Jhaeman's page

[Wealday, 5 Arodus 4708 A.R.]

The Harrowed Heroes have made the fateful choice to spend a second night in Scarwall, a choice that brings with it great danger. Goldcape, standing watch with Rocky, sounds the alarm as long fingers of black smoke somehow press through the walls all around the ostensibly-disguised campsite! Two vaguely-humanoid shadowy shapes and a translucent ghostly figure emerge. Rocky panicks at the unnatural sight and bolts, carrying Goldcape (and the room’s only source of light) with him! “Hammer . . . bearer . . . “ croaks the ghostly figure, pointing a long, skeletal finger at The Reckoner. Blinded by the total darkness and still wrapped in his bedroll, The Reckoner’s completely unable to defend himself as the shapes swarm and begin to drain his life force with the merest touch!

Anorak leaps to his feet, ready to do battle as The Reckoner pulls on his mask of the mantis so he can see his attackers. Severely weakened, he nonetheless manages to pull himself up and race from the room. Yraelzin utters some arcane words to make his robes glow, shouts “spectre!” and attacks with a volley of glowing missiles launched from a nearly-drained wand. Goldcape bravely rushes back on foot, her blessed longsword at the ready, and joins the fray. Once Rocky’s initial panic abates, he flies back in and together he and her master destroy one of the spectral haunts. When The Reckoner returns, having had time to recover thanks to the others’ intervention, he quickly dispatches the remaining foes. Magical scrolls and wands manage to assuage the wounds--physical and spiritual--incurred in the early morning assault.

Nonetheless, The Reckoner is frustrated and angry that no one detected the attack, that Rocky panicked, and that somehow the attackers knew to target him. He proposes the group should leave Scarwall, purchase more supplies, and return. Anorak, however, is reluctant to leave--he says he’s not even sure it’s possible, and even if it is, wonders if it would be possible to return. Goldcape and Anorak, who both suffered intense and unnerving dreams overnight, discuss whether there’s a safer way to rest in Scarwall. Anorak comes up with the potential solution of crafting a magical wand that will allow everyone to stay awake, all night long, while feeling as if they’ve had a good night’s sleep—at least until they exert themselves. The decision is made for Anorak to start on the project immediately. Although it will take several hours, Goldcape can rest while The Reckoner and Yraelzin stand guard.

But after the traumatic attack and angry debate that followed, one crucial question has been forgotten. What happened to Lorien?

This scenario seems very short (just one encounter and some RP about crafting a wand), but I honestly can't remember why. There must have been an interruption of some kind that forced us to call it short.

A lot of GMs forget about the Unnatural Aura ability of wraiths, but they can wreak havoc on mounts and animal companions, as we saw in the opening round here. Similarly, this encounter showed the advantage of having darkvision because The Reckoner's need to don and activate his mask of the mantis in order to fight the attackers left him very vulnerable.

I think the wand that Anorak intended to craft was for the keep watch spell, which has always been a problematic spell for the game. The rules for sleep and fatigue aren't detailed well, and the addition of a low-level spell that allows PCs to bypass one of the key limitations in the game (the need to rest) is problematic because it then opens the door to players asking questions about what other activities they can do while magically awake on watch all night. It's also an example of "magical trivializes all obstacles" in the game.

Lorien's player was absent from the session, but I think returns in the next one.

[Toilday, 4 Arodus 4708 A.R.]

Unbeknownst to the Harrowed Heroes, another outsider has fallen prey to the mysterious lure of Castle Scarwall! Lorien Craie Foie, a half-orc battle-cleric of Cayden Cailean, was in Urglin during the recent giant siege. After the siege was broken, he met and began drinking with a strange, bombastic spellcaster in purple robes named Yraelzin, who spoke endlessly about a tyrant in Korvosa, a growing rebellion, and the key to victory laying in an ancient castle called Scarwall in the Hold of Belkzen. Seeing Yraelzin trade an ostensibly magic jade carving of an elephant to a wizened shaman for fast passage to Scarwall, Lorien began thinking of his own, relatively sedate life in Urglin. A life of adventure, danger, treasure, heroism called to him. Not believing most of the stories Yraelzin related about a “haunted” castle, Lorien decided to see for himself. Weeks passed in preparation and travel, but finally Lorien reached the crater lake where the fortress stood.

Now, sneaking past a small tribe of orcs guarding the causeway leading to the castle, Lorien pushes through the unsettling wet blanket of fog shrouding the entrance and finds himself in a horrifying scene of a recent battle’s aftermath, with bodies and blood everywhere. The sound of clashing weaponry and battle-cries echo from somewhere ahead, leading the warrior to draw his own rapier and approach cautiously. But what he witnesses is far from what he could ever expect! An imposing, fastidiously-dressed man with a Nidalese accent is berating a blue-skinned woman who wears only chains. A thin trickle of blood slides down the aristocratic man’s high cheekbones, and it appears as if the woman just struck him and is now coming to her senses as the sounds of clashing blades dwindles. “I forgive you, Asyra,” says the man curtly. “But let there not be a recurrence. You must steel your will against the shades and phantasms of this place.” Realising he’s being observed, the man turns to Lorien and his lips curl in disgust when he realises it’s a half-orc. “What are you doing here, half-breed?” the man demands.

Lorien replies that he’s a warpriest of Cayden Cailean, and his purpose here is his own business. This reply is met with cold anger, but before the conversation can continue further, others have come to investigate the disturbance: The Reckoner, Goldcape, Anorak, and Yraelzin have arrived! Recognising Shadowcount Sial and his bodyguard, Asyra, The Reckoner asks Sial to explain himself. The reply is a cutting remark about the usefulness of keeping fools close at hand—with an implication that perhaps Sial is trailing the Harrowed Heroes, letting them deal with the dangers of Scarwall for him! Sial stalks away with a dismissive sneer, motioning for Asyra to follow him. Yraelzin is delighted to see Lorien again, and introduces him to the others. As Yraelzin and Lorien talk, The Reckoner leads the others a short distance away for a private conversation. He says having another ally on their side could be very useful, especially if Shadowcount Sial is waiting to snatch Serithtial out from under them. But Eldritch, Anorak’s strange reptilian bird familiar, is instantly suspicious, and says the newcomer could be a spy sent by the queen--or even worse, an assassin out to kill Anorak! Knowing that Eldritch has a tendency to be paranoid (and excessively violent), the group consensus is to trust Lorien for now, while keeping an eye on him just in case.

Returning to Lorien and Yraelzin, the others share what they know about Shadowcount Sial. A worshipper of the Midnight Lord, Zon-Kuthon (the deity of shadows and pain), Sial ostensibly wants to find Serithtial because it is a potent weapon against followers of his faith, and he wants to ensure it is never used against them. Interjections from Yraelzin show the former priest of Razmir clearly hasn’t forgiven The Reckoner for blowing up the agreement he had made with the Brotherood of Bone to enter Scarwall together. Conversation is had about whether the group should attack Sial immediately, but for now they decide to wait and continue their search.

Returning to the gloomy courtyard that marked the previous extent of their exploration, the group cautiously decide to climb the staircase that’s on the other side of a door creaking in the chill wind. They emerge in a chamber on the second floor of Castle Scarwall, but their ponderous footsteps and Yraelzin’s magical light have alerted the room’s inhabitants: a quartet of howling corpses swooping through the air with hideously-elongated legs and longbows made of bone! The blood-curdling shrieks literally paralyse Goldcape, and Yraelzin with fear, but The Reckoner leaps high into the air to smash one of the abominations. The swooping figures fire arrows that seem to be conjured spontaneously with each attack, and their shrieking continues. The Reckoner finds his muscles seizing up, completely unable to dodge a flurry of arrows fired his way. But his elaborate magical preparations pay off, as every single arrow strikes an illusory image of him! As two of the animated corpses drop awkwardly to the ground, Lorien utters a prayer to Cayden Cailean to free Goldcape from her paralysis--and in turn, Goldcape is able to free Anorak. The dwarf’s fireball weakens the foes as Lorien then charges into battle. But this leads the defenders to focus their fire on him, and he’s nearly pin-cushioned by arrows! Goldcape frees The Reckoner from paralysis and the vigilante charges in to aid their new ally with more leaping attacks. Yraelzin, finally recovered from his own paralysis, shows his magical prowess is not all rhetoric, as his spell takes control of the last monster and forces it to fly right into range for Rocky, Lorien, and The Reckoner to finish it off.

Before the group has time to recover, it becomes apparent that the sounds of the fighting have brought yet more danger right to them. Bursting through the room’s southern door, a grinning spectre with mad eyes and blood-red hands switch and jerk like a puppeteer’s, somehow giving a stuffed wyvern a semblance of life! The Reckoner laughs until the grinning figure’s mere touch sends waves of pain through his body. “Who’s laughing now?” the spectral woman croaks. “Kazavon shall return, and my loyalty will be proven!” But The Reckoner doesn’t give her time to elaborate—his enchanted battle-maul tears through her ghostly form and dissipates it. The animated stuffed wyvern collapses to the floor. The entire battle lasted only a handful of seconds and was over before anyone else in the room could even react!

Plate, The Reckoner’s sapient enchanted armor, whispers to its master that the easy battle shows the others aren’t needed on the current quest--that their constant need to rest to heal wounds and prepare spells is slowing things down and giving Ileosa more time to consolidate power in Korvosa. Plate says the others in the group are brave and worthy allies, but that they’re being put in unnecessary danger when The Reckoner can handle anything Scarwall has to offer single-handedly! However, The Reckoner refuses to consider the idea of leaving the others behind.

The group debate whether to continue exploring or rest. Anorak and The Reckoner suggest the latter, while Yraelzin and Goldcape push for the former. Lorien casts the deciding vote to continue on, but resting becomes a far more attractive option when the next chamber (filled with ruined beds and tattered paintings) looks like a perfectly defensible spot because there’s only one entrance to it. Using their magical iron spike to create an illusion of bodies piled in front of the door, the group settle in for a long day and night of rest.

[Wealday, 5 Arodus 4708 A.R.]

Sleep finally comes, but it’s an uneasy one, filled with vague and disturbing nightmares. Anorak dreams of ceaseless toiling enslaved to House Arkona, Rocky is tormented by dreams of being endlessly chased by a huge predator, and Goldcape suffers traumatic nightmares of Old Lady Cloggins dying in a fire. The three are kept tossing and turning all night, and awake more exhausted in the morning than when they went to sleep.

But there are far worse things than bad dreams in Castle Scarwall. As everyone readies themselves for another day, they realise Lorien is missing! And spectral hands are emerging from the walls all around them . . .

This session is important for the introduction of Lorien, a new PC who would continue to appear throughout the rest of the campaign. The character was played by the daughter of The Reckoner's player which I think sometimes gave him too much influence over the character. Lorien was fairly quiet when it came to role-playing, but it was nice to have another PC at the table.

I always had fun playing Eldritch, Anorak's familiar. I gave Eldritch a paranoid, almost psychopathic personality. Exaggerated personalities are useful for familiars, intelligent weapons, and others NPCs that I'll probably only remember or have time to role-play occasionally.

The battle against the baykoks started off pretty dire, as paralysing arrows are nasty. The group displayed some good teamwork to recover. On the other hand, no teamwork was needed in the battle against the spectre, as The Reckoner destroyed it single-handedly before the others even got a turn!

I liked that Scarwall inflicted nightmares on those who sleep within its walls (at least if they fail their Will saves). It was both thematically appropriate and kept the pressure on.

Having penetrated Castle Scarwall and faced some fearsome threats already, the Harrowed Heroes discuss whether to press deeper or secure their flanks by backtracking. Deciding on the former (with Anorak instructing Eldritch to lurk in the back of the group to watch for anyone sneaking up), the group presses onward after clearing a door barricaded the previous night. In the room where they found the lingering, corrupted spirit of Mandraivus, the sounds of clanking swords and shouts of battle again start slowly before intensifying. Yraelzin is suddenly overcome with madness, babbling incoherently before using magic to assault The Reckoner! Although a non-spellcaster, The Reckoner has become intimately familiar with spells and wandcraft, and instantly uses magic to restore his ally to sanity. Yraelzin is ashamed about what just happened, and pleads for forgiveness. The Reckoner says he should think nothing of it. Although this is the second time the strange manifestation has occurred, no one in the group is able to discern exactly what is causing it.

Noticing a door to the south, the group open it to reveal a nondescript hallway with arrow slits looking out into the main keep’s entry corridor. Human bodies in chain shirts lie on the floor among the broken remains of shortbows and quivers of arrows, with a curious yellow smoke wafting among the bones and ruined weapons. As the bodies lurch into a blasphemous semblance of life, the yellow smoke rises up and starts to flow toward the intruders of this ancient resting place, threatening to engulf them! Anorak reacts quickly and shuts the door, only to find the mist seeping through cracks all around it. Goldcape and Yraelzin aren’t able to move out of the way fast enough and scream in agony as every tiny particle of the mist’s moisture burns like acid! And the mockeries of human life on the other side of the door are clearly more advanced zombies than normal ones, for they know enough to open the door and move quickly to launch an attack! As The Reckoner’s enchanted weapon somehow tears away the mist’s form and Yraelzin uses magical force missiles against it, Rocky destroys three of the zombies in one overwhelming fury! The battle is soon won, but for Yraelzin at least, the trauma won’t soon fade.

The group decide to head north, deeper into the ground floor of Castle Scarwall. With The Reckoner and Goldcape able to see in the omnipresent darkness thanks to their masks of the mantis and Yraelzin emitting light from his robes, only the total silence and stillness of the fortress conveys that this is not a place for the living. Taking the lead, The Reckoner opens another door to reveal a long corridor running east and west, with several doors on every side. Arrow slits look out over a gloomy courtyard, but there’s no time for sight-seeing, as the group’s unsubtle entrance has alerted a quintet of massive, skeletal minotaurs wielding greataxes longer than a man is tall! Undeterred, The Reckoner quickly destroys two of the undead abominations. Anorak darts in to guard his back and destroys one with a dose of magical electricity. With a nod from Goldcape, Rocky flies into the fray, but an ill-timed approach leaves him vulnerable and he takes a grievous, near fatal wound! Goldcape assists with magic that weakens the remaining defenders, and one by one they’re destroyed. After the fighting, Yraelzin uses a wand to heal most of Rocky’s wounds, but explains frankly that their stored magic is being rapidly depleted—if the group don’t hurry on their quest, they may not escape alive.

Through a door, the wide courtyard gives an inside view of the castle’s looming walls and towers. Although it should be a bright summer’s day, unnaturally-long shadows cast a gloomy pall over the entire place. An unseasonable, chill breeze whips through the courtyard, carrying a few dry leaves from scraggly scrub bushes that grow fitfully at the yard’s edges. Bent, rusted, and in some cases partially broken spikes protrude from the walls of the courtyard, and here and there, holes in the hardpack soil hint at long-missing structures or poles that once stood within. To the north, stairs rise to a platform fifteen feet above the courtyard; atop it, a black double door provides entry into what must be the castle’s donjon--its inner, most fortified keep. Along with the sound of leaves skittering on the flagstones, the creaking of hinges can be heard—a door to the northeast stands open and sways gently with the wind. At the western end of the courtyard, a broad, stone-rimmed well stands, though its stone lip is crumbling and has collapsed in places. The Reckoner instantly realises that the thick patches of vegetation growing around the well aren’t just unnatural—they’re positively carnivorous! The group decide to skirt the wall away from the well, and open another door leading out of the courtyard to reveal a spiral staircase heading up.

