Late last year, we as a group decided that we wanted a second game to our Rise of the Runelords campaign. We were coming up on the end of Chapter 2 and I had offered to run Curse of the Crimson Throne but insisted that it would not start until the new year. We play each game once a month, and this Saturday, we begin. I have seven players and have been planning for a month with them, asking each one to pick a connection to Gaedren Lamm and for extra credit give me their backstory and who they are in Korvosa. This is the beginning.
The Players
The Sable Company Marine, Leonidas: Ranger (Sky Stalker) {LG Human:Chelish}
The Beggar, Darius: Sorcerer (Pestilence/Sorcerer of Sleep) {N Human:Shoanti Outcast}
Lady Natasha Anastriana: Fighter (Archer) {CG Forlorn Elf}
Gitar Galen: Warpriest of Gorum {CG Rakshasa-Tiefling}
Burl Lighthammer: Cleric of Torag (NG Heretic: Replaced Artifice domain with Healing}
Amra: Barbarian (CN Catfolk, Raised by the Shoanti)
Doctor Eilif Pharioryn: Investigator (Sleuth) (LN Dhampir – Mordant Spire Elf mother, raised in Korvosa)
Leonidas
My father was the Sergeant of the Sable Company. He died in battle defending the city of Korvosa. Because of this, I have a spot at the Military School.
Things were tough for my mom, so she remarried an Elven Wizard who teaches at the Magical Academae. He has been on sabbatical for the past seven years and no one has heard from him. I have a younger half-sister. She is a bit of a prodigy and is one of the youngest students at the Magical Academae.
I am a part-time bounty hunter. I support myself and supplement my younger sister’s income. Darius and I have assisted the City Guard in the past. I just need a little more experience before I can earn my wings with the Sable Guard.
Baby sister was framed and kicked out of the Academae. The Crime Lord Gaedren Lamm forced her to steal from him. When she finally told him enough was enough everything got pinned on her. I’m going to fix this for my half-sister. She was literally born to be a great Summoner. I managed to trick a member of the Thieves’ Guild into revealing the truth with my interrogation.
Darius
Darius is one of the few survivors of a devastating plague that claimed most of his village over a number of years. Darius was summarily exiled from his village when he came of age, due to a perceived connection between him and the persistent plague.
After his exile, he spent several years in the company of Rayna, a blight druid and general curse upon the countryside. She vanished after being hunted down by paladins, prompting Darius to travel to Korvosa.
Darius ran afoul of a zealous priest when he came to Korvosa, gaining a distaste for the cleric and later causing him to fall ill by sharing bread.
Darius has been a slum-dweller and beggar since coming to Korvosa, burning his earnings on pesh and largely wasting away his days in the alleys near the Narrows. He was recently coaxed into trying shiver for the first time, an experience which nearly killed him and prompted him to seek out the man behind the potent drug: Gaedren Laam
Lady Natasha Anastriana
Natasha is an orphaned member of a prominent Forlorn Elf family. The family dealt with finance and had significant financial resources. As a child, her family’s estate was torched by Human Raiders. She was whisked away to safety by curious faeries. She was raised as a young child on the other side of the “veil”.
When she was old enough she was returned to Korvosa and claimed part of her inheritance. She was perplexed at the inequality and the oppressiveness of society. She was influenced by Bard who mocked society’s many problems. He became a great mentor for her.
There was a fellow neophyte amongst his followers, a young half-elf, Milo. Milo and Natasha became lovers. Milo represented the bridge between human and non-human, civilization and anarchy for Natasha. She was happy.
But another stinking corrupt human, this time Crime Lord Gaedren Lamm that didn’t like how Milo was organizing the poor. So Lamm organized an accident for Milo. Natasha knows the truth, but can’t prove it. She is soured on humanity and wants revenge.
One of her few human friends is a young Marine in the Sable Guard. They are “hunting” companions. Occasionally they hunt and round up some of the neer-do-wells in the local community and collect the bounty for it.
