Megan's Curse of the Crimson Throne (Inactive)

Game Master Megan Robertson

Anyone else think we are heading for an eventual conflict with hellknights?

Anyone else think we are heading for an eventual conflict with hellknights?

Possibly. The Hellknights know Asherick and are not friends of his. They have mutual conflicting views on law and order! Ashe believes in law as the best way to serve the good but GOOD must be paramount! The Hellknights have different views on that law IS good to them... regardless of how many it kills or makes suffer unnecessarily!

I'm sure Ashe has butted heads with them before and the hierarchy of Asmodeus that have a solid foot hold in Korvosa.. though not as much political power as either {Hellkinghts or Church of Asmodeus} would want.

So I expect Ashe has avoided open conflict with either... using the law ad his Noble status as a shield.. such as it is.

I hope we don't come into conflict with them... it would distract us from finding the real foes hiding in the shadows behind this insidious plague attack on the city!

If Illeosa is truly the bad guy, I think it may be inevitable.
I'm not sure how a band she has heard of at our level of power cannot go unnoticed. She may try to recruit us or destroy us.

Either option brings us possibly into conflict with her.
Blackjack and the Marshall have some enough, it would take something VERY drastic to disprove her as the bad guy. Perhaps some hidden power behind the throne? An 'advisor'? I am surprised with the Acadamae being such a prominent organization here that we haven't seen more enemy casters? That necromancer is a loose end that will need tying up.

Just look for those one with the goateee.

If Illeosa is truly the bad guy, I think it may be inevitable.

I'm not sure how a band she has heard of at our level of power cannot go unnoticed. She may try to recruit us or destroy us.

Either option brings us possibly into conflict with her.
Blackjack and the Marshall have some enough, it would take something VERY drastic to disprove her as the bad guy. Perhaps some hidden power behind the throne? An 'advisor'? I am surprised with the Acadamae being such a prominent organization here that we haven't seen more enemy casters? That necromancer is a loose end that will need tying up.

Unknown. It just seems... well... silly for the ambitious harridan of a Queen to seek the destruction of her own city! What's the point? She HAS the throne... even if there was some hanky-panky in the king's "convenient" and untimely death.. what does she have to gain with spreading a plague in the city? It just doesn't make any sense...

I'm uncertain if we have obtained the full attention of Queen Ileosa... but she does at least know if us. She did request the party to help quell the riots.

Exactly. At the moment we have been working for the guard. We are known to her. Likely viewed as tools at the moment, but if we get any fame for slowing or even stopping the plague and she IS in fact behind it, that puts us against her.

Heck, had anyone at the lynching had 'SEE INVISIBILITY' running, then we may already be targeted.

I think if the Queen is behind it all, determining her motive (and somehow stopping it) are a huge part of the campaign.

Gronk: it becomes clear to you that the corpse drowned. There are no signs of infection with blood veil.

Ashe, Redhoof calms a little but continues to roll her eyes whilst her ears remain flattened back. Oh, and the card appears to be the right way up, not inverted.

[Handwave mode on]Gronk may pick up any of his possessions he wants on the way to see Bishop d'Bear[/handwave mode off]

blood veil?!?

Is that what the module is 'officially' calling the disease? Not Vorrel's Phage?

I think 'blood veil' is the street name for it, due to symptoms of the red splotchy dots over the face (thus creating a 'veil') Vorrel's Phage sounds like a more scientific name for it (or clerical).

After a search for Vorrel's Phage on the internet, I found it in connection to Rise of the Runelords, so perhaps they are two different diseases and it was originally misidentified? Not tying to spoil anything, just curious if a mistake was made.

Yeah, blood veil is the street name for the disease you are dealing with at the moment.

If you search on it, though, all you get is references to Blood Veil Brides, a band my daughter's rather keen on!

LOL! I'll check them out! :)

By the way... I'm currently compiling a Grand NPC/Dramatis Personae list I'd like to post for the game so we can keep track of all the npc's we have encountered.

