cole opens the door, clearing the way for Spyder to join the fray. The dog charges forward, aiding his master in the fight. While Sjo is working hard to hold off Hal Five-Toes clawing corpse, the others now focus on Madge. Sir Cole prays to his lord Abadar and sends waves of positive energy through the air, healing the companions of their worst wounds. Still, this is not enough to save Sjo, who can't ward off Five-Toes bashings any longer and goes down. The Shoanti did his utmost best to protect his friends by drawing as many enemies on himself as possible, but even his new suit of armor couldn't withstand this tidal wave of attacks.
Balian is more successful now, hitting down Hammergrind and cutting through Madge with the same tremendous swing. Quint thrusts his blade in her corpse as well and even Spyder tears flesh from her bones. But, as is so often the case, it is the smallest combatant who strikes the final blow. When Puk stabs his short-swords in Madge's disfigured torso, she fall to the floor, never to move again.
After everyone has healed up Quint informs about the name they discovered in the upstairs office: Alastir Wade. Zenobia Zenderholm confirms the man is a lawyer and Patrissa says she might have met him; she has had so many suitors. When the bard confronts her with the buyer's receipt for the string of fire opals around her neck - which were paid for by this illusive Alastir Wade - she admits to having dated him a couple of times. He gave her the necklace and she still wears it today, not because Wade was precious to her, but the piece of jewelry itself is the most precious and beautiful piece she owns. It should not sit idly in a jewelry box. Although the companions doubt Patrissa's story, they cannot catch her in a lie.
Quint also wonders how Mord's jury was formed. It can't have been a coincidence that two jurors already had a grudge against the executioner before they were called upon to judge the man: Madge Blossomheart blamed him for hanging her father and Ebin Bazel hated Mord for outshining and thus humiliating him in public. Zenobia says that Korvosan citizens are normally selected for jury duty at random by a courthouse clerk. The prosecutor and defense attorney can reject certain candidates if they feel those people are biased, but since Mord chose not to have a lawyer, Madge and Ebin made it to the final eight. Judge Zenderholm has no knowledge of foul play in the selection process, but admits it could surely happen if the clerk was manipulated.
Ebin Bazel tires of Quint's accusations: "As far as I know I was selected fair and square. Yes, I didn't like Mord, but the man was a heartless executioner and a crazed killer, who deserved to hang! It is obvious that Mord is not just out for revenge against ME, for I am still alive while others have already died. Even the four of you, so-called defenders of judge Zenderholm, have been under attack, several times already! I mean, that fire-wielding healer guy almost died just now", Ebin spits out, pointing at Sjo. "A great job you have done protecting us, half the jury lies dead, killed twice over! And I'm still here, so I'm not the one to ... (cough), I ... I'm not the ..." The jester's face contorts and he looks as if he's about to be sick, sticking out his tongue in an effort to clear his throat. Then he bites down. Blood pours from his mouth and streams over his chin as his tongue falls to the floor. He has bitten it off!
At the same time the shadow of a hanged man glides over the wall and both Patrissa Vrakes and Killian Paltreth grab for their own throats as well. Miss Vrakes is clawing at her necklace, which seems to be strangling her, while Paltreth drops to the floor, foaming heavily at the mouth. His flask of brandy tumbles from his grasp, emptying its remaining fluid over the floorboards. Ebin also sinks to the ground, coughing wetly, convulsing and gurgling through the current of gore pouring down his own throat.
Puk pounds Killian Paltreth on the chest in an attempt to get the man to breathe. Quint and sir Rekkart Cole rush to Patrissa's side. Her necklace is squeezed to tightly around her neck that they barely manage to get the tip of a dagger behind it. Snap! The next moment twelve fire opals scatter over the floor and Patrissa grasps for air. Balian draws his greatsword and shouts for Mord to show himself, while Sjo smashes his mace into the shadow on the wall, chasing it from existence.
Paltreth also starts coughing and breathing again, but Ebin Bazel is not so lucky. The jester has suffocated in his own blood. Another juror lies dead, although it is the first time that the companions managed to save someone as well.
"What happened?" Quint wonders. "Did Paltreth's brandy suddenly turn to poison?" The bard kneels down next to the fallen flask and dips his finger in the spilled fluid. When he brings his fingertip to his lips, he does not taste any poison at all, in fact he tastes very little of anything. It seems to be water. He also wants to know if this latest attack was magical in nature, still resisting the idea that vengeful spirits can control reality through sheer will. The bard casts detect magic and while he finds no traces of magic in the air or the building, he sees that judge Zenderholm is wearing a magical ring. Sir Cole's chain shirt also radiates some blue light and Paltreth has some magic shining from under his clothes.
Since two more rooms in the building remain unexplored, the companions decide to search those first. Maybe they will find more clues there ... The tower above the courtroom's entrance is wet from the rain and salt wind blowing through the arrow slits. An old rust-covered bell hangs from rotting wood beams. Puk sneaks a peek inside the clock, but Sjo pulls him out, fearing the heavy bell might crash down. Still, nothing happens. Looking out through the narrow windows, the companions see the nightly storm continuing to rage over the city. Darkness limits the view, but on a beautiful day the tower probably provides an excellent outlook on Korvosa.
Next is Mord's attic apartment. The small room is a mess. A double bed sits in one corner, toys of carriages, horses and knights are strewn over the floor and a rocking chair has fallen over. Balian's eyes turn white as he receives another vision. At the same time Puk, Sjo and Quint see how the shadows behind the rocking chair stir and a dark shape frees itself from the wall. The shade is obviously female, her seductive hour-glass figure is wrapped in swirling veils. The shape of her head is less attractive, though, having been cut off at a slanted angle. Quint urges the shadow not to attack: "Miss Malene, how can we serve you? We are here to help. Can you tell us who killed you?" With a sigh the shadow takes on a less aggressive posture. The graceful fingers on her dark hand point to something on the floor in front of the rocking chair, a knitting needle. Then she disappears.
