Well, I finally got the Curse of the Crimson Throne started. I had considered going 4E with it, but went with Pathfinder Beta instead. We ran the beginning of Edge of Anarchy last night. The party met Zellara's ghost and then went to the Old Fishery to take down Lamm.
I am a bit unhappy with the lack of a coherent timeline in the module. I've seen comments from Paizo folks that it was intentional, so DMs weren't tied down, but parts of it, just don't make sense. So, I changed things a bit and tried to define things a little better.
One character, Aleff Aquiano, a Chelaxian Crusader (Book of 9 Swords) member of the Guard, had heard that morning that the King has passed away in the night. He was told to keep it under wraps, that it was not public knowledge yet. Another character, Gallatin, a gardener for a minor son of House Bromothan, overheard something about, "that conniving witch" sitting on the throne.
The mood of the town as the characters trekked to Zellara's for the meeting at sunset (moved to Old Korvosa, making for more of a hike to the Old Fishery) as somewhat nervous. Something was wrong. People were on edge. Occassoinally, people were heard shouting. Someone would be seen running downn the street. Etc.
When the "Empty Throne" card came up in the Harrow Reading, Aleff mentioned this to the party. It was pretty crazy how it came up in the reading I did AND in the reading the Varisian character Callypso did as well... truly bizarre.
The sorcerer, Uriah Brimstone, detected magic while they were waiting for Zellara to arrive. The incense and smoke detected as magic, but Uriah didn't mention it to the other party members.
So the party knew that the king was dead when they left Zellara's and headed to the Fishery. They saw a town Crier spreading the news, "The King is Dead, Long Live the Queen." Someone shouted, "Death to the usurper whore," only to have something thrown at him, as he ran away, and a confrontation almost break out among the thrower and another person standing by, only to be stopped by a guard that was close by.
They saw a wagon burning in a street. Saw some people running down the street. A clanging ocassionally. But no outright rioting.
They arrived at Lamm's and cased the place. They entered through the lower door, confronting Giggles and 5 children. Hookshanks and Yargin heard the commotion and joined in the battle. Giggles was taken down, and Hookshanks and Yargin chased upstairs and defeated. Yargin was kept alive. Callypso, now a priest of Desna, but once one of Lamm's little slaves, finished Giggles and Hookshanks was killed as well.
Where was Lamm. The party attempted to get to the boat, walking along the planking, but were too close together and Aleff, who was in the lead, fell into the water and couldn't swim. The shark attacked. Gallatin jumped in to help Aleff, and pulled him to safety, but not before the shark bit Aleff's leg, drawing blood.
The party went back into the Fishery and went down through the hold in the lower room, onto the skiff, and seeing the doorway, onto the planking that led to Lamm's hideout. They fought Lamm, who was condescending to all of them, and defeated him and Gobbleguts, but not before taking some grievous wounds. Also present were two Soulbound dolls, one evil, one good (appearing as the pictures in the listing in the Bestiary). The good one survived and, strangely, appears very similar to Lamm's former slave, Callypso, the cleric of Desna. Hmm...
The party intends to check out the ship and figure out where all of the other Little Lambs are. Maybe help them find orphanages. And then, they need to fence all of the loot they found in Lamm's lock box.
The party was suitably shocked to find Zellara's head, realizing that they'd been talking to a ghost. The question, "Did anyone ever touch her," was particularly priceless.
All in all, it started off with a bang and went VERY well. I'm really looking forward to this adventure path!
The characters:
Uriah Brimstone - male Chelaxian elemental sorcerer (fire). I still think sorcerers suck, so I made the following changes: 4 skill points per level, use the spell progression for one level higher (I hate that they don't get 2nd level spells until 4th level), and gave him another set of bonus spells (one spell of every level) focused on divination, "he sees the truth of things".
Callypso - female Varisian cleric of Desna
Aleff Aquiano - male Chelaxian Crusader
Gallatin - male druid
Two more characters will join next week, and although I'm not sure, I believe they will include a drunk male Varisian fighter or barbarian and a halfling ranger or rogue.