Those were the first three responses I got from my players. With my first group of PCs in, I started planning, planning leads to writing and well. So began the Crimes of Gaedren Lamm.
Chapter 1: The Butcher of Beggars.
4706 AR
~
Bridgefront, Old Korvosa, Korvosa
For all his bravado on the training grounds, Theron was a coward. The gilded spoon that kept him safe behind the fortress walls kept him green to the trials that would await them on the docks. Leonidas looked over the flyer the guard had posted for the Butcher of Beggars. "Wears a helmet with horns and a butchers apron, Uses a heavy cleaver blade, gaining followers in the slum by feeding his victims to the desperate, thirty-two confirmed murdered beggars, one murdered shopkeeper, 300 Gold Sails."
Leonidas pulled one of the flyers down from the notice board. No one had ever cared about the Butcher's murders until he killed the shopkeeper in Old Korvosa. The thought, like an ember, burned brightly in his mind as he moved through the streets of the Narrows. As the sun set in the bay he was in front of the murdered shopkeeper's home. The orange light echoed the fire that raged in his thoughts as he entered the shop. How many people had the Butcher murdered no one knew about? How many more innocent would have to die before it mattered to people?
Leonidas moved through the hollowed out shell of a shop, looking for anything out of place that might clue him in on why this tailor had been the one the Butcher decided to extend his murderous wrath. The gore thoroughly coated the room in a vulgar display of butchery. Brushing aside the swarming flies, an almost empty rack on the back wall suddenly stood out as he searched the room. The carnage had spared this one rack and as Leonidas looked closer he could see the one uniform left on the rack was pristine in the otherwise freshly "painted" room.
The sudden scream of a woman from the alley behind the shop broke his focus on the lone uniform. Instinct took over as his reflexes fired, drawing his sword and moving him to back door. Without missing a step he kicked it and burst into the alley.
The Beggar's breathing heralded the return of consciousness and pain. The pesh had run its course
returning him to the hell of life and sobriety. It was the strange scent that flooded his burning lungs that
told him she was there. Rose scented perfume covered her stench. Like many of the poor who lived and
worked the streets to fight for one more day, she used the perfume to hide the scent that clung to those
who dwelled in the lower wards of Old Korvosa. He turned to her, power ready to lash out if his
walking stick was not enough.
"Interesting," came her voice full of child-like curiosity. Her pale skin and greasy dark hair marked her
as a night worker. Her face painted to hide blemishes, gave away her profession. She inhaled the scent
that festered from his decaying flesh, sampling the reek as one would a fine wine, "...what do you
have?"
"More than it appears," his mouth tasted of blood. His lungs, accustomed to the acrid air of the pleasure
dens, burned with fire sparked by fresh air. He watched light reflect back from her eyes as she looked
him over. It felt like those of a predator, strangely familiar and accepting.
She smiled as she reached for the copper chain that dangled around her neck, pulling it free and without
fear reached for his gloved hand. She raised it to her face and nuzzled his hand with affection. Through
half-lidded eyes, she whispered in a ghostly voice, "She is looking for you."
The sudden contact shocked him. The touch of another person had become so...foreign. How long had
it been since anyone had touched him in comfort? It distracted him from the shadow that sprung to life
behind her. The sudden loss of her precious touch tore at his soul as she was suddenly, violently torn
away.
Her hand reached for him as she let out a scream before being swallowed in long shadows of the alley.
A glint of light on steel blazed from the darkness that ate her, and a moment later she staggered back
into the light as crimson spilled down the front of her ragged garments.
She dropped to the ground in front of him, boneless as a doll, struggling to meet his eyes with her own
in a last desperate act. She found his gaze as her life drained from her, using her last moment to smile at
him and let him watch her own light flicker away from behind her brown eyes forever.
