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As you gather your gear, just in case, you find a card lying below your battleaxe. The card's face shows an epic moment as slaves of a nation are freed. The symbol of a hammer hangs in the upper right corner, and the words "The Big Sky" are written on the bottom. You flip the card over to find the words...
You've almost exhausted yourself just today, yet still nothing's come up. Just have a glass of water, then you can take a nap... tomorrow you'll... what's that in your water? A Harrow card? Perhaps this is just the clue you've been searching for... and it's come to you!
Depicting a centaur, carrying all his worldly possessions, the bottom of the card reads "The Wanderer" and a book shows in the top middle. Almost as if the water had its own intentions, the card turns over while floating. Frozen onto the back, oddly enough, are the words...
You wait a minute or two, maybe repeating it again... softly of course, so as not to let on who you're after. Others in the temple... may be more inclined to rat you out than join you.
You take your leave, bowing to the large holy symbol near the door of the temple... what's this? Has Calistria answered your prayers after all?
A strange card leans against the bottom "blade" of the large symbol. It depicts a cyclops pouring beverage for guests, signifying a refuge for those in need. As other visitors head towards the door (and you), you take the card and continue on your way. Pondering it some steps away, you look at it again, turning it over. Words are burned into the back, with what seems like divine power. They read...
"Hey ya lil' ugly runt!"
"Haha you puny little bug!"
You're quite rudely awakened by two taller human boys in their late teens. It seems you slept in an alleyway again last night. When you don't reply, they begin to kick you, mocking you constantly.
"STOP IT! THIS IS YOUR ONLY WARNING!" you yell at them. Although taken aback in surprise, this doesn't last long and they start in on your anew.
Knowing you have no other option, you concentrate... "Rex... I need your help... Rex... please help me..."
You open your eyes, hoping to see that wingless wyvern who's saved you before... and yet, there is only a card on the ground, one which was not there before... and the two unconscious bodies of the boys, neither with injuries.
This card... with a picture of two very similar people facing each other, and the words "The Twin" near the bottom, you can see that this is a Harrow card depicting duality. You pick it up, and turn it over. On the back are words, seemingly written in the same glowing magic which lights up your scar when Rex is near. The words read...
"I know what Gaedren has done to you. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street at sunset. Others like you will be there. Gaedren must face his fate, and justice must be done."
Dot.
I've never seen anything like that Harrow card. The Wanderer? Well, I suppose it makes sense, but the writing...How would someone else know about Lamm? Uraisa thought to herself, as she examined the Harrow card. She had heard of the Harrow before, but had never been a huge believer in it foretelling the future. But she was not going to do anything that would mess her up chance to find out more about Geadren Lamm, that much was sure, Harrow or no Harrow. She made preparations to be at Lancet Street at the appointed time, packing the card she had received with her things.
Not sure what happened, but aware that the one name that would always get his attention was mentioned, Pravlox picks up the card, and slowly starts moving in the direction of the address located, stiff and tired from hunger and lack of quality sleep, hoping to find some food or a more comfortable place to nap near the indicated address before the meeting time.
Devrin smiles as he finds the message. Everything was falling into place, as if he was given a blessing to do his job. Grabbing the last of his supplies, he heads out to the city he knows so well. With the sun setting, Castle Korvosa is just a shadow in the skyline as he arrives at Lancet Street. Before he makes his way to the address he was given, however, he begins to ask the neighbors about the person who resides at the home.
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** spoiler omitted **
Any character that shows up at the designated location (easily found), find this note attached to the door:
Pravlox will enter, grab some bread, and sit down in a corner munching on his bread wishing he was like Rex and didn't need to eat to function while wondering just who else is going to show up to this little party. At first glance, he looks like a human child covered from head to toe in clothes that clearly have seen better days, but even a brief inspection reveals details that challenge that appearance. Eyes that clearly have seen far more than a regular child and the apparent scars visible around the edges of his garb reveal a small, hardbitten halfling that has clearly not had an easy life.
Uraisa scans the note and opens the door to the building. "Oh, a halfling, how neat. Hello! I'm Uraisa Ellsworth. I assume you received the same missive that I did," she said quickly, pulling her personalized Harrow card out, and showing it to the stranger. "Mind sharing some of that bread?"
Devrin thanks the neighbors for the information and returns to Zellara's home. A quick glance at the note reveals that he will not be the only one here. He takes a moment to look at his card before heading inside. There are two others inside.
"Hello, there. Were you also summoned by Zellara?"
Pravlox simply points to the basket of food and drink when Uraisa walks in, with a look on his face that makes it clear that he does not intend on talking until he absolutely has to.