"Why do you all look like you've seen a ghost?" Balian suddenly asks when he notices the surprise on everyone else's face. "I am the one who just had a vision, not you guys ... I wasn't babbling or anything, was I?" It is obvious that the ranger missed the episode with Malene's ghost completely. The others smile and urge Balian to tell them what he just witnessed. The ranger found himself in the killer's body again, standing over the beautiful woman in the rocking chair. As he raised his axe to strike, she jumped up defiantly, knocking over her seat in the process, and lashed out with her knitting needle. With his left hand he touched his cheek; his fingers came away bloody. Then he struck!
So, that is it, then. The man with the scar on his left cheek is the killer! The same man Puk saw in his vision. But this man was blond and his description doesn't match anyone who is locked up in the courthouse tonight. So how can they make the murderer pay if he is not here?
As they make their way down again, the companions hear the sound of clashing steel from the great hall. Two unknown men are locked in deadly combat. An old man with silver hair and a drooping moustache staggers backward as he defends himself from a tall, lean opponent with a top hat, a full black beard and a flashing rapier to match his intense blue eyes. Their blades clang and cast silvery sparks as the tall man launches another barrage of nasty thrusts. The heavier man's silver moustache drips beads of sweat while his green eyes show terror and strain. He can barely turn aside the attacks and ends up with a gash in his arm.
"What is this, in the name of the gods, stop this!" Sjo bellows. The four companions appear at the top of the stairs, causing the duelers to stay their hand and step back from the fight.
"There, judge Trabe ... HE is the one who lured me here! Threatening to sully my reputation with his lies concerning the long-closed case of Jarbin Mord. Here's the letter to prove it", the tall man exclaims. From his pocket he produces a piece of paper: "See this. Allow me to read it to you: 'I know which part you played in the case of Jarbin Mord. Bring 1,000 gold sails to the old courthouse if you want to assure yourself of my continued silence. Be there at 4 in the morning or suffer the consequences.' Signed by Silman Trabe."
"Well, I'll be damned. That is the letter YOU sent to ME, mister Wade, word for word", the old man retorts. He digs up a similar scrap of paper from his waistcoat. Quint takes both letters and compares them, they are in the same handwriting, although one is supposedly signed by Silman Trabe and the other by Alastir Wade.
"Hmm," Quint muses, "looks like you were both lured here by the same person, just not each other." The bard studies the two newcomers' faces and notices a slight scar peeping through Wade's facial hair. "So you must be Alastir Wade. We've been expecting you. Why don't you tell us how you killed Mord's wife and child?"
"I don't know who you are, young man, but I will not stand for this insult", Wade throws back as he launches an attack at Quint and draws blood. Balian and Puk storm forward for a fight, but Quint beats them to the punch by putting his assailant to sleep with his magic. In the meantime Zenderholm and the former jurors have joined the commotion.
"We've got the killer", Quint tells the high judge, pointing at Alastir Wade, while Balian and Puk tie him up. "We'll need proof, obviously", Zenobia Zenderholm replies. "We've seen it in our visions", Sjo remarks. "It's hard to prove anything based on a daydream. But we have to act quickly. Wade has to hang before dawn, lest we all perish."
"Let's start with that man over there," Puk interjects, "mister Silman Trabe. According to the late judge Felgor you knowingly sent an innocent man to the gallows. Care to explain?"
The old judge shuffles back nervously. "Wade here told me that Mord was innocent. But we needed to solve the matter quickly. An unsolved murder case in the courthouse would certainly blemish our good reputation. So he convinced me to let him see Mord and talk him out of getting legal aid. I don't know how he did it, but he made sure Mord didn't want a lawyer and he forced me to go along with that. I also had to put some names on the jury list."
"How did he force you exactly?" Quint inquires.
"That doesn't matter, suffice to say that he had the power to do so."
"Judge Trabe is right", Patrissa confesses. "Wade was the one pulling the strings, mine as well."
Sir Rekkart Cole looks disappointed: "Patrissa, what are you saying?"
"I'm sorry, Rekkart. But I have to come clean, our lives depend on it. Wade bought me the necklace in return for condemning Mord to the gallows. And he got me to manipulate you and Tablark Hammergrind to vote the same way. I thought Mord was guilty anyway, so I didn't see the harm. The opals were just a bonus for doing a job I would have done anyway."
"There you have it," Quint concludes, "looks like we have all the evidence we need. Time to finish it."
"Finish what? Have you suddenly become the judge here?" The sleep spell on Alastir Wade has ended. "I demand you set me free, I am innocent! And I can't be convicted without a proper trial."
"That is why we have the high judge present here tonight", Killian Paltreth reacts. Everyone looks at the older gentleman in the worn suit. His dull eyes suddenly gleam with renewed energy and his shoulders don't sag anymore. "The way I approached her, might have been a bit rough, I'd like to apologize for that, miss Zenderholm, but I was running out of time, and I needed Korvosa's most trustworthy judge to be here."
"You ... are Sveth?" Quint asks.
"That is my real name, yes", Paltreth replies, as he takes off his frayed top hat and pulls the broad handlebar moustache from his face. "Mord was my friend. When they took him to be executed, I stayed behind in his cell. That is when I discovered his message on the wall, asking me to avenge his unjust death after ten years. But I didn't know who was guilty, so I got everyone here who might have been involved. If I had known Wade was the murderer, I would have gotten him here earlier, but I already had my hands full getting the seven jurors here, so I had to improvise."
"And where is the real Paltreth?" Sjo asks.