"Today's Special, two for the price of one!" The figure stepped from the shadow's embrace, long
slender knife dripping blood and gleaming as the light of the world died with the girl on the ground. In
the purple haze of Twilight, the murderous figure rared back as the Beggar gained his feet, the bile in
his throat rising in tandem with his arcane power, ready to strike.
The alleyway door burst open from a shop a dozen feet away, halting both men and drawing their gaze
as the Sable Company Marine stepped into the alley. Like an avenging wraith, his sword was drawn
and ready for violence. His eyes darted between the two and the girl on the ground, judging the scene
in a moment as he leveled his sword at the slender murderer. "Butcher, this is your only warning," The
Marine closed the distance in an instant, locking blades with the murderer, "Drop. Your. Weapon."
The Beggar stepped back from the clashing men and noticed the woman's necklace still in his gloved
hand. Adrenaline flooded his system, its fuel acting a key to the power within and focusing his rage.
The alley lit up for a split second before his fist struck the ground with an arching blow. The flash
coinciding with some forgotten word that sprang from his lips and brought forth a roar of unmaking as
the ground under the murderer exploded, launching him into the air.
“NOOO!” the murderous foe cried as he tumbled to the ground, landing flat on his back. The Beggars
magic suddenly reversed and the world around them pulled itself back together as if nothing had
occurred at all.
The Marine batted away the slashing blade as he kicked the murderer in the gut, “Stay down! Drop the
knife!”
"I am his Herald! I should be there!" Slashing with his blade, the murderer got to his feet holding his
ribs. The Marine parried a half-hearted blow as he moved in, slammed the hilt of his sword into the
masked murderers face with a sundering crack, dropping him to the ground unconscious.
The Beggar leaned against the wall, staring into his palm as the Marine pointed at him with his blade,
“Your name, Sir.”
The Beggar slowly raised his eyes to the Marine as he thought. Silently weighing his options.
Leonidas studied the silent Beggar. The mask and description matched another poster in his pocket. A
vagabond wanted for questioning in the death of a priest. "Your Name."
Slowly the Beggar pulled the mask away, revealing the pus-encrusted sores on a native Shoanti.
Lowering his gaze as he spoke well enough to hide all but the smallest trace of an accent. "Darius. My
name is Darius."
In relief, Leonidas lowered his sword. "Leonidas...Leo." The man was sick, whatever he has was
obviously passed to the priest.
Reaching into his pocket, Leonidas pulled out a signal whistle and blew three times. Nodding at Darius
he smiled, "Let's get some answers."
Darius watched as they loaded the body of the girl on the cart. The smile on her face was still there. A
few feet away Leonidas was talking with the Arbiter as they waited for the murderer to wake up. The
guardsman that had been assigned to watch him comically kept his distance.
The cart pulled away with the fallen angel of the night leaving the rose scent she wore to linger in the
air alone. Darius shifted his gaze back to the necklace. The copper chain was fine. Finer than anything
he had ever seen, barely thicker than a thread. It glinted in the torchlight as he stared at it in his leather
shrouded hand. The clasp at each end of the chain was designed to break away, pulling itself back
together as soon as they came close to each other again. It had but a single charm, a fly cast in copper
no bigger than one of the many that constantly plagued the rotting piles around them. Straining his eyes
in the guardsmen's torchlight he examined the detailed etchings that covered the fly, the face of a skull
had been etched into its body.
“Darius.” the Marine had called out to him. Beckoning him over to join them as the murderer woke up.
The Arbiter examined the scene, letting out a slow sigh. "Private...what drives you to dive into these
messes night after night? I need to bottle it and cram it down the throats of every one of the morons
working in Old Korvosa." His face was mostly covered in the bushy mustache that hung from his lip,
but Leonidas had come to recognize the man's hidden grin.
“I was looking for the Butcher.” Leonidas sighed, “I thought I had him.”
