Aftermath of the Catacombs of Wrath [Spoilers]

[Michael M.]

I'm the GM for a group of 5 PCs - Barbarian, Oracle of Life, Wizard, Ranger, and Bard - who have just cleared out the Catacombs of Wrath. Everyone will be reaching level 3 next session.

They had a little trouble with with Erylium, but in the end they captured her before she was able to get away. After bringing her back to the Cathedral, they used Father Abstalar as an interpreter as they tried to interrogate the quasit. She wasn't particularly helpful, although she did mutter about being separated from her master long ago and hating the Enemy Above. Once they decided they'd gotten all the useful information possible from her, they did the same thing they've done with anything they've come across - they tried to sell her off. And they decided that, since she was so old, the person who would most likely want her is Brodert Quirk.

I was intrigued by the prospect. When they brought the quasit to Brodert, he quizzed it in Thassalonian. I decided that Erylium would be overjoyed at hearing the ancient tongue, and the two talked for a minute or so. One player (who knew Thassilonian) heard as Brodert quizzed Erylium about the Old Light, and when she confirmed his suspicions, he was overjoyed and paid the crew handsomely for care of the quasit.

So here is what I'd like to do.

Maybe Erylium really takes a shine to Brodert, who wants nothing more than to learn more from her about Thassilon and - more importantly - show up all those know-nothings that mocked and doubted him for years. After all: he was right all along, he has proof. And now he is going to show them all. Erylium, recognizing the wrath in Brodert, agrees to become his familiar and begin his retraining from expert 7 to wizard (evocation) 7. He comes back into the lives of the adventurers as a villain on some revenge murder spree, or even trying to resurrect the Runelord of Wrath.

I haven't gotten far enough along to figure out how to tie this in to the rest of the adventure, I just want to see their reaction to this little bit of greed come back to haunt them.

What do you think?

[Latrecis]

I'm stunned beyond the capacity for rational thought. So no one in the party has the slightest idea what a quasit is? And no one else in town does either such as Father Zantus?

A quasit's sole purpose in existence is to corrupt its master into serving Evil. And this one is a cleric of Lamashtu for crying out loud.

"We found a 10,000 year old demon in a temple of Lamashtu controlling an artifact belonging to one of the most powerful and evil wizards in Golarion's history. What should we do with it?"

"I know, I know, let's sell it to Brodert, I bet he'll give us 500gp for the chance to have his soul irrevocably lost and his entire life destroyed. If we're really lucky, he'll maim a lot of people in Sandpoint and they'll pay us to take him out. Ooohh, wouldn't it be cool if we captured the quasit again? Maybe by then, we'll know someone in Magnimar who wants to serve Lamashtu!"

I don't question Brodert's interest in having such a minion. But it's simply dumbfounding that the pc's and the leadership of the town see nothing wrong with giving a DEMON to the town crackpot. Other than that, your plan for him going CE and becoming a major problem for Sandpoint and the pc's is the right outcome.

I've seen some horrible pc decisions in my time but this is headed for the Hall of Fame of Boneheaded Choices

.

[NobodysHome]

But... wait! Shouldn't there be an antipaladin of Lamashtu in the party to take her in?

[Latrecis]

NobodysHome wrote:

But... wait! Shouldn't there be an antipaladin of Lamashtu in the party to take her in?

Well played. ;)

I laugh to hide my tears.

[Michael M.]

Latrecis wrote:

I'm stunned beyond the capacity for rational thought. So no one in the party has the slightest idea what a quasit is? And no one else in town does either such as Father Zantus?

Funny enough, they made an excellent Knowledge (religion) check and know pretty well what a quasit is. However, they didn't care about any aspect of the situation other than how to extract the most gp possible, which is entirely keeping in character. The party's Bard, who seems to be a limitless font of bad ideas, suggested it immediately. He is also currently trying to squeeze the widow from Monster in the Closet to sell her murder-scene house to the party for a fraction of its value.

I cannot express how much I love this party. Keeping track of their sin points requires higher-level mathematics.

Latrecis wrote:

I've seen some horrible pc decisions in my time but this is headed for the Hall of Fame of Boneheaded Choices

I certainly hope so! Right now, I have Brodert and his new bestie tucked away in my back pocket. I just need to figure out how to spring them on the group for maximum entertainment value, and how much warning to provide in the interim.

[NobodysHome]

Warning? Warning?!?!?!?

The party, knowing full well what a quasit was and its fundamental purpose for existing, SOLD IT to a local crackpot to make a quick buck!

The more nasty you can make Brodert, and the bigger the surprise, the better!

I have run for some appalling people. We went 3 full sessions with nothing but GM-allowed PC cannibals murdering and eating every PC the rest of us rolled up (12 deaths in all). "Be my little Love Pig!" still causes shudders in my group.

Yet never, in their wildest excesses, did *any* of them ever consider selling a demon of temptation and corruption to the local loon.