"He's been dead for years", Sveth answers. "He hated himself for sending Mord to meet his maker. During the trial he caved under the peer pressure, just like I told you. Seven jurors were convinced Mord did it, and Paltreth was all that was in the way of a unanimous decision, so he gave the others what they wanted. After the trail he started doubting Mord's guilt more and more, so he turned to drinking ... a lot. It took three years for the alcohol to kill him."
"Well, the pieces of the puzzle are definitely falling into place", Quint muses. "Still, there is one thing that eludes me ... why ... why did you kill her? She was such a lovely woman. Why, Wade?"
"She was more than lovely, a rare beauty. I never understood what she saw in that dim-witted monster", Wade retorts. "He didn't deserve her ... but, that doesn't mean I killed her! This ... what you are doing ... it is a charade. I demand a real trial!"
"It is true that we need a fair trial", Sjo nods. "But if we do, and you are found guilty, I'd happily hang you myself. Judge Zenderholm, how should we proceed?"
The high judge realizes that she has to take charge now. She checks the front door one more time, but when she still finds it closed, she beckons everyone to follow her to the courtroom. Quint acts as the prosecutor and calls Patrissa, judge Trabe and his companions to the stand, where they all repeat their confessions and visions. Wade still denies all the accusations and screams that he does not recognize the authority of this court. He still refuses to confess and laughs at the evidence. A silk shawl in his desk? There are hundreds of women in Korvosa who wear those. A gift to Patrissa, well, she is quite attractive, or at least, she used to be. A knitting needle and a scar that come together in a dream. Don't be ridiculous! Still, when everyone has said his piece and judge Zenderholm asks Wade to defend himself, he rejects this court again and refuses to speak any more.
"Then, in light of the evidence, Alastir Wade, I see no other choice but to find you guilty for the murder of Malene and her son Gabe, and indirectly for the death of Jarbin Mord. The penalty for such heinous crimes, under Korvosan law, is death." Zenderholm strikes her hammer on her desk as she delivers judgment.
Sjo wastes no time and drags Alastir Wade to the gallows. A new rope already dangles from the crossbeam as they enter. The Shoanti forces Wade's head through the noose. "Have any last words, murderer?" he asks.
"Damn you! Damn you all!"
"Yeah, whatever", Sjo shrugs. He turns to the lever that makes the floor drop from under the convict. A shadow has appeared there. The ominous figure's head still lolls obscenely to one side on its broken neck. The darkness in its face barely reveals one milky eye peering through a hole of its executioner's mask: it is the croaker. Slowly he reaches for the lever. He gives Wade one last look, then he pulls the bar. The rope snaps tight. Wade starts kicking and twisting freakishly, trying to regain his footing. He finds only air. As the seconds go by, the twitching lessens, until it stops altogether.
The shadow of the Croaker changes into the ghostly appearance of a man. He does not look handsome, but he has an air of honesty about him. He nods in gratitude and turns around. As he walks away he is not alone anymore. A beautiful woman is holding his left hand and a child walks to his right. After all these years the Mords have finally found peace.
Suddenly the atmosphere doesn't feel as suppressive anymore. It is as if a sigh of relief emanates from the courthouse. Sjo pulls out the bottle of Chelaxian Daemon-Spirit and uncorks it. He passes the bottle around, allowing everyone to take a sip. "I will even indulge myself and have a real drink for once instead of water", Sveth smiles. "So, when you were suffocating earlier tonight, that was fake as well?" Sjo informs. Sveth nods: "It was. A necessary deception, I'm afraid. I'm sorry for misleading you." Sir Rekkart Cole does not join in the fun; he seems to be upset about having convicted an innocent man to the gallows ten years ago. He also avoids Patrissa's company for the first time tonight, obviously blaming her for manipulating him.
When the companions try the front door again, they find it unlocked. Balian, Puk and Sjo make sure judge Zenderholm gets home safely. She promises them to take care of the loose ends: the bodies in the courthouse, the red tape and judge Silman Trabe. Meanwhile Quint escorts Patrissa Vrakes home and sweet-talks his way into her bedroom. He has some stress to release.
Ok, I'm definitely going to have to get my hands on this module.
I've uploaded four more photos on my Deviantart page. You can find it here: MrVergee's deviantART gallery.
Ok, I'm definitely going to have to get my hands on this module.
It is a great module, although quite deadly for level 1 characters, which it was originally written for. We played it at level 3 and I adjusted some of the adversaries, but not a lot. In hindsight, that was a good call.
If you like the Hangman's Noose I can certainly recommend Moonbeam's journal of this adventure, right here.
on your harrowing readings, what information do you try to provide, to your pc's? Is there any problems with the campaign, you ran across? i'll be started this ap in may, trying togather information.
On your harrowing readings, what information do you try to provide to your PCs? Is there any problem with the campaign, you ran across? I'll be starting this AP in May, trying to gather information.
For my Harrow readings I use the Paizo Harrow Cards and an excel worksheet that I found somewhere on these boards, which tells you what each card means. If you don't have the cards, you can easily use the worksheet by itself, because it does an automatic spread for you.
For the reading, base yourself on the official explanation of each card (easy with the excel worksheet) and mix in what you know about your PCs' background, present character or future events.
If you're having an extremely hard time at divining the meaning of each card during play, you could even consider doing the reading via e-mail. It will give you more time to think harder about how to express yourself. I decided to do my reading at the table, though, because they provide a marvelous opportunity at roleplay.
On your harrowing readings, what information do you try to provide to your PCs? Is there any problem with the campaign, you ran across? I'll be starting this AP in May, trying to gather information.For my Harrow readings I use the Paizo Harrow Cards and an excel worksheet that I found somewhere on these boards, which tells you what each card means. If you don't have the cards, you can easily use the worksheet by itself, because it does an automatic spread for you.