“No, not the Butcher." The Arbiter pulled a glove off the hand of the bound man. "A follower
though...we have run into them before." A red tattoo adorned his arm depicting a demon feasting on the
leg of a man. The Arbiter grunted, "The demon ink always tells us what these cannibals ate on their
first night."
The Arbiter stood and motioned his head toward the Beggar on the wall, “His story?”
Leonidas nodded as he pulled the flyer from his jacket. “Wrong place, wrong time...but he's wanted.”
The Arbiter gave him a puzzled look as he took the warrant, "Do you pocket every flyer?" Leonidas
looked over at Darius on the wall. "He helped me subdue this guy. He is sick with something."
The Arbiter looked at the flyer and looked over at the man. "So Empty over there got the cleric sick and
the old man died? Did they know he was like that? Oh, Crab that!" The Arbiter took the paper and
marked it with his own sigil. "Shouldn't be wasting our time...make sure you claim that, I want it off
the books."
The groan at their feet let them know the murderer was finally awake. "I want to bring Darius in on
this." Leonidas quickly added as they turned to interrogate the prisoner.
“Who? The Empty? Whatever for?” The Arbiter wrinkled his nose, his bushy mustache twitching at the
idea of the plagued man near him.
Leonidas grimaced, "I wouldn't want him breathing on me. In fact, I would probably tell you anything
you want to make him go away." The Arbiter suppressed a chuckle and gave a nod.
Leonidas motioned to the vagabond on the wall to join them, “Darius.”
Darius tucked the necklace into his robes, straightened himself up and transferred his weight to his
walking staff. He slowly hobbled over to the murderer restrained on the ground, debating with himself
over which leg he had limped with previously. If anyone noticed his “limp” had changed, they did not
mention it. Most people simply ignored him and that made things so much easier.
The Arbiter stepped aside, giving him a wide berth, allowing him to get in close with Leonidas. The
Marine had started explaining to the condemned man his short-term future. "...you'll answer, or we will
lock you in a cell to rot to death. You'll only ever see one person." Leonidas paused, flashed a grin up at
Darius as he pointed at him, and turned back to the prisoner. "This man. He'll make your food, bring
you water, talk to you as you go mad. If you're lucky...maybe, just maybe, he will share whatever is
eating away at him with you."
Terror filled the man's face as Darius coughed up some bile and spit it into the gutter,
“No..No..supposed to be at the feast...my time...my time...”
Darius leaned in, the reek of putrid meet filled the nostrils of the murder as his hot, moist breath
caressed the killer's face. “The city is vast, my lords, even the Old Town. Ask him where he made his
home.”
The murderer turned his head away from Darius, questing for fresh air. "Tainted meat! We live as cast
off. In the earth. I was Empty once. Then father Skinshaw took me in, and I learned the value of life,
but even he could not keep me fed. The Butcher saw it in my eyes, the hunger! He took me down in his
shop, and there he had found a way deeper. That is where he found Zura! I was anointed! We are the
precurse to the Return!"
The Arbiter frowned but nodded for them to continue on. Darius grinned under his mask, extending a
pale finger to the man's face. He came up short of touching him, but lead the man's gaze to the tattoo on
his arm, "And where he came by his tattoo."
Manic cackling spilled forth as the murder raved, "My Anointment! My power. All will know. Those
who are blessed wear it. She takes the time, blessing us with kisses from the fangs of Zura."
Leonidas sighed. The lunatic was clearly sinking into his madness. "What did you do with the missing
uniform?" The Marine grabbed him and brought him to his feet, "Where is the man you attempted to
imitate, WHO IS THE REAL BUTCHER?"
The murderer's eye rolled around before locking onto Leonidas. "You know him as Khanduras
Farnham. However, he is but the Butcher's vessel. The uniforms are our own vessels, we dress as meat
to have a kingly feast." The madman's shrieking laughter rang in the air as his last words struck
Leonidas.