When I'm done with it.. I'll PM it to you Meggan so you can post the listing in the Campaign Info section for quick reference by all the players.

Also... does anyone know what happened to Joy/Kayla?

I will ping Joy/Kayla

Joy has said that she is dropping out of the game

Joy has said that she is dropping out of the game

Awe! Thats too bad! Did she give a reason... not that she has to... time constraints or somesuch?

Just not the sort of game she was hoping it would be.

Grrr.. no post today... was hoping for a reply. Megs must be busy.

She was round at the head office of a major financial institution trying to persuade them to hire her to run in-house e-learning, actually! They said they'd let me know next week...

Please don't growl at me, Ashe :)

LOL! No growling at you Megs...just anxiousness! Story is getting ...VERY interesting! :)

Una arches an eyebrow at that particular piece of information.

"We found the body of one Doctor Davaulua in the ship that was sunk the other day. He was wearing a plague mask of the Queen's Physicians. The body was magically identified by a Cleric of Pharasma. But you say that there's a Davaulus elsewhere in the city. I am beginning to believe that the person you know as Davaulus is not the Davaulus you think you know."

"As to the Red Mantis Assassins. The dead body identified himself as a Red Mantis contact, and claimed that the plague-bearing ship was driven into the channel under Red Mantis orders. I don't suppose you know where their HQ are?"

Uhm..actually that corpse was identified as -

The Bishop moves to stand at the head, opposite the candle. Crace goes to stand by the corpse's feet and begins a low chant. Seems he has quite a nice baritone voice. The Bishop raises her hands and her voice - an alto - blends with Crace, harmonising and weaving around his chant as she calls down divine power.

The hairs stir at the back of everyones' necks. Especially those of you who are able to harness mystic powers, arcane or divine.

The candle gutters despite the stillness of the air.

The eyes of the corpse - a startlingly bright blue - pop open suddenly.

Crace continues his chant but the Bishop stops singing to speak.

"I apologise for the disturbance, but perhaps you can help us. Who are you?"

The corpse whispers: I am Rois Vindmel.

The Bishop: "How are the Queen's Physicians involved with the cargo that was being transported onboard the Direption?"

Corpse: I do not know.

The Bishop: "How is the Church of Urgathoa involved with the Queen's Physicians in the plot pertaining to the cargo that was onboard the Direption?"

Corpse: The Church of Urgathoa worked with Red Mantis, who came to us to arrange this mission.

That's 3 questions. I'll pause to let you come up with any other questions you'd like to ask...

...unless Una is intentionally misleading Master Vencarlo?

LOL, no, just forgetful... :P

It's easy to misremember... thanks, Ashe.

Happy GM's day, Megan. And thanks for taking over Way of the Wicked. Now if we can just find stable players for that game... :)

A Blast from the past...

Anyone remember this?

You make your way without incident until you reach Eodred's Square. Here, a wild-haired and sick-looking old man approaches, staring at each of you in turn before fixating on Hytogg.

"Saw ya last night inna dream," he announces firmly, spittle spraying into poor Hytogg's face. "Your death during this time of great sickness and peril during Korvosa's darkest hour ushers in a new age of writhing doom." He reaches out to grab hold...

Hoo-boy, you lot are really intimidating!

The wild-haired looney stops dead in his tracks, turns and runs away shouting "Writhing doom of sickness untold, seen it I have, these people herald the end, the end I tell you!"

A squad of Korvosan Guards (these ones in ordinary working dress) stops in amazement and watch him go. Their sergeant looks over at you.

"Giving you trouble, sirs? Best stay at home, he seems harmless but some of the others..."

Una is perplexed.

"Since when have cultists of doom walked Korvosa's streets? Have they always been here, only supressed by the Hellknight forces?"

Yes, well it was a valid question at the time. I come from the streets, remember. I certainly don't remember any cults of gloom and doom from before the king's assassination. :P

Cultists of doom have not been a regular fixture on the streets of Korvosa, no. That's why that one was so noticeable.

I wonder if this will change in light of recent events?

Opps! I've been typing Trinia as Trina all this time... I feel silly.

