Mister Vergee's Curse of the Crimson Throne


Campaign Journals

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Sjo, Balian and Puk meet up with Quint and head to North Point to talk to Brienna' employer. While making their way across the city, Sjo takes the Harrow deck in his hands to consult Zellara's ghost about the strange disease. He gets a mental answer that she is not familiar with it, but maybe a new reading of the cards later today will offer some insight. When they reach the address where Brienna cleans, Sjo talks to the lady of the house. She has no symptoms and seems to be mostly worried about how long Brienna will be out. Asking around in the neighborhood does not unveil more information about sick people.

The companions also cross the bridge to Old Korvosa to pay a visit to Vencarlo Orisini. When the fencing master sees them arriving, he ends his lesson prematurely and sends his students off to clean up. He is very pleased to learn that Trinia is now safely in Harse with his old friend Jasan and thanks the four young men for their help. In fact, he has a reward for them. A long time ago he and Jasan were members of a band of adventurers, but they parted company with the Blackbirds over a conflict about what to do with the loot from an ancient dwarven tomb. While their friends decided to keep the treasure, Vencarlo and Jasan went to the city of Janderhoff to return their share of the loot to the dwarves. The Janderhoff people greatly appreciated their gesture, but still allowed them to keep what they had found. In Vencarlo's case it was a weapon, but preferring blades himself (especially the rapier), he never used it. Still, he never got rid of it either, promising himself that he would not sell it for profit, but rather put it to good use. Now he has found such a purpose in Sjo, who is well trained to wield it. Vencarlo disappears upstairs for a couple of minutes and returns with a heavy mace in his hands. Sjo is a bit shy about accepting it, but then he promises to use it to help defend the city. The metal feels quite cool to the touch as the weapon turns out to be made of cold iron.

That evening, after dinner, Sjo pulls out the Harrow cards and summons Zellara's ghost for a reading. The fortuneteller feels that Sjo's earlier questions about sickness and health would be best suited with the shield cards, as they represent constitution, the body's natural defense against illness. She removes the nine cards with the shield symbol from the deck and allows each companion to pick one of them. Sjo pulls out the trumpet, which represents an archon blowing a horn in an overt declaration of power. This display of force clearly calls for Sjo to face the dire situations ahead with similar confidence. Quint picks the brass dwarf which shows an azer who is unaffected by the flames that surround him. Likewise Quint will have to find the strength to withstand whatever dangers will cross his path. Balian's card is the waxworks, a place of helplessness which dangles a bound man above a steaming vat of molten wax. If he is plunged into the boiling goo, he will be frozen in place for ever in eternal torture. Balian will have to be extra careful not to be caught in the inability to move or act himself, so this card serves as a dire warning. Despite his small build, even for a halfling, Puk draws the mountain man, signifying that he might be a giant amongst men. The towering giant also stands for a huge force that is very hard to control, so hard even that it might be wise not to get carried away by it, if you want to survive its destructive power.

Next Zellara puts the shield cards back in the deck and performs a full reading for everyone. Puk still needs to come at peace with his past, as shown by both the inquisitor and juggler card. There is tragedy that he still hasn't fully accepted, as if he can't admit the truth about his own involvement, not even to himself. The wanderer in his present acts as a collector of things that are valuable to him, even when others consider them useless. Puk has also shown a great knack for acquiring items, as he is possibly the best equipped member of the group. His days to come turn up two misaligned cards. The rakshasa reveals the threat of a force that wants to enslave the bodies or minds of others, but the fact that it is in the opposite corner indicates that Puk might play an important part in casting off this enslavement. The empty throne suggests that this threat originates in an ancient past, whose restless ghost reaches out to the present.

Balian's past is under the sign of the winged serpent, pointing out that the ranger has always known when the time to act had arrived. Apparently Puk is not the only giant amongst men, because the mountain man in Balian's present reveals that he is an equally impressive force. The beating also indicates that the companions are constantly being threatened from multiple sides, making it hard to tell who is a friend and who is the enemy. The future turns up the unicorn and the hidden truth, although the third card in this column, which remains uninterpreted, is the idiot, which obviously elicits some snickering from Balian's friends. The unicorn stands for someone who will offer help to uncover the real truth, although the hidden truth predicts that this truth might be something you had rather not known.

Quint's cards reveal little. Just like in his first reading he does not draw a single card from the suit that blesses today's session. Characters gain a Harrow point for every card they draw from the chosen suit, which was shields for this reading. However, I do not use the Harrow points as suggested in the AP because I found that system a bit too complex, but rather as reserve hero points. As PCs can only have three hero points at most and need two to avoid death, I feared they would be too shy about using them for anything else, so I decided to give them the Harrow points as an extra pool. This way they can keep some points in reserve to avoid dying, while they can utilize their hero points for truly heroic feats. Quint's card are also spread in a vague way, with no true or opposite matches at all. Zellara thinks this means that Quint's destiny is still shrouded in mystery and his true path remains to be revealed. The Varisian ghost does interpret some cards, though. The dance in the bottom row of his past seems to indicate that Quint has always struggled to fall in line and follow the pace that was imposed on him. The tyrant in his present is a ruling force that could be harmful to all, but the fact that it is in the upper row suggests that Quint is capable of detaching himself from that force. The big sky in the bottom row warns that casting off the shackles of one master might quickly see new manacles from another lord. The crows in the future are a dangerous bunch of enemies who violently take what they want and destroy that which is loved. The companions might be the only ones who can avert the threat of these long-beaked villains.

Sjo has the misaligned demon's lantern in his past, as a sign that he had a hard time finding his true path, but the card's position suggests that he finally saw the light and he is on the right track now. The theater in his present is misaligned as well. Sjo continues to play his part in the playhouse which is life, but he has to be careful to remain true to himself, so he doesn't play the wrong part. The future cards have a true match: the uprising. A force stronger than the companions threatens to grab the city in its clutches. The crown on the pitchfork of the rebel in the drawing signifies an overthrowing of that force, whatever it may be ...


24 Sarenith 4708

When the companions walk down the street the next day, they see dead rats everywhere. People claim that they saw rats dying under their eyes. The animals convulsed in desperate spasms until they stopped moving. Asking around in the temple of Pharasma, our friends learn that half a dozen people have come in sick today with the same symptoms as Brienna. Sjo wants to swing by the Shoanti camp to give Thousand Bones the pendant he found in the Shundar-Quah tumulus. He is surprised to find out that the visitors from the Cinderlands have left town. Gaekhen's family was very angry about his death and the defilement of his body. There were also rumors that the Shoanti on the Storval plateau are gathering for war and Gaekhen's father was eager to join them, while Thousand Bones felt his mission should take him there as well, but then with the purpose of trying to prevent such a war.

Puk and Sjo use the privacy of the old fishery to examine some dead rats. Puk shaves them so Sjo can study their skin. They also have red spots, which have even turned into terrible sores with pus and blood. They clearly died from the advanced stages of the same disease that some citizens have contracted. The companions scour the pubs in the harbor to find out more about the ship that sank in the river, fearing it might be connected to the sick rats. There is no sign of other dead animals, the fish and birds all seem to be unaffected. If anyone knows more about the ship, it's the Sable Company. There were some hippogryph riders in the air when the vessel went down.

Since Balian is not the smoothest talker, he chooses to sit at a quiet table while his mates are gathering information. As he is enjoying his drink, he sees a shapely woman approaching. She is very beautiful, has a tanned skin and shiny dark hair. "You're Balian, one of Korvosa's new heroes, are you not?" she smiles while she bends forward, offering the ranger a peek into her cleavage. "I would like a word, but you have to promise me not to get mad and let me finish." Balian sighs, suspecting that this is the Vudran schemer he and his friends have been looking for.

"Our paths have crossed in the past, although we never actually met", she continues. "My name is Selena, but you already guessed that, I suspect. I hope you give me the chance to clarify something in a civilized way. I am indeed the one who set up Verik Vancaskerin in All the World's Meat, so he could feed the starving people of the city."

"With human meat", Balian grunts.

"Verik was not responsible for the actions of the goons that went with him ... those cow hammer boys had their own agenda. He did not know about their evil deeds. A most unfortunate circumstance that was, but Verik's intentions were true, as were mine, with the butcher's shop.

Anyway, I am part of ... an organization that has never trusted the queen, from the early start. We believe her to be a power-hungry manipulator who orchestrated the king's death to claim the throne for herself. A month ago you were still willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and help her secure her position. But lately, if I'm not mistaken, some cracks have started to appear in this confidence. I've been following your exploit from a distance and I suspect that you also have some doubts about the queen's true intentions ... or at least that is what I would think of the men who helped free the falsely accused murderer of the king from the queen's clutches." At these words the woman peers deeply into Balian's eyes. "Yes," she claims, "I have my resources. But don't worry, your secrets are safe with me, including the location where the girl is hiding right now."

"But enough of that for now. I fear the queen has been concocting new evil plans to tighten her grip on the city. She will strike among those who can still oppose the most, the city's nobles. Tomorrow night, there is a party at the Carowyn residence where the young scions of the noble houses will be present, a masked ball, to be exact. Cedrik Carowyn, the family's son is hosting the event in his villa in South Shore, which is quite close to your place, actually.

Two days ago one of the Carowyn servant girls visited the castle ... twice. She moved through the streets in a highly suspicious manner and normally there would be no reason at all for her to go to the palace, so naturally I got curious as to why she'd gone there. I tried looking her up yesterday, only to find out that she hadn't survived the night. Apparently she was captured by the Grey Maidens and killed while 'resisting arrest'. I can't help but feel very uncomfortable about this ... I smell the queen's scheming and I fear she will put her plans to fruition at tomorrow's little ball.

The four of you are well liked and well connected, so I would like to think that you could easily get yourselves invited. Moreover, you are skilled enough to interfere if things go wrong. Several of your friends will be there as well, Aisha Leroung and Xerxes Jeggare, to name two. I'm not asking you to help because of my beautiful eyes, but I would hate to see anything happen to those innocent youngsters while the queen tightens her grip on the city and its people. I would also like to think that heroes as yourself want to keep their friends from harm.

I tell you again ... I'm not sure what the queen is up to, but my gut tells me it's nothing good. You are my best hope of keeping the situation under control. And, even if nothing happens, you get to enjoy a nice party and rub elbows with with the future bigwigs of the city. I can imagine worse things."

Balian lets the woman finish, but that does not imply that he trusts her. "And why should I trust you? Who says you're not luring us into a trap or trying to keep us away from something else?"

"Did you have plans for tomorrow, then, that I'm keeping you away from anything?"

"We might ..."

"Well, the strange thing is ... we've been fighting on opposite sides, while I think we've been in the same camp all along. We both want what is best for Korvosa. I give you this information freely because you might offer a hand if needed. Check it out and then judge me. I, for one, hope that this meeting signals a new beginning for us."

"And how do we contact you?"

"You don't, I'll contact you. But if you desperately need to get in touch with me, just ask around in the harbor. I'll know soon enough. For now, young ranger, I bid you adieu. I'll be seeing you." At that Selena gets up and disappears in the crowd.

Balian quickly informs his friends. They are mad at him for letting Selena go so easily. Why didn't he ask about the assassination attempt in the opera? She claims to be a 'good guy', so how does she explain that? They are also worried that she claimed to know about Trinia and her new hiding place. She didn't actually say she knew where Trinia was, but she certainly hinted that she did. They wonder how she found out. Only Vencarlo and Blackjack are in the loop. Is she connected to either one of them? Or is she Blackjack? Everything about the caped crusader points at a 'man', his build looks and his voice sounds male, but that could all be a clever ruse.

Later that day the companions visit Tayce Soldado again. Brienna has been getting worse once more. Sjo attempts to cure her with an application of restorative ointment, but the magic fails. Next he strengthens her health again with lesser restoration and gives her the necessary care. Balian aids him while Puk cooks up some dinner for the family and plays with the boys. Afterwards the companions go to the Great Tower, the headquarters of the Sable Company. From his former colleague Max Sjo learns that the ship that sunk was on fire, although it went down so fast that it couldn't have been the fire alone. Stranger even was the fact that he saw no one on board. It was as if he was flying over a ghost ship. The last stop of the day is House Jeggare. Xerxes is happy to receive his friends and will see to it that they get invited to the Carowyn party. If they procure their outfits, he will make sure they get in.


25 Sarenith 4708

That morning Korwick and Heldrin inform Sjo that their friend Mouse is running a fever. The Shoanti examines the boy and finds him ill with the first symptoms of the mysterious disease that is plaguing Korvosa. He gives the lad proper treatment and orders him to stay in bed. After that he and Balian make their way to Trail's End to take care of little Brienna. Body carters are at work in the streets to clean up the dead rats and a woman almost empties her chamber pot on Balian's head, but the ranger's quick reflexes save him from a smelly shower. There is a dead rodent in the filth as well.

At Brienna's house Sjo is happy to learn that the girl is doing better today, although she hasn't conquered the disease yet. While he is there he offers Brienna's mother Tayce a full-time job in the villa, promising to pay her half more than what she's making right now. When Brienna gets well, she can join her mother as well. Tayce happily accepts, but asks some time to inform her current employers that she will be making a career change.

Meanwhile Quint and Puk swing by the opera house to ask for a favour from Delindra, the old elven seamstress who looks over the Marble Dome's large collection of costumes. She immediately agrees to help her friends with their outfits for the party at the Carowyn residence. Puk wants to be a dwarf, Quint will go as a male erinyes devil, while Sjo will dress up as a Hellknight and Balian as a bone-themed Shoanti. The kind elven needleworker tells the companions to return in three hours for a first fitting.

Over lunch Quint muses about Amarice, their one time fellow lamb who joined the Grey Maidens. He is curious how she's doing, but is even more interested in finding out more about the Maidens themselves. The companions still know very little about this new military force, they don't even know where the armor-clad soldiers are staying. Quint decides to write Amarice a letter, inviting her to breakfast.

When they return to the Marble Dome, the companions come across a struggle in the street. Ishani Dhatri, the half-Vudran priest of Abadar, is the victim of a broad shouldered man who is pressing a dagger to his back: "I'll tell you one more time, priest, if you don't heal my son, things will turn ugly!"

"But I already used up all my magic for the day. I CANNOT help you today ... but maybe if you go to the temple, they'll be able to help you out ..." the desperate priest tries.

"I've already been to your stinking temple. They want money, lots of it, or they don't care about you. That is how pious your Abadarian brothers are!"

"I suggest you back off immediately", Quint interferes. "I don't see how killing a man helps your son. It will only get his father thrown in jail while this is the time he needs you most to take care of him."

"You should try the other churches", Sjo adds. "Go to the temple of Sarenrae and ask for Nathan. Tell him Sjo sent you."

The burly man backs off, realizing that his current actions will only get him into trouble. He mumbles a faint apology to the shaken priest and makes off to the Sarenites instead. Ishani thanks the companions for their aid and informs about Brienna. He is obviously pleased to learn that she is doing better.

At the Marble Dome Delindra has everyone try out his costume for this evening. Although the garments seem to fit nicely, Delindra is a perfectionist and pulls out a few needles and pins for some last minute adjustments. She has the four young men return to her at half past six, to help them get dressed and made up.


The Carowyn home is a stately manor along Shoreline Way, just a street away from the companions' own villa. It serves as the in-town house of Ausio and Olauren Carowyn, a small noble family with lots of land outside the city, where lord Carowyn prefers to spend most of his days. His son, Cedrik, however, is more inclined to stay in the city, officially to look over his family's interests, but his main reasons are of a personal nature. Like most young men he enjoys the excitement of city-life. Since his family's city estate is actually built for entertaining, Cedrik takes full advantage of that by regularly throwing parties for his peers as a way to raise his house's standing among the older noble families. When the companions arrive at his Bloodsworn mahogany front door, he welcomes them with open arms. Had he known that the heroes of the city were interested in coming to his masquerade party, he would have invited them himself, he claims. He shows his guest into the great hall, where Ruan Mirukova from the Marble Dome's orchestra is playing some music and his sister Deyanira is dancing. A scantily-clad woman serves the newcomers a drink, as they politely say hello to the visitors in this room. Valdur Bromathan V makes for a far less impressive barbarian in his Shoanti outfit than Balian in his rattlebone armor, while Derrik Jeggare, lord Mercival's son, is dressed as a lion and Alice Fordyce makes for a fearsome pirate. The cutest person in this hall is doe-eyed shepherdess Siri Leroung.

In the front sitting room the companions reconnect with Aaron Endrin, the eldest son of Marcus Endrin, the commander of the Sable Company. Aaron has started his training to become a Sable marine himself, after serving his father as a squire for many years. This role is now being observed by his smaller brother, Jonas, who is here as well. Quint remembers seeing Aaron with Marguerite Jeggare at the grand feast in her family's museum three weeks ago, so he informs if Korvosa's most beautiful girl is here as well. Aaron tells him she won't be attending parties any time soon, as she has joined the queen's guard to serve as one of the Grey Maidens. Quint is quite surprised to hear that, but Aaron explains that he understands the call of military duty. Despite her beauty Marguerite is not an air-headed puppet, but a self-confident and principled young lady who is allowed to make her own choices in life. Christina Leroung disapproves of Marguerite's "dumb" decision. She can understand Aaron's ambition to join the Sable Company, as he was born to become their next commander, but she cannot get why someone from a noble family would chose to play the part of an anonymous soldier, certainly not if she has Marguerite's looks. That girl can get any man she wants, so why she prefers to waste her time chasing windmills is beyond Christina. While the conversation is on the topic of the Grey Maidens, Quint also asks Aaron if he knows where all those new soldiers suddenly came from. Aaron confirms that one ship was registered coming from Cheliax with over a hundred Maiden recruits. Neither the Leroungs nor the Endrins have any sick family members at the moment, although they do realize the threat: diseases do not stop at a nobleman's door.

In the dining hall the companions come across even more guests. Verana Ornelos is trying her best to hide her average features by dressing up as a hot succubus, succeeding only partially at the job. Her younger sister Julia possesses a lot more natural grace and looks stunning as a fairy princess. The cute little noble lacks her family's knack for magic, however, so she will be one of the few Ornelos children not pursuing a career in spell-weaving. Her sister Verana, on the other hand, will shortly start her Acadamae education. Belinda Zenderholm takes some time to get to know the companions better. She has heard many good things about them from her mother, high judge Zenobia. She cautions Sjo not to encourage Amin Jalento to drink too much. He is rumored to have got really drunk at the Riverwind Festival three days ago, spoiling what is left of his reputation and his family's good name by whoring and drinking in Eel's End. He is already quite inebriated and shows no signs of slowing down. He wants to share a drink with the men who saved him from half a dozen hot-tempered dockworkers during the riots. He is also glad his father, the "respectable" captain, is not here to rebuke him some more, as he is prone to do, preferably in public. Another person in this room is Perishial Kalissreavil, the half-elven ambassador of the Mierani Elves. He totally lives up to his reputation of womanizer by flirting with Julia Ornelos. Before long he smooth talks her into following him upstairs.

The companions meet their closest friends among the city's nobles in the music room. Aisha Leroung, the star of the Saint Alika opera, makes for a sexy vampire tonight. She immediately clings to Quint's arm and wants to know what he's been up to. She has not started a new project herself yet, but she hopes the Marble Dome's director Touran Palastus comes up with something soon. Flamboyant Xerxes Jeggare has chosen to come as Blackjack and feels inspired to play some music with Sjo, Quint and Puk. He takes a seat behind the harpsichord and starts a little session that draws more guest to the back room. His sister Maud is as fine company as ever, joking and laughing in her pretty peacock dress. Sjo strikes up a conversation with Sara Bromathan, who is dressed up as a chaste version of Sarenrae. Like her father she envisions a career serving the sun goddess. She wonders about the source of Sjo's strange divine powers, as she knows from her father that Sjo served as an acolyte to Sarenrae for some time, but then dropped out. Sjo explains that his powers come to him naturally; he has a special talent for fire magic, which puzzles Sara even more. She thinks it might have been wiser to pursue the same path as Verana Ornelos and train as a wizard, but Sjo figures that his powers are more like those of the Shoanti shamans. (Although Sjo is officially an "oracle", that name does not really fit the bill, so if we call him anything at all, we prefer to use the term "shaman", which has absolutely nothing to do with the new shaman class.) The Cinderlands barbarians have several clans, one of which is called the sun-clan. Sjo suspects he is related to them.

Quint remembers why he and his friends came here, to secretly watch over the guests tonight, so he invites everyone back into the main hall, trying to get as many people together as possible. He cannot avoid that some invitees wander off into the dining room to get something at the bar, but with the open door between the two spaces, he can keep tabs on the people in there as well. While the pleasantries of the evening further unfold, the fire in the hearth suddenly flickers and dies out. The candles in the great chandelier follow one second later, plummeting the room in darkness and startling some of the girls. Sjo, who was standing next to fireplace, has no trouble seeing in the dark. His vision might be limited, but it is also more powerful at short distance, allowing him the gift of darkvision. Realizing that he is probably the only one in the room who can see now, a slight grin slips over his face as he reaches for the wood in the hearth. He sends a touch of flame through his fingers to relight the firewood, but is surprised to see a shadowy creature crawling down from the chimney, just inches from his face. The sighs of surprise from the girls turn to screams of terror now. How could Sjo have missed that thing in the dark? Unless the shadow did not show up in his darkvision ... that must be it! With the fire still licking his fingers, Sjo makes for the creature, but the flames do not seem to hurt it. With his other hand the Shoanti pushes back Sara Bromathan, trying to move her out of harm's way. As the fire on his hand dies out again, the room sinks back into darkness and the creature disappears in the black once more. Balian draws his blade and Puk unsheathes his silver blade, both of them standing ready to react. Then Quint casts a light spell on one of his devil's horns. Although the brightness of his light seems to suffer from the presence of the shadow, it does reveal that the creature has already flown out of the fireplace and wrapped its dark tendrils around the servant girl. The frozen look of death stares from her eyes, as she slips to the floor.


Panic slips through the crowd in the great hall of the Carowyn Manor. The dark creature that has just crawled from the chimney looms before Sjo and Quint, who realize that almost all of the invitees to this party have been gathered in this one room. The ease with which this lightless threat took down its first victim could very well be the preface to a bloodbath. Fortunately the creature's own tactics prove helpful in getting the noble guests to safety. Weaving its inky magic the shadow blasts out an aura of fear that strikes terror in the hearts of half the people in the room. Overcome by mortal dread Balian makes for the front door and pushes it open, freeing the way for the other guests to flee the scene, even those who have not been affected by the creature's fearful magic. Sjo is also among the unfortunates who are panicked initially, but he recovers even before he makes it out into the streets. Quint, Puk, Xerxes Jeggare and Christina Leroung are the only ones who stand their ground. Quint engages the shadow, taking on a defensive stance, while Christina shouts out that this enemy is extremely hard to hit: you need magic weapons made of cold iron or force magic to hurt it, and even then its incorporeal state and many protection will be an obstacle. She immediately proves her point by sending two magic missiles at the creature that do not penetrate its magic resistance. Puk's first swing also gets lost in thin air.

