Savage Korvosa Session 17

In our last session, the investigations into the Shiver Killings continued. The group met with a representative of the Cerulean Society, Ciro, and now have their assistance in these activities. They encountered the Green Lady again and learned quite a bit about her origins and possibly information about her creator. Later, with the aid of Ciro, they were able to meet with the leader of the Dark Shadows gang, Romo, and although he was not happy about it, Romo escorted the group through his territory and to the family of the last individual, Sanga, to disappear. They learned a good bit about her, including her fear of crocodiles. Her husband, Vel, was more than happy to do what he can to help and asked if the party could get him and his children set up in a home in Elvo’s territory…which is starting to become a theme. We will pick up with this after the break.

Everyone was in attendance. Adam had to duck out early for work. Although there are significant changes to it, there are potential spoilers for the Temple of Urgathoa adventure from Book 2, Seven Days to the Grave, of Curse of the Crimson Throne. As usual, my GM comments are in italics below.

14 Pharast

• The party concludes their conversation with Vel. They head out with Vel and children in tow. Vel shows them the location on one of the bridges over the Narrows of St. Alika where he and Sanga first kissed. He shares that he can feel her spirit here. They then head to Street Serpent territory. Elvo gets the family set up in a vacant home. The party shares their conversation with Ciro earlier in the evening. Elvo hints, yet again, that he could improve things in other territories if the party would help him take over said other territories. Everyone heads home for a rest.

15 Pharast

• The party regroups and heads to Jeggare Museum. They want to see if their is anything here that could tell them a little more about Volshyenek Ornelos as he had been mentioned by the Green Lady. They don’t learn too much more than they already knew.
  • Volshyenek was the “father” of House Ornelos in Korvosa.
  • Known as the Immortal Lord as he lived for well over 200 years.
  • He passed away just over 100 years ago. He died fighting a group of devils attacking the Acadamae.
  • He never looked a day over fifty in any of the portraits at the museum. Stories largely suggest that magic was the source of his long life.
  • His portraits look suspiciously similar to the noble the party has seen visiting at the Sanctuary and who seems to be involved with the “source” of the Shiver Killings in some fashion.
• The group then meets up with Vel. They head back to Dark Shadows territory and Vel introduces them to some folks who were at the shiver den when Sanga disappeared. They and the group then visit the Thrift Store (where Sanga had worked), Sanga and Vel’s former apartment, and the bridge. Like Vel, this pair feel like Sanga’s spirit is with them when on the bridge.
  • These two (I’m not sure we named them yet) want help moving to Elvo’s territory (I told you it was becoming a theme). The group assists them in doing so.
• Aimar gets a messageuck from Dio to meet at the Temple.
  • Dio checked on his mother, Grazia, just a bit earlier and learned that Lamm has been at her building, Andeddo Building, most of today.
    • Kids have been taking stuff from the basement of the building and dumping into the river.
    • Loud noises have been coming from the basement. When the residents went down to complain, one of Lamm’s toughs told them to mind their own business.
• The party heads to the Andeddo Building and begins to check it out.
  • It is, essentially, an apartment building.
  • The group makes the recently opened Fishbucks across the street as their meeting spot.
  • Grazia spots the group and approaches Aimar. She takes Aimar into the building with her and explains that the noises stopped earlier today.
    • The pair heads to the basement. The basement lantern is not in its normal place. Prior to this, most residents would visit the basement periodically as this is where the cooking and heating charcoal is stored.
    • Aimar can see that one wall in the basement has been broken down, debris from the wall remains scattered nearby. There is a small chamber beyond this opening.
    • As this is going on, Darcy has snuck around the back of the building. She spots Canta, one of the children who had been at the Old Fishery and working for Lamm. He is hiding in a little cubbyehole in an alley with two other children.
      • Darcy quietly speaks with Canta and learns a few things.
        • After leaving the Old Fishery, Lamm somehow tracked down and found many of the children. Some are out working as pickpockets again, but some are working here.
        • Lamm knows of some smuggling tunnels and is trying to access them through the basement of the building. They’ve been breaking down a wall to get to these tunnels. The children have been dragging the bricks, rock, and dirt out to dump in the river.
        • Something has gone wrong. Several hours ago, Canta and his companions were going in the basement to get more to haul out. Lamm’s tough guarding the basement entrance was gone. He then heard Lamm scream. They’ve not spotted Lamm or any of his goons since. They’ve been waiting here ever since as if they fled, Lamm would probably beat them once he found them again.
        • Darcy gives some coin to the children and lets them know that she and her companions will check it out.
    • Everyone regroups at Fishbucks again before heading down the basement.
      • The bricks and other debris around the broken wall consists of some stone that is different than that used to construct the basement.
        • In the chamber beyond, there is a rune engraved and inlaid in the floor. It is a seven-pointed star and Aimar recognizes it as a Sihedron Rune, a symbol of ancient Thassilon, and has the symbol for Gluttony in the middle…a symbol of one of the Runelords of Thassilon.
        • The chamber looks like it had been sealed off for a long time. There is a door on the opposite wall from the opening.
        • The door opens into a “locker room” with various glass fronted cabinets holding robes, leather aprons, and various medical instruments. A couple of benches are in the middle of the room.
        • Two plague doctor masks are hanging from pegs on one wall.
      • Two other doors lead out of the room.
        • One leads to a large chamber. The walls have been plastered and are covered in murals of skeletons cavorting among dead and dying people in the streets of Korvosa.
        • One door in this chamber leads to a lift, a lift which is currently not on this floor. Another leads to a small break room with two individuals talking about wanting to remove a body’s intestines, but “he” stopped them. The party ambushes the pair and kill them. Other than these two recent corpses, the room only has some empty crates and a couple of stools.
      • A set of double doors is the remain way out of this large, mural decorated chamber.
        • The doors are decorated with a large skeleton each. They both wield a rather large scythe. When Aimar goes to open one of the doors, the skeletons animate and extend out of the door. They breathe a gas at him and both slice down with their scythes. Fortunately, Aimar had no apparent effects from this attack.
        • This sends the group back to a prior room, the “locker room,” where there is an additional door which they had not yet opened.
      • Listening, snoring can be heard beyond this door. Darcy opens the door a bit and gets a quick peek.
        • There are quite a few cots and bodies lying in at least three of them. There is also a skeleton standing in the middle of the room holding a tray with goblets and a bottle of wine. Skulls are set in small alcoves at regular intervals around the room with candles glowing inside.
        • After much discussion (so so SO much discussion), the party goes in and attacks.
        • There are four sleepers and two skeletons within. During the fight, one of the sleepers slips out another door, potentially escaping. Another of the sleepers is only knocked unconscious in the hopes that this individual can be questioned later.
          • Pop pursues the individual fleeing. The chamber in which he catches up and kills the individual is very macabre and grotesque. Panes of glass line the walls and floor in the chamber. Behind the glass are various twitching and moving body parts, all trying to reach out and pushing against the glass.
          • The individual that fled here was heading for a set of double doors leading out of this chamber.
          • After the need for the initial chase and stopping of the fleeing fugitive, Pop realized where he is standing. Is it just a trick of the eye or is the glass restraining all of these body parts starting to bulge outward?

And that is where we stopped for the night. I mentioned that there are spoilers for the Temple of Urgathoa way up at the top. That’s a spoiler for the players. They don’t know this is a temple to the Pallid Princess quite yet, but they will pretty soon. Hopefully, knowing this now will add a new level of dread and concern to the next session.

Full disclosure…although this little side adventure did come about as a result of Aimar’s interaction and contractual agreement with Dio related to the healing provided previously, I took this as an opportunity to give the players a break from the very investigative and mystery focused sessions we’ve been having. Every once in a while, even the most investigative types of players can use a break, right?

It was also an opportunity to bring Lamm back into the fore. When I had Dio mention his name, I had no idea where this was going to lead, but I do now