“You have plans tonight?" Theron's verbal jab at Leonidas had more punch than the sword blow aimed at
his head. The instructors had taken to pitting the two of them against each other. Few others could
contend with Theron's advanced fencing skills.
Begrudgingly, Leonidas had sought outside help, and weeks ago began attending the Orisini Academy,
to catch up with the noble scion. The lessons had paid off. Combined with the previous experience he
had gained hunting down bounties along the Narrows, he was now more than a match for Theron.
Parrying a strike and sliding his foot into position to trip his opponent, Leonidas grunted, “Hunting.
You should try it."
Theron crashed to the ground and looked back up at him. "Seriously using that dock-worker low
fighting on me again, huh?"
“It worked!" The Sergeant observing them cut Theron off. "Your head's not in this Private. Leonidas is
giving you a proper fight, and you're concerned with a damn party. Again!"
The two cadets took up their positions and began again. "No more cheap stuff," Theron whispered as
they locked blades. "Then maybe you can come with me to the King's party tonight." Leonidas
smiled...and headbutt him.
The first game was today, everything went smooth. The party met Zellara, was a little suspicious but Gaedren needed to die. Applied the Advanced template to all the named villains, and added Cutpurses to beef up the fishery. A combination of bad rolls on my part and good rolls on theirs gave them momentum throughout. One group of kids ran off but a second was coaxed into heading to a player sponsored Orphanage from their background. I dropped a few hints that in the streets things were starting to go bad, but they pressed down into the playpen and to Gaedren.
Spun this different as since I and putting my own spin on it, Gaedren was ready to die and gloating to them he had already won. They pulled two keys off his men that will lead to a vault and the Journal detailing his crimes, and possibly the biggest con job in all of Korvosan history. (more later)
They insisted on taking the broach back to the queen and ended up put up for the night in the barracks. (Except for the Female Elf Noble, she was treated very well along with the last orphan than ran with them through the streets of Korvosa to the castle) Beryl was taken in by the Queen when she learned of her story. Turns out the Queen, has been adopting girls from the orphanage to have the family that the King would not give her. :*(
Rewarded and sent to Guardsman and Kroft. They took the Butcher mission and had an impressive fight with a few more buffed up villains.
I worked in the Mob, Imps, Grau, Prophet, and a slew of rumors.
Next month Eels End. Let me know if you have a question on one of the specific encounters and how it went.
“Domina's Ball," Leonidas said almost in a whisper. The madman grinned. "You're too late." The
Arbiter plucked from his pocket his treasured watch in a practiced flourish. The timepiece was a gift
from the King, for his years of service, and he used any excuse to display it. The twirling gears spun
the arms of the golden gnome on its face into the position of the current time, "Maybe not." The Arbiter
jerked his head and whistled, the guards grabbed the man in his hysterics at the Arbiter's signal,
dragging him away to a cell at Fort Korvosa.
“Which do you want, the Ball or the Butcher's Shop?" The Arbiter pulled a scroll from his greatcoat
and began writing out the warrant. Leonidas looked to Darius, who only nodded, "The Ball." The
Arbiter stopped mid-scratch, looked at Leonidas, and then pointed to Darius with his quill. "Better
clean him up. And hurry." He finished the writ and sealed it with his sigil.
Writ in hand, Leonidas burst back into the shopkeeper's home,"Darius, find what you can for a
costume! You should be able to put something together with whats in here!" The tailor, as Leonidas had
begun to realize, must have been contracted to clean and repair the servant's costumes for the party.
After the murder, no one thought to even look if the costumes for the party were still here.
Darius followed the Marine into the home, surveyed the carnage and decided to try his luck in the
adjacent room. "Much better in here. The Butcher killed this man?" The dressing room had been
untouched in the attack. Pots of makeup, tiny crystalline bottles of perfume, colored wiggs in various
styles, and an assortment of clothing were neatly arranged in here. Masks surrounded the room, each
representing a harrow card from the local varisian fortune tellers. "Yes!" came Leo's short answer from
the other room, distracted by something else. Darius wasted no more time.