For the reading, base yourself on the official explanation of each card (easy with the excel worksheet) and mix in what you know about your PCs' background, present character or future events.
If you're having an extremely hard time at divining the meaning of each card during play, you could even consider doing the reading via e-mail. It will give you more time to think harder about how to express yourself. I decided to do my reading at the table, though, because they provide a marvelous opportunity at roleplay.
I got the worksheet in this thread. It was made by a fellow poster, R-Kelleg. Here's the link.
Ooh, I hope to run CotCT again someday so that spreadsheet will be a big help.
Here are the updated stats for three PCs. I haven't got Puk's data yet.
BALIAN, CG Male Human ranger 4 (urban ranger)
Init +5; Senses Perception +8
AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 18
hp 41 (3HD)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee masterwork greatsword (two handed) +9 ((two handed) 2d6+6/19-20)
Melee masterwork dagger +9 (1d4+4/19-20)
Ranged masterwork dagger (thrown) +8 (1d4+4/19-20)
Ranged masterwork longbow (composite/strength rating+4) +8 (1d8+4/x3)
Base Atk +4; CMB +8; CMD 22
Atk Options Favored Enemy (Humanoid (Human)) +2
Ranger Spells (CL 4th):
1st (1/day) (DC 12) - lead blades
Abilities Str 19, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 7
Special Qualities Favored Community Korvosa +2, Track +1, Trapfinding, Wild Empathy +1
Feats Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Endurance, Following Step, Step Up
Skills Acrobatics +3, Acrobatics (Jump) -1, Climb +4, Disable Device +3, Heal +5, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (Geography) +2, Knowledge (Local) +5, Perception +8, Perform (Act) +3, Sense Motive +1, Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +6, Survival +5, Survival (Follow or identify tracks) +7, Swim +4
Possessions masterwork greatsword; ring of protection +1; breastplate; amulet of natural armor +1; masterwork dagger; Masterwork Longbow (Composite/Strength Rating+4)
Favored Community Korvosa (Ex) You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Knowledge (local), Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks. An urban ranger traveling through his favored community leaves no trail and cannot be tracked (although he may leave a trail if he so desires).
Favored Enemy (Humanoid (Human)) (Ex) You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks when using these skills against humans. Likewise, you get a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against such creatures.
Trapfinding (Ex) At 3rd level, an urban ranger can find and disable traps, as the rogue class feature of the same name.
Trained actor You trained as a child to be an actor. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perform (act) and Perform (act) is always a class skill for you. You also gain a free skill point in Perform (act).
Child of the Streets You grew up on the streets of a large city, and as a result you have developed a knack for picking pockets and hiding small objects on your person. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sleight of Hand checks, and Sleight of Hand is always a class skill for you.
Reactionary You were bullied often as a child, but never quite developed an offensive response. Instead, you became adept at anticipating sudden attacks and reacting to danger quickly. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.
---
Quintilian, CG Male Human bard 4 (court bard)
Init +2; Senses Perception +5
AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16, Combat Expertise
hp 30 (4HD)
Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +4, +4 vs. Bardic Performance, sonic, and language-dependent effects
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee rapier +1 +6 (1d6+3/18-20)
Melee longsword +5 (1d8+2/19-20)
Melee masterwork whip +6 (1d3+2)
Melee sap +5 (1d6+2)
Ranged shortbow +5 (1d6/x3)
Base Atk +3; CMB +54; CMD 17
Known Bard Spells (CL 4th):
2nd (2/day) (DC 15) - gallant inspiration, heroism
1st (4/day) (DC 14) - cure light wounds, innocence, memory lapse, sleep, timely inspiration
0th (at will) (DC 13) - detect magic, ghost sound, light , lullaby, mage hand, message, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic
Abilities Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 17
Feats Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Skill Focus (Perform Comedy)
Skills Acrobatics +8, Bluff +14, Climb +5, Diplomacy +12, Disguise +7, Escape Artist +5, Intimidate +13, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Knowledge (Geography) +6, Knowledge (History) +8, Knowledge (Local) +11, Knowledge (Local/Art & music) +13, Knowledge (Nature) +6, Knowledge (Nobility) +8, Linguistics +8, Perception +5, Perform (Act) +8, Perform (Comedy) +13, Perform (Dance) +7, Perform (Oratory) +7, Perform (Sing) +7, Perform (String Instruments) +7, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +6, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +5, Use Magic Device +7
Possessions rapier +1; masterwork chain shirt; masterwork buckler; longsword; masterwork whip; sap; wand (feather step); wand of cure light wounds; Shortbow; amulet of natural armor +1
Bardic Performance You can use this ability for 13 rounds per day.
Versatile Performance (Comedy) (Ex) You can use your bonus in the Perform (Comedy) skill in place of your bonus in the Bluff or Intimidate skills.
Countersong (Su) You can counter magic effects that depend on sound.
Distraction (Su) You can use your performance to counter magic effects that depend on sight.
Fascinate (Su) You can use your performance to cause up to 2 creatures to become fascinated with you (Will save DC 15).
Heraldic Expertise (Ex) A court bard gains a bonus equal to half his bard level on Diplomacy, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), and Knowledge (nobility) checks. 1/day, the court bard can also reroll a check against one of these skills, though he must take the result of the second roll even if it is worse.
Satire (Su) A court bard can use performance to undermine the confidence of enemies who hear it, causing them to take a -1 penalty on attack and damage rolls (minimum 1) and a -1 penalty on saves against fear and charm effects as long as the bard continues performing. This penalty increases by -1 at 5th level and every six levels thereafter. Satire is a language-dependent, mind-affecting ability that uses audible components. This performance replaces inspire courage.
