Rise of the Runelords Recap # 87 [RPG]

[14 Calistril 4708 continued]

After their successful visit with Veznutt Parooh (who helped them discover the location of Runeforge), the adventurers return to the Rusty Dragon.  They talk about the next step in their preparations, and agree to go to Magnimar for supplies and bring Brodert Quink home from the Therassic Library just in case anything goes wrong in the next stage of their quest.

[15 Calistril 4708]

Yuzo volunteers to stay behind in Sandpoint while the others teleport to Magnimar.  The foursome arrive in front of the Black Shield and spend the day buying and selling a variety of equipment.  Kang decides it’s time to sell the Sihedron-shaped medallion he had worn for months, and finds a shrine dedicated to Arqueros where the keeper is willing to pay Kang to part with the amulet so it can be destroyed.  Other artifacts dedicated to Lamashtu are sold for destruction as well.

Selling this amulet turned out to 

be more trouble than it was worth!

After the long, wearisome day of trudging through the snowy streets, the adventurers decide to stay in Magnimar for the night and return to Sandpoint in the morning.  Unfortunately, they didn’t recognise a surprise twist of fate: the shrine-keeper that purchased the Sihedron medallion and other items dedicated to dark causes has alerted the authorities, convinced that the fiend-touched Kang is actually in league with the source of those very items!  In the middle of the night, the adventurers are awakened by a team of Arvensoar-trained battle mages who roust them from their rooms at the Black Shield and arrest them.  Initially, Erik refuses, shouting his loathing for chains of all stripes, but several magic missiles persuade him to submit.  As the adventurers are led away in manacles, the proprietor of the Black Shield spits in their general direction.

[16 Calistril 4708]

Detained separately and questioned intensively about their activities, the four adventurers must rely on their own wits and personal charm to convince the authorities that they pose no threat.  Jinkatsyu references his time in Sandpoint and role in helping stop the stone giant takeover of Varisia to leverage his freedom, but Kang’s bluster, Ava’s sobbing, and Erik’s stoic silence keep them in detention for another night.

[17 Calistril 4708]

Jinkatsyu uses his freedom wisely, lobbying for Ava’s release.  Eventually, the guards take pity on the grippli and deem her no threat, and she’s set free as well.  No longer welcome at the Black Shield, the two take up rooms at an inn in Dockway District called the Nag’s Gull.  Ava sends a magical communication to Yuzo to let him know why they haven’t returned to Sandpoint, and he’s understandably concerned.

[18 Calistril 4708]

Kang and Erik spend yet another day in detention.  Kang starts to make friends with his fellow inmates, while Erik still refuses to speak.

[19 Calistril 4708]

Ava teleports to Sandpoint to collect Yuzo and bring him to Magnimar.  Unfortunately, he associates the city with a dark time in his past and, despite his best efforts, is barely able to control his rising panic.  Later that day, Ava receives a visit from a greasy man with a wart on his nose who implies that he’s a “fellow worshipper of the Mother of Monsters.”  Ava is horrified that is word is spreading that the adventurers are in league with evil cults!

[20 Calistril 4708]

Kang sees daylight for the first time in almost a week, having talked his way out by cleverly passing along some juicy information gleaned from a jailhouse snitch.

[21 Calistril 4708]

The adventurers continue pressing for Erik’s freedom, but to no avail.

[22 Calistril 4708]

Kang’s birthday starts with his announcing it to everyone in the inn’s common room.  He celebrates the occasion by imbibing a single alcoholic beverage.

[23 Calistril 4708]

Despite the horrors they've seen, the Plateau of Leng 

would surpass the adventurers' wildest imaginations.

Unable to pierce the man’s silence, the authorities finally give up and reluctantly let Erik free.  He promptly turns around and tries to press legal charges for wrongful imprisonment, but his efforts are not taken seriously.  When Erik rejoins the others, all but Jinkatsyu hastily teleport to Jorgenfist, concerned that Brodert Quink is probably out of food by this point.  In the Therassic Library, they find him lying face down on the ground, seemingly comatose!  Fortunately, Ava is able to magically awaken Brodert, who seems none the worse for wear.  Kang examines the book in the old man’s outstretched hands and sees it’s titled Whispers from Leng: A Guide to the Beyond.  The book implies that the legendary mountain Mhar Massif (said to be the site of Xin-Shalast, capital city of the Empire of Greed) was rumored to serve as a bridge to a strange realm beyond Golarion known as Leng—a place riven from nightmares!    Ava teleports the group to Sandpoint and see Brodert safely to his house.  Meanwhile, back in Magnimar, Jinkatsyu explains what happened to the proprietor of the Black Shield and persuades him to give the group another chance.  Later that day, Ava collects him and the group is reunited in Sandpoint.

The afternoon goes by quickly with the Heroes of Varisia performing various errands and then getting ready for an evening meal planned with Brodert Quink and Veznutt Parooh to thank them for all of their assistance.

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Director's Commentary

I didn't realise it at the time this session was played, but the picture I showed the players of the Sihedron medallion was a real product for sale.  In the campaign's final session (about 30 recaps from now!), I gave one to each of the two players who had been in it since the very first session.

The bit with the PCs arrested and jailed was complete improv on my part.  I think I wanted to see how well they could talk (instead of fight) their way out of trouble.  I didn't expect it to take up most of the session, but it ended up being really fun. I have to give props to Kang's player, as he drew on all sorts of prison movie clichés to describe the character's life (week) behind bars.

When the group goes to collect Veznutt Parooh, we get the first reference to Leng, which is a fairly important subplot in Chapter Six.  I feel like I did some good work with this element of the endgame at first, but then sorta dropped the ball (too much juggling!) at the end.  A bit of a shame given my love for Call of Cthulhu.