For those who have looked at other parts of this blog, our group has previously participated in a campaign using the Kingmaker Adventure Path. That campaign unfortunately ceased without completing the adventure path. We are beginning a new campaign with a different GM and a different group of adventurers. To give the characters more reason to participate in the campaign goals and a closer relationship with one another than the usual "you meet at a tavern" introduction, we're having a couple of introductory sessions to get the characters acquainted and get them involved in the the campaign.
Before I begin to describe our first session, here are some house rules we're using.
Characters are created with the point-buy method, using the 25-point "Epic Fantasy" option.
High and Low
A roll of a natural 20 on any skill or ability check adds 5 to the final result.
A roll of a natural 1 on any skill or ability check subtracts 5 from the final result.
Writ of Destiny
Once per game session a Writ Token can be spent to grant an advantage or disadvantage to an in-game roll, before that roll is made.
Writ Token
Blood of Life
Cure or inflict potions can be applied directly to a wound in the same way as an oil.
Lead From the Front
The party gains an extra success at a group skill challenge if the nominated leader succeeds at the skill check.
Tough Enough
Hit points are rolled for each level beyond first level. The player and GM both roll, and the highest result is used.
Before the campaign began, each of the characters had heard that the Free City of Restov in Brevoy intended to grant adventurers a charter to explore the territory to the south of Brevoy known as the Stolen Lands. The characters wrote to the Lord Mayor of Restov to indicate their interest in obtaining charters, and each of them received this letter:
"Be it so known that the bearer of this charter has been invited by the Swordlords of Restov, acting upon the greater good and authority vested within them by the office of the Regent of the Dragonscale Throne, to participate in the final selection process of granting the right of exploration and travel within the wilderness region known as the Greenbelt. The carrier of this charter should present themselves before the Lord of Restov on the 20th day of Calistril in the Free City of Restov, prepared to immediately engage in exploration and travel should they be chosen by duly selected representatives of Lord Nolenski Surtova, current Regent of the Dragonscale Throne."
Armed with these letters, a number of would-be explorers converged on Restov.
Twentieth Day of Calistril in the year 4710 by Absalon Reckoning
From the journal of Lythande Syldorei
On the previous day I arrived in the Free City of Restov in the south of the nation of Brevoy, which lies to the north of the Greenbelt along the Sellen River. This day at an early hour I made my way to the Citadel, one of only two stone structures in this city. It is quite a different city than I am accustomed to in Iadara. The buildings are all of timber, often partly coated with a white plaster. The weather here is not pleasant at this time of year, being chill and rainy. The hem of my cloak is very muddy.
At the Citadel I was admitted without delay after showing my writ to the guards at the gate. There I waited for a time beneath a portico to keep out of the incessant rain. I was joined there by a group of other people I assumed to also have writs such as that which I have received. For the most part they were human folk. When the appointed hour arrived, the Lord Mayor's Advocate appeared and explained to us that should we choose we might take lodging at the city's expense at an inn called the Silver Dagger, and that evening we would be hosted at a banquet during which details of the selection process would be discussed. If we desired it we might take carriages back to the Citadel from the inn in time for the banquet.
After giving my name to a scribe and showing my writ again, I made my way along with a group of six others to the Silver Dagger, having already given up the room I had taken the previous night at another inn. At the Silver Dagger each of us was presented with a green ribbon to wear that the serving folk might know which of us were there at the hospitality of the city's lord. The innkeeper told us each of us was entitled to a free meal and a pitcher of ale, but we would have to share a room with other guests unless we were willing to pay two gold coins for a private room.
I found a table with two other woman, both human to my eyes. Their names are Maria Zenata and Chahana Surtova. Maria is young but has the scars of a battle-worn soldier. Chahana covers her face with a veil, which is apparently a custom in her native land. She is distantly related to the same family as the Lord Regent of this land. We sat and conversed pleasantly with one another for some hours, watching as a number of other people arrived and were given green ribbons to wear. Among these I spied a halfling, two dwarves, three of my own kindred, and at least one whose bloodline I think bears the mark of a fiend or elemental. But the better part of this crowd was made up of humans, as the populace of the River Kingdoms is largely such folk.
Eventually we were joined by two men, Kahn Mahn and Zander Aldori. Kahn is a human man who fills his words with unbridled confidence despite his youth. He told us of how his father had advised him to try a variety of studies or occupations before pursuing his preferred training as a wizard. I find this odd, for human lifetimes are so brief, how have they time to pursue more than one occupation? Kahn bears a sword but it does not appear to have seen much use. Zander is a young man partly of orcish blood who is also equipped with a sword and armor but while they are not handsome they look serviceable and well made and he appears to have some knowledge of how to use them as he is a member of one of the many duelling houses in Restov. Maria also appears to be proficient with her sword and armor. Chahana prefers the bow to the sword but does not seem to be merely a duellist, which is a common pursuit here in Restov.
When I first arrived at the Citadel I observed a man in green livery waiting there, and now a whole group of people wearing the same uniform entered the Silver Dagger and crowded together around two tables, paying no heed to anyone else. I'm told they are members of a mercenary company called the Varnlings, well known in this region. I do not know what a mercenary company could want of this exploration. Certainly they may find brigands or monstrous creatures to defeat, but it seems curious to me that they would otherwise have any interest in obtaining a charter when according to Maria and Kahn they already have some level of fame.
Our time together was also interrupted by the arrival of a representative from Lastwall seeking people to travel their to combat giants, and a brother and sister who had traveled from Taldor seeking people to help them reclaim their diamond mine from invading trolls. The man from Lastwall could not offer any great incentive to turn me from my intention to explore the Greenbelt, and because the Taldorans required a bloodprint contact I was not at all interested in the much more lucrative reward they offered.
When the carriages arrived to convey us back to the Citadel, I boarded with my new companions. Kahn had invited a young human lady to join him who knew the area of Restov much better than any of the others. Her father teaches at one of the local dueling schools. The Citadel had been decorated with lights and banners since I first visited it. We were conducted into a very large room filled with high tables, where we could mingle with other applicants while dining on small dishes and being offered entertainment. Curiously the entertainers sometimes approached their audience and attempted to encourage them to participate in the entertainment.
As I roamed about the chamber, I noticed a human man wearing the symbol of the Dawnflower seated with two women of my kindred. I made my way toward them to find that Zander had already met them and was conversing pleasantly with an older human man. These people were introduced as members of the Dreadnaughts, a small mercenary group of only five members. Their leader, Sol Covenant, is like myself a warrior devoted to Sarenrae, and I took great delight in speaking with him. The man with whom Zander spoke is a wizard by name of Havin Wayfinder, who is also very friendly and warm in nature. The two elven folk with them are Jastra Moondown, also a mage, and Erendis, a priestess of Desna. Sol Covenant remarked that their fifth member, Garrett, was probably disguised as one of the servants and observing the event from hiding.*
Of all the people who had come to seek the charter, the person whose presence most surprised me was Temorjin Yorl, the great swordsman. I do not know what he could seek by obtaining the right to explore the Greenbelt. I greeted him politely as I passed his seat, but he did not acknowledge my presence.
Then a person clad in the black robe and odd headgear of an official entered the hall and struck the butt of a long staff upon the floor to attract our attention. This official told the gathered crowd that we would be taken in to the feast in a moment, where we would meet the lord. He informed us of four important rules with which we must comply else we could be at least ejected from the selection process and at worst given much more severe punishment, though he did not specify what that punishment would be. The lord would be seated with other high officials on a dais, which we must not approach. We should not touch those persons, not speak to them unless invited by them to do so. We must not draw a weapon, though we were permitted to bear our arms. And those who had the ability to cast spells must not do so in the lord's presence.
When this announcement had been made, we were conduced into the banquet hall and greeted with a speech from the Lord Mayor. After the Mayor's speech concluded, the Advocate we had met earlier, Lady Jenessa, appeared again to describe the selection process to us. We would be interviewed separately by members of the selection committee beginning on the following day. During the next two days there would be an archery range and fighting circles available to us should we wish to demonstrate our skill with bows and other weapons. There would also be hunting expeditions conducted to allow for additional opportunities for a display of skill. Scholars would lecture us on the history of the region we were to explore, and in the evenings there would be formal winter balls which we could attend if we chose to meet the nobility and important merchants of Restov. On the third evening a gala would be held during which the chosen explorers would be announced. Of all these events only the interviews and the selection gala would be required of us.
Advocate Jenessa also asked that we not accept any other contracts until after the selection process was complete, explaining that the people of Restov had invited individuals like the man from Lastwall and the Taldoran siblings to come and offer us work so that if we were not chosen we might find other opportunities.
When we began to dine, it soon became apparent to me that my new acquaintances were concerned about what they might wear to the balls, for they lacked any formal attire. They also worried that it would not be appropriate to wear the same costume two evenings in succession. Maria asked one of the servants if some provision had been made for those who had no courtly garments to acquire some that they might attend the balls. I was not concerned with this as I have brought my courtly garb with me and I do not care if these folk see it twice.
Before the end of the evening we were given the times for our interviews with the selection committee. Chahana and Maria will see them tomorrow morning, Zander in the afternoon, and Kahn and I not until the following day. Kahn was disappointed with this, as we had all agreed we should participate in some of the other events together and having to wait so long for the interview would make that difficult. He sought out another man called Igby whom he had met at the inn and persuaded him to exchange his interview time for Kahn's time, after which he then had to convince a clerk to agree. Afterward he suggested that I do the same so that we might all complete our interviews on the first day of the selection process. He recruited the halfling Thim Tanglefoot** to exchange times with me, but while he was making that arrangement I had already sought out Temojin Yorl and by the blessing of the Dawnflower persuaded him to allow me to take his time.
The next morning we met and as a group went to hear one of the lectures on the history of the region, which was given by a fairly youthful man. The second lecture was provided by an elderly Taldoran man who sometimes lost the thread of his thoughts or forgot what name he sought to speak and had to be given assistance. I was reminded well how sorrowful it can be to dwell among the shorter-lived peoples of this world. Only the flame of the Dawnflower will keep me warm when my human friends end their short existences.
*The characters mentioned in this paragraph were all NPCs in a campaign our GM ran previously for our group.
**Thim Tanglefoot was a player-character in our previous run-through of the Kingmaker Adventure Path.
Our Party:
Kahn Mahn
Lythande Syldorei
Maria Zenata
Zander Aldori
Next: Session Zero, part 2
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