Leonidas flipped through the shopkeep's ledger. Like every merchant in Korvosa, his notes were
thorough. A week before his murder, the tailor took the job from House Arkona to clean and repair the
costumes for Domina's Ball. Beside the entry for each costume, the tailor placed his mark when he
completed the work. Fifteen uniforms, with only one left. Closing the book, Leonidas stuffed the last
costume and its accessories into his bag, "Just... in case. DARIUS?!"
Darius stood in the door frame watching Leonidas as he stuffed the costume into his bag, "What do you
think?" With astonishment Leonidas almost drew his sword; this was not the same man from the alley.
Before him stood an Acadamae wizard adorned in flowing purple robes. The familiar scent of rose
perfume filled the air masking much of his stench. The Acadamae necromancers preferred to use the
rose scent to hide the smell of death that constantly surrounded them. His simple walking staff had
been replaced with a faux grand one. A white ash staff stained a deep brown, topped with a bronze
cobra head. Its fangs bared and ready to strike from the top as its body coiled down the rest of the shaft.
"Darius?"
Behind his harrow deck themed black and white duality mask, Darius smiled, "We should get your
uniform."
The Fort Korvosa Stablemaster looked at the writ in horror, “You have got to be kidding me?”
Leonidas, dressed in his parade attire, returned the look with iron determination, “It's happening,
possibly right now, and the fastest way to get to the Castle is on Hippogriff.”
The Stablemaster nodded, "Damn right it is, 'least most of our boys are already there. Word already
going to the Citadel?" They moved across the yard with purpose, Darius trailing behind with a limp,
did his best to keep up.
Leonidas slung himself up into the saddle and reached down for Darius, "The Arbiter sent word to
them. He is going to the Butcher's shop. I told the gate to send anyone they could to back him up
there."
The Stablemaster stepped away from the aged Hippogriff and saluted Leonidas, "Let her take you
there, she knows the way, it's her sole job these days."
Leonidas glided his hand across the grey tipped feathers along the hippogriff neck, then pulled the
reigns back. The elderly mount reared back as its wings beat once, blasting dust from around the pad.
When they pumped the second time, she kicked them off the ground and pushed them into the sky with
a leap. With wind under her wings again she let out a cry as the rose into the night, then took them
south to the Castle.
South Shore greeted the morning of Domina's Ball in its typical nouveau riche fashion. Servants darted
from their homes in early morning runs to the markets of Midland to prepare for the daylong
preparation their pampered lords and ladies would need to meet the King and Queen. The masquerade
ball would draw every coin-heavy house to its extravagance.
However, on a small block overlooking the Conquerer's Bay, the cities elven nobility moved at a pace
born of those who lived much longer lives. Here, the rebuilt home of Lady Anastraina stood with the
other families who had endured the long night after Aroden's death and the madness that engulfed the
city in its wake.
The overgrown vine that crawled up the side of her whitewashed home had bloomed in small yellow
flowers. It's fragrance sweetened the air around the house's pristine garden that made up a majority of
her estate.
Valentin, disturbed from morning tea, strode to the front door from the kitchen. Roksana was elbow
deep in making the morning breakfast, just smiled at him when someone had set the front chime off. He
winced as it rang again. The damnable contraption was liable to wake Lady Anastriana or at the very
least her companion. Humans need for immediate satisfaction had created more problems than they
could ever recognize with such a limited view of time. He paused a second longer at the door to
straighten his jacket and opened the door as the impatient human had started to ring a third time. "Lord
Bard," Valentin chaffed at calling this human lord, at best he was a tenth of his age, "the Lady has not
greeted the day as yet. Would you mind waiting in the parlor?"
Lord Nicolas Bard flashed his killer smile, "Of course my good man. Today is going to be a good day."
Lord Bard flippantly handed the elven servant his hat and set his cane inside the stand by the door.