The shadow rewards three of his four remaining adversaries for their bravery by engulfing them in an explosion of green and yellow flames. Not recognizing the magic for what it really is, an illusionary shadow version of a fireball, they are hit to the spell's full effect. Puk relies on his roguish adeptness at avoiding similar magical explosions and evades to lick of the burning tongues altogether, but Quint and Christina are not so lucky and get seriously burnt. Although he is badly damaged, the bard is still on his feet. The fierce daughter of House Leroung does not have enough vitality to survive the blast though and goes down in a smoking heap. Xerxes, who was in the other corner of the room, did not get caught in the burst of yellow and green fire. His mundane rapier will be of no good against this foe, so he rushes to Christina's side to make sure she is still alive. Another ally appears at the top of the stairs, Perishial Kalissreavil, the elven ambassador. He also recognizes this creature for what it is and throws his dagger to the ground: "Take it, it is made of cold iron", he shouts as he fires two magic missiles from his fingers as well. This time the force arrows penetrate the creature's defenses, delivering some real damage at last. While Quint retreats to administer some much needed healing to his own wounds, Sjo turns around and charges the shadow, using his new dwarven mace. The cold iron from which it was forged proves its worth as the Shoanti tears away some of the threatening shady curls. Puk picks up the elf's dagger, but his feeble swing hardly hurts the opponent.

With Balian running wild in the street and Puk being able to only inflict the tiniest amounts of damage, Sjo is the only one who stands some chance at beating back this shadow. His full plate armor provides no protection whatsoever against the incorporeal claws of his enemy, making him an easy target. The creature tears at the Shoanti as if he were naked. Puk finds that his nimbleness provides more protection, but is hit nonetheless and suffers the sting of the cold tendrils. Perishial throws a healing potion down Christina's throat, saving her from death's embrace and pushes the girl into Xerxes' arms, who carries her outside. Quint rejoins the fight and bolsters Puk's fighting prowess with heroism, while the halfling finally manages to slip into a flanking position. His hopes of delivering some serious damage now with his sneak attack prove futile as he finds no weak spot to hit. So he continues picking away at the shade's life force one smoky sliver at a time. Sjo fares better, even though half of each smash is also lost to the air and his blows are answers by smoky claws that totally ignore his mighty plate. At this rate he will never outlast his opponent, so Quint helps out by healing his friend, more or less keeping pace with the damage that is being delivered.

Perishial casts his last two magic missiles and shouts he is out, stepping into the next room. A moment later Christina Leroung reappears in the front door. She still looks very weak - she was probably just nursed back to consciousness with some potions - but her sorcerer powers allow her to throw more magic force missiles at the shadow. Despite the small amounts of damage that everyone is inflicting, the combined efforts of the defenders are slowly wearing down the dark outsider. Somewhere out in the street, already a block away from the manor, Balian snaps out of his panic and stops fleeing. He glares up at the moon, deciding he doesn't like it so much - don't ask - and would rather still be in the great hall fighting the mysterious attacker. He only hopes his friends will still be alive by the time he makes it back to the house.

With Quint's healing now balancing out the shadow's strokes, Sjo, Puk and Christina gain the upper hand. The Leroung sorceress blasts two more magic missiles into the swirl of black coils and Sjo calls out to Sarenrae, begging the sun goddess to aid him in defeating the darkness. He hits the shadow twice in rapid succession, ripping the final shred of shade apart.

What happens afterwards is a bit of a blur to the Shoanti. His head is still light from the rush of the fight and the drinks that Puk and Quint pour their friends to recover from the excitement. He notices that Cedrik Carowyn returns with a patrol of Korvosan Guards in his wake. Fortunately Xerxes offers to talk to the captain, freeing the companions from the task of making a report. Puk also discovers some kind of rune on the inside of the chimney breast. Whatever this thing was, it was summoned by powerful magic through this magic mark. Since the party is obviously over, the companions head back home again for a good night of sleep.


26 Sarenith 4708

Mouse has a good night and is doing a bit better the next morning. The companions decide to go to the temple of Sarenrae to buy a new wand of cure light wounds. On the way over there they come across an old man in rags who is hanging from a pole. His hands have been tied together above his head and his back is badly scarred from a whipping. The wounds suggest that the lashes were delivered last night. A woman in the streets says that his name is Lombard. He sweeps the streets and makes some extra money selling rats for food to the poor. He was punished by a mob of citizens yesterday for trying to sell diseased rats. The companions cut him loose, heal him a bit and send him on his way, warning him not to pull his stupid stunts again. The seriousness of the plague also becomes clear when a mourning family carries out a heavy body bag and lays it down in front of their house. The city's body carters will be transporting more than just dead rats today.

Ezekiel Sollux, the highpriest of the temple of Sarenrae, is glad to see Sjo. He informs his former acolyte that the situation is very bad. The temple has already been converted to an improvised hospital, but the scale of the disease is making it impossible to care for all the sick. He sends out his priests to make as many house calls as possible, transporting only the worst cases to the church. There is some magic available, but that is quickly spent, so the priests have to rely on their mundane training in the arts of healing instead. Sollux asks Sjo to help out a bit and the Shoanti agrees immediately, as does Balian.

Meanwhile Quint and Puk pay Cressida Kroft a visit. The Field Marshal gets a full report of what transpired in the Carowyn Manor last night. Quint also reveals that they were warned of danger by the Vudran rabble-rouser Selena. She claimed that the queen is responsible for whatever evil was planned at the party. Kroft can only conclude that this Vudran lady has to be brought in as soon as possible. If she was not responsible for planting the shadow at the party herself, she must at least have more information on who did. Kroft also feels unhappy about the manipulative ways of the dark-skinned woman, whatever her schemes are, they always lead to trouble, so she must be stopped. The Field Marshal also has some news. The queen has summoned doctors from Cheliax to help fight the plague. They will arrive here today through teleportation and Kroft will have to employ her troops to assist these healers as they go into the city. She actually expects them to arrive any moment.

Sjo quickly swings by the temple of Shelyn to see his girlfriend, priestess Larella Semyr, but he only finds closed doors. He meets up with his friends and as they head back to the Citadel to see the queen's new doctors for themselves, he ponders on the time when he, Balian and Quint participated in the Pied Piper play while they were still kids. He explains to Puk that they performed the play with real rats on stage. An old woman was hiding underneath the boards, controlling the rodents. Although they were forbidden from doing so, the boys sneaked a peek at the lady while the play was in full swing. That is when they saw her for what she really was, a wererat! Alan, the kind leader of the Varisian theater troupe, told them afterwards that the lady could indeed transform into a rat, but that she was 'one of the good ones' who could do that. Meep Gildenglare still lives in the city; she owns a seamstress shop called The Gilded Needle in North Point on Burnt Bridge Boulevard. Maybe she can shed some light on the rats and their disease.


When the companions get back to Citadel Volshyenek the Chelish guests have already arrived. They are in Kroft's office, so the heroes have to wait in the courtyard, where more and more soldiers are arriving. The Field Marshal has apparently ordered all troops to gather here for a big announcement. Some Gray Maidens are there as well and stand guard at the doors of the main building. When Quint asks them something, he can tell from their Chelish accent that these must be some of the Maidens who came from the old country, Cheliax. Grau Soldado joins his friends in the crowd and tells them that his niece Brienna had a bad night again. He doesn't know anything about these doctors, but he suspects that their magical healing capacities - if any - will be limited, so they will mostly have to rely on mundane healing skills. Not all civilians are as lucky as his niece, who can also benefit from Sjo's magic to keep her strength up. The look in Grau's eyes expresses a gratitude that words could never encompass.

It takes over an hour before Cressida Kroft finally steps out. At her side is a middle-aged gentleman in a simple black overcoat with streaks of white gracing the sides of his short dark hair. He has a soft, concerned look in his eyes and tightly grasps a heavy doctor's case. They are followed by a more ominous looking group: men wearing cowled robes of oily-looking leather, supple gloves and wide, black hats. Their faces hide behind dark-goggled masks tapering to a pointed beak. Kroft climbs a weathered wooden platform and orders her troops to silence. She introduces the man at her side as Doctor Dave Saulus, the leader of the queen's physicians. The guards will have to escort these doctors in their royal duties, wherever they may take them. They will go into the city to help the sick, but if they want to get a grip on this disease, people will have to cooperate and do what the doctors order them to do!

Then Kroft's tone grows grimmer: "There is something else ... you are to consider orders from any of the queen's Gray Maidens to be as binding as any superior officer in the Korvosan Guard." A murmur of protest rises up from the dozens of red-and-gold-armored guards in the courtyard, but Kroft commands them to be quiet. "You are guardsmen of Korvosa, you have a duty to the citizens of this great city. These are dire times and our people need you and they certainly need these healers. You will do as commanded! Now, all patrol leaders to me for your assignments!" Quint makes his way through the soldiers and approaches Doctor Saulus. He offers is assistance in escorting the doctor himself, but the kind man replies that his job consists of coordinating his physicians work, so we won't be needing a personal escort. He does thank Quint for his kind offer, though, and tells him that he might call on him if the need arises.

When the patrol leaders have been given their orders, they take their men and leave the citadel with two of the new doctors in tow. The companions also depart, heading to Trail's End to see Grau's niece Brienna. As they travel through the streets of East Shore, a gaunt man with only one eye preaches to them that this plague is the wrath of Urgathoa, the goddess of disease, who is displeased that she has not been given her own spot in the Pantheon of the Many, Korvosa's temple to seventeen different gods, spread out over seventeen small shrines in a huge building in South Point. The Pallid Princess is not among these seventeen, which obviously vexes her. The old man claims that Urgathoa will not stop until every house has lost someone to the plague! The companions ignore the mad man's rambling and focus on aiding sick little Brienna instead. Her mother has already informed two of her former employers that she will be leaving, there is one more person to go before she is free to work at the companions' villa instead. Of course, that will have to wait until her daughter gets better, Tayce says. Sjo and Balian take their time to give the girl the necessary care. When they are finally done, they want to drop by Meep Gildenglare, the wererat seamstress, to see if she can offer any insight or help. On their way over there they notice new posters all over town:

"By Decree of Her Royal Majesty, the Radiant Queen Ileosa I, all citizens and members of the Korvosan Guard are to aid and admit the newly established Queen’s Physicians in this time of urgency. These royal agents will extend healing to the sick and organize defense against the spreading affliction. They are to be allowed access to any home or building they deem necessary in the course of their duties. All those suffering from disease or disorder are to submit themselves to the Physicians for treatment. To aid in the duties of the Queen’s Physicians, know that the order of the Gray Maidens has been established to provide military support as needed. The Maidens answer directly to the Crimson Throne, and will be called upon as necessary to augment and strengthen the peace where simple city guards will not suffice. Impeding or distracting the duties of the Queen’s Physicians or the Gray Maidens is punishable by imprisonment. Impersonating one of the Queen’s Physicians is punishable by death. Knowingly harboring or hiding the infected is punishable by death. Purposefully spreading the plague is punishable by torture, then death. The Queen’s Physicians will be making rounds of every city district henceforth until Her Majesty deems this misfortune abated."

Meep's Gilded Needle is a cute little shop along Burnt Bridge Boulevard. Meep is still the same kind old lady the companions met five years ago, though she doesn't immediately recognize her visitors. Quint reminds her of the play and refers to her 'power' over the rats. He wonders if she would be able to talk to the animals to find out more. She claims to be very worried about the rats dying recently, as she has four tame rats running around her shop whom she loves very much. She fears for their safety and has decided to keep them indoors for the time being. She confirms that she can exert some influence over them and their kin, but the rodents only possess animal intelligence, so they cannot speak, not even in a secret rat language, Meep smiles. "I can only get them to understand some basic, commands", she continues, "pretty much like you can with your dog. I fear that my aid in fighting this plague will be limited to laying low and hoping that the disease skips my door. I'm sorry I cannot be of more help."


The PCs have been level five for a few sessions. Here are the stats.

BALIAN, CG Male Human ranger 5 (urban ranger)
Init +5; Senses Perception +9
AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 18
hp 50 (5 HD)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee masterwork greatsword (two handed) +10 ((two handed) 2d6+6/19-20)
Melee masterwork dagger +10 (1d4+4/19-20)
Ranged masterwork dagger (thrown) +9 (1d4+4/19-20)
Ranged masterwork longbow (composite/strength rating+4) +9 (1d8+4/x3)
Base Atk +4; CMB +8; CMD 22
Ranger Spells (CL 2nd):
1st (2/day) (DC 12) - lead blades, longstrider
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, Favored Defense, Following Step, Step Up
Skills Acrobatics +4, Acrobatics (Jump) 0, Climb +4, Disable Device +5, Heal +5, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (Geography) +2, Knowledge (Local) +6, Perception +9, Perform (Act) +3, Sense Motive +1, Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +7, 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 (Human +4, Undead +2) (Ex) You gain a +4/+2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks when using these skills against humans/undead. Likewise, you get a +4/+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 5, N Medium animal
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +8
AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +5 natural, +1 Dodge)
hp 52 (5d8+20)
Fort +7, Ref +7 (evasion), Will +2, evasion
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +10 (1d6+4)
Str 18, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +5; CMB +9; CMD 22 (26 vs. trip)
Feats Dodge, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon focus (bite)
Skills Acrobatics +7 (+15 jump), Perception +8, Survival +5 (+9 scent tracking), Swim +10

---

PUK, CG Male Halfling rogue 5 (swashbuckler)
Init +5; Senses Perception +8
AC 24, touch 18, flat-footed 18, uncanny dodge
hp 42 (5HD)
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 17
Atk Options Sneak Attack +3d6
Abilities Str 10, Dex 21, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10
Feats Dodge, Martial Weapon Proficiency (Halfling Sling Staff), Nimble Moves, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (short sword)
Skills Acrobatics +15, Acrobatics (Jump) +11, Appraise +5, Bluff +6, Climb +7, Diplomacy +6, Disable Device +12, Disguise +5, Escape Artist +10, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +3, Knowledge (Local) +5, Linguistics +4, Perception +8, Perform (Percussion Instruments) +6, Ride +5, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +11, Stealth +15, Use Magic Device +4
Possessions small masterwork short sword; small silver short sword +2; studded leather +2 (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 3d6 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.

---

Quintilian, CG Male Human bard 5 (court bard)
Init +2; Senses Perception +7
AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17, 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 short sword +1 of frost +6 (1d6+3+1d6/19-20)
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 +5; CMD 17
Known Bard Spells (CL 5th):
2nd (3/day) (DC 15) - cacophonous call, gallant inspiration, heroism
1st (5/day) (DC 14) - cure light wounds, innocence, memory lapse, sleep, timely inspiration, touch of gracelessness
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, Lingering Performance, Skill Focus (Perform Comedy)
Skills Acrobatics +9, Bluff +15, Climb +5, Diplomacy +13, Disguise +7, Escape Artist +5, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Knowledge (Geography) +6, Knowledge (History) +8, Knowledge (Local) +12, Knowledge (Local/Art & music) +13, Knowledge (Nature) +6, Knowledge (Nobility) +8, Linguistics +9, Perception +7, Perform (Act) +8, Perform (Comedy) +13, Perform (Dance) +7, Perform (Oratory) +7, Perform (Sing) +7, Perform (String Instruments) +7, Sense Motive +7, Sleight of Hand +6, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +5, Use Magic Device +7
Possessions short sword +1 of frost; chain shirt +1; masterwork buckler; longsword; masterwork whip; sap; wand (feather step); wand of cure light wounds; wand of mage armor; Shortbow; amulet of natural armor +1

Bardic Performance You can use this ability for 15 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. 2/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 (SJO), LN Male Human oracle 5
Init +0; Senses Darkvision (60 ft.), Perception +2, Clouded Vision
AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 23
hp 37 (5HD)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +7
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee cold iron mace +2 (heavy) +8 (1d8+4)
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 16
Known Oracle Spells (CL 5th):
2nd (5/day) (DC 16) - cure moderate wounds, hold person, resist energy, restoration
1st (7/day) (DC 15) - burning hands, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, magic weapon, protection from chaos, 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, Combat Casting, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (Heavy Mace)
Skills Bluff +8, Diplomacy +13, Heal +7, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (Local) +0, Knowledge (Religion) +7, Perform (Act) +9, Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Hand -1
Possessions cold iron mace +2 (heavy); ring of protection +1; full plate +1; buckler; amulet of natural armor +1, cloak of resistance +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.


Evening has already started when the companions leave Meep Gildenglare's shop. Since they haven't eaten anything yet, they head to Eel's End for a quick meal and some entertainment. Sjo swings by Shelyn's temple first, to see if Larella is there now and when he finds her there he asks her to join him. He is a bit embarrassed when one of the girls of pleasure waves at him while he leads his date across the docks of Eel's End. It is the redheaded girl who helped him lose his virginity.

The boats of Eel's End are open for business as usual and there is little sign of the plague here, although there are considerably less visitors. Quint spends some time in the brothel in the arms of his favorite, Yuuna, feeling even more enticed by her Vudran heritage than before since that other dark skinned beauty Selena has been eluding him. According to Balian the two girls look quite alike, although Selena possesses a more natural flair. Quint also inquires about the ship that sunk in the harbor. Yuuna didn't see it herself, but some of her colleagues witnessed the burning ship go down further up the river a few nights ago. News of the queen's physicians hasn't reached the House of Clouds yet. Yuuna explains that Old Korvosa is usually the last district to deserve the palace's attention, so it doesn't surprise her that the doctors didn't make it here yet.

When our friends finally return home, Korwick tells them that Vencarlo Orisini came by earlier today. He was in the neighborhood as he had to go the temple of Pharasma. Someone died ... although Korwick does not remember who exactly. Anyway, master Orisini had to be in the temple about this guy's funeral, so he decided to stop by, but he went home when he found out the companions were not there, without leaving a message.

27 Sarenith 4708

Sjo feels a bit under the weather that morning and Mouse is doing worse as well. The big man uses his lesser restoration spell to take away the worst of the sickness's effects. He also pays another visit to young Brienna in Trail's End and cares for her too. Then he retires home to his bed to get some rest.

Meanwhile his friends go to Vencarlo Orisini. The fencing master's academy is closed today. Quint immediately notices that Vencarlo didn't get much sleep last night. He also smells alcohol on his breath. Vencarlo explains that his loyal servant Raldo passed away yesterday. He got sick with the plague a few days ago and, as he was already advanced in years, quickly succumbed to its devastating effects. When Vencarlo Orisini went to the temple of Pharasma to make arrangements for his servant's burial, he heard that 37 citizens had died already and a lot more people were sick. The mysterious illness that had just popped out of nowhere had taken a choking hold on the city in just a few days time. Old Korvosa and North Point were hit the hardest.

Vencarlo worries about the feeble attempts of the city's churches to fight the disease. He feels that they could work much more efficiently if they were to coordinate their efforts. The church of Sarenrae has good intentions, but seems to be overrun, Pharasma is dedicating all her efforts to burying the dead, while Abadar's Bank has even closed its doors to the public, letting in only those who can pay. If the companions want to do something for the city, they should see to it that the temples get organized. Quint and Puk agree wholeheartedly and decide to take action right away.

They go to the temple of Sarenrae first, figuring that they'd better start with the one who is most likely to accept. It will be easier to convince the harder cases if you can say that other churches have already consented. Ezekiel Sollux, the highpriest of Sarenrae, is tending to the sick himself when the companions walk into the improvised hospital that his temple has become. When Quint explains his idea of coordinating the churches' efforts better to allow the priests to administer the most healing possible, Sollux agrees. Although he is doing everything within his power to help the sick, he has no clear overview of what his priests are doing, of who they are helping and who not. If there were more people to lend a hand with the simple stuff, like feeding the patients or changing their sheets, the clergy would be free to focus on providing care. Quint asks him who in his temple would be a good representative, someone who can supervise the work within the church and consult with the other faiths, Sollux has just the man for the job: Lord Valdur Bromathan. Although the head of House Bromathan possesses some priestly magic, his powers are limited. He is a good organizer, though, and his age and title give him the necessary authority to carry out the job.

The next destination is the church of Pharasma. On the way over there Balian has to shake off a woman who grabs him by the shoulder, screaming that this disease is all an evil wererat plot. The cathedral in the Gray district is also flooded with people, although not many of them look especially sick. Most of the visitors are mourners who have come to make arrangements for the deceased. Archbishop Keppira d'Bear is ashamed to admit that she and many of her priests make it through the day without even spending all the magical healing they are capable of, simple because their work with the dead keeps them so busy. She even has priests digging graves since some of her usual grave diggers have fallen ill or have bolted as they fear getting infected by handling the corpses. As a priest of Pharasma d'Bear does not consider her task of burying the victims of the plague mundane or menial, but she does recognize that healing potential is being wasted. If there were people around to help with the administration, preparing the dead for interment or for digging the graves, that would definitely open up time for her clergy to focus on healing people and saving lives. She suggests making brother Aldrick the church's representative. His high position in the church's ranks earns him a great deal of respect, both inside and outside the cathedral, but being a paladin, his powers to heal are more limited than his priest colleagues.


Keppira d'Bear also has a request: yesterday brother Cedrik did not return to his cell to sleep. No one knows where he is, but as the temple is swamped, there is no time to look for him. D'Bear asks the companions to help locate the missing man. Sister Fryda shows the companions to Cedrik's bedroom, but nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Cedrik's prayer book is still by his bed. He would never leave it behind, Fryda claims. She also adds that Cedrik is a as devout as they get, so he would never just run away or something. Since he came here at the age of twelve, he has never even set foot outside of the Gray district. He is also a very diligent man, never late and very precise in everything he does, which is why he is the church's accountant. He mostly works in the office, keeping the books, but yesterday he was tasked to help out in the mortuary.

By the way, this sidetrek adventure is based on a cute little Dungeon adventure (issue # 71), called Priestly Secrets.

Quint and Puk also have a quick look around Cedrik's office. His desk is piled with dozens of documents that still need processing, listing names and relevant data about all those who have died. Under the pile is a book that has been opened to a page detailing Pharasma's holy chalice. When sister Fryda sees the drawing, she claims that the cup is in the very mortuary where brother Cedrik was sent to yesterday. Our friends decide to pick up Sjo first before continuing their investigation. The Shoanti has been in bed for the last two hours, vainly trying to catch some extra sleep, though frustration made it feel like it lasted much longer. It takes some convincing, but fearing more endless hours in bed, Sjo gives in and joins the quest for Cedrik.

