It's a mild afternoon in the hustle and bustle of city of Korvosa. The docks have settled down from the early morning fishing boat launch. The overpowering smell of the fisheries is enough to turn ones stomach. Further inland, the marketplaces have come alive with the sale of locally grown produce as well as the fish caught and cleaned by the docks.
Castle Korvosa towers above near the center of town. Guards surround the entrances and exits of the castle to protect King Eodred II from harm.
The Acadamae grounds are a buzz with the chatter of current students as well Acadamae initiates hoping to become part of their secretive traditions.
Scattered throughout the city are various signs on doors indicating that they are fortune tellers and Harrow readers practicing their craft for those hoping to catch a glimpse into their future
Loris looks down at his meal. Salmon and Potatoes, the presentation is adequate Not bad, not bad at all, he thinks. He looks back up at the smiling waitress; smiles in return as he fumbles around for 5 silver.
"Here you are ma'am. And a silver piece for your trouble"
With your mind clearly focused on the thieves guild, you suddenly realize that their may indeed be thieves on this bridge. Was that bump an attempt to steal your coin purse? You quickly look for your purse to find it's not there. It has been stolen!
The boy whom bumped into you is casually walking across the bridge towards the camp.
Hey kid! Get back here!
And I start chasing him
You yell out, startling the young human thief. He was positive he'd had a clean pickpocket, and to find out differently has him flustered.
He turns to begin running.
Initiative Rolls:
His overconfidence has caught him off guard. You are currently 20feet from the thief
The boy turns just as you reach for his arm and clocks you in the head with the coin purse he lifted off you just a moment ago. Despite his best efforts you succeed in Grappling the thief.
The boy yells out, "Here! Take it! I'm sorry. Please! Let me go!". He holds out your purse for you to take.
I take the coin purse and say, Now was that so hard? Now get out of here
As you walk along Northgate Avenue you feel as if there is something different about your coin-purse. Upon opening it up to examine the contents:
You look around for the thief, but he is long gone.
I think to myself alright then..
Loris, after polishing off the entire plate of food, you reach for your napkin. As you lift it to your face, something falls out from inside one of the folds:
You look around for the waitress whom served you, but she is no longer there.
= Dexterity
I enter the shop and say "Jarvis! It's me! It hasn't been that long, has it?"
I smirk a little and move towards the table. "I've had this strange feeling lately, Jarvis. Like I'm about to embark on something big. Show me what that's all about, eh?"
I grab the chair and move it to my usual spot at the side of the table (so my back is not to the door), and sit down.
Jarvis laughs off the error.. "Oh, Ryder it's you, you know my vision is not like it used to be"
Jarvis's milkey white eyballs seem as if they are looking at you, but you cannot be sure. "It's a curse I must bear.... Let's get started shall we?"
After pulling out the 9 "Keys" Jarvis begins shuffling the first part of the Harrow.
"You know what to do" he says, as he spreads the cards out in a fan pattern for you to select one.
You pull the card of the Cricket out of the deck. "Ahh the cricket.. A sign of speed and quick passage". He motions for you to place the card back into the deck as usual.
Jarvis Shuffles all 54 cards together as usual, and then begins to spread out 9 cards face down in a grid pattern.
"Wait a minute! This isn't one of my cards!" Jarvis exclaims as he grabs an unusual looking card from the grid. He looks over the card briefly, and then back at you. "I think you should leave now."
As he leads you out the door, he hands you the card. "I dont think I can be of any service to you anymore."
Wondering what caused him to banish you from the shop, you read the message on the card:
You approach the address indicated on the note. It’s an inconspicuous home, very much similar to the others in the neighborhood. The outside is a little run down from years of normal wear and tear. The shingles are all mostly in place with only a few minor repairs necessary. As you approach the door, you notice the sign indicating that this location is the home of a Harrow reader. Written beneath the Harrow image is another sign “Welcome, please come in”.
Assuming you go inside
If you are the first to arrive
Ralof goes inside and thinks to himeself Well ok then this is nice. I then sit down and wait.
A few minutes later, Loris walks into the building. Seeing an elf sitting in one of the 3 chairs on this side of the table, he thinks to himself This couldn't possibly be the one who sent the note or he'd be on the other side of the table.
Loris see's the elf's weapons and armor. He is obviously well trained.
"Hello there fair warrior. My name is Loris Rakain. I take it you're here for the same reason as I?"
Loris approaches the table, reads the note. "How is the bread?" He picks up a loaf before Ralof can answer his question.
Loris Takes a seat at the table, but leaves the open chair in the middle.
"I take it there will be another to join us?"
hello loris, I am ralof the great! I have no clue if there will be another. So what is your story?
