Runelords D&D: Six Months Later

This series is a session-by-session recap of the Rise of the Runelords campaign over the course of the school year. We've just begun the game again after summer break, and the heroes are picking up again at the beginning of book three. The current party:

- Deanda, Elf Druid
- Kiikii, Human Conjurer/Malconvoker
- Nakor, Human Transmuter
- Jaime, Human Cleric of Iomedae
- Kraca, Dwarf Monk
- Slavla, Half Elf Barbarian/Fighter

It had been a long winter in Varisia, but as it always does, winter turned to spring, and spring to summer. It wasn't until six months after their success against Xanesha that the young heroes Deanda, Kiikii, Nakor, Jaime, Kraca, and Slavla, were called on once again.

Over the past six months, the group of adventurers had found time to relax, replenish supplies, and outfit their small home in Sandpoint. In that time, their names had also begun to spread across the western coast of Varisia. After thwarting a goblin seige, slaying a servant of Lamashtu, killing several goblin heroes, stopping a serial killer, and saving the life of Magnimar's Lord Mayor... they had made quite a name for themselves.

It was the Lord Mayor himself who called for their aid. Apparently, a fort on the edge of Magnimar's holdings known as Fort Rannick had been out of contact with Magnimar for several weeks and the Council of Ushers was getting worried. Lord Mayor Grobaras decided that the heroes would be perfect for the job. The heroes quickly agreed, eager to get away from the slow and sleepy town-life, so after giving them each 300 gold for the journey, the heroes set to work gathering supplies.

That night, as the heroes gathered at a local Magnimarian tavern for supper, known as the Tarnished Tankard. As they ate, a familiar face approached them - the elven ranger Shalelu. She joined the group for dinner and expressed personal interest in traveling to Fort Rannick, as she'd heard that the party was going. The adventurers were curious however, and grilled the young elf as to why she was so interested. Shalelu eventually admitted that there was a man there who she needed some questions from. A black arrow that once she may have called 'father'... The group needed little more information and welcomed the ranger along. They left at first light.

The path east was well worn, even though no true roads had been laid out. They traveled along the Yondabakari river and had safe travels, as Kraca and Slavla had seen to it over the last several months to make sure that the last assembled goblin forces were either dispersed or dead.

A few nights before their arrival at Turtleback Ferry however, a village directly south of Fort Rannick, the travelers came across an interesting sight. They came upon a small train of covered-wagons seemingly run by Varisian gypsy's. Before approaching, the group argued about what would be the best way to approach such a gathering. Nakor and Jaime each offered what little information they had - Nakor from a geographical standpoint, and Jaime from a religious, but it was truly Deanda who was the most comfortable in their situation as she had traveled with gypsy's before. The druid knew that they favored gifts that outsiders brought, and offered the caravan guards the scarf of Iesha as a gift.

This brought puzzled looks from the guards, though the heroes were welcomed into the camp as the sounds of the Ch'in echoes out through the night, matched the movements of an exotic Varisian dancer. After spending only a short amount of time in the gypsy camp, the group was invited one-by-one to speak with the matriarch of the gypsy clan, the elder of their family.

As each adventurer entered the matriarch's small wagon, the found it filled with strange items - from haunting candles to nameless components in glass jars to strands of beads and bones. A glass crystal ball sat behind the woman who was seated before them, cloaked in silk and purple scarves. Her deep purple eyes gazed over the scarves as each individual entered.

She greeted each of them by name, as if she knew them, and the chair across from her at the small table she sat at slowly pulled itself out as it offered them a seat. She spoke a brief and cryptic message to each of them.

"Time is a path we walk all but blind, glimpsing only the ground at our feet. Looking back, we see shadowy traces of what has passed. Looking forward, there is naught but mist. Desna has granted me the power to shed light upon the path of time." She gestured to the stack of cards which sat silent on the table before her. "These are Harrow cards. They are stepping stones which we walk up and down upon to see what has been, what is, and what might be. These sights can weigh heavily on the soul of those who see them, but they also grant opportunities to change not only what might be, but what has been, and everything in between. If you wish, you may take a single card as your guide."

The cards fanned themselves out face-down along the table, and one-by-one our heroes took their cards.

DM Note: I do not own a Harrow Deck, but I wanted to use something nicer then playing cards, so I used a set of Rune Cards I owned.

Kraca drew the card Initiation. Kiikii drew the card The Self. Slava drew the Possessions card. Nakor drew the card Standstill. When Jaime entered, the elder offered him a card as well, though Jaime respectfully declined. He said that he wished the mysteries of his future to remain hidden, so that he would not be bound by the fear or expectations of things to come. The woman smiled and nodded, as the cleric left the wagon. When Deanda entered, the woman was quite silent, before finally speaking."

"What happened to Iesha?"

Deanda relayed the story of the gypsy girl whom Aldern had stolen the heart of, before killing brutally. She explained how they found her scarf in his mansion, and were able to kill the man that killed her, and freed her spirit from the strange enchantment which bound her there. They had laid her to rest...

The woman nodded, and spoke in slow even tones. "Iesha was my granddaughter."

Finally, the cards spread themselves once more, and the elder spoke again. "You may take two cards if you wish Deanda. One for you, and one for Iesha, who never had a chance to draw from this deck, and never will." Deanda drew the cards Gateway and Wholeness.

The party slept soundly that night, and when they awoke the camp was nowhere to be seen. The faintest gathering of ashes beneath what seemed to be newly-grown grass was the only indication that anyone had gathered here the night prior. From the look of the campsite though, it would appear that no one had camped here for several months.

In their hands as they awoke however, were their cards... The whole thing felt like a dream, but they all knew it was more. With the words of the Varisian Fortuneteller fresh in their minds, and the strange runic cards in their hands, the group set out once more for Turtleback Ferry.

Shortly after they left the Varisian camp, the rains came. For the next two and a half days, it rained almost non-stop, and when the reached the rain-drenched shores of Turtleback Ferry, the storm seemed to show no signs of letting up. Entering the small village they were met with little resistance. Nakor, Kraca and Deanda headed to the shrine of Erastil to speak with Father Shreed - the mayor and head priest of the town. Kiikii and Slavla went to Bottoms Up - the local tavern - for a drink, and Jaime went to pray.

From Father Shreed, the group learned that Turtleback Ferry had not heard from the Black Arrows of Fort Rannick (about 20 miles to the north) in a couple weeks - just about the same time that the rains began. Seven days ago, a small band of militiamen headed north to investigate, but they never returned. Also, hunters in the nearby woods had noticed a migration of boar, bear, and firepelt cougars, to the edges of the woods. This, Father Shreed thought, might have been a sign of activity from the Ogrekin and Ogres the called the Kreegwood their home.

Nakor knew little about the overall geography of the land north of Turtleback Ferry, though he did point out that the Kreegwood, and the northern mountain range, were home to various Ogre tribes and Ogrekin families - specifically centered around a mountain known as Hook Mountain. The Black Arrows were the first line of defense again these creatures, and have always been highly successful in their line of work.

Kraca had heard something of the Black Arrows and said what little he knew. The Black Arrows were highly trained archers and warrior who often had to go through an extensive training program before being allowed admittance. The organization actually drew a lot of ex-convicts as it took applicants of all backgrounds. By the end of the Black Arrow training, Kraca explained, it didn't matter where you came from. You became an Arrow.

The group set out at first light the next day, but on their way to the fort, Nakor heard something strange - like the low and pained growl of an animal. Investigating, the group found a bear that had been caught in an iron bear-trap. Deanda calmed the creature and found that it was highly intelligent - probably even the companion of a ranger or a druid. With some great effort, Slavla ripped open the trap, just in time too as a pack of hunting dogs burst through the trees.

Jaime and Shalelu show arrows and bolts at the dogs while Slavla and Kraca closed the gap in order to use melee tactics. A blast of glitterdust from Kiikii sent two of the five dogs into a blind frenzy, while another was singed by gouts of flame from Deanda's fists. The bear fought along their side, drawing most of the dog's attacks, as it clawed back on it's own. Nakor's skin rippled as he took the form of a troglodyte - wading into battle himself as he swung his heavy earthbreaker at the nearest enemy. Soon, the dogs had all fallen, before the hunter even had arrived.

It wasn't long before the hunter himself, a deformed Ogrekin hillbilly came within sight. He shouted out a challenge to the heroes, who gladly took him up on it. With a running jump, Slavla brought his polearm down - neatly cleaving off the giant's left arm entirely. The giant merely laughed and readied his spear. Fortunately, the creature never had a chance to attack, as a second glitterdust turned him blind, arrows and bolts sunk deep into his rubbery flesh, and Nakor brought his earthbreaker down for the finishing blow.

The ogrekin's masterfully crafted spear was there, but apparently he wasn't alone. Thanks to Deanda's keen eye for nature, along with some help from the bear they rescued, a small pathway was found. As they walked out onto it, Deanda spoke with the bear and learned that it's master had been forced to "flee the keep" only to be "captured at the farm". Before they could begin to think about what this meant, an echoing voice from the clearing ahead reached their ears.

"Hey Mammy! When's Dinner?!"

- - -

DM Notes: (These are player-safe, no spoilers)

What the party seemed to enjoy
- These guys love a good fight. Though the dogs and ogrekin to some degree were "tools" according to Nakor, it never hurts to have a fight where the party just invokes the power of "major pwnage".

- The encounter with Varisian gypsies seemed to go well. I kept it short and sweet and tried not to bog down the first session back with too much storytelling. Get in, get cards, get out.

What I could have done better
- Knowing that the party was itching for a fight, I easily could have thrown in a random encounter on their way to Turtleback Ferry, but I have never been a fan of "Wandering Monsters" since they don't advance the plot, so I steered clear of this. If we'd had more time though, and weren't in a hurry to finish the game this year, I think adding in a battle (planned out so it would actually be fun and meaninful) would have been an improvement.

- Should have worked on my Varisian accent a little more before we began. It was supposed to be a Russian accent. Scottish for Shoanti, Russian for Varisians. My bad.

Spotlights
I think it's important every game to let one or two characters take the spotlight. Every session, I try to give someone a chance to shine. I try not to spread myself too thin, and try to focus on a different player or pair of players each session. All of the players have a chance to strut their stuff during each session in different ways though, even when they may not realize it.

- Deanda, coming from a past with gypsies, really took an important role during the gypsy encounter. Her past was tied in with the gypsies, and she had a chance to explain to the gypsy elder the story of Iesha - the elder's granddaughter who had died. Deanda was allowed to draw an extra card. Deanda also was able to calm the bear that they found and could identify it as a druid's animal companion.