Before they can decide whether to ascend or continue exploring the ground floor, The Reckoner hears a familiar voice in his mind—Bishop d’Bear! It seems House Arkona has taken control of Trail’s End—and more significantly, the Tower of Passage.

One thing is certain: whatever happens in Castle Scarwall, the city of Korvosa will surely not be the same when—-or if—-the Harrowed Heroes return.

There was something about The Reckoner's frequent use of wands (and general knowledge of spells) that always annoyed me a little, simply because the character didn't have any connection to magic in his background. I like to see some story justification for mechanical abilities so a character feels like an organic part of the world. On the other hand, I acknowledge this may just be an idiosyncratic pet peeve of mine.

The trench mist was pretty cool. I think it would have been even better if it weren't a creature (limited to a specific size and shape) and instead a hazard that could take on irregular sizes and shapes (and just described instead of given concrete form with a pawn, etc.). Sometimes giving such concreteness to dangers (necessary in a tactical combat game) takes away from the "scare factor" when trying to build atmosphere.

Yraelzin's reference that the group had limited healing magic was both correct (wand charges can be burned through pretty quickly at this level) and intended to add to the feel that the longer the group stayed in Scarwall, the more dangerous it would become (versus a "fight-heal-rinse & repeat" feel). Sometimes having a party cleric is pretty handy!

I spoke in a previous commentary about just how *big* Scarwall is. I ran the campaign on a pretty large table (actually two long tables side by side), but I still had to frequently switch out flip-mats, leading to the "GM Loading" jokes. I remember the courtyard was especially challenging for me because it came at the conjunction of several large flip-mats. And because it was a courtyard, I had to try to think about everything that overlooked it. What could the PCs see? What could creatures on various towers or higher levels see? Which encounters should trigger when and under what circumstances? It's one of those situations where those people who actually build out full 3D structures out of styrofoam probably feel their efforts are worth it, even if generally I think such a thing is impractical.

Having pushed through the black mist that separates the interior of Castle Scarwall from the outside world, three brave souls find themselves in an entry corridor. Rows of arrow slits line the walls, murder holes look down from above, dozens of orc skeletons and scattered bones cover the floor, and the way forward is blocked by yet another combination of portcullis and heavy gate. At first, there’s an eerie silence, but then the sound of quiet breathing and creaking armor can be heard from all around. In sudden unison, an onslaught of crossbow bolts are fired through the arrow slits while liquid cold enough to instantly freeze the flesh is poured through the murder holes above! Unable to see or fight their attackers, Anorak cleverly conjures illusory walls along the side of the corridor to stymie the crossbowmen while The Reckoner charges the portcullis and gate, smashing them with swing after swing of an adamantine war-maul! Still, a crossbow bolt longer than a sword embeds itself deeply in his back. Yraelzin is quickly on the scene to magically heal the wound, and the trio push forward out of the murder hall.

But it’s from the frying pan and into the fire, for the large chamber they find themselves in is stomach-turning. Bodies lie everywhere, orc and human alike. Judging by the sprawled and mutilated nature of the corpses, they fought brutally before succumbing to their wounds, dying in heaps on the floor. Many corpses are riddled with arrows and crossbow bolts, and a few appear to have perished while locked in mortal combat, still holding weapons embedded in various parts of each other’s anatomy. Strangely, while the room reeks of death and the bloodstains appear incredibly ancient, the corpses themselves seem quite recent.

The Reckoner instructs Plate to turn him invisible as he moves cautiously through the room toward a huge mound of corpses in the northwest corner of the room. But even the most sensible of precautions may be of no avail in Scarwall! The mound begins to somehow animate and move, scuttling forth on dozens of arms and legs, speaking in a dissonant, disturbing tone that no one can understand. Suddenly, it lets forth a horrifying shriek as all of its many mouths scream at once. Yraelzin’s knees turn to water at the sound, but Anorak bravely rushes forward only to find himself grabbed by a dozen mismatched arms and pummeled relentlessly. As Yraelzin recovers enough to evoke magical bolts of force, The Reckoner does an amazing leap over the mound, landing on the other side with a powerful blow! Anorak tries to extricate himself and cast spells, but the intricate gestures and words of his spellcraft are disrupted time and again. Finally, with great effort and nearly at the cost of Anorak’s life, the hideous aberration is destroyed.

After benefitting from several uses of a healing wand, Anorak is able to continue exploring. A heavy door that must be barred from the other side stands to the northeast corner of the corpse-ridden chamber. The Reckoner smashes it down with one resounding blow that echoes through the castle. Jagged splinters are added to the bits of ruined tapestries, ancient bones, and broken weaponry lining the hallway on the other side. Only one skeleton appears whole, slumped against a far corner of the room, clad in dust-caked full plate armor. Sure that that skeleton is going to animate and attack, The Reckoner moves in slowly while Anorak and Yraelzin wait at the doorway. The silence of the ancient castle suddenly shatters as the hall fills with a cacophony of clashing weapons and battles cries intermingled with the screams of the dead and dying--individual words are impossible to make out, but as the sounds reach a crescendo of violence, smoky black shapes boil up out of the bones and swirl into a vortex of angry shrieking spirits! But just as suddenly as the mad vortex arises, it disappears. Yet there was reason to be cautious: a towering, smoky form rises a moment later from the plate-clad figure in the corner! It lunges towards The Reckoner, shrieking “You shall not have Serithtial! It is mine and no other’s!”

Although The Reckoner has prepared for the spirits of Scarwall with an enchanted weapon that can destroy the incorporeal as easily as the corporeal, his armor is not similarly enchanted. The wraith plunges smoky hands into his body time and time again to drain the very life out of him, but somehow The Reckoner manages to resist! “I brought Serithtial here! I used it to slay Kazavon! It’s mine!” screams the fearsome shadow monster. Yraelzin contributes more force missiles, while Anorak brilliantly bluffs the unnatural menace into thinking that he’s the one who wants to steal Serithtial. As the spectral evil flies away from The Reckoner and toward the dwarf, it leaves itself open to another blow from the enchanted weapon and disappears with a final shriek of torment.

After the bracing event, Anorak examines the plate armor on the intact skeleton and realises it’s among the most powerfully enchanted he’s ever seen! Marked with the heraldry of Lastwall, it must have been worn by a true knight. The Reckoner urges Anorak to put it on. The explorers then decide to barricade themselves in the adjacent room, using the magical spike they purchased in Kaer Maga to make it appear as if their camp is a mound of bodies. Disturbing noises and vague but troubling dreams make for an uncomfortable night’s rest, but everyone is ready to continue when morning finally comes.

[Toilday, 4 Arodus 4708 A.R.]

Despite their surroundings, the day begins auspiciously for those slumbering in the cursed castle: Goldcape and Rocky have arrived! After some misunderstandings over the illusory campsite, Goldcape explains that Thousand Bones had been poisoned with purple worm venom by an evil Shoanti intent on assassinating the tribal elder for his own gain. Fortunately, Goldcape explains, she arrived just in time to neutralise the poison ravaging the shaman’s body and managed to capture the assassin. After the explanation, Anorak shows off his new armor and explains about the wraith’s remarks about Serithtial and Kazavon. Goldcape puts two and two together, and surmises that the armor must have been on the skeleton of Mandraivus, a paladin from Lastwall who led a small band to infiltrate Scarwall and kill the evil warlord. Yraelzin interrupts to say that he wants to move quickly to break the curse of Scarwall and strip Ileosa of her invulnerability, whether or not they find Serithtial. He says he can’t bear to spend another night in Scarwall, but The Reckoner replies it could take days to search a castle of this size! Yraelzin quickly apologies for a hastily-made insult about The Reckoner breaking the deal with allies (Shadowcount Sial and Laori Vaus) who would surely speed up the search. He explains Scarwall must be getting to him already.

With their first full day inside Castle Scarwall ahead of them, the Harrowed Heroes are at full strength! Perhaps the legends around this haunted place are overblown, and success will come quickly. The time has finally come to find out.

The animated mound of bodies is a monster called a "corpse orgy", and it certainly put up a good fight as well as tying in well to the atmosphere of Scarwall. Mandraivus' appearance also helped provide some of the backstory to Scarwall and Serithtial. I tried to have Yraelzin's fright contribute to the idea that just being in this place would be terrifying. Anyway, for a first session in its walls, the group made solid progress; in future sessions though, the sheer size of the place will bog them down.

I made a mistake in my commentary for last session; it wasn't then that Goldcape left and his player became "Assistant GM"--it happens a little further down the line.

[Moonday, 3 Arodus 4708 A.R.]

Flying on Rocky’s back across the crater lake surrounding Scarwall, three of the Harrowed Heroes are stunned when Goldcape suddenly veers the winged mount away and to the eastern shore. The vanara hops off and shouts for the others to dismount before stripping Rocky’s bulky passenger saddle. “Thousand Bones is in trouble and needs me!” she explains hurriedly. “He’s been poisoned!” With that, Goldcape leaps on to Rocky’s bare back and shouts for him to take to the skies. In a matter of seconds, the pair are no more than a distant speck in the sky heading southwest.

For The Reckoner and Anorak, the sudden change in plan is disastrous—not only did their transportation across the crater lake surrounding Scarwall (hopefully to an unguarded entrance) disappear, but their magical protections are waning with every passing moment. Fortunately, Yraelzin has the solution—a magical wand with the ability to teleport a small group of people short distances. With a flick of the wand and an arcane word, a magical doorway appears, and when the three step through it, they find themselves right in the middle of the 400’ stone causeway leading from the (orc-infested!) barbican on the southern shores of the lake to the front gates of Scarwall itself.

But if a stealthy approach were ever possible, it surely isn’t now! As the group manifest in broad daylight, loud signal horns sound from the upper levels of Castle Scarwall. Flanked by large statues of sinister gargoyles, the massive main gates of Scarwall begin to slowly open as a threshold portcullis rises. Worried they’re about to be trapped on two sides, Anorak glances behind to see that not a single orc is advancing along the causeway—their superstitious fear of Scarwall must be holding them back! But although the danger is coming from only one direction, it remains very real. Massive crossbow bolts as long as an arm begin to pelt down toward the Korvosans, and when the front gates of Scarwall are completely open, it seems like an army is ready to charge out. Led by a fearsome, lance-wielding skeletal warrior mounted on a nightmarish steed, a full dozen skeletal warriors are poised for battle.

With Plate’s help, The Reckoner turns briefly invisible and waits for his moment. It comes just an instant later as the skeletal knight charges down the causeway, his mount galloping at full speed even as its flaming hooves don’t seem to even touch the ground! The Reckoner unleashes a devastating blow on the rider, and Anorak jumps to the side with perfect timing so that, in an inexplicable turn of events, the skeleton is somehow hoisted on his own petard! With its rider crumbling into an inert heap of bones, the flame-hooved mount is no match for The Reckoner’s enchanted war-maul and is quickly dispatched.

Girded for war, the troop of skeletal infantry march forward with relentless determination under the cover of a rain of crossbow bolts launched from hidden arrow slits above. Yraelzin is wounded multiple times as Anorak and The Reckoner struggle to put into effect a plan they’d privately decided on earlier: they want to turn some of Scarwall’s undead defenders into allies! A magical wand to control undead is crucial to this strategy, so Yraelzin and Anorak trade the wand back and forth trying to get it to work as the skeletons attack. Two skeletons end up falling under their control, but after several uses (and many failed attempts), magical feedback makes it temporarily impossible for either spellcaster to use the wand. The Reckoner is forced to destroy the remaining undead, with the only consolation being that the hidden crossbowmen above seem to have run out of ammunition.

With two new allies temporarily under Yraelzin’s control, the attackers stride forward without further obstacle to the gates of Castle Scarwall. The massive doors stand open, but what lays beyond them is shrouded in a darkness so profound that neither the sun’s rays nor Anorak’s magical light can pierce it. When the dwarf attempts to discern which magical auras are causing the darkness, he’s almost overwhelmed by the sheer amount of necromantic energy infusing the castle. A powerful curse lays like a pall over Scarwall, a curse that cannot be lifted through mere mortal magic. With the darkness beyond emanating an almost palpable sense of menace and dread, only The Reckoner could be brave enough to step in first. Immersed in total darkness, a noticeable breeze rises into a gale around him as vague shapes of abhorrent, distorted faces appear. The spirits of Scarwall’s restless dead tear and pull at The Reckoner, until a sudden burst of spiritual power from within drives them away!

Carrying within themselves the final gift of The Harrower and the last, desperate hopes of the Korvosan people, the Harrowed Heroes have breached Castle Scarwall.

May the gods have mercy on their souls.

For many sessions by this point, Goldcape's player (an adolescent) was pretty unhappy because the other two players (adults) rarely listened to his suggestions even though his were usually proven to be correct. The frustrations escalated to the point where the player wanted to leave the campaign, but we came up with the solution of having him serve as "Assistant GM" for the rest of Chapter 5. He reduced my workload by taking over various duties and running some of the minor encounters, while I focussed on the overall narrative and major encounters. It was nice having a sounding board given how complicated Scarwall was to run, and t worked out pretty well (even though it was a bummer of course not to have Goldcape around).

The control undead wand strategy took me by surprise. It was an interesting idea, but made for a *long* combat against the skeletons because neither The Reckoner nor Anorak were very good at Use Magic Device! Eventually they each rolled a natural 1 and couldn't use it for 24 hours. They did end up getting a few low-level minions out of the deal, but they didn't seem to have a well-planned strategy for how to use them. (I would have gone with trap-springers!)

As we had already has the big final scene for The Harrower, I gave the PCs her (final) special boons as a special moment when they went to enter Castle Scarwall. The one-time boon about turning a failed save against a death effect into a success turned out to be a pretty big deal!

[Sunday, 2 Arodus 4708 A.R.]

On the eastern shores of a crater lake high above the plains of Belkzen, the Harrowed Heroes have arrived to find potential allies--or enemies. Realising he may have acted too hastily in refusing to sign Shadowcount Sial’s magical contract, The Reckoner calls him back and asks to look it over. Having just arrived at the doorstep of his magical bone house, Sial purses his lips in annoyance, but complies. Although no one in the group is particularly knowledgeable about lawyerly drafting, the contract seems to embody the substantive terms discussed between them and the Brotherhood of Bone just a little while ago. The Reckoner announces to Sial that he’ll think about it, a reply which only further irritates the haughty arcanist. Followed by his bodyguard, he turns in place and enters the tower without another word. Laori Vaus, the surprisingly-cheerful Kuthite member of the Brotherhood, smiles apologetically before following them in. It’s clear there’s no love lost between the pompous Sial and the amiable Laori.

Once they’re gone, Yraelzin rounds on The Reckoner, shouting that he spent days negotiating with the Brotherhood for their assistance in Scarwall, and that in a matter of minutes the alliance has been completely destroyed! The Reckoner says entering into a partnership with the Brotherhood would be too dangerous. Yraelzin stomps away to try to salvage something of the deal, only to find himself locked out of the bone house. Sial, it seems, has considered the newcomers’ actions a personal affront.

