Here’s what happened in our 24th Scarlet Citadel session, set in Triolo in the Seven Cities.
I used Point and Counterpoint by Robert Fairbanks from the Kobold Press blog for much of this session. Yet again Lou Anders’ trusty Midgard adventures spreadsheet helped me track down this level-appropriate mini adventure set in the right location!
After spending the night recuperating after their river trip, on the next morning Maya, Clairmont and Tunde visit the War Temple of Mavros to report the presence of vampires in the city. Rather than offering to deal with the situation, High Priest Lanfranco Borello suggests dealing with the nest of vampires would be a fine quest for the brave trio and wishes them the best of luck with a hearty “Huzzah!” He does, however, cast aid on them (which I am 99% sure the players promptly forgot about!) and urges Maya to undertake a pilgrimage to the Seat of Mavros in the Wasted West.
Deciding to sell their loot before tackling the living dead, the characters start asking around for Donaldo Valle in the riverfront pubs and track him down at Barquiere’s Tavern. Before they can talk to the merchant, a group of rum gremlins (Tome of Beasts) up in the rafters stir up a bar brawl (Creature Codex). While the adventurers are busy dealing with the gremlins and dodging the bar brawl, several ratfolk knock out Donaldo and drag him into the street.
By the time the characters make it outside, the ratfolk have disappeared into the sewers. They give chase and run into a group of four ratfolk mercenaries. This is a tough fight for the three PCs as the ratfolk gang up on Clairmont with Pack Tactics and the party end up using nearly all their remaining spells including fireball to get rid of their enemies.
They don’t want to lose their quarry so decide not to take a short rest, instead taking ten minutes to cast prayer of healing and for Clairmont and Tunde to summon their familiars – a rat and a bat – which they send ahead.
In a large water-logged chamber they run into the dragonborn elementalist Norixias Sprayscale and his minions – agents of the Mharoti Empire who have captured Donaldo. They accuse the merchant of wanting to buy the party’s alchemical supplies to use in the war. The characters try and negotiate with Norixias who suggests they sell him their loot instead, but he refuses to release Donaldo, saying he must be punished as an enemy of the Mharoti Empire.
When diplomacy fails, the fighting starts! The dragonborn edjets breathe fire on the characters and the fearsome shoreline scrapper advances. Out of spells and low on hit points, the adventurers make a run for it.
Back above ground, they report the Mharoti presence beneath the streets to the guards but Norixias and co. (and poor Donaldo) are long gone by the time they reach the scene. The exhausted characters retire to the Seabed Inn to link their wounds.
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Main image by David Auden Nash
Richard Green | Game Designer 