| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Hi y'all! I'm new to posting on the forums, but I have read the forums here and the Rise GMs Discord server for a while, and I thought I would post a campaign journal here. We started in December, but due to some scheduling difficulties will only be having our second session this week.
The Party:
First off, my party is comprised of a former RotR DM, a former RotR player, and a newcomer to Pathfinder 1e and to PF Adventure Paths. In addition to this, we are playing a gestalt campaign, so everyone has full progression in two classes. My players started with a high fantasy point buy, and they were given relatively free reign to design their characters and backstory, as we are all relatively experienced with TTRPGs, and I love weird and very specific character designs.
Everyone talked about their builds while they were making choices, and after bouncing ideas off of each other for a while we arrived at the following characters:
Anore Deipolonius- Tiefling Alchemist (Gun/Mind Chemist)/Wizard (Void Elementalist):
Anore is an outgoing goat/lizard/machine combo person who has been living in Sandpoint for about a month. They recently lost their mentor, and have struck out on their own hoping to make their fortune as an adventurer. They made the acquaintance of Ameiko Kaijitsu on their travels, and have become decently close on finding her again in Sandpoint. At Ameiko's suggestion, Anore has begun to take commission from a local alchemist, Nisk Tander of Bottled Solutions. They carry a paddlefoot pistol, which is their bonded item as a wizard, and their mechanized raptor legs and Baphomet-looking horns would cut an intimidating figure were it not for the blithe, bubbly aura they exude at all times.
Anore is an outgoing goat/lizard/machine combo person who has been living in Sandpoint for about a month. They recently lost their mentor, and have struck out on their own hoping to make their fortune as an adventurer. They made the acquaintance of Ameiko Kaijitsu on their travels, and have become decently close on finding her again in Sandpoint. At Ameiko's suggestion, Anore has begun to take commission from a local alchemist, Nisk Tander of Bottled Solutions. They carry a paddlefoot pistol, which is their bonded item as a wizard, and their mechanized raptor legs and Baphomet-looking horns would cut an intimidating figure were it not for the blithe, bubbly aura they exude at all times.
Wither- Ghoran Lich-Cursed Oracle of Bones (Spirit Guide)/Antipaladin (Dread Vanguard):
Wither grew up in Nex, living under subjugation by other races as a food source. They learned to fight and eventually fled to Geb, where they met a cleric of Ashava, who provided them aid and taught them an appreciation of living and undead creatures. They arrived in Sandpoint about a week ago, while on a pilgrimage to the seat of Ashava's worship. They are quite tall and most closely resemble a dead tree, but their flesh, which they are surprisingly obliging to give to others to eat, is apparently very tasty.
Wither grew up in Nex, living under subjugation by other races as a food source. They learned to fight and eventually fled to Geb, where they met a cleric of Ashava, who provided them aid and taught them an appreciation of living and undead creatures. They arrived in Sandpoint about a week ago, while on a pilgrimage to the seat of Ashava's worship. They are quite tall and most closely resemble a dead tree, but their flesh, which they are surprisingly obliging to give to others to eat, is apparently very tasty.
Dr. Lucendi Quink (Lucy, Cindy, and Dr. Quink)- Human, Eidolon, and Weasel Unchained Summoner (Soulbound/Twinned Summoner)/Sorcerer:
At first blush, Dr. Lucendi Quink is the most normal of the three party members by far. Looking more closely, however, will reveal that there are three of her, and one of those hers is a weasel. The niece of local Thassilon expert Brodert Quink, Dr. Lucendi Quink (triplicate) was a specialist in Thassilonian runes of virtue researching how to transfer runic benefits into magic tattoos when something went awry, dividing their consciousness among three bodies (one of which is a weasel magic tattoo). She likes her uncle, but wants to distance herself from his eccentricities in academia and establish herself as an academe in her own right.
At first blush, Dr. Lucendi Quink is the most normal of the three party members by far. Looking more closely, however, will reveal that there are three of her, and one of those hers is a weasel. The niece of local Thassilon expert Brodert Quink, Dr. Lucendi Quink (triplicate) was a specialist in Thassilonian runes of virtue researching how to transfer runic benefits into magic tattoos when something went awry, dividing their consciousness among three bodies (one of which is a weasel magic tattoo). She likes her uncle, but wants to distance herself from his eccentricities in academia and establish herself as an academe in her own right.
I'll be posting the details of session 1 shortly. I am quite new to DMing and daunted by both the breadth of the AP and balancing combat for a gestalt party. I plan to utilize Joey Virtue's guide to encounters for 4- to 6-man parties, as well as some CR adjustment resources by Askar Avari, but I welcome advice and feedback on my game! I hope y'all have a fun time reading my journal. (￣▽￣)ノ
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hello! I'll be posting a cleaned-up, prose-y version of my session notes for all of session 1, though if this format is grating or overly long
or repetitious of the AP text, I can abridge it.
Session 1: The Swallowtail Festival:
As the crowds file in to Sandpoint on the morning of the Swallowtail Festival, a new resident of town, Anore Deipolonius, greets one of the Festival's many pilgrims, Dr. Lucendi Quink. They talk pleasantries, wave to the volunteer gravetender, Wither, peeking over the city gate as they work, and part to prepare for the Festival. The festival begins as normal, though during Sheriff Hemlock's moment of silence in memoriam of the Late Unpleasantness, a slightly tardy Anore recognizes Lucendi, who had happened upon and introduced herself to Wither, and makes a little bit of a ruckus getting through the crowd to greet them. The festivities begin, and Anore, Wither, and Lucy go their separate ways, playing games and mingling with NPCs. Anore in particular wins two tickets to Cyrdrak Drokkus' upcoming play The Harpy Queen while defending Lucy's honor from Drokkus, who had heckled her from the inside of a dunk tank. Anore tries to invite Lucy to come with her, but is rebuffed, as Lucy intends not to stay in town long after the festival. They resolve to invite Wither when they next see them. Most of the festival goes without incident, the players winning small mementos and having some short, friendly interactions with Aneka Avertin, Cyrdrak, and Ameiko Kaijitsu throughout the afternoon. Father Zantus moves to call people back together toward sunset, and the screams begin as he activates his Thunder Stone, per the book.
As the crowds file in to Sandpoint on the morning of the Swallowtail Festival, a new resident of town, Anore Deipolonius, greets one of the Festival's many pilgrims, Dr. Lucendi Quink. They talk pleasantries, wave to the volunteer gravetender, Wither, peeking over the city gate as they work, and part to prepare for the Festival. The festival begins as normal, though during Sheriff Hemlock's moment of silence in memoriam of the Late Unpleasantness, a slightly tardy Anore recognizes Lucendi, who had happened upon and introduced herself to Wither, and makes a little bit of a ruckus getting through the crowd to greet them. The festivities begin, and Anore, Wither, and Lucy go their separate ways, playing games and mingling with NPCs. Anore in particular wins two tickets to Cyrdrak Drokkus' upcoming play The Harpy Queen while defending Lucy's honor from Drokkus, who had heckled her from the inside of a dunk tank. Anore tries to invite Lucy to come with her, but is rebuffed, as Lucy intends not to stay in town long after the festival. They resolve to invite Wither when they next see them. Most of the festival goes without incident, the players winning small mementos and having some short, friendly interactions with Aneka Avertin, Cyrdrak, and Ameiko Kaijitsu throughout the afternoon. Father Zantus moves to call people back together toward sunset, and the screams begin as he activates his Thunder Stone, per the book.