Valentin turned back to the man just in time as he shuffled out of his embroidered jacket, catching it
before it hit the ground. The nobleman inhaled the butter-rich aroma that pulled into the room from the
kitchen, "That smell! Has Roksana finished her pastries yet?"
Valentine hung the lord's jacket just as he took his first steps toward the kitchen, "My Lord, the parlor is
this way."
So, I ended up with a small book if backstory. I am going to collect it all and put it in a pdf. Coming SOON (TM).
Prefix: No one will claim the Harrow Deck. Everyone has started seeing visions of Zellara trying to warn them of coming danger.
Started off the game one week later. Dealing with the Hellknights and a rowdy group of protesters when an Otyugh burst through the street. Failed stench rolls, nausea, and combat followed. There is a whole lot of sick people and a dead Otyugh.
They returned to the Citadel to clean up and were introduced to Vencarlo Orisini and the issue with the Cheliaxian Ambassador. They change into undercover gear and head to Eel's End. Vencarlo is charming, slowly but surely winning over the group. Notably informed on them and refreshingly honest with his opinions. He respectfully parts ways with them and promises to meet them again.
Eel's End becomes incredibly straight forward. The Sorcerer heads to the Dragon, and they leave him there for the duration. The Investigator the House of Clouds, spending some time with the Madam Halvara.
Most stay on the deck of the Eel waiting for the King of Spiders to see them.
Amra stays outside "on watch" while the group enters to negotiate the deal.
Lady Natasha and Leo do most of the talking, interrupted by the plea of Majenko and
the sudden return of Giggles.
Devargo is "pleased" they have come to see him and ask if they still have the keys taken from Geadren. They do (no one looked into what they went too). Devargo will give them the Information for the keys. The group quickly decides it is worth trading the keys away and Devargo goes below to get the information, telling them to play Knivies with the boys while he is away.
They talk with Majenko, while the boys explain the game and Giggles and Burl stare each other down.
They trade the keys. Then offer the coins exchange for Majenko. Devargo at first declines, but decides that if one of the player will fight his pets in Majenko's place, then he will accept the coins for the Drake. Amra is brought in and while he ends up with numb arms he wins and Devargo throws them out. Mission Accomplished.
Part two soon...
One of the major benefits of being on Eel's End deck for a majority of the negotiations with the King of Spiders were the rumors of Rolth Lamm's secret hideaway Amra uncovered. His hideout deep in the Grey District was the best lead the group had in finding the missing grandson of the Shoanti leader.
They journey deep into the district and with the Doctor's knowledge of the area found the monolith that supposedly marked Rolth's home. Searching the area they discovered tracks leading back to a nearby crypt. The broken seal on the door hinted at current activity and slowly they descended into the darkness.
A quick battle against skeletal guardians slowed them for a minute before they discovered a secret passage and decided to slowly move through the cramped tunnels. They came out once again into a long hall and slowly filed out of the cramped tunnel. As about half of them exited the skeletal face at the far end of the hall unleashed a torrent of acid. Then snake bodied skeletons broke from the boned lined walls and attacked them.
Just as the last skeleton crumbled a small dark skinned creature darted to the end of the hall and triggers the acid trap once again. The creature laughed and a swarm of stirges quickly filled the room to the groans of the heroes.
The battles had drained them somewhat, but they had now captured the creature. The Derro was half insane but the Doctor used his linguistics to decipher enough to learn that Rolth had left earlier to retrieve a “new girl” for his experiments.
Confident they had discovered the villains hideout, they now just sought out Geakhen's remains. Bursting into the next room, they discovered a plethora of alchemy equipment producing drugs for Lamm's operation. Curiously they also discovered four large tubes, ancient in design, three of which had been drained with the fourth containing a youthful looking half-orc.
As they examined it, Burl recognized the half-orc as a younger looking Giggles. They forced their captive to lead them to Rolth's room. Which he did, leading them up to confront Rolth's Derro apprentice.