Mockery (Su) A court bard of 3rd level or higher can subtly ridicule and defame a specific individual. The bard selects one target who can hear his performance. That individual takes a -2 penalty on Charisma checks and Charisma-related skill checks as long as the bard continues performing.
Trained actor You trained as a child to be an actor. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perform (act) and Perform (act) is always a class skill for you. You also gain a free skill point in Perform (act).
Fast-Talker You had a knack at getting yourself into trouble as a child, and as a result developed a silver tongue at an early age. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks, and Bluff is always a class skill for you.
Child of the Street You grew up on the streets of Korvosa, and as a result you have developed a knack for picking pockets and hiding small objects on your person. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sleight of Hand checks, and SoH is always a class skill for you. You also gain a free skill point in SoH.
---
SHAOBAN, LN Male Human oracle 4
Init +0; Senses Darkvision (30 ft.), Perception +2, Clouded Vision
AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 23
hp 23 (3HD)
Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee masterwork mace (heavy) +7 (1d8+2)
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 16
Known Oracle Spells (CL 4th):
2nd (4/day) (DC 16) - cure moderate wounds, hold person, resist energy
1st (7/day) (DC 15) - burning hands, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, magic weapon, remove fear, shield of faith,
0th (at will) (DC 14) - create water, detect magic, purify food and drink, read magic, spark, stabilize
Abilities Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 19
Feats Armor Proficiency, Heavy, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (Heavy Mace)
Skills Bluff +7, Diplomacy +12, Heal +7, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (Local) +0, Knowledge (Religion) +6, Perform (Act) +9, Sense Motive +8, Sleight of Hand -1
Possessions masterwork mace (heavy); ring of protection +1; full plate +1; buckler; amulet of natural armor +1
Clouded Vision Your eyes are obscured, making it difficult for you to see.
Flame Mysteries You draw upon the divine mystery of Flame to grant your spells and powers.
Touch of Flame (Su) As a standard action, you can perform a melee touch attack that deals 1d6 points of fire damage + 1 per two oracle levels (1d6+2). Alternatively you can use this power to ignite your weapon as a free action, adding the same amount of fire damage to each of your weapon attacks during that round. You can use this ability a number of times or rounds per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier (7).
At 11th level, any weapon that you wield is treated as a flaming weapon, adding 1d6 points of fire damage + 1 per two oracle levels.
Molten Skin (Ex) You gain resist fire 5
Trained actor You trained as a child to be an actor. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perform (act) and Perform (act) is always a class skill for you. You also gain a free skill point in Perform (act).
Child of the Streets You grew up on the streets of a large city, and as a result you have developed a knack for picking pockets and hiding small objects on your person. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Sleight of Hand checks, and Sleight of Hand is always a class skill for you.
Ease of Faith Your mentor, the person who invested your faith in you from an early age, took steps to ensure that you understood that what powers your divine magic is no different than that which powers the magic of other religions. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks, and Diplomacy is always a class skill for you.
And here's our good friend Puk.
PUK, CG Male Halfling rogue 4 (swashbuckler)
Init +5; Senses Perception +8
AC 22, touch 17, flat-footed 22, uncanny dodge
hp 34 (3HD)
Fort +5, Ref +10 (evasion), Will +2, +1 morale bonus vs. fear, +2 racial bonus vs. fear
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee main hand silver short sword +2 +10 (1d4+2/19-20) and masterwork short sword +9 (1d4/19-20)
Ranged shortbow (small) +9 (1d4/x3)
Ranged sling staff (halfling) (small) +9 (1d6/x3)
Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD 18
Atk Options Sneak Attack 2d6
Abilities Str 10, Dex 21, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10
Feats Dodge, Martial Weapon Proficiency (Halfling Sling Staff), Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (short sword)
Skills Acrobatics +14, Acrobatics (Jump) +10, Appraise +4, Bluff +5, Climb +6, Diplomacy +4, Disable Device +11, Disguise +5, Escape Artist +9, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +3, Knowledge (Local) +5, Linguistics +3, Perception +8, Perform (Percussion Instruments) +5, Ride +5, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +11, Stealth +14, Use Magic Device +4
Possessions small masterwork short sword; small silver short sword +2; studded leather +1 (small); Shortbow (Small); Halfling Sling Staff (Halfling); amulet of natural armor +1
Sneak Attack (Ex) If you can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from your attack, you can strike a vital spot for extra damage. Your attack deals 2d6 points of extra damage.
Fast-Talker You had a knack at getting yourself into trouble as a child, and as a result developed a silver tongue at an early age. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff checks, and Bluff is always a class skill for you.
Personal Addiction You were the addict. You blame Gaedren for your brush with death and hate how his drugs are causing similar problems among other youths. Fortunately, your body recovers quickly from toxins, and you have a +1 bonus on Fortitude saving throws.
31 Desnus 4708
When Quint returns to the villa the next morning, he picks up a copy of the Herald. An advertisement calls for actors, singers and musicians in the Marble Dome for The Passion of Saint Alika, reminding the bard that this afternoon marks the auditions for the play that has to promote the city and her new queen. He will have just enough time to squeeze in a few hours of sleep before showing impressing the high and mighty of Korvosa's cultural scene with his talents.
Sjo pays a visit to the tax office first, where he is immediately allowed into magistrate Garrick Tann's office. Having your own villa in South Shore has its perks, or maybe just having to pay a s***load of taxes does ... Tann welcomes his guest and asks him to declare which valuable possessions his group acquired over the last month. He already knows about a couple of things and is content to hear Sjo mention those. Then he starts making all kinds of calculations and ends up with a sum of 6,006 gold sails, which he kindly rounds down to 6,000. Sjo manages 1,500 gold pieces already, promising to come back later next month to pay the rest.