Oh, I totally changed up Harrow points. We have played with Action Points in the past, but 6, 7, 8, 10, 11 action points per level just changes the game too much in my opinion. So, I'm sticking to Harrow points, but giving them 6 for the first adventure. So, 2 per level. The uses are the same as in the book, except, I added that once during the adventure, each character can use two or more Harrow points to do something exceptional and crazy, the more exceptional and crazy the more Harrow points they use. If they want to save up all 6 for one big shot, so be it. The type of thing depends on what card they drew. The Rabbit Prince (Aleff) can use his point to affect a combat action. The Crow (Gallatin) can use it to affect something stealthy/thieving action. The Juggler (Callypso) can use it to affect an acrobatic or athletic action. I can't remember what Uriah's was... I think it was the Demon one. I'm giving the players a lot of leeway here to role play some amazing stunt that is enhanced by the Harrow deck. I think that was a cool idea. Any feedback?
At the end of the first session, the party had defeated Gaedren Lamm, Gobbleguts, and his cronies. The children that had been at the Old Fishery during the assault had fled. There were still some loose ends to tie up, not the least of which was a still-alive Yargin.
The second session started with Aleff, who was badly wounded, tying up Yargin and watching over the young girl that had been saved, the daughter of Gallatin’s boss, while the rest of the party investigated the old ship.
The party regrouped and over the course of the night, several of the kids returned to the Old Fishery. Some that had been there during the assault, and others that were just returning from their day out thieving for Lamm. Mick, a 12 year old boy, and Rabbit, a 13 year old girl, were two of the leaders of the kids.
The party split up, with Gallatin and Uriah leaving to take the young girl back to Gallatin’s Bromothan boss.
The young noble, Amin Jalento, thanked them, and accompanied them partway to the Bromothan manor.
Then Uriah, Gallatin, and Therrin headed back to the Old Fishery.
Fourteen children had returned to the Old Fishery, and the party elected to spend the night there. Pasties were found in Yargin’s office, and were shared with the kids. Watches were set, considering the rioting occurring on the streets, and while on watch, some of the kids took to butchering Gobbleguts, and others were put to work draining the tanks and flushing them with clean river water. By morning, much of the stench had been flushed out, but a lingering odor remained. It was temporarily driven off by the smell of roasting crocodile.
Also, in the evening, after finding out the doll was named after her, Calypso killed the doll that looked like and acted like her… It was too strange. The doll had been created with a spark of Callypso’s life force, and when it was killed, Callypso changed, just a bit, as that life force returned. Callypso gained 1 point of Charisma and there may be other effects, too, in the future…
In the morning, a fire occurred in 6 buildings down the street. The party assisted with putting it out, saving a family, an old man, and a young girl. Callypso disappeared, leaving only one card, the Dancer, from Zellara’s Harrow Deck, a clue for the party to follow her back to Zellara’s.
One the way to Zellara’s, I read much of the flavor text from the City in Chaos section, mainly because Nick Logue’s prose is just so good, I had to share it. I love the “The Hellknights are a broadsword brandished in a tavern brawl, drowning chaos with blood,” line!
At Zellara’s, the party met Zellara again, who explained the situation, that dark times are ahead and that she has foretold that the party would be pivotal in the resolution of those times. Callypso, who had planned on leaving Korvosa, was convinced to stay. She also remembered that she knows a Varisian jeweler in Old Korvosa, and they took the loot from Gaedren’s to her to have it identified.
After much bickering and wrangling, the party realized it was probably too late in the day (mid to late afternoon) to return the brooch and, after more bickering and wrangling made the difficult decision of... where to spend the night. (My party is having a hard time making a decision... they get into these ridiculous arguments, in character, over nothing. I've asked them to start voting out of character and then roleplaying why they're character goes along with the decision... any other advice?)