Loris, feeling no obligation to start telling his life story to a complete stranger looks at Ralof, "My story? My story is I'm here because of this."
He holds the card up so that Ralof can see there is a message on the back, but immediately turns it and places it message down on the table in front of him, left hand still on top of the card. He doesn't fully trust this stranger yet and wants to verify he is here for the same reasons
"And what, is exactly your 'story?'." Loris says with a minor hint of derision as he actually uses his right hand to simulate quotation marks.
"Here read this." ralof gives his note from the thief.
"Framed for murder? It wasn't you was it?"
Loris, taken aback by the sudden willingness of a complete stranger to share this personal information with him, eyeballs Ralof one more time.
"There's something about you, Elf. Something almost a bit too genuine... What the hell... Here."
Loris flips over the card and casually tosses it in front of Ralof. "It seems we're both here for the same reason. I only hope whomever sent the note arrives soon, I've been searching for Gaedren for a while now."
Waiting anxiously for the others to arrive, Loris begins tapping his worn, beat-up fingers on the desk, while humming a old favorite tune of the halflings.
"well it seems so. i hope that other guy gets here soon."
Ryder Koss enters the building, slowly, waiting for his eyes to adjust from the blazing sunset outside. He steps into the doorway, and then side steps along the wall a few steps to one side, where he stands quietly and waits...
Ryder is wearing his flashy entertainers garb, having just finished a set near the Acadamae. He appears unarmed.
If not noticed, Ryder clears his throat, subtly, to make his presence known...
Loris, his patience perhaps a bit thin from having to wait looks back at the door, and curtly asks, "Are you the one who sent us the cards?"
Taking a second to re-adjust his vision towards the cough he heard in the corner, he see's this young boy standing to the side of the doorway. He thinks, Yeah, no way this kid owns the building.
"Naw, it cant be you. You're way to young to be so cunning. I'm assuming you're here because you also got a message?" He holds up the card so Ryder can see it.
"Take a seat, boy." He pulls the chair out for Ryder to sit down."Hopefully, we'll get our answers soon. I'm too old to be kept waiting."
After Ryder takes a seat and introductions take place:
“Thank you for coming, my friends, and for putting up with my unconventional method of contacting you. I have reason to remain hidden, you see—a terrible man would see great harm done to me if he knew I was reaching out for help. This is a man you know, for he has done something terrible to each of you as well. I speak, of course, of Gaedren Lamm, a man whose cruelty and capacity to destroy the lives of those he touches are matched only by his gift for avoiding reprisal.
“You see, a year ago, his thieves stole this, my personal Harrow deck, from me. She pulls out a Harrow deck matching the cards you all received earlier and begins to shuffle. The cards seem to dance in her fingers, she is obviously a talented Harrower.
Perceptions:
Ralof and Loris both notice the cards you had previously had on the table somehow made it back into her deck and the message erased.
It is important to me, an heirloom passed down through a dozen generations, and also my sole means of support. When pickpockets stole it, my son, Eran, tracked them down. The thieves were in the employ of Gaedren Lamm, and in reward for finding them, Gaedren murdered my son
You hear choke up a bit upon the mention of her son’s murder. By now you can hear the desperation the Mistress Zellara’s voice.
“I sought help from the Guard, but they turned me away. And so I asked around. I paid bribes. I consulted my Harrow deck for advice. And recently, I was rewarded—I found out where Gaedren dwells. He can be found in an old fishery north of here at Westpier 17, where he trains his abducted children to be pickpockets and counts his stolen treasures.
“And now, I need your help. I cannot hope to face this man on my own, and the Guard moves so slowly that if I were to go to them, Gaedren would certainly know of their coming well in advance. Even if they did arrest him—what guarantee would I have he would be punished? This criminal has evaded the law for decades. But you know of these frustrations as well, for word on the street has it that Gaedren has wronged each of you, too. So there we are. It is time for him to pay.”
She leans back to await your responses
Ralof says to everyone in general kind of laughing to himself "Why not, i think it will be fun to teach Gaedren a lesson." Ralof says to everyone "Whats the plan?"
In response to Ralof's question about the plan, Ryder says, "It sounds like our new friend Zellara has something in mind? ...I hope? I mean, you don't just knock on Gaedren's door and say, 'Hi, remember me? I'm here to kill you now.' He has people, lots of them. So what it's going to be, Zellara? ...You have some disguises for us? Something to get us inside unnoticed? Maybe there's something more you're not telling us?" ...(long pause)... "We are going to kill him, right?" chaotic
Back to the present:
"Kill him? Perhaps, Perhaps not. From what Zellara, You, and Ralof have told me, he certainly deserves it, but he doesn't seem like one to go without a fight."