The companions also sell the magical rapier they took off Alastir Wade, since the barrister won't be needing the weapon anymore. Furin Ironguts, the dwarven smith from East Shore, is happy to take the fencing blade off their hands. With the money they make, they buy a new wand of cure light wounds in the temple of Sarenrae. Then they head for the opera house.
The Marbledome is probably the grandest opera house in Varisia, rivaled only by the Triodea in Magnimar. This gleaming temple of music is situated in the upscale Heights District, just a few streets south of Castle Korvosa. Patron of the arts in the city and owner of the Marbledome is House Jeggare, whose abundant funds also flow to the Jeggare Museum. The head of this noble family, the friendly and enthusiastic Mercival Jeggare, is the one who invited the companions to join the auditions; he even insisted on their attendance. Rumor has it that Touran Palastus, the director, is a tyrannical, bile-spewing sadist who treats his performers poorly and whose productions bleed gold. Still, everybody who wants to be somebody on stage, has to put up with his foul moods to make it to the top, because Palastus makes or breaks the career of actors and musicians in Korvosa.
The theater is already buzzing with activity when the companions arrive. A gray-haired gnome with a goatee welcomes all would-be actors curtly and puts their names on a list. Then the waiting starts, seeing long hours in which a lot of nervous and insecure candidates, but also a few confident and even cocksure artists are called into the grand hall. A self-conscious girl with long black hair walks in every few minutes and calls out the next name.
One of the more relaxed people waiting around is a nonchalant young fellow with a disarming smile. When he spots the heroes, he walks over: "Good afternoon, sirs Quintillian, Shaoban, Balian and Puk, I presume? Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Xerxes Jeggare. I've heard impressive tales about you. I'm thrilled to see you have accepted my uncle's invitation." Xerxes is an accomplished, well-known musician in Korvosa and he makes for enjoyable company. He is in charge of the orchestra and will be playing the piano. He gives his take on the main cast; he reckons that up-and-coming star Aisha Leroung will be playing the lead, Saint Alika, while Dario Darnas will feature as her beau, the Chelaxian soldier Kallan. His rival, Varisian trader Garamon, will probably be portrayed by Dierderik Lodann, a fast-talking merchant himself by trade. Xerxes points to a ginger-haired man across the room, who is eliciting 'ohs' and 'ahs' from a couple of bystanders while fabricating some marvelous stories. "Of course," Xerxes admits, "I don't know what you are capable of. I don't see any competition for the part of Alika among you, but who knows ... maybe Darnas and Lodann should watch their backs. Of course, your participation in the play is already assured, my uncle insists on that at least. He's in the jury and will make sure you get cast, even if it is just as a face in the crowd. And if all else fails, you are always welcome to help out behind the scenes, if you can put up with Rimando over there", Xerxes smiles as he wave hello to the grumpy gnome with the gray beard. "Oh, and one more thing, when you're in there, be nice to the fat lady. She can be quite critical, but charming her will get you a long way."
When the black-haired girl enters next, she calls out the names of Quint and his friends and beckons them to join her in the main theater. As they climb the stage, they see Mercival Jeggare's friendly face on the first row. Next to him is a nervously shifting busy-body of a man with a monocle, who is waving about his walking stick furiously as he is lamenting to the tremendous woman to his other side. An extravagant dress hugs her enormous curves as she nods in agreement with every word that flows out of her neighbor's mouth. A thick layer of make-up paints her face alabaster, contrasting heavily with the stress-induced crimson neck and face of the man seated next to her.
"Huh, Leiny, what is this? Are we calling them in in groups now?" the aggravated man hurls at the shy girl who tries to hide beneath her black locks. "Maybe it's for the better, we might just see this horrible day end a bit sooner!"
"Relax, dear Touran," Mercival Jeggare graciously declares, "these are the heroes of Korvosa I've been telling you about. The ones who turned around the negative vibe in the city"
"Heroes, you say? Rabble of the street, you mean. I don't see how bringing in these thugs will aid our play, as if I don't have to work with enough amateurs as it is already?"
"Don't fret, my friend. They may show some talents yet. You might just be surprised", Mercival pats the director on the back. "Welcome my friends, I've been looking forward to seeing you here. Time to put on a little show", Mercival winks at the companions.
Eying Sjo, Palastus immediately recognizes his Shoanti looks. He asks him to take off his shirt and nods. "A fine barbarian, right there." Sjo impresses the jury with his impersonation of a Shoanti who tells his tribe about his latest victory, but his singing obviously still needs work. Quint also scores when asked to imitate a merchant who got robbed, but the long night and short sleep give him a coarse voice today, so his song falls short as well. Balian's effort at acting is acceptable, but singing is not the ranger's cup of tea, so he doesn't even give that a shot. Puk's talents are better suited for the orchestra, which the halfling proves with an excellent performance on the percussion instruments.
Mercival Jeggare is quite pleased with the companions' artistic achievements. He tells them that the jury will put up a list tomorrow morning at the doors of the Marbledome with the names of those selected and the roles they have to play. Rehearsals start at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
1 Sarenith 4708
That morning the names of the cast are listed in the Marbledome. As predicted Aisha Leroung lands the lead role of Alika Epakena and Dario Darnas gets to play Kallan, the Chelaxian soldier who loves her. Quint is Garamon, the Varisian trader who is Kallan's rival for Alika's affection, an important role, though not the most likable character in the play. Sjo portrays Garak the Brute, the leader of the Shoanti. Balian name is among the Chelaxian marines and Puk gets his seat in the orchestra.
By 3 o'clock the companions returns to the opera house and meet the rest of the people who got cast. Everyone beams with excitement as they enter the building and take a seat.