It became clear very quickly that three gestalt characters were not reasonably challenged by a handful of normal goblins. Wither, our ghoran antipaladin/oracle, and one goblin went back and forth whiffing on each other for several turns, each unable to land against the other's AC, while Anore, our gunslinging alchemist/wizard, exploded a small cluster of unconscious goblins when she missed a conscious target with her gun, that had been empowered with an explosive extract. Lucy, our summoner/sorcerer, meanwhile, red-misted every gob in her way, earning her the nickname The Spear from another player (and, surely, the admiring public, as the party's heroic deeds spread through the Sandpoint grapevine).
The party arrived at the north gate as Aldern's hunting dog fell unconscious and began dying from her injuries. The fight was over very quickly, as all the players just dealt way more damage than any enemy on the board could handle, and most were killed by AOO's. I will be increasing the CR of encounters going forward with resources from folks like Joey Virtue and Askar Avari, because like. I know the goblins are supposed to be kind of weak lil guys who are supposed to be more an introduction to the flavor of tabletop combat rather than an actual threat, but my god. I think only one character got hit at all during all three encounters, and then only for two or three damage. My players all are more tactics-minded than I tend to be, and I want to make sure I can foster an appropriately challenging experience for them.
Because the combat was so short, Wither had time to cast cure light wounds on Aldern's dog before she failed the remainder of her CON saves, and she revived and resumed happily circling her master (Her name is Cinnamon, she recognizes and likes the party, and she is a russet-colored hunting dog bred to retrieve waterfowl, not to fight or hunt terrestrial game, though Aldern has brought her on boar hunts on more than one occasion. I have Big Plans for this dog in Book 2. Big Plans.). Aldern was very impressed by the display of mercenary prowess he witnessed from behind the horse cart, particularly by the efficiency of Dr. Quink's spearwork. Upon hearing that the party most likely will be going their separate ways after the Festival, he implores that they stay in town long enough for him to repay them for saving his life. He offers to bring them to the Sandpoint Theater to see The Harpy Queen as a starting gift, which Anore and Wither graciously accept (Lucendi slightly less so, but only slightly. She is too polite to say his eagerness to be around them is offputting to her). Hearing that the party already has two tickets, he instead offers to buy them some more high-society theater-appropriate clothes, and takes off, elated at the prospect of picking their brains on adventuring over a tailoring session.
As the party is appraising themselves and their surroundings, they notice that the north gate in to Sandpoint is shut. Wondering how the goblins got in, they return to the main festival grounds, where they find Ameiko, somewhat frazzled and ready to bash some heads with her shamisen. She notices Anore first, as she and they were already acquaintances, but greets the other two warmly as well. She leaves again quickly to search for people to lend aid to. The party pieces together that the goblins they fought should mostly have arrived from the east, past the Cathedral. However, when they visit the east gate, guards tell them that they had not seen goblins at all until after the seige had begun. Wandering north along the inside of the city walls in search of the point of ingress, they enter the Boneyard, where they find Wither's groundskeeping work in tatters. Much of the cemetery had been trampled by many miniature pairs of feet. Looking around more closely as Wither despairs over the destruction of their work, Anore notices the top of a ladder on the wrong side of the walls, from which the sets of footprints began. The party resolves to report the presence of the ladder to the city guard in the morning, and to acquire housing for Lucy for the night.
Overall, the players seemed to really like the session, despite the fact that combat was.... a little goofy, to say the least. I'm glad that they seemed to have decent in-character chemistry with each other, and that the two who had played Rise before (Anore and Dr. Quink's players) enjoyed and were surprised by various NPC encounters despite their familiarity with Sandpoint.
Moving forward, I plan to make certain changes to villain tactics and motivations, to keep the experienced players from relying too much on meta knowledge and keep the new player from being too far behind, knowledge-wise. I have already made some changes to Sandpoint's cast of characters and to Nualia's seige tactics that I will detail in a later post.
As before, I hope y'all have a nice time reading my journal, and I look forward to updating you later! ৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻)
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Entry 3: Session 2: Family Reunion
Hello again! My original intention was to make sessions 2 and 3 one post, as they were both quite short, but halfway through writing them I realized how roleplay-heavy they both were and made them two posts again. Sorry about the delay! It will happen again.
Getting Lucy A Place to Stay:
The session began in the immediate aftermath of the Swallowtail Festival, and the party decided that they would go to the Sheriff to report the discovery of the ladder in the morning. In the meantime, they would head to the Rusty Dragon to get a room for Lucy, who had not secured accommodations before the festival started. Anore was friends with Ameiko and hoped she would have a room open.
The Rusty Dragon was abuzz with activity when they arrived, full mostly of festivalgoers treating bruises and commiserating about torn clothes and curtailed conversations. When Ameiko spotted the party, she welcomed them heartily, introducing them to the patrons as heroes who killed many of the goblins that night. Anore told Ameiko that she was looking for a room for Lucy, and Ameiko had Berthana set the party up with their last open room (discreetly letting the party know that for the next week they each have free room and board, if they want). After sharing some food and some stories about the evening, Wither and Anore depart, leaving Lucy in her new room.
The Rusty Dragon was abuzz with activity when they arrived, full mostly of festivalgoers treating bruises and commiserating about torn clothes and curtailed conversations. When Ameiko spotted the party, she welcomed them heartily, introducing them to the patrons as heroes who killed many of the goblins that night. Anore told Ameiko that she was looking for a room for Lucy, and Ameiko had Berthana set the party up with their last open room (discreetly letting the party know that for the next week they each have free room and board, if they want). After sharing some food and some stories about the evening, Wither and Anore depart, leaving Lucy in her new room.
Lucy’s Morning:
When Lucy woke up, she headed downstairs and had breakfast (an impractically large pancake heaped with eggs and sausage). She overheard some guests having an argument about a supposed “secret room” somewhere in the Rusty Dragon. The existence of the room was at no point in question, and the nature of the argument was rather more fanciful. One guest insisted that the room was used to house nobility and dignitaries visiting town; another thought that it was reserved for Ameiko’s secret lover. A third chimed in, saying both viewpoints were stupid, because of course, the real reason no one has seen the secret room is that it is haunted, for years ago a merchant was said to have swallowed a Bead of Force in one of these rooms, and that his spirit now lingers in the room he died. Lucy found such speculations to be goofy and continued eating her breakfast unperturbed.
Wither’s Morning:
Wither sleeps in the cathedral for free in exchange for their labor in the Boneyard. Their night and early morning consisted of prayer to Ashava and to the moon. When the morning came, they were surprised to find something outside their door, a tiny handmade birdcage that they narrowly avoided stepping on. Exquisitely crafted from sticks and pine needles, it had been left with no note. Wither knew they were the first one awake at this hour, and saw no birdcages at the other acolytes’ doors. Failing consecutive Kn: Local and Sense Motive checks, Wither concluded that persons unknown had left the cage as a threat (the quality of the craftsmanship surely showing the earnestness of these people’s hatred). They left the cathedral, half-panicked, and sprinted to a friend’s house.
Anore’s Morning:
Anore typically wakes up long before the rest of the town is awake. During this time, they spend time on their alchemy work, as a new supplier for Nisk Tander’s Bottled Solutions. Hurried knocking on their door interrupted their concentration, and they opened the door to find Wither. “Anore,” they said, producing the birdcage, “I’m sorry to be doing this in the middle of an investigation, but it seems I have people after me, and I have to-- I need to get out of town.”
Anore quickly ascertained the true nature of the situation and told Wither the birdcage was probably a gift. Wither rapidly regained their composure in light of this news. Anore reassured them further: “Besides, the people in this town are generally quite nice, no one really goes around threatening people here.”
