Michael Morris
First Post
Hey all - I've got a game Saturday that I'm a little stuck on what to do. I have enough material for a normal 4 hour session, but our sessions tend to approach 12 hours. Characters are 1st level. Here's the log of the first three sessions to bring everyone up to speed on the plot.
Here's my log for the first three sessions...
Month of Trilamrin, 1405
Esini Ganfun
Campaign starts in Dubroh. Murder of Sarah of House Lasner by mutilation and faked dark ritual. Hollie, Quarion and Alton (PCs) arrive in Dubroh and while in customs they hear the report of the discovery of the body. They go with Vice-Captain Barius (PC) to the source of the commotion. Group learns this murder is the 5th so far. Party goes to inn, there Hollie is approached by a member of the prostitutes guild who reveals there have been 7 other murders. Vice Captain Barius interviews Shoroban Lasner who offers a bounty for the capture of the murderers of his servant. Group assembles and retraces Sarah’s steps and finds blood near the end of a sewer.
-- End Session 1 --
Party descends into sewer and is accosted by dire rats. They find a chamber with an altar in it concecrated to Sekoon and guarded by two thugs. After defeating them they rescue Tricia Gables (PC) who reports the sort of ceremonies being performed. Party returns to surface.
Hollie now leaves to join the prostitute’s guild which has invited her to preside at a consecration and initiation ceremony. Three young girls are initiated. After the ceremony Hollie performs for Darren Imlori, the inheriting son of the Imlori clan.
Lesosi Ganfun
Vice Captain Barius gathers a strike force of watch and priests of his order and descends into the altar chamber to find it abandoned and the altar gone. Party spends most of the rest of the day gathering clues. They then return to the altar chamber and are attacked by eight skeletons. They take one of the skulls to Adrian of Matacha to have speak with dead cast on it but she declines until she can secure permission.
Childeni Ganfun
Murder of Lisa Pembroke, youngest of the initiates of the ceremony of initiation Hollie presided. Her body has been tattooed with the mark of Narisane and on this premise the city watch has Hollie arrested and tried by the temple of Aurnon. Vice-Captain Barius serves as her defense attorney. Result of trial is a temporary acquittal, but Hollie is remanded to Vice-Captain Barius’ custody. Priestess Adrian agrees to go ahead with the speak with dead spell and it is learned the skeletons came the Le Grange, a ship that was due in Dubroh 3 weeks ago but had disappeared en route from Dalze. Party investigates the nature of the cargo of the ship and learns the altar they had seen quite possibly could have been from the ship’s cargo. More ominously they learn it wasn’t the only artifact of note on board.
Sorani Ganfun
Party continues gathering clues as to suspects for the murders. They learn that the keeper of the inn they are staying at, Dulron, would be fine suspect since he openly hates prostitutes and repeatedly mistreats Hollie, only allowing her to stay because he has no other choice. His daughter, Alisan, is also suspect and the party hooks into their habit of meeting each morning to talk in private. Party follows up on this lead and attends the funeral for Sarah to see if anyone unusual shows. After everyone but Tricia has left (who is hidden) Dulron shows up but Tricia fails to overhear what he says.
Quarion goes to the temple of Rizaldi to confront Alisan concerning her father’s activities. He gets nothing definitive out of her but finds she is troubled with something. Before he leaves he meets with Robin, priest of Terix and the pre-eminent jester of the city of Dubroh. After some insane babbling Robin instructs Quarion to find Caramon
Hollie is approached by a servant of House Imlori to perform again and she agrees and goes with Tricia, though this time the client is the Patriarch of the house Gerald Imlori. Rather than do the honors himself though he hires a giggalo to perform with her while he watches and Tricia waits in the house’s atrium.
As Hollie is returning from this escapade she is attacked by three brigands. They are defeated though as part of the fight she uses a dark ritual spell in self defense.
-- End Session 2 --
Miber Ganfun
Quarion researches the name Quarion in the archives at the temple of Shining Light and finds it belonged to the former guildmaster of the city who died some 15 years ago, but also that he had a son with the same name. He returns to Robin to ask where he’d heard the name and Robin admits that he knows nothing of Caramon but that it was the name upon the lips of the nobility concerning the murders. He goes to the tavern to drink with Quarion and as he gets more drunk he stops his madness game and becomes more lucid. He confides in the bard that the third victim of this murderer was beloved to him and he only wishes to lead someone, anyone to the murderer to get revenge or justice. Since the vice captain and his compatriots seem to be the only individuals in the city that cares about the victims he gave the name.