Well I will be posting today. Just been trying to be patient to allow Shakhan, or Icabhod to reply...

Hanging back since Icabhod doesn't have the connections others do with the NPCs and so stays quiet. Don't worry, I am most certainly here.

And here it is for those interested...

The Grand list of Curse of the Crimson Thrown Dramatis Personae, NPC list...

I listed them in importance and in the order 'mostly' that they were encountered...

Copy, save comment, and inform me of any corrections that need to be done for accuracy... I'll update it regularly. I hope Meggan will find some way to post it as part of the Campaign Info so you can access it without having to hunt through this thread to find it...

enjoy! :)

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Major NPC's -
Zellara - human/female; Bard {?} / Harrower {?}
- Spirit bound to a Harrow deck she used in life

'Queen' Ileosa Arabasti - human/female; Aristocrat 2 / Bard 4
- Widowed Ruler of Korvosa

Sabina Merrin - human/female; Fighter 10 'Queen Ileosa's Bodyguard'
- ???

'Commandant' Marcus Thalassinus Endrin - human/male; Aristocrat 1 / Ranger 13
- Leader of the 'Sable Company'
- Asherick 'Ashe' Whiteplume-Stolyarev's "Uncle"

'Field Marshal' Cressida Kroft - human/female; Aristocrat 1 / Fighter 9 'Leader of the Korvosan Guard'

Vencarlo Orisini - human/male; Fighter{?} / Duelist {?}
- Swordmaster trained for gentry in Korvosa
- Secretly the Masked Vigilante and hero of the people - Blackjack

'Bishop' Keppira d'Bear - human/female; Cleric [PHARASMA] 13

Majenko - pseudo-dragon/male
- Rescued from the "Spider King's" captivity
- Adventuring companion to Asherick

Trinia Sabor - human/female; Bard {?} 'Framed for King Eodred's murder'
- Very pretty, Romantic Interest of Asherick Whiteplume

'Way-Keeper of the Skoan-Quah, the Clan of the Skull' Thousand Bones - human{Shoanti}/male; Cleric{?}
- Shaman 'Representing' Shoanti Barbarian Clan interests in peaceful existence with Korvosan settlers
- Grandson killed in 'Vigilante' attack in Korvosa

Ishani Dhatri - human/male; Cleric [ABADAR]
- Cleric called to treat 'Brianna 'Breeze' Saldado

Minor NPC's -
Gaedren Lamm - human/male; Rogue <Deceased - slain by Shakhan>

Gaedren's Cronnies:
Giggles - half-Ork/male; Fighter{?}
Hookshanks - gnome/male; Rogue{?} <Arrested>
Yargin - human/male; Rogue {Escaped}
- knocked out but never arrested
Bloo - Yargin's dog <Deceased - slain by Shakhan>

Amin Jalento - human/male; Aristocrat{?}
- Rescued from rioting mob

'Lord' Amadeus Jalento - human/male; Aristocrat / Expert [Jeweler]
- Owner of "Jalento Fine Jewelry"

Devargo Barvasi - human/male; Rogue <Arrested / Executed>
- Self-proclaimed "King of Spiders" and sole owner of 'Eel's End'

"Chittersnap" - Ettercap/male{?} <Slain by Asherick>
- Executioner and pet of Devargo

Vimanda Arkona - human/female; House Arkona Nobility
- Verik's "girlfriend" who insited him to desert
- Gave Verik a Raktavarna disguised as a silver dagger to spy on his activities

Gaekhen - human{Shaonti}/male; Barbarian{?} <Deceased>
- Grandson of Thousand Bones
- Body was stolen and dismembered by Necromancer's apprentice {Recovered by Party}

Ryloth - human/male; Wizard [NECROMANCER]
- Failed Academae student - expelled for butchering vagrants, stray animals, and anything else he could get his hands on to try to build some sort of golem from their collected parts

Vreeg - derro/male; Wizard [NECROMANCER] <Deceased - Slain by Asherick>
- Apprentice of Ryloth
Cabbagehead - ogre/male; Fighter <Deceased - Slain by Varrel>