The first session consists of a run-through of the play. Mercival Jeggare takes the stage: "Welcome everybody. First of all I would like to congratulate you all on making the cut! Competition was fierce, so I'm overjoyed to see we get to work with the finest Korvosa has to offer! Today, we're going to have a look at the story we'll be enacting. Leiny Ranstro, our lovely assistant, will hand each of you your personal script. Make sure to study your roles meticulously, so rehearsals will run smoothly. After all, we only have one week to pull off this colossal feat. Come 10 Sarenith, you'll be on this very stage impressing the cream of Korvosan society.
So, what is The Passion of Saint Alika about? This opera is a heavily romanticized version of one of our city's earliest moments of glory. It tells the tale of the first Varisian woman to ever acquire Chelaxian citizenship - albeit posthumously - for the bravery she displayed and the crucial part she played in our history. Her name was Alika Epakena, better known as Saint Alika. We did not choose this opera by chance, as we hope that the story of one of Korvosa's most popular heroes will contribute to healing the wounds the recent riots and unrest inflicted on our lovely city. We need something to rekindle the 'Korvosa feeling' in our good citizens. Now, I know that the common man will not get the opportunity to see this wonderful play, but everybody who is anybody will be present, as will her Majesty, Queen Ileosa! So, without further ado, I give you the maestro of Korvosan entertainment, your director, Touran Palastus.!"
The monocled man walks on the platform, swinging his cane vigorously as he accepts the applause of the complete cast. A hunchbacked man with stringy white hair follows in his wake, obviously less at ease in front of a crowd. His name is Dargo 'the Hump', who is in charge of the set and the special effects in the Marbledome. As he describes the various background sets and the illusions he will summon, Touran Palastus walks his cast through the story. He emphasizes that this is an opera and most of the interactions are sung. He also mentions who will play which part and asks the actors to stand up so everyone can see them.
The first act will show a wooden palisade and some crude houses. It starts with commander Waydon Endrin, another famous hero of the city, giving a speech to the settlers of the new fort. Varric Bedar will portray the commander, being a retired soldier himself, he should be a perfect fit. The commander discusses the hard times the young Korvosans have had to endure and the many Shoanti raids they have suffered. Still, he focuses on their successes. His wife, Keyra Palin, captain of the frigate Merciless and played by Arianna Evenland, managed to fight off yet another barbarian assault. More and more children are being born here as well, he proudly claims, including his own son Lucien and his daughter Mina. They are the best guarantee for Fort Korvosa's future. The first child to be conceived and born in the camp has already reached adulthood, Endrin beams, pointing to a beautiful lady in the crowd, Alika Epakena. After his speech Alika remains on stage with her parents. Her father introduces her to Garamon, a successful Varisian trader, who is to be her husband. The shy girl is taken aback by this news. Alika's role will be in the capable hands of Aisha Leroung, Diederik Lodann is her father and Quintillian will play Garamon.
In the second act Alika seeks refuge in the wilds, calling to the gods for aid. She does not love this Garamon and feels reluctant to marry him. She promises the gods to spend her life in their service if they help her. The next moment a handsome Chelaxian soldiers walks on stage, who will be portrayed by the crowd's favorite, Dario Darnas. He is out hunting and hopes to find a suitable prey, a magnificent animal that can only be found in the wilds, not in the civilized Cheliax he used to call home. Then he notices Alika. She is indeed of unparalleled beauty, although she is hardly the prey he was expecting. He approaches the girl and introduces himself as Kallan, a marine who arrived here recently aboard the Merciless. As the two meet, sparks fly and it immediately becomes obvious that it is love at first sight. Alika confides in Kallan that her father promised her to an old merchant, but the fiery young soldier ensures her that he will change her father's mind. When the two move closer for their first kiss, Alika suddenly receives her first vision: the image of an attacking Shoanti appears in the air above her. When she breaks from her trance, she yells a warning. Kallan is quick on his feet and reacts by drawing steel, just in time to block the attack of a Shoanti assassin, a role for Marco Ebhart. He kills the barbarian in a whirling fight, after which he leads Alika back to the camp.
In act three Kallan bears witness to having seen Alika's gift, but he is taken for a fool, especially by Garamon, who leads the mockery. The trader claims Alika's only gift will be cleaning his house and bearing his children. Life nor the gods have any bigger role for her in store. He challenges Alika to prove her new-found power: the settlers on Endrin Island are in desperate need of a water source, let the girl show them where to find one! While Garamon and his friends are laughing heartily, Alika receives another divine premonition: the image of spraying water appears above her as she falls to the ground. When the vision fades, she claims that there is a source of water below her. Kallan jumps forward and hammers an iron pole into the ground. When nothing happens, Garamon resumes his taunts, but he is interrupted by a flash of lightning that announces a heavy storm. Another bolt of electricity crackles down and hits the iron pole after which water bubbles up out of the ground.
When the storm is over, terrible news reaches the encampment; the Merciless has sunk. The mood changes to hopeless. The discouraged settlers abandon the stage, leaving only Alika and Waydon Edrin there. The commander wonders how the fort will survive this setback, with Alika trying to comfort him, while she gets yet another vision that the frigate survived the tempest. Waydon Edrin is torn between disbelief and hope until a freeing cry of joy resounds from the docks. The Merciless has returned home. A few moments later the ecstatic commander is reunited with his wife. He acknowledges publicly that Alika has the gift of Pharasma.
Act four takes place in the encampment of the Shoanti, who are dancing like madmen around a bonfire. They spit out their hatred for Fort Korvosa and plan a vicious attack on the settlement, swearing to set it on fire. They prepare canoes filled with pitch. Their leader, Garak the Brute, whips up passions and boasts that he will kill all intruders with his greatclub. Touran Palastus is proud to have found a real Shoanti for the part, Sjo, although the 'actor' is quick to correct his director by stating that he is just half Shoanti.
