Post by Richard Loh on Aug 23, 2013 21:40:34 GMT 8
SUMMARY
Seeking the secluded Railford Distillery, PCs arrive at the outskirts of its once lush vineyards, which the last decade has eroded into an overgrown mire. Within the sludgy vineyards, they soon encounter one of several small encampments of phalanx soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Grald Kretchmoor. Grald intends to seize the town for himself, as part of the emperor’s reclamation proposal. Pairs of Phalanx soldiers in strategically situated encampments surround Railford’s small hillock. Most of these men sit around campfires or sleep, waiting for Grald’s signal. They have instructions to waylay anyone headed to Railford. Thus far, they have effectively cut off most of the incoming supplies, medical aid, and the hamlet’s ability to contact outsiders. PCs must sneak, bluff, or fight their way past one of these groups to reach the distillery and find Becher. The task is easier said than done, for the path to Railford winds through precarious swamplands where a wrong step can mean a grisly death in a suffocating mire.
Once the PCs enter Railford, they must win the trust of the suspicious townsfolk. From the townies, they learn that Becher and a small crew of his friends headed into
the swamps to recover Railford’s property deeds, which his father kept locked in the now abandoned barrel-aging caves. It’s been days now, and Becher hasn’t yet returned. Worse, one of Becher’s companions crawled into town at dawn, his body covered with festering wounds. The man provides a harrowing account of how Becher and the rest of his men were attacked by living corpses that trapped them within the barrel-aging caves.
Next, PCs set out for the caves. After navigating the swampy vineyards and braving its blood-sucking leeches, quicksand, patches of aquatic shriekers, and flesh-eating plant creatures, they reach a half-flooded underground cave once used for aging wine barrels. When the PCs arrive, they discover the cave entrance recently collapsed as part of Becher’s desperate attempt to seal the ghouls within the caves. The PCs need to clear some of the rubble to enter. Inside lurks Becher’s father’s darkest legacy, a pack of hungry ghouls that stealthily rise from the mire and attack. After defeating the undead, PC investigations reveal evidence that Becher already found his father’s chest and fled through a secret escape route. PCs track him as he heads back to Railford with his father’s chest, sickened and dying of ghoul fever.
The PCs finally catch up with Becher at a small cottage outside of Railford, connected to the distillery by an underground passage. Meanwhile, Grald receives word of Becher’s disappearance. Seizing the opportunity, he moves his thugs into town. The PCs emerge in the distillery only to find it surrounded by phalanx soldiers while Grald marches the street calling out to the hiding townsfolk, offering them a final opportunity to surrender before his inevitable conquest occurs. Immediately, Becher calls out to Grald, demanding he vacate his property but Grald flatly refuses to back down. The lieutenant instead counters, demanding Becher surrender. Driven by furious ambitions Grald and his men and threaten to break into the distillery and destroy the deed if Becher doesn’t comply peacefully. Grald gives him until dusk to make a decision.
All the while Becher’s fever worsens and unless PCs cure him, he dies. Without his signature on the deed, by law Railford then becomes the expropriated property of Stavian III, giving Grald the legal right to seize it. In order to complete their mission, PCs need to treat Becher, as well as open the trapped strongbox so he can use the deed to prove his claim on the property. But as the sun sinks, a new twist of events changes everything. Ghouls following Becher’s bloody scent arrive in town and indiscriminately attack everyone. Grald’s men scatter in panic. Some try vainly to defend themselves while others flee, or try to force their way into the nearby buildings to gain shelter. All the while, desperate villagers bar doors and windows, prepared to defend their homes. Grald and those men surrounding the distillery desperately attempt to force their way in to prevent being eaten. Breaches in doors, walls and windows jeopardize the safety of all within, including PCs who now must fight off both Grald’s men and pursuing undead, as well as defend the distillery and their injured ally Becher.
If the PCs can prevent Becher from dying, cure his illness, and survive until dawn, he signs the deed over to the Pathfinder Society allowing them to found a Pathfinder lodge in his distillery.
Pathfinders:
-Lv 1 Human Sorceress: Seoni
-Lv 2 Human Cleric of Iomedae: Mordecai Hidrargo
-Lv 2 Human Fighter: Snaka
-Lv 2 Tiefling Magus: Falling Blossom
Actions of note:
-Mordecai "Touch Me Not" Hidrargo: When all things was well, Mordecai disturbed a shrieker plant which promptly released a cloud of toxic spores. Should learn to leave well enough alone.
-Combined effort of the party worked in their favour by successfully bluffing that the fake deed is actually a real deed. Ended with Becher, his men and the party working together to fight off the undead. Grald left Becher alive and went to try to claim the land for himself but was promptly imprisoned as the deed was fake.