Fryda leads the companions to a smaller building behind the cathedral, the mortuary. She takes them through a small chapel with beautiful stained glass windows to the preparation room in the back, where the chalice should be. There are two stone tables, each the resting place of a dead body, covered in a white sheet. A small stone altar stands in the corner, it has nice stone carvings in the sides, depicting Pharasma's Boneyard. The altar holds nothing, but a distinct circular discoloration in the stone suggests that something round has been on top for many years. The chalice, however, is missing, Fryda notices. Balian examines the small altar more closely and finds recent scratches on the floor which indicate that the stone altar can swivel forward. A skull in the boneyard bas-relief on the side of the stone block can click, propelling the altar away from the back wall and revealing a hole in the ground underneath. Fryda screams in surprise, she didn't know that the altar could do that. Quint conjures up some light to shine down the opening: there is a 15 foot drop into a small natural cavern below which wafts forth a foul odor of earth and mold.

Puk retrieves a rope from his pack and ties it to the stone table. Sjo is the first to go down, trusting his darkvision to warn him of any danger. He ends up in a small cave with two exits: a rough archway leads into a larger chamber in front of him, while a tunnel slips off to the right. Still, it is the chamber that draws his attention. The light falling in from above reflects in thousands of tiny specks of light. The entire frame of the door and all the walls, floor and ceiling of the chamber beyond are covered in a silver dust coating. The step of the archway is also inscribed with silver runes. When his friends have joined him Sjo uses a read magic to decipher the mystical writing: a powerful spell meant to block the passage of undead. Quint detects that the magic was broken very recently.

The companions step into the rectangular chamber, which was obviously manmade, unlike the cave and tunnel behind them. The air in the room is stale. The silvery floor is covered in dry brown dust and holds the heavily gnawed bones of two rats. Despite the fact that the bones have been picked clean completely and most of them have been chewed to pieces, Balian can tell that they are recent, very recent even. No more than a few days ago these rodents must have been very much alive.

Leaving the chamber behind them, Puk and Balian lead the way down the tunnel to a small cave that seems to be little more than a deviation point. A slender stalagmite rises floor to ceiling in the far end of the room with a steady stream of water droplets running down its side. A pool has collected at the bottom, trickling away to the left in a shallow stream of water down another tunnel. A second tunnel winds away to the right. As the floor is quite uneven and wet, Quint pulls out his wand of feather step to grant everyone more stability in difficult terrain. Sjo scratches a cross in the wall, marking the way out. Ignoring the tunnel with the trickling water the companions head the other way through the winding tunnel that leads into a vast cavern. The ceiling does not extend much higher than the top of the tunnel, but the ground drop down in a number of stone tiers to a treacherous floor. A narrow chasm cuts across the middle of the cave from left to right, roughly cutting the room in half.

While Sjo makes his way down, Balian shouts out a word of warning. Something is moving in the shadows along the wall. Suddenly a foul creature bursts from the dark; it is clearly humanoid in shape, although its nails and teeth look unnaturally long. Its pallid grey flesh stretches tightly over its starved frame. Quint jumps to his partner's aid and pierces the creature's dried out innards with his icy short sword. The undead hits the bard in return with its sharp claws. Two more ghasts break from the darkness up ahead, hungry for fresh meat. One of them sinks its pointed teeth in Balian's shoulder, but the other misses the nimble halfling by a long shot. The undead fight and bite fiercely, drawing some blood from the heroes, but they go down quite easily. In a few seconds the brawl is over. Puk discovers the remnants of some kind of uniform on the ghasts' upper body, on which Quint can barely make out the former shield of Cheliax. It dates back to the days of the settlers, three centuries ago, that Chelish soldiers walked Korvosan soil. Whoever these undead were in real life, they must have been here a long time.

This side of the complex ends in another large, irregular cavern, where two more ghasts attack the companions. The walking corpses are easily defeated. One more undead has stumbled into a pit in the floor, unable to get out. Balian simply finishes it off with his bow. There are more rat cadavers on the floor, but this time the remains have been only half eaten. A number of small holes dot the north wall: tiny tunnels through which diseased rats made their way into the complex. Balian figures that the disease forced the rodents to retreat deep into the ground and that the rats unwittingly provided the famished ghasts with a food source for the first time in centuries.


In the absence of other former regular posters, please let me just tell you that I am still eagerly following this journal. As I have not played the Adventure Path myself, sometimes it is a bit hard to keep track of all the characters poppin up now and then but I guess the interaction with so many various NPCs is just what makes this AP stand out from the others and has arguably turned it into the most popular of all APs. Kudos to you as the DM for fleshing them out even more and establishing closer connections to the PCs as this makes the setting come so much more alive. Looking forward to the next entry!


I'm still here, I'm just lurking and eagerly reading/awating future installments.


Happy to hear that you're still reading and you still like the story.

It is one of the things I find most difficult when reading other journals - remembering who all the characters and NPCs are - which is why I hope the pictures help to get an image of the PCs and some of the settings. Still, there are a lot of characters in this story, so yeah, it might get hard sometimes. It certainly helps to be familiar with the AP, because then you can at least tell those NPCs apart (like Kroft, Orisini, Trinia, Tuttle, Ornelos, Arkona, d'Bear ...).

I also understand the fact that you do not write a comment every time you read a new entry. I read some other journals myself, and even though I try to leave a note at least once, I do not do so every time - far from it. I only speak up when I have something to say or to ask. Still your little comment was appreciated. I hope you'll enjoy what I have in mind for my group. If things work out as planned, there should be good times for years to come ...


I don't like to populate campaign journals with comments too much because I find it can take away from the story of the journal itself. It's like having to pause a movie because two people are talking.


With no sign of brother Cedrik in this end of the complex, the companions retrace their steps to the first crossroads chamber with the small pool. Having explored the right side, they now dive into the left tunnel, which slopes down across a hard stone surface. Centuries of water trickling down have worn the steep floor smooth, making it treacherous to navigate.

The passage ends at a cavern with a domed ceiling, cramped with stalactites. Several of these hanging formations have grown together with the stalagmites on the ground, making up one colossal pillar. At the foot of this beautiful column a large clear pool has formed. Quint tosses a light stone into the water. It looks quite deep, at least seven feet. A man-shaped shadow rests against the stone pillar below the water line: the calcified remains of a long forgotten man. Two tunnels lead off into the darkness, one just around the corner to the right and another at the far end of the cavern.

Reaching the other tunnels is hard without getting wet. Sjo decides to head back to a spot with even footing, where he can take off his plate armor. Meanwhile Puk, Quint and Balian investigate the right corridor. They come across three more ghasts, but they dispose of the undead easily. Balian peppers them with arrows from the back line, while Quint tries to trip them with his whip, giving Puk the opportunity to stab them with ruthless efficiency. The tunnel ends in a stone door at which the undead have obviously been scratching. The left bottom corner of the door is missing, revealing a small room beyond in which some scared rats have taken refuge. So the ghasts were after more rodents to eat! Balian pulls the door open. The room looks manmade and is strewn with the decayed remains of wooden crates. Apart from three diseased rats there is nothing here worth noticing.

When they return to the pool cavern, Sjo joins them in nothing but his shirt. Quints digs up a wand with mage armor to boost the healer's defenses a bit. One more tunnel remains, but to reach that, the companions have to cross the water. Balian and Puk manages to keep to the side of the cavern, but Sjo and Quint lose their footing and glide off into the center of the pool. They use this opportunity to examine the skeleton at the foot of the pillar and discover a gold bracelet on his right arm.

Before climbing up the final tunnel, Quint weaves a prestidigitation through his fingers to dry everyone's clothes. Puk leads the way into a shadowy cavern. A dark shape jumps forward from an alcove in the opposite wall, splashing water over the halfling and shouting: "Stay back, you fiends! In the name of Pharasma!" It is brother Cedrik, still a bit wet and tired. He has caked blood on his forehead.

When the wide-eyed priest understands that the intruders are there to save him, he is overcome with relief and spills the beans on what happened. He was tasked with working in the morgue and he remembered the chalice that was there. Since he had always been told that it possessed certain magical abilities, he wondered whether it might be helpful in fighting the plague. So he looked up some information in his books, but he came up with nothing of real interest. His next best guess would be to examine the cup itself. Upon arriving in the morgue, he went into the backroom to look at the chalice. He was surprised to hear strange sounds coming from below the floor, underneath the stone altar. Trying to pull the heavy block of stone aside, he accidentally pressed the secret button in the bas-relief, triggering the opening mechanism. The altar slid away, making the chalice on top topple and fall down the hole that was revealed underneath. Ashamed at his clumsiness Cedrik jumped into the dark to retrieve the cup, but the drop was deeper than he had estimated, so he hurt his ankle. His arrival in the underground chamber was met by hungry growls and grunts from a host of undead. Before they could reach him, Cedrik snatched up the chalice and ran off into the only available exit. He stumbled down the steep, slippery tunnel into the pool chamber, hitting his head before plunging into the water. As he heard the ghasts coming after him, he quickly climbed out of the pool and hid in the far corner of the cavern, keeping his flask of holy water at the ready. He spent a very scary night there, but fortunately, the undead never came for him.

There is one more exit from this final cave: a heavy stone door marked with Shoanti runes. They talk of Shemnoata the traitor, who led the intruders with the long, white knives into his home camp, resulting in the slaughter of 58 warriors, women and children. Sjo feel uncomfortable disturbing the passage, but Quint and Puk are eager to explore it. Balian pushes at the door, but when it finally gives way, he almost falls down the sinkhole that is beyond, for indeed, the roughly circular cavern has no floor, but rather drops away into the dark. Jutting from the far wall are seven evenly-spaced spears. Mounted at the end of the shafts are jawless human skulls, all turned to face the door. They boom in old Shoanti: "Begone! Let the one who betrayed his brethren rest!"

Balian notices that the sinkhole has some kind of alcove about thirty feet down. Puk climbs down a rope and discovers a small secluded compartment in the side of the sinkhole which holds an unadorned stone tomb. Balian and Quint join the halfling and the bard casts detect magic. He sees a slight sheen of magic emanating from beneath the heavy lid. Together the three young men push aside the cover a bit and look upon the leathery face of the body inside. With a low-pitched sigh the corpse opens its eyes and stares back at the adventurers. Balian reacts immediately and plunges his blade in the dead man's face, tearing apart his jaw. Quint and Puk are hindered by the lid that still covers most of the tomb and thus protects the corpse. Then Shemnoata's gaze takes its true effect, confusing both Balian and Puk, making them either hurt themselves or babble incoherently. Quint tries to hold back the undead with cure light wounds touch attacks, while Sjo quickly makes his way down the rope to help his friends: "You fools, I hate to be the one to say I told you so, but ... I TOLD YOU SO!" Shemnoata throws off the stone lid, making it disappear in the sinkhole, and stands up. By that time Sjo arrives and hits the risen dead hard with his heavy mace. Quint's short sword finishes him off once and for all, simultaneously ending the insanity that has taken hold of Balian and Puk.

Quint casts another detect magic, which gets a much brighter reaction now, coming from the corpse's silver belt. With Zellara's aid Sjo identifies it as a belt of physical might, which enhances both one's strength and stamina. This powerful item is perfect for a swordsman like Balian. Puk remarks that the girdle is of Chelish make, so it probably was the traitor's payment. That would explain why he was buried with it, for none of his brethren would have wanted the cursed item after they'd killed him.

With the underground complex completely explored the companions return to the morgue. Sjo and Quint ask Zellara's insight in the mechanism that kept the undead locked in. It seems like the proximity of the chalice acted as some kind of key to seal undead into the silvered room. Now they can finally reconstruct what happened. The diseased rats somehow made their way into the old underground complex and disturbed the undead's slumber by providing them with food for the first time in centuries. The ghasts' loud meal alerted Cedrik, who accidentally managed to open the secret passage and who jumped into the hole to retrieve the fallen chalice. There he saw the undead, not realizing that they were still locked into the silvered room because the chalice was still close-by. The panicked priest grabbed Pharasma's holy cup and ran off, thus removing the 'key' from the holy barrier and breaking its magic. The undead were finally free after three hundred years. Fortunately for the clumsy priest the ghasts were more interested in food and made off after the diseased rats, leaving the chamber where Cedrik had sought refuge in peace.


High priestess Keppira d'Bear is pleased to see Cedrik is safe and is sighs when he tell her what happened. She offers the companions her full support in their efforts to fight the plague, provided they get her help for a number of more mundane tasks. She also wishes them luck trying to convince the churches of Abadar and Asmodeus to join the 'medic task force'.

The Grand Vault of Abadar is composed of well-kept grey-veined white marble walls with gleaming bronze friezes, all of which radiantly reflect the light of the sun. The structure towers over surrounding buildings and, along with its steep stairs and ramps leading up to the temple's great bronze doors, boasts an aura of divine luxuriance. Today however, the great stairs do not exhume an aura of grandeur, but rather of chaos. Dozens of desperate civilians - mostly of the working class - throng the entry, scarcely being held back by a group of gold-armored guards. Puk sees one man dressed in fine silks pushing through the pock-scarred crowd. To all everyone's dismay, this rich man is allowed inside. The protectors at the gate are heavily pressed by the angered bystanders when Quint speaks out to calm everyone down. He urges the sick to return home, so they can rest and get better instead of tiring themselves here and infected even more fellow citizens while they're at it. He promises them to talk to the Archbanker and work out an arrangement so they can be helped. After the crowd disperses the guards let the companions in.

Archbanker Tuttle welcomes his guests and can be convinced that he will serve order and civilization better by joining in an organized effort to fight the plague. Unlike the churches of Pharasma and Sarenrae, he is not looking for extra hands to help out in his temple, on the contrary, he does not want strangers running around his Bank. So he will help, but at another location. He agrees to meet with the representatives of the other churches tomorrow and already feels like he should be the one to be the overall coordinator. If the companions want to appeal to the general public to help, they might just as well ask for donations, which would serve the Bank of Abadar better than 'helping hands'. Despite his willingness to join in the medic force, Tuttle will keep back some spells for his own followers, he says. After all, if they are sick, they deserve to be treated just as much as everyone else!

The church of Asmodeus is one of the most magnificent buildings in the city, built from red marble in the shape of a five-pointed star, and situated upon Citadel Crest in the wealthiest ward of the city. The church competes with Abadar for the right to verify and witness oaths and contracts. Since his initial error in judgement - when he sacrifices thirteen maidens to his deity - high priest Ornher Reebs has taken great pains to operate on the right side of the law. Despite this focus on its lawful nature, many Korvosans see the church of Asmodeus as an evil entity in the city and carry a deep mistrust for the infernal religion.

Unlike the other temples the church of Asmodeus is not overrun with people. The sturdy bodyguard Mallas summons his master and hangs around to keep an eye on things while his superior talks to the companions. Ornher Reebs is not happy to see Sjo, who attempted a short apprenticeship in the temple, before turning his back on it. To Reebs that kind of cowardly behavior smells like breach of contract. Quint plays the 'pride' card when he says that all the other churches have agreed to help out, so it would be a 'shame' if Asmodeus would not join in. Reebs wants to know how much the Bank of Abadar is being paid for its help and when he learns that the companions plan to raise money through donations, he demands half of the proceeds. He also wants the companions to communicate about his church's involvement in a positive light, so more people in the city might grow to appreciate his faith. He even draws up a contract stipulating the exact lines of his conditions. In return he offers his full array of disease fighting spells, as well as the couple of useful spells that his subordinate Tyresha can cast. He knows that there are only two priest in his church who can cast remove disease, but the weight of one high priest easily overshadows a dozen low level clerics. Reebs is the third most powerful priest in the city, so the companions will need his help. Quint and Sjo realize that the man is right: high priests can ask their god for many remove disease spells when they fill all their higher level slots with this power as well. Moreover, the chance at success depends on how powerful the caster is, so Reebs would certainly add value to the task force. The negotiators agree and put their signature plus a drop of their blood at the bottom the contract that Ornher Reebs draws up.


After having procured the cooperation of all the major temples in Korvosa to combat the plague together, Sjo has little difficulty in convincing his girlfriend, Larella of Shelyn, to join in the effort, although her contribution will be very limited. She has only just reached the power to cast remove disease and her chances to fail at getting someone better are still bigger than her chances to succeed. Still, she's more than happy to help.

Next the companions want to pay a visit to Dave Saulus, the Chelish doctor who leads the Queen's Physicians. They learn from Cressida Kroft where to find him: he's setting up a hospital in an empty warehouse, just a block away from Zellara's old fortune-teller's shop in the harbor area. Dozens of laborers are getting the building ready; a newly painted sign at the door identifies the place as The Hospital of the Blessed Maiden, a reference to Saint Alika. Doctor Saulus is in an office on the first floor and listens quietly as the young men inform him of their plans to form a medic force by having all Korvosan temples pull their resources. Saulus confirms that the number of diseased people certainly justifies a second hospital in Korvosa and agrees that it is best that both medical centers gear their activities for one another.

The companions decide to invite all the parties who are fighting the plague in their own villa the next morning for breakfast. This first meeting will launch the medic force, and hopefully it will go on to lead a life of its own without the heroes' further involvement. Cyril Fordyce, the editor of the Korvosa Herald, even agrees to print a public call for help and funds in his periodical's next issue. Quint says he will get his final text tomorrow, after the meeting in the villa.


28 Sarenith 4708

The next morning Mouse is still feeling ill and Quint, Korwick and Heldrin are a bit under the weather as well. That means that all the kids and both Sjo and Quint have been infected. Only Balian and Puk are still feeling healthy.

Soon the guests for the breakfast meeting arrive: Valdur Bromathan of Sarenrae, brother Aldrick of Pharasma, Archbanker Darb Tuttle of Abadar and Ornher Reebs of Asmodeus. These four representatives of Korvosa's most important churches are joined by Doctor Dave Saulus of the Queen's Physicians and Sjo's girlfriend, Larella of Shelyn, who spent the night in the villa for the first time. Sjo welcomes everybody and leaves the guests to come to their own agreement. Darb Tuttle immediately takes charge and the others let him. When it becomes clear that the heroes signed a contract with the highpriest of Asmodeus, promising him 50 % of all the funds raised, there is some discussion, but the medic council finally decides to discuss that matter at a later date. For now they agree to place collection boxes in all the temples and they also decide on a text to be printed in the Herald.

When the guests have left, Sjo and Balian see to all the sick in the house. By noon they go to Trail's End to take care of little Brienna as well. The girl still hasn't recovered, although Sjo's healing has kept her relatively well. Brienna's mother Tayce inquires if the companions have already heard of the cure that is supposedly available somewhere in the Heights district. They obviously haven't, but a potential medicine certainly piques their interest, even if - which they suspect - it turns out to be a sham. Some information gathering quickly points them to Lavender's Luxury, a perfume boutique. The shop stands in a row of tightly packed houses in Summoning Street, just south of the Acadamae. The owner is a Chelaxian woman named Vendra Loaggri, who is famous for her avant-garde creations and brazen promotions, like her "Free Imp with every purchase" stunt last year.

A long queue of eager Korvosans waits in a line that stretches far around the corner. Several of those waiting bear the obvious blistered symptoms of the plague. A strong man guards the door and eyes every customer that enters closely. A customer leaves the perfumery and immediately applies a greasy ointment on his neck. He refers to it as Lavender's Luxuriant Liniment and claims that he already feels better, even though Sjo notices no changes in the man's red spots and Quint detects no magic. Quint wants to sneak a peek inside, but dreads the thought of having to queue for hours, so he decides to start a new line for those who want to buy perfume instead of the cure. While most queuers throw angry glances at the bard, his fast-talking overwhelms them enough so he can get away with his little scheme. About fifteen minutes later he is inside the shop, where a happy-looking dockworker is giving his unbiased personal testimonial of how the luxuriant liniment cured him of the plague. A woman with clear blue eyes asks Quint what he wants when he reaches the counter. The bard recognizes her as Vendra, Loaggri, the shop's owner. From her he learns that Lavender's Luxuriant Liniment has already been around for a long time, but the merchant only recently became aware of its special plague healing ability when a customer who had used it got better. Quint finds it hard to determine whether the woman is lying of whether she truly believes the ointment works. He ends up buying a bottle of perfume and Puk picks up a dose of the cure, because he wants to have it examined.

Back in the street Quint teases Sjo about his new girlfriend, giving the big Shoanti the impression that he is a bit jealous. As the two young men are harrying each other, they suddenly hear a loud scream. A group of people have gathered down the road and Quint can tell that are crowding a woman who is clearly in a state of panic. The frightened girl has blond hair and is dressed in a white sheet with no clothes underneath. Sjo gets the bystanders to give her some space while Quint calms her down. When they ask her for her name, she doesn't know ... she doesn't remember who she is or how she got here! An old lady tells the companions that she noticed the girl staggering down the street in naught but a white sheet, looking disoriented. When she asked the girl if she was okay, she started wailing like a madwoman. Still, she seems to be in fine physical order, very fine even as she looks very attractive. Quint wants to get the poor thing some clothes and convinces the old lady, who lives close by, to sell him a skirt and a blouse. Despite this sober attire the girl looks stunning when she puts on the clothes, especially when they prove to be a bit tight around the chest. Sjo and Quint continue to quiz her to see if she remembers anything. When they talk about Sarenrae, Asmodeus or Abadar, she recalls the names and portfolios of those gods, although she cannot name any godhood spontaneously. They lead her down the neighborhood to try and trigger her memories, but nothing comes back. When Puk mentions food, she realizes she is quite hungry, as are the companions, who haven't had lunch yet.

Balian suggests grabbing a bite in The Travelling Man in Old Korvosa. The girl shows table manners while eating her burger, indicating that she is not from the lower classes, although she does not display the elaborate etiquette of the nobility either. The girl is very worried and every question the companions ask her sends her into a state of alarm. Is she a criminal? Or someone who was about to be sacrificed in the temple of Asmodeus? Did she rise from the dead or did she use to be a statue that was turned to flesh? She hasn't got a clue.

During the conversation Quint notices some men in the square who are pushing a cart with a dead body. It is not until they have disappeared from view that the bard starts wandering why the body carters were going west instead of east, to make for the bridge south for the Gray District, where all corpses have to be delivered. Still, the pleasant company at his table soon makes him forget his contemplations for more agreeable worries, the pretty girl's lot. Focusing his gaze on her shapely curves, the bard casts a detect magic which reveals a hint of magic on her. Sjo joins in with his own spell and reads a touch of transmutation in the lingering magic. The two men try to get the girl to imitate some of their simple spells, to see if she masters the art of spellcasting. It yields no success, although the girl admits to feeling some familiarity to spell weaving. The companions also experiment with the girl's reflection in the window, but seeing a mirrored version of herself triggers no memories.