Nexus - derro/male; Commoner{?}
- Ex-Servant of Ryloth, Rescued by Asherick - shown mercy and turned over to clergy of PHARASMA to try to repent and change his natural inclinations towards evil deeds

Tayce Saldado - human{Varisian}/female; Commoner
- Possesses a simple beauty, scarcely hidden by her disheveled appearance and wan features
- Mother of 3, 2 sons, 1 daughter

Brienna 'Breeze' Saldado - human{Varisian}/female; Child - Age 8
- Tayce's daughter, First victim of modified 'Vorel's Phage' - "Blood Veil"

Yvicca - Sea Hag/female; Ranger{?} or Druid{?}
- Newly claimed resident of the 'Direption' wreak in the Jeggare River
- Not apparently Evil
* "Skinshear" - jigsawshark/m; Animal Companion of Yvicca

'Dr' Reiner Davaulus - human/male; Red Mantis Assassin Field Director
- Masquerading as the Queen's chief physician

'Lady' Andasian - human/female; Cleric [URGATHOA]
- High Priestess Church of Urgathoa

Korvosan Guardsmen NPC's -
'Commander' Gerd Ashan - human/male; Fighter{?} 'Korvosan Guardsman - Castle Korvosa Watch Cammander'
- Silver ring bearing the inscription "For Emmah — the light in my nights,"; not returned

'Watch Sergeant' Verik Vancaskerkin - human/male; Fighter 'Ex-Korvosan Guardsman'
- Deserter once held up in 'All the World's Meat' Butcher shop

'Private' Parns - human/male; Warrior{?} 'Ex-Korvosan Guardsman'
- Deserter, previously a butcher before included in the "Cowhammer Boys"

Caleb Fredlich - human/male; Warrior{?} 'Citadel Volshynek Armory Quartermaster'
- Grumpy old warrior too old and lame to fight

'Lieutenant' Erin Greenleaf - half-elf/male; Fighter{?} 'Adjutant to the Field Marshal'
"Fred" - half-orc/male; Warrior{?} 'Assistant Citadel Volshynek Armory Quartermaster'
'Lieutenant' Trowden - human/male; Warrior 'Korvosan Guard Night Patrolman'
- Widowed father of Daniel, age 10 {In training for Korvosan Guard}

'Gunnery-Sergeant' Sinon Dale - human/male; Warrior {?} 'Korvosan Night Watch'
Benthyn - human/male; Warrior 'Korvosan Guard'
Felahal - human/female; Warrior 'Korvosan Guard'
Larkin - human/male; Warrior 'Field Marshal's Aide'

Clergy NPC's -
Molly - human/female, Cleric [CALISTRA]
- Pantheon of Many 'shrine-keeper'
Zenani - elf/female; Cleric [SARENRAE]
- Not good with Scimitar

'Father' Sandor - human/male; Cleric [ABADAR]
'Mother' Lianna Bahri - human/female; Acylote [PHARASMA]
- Runs Orphanage

Silvanus - elf/male; Acolyte [PHARASMA]
'Corporal' Adrianna Daver - human/female; Cleric [IOMEDAE]
- Shrine-keeper at the Pantheon of Many

'Deacon' Phillidia - human/female; Acolyte [PHARASMA]
- Worshiper giving liturgy during the 'Night of the Pale' Festival

'Corporal' Shandril Arunmark - human/female; Cleric [IOMEDAE]
- "Night Vigil" Shrine-keeper at the Pantheon of Many
Brevis - half-elf/male; Acolyte of Pharasama
Crace - human/male; Cleric [PHARASMA]

Shoanti Clans -
Skoan-Qua 'Clan of the Skull' - ???
Skylar-Qua '???' - ???