Anorak speaks up and says he needs to return to Kaer Maga to collect his familiar, Eldritch. The Reckoner and Goldcape are interested in going as well, having realised during the journey here that some additional enchanted items would be useful for their explorations of the castle. Forgetting to mention anything to Yraelzin, the three travellers teleport to the City of Strangers. Anorak finds Eldritch right where he left him. Unfortunately, the shops they need have already closed for the day, so the trio decide to spend the night in the same inn they rested in previously.

[Moonday, 3 Arodus 4708 A.R.]

In the morning, various purchases are made in Kaer Maga--a magical iron spike that allows for safe camps even in dangerous areas, arrows that may slay powerful foes with a mere graze, and (provoking some disagreement) a powerful healing wand. When the trio teleport back to the crater lake, they find a very annoyed Yraelzin who was forced to sleep out in the open, alone, in hostile territory, with no idea where his supposed friends had gone. The bone house is also missing, and Yraelzin grumpily explains that Shadowcount Sial and Laori had a very loud argument earlier in the morning and went their separate ways after Sial shrunk the tower back to figurine size.

But whether they have allies or not, the Harrowed Heroes haven’t come this far to turn back now. They discuss the best way to approach Castle Scarwall and decide against a crossing by land (the causeway) or sea (the lake), and instead choose air, hoping to slip in quietly through an entrance into the massive structure’s upper works. Goldcape takes out the miniature figurine of Rocky and, with an arcane syllable, returns the roc to its normal size. The vanara then exchanges Rocky’s barding for a custom-made, four-person passenger saddle, everyone climbs on, and Rocky takes to the air.

The final approach to Scarwall has begun, but under a portentous omen. For upon the third of Arodus falls a new moon, and this night will surely be covered in darkness.

A lot of disrespect for poor Yraelzin in this session. First, tearing up the contract he spent loads of time negotiating off-screen, and then the rest of the party completely forgets to tell him they're teleporting back to Kaer Maga--thus leaving him all by himself in Belkzen! I was a bit personally irked, because although he was a GMPC, I worked really hard to make Yraelzin a well-rounded figure who could contribute to the party since the group was usually under the expected 4 PCs.

Otherwise, this was a very short session and frankly, not a lot happened!

[Fireday, 31 Erastus, 4708 A.R. continued]

As shopkeepers begin locking their valuables in trunks and thinking of supper, the Harrowed Heroes race against time to finish their errands in Kaer Maga. The Wheel Unbroken, a multi-story building housing the powerful Arcanist’s Circle of the city, provides Anorak access to a variety of rare spells and magical scrolls. Back on the street, the trio of travellers are accosted repeatedly by a filthy dwarf spewing nonsense about a place where “only the dead walk, and they too are trapped”. Ralph finds the encounter amusing and hurls some jibes at the dwarf until the ranter is dragged away by others.

Finding a place to spend the night in Kaer Maga proves challenging, as the travellers first try an inn “ill-suited to their station” (according to the concierge of the opulent Canary House), then stroll into a hostel that looks more like a pigsty than a place fit for human habitation, before finally reaching something more in line with their expectations. Ralph has a conversation with a surprisingly well-mannered orc merchant and picks up a couple of tips about traversing the Hold of Belkzen.

Having travelled hundreds of miles before crisscrossing the disorienting, crowded, and often-gloomy passageways of Kaer Maga, the travellers enjoy a well-earned rest.

[Starday, 1 Arodus 4708 A.R.]

The last month of summer begins with the dwindling population of Korvosa still suffering under the cruel reign of Queen Ileosa Arabasti. For the Harrowed Heroes, their quest to stop her first involves a brief teleportation to Egorian so Ralph can pick up a weapon commissioned weeks ago: a magical war-maul that disintegrates undead! While there, Anorak spends some hours earning funds by allowing local wizards to copy some of the unusual spells he’s collected. He also finishes crafting a new ioun stone that turns itself and his other ioun stones invisible. Goldcape, who has stayed behind in Kaer Maga, reads her book on the Hold of Belkzen and learns about the Screaming Tree, a location near Scarwall that is so frightfully haunted it is shunned by even the bravest orcs.

Once Ralph and Anorak have returned to Kaer Maga, they talk with Goldcape over supper about the next day’s travel plans. Discussion centers on whether the group should stop at Urglin or Freedom Town to buy an orc tribal crest which would ostensibly provide them free passage through the Hold of Belkzen. Goldcape says it may not be necessary because they can wind walk high enough to avoid danger, but Ralph replies that if they have to land, having one would be good insurance. That night, as Goldcape readies herself for bed, she receives another magical message from Yraelzin: “I can’t delay them any longer--they don’t believe you’re coming. So we’re going in. Wish us luck!” Goldcape sends a magical reply promising to be there soon and urging Yraelzin to wait.

[Sunday, 2 Arodus 4708 A.R.]

Another logistical problem with the group’s travel plans is revealed when they realise that the magical wind walking scroll they purchased isn’t powerful enough to carry all three adventurers and Anorak’s new familiar. Goldcape castigates Anorak again for having delayed the group for several days just for the “dumb bird”. An attempt is made to get Eldritch to submit to the same spell that Goldcape uses to shrink Rocky into a hand-sized figurine, but the distrustful Eldritch refuses to agree. Finally, Anorak has to tell Eldritch to stay in Kaer Maga for now and that he’ll come back for him via teleportation magic once he and the others reach Scarwall.

After paying a Pharasmin to read the scroll, the three seekers of Scarwall gradually turn into insubstantial mist and begin flying at incredible speeds over the landscape. Goldcape proves an excellent navigator especially when aided by maps and Ralph’s compass. The trio head over the Cinderlands (seeing herds of Aurochs and occasional Shoanti) far below, and within just a couple of hours reach Urglin. The orc settlement, built on the stone remnants of a mysterious unknown civilisation, still shows signs of the recent siege by the giant army that descended from the mountains just weeks ago. Hurled boulders still lay atop crushed shacks and tents, leaving large swathes of destruction through the orc shanty towns. Brief thought is given to stopping to buy a tribal crest of passage, but this time the travellers are unwilling to risk further delay and decide to continue onwards.

The mountains that divide the Cinderlands from the Hold of Belkzen are the next obstacle standing in the way of the travellers, but the magical spell that allows them to fly higher and faster than an eagle or hawk means the group’s journey is unhindered. Several hours pass, but by mid-afternoon the group reach a mountain range full of dormant volcanoes, desolate barren hills, and isolated scrub trees. Goldcape skillfully leads the trio toward a particular dormant volcano elevated almost 1,500 feet above the surrounding terrain. There, with clouds of dark carrion birds riding the winds above it, stands an imposing collection of towers and fortifications built atop a small island in a crater lake. A single span connects the castle to a narrow peninsula on the lake’s southern edge, where a crumbling barbican still stands. At last: Scarwall!

On the eastern side of the lake is a black tower initially reminiscent of the one left behind in Trail’s End. But this tower is topped by a massive stone skull, and is clearly the fortress that Yraelzin spoke about! Proof comes quickly, as the flyers see him rushing out of the tower and waving enthusiastically. No longer wearing the iron mask of a Priest of Razmir or speaking quite so bombastically, Yraelzin seems more at peace with himself. He teasingly berates the group for taking so long, and says they made it just in time because the others were tired of waiting. Goldcape starts to explain her opinion on why getting to Scarwall took so long (mostly involving Eldritch), but Ralph (now as The Reckoner) pulls Yraelzin aside to ask about this ‘Brotherhood of Bones’ he’s been negotiating with. Yraelzin corrects The Reckoner, who was under the apprehension The Brotherhood were priests of Urgathoa. However, Yraelzin’s explanation that they’re a sect devoted to Zon-Kuthon, the so-called Midnight Lord of Pain and Shadows, doesn’t bring The Reckoner much comfort. He’s also not happy to hear that Yraelzin bartered away the magical jade elephant the group lent him in order to get the location and magical passage from Urglin to Scarwall!

When the door to the bone house opens again, this time it brings forth a female elf with a cheerful grin that seems diametrically opposed to the spiked chain coiled at her belt. “I’m Laori Vaus, nice to meet you!” she says with genuine enthusiasm. She says friends of Yraelzin are friends of hers, and that they were wondering what was taking so long. The Reckoner gets straight to the point, however, and asks what the Brotherhood of Bones wants with Scarwall and what “deal” they made with Yraelzin. Laori is chipper as she explains that Brotherhood diviners recently became aware that a powerful threat to the faith may be about to fall into the hands of its enemies. She says she and Shadowcount Sial have agreed with Yraelzin (“your leader”) that the Brotherhood will help sever the spiritual link that connects Ileosa to the castle (providing her with invulnerability) on the condition that the Brotherhood get possession of Serithtial if it’s found. Yraelzin agrees that that’s the deal and explains that his final vision from The Harrower made it sound like finding Serithtial wasn’t absolutely necessary to defeating Ileosa as long the link was severed. Laori rushes off to get Shadowcount Sial, saying he can explain everything better.

When she returns, it’s actually with a pair of figures. The first is a fastidiously-dressed man who walks with his chin held high and an air of superiority. Walking precisely three steps behind him is a strange figure that looks generally-human except for white, pupil-less eyes and midnight blue-tinged skin. Her only clothing are chains wrapped around her body. When the first figure, Shadowcount Sial, speaks, it’s with an air of disdain. He confirms the arrangement with Yraelzin, and scoffs when asked for assurances that the Brotherhood won’t use Serithtial to harm others. Sial says no Kuthite would use such a blasphemous creation. When asked, he acknowledges that Serithtial could be potentially useful in fighting Ileosa, as the Crown of Fangs she wears is a relic of Kazavon, an ancient champion of Zon-Kuthon--a figure the Brotherhood does not want to see resurrected, as leadership of the faith should be Sial’s own.

This naturally leads to the new arrivals hoping to eat their cake and have it too--what if they could both sever the spiritual link from Scarwall to the Crown of Fangs (thus rendering Ileosa vulnerable) and find Serithtial to use against her? Sial initially bristles at the notion of reopening the agreement already entered into with Yraelzin, but then seems to think the better of it and makes a counter-offer: the Brotherhood will lend its aid in Scarwall if both Serithtial and the Crown of Fangs are turned over to it after Ileosa is deposed. The Harrowed Heroes step aside to talk it over. Anorak says the deal sounds solid, but The Reckoner is worried that Sial wants to keep and use the Crown of Fangs himself. Goldcape suggests they could lie to them--use Serithtial to destroy the Crown of Fangs, and then keep the weapon themselves! When the foursome return and ask precisely what help the Brotherhood could provide inside Scarwall, Sial rolls his eyes, as if it should be obvious--he explains that he himself is a master arcanist, Laori is an “adequate” cleric, and his bodyguard (nodding to the silent chain-wrapped figure standing behind him) is a formidable warrior. In addition, he says that if there are denizens of Scarwall that still worship the Midnight Lord, obstacles could be turned into allies.

The deal is made--or so it seems for some minutes. For once Shadowcount Sial returns from the bone house with a magical contract to compel each side to carry out its commitments, The Reckoner flatly refuses to sign it! Sial bristles with cold anger. “You will regret this,” he says, turning on his heels and walking back toward the tower. Laori looks apologetic. Before following him, she whispers to the newcomers that if they meet again inside Scarwall, they don’t have to be enemies, even if they’re not going to be allies.

I liked the little bit about the group getting turned away from Canary House for not looking the part; social class doesn't get much attention in Pathfinder, but one has to imagine most adventurers certainly don't fit with aristocratic notions of hygiene and style.

After several sessions, the group finally gets going and reaches Scarwall this session. Wind walk is interesting as a GM because, unlike teleport, I still have to describe the general terrain they pass by (about the same speed as driving an automobile) and, in theory, random encounters could happen--though at the same time the PCs could likely just keep going.

I wish either the individual issue or the hardcover had presented a good, clear drawing of what Scarwall looks like from a distance. I found it really hard to conceptualise and describe how the castle fit in the crater lake, where the towers were, etc. Fortunately, I found some 3-D artist conception videos on Youtube that allowed for a full rotational look (without any spoilers) and showed that to my players. I think it helped a lot.

Despite both the individual issue and the hardcover version, I never did quite understand what the motivation of the Brotherhood of the Bone was in getting Serithtial. What I put above was my best attempt to come up with an answer that seems plausible even if I'm still not 100% satisfied.

From what I can tell online (and the amount of fan art) Laori Vaus is one of the favourite NPCs of a lot of people that play through this AP. She just was never "on stage" very much when I ran it, and I couldn't really make her personality pop as other GMs were able. But, I don't stress about it too much. You just never know what NPCs, plot elements, etc. different groups will latch onto.

An alliance with the Brotherhood of Bone would have made exploring Scarwall much easier (and safer), and they would have kept their word (until one of them betrays the other, as scripted in the AP). The Reckoner's sudden opposition to the alliance took me and the rest of the table by surprise, and I'm still not really sure what it was about. Perhaps he thought the contract was somehow a trap, but he could have had some of the magically-astute characters in the group examine it, or try to continue negotiating. In any event, the decision had major implications for the rest of the Chapter. I essentially came up with a random percentage each day for Sial and Laori (individually, since they argue and split up) to either get killed in Scarwall or find Serithtial and escape--thus, the longer it would take the PCs to find it, the less chance it would still be there. Nonetheless, I didn't get much of a sense of an urgency from the players; I think some perhaps come from the video game experience where time rarely matters and nothing bad ever happens "off-screen". We'll see the outcome of this in later sessions.

[Oathday, 30 Erastus 4708 A.R. continued]

As if slowly rousing from a tranquil sleep, Anorak wakes up to find himself in a small cottage. He’s still wearing his damaged armor, and quickly his last memory comes back to him: the tower! Fortunately, Eldritch is there to fill him in on what happened (though, from the bird’s telling, Anorak has been “abandoned” by his colleagues and should seek bloody revenge). Anorak grabs his axe from the pile of possessions heaped nearby, and heads out to find Goldcape and The Reckoner. Realising they must have gone into the tower (as the front door stands ominously open), he goes inside and is quickly reunited with them.

Goldcape and The Reckoner explain what they encountered in the tower--the nightshade and banshee, as well as the strange magical pools, pedestal, and weapons. Anorak’s awakening is most fortuitous, as his expertise in all things arcane gives him insight that the others lack. He realises that the pools of inky liquid are in fact repositories of semi-tangible negative energy! Falling into one would mean death for most living creatures. But the dwarf realises that they in fact serve as the power source for the central function of the tower--travelling between planes! By carefully manipulating the pedestal mechanism, the tower could transition between the four planes marked by sigils around its perimeter--the Material, Ethereal, Abyssal, and Shadow Planes. But such a transition draws huge amounts of negative energy from the pools, making it possible for the Tower of Passage to function only once per day. Unfortunately, because the box was destroyed when it was placed inside an extradimensional container, the tower is no longer mobile geographically within a plane. On the Material Plane, it will always manifest in this precise location in Trail’s End!

The group discuss what to do with the tower. Goldcape argues they should use one of his summoned mites to activate it to take it somewhere else so it will no longer menace Korvosa--and to keep it out of the Queen’s hands. The Reckoner argues that would be a mistake, as monsters in one of those other planes could take the tower back to the Material Plane and attack! As usual, Anorak sides with The Reckoner against Goldcape, and the matter is settled. Plans are made to post a warning sign and a minor locking enchantment on the door. That plus a dangerous magical trap that will soon reset, are hoped to be enough to keep intruders and stray passers-by from interfering with it. The constant gloom projected by the tower will just have to be withstood, for now.