"Honestly, I've been so focused on finding him that I hadn't really thought what I would do to him when I did. Hmmm" Loris loses himself in thought as he ponders what possibilities await his finally confronting Gaedren.
Zellara leans forward, looks at Ryder, and with a sincere look of desperation says, ”I’m afraid I’m no tactician, or a fighter for that matter, but I can tell you what I know, what I’ve learned through listening to the music of the city, and perhaps consult the Harrow for advice.”
She resumes shuffling, again with expert precision, while she reveals what she knows.
”The previous owner of the old fishery had died to a devilfish about a year ago. Leaving no heirs behind, the city resumed ownership and is sitting in escrow for 2 years while waiting for any claims on the property… Since he can squat there rent free, it is the perfect front for his operation.
”Most of the transactions take place through the hands of Yargin Balko, a sour faced man whom runs the day to day operations.”
”Of course the fishery needs workers, and those orphans whom have fallen out of favor with Gaedren as pick pockets are stuck working in the fishery producing the nasty slurry that they sell to the less fortunate.”
”That’s all the information I was able to obtain. As far as the compound layout, I would assume that it’s pretty standard. Offices in the front; Work area in the back; Dock to the boat… The boat! I almost forgot, the boat hasn’t moved from that spot in over a year, it just sits there.
As far as strategy. I think it would be dangerous to attack at night, the docks are slippery and vision is limited. They would likely see a torch or lantern from a mile away. I’d most likely try during the day”
”Now, let’s see what the Harrow Tells us.” Zellara proceeds to start the harrow, a process all too familiar with Ryder, but strange and mystifying to Ralof and Loris. She lines up the nine card grid:
Zellara’s eyes seem to fade to all white as the cards are turned over. ” Oh dear!”, she exclaims as she turns over card after card. ”I’m afraid the Harrow isn’t telling me much about the Fishery. Instead, I see violence in the streets, political unrest. Blood rains from the sky! I see three heroes standing tall…. She pauses… ” You three are inexplicably bound to the fate of Korvosa.“
”I’m afraid that’s all I can give you for now, will you help me avenge my son as well as seek your own revenge on Gaedren”, The look of desperation is more prominent than ever.
”Oh Thank You! Thank You!” She says with excitement. ”Now go, avenge us all!” As you all head out the door, she speaks, ”Ryder, would you hang back for a moment”
”I see within you, the same fire and passion for the Harrow as I have. You remind me of my son” She chokes up again. ”Before you go to tomorrow, stop by here for a personal reading. I feel the power of the Harrow in you, and I believe you can use it to your advantage in this fight.”
Here's what you can do with them for this adventure:
Dexterity Rerolls: Spend a Harrow Point to reroll any one Initiative check, Reflex save, attack roll modified by Dexterity, or Dexterity-based skill check. You must abide by the new result (although if you have additional Harrow Points remaining, you can use them to attempt additional rerolls).
Dodge Bonus: Spend a Harrow Point to gain a +1 Dodge bonus to your Armor Class for one encounter. You can spend up to 3 Harrow Points per encounter to increase your Armor Class in this manner.
Speed Increase: Spend a Harrow Point to increase your base speed by 10 feet for one encounter—you cannot spend multiple Harrow Points to increase your speed multiple times in one encounter.
Keep in mind, this is not a daily refresh thing.. This is intended to be used over the course of the entire first book. So, use them wisely.
Ralof looks at both loris and Ryder and says trying to keep his voice down I think we should go in at nightfall and do not walk together to get there. Going together would be a bit to suspicious.
Loris looks at Ralof, "Easy for you to say, you can see in the dark much better than I can. While we certainly could catch them a little off guard that way, it could also be dangerous to navigate at night."
He turns to Ryder, "What do you think? Either way, I'm ready to get my revenge"
"We'll meet here tomorrow morning at dawn. We'll talk with the Dwarves - they play a key roll in the shipping and commerce; we'll surely find someone who knows something more about Gaedren, or the Old Fishery, that will be of use to us. The Dwarves are honorable, and I'm certain they'd be happy to be rid of Gaedren as well. Unless we learn something different tomorrow, we'll plan on entering the Fishery at dusk tomorrow - that's when the fishing boats will be returning to dock... the docks will be very busy, and we'll be more likely to blend in unnoticed. Also, Zellara advised us not to go in at night, and while it's against my initial instinct, I think she's right..."
Ryder doesn't wait for a response... he immediately turns and walks away quickly for his home (a meager shack in Old Korvosa). Along the way, he stops for something to eat, spending some of his earnings from his earlier peformance:
= Success! (barely)
sp ... not a bad evening's work. Ryder splurges on dinner and finds himself a good meal (5 sp), having earned good tips earlier, and reveling in the prospect of finally having the chance to give Gaedren what's due to him.