Wow... just... wow! Have at, and good on you for having their psychotic greed have repercussions!

[Ian Bell]

Did they destroy or just ignore the Runewell of Wrath after the fight? Because if it's still intact Sandpoint REALLY has problems now.

[Brodert Quink, Lady's Man, esq.]

Please, you're all Jellin'
if there's anyone in Sandpoint that can handle a Lady Demon its Smooth B Quink

[Michael M.]

They haven't yet destroyed the Runewell; they saw Erylium create a sinspawn with her blood, but the Runewell's noticeable dimming didn't seem to click with them, and nobody hit the DC20 on their Sense Motive check to read Erylium's reaction.

Fortunately for them, the Oracle remembered the pool when they were reporting what they found, and asked Father Abstalar to take a look and hopefully 'cleanse' the pool.

I may have the good Father come back confused as to how to deal with the pool and ask the party to investigate with him. If they blow it off after that...

[NobodysHome]

At this point I'd just start having fun with them.

Local expert: "Yeah, we can shut down the Runewell, but it'll cost 10,000 g.p. in material components."

Party: "It costs money?!?!?!!? Heck with that!"

GM ticks off several more Greed points for the party, planning on making the significant modifier -1/5 points instead of just a flat -1.

Whee!

[Latrecis]

My players would wet themselves in fear if they intentionally gave me such an opening.

I suggest you proceed to destroy Sandpoint. They asked for it.

Brodert and Elyrium sneak back into the Cathedral of Wrath. The quasit may be reluctant to leave the caverns but Brodert isn't and after they get setup, he begins killing residents to feed the Runewell of Wrath. I nominate Ven as candidate #1 (if the players have angered him.) And anyone else who is angry with the pc's. Even without intending it, he'll be framing the pc's. When runewell gets powerful enough, he starts summoning sinspawn to help him - unlike Elyrium, he can figure out that it takes money to make money.

Lamashtu should grant him spell powers - maybe sorcerous? with a focus on summoning - the place should be crawling with low level demons by the time the pc's figure out what to do.

When they finish Thistletop they should have two competing serial killers on their hands - one serving Wrath and another serving Greed. The citizens of Sandpoint should be in a panic. It should be impossible for the sheriff to completely protect the pc's - there should be loud calls for them to be arrested, lynch mobs should form just on suspicion the pc's are involved. The entire town should suffer from surges of anger as the runewell grows in power (see Late Unpleasantness.) If the players successfully "defend" themselves from these mobs (if they use violence, they feed the runewell) the townsfolk turn on each other. The Varisians in town burn the Scarnetti manor to the ground, others attack the Scarzni, burning the Fatman's Feedbag to the ground. Still others attack the theater for housing perversion or the Kitten, etc.

If you want to take it to a really creepy level, Brodert and his minions kidnap some citizens and use them for bizarre "Lamashtu" breeding experiments.

Brodert becomes convinced he is the next Runelord of Greed, demanding his minions and any who meet him to treat him as such. He comes to believe Sandpoint is his to rule as he sees fit. And when anyone resists his efforts or shows insufficient respect, he has them killed.

When it becomes known the pc's created this mess, the mayors of both Sandpoint (if she lives) and Magnimar will demand the pc's perform work for them for free. No reward for Skinsaw, no reward for Hook Mountain. The pc's need to work off their "debt" or be declared outlaw and be sentenced to the Hells (the prison in Magnimar.)

[NobodysHome]

I knew I liked you, Latrecis!

[Brodert Quink, Lady's Man, esq.]

I'll say!
guess who's the next Runelord of Greed!
Unrelated if anyone needs directions to Xin-Shalast...

[Nathan Nasif]

Hook Mountain is their penalty. Sentenced to Fort Rannick for X number of years.

[captain yesterday]

EEEEEwwdtfuiitiotloepdopoppppdrfhf5jhtjtjthyjkiuujklopoiuuytreewqffg3gutyhj hjhthtghrrnrrrrzxccvbnm,4555554ggggggggggggggbbbhhjhhhhhhhhjhhghyhggbgc

- This is how my son, age 3.5 (who i call Tiny T-Rex) spelled "Garden"

i asked him "does it spell anything other then "Garden" thats a lot of letters" "nope, just Garden" he then walked five feet, turned around, held out his hand and said "That'll be 10 dollars!" then after i laughed he said very seriously "I'm not joking, i've been working a lot of hours"

[captain yesterday]

captain yesterday wrote:

klopoiuuytree

this could be turned into something tho:-)

[Michael M.]

Latrecis wrote:

My players would wet themselves in fear if they intentionally gave me such an opening.

I suggest you proceed to destroy Sandpoint. They asked for it.

Hoo boy. I like the imaginative punishment, but this might be a little hardcore for the game I'm running. 3 of the 5 PCs have never played pathfinder, and for two of them it's their first tabletop experience at all.

Latrecis wrote:

Brodert becomes convinced he is the next Runelord of Greed, demanding his minions and any who meet him to treat him as such. He comes to believe Sandpoint is his to...