No sooner had Anore said this than the door to their apartment slammed open, and Nisk Tander lurched in, leaning heavily on the doorframe. Anore sent Wither off to meet with Lucy at the Rusty Dragon before dealing with their boss. Nisk was asking after an alchemical reagent that Anore did not remember him commissioning them for, and he seemed extremely agitated, having turned over half his office looking for it. Nisk blanched when Anore told him they hadn’t received an order from him. Clearly beginning to sweat, he told Anore not to worry about the commission, and that he surely must have given the order to Hannah Valerin, instead, and dismissed them, apologizing for the disruption.
Such interactions between Anore and Nisk were not uncommon. He was a disorganized man, and quite regularly he would discover that his potions were cross-contaminated, or that he had failed to take a solution off of heat for several hours and filled his home with noxious fumes, or other such mistakes that he would require another alchemist’s help with. This morning, however, was the most panicked Anore had seen their boss by far. They decided to let Nisk handle whatever it was on his own, though, and Anore finished the work they had been doing before the interruptions.
Anore quickly ascertained the true nature of the situation and told Wither the birdcage was probably a gift. Wither rapidly regained their composure in light of this news. Anore reassured them further: “Besides, the people in this town are generally quite nice, no one really goes around threatening people here.”
No sooner had Anore said this than the door to their apartment slammed open, and Nisk Tander lurched in, leaning heavily on the doorframe. Anore sent Wither off to meet with Lucy at the Rusty Dragon before dealing with their boss. Nisk was asking after an alchemical reagent that Anore did not remember him commissioning them for, and he seemed extremely agitated, having turned over half his office looking for it. Nisk blanched when Anore told him they hadn’t received an order from him. Clearly beginning to sweat, he told Anore not to worry about the commission, and that he surely must have given the order to Hannah Valerin, instead, and dismissed them, apologizing for the disruption.
Such interactions between Anore and Nisk were not uncommon. He was a disorganized man, and quite regularly he would discover that his potions were cross-contaminated, or that he had failed to take a solution off of heat for several hours and filled his home with noxious fumes, or other such mistakes that he would require another alchemist’s help with. This morning, however, was the most panicked Anore had seen their boss by far. They decided to let Nisk handle whatever it was on his own, though, and Anore finished the work they had been doing before the interruptions.
Sheriff Hemlock and the Boneyard:
Anore found Lucy and Wither at the Rusty Dragon. Lucy had just finished convincing Wither that they couldn’t possibly know whether the birdcage was a gift or an omen without knowing who sent it, and Wither was visibly stressed by this. When the party arrived at the garrison, Sheriff Hemlock was just leaving. “Ah, you three, what luck, I was hoping to run into you. What can the garrison help you with?”
The three apprised him of the ladder situation in the Boneyard, and Belor frowned. “That’s concerning, since I got a report from Father Zantus last night that the crypt had been broken into.” The party and the sheriff got each other up-to-date as they walked: Father Zantus and the acolytes noticed the vandalism to the crypt about two hours after midnight (while the party was at the Rusty Dragon), and Wither remembered that that evening the cathedral was unusually quiet, the acolytes whispering to each other instead of talking normally. They only caught snippets of conversation, but they heard “crypt” and “burning” come up several times.
The three apprised him of the ladder situation in the Boneyard, and Belor frowned. “That’s concerning, since I got a report from Father Zantus last night that the crypt had been broken into.” The party and the sheriff got each other up-to-date as they walked: Father Zantus and the acolytes noticed the vandalism to the crypt about two hours after midnight (while the party was at the Rusty Dragon), and Wither remembered that that evening the cathedral was unusually quiet, the acolytes whispering to each other instead of talking normally. They only caught snippets of conversation, but they heard “crypt” and “burning” come up several times.
The party arrived at the Boneyard, and Sheriff Hemlock hangs behind to take a closer look at the ladder as the party gets to investigating the crypt. Inside, they find one casket opened, and two skeletons inside, wielding broken scimitars.
Investigating the Crypt:
The party killed one of the skeletons, and Wither commanded the other. Once the two skeletons were neutralized, Belor returned to the crypt. The party found the robe of bones inside, and Hemlock told them a little about Ezakien Tobyn and the Late Unpleasantness (that Father Tobyn was the previous priest, that he perished along with his daughter in the chapel fire, and that he was buried here while Nualia’s remains were presumed destroyed). He also let them know that on closer inspection of the ladder, it is one of many made specially for the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce as a housewarming gift for new storefronts. Most businesses in Sandpoint have at least one. Sheriff Hemlock soon departed for the garrison, but the party spent a little more time looking around: they discovered that the skeleton Wither had dominated was able to be re-absorbed into the Robe of Bones, and after a while longer, they followed after the Sheriff.
Return to the Garrison & Meeting Brodert:
The party could hear a small altercation even before they could see the garrison. They caught up with Sheriff Hemlock as he arrived on the scene: one of his guards was trying, unsuccessfully, to mollify an elderly man (Dr. Brodert Quink, though the whole party didn’t know that yet) who was beating his fists against the guard’s chest. He soon fled into the garrison, slamming the door. Lucy, recognizing her uncle, immediately took her leave. Wither and Anore were unaware of who Brodert was, other than that he was an eccentric living near the beach, and offered their assistance to the Sheriff in getting him out.
Brodert was relatively hostile when he opened the door. He insisted to the Sheriff that he would not leave until the garrison agreed to start a search party. It sounded like he thought a little girl had been carried off by goblins, until Wither asked what the girl’s name was, and he responded, affronted, Doctor Lucendi Quink. It took a moment for the party to connect the dots to Lucy, but when they and relayed this to Brodert, offering to take him to see her, he opened the door on his own and stepped out.
Brodert was relatively hostile when he opened the door. He insisted to the Sheriff that he would not leave until the garrison agreed to start a search party. It sounded like he thought a little girl had been carried off by goblins, until Wither asked what the girl’s name was, and he responded, affronted, Doctor Lucendi Quink. It took a moment for the party to connect the dots to Lucy, but when they and relayed this to Brodert, offering to take him to see her, he opened the door on his own and stepped out.
Bringing Brodert to Lucendi:
Wither and Anore offered to take Mr. Quink off the sheriff’s hands, and he accepted, a bit embarrassed for having put another task on them. Wither and Anore chatted a little with Brodert on the way to Lucy’s, and he apologized for his outburst at the garrison, saying that something he could not abide is people thinking he didn’t know what he was talking about, and when a guard had laughed at the idea that someone could have been kidnapped by this troop of goblins, he lost his temper. The three eventually arrived at the Rusty Dragon, and Lucy was surprised to find that Brodert seemed to think she was taller and more grown-up than she had been when last he saw her. The two had an awkward reunion, and then they went downstairs to have soup before sending Brodert home.
I’ll be posting Session 3’s summary soon, along with an appendix talking about what’s different in my campaign about a few NPCs, items, and locations. Talk to you later!
૮ • ﻌ - ა
Oh, I'm excited to see more!
Quests Received!:
While Brodert and Lucy were catching up upstairs, Anore was inspecting the commissions board and pulled down two that had caught her eye.
Missing Ring- 20G: 20 Gold and a 10% discount at the Vinders’ General Store to anyone who can find my wife’s ring. Suspected stolen by goblins during raid. Available to talk during store hours.
Attached beneath the commission was a very crude drawing of a wedding band. Aside from the fact that the stone is dark-colored, you cannot discern any other identifying information about the ring.
Missing Ring- 20G: 20 Gold and a 10% discount at the Vinders’ General Store to anyone who can find my wife’s ring. Suspected stolen by goblins during raid. Available to talk during store hours.