The group split up to put their new plan into action. Goldcape stays behind to watch the tower while The Reckoner (now as Ralph Blackfeather) is teleported back to North Point by Anorak. Ralph hurries to Hedge Wizardry to buy the arcane lock scroll, and finds Phaeton looking troubled. The proprietor of all things magical explains that business has been poor lately--the lack of security on the streets, the slow-down in imports and exports, the new inspections of logs on who is buying and selling magical items, and trade disruptions caused by the giant wars--have all combined to put Phaeton in dire financial straits. He says he’s thinking of moving to Magnimar, where business is apparently booming at Korvosa’s expense. Ralph expresses genuine concern for Phaeton and offers to do what he can to help. Hearing that Ralph will soon be travelling to some larger markets, Phaeton gives his trusted customer an expensive magical rod he’s been unable to sell locally in the hopes a buyer can be found abroad.

When Anorak and Ralph return to Trail’s End, Goldcape lets them keep watch on the tower as he flies on Rocky’s back to his safehouse. He’s decided he wants to take Blackjack’s garb with him after all. He also charges Sergeant Clenkins with a new mission: to keep an eye on the tower and shoo people away (but not to engage any Gray Maidens or other agents of the Queen). Clenkins agrees, explaining that a concrete mission will be good for the rebel troops he’s training. When Goldcape returns to the others, he magically repairs Anorak’s damaged armor.

The group decide to spend the night in an inn and then depart in the morning. But the logistics of getting a disparate group of adventurers, their gear, and their animal allies ready to go proves surprisingly challenging! When Anorak tries to teleport everyone to the inn (the Burnt Honey), his spell isn’t powerful enough, and he appears with just Rocky and Eldritch! Annoyed at being left behind, Ralph starts riding his horse toward High Bridge while Goldcape magically takes on the aspect of a frog to swim across the Jeggare! “Thank you so much!” she says sarcastically, dripping wet, when she finds Anorak at the inn. Ralph has even more unkind words to say to Anorak. Over dinner, the trio discuss their current problem. They were planning on using magical wind-walking scrolls to hasten their journey to Castle Scarwall--however, upon close examination, no one in the group is certain they know how to activate them! Ralph decides they’ll need to find a cleric in Korvosa, but that too presents challenges: the Temples of Asmodeus and Abadar cannot be trusted (as they’ve thrown their allegiance behind Ileosa), the Temple of Sarenrae is being watched, and Bishop d’Bear of the Church of Pharasma is still on board the Black Ship. Ralph says perhaps he’ll try the nearby shrine to Shelyn (goddess of music and art) in the morning. Meanwhile, Goldcape puzzles over Yraelzin’s earlier messages indicating he was staying at the “skull-topped tower” near the “crater lake”. He pours over his recently-acquired book on the Hold of Belkzen and finds absolutely no mention of a skull-topped tower.

[Fireday, 31 Erastus 4708]

Feral dogs tussling over garbage in the alleyway outside Anorak’s room keep him tossing and turning all night. As dawn approaches, the dwarf is so fed up with the clamour that he stomps outside and knocks them both out with freezing magic! When he comes back in, Ralph and Goldcape (both having enjoyed a good night’s rest) tease him and nickname him “Anorak Dogslayer.” The grumpy dwarf decides to go back to bed, and sleeps through the morning. The other two go off on errands. Ralph learns that the city’s small but beautiful temple to Shelyn could indeed help read the scrolls, though the price is high. Goldcape does research at both Basha’s and Bookmaker’s, but neither has any clue about a “skull-topped tower” in Belkzen. Costa jokes that perhaps it appeared out of nowhere, just like the tower that’s now casting a pall over Korvosa!

After lunch, the group makes a final (and ultimately successful) plan on how they’re going to leave Korvosa. First, Ralph stables his horse indefinitely at the inn. Second, Goldcape magically shrinks Rocky down into a small figurine. Third, Anorak teleports everyone to Kaer Maga in the hopes that they can find someone there to read the wind walk scrolls for them. Something goes wrong with the spell once again, this time wracking everyone with pain, but they do all appear in Kaer Maga. Anorak had chosen the “esoterica” business run by the memorable vampire proprietor Froderic, and when they appear, he’s drinking blood from the wrist of an obviously-hypnotised young elf. Seeing potential customers appear, Froderic sends his snack away and begins negotiating. The group isn’t able to get the price that Phaeton wanted for the magical rod, so they decide to hold onto it for now. Ralph is able to unload many of the magical weapons discovered in the Tower of Passage.

The trio spend the afternoon looking for libraries and temples. Ralph learns that there’s a major temple to Pharasma in the city called the Godsmouth Ossuary, and the Pharasmins there could (for the usual fee) read the magical scrolls he needs. He also gets a referral to a quality inn called Canary House. When the group hear about what may be Varisia’s most complete archive of lore, a building called the Therassic Spire, they pay the hefty reading fee to gain access. But there’s still no mention of a skull-topped tower in Belkzen! Finally, Anorak realises that Yraelzin isn’t talking about a fixed location at all—it must be a reference to a bone house, a minor (and evil) artifact capable of creating an instant fortress out of a fist-sized figurine! Ralph says it must belong to the Brotherhood of Bones, and is annoyed that Yraelzin has apparently made a deal with the group.

As the sun starts to slowly slip over the horizon to bring another day to a close, the Harrowed Heroes are finally on their way to Belkzen. But with one ominous tower ahead of them, and another left behind, what does the future have in store?

A few of the recurring themes I've discussed in previous commentaries are very apparent in this recap. First, Goldcape again makes the best suggestion about what to do with a problem (in this case, the tower) but is ignored by the two adult players; a frustrating situation for Goldcape's adolescent player. Second, the group has logistical troubles with things like the number of creatures that can be affected by spells (counting familiars, animal companions, mounts, etc.), who can activate scrolls, etc. They figured it out in the end, even if it did cost them some time and gold. Third, I never did find time to really prep Kaer Maga to my satisfaction--it's just too big and there's too much out there on it. I feel like I did an okay job referencing the materials on the fly, but I would like to really make the city come alive in a future adventure.

[Wealday, 29 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

In the supernatural gloom caused by the uncanny black tower that looms over them, The Reckoner and Goldcape talk about what to do next. The Reckoner’s sapient armor, Plate, says they have to intervene to save Korvosa from living in permanent shadow! Goldcape is more reluctant, but is persuaded that the danger to the city warrants the tower being investigated. She earns the concession that they’ll enter in the morning so everyone will be at full strength. Oddly enough, during the conversation, Anorak has been completely silent. When the invisibility he cast on himself during the vescavor swarm attack finally wears off a dozen minutes later, the others see his eyes are vacant! Could his mind or soul have been drained away when, as “owner” of the box, he destroyed it by placing it in the bag of holding? The others drag Anorak to safety and then, at Plate’s suggestion, heap piles of rubble in front of the tower’s lone door to make sure nothing else emerges.

But as the improvised barricade is being assembled, it seems the presence of a massive black tower suddenly arising in Trail’s End hasn’t gone unnoticed by those across the river! Four Gray Maidens, mounted on hippogriffs, are streaking tower the tower from Castle Korvosa. Eager for a fight, The Reckoner uses an array of wands to prepare himself, while Goldcape conjures an ettin out of pure magical energy! Once the Gray Maidens get close enough, Goldcape starts summoning bolts of lightning, knocking one of the riders and her mounts into a spiral they can’t recover from. The other Gray Maidens circle the tower once and then fly back toward the city at top-speed, obviously having been briefed that a direct confrontation with the Harrowed Heroes is sure to end in utter defeat.

Once the Maidens have fled the scene, Goldcape buries the slain hippogriff while The Reckoner recovers its rider’s weapons and armor. One of the few remaining Varisians in Trail’s End, a farrier named Giorgio, gathers the courage to emerge from hiding to ask what’s going on. Goldcape speaks with him and shares what she knows. When the two agree that Queen Ileosa may see the tower as a challenge to her reign and that its mere presence poses a threat to Trail’s End, Giorgio agrees with Goldcape’s advice that the remaining residents of the little community should leave for their own safety. Giorgio says his people know the ways of the road and will be gone at first light. Goldcape gives Giorgio a letter to show to Jasan Aldern in Harse if they need a temporary place to stay.

In full knowledge that, come morning, she and The Reckoner will enter the tower and perhaps never come back, Goldcape leaves a note for Anorak explaining what happened and flies quickly on Rocky to drop off Blackjack’s costume at the safehouse (along with instructions to Sergeant Clenkins to forward the trunk to Vencarlo Orisini if she never returns for it).

[Oathday, 30 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

In the morning, as The Reckoner and Goldcape are getting ready for the ominous task ahead, Goldcape receives a mental message from Yraelzin: “I’m with the Brotherhood of Bone at the skull-topped tower on the shores of the crater lake. Laori is endlessly entertaining!” Goldcape tells The Reckoner the Brotherhood of Bone are a small sect of the faith of Zon-Kuthon (the god of pain and shadows) opposed to Kazavon, and must be the allies The Harrower told her about. She adds that one of them will betray the other. But The Reckoner is more interested in the present than the future, and only nods as he goes to investigate the only entrance to the black stone spire. The tall door is located in an odd-shaped recess and emblazoned with a bas-relief of people having their skin and muscle torn out of their bodies by unknown forces. The Reckoner’s keen eyes discern faintly glowing magical runes around the edges of the door—a magical trap! As neither of the pair are trained in trap removal, they try a variety of things to discharge it harmlessly, but none work. Finally, Goldcape hits on the clever idea of conjuring the magical simulacram of a mite--a small, three-foot-tall, blue-faced fey, and instructing it to touch the door. When the mite does so, an incredibly powerful surge of foul necromantic energy completely drains the life from the creature. But the runes no longer glow, indicating the trap is in abeyance.

The Reckoner pushes the heavy stone door inwards to reveal a vaguely diamond-shaped room with ceilings almost thirty feet high. The dark stone walls seem to absorb light, as do two triangular pools filled with what looks like roiling ink. In the center of the room stands a waist-high pedestal that has a round platform mounted on it; the platform has a sharp, needle-like projection pointing to one of four arcane symbols along the edges. Before The Reckoner can venture far to explore, an enormous, bat-like creature shaped from utter darkness descends from the ceiling to attack! With one bite, The Reckoner feels the chill of the grave and notices some of his defensive magics vanish. But his heavily-enchanted silver battle-maul leaves deep sizzling wounds on the creature as it rages in the guttural Infernal tongue, “Trapped! Return Home! Mortimont!” In seconds, the creature lies dead at The Reckoner’s feet.

When it’s safe, Goldcape joins The Reckoner in the interior of the tower. She can discern the pools of liquid and the pedestal mechanism are magical, but not how they function. The four symbols, however, are apparently planar sigils--one for the Material Plane (where the platform is pointing), one for the Ethereal Plane, one for the Abyss, and one for the Plane of Shadow. Empty squares indicate that perhaps other sigils could be added. The Reckoner surmises that this entire tower could travel between planes!

One door stands closed across the oddly-shaped chamber. Goldcape stays back some distance as The Reckoner carefully opens it to reveal a small chamber filled with obsidian chests etched with words in exotic tongues. At first glance, the room seems safe, but seconds later a ghostly presence emerges from the very walls of the tower, its face and clenched fingers delivering a silent message of utter rage. Then, the silence is broken by an unearthly wail of heartbreaking tragedy. The Reckoner claps his forearms to his ears, staggering from the overwhelming assault to his senses, but he remains standing. Fortunately, the potentially-fatal sound has ebbed by the time it reaches Goldcape and Rocky. But The Reckoner’s reliable battle-maul proves far less effective against this new threat. The banshee plunges a ghostly hand into his chest to squeeze his heart! He collapses, dead, until Goldcape uses her most powerful magic to get his heart beating again! And with a cry, she sends Rocky to swoop in and help The Reckoner battle the insubstantial menace. With an enchanted talon, Rocky adds to the damage The Reckoner has already inflicted and tears away the last wisps of semi-corporeal substance that formed the undead being. It slowly dissipates.

“I would be dead without you! That was a close-run thing!” says The Reckoner in gratitude to Goldcape. He uses a wand to heal his wounds further, and then the two investigate the obsidian chests. Between the two of them, they can only discern the words on one of the chests--written in Infernal, it says “Blasphemous”. The Reckoner decides to open one of the other chests, and finds a morningstar, a longbow, and a longsword. When the other three chests are opened, they reveal similar contents. Goldcape can discern that all the weapons are magical, and that one of the chests contains a holy weapon. Concerned that the others could be evil or cursed, Goldcape conjures another mite to place them all in a canvas bag for safekeeping.

The Tower of Passage has been explored, with near fatal results. But now a new question arises: what should be done with it?

Anorak's player was absent this session, which is why the character was incapacitated. (I always try to come up with semi-plausible reasons a PC can't participate)

It was a good thing they detected (and cleverly discharged with a summoned creature) the trap on the door; it was a CL13 harm spell, and 130 hit points of damage could ruin someone's day!

The first foe in the tower was a nightwing nightshade, while the second was a banshee. Both are pretty nasty foes, especially given the PCs' levels and number. Goldcape used heroic recovery to keep The Reckoner from becoming "dead dead"! The rewards in the chest were pretty sweet, and I think the holy weapons were used until the very end of the campaign.

[Wealday, 29 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

For Ralph Blackfeather and Anorak, dawn brings not just a new day but the sound of screams! Changing quickly into his guise as The Reckoner, Ralph has Plate make him invisible as he investigates. A woman on the street is obviously the source of the screams, but she’s unable to do anything but point in the direction of the house across the street from The Reckoner’s safehouse. Inside, a body has been torn to shreds, blood is everywhere, and the place has been thoroughly ransacked. Anorak follows The Reckoner inside, and they realise they’re looking at the work of xills!

Both come to the immediate conclusion that the xills must still be after the mysterious box given to Anorak by the unnerving “baker” Mortimont. The Reckoner wonders aloud how the xill could have tracked the box, as his safehouse has robust protections against divination spells. He says keeping it in the safehouse is too dangerous, even if the xill can only sense its approximate location, and that they should get rid of it by taking it somewhere with windwalk. Anorak’s mind turns in a more devious direction, as he suggests putting it somewhere they wouldn’t mind the xill attacking--like Castle Korvosa! But The Reckoner says that could make things worse if Ileosa got her hands on it. The two discuss why a passage to the Ethereal Plane could be so valuable (if that is indeed what the box contains), but neither knows enough about the Ethereal Plane to say.

Once back outside, the two see that neighbours have come out from nearby buildings--seemingly wanting to help, but scared now that there’s little in the way of law enforcement in Korvosa. The Reckoner offers his condolences and some money to help the woman who found the body, and Anorak tries to gently ask her some questions, but she’s in too much shock to be of any help.

The two return to the safehouse, where Anorak begins memorising spells for the day ahead and The Reckoner doffs his guise to become Ralph Blackfeather once again. Ralph walks to the Burnt Honey Inn, just down the street, and, over breakfast, tells Goldcape what just happened. She says they have to get rid of the box, and suggests putting it in a bag of holding and filling the bag up with rocks until it explodes. As they’re talking, the magical silver raven she sent to Harse recently returns with a message: “Our shared friend thought it safer for me not to know where he was going. But he promised to be ready when the time comes.” Goldcape is not satisfied with the answer--she wants to know where Vencarlo is. She asks Ralph if he could arrange a meeting with Kroft to find out, but Ralph explains about the Black Ship and how difficult it is to reach. Goldcape tries to send Kroft a note using the silver raven, but the raven soon returns, having been unable to deliver the message.

