GM Tarondor's Emerald Spire Campaign

Game Master Tarondor

Ah yes, the staple foods of Fantasyland! :P

"One bowl of stew, two mince pies, and a capon please! And do ya know if this place enjoys a good Gnomish Jig? I've got one or two that I'd be willing to show off to help pay for supper."

"Uh,you're free to dance, sir. There'll be music later. But no, the proprietor likes cash on the barrel head."

A little while later, while you're enjoying your meal and the music has begun, a middle-aged woman approaches the table. She's wearing a bar apron and carrying several mugs of beer.

"Excuse me, but are you Wymond Dwerryhouse and Perfire Ridal?"

Once you confirm your identity, she turns her hip to you and you can see there's an envelope in her apron pocket. "Just grab that, will you? A nice lady came by to drop it off for you. She said you'd be here sooner or later, and here you are. 'Scuse me. I've got to serve these drinks."

The envelope is addressed to Wymond, Perfire, Yirrik and Zaia.

Inside is a message from Iliara Starcloak, the leader of the Goldenfire Order.

"I have had to return to Thornkeep. The business of the Order does not give me much time to tarry. If you learn anything of Tiawask and Jharun, please send word to me there. Good luck!"

Wymond accepts the letter.

"Thank ye kindly, Miss."

When he reads it, he gives a small "Huh."

"Wonder how she knew te leave it here? Some wizard stuff, ye think? Or did she jus' suspect we'd find this place more te our liking than the Red Shield?"

He puts the letter in his cloak-pocket and picks up a capon leg.

"Looks like we may need te pay them a visit in the future. Been te Thornkeep a few times, an' it definitely takes some gettin' used to if ye're not a Riverman like myself."

Did that lady call me sir?

Frizz slurps the last of her stew, after scarfing down the other food.
Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she looks at Wymond.

"You know a wizard at Thornkeep? I've never been, but sounds like they'd have uncomfortable chairs. Who are we visiting? Errr... I mean. CouldIComeAlong? I just figured... uh... thatMaybe... I could, yaKnow, adventure with you folks for a while? We've got a great story so far! I'd love to see what other tales we can weave. The Worldwound ain't going anywhere anytime soon, soooo.... whatcha think?"

Perfire carefully cleans the inside of his bowl with a piece of bread reading over the letter. 'I don't recall seeing any sign of either of them. She might appreciate an update regardless.'

"Ye were a great help down there, Frizz. Far as Triath an' me are concerned, joinin' our little warband sounds great. What say you two?" Wymond asks.

"Probably gonna have te go deeper to see if we can pick up their trail. Wouldn't wanna waste her time with nothin' new," he says in reply to Perfire's suggestion.

Lilika leaves the conversation to the others, giving Frizz nothing more than a nod.

After dinner, Lilika heads out to try to get a fair price for their goods.

@ GM: You said it's all worth 28 gp and then we have to pay the Hellknights 5 gp 6 sp? Is that including the group gear that's tracked on my profile or should I figure out what all that's worth and add it in? Do we also have the 124 gp we found?

@Everyone else: Does anyone want to buy anything with their share? Lilika's going to buy some extra minor healing potions.

Am I wrong in thinking we had some unidentified magic items still? If we do we should at least take a crack at figuring them out.

I'd like to look into buying a couple of scrolls to copy into my spellbook from Arcane Evolution. It'll give me more day to day utility options, plus I can get read aura on the cheap, it looks like.

A scroll of Soothe for 4gp at Lvl1 or 12gp at Lvl2, whatever I have monies for.

You said it's all worth 28 gp and then we have to pay the Hellknights 5 gp 6 sp? Is that including the group gear that's tracked on my profile

No. Your charter requires you to fork over 20% of the goods. Or, more to the point, the charter that Wymond and Perfire signed does. Technically, you're an antiquities-robbing lawbreaker who needs to sign the charter! Same with Frizz.

or should I figure out what all that's worth and add it in? Do we also have the 124 gp we found? [/ooc]

Yes and yes.

Sefurd’s Potions and Reagents (Number 24 on your map) is an excellent, if slightly disreputable place to purchase or sell potions and alchemical items. There is no place to buy and sell magic, per se, but your friend Abenard Royst (who is a wizard) might be able to help with that. For anything rare or expensive, you might have to send to Daggermark in the River Kingdoms or Thronestep in Razmiran or Hajoth Hakados in Numeria. And that would be expensive. The closes of those is over a hundred miles away.

"Ya know... when we get back to the spire, you all should let me go first. I'm the sneakiest sneaker and have an eye for traps. If I know anything about old ruins, andI'veReadALotOfBooks that place is full to the brim with nasty surprises."

I have Trap Finder so automatically get a check (albeit secret) for traps and such.

"Good," she tells Frizz. "I tire of falling in pits."

Lilika brings the taxes over to the Hellknights with Wymond, being sure he's got the charter on him. Then she hands everyone else their cut of the loot and goes shopping.

Exhausted, she heads to the inn for the night, and wakes early for another day in the Spire.

"Lilika, Frizz? Ye wanna sign this so these knights don't hassle ye overmuch?" Wymond asks when they go to pay the taxes.

'Or hassle you more.' Perfire dwells on a sour thought for a moment before moving on. 'I'd like to stop by Mr Royst's before we set off again if possible.'

"Sure! Now there'll be an official record of my adventuring. DoYouKnowHowLongTheyKeepRecords? InAbsalom..."

Frizz rattles on about the various merits of good book keeping and storing of records and tomes.
She picks out a lovely beaded necklace while shopping.