He then makes a fortune telling using a deck of many things. When Alton sees the deck he casts detect magic and is blinded by the aura coming off the deck (permanently – he rolled a 1 on the save). The deck fortells that great debts are owed by Quarion, great danger is at hand, and the thing he seeks is far more dangerous than he realizes.
Meanwhile Vice Captain Barius is called up to investigate three bodies found in an alley. Hollie is taken along but is not exposed as the one responsible for their deaths, nor is the fact she cast dark ritual discovered.
Rishca Ganfun
Most of the morning spent in prayer and ritual by the party members (Rishca is the setting equivalent of Sunday). Another murder victim is found at midday, Anna – again one of the children initiated at the rite Hollie conducted. Carved into the skin of the body is “We’re coming for you Hollie.” The remainder of the investigation is put off to the next day out of reverence for the holy day.
Jiane Teleran
Party investigates the murder of Anna. They find she was stolen from her bed in the prostitute’s guild. Elisia, the matriarch of the guild is in an absolute panic. She hires a new bodyguard named Gree (PC) and assigns him to help in the investigation. Alton’s brother Reed (PC) also shows up on a ship now one week behind the one that brought Alton to the city. Out of leads the party decides to once again chance the sewers and begins investigation. They stumble upon the remains of the old thieves guild and are set upon by ghouls which kill Reed in the struggle due largely to Alton’s incompetence in handling his own magic (he casts a sleep spell which disables half the party but never had a chance to affect the ghouls).
The party discovers locked away in the vault documents detailing Caramon’s plans to destroy the leadership of the Merchant’s Council and install himself in power. Though 15 years old they are interesting as a historical document, and they also outline the extend to which the guild knew the weaknesses and strengths of the Council’s defenses. For this find Malison begrudgingly allows for a raise dead spell to be cast on Reed.
Tenes Teleran
Another murder – again a prostitute, Clara Thompson. Party again tries to discover what they can but do not uncover any additional leads. Vice Captain Barius and Hollie go to Elisia that evening and find the prostitute guild house heavily guarded. When they get inside they run into Caramon. They discover Elisia has conceded to his demand to allow his guild to offer protection to her’s. In a meeting that can be described as singularly cold Caramon all but admits his guilt and tries to cajole Barius into a fight both know he cannot win. They leave and consider their options that night.
Quarion goes to the temple of Rizaldi to speak with Alisan again. She states she is going to Chalk to gather herself and visit her mother’s grave then leaves.
Areani Teleran
Barius has Reed check the Dulron’s personal room while the innkeeper works below and the party watchs. Dulron goes into his cellar but doesn’t come up for a long period. A cry then rings out when one of his employees finds his corpse in the cellar. After a brief search the party finds a secret entrance into the sewers from the cellar and in the distance the sound of footsteps.
-- End Session Three --
Session 4 Plans
During my walks this week I've been planning out Saturday. This is what I have - loosely..
I'll open with the fight with Thurbin, an assassin. He's 5th level, but 6 1st level characters should be able to take him albeit with great difficulty. If they kill him the find a note on him, otherwise he drops said note in his haste to get away. He's been hired by 'C' (Caramon) to kill Dulron and his daughter Alisan. The party will need to set out to get to Alisan first. By the time the guild realizes Thurbin is dead the party should have a 2 day head start, depending on how quickly they move on the information.
They will find Alisan (who has a 1 day head start on them) after 3 days journey. When they explain what's up she'll burst into tears, use a sending to message Adrian to perserve her father's corpse and then head back with the party.
The party with them will be waylaid by Caramon and his pursuit entourage. They could conceivably kill Caramon at this point (Kudos if they do), otherwise he'll get away (if they do kill him Marissa will carry out the actions he would have carried out. Marrisa will not enter combat and as she is 5th level to Caramon's 3rd she has a much better chance of escape. If they don't kill Thurbin then it will be he and not Caramon and Marrissa).
When the party gets back to Dubroh they'll find Dulron's inn burnt to the ground. At this point I'll put 50-50 odds on the party trying to hit Caramon directly. If they want to go that route I'll give them an encounter with a rival thief's guildmaster who will provide the location of Caramon's hideout.