Also, Ryder tries to find an "Eastern" armor shop from which to purchase a Haramaki.
The next day...
= Wisdom
Loris shakes his head as Ryder abruptly walks off. "Yep, he would have made a great half-ling."
He then goes off to one of the empty rooftop shacks he's been squatting in since entering the city on his quest to discover his true parents. He eats the last of his rations from his backpack, while using a create water cantrip to create a gallon of water to drink and wash up with.
I'll have to stop and get some more rations in the morning, He thinks to himself
The next morning:
The next morning you all wake up and do what you need to do: Pickup your armor; Get your rations; ect.
You immediately notice 3 sets of clothing typical of local dock workers.
”Come, sit. ” As you sit at the table, she hands you the deck. ” I want you to perform a Harrow reading. I know you can do it. I see it in your eyes.”
You take the deck from Zellara and proceed to shuffle. ”Now, before you draw, I want you to take a moment to look inside yourself. What is it that You wish to see?... Now draw.”
In the moment you draw, you see an image flash in your mind. It is that of Gaedren. You see him in a room with large hole in the floor about 15x20 feet in dimension. He is seen lowering a child via a poorly constructed pulley system inch by inch into the hole. He asks the child ridiculous questions. When the child answers incorrectly, he lowers him down further into the hole. At the bottom of this hole is a large alligator snapping away at the child. Gaedren’s sinister laugh is enough to send chills up your spine.
The sickening image staggers you for a moment as your focus returns back to the cards. You shuffle again and align the Harrow Grid. ”What you saw with the draw was an image of the past. Now, as you turn over these cards, you will get glimpses of the future. Not all will come to pass, and the timeline can be rather vague, but every card will tell you a possible future.”
As you turn over your cards, you see several images. Some images are rather unimportant, some are quite disturbing, and some of them look exactly like Zellara described last night. An experienced Harrower can make more sense of the images, with practice; you believe you could as well.
After you’re finished, she takes the deck back from you, and fans the cards out in front of you: ”You did well. Now... draw one more card from this deck. Through the power of the Harrow, this card can help you in the coming fight… Please return it to me when you are finished.”
”Well, the others should be arriving shortly, time to put on your disguises!”
-------------
As Ralof and Loris both enter the room, they see Ryder getting into costume. Zellara points to the other two costumes and says. "Put these on, they should help conceal you.
I’m allowing a take 20 on this skill. Although none of you have any ranks in it Ryder is the most skilled at a +4. If you want to take the time, Ryder can create the disguises 1 at a time for each, or you can each do your own. Your Take 20 skills and time to create:
x10minutes - 24 disguise check
x10minutes - 20 disguise check
x10minutes - 21 disguise check
Total Time to Create: 60mins or 30mins depending on how you want to do it.
Ryder creates Ralof's disguise, and then his own, while Loris does his own.
Ryder says to both of them before either leaves, "I suggest you go to the docks and speak with the Dwarven merchants... I'm sure you'll find some that are sympathetic to our cause and who will be willing to share information with us about Gaedren or the Old Fishery. We'll meet back here at noon."
After finishing his own disguise, Ryder goes back to the shop to pick up his fitted Haramaki (45.4 - 3 = 42.4 gp); , and then sets out to find some Dwarven merchants...
Ralof says " I'll be talking to the dwarves. If they try anything, let's just say they won't be saying much."
You all begin your search for info:
Ralof was the first to start:
You start asking around the docks, specifically the Dwarven merchants. Most just swear at you and tell you to go away. Others ignore you completely... Dwarves are notoriously distrustful of elves, and perhaps that's why they aren't being as cooperative
Loris is up next:
You start asking around the docks, specifically the Dwarven merchants. Some tell you to @$%& off, I’m busy. Others are more than happy to tell you about Gaedren. While they speak mostly in rumors, they mention that they’re positive that they’ve seen dozens of kids in and out of the fishery. And while they can’t accurately give you a number, it could be upwards of 20 or more. He’s seen them coming and going, mostly going out in the mornings, and back in the evenings.
Ryder begins his search
You start asking around the docks, specifically the Dwarven merchants. Some tell you to @$%& off, I’m busy. Others are more than happy to tell you about Gaedren. While they speak mostly in rumors, they mention from time to time, they've seen a nasty dog bust out of an door that opens up just a crack. It appears a whomever owns the dog loves to sick it after unsuspecting cats from time to time.
It takes you roughly an hour to work the docks for as much information that you can find. You all make it back without incident. While it isn’t much, you do get a better sense of what you might find, and when.
GM luck die - high is good for you. Low bad.
Ralof says to Ryder and loris " When do you guys want to make a strike and do you want me to take point? I'll be more than happy to scout forward!"