Session 1 – Get This Party Started
Campaign II, session 1. Next: Session 2.
Game started in the Icehouse, a the most popular tavern in Bastion. The characters had attracted some potential henches and gathered information about a possible score: the towns Count Vurnor Leng has fallen ill, his physicians have learned that it’s a magical illness of some kind and haven’t been able to cure it. There’s a reward for anyone who can cure him (600 gp, a hefty sum), and a rumor that some goblins in the Sunless Citadel might have a magic fruit that can cure him.
Additionally, Vierath has discovered that a Sairan soldier has been collecting “protection” money from some of the locals. He’s discovered the general area where this soldier lives, but no specifics.
“Lord” Espada looks over the potential hires and chooses Orrin, a cantinakeeper. “You there, look like a strapping lad who’d be great at carrying my stuff! Yes, I could definitely use a peas- er, servant like you.” To the surprise of the group, Orrin nods. “Of course, my lord, for the standard rates.” 15 gp and a half share of treasure is agreed.
Next day, the party travels to the fork in the Old Road where the Sunless Citadel is alleged to have sunk into the earth. Though the sun is already waning in the sky, Espada immediately climbs down a rope tied to a post at the edge of the ravine. Cassion tries to follow but gets slightly spooked about halfway down the rope. Espada finds himself on a ledge in the ravine, with a set of switchback stairs leading further down; no handrails protect them from potential falls.
Sounds of skittering and squeaking portend a bunch of giant rats (the size of small dogs) on the hunt! They start to come for Espada…
Within a few rounds, the rats have been driven off and the rest of the party descends to the ledge. Espada directs Orrin to carry the largest rat carcass as “free meat!” and begins walking down the stairs. After 3 flights, the party reaches the bottom of the ravine, and sees a ruined citadel before them…
Vierath spots a pit trap on the landing outside the tower, pulling Espada back. “You should be more careful, brother!”
“Ah, but you were here to spot it for me, it’s fine.”
Espada walks up to the door and immediately attempts to kick it in - “Ow, my toes!”
Vierath walks up, turns the knob, and easily opens the door. Inside is the remnant of a circular tower, with several slain goblins, stripped of their possessions. One goblin is pinned to the wall by a spear. A PC pulls out the spear, revealing that the word “Sarmondelaryx” carved into the wall behind it.
From here, the party begins exploring. Vierath and Ander would like to do this cautiously, but Espada keeps trying to kick the doors. They find an enormous stone door with a dragon carved into it, an apparent keyhole in the mouth. When Ander attempts to pick the lock, there does not attempt to be any internal mechanism! Ander concludes that it must be magic of some kind.
A few rooms later, Cassion kicks down a locked door, discovering a rusty metal keg connected to the floor and ceiling by a set of pipes. Vierath and Ander can hear the gurgling of water flowing through, and when Espada opens the tap, he drinks fresh clean water from within.
The party explores further, discovering a dry fountain with the draconic word “Nainarya” (“let there be fire”) carved into the basin. Across from it in the same room, a door is carved with skeletons and a quote in the caernathi language (“With bone and blood we pave the path”). Vierath pours a vial of lantern oil into the basin, but nothing special happens.
A bit further north, Espada forges ahead again and stirs up additional rats. The party makes fairly short work of them but spends their remaining spells for the day. Game night is also coming to its natural close, so the party heads back out and climbs up to the top of the ravine to make camp.