Anorak soon arrives. The three spend the morning trying to find a map of the Hold of Belkzen. First, they try Bookmaker. The squeakily-voiced proprietor, Costa Serimus, explains that he doesn’t have a map, but he does have a rare scholarly work on the area. Goldcape is allowed to look at the index, and sees there’s even an entry for Scarwall. The problem is that the book is quite costly--almost a thousand gold pieces! Goldcape and Anorak argue about whether the dwarf should contribute to buying the book (since the vanara didn’t contribute to purchasing the magical contract to bind their dandasuka spy), until Goldcape has had enough and buys the book herself. Still without a map of the area, the trio reluctantly walk south to Eodred’s Walk and enter Basha’s, a small map shop whose proprietor Ralph believes is selling fraudulent “treasure maps.” When he raises this suspicion with Basha, the cranky old man is (or feigns to be) outraged, and refuses to sell anything to the group until Ralph promises not to spread the “scurrilous rumor” any further. Basha claims to have a map of the Hold of Belkzen (“made by a Pathfinder!”), and, although Ralph is dubious of its provenance, the group ends up buying it.

As they’re in the shop, Goldcape receives a sudden mental message from Yraelzin. “How close are you? Lots of orcs. Made deal with Kuthites--we’re ready to go in when you arrive. They’re an interesting bunch!” Goldcape sends as long a response as the spell allows: “Leaving soon, bringing maps. Where are you? We windwalk. Where meet? What Kuthites? Anorak don’t want deal. Arrive soon.” The trio discuss their travel plans, and settle on leaving tomorrow from Trail’s End and starting with a teleport to Janderhoff. Complications ensue regarding the power of Anorak’s magic to take only a limited number of creatures. When Rocky, Anorak’s new familiar, and The Reckoner’s horse are factored in, the spell simply won’t work. The solution seems to be to ferry everyone to Janderhoff (and beyond) by Anorak casting the spell multiple times, which will leave him dangerously low on his most powerful types of magic.

The trio split up and spend the afternoon making their final preparations for departure. The Reckoner returns to Old Korvosa, finds Xoza, explains that he’ll be gone for several weeks, and tells the spy to spend some time investigating Trifaccia, some time on learning Glorio’s plans and weaknesses, and, if time allows, more about the Commander of the Gray Maidens. Goldcape makes arrangements with Sergeant Clenkins to continue training the members of her resistance cell; Clenkins promises the troops will be ready when called upon. Anorak visits The Reckoner’s safehouse, collects the mysterious box and The Reckoner’s horse, and magically travels to Trail’s End. Soon, Goldcape and The Reckoner are there as well. The largely-Varisian village is now nearly empty, with most of the residents having departed for more promising destinations.

It’s late afternoon when Anorak explains to the others that he thinks the best way to keep the box from being detected by the xill is to place it within a magical bag of holding. Acknowledging it could be dangerous (since the box itself could contain an extradimensional pocket), he says he could do it himself, out of range of the others or any civilians. The snag is that Anorak doesn’t want to use his own magical bag, deeming it too valuable. Instead, he wants to use Goldcape’s magical bag which is less-powerfully enchanted and cheaper to replace if something goes wrong. Goldcape initially refuses, but Anorak promises that if the box destroys the bag, he’ll lend her his own magical bag and pay for the full cost of replacing her original one. Goldcape eventually, and reluctantly, goes along with the plan, and removes everything from her magical bag. Anorak then removes everything he’s wearing (except his armor), chains himself to a stout tree, has the others move to a safe distance, and places the mysterious box in Goldcape’s magical bag.

The results are immediate, and cataclysmic. The bag and the box seem to implode, and in their place stands a massive tower of purest black marble! The tower somehow casts an uncanny shadow a full mile’s radius around it. But of more immediate danger are the hordes of gibbering, toothy insects that pour forth, straight for Anorak! They swarm all over the dwarf, somehow chewing holes even in his mithral armor, before Goldcape recognises what they are and how to stop them. The vanara calls upon her mastery of nature magic to send several freezing spears of ice at the creatures, freezing them in their tracks. Apart from his damaged armor, Anorak is largely unharmed. Goldcape raises a curious question after recognising the insects as daemonic swarms from the Abyss--what would creatures from such a place be doing in a tower said to be linked to the Ethereal Plane?

Answers may lie past the heavy stone door located in an odd-shaped recess in the exterior of the tower. But at what further cost will those answers come?

We had a lot of fun with Basha and his map shop. There's only a line or two in the Guide to Korvosa about him, but I took the reference to treasure maps and really hammed up the premise that he sold dubious and outright-forged work. He was a memorable NPC, and makes some return appearances during Chapter Six.

As I've often mentioned, the story continues even if the PCs dawdle. Having Yraelzin make an off-screen deal with the Brotherhood of Bone is part of this idea, and we'll soon see the group's reaction when they finally arrive in Scarwall.

That journey was fated to take longer because the PCs had a panoply of mounts, animal companions, and familiars with them. I always enforce the limits of magic carefully, as it helps players see that the larger their ranks become, the more complications can ensue. (In other words, getting a new familiar or a guard dog might seem cool, but if it means the group can't teleport or windwalk somewhere, the trade-offs become apparent)

Long before the campaign started, I had entertained my son with the tale of the players in Rise of the Runelords stuffing a bag of holding full of thousands and thousands of silver coins (from a dragon's hoard) until they exceeded its weight limitation and it exploded, swallowing up a good deal of the party's stored treasure! Thus, he was very aware of the dangers of magical bags and very reluctant to let Anorak use Goldcape's bag for his experiment. As was unfortunately too often the case, the adults in the group automatically thought their ideas were better than the kid's, and as was often the case, they were wrong. Opening the box normally would have conjured the tower (which provided a passage to the Ethereal Plane, which is why the xill were set on having it) and then closing the box would have vanished the tower. But placing the extradimensionally-linked box into the bag of holding resulted in the destruction of both the box and the bag, with the tower now permanently fixed in Trail's End! To this day, if players in any of my campaigns go to Korvosa, they'll see the mile-wide supernatural shadow cast by a strange black tower just outside the city . . .

This summer has proven to be a rainy, windy one in Korvosa. Ralph and Goldcape brave the elements to talk to Xoza, their dandasuka spy. Xoza says he asked around about Trifaccia, as requested, and heard there was a (probably staged) altercation in the Shingles the night before. The little gnome-like rakshasa says working as a double agent is a lot more fun than watching Anorak craft all day, and that he wishes “that dwarf” would do something really exciting like open the mysterious box! Ralph asks Xoza how he’s been getting across to the main part of the city from Endrin’s Isle since the only bridge is blockaded, a question that’s answered by the dandasuka transforming into a gillman (and then back) with a snap of his fingers! Xoza is sent to see if he can find out anything else about Trifaccia.

Goldcape and Ralph decide to visit Hedge Wizardry. Ralph, as The Reckoner, uses his usual trick of having Plate turn them invisible and then quickly scaling the barrier on the lone bridge out of Old Korvosa. Goldcape, however, first tries flying Rocky on a long circuitous route to come into the city from the south. She sees the massive statue of Queen Ileosa built on Jeggare Isle, and notices that, perhaps oddly, it’s facing about 285 degrees to the northwest. The sight of a few Gray Maidens guarding the southern gate and walls of Korvosa lead the vanara to believe that it’d be too risky to come into the city from that direction. She makes the long circuitous trip back to Trail’s End, leaves Rocky with one of the ever-dwindling Varisians there, and then swims across the Jeggare, using her nature magic to draw upon the mystical aspect of the frog! When Goldcape and (a disguised) Ralph finally meet up, several hours have passed. Goldcape purchases several magical scrolls from Phaeton that will allow her to turn Rocky into a handheld statue and back. At Goldcape’s suggestion, the two then hurry to the University of Korvosa in the hopes of doing some research, but find, with it operating under summer hours, the Jeggare Library has already closed for the day.

Trying to make the most of their remaining time in the city as they wait for Anorak to finish his days-long magical ritual, the pair decide to see if they can talk with Grau Soldado. Ascending to the Shingles, they find a community celebrating its freedom—no Gray Maiden patrol has dared set foot in the sprawling rooftop shantytown for days. The Reckoner discreetly asks if anyone knows the whereabouts of the “Burned Man”, and ends up talking to the aptly named “Skeevy Jay.” Skeevy Jay, knowing The Reckoner’s reputation for keeping his promises (and utter fearlessness when it comes to fighting the Gray Maidens guarding the bridges and gates around the city), asks the vigilante if he could arrange safe passage out of Korvosa. Skeevy Jay is frank that he and his pals (“Hal Five-Coins” and “Mr. Forget-Me-Not”) have been stealing from nobles and are on the run from the Cerulean Society for “unauthorised theft.” The Reckoner replies that he’ll think about it, but first he wants to meet with the Burned Man.

As the sun sets, Grau makes an appearance. A completely-changed man from the drunken sad-sack he was when they first met him, Grau’s grim, battle-scarred demeanour has earned him a place as leader of the resistance in the Shingles. He talks with Goldcape and The Reckoner about Trifaccia, acknowledging that the new vigilante is likely a fake working for the Queen—but that his deceptions have been effective in stirring up discontent against the rebels. When asked to throw his support behind Kroft, Grau is dismissive, saying the former leader of the Korvosan Guard is too cautious and careful—people are dying in the streets! He compliments his visitors on their raids on High Bridge and North Bridge, saying that striking fear in the Queen’s minions is one sure way to get them to loosen their grip on the city, just like he did in the Shingles. Grau asks again for the Harrowed Heroes to throw their support behind him instead of Kroft, saying “Who do you want at your side? Someone who gets the job done, or someone who looks pretty in a skirt?” Realising that it’s unlikely they’ll persuade Grau to join up with Kroft anytime soon, the two steer the conversation to how dangerous Glorio Arkona is. After explaining that Glorio is really a rakshasa, The Reckoner manages to convince Grau not to ally himself with the aristocrat, despite whatever semblance of order he’s managed to bring to Old Korvosa. Before Grau leaves, Goldcape asks him where he got the burn scars that cover part of his face. He explains that in the last battle for control of the Shingles, the Queen’s new “seneschal” teleported in, and the bloatmage unleashed some terrible fire magic. It was fortunate, Grau explains, that after he was blasted off a catwalk, he was found and hidden in the Temple of Sarenrae to recover.

The Reckoner finds Skeevy Jay and his friends, and they negotiate a price for safe passage out of the city. Hal Five-Coins hints that he’d happily throw in with “Goldcape’s Gang” over in Old Korvosa, but the vanara flatly refuses. The thieves are told to wait nearby, and The Reckoner returns to his safehouse to talk a plan over with Anorak. The dwarf says he could simply teleport them out of the city, but they’d have to wait until tomorrow. The prospect of a magical escape from the city sounds ideal to the thieves, and they quickly agree.

[Toilday, 28 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

In the morning, Anorak tries to teleport the thieves to Kaer Maga, but they end up in the workshop of a very-surprised cobbler in Janderhoff! Fortunately, no harm was done. A second casting works as intended, as the group appear in Kaer Maga in the dimly-lit, cluttered shop of esoterica run by a vampire! The undead proprietor doesn’t blink as the group’s sudden arrival, and remembers Anorak perfectly. As the thieves slip away into the City of Strangers, Anorak politely refuses an untoward proposition from the vampire and teleports back to Korvosa in order to get back to work on his mysterious magical ritual.

Meanwhile, Goldcape and Ralph Blackfeather spend the morning in the Jeggare Library, finding it largely empty of students and patrons. The librarian looks extremely nervous when Goldcape asks if the library has any blueprints of Castle Korvosa, and explains that they were all removed some months ago. But Ralph has a hunch she’s keeping something back, and he and Goldcape look through the stacks just in case. There, in a collection of books on local Korvosan history, Goldcape finds a dusty tome containing sketches of the castle’s layout! She tries to copy the sketches onto a sheet of papyrus, but the results are nearly incomprehensible. Ralph suggests either stealing or hiding the book. Goldcape utters a simple spell that reveals abjuration magic on the windows and doors of the library, leading her to suspect that an attempt to steal a book could set off some sort of alarm. The two agree to hide the book on an out-of-the-way shelf (“Fungi of the Mwangi Expanse”) so they can look at it again later. As they leave the library, the idea of seeing if Bookmaker’s would have maps for sale comes to them. The proprietor does indeed have some hidden away, but only for a dear cost: 900 gold pieces. Unable to come up with the money on the spot, Goldcape and Ralph offer 200 gold pieces as a deposit.

On a lunchtime break from his lengthy ritual, Anorak heads down to Eodred’s Walk and sees one of the shops is a smouldering ruin. He soon learns the location was Trapper’s Hole, bowyer and fletcher Jope Chantsmo’s shop. Jope is sitting behind the wreckage, staring despondently, his livelihood destroyed in the space of minutes. Anorak is able to glean that the shop burned sometime in the middle of the night, and was surely arson—probably from the scattered rioting that has erupted now that the Gray Maidens have lost day-to-day control over the city’s streets. Anorak tries to console Jope and offers help, but the man only mumbles about it being time to start over elsewhere as he starts trudging toward High Bridge. Anorak finds Phaeton Skoda and they commiserate over the tragedy. Not long after, Goldcape hears what happened and also tries to comfort Jope.

Over supper in the Burnt Honey Inn, Goldcape, Ralph, and Anorak are surprised when a small creature flies through the window and lands on Anorak’s shoulder! Looking like a cross between a bird and a reptile, the leathery-winged creature has needle-like teeth and a long tail ending in a diamond-shaped vane. Anorak’s magical ritual was to gain a familiar! But unlike Plate (The Reckoner’s excitable sapient armor), only Anorak can hear what his familiar is saying. The dwarf magus names his new friend Eldritch, and quickly learns that the little creature has a foul mouth and homicidal tendencies! Goldcape is outraged that this was what the group spent days waiting for when thousands of lives are suffering every day under Ileosa’s reign! Everyone commits to leaving for Scarwall the very next day.

That night, The Reckoner and Blackjack (Goldcape) carry out a plan to appear together in the Shingles. Their goals are twofold: first, to try and lure Trifaccia into attacking; second, to provide plausible evidence to House Arkona that The Reckoner is trying to persuade Blackjack into supporting it. Trifaccia never shows up, but the residents of the Shingles are enthusiastic to see two of the city’s greatest heroes teaming up.

[Wealday, 29 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

In the early morning hours, just before dawn, Ralph and Anorak awaken to screaming outside The Reckoner’s safehouse!

If Cressida Kroft is correct, Ileosa’s recent reclusiveness is a sign she is planning something big. But days have now passed since the Harrowed Heroes originally planned to depart for Scarwall. Has the delay allowed for better preparation for the mission, or simply brought the people of Korvosa closer and closer to utter ruin?

The building of the giant Ileosa statue is foreshadowing for some really fun stuff in Chapter Six.

I was happy with Grau's evolution, and how he presented a plausible alternative to Field Marshall Kroft (he could be Wolverine to her Cyclops!). The role-playing also revealed more about the Queen's new bloatmage seneschal, Togomor.

