Sunday 5 February 2017

Keep on the Borderlands - The Path of Evil - Session 1



A long journey

Talmark had first met Lucien after the duel in which Talmarks father was maimed. Lucien had represented Talmark in the case to re-gain his lands. Jaded by the outcome of the hearing, Talmark and Lucien had decided to join forces to gather their own lands.

Cord had met Lucien during their studies. Cord was fascinated by Lucien’s knowledge of the lore of Asmodeus including that he was so pious that he would fight with the traditional spear of their god.

When Lucien came to tell Cord that he was going to travel to the far east with Talmark, Cord immediately offered to join them.

Over the next month they planned. They pour over maps, talked to caravan merchants and guards, worked over the scrolls and books of the history of Golarion and talked to the priests. They searched and searched, looking for a land they can call their own.  

Eventually they meet Abelard who had recently returned from a trip to Canorate in Molthune. He told of an abandoned castle which had been in the past decade or so taken and rebuild by a military sect, a breakaway order of militant knights who worshiped Irori. From their pass in the mountains and the newly rebuilt Burg Liechenstein, they oversaw one of the three major trade routes in the Menador Mountains between the lands of Cheliax, Molthune and Isger.

In this remote keep on the borderlands they provided a safe haven to travelers.

Talmark, Lucien and Cord make a pact to go to Burg Liechenstein and make those lands their own.

Their journey was long and arduous. They first caought a barge up the Tomarsulk and Jeni rivers where they swaped to a merchants caravan and travelled to the Doracium and Malvesa rivers. They travelled along those rivers until they reached the head of the Malvesa after which they swaped to another caravan and finally, after several months reached the mountain pass and the Burg Liechenstein.


The Burg is impressive. Located upon a bluff, to gain entry an opposing army must either scale 40ft high cliffs or march up a narrow road. The road is flanked by a number of towers and archers would be able to pour missile fire upon their enemy. The gates are protected by a drawbridge across a narrow (10ft wide) ravine. The 20ft gatehouse is flanked by two 20ft by 20ft wide and 30ft high towers. The gatehouse includes the mechanism for raising and lowering the drawbridge, a stout wooden gate and a portcullis. Murder holes in the entry corridor show further signs that the Burg is well designed for defence.

Upon the towers and within the gate there are numerous soldiers of the faith.

They enter the gate with the caravan and are questioned in the entry yard by the Knight Lorenz, who is the Corporal of the Watch. Lorenz is armed with a long sword and is heavily armoured in chain and a large shield. He is flanked by two Brothers, clad in leather armour, with shields and spears. They are over watched by more brothers in the towers who have crossbows. 

Lorenz is initially suspicious of the party, asking many questions. 

Lucien uses his Diplomacy skill to attempt to change Loren’s attitude. Suspicious attribute means that the relationship starts at Unfriendly and there is a -2 Diplomacy DC modifier. Lucien is aided by Cord who rolls 14 + 7 = 21 > 10 and he provides valuable assistance. Lucien rolls 11 + 14 + 2 = 27 > 22 (ie initial unfriendly attitude of 20 + 2 for the suspicious attitude) by 5 and Lorenz’s attitude changes to Indifferent.

The Knight tells them of some of the key places in the Burg. There is a tavern, warehouse, stables, trader, smithy and armourer, provisioner, bank, travelers inn, tavern and guild house. There is also a large Keep where the majority of the Knights and Brothers are housed but that is off limits (I’m in the process of drawing a map for the player characters but haven’t gotten far enough into it yet). He runs them through the basic rules, don’t draw weapons, don’t fight, don’t steal, don’t break any of the other rules of the faith, respect others and pay your tolls. The basic toll for entering the Burg is 1gp per person. He takes 3gp from the party.

Talmark, Lucien and Cord enter the Burg.


DEW

2 comments:

  1. Talmark wonders if the Irorians would allow him to occasionally train on their grounds or as a sparing partner, as he has heard they often aid those searching for self-perfection (especially paladins) in this manner. For now he will attempt to maintain friendly relations with the soldiers.

    (I assume the party is headed to the Inn to secure rooms?)

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  2. Hahaha good idea. I'll built that into the next session or so.

    DEW

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