To the male human, Uraisa responds by holding up her personalized Harrow card. "Hello, I'm Uraisa Ellsworth. And this is...another of us, I suppose," she says pointing to the halfling. She hops over to the basket, and tears off a hunk of the bread. "If you don't mind my asking, what card did each of you get? I don't understand much about this Harrow thing, but it is interesting, I have to admit. I drew The Wanderer, which is a pretty good one for me, to be honest. I'm not really from around here."
Devrin hesitates for a moment before making his way to the table and taking a seat. "The Big Sky. That was my card." He reaches for some bread and takes a small bite. "Uraisa? The name is Devrin Arlos. At your service," he says with a nod.
Yandara enters the building, dressed quite obviously in some sort of priestly vestment. A wooden holy symbol depicting three daggers arranged in a circle, pointing outwards hangs from his neck. As he enters, he eyes the three others in the building, and gives a slight nod.
"Seeing as this home is filled with types such as yourself, I'll assume I'm in the right place," he mutters with a playful smirk. He plucks the card he was given from his pocket and holds it between two fingers.
"Greetings to you, friend. I'd guess you are in the right place, judging by that card you've got with you." Uraisa shows the newcomer her card, The Wanderer.
"I'm Uraisa Ellsworth, over here is Devrin Arlos, I believe. And the short silent fellow is hungry. Not sure anything else about him right now," she laughs.
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Suddenly, the door opens again, and an attractive middle-aged Varisian woman with long dark hair enters, smiling. She thanks all of you for coming, and sits at the table, motioning that each of you do the same. She produces a Harrow deck from her pocket, and begins idly shuffling the cards. Her skill with the deck is immediately obvious in the way her hands seem to move the cards, while barely touching them. Oddly enough, if you look down to your own card, it seems to have vanished without a trace...
She introduces herself as Zellara, a local Harrow card reader, and invites you all to introduce yourselves as well. She begins...
“I sought help from the Guard, but they turned me away. And so I asked around. I paid bribes. I consulted my Harrow deck for advice. And recently, I was rewarded—I found out where Gaedren dwells. He can be found in an old fishery north of here at Westpier 17, where he trains his abducted children to be pickpockets and counts his stolen treasures.
“And now, I need your help. I cannot hope to face this man on my own, and the Guard moves so slowly that if I were to go to them, Gaedren would certainly know of their coming well in advance. Even if they did arrest him—what guarantee would I have he would be punished? This criminal has evaded the law for decades. But you know of these frustrations as well, for word on the street has it that Gaedren has wronged each of you, too. So there we are. It is time for him to pay.”
She pauses for any questions. Once you are ready to leave, she will perform a Harrowing for the group, the only thing she can offer you in aid.
When his hostess enters, Pravlox moves to the table quietly and listens to her spiel. When she finishes, he simply comments, "About time someone tried to take that bastard out. His mere existence is a blight."
"That's a neat trick with the Harrow deck, Zellara. One day you have to tell me how you got our cards back. And did the specific cards you sent to us have any particular meaning?"
"Nevertheless, I'd certainly be happy to assist you in seeing justice done to Lamm. He has certainly done harm to me. Do you know anything about the place he is staying? What kind of servants does he have working with him?"
"Pleased to meet you. My name is Yandara. Seems our host has a thing for cards..."
When Zellara enters, he sits down at the table and listens to her speech quietly. As she speaks, he hides his mouth behind his clasped hands, but if anyone cares to look, they can see he's smirking.
When she finishes speaking, he pipes up as well. "All I -need- to know is where to find him, though other information would be helpful...you're right though, there's no guarantee that the guard wouldn't just let him free. We have to take this into our own hands."
With a mouthful of bread, Devrin inquires, "If we were to bring him to justice, would he be brought to the guard, or is this something that we handle ourselves? As much as it would please me to deliver our own justice, I would not be opposed to having the proper authorities handle the matter. This is something I hope we can agree on before we go and see him."
"What good would bringing him to the authorities do? They'll just let him go after a slap on the wrist. No, he operates by street justice, so turnabout is fair play as far as I'm concerned." Pravlox almost sneers at the idea that the authorities could do anything to this fiend.
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"That's a neat trick with the Harrow deck, Zellara. One day you have to tell me how you got our cards back. And did the specific cards you sent to us have any particular meaning?"
"Nevertheless, I'd certainly be happy to assist you in seeing justice done to Lamm. He has certainly done harm to me. Do you know anything about the place he is staying? What kind of servants does he have working with him?"
"Take out Lamm, and I can promise you, you'll find out how. Yes, your cards did have some meaning. I allowed my deck to select whichever card it felt fit your abilities better. He's currently holed up down at the docks, unfortunately with his pickpocketing orphans living there as well. In addition, he has three henchmen: Yargin Balko, a human with a fondness for acid; Hookshanks, a sneaky gnomish bastard; and "Giggles", a half-orc so dumb he hits himself with his flail half the time!."