Goldcape's player was (I think justifiably) outraged that so much time had been spent (in terms of sessions and in-game days when the city is suffering) just for Anorak to get a familiar. The delay had major consequences, and I don't remember the familiar being particularly valuable. I did have some fun role-playing Eldritch and his desire to murder the other PCs.

[Sunday, 26 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

In Old Korvosa, The Reckoner and Goldcape cautiously approach Anorak’s workshop, where the majordomo of House Arkona waits outside patiently. But much to their relief, he hasn’t come with news that their spy in House Arkona has already been discovered, but instead with an offer! He wants them to deliver Blackjack--either his body, or his public proclamation that he supports House Arkona. The majordomo adds that his master is prepared to pay handsomely for the former, and even more handsomely for the latter. In response to a query from The Reckoner, the majordomo explains that Blackjack’s recent return has riled anti-aristocratic sentiment in Old Korvosa, and that the support of the city’s legendary “hero of the masses” would go a long way to cementing House Arkona’s efforts to restore order to the city. The Reckoner and Goldcape confer, and then say they’ll need time to think about it and will return with an answer in 24 hours.

After the majordomo and his carriage depart, The Reckoner signals to his dandasuka spy, Xoza, who was waiting on the rooftop of the workshop. Goldcape meets Xoza for the first time and expresses scepticism that recruiting a double-agent was a good idea. The Reckoner asks Xoza what he’s learned so far about Glorio Arkona and his plans for the city, but the spy reveals little that the Harrowed Heroes don’t already know. He says he needs more time, but The Reckoner has another task in mind for him: hunting down the mysterious new masked vigilante, Trifaccia. Xoza’s sarcasm about the wisdom of the idea obviously brings himself delight, and he promises to see what he can do and return tomorrow.

Afterwards, The Reckoner and Goldcape discuss who they should support in leading the city after Ileosa is deposed. They both agree that it can’t be Glorio Arkona, and with Grau Soldado often rash and unpredictable, the safest bet would be Cressida Kroft. The Reckoner says they need to ensure that Grau ends up supporting Kroft, rather than the two becoming rivals. The two discuss whether they should pretend to accept Glorio’s offer by faking Blackjack’s death, but that also seems risky. The Reckoner suggests they simply say they tried to persuade Blackjack to support Glorio but failed.

The two return to Goldcape’s resistance cell safehouse and talk to Anorak. The dwarf wants to take the strange box the xill have been hunting to The Reckoner’s safehouse where it will be mystically shielded from divination magic. The three come up with a plan for Anorak to teleport across the river while Goldcape and The Reckoner drop Rocky off at Trail’s End and then disguise themselves before walking across the bridge, with everyone to meet at the Burnt Honey Inn. Anorak makes his journey with no difficulty. When Goldcape leaves Rocky with some friendly Varisians in Trail’s End, she notices several wagons being loaded--it seems that (given all of the city’s unrest) most of the travelling folk have decided to move on to greener pastures.

After disguising themselves as unremarkable Chelish residents of Korvosa, Goldcape and Ralph Blackfeather stroll past a large patrol of Gray Maidens guarding North Bridge. But then, the unthinkable happens: Goldcape’s tail slips free from its binding right in front of the patrol! Happy to have an excuse to bash more Gray Maidens, The Reckoner calls on Plate for magical flight and swoops back and forth over the bridge, crushing skulls left and right. Goldcape climbs up the side of a guardhouse and uses her nature magic to conjure swathes of nettles with sharp thorns to weaken the foes. At first, it seems like this battle will be another easy victory like the previous day’s battle at High Bridge. But as the rank-and-file Gray Maidens fight as hard as ever on the bridge, completely unaware of what is to come, their officers quickly retreat until they’re no longer standing on it. Then, one of them lights a long fuse that snakes through the fracas of battle until it reaches some strategically placed barrels. It’s a trap! A massive explosion of alchemist’s fire and Tien firework powder rock the bridge, blasting a huge hole in the center and sending flaming rubble high into the sky! The Reckoner, flying over the bridge, is almost blasted out of the air and loses a valuable magical cloak. Goldcape faces even more danger, as she’s blasted into the turbulent waters below. Fortunately, the vanara is a strong-enough swimmer that she’s able to reach shore safely.

Nearby residents pour out of their homes at the sound of the explosion. An angry mob quickly gathers, blaming The Reckoner and the Gray Maidens alike for the destruction. The Reckoner manages to mollify the mob somewhat by explaining that it was the Gray Maidens and not he who destroyed the bridge, but widespread discontent remains. When, after changing into Ralph Blackfeather, he and Goldcape reach the Burnt Honey Inn, they discover the battle at the bridge is all anyone is talking about. Accusations and blame flow freely, as do shouts favouring Glorio Arkona for bringing order to Old Korvosa and for Blackjack having allegedly returned. Potter Minehan has a warm drink for the battered, bruised, and soaking wet Goldcape. Anorak is there, somewhat inebriated, and uses magic to dry her off. The two are led upstairs by Ralph so they can talk in his room about what happened.

Later, as darkness falls, Goldcape waits at the inn while Ralph leads a blind-folded Anorak to his secret safehouse. Anorak hides the mysterious box in the rafters and then passes out, quite intoxicated. Ralph returns to the inn and tells Goldcape that she can watch from a distance as he meets with Kroft, but that his instructions were clear to come alone. The two head down to the docks and there, near midnight, The Reckoner steps onto the indicated pier as Goldcape watches from a hiding place atop a nearby warehouse. Soon, the sounds of gently sloshing water can be heard, and a small, weathered rowboat emerges from the darkness. The only inhabitant is a hooded figure who motions for The Reckoner to board. The Reckoner does so and asks several questions before realising the figure is not only blind, but his lips have been sewn shut! The silent boatman rows out into the middle of the river. The Reckoner feels a moment of disorientation and notices that, somehow, a dense fog has arisen all around them, blocking the sights and sounds of the city completely. Ahead, what is surely a derelict hulk floats on the river, its black, rotting wood looking as if it would crumble from the merest touch.

Beckoned aboard by another mutilated figure, The Reckoner is led to a hatch leading below decks. There, in a corridor filled with grotesque stalls offering to sell everything from zombie slaves to poisons and illicit narcotics to a living unicorn, the vigilante realises where he is: the Black Ship! A legendary underground market for the illegal, unsavoury, and just plain immoral, the Black Ship has always eluded Korvosa’s authorities. The Reckoner is led to a cabin amidships, and as he approaches the door, he can hear the voice of Cressida Kroft shouting in anger at someone. Once in the room, he sees the target of Kroft’s wroth: Boule, Grandmaster of the Cerulean Society. In her diatribe, Kroft rails at Boule for having had to spend almost two weeks in a hiding space that was supposed to be just one night, but Boule is unapologetic, explaining that his other plans to hide her had fallen through. Bishop Keppira d’Bear is present, and welcomes The Reckoner, while Boule immediately admonishes him for failing to attack Deathhead Vault on time despite being given nearly perfect intelligence on how to breach it. The Reckoner growls back that no mention was made of the “guard dog” with the poisonous breath, and the two start to argue before Bishop d’Bear plays peacemaker by gently persuading Boule that she and he should leave Kroft and The Reckoner to speak alone.

After the two depart, Kroft provides an update on the situation in the city. She says the collection of blood from residents, ostensibly to help prepare antidotes against future plagues like blood veil, has concluded. The Gray Maidens’ hold on the city is clearly slipping, and reports are that most have been redeployed to Castle Korvosa. But most ominously, Kroft says, is that Ileosa hasn’t been seen in public since the unveiling of her statue on Jeggare Isle. Kroft says that whatever Ileosa is doing or preparing surely bodes a disaster for the city that looms nearer with each passing day that she’s still in power. Kroft asks if The Reckoner and his allies discovered anything valuable in Deathhead Vault, and hears that Marcus Endrin may still be alive. Kroft says his release would certainly have helped the resistance, but more importantly, they’ll need to bring Neolandus Kalepopolis back to the city when the time comes. As the lawful seneschal of Castle Korvosa, his presence will add legitimacy to a movement that could otherwise be labelled seditious. Kroft says she’s heard word from Vencarlo Orisini that he and Neolandus have had to flee Harse because agents of the Queen have been asking questions in the town.

The two discuss the situation in the city, and fears that if the Gray Maidens are retreating back to Castle Korvosa, there will be no other forces to keep order in the city: the Korvosan Guard and Sable Company have been disbanded, the Hellknights returned to Citadel Vraid months ago, and so far House Arkona is only exercising influence over Old Korvosa. The Reckoner tells her that Glorio Arkona is a rakshasa, and wants to rule Korvosa after Ileosa is dethroned. He adds that Grau may be positioning himself to lead the city as well. Kroft says the last thing she wants is a civil war in the city. It’s clear that just being in the Black Ship and hearing what transactions take place (with even worse occurring in the ship’s hold) is having a draining effect on her. But she explains it’s still the safest place for her and d’Bear for now, as it’s impossible to find the place without being led to it by its ghastly mutilated “crew.” Before departing, The Reckoner promises that he and his allies are almost ready to depart in search of the key to stripping Ileosa of her newfound magical invulnerability.

Once back on the docks, The Reckoner shares what he learned from Kroft. Goldcape sends a magical silver raven to Jasan Adriel in Harse with a message asking for information about where Vencarlo went.

[Moonday, 27 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

Everyone assembles at the Burnt Honey Inn the next day. Ralph fills Anorak in on the Black Ship and how uncomfortable Kroft must be there. The three discuss the majordomo’s offer, with Anorak (not realising Goldcape is Blackjack) wondering why they don’t just kill the vigilante considering how much gold is being offered. But Ralph replies that having Blackjack on their side could be important considering his legendary status in the city.

Ralph leads Anorak back to his safehouse so the dwarf can continue working on the ritual that has delayed their departure for Scarwall. Then, he and Goldcape visit Eodred’s Walk and see that looters have been at work. Fortunately, Hedge Wizardry remains untouched—perhaps due to its magical protections, or perhaps just plain luck. Goldcape whispers that if they don’t hurry, they could have a new Old Korvosa on their hands. After making some purchases, Ralph transforms into The Reckoner and heads across the city to keep his appointment with the majordomo of House Arkona, informing the man that he’ll try to speak with Blackjack but can’t make any promises. Later that day, Anorak casts a spell to take him and Goldcape back to Old Korvosa as well.

I thought having most of the Varisians leaving Trail's End made sense. They're a generally nomadic people, after all, and the city is in such dire straits that moving on would seem like a pretty attractive option. (I also try to keep a dynamic gaming setting--just like real life, things don't always stay the same, and the PCs aren't the only ones who change)

From the description, I'm guessing Goldcape got a natural 1 on that Disguise check when crossing the bridge. There are a few skills that I roll on behalf of the players behind the GM screen so they don't know how successful they are. The bridge battle was pretty exciting, especially with the explosive trap! I had figured that by this point, the Gray Maidens knew they were outclassed by the Harrowed Heroes and were willing to take some pretty elaborate efforts to kill them. The Reckoner rolled a natural 1 on his saving throw, which as per the Core Rulebook, means an item takes damage as well.

The Black Ship is something of my own creation. I imagine it's an extradimensional place that can be accessed through the harbors of many major cities, but the means of access can change. I've had it exist near Riddleport in Second Darkness, the AP I'm running now. There's lots more I could say, but I have to be careful of certain readers! It has a pretty dark, creepy vibe.

I liked the interaction with Boule. I didn't get to do a lot with him in this campaign, but not every campaign can make full use of every NPC.

I think the PCs are starting to see how their continual delay is harming the city (Anorak was making a magical item of some kind, I think). As I discussed in a recent post, outside of official Downtime, the "clock" keeps moving and consequences can rack up quickly if PCs delay too much.

In the dead hours between midnight and dawn, three monstrous xill suddenly solidify in Goldcape’s resistance safehouse. One appears on the first floor, with two more on the second floor. Fortunately, the vanara insists on maintenance of a constant watch on both floors of the building, and cries of alarm ring forth quickly. Goldcape, awake herself on the first floor, instantly sends Rocky into battle against the insectile intruder. The watchman on guard there, a former member of the Emperor of Old Korvosa’s band of thugs, hurls handaxes into the fray. Anorak wakes to the sound of combat, sees a pair of the relentless xill fighting a lone guard, and quickly realises his own vulnerability--his mithral fullplate is neatly stacked next to his cot! Hearing more combat on the floor above, the dwarf rushes for the stairs only to run into another xill trying to descend. The two scuffle in the narrow stairway as the rest of Goldcape’s band get to their feet and grab whatever weapons are closest. The former Korvosan Guard, still called “Sergeant” Clenkins by everyone, fells one of the intruders while Rocky, a floor below, dispatches a second. Anorak finds himself bleeding from multiple wounds and has had enough: “I don’t like being woken up!” he shouts as a tremendous burst of electricity springs forth from his hands and blasts the third xill into submission.

In the aftermath of the battle, it’s clear that Goldcape’s band acquitted themselves well despite the surprise attack. They kept the xill from reaching their obvious goal--“The Box of Passage” said one in the Infernal tongue--and only one of the troops was seriously wounded. Fortunately, Goldcape’s magic was strong enough to pull his spirit back from the brink of the Boneyard. Once the unconscious xill are bound securely, Goldcape tells Anorak that he owes her for bringing trouble to her doorstep. Anorak acknowledges the point. With magic, they heal one of the xill’s wounds just enough to bring it around so they can try to question it. Immediately, it begins to fade away towards the Ethereal Plane, but Clenkins reacts quickly enough and knocks out the xill before it can escape and perhaps return with reinforcements. The group try again with a second xill, and it only issues threats in guttural Common (“I will kill you and make more xill!”) before also trying to escape before Rocky’s beak tears out its throat. Clenkins suggests bringing in a “specialist” in interrogation--someone they know who is an expert at intimidating his foes for information: The Reckoner. Goldcape agrees. At first she plans to send a magical silver raven with the message, but then realises she still doesn’t know where The Reckoner’s new safehouse is. She’s forced to resort to the pre-arranged signal of leaving an old mattress on the wall outside and hoping he’ll spot it.

Over in North Point, Ralph Blackfeather wakes to what promises to be another hot day. He decides it’s time to have a frank talk with Plate about their mission, because the sentient armor has recently been acting beyond its role. Ralph explains carefully why they need to go to Scarwall and can’t just attack Queen Ileosa immediately, how the information he’s sharing needs to remain top secret, and how Plate is a trusted officer in the rebel army but needs to act on his wearer’s command, not impetuously on his own. Plate is fully persuaded, and promises to merit Ralph’s trust.

Later that morning, Ralph has a quick conversation with Majenko to confirm that there’s been no sign of the mysterious new vigilante, Trifaccia. As The Reckoner, he turns himself invisible and assesses the situation on the bridge to Old Korvosa. During his surveillance, he suddenly hears a voice in his mind--that of Bishop Keppira d’Bear: “Message received loud and clear. Come to Slip 17 at midnight, alone. Kroft is waiting. Don’t judge our allies.” The Reckoner decides to check in with his own allies, and makes his move, leaping invisibly over the fortification the Gray Maidens built to secure the bridge. Once in the slowly-improving slums of Old Korvosa, well-patrolled by the forces of House Arkona, The Reckoner spots the old mattress outside of Goldcape’s base and knows he’s needed. Inside, Goldcape explains what happened overnight. Anorak says the box they’re after has powerful conjuration and summoning magic inside of it, but that they still don’t really know what it does, why Mortimont was so insistent that it not be opened, and why the xill are hunting it so persistently.