Finally Sjo proposes naming the girl, since it is hard to talk to someone without a proper name. Balian comes up with a nice suggestion, Madam Nesia, the lady who suffers from Mad Amnesia.


Big praise goes to my friend Moonbeam, who introduced Nesia in his Curse of the Crimson Throne journal, which you can find here - obviously this thread is forbidden for my own players!. She was a big hit at our gaming table, so thanks for the inspiration! We miss your presence on these boards ...


Puk takes Madam Nesia to the villa while his friends follow up on the body carters who were going in the wrong direction. A vagrant at the side of the road calls out and asks them if they want to buy a cloak of rat skins. Sjo gives the man some silver, but immediately burns the filthy cape. For some extra coin the bum reveals that the carters pass by regularly. "They always disappear down a dark alley over there." The man points out where it is.

The high walls of the surrounding buildings throw the awkwardly bent Racker's Alley into constant shadow. The hidden sideway is rich with the stomach-turning stench of rot. Heaped against the wooden back wall, behind an empty cart, rises a pile of dozens of plague victims and hundreds of dead rats. The entry to a door has been left clear: it is the back entrance of a small rundown shop called Giotorri's Toys. The front door and windows have been boarded up, making the place look deserted, but the back door seems to be unlocked. Balian puts his ear against the wood and hears voices inside.

The ranger pushes in, surprising two body carters in the shop's backroom. Sjo calls out to them: "In the name of the law, lay down your weapons!" But the fools do not head his words and make for their clubs. While Quint starts mocking them with his satire, Balian jumps forward and whirls his greatsword in a devastating arch, gravely wounding both men. (Double critical hit on a cleave.) One of the men attempts to strike back, but his pitiful fighting skills are no match for the ranger; the other body disposer tries to make a run for it, but can't dodge Balian's swift reaction and goes down. The sound of battle draws in five more men from the shop in front. They want to swarm the three companions with superior numbers, but quickly learn their mistake. Two well-placed burning hands spells from Sjo and Balian's cleaving blade take them down. One of the carters makes it outside, but Spyder and Quint halt his escape. The final opponent surrenders.

In the front room Balian discovers a stain of dried blood, no older than two days. The lone survivor confesses that he and his colleagues were tired of making the many long runs from north to south across the city with the corpse carts. So they started ditching the dead rats and bodies in this shady back alley. They thought no one would mind, but then it turned out that someone still lived in the boarded-up shop next to their perfect little dumping ground. Toymaker Giotorri had locked himself in his shop to keep the plague out, so he obviously wasn't too keen on having the infectious cadavers piling up against his back door. The carters tried giving him money, but when he refused, things got out of hand and they killed the old man. That is why they attacked the companions, because they were trying to hide a crime ...

Our friends take the murderer to prison and swing by the university to talk to its professor in alchemy, Sirtane Leroung. They ask her to examine Lavender's Luxuriant Liniment, hoping she can tell them whether the ointment really works. Sirtane seriously doubts it, even at first glance, since the substance can hardly even be called an ointment, looking more like grease. The professor in turn asks her visitors if they have heard of anyone recovering from the disease, or even better, of anyone who is immune. Since she cancelled her classes to avoid the danger of spreading the plague, she has been studying the pestilence, hoping to find a cure. Knowing that people actually recover from it, would be a great support. But the real clue to fighting the deadly malady could come from those who possess a natural resistance to it. The companions promise to ask around and keep her informed. They pay a quick visit to Field Marshal Kroft and the temple of Pharasma to report on the carters' scheme in Racker's Alley, before retiring to the comfort of the villa.

Puk has already taken Nesia to the tailor's and she is in the bathroom right now, getting ready for dinner. She may have lost her memory, but she certainly did not forget how the dress up: she looks absolutely stunning. Sjo offers the lost girl his bedroom and spends the night at Larella's.

29 Sarenith 4708

The children are still sick and Quint is feeling worse as well. Sjo on the other hand feels great, it looks like his body has fought off the infection. Balian is still as healthy as a fish and Nesia is in excellent physical shape too, but her mental problems persist as she still has no recollection of who she is. Balian and Sjo spend a couple of hours tending to the sick, including their daily visit to little Brienna. After lunch they talk to Sirtane Leroung again. The alchemy professor confirms her suspicions: Lavender's Luxuriant Liniment is nothing more than animal grease, mixed with weeds and some cheap perfume to make it smell less revolting. It has no healing properties whatsoever, apart from the potential placebo effect.

The companions report the matter to Field Marshal Kroft, but she lacks the manpower to do anything about Lavender's Luxury herself. She implores the four friends to attend to the case personally. She trusts them to handle the matter in whatever way necessary, but they have to close the shop, because all those people in the queue infect each other. This place offers no cure, on the contrary, it is a serious health hazard.


Today there is another long line in front of Lavender's perfumery, but the companions do not approach the people in the same manner they did yesterday. Quint announces to everyone that Lavender's ointment does not work against the plague and Balian adds that they are here to officially close the shop. Since the customers have probably been waiting in the queue for hours, they are not inclined to leave just yet and stay put for now. When the guard at the door sticks out his head to enquire about the commotion Sjo order him to lay down his weapon in a very commanding tone. His words clearly affect the man, but he is still separated from the companions by a small crowd of people, so he chooses the safety of the inside instead and retreats in the shop. Weapons are drawn and now the bystanders realize that the situation is both serious and dangerous, which sends them running. The young heroes follow the guard and while Sjo orders most of the surprised customers out, Quint repeats that they are here to close the shop under the orders of Field Marshal Cressida Kroft. Tensions rise as the three bodyguards raise their weapons: the most burly of them threatens with his greatsword, while the other two wield a sword and shield. They defend the way to the counter, where the owner of the business, Vendra Loagrri, questions the four intruders' authority. For all she knows they are mobsters who want to steal her money. Sjo steps forward, booming that he's arresting her for obstructing justice, while Quint gives the three guards a final chance to surrender.

The man with the greatsword, obviously the leader of Lavender's security, slips his boss a quick glance before sending his mighty weapon in a sweeping arch on Quint. The bard staggers backward, bleeding profusely from a gaping wound. Balian tries to return the favor, but the fact that there are still a handful of customers left in the shop, cowering in the corners, makes him too cautious and allows his opponent to block his attack. Vendra jumps over the counter and pulls out a dagger that she flings in Quint's direction. Fortunately for the gravely wounded bard, the projectile misses him. Her other two guards bare down their longswords on Puk and Sjo. These opponents are no beginners and they hit hard. Sjo realizes the threat they pose and resorts to his magical arsenal for battlefield control. His hold person freezes his attacker in place. Quint seeks refuge behind his friends and patches up the worst of his cut with a cure light wounds. Meanwhile Puk and Spyder engage the third guard, seeing how the head of Vendra's security now focuses his powerful swings on Balian, succeeding in another bloody gash. Sjo takes the man out of the action as well by paralyzing him with another hold person, as Quints attempts a new spell on Vendra. His cacaphonous call nauseates her so she has to give up fighting as well. The heroes are now clearly in control of the battle: they put down the remaining guard, slip the greatsword from the leader's grasp and push him to the floor. He fights off the paralyzing effects of Sjo's magic and tries to make for his weapon, but the heroes bear down on him from all sides and hit him into unconsciousness. While Sjo stabilizes the bleeding guard to prevent him from dying, Vendra and her last guard surrender.

Puk tells the four cowering customers to get the hell out of here, but Balian stops one of them to get his identity, since he witnessed what transpired in here. The heroes heal their wounds and tie up Vendra and her men. Quint tries to get more information on the ointment from Rita, the frightened shop assistant, but she has little to offer and dreads acting against her boss. Sjo figures that he will find out more if he investigates the scene himself. He leads Vendra to the back of the building and uses her keys to unlock her personal living quarters and her laboratory. Here he finds confirmation for professor Sirtane Leroung's analysis of Lavender's Luxuriant Liniment: two barrels of animal fat, a bunch of cut up weeds and cheap perfume to scent the ointment. Still Vendra sustains her belief in the effectiveness of her cure, claiming that for a pharmacist there is no difference between weeds and herbs.

The companions decide to leave the rest in the hands of justice. They bring the four prisoners to the Longacre building to have them locked up and head over to the citadel to give a full report to Cressida Kroft. They also hand the Field Marshal all weapons and armor they confiscated, including some magical items. Kroft is actually surprised at how 'peacefully' and lawfully the companions concluded their business and admits that she made a mistake in not giving them a document to assert their authority. She suggests that the companions actually join the Korvosan Guard, although she quickly decides that might not be the best option, since the Gray Maidens were given full control over her soldiers.

Afterwards Sjo wants to follow up on the medic task force. In the Bank of Abadar he learns that Darb Tuttle is talking to the Jeggare and Arkona families to procure a building that can serve as a new hospital. He also informs professor Sirtane Leroung that his own illness has been conquered, affirming her suspicion and hope that the human body can fight off the plague. When she questions him about his 'treatment', he says that he's been using lesser restoration to keep up his vigor, which was definitely a strong weapon in overcoming the disease, but such a 'cure' is obviously not available on a large scale.

Meanwhile Puk, Balian and Quint return to the villa, where they discover that Madam Nesia is entertaining a guest. It's Meep Gildenglare, the old seamstress and more notably, the friendly wererat lady. Meep confirms that it took her a while to remember the companions from their days in the 'Pied Piper' play five years ago, but now she does. She recalls the children who peeped under the floorboards from where she was directing the rats on stage in her wererat form and realizes that they have grown up. She now freely admits to being one of the oldest lycanthropes in the city, one of the few who was born with the affliction. Unlike most of her kin she has managed to find her place in regular society, which makes her a 'coward' or even 'traitor' in the eyes of most of her own sort. One such lycanthrope, who's never been able to integrate in the human world and has always felt suppressed and shunned, is Girrigz, a young but strong wererat who is also a born werecreature. Girrigz has been nursing his grudge against human even more since he was shot with silver arrows by the Korvosan Guard a couple of years ago. He has gathered a number of like-minded brethren around him and like most stereotypical members of his kin, he has made his home somewhere in the sewers.

Although Meep does not entertain cordial relations with these wererats, recent development in the city have caused her to worry. She has witnessed how the plague is ripping through Korvosa and has not failed to notice that rats play an important part in spreading the disease. She has picked up various rumors that blame the wererats for this epidemic and fears that this news will not sit well with the likes of Girrigz. He already feels frustrated at being condemned to live in the filth of the humans and will be greatly offended by the accusation that he is the cause of this malady, as if any wererat would ever purposely poison a real rat brother or sister. Their bond with the little rodents is just too strong, Meep says as she pets the rat she has in her own lap, which she introduces as Mr. Nibbles. Meep sighs deeply before she implores the heroes to help her kinsmen out. She wants them to go below ground and convince Girrigz and his gang not to do anything stupid, because such an act would only backfire in these rat-hating days. In return she will gladly provide a wardrobe for Nesia, because the girl can hardly put on the same gown day after day, as lovely as it may be.


I've added some pictures of Lavender's on Deviantart:


Travelling through Korvosa's sewers brings back memories of the days when Sjo, Balian and Quint were still in Lamm's lambs and had to hunt for rats to feed Lamm's ever-hungry alligator Gobblegut. Only this time they are here to make peace with the rats instead of kill them. With Meep Gildenglare's pet rat Mr. Nibbles leading the way through this filthy maze the companions make good time. Even an ochre jelly that drops from the ceiling hardly slows them down. While Balian hacks the slime into ever smaller parts, Sjo finishes them off with a few burning hands spells.

When they approach the wererats' den they notice some light seeping from a man-sized crack that cuts deep across the opposite wall of the tunnel, on the other side of the muck. Balian also picks up some voices from within. The companions decide to go the diplomatic way once again and hail the inhabitants of this underground lair with loud hellos. They continue calling out for Girrigz, the wererat leader, as they approach the cleft. Balian is the first to enter a rough-hewn stone cave, wading in the small flow of sewers filth that cuts through this room. An empty table bathes in the light of a flickering brazier. The perceptive ranger spots a shadow in the far end of the room, a shape that looks like a big, walking rat. With a squeaking voice it wonders what the companions want.

"We are here to talk to Girrigz about the sick rats and people. A mutual friend asked us to check on you to make sure you are okay", Quint answers.

"What do you mean, sick people? My people, you mean? My people are sick, as are our rat brothers", the creature interjects.

"You don't know, then? The people in the city are sick as well, maybe one in four is infected by now, and many rats as well", Sjo replies. "Some citizens blame you and we just want ascertain ourselves of the fact that this hasn't gone down wrong with you?"

"Hmmrr, so the people blame us ... again, while they are the ones who are guilty! It's always the same with you people ...", a much lower-pitched voice grunts from an opening in the other end of the room.

"Are you Girrigz? Meep Gildenglare sent us", Quint inquires.

"Meep, har har, that old little turncoat human lover ... she has turned from her own, we have no interest in what she has to say", Girrigz groans back. "No, ignorant intruders, we are not responsible for this mess, on the contrary, it is all a vicious plan of your kind to decimate my folk. It is humans who set loose the diseased rats on the city, when they had that ship sink in the river bend."

Quint realizes that the wererat does not have a correct picture of the situation above ground. "Well, first of all, it is definitely not 'all the humans' who are responsible. Thousands are sick as well and hundreds have already lost their lives. I'm even infected myself. So your analysis that the humans are responsible is not accurate. But I do believe you when you say that some humans might be responsible. Sometimes there are bad people and if you can offer any insight on what happened, we'd be happy to learn about it."

"So humans are sick as well ... the irony, struck down by your own kind! But don't you have healers up there who can make the sickness go away?"

"We do, I am somewhat of a healer myself", Sjo returns. "But the plague has taken on huge proportions, so we are struggling to save just a few. Still, you have sick here as well? I can have a look at them if you want me to, although I do not master the magic to heal them."

"Well, maybe I do ... that is to say, I am in possession of a magical wand that is supposed to heal the sick, but I lack the power to activate it. Maybe you are capable of doing so?" Girrigz inquires with a friendlier voice. "I'll send one of my brothers to fetch you, follow him, but only you, big man, the rest of you will remain where they are."

The shifty ratman that Balian noticed before reappears in the north exit and waves Sjo closer. He leads the Shoanti through a smaller cave that reeks of death and decay. Hundreds of dead rats and at least seven deceased humanoids have been piled to the wall. The next room in the complex is bigger, a small fire burns in the center and lights up the features of a dangerous-looking wererat, obviously Girrigz. Four very sick wererats are lying on the floor and more lycanthropes and dire rats move in the background. Quint sees that some of them shows signs of the plague as well.

The healer examines one of the diseased creatures, he won't last another day if he receives no care. Girrigz comes closer and hands Sjo a white wand. "It should contain the magic to cure diseases." Sjo accepts the item and moves his other hand inside his pocket to reach for Zellara's deck. The fortuneteller's cards confirm that the wand does what Girrigz says. Of course, Sjo realizes, there is only a limited chance that the magic will have the desired effect. By his calculations that shouldn't even be one in two since wands are usually made at minimal caster level. Furthermore he does not know if the wererat is aware of that; so he tries to formulate it in a simpler fashion: "Your men are in bad shape, I'm afraid. I hope they are not too far gone to be cured. There, let me try it on this poor man first." Sjo activates the magic and the wererat immediately lets out a sigh of relief as his sores disappear and a healthy blush returns to his cheeks. So fortune favored the Shoanti on this first patient, but there still are three more badly diseased lycanthropes in the room. Sjo's attempts to cure these creatures meet with less success, as only one of them gets better. Sjo even retries healing the last one with a second charge, but that fails as well. "I'm afraid your brothers are too far gone", he whispers, knowing all too well that failure has nothing to do with the patient's condition, but with the strength of the wand. When Girrigz seems to accept this fact, the Shoanti is relieved, but he quickly fears that his little bluff might be pierced when Girrigz asks him to cure three other less sick wererats. Still, fortune favors the Shoanti once again as all three attempts to cure these three succeed on the first try. So his story holds.

Girrigz is now fully convinced of the companions' good intentions and invites all of them into the room to negotiate. When Sjo tells him that the magically cured are not immune to the disease and might get infected again, the wererat leader nods and suggests that it might not be a bad idea to lead the sick rats out of the city. The fierce lycanthrope looks nothing like the pied piper from the fairy-tale, but he might have the same sway over rodents and taking the infected rats out of the city would be a giant leap in fighting the plague.

Girrigz also confirms what the companions suspected already. The mysterious plague is connected to the ship that sunk in the harbor over a week ago. The wererat was alerted to the burning vessel by one of his rat friends. He went to the exit of the east tunnel to witness the ship go down, as hundreds of rats fled from the wreck. "It is customary for a boat to hold a few dozen rats, but this ship had far too many of them, many hundreds, some of whom swam to my location. That was the first time I saw the festering sores that have since then taken out half my crew. Strangely enough, there were no human survivors trying to reach the shore."

The companions decide that the wreck deserves closer inspection. Still, they were sent here with a mission as well, making sure that Girrigz does not take out his ire on the humans above. Sjo steers the conversation in this direction again, but first he wants to improve his goodwill and digs out the restorative ointment from his pack, knowing that this salve has the same chance to cure the sick as the wand did. "I might have one more trick up my sleeve to help your sick friends", he says. He applies some of the ointment on the last two sick wererats and as if by a miracle, they both work! Girrigz is very interested in the unguent and proposes to trade it for the wand. Sjo immediately sees the gain in this deal and accepts: there are only two applications of ointment left, while the wand still holds twenty charges. On the other hand, the wererat leader has no use for a wand he cannot activate, so it is a win-win situation. When the companions ask Girrigz not to seek revenge on the humans, he quickly agrees. The thought had crossed his mind, but the information and the aid the party provided him and his people sufficed to sway him. The company parts in good spirits.

That evening Sjo uses the wand to cure the children in the villa and little Brienna. He also secures a sloop for tomorrow and arranges with Larella that she will forego one cure disease spell in favor of some water breathing magic.


30 Sarenith 4708

On the way to the harbor the companions pick up a copy of the Korvosa Herald. They are happy to see that their call to aid the city's medic force has made it to the front page.

Larella casts water breathing on the party before fisherman Jarend takes them out to the river bend where the ship sank. Quint spots a shadow on the bottom of the stream that looks like the wreck. He pulls out his wand of mage armor to enhance everyone's defenses, as swimming in armor is not a good idea, even with the ability to breath under water. Then the companions dive to the sunken ship, which rests some 70 feet below the water line on the bottom of the river. A moniker on the bowsprit identifies the vessel as the Delivery, the same ship that bore off necromancer Rolth almost two months ago. The strangest feature of the wreck is a big hole in the hull with a massive ballista arrow sticking through it. This hole was obviously below the water line when the boat was still afloat, and must have been the main reason why the ship sank so quickly. What is weird about the arrow, is that it sticks out of the hull instead of into it. It was fired from within! The deck is blackened by the fire that raged there before the ship went down. Especially the aft deck was badly damaged.

Balian swims for the foredeck first and kicks open a door that was swollen shut. Inside he finds a room that was converted to a shrine of Urgathoa. A crude wooden statue of an attractive, straight-haired woman with a lower body that has wasted away to bones leaves no mistake as to her identity. If this ship bore the disease that plagues Korvosa, the goddess of physical excess, disease and the undead would make for a fitting patron deity. Puk even notices Urgathoa's unholy bible, In service of Your Hunger, floating in the water. Fortunately the ink has mostly faded from the pages.

The doors the cabins in the aft deck open more easily, as they are almost burned through. The right room is a small mess hall, while the left one used to house the captain. The contents of these rooms were mostly destroyed by the flames, but the captain's quarters still hold a valuable clue. Nailed to the wall are the burned remains of a map, showing the Bay of Korvosa. One location is marked in red: Lost End, a place on the desolate south coasts of the bay, where the dangerous cliffs normally don't allow ships to moor. Quint has heard of this place before: Lost End was once the country house of the Porphyria family, a noble house that was exiled from Korvosa by King Eodred's mother, Queen Domina, after they tried to steal the crown from the Arabasti dynasty. Fortunately Chadris Porphyria's short reign was such a disaster that it paved the way for Domina to seize power for her family again. The surviving Porphyria's returned to Cheliax, where their house still held a lot of power. Perhaps the plague is their revenge or a devious way for them to facilitate their return.


That is a nice map, what did you use to make it?


Tels wrote:
That is a nice map, what did you use to make it?

Just some paper that looks like parchment, which you can get in the store. I drew the map on it and burned it. I actually tried making a computer version first, but since I don't have any decent graphic software, it was easier to do it by hand and burn it for real (obviously a controlled fire, taking out or blackening the part I wanted to get this result). It makes for a nice prop, though.

I sometimes use the same parchment paper for other hand-outs as well, e.g. I have a translated version of

something that will turn up in a far away future:
Ileosa's contract.

For my copies of the Korvosa Herald I use regular white paper, since the parchment vellums are a bit more expensive.


The companions want to explore the sunken Delivery further and make their way through the hatch into its cargo hold. Swimming inside they see they are not alone: a giant octopus moves in to attack. Quint throws a cacophonous call on the bottom dweller, nauseating it and forcing it to retreat in the galley. Slowly the heroes swim towards the door, but before Sjo can close it, Balian sneaks through and swings his greatsword at the large creature. Hampered by the water, his hit loses much of its strength. Puk stabs at it as well, but as the octopus has taken up position in the corner, there is no way for him to hit its vulnerable spots, so his cuts are only minor nicks. It seems like both heavy hitters have lost their advantage in this underwater environment. When Quint's spell is about to end, the bard tries to renew it, but this time his magic is resisted and the sea creature regains control of its actions. Its tentacles lash out and all the companions suddenly find themselves in the awkward grasp of rubbery arms. Balian has to drop his blade and pulls out a simple dagger to cut at his opponent. Sjo does the same, but finds it hard to score a hit. Quint, who is usually the least effective melee fighter, is all of sudden the biggest threat as his short sword of frost pierces one of the tentacles, rendering it useless. The iron embrace of the octopus's arms slowly squeezes the life out of the heroes as they try to fight themselves free. Although they manage to cut off more tentacles, the crushing arms take their toll and both Sjo and Balian lose consciousness. Puk and Quint are near to the end as well: the halfling lashes about furiously with his small swords, scoring some extra scratches, but Quint saves the day by striking the final blow.