Pelted to defeat by Natasha's arrows the apprentice was soon captured himself. Not even the intervention of Rolth's “Son” Cabbagehead, could save him. They took everything they could carry of value, deactivated the carrion golem, and retrieved the body of Gaekhen.
They took the derro prisoner and returned the body to Thousand Bones. Thousand Bones, disappointed in the fate of his grandson and fearing the stability of the city, orders his people leave the city peace. He then charges Amra with bringing vengeance to Rolth, handing him his grandson's spear to put in the Necromancer's heart.
Getting the derro to the citadel they hear rumors of someone being identified as the King's murderer. Finally getting to Croft she take the derro and then redirects them to the accused, Trinia Sabor, last known address.
They cut through the streets avoiding the mob and as they reach the neighborhood they quickly discover the people are helping her escape. Moving past the protectors they begin to chase her across the rooftops when Darius uses his abilities to leap ahead and convince her they are here to help her escape. A ghoul touch later and she is on her way back to the Citadel.
After getting her secured, Leonidas and the Doctor decide to go take another look at her apartment when the details on the woman begin to seem off. Natasha heads off to check on her wards in the Orphanage and the rest of the heroes decide to stay and keep watch on the prisoner.
The Marine and the Doctor begin getting good info after bribing a imp that lives in the shingles of Trinia's apartment. Discovering there is little to imply the woman is any kind of assassin. A Leonidas uses his magical link to speak with his sister, he discovers that the “new girl” Rolth was after was her. A few back and forth with the villain a Leonidas and Doctor hurry off to try and save her.
Natasha discovers that many of the female orphans she brought in have already been adopted. The boys however are excited to see her and the orphanage as a whole celebrates the magical spoon she turns over to the matron.
Word reaches the Queen that Trinia is in the Citadel and a contingent of Hellknights and Guardsmen, all female arrive to take her into custody, lead by the Queen's cousin, Ges Prophyria, recently arrived from Cheliax.
The situation continues to escalate and Darius attempts to charm Ges, provoking the readied Hellknight. Despite the wound Darius spell goes off and Ges, deflates the engagement, but insist on moving Trinia to the Castle Dungeon. He agrees to allow the heroes to keep her company there as a compromise. They agree to the compromise and are escorted to Castle Korvosa.
At the gates they are informed that they will not be allowed to take any of their gear in and must surrender it if they wish to continue. Burl, decides to keep vigilance outside and volunteers to keep the groups items. As they enter he begins beseeching Torag to guidance.
Leonidas and the Doctor find his sister alive but drugged on her bed, a small key-dagger sticking out of her mouth. The Doctor checks her vitals and discovers the paralytic poison will wear off in time but that they should move her someplace safe. They start to go to Natasha's home, when Rolth breaks in on the conversation, listening in through the device that allowed Lyandra to listen to her brother across the city. Leonidas realizing the problem drops the device in a draw and they leave. Returning to the Citadel. Once there, they discover Croft consulting with Orisini, realizing the problem Orisini agrees to take Lyandra into hiding. Still unable to talk, she nodes her understanding to Leonidas.
Natasha soon arrives and is informed of the threat of Rolth on her own home. They quickly head there.
Outside the Castle, a guard brings Burl a plate of food. He looks it over and hears the clang of an anvil ringing from the heavens. “They must leave or become trapped, do not accept food from the Castle. If they stay nothing can be done for three days.”
Burl stands and demands one of his friends be brought out. Gitar exits and talks with him. The cell is spacious for them all inside the only strangeness is the incense burners filling the place with something Darius identified as Flayleaf. Burl passes the message about becoming trapped. Gitar returns inside and relaying the message, only Darius agrees to stay, knowing the risk.
Once back outside the gates, Leonidas arrives with horses, they must go into hiding as now, Rolth is hunting them.