This piques my interest. Maybe, since I'm assigning Brodert 'wrath' as a sin (from his hatred of those who mocked him for so many years), he can shadow the PCs from afar, coming back into play when they go to reexplore the Catacombs. Brodert, seizing his chance to gain even greater power, seeks to resurrect or become the new Runelord of Wrath and races the PCs to the Runeforge.

Although, as I write this, I wonder how Erylium reacts to being reunited with the Scribbler in this scenario..

[Ian Bell]

The only "problem" with that is we know from how the seven swords function that being The Runelord of Whatever is some kind of officially invested position and Alaznist is out there somewhere, so the best Brodert could do without going to Hollow Mountain and figuring her deal out is Self-Appointed Impostor Runelord of Wrath.

Mind you, you could totally just throw out that bit of lore and be fine.

[Latrecis]

Oops, I messed up. I meant to type Brodert thinks he is the Runelord of Wrath.

And just because he thinks it doesn't mean he actually is. The influence of the quasit, runewell and the alignment change leaves him delusional.

A simpler, more kind answer would be: Erylium simply abandons Brodert shortly after the transaction. She can turn invisible and there's nothing he can do about it. She could either return to the Catacombs (if the runewell is still active) or seek out Nualia at Thistletop if it isn't. Brodert could harbor a grudge against the pc's for taking his money for almost nothing or otherwise difficult to deal with in the future, which might impact the group's interactions with him at the beginning of Book 2.

[Qakisst Vishtani]

Great Serenrae! When our party went back into the catacombs and deactivated the Runewell without me, one sinspawn at I time, I freaked out, slapped them all silly, then marched them all back to the well with buckets of concrete and sand to fill the damned thing in. But your group left it unguarded and sold off the Quasit to a forgetful elderly man that needs to be reminded when to eat and sleep? If they go off to Thistletop without killing the Quasit or banishing it back to the abyss they get what they deserve.

And this bard of yours certainly sounds like a pleasant chap. What alignment is he claiming to have? I think he's taken a few steps toward evil that he doesn't know about.

Latrecis, release the hounds of wrath!!! Yes, having Elyrium silently supporting the goblins invisibly, then the yeth hounds, Brithasmus, Lyre and Tsuto will work. But think of Elyrium setting Malfeshnekor free just before the party arrives? That would teach them to deal with evil more cautiously.

[Brodert Quink, Lady's Man, esq.]

Delusional!?! Local Crackpot!?! Too Old he needs to be told when to eat and sleep!?!
Oh, boy! when i'm a Runelord yer All going down!

and i'm old, i never need to be told when to sleep, it just kinda happens.....Zzzzzzz

what? where? who are you? Get off my lawn! Dangnabbit!

now what were we talking about? Voles?

[Qakisst Vishtani]

Oh for crying out loud, Brodert. You're not even that much older than me. You shouldn't be loosing your mind in your 60s.

Humans just pass away so quickly.

[Brodert Quink, Lady's Man, esq.]

Bah! I dont feel a day over 30!....Zzzzzzzzzzz

[NobodysHome]

Brodert Quink, Lady's Man, esq. wrote:

Bah! I dont feel a day over 30 300!....Zzzzzzzzzzz

FTFY.

[Brodert Quink, Lady's Man, esq.]

Bah!
i'm a History Nerd, my math might not be the best:-p

[Qakisst Vishtani]

That would be why you are the future Runelord of Wrath and not Greed. Now here is your dinner, Master Quink; you be a good boy and eat it all up before bed time. You wait right here and I will go chase those rowdy Viskalai children off your lawn.

{Is he asleep yet, Kisst?}

Quiet all of you. You will wake Master Quink up. No, do not worry. I know where he keeps it. I will be right out.

[bulbaquil]

Greed points all around... this should go without saying. And what are their alignments? If anyone in that party has a G somewhere in there, that G really needs rethinking. This won't cause any mechanical drawbacks, since you have no characters that will lose class abilities from slipping toward Evil, but...

I would run Thistletop as normal, unless the party delays more than, say, 7 days (one day retraining each of Brodert's hit dice), in which case an Evocation Sin Mage 7 Brodert should toddle off to Thistletop, meet up with Nualia, possibly help release Malfeshnekor and advance the timetable of the larger Sandpoint raid. Where the Brodert decision should really come to roost, especially if the Runewell remains active, is in Skinsaw Murders.

Brodert will be seen as a likely early suspect at least by Father Zantus, who (along with former friendly NPCs like Hemlock) is likely to behave a bit more distantly than he has in the past. Because you have several new players, I recommend against going as far as Latrecis suggests, but people like the Scarnettis in particular (especially if Ironbriar is in town) should strongly push for detaining the PCs (in particular Foxglove's obsession) along with Brodert as a "precautionary measure" until it becomes clear Brodert isn't to blame at least for this set of murders.