The companions take a few moments to heal up, before searching the cargo. There are over half a dozen big cages, the doors of which have all been opened. Each of these holds a number of dead rats, who did not die from drowning, but rather from the plague. In the lower hold the companions discover more opened cages, as well as the drowned body of a man who has an amulet of Urgathoa around his neck. There is also a ballista in here, that was used to fire the heavy shaft through the hull which caused the vessel to take on water and sink.

The companions return to the harbor, dry up and head to the citadel to report to Field Marshal Cressida Kroft. She encourages the heroes to examine the location marked on the map: the abandoned Porphyria manor Lost End. She will make a document to authorize her special task force, so the companions do not run into trouble again because they cannot prove they are working for the city. She asks them to make preparations and return tomorrow to pick up the document.

The companions spend the rest of the day getting ready for their trip. They also make sure that Tayce and Brienna have enough food to get through the next couple of days without having to leave their house and risk exposure to the plague. They do the same for Madam Nesia and the children in the villa.

Quint also dives into the villa's library and finds more information on Lost End. The country house was commissioned by Lord Chadris I of House Porphyria. This nobleman was one of the wealthiest and most prominent businessmen and aristocrats in the city in his day. He was also the direct competitor of Eodred I, who was crowned the first king of Korvosa, much to Porphyria's discontent. One of Chadris's wilder business ideas was to buy up the desolate lands on the south coast of the Bay of Korvosa and try to establish a harbor there. He never got past one small landing stage in a cave, somewhere in the fierce cliffs that line the south edge of the Bay and a large manor on top of the rocks. The waters proved too treacherous to allow for any decent harbor activity and the political struggle for power in Korvosa consumed too much of his attention, so Chadris abandoned his plans to develop the area further. The manor became the Porphyria holiday house, although it found a more permanent resident in Lady Ulrika, the wife of Chadris' son, Chadris II, and mother to Chadris III, who briefly made it to the throne of Korvosa, becoming its worst and most unpopular king to date. Lady Ulrika reportedly resided in the manor for health reasons, but the truth was that she was insane and her family locked her away in the country house to avoid embarrassment in the higher circles of the city. Since the fall of the Prophyria's, at the end of Chadris's mad reign, and their banishment to Cheliax in 4667, the manor has stood empty.

Since it is the last day of the month, Sjo pays a visit to the tax office and declares what the party made in the last month. Taxes amount to 4,819 gold sails, due to be paid over the next month.

That night Balian and Quint are awakened from their sleep by cries from Nesia's room. The girl is having a bad dream. Balian carefully wakes her up and tries to calm her down. She says she had a nightmare in which she saw the shadow of a robust man standing in a doorway. He said something to her and then closed the door, after which blood started dripping from the ceiling, slowly filling the room. As Nesia is quite shaken, Balian offers to sleep in the extra bed to watch over her.


1 Erastus 4708

The companions get their horses ready for the trip to Lost End and pick up their charter at Citadel Volshyenek. The Field Marshal also hands them a reward for closing Lavender's Luxury two days ago: a hefty pouch with 1,000 gold sails and some of the swindlers' equipment, a magical greatsword, mithral breastplate and cloak, which all go the Balian, and a ring of protection for Quint. Then the heroes leave the city.

The farmland makes way for a rougher terrain after a couple of hours as the road bends off to the west and crawls between the western stretches of the Mindspin Mountains that line the southern horizon and the cliffs alongside the Bay of Korvosa somewhere to the north. The sole pathway here sees infrequent passage, as only the Hellknights from Citadel Vraid travel it from time to time on their heavy warhorses, but the heroes do not encounter any of these blind enforcers of the law today. When darkness sets, they make camp and pass a restful night.

2 Erastus 4708

After a couple of hours Balian spots an overgrown path that veers off the main road to the northwest. Travel becomes slower now, as the horses have to walk through the high grass and weeds. It definitely looks as if no one has come this way for a long time.

It is almost noon when the companions pick up the muffled murmur of pain from behind the bushes. They dismount and check out the source of the noise, discovering a large wounded bear that has a bear trap around its paw. It has been pulling at the iron teeth to try and get free, but its efforts have only caused it further injury. The animal roars viciously when the adventurers approach, giving them pause. Suddenly the growls of the injured colossus are drowned by barking dogs, who are closing in fast. A few breaths later six hunting hounds burst out of the foliage and attack both the bear and the companions. Despite their fervor the dogs cannot penetrate the companions' defenses and soon start to fall prey to their weapons.

"You hurts my dogs! Rukus Graul kill you for that, he will!" The master of the hounds arrives in the wake of his pack. It is an ugly humanoid with a wide mouth and a huge misshapen finger which dangles like a hook from his right hand. Quint recognizes the creature as ogrekin, like the grotesque cabbage-headed hulk the heroes encountered in the derro warrens, an unnatural mix of humans and ogres. The lumbering hunter wields a sharp spear, but fails to hit Balian. At the same time the hounds finish off the bear and now hurl themselves on the companions. The heroes pick off the mongrels one at a time without suffering a single bite. The unfortunate half-ogre is equally unsuccessful and never scores a hit with his spear. Sjo barks at him to surrender, but he refuses. "You kill my dogs, I kill yours!" he grunts as he plunges his pike in Spyder. "Rukus not surrender, ever!" he shouts as the companions bear down on him from all sides. The next moment his dead body drops to the ground. That is how the heroes of Korvosa deal with stupid, overconfident brutes.

Using detect magic Sjo is pleasantly surprised to learn that this primitive creature was wearing a valuable girdle around his waist, a belt of giant strength, which the Shoanti healer gladly straps around his own hips.


Unless you are not familiar with Rise of the Runelords you will surely have recognized Rukus Graul from The Hook Mountain Massacre. Be sure to chime in for the next sessions if you want to see more from Nick Logue's wonderfully horrible module in this little sidetrek adventure.


Looking at the cadaver of the brown bear that the ogrekin's hunting dogs took down, Balian realizes it has a nice, thick pelt that would make an excellent rug for his bedroom. With Puk's aid he starts skinning the magnificent animal, while Sjo tries his hand at preparing a juicy bear steak. When the companions finally return to the road where they left their horses, they are surprised to find their mounts missing. Fortunately whoever took them did not bother about hiding his tracks, so Balian easily picks up a trail. About an hour down the road the heroes discover two wooden buildings off the road, next to a clearing in the wood.

Puk sneaks closer to scout ahead. The two sagging buildings look like a worn down hunting lodge and barn. Windows have been boarded over and moss and fungus grow on the shaded sides of the decrepit structures. The halfling also spots a tangled field of corn and other diseased plants growing in the clearing. An eight-foot tall brute is working the ground with a vicious iron hook. His grotesquely deformed head resembles a giant pumpkin: a huge mass of tumors and overgrown bone gives his head a lopsided look. Numerous crows fill the air above him. Puk circles the lodge, sticking to the trees, and makes his way around the building to the barn. Upon approaching that building he quickly makes out the frightened whinnying of horses, cruel chuckles of more brutes and savage snarls of dogs inside.

The halfling gathers his friends and together they stealthily crawl up to front of the barn. Puk throws open the doors and the companions look upon an unpleasant scene. Three ogrekin and two skinny, naked dogs are torturing three awkwardly bound horses. Puk's riding animal seems to be taking the worst punishment and shows various cut and bite marks. Balian's and Sjo's mount are here as well, but there is no immediate sign of Quint's ride. Balian storms in, charging an ugly ogrekin who has two forearms growing from his right elbow. Quint swirls his whip around the crooked stumpy legs of an exceptionally short hillbilly and pulls him to the ground, so Puk can stab him in a weak spot while he's down. Meanwhile Sjo realizes that the third of the brothers in the barn is huge, even in his eyes, standing over eight and a half feet tall. This giant has a somewhat 'normal' face, although his eyes are very big and his skin is pale as the full moon. Balian wields his weapon to great efficiency, taking out one of the dogs and the short-legged brother in one mighty sweep. He next faces the wrath of the two remaining brothers, who hit him hard with their bare hands. Meanwhile the pumpkin-headed ogrekin who was working the field outside, has rushed to his brothers' aid. He throws himself on Sjo, dangerously whirling around his vicious iron hook. Balian and Puk take out another opponent: the tall hulk falls dead at their feet. The last of the three torturers smashes the ranger in return with his twin forearms, but Quint understand that fourth, pumpkin-headed brother is the biggest threat, as he is clearly more experienced in battles and packs a ferocious punch. The bard spellbinds the ugly brute with a successful cacophonous call, causing a sickening head-ache to surge through his tumorous brain, taking away his ability to fight. The creature retreats to the door and flees the scene. In the meantime the companions finish off the last opposition in the barn, before chasing after the ogrekin who is fleeing around the barn. The heroes manage to corner him and - even though he regains control of his actions and dishes out some damage to Spyder - he succumbs quickly to superior numbers.

With Quint's horse still missing, the companions decide to tackle the main house next. This decaying hunting lodge slumps drunkenly at the edge of the clearing. Rickety stairs crawl up to a porch covered by a huge eave which is supported by heavy pillars of pine. These timbers have crude carvings of manticores impaling children and wolves ripping apart women. The simple decorations look like a child's work, but the depictions grow more gruesome from one picture to the next. A large rocking chair of lashed wood and bone sways erratically in the breeze at the far end of the porch under a vast menagerie of wind chimes, all composed of humanoid and animal bones. The windows have been boarded up with thick timbers, although it is unclear whether this is to keep intruders out or to keep unspeakable horrors in. A host of ants marches happily away, many the size of a grown man's thumbnail. A moth as big as a shovel-head clings to the porch ceiling, watching the party with alienating eyes. The scent of bad meat, urine, sweat and decay wafts from between the cracks.

Sjo's warning that there might be traps is merrily laughed away, but when Puk walks up to the front door, a rack mounted with a series of sharpened bones suddenly swings down from between the many hanging bones. At the same time rusty saw blades spring from the cracks in the floorboards. The terrible double trap fails to hurt the lucky halfling, though, as the spikes only pierce the air above Puk's head, while the blades slides just left and right from where he's standing, cutting off no more than a few hairs from the tufts covering his ever-bare feet. The halfling chuckles at his own good fortune and slowly pushes open the door. The reception room holds a tremendous hearth in the right wall, but there is no fire burning in it, while the small rogue remembers that smoke arose from the chimney on the roof. A mangy dire bearskin rug lies before the fireplace. The animal's pained visage still snarls at whatever hunter that took its life. To the left is a huge couch, haphazardly upholstered in animal hide and humanoid flesh. Sjo recognizes a fox's head and a human-looking hand and foot in the putrid leather collection. The door on the other side of the room has a big hole in the bottom, big enough for Puk to see that the hallway behind it is clear. After having crawled through the hole, the rogue's keen ears pick up the exhausted cracking of wood. It comes from the door to his left, causing his curiosity to rear its head.

The halfling leads his friends down the hall and quietly opens the door. Next Balian storms in and faces an incredibly corpulent woman with stringy, black hair, greasily sticking to her humongous head. She wears an old stained curtain as a robe. The room reeks of sweat, but also of decay, which originates from the chamber's second occupant, a hulking ogre who did not come into view until Balian charged inside. The ranger realizes that this giant is no longer alive, although he still moves to attack the intruders. Could this be the deformed ogrekin's mother in the company of their late father, returned from the dead? It certainly seems so. Disgusted by the foul woman the ranger chokes and fails to hit her. "I don't know who you are, strangers, but you are fools for coming in here! I'll have your heads on a pike to decorate my porch! Daddy, tear them apart!" she shrieks. Balian turns to the ogre zombie and decides to attack him first. His greatsword tears through the rotting meat while Puk tumbles through the room to find an advantageous flanking position behind the undead hulk. The zombie moans and swings his heavy greatclub at Balian, but the ranger can block his strike. The fat lady rolls around in her bed - obviously the source of the creaking Puk heard earlier - and throws a heinous spell at the halfling which blinds him. With one simple incantation she has stolen the rogue most powerful weapon, his eye for weak spots. Quint recognizes the woman's threat and tries to take her out of the fight with a cacophonous call, but she resists his magic through sheer power of will. Sjo bludgeons her with his heavy mace, but cannot prevent her from draining Balian's strength with a ray of enfeeblement. The sly mage has now crippled the second damage dealer with her magic. Balian gets no time to recover, for the ogre crushes half his ribs with a devastating blow. Quint attempts another cacophonous call on the fat lady, but her will proves too powerful again. Sjo rushes to Balian's aid with a healing spell so the ranger can continue the fight, but the undead ogre hits about wildly, wounding all the companions. With Puk's and Balian's efficiency greatly reduced, it is hard for our friends to bring the giant to his knees. Both Spyder and his master go down first, before Puk can finally deliver the finishing cut. Meanwhile Sjo has resorted to firing wave upon wave of burning hands at the corpulent monster, who finds no protection from this magic among her five mirror images. When her zombie bodyguard is beaten, she decides to play it safe and whispers the words of a powerful spell that dimension doors her out of the room with a simple "poof".


After they have recovered from the fierce battle with Mammy Graul and her undead ogre spouse, the companions search the rest of the homestead. With Puk still blinded and Balian still weakened by Mammy's necromantic magic, they proceed cautiously. The horrifying experience continues as they discover a dining room where the chairs are crowned with skulls and stretches with humanoid leather and a kitchen that has eyes and animal heads boiling in a stew. The stench of decaying flesh and excrement hangs thick throughout the building, accompanied by buzzing hosts of bloated flies. The young heroes confront one more hillbilly in the backroom. Although his frame clearly suggests that he is full-grown, the childish look in his eyes betrays his simple mindset. The hairless, malformed ogrekin smiles naively through his wide mouth of ragged teeth before he realizes that the men entering are intruders. He drops the humanoid baby skulls he was playing with and roars aggressively, flailing about wildly with his arms. Still, four adversaries and a dog prove too much of a challenge and he goes down easily. Quint draws back in horror as he examines the crude paintings in blood of grinning devils and dismembered animals on the walls, thinking of his horse that is still missing. Sjo ponders over the baby skulls: their grotesque shape makes him wonder whether these were ogrekin babies. Since all of Mammy Graul's children they have encountered so far were male, these small crania might be all that remains of her female offspring, toys for her sons. The upper floor proves less of a horror, housing one filthy bedroom and a junk-littered attic.

That leaves one more area to explore: the basement. The stairs lead down to a small hallway with three doors. The door on the right draws Balian's attention, as he hears the scraping sound of someone sharpening a weapon and the frightened whinnying of a horse. Puk attempts to push the door open, but finds it bolted from the other side, alarming the creatures in the room of the heroes' arrival. Quint quickly pulls the key-lock killer's magic bell from his pack and rings it, making the bolt pop free. The room reeks of rot and old blood. Piles of gore-spattered skin lie heaped on the floor. Quint's horse has been tied down to a large table, its legs are broken and it looks in bad shape, but still alive. A fierce-looking ogrekin towers over the table; hair grows lopsided from the right side of his head rather than atop his brow, but his left side reveals a more gruesome abomination: a second half-formed head grows from the back of his neck. It lacks the intelligent glare of the main head, though, and limits itself to grunting and drooling. The ogrekin orders two ratlike dogs to attack and roars out a threat in a language none of the heroes understand, although Quint recognizes it as Giant, the tongue used by ogres. In the other corner of the room, behind a second table, is Mammy Graul, who's shrieking encouragements at her son in Giant as well. Whatever she is yelling, it does not sound cordial, although Quint can make out that she calls the two-headed savage 'Hucker'.

The heroes rush across the room and engage the creatures. Sjo focuses on the corpulent necromancer, noticing that most of the burns he inflicted earlier have been healed. His mace skitters off her layers of fat, but at least his presence menaces her enough to make her fizzle the spell she tries to cast. Puk stumbles forward blindly until he faces Hucker and one of the dogs. The luck of halflings protects him once more from the brute's deadly swing: the large metal hook tears into the ground instead of the unsighted rogue. At Quint's urging the halfling takes on a more defensive stance, since his puny attacks will not give the enemies more than a few scratches anyway. Meanwhile Balian and Spyder take out the second dog, but the ranger's decreased strength proves to be quite a handicap. Quint tries to support his friends by snapping around his whip and tripping Mammy and her son. The obese necromancer finds herself cornered by Sjo and resorts to her wand of magic missiles, fearing to lose more spells in melee. Even though she can fire only two force bolts at the Shoanti at a time, her continued efforts wear him down and finally force him to step back to heal himself.

In the meantime the other heroes focus their attacks on the big ogrekin. Quint and Balian inflict several deep cuts, but the brute retaliates, dealing a mighty blow to Quint and hitting down Spyder. Balian presses the attack and finally finishes off Hucker with a critical strike. Sjo no longer has the magic to outheal Mammy and hits the floor as well. Once he ratdog has been taken care of, Mammy is the only adversary left. Hatred burns in her eyes as she keeps on firing magic missiles at Puk now, who is next to lose consciousness. Balian now hits his greatsword into the fat monster's flesh, but it's Quint frosty shortsword that delivers the final blow and ends this horrific conflict.

The bard has just enough magic left to get Sjo and Puk back to their feet. Every potion, wand or spell that can provide healing has been depleted. Apart from Balian, who sustained no wounds in this last fight, all other heroes are barely alive. Getting some rest is a necessity, but first the companions make sure there are no more enemies about. Fortunately there aren't. As they search the rest of the basement, they find two more junk rooms and one large filthy prison that also serves as the building's cesspit. Manacled to the far wall is a strange man with goat-like legs and horns, a satyr. He is not conscious, although he is still breathing. His right arm has been chopped off, leaving only a bloody stump. This must have been the 'treat' Mammy Graul was chewing on when the heroes first surprised her. The companions free the faun and take him outside, where Sjo and Balian bind his wounds. The exhausted young adventurers spend the night in the barn at the side of their horses.

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The companions take the rest of the day to recuperate and heal their wounds. Fortunately, Mammy Graul was smart enough to keep around at least one bottled cure to her own blinding magic in the form of a potion of remove blindness, which repairs Puk's sight, while Sjo's magic gives Balian his strength back. Quint's horse is healed of its broken legs and the heroes carefully bring back the satyr to consciousness. He is traumatized by this horrid experience, but Quint's kind words and music restore enough sanity so he can communicate. His name is Dernal, a satyr who lives here in the wilds. When he realizes that the threat has ended, he asks his rescuers if they have found his emerald necklace. This prompts a closer search of the lodge which reveals a secret cache in Hucker's basement room. A treasure chest holds some money and jewelry, as well as a pair of magical bracers of lesser archery.


The companions take the rest of the day to recover from their ordeal at the hands of the Graul family. They consider burning down the hunting lodge, but despite the horror that the ogrekin brought to the place, it is a decent and sturdily built edifice. In the end the heroes decide to spare the building and burn the corpses outside on a large funeral pyre instead. Dernal, the satyr they saved, and Quint's horse seem to have withstood the worse of the trauma. The goat-legged man leaves for the forest to rejoin his kin, nodding his head in gratitude one last time and Quint's riding animal seeks comfort among his three brothers.

4 Erastus 4708

You might recognize Lost End, the abandoned Porphyria manor, as my version of Foxglove Manor, a.k.a. Misgivings, from Rise of the Runelords' second installment The Skinsaw Murders. I always loved that building and since we'll never get round to playing RotR anyway, I used it for my Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign, just like I did with the Graul homestead.

The journey to Lost End takes just under three hours. The smell of the sea air and the cry of seagulls are the first signs that the companions are nearing their destination. Perched high above the ocean, on the edge of the cliffs, rests a stately manor house. Strong winds tear at the structure that looks poised for a suicide leap. That the manor clings to the top of the rocks is remarkable, as its far side hangs over a sheer drop down to the ocean below, a fall of over three hundred feet. The roof sags in several places and mold and mildew cake the walls. The house is crooked, its chimneys rise from various points among the rooftops, leaning like old men against the storm.

Four grinning gargoyles guard the front door and come to life when the companions approach. The demonic statues spread their stony wings and swoop down on the visitors. The heroes organize their defenses well and focus their attacks on one creature at a time, making short work of their enemies and minimizing the damage they take themselves. Since they have burned through every potion and wand that provides healing, they have to be careful with their resources, as only Sjo's and Quint's spells can cure wounds now.

The front door is barred from the inside, but the Key-Lock Killer's bell easily takes care of that obstacle. The entrance hall is large and runs through to another room at the end of the house, from where colored light streams in through beautiful stained-glass windows. A twelve-foot long monster towers over the visitors as they enter: its leathery wings spread out menacingly. The creature has the body of a giant lion, though its feline head is flanked by two more heads - a dragon's and a horned goat's - marking it as a chimera. The heroes draw their weapons before realizing that this fabled beast is not moving. It is a stuffed animal, a magnificent trophy from a long forgotten battle. The entrance hall sports other trophies along its walls, the heads of bears, boars and giant deer mounted on wooden display plaques. A lion's pelt covers the floor leading to the dining room in the back. A curving flight of stairs to the right winds up to the upper floor, and several doors provide entry to other rooms, their frames carved with scenes from the forest, the animals that inhabit the wilds and the hunters that chase them down. The house is definitely dirty, but the mold staining the floor, walls and ceiling does not carry the damp smell of decay that fifty years of degeneration should, suggesting that the place was aired not too long ago. Still, there are no signs of life anywhere now. The dining room in the back holds a large mahogany table. The cups and plates on it also show signs of recent use, no more than a couple of weeks ago. The stained glass in the windows is still intact and looks like excellent craftsmanship, but the colored glass blocks most of what would have been a breathtaking view of the Bay of Korvosa.

The companions make their way through the rest of the ground floor, including a dusty lounge and a ruined music room. The once-magnificent chandelier lies smashed on the floor, although the organ in the corner survived the crash. Still, half a century of disuse has not been kind on the instrument, which only produces false notes. The drawing room and library are cleaner and have obviously seen more use recently. The heroes discover notes on how to construct a flesh golem, including the creature's strengths and 'weaknesses'. The instructions also list the magic required to bring such a golem to life, with hard to find spells like geas and limited wish. The first would apparently be provided by someone called Andaisin, while the latter would come from a scroll. Quint suspects that these scribblings belonged to Rolth, the necromancer who took Balian's sister five years ago.

Sjo rummages through more molded novels that are left on the bookshelves and some papers on the desk. He finds a document entitled the plague plan, that details the procedure on how to approach the Korvosa with the Delivery. All passengers would leave the ship aboard rowing boats and make for the south of the city, while one person, named 'Rois', would stay on board and navigate the vessel into the mouth of the Jeggare River, where he would release the diseased rats, sink the boat and burn the evidence. The author of the note clearly had little respect for the suicide navigator, as he mocks the man for a fool.