It’s fortunate that two xill remain alive, because the first one utterly resists The Reckoner’s questions. The second, however, is more persuadable, though making sense of its alien viewpoint isn’t easy. It seems that the “Box of Passage” provides access to where the xill come from (the Ethereal Plane) and that they were sent on a clear mission: “Take Box, Destroy Box, Kill Mortimont!” When asked who Mortimont is, the prisoner can explain only that “Mortimont is the Maker”. Believing that the xill must operate on some sort of hive mind like the insects they resemble, The Reckoner decides that killing them would be the same as stamping on a bug. After the interrogation, the group discuss what they should do with the information, but they don’t reach any firm conclusions.

With Plate’s insistence that Anorak hurry up with his ritual so that they can get on with the job of saving Korvosa, the dwarf promises to spend the day on it. But first, per Goldcape’s request, he carves a stylized “B” on the front door to show allegiance to Blackjack. Plate notes that having Blackjack’s support for the rebellion would go a long way toward rallying the people of the city, since he’s Korvosa’s greatest hero. The Reckoner shares with the others that he’ll be meeting with Kroft that night but that she must have some “dodgy” allies given d’Bear’s warning. Plate comes to The Reckoner’s defense when Goldcape teases that perhaps it’s The Reckoner who’s dodgy.

Later that morning, Goldcape leads The Reckoner down a secret trapdoor and into the sewers underneath Old Korvosa. There, she reveals a monumental secret: Goldcape is the new Blackjack! Having been chosen by the previous Blackjack to continue his legacy, Goldcape now bears the full costume of the legendary vigilante--including, perhaps most importantly, a magical amulet that keeps diviners from learning her location. The Reckoner is impressed, even if he suspected it given recent events. Goldcape explains she’s revealing it to him because she could learn from him on how to successfully maintain a costumed identity, and if anyone suspects she’s really Blackjack, The Reckoner could aid in a deception to throw people off the trail. The Reckoner agrees it’s a good strategy, and thanks Goldcape for trusting him. Goldcape asks if she should reveal her secret to Anorak, and The Reckoner says it’s an important decision she should make after careful thought. The vanara says she’ll ponder it overnight. As the two ascend the ladder back up to the trapdoor, Goldcape hears a welcome voice in her head--from Yraelzin! “I made it!” says the voice. “Are you coming? Since you guys are late, I’ve opened negotiations. It’s complicated.”

Upstairs, Anorak expresses concern that yet more xill may come seeking the box. The Reckoner says if they moved it to his safehouse, the xill wouldn’t be able to find it. Anorak agrees that it’s a good idea. The dwarf gets back to his ritual, and The Reckoner asks Goldcape if she would like to meet their spy in House Arkona, the dandasuka named Xoza. Yet when the two walk over to Anorak’s workshop, the first creature they spot isn’t Xoza--it’s the majordomo of House Arkona, waiting patiently outside. Has their spy been detected already?

I thought the xill attack on Goldcape's safehouse was a fun encounter. It was a good opportunity to put Goldcape's efforts at recruiting a rebel cell to use, and a late night attack keeps everyone on their toes! (and reminds folks why the Endurance feat's ability to sleep in armor is worthwhile) I hadn't expected the interrogation of the xill, but it was a smart way for the PCs to learn more about why they wanted the box.

Plate got a lot of attention in this session. I think The Reckoner's player was worried I was going to use the intelligent armor to undermine him, when really I was just trying to give it a bit of personality because one of my pet peeves is familiars/companions/sentient items that exist purely for mechanical purposes and are otherwise forgotten about.

Just a touch of Yraelzin in this one, but he's always fun to roleplay and I like how the word cap on sending leads to intriguingly ambiguous messages.

It’s barely an hour after midnight when, having narrowly escaped a nightime attack by strange extradimensional predators known as xill, Anorak races into the slums of Old Korvosa. Panting with exertion, he finds an alley to hide in and waits to see if there are any sounds of pursuit. Hearing none, he cautiously returns to his workshop to find his assailants have gone but that the place is in shambles. After ensuring that the dandasuka is still bound tightly in a chest, the dwarf takes the box that Mortimont gave him and heads for the safety of Goldcape’s new resistance base. Goldcape opens the door with a rapier levelled at Anorak’s throat, but Anorak’s fresh wounds lend proof to his words that he was just attacked by “monstrosities from another plane”. Goldcape lets him enter, and wakes up Mishimia, the self-proclaimed “Acolyte of Razmir” to help tend to Anorak’s wounds. Goldcape’s magic seems to do all of the real healing work, however. She reluctantly agrees to let the dwarf stay the night, little realising that in the morning, he’ll ask to stay for the next four days!

Across town, Ralph Blackfeather slips out of his own safehouse in North Point. He signals for Majenko, the house drake who swore service for a year, and asks him to look out for the city’s mysterious new vigilante, Trifaccia. Afterwards, Ralph visits The Bookmaker and learns that Costa has completed his task as promised: the magical contract is ready for signing. Soon after, Ralph changes into The Reckoner in a secluded alleyway, uses a wand to turn himself invisible, and heads towards the single bridge still spanning the channel that separates Old Korvosa from the rest of the city. The Reckoner spots the moving blurs that indicate imp devils are about, and as he’s unsure whether they can also see invisible creatures, he asks Plate to teleport him across. Plate reiterates his views that instead of all this dithering, they should just go attack the Queen, but he does as The Reckoner asks.

The Reckoner heads over to Anorak’s workshop, picks the lock to get inside when no one answers, and seems unconcerned by the destruction and heavy sprays of blood throughout. He shows the dandasuka, who gives its name as “Xoza”, the contract and the two negotiate a price of ten gold pieces a month for the shameless creature to spy on its former master. Xoza rushes to the palace to report to Glorio Arkona’s majordomo that nothing of interest happened the previous night, and then returns to tell The Reckoner that there was a big battle in the workshop but that the dwarf ran away surprisingly fast on his little stumpy legs. Xoza agrees to keep learning what he can about Glorio’s plans for The Reckoner and his allies.

Later, on the way to Goldcape’s resistance base, the masked vigilante notices at least a couple of the houses in the area have stylised “B”s written in tar on their doors. Although one old woman slams a door in his face, another resident explains that it means “Blackjack is back, and I’m on his side!” When The Reckoner arrives at Goldcape’s new residence, she explains what apparently happened at Anorak’s workshop overnight. He asks for her help in gathering clues about Trifaccia. While they’re talking, Anorak is in an adjacent room performing some sort of intense magical ritual and is reluctant to be interrupted, but acknowledges the news about Xoza signing the contract—something they now share with Goldcape.

Leaving Anorak to his ritual, Goldcape and The Reckoner talk about the best way to get across to the main section of the city. They decide to fly on Rocky’s back to Trail’s End, where the predominantly Varisian population has been friendly towards them since they provided assistance in the blood veil crisis. There, the two leave Rocky in good hands and disguise themselves as ordinary Korvosans before crossing the bridge into the city without incident. Goldcape stops at the Bank of Abadar to obtain one of the newly minted coins and shows it to Ralph, explaining that they now know exactly what the Queen’s crown looks like. Plate is excited to see it, and proposes a dazzling array of ideas involving smashing, swiping, sundering, or otherwise getting it off of Ileosa’s head so they can win a fair fight against her and depose her and then make The Reckoner King of Korvosa! Ralph appreciates the enthusiasm, but has to tamp down Plate’s confidence in their abilities for now. The two warriors split up briefly, as Goldcape makes some purchases at Hedge Wizardry and Ralph tries but fails to find anything new on Trifaccia. It seems like the new vigilante has appeared for a few days, and gossip on the street hasn’t added anything credible since then.

When the two reunite, Ralph proposes a bold plan. He tells Goldcape that they need to do something visible to assure Kroft they weren’t captured and turned during the raid on Deathhead Vault. Ralph suggests a frontal attack to wipe out the entire Gray Maiden contingent guarding one of the bridges into the city would surely suffice. Goldcape agrees and sneaks out of the city with Ralph to fetch Rocky. Ralph pulls on the fearsome raiment of The Reckoner while Goldcape checks Rocky’s barding for the upcoming battle. Turning them all invisible with a wand, the three get into position on the Trail’s End side of North Bridge and then attack! The Reckoner’s sudden appearance from nowhere terrifies hardened Gray Maidens and innocent bystanders alike, while Goldcape uses ice magic on her foes. The Reckoner has a brief argument with Plate over whether the sapient armor should cast strength-enhancing magic, but the fight goes so well and so quickly that in the end, it doesn’t matter. Eight Gray Maidens are slain within thirty seconds, and none of the victors are even scratched! One of the Gray Maidens did manage to ring an alarm bell for reinforcements, so Goldcape and The Reckoner decide to split up and get back into hiding.

Back in disguise, Ralph makes his way to the Grand Cathedral of Pharasma--the largest building in the Gray District. Intent on speaking with Bishop d’Bear, he turns himself invisible and tries to sneak in the fortress-like structure, only to be covered in sparkling glitter at the entryway! Retreating quickly, Ralph hires a messenger to deliver a scroll that’s to be personally delivered to the Bishop: “I believe I’ve demonstrated my loyalty, it would be good if you and our associates get back in contact.”

When Goldcape returns on Rocky to the safehouse, she tells Anorak what just happened on the bridge. The dwarf is irked that he missed out on the excitement.

[Sunday, 26 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

Shortly after three bells in the morning, the warm night air in Goldcape’s base is disturbed by a faint shimmering. Appearing out of thin air over the course of a few seconds, what can only be described as monsters with insect-like mandibles and four arms ending in claws take shape. The xill have returned for the box, and the gods have mercy on anyone who stands in their way!

I was glad Goldcape went to the bank to get one of the new coins, as it was a great chance to show off the actual Korvosan coin that Paizo had minted. They make great souvenirs from the campaign.

With everything going on, I often forgot to role-play The Reckoner's intelligent armor, Plate, but in this session at least, I remembered and had a lot of fun with it.

At this stage in the campaign, the PCs are tough enough that even a couple of them can devastate several ordinary Gray Maidens without suffering a scratch.

It’s a hot summer’s day in Korvosa when the Harrowed Heroes, having spent several days apart to tend to their own affairs, reunite to continue planning their voyage to Castle Scarwall. The meeting takes place at an abandoned building in Old Korvosa repurposed by Goldcape to house her own resistance cell. After some confusion and banter over code words and security, the three get down to business. Goldcape shares some information about The Harrower’s final words and that Yraelzin is leaving the Cinderlands after helping to repulse the giant army. The Reckoner shares his discovery that Marcus Endrin is still alive and kept in a secret cell in Deathhead Vault, and adds his suspicions that the new “hero” Trifaccia is really an agent of the Queen. He also informs them that Kroft and her band of rebels are safe and are awaiting reassurances before revealing the location of their new headquarters. Anorak says he hasn’t learned much, as he’s been busy upgrading Plate to make The Reckoner more mobile on the battlefield; the only side-effect of the process is that the intelligent suit of armor seems to be growing confident and outspoken. Although Plate is ready, Anorak says he wants to spend at least four more days in Korvosa to prepare himself for the journey, and the others agree. The three agree on a signal for future meetings, with Anorak to hang an old towel outside his workshop and Goldcape to put an old mattress against the wall outside if either wish to talk.

As The Reckoner and Anorak are leaving Goldcape’s new quarters, the two discuss how Glorio let slip that a spy was watching the dwarf’s workshop. The Reckoner explains it’s probably one of the strange gnomelike creatures that he and Goldcape once scuffled with, as they seem to lurk all over as hidden agents for House Arkona. Talk slides into how such a spy could be detected or captured, and suddenly a plan is hatched. Deciding there’s no time like the present, the two make their way to Anorak’s workshop. The dwarf returns to work normally, while The Reckoner (invisible) hides in an alleyway watching. Soon, he spots the spy crouching on the workshop’s roof, barely visible in the shadows of the chimney—the creature must be watching Anorak through a chink in the roof tiles! Anorak later leaves and finds The Reckoner in the alleyway. With the help of a memory-enhancing spell, he recognises the “gnome” as a type of rakshasa called a dandasuka. The spell alerts the dandasuka to the presence of hidden watchers, but before it can flee, Anorak uses a short-range teleportation spell to take him and The Reckoner to the roof. There, with one mighty swipe of his hammer, The Reckoner knocks the creature unconscious. Fortunately, the fight was so fast that no one appeared to notice, even in broad daylight.

After the pair haul the unconscious dandasuka into the workshop and bind him securely, The Reckoner uses a wand to heal it back to consciousness. The creature seems surprisingly unconcerned by its dire predicament—perhaps even happy to have some excitement, and readily admits it was spying on Anorak and reports to Glorio Arkona’s majordomo every morning. It gleefully insults its captors for what it sees as a ham-fisted attempt at interrogation, and cheerfully volunteers to become a double agent for them, while noting that it could just as easily become a triple agent. Perhaps flummoxed by the creature’s attitude, The Reckoner and Anorak decide to gag it and lock it in a chest until they can decide what to do with it.

Since he’s already in the workshop, The Reckoner decides to put on Plate. The sapient armor is so enthused about his new abilities he shows off by lifting his wearer into the air without being asked—much to the vigilante’s consternation. The Reckoner and Anorak discuss what to do with their captive, and eventually hit upon the idea of ensuring its loyalty through a contract—but no ordinary contract, a magical contract that coerces signatories to observe its terms! Disguising himself as an ordinary day labourer, Ralph Blackfeather leaves the workshop with a plan to buy the contract at Hedge Wizardry, but then remembers there’s only one land crossing left between Old Korvosa and the rest of the city—and it’s guarded by the Gray Maidens! Fortunately, Anorak is able to teleport him just across the river so he can make the rest of the journey on foot.

At Hedge Wizardry, Phaeton is dismayed when Ralph discloses who he really is underneath the disguise—which means the storekeeper will have to list him as the purchaser for anything he buys. Ralph decides to go ahead, and scrapes together almost seven thousand gold pieces—nearly the last of his funds—to buy the magical contract. A tip from Phaeton directs Ralph to a bookstore in Midland where the proprietor, Costa Serimus, has the legal skills to write out the terms that Ralph wants it to say. It’s going to be quite an elaborate document, as Ralph and Anorak spent a long time thinking of loopholes the dandasuka might try to exploit. One issues that Costa points out is that the contract will only be binding if entered into voluntarily (not through force or duress), and so Ralph should think of what he will offer in the way of consideration (value). The nominal sum of 1 gold piece per month is decided, and Costa says he’ll have it ready the next day. As Ralph is leaving, he notices a handbill posted by Costa offering a reward to anyone who can cleanse his store of a ghostly presence. When asked, Costa explains that whenever he’s alone in the building, spooky things start to happen—he hears noises, feels chills, and find things have moved from where he left them. Ralph says he might look into it.