Attached beneath the commission was a very crude drawing of a wedding band. Aside from the fact that the stone is dark-colored, you cannot discern any other identifying information about the ring.
plese help! URGENT!!: I think ther is a ghoast in the Valdemar hous. Meat at midday in the Markt hopsquairs (TOP SECRET)
The paper this commission was written on seems to be a page torn from a child’s school workbook. It was written in the hand of someone barely learning to spell, but oddly, URGENT and TOP SECRET were spelled correctly. No reward was listed.
Anore Meets the Vinders:
Anore and Wither soon left the Rusty Dragon, Anore to start their commissions, and Wither to go wander the town a little before returning to the Cathedral for the consecration.
Anore went to the Sandpoint General Store, and inside was a very friendly Shayliss Vinder. She asked them how they’re doing, whether they come here often (Shayliss quickly realized this was a mistake-- she knows that Anore comes to the General Store twice a week for raw alchemy materials), what was different about them that day, etc. laying on very thick that she was flirting. Anore completely stonewalled her. They asked her where her dad was, and Shayliss said that he was probably out around the back, but that her mom had not mentioned to her that the ring was missing. Anore thanked her for the information and turned to leave, but Shayliss stopped them, outright telling them that she is attempting to seduce them. Anore asked Shayliss to repeat herself, pretending not to have heard the first time, and Shayliss, having lost too much confidence, deflated and said it was nothing. Anore then successfully left the General Store, remarking to themselves on how nice the people of Sandpoint are.
Later, Anore finds Ven pacing in the alley behind the General Store. He tells them that he and Solsta are pretty sure she had her ring that morning, and that they did not remember the exact time she lost it. He insisted that it was a certainty that a goblin had pickpocketed her regardless. When Anore asked how he could be sure of that, Ven lost his temper, telling them to just focus on finding the damn ring. He quickly apologized for the outburst, and he told Anore that he was worried because Solsta had been spending more and more time away from the shops and was instead talking to the Avertin mother (Alma Avertin, of Sandpoint Savories). Anore gleaned that he was concerned with his wife’s fidelity. They assured him they would find Solsta’s ring and return it, and left.
Anore went to the Sandpoint General Store, and inside was a very friendly Shayliss Vinder. She asked them how they’re doing, whether they come here often (Shayliss quickly realized this was a mistake-- she knows that Anore comes to the General Store twice a week for raw alchemy materials), what was different about them that day, etc. laying on very thick that she was flirting. Anore completely stonewalled her. They asked her where her dad was, and Shayliss said that he was probably out around the back, but that her mom had not mentioned to her that the ring was missing. Anore thanked her for the information and turned to leave, but Shayliss stopped them, outright telling them that she is attempting to seduce them. Anore asked Shayliss to repeat herself, pretending not to have heard the first time, and Shayliss, having lost too much confidence, deflated and said it was nothing. Anore then successfully left the General Store, remarking to themselves on how nice the people of Sandpoint are.
Later, Anore finds Ven pacing in the alley behind the General Store. He tells them that he and Solsta are pretty sure she had her ring that morning, and that they did not remember the exact time she lost it. He insisted that it was a certainty that a goblin had pickpocketed her regardless. When Anore asked how he could be sure of that, Ven lost his temper, telling them to just focus on finding the damn ring. He quickly apologized for the outburst, and he told Anore that he was worried because Solsta had been spending more and more time away from the shops and was instead talking to the Avertin mother (Alma Avertin, of Sandpoint Savories). Anore gleaned that he was concerned with his wife’s fidelity. They assured him they would find Solsta’s ring and return it, and left.
Wither Meets Aneka:
Wither, meandering through town on the way back to the Cathedral, happens across Sandpoint Savories. They are just about to pass the bakery when Aneka Avertin rushes out behind them and stops them. She hands them a loaf of bread, thanking them on behalf of her family for their work during the Swallowtail Festival. Wither thanks her for the gift and promptly places Aneka’s beautifully-baked loaf of rainbow challah in their Food Sack (a loose assortment of wet and dry foodstuffs, just kind of mashed together. Wither calls it their “trail mix”).
As they are heading to leave, Aneka stops them again. “If it isn’t too much trouble,” she says, leaning closer and dropping into a whisper, “could we chat again? I’d like to talk with your friends about something.” The two decide to meet after the play, in the Rusty Dragon. Wither bids her farewell and continues on their rambling through the town.
As they are heading to leave, Aneka stops them again. “If it isn’t too much trouble,” she says, leaning closer and dropping into a whisper, “could we chat again? I’d like to talk with your friends about something.” The two decide to meet after the play, in the Rusty Dragon. Wither bids her farewell and continues on their rambling through the town.
Lucy Returns to the Garrison:
Lucy remembered that she had not gone back to the garrison with Sheriff Hemlock to answer the questions his boys had about her and the rest of the party, so during her morning, she made her way across town to talk with him. She instead found the garrison’s clerk, who nearly fell over himself trying to greet her. Sheriff Hemlock noticed the commotion and introduced Lucy to the guards present. He tried to give the clerk the opportunity to ask some of the questions about the party that the garrison had, but the clerk’s nervousness and Lucy’s limited knowledge of the rest of the party’s lives resulted in very little information conveyed relative to how uncomfortable everyone involved became. Belor eventually intervened and offered to give Lucy a debrief in his office.
Once he and Lucy were alone, Belor said he had some updates about the raid. He told Lucy that around three dozen goblins entered the town, and that the ones the party encountered were most likely the only ones who came in through the ladder entrance. He and the guard suspected, then, that the remainder of the goblins got in via other means. One of his men had ruled out entirely that they came to town riding on the logs from the logging site meant for the lumber mill, but they were no closer to figuring out where they came from than that. He also expressed concern that it seemed like someone was directing the goblins’ actions, seemingly to distract from the theft of Father Zantus’s bones. He asked Lucy to convince the rest of the party to help determine how they got in and, if possible, who was organizing the goblins.
Once he and Lucy were alone, Belor said he had some updates about the raid. He told Lucy that around three dozen goblins entered the town, and that the ones the party encountered were most likely the only ones who came in through the ladder entrance. He and the guard suspected, then, that the remainder of the goblins got in via other means. One of his men had ruled out entirely that they came to town riding on the logs from the logging site meant for the lumber mill, but they were no closer to figuring out where they came from than that. He also expressed concern that it seemed like someone was directing the goblins’ actions, seemingly to distract from the theft of Father Zantus’s bones. He asked Lucy to convince the rest of the party to help determine how they got in and, if possible, who was organizing the goblins.
Cathedral Investigation and Consecration:
Lucy and Wither bumped into each other as they were returning to their lodgings, and Wither invited Lucy to come with them to the Cathedral for the new consecration. The pair then picked up Anore before heading to the Sandpoint Cathedral.
Father Zantus was in the main atrium when the party arrived. He invited them to look around before the actual consecration starts. Lucy asked him about Father Tobyn and whether he had any enemies, which he denied, saying that Ezakien was a pillar of the community.
Anore went back to the crypt, discovering that the reinforced door to the mausoleum had been forced open with a spell. She did not find evidence of discarded magical items and concluded that whoever opened the crypt was a caster.
Wither found their fellow gravetender, Naffer Vosk, in the Boneyard, talking to one of the acolytes. Wither discovered that this acolyte, Sister Giulia (see Appendix 1), was the one who had made the birdcage for them. She knew little about Father Tobyn, but when asked about The Late Unpleasantness she offered that her friend would be able to give a different perspective about the Father. Vosk and Giulia seemed uncomfortable talking about this. When Wither took their leave to find Giulia’s friend, Naffer Vosk told them to remember that Father Tobyn was a dutiful and pious head priest.