When Zellara enters, he sits down at the table and listens to her speech quietly. As she speaks, he hides his mouth behind his clasped hands, but if anyone cares to look, they can see he's smirking.
When she finishes speaking, he pipes up as well. "All I -need- to know is where to find him, though other information would be helpful...you're right though, there's no guarantee that the guard wouldn't just let him free. We have to take this into our own hands."
"A fishery at the docks. Here, I'll give you a map. I'm so glad to hear it. I've already been to the Guards more than once. They've made it clear they won't be of help."
With a mouthful of bread, Devrin inquires, "If we were to bring him to justice, would he be brought to the guard, or is this something that we handle ourselves? As much as it would please me to deliver our own justice, I would not be opposed to having the proper authorities handle the matter. This is something I hope we can agree on before we go and see him."
"If you feel you can convince the authorities to handle him once you bring him in, then I'll trust in your decision. However, as I told Yandara, they haven't been helpful as of yet. I even gave them his location, once I found out, and still they did not budge. It may be due to his reputation for escaping, and coming back later for revenge. One thing you can be sure of: neither I, nor the authorities themselves, will mind if you... 'handle it yourselves'..."
"What good would bringing him to the authorities do? They'll just let him go after a slap on the wrist. No, he operates by street justice, so turnabout is fair play as far as I'm concerned." Pravlox almost sneers at the idea that the authorities could do anything to this fiend.
Zellara smiles when she hears this, "I'm glad you're so committed!"
Zellara pulls out a large, though simple and vague, map of the city from her pocket. She circles an area, and tells you it's the one that's worn down and seems to be abandoned.
"Alright folks." Devin sits up, obviously very serious. "We all know what this man is capable of, so we can't just run in and expect to win. Now, I'd like to know if anyone has any ideas as to how we're going to get to Lamm on our terms."
Perception
Sense Motive
Uraisa was too focused on the task to pay much attention to her surroundings.
"I'm not familiar with that part of town or the fishery. Does anyone know anything about that building? I'd like to get the orphans away before we take on Lamm. If his influence were removed from teh children, they still have time to change."
"Neat magic trick there with the pocket. He's replaced his main henchman since trying to kill me off, but that doesn't surprise me. He went through at least 3 sets of varying sizes while I was stuck under his heel. I agree that we should get the children away from him first if possible; no sense in lowering ourselves to his level by inflicting unnecessary scars on the young minds. However, unless you have a definite home to take them to, they'll still likely end up beggars and pickpockets, possibly even bitter beggars and pickpockets, just from living on the streets. The only difference is that the streets don't do it deliberately. That fiend does." Pravlox starts to relax and even show a bit of humanity under his tough skin as the conversation goes on.
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** spoiler omitted **
"Alright folks." Devin sits up, obviously very serious. "We all know what this man is capable of, so we can't just run in and expect to win. Now, I'd like to know if anyone has any ideas as to how we're going to get to Lamm on our terms."
"I don't know how well that's going to work out: he doesn't normally leave the place. He knows he's wanted and has to stay out of public and out of sight. I will mention that the fishery (as can be expected) sits on a creek, and there seems to be a dock extending from the building."
Perception 1d20
Sense Motive 1d20 -1Uraisa was too focused on the task to pay much attention to her surroundings.
"I'm not familiar with that part of town or the fishery. Does anyone know anything about that building? I'd like to get the orphans away before we take on Lamm. If his influence were removed from teh children, they still have time to change."
"I admire your compassion. While Lamm and his lackeys are around, they stay amongst the orphans to keep an eye on them. I encourage you to try to rescue the orphans before they could be put in harms way, but you should be prepared to fight in their presence as well."
Sense Motive 1d20+1
"Neat magic trick there with the pocket. He's replaced his main henchman since trying to kill me off, but that doesn't surprise me. He went through at least 3 sets of varying sizes while I was stuck under his heel. I agree that we should get the children away from him first if possible; no sense in lowering ourselves to his level by inflicting unnecessary scars on the young minds. However, unless you have a definite home to take them to, they'll still likely end up beggars and pickpockets, possibly even bitter beggars and pickpockets, just from living on the streets. The only difference is that the streets don't do it deliberately. That fiend does." Pravlox starts to relax and even show a bit of humanity under his tough skin as the conversation goes on.
Zellara seems a tad surprised, "...Oh, yes, something I mastered so as not to be carrying around obvious possessions in the streets."
Zellara will perform a Harrowing before you leave, unless the party is dead set against it. Her Harrowing will fortell of a coming time of unrest and violence in the streets of Korvosa itself, and this group of mismatched adventurers fated to save it.
