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[13
Calistril 4708 continued]
The
adventurers continue the hunt for the Scribbler. Breaking down a concealed door, they find his
inner sanctum. With no place to run, he
fights furiously but is no match for Jinkatsyu’s superior swordplay and falls
quickly. Kang reads the scribbling on
the walls of the room and sees several mentions of Runeforge and runeforged weapons, something that the
Scribbler believed would be quite useful against the Runelords and their
allies. Interestingly, Kang realizes
that the Scribbler was, millennia ago, a sort of triple agent: ostensibly
devoted to the Runelord of Wrath, but secretly reporting to the Runelord of
Greed, while retaining true loyalty to Lamashtu! The adventurers are also able to retrieve
Bosk Hartigan’s body, which had been preserved by a gentle repose spell (presumably, for divinatory purposes). Returning to the surface, the adventurers
leave the body at the Cathedral for interment.
The
adventurers teleport to Jorgenfist to check on Brodert Quink in the Therassic
Library. They find him doing well and
excited about what he’s learned so far.
He reports that his research indicates that Runeforge was created as a
place where agents of the seven Runelords could gather to study magic; complex
wards were woven around it that barred entrance to the Runelords and saboteurs,
and magical enhancements sustained those within without the need to eat or even
sleep. Brodert concludes by saying he found
speculation that the Runelords had separately tasked their minions with
developing ways to survive what they felt was the imminent end of Thassilon—but
whether any or all of the various answers were successful, no one knows.
Returning
via magic to Sandpoint, the adventurers continue lodging at the Rusty Dragon
while they plan their next steps. With
rumors spreading that Mayor Deverin has been recalled to Magnimar on urgent
business for several weeks and that Titus Scarnetti will be in charge during her
absence, Ava is torn about whether she should advise her fellow gripplis to
stay or go. After much prayer and
discussion with her friends, she concludes that Sandpoint is just too dangerous
for them. She anoints Mudwillow as their
new Chief and watches sadly as they hop out of town and back toward the swamp.
[14 Calistril
4708]
 |
Sister Celia is a talented artist who believes
creativity and passion go hand in hand.
|
Strong winds
and snow blanket the streets of Sandpoint.
Yuzo, noticing that Jinkatsyu isn’t around and didn’t sleep in his room
last night, grows concerned that he may have been kidnapped by the group’s
various enemies! Yuzo asks around the
inn and discovers that Jinkatsyu was seen in the presence of Sister Celia (the
acolyte of Shelyn) the night previous.
Venturing out into the blizzard, Yuzo enlists Father Zantus’ and Sister
Erica’s help, conveying his fears that perhaps both Celia and Jinkatsyu met
with the same fate. The three rush over
to Sister Celia’s house and Yuzo puts his shoulder to the front door,
shattering it open! But inside are the
two “kidnap” victims enjoying a cup of tea.
Yuzo apologises profusely for the mistake.
That night,
the adventurers visit Veznutt Parooh for help in interpreting some of the
Scribbler’s rhymes relating to Runeforge.
The gnome cartographer is delighted to help, and puts his knowledge of
Varisian geography to great effect, identifying the second stanza’s reference
to the eastern shores of a “steaming mirror” as a reference to Lake Stormunder
in northern Varisia, a body of water known for its plentiful hot springs and
geysers. The “seven faces silent wait”
are identified by Parooh as the mysterious circle of seven stone heads that
stand on a hilltop near Lake Stormunder, just at the base of the western slopes
of Rimeskull Mountain. Ava is excited to
have so much information, and thinks she may be able to teleport the group
there even though they’ve never been there before. Veznutt extracts a promise to be the first to
map whatever the adventurers find (once it’s safe).
The next
step on this epic quest to save Varisia has become clear: to Runeforge!
--------------------------------
Director's Commentary
The final battle against the Scribbler was probably anticlimactic, but I wasn't really surprised. He's not intended as a stand-up fighter, and when he can't do hit-and-run attacks he goes down pretty fast.
This session gets the PCs headed towards Runeforge, which is the bulk of Chapter Five. I liked how useful Veznutt Parooh was here. PCs often neglect skills like Knowledge: Geography despite how crucial it can be in the right circumstance!
This session pretty much wraps up the "grippli in Sandpoint" subplot. The bits with Yuzo interrupting Jinks and Sister Celia were some silly fun.
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