Sister Giulia had said that her friend, Sister Celia, was most easily found by going outside and following the sound of music. Eventually, the party found her playing a lyre on the edge of the church roof and climbed to meet her, startling her. She warmed quickly realizing that it was Wither, and that Giulia had directed them to her. The party asked her what she knew about the Cathedral’s history, and she said she had worked as an acolyte there since it was still Sandpoint Chapel. At first, she, like everyone else who had been asked, said that Father Tobyn was a good man and a competent leader, but after some pressing reluctantly told the party that in the months leading to his death, there was an exodus of acolytes. Celia and Father Fantus were the only clergy left from before the fire. She was hesitant to bring up why this was, eventually revealing that the acolytes suspected that Zantus had fallen out of Desna’s grace and lost his clerical powers. The prevailing rumor among acolytes at the time was that it had something to do with Zantus’s treatment of his adopted daughter, Nualia. She seemed really bummed to be talking about this, but perked up again when Anore offered some of the pie she had gotten from the General Store that morning. She told the party that Giulia had become a big fan of the three of them, and said she hoped to see them later.
The consecration ceremony was very small. The party and Mr. Naffer Vosk were the only people other than the Cathedral’s clergy who were present. Father Zantus called to gather everyone and gave a short speech before beginning the prayer. The consecration itself was quite short-- had it taken place during the Festival as planned, many of the attendees may not even have known it had happened. But in the quiet of the church, the party could feel a pressure in the air abate, like a giant sigh, as the final round of prayer finished. Zantus thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the consecration ceremony with another speech, declaring that he hoped to make the church a kinder and more welcoming place under his leadership.
Father Zantus was in the main atrium when the party arrived. He invited them to look around before the actual consecration starts. Lucy asked him about Father Tobyn and whether he had any enemies, which he denied, saying that Ezakien was a pillar of the community.
Anore went back to the crypt, discovering that the reinforced door to the mausoleum had been forced open with a spell. She did not find evidence of discarded magical items and concluded that whoever opened the crypt was a caster.
Wither found their fellow gravetender, Naffer Vosk, in the Boneyard, talking to one of the acolytes. Wither discovered that this acolyte, Sister Giulia (see Appendix 1), was the one who had made the birdcage for them. She knew little about Father Tobyn, but when asked about The Late Unpleasantness she offered that her friend would be able to give a different perspective about the Father. Vosk and Giulia seemed uncomfortable talking about this. When Wither took their leave to find Giulia’s friend, Naffer Vosk told them to remember that Father Tobyn was a dutiful and pious head priest.
Sister Giulia had said that her friend, Sister Celia, was most easily found by going outside and following the sound of music. Eventually, the party found her playing a lyre on the edge of the church roof and climbed to meet her, startling her. She warmed quickly realizing that it was Wither, and that Giulia had directed them to her. The party asked her what she knew about the Cathedral’s history, and she said she had worked as an acolyte there since it was still Sandpoint Chapel. At first, she, like everyone else who had been asked, said that Father Tobyn was a good man and a competent leader, but after some pressing reluctantly told the party that in the months leading to his death, there was an exodus of acolytes. Celia and Father Fantus were the only clergy left from before the fire. She was hesitant to bring up why this was, eventually revealing that the acolytes suspected that Zantus had fallen out of Desna’s grace and lost his clerical powers. The prevailing rumor among acolytes at the time was that it had something to do with Zantus’s treatment of his adopted daughter, Nualia. She seemed really bummed to be talking about this, but perked up again when Anore offered some of the pie she had gotten from the General Store that morning. She told the party that Giulia had become a big fan of the three of them, and said she hoped to see them later.
The consecration ceremony was very small. The party and Mr. Naffer Vosk were the only people other than the Cathedral’s clergy who were present. Father Zantus called to gather everyone and gave a short speech before beginning the prayer. The consecration itself was quite short-- had it taken place during the Festival as planned, many of the attendees may not even have known it had happened. But in the quiet of the church, the party could feel a pressure in the air abate, like a giant sigh, as the final round of prayer finished. Zantus thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the consecration ceremony with another speech, declaring that he hoped to make the church a kinder and more welcoming place under his leadership.
Aldern’s Invitation and Meeting the Town Seamstress:
Upon returning to their homes that evening, each of the party members discover that a letter had been hand-delivered to their home. On perfumed pages, a spiralling script detailed that Aldern Foxglove would like to meet with them the following morning, at Vernah’s Fine Clothing, to prepare their outfits for the play on Fireday. Lucy decided that she would not be attending, giving her place instead to her more diplomatic twinned eidolon, Cindy, while she and Dr. Quink (the weasel) investigated the shoreline for possible points of ingress to the goblin hordes.
The following morning, the party gathered outside Vernah’s Fine Clothing to find a beaming Aldern Foxglove and Cinnamon the Hunting Dog, fully healed from her plight in Session 1. The party greeted Cinnamon with much gusto, and Aldern with, you know, some gusto also. Aldern ushered the three inside, announcing himself to the proprietress. From out of the other room came the seamstress, Nephila Murakumo, and she and Aldern exchanged some pleasantries before addressing the party and their order. While taking each party member’s measurements, she invited the others to look through the store to find what they liked, and she would alter whatever they found to fit their measurements. This caused Anore and Wither some confusion, as the particulars of their anatomy seemed unsuited to ready-made clothes, but she insisted they not worry about that. To their surprise, they found many articles of clothing to be made with tail holes, sleeves for extra limbs, reinforced lining to prevent snagging on scaled skin, and all manner of other non-human accommodations, mixed among the more humanoid-focused clothing items around the shop.
Each of the party members, when talking with Nephila, noticed something unusual about her. Anore sensed that there was an unhumanness to the way her arms moved, while Cyrice noticed her eyes had an unusual sheen when the light hit them. Wither, while talking with her, learned that she was able to magically enhance fabric she wove, which is what brought her to know the former proprietor, Vernah. Wither asked if she was familiar with the Anadi, a race of non-humans who were also talented magicians and weavers, and she quickly changed the subject, which Wither found odd. All three members of the party decided individually to avoid sharing this information with the others, which I thought was very funny.
At the end of the fitting session, each member of the party had selected a set of Sandpoint Theater opening night-appropriate clothes, to be tailored to fit them at Aldern’s expense. Nephila assured them that their alterations would be ready by Fireday, and waved the group off as they headed to their noon appointment with the haunted house commission-givers.
The following morning, the party gathered outside Vernah’s Fine Clothing to find a beaming Aldern Foxglove and Cinnamon the Hunting Dog, fully healed from her plight in Session 1. The party greeted Cinnamon with much gusto, and Aldern with, you know, some gusto also. Aldern ushered the three inside, announcing himself to the proprietress. From out of the other room came the seamstress, Nephila Murakumo, and she and Aldern exchanged some pleasantries before addressing the party and their order. While taking each party member’s measurements, she invited the others to look through the store to find what they liked, and she would alter whatever they found to fit their measurements. This caused Anore and Wither some confusion, as the particulars of their anatomy seemed unsuited to ready-made clothes, but she insisted they not worry about that. To their surprise, they found many articles of clothing to be made with tail holes, sleeves for extra limbs, reinforced lining to prevent snagging on scaled skin, and all manner of other non-human accommodations, mixed among the more humanoid-focused clothing items around the shop.
Each of the party members, when talking with Nephila, noticed something unusual about her. Anore sensed that there was an unhumanness to the way her arms moved, while Cyrice noticed her eyes had an unusual sheen when the light hit them. Wither, while talking with her, learned that she was able to magically enhance fabric she wove, which is what brought her to know the former proprietor, Vernah. Wither asked if she was familiar with the Anadi, a race of non-humans who were also talented magicians and weavers, and she quickly changed the subject, which Wither found odd. All three members of the party decided individually to avoid sharing this information with the others, which I thought was very funny.