Lilika signs the form. "It's a shame I never found the one I paid for."

While they're out she picks up a bag of holding.

Whenever you guys are ready!

Perfire wraps up his business with Master Royce and casts the warmth aromatic inn a last, longing look as they pass on their way to the spire.

Ready to head back

Yup, ready to go.

Ready!

The trek back through the Echo Wood isn't ominous... it's just wet. A steady rain began to fall when you were an hour outside of the Fort and it just kept going all day. You arrive with muddy boots and soaked cloaks.

How will you enter? The last two times you entered through the ruined castle it was occupied by goblins, although it's only been two days so a recurrence seems unlikely. You can enter that way and descend down through the top levels of the Spire dungeon or you can head out into the woods and use the outlaw's secret entrance.

'I suggest we use the bandit's entrance. No point in walking through the first two floors again.' Perfire says as he tries in vain to avoid the worst of the rain.

Of course, there is also the Spire Transport Token to consider.

"You've seen TWO floors already!?! whoa.... I think visiting that outlaw encampment might be fun. Maybe we missed something? I vote that way!"

In favor of going outlaw encampment. Teleporting always has it's risks....

So the team returns to the scene of their latest victory and re-enters the bandit lair. It occurs to you that anyone who knows of that entrance could lay in ambush for you, so you are cautious, but there seems to be no one there... for now.

After drying off, you proceed to the Emerald Spire, carefully noting the rune carved there. Is it a representation of the Azlanti number three?

There before you yawns the portal to the realms below...

'Here we go again...' Perfire says with a hint of dread to no one in particular.

Wymond tromps through the wood after the others, rain pinging off his newly-purchased armor.

"This is gonna take some gettin' used to." he comments. "Still a wee bit snug despite bein' fitted fer me. I'm just glad it ain't all spiky like Hellknight armor. Don't wanna be mistaken fer one o' them, both because most people out here hate Hellknights an' Hellknights hate people impersonatin' them."

Triath grunts in assent.

"Lead the way, Lili, ye see in the dark best of us."

I know Azlanti. :)

"ooooo, that's the number three!"

Lilika defers to Frizz. "Frizz said she wanted to lead."

Frizz nods and hold a single finger up to her lips.
She begins creeping down the stairs...

Wymond follows after Frizz, wanting to make sure he protects her.

As you know, the Emerald Spire was written by a collection of gaming notables, each taking a different level. Paizo CEO Lisa Stevens wrote the first level; Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood wrote the second; Star Wars and Battletech author Michael Stackpole wrote the third and this fourth level was written by Frank Mentzer, contributor to such early D&D classics as The Temple of Elemental Evil and The Egg of the Phoenix (two of my all time favorites). He also wrote some of the early Dragon magazine articles that got me into GMing.

As Frizz descends into the darkness, she begins to smell something foul. An acrid, nauseating reek fills the air at the bottom of the stairs—a musky, stench.

The stairs descend to a small chamber of smooth, hewn stone lit by a dim greenish light from two strange, torchlike devices on the walls. A metal door with a simple latch mechanism glows with a dim green light in the middle of the north wall. The walls and ceiling are decorated with drawings and writings in bright colors. The depictions are abstract but somehow alien and disturbing.

First of all, Frizz, give me a DC 16 Fortitude check. Second, you seem to be sneaking. Are you sneaking? If so, give me a Stealth check.

Triath gives an annoyed grunt as they descent. The smell was terrible to begin with, but his sensitive snout only made things worse.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Stealth (T): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

Frizz tries to focus on the writing on the wall, but is taken aback by the stench. She covers her nose and mouth her her elbow crease as she draws her whip.

Perfire does his best to cover his nose and mouth with his shirt but the smell permeates that simple barrier.

Lilika raises her shield as she follows the others, taking the defend activity as she explores.

Hey, Exploration activities! Ok, Perfire will use the detect magic activity!

Frizz will try to Avoid Notice

I suppose Wymond will Scout? That seems the most relevant.

Excellent! But we're in Encounter mode just now...

As I understand it, Wymond, Lilika and Perfire are hanging back on the stairs while Frizz is down below. If not, let me know.

Frizz, you nearly throw up in your mouth! The smell is horrible and you gag without meaning to.

You are sickened 1. You have a -2 to recovering from sickened as long as you remain in the area.

GM rolls secret roll...

Frizz, you can hear someone or something making a little noise down in the chamber you can see below you. Like a little rustling or incidental noise, just enough to let you know someone or something is there.

Frizz stops moving and turns back to her companions. She jabs a pointer finger toward the chamber and then waves them forward.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 8 - 2 = 7
Well crap...

She tries to fight against the overwhelming stench but continues to gag and vomits all over the stairs, which doesn't seem to help at all.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 8 - 2 = 19

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
I shouldn't have eaten so much at that tavern...
She's able to regain her composure enough to move down the stairs.

Recovery x2, Stride

Wymond winces as Frizz pukes.

"Y'all okay, Frizz?"

With a pinched face, she turns back to Wymond and gives curt nod.
"I jus...."
Clasping a hand over her mouth she turns toward their destination once more.

"Well, if'n ye need a moment, jus' say so," Wymond replies.

Is Frizz going down alone or is the party coming with him?

I'd rather we follow her a few paces behind, unless she wants to go it alone.

Perfire will stick to Wymond's hip. They've survived this long together!

Frizz intended to Scout ahead of everyone at least 10ft. Never want to go somewhere completely alone.