In this chapter, "Edge of Anarchy", your party is able to utilize Harrow Points in three ways:
- Dexterity Rerolls: Spend a Harrow Point to reroll any one Initiative check, Reflex save, attack roll modified by Dexterity, or Dexterity-based skill check. You must abide by the new result (although if you have additional Harrow Points remaining, you can use them to attempt additional rerolls).
- Dodge Bonus: Spend a Harrow Point to gain a +1 Dodge bonus to your Armor Class for one encounter.
- Speed Increase: Spend a Harrow Point to increase your base speed by 10 feet for one encounter—you cannot spend multiple Harrow Points to increase your speed multiple times in one encounter.
In this Harrowing, each member of the party has gained 4 (four) Harrow Points for use.
After the harrowing, which foretells of things bad enough to make even Pravlox nervous, the halfling thanks his hostess for the food, and it is clear that he is not accustomed to practicing that particular social grace. As he steps out the door, he has one last comment, "You'll have to show me that trick when we are done with this task."
Yandara gives a nod. "If worse comes to worse, and he tries to use the children against us, I'm willing to protect them while you three fight, and give my assistance as I can. I wouldn't put such a vile act past that slime."
He then turns to Zellara with a smile. "I truly thank you for this opportunity."
Uraisa was captivated by the Harrowing. She had never seen such a thing performed. "That is quite a talent you have, Zellara. When we return, you really need to teach me how to do that."
With a nod, Devrin stands and makes his way to the door. "As much as I'd like to stay and ask a few more questions of you Zellara, I fear we should make haste. Thank you for the reading as well as the bread. Unless anyone is opposed, I say we make our way to the fishery."
"Does anyone have an idea on drawing the children out before we rush in the building? I can cast a spell that would knock out several of them with no long term damage, if we could get them away."
"Sadly, I do not. I could make maybe two of them flee in fear, but other than that, I do not see how we could cause them to leave without also drawing out our quarry."
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With a nod, Devrin stands and makes his way to the door. "As much as I'd like to stay and ask a few more questions of you Zellara, I fear we should make haste. Thank you for the reading as well as the bread. Unless anyone is opposed, I say we make our way to the fishery."
"Yes, that's something I can get behind. Lamm's had enough time to damage our city, we can take care of any other business afterwards."
Whenever you guys end up there...
In addition, there's an abandoned warehouse a bit away, and there seems to be a boat docked on the river side of the fishery.
Uraisa followed the others out of the building and headed to the fishery. "If we can't get the children out, is there a chance we could lure Lamm out of there? That might reduce any collateral damage to the others. If not, we could always just barge in, but I assume he will be very well protected."
Devrin shakes his head. "While I may never have been close to Lamm, I learned enough about him to know that he's a coward. Only a coward would use children to keep his hands from getting dirty. No, I think if there is any fighting to be had, we need to bring it to Lamm himself."
"Getting Lamm out of his lair is a pipe dream madam. He fights with mob and street tactics, not with anything that even hints of honor."
Upon arriving at the fishery, Devrin inspects the area for a moment.
Devrin looks for any windows that seem clear, in hopes of hopping in through one instead of the front door.
He takes note of the boardwalk. "While I'm all for smashing the door on Lamm and rushing in headfirst, I think we should try to get the jump on him the best we can. I think this boardwalk can lead us to a backdoor and let us have the jump on him."
"I say that we watch for a bit before charging in. The warehouse roof would be a good place to do this, or perhaps even the boat. No point in alerting neutral third parties to our plans unnecessarily."
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** spoiler omitted **
There are two windows on the front:
(1) One right beside the front door - A desk and chain sit in the room beyond, but not much else is visible.(2) Beside the boardwalk, still on the front - A large wooded trough holds a mixture of what seems to be fish, seaweed, and brine. A brown liquid (possibly filthy water) covers most of the floor. A desk and chair sit in the corner beside the window. There are quite a few orphans stuffed in this smaller room, most with pitchforks feeding the mixture into chutes in the wall. A gnome seems to be in charge here, hitting slower children with his sap.
On the side next to the warehouse, there are three widows:
(3) The one closest to the front - A very small room with two bunkbeds.
(4) Nearer to the back are two windows that look into the same room - The windows look out into the room over wooden catwalks. The room's floor is actually on the bottom level of the fishery. A few orphans work in this room, churning a vat of the slurry mixture. A half-orc watches over the orphans in this room, threatening them with his flail.
The double doors on the boardwalk, looking into the same room as window (2) are kept slightly open, and orphans come in and out every now and again.
On rare occasions, an adult may enter and leave the single door on the warehouse side, between windows (3) and (4).
"It seems like we might be able to sneak in one of the back entrances, but of course, there's no knowing what is on the other side. If we got in there and quickly neutralized teh room, it might be easier than just a frontal assault."