Rise of the Runelords Recap # 84 [RPG]

[12 Calistril 4708 continued]

Following their battle against the mysterious masked figure who has come to be known as the Scribbler, the adventurers find their ranks temporarily thinned: Kang has run off while in a state of supernatural fear, and Yuzo has fallen into unconsciousness from his wounds.  Ava, Erik, and Jinkatsyu decide to continue their exploration but even more cautiously than before.  As they proceed through the tunnels (some of which distort perception), Erik’s ability to cast a minor array of spells comes in quite handy: he’s able to locate and translate particular Thassilonian stanzas of a poem related to Runeforge.  When all the stanzas are placed together, the poem reads:

If magic bright is your desire, to old Runeforge must you retire!

For only there does wizards’ art receive its due and proper start.

On eastern shores of steaming mirror, at end of day when dusk is nearer,

Where seven faces silent wait encircled guards at Runeforge gate.

Each stone the grace of seven lords, one part of key each ruler hoards;

If offered spells and proper prayer, take seven keys and climb the stair.

On frozen mountain Xin awaits, his regal voice the yawning gates

Eyes turn twice in Sihedron-occulted Runeforge waits within.

And now you’ve come and joined the forge upon rare lore your mind can gorge—

And when you slough the mortal way in Runeforge long your work shall stay.

Before long, the trio reach a door locked with powerful magicks.  Erik blasts through the lock with his pistol, revealing a corridor beyond.  But when they advance into it, a magical trap triggers and Erik and Jinkatsyu are suddenly convinced, separately, that the others are secretly worshippers of Lamashtu who plan to capture and sacrifice them!  Erik backs up and holds the door shut against Jinkatsyu’s pounding, while Ava sobs to see the two men angry and threatening violence against each other.  Drawing upon the powers granted her by Sinashakti, Ava is able to remove the delusions from Jinkatsyu’s mind.  But with Erik threatening to shoot if either of them come through the door, the two are forced to hatch a desperate scheme.  They dimension door right behind Erik and Ava magically removes his delusions just instants before he is able to open fire.  Ava collapses with relief, and Erik thanks her with a hug.

The trio realize there is likely another secret door at the far end of the corridor, but they decide they’ve faced enough danger this day.  They return to the surface, carrying Yuzo with them.  At the Rusty Dragon, acrid purple smoke can be seen pouring forth from Kang’s room, proof that the alchemist made his way back and is hard at work on another formula.  With Kang busy and Yuzo resting, the other three spend the rest of the afternoon running some errands in Sandpoint.  At one point, Ava realizes that her fellow gripplis are packing up their possessions as if preparing for a journey.  They explain that a note found under Elder Chief Cragpawmpum’s bed at The White Deer Inn instructed his people to leave the town upon his death.  Ava looks at the letter and is puzzled to see that it’s written in common household ink (rather than the more exotic concoctions favoured by swamp gripplis) and that it’s written in Taldan rather than the native grippli tongue.  She and the other adventurers suspect something strange is going on, and she asks her fellow tribe members to halt their departure until an investigation can be made.

When the trio are alone again, Jinkatsyu expresses his concern that perhaps the tribal elder didn’t die of natural causes!  Erik tells the others about seeing a lanky Varisian in the early morning hours just before the elder was found dead, and Ava says she bets the Scarnettis are behind it!  Sheriff Hemlock is brought in on the group’s suspicions, and he says that a routine investigation of Elder Chief Cragpawmpum’s death was conducted by Sir Jasper Korvaski.  A review of Korvaski’s report shows no obvious signs of a struggle or foul play; four empty glass vials were found under the bed, along with the grippli’s clothes and staff.  The trio decide that Kang should have a look at the vials to rule out poison, and head back to the Rusty Dragon to bring him into the picture.

Once again Ava’s quick thinking and skilful spellcasting have prevented the party from being torn asunder by threats both real and imagined.  But with the Scribbler below Sandpoint and a potential assassin loose on the streets above, can she continue to handle the stress?

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Director's Commentary

Two of the players (running Kang and Yuzo) couldn't make it to this session, but my general rule is just to push forward with whoever can make it.  Too many campaigns fall apart when entire sessions are postponed just because someone can't make it.  Even with just three PCs, the group was still able to advance both the major plot (by assembling the poem about the location of Runeforge) and a subplot (by investigating the death of the grippli elder).

The best part of this session was when Jinkatsyu and Erik were fell prey to the Scribbler's magical suggestion trap.  The offensive capabilities of most PCs at this level is enormous, and if they turn that power against one another, death would happen very quickly.  It was a tense, exciting situation aided by excellent (and non-metagaming) role-playing by the players.