The fifth and final act kicks off with a secret meeting between Alika and Kallan. The two youths circle each other cautiously until they can no longer hide their true feelings and glide in each others' arms for their first real kiss. That is when Garamon storms on stage, pushes a surprised Kallan to the ground and challenges him to a duel. Kallan draws his blade, but Alika steps between the two rivals and tries to calm them. Then she strikes over backward while the vision of an inferno flames up above her. The other settlers arrive and Alika warns them that the Shoanti will burn down the fort. Waydon Endrin no longer doubts her words and reacts immediately by sending a small barge to Cheliax asking for reinforcements.
The Shoanti are faster, though. The messenger has only just left, when someone cries out: "Fire!" This will apparently be Balian's job, just shouting it though, no singing required. The palisade lights up and the fire fills the stage. Raging barbarians leap through the flames and attack the settlers. While the soldiers try to make a desperate stand, numerous defenders go down under Garak the Brute's club, including Waydon Endrin and his wife Keyra Palin. Meanwhile Alika risks her life rescuing inhabitants from their burning houses and urging others to seek refuge.
While the common settlers run for cover, Alika starts searching for Kallan who she lost sight of in the thick of the battle. When she finds him, Garamon appears as well and maliciously attempts to backstab the soldier. While Alika tries to separate the fighting men again, Garak the Brute suddenly appears behind her. Kallan and Garamon are equally surprised when the object of their affection drops at their feet under the barbarian's club. The towering barbarian now focuses his attention on the two of them. Kallan engages the brute while Garamon flees the scene. The soldier from Cheliax dodges under the Shoanti's greatclub and jams his blade in Garak's ribs, killing the chieftain.
Next Kallan kneels down in desperation at Alika's body. The stage is now filled with cadavers. While threatening music plays, Death himself enters, given form by Eric Brolan. He waves his scythe over the fallen, collecting their souls, drawing ever closer to Kallan and Alika. The soldier recoils in horror as Death looms over his beautiful lover. At that moment a flash of light falls from the sky and a radiant angel descends from heaven, wielding a flaming sword that scares off Death. The angel, or rather Aliëna Fochs, picks up the body of Alika and while she ascends with the young girl in her arms, a heavenly choir chants. Auralia Lazanne, the stout Chelish diva who is now the Marbledome's vocal coach, will be singing this beautiful aria from the orchestra pit.
Leiny Ranstro, Touran Palastus' personal assistant, gives everyone his personal copy of the script and informs them when they have to come by tomorrow for a fitting with Delindra the seamstress. The companions have their appointment set at half past four.
2 Sarenith 4708
Today the villa is turned into a great practice hall, as Quint and Sjo study their roles and learn their songs, while Puk practices on the drums. Balian has an easier job since his only line in the play is "Fire!"
By 4 o'clock the companions swing by the Marbledome, where Diederik Lodann is still being fitted into his costume of Alika's father. The ginger-haired merchant welcomes the heroes of the city and congratulates Quint on landing the part he wanted to play as well, Garamon. The role of Alika's father is substantially smaller, but he is also a nicer character, so Lodann doesn't feel too bad about getting to play him.
The seamstress, Delindra, turns out to be a very old elven lady, who is very good at her job. While she skillfully fits Quint, Sjo and Balian into their costumes and even compliments the bard on his elf-like build, Diederik Lodann hangs around a bit longer and offers the companions his services as a merchant. Being heroes they likely need the best and finest equipment available and Lodann boasts he can get them anything they want.
Leiny, the shifty assistant, tells the actors they have to be here at 10 o'clock tomorrow. Musicians have to come earlier though, as they start training at 8.30 already.
2 Sarenith 4708
The first day of rehearsals covers the first act of The Passion of Saint Alika. When the actors arrive, the orchestra is already in full swing and the set of Fort Korvosa is partly built. Puk whispers to his friends that Xerxes Jeggare, the conductor, was already late this morning. The costumes are finished, so every actor who is in the first act gets dressed, while the others take a seat. Sjo, who doesn't appear until act four is seated between other people who play Shoanti. He is quite annoyed by Dario Darnas, who is not in act one either. The popular actor turns out to be very haughty and self-centered and constantly shouts out rude comments to the people on stage. Only Aisha Leroung gets nothing but praise from him, although even these words of encouragement are interspersed with sexist subtext.
Touran Palastus, the director, lives up to his reputation of being a tyrant, although he obviously knows his trade well. Auralia Lazanne, the vocal coach, is slightly kinder. She has lots of patience with Varric Bedar, who is struggling to get commander Waydon Endrin's song right and reserves her sharper words for the girl who everyone else loves, Aisha Leroung. Quint uses his natural grace to charm Palastus and Lazanne and hits it off well with the lead actress, which gives him confidence for his future performances. Puk also hits the right notes.
During the break Xerxes Jeggare looks up the companions again. He has already found a friend in Puk and invites the heroes to the celebration of Charter Day at his uncle's Museum tonight. The high society of Korvosa will be present there to remember the 303th anniversary of emperor Halleck IV of Cheliax signing a charter which led to the founding of Korvosa. The musical genius also offers to give Sjo and Quint extra singing lessons, which he starts immediately after rehearsals, although he does insist on a couple of drinks first.
Meanwhile Balian arranges for a horse and driver, so they can use ambassador Amprei's beautiful coach - which is still in the stables of the villa - to arrive at the museum in style. The celebration turns out to be quite the red-carpet event, with Korvosa's jet set in attendance.
I have to pay dividends to Mikaze for the idea of The Passion of Saint Alika. You can find it here. I also mined The Sixfold Trail from The Council of Thieves AP for inspiration.