Rise of the Runelords Recap # 117 [RPG]

 

[9 Gozran 4708 continued]

 

Although the fight against the blue dragon Ghlorofaex is over, the drama hasn’t stopped.  In the aftermath of the battle, as the resurrected Morgiana puts on the beast’s Sihedron ring, an uncharacteristically angry Ava tells everyone to stop what they’re doing because the group needs to have a talk.  Ava rounds on Morgiana for rushing recklessly into the battle and getting herself killed.  Ava says such a tactic might work for someone like Jinkatsyu, but Morgiana needs to stick to her own strengths, play more of a support role, and keep her distance from foes who pack such a punch.  Ava explains that, although she can bring party members back from the dead, it’s a draining and expensive ritual that uses their dwindling resources.  Erik and Jinkatsyu agree with Ava, and Morgiana apologises, explaining that she wasn’t really thinking.  The group agree that the enemies in Xin-Shalast have obviously been informed about the adventurers’ favourite tactics and are trying to exploit their weaknesses.  Better strategic planning will be necessary to keep their foes off-balance.

To that end, the adventurers discuss the best way to secure a fifth Sihedron ring so that every member of the group will be protected by the dangerous occluding field that they’ve been told surrounds the Pinnacle of Avarice, Karzoug’s sanctum near the peak of Mhar Massif.  The consensus is that attacking the rune giant master of Shahlaria is the best approach, and the adventurers discuss ways to limit the rune giant’s ability to dominate minds while wearing it down from a safe distance before closing.  While the conversation proceeds, Kang is shovelling coins from the dragon’s hoard into his bag of holding.  Suddenly having been overloaded, the magical bag implodes and sucks all of its contents into an unfathomable planar void!  If the Runelord of Greed were watching, the delicious irony would not be lost on him.

The adventurers decide to camp inside Ghlorofaex’s former lair.  Jinkatsyu decides to gag himself to prevent any attempts by Karzoug to alert nearby patrols to their location. 

[10 Gozran 4708]

In the morning, the others smell the results of Morgiana’s attempt to take seriously a previously minor-hobby: alchemy!  Unlike the terrible smells that emanate from Kang’s brews, Morgiana’s have a delicious scent and flavour—though they’re far, far weaker.  Kang tells Morgiana that if she makes it out of Xin-Shalast alive, she can join the Academy of Alchemy that the tiefling plans to open—in fact, due to their shared background as comrades-in-arms, he’ll even offer her a 2 ½ % discount on tuition!

The Heroes of Varisia make their approach to the massive fortress of Shahlaria under the cover of invisibility and while flying.   From a great distance, they see a tiny brown speck floating with the wind above the fortress.  A quartet of cloud giants levitate into the air towards the speck, and, when they descend, it’s clear they’re holding a carriage-sized object of some sort.  It looks like a large, woven basket connected by thick ropes to a tear-drop shaped canvas bag filled with air!  The cloud giants gently lower the basket onto the roof of the fortress, where a rune giant waits.  Weak-kneed and stumbling, four normal-sized individuals emerge from the basket—and three of them are from
Sandpoint!  The stunned adventurers recognise arrogant nobleman Titus Scarnetti, dung collector Gorvi, and self-proclaimed “master alchemist” Nisk Tander.  Kang recognises the fourth figure—a dwarf inventor named Bartol Ehrdrick he once met back in Magnimar.  The four newcomers are led down a staircase into the fortress’ interior by the rune giant.

The adventurers fly quickly to the scene, and are soon spotted by the cloud giant sentries.  Two of the defenders are felled quickly, but the other two conjure thick fields of fog to slow down the assault.  In the midst of the battle, the rune giant returns to the rooftop!  Kang hurls one of his patented explosives at the strange contraption the newcomers arrived in, and it explodes with unexpected intensity, burning Morgiana badly.  The rune giant targets a foe who rarely receives the brunt of enemy attacks—Ava!  But Jinkatsyu and the others intervene, and Erik fires a tightly-packed cluster of bullets in its chest that finally drops the truly gargantuan foe.  The rooftop shutters under its weight.  The surviving cloud giants, freed from the rune giant's mental domination, flee the battle.

A hard-fought battle has led to victory, but only after a crack has been revealed in the adventurers’ alliance.  And a new mystery has emerged:  what in the heavens are three residents of Sandpoint doing in Xin-Shalast?

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Director's Commentary

I think Ava's assertiveness was a combination of in-character and out-of-character frustration.  Although the group was prepared and brought a lot of diamond dust with them to Xin-Shalast for raise dead and restoration spells, there was a limit--and getting more would have been tremendously difficult given the teleportation-blocking field around the city.

The group knows that Karzoug and his minions have been watching and seeing their strengths and weaknesses.

The overloaded bag of holding situation was a frustrating one for Kang's player, but is well-established in my campaigns.  My theory has always been that if you have a magic item, you need to keep in mind the restrictions as well as the benefits they bring.

The hot air balloon was a creation of the dwarven inventor from the back matter of one of the comics.  The reason I had it appear was that I wanted to explain Nisk Tander's connection to Xin-Shalast--how he was able to produce "Nisk Tander's elixir of the peaks" while Kang couldn't (a long-running subplot).  It gave Kang a chance to resolve his rivalry with Nisk, Ava a chance to resolve her issues with Titus Scarnetti, and an explanation for the "alternate dimension" the PCs encountered where Sandpoint was a Runelord military garrison with Titus in command and Gorvi as his chief enforcer.  Finally, I wanted a last reminder for the PCs of Sandpoint and what they're fighting for.  I think the idea actually tied in a lot of storylines really well, and provided some excellent role-playing opportunities in what would otherwise just have been an escalating series of combats.