At the end of the fitting session, each member of the party had selected a set of Sandpoint Theater opening night-appropriate clothes, to be tailored to fit them at Aldern’s expense. Nephila assured them that their alterations would be ready by Fireday, and waved the group off as they headed to their noon appointment with the haunted house commission-givers.
Overall, I thought this session went well. More of the session was spent with the players doing solo stuff than I was anticipating, but I think time and story development were balanced decently between the three of them. I was thrown completely off guard at the end, because I made the checks to figure out what was going on with Nephila (if you want to know what her deal is see Appendix 1 [to be posted]) very high, as like, fun bonus information they weren’t intended to glean all of, unless they came back at higher levels, but then not only did all of them roll very high, but Wither, without rolling, unprompted just sniped the Pathfinder 2 origin I was drawing from for her straight from the ether during an in-character conversation and annihilated me. Just goes to show you stuff.
Anyway. I have two posts on changes I’ve made to Sandpoint and certain NPCs already prepped, so I will be posting those very shortly, in case anyone is curious. See you then! Thank you for the interest in my campaign log, also! (Ф ﻌ Ф)
Because this is a party that has mixed familiarity with the adventure and with Sandpoint in particular, I wanted to use a mix of information from the AP itself, the Sandpoint: Light of the Lost Coast Setting Guide, fan-created resources, and original content to make sure that things stayed interesting for the experienced players and to make sure that the new player wasn’t at a disadvantage due to a lack of meta-knowledge. To keep from bombarding readers with my changes to the campaign, I’ll detail the changes I made as they come up, in appendices between my journal entries. They should be mostly supplementary information and can be skipped, but people curious about NPC motivations or setting intricacies (especially about Thassilon) may find them interesting.
Belor Hemlock:
Sheriff Hemlock, according to the Sandpoint Setting guide, was a town guard promoted from the rank-and-file after being the one to discover the bodies of former Sheriff Casp Avertin and the Chopper’s penultimate victim due to a wave of popularity for finally discovering The Chopper’s identity. As a result, my Sheriff Hemlock at the start of the game is still getting used to being a public figure, and he is especially unused to being treated as a diplomat in any regard, because he feels he hasn’t earned the opportunity to fill Sheriff Avertin’s shoes.
Prior to meeting with the party, he was tasked with sizing the adventurers up by his men and by the city council, but he has not been given free reign on how to do that. He was given a list of questions to pose to them to get a handle on their allegiances and willingness to become guardians of the town, but he detests doing other people’s small talk for them and quickly gave up on reading from the list as he got to know the party.
Over time, I intend for Belor to become more accustomed to taking diplomatically-focused leadership positions, though this may change depending on some party actions (like how they handle the opening to Book 2, for example).
Prior to meeting with the party, he was tasked with sizing the adventurers up by his men and by the city council, but he has not been given free reign on how to do that. He was given a list of questions to pose to them to get a handle on their allegiances and willingness to become guardians of the town, but he detests doing other people’s small talk for them and quickly gave up on reading from the list as he got to know the party.
Over time, I intend for Belor to become more accustomed to taking diplomatically-focused leadership positions, though this may change depending on some party actions (like how they handle the opening to Book 2, for example).
Shayliss Vinder:
Shayliss was a well-liked figure in my first campaign (the one run by Askar Avari, where she was a changeling and a vigilante), and Anore’s player, Lucy’s player, and I resultantly have a great deal of familiarity with her. That’s why I want to mess her up a bit. Her first encounter with Anore was intending to be overtly a seduction attempt, which was really cover for an attempted theft. Shayliss lost confidence quickly in light of Anore’s inability to read a room, however, and gave up (for now).
Shayliss in my game is older than Katrine, and she feels a little uncomfortable about her kid sister dating grade-A age-inappropriate douchebag Banny Hosk, and after having seen the differences in her sister’s and father’s faces when Banny brought up the idea of engagement, she felt a level of obligation to get as in the way of that relationship progressing as she could manage. She is doing this largely by getting in as much trouble as she can as fast as she can, so her family is too busy putting out her fires to pressure the seventeen year-old Katrine into marriage.
I don’t have plans to work in the new information about Shroud, but I am likely still going to be transitioning Shayliss’ gender and having them pick up a class.
Shayliss in my game is older than Katrine, and she feels a little uncomfortable about her kid sister dating grade-A age-inappropriate douchebag Banny Hosk, and after having seen the differences in her sister’s and father’s faces when Banny brought up the idea of engagement, she felt a level of obligation to get as in the way of that relationship progressing as she could manage. She is doing this largely by getting in as much trouble as she can as fast as she can, so her family is too busy putting out her fires to pressure the seventeen year-old Katrine into marriage.
I don’t have plans to work in the new information about Shroud, but I am likely still going to be transitioning Shayliss’ gender and having them pick up a class.
Sisters Giulia and Celia, clerics of Gozreh and Shelyn:
One of my party members, Wither, has been rooming in the Cathedral for about a week, offering groundskeeping labor in exchange for board. As a result, I fleshed out a few of the acolytes, since I thought they were cute and wanted Wither to have people to talk to. I found their descriptions in Yossarian’s Sandpoint Gamemaster Notes (2013) and built off of that.
Sister Giulia is a relatively soft-spoken acolyte who makes bird shelters as a hobby. She is generally reserved, but she has a (mild) sadistic streak: she likes watching anxious people stumble over themselves when she flirts with them. She is the one who gifted Wither the birdcage, as she has become a rather big fan of the party after watching the tail end of their fight with the goblin commando on the night of the festival. Giulia came to Sandpoint Cathedral about two years ago, during the reconstruction, from the Storval Plateau. She has a pet song thrush, Whiskers, who was injured by goblins during the raid and hasn’t been seen since (I plan to have the party find his body later).
Sister Celia is a priestess of Shelyn and Sister Giulia’s best friend. She has a habit of climbing to remote locations to play her lyre, which puts anyone looking for her in a bind, as she is quite a good climber. She’s also an incorrigible gossip: though she doesn’t relish spreading rumors, she looooves collecting them. She’s also partial to sweets, particularly fruit pastries. She has been at the Cathedral since before the fire, and as such she’s been privy to quite a bit about the church’s dirty laundry (see Appendix 2). She feels deep shame about her prior refusal to acknowledge Nualia’s mistreatment (which she only suspects, and does not know the nature of) and is reluctant to talk about Father Tobyn’s parenting of Nualia, emphasizing that she and the other acolytes didn’t realize anything was amiss until after Ezakien lost his divine powers (see Appendix 2).
Sister Giulia is a relatively soft-spoken acolyte who makes bird shelters as a hobby. She is generally reserved, but she has a (mild) sadistic streak: she likes watching anxious people stumble over themselves when she flirts with them. She is the one who gifted Wither the birdcage, as she has become a rather big fan of the party after watching the tail end of their fight with the goblin commando on the night of the festival. Giulia came to Sandpoint Cathedral about two years ago, during the reconstruction, from the Storval Plateau. She has a pet song thrush, Whiskers, who was injured by goblins during the raid and hasn’t been seen since (I plan to have the party find his body later).