Acadamae Staff NPC's -
Erin - human/male; Wizard
- tall thin with straggly blond hair

'Dean' Heresta Tarlan - human/female; Wizard [ENCHANTRESS] 11
- Dean of Enchantment, Acadamae
'Professer' Belkin - human/male; Wizard 'Acadamae Instructor'

Encountered NPC's -
Kester - human/male; Commoner 'Eldest of Lamm's Lambs'
Dasa - human/male; Commoner{?} 'Jalento Manor kitchen Boy'

Aroyma - elf/male; Expert{?} 'Shopkeep of "Jalento Fine Jewelry"...'
- Very small & Extremely Beautiful!

Arrin- human/male; Expert{?} 'Shop Assistant of "Jalento Fine Jewelry"...'

Theandra Darklight - human/female; Expert{?}
- 'The owner of the Three Rings Tavern in Five Corners'
- As All women with the last name of Darklight... a Chelaxian Spy/Informant

Jope Chantsmo - human/male; Shop-owner of 'Trapper's Hole'
- Retired Sable Company Marine

Bass 'The Ogre' Kabira - human/male; Barkeep of 'Dragon of the Guard'
- Former Cage-fighter

Darvayne Gios Amprei - human{chelaxian}/male; Aristocrat {?} 'Ambassador from Cheliax' <Disreputed>
- Sought to discredit Korvosa to his Chelaxian masters to spark a trade war for his benefit

"Spider King" Cronnies -
Rajeek - human/male; Co-Owner of the Twin-Dragons Gambling Hall
- {Eel's End} Shop owner
Idren - halfling/male; Server
- {Eel's End} Twin-Dragons Gambling Hall employee
Tuggins - gnome/male; Co-Owner of the Goldenhawk Inn
- Wall-eyed, patchy beard, crumpled hat; Eel's End Shop owner
Endrean - human/male; Servant
- Eel's End employee
Yacomb - Half-ork/male; Fighter {?} 'Pit/Cage Fighter'
- Defeated by Shakhan
- Saved by Asherick

Bendig Parsloe - human/male; Expert {?} 'Butcher'
- Owner of Locally furnished Butchery

Dion - human/male; Commoner{?} 'Freerunner Youth'

Elkaris - human/male; Commoner
- Seller of corpses, peddler of other ''unmentionables'
- Sold Gaekhen's body to Rolth

Josepp - human/male; Barkeep of 'The Hand'
- Old acquaintance of Shakhan

Sephira - human/female; Rogue
- Pickpocket thief abducted, feebleminded and drugged to serve as a 'fake' Trinia Sabor at execution
- Rescued by the efforts of Asherick, Varrel, Diggle and Hytogg

Phaeton Skoda - human/male; Wizard 'Shopowner of "Hedge Wizardry"
- Drop out from the Academae, Owns Alchemy shop

Gerard - human/male; 'Assistant at Hedge Wizardry'
- Gawky Youth

"One-Eye" - human/male; Commoner
- Grizzly, Elderly, beach scavenger

Cantrell - human/male; Expert - Dog Breeder
- flowing black hair, spaniel-like ears

'Captain' Callatra - human/male; Expert 'Fishing Boat Captain'
- Fishing Boat, "Starfish"

Rois Vindmel - human/male; Urgathoan Cultist <Deceased-drowned>
- Only corpse found on the Direption wreak

Great Scott! I don't think I have as comprehensive a list as that!

Are we waiting on someone to post or is Meggan just busy?

Not sure. I've been busy myself with work over the past few days. Megan might be busy. :P

Thanks for waiting guys! I really appreciate it! I'll post after Meggan... or at least by tomorrow even if she doesn't!

Busy. Interview tomorrow (Thursday), have to teach 12-year-old class about procedures & functions in programming...

Hey Meggan... if you open a thread in our "Curse of the Crimson Throne" Recruitment Tab above... I... or you for that matter, can post the NPC list so we can more easily access it.

If you do... I would suggest spoiler it with a date so we can continue to update it and keep track of old and new listed npc's.

like so...

My work schedule is going through the roof this week. If I don't make a post just decide for me.