Beyond this I can't be too sure of what tact the party will take and could use some ideas on what to throw at them to cap off the evening.
Thoughts, questions, comments?
Here's my log for the first three sessions...
Month of Trilamrin, 1405
Esini Ganfun
Campaign starts in Dubroh. Murder of Sarah of House Lasner by mutilation and faked dark ritual. Hollie, Quarion and Alton (PCs) arrive in Dubroh and while in customs they hear the report of the discovery of the body. They go with Vice-Captain Barius (PC) to the source of the commotion. Group learns this murder is the 5th so far. Party goes to inn, there Hollie is approached by a member of the prostitutes guild who reveals there have been 7 other murders. Vice Captain Barius interviews Shoroban Lasner who offers a bounty for the capture of the murderers of his servant. Group assembles and retraces Sarah’s steps and finds blood near the end of a sewer.
-- End Session 1 --
Party descends into sewer and is accosted by dire rats. They find a chamber with an altar in it concecrated to Sekoon and guarded by two thugs. After defeating them they rescue Tricia Gables (PC) who reports the sort of ceremonies being performed. Party returns to surface.
Hollie now leaves to join the prostitute’s guild which has invited her to preside at a consecration and initiation ceremony. Three young girls are initiated. After the ceremony Hollie performs for Darren Imlori, the inheriting son of the Imlori clan.
Lesosi Ganfun
Vice Captain Barius gathers a strike force of watch and priests of his order and descends into the altar chamber to find it abandoned and the altar gone. Party spends most of the rest of the day gathering clues. They then return to the altar chamber and are attacked by eight skeletons. They take one of the skulls to Adrian of Matacha to have speak with dead cast on it but she declines until she can secure permission.
Childeni Ganfun
Murder of Lisa Pembroke, youngest of the initiates of the ceremony of initiation Hollie presided. Her body has been tattooed with the mark of Narisane and on this premise the city watch has Hollie arrested and tried by the temple of Aurnon. Vice-Captain Barius serves as her defense attorney. Result of trial is a temporary acquittal, but Hollie is remanded to Vice-Captain Barius’ custody. Priestess Adrian agrees to go ahead with the speak with dead spell and it is learned the skeletons came the Le Grange, a ship that was due in Dubroh 3 weeks ago but had disappeared en route from Dalze. Party investigates the nature of the cargo of the ship and learns the altar they had seen quite possibly could have been from the ship’s cargo. More ominously they learn it wasn’t the only artifact of note on board.
Sorani Ganfun
Party continues gathering clues as to suspects for the murders. They learn that the keeper of the inn they are staying at, Dulron, would be fine suspect since he openly hates prostitutes and repeatedly mistreats Hollie, only allowing her to stay because he has no other choice. His daughter, Alisan, is also suspect and the party hooks into their habit of meeting each morning to talk in private. Party follows up on this lead and attends the funeral for Sarah to see if anyone unusual shows. After everyone but Tricia has left (who is hidden) Dulron shows up but Tricia fails to overhear what he says.
Quarion goes to the temple of Rizaldi to confront Alisan concerning her father’s activities. He gets nothing definitive out of her but finds she is troubled with something. Before he leaves he meets with Robin, priest of Terix and the pre-eminent jester of the city of Dubroh. After some insane babbling Robin instructs Quarion to find Caramon
Hollie is approached by a servant of House Imlori to perform again and she agrees and goes with Tricia, though this time the client is the Patriarch of the house Gerald Imlori. Rather than do the honors himself though he hires a giggalo to perform with her while he watches and Tricia waits in the house’s atrium.
As Hollie is returning from this escapade she is attacked by three brigands. They are defeated though as part of the fight she uses a dark ritual spell in self defense.
-- End Session 2 --
Miber Ganfun
Quarion researches the name Quarion in the archives at the temple of Shining Light and finds it belonged to the former guildmaster of the city who died some 15 years ago, but also that he had a son with the same name. He returns to Robin to ask where he’d heard the name and Robin admits that he knows nothing of Caramon but that it was the name upon the lips of the nobility concerning the murders. He goes to the tavern to drink with Quarion and as he gets more drunk he stops his madness game and becomes more lucid. He confides in the bard that the third victim of this murderer was beloved to him and he only wishes to lead someone, anyone to the murderer to get revenge or justice. Since the vice captain and his compatriots seem to be the only individuals in the city that cares about the victims he gave the name.