Sister Celia is a priestess of Shelyn and Sister Giulia’s best friend. She has a habit of climbing to remote locations to play her lyre, which puts anyone looking for her in a bind, as she is quite a good climber. She’s also an incorrigible gossip: though she doesn’t relish spreading rumors, she looooves collecting them. She’s also partial to sweets, particularly fruit pastries. She has been at the Cathedral since before the fire, and as such she’s been privy to quite a bit about the church’s dirty laundry (see Appendix 2). She feels deep shame about her prior refusal to acknowledge Nualia’s mistreatment (which she only suspects, and does not know the nature of) and is reluctant to talk about Father Tobyn’s parenting of Nualia, emphasizing that she and the other acolytes didn’t realize anything was amiss until after Ezakien lost his divine powers (see Appendix 2).
Nephila Murakumo and Vernah’s Fine Clothing:
Nephila is a seamstress who has taken the place of Rynshynn Povalli as proprietress of Vernah’s Fine Clothing, while Rynshynn is studying textiles in Magnimar. Having apprenticed under Vernah after immigrating from Minkai, Nephila has worked alongside Rynshynn to keep the store open in the years since Vernah’s passing.
Nephila has made a name for herself as a fine clothier around town. She is a talented weaver, having made much of the store’s fabric herself. She and Rynshynn have worked together to make the items available at Vernah’s accessible to people with tails, unusual proportions, and other anatomical oddities, making them a popular choice with Sandpoint’s small but growing nonhuman population.
Aldern Foxglove had been a fan of Vernah’s Fine Clothing since before Nephila and Rynshynn took over, and now that Nephila has come into her own as a seamstress he is trying to drum up business for her among Magnimar’s well-to-do (doing this largely by tricking nobles into thinking he is keeping her designs to himself and letting them snoop on him until they find her information). Aldern’s invitation to the party to buy their clothes was made in part to spend more time with them, but it also was calculated: if the new heroes of Sandpoint are wearing Nephila’s designs, people are sure to take notice.
Nephila has a vested interest in increasing the ease of non-human assimilation into Sandpoint. While she lives full-time as a human, she is an Anadi, and she has sympathy for the monstrous humanoids, outsiders, and especially goblinoids who have tried and failed to settle here.
Nephila and Rynshynn are part of a larger plan I have involving The Veil and the smuggler’s tunnels, but I’m going to avoid detailing the Veil’s history until they’re more robustly featured in the game. More than that though I wanted to make a spider lady based off of a children's folktale I liked as a kid, and so here she is.
Nephila has made a name for herself as a fine clothier around town. She is a talented weaver, having made much of the store’s fabric herself. She and Rynshynn have worked together to make the items available at Vernah’s accessible to people with tails, unusual proportions, and other anatomical oddities, making them a popular choice with Sandpoint’s small but growing nonhuman population.
Aldern Foxglove had been a fan of Vernah’s Fine Clothing since before Nephila and Rynshynn took over, and now that Nephila has come into her own as a seamstress he is trying to drum up business for her among Magnimar’s well-to-do (doing this largely by tricking nobles into thinking he is keeping her designs to himself and letting them snoop on him until they find her information). Aldern’s invitation to the party to buy their clothes was made in part to spend more time with them, but it also was calculated: if the new heroes of Sandpoint are wearing Nephila’s designs, people are sure to take notice.
Nephila has a vested interest in increasing the ease of non-human assimilation into Sandpoint. While she lives full-time as a human, she is an Anadi, and she has sympathy for the monstrous humanoids, outsiders, and especially goblinoids who have tried and failed to settle here.
Nephila and Rynshynn are part of a larger plan I have involving The Veil and the smuggler’s tunnels, but I’m going to avoid detailing the Veil’s history until they’re more robustly featured in the game. More than that though I wanted to make a spider lady based off of a children's folktale I liked as a kid, and so here she is.
My current plan is to make an appendix or two like this as information becomes relevant in-game, but if any of you have questions about how I am handling something specific, feel free to let me know and I’ll add it to the next appendix! ┏(･o･)┛
Oh, I love the touch of Tobyn having lost his powers. I was just going to make him a cleric of Abadar or Erastil (sorry, Erastil), but I might keep him Desnan now! Or he can be a cleric of Erastil who lost his powers, because Erastil's not gonna be any more on-board with locking up your daughter--away from her community--than Desna is.
Big fan of trans Shayliss, and I love the tweaks you're making! I think what compels me about this thread's title is the emotional beat it implies, this kind of Hadestown-esque hope that maybe this time it could be different.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The Ghoast Commissioners:
The party arrived to the Sandpoint Market around noon, along with just about every other child in town. They were here to follow up on a commission posted to the Rusty Dragon (see Session 3: Quests Received!), which told them to meet the commissioners at the Market hopsquares. Eventually they found the two questgivers, the twin niece and nephew to the Mayor, Mara and Marek Deverin, burning ants with a clear glass marble they had found.
It was clear that while the children were creepily aware of Sandpoint criminal law and somewhat overenthusiastic to ask mercenaries to commit crimes on their behalf, the concern that a child was trapped inside the abandoned Valdemar estate was credible, and so the party agreed to enter the house after dark, in exchange for a letter of recommendation from the Mayor on job completion (the kids’ initial offer was for the party to simply steal their remuneration from the abandoned house, as after all, Sandpoint does not punish larceny via corporal means, which everyone in the party refused outright).
The party additionally learns the following relevant information:
1. The Valdemar Family was one of Sandpoint’s founding families, shipbuilders who brought most of the town’s settlers from Magnimar and around the Lost Coast. The family has since pulled out of Sandpoint due to the patriarch, Ethram Valdemar, failing in health over the past few years and returning to the family’s main home in Magnimar for care, leaving the Manor empty for the past year, at least.
2. One Valdemar family member remains in Sandpoint, working in the shipyard.
3. The Deverin children had noticed some floating lights inside the shuttered manor windows at night, and while discussing what they should do about it, they were overheard by a friend, who insisted he could “fix” ghosts and has not been seen since.
4. The missing child is Zeek Wheen, one of the two remaining children of Bilivar and Vorla Wheen of Wheen’s Wagons.
It was clear that while the children were creepily aware of Sandpoint criminal law and somewhat overenthusiastic to ask mercenaries to commit crimes on their behalf, the concern that a child was trapped inside the abandoned Valdemar estate was credible, and so the party agreed to enter the house after dark, in exchange for a letter of recommendation from the Mayor on job completion (the kids’ initial offer was for the party to simply steal their remuneration from the abandoned house, as after all, Sandpoint does not punish larceny via corporal means, which everyone in the party refused outright).
The party additionally learns the following relevant information:
1. The Valdemar Family was one of Sandpoint’s founding families, shipbuilders who brought most of the town’s settlers from Magnimar and around the Lost Coast. The family has since pulled out of Sandpoint due to the patriarch, Ethram Valdemar, failing in health over the past few years and returning to the family’s main home in Magnimar for care, leaving the Manor empty for the past year, at least.
2. One Valdemar family member remains in Sandpoint, working in the shipyard.
3. The Deverin children had noticed some floating lights inside the shuttered manor windows at night, and while discussing what they should do about it, they were overheard by a friend, who insisted he could “fix” ghosts and has not been seen since.
4. The missing child is Zeek Wheen, one of the two remaining children of Bilivar and Vorla Wheen of Wheen’s Wagons.
Searching for Goblins, Rings, and Information:
Since the party had a few hours to kill before nightfall, they decided to split up and look for how the goblins managed to enter Sandpoint during the festival, as well as find the goblin that stole Solsta Vinder’s wedding ring.
Wither and Anore returned to the Cathedral to search the goblin corpses, having gotten permission to do so previously from Father Zantus. They spent about an hour and a half going over the goblins’ belongings, and eventually they found three items which matched the rough description of Solsta’s missing ring. Giving the rest of the jewelry they found to the church, they take the three rings to show Ven.
Lucy and Cindy, meanwhile, confer to strategize before splitting up so they can search for the goblins’ entrances to Sandpoint. Cindy finds a severely injured pet bird, as well as a door, hidden by the beach. Lucy interviews people around the shipyard, most of whom had been at the Festival and had no information to give. She eventually spies Belvin Valdemar, staring at her. He introduces himself and answers a few questions about his family and the house. He had been asked about a month ago about why a Sandpoint Devil was flying around his manor, but had no other information about a haunting of any kind. He did, however, have some information about the goblins: he had rushed home from the Festival when he saw that goblins were burning things, because his home is basically a tinder box. He saw them coming from alleys behind the Rusty Dragon, near Vernah’s Fine Clothing.
After returning the bird (“Whiskers”) to his owner (Sister Giulia), checking on the secret door (sealed shut by disuse and sea air), and introducing Wither and Anore to the fact that Lucy has an identical friend who comes and helps her out with stuff, the party decides to canvas the area around Vernah’s. Several business owners all said they had heard the goblins starting at around sunset, but only heard them once they were in town and had not seen where they came from. Nephila told the party she heard scratching outside her house during the day of the Festival, but hadn’t paid it much mind, since the raid raised several more pressing matters.
Behind Nephila’s home, partially covered by days of heavy traffic and fire-fighting, was a burrow fit for medium animals or quite small people. Lucy sent her weasel familiar, Dr. Quink, down into the hole and found the burrow to lead to a quite large stone tunnel. Lacking the means to make the hole bigger or the magic to make themselves smaller, the party agreed to find a way in later.
Meanwhile, Anore met with Mr. Bilivar Wheen to corroborate the kids’ story that Zeek was indeed missing. He said that Zeek had not come back home for three days, and that it had been only a matter of time, in his mind, with how hard his wife is on the family since their daughter passed.
Wither and Anore returned to the Cathedral to search the goblin corpses, having gotten permission to do so previously from Father Zantus. They spent about an hour and a half going over the goblins’ belongings, and eventually they found three items which matched the rough description of Solsta’s missing ring. Giving the rest of the jewelry they found to the church, they take the three rings to show Ven.
Lucy and Cindy, meanwhile, confer to strategize before splitting up so they can search for the goblins’ entrances to Sandpoint. Cindy finds a severely injured pet bird, as well as a door, hidden by the beach. Lucy interviews people around the shipyard, most of whom had been at the Festival and had no information to give. She eventually spies Belvin Valdemar, staring at her. He introduces himself and answers a few questions about his family and the house. He had been asked about a month ago about why a Sandpoint Devil was flying around his manor, but had no other information about a haunting of any kind. He did, however, have some information about the goblins: he had rushed home from the Festival when he saw that goblins were burning things, because his home is basically a tinder box. He saw them coming from alleys behind the Rusty Dragon, near Vernah’s Fine Clothing.
After returning the bird (“Whiskers”) to his owner (Sister Giulia), checking on the secret door (sealed shut by disuse and sea air), and introducing Wither and Anore to the fact that Lucy has an identical friend who comes and helps her out with stuff, the party decides to canvas the area around Vernah’s. Several business owners all said they had heard the goblins starting at around sunset, but only heard them once they were in town and had not seen where they came from. Nephila told the party she heard scratching outside her house during the day of the Festival, but hadn’t paid it much mind, since the raid raised several more pressing matters.
Behind Nephila’s home, partially covered by days of heavy traffic and fire-fighting, was a burrow fit for medium animals or quite small people. Lucy sent her weasel familiar, Dr. Quink, down into the hole and found the burrow to lead to a quite large stone tunnel. Lacking the means to make the hole bigger or the magic to make themselves smaller, the party agreed to find a way in later.
Meanwhile, Anore met with Mr. Bilivar Wheen to corroborate the kids’ story that Zeek was indeed missing. He said that Zeek had not come back home for three days, and that it had been only a matter of time, in his mind, with how hard his wife is on the family since their daughter passed.
The party regathered outside Vernah’s to exchange information. Wither expressed doubt that the Valdemar estate was truly haunted by a ghost, and wondered aloud if the goblins were using the house as a base of operations during the night. Anore wrote Valdemasr=goblins?? in their notebook. As the sun began to set, they decided to ready themselves for the ghost expedition.
Valdemar Investigation, Part 1:
Valdemar Manor was still when the party arrived shortly after sunset. Finding the main entrance to be locked, they tried the servant’s entrance and found that it had been forced open before.
They entered the servant’s quarters, and Lucendi found some keepsakes while looking around. Anore and Wither, meanwhile, opened the door to the kitchen, finding two mites inside half-choking on a bottle of oregano. Wither helped the mite remove the bottle from between his teeth, and he thanked them and brushed himself off, saying, “Hm. It seems this is terribly embarrassing for both of us, as we have found you trespassing on our ancestral home.” Identifying himself as Belvin Valdemar, he states that the whole Valdemar family is here for a party. Lucendi interviews him, seeing that he is clearly not the human man she had met that afternoon but not wanting to make untoward assumptions about his species, and it became very obvious that this “Belvin Valdemar” was not the one she met in the shipyard. Anore asked if he had seen a human child, and he said that while one had broken in three nights before, he had certainly not seen him since. Anore did not believe this, but Wither fully took this entire conversation at face value. Wither asked if “Belvin” would take them through the house so as not to alarm his family, and as soon as Belvin turned to take the party on a tour, Anore color sprayed him and his companion. Thus ended the session for the evening.
They entered the servant’s quarters, and Lucendi found some keepsakes while looking around. Anore and Wither, meanwhile, opened the door to the kitchen, finding two mites inside half-choking on a bottle of oregano. Wither helped the mite remove the bottle from between his teeth, and he thanked them and brushed himself off, saying, “Hm. It seems this is terribly embarrassing for both of us, as we have found you trespassing on our ancestral home.” Identifying himself as Belvin Valdemar, he states that the whole Valdemar family is here for a party. Lucendi interviews him, seeing that he is clearly not the human man she had met that afternoon but not wanting to make untoward assumptions about his species, and it became very obvious that this “Belvin Valdemar” was not the one she met in the shipyard. Anore asked if he had seen a human child, and he said that while one had broken in three nights before, he had certainly not seen him since. Anore did not believe this, but Wither fully took this entire conversation at face value. Wither asked if “Belvin” would take them through the house so as not to alarm his family, and as soon as Belvin turned to take the party on a tour, Anore color sprayed him and his companion. Thus ended the session for the evening.
This session was a little bit of a struggle, pacing-wise. I am still getting used to figuring out when to gloss over character interactions and just summarize the information given, and I also had an imperfect understanding of uh, whether discoveries would be immediately followed up on (in retrospect, obviously people would think the thing they discovered was part of a directed experience, and they would be able to follow up on it immediately, but I hadn’t thought about that yet, apologies <(v⌓v)>). I think people had fun with the Deverin kids and the mite Belvin, though.
I’ve discovered I have a very big problem humanizing enemies. In the Sandpoint setting guide Paizo just told me to throw the mites in there however I saw fit, and I saw fit to build em a little city in there, so. I did overestimate my party’s bloodlust, also. I figured that seeing the mites gesture aggressively would spur them to attack, but I think seeing them struggle so harmlessly with kitchen equipment endeared the party to the mites, so oops. Thinking about adding a bunch more traps to the attic and basement to give them non-combat skill challenges, since I don’t know if they’ll try to reconcile after that color spray or not.
Anyway, my next post is gonna be an Appendix including some Sandpoint Cathedral history. Talk to you later! ( ⁰ ⎉ ⁰ )