On the upper floor of Lost End the heroes discover a shrine to Urgathoa in the room above the dining room. Four skeletal warriors guard the unholy altar. They throw themselves at the intruders, but like the gargoyles at the front door, they go down relatively easily, though not without delivering some vicious cuts with their rusted blades. Sjo heals his friends after the fight, but decides against patching up Spyder. The labrador sustained some gaping wounds and curing him would drain too many resources, so the companions leave the dog to guard the front door instead. The focal point in the improvised shrine is a statue of Urgathoa in front of the stained glass windows. Closer inspection reveals that this idol is actually a stone bust of a woman, named 'Lady Ulrika Porphyria', to which a skeletal lower body and arms were added.


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The companions explore the rest of the upper floor. One bedroom - the size of the bed suggests that this once belonged to a child - was possibly used by Rolth. There are stains of blood on the table and decaying leftover pieces of flesh and hair on the floor. A bloody saw, needle and thread complete the picture of a necromancer's tools for golem crafting. Four other rooms show signs of occupation, a simple bedroom, a portrait gallery with two bedrolls and two master suites. The latter are quite clean: the four-poster bed in one has fresh sheets and smells almost sweet, while the king-sized double bed in the other room has been tidily made up. The drawer in a cabinet holds two very interesting letters.

Dear doctor Devils

We hear you are the man we need, a gentleman-killer who does not strike with physical weapons, but who resorts to more insidious devices like poison and germs. What we need is something between those two: we're looking for a poison that has the symptoms of an ordinary disease, but that cannot be treated with disease fighting magic. The clinical picture has to be realistic enough to make everyone believe that the victim is just ill, while the outcome - let's be very clear about this - has to be fatal! Deliver this and we will make you rich. There might even be more in store for you if you prove successful.

Although it is not dated, the second letter was clearly written later:

Dear doctor Devils

You have truly served us well. Our new assignment will undoubtedly be more up your alley. We want you to infect Korvosa with the plague. We'll send over high priestess Andaisin of Urgathoa to aid you in this task. She'll be carrying the disease in living form. Accompany her to your 'new home', an abandoned villa on the south coast of the Bay of Korvosa. There you'll be able to work in peace. Lady Andaisin will give you the details on how to proceed from there.

Both letters have been signed with a red symbol that looks like a big letter 'N'. Quint wonders if it's some kind of rune, but then he notices that the mark actually consists of two insectoid legs: the symbol of the Red Mantis, a group of very accomplished and tenacious assassins for hire who worship the mantis god Achaekek! The bard has never heard of any of these dreaded slayers operating in Korvosa, just like he never picked up any rumors of a secret sect of Urgathoa 'lovers'. The name 'Andaisin' does not sound familiar either, but if she's a highpriest who can cast geas, she must be very dangerous indeed.

The portrait gallery was also used to sleep in, as there are two bedrolls on the floor. The ground is also covered in wood chips, the result of someone carving wood. One of the bedrolls holds a couple of half-finished dolls. Balian feels himself choking as he looks at little works of art: his sister used to make dolls like these, although these models show a greater mastery of the craft - which would be expected after five years. One of the puppets depicts a boy, holding the hand of a smaller girl; there is a puppy at his feet ... Could it be? Is his sister Alika still being held by Rolth? Oh, how he will let that stinking necromancer pay!

There are more rooms in the attic, probably servants' quarters of old, where at least a dozen people spent their nights until a few weeks ago.

Next the heroes descend to the basement level. The large kitchen and partially stocked pantry indicate that at least two dozen people were in the manor recently, although nothing suggests that they are still here now. There is another bedroom, the former kitchen staff's quarters, with four bunk beds that have also been used, bringing the total of used beds above thirty. A dusty wine cellar holds no more drinkable bottles, but Puk does discover a crack in the corner of one of the wine racks, which hides a pair of hinges. The racks swings forward, revealing a hidden compartment with a chest, thickly covered in dust. So whoever made this place their home for a couple of weeks did not unearth this Porphyria secret! The coffer contains 1,500 gold sails, a minor ring of fire resistance and a pouch with dust of appearance.

The room underneath the dining room also looks out over the bay through glass-stained windows, as it is situated in the cliff side. It houses a laboratory that has seen extensive use over the last months. All kinds of glassware, jars and pottery cover the workbenches, as well as several iron cages with dead rats, which fill the workshop with the foul odor of death and decay. Strapped to a chair is the rotting corpse of a man; although decomposition is well on its way, Balian can still make out signs of the plague on the cadaver. The far workbench holds a number of beak-shaped plague masks, identical to the physician's masks which the queen's doctors in Korvosa wear. Quint's knowledge of the arcane reveals that these were supposed to be enchanted with resistance to the plague. The leftover notes and materials suggest that some actually were, but those are not here anymore. Sjo and Quint wonder if the queen's physicians have been infiltrated with agents from Urgathoa. They should be easy to pick out: their masks will radiate magic.

As suspected, Sjo finds another staircase that winds all the way down to the sea level. It leads to a cave with two exits. The one to the right smells of the ocean, so the companions choose to go that way. A menacing grunt sounds from the dark ahead as a hideous monster composed of different body parts sewn together with thick string looms into view. So here is Rolth's pet!


The flesh golem roars as it closes in for the attack. The companions are ready for it, though, having read Rotlh's notes. None of them has an adamantine weapon, so they expect to have trouble getting through its thick hide. They do have a very important advantage, however, fire and ice! Sjo can enhance his strikes with flames and Quint's weapon crackles with frost. Both types of magic are supposed to slow the creature.

The companions decide to draw the golem into the entrance cave, where they will be able to surround it. Sjo casts a burning hands on it, while he and his friends get into position. The creature follows in slow motion. Quint also prepares by boosting Balian, Sjo and himself with heroism and Puk sneaks behind the assailant, sneaking through the shadows. The stitched man finally manages to start hostilities, but his first swing goes high and misses Balian completely. The heroes now encircle the creature and strike from all sides, discovering that its resistance to non-adamantine weapons is not as tough as they expected. Instead of the dreaded encounter to the death, the companions find themselves within the grasp of an easy victory. Sure, the golem manages to score a couple of hits, but since fire of ice keep it slowed, it does not pose much of a threat. A few breaths later it topples to the floor. Quint can't get over how easy this was, considering how complicated and expensive it is to create such a being.

The heroes explore the caves further. The tunnel that smells of sea air leads to a huge cave where docks have been built. One big ship could possibly moor here, although it would be treacherous to navigate the water outside the cliffs. It would definitely take an experienced captain to get a vessel into this cave. Along the walls are some left-over supplies, as well as empty barrels and crates. A small prison to the side holds numerous dead rats.

That leaves only one tunnel, one that reeks of death. With their cloaks in front of their mouths the companions go down the corridor. There is one narrow room at the end that serves as a waste pit filled with hundreds of decaying rodents and a fair number of rotting human corpses. Balian fears that his sister might be one of them, so, despite the overwhelmingly sickening stench, he wants to examine the bodies closer. There turn out to be eleven children here, all girls ... so the lambs that Rolth and the dark-haired lady bought from Gaedran Lamm were sacrificed as guinea pigs! The thought alone leaves the companions foaming at the mouth with anger. Eight corpses are adults, six of which were female as well. Only two had black hair, like Balian's sister, but these two were too old to be Alika. Still, this cruelty will have to be avenged!

The companions use what is left of the day to make their way back to the Graul hunting lodge, where they spend the night in the barn once again.

Level up: level 6!

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The companions rise early in the morning and fire their horses on to take them home as fast as possible. They reach the city as the last light slips across the horizon. When they approach Korvosa, they notice two columns of smokes rising from the city: one in the south and another one, more diffused, in the north. Sjo asks a city guard about them. Apparently the number of deaths has increased so much that the Gray District has taken to burning the corpses, explaining the smoke in the south. The fires in the north have another source, though. Since the situation in Old Korvosa has turned so bad, orders have been issued to quarantine the entire district. All the bridges over the Narrows of Saint Alika are being torched, leaving only the one stone bridge, that will be guarded by the Gray Maidens, who will also patrol the shore line to make sure no one sneaks across.

The companions decide to look into the situation later tonight. They have been wondering who to trust with the information they gathered in Lost End. Field Marshal Cressida Kroft seems like an obvious choice, but they fear that she will feel obliged to inform the Castle. The queen is still an unclear factor: is she behind this evil or is she an innocent victim? Her behavior at Trinia's trial certainly does not speak to her defense. So that leaves Vencarlo Orisini: the fencing master is definitely on the same side as the companions and his connection to Blackjack, the caped crusader, might prove valuable. Since Vencarlo lives in Old Korvosa, the companions will be able to check out the situation in the north of the city at the same time.

First the four young friends head to their villa, to freshen up and have dinner. Madam Nesia and the kids look healthy and they even have a guest: Meep Gildenglare, the old seamstress, is there again. She has taken the liberty of dressing the three boys in smart blue liveries, complete with the pseudodragon symbol and all. Nesia has been doing well, although she admits to sudden bursts of headache from time to time. She still cannot remember anything about her past.

After a heartening dinner the companions trek across the city to the stone bridge off Mainshore Boulevard in North Point into Old Korvosa. Upon arriving there, they stumble upon a battlefield. Four score of Gray Maidens have defended the bridge from angry citizens demanding to leave Old Korvosa. At least a hundred of them lie dead on the other bank of the Narrows. It quickly becomes clear that the Queen's guard will not allow anyone across, even if they bear the official seal from Field Marshal Kroft. So informing Vencarlo has suddenly become impossible, unless the heroes try to slip across unnoticed. They decide against it, at least for tonight; too much blood have been spilt already to risk another incident.


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With Madam Nesia in charge of the household things run a lot smoother (and cleaner) at the villa. At breakfast the companions go over their plans for the day. They want to investigate the queen's physicians, to see how far the corruption has spread.

They head over to the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden, the warehouse that was turned into the physicians' headquarters. Just as the arrive, they see a patrol with a pair of doctors leaving. Quint casts a detect magic and notices that both doctors are wearing an enchanted mask. Next the heroes go inside, where they are promptly stopped at the front desk by a burly nurse. The woman is wearing leather gloves and a cloth in front of her mouth. "Get in line!" she shouts, pointing to the six sick people who are already here. A closed door behind the desk provides entry to the main hall, but a Korvosan guard blocks the way.

Quint demands to see Doctor Dave Saulus, but the nurse refuses to let him through, until Sjo pulls out the Field Marshal's charter and bullies the woman into agreeing. She leads the companions through the doorway into the warehouse's vast interior which has been converted into one gigantic sick ward. The stench of alcohol and sickness chokes each breath. Rows of stained cots cram the floor, every bed filled with its own pitiful story: men and women of all walks are groaning as the final stages of the plague consume them. The ceiling of the room is nearly 30 feet high, though a series of catwalks span the room at 20 feet. Four dark robed doctors hover amid the sick, their avian masks giving them an unnerving resemblance to crows waiting to be fed. Quint spots magic in each of the facial covers. Four Korvosan guards and one Gray Maiden walk the floor, while three more Gray Maidens patrol the catwalks above.

The nurse takes the visitors to a staircase in the back and precedes them to the fist floor. There is a second smaller sick room upstairs, in which one of the masked doctors immediately reacts badly to the companions' arrival. Nurse Brunhilde tries to calm the man's protest and urges him to let the guests see Doctor Saulus. During this brief conversation Quint notices that the sick in here are all of Varisian stock, while the doctors are all wearing magic masks again. Puk spots a leather strap bound to a patient's wrist: these poor wretches have been tied down, possibly for their own safety, but the halfling still feels bad about it. Balian gives one patient a quick look-over and is surprised to see that the man shows no signs of the plague, although he looks sedated. The ranger decides to keep quiet about it for now, but he will definitely have to inform his friends of this later.

Before the protesting physician can utter more objections, Sjo storms through to the back and bursts into the office of doctor Saulus. This time even the head physician is wearing an avian beak over his nose, which again radiates magic. The companions demand that the doctor gives them an update, but the proud Chelaxian seems very displeased at their sudden arrival and is very curt in his answers. He sees no reason to give any explanation to these annoying upstarts and quickly shows them the door. Puk wants to compare the doctor's handwriting to the plague plan from Lost End and makes an attempt to snatch one of the papers on the table unnoticed. He fails miserably at it, angering the doctor even more, who has the intruders escorted out immediately.

The companions contemplate what to do next: Quint wants to kidnap some doctors and force them to talk, but Sjo objects as the recent plague charter explicitly forbids attacking or impersonating the doctors or the Gray Maidens. The lawful healer wants more evidence to legitimize acting against the queen's agents. It might be best to wait for nightfall and sends in Puk to gather more clues. Next the heroes gear up for further adventure by selling off their loot and buying three more wands of cure light wounds. Quint also goes to the library to do research on the Red Mantis, the doctors from Cheliax and Lady Andaisin. He finds no reference to an official medical guild in Cheliax, making him wonder where Ileosa recruited her physicians from. There is no information on Lady Andaisin either, which does not come as a big surprise, since most of the church of Urgathoa consists of underground cults. It makes sense that the names of their high priests remain shrouded in mystery.

Another secret organization is the Red Mantis, on which Quint finds only general data. The assassins of the order wear red and black armor with a helmet shaped like a mantis head. It is said that no wall is thick enough, no bodyguard tough enough or no safehouse well enough hidden to keep the Red Mantis from their prey. They take little notice of social or political status, seeing all marks as equal if the client pays the right price. They do refuse, however, to take contracts on rightful monarchs, out of respect for their patron deity, Achaekek, who views monarchs as the earthly parallel of gods. They demand high payment, either in the form of gold or the promise of future collaboration and, once struck, they never go back on a deal. Contacting them is tricky as there are no direct channels to reach them. They is no mention of them ever having been in Korvosa.


BALIAN, CG Male Human ranger 6 (urban ranger)
Init +5; Senses Perception +10
AC 22, touch 14, flat-footed 19
hp 66 (6 HD)
Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +4
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee greatsword +1 (two handed) +12/+7 ((two handed) 2d6+8/19-20)
Melee masterwork dagger +12/+7 (1d4+5/19-20)
Ranged masterwork longbow (composite/strength rating+4) +10/+5 (1d8+4/x3)
Base Atk +6; CMB +11; CMD 25
Ranger Spells (CL 3rd):
1st (2/day) (DC 12) - lead blades, longstrider
Abilities Str 21, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 7, Wis 13, Cha 7
Special Qualities Favored Community Korvosa +2, Track +3, Trapfinding +3
Feats Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Endurance, Favored Defense (human +2 AC and CMD), Following Step, Power Attack (-2 atk, +4 dmg / +6 dmg on 2-handed), Step Up
Skills Acrobatics +8, Climb +8, Disable Device +12, Heal +5, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (Geography) +2, Knowledge (Local) +7, Perception +10, Perform (Act) +3, Ride +6, Sense Motive +1, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +11, Survival +5, Survival (Follow or identify tracks) +7, Swim +8
Possessions greatsword +1; ring of protection +1; mithral breastplate +1; amulet of natural armor +1; belt of physical might (+2 str/con); cloak of resistance +1; wand of cure light wounds; 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 (Human +4, Undead +2) (Ex) You gain a +4/+2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks when using these skills against humans/undead. Likewise, you get a +4/+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 6, N Medium animal
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +8
AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +7 natural, +1 Dodge)
hp 62 (6d8+24)
Fort +8, Ref +8 (evasion), Will +3, evasion
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +11/+6 (1d6+4)
Abilities Str 19, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 3, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +6; CMB +10; CMD 23 (27 vs. trip)
Feats Dodge, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon focus (bite)
Skills Acrobatics +7 (+15 jump), Perception +8, Survival +6 (+10 scent tracking), Swim +10
Possessions amulet of natural armor +1

---

QUINTILIAN, CG Male Human bard 6 (court bard)
Init +2; Senses Perception +8
AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 18, Combat Expertise
hp 44 (4HD)
Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +5, +4 vs. Bardic Performance, sonic, and language-dependent effects
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee short sword +1 of frost +7 (1d6+3+1d6/19-20)
Melee longsword +6 (1d8+2/19-20)
Melee masterwork whip +7 (1d3+2)
Melee sap +6 (1d6+2)
Ranged shortbow +6 (1d6/x3)
Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 19
Known Bard Spells (CL 6th):
2nd (4/day) (DC 15) - cacophonous call, gallant inspiration, heroism, mirror image
1st (5/day) (DC 14) - cure light wounds, expeditious retreat, innocence, memory lapse, sleep, timely inspiration, touch of gracelessness
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, Lingering Performance, Skill Focus (Perform Comedy)
Skills Acrobatics +10, Appraise +6, Bluff +16, Climb +5, Diplomacy +15, Disguise +7, Escape Artist +8, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (Arcana) +6, Knowledge (Geography) +6, Knowledge (History) +9, Knowledge (Local) +14, Knowledge (Local/Art & music) +15, Knowledge (Nature) +6, Knowledge (Nobility) +9, Linguistics +11, Perception +8, Perform (Act) +8, Perform (Comedy) +15, Perform (Dance) +7, Perform (Oratory) +12, Perform (Sing) +8, Perform (String Instruments) +7, Sense Motive +12, Sleight of Hand +7, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +5, Use Magic Device +12
Possessions short sword +1 of frost; chain shirt +1; masterwork buckler; longsword; masterwork whip; sap; wand of feather step; wand of cure light wounds; wand of mage armor; Shortbow; amulet of natural armor +1; Wand of magic missile (CL 3rd); Scrolls of levitate, gentle repose, false life, knock; Dust of appearance; ring of fire resistance (10); ring of protection +1; cloak of resistance +1; Key-Lock Killer's bell

Bardic Performance You can use this ability for 17 rounds per day.
Versatile Performance (Comedy / Oratory) (Ex) You can use your bonus in the Perform (Comedy / Oratory) skill in place of your bonus in the Bluff or Intimidate / Diplomacy or Sense Motive 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. 2/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 (SJO), LN Male Human oracle 6
Init +0; Senses Darkvision (60 ft.), Perception +2, Clouded Vision
AC 23, touch 11, flat-footed 23
hp 44 (6HD)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +8
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee cold iron mace +2 (heavy) +10 (1d8+5)
Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 18
Known Oracle Spells (CL 6th):
3rd (4/day) (DC 17) - cure serious wounds, dispel magic, fireball
2nd (6/day) (DC 16) - cure moderate wounds, hold person, resist energy, restoration (lesser), weapon of awe
1st (7/day) (DC 15) - burning hands, comprehend languages, cure light wounds, magic weapon, protection from chaos, remove fear, shield of faith
0th (at will) (DC 14) - create water, detect magic, purify food and drink, read magic, spark, stabilize
Abilities Str 16, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 19
Feats Armor Proficiency, Heavy, Combat Casting, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (Heavy Mace)
Skills Acrobatics -6, Bluff +8, Climb -3, Diplomacy +14, Heal +8, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (Local) +0, Knowledge (Religion) +8, Linguistics +0, Perform (Act) +9, Perform (sing) +9, Sense Motive +10, Sleight of Hand -1, Swim -3
Possessions cold iron mace +2 (heavy); ring of protection +1; full plate +1; amulet of natural armor +1, cloak of resistance +1, belt of giant strength +2, wand of cure light wounds, wand of remove disease; buckler

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.


PUK, CG Male Halfling rogue 6 (swashbuckler)
Init +5; Senses Perception +9
AC 24, touch 18, flat-footed 24, uncanny dodge
hp 50 (5HD)
Fort +6, Ref +11 (evasion), Will +3, +2 morale bonus vs. fear, +2 racial bonus vs. fear
Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)
Melee main hand silver short sword +2 (small) +11 (1d4+2/19-20) and off-hand masterwork short sword (small) +10 (1d4/19-20)
Melee masterwork sap (small) +12 (1d4 non-lethal/x2)
Ranged shortbow (small) +10 (1d4/x3)
Ranged sling staff (halfling) (small) +10 (1d6/x3)
Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 18
Atk Options Sneak Attack +3d6
Abilities Str 10, Dex 21, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 10
Feats Dodge, Martial Weapon Proficiency (Halfling Sling Staff), Nimble Moves, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (short sword)
Skills Acrobatics +16, Acrobatics (Jump) +12, Appraise +6, Bluff +7, Climb +7, Diplomacy +6, Disable Device +13, Disguise +7, Escape Artist +12, Intimidate +4 (+0 vs. medium-sized), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +3, Knowledge (Local) +6, Linguistics +4, Perception +9, Perform (Percussion Instruments) +6, Ride +5, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +11, Stealth +15, Use Magic Device +4
Possessions small masterwork short sword; small silver short sword +2; studded leather +2 (small); Shortbow (Small); Halfling Sling Staff (Halfling); small masterwork sap, amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +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 3d6 points of extra damage.
Bleeding Attack (Ex) A rogue with this ability can cause living opponents to bleed by hitting them with a sneak attack. This attack causes the target to take 1 additional point of damage each round for each die of the rogue's sneak attack. Bleeding creatures take that amount of damage every round at the start of each of their turns. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any effect that heals hit point damage. Bleeding damage bypasses any damage reduction the creature might possess.

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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The young heroes of Korvosa keep an eye on the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden for the rest of the day. In the evening all the doctors who have been patrolling the city return. While the guards accompanying them leave after a few minutes for their barracks, the physicians themselves do not come out of the warehouse again. So they must have their own sleeping quarters in the building, possibly in the backroom, which the companions haven't seen yet. Most doctors also bring some new patients with them, who will probably occupy the beds of the dozen cadavers that are carried off by body carters before the sun sets. However, no patient has left the Hospice alive or cured today.

The companions wait for darkness before attempting to break in. Their goal is to get Puk into Doctor Saulus' office to compare his handwriting to the plague plan notes they found in Lost End. The huge backdoor to the Hospice is unguarded. Puk puts his keen ear to the wood and hears nothing on the other side. If a dozen doctors are staying in there, they must either be very quiet or already fast asleep. The halfling also fails to see any light coming through the cracks of the door. He feels quite comfortable that there is no one in there, at least not awake. The door is barred, so Quint uses his magic bell to open it. When no reaction comes to the bar dropping on the ground, Puk looks inside: this backroom is an unlit loading bay that is filled with empty crates, containers and barrels, the remnants of the Arkona venture that occupied this building in the past. Two curtains lead to the main hall. Puk slips in the backroom and peeks under the heavy drapes into the sick ward. There are two doctors left to look after the patients and a pair of Korvosan guards plus three Gray Maidens to provide security. The halfling informs his friends outside. Quint hopes that things in the ward will get even quieter (and hopefully even less crowded) in the middle of the night, so the young men decide to come back after midnight.