His journey back to Old Korvosa is initially stymied by the Gray Maiden’s barricade of the bridge. His first plan to rely on Plate’s ability to fly fails (after its resounding battle cry of “For the good of Korvosa!”) because the armor has already exhausted its magic for the day. Fortunately, the resourceful vigilante combines invisibility and amazing physical prowess to scale the barricade without being noticed by the guards. After a brief stop at Anorak’s workshop to share the news about the contract being drafted, The Reckoner goes to inform Goldcape of what they’ve been doing. Once there, the two hear from Clenkins that House Arkona guards arrested several people nearby just minutes ago. Goldcape and The Reckoner are alarmed to hear the news (fearing Glorio may be emulating Ileosa’s authoritarianism) and decide to investigate under the cover of invisibility. But a pleasant surprise is awaiting them: the guards have only arrested a band of street robbers unlicensed by the Cerulean Society. And more to the point, the criminals were bound and waiting for the guards after Blackjack foiled their brazen daylight attack on residents of Old Korvosa! The return of Korvosa’s foremost hero is sure to improve morale in the neighbourhood.

After easily foiling an attempted theft by a strange spider-like humanoid creature called an ettercap, the Harrowed Heroes teleport across the river to investigate whether the city’s largest bookstore is haunted. They perform a careful search using means mundane and magical, but fail to turn up signs of any spectral infestation. Remembering that Costa said the haunting only occurs when he’s alone in the building, Ralph offers to spend the night alone in the bookstore, but Costa reluctantly declines—there are just too many valuable tomes in the store, and he just met Ralph hours ago. Ralph is understanding and returns to his safehouse in Northpoint, while Anorak teleports Goldcape home and then returns to his workshop.

[Starday, 25 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

It’s just one bell past midnight when Anorak wakes from a sound sleep with tremendous pain—something is trying to tear out his throat! As his life flashes before his eyes, a sudden burst of strength allows him to push the attacker away. But the situation somehow becomes even worse, as the dwarf realizes there’s not just one attacker, but three, and they’re not remotely human! Flame-red mixtures of insect and reptiles, the attackers have four arms and mandibles dripping with what must surely be poison. As Anorak throws off the bedclothes, turns himself invisible with a mystic intonation and scrambles to his feet, one of the intruders breaks open the chest where the dandasuka is held, but snaps it shut and kicks it away. The sound of breaking furniture in an adjacent room reveals another has found what it has been seeking: the box left by Mortimont! Despite being invisible, the dwarf’s attacker has a rough idea of where his prey must be and continues clawing and biting. Nearly succumbing from his wounds, Anorak makes the desperate decision to grab the box, throw open the door, and race out into the night towards the one source of aid nearby—Goldcape’s resistance cell. As he runs—not knowing whether the creatures are following—he feels a peculiar sense of ownership over the box and the knowledge that it would let him open it . . .

This was the first session of Chapter Five, and some of the players used their 3d6 days of Downtime to gather some very handy bits of information that they shared to each other in the first scene. During Downtime, I guarantee to players that there will be no combat interruptions and all ticking clocks in the background will be paused, but I also tell them if they want to continue Downtime activities after the 3d6 days is up, everything is fair game. Anorak's player wanted to keep crafting, but it's hard to craft when xill are after the box you were supposed to ditch!

The idea of capturing one of Glorio's spies and turning him into a double-agent took me completely by surprise but became a pretty important subplot! The Reckoner invested not only a substantial amount of money in that contract, but a lot of time trying to avoid any legalistic loopholes. I tried to make the effort worthwhile in terms of the information received. I had to improv the dandasuka's personality on the spot and came up with this crazy/creepy/enthusiastic vibe that really hit a chord with the players; he was voted the best NPC in the game when the campaign finished!

The stuff about the bookstore being haunted was my attempt to implement a reference from the Guide to Korvosa, but it didn't really pan out well. I didn't have anything prepped. Sometimes improv goes great, and sometimes it falls flat!

After weeks of exhaustive trudging through the Cinderlands and a narrow escape from Deathhead Vault, the Harrowed Heroes decide to spend several days in Korvosa to rest and plan the next steps of their quest. The raid on Deathhead Vault has clearly broken the back of the Red Mantis assassins, as rumor holds they were effectively wiped out and are unlikely to return. In addition, several mid-ranking officers in the Gray Maidens were slain, and the effects are clear: patrols are less frequent and more cautious. Without adequate troops to enforce it, Ileosa has “graciously” lifted martial law from Korvosa. Unrest and violence remain--along with the knowledge that the cruel queen could tighten her fist at any time--but for now the city is better off than it has been since just before the arrival of blood veil.

Across the city, various factions are also planning their next moves. With the Church of Asmodeus and the Church of Abadar officially endorsing Ileosa, the “neutral” faiths of Sarenrae and Pharasma are coming under increasing pressure. In Old Korvosa, House Arkona continues to take advantage of the power-vacuum on Endrin’s Isle by exerting more influence over local affairs. The city’s only thieves’ guild, the Cerulean Society, seems to be laying low for the moment—always an ominous sign. Merchant shipping has resumed, though at a slower pace, as chaos is bad for business. Cressida Kroft arranges for word to be sent to The Reckoner that the surface raid on the Longacre Building was easily repulsed, but that she and the others successfully escaped and have set up in a different location than before. Rumors run rampant that a new vigilante named Trifaccia has appeared in the city--an expert swordsman wearing a gold mask and red robe, he allegedly saves ordinary law-abiding Korvosans from the depredations of violent rebels trying to extort money from them. And of course, events continue to churn outside the city, with Yraelzin sending a magical message to Goldcape that the giant siege on Urglin has been broken, and that he’ll be heading east after a dream vision from The Harrower.

In the days after their return, The Reckoner commissions Anorak to further enchant Plate (his sapient suit of armor) and gathers information on Trifaccia. Goldcape collects an assortment of rumors and researches at the University of Korvosa to learn about Belkzen. Anorak puts in hour after hour in his workshop. But even during these days of preparation, portentous events still occur.

Goldcape rides Nipper out of Korvosa and to the nearby village of Harse. There, she easily finds Blackbird Ranch, the place Vencarlo Orisini asked her to come after finishing her time in the Cinderlands. Goldcape is greeted by a friendly rancher (and former adventuring companion of Vencarlo) named Jasan Adriel. Jasan invites Goldcape to dinner with his wife and children, and they have a fun meal as Goldcape tells stories and answers a lot of questions from the kids. They’re especially interested in Nipper, and amazed that Goldcape can speak to a horse! After dinner, Jasan leads Goldcape to an outbuilding on the ranch, asks for help pushing a bay of hale to the side, and opens a trapdoor underneath it. After climbing down the exposed ladder, Goldcape finds herself in a fully-furnished underground apartment! Vencarlo and Neolandus Kalepopolis (Castle Korvosa’s presumed-dead seneschal) are there, and happy to receive a visitor. Goldcape confirms that in the Cinderlands, she and her allies found information that will lead them to a way to render Ileosa vulnerable to attack. Vencarlo sends Neolandus to talk with Jasan on the surface, and leads Goldcape over to a small black trunk. He smiles at Goldcape, and says she probably knows what he’s about to reveal. Flipping the latches on the trunk, he reveals the distinctive costume and equipment of Blackjack! Vencarlo says he’s past his prime and needs to keep Neolandus safe, but that Korvosa still needs a hero who will live up to the ideals of Blackjack: justice, mercy, and the rights of the common folk. “Korvosa needs you, Goldcape, and Korvosa needs Blackjack. Will you be take on the mantle of the city’s greatest hero?” Goldcape happily accepts. She gets confirmation of something else she suspected--that Vencarlo had hoped that one of his former fencing students, Grau Soldado or Sabina Merrin, would be suited to the role, but after the three had a falling out, it was clear neither could be Blackjack. Before leaving, Goldcape shares some tragic news with Vencarlo. His former partner (romantically and in crimefighting), The Harrower, is dead. Vencarlo looks stricken and tries not to weep, as Goldcape puts a consoling hand on his shoulder.

Having spent hours enchanting The Reckoner’s sapient armor with new capabilities, Anorak is just finishing up a long, sweaty day when he hears a gentle tap on the door. He opens it to reveal Mortimont, the unsettling baker from across the street. Mortimont explains that he’s brought cupcakes, and urges Anorak to try one, but the dwarf remains cautious and declines. He does let Mortimont in to talk though, and the baker says that unfortunately, he’ll be leaving Korvosa soon. He asks Anorak to dispose of the mysterious box he had paid him to watch over, suggesting “the heart of a volcano” or “the depths of the ocean” as suitable places for it. Several times, Mortimont reminds Anorak not to open the box. Anorak receives the news that the box has been abandoned by Mortimont in good spirits, muttering as the baker departs that he’s certainly going to open the box.

Having returned to his original safe-house in North Point, Ralph Blackfeather is working hard to prepare for the impending journey to Scarwall. Given that his lair is meant to be well-hidden, he’s surprised to hear a sharp rap at a back exit. Instead of answering directly, Ralph quickly changes into The Reckoner and sneaks out another exit to see what’s waiting for him. There, wearing a deep-hooded cloak and signs of burn scarring, is Grau Soldado! Having been brought to the safe-house months ago by Goldcape during the initial riots, Grau must have remembered its location. The Reckoner calls out to him cautiously, and Grau says it would be safer to speak inside, out of prying eyes and ears. When both men are in, The Reckoner says he heard Grau was severely injured. Grau nods, stating that a battle against Ileosa’s new “seneschal”--a powerful wizard--left him with severe burns. Fortunately, the Temple of Sarenrae took him in and hid him away, healing him with their magic. Grau gets to the point quickly: he wants The Reckoner’s band to join his resistance. He says Cressida Kroft has her heart in the right place, but is too cautious and lacks the edge to get the job done. When The Reckoner raises the recent raid on the Longacre Building, Grau concedes it was an example of smart planning. But, he says, that’s the only operation her resistance group has conducted since martial law was imposed. In contrast, Grau says his fighters’ constant hit-and-run attacks have forced the Gray Maidens completely out of the Shingles, effectively freeing a sizable portion of the city’s population from Ileosa’s grip. The Reckoner is impressed, but explains that for now, it’s a moot point about which resistance group has the better prospects, so long as Ileosa is invulnerable—but that may soon change. Grau is intrigued, and says when it does, there’s another reason why the Harrowed Heroes should throw their support behind him; he has a person on the inside of Castle Korvosa. The two warriors agree to go their separate ways for now, but establish a system of communication involving squares of red cloth should they need to meet again.

In the slums of Old Korvosa, one of the projects Goldcape has expended days of effort (and a lot of gold) to accomplish is to set up her own resistance cell in an abandoned building. Outfitted with defensive traps, cots and bedrolls, and a small armory, the hidden base seems safe from the Queen’s forces as long as it remains in the still-quarantined part of the city. Drawing upon thugs formerly loyal to the “Emperor of Old Korvosa”, regular citizens out of work since they can’t cross the blockaded bridge to the rest of the city, soldiers left to their own devices after the abolition of the Sable Company and the Korvosan Guard, and even a former acolyte of Yraelzin’s “Temple of Razmir,” Goldcape has assembled a potentially formidable force. Her greatest bit of luck was finding Sergeant Clenkins, the aged Korvosan Guardsman formerly responsible for watching the gate of Citadel Volshyenek. Clenkins promises to train the disparate members of the cell so they can work well together once Goldcape gives them their first mission. Goldcape says she’ll be leaving for a couple of weeks and that it would be too dangerous to do any raids for now, but when she returns, she’ll have a target for them.

One day, enjoying lunch in his workshop, Anorak hears the sounds of horse hooves, carriage wheels, and marching soldiers out front. He opens the door cautiously to see that Glorio Arkona, patriarch of House Arkona, has come by with “an exciting proposition”! The dwarf lets Glorio in but refuses him a seat, putting himself in the power position. Glorio beats around the bush for a bit, explaining that “a little bird--or an invisible spy” told him Anorak was working on some truly “crafty crafting”. The aristocrat looks meaningfully at Plate, strapped down to the worktable. Glorio says that “quality is what House Arkona stands for”, and that he wants Anorak to come to work for him as Chief Armorer. Anorak is frank that he doesn’t trust Glorio, but Glorio tries to reassure him that all of the danger and manipulation the dwarf experienced was due to his sister, who has surely fled the city. Glorio goes on to say that instead of the unpredictability and constant danger of adventuring, Anorak would receive a steady, stable, and very lucrative experience working in an exquisite workspace in Arkona Palace itself. Anorak seems mildly tempted, but still turns down the offer, saying it wouldn’t be exciting enough. Glorio makes a final pitch, subtly hinting that with someone as unpredictable as Ileosa as Queen, having friends like House Arkona could be very fruitful indeed. Anorak says that will only matter if Ileosa can be defeated, and right now she has world-breaking magic, is quite evil, and could live for centuries. Glorio sighs in resignation, remarking that if Anorak thinks he would survive such a direct confrontation, his father told him never to do business with those who have a loose grasp on reality.

Another startling event during this period begins when Ralph Blackfeather makes one of his many visits to Hedge Wizardry to purchase enchanted items for the group. Phaeton Skoda, the cluttered store’s proprietor, pulls Ralph in, locks the door, and puts a “closed” sign on display in the window. Looking nervous, Phaeton begins by staying something dreadful has happened. Before he can continue, Ralph hurries to reassure him that he was responsible for the recent attempted break-in at the back door and was sorry for any damages caused. Phaeton’s eyes widen, as he had no idea about that. He mutters something about how it was lucky “the guardian” hadn’t been awakened, but continues to explain that something far more serious has taken place: an inquisitor of the Church of Abadar visited just a couple of days ago and seized Phaeton’s accounts books. But the inquisitor wasn’t after records of last year’s transactions (taxes on which Phaeton assures Ralph were fully paid), but of the last few months! In other words, Phaeton thinks there’s a high-level investigation into who has been buying expensive or powerful magical items in the city. Ralph remains calm, and says he’ll likely be leaving the city for some time. He promises to work out a way to make future purchases anonymously so that Phaeton can record the buyer or seller as “unknown” in good faith and without violating any laws.

The days of downtime pass by quickly, but soon the time will come again when the Harrowed Heroes need to assemble for the next step of their epic quest. The stakes are clear: either Queen Ileosa survives, or Korvosa does.

In this campaign, I offered the players 3d6 days of "downtime" between each chapter: a time where they could retrain, craft, research new spells, earn coin, etc. with a guarantee that the downtime wouldn't count against any ticking clocks in the background or be interrupted by sudden attack. I used a slightly modified version of the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign (I think) for this, and it worked out pretty well as the rules state how much different activities cost and how long they take.

Most of the downtime stuff was handled between sessions, but I promised my players they'd each get one or two role-playing scenes set during downtime. That's what this session consisted of. I knew the PCs would be off for Scarwall soon (and there for the entirety of Chapter Five), so I foreshadowed as much as I reasonably could about Chapter Six: the vigilante Trifaccia, the new seneschal (the bloodmage Togomor), Grau's "man on the inside" of Castle Korvosa (Sabina!), and more. I also tried to advance the three factions (Kroft's, Grau's, and Glorio's) plotline by showing what each has to offer and, hopefully, making the choice of which to support not be an obvious one for the group.

Two key moments during this session were Goldcape being selected as the new Blackjack (a rooftop-running, rapier-wielding chaotic good character fit the bill perfectly!) and Anorak being left with the mysterious box and advised to dispose of it (in a volcano or the ocean depths, no less!). I loved the Blackjack element of Curse of the Crimson Throne, and it makes for a really memorable part of the campaign--and I know Goldcape's player loved it too. As for the mysterious box, we'll soon see that Anorak was unable to resist temptation, and the startling consequences that has on the rest of the campaign.