The would be heroes of Korvosa travelled from Zellara's to the Old Fishery to check up on the orphans. They orphans were doing OK. Some had went out a stealing that day, knowing little else to do. Others had just, well, been kids, for heir first day "off" in their memory. The oldest girl, Rabbit, and the oldest boy, Mick, kept them somewhat under control... but it was clear that they'll need some guidance. Therrin remembered a friend of his that works at the foundry (and hates the place) and he might be able to help run the Fishery, and Aleff knows a girl that is an out of work bookkeeper. The plan was made that the next day, while the rest of the party went to go return the brooch, Therrin and Calypso would track down Therrin and Aleff's friends.
The next morning, before heading out, a curious little purple haired creature, a gnome, knocked on the door, checking to see if the fishery was occupied. Records showed that the previous owner had passed away over a year earlier, and the gnome, Quinn Quinn Quinn, who works freelance jobs at City Hall, this one being for the Magistrate of Assessment, has the duty of verifying that there are no squatters at a list of over 40 buildings. Apparently, Quinn's morals are flexible, because he suggested that he might be distracted from realizing that anyone was in the building by a few shiny objects... such as a few gold Sails... one per head to be exact.
Aleff suggested that, maybe, since Quinn has evidence that the place is unoccupied, that Quinn join Aleff, Uriah, and Gallatin on a visit to return the brooch, hoping that they can perhaps request that the deed to the fishery be turned over to them as part of the reward. Quinn agreed.
Sabina led the party to the throneroom where they met the Queen, dressed in black mourning veil and gown. The Queen thanked the party for the return of the brooch and, after hearing the request, gave them the Fishery as well. She also mentioned that they appear able bodied and that she could use able bodied folks to help restore order to the city. She asked them to work with the Guard, and made them Adjuncts to the Queen, putting them under the direct command of Sabina Merrin.
After the Queen excused herself, Sabina led the party to a supply room, giving each of them a pin, with the same symbol as the brooch (an imp and psuedodragon entwined in battle), identifying them as Adjuncts to the Queen. She also offered each of them a choice of weapon or armor of masterwork quality. (Therrin and Calypso are welcomed to this as well, from the stores at Citadel Volsheyenek.)
The party returned to the fishery, and then, went on to Citadel Volsheyenek. While Calypso and Therrin went off to hire people to help run the Fishery, the rest of the party received a request from Field Marshall Cressida Kroft to track down a renegade guardsman named Verik Vencaskerkin. Verik had desserted with several other guardsmen and are reportedly hiding out at a place called All the World's Meat in Northpoint. Kroft also gave them a letter of credit for lodging at an inn in the Five Corners ward of Northpoint, near All the World's Meat.
An afternoon spent on the street gathering information from locals revealed that the renegade guardsmen were giving away meat each morning.
After much discussion, the party decided to check out the place. They went there that evening, and, using the pass phrase, hired the renegade guardsmen to provide protection for a job beginning at noon the next day. The "Cow Hammer Boys", as they call themselves, agreed to a fee of 25 gp apiece, since this was just a simple bodyguard job, hinting that their fee for more violent work was 50 gp apiece. It was agreed.
The next morning, there was much more discussion on the plan. Gallatin went by the place, and, looking at the meat through the window, realized that some of it looked "funny". He bought a cut from one of the beneficiaries of the free meat giveaway, and, upon inspection, realized it was not beef or pork, but humanoid, likely human!?!?!? The Cow Hammer Boys were butchering people!
After even more discussion on the plan, the party eventually ended up conducting a frontal assault on All the Worlds Meat (the other option had been to lead the four thugs to Zellara's and ambush them there). The assault was touch and go, but all of the four Cow Hammer Boys as well as Verik, were defeated and subdued. Only one had mortal wounds, but they were tended before he perished. The Cow Hammer Boys had apparently been doing the mercenary work behind Verrik's back, and Verrikw as disgusted by the revelation that they were butchering people and he surrendered. A wagon was procured, and the Cow Hammer Boys and Verrik were taken to Citadel Volsheyenek in shame.
The upstairs rooms were quickly reconnaissanced, but much of the All the World's Meat location remains to be searched...