7 Erastus 4708

The companions return after a couple of hours. The backdoor is still open, so Puk slips back into the loading area. The number of guards and doctors in the sick ward hasn't changed, but the two doctors are no longer among the patients' beds, they have taken a seat at a table in the back instead. Damn, now they are effectively blocking Puk's path to the stairs! The halfling quietly calls over Quint, who might be able to draw the physicians back into the main area with a ghost sound spell. Unfortunately, the bard stumbles into one of the crates in the unlit loading bay: "THUCK!". He does not hesitate and quickly runs out again, pushing the door shut behind him. Puk tries to hide behind a container as one of the Gray Maidens pulls away the curtain and peers into the backroom. Lighting her way with a flickering torch, she walks over to Puk's hiding place and discovers the little rogue in the corner with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Who are you? Get out of there!" the woman orders. Puk stands up and shrugs, but then jumps between the lady's legs and bolts for the backdoor, which his friends open from the outside. The Gray Maiden pursues him and suddenly finds herself facing four men instead of one.

"We are the pseudodragons, heroes of the city, and we're here on official business", Quint tries.

"Official business my ass! ALARM! I'm giving you one chance only, lay down your arms, NOW!" the woman cries as she holds out her blade threateningly. She quickly gets the company of her two colleagues, the two Korvosan guards and one plague doctor. One of the other Gray Maidens is clearly an officer, who immediately takes command. Quint and Sjo pull out Kroft's charter and wave it in her face, claiming they are here to examine potential treason by the queen's physicians.

"If you are sent by the Guard, you are under our orders as well, since we are in charge of all military forces in the city now", the officer throws back.

"Well, we're not actually with the Guard as such, so we're not really taking orders from anyone, but we are on the same side", Quint replies. "You see, I know that you are loyal to her majesty, the magnificent Ileosa. But I fear that both her majesty and you are being misled by darker forces, forces we should actually fight together." Resorting to his powers of bardic persuasion Quint tries to fascinate the commander and the Gray Maiden who discovered Puk with his words. He is obviously successful, as she relaxes her stance and seems prepared to listen to him. "Maybe I might even suggest that you help us", Quint tries, attempting to pull the officer further in his charming ploy, but she resists his wiles now. Puk, Sjo and Balian feel the tension dropping and take advantage of the moment to bid the mesmerized guards goodnight, slipping away around the corner.

Realizing that he will not be able to get this Gray Maiden to cooperate with his plans, Quint changes his tactics now. "I guess it was all just an innocent mistake, I see that now", Quint continues, activating his innocence spell to boost his bluff. "We were clearly mistaken, I apologize for disrupting you. You're doing an excellent job, by the way, keep up the good work! I'm sorry again for the misunderstanding, I'll just take my leave now." The bard slowly walks backwards to the corner of the warehouse while sweet talking the guards. Then he slips around the building as well, leaving the stupefied security at the backdoor. That was close!

This was the first time in my long roleplaying career that I actually saw the bardic powers of persuasion being put to full use. We usually have a bard in our parties who makes ample use of skill in diplomacy, but every time we've also written down those special powers of fascinate and suggestion on our character sheets, which look great on paper but never actually make it to play. To see them being used with such effectiveness in what should ended in a combat situation, was fantastic. Okay, the commander made her save against the suggestion, but then Quint followed with a 46 (natural 20 plus innocence spell bonus) on his bluff, to diffuse the situation and make his escape. Good times!


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The companions wait fifteen minutes before returning to the warehouse. It looks like two Korvosan Guards are now patrolling the building on the outside. Quint, Puk and Balian wait for them to pass, before climbing up the wall to the roof. They make their way over the rooftop to the front of the building, above the office of Doctor Saulus. Puk keeps watch while Balian quietly pries away some of the wooden boards that cover the top of the building. A few moments later Quint and Puk slips into the doctor's workplace. Quint summons some light and goes over the writings on the desk. He puts the plague plan from Lost End next to them and compares the handwriting. There is no mistake: the same curls on the l's, the same 'dots' (or rather small lines) on the i's, and the same slant to the letters. In a drawer the bard also discovers a document that discusses the immunity to the plague in a certain part of the Varisian population, despite various attempts and experiments to get them sick. Then Quint's eye falls on a document with the doctor's name on it. Some letters stand out in the dim light Dave Saulus, D-V-L-S, doctor Devils, of course!

The office connects to the smaller upstairs sick ward, in which the patients weren't really sick, as Balian discovered earlier on. These must be the immune Varisian guinea pigs on which Saulus has been experimenting. Puk listens and hears one man walking around in the room. Balian joins his friends and draws his greatsword, while Quint signals to him that the enemy has to be taken alive.

Puk pushes the handle down and clicks the door open, before slipping back in the dark corner. From inside the small sick ward he hears footsteps coming closer. A masked doctor stands off against the light in the background as he pushes open the door and peers into the dark of the office. Quint surprises the man with a cacophonous call, while Balian jumps up and hits him hard on the head with the pommel of his sword. The physician drops to the floor, unconscious. The patients in the room beyond do not react to this disturbance, they have obviously been drugged.

The companions carry out the doctor, rejoin Sjo and make for the old fishery with their unconscious prisoner. They strip him of his clothes and discover a lot of strange vials and even a formula book in his leather coat. So, this man is an alchemist who uses chemistry to do his magic. Sjo throws a bucket of water in the man's face to wake him up, alchemy for beginners, lesson one.

At first the prisoner will only give up his name, Lennerd Brand. For the rest he feigns innocence. "We're here to help the people, that's all."

"Not a lot of help you are, then. I only saw dead leaving the hospital. Aren't you supposed to cure the sick? Well, I guess that is not what good old doctor Devils prescribes, is it?" Sjo spits.

"I can't help it that those people are just too far gone to be saved. We do our best. It's not like doctor Devils can perform miracles ... eh ... doctor Saulus, I mean."

"Haha, you stupid Urgathoan scum, nothing like a slip of the tongue to get to the truth", Sjo smiles as he burns the man in the leg with his power over fire. "Now spill the beans or suffer the consequences of your lies!"

"Here's the truth for you, you ignorant fool! Urgathoa's wrath will burn you all!" the doctor now scream madly.

"The only one who'll be burning with Urgathoa is you. Tell me, do you also dance around on skeletal legs in the afterlife when you're an Urgathoa hugger?" Sjo mocks.

"Just know that I'll be using these legs to dance on your eternally tortured soul. I give my life willingly to the Pallid Princess! She'll reserve a place of honor in her realm when I arrive after all we've achieved in this backwater city. Seldom has the queen of disease been served so well! Our success here will be the stuff of legends!" the doctor laughs.

"Tell us about your plans!"

"Never, I'll die before helping you."

"Well, I wouldn't say you'd have to die, that would be terribly inconvenient for both of us. Wouldn't you rather tell me all about the glory of Urgathoa right now?" Quint intervenes as he spins his verbal web of fascination again. The glare in the doctor's eyes tells him he is successful. "Now, if I can be so bold as to make a suggestion, why don't you tell me what you know about Doctor Devil's plans."

This time Quint's suggestion takes hold and the captured physician confesses: "Well, we arrived on that ship, the Delivery, but we got off before we reached the city, all except Rois. He was chosen as Urgathoa's champion, to sink the boat in the river mouth. We made it to shore and revealed ourselves a couple of days later as the 'doctors' who were supposed to fight the plague. We had to pretend that someone from Cheliax had teleported us in, you know, to explain how we got here so fast."

"And who are you working for?"

"I don't know, we get our orders from Doctor Devils and ... Lady Andaisin." The tone in the man's voice betrays that he is in awe of Urgathoa's highpriest.

"And where is she right now? Where are all of the doctor, actually?" Quint asks.

"There is a secret basement below the warehouse, if you switch a lever in the lift, it can take you down to our new temple! They say that this underground complex was used for smuggling in the past. The former owner of the building was none too happy when he had to give it up, Arkomer or something he was called. Anyway, that's where my brothers and sisters are, as is Lady Andaisin."

"And what are you doing to those patients, especially the Varisian ones on the first floor?"

"It turns out that some Varisians are immune, we've been trying to find out how to get them sick, but nothing has worked so far. They are probably too stupid to realize that they should get sick, huhu, even rats know better", Lennerd replies with a cocky smile on his face as he stares at Balian. "Like that dimwit with the big sword, looks as stupid, but also as healthy as a horse."

Balian can't control himself and smacks the man in the head: "That will wipe that smirk of your face!" Unfortunately his aggressive action snaps the doctor out of Quint's suggestion. As it sinks in that he just gave away so many secrets, the man's face turns bitter. "What foul trickery did you throw over me? You will get no more answers out of me! Urgathoa damn you all to eternal hunger!"

"We have all we need from you, mister Brand. We'll be sure to tell your friends how cooperative you were. I'm sure they'll appreciate it", Sjo nods. "We'll be back for you later." At that Puk saps the man on the head, knocking him out again.

With only two to three hours left before sunrise, the companions know that they have to act quickly. Come morning, the physicians in the Hospice will discover that Saulus' office was broken into and that one of their own is missing. It will not be hard to link this break-in to the pseudodragon 'heroes' who were hanging around the backdoor earlier tonight. If they don't act immediately, the companions might have red Mantis assassins on their tails tomorrow. If there is still some element of surprise left, it is now!

Quint puts on the doctor's coat, hat and mask to make him look like one of the physicians. Sjo no longer objects to breaking the royal decree on this point, obviously the doctors are guilty of a worse crime: spreading the disease purposefully. The four heroes return to the warehouse. If they can bypass the ground floor, they will not have to face any innocent Korvosan guards or Gray Maidens. Not unless some of them are down in the underground temple as well, but then they won't be able to claim innocence anymore. Using the hole in the roof, the companions get back to the office on the first floor. Across from the sick room is the wooden elevator. Puk examines it and finds the switch that the doctor told them about. Pulling the ropes ever so quietly, Balian slowly descends the platform into the basement.

The way off the platform is blocked by a door. Puk listens at it but hears nothing. Time for some serious action! Then he pushes the door open.


I realize I never put up pictures with an overview of the Graul family homestead, so here they are:


Before the companions lies what looks like the entry hall to the secret hide-out underneath the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden. The hall sits empty and seems recently redecorated with murals of skeletons feasting among the dead and diseased citizens of Korvosa. The paintings are crudely done and have already been damaged by water seepage from the surrounding rocks. Simple wooden doors lead in every direction, each bearing a painted scythe-wielding skeleton.

Puk and Balian sneak in and listen at the doors. They only pick up something at the one on the right-hand side: people snoring inside! Fantastic! So they still have the element of surprise on their side. The urban ranger and the rogue quietly open the door and find four of the queen's physicians asleep in a small storage room. They waste no time and murder the men in their sleep. Quint is content to learn that his principled friend Sjo has no qualms about these merciless assassination tactics, after all, the physicians' guilt has been clearly established. This is swift and clean justice!

The companions now try the left door in the entry hall, which leads to a cloakroom. Two big wardrobes hold several dark leather robes, high boots, wide-brimmed hats and beaked plague masks. Sjo also discovers some potions of cure moderate wounds and a bag with 23 black onyx gems, worth 50 GP each, stuck away behind the robes. There is another door in this room which again reveals the sound of people sleeping on the other side. Quint, who is still wearing the avian mask and leather coat as a disguise, walks in first to find a room filled with cots: there are no less than ten physicians resting in here. As Balian and Puk sneak inside to quietly end these bastards' lives, one of the sleepers stirs and sits up. Quint walks over and tries to set his mind at ease with some casual conversation while his friends slip into position to strike the man down in his bed. The plan works, but the noise seems to have awoken another doctor. Again the companions act fast and kill him before he can raise the alarm. The rest of the sleeping doctors are put to the sword as well.

The companions continue their exploration by returning to the central axis of the hide-out. They discover a chamber with a dozen skeletons lining the walls. Their bony fingers claw in the air and the empty sockets in their skulls stare at the intruders with nightmarish determination. Sjo immediately reaches for his mace, but then he sees that the bones do not move. It seems like some twisted mind set them on display here in a tableau mort, to remind all the living that they will one day die and their remains might be called upon to serve the Pallid Princess. Urgathoans certainly have a weird concept of art, no wonder they have to hide it under the ground. A heavy, metal door leads deeper into the complex, probably to the temple itself, but the companions leave it for now, deciding to veer off to the right first because they hear voices coming from that side.

Balian picks up an agitated voice through the door. "I tell you again, I'm sorry for disturbing your rest, but there were some fierce-looking guys snooping around upstairs. I know you want to be informed of anything suspicious happening; they were talking about about investigating this place before they suddenly made off, spilling some sorry excuse of having made a mistake. I didn't trust them one bit, but that Gray Maiden officer seemed to believe them and let them go. I discussed it with Sordek upstairs and we finally decided it best to inform you. Better to be safe than sorry, right?"

Quint decides to go in first again, making use of his disguise. Swinging open the door he walks into another bedroom with six people, all awake and fully dressed: doctor Saulus, a masked physician, two cultists in a breastplate carrying a scythe, a pale and skinny man, with a blotchy and scarred face, and a dark-haired woman. Quint immediately recognizes the gaunt individual as Rolth, the necromancer, the villain they have been trying to track down for ages. The woman in his company must be the lady who took away all those girls from Gaedran Lamm; the girls they discovered later in the mass grave underneath Lost End, where they had been used as guinea pigs for the plague. The bard still feels sick thinking about it. Still, the black-haired lady looks quite young herself, certainly no older than sixteen or seventeen. In fact, she looks familiar as well ... By the gods, could it be? Is Rolth's black-haired accomplice Balian's sister Alika? Quint tries to swallow down the shock that clumps his throat and tries to catch his bearings as Saulus addresses him: "So, any news from upstairs? Did you see those men again that Geoff here told us about?"

"Uhmm, no sir, all's quiet, nothing to report", Quint replies.

"Well, we might as well check it out, we're up anyway", Saulus responds as he signals the two cultists to lead the way. While Quint slips deeper into the room to the woman's side, the first cultist walks out of the room, only to be surprised by Balian and Puk, who promptly cut him down. Geoff, the physician who came down to warn Saulus, quickly quaffs a vial and peeks around the corner to see who just killed his cultist buddy. "You see, I told you, it's them, it's them!" he cries.

Quint sticks to his role and grabs the lady's arm: "By the gods, intruders! Do you have a weapon for me, Alika?" In spite of his desire to see it otherwise, the black-haired woman responds to the name Alika. "Here, take one of my daggers."

Balian, who rushes in with Puk to finish the other cultist, picks up the name as well, realizing that he is now facing his sister. He immediately tries to reason with her: "Alika, it's me, Balian, your brother. We've come to free you!"

"Huh, my brother to the rescue? After five years? You're nothing but a coward and traitor, and a fool! I have found my true purpose in the service of Urgathoa! Now face her and my wrath!"

Meanwhile Saulus and Rolth retreat to the far end of the room and cast defensive spells, as Sjo appears in the door opening and throws his new spell on them, fireball! Spyder also springs into the chamber, but when he recognizes Alika's scent, he starts wagging his tail. The masked physician pulls out another vial and flings it at Balian: it explodes in a burst of flames. Quint uses his disguise one final time in this combat, to take position at Rolth's side. Then the bard pulls out his sword and hacks away at the necromancer. His blade hits the skin as if it was stone. Darn, he just cast stoneskin! Doctor Saulus mutters the words of another spell, trying to slow Balian, Puk, Spyder and Sjo, but the magic only takes on the dog and the halfling. Alika also moves over and viciously cuts at the slowed rogue, proving to have similar skills in combat with her sneak attack. Rolth realizes the threat the 'physician' at his side poses and steps back, flinging two scorching rays at the disguised bard. Now it is Quint's turn to smile, because he has an effective magical defense of his own: his ring of fire resistance absorbs the burning damage. Sjo charges to the bard's side and engages Saulus: his heavy mace hits the doctor hard! Balian's greatsword swings even harder on the physician who tries to escape his reach to do another spell, but the ranger steps up and kills him with one clean stroke. Next he joins his friends in the corner to fight the two powerful mages. His hatred guides his blade at the necromancer, but his anger clouds his combat savvy and he misses the foul caster. Doctor Saulus clearly feels outmatched and tries to swing the balance in his favor by casting improved invisibility on himself. Sjo and Quint hear him running off and chase after him. Sjo throws a sheet of fire in front of him and the flames of his burning hands reveal the shape of Saulus. Quint snatches some dust of appearance from his pocket and blows it in the same direction, breaking the doctor's concealing magic. Still, doctor 'Devils' proves worthy of his nickname when he steps back and calls down the fires of hell! A mighty fireball turns the room into an inferno, but when the licking flames burn out, only Puk and Alika have been badly hurt. Quint and Sjo dodge most of the blaze and their protection from fire wards them from most of the remaining damage.

The odds are now clearly in favor of the companions: Balian controls his rage and hits down Rolth with the flat side of his blade. Quint and Sjo mock Saulus's feeble attempts at hurting them and cut off his escape route? With Balian's help they knock out the doctor as well.

Now only Alika remains. Sjo freezes her in place with a hold person, giving Balian the chance to disarm and bind her before she can move again. So, how does this work? How do you talk to your sister after she has tried to kill you? Especially when you're out of practice with the concepts of brotherly love as Balian is ...


Finally ... finally ... With a mixture of relief and sadness Balian tries to come to grips with what just happened. Yes, after five years he has finally found his sister; after five years he has finally tracked down the bastard who took his dear Alika from him and yes ... the foul kidnapper did not get away. But half a decade is a long time, the vicious necromancer got under her skin, he brainwashed her, changed her, molded her into his equally vicious right-hand woman. Looking at her now, as she's being bound and gagged, Balian sees nothing but hatred in her eyes. Only Spyder treats her as if nothing has changed, clinging to her side and rubbing his head against her leg. The ranger calls his dog over. The animal gives him a sad puppy look, quickly licks Alika's hand before hesitantly trotting to his master's feet.

Puk finds a key ring with a set of heavy keys next to the door in the back of the room. It opens into a small cellblock, which still holds three prisoners. One of them is dead, one unconscious and one barely alive. All three display heavy symptoms of the plague. Sjo offers the two living ones, a boy and a young woman, a lesser restoration to restore some of their stamina. The boy recognizes the healer, he is a stable boy from the Great Tower, the headquarters of the Sable Company, where Sjo used to work as well. His name is Dalvun. He explains that he and his other cellmates have been used in experiments, they were frequently made to drink foul water by Doctor Saulus, Rolth, Alika and Lady Andaisin. Most of them are dead now. Only he and Jaelle are still alive. The two survivors are told to wait in the cultists' barracks, while the unconscious enemies are locked behind bars now. Sjo tells Dalvun he will be back soon, but first he and his friends have to take care of the evil priestess.

Returning to the room with the skeletal bacchanal of Urgathoa decorating the walls, the companions now take the heavy metal door deeper into the complex. The stinging scent of chemicals greets them. A huge basin, filled to the brim with foul, murky water, dominates the center of this high-ceilinged chamber. Two sets of stairs to the left and right lead to a catwalk ten feet above the ground which stretches over the pool. Two cultists are inside, one of them stands at the back of the room in an open door. "Warn our Lady that the intruders have arrived!" he yells to someone in the room beyond, before shutting the door. The other cultist is up on the catwalk. Puk, Spyder and Sjo make quick work of the first one, while Balian storms up the stairs and engages the cultist on the overpass. His heavy blade sinks deep into the poor man's shoulder. The ranger pulls his sword free and cleaves the Urgathoan devotee in two: his legs drop down on the metal walkway, while his torso plummets in the foul water below. A fitting end for one who worships a goddess whose upper and lower body are so distinctly separated.

The companions decide not to waste any time and ignore the doors to the left and right for now, choosing to follow the shouted warning and explore the way ahead first. The door opens into a hall with four large, cylindrical glass vats, each filled with a bubbling emerald fluid that tints the chamber's light a noxious green. Within each container floats a malformed abomination - part man and part horse - a lean, leathery male body resting on a horse's hind legs and topped with a fleshless equine skull. Three of these forms drift motionless in the green bile, but the fourth still twitches. An alarmed cultist is standing next to the fourth vat and smashes the glass to pieces, spilling the vile liquid over the floor and freeing the creature within. Balian and Puk charge the man and cut him down, but are greeted by the abomination, which lowers its jaw bone, spreading its mouth wide: a swarm of corpse-bloated black flies spills forth from its beak, biting and sickening the two unfortunates. Quint and Sjo resort to combat healing to keep their mates afoot, while the daemon now starts clawing and chawing at all those within its reach. The companions lure the creature away from the corner, so they can surround it and start cutting it up one gash at a time. Their combined attacks quickly outpace the creature's offensive and a few moments later the giant harbinger of disease lies dead at their feet.


A set of double doors in the far wall is the only way to continue. Balian pushes open the passage to the inner sanctum, the heart of the temple's corruption: a high-domed chamber with six basins lining the walls, containing foul bubbling liquids in distinct blue, green, red, purple, white and brown colors. Each fills the air with its own sharp reek, creating a noxious, eye-watering bouquet. At the room's center, rising from a wide pool of crystalline water, stands a golden statue, depicting a beautiful woman with a lower body of bones. She holds a scythe in her left hand. From the far side of the pool the high priestess of Urgathoa, the haughty Lady Andaisin, greets her visitors: "And so you have finally found your way to the heart of my temple, you ignorant fools. Know that you stand in the mighty presence of the architect of your city's demise. You call this a terrible plague, while I know it as the gentle kiss of the Pallid Princess. Yet I am still prepared to show you mercy. Choose one of these colored scourges to become one with the goddess. Those who drink I shall only cripple, leaving you to enjoy the wonder of Urgathoa's gift as it quickens inside your flesh. Those who abstain are fools, not fit to house a divine offering. You may fall at my feet and I shall make your end swift!"

Puk is the first to react and rushes into the room, making his way around the pool. He leaves his friends at the entrance, who suddenly see the golden statue come to life and jump down from its stone pedestal in the middle of the pool, landing between them. The animated sculpture swings its scythe at Balian and as she connects with his flesh, the brown pool starts boiling, claiming some of the ranger's strength. Next Lady Andaisin simply steps into the air, as if walking on an invisible set of stairs. Sjo realizes that she is under the effect of an air walk spell, which will make fighting her very tricky. As he prepares an attempt to counter her flight magic, the priestess calls down a vengeful pillar of fire from her goddess, catching Quint, Sjo, Balian and Spyder in her flame strike. The Shoanti healer laughs as most of the fire glides off his skin and throws his dispel magic at the woman, sending her back down to the floor. The companions focus their attacks on the statue first, managing a few deep cuts in her golden skin. Her sharp scythe cleaves through the air with heavy swoops, missing only by a hair's breadth. Puk replies with two biting sneak attacks. Quint trips the thing with his whip, giving Balian the opportunity to finish it off. Meanwhile Sjo tries to keep Lady Andaisin busy. She easily resists his hold person and prays for another flame strike on her enemies' heads. Fortunately Balian is the only one who suffers the full effect of the unholy fire. The fight now moves to the other side of the pool, where Lady Andaisin is starting to lose the cocky grin on her face. She takes some heavy damage and, even though she succeeds at taking Puk out of the fight with a blindness spell, she is sorely pressed. She looks quite proficient with her scythe, but being outnumbered four to one, she does not stand a chance. When she carves into Balian, Spyder reacts furiously and takes her down with his ferocious bite.

