Summary of Events:
When we left our adventurers last, they had just finished some personal errands throughout the city of Brightcliffe. Lydia went to go see an old friend and to tug on a few threads. Iolair decided to scratch something that had been itching at his mind and produced satisfying results at the local library. Rota had a bit of treacherous system maintenance to do. Lastly, Chonka explored Brightcliffe for a source of strength that might help her in her future endeavors. It was in the Temple of the Drowned, a place of worship dedicated to the sea goddess Ran, that Chonka found strength through the contemplation of the ornate architecture and religious texts.
Later at Ren’s burrowhouse apartment, the adventurers discuss their experiences in Brightcliffe and how to proceed in the investigation of the strange disappearances. They settle on talking to a few patrons at a Four Corners watering-hole called the Whistling Kettle. As they enter the noisy tavern, only one person looks up from their drink; an old dwarven man, with more than a handful of battle scars, standing behind the bar with a smile on his face and a rag thrown over his shoulder. The party approaches a particularly drunk and sorrowful-looking commoner who is sitting at the end of the bar.
“Oh, great…~hiccup~…you must be here to buy me another drink,” the drunkard says. His new “friends” oblige and ask why he’s so upset.
“They don’t caaaaaaaare. They’ve…~hiccup~…GOOONnneE. Thom and Ritcher disAPPEARED. They just called…~hiccup~…me a drunkARD,” the man wails.
As the adventurers press the sorrowed soul for some more information, they notice that the old barkeep has pulled down a battleaxe that was being displayed on the wall behind the bar and has started to approach them with an angry look on his face.
“I’LL HAVE NO TROUBLE IN MY TAVERN. Now BE GONE with ye,” the barkeep roars. The adventurers stand their ground and call the old man’s bluff.
The barkeep caves and says, “Alright alright, now. Just not out…HERE,” before gesturing toward the back room and hollering at some hired help to cover the bar in his absence. In the backroom, the adventurers learn a few things:
- The old dwarf got his many scars and the Whistling Kettle from his many sacrifices made during the last great war.
- People all over Brightcliffe have been disappearing.
- Whenever someone comes around asking about the disappearances, they disappear a few days later.
- He’s got a hunch that there’s someone who doesn’t want people looking into the disappearances.
The old barkeep gives the adventurers a stack of missing person posters. On one poster is a young blond girl with green eyes and a note below that says, “IF THE GIRL DEPICTED HERE IS FOUND, PLEASE CONTACT OLIVIA FROSTWIND.”
Renvoxlous recognizes the name immediately and decides to arrange a meeting with his friends and an acquaintance of his; Lydia Swift. They agree to meet Ren later in the Sunbeam Courtyard on the edge of the Collegiate and Capital Districts.
Rota, Iolair, and Chonka all enter the courtyard and wait for Ren. As the sun begins to set, Lydia Swift approaches them and takes a seat on a bench next to Iolair.
“So, you are the three that Ren told me about,” Lydia says. “Do you have the code word?”
Iolair pauses, confused for a moment. “Oh…jeez…uhhh…“
Lydia stops him and says, “Ah, yes no that’s perfect. He said that you would do this. If you had given a code word, you weren’t the right person at all.”
“Where is Ren by the way?” Rota inquires.
“Ren is busy running me a little favor in exchange for my help. I hear you guys are trying to hound down on a case. One that isn’t getting much attention from the…official channels,” says Lydia.
As they discuss the matter further, some begin to notice that something feels off. Lydia is the first to notice. Along the bridges over their heads, at every entrance to every building in the courtyard, and in every street between them, are dozens and dozens of city guards. All of which have their crossbows and attention trained on them.
A Lieutenant approaches and yells, “Don’t do anything rash and no one has to get hurt. You four will come with us immediately.”
“Oh, are you bringing us to someone in charge? I should be compensated for my services here!” Lydia exclaims. The adventurers comply and are led by their captors to the center of the Capital District…towards a building that Ren has made every effort to avoid thus far.
The party is led into the Capital building, directly up a large staircase, and into the main hall with a very big chair standing alone at its end. They are placed in chairs in front of it and wait. Standing next to the throne is someone they’ve seen before; someone that Iolair has seen before. Next to the throne is the same purple-haired woman with face tattoos that dropped the ward around the fighting ring. Moments later, a short and angry-looking man enters the room and sits upon the throne. Ren recognizes this man as the head of Brightcliffe; Baron Von Strausse.
The Baron looks at the adventurers and stops when he sees Lydia. “How FUCKING STUPID must you be to screw this up, Lieutenant! This isn’t the right four! Who’s this woman? YOU’RE FIRED. REMOVE HIM.” the baron yells. Several other guards grab the Lieutenant and drag him out of the hall.
He peers down at the adventurers from atop his throne and addresses them. “Now…you four have been meddling in business that isn’t your own. Let me explain something to you. This is not the first Brightcliffe. This is the second. We owe the glory and the success of this city to our Goddess Ran and her partner Aegir.”
“The first Brightcliffe was taken from us, flooded as punishment for our sins…A HERETIC…sewing the seeds of doubt in our people. Doubt in our gods. We will NOT make that mistake again. This is your final warning. You are to stop putting your nose where it doesn’t belong. Spend all of the gold you have, but quit your meddling. Or. Else. You. Will. Be. Handled. Now be gone.”
Before the party can retort, the Baron marches out of the room and the guards escort the adventurers out of the main hall. As they exit, they notice the purple-haired woman in a nearby doorway, gesturing for them to follow. The adventurers slip away from the guards and engage with the woman. Once they’re in private, she introduces herself as Erobelle, the Brightcliffe Court Wizard.
“Thick-headed men in power will do whatever they need to in order to keep their power. No matter how large the cost,” Erobelle spits. “I know that you know something is happening to our people. We need your help. This city needs your help. I saw you at the fights. I knew that if anyone was going to be able to help us, they’d have to not only be strong but clever as well.”
Erobelle reveals a few pieces of information that the Baron has been hiding.
- People have been disappearing, but some only for a short while.
- Bodies have been floating up to the surface of the lake.
- Each body that reappears has the same runes carved into it.
- The Baron has been ordering his men to cover this up in fear of people blaming the gods.
Erobelle shows them a sketch of the runes she’s been seeing and they immediately recognize them.
Erobelle produces a box from her desk and opens it to reveal four Rings of Waterbreathing before looking at the party and saying,
“Somethings…VERY wrong in Brightcliffe. Will you help us?”
Rota steps forward and says, “I cannot save a people that will end up having to suffer underneath this monster’s rule. I aspire to excise him like a malignant tumor on the side of an organ. Do not stand in my way.”
Session End.
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