I'm not wanting to sound ungrateful, I'm not I really do enjoy this game ... but Megan is their anyway you might be able to give us two posts a day? One post a day really makes the game drag. I'll still post... but I feel it can make interest wane with only one post to respond to.

If I'm wrong about this then its cool ...but we haven't gotten a post from Shakhan in a while ...I'm sure he is still there... but he really has very little to react to for his character... Icabhod as well.

I can chew on scenery with my posts until its destroyed with teeth marks but the other players are not so... eloquent {no insult meant}.. it should not be the Ashe show all the time. When I refrain from posting the game... seems to stall.

Just a request... I know we are ALL busy trying to make ends meet, but a little more motion in the story could respark post interest.

Thanks! :)

I'm sure you might have noticed, Ashe. Its not just this thread. Other games have slowed down as well. :P Just the season for slowing down. Things usually pick up again April-June. Then there's a lull from July-August. Then it picks up again in September. At least that's what I've observed in the five years I've been PBPing.

I think when the powers that be get the PBP map system up, things will definitely pick up year round, as visual is almost always more interesting.

Yeah, that's true... I have noticed a slow down... perhaps you are right about the time of year thing. Well I'll just be patient and keep my eyes open.

Sorry, Ashe... job-hunting is time-consuming, more so than working, it seems! At least when working, you know when you are not working and can go play.

Agreed. Not sure if I mentioned it here, but I got made redundant recently and my posts have gone down as I furiously search for work. Gotta feed the kids..

Yeah, I hear you both! I'm searching for work too. I TOTALLY understand. :)

Sorry for no reply-post as yet Meggan.. got busy running my game today.. will post something today..likely around noon - after I get some sleep! :)

No worries, I only just got in from church :)

Megan, posting format I wanted to ask about.
From other threads I have skimmed through:

Use standard text for description of actions.
Use the out-of-character tag for questions/comments to GM. Though some seem to prefer these kept in the discussion thread.
Use bold for character speach.
Use italics for internal character thoughts.
Use bold and italics for character whisper.

However, I have also seen bold and italics used for telepathic communications. So that does not appear to be a standard.
On one I saw italics and out-of-character tag used for telepathic communications.
I've also seen <<telepathic communications>> and {telepathic communications}
Some of us are also using the out-of-character tag for telepathic communications.

Since it seems to be occuring quite a bit now, which way would you prefer it be handled?

It's not really something I had thought about. So far I haven't had any difficulty in sorting out what's what. Would you like a 'system' suggestion?

It is not really a big deal. But it would be easier to read if we all used the same thing. It's up to you.

Just saying I'm really into whats going on right now.. having a blast.. have no idea what to expect next. This will be the first time In-Game play that Ashe has been in the Queen's presence. I really wanted to be there for the first meeting the party had with her but it just could not be.

I've been wanting to meet the pretty red-haired evil monarch since the beginning of the game - just like Zellara! Lol! :)

I'm almost hoping Ileosa is NOT the villain as it will make for an interesting choice on the party's side. Ashe won't support just killing someone JUST 'Because they are evil', the Queen may not be at fault at all for all we know and as a loyal servant of the crown and throne of Korvosa.. Ashe would be forced to defend her! LOLS!

Plus all the pictures of Queen Ileosa are cool and hot! lol! I'd rather not kill such an intriguing character. It might be interesting to befriend her if its possible... maybe subtly 'adjust' her to being less evil...who knows! But Ashe is an optimist like that! :)

Gronk, I've used ooc with {curly brackets} for telepathy. It seems the easiest way to do so. I've also seen italic with double colons on other threads, but that's borrowed from Mercedes Lackey novels, I think.

I can go with that.
{telepathy it is.}

... Ashe won't support just killing someone JUST 'Because they are evil', the Queen may not be at fault at all for all we know ...

This brings up another question. For this campaign does an ‘evil aura’ signify attitude or actual actions?

I don't know. Cause I don't like games with the alignment system. :P It seems a strange mechanic, most of the time, and slightly unrealistic. In most of the games I GM, I usually GM Iron Heroes, Arcana Evolved, or just remove alignment completely.