A feeling of peace immediately descends upon the room. The colored fluids stop bubbling and the golden statue melts away in vile slime. So much for a well-deserved reward in pure gold, although it looks like Andaisin is wearing some valuable magical items as well. So there still is some nice loot to be divided, albeit that such treasure always comes at a price, literally: ten percent to the city's coffers. Quint gets sick just thinking about it. Still, he feels no qualms when he claims Andaisin's strength and constitution boosting girdle and hands her headband of inspired wisdom to Balian. Sjo is happy to take two powerful wands off Andaisin's dead body: a wand of remove disease and one of cure serious wounds.


Curse of the Crimson Throne:
I like what you did with the statue. Any particular reason you seem to have dropped Adaisan's transformation?


Yes:
Tels wrote:
I like what you did with the statue. Any particular reason you seem to have dropped Adaisan's transformation?

Yes, there is. I changed the daughter of Urgathoa for the statue (more or less using the same stats). I made the mini for the statue and then I decided that using it as an opponent would be fun. I also planned on using the colored basins more, but my statue only managed to land a hit once. Every time she hit someone, one of the fluids was supposed to bubble up and do ability damage. This would also involve those basins I crafted into the fight. Too bad she missed so much, often just by one.

I also wanted someone to engage the PCs to give Lady Andaisin the opportunity to cast some spells unhindered. The fact that she was air walking was supposed to help for that as well, but Sjo's successful dispel magic really made a huge difference. Still, I'm not one to deny my players an "easy" victory. They never got in any real trouble during their raid of the temple, despite its many high-level opponents. Storywise this is actually a good thing. It would have been complicated if the PCs hadn't managed to clear the entire complex in one go and had to retreat to rest up. So I'm quite happy with the outcome.


The companions tie up Lady Andaisin and leave her in the room leading up to the sanctuary, with the green alchemic vats and the dead leukodaemon. Then they return to the cell block - where Rolth, Saulus and Alika are still locked up - letting the boy and girl they rescued earlier know that the priestess and her minions down here are all dead. They drag Rolth’s unconscious body to the hall with the huge basin and the catwalks and use a cure light wounds to wake him up. It takes the necromancer a while to realize who these young men are, who sarcastically address him as an old ‘friend’. It is not until they say that they used to ‘work’ for Lamm and imply that Balian is Alika’s brother, that he puts the dots together. The vile magic-user understands that his interrogators are imbued with an animosity for him that greatly surpasses their anger at him for being involved in the plague. Knowing that these men will have little patience with him, he willingly answers them when they start asking questions

About two and a half months ago Doctor Saulus sought him out in his secret den in the graveyard, Rolth confesses. He adds that he no longer uses this hideout as it was discovered during his time away from the city. He is not surprised to learn that the companions were the ones who shut the place down and killed his derro friends. Doctor Saulus - or Devils as he preferred to be called - promised Rolth to help him build his flesh golem if the necromancer took him in and allowed him to use his laboratory. Seeing an opportunity to achieve his life-long ambition, Rolth quickly agreed. When Sjo and Balian tell him that the golem was not nearly as powerful as Rolth believed, since they destroyed it very easily, a twitch of disappointment sweeps over his blotchy face.

Quint and Balian have trouble hiding their absolute disgust for their prisoner and tell him that his interrogation will determine whether he gets a quick or a long and painful death. They already butchered all the physicians and cultists in here, and they won’t hesitate to give him what he deserves either. Rolth nods and chuckles: “You may free Korvosa of the old Rolth, but it looks like there are four new Rolths ready to take his place, just as ruthless and deadly. I guess the city will be even worse off with the four of you …” Sjo grabs the necromancer by the head and pushes him in the foul water of the room’s central pool. Of course, this kind of torture only proves Rolth’s point, who no longer feels inclined to answer the companions’ questions if they will just kill him afterwards. Quint argues that the judicial system in Korvosa would only come to the same conclusion and condemn him to be hanged, seeing how he’s been wanted by the law for many years. Hanging judge Zenobia Zenderholme is famous for her harsh judgments, so someone with Rolth’s record would be judged very quickly.

“Well, if you’re so sure that the judge will hang me, you won’t mind handing me over to the law. I’ll make you a deal, I’ll tell you everything I know if you can guarantee that I will get a fair trial. As you say, I’ll die anyway, so it hardly matters to you. Give me your word and I’ll tell you, but if you want to kill me here and now, you might as well do it now, for then I won’t tell you anything.” Quint leaves it up to Balian to decide, being Alika’s brother he harbors the deepest grudge. The ranger agrees, but the deal will be off if Rolth tells even the slightest lie, he says.

After this promise Rolth continues his confession. He bought the young female lambs from Gaedran Lamm for himself, but gave them to Doctor Saulus when he needed test subjects for his experiments. He took Alika so many years ago and he somehow liked her enough to keep her alive. He did play mind games with her, constantly telling her that her brother Balian had abandoned her and that he was a coward and a traitor. He repeated this over and over until she ended up believing him and voluntarily chose to join him.

As far as Saulus is concerned, the doctor looked Rolth up in the month of Gozran because he needed a place to brew a poison. Rolth did not know Saulus before that, but was willing to help out a fellow follower of Urgathoa. Although the doctor never told him what the poison was for, Rolth figured it was for the king. He does not know who Saulus was working for or who collected the poison, though. Then Saulus got a new assignment and asked Rolth to join him in Lost End, where they were joined by Lady Andaisin and her followers. These new allies all came from Cheliax and must have used teleportation magic to get there, though Rolth claims having no knowledge of who transported them. This was where the high priestess of Urgathoa enchanted the avian masks and she and Saulus developed the plague by experimenting on a number of people, including Rolth’s girls. The necromancer himself spent most of his days constructing his flesh golem. They finally returned to Korvosa aboard the Delivery, but they abandoned ship and landed their sloops on the shores south of the city, where they set up camp. Rolth sneaked back in to the city, only to discover that his hideout had been compromised and his derro associates killed. He rejoined the Urgathoans and came to the Hospice after they acquired the place. He also claims that the Urgathoans entered the city undercover and somehow got into the castle, where they were supposedly ‘teleported’ to. This suggests that at least someone in Castle Korvosa was in on the conspiracy.

The companions tie up Rolth again and put him back in his cell. First they want to examine the three doors in the hall they used to interrogate Rolth, since they skipped those earlier. Two doors lead to storerooms, one with all kinds of trash and one with supplies. The other door opens into Andaisin’s office. Balian finds a chest with a top-notch alchemy set, while Quint and Sjo examine the many books and notes. Puk, who is still blind, has to limit himself to listening if no one else approaches. There seems to be a large collection of volumes from the Andoran Alchemical Society, as well as extended notes on the experiments that Andaisin and Saulus carried out. The scribblings are quite complicated, though, and would definitely require a trained mind to be correctly interpreted. Professor Sirtane Leroung could certainly use these in her quest for a cure. A secret door leads to a bedroom with a very luxurious bed. There is a traveling chest with woman’s clothes and a small box which holds some jewelry.

Next on the companions’ interrogation list is doctor Saulus. They head back to the cell block to get the bastard, but they are stupefied to find out that Alika and Rolth are missing, and Saulus is dead, his throat cut! Stable boy Dalvun and Jaelle, who are both resting in the bedroom that leads to the prison, have seen or heard nothing or no one. Alika’s bonds lie on the floor of her cell, as if she slipped out of them. Damn those rogues and their slippery tricks! Balian also discovers two small iron needles, part of a thieves’ toolkit, which Alika used to open the locks. Quint finds a lingering aura of conjuration magic in Rolth’s prison cell, probably pointing at some kind of teleportation magic.

The companions are very disappointed and swear never to make this mistake again. Fortunately, Lady Andaisin is still in their hands, as they kept her in another room. They drag her back into the inner sanctuary, determined to test out what effect the colored basins will have on her. Lady Andaisin, only smiles when threatened with submersion in these waters: “Urgathoa is at my side! I’ve done her proud with my work in this city, so I’ll be in her best graces when I cross over to the other side.” Sjo grabs the woman by the hair and pushes her face below the waterline of the blue liquid. In the process he gets his own hands wet as well and feels the liquid draining him. In reaction he drops the priestess to the floor, where she starts mocking him. Quint realizes that he and his friends are starting to behave irrationally, as Rolth’s words still ring in his ears: “four new Rolths ready to take my place”. Andaisin remains confident that she will be rewarded in the next life, and one of the many pleasures she will be awarded with, will be the power to create undead. She will make sure that the companions’ earthly remains will be used in such perversions. Quint gets quite angry with her while she claims she does not know who hired the Red Mantis. And even if she did, she would never tell them. Sjo also tires of her haughty behavior, she has nothing left to tell them, so he just bashes her skull.

As morning is fast approaching, the companions head back up to the hospice. They lure the last remaining doctors into the backroom and dispose of them. Next they collect the books and the survivors downstairs and simply walk out of the building, telling the remaining guards and Gray Maidens to check downstairs, leaving them behind dumbstruck. First they head to the university to give the books and notes they found to professor Sirtane Leroung, who is very happy to get this vital information. Next they want to inform the Field Marshal, but for the first time since they’ve met her, they do not find her at the Citadel, but rather at home. After waking her from her bed, they bring her up to date. Quint gets quite angry with her for allowing her Guard to be used for evil. Aiding the enemy is a grave mistake and in this case, assisting the physicians resulted in many deaths.


The sun is already rising over the horizon when the companions finally get home. The kids greet them enthusiastically and want to know everything that happened, but Sjo just tells them that he and his friends have completed their mission successfully and want to go to bed. The Shoanti quietly sneaks into his bedroom, where Madam Nesia is sleeping in the other bed. He noticed that her breathing is heavy and she's coughing. The tall healer puts his hand on her forehead and feels that she has a temperature. He pulls out his wand of remove disease and heals the ailing woman without waking her up. When her breathing eases, the weary warrior quickly slips between his own sheets for a couple of hours of overdue rest.

Our young friends get up in the afternoon, slightly surprised that no one came to get them out of their beds to ask them about their deeds last night. Madam Nesia is still sick, despite the fact that Sjo was sure he cured her last night. Her eyes are red and she is feverish. Sjo examines her and comes to the conclusion that she is not suffering from the plague. He wonders if she might be cursed and shares his concerns with the others.

After a hearty meal the companions head over to the temple of Sarenrae to get Puk's blindness removed. There they learn that the patients of the hospice of the Blessed Maiden are all being moved to the hospital of the medic temple task force, after the Queen's physicians have been exposed as traitors who were spreading the plague in the name of Urgathoa. Fortunately the Gray Maidens discovered this deception and took care of the problem, permanently! Quint is shocked by these rumors: so now the Gray Maidens, who were foolish enough to let themselves be tricked by the doctors, think they can steal the glory of solving the problem?!? And no one even thought it necessary to consult the true heroes about this fabricated story?!? Quint is quite upset and wants to confront the Gray Maidens, but Sjo convinces him to go to Kroft first. After all, Puk figures, if the companions want to keep a low profile, this story is the perfect cover. It wouldn't be smart to shout all over town that they are the ones who really cleared the Urgathoan temple of its cultists. Those Red Mantis assassins might still be out there and it wouldn't be wise to call too much attention to themselves, the rogue explains. Field Marshal Kroft already knows the truth, so talking to her might be smarter. Perhaps she can shed some light on the Maidens' motive behind this lie.

In the Citadel Quint first apologizes for his outburst this morning, when he accused the Field Marshal of - unknowingly - aiding the enemy. Kroft is happy that he is not angry at her anymore, but says that he was right: she feels bad about the Guard's involvement in the physicians' foul plans. When the bard asks her about the reasons why the Gray Maidens want to claim the honor of clearing the temple of Urgathoa, Kroft replies that she was not consulted in that decision either - she is never consulted anymore; she is just told what to do. If she has to guess, she would say that the Maidens feel ashamed as well for assisting the cultists in spreading the plague, so maybe they want to make up for their mistake in the eye of the public by claiming to be the saviors who solved the problem. Kroft and her guards who were present at the Hospice this morning, have been ordered to keep quiet about the true heroes' involvment.

Quint starts wondering who is behind all these evil schemes. The list of possible suspects is just too long. Is Ileosa herself evil? If she wanted the throne for herself, she could be responsible for having Eodred killed, but why would she kill off half her subjects by ordering a plague to be brought down on Korvosa? Sjo utters the possibility that she is an Urgathoa fanatic herself. Or is Sabina Merrin corrupted? As commander of the Gray Maidens she has certainly moved her own troops into a position of power. Maybe one of the noble families is involved: they killed the king, hoping his queen would prove incompetent and one of them might step up to take the empty throne. Or are the banished Porphyria's engineering a return to Korvosa and its highest seat?

According to Kroft Ileosa also has a new advisor, a wizard from the Acadamae. Is he the puppeteer who controls the queen and her entourage, possibly working in the service of the Ornelos family? And what is Selena's role in all of this? The manipulator has always claimed that the queen is evil and that she is working for someone who wants to save Korvosa. There are so many options. One thing is sure, someone in the castle has been compromised. They worked with the doctors, allowing them inside the castle and then making up some story that the physicians were teleported in from Cheliax. Still this knowledge makes reporting to the castle a risky venture. How can you figure out what goes on in the castle without being in the eye of the traitor? Field marshal Kroft says that this has always been the task of the seneschal, but with Kalepopolis gone, there is no one to keep an eye on things. She could possibly get an audience with the queen herself if she insisted, but what would be her goal? She could never find out anything about the traitor without raising suspicion. Maybe commander Endrin of the Sable Company could be of more help, since the seneschal always comes from his ranks. Moreover, the Company is not tied down by the Gray Maidens as the Korvosan Guard is and Commander Endrin has been known to question the castle's recent politics before.

The companions decide to pay the commander a visit. Sjo is still welcomed in the Great Tower with open arms and immediately gets an audience with Marcus Endrin. The commander is pleased to see the Shoanti and thanks him for saving his stable boy Dalvun last night, but he is also baffled by the Gray Maidens' claim that they cleared the Urgathoan temple. Still, just like the young heroes, he cannot tell whether this Gray Maiden lie is inspired by treachery or a feeble attempt to mask their own incompetence. Sjo comes clean and informs the commander of everything he and his friends found out over the last couple of months. He also presents the commander with the evidence they uncovered: the Red Mantis letters to Doctor Devils, ordering him to first concoct a poison for the king and then to bring down the plague on Korvosa. Endrin is definitely on the same page as his visitors. He has no love for the queen, fearing that she is the evil behind all of Korvosa's recent trouble, and even if she is not, she allows herself to be manipulated, which also makes her incompetent to rule. If only the seneschal were here to take control: he could remove the monarch from power to regain control of the city and weed out the evil at its heart. Endrin has pleaded for a new seneschal before, but his request has been countered with the uncertainty of the last seneschal's fate. Is Kalepopolis really dead or is he still alive, and if so, where is he? Quint and Sjo wonder if his fate could be determined magically? The commander encourages them to enlist the help of one of the temples and try to find out. He will also resume his efforts to see the seneschal replaced with a new Sable Company man. First he will appeal to the queen herself to install a new seneschal and if she refuses, the council of nobles could enforce it. Quint fears that a new seneschal might quickly be manipulated himself by the evil force in the castle, but the commander argues that this new seneschal could act immediately. He feels that there is enough evidence to remove the monarch from power, permanently of temporarily, to regain control of the situation. Quint doubts that this law-abiding approach will succeed, but cannot offer a better alternative. He and his friends will continue their efforts to find out more while the commander exhausts all legal ways to see order restored. The two parties agree to keep each other informed of their progress.


Upon returning to the villa, the companions find that Madam Nesia's condition has grown worse. She is delirious, suffering from high fever and hardly aware of her surroundings. Our friends decide to summon Zellara's ghost from the Harrow deck to consult her. Maybe she can find out if the girl is cursed. The ethereal gypsy bends over the sick woman and holds her hands over her head and body, sinking into an intense trance. Her face betrays the effort it costs her and Balian is sure he sees drops of sweat dripping down her ghostly face. After what seems like an eternity Zellara gets up again, obviously exhausted. She states that she has trouble finding the poor girl's soul.

"Does that imply that she has no soul?" Quint wonders.

"There is something there," Zellara replies, "but it keeps slipping out of my reach."

Having heard stories of people who sell their souls to devils, Sjo immediately suspects the church of Asmodeus to be involved. Balian suggests to take the girl there and have the priests of the Prince of Hell look at her. It might be risky, but it seems like the most direct route to an answer. The others agree and prepare the carriage to transport Nesia across town. However, when they try to lift her from the sofa, her arm bruises badly from the slightest touch. Using the sheet on which she lying instead to carry her, the party gets her to the coach and takes her to the steps of the Archfiend's house.

Sjo knocks on the door and is met by Mallas, the highpriest's grim personal bodyguard. The stern warrior does not feel inclined to help the Shoanti who once came to the temple as an aspiring acolyte and then betrayed this 'contract' by turning his back on the Lord of Oaths. It takes some convincing until he finally agrees to let them in. The heroes gently place Nesia on the altar, which is conveniently shaped to support a person's body, and wait for highpriest Reebs to arrive. Reebs does not understand why the party brings him a sick girl, he is not the city's prime authority on healing and his contract with the medic task force - which the companions helped negotiate - has already cost him all of his healing magic for the day. Sjo explains that they are not here for his medical expertise, but rather for his extensive knowledge on the nature of souls.

When Ornher Reebs turns towards the girl Sjo detects a hint of surprise on his face, which the man quickly hides. He gives her a fairly shallow look-over while Quint explains how they found the girl in the street, devoid of any memory. Reebs looks at the companions and chuckles. "She's naught but an empty shell", he claims. "Just take a dagger and prick her with it".

Puk draws his blade and carefully sticks the point in Nesia's upper arm, where the bruises are. Blood pours profusely from the tiny wound, while the girl starts shaking badly. Her body jerks upward in a sudden, spastic motion and completely turns into blood. The fluid spatters the bystanders and falls down on the altar and floor, leaving no trace of any person: no body, no bones, no skin, nothing but blood. The companions are flabbergasted and even Ornher Reebs regards the spectacle with a shocked look in his eyes.

"Well, that is a new experience, all right," the highpriest utters, breaking the silence. It is obvious that he's never seen anything like this either. Quint's mind races to find an answer: Was Nesia ever human? Maybe she was some kind of simulacrum, a copy of someone else, although those are normally made of snow and ice, not blood. Reebs claims not to be familiar with the concept of blood clones, but supposes that it could be possible. Of course, this might mean that the original version of Nesia is still around somewhere. Puk takes a bit of the blood for later examination and the companions leave after making a contribution to the temple's coffers of 50 gold pieces - which Mallas finds insultingly low.

Before turning in for the night, the young heroes get the sole surviving plague doctor from the old fishery and hand him over into the custody of the Sable Company.


8 Erastus 4708

The next morning Sjo pays his girlfriend Larella a visit in the medic force hospital ,which is overflowing with the extra patients who were brought over from the Hospice of the Blessed Maiden. He helps out for a while, taking care of the many sick.

Quint has set his mind on infiltrating the castle as a servant and decides to stake out the place for a couple of days to get a picture of the every-day comings and goings at the palace. He dresses up as a commoner and hangs around Castle Korvosa for the rest of the day.

Meanwhile his friends head over to the temple of Pharasma to sell off some of the loot they found. Brother Cedrik, the priest they saved from the undead in the catacombs under the mortuary, is the acting accountant they have to deal with. Sjo asks him if anyone in the temple would be able to find out if a certain person has already passed through Pharasma's Boneyard or not. Cedric is no expert on the matter, but says that the Lady of Graves is not known for sharing such knowledge with mortals. Strange as it may seem, divination is much more the domain of wizards than priests, especially if you have specialists on the subject. The Acadamae definitely has an accomplished diviner, as every school of magic is taught there by an experienced professor. Of course, the Acadamae has never had an open-door policy and since the death of the king they have secluded themselves even more from Korvosan society than before. So getting in touch with this person might prove very challenging. Sjo uses some of the new funds to pay off last month's tax debts and buys two magical bucklers for Quint and himself. He also gets a potion of remove blindness for the next time Puk gets robbed of his sight. Better safe than sorry, he figures.

At the university of Korvosa, alchemist Sirtane Leroung is still working on a cure for the plague. She is very hopeful: the books and notes which the party brought her from the temple of Urgathoa, prove a big help in her research, even though they do not mention a remedy as such. She is also performing tests with the immune Varisians' blood. Puk pulls out the vial he filled with Nesia's blood last night and asks professor Leroung to take a look at that too when she has the time. He does not tell her where it comes from, though. Sirtane says that her priorities lie with the cure for now, so it may take a while before she can spare a moment, but when she does, she will be glad to examine the blood. She also refers the companions to Tepest Geezlebottle, the gnome professor and headmaster of Theumanexus College, Korvosa's smaller school of wizardry, for advice on divinations.

Puk, Sjo and Balian make a quick stop at the Citadel and ask Field Marshal Kroft to have a wanted poster made for Rolth. They agree to put up the reward money of 1,000 GP if the necromancer is brought in alive. Afterwards they head to Geezlebottle's school. The gnome wizard is no master of divination, explaining that the most efficient spell to get an answer to the question if someone is still alive, is contact other plane, but such powerful magic comes at a high risk: the wielder of this magic runs a substantial chance of losing his mind for a couple of weeks, the worst fate a magician can suffer. Moreover, Geezlebottle does not know this spell, as far as he knows, only Norva Allesain, the head of the divination ward in the Acadamae, does. The gnome does master the art of scrying, which might indirectly prove that someone is still alive. He agrees to study two of these spells for tomorrow.


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With a couple of days off, the PCs are free to pursue some of their personal quests. We're playing this mostly ad lib, as I've found that my players want to use every moment that is available to them. In order not to waste too many sessions on this at the gaming table and also to allow me some extra time to come up with a coherent response and check all my resources, I've decided to play out part of this by mail. The following report is the result of these mails.

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