He then makes a fortune telling using a deck of many things. When Alton sees the deck he casts detect magic and is blinded by the aura coming off the deck (permanently – he rolled a 1 on the save). The deck fortells that great debts are owed by Quarion, great danger is at hand, and the thing he seeks is far more dangerous than he realizes.
Meanwhile Vice Captain Barius is called up to investigate three bodies found in an alley. Hollie is taken along but is not exposed as the one responsible for their deaths, nor is the fact she cast dark ritual discovered.
Rishca Ganfun
Most of the morning spent in prayer and ritual by the party members (Rishca is the setting equivalent of Sunday). Another murder victim is found at midday, Anna – again one of the children initiated at the rite Hollie conducted. Carved into the skin of the body is “We’re coming for you Hollie.” The remainder of the investigation is put off to the next day out of reverence for the holy day.
Jiane Teleran
Party investigates the murder of Anna. They find she was stolen from her bed in the prostitute’s guild. Elisia, the matriarch of the guild is in an absolute panic. She hires a new bodyguard named Gree (PC) and assigns him to help in the investigation. Alton’s brother Reed (PC) also shows up on a ship now one week behind the one that brought Alton to the city. Out of leads the party decides to once again chance the sewers and begins investigation. They stumble upon the remains of the old thieves guild and are set upon by ghouls which kill Reed in the struggle due largely to Alton’s incompetence in handling his own magic (he casts a sleep spell which disables half the party but never had a chance to affect the ghouls).
The party discovers locked away in the vault documents detailing Caramon’s plans to destroy the leadership of the Merchant’s Council and install himself in power. Though 15 years old they are interesting as a historical document, and they also outline the extend to which the guild knew the weaknesses and strengths of the Council’s defenses. For this find Malison begrudgingly allows for a raise dead spell to be cast on Reed.
Tenes Teleran
Another murder – again a prostitute, Clara Thompson. Party again tries to discover what they can but do not uncover any additional leads. Vice Captain Barius and Hollie go to Elisia that evening and find the prostitute guild house heavily guarded. When they get inside they run into Caramon. They discover Elisia has conceded to his demand to allow his guild to offer protection to her’s. In a meeting that can be described as singularly cold Caramon all but admits his guilt and tries to cajole Barius into a fight both know he cannot win. They leave and consider their options that night.
Quarion goes to the temple of Rizaldi to speak with Alisan again. She states she is going to Chalk to gather herself and visit her mother’s grave then leaves.
Areani Teleran
Barius has Reed check the Dulron’s personal room while the innkeeper works below and the party watchs. Dulron goes into his cellar but doesn’t come up for a long period. A cry then rings out when one of his employees finds his corpse in the cellar. After a brief search the party finds a secret entrance into the sewers from the cellar and in the distance the sound of footsteps.
-- End Session Three --
Session 4 Plans
During my walks this week I've been planning out Saturday. This is what I have - loosely..
I'll open with the fight with Thurbin, an assassin. He's 5th level, but 6 1st level characters should be able to take him albeit with great difficulty. If they kill him the find a note on him, otherwise he drops said note in his haste to get away. He's been hired by 'C' (Caramon) to kill Dulron and his daughter Alisan. The party will need to set out to get to Alisan first. By the time the guild realizes Thurbin is dead the party should have a 2 day head start, depending on how quickly they move on the information.
They will find Alisan (who has a 1 day head start on them) after 3 days journey. When they explain what's up she'll burst into tears, use a sending to message Adrian to perserve her father's corpse and then head back with the party.
The party with them will be waylaid by Caramon and his pursuit entourage. They could conceivably kill Caramon at this point (Kudos if they do), otherwise he'll get away (if they do kill him Marissa will carry out the actions he would have carried out. Marrisa will not enter combat and as she is 5th level to Caramon's 3rd she has a much better chance of escape. If they don't kill Thurbin then it will be he and not Caramon and Marrissa).
When the party gets back to Dubroh they'll find Dulron's inn burnt to the ground. At this point I'll put 50-50 odds on the party trying to hit Caramon directly. If they want to go that route I'll give them an encounter with a rival thief's guildmaster who will provide the location of Caramon's hideout.
Beyond this I can't be too sure of what tact the party will take and could use some ideas on what to throw at them to cap off the evening.
Thoughts, questions, comments?
