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[Fireday, 31 Erastus, 4708 A.R. continued]
As shopkeepers
begin locking their valuables in trunks and thinking of supper, the Harrowed
Heroes race against time to finish their errands in Kaer Maga. The Wheel Unbroken, a multi-story building
housing the powerful Arcanist’s Circle of the city, provides Anorak access to a
variety of rare spells and magical scrolls.
Back on the street, the trio of travellers are accosted repeatedly by a
filthy dwarf spewing nonsense about a place where “only the dead walk, and they
too are trapped”. Ralph finds the encounter
amusing and hurls some jibes at the dwarf until the ranter is dragged away by others.
Finding a place to
spend the night in Kaer Maga proves challenging, as the travellers first try an
inn “ill-suited to their station” (according to the concierge of the opulent
Canary House), then stroll into a hostel that looks more like a pigsty than a
place fit for human habitation, before finally reaching something more in line
with their expectations. Ralph has a
conversation with a surprisingly well-mannered orc merchant and picks up a
couple of tips about traversing the Hold of Belkzen.
Having travelled
hundreds of miles before crisscrossing the disorienting, crowded, and
often-gloomy passageways of Kaer Maga, the travellers enjoy a well-earned rest.
[Starday, 1 Arodus
4708 A.R.]
The last month of
summer begins with the dwindling population of Korvosa still suffering under
the cruel reign of Queen Ileosa Arabasti.
For the Harrowed Heroes, their quest to stop her first involves a brief
teleportation to Egorian so Ralph can pick up a weapon commissioned weeks ago:
a magical war-maul that disintegrates undead!
While there, Anorak spends some hours earning funds by allowing local
wizards to copy some of the unusual spells he’s collected. He also finishes crafting a new ioun stone
that turns itself and his other ioun stones invisible. Goldcape, who has stayed behind in Kaer Maga,
reads her book on the Hold of Belkzen and learns about the Screaming Tree, a
location near Scarwall that is so frightfully haunted it is shunned by even the
bravest orcs.
Once Ralph and
Anorak have returned to Kaer Maga, they talk with Goldcape over supper about
the next day’s travel plans. Discussion
centers on whether the group should stop at Urglin or Freedom Town to buy an orc
tribal crest which would ostensibly provide them free passage through the Hold
of Belkzen. Goldcape says it may not be
necessary because they can wind walk high enough to avoid danger, but
Ralph replies that if they have to land, having one would be good
insurance. That night, as Goldcape
readies herself for bed, she receives another magical message from Yraelzin: “I
can’t delay them any longer—they don’t believe you’re coming. So we’re going in. Wish us luck!” Goldcape sends a magical reply
promising to be there soon and urging Yraelzin to wait.
[Sunday, 2 Arodus
4708 A.R.]
Another logistical
problem with the group’s travel plans is revealed when they realise that the
magical wind walking scroll they purchased isn’t powerful enough to
carry all three adventurers and Anorak’s new familiar. Goldcape castigates Anorak again for having
delayed the group for several days just for the “dumb bird”. An attempt is made to get Eldritch to submit
to the same spell that Goldcape uses to shrink Rocky into a hand-sized
figurine, but the distrustful Eldritch refuses to agree. Finally, Anorak has to tell Eldritch to stay
in Kaer Maga for now and that he’ll come back for him via teleportation magic
once he and the others reach Scarwall.
After paying a
Pharasmin to read the scroll, the three seekers of Scarwall gradually turn into
insubstantial mist and begin flying at incredible speeds over the
landscape. Goldcape proves an excellent
navigator especially when aided by maps and Ralph’s compass. The trio head over the Cinderlands (seeing
herds of Aurochs and occasional Shoanti) far below, and within just a couple of
hours reach Urglin. The orc settlement,
built on the stone remnants of a mysterious unknown civilisation, still shows
signs of the recent siege by the giant army that descended from the mountains
just weeks ago. Hurled boulders still
lay atop crushed shacks and tents, leaving large swathes of destruction through
the orc shanty towns. Brief thought is
given to stopping to buy a tribal crest of passage, but this time the
travellers are unwilling to risk further delay and decide to continue onwards.
The mountains that
divide the Cinderlands from the Hold of Belkzen are the next obstacle standing
in the way of the travellers, but the magical spell that allows them to fly
higher and faster than an eagle or hawk means the group’s journey is
unhindered. Several hours pass, but by
mid-afternoon the group reach a mountain range full of dormant volcanoes,
desolate barren hills, and isolated scrub trees. Goldcape skillfully leads the trio toward a
particular dormant volcano elevated almost 1,500 feet above the surrounding
terrain. There, with clouds of dark carrion
birds riding the winds above it, stands an imposing collection of towers and
fortifications built atop a small island in a crater lake. A single span connects the castle to a narrow
peninsula on the lake’s southern edge, where a crumbling barbican still
stands. At last: Scarwall!
On the eastern
side of the lake is a black tower initially reminiscent of the one left behind
in Trail’s End. But this tower is topped
by a massive stone skull, and is clearly the fortress that Yraelzin spoke
about! Proof comes quickly, as the
flyers see him rushing out of the tower and waving enthusiastically. No longer wearing the iron mask of a Priest
of Razmir or speaking quite so bombastically, Yraelzin seems more at peace with
himself. He teasingly berates the group
for taking so long, and says they made it just in time because the others were
tired of waiting. Goldcape starts to
explain her opinion on why getting to Scarwall took so long (mostly involving
Eldritch), but Ralph (now as The Reckoner) pulls Yraelzin aside to ask about
this ‘Brotherhood of Bones’ he’s been negotiating with. Yraelzin corrects The Reckoner, who was under
the apprehension The Brotherhood were priests of Urgathoa. However, Yraelzin’s explanation that they’re
a sect devoted to Zon-Kuthon, the so-called Midnight Lord of Pain and Shadows,
doesn’t bring The Reckoner much comfort.
He’s also not happy to hear that Yraelzin bartered away the magical jade
elephant the group lent him in order to get the location and magical passage
from Urglin to Scarwall!
When she returns,
it’s actually with a pair of figures. The first is a fastidiously-dressed man who
walks with his chin held high and an air of superiority. Walking precisely three steps behind him is a
strange figure that looks generally-human except for white, pupil-less eyes and
midnight blue-tinged skin. Her only
clothing are chains wrapped around her body.
When the first figure, Shadowcount Sial, speaks, it’s with an air of
disdain. He confirms the arrangement
with Yraelzin, and scoffs when asked for assurances that the Brotherhood won’t
use Serithtial to harm others.
Sial says no Kuthite would use such a blasphemous creation. When asked, he acknowledges that Serithtial
could be potentially useful in fighting Ileosa, as the Crown of Fangs she wears
is a relic of Kazavon, an ancient champion of Zon-Kuthon—a figure the
Brotherhood does not want to see resurrected, as leadership of the faith should
be Sial’s own.
This naturally
leads to the new arrivals hoping to eat their cake and have it too—what if they
could both sever the spiritual link from Scarwall to the Crown of Fangs (thus
rendering Ileosa vulnerable) and find Serithtial to use against
her? Sial initially bristles at the
notion of reopening the agreement already entered into with Yraelzin, but then
seems to think the better of it and makes a counter-offer: the Brotherhood will
lend its aid in Scarwall if both Serithtial and the Crown of
Fangs are turned over to it after Ileosa is deposed. The Harrowed Heroes step aside to talk it
over. Anorak says the deal sounds solid,
but The Reckoner is worried that Sial wants to keep and use the Crown of Fangs
himself. Goldcape suggests they could
lie to them—use Serithtial to destroy the Crown of Fangs, and then keep
the weapon themselves! When the foursome
return and ask precisely what help the Brotherhood could provide inside
Scarwall, Sial rolls his eyes, as if it should be obvious—he explains that he himself
is a master arcanist, Laori is an “adequate” cleric, and his bodyguard (nodding
to the silent chain-wrapped figure standing behind him) is a formidable
warrior. In addition, he says that if
there are denizens of Scarwall that still worship the Midnight Lord, obstacles
could be turned into allies.
The deal is
made—or so it seems for some minutes.
For once Shadowcount Sial returns from the bone house with a
magical contract to compel each side to carry out its commitments, The Reckoner
flatly refuses to sign it! Sial bristles
with cold anger. “You will regret this,”
he says, turning on his heels and walking back toward the tower. Laori looks apologetic. Before following him, she whispers to the
newcomers that if they meet again inside Scarwall, they don’t have to be
enemies, even if they’re not going to be allies.
GM Commentary
I liked the little bit about the group getting turned away from Canary House for not looking the part; social class doesn't get much attention in Pathfinder, but one has to imagine most adventurers certainly don't fit with aristocratic notions of hygiene and style.
After several sessions, the group finally gets going and reaches Scarwall this session. Wind walk is interesting as a GM because, unlike teleport, I still have to describe the general terrain they pass by (about the same speed as driving an automobile) and, in theory, random encounters could happen--though at the same time the PCs could likely just keep going.
I wish either the individual issue or the hardcover had presented a good, clear drawing of what Scarwall looks like from a distance. I found it really hard to conceptualise and describe how the castle fit in the crater lake, where the towers were, etc. Fortunately, I found some 3-D artist conception videos on Youtube that allowed for a full rotational look (without any spoilers) and showed that to my players. I think it helped a lot.
Despite both the individual issue and the hardcover version, I never did quite understand what the motivation of the Brotherhood of the Bone was in getting Serithtial. What I put above was my best attempt to come up with an answer that seems plausible even if I'm still not 100% satisfied.
From what I can tell online (and the amount of fan art) Laori Vaus is one of the favourite NPCs of a lot of people that play through this AP. She just was never "on stage" very much when I ran it, and I couldn't really make her personality pop as other GMs were able. But, I don't stress about it too much. You just never know what NPCs, plot elements, etc. different groups will latch onto.
An alliance with the Brotherhood of Bone would have made exploring Scarwall much easier (and safer), and they would have kept their word (until one of them betrays the other, as scripted in the AP). The Reckoner's sudden opposition to the alliance took me and the rest of the table by surprise, and I'm still not really sure what it was about. Perhaps he thought the contract was somehow a trap, but he could have had some of the magically-astute characters in the group examine it, or try to continue negotiating. In any event, the decision had major implications for the rest of the Chapter. I essentially came up with a random percentage each day for Sial and Laori (individually, since they argue and split up) to either get killed in Scarwall or find Serithtial and escape--thus, the longer it would take the PCs to find it, the less chance it would still be there. Nonetheless, I didn't get much of a sense of an urgency from the players; I think some perhaps come from the video game experience where time rarely matters and nothing bad ever happens "off-screen". We'll see the outcome of this in later sessions.
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