Crimson Throne D&D: To Catch An Assassin

[SPOILER: Members of my RPOL "Pathfinder: Journeys of Golarion" game should not read this post as it contains information as to the adventure you are currently playing.]

This series is a session-by-session recap of the Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign over the course of the school year. Enjoy! The current party:

- Lowen, Half-Elf Cleric of Irori
- Ramius, Human Swashbuckler
- Tulia, Human Sorceress
- Einkil, Dwarf Fighter
- Ziaphas, Human Wizard

"You've doubtless heard the stories that the king's killer has been named. Yet there's something more going on here, I'm afraid. Queen Ileosa could have quiety had this Trinia Sabor arrested at any time, yet the way in which she revealed the information to the city seems to me like she wants the riots to come back. Certainly with the mob and the Hellknights out on the street, the girl doesn't stand a chance at a trial - they'll lynch her the moment they find her... I need you to get into Midland, find Trinia, and bring her back to me so we can deliver her, safe and sound, to somewhere where she can be interrogated - preferably with magic, so we can be absolutely sure about her role in Eordred's death. Any questions?"

The girl, an artist by trade, had initially been named as the assassin of King Eordred following the confession of one of Queen Ileosa's royal guards. Apparently, the guard had helped her in the plot to poison the King during one of her sessions painting his portrait. Following the confession, rumors have it that the guard in question committed suicide by flinging himself from Castle Korvosa's highest tower.

Making their way to Midland, Lowen and Ziaphas realized exactly where they were going. The Shingles. The Shingles were Korvosa's largest slum area, where daylight rarely saw the street due to the tangle of mazelike walkways and building extensions in the levels above.

Making their way into Trinia's building they found it to be a complex of small one room homes. Trying to find Trinia's was difficult since every neighbor they met seemed to try and turn them around, or give them faulty information. Eventually, the fact that they were searching for Trinia slipped, and an alarm system quickly flowed through the building up to the third floor.

The door was barricaded, but when they entered, they found Trinia curled up asleep on her bed. Trying to be quiet, the approached the sleeping girl, but their ears were keen enough to hear movement on the roof outside. Suddenly, the sleeping girl vanished. An illusion! The real Trinia Sabor was out on the rooftops. Seeing that she'd been found out, the artist took of running, only to be quickly followed by the adventurers.

Manuevering over the rooftops was very difficult, and Ziaphas had trouble navigating the difficult slopes and passageways, as did Einkil who quickly fell to the streets below. Ramius and Lowen however kept pace with the girl. Ramius easily scaled walls and tumbled over crumbling rooftops, even leaping at some points over short gaps. Lowen kept pace with the dexterous man, though by spying out very well hidden shortcuts, rather then relying on her physical strength.

Finally, when Trinia was almost home free, she stumbled and failed to gain any ground. Ramius was quickly upon her and tackled the girl to the ground.

Taking her back to the Citadel, the group was intercepted by Captain Ant'ony, an old acquaintance of Ramius's. The man said that Cressida was waiting for them in a meeting with a Shoanti ambassador, as apparently a young Shoanti boy had been killed in the riots. Captain Ant'ony said that he could take Trinia.

The group, who was very careful about keeping the girl safe and wanted to deliver her directly to Cressida, refused.

The group quickly got into a heated argument with Ant'ony who seemed prejudiced against the girl and sure of her guilt. It was eventually revealed that it was his own brother who had admitted to working with her and who had killed himself because of her. Finally a compromise was reached as Einkil stayed behind to ensure the girl was kept safe as she was handed off to royal officials.

Entering the meeting with Cressida, they met the strange Shoanti ambassador known as Thousand Bones. Apparently, his grandson had been killed by racist Korvosans who had used the riots as an excuse to fuel their own anger. Thousand Bones seemed to be a kind and calm man, though he explained that his son and his people were not as forgiving.

All he desired was his grandson's body back, but the corpse had been sold to a man by the name of Rolth - a necromancer in the Dead Warrens. If the group could recover the young boy's body, then peace could be reached.

Inwardly, Ziaphas smiled...