Seeking the secluded Railford Distillery, PCs arrive at the outskirts of its once lush vineyards, which the last decade has eroded into an overgrown mire. Within the sludgy vineyards, they soon encounter one of several small encampments of phalanx soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Grald Kretchmoor. Grald intends to seize the town for himself, as part of the emperor’s reclamation proposal. Pairs of Phalanx soldiers in strategically situated encampments surround Railford’s small hillock. Most of these men sit around campfires or sleep, waiting for Grald’s signal. They have instructions to waylay anyone headed to Railford. Thus far, they have effectively cut off most of the incoming supplies, medical aid, and the hamlet’s ability to contact outsiders. PCs must sneak, bluff, or fight their way past one of these groups to reach the distillery and find Becher. The task is easier said than done, for the path to Railford winds through precarious swamplands where a wrong step can mean a grisly death in a suffocating mire.
Once the PCs enter Railford, they must win the trust of the suspicious townsfolk. From the townies, they learn that Becher and a small crew of his friends headed into
the swamps to recover Railford’s property deeds, which his father kept locked in the now abandoned barrel-aging caves. It’s been days now, and Becher hasn’t yet returned. Worse, one of Becher’s companions crawled into town at dawn, his body covered with festering wounds. The man provides a harrowing account of how Becher and the rest of his men were attacked by living corpses that trapped them within the barrel-aging caves.
Next, PCs set out for the caves. After navigating the swampy vineyards and braving its blood-sucking leeches, quicksand, patches of aquatic shriekers, and flesh-eating plant creatures, they reach a half-flooded underground cave once used for aging wine barrels. When the PCs arrive, they discover the cave entrance recently collapsed as part of Becher’s desperate attempt to seal the ghouls within the caves. The PCs need to clear some of the rubble to enter. Inside lurks Becher’s father’s darkest legacy, a pack of hungry ghouls that stealthily rise from the mire and attack. After defeating the undead, PC investigations reveal evidence that Becher already found his father’s chest and fled through a secret escape route. PCs track him as he heads back to Railford with his father’s chest, sickened and dying of ghoul fever.
The PCs finally catch up with Becher at a small cottage outside of Railford, connected to the distillery by an underground passage. Meanwhile, Grald receives word of Becher’s disappearance. Seizing the opportunity, he moves his thugs into town. The PCs emerge in the distillery only to find it surrounded by phalanx soldiers while Grald marches the street calling out to the hiding townsfolk, offering them a final opportunity to surrender before his inevitable conquest occurs. Immediately, Becher calls out to Grald, demanding he vacate his property but Grald flatly refuses to back down. The lieutenant instead counters, demanding Becher surrender. Driven by furious ambitions Grald and his men and threaten to break into the distillery and destroy the deed if Becher doesn’t comply peacefully. Grald gives him until dusk to make a decision.
All the while Becher’s fever worsens and unless PCs cure him, he dies. Without his signature on the deed, by law Railford then becomes the expropriated property of Stavian III, giving Grald the legal right to seize it. In order to complete their mission, PCs need to treat Becher, as well as open the trapped strongbox so he can use the deed to prove his claim on the property. But as the sun sinks, a new twist of events changes everything. Ghouls following Becher’s bloody scent arrive in town and indiscriminately attack everyone. Grald’s men scatter in panic. Some try vainly to defend themselves while others flee, or try to force their way into the nearby buildings to gain shelter. All the while, desperate villagers bar doors and windows, prepared to defend their homes. Grald and those men surrounding the distillery desperately attempt to force their way in to prevent being eaten. Breaches in doors, walls and windows jeopardize the safety of all within, including PCs who now must fight off both Grald’s men and pursuing undead, as well as defend the distillery and their injured ally Becher.
If the PCs can prevent Becher from dying, cure his illness, and survive until dawn, he signs the deed over to the Pathfinder Society allowing them to found a Pathfinder lodge in his distillery.
Pathfinders:
-Lv 1 Human Sorceress: Seoni
-Lv 2 Human Cleric of Iomedae: Mordecai Hidrargo
-Lv 2 Human Fighter: Snaka
-Lv 2 Tiefling Magus: Falling Blossom
Actions of note:
-Mordecai "Touch Me Not" Hidrargo: When all things was well, Mordecai disturbed a shrieker plant which promptly released a cloud of toxic spores. Should learn to leave well enough alone.
-Combined effort of the party worked in their favour by successfully bluffing that the fake deed is actually a real deed. Ended with Becher, his men and the party working together to fight off the undead. Grald left Becher alive and went to try to claim the land for himself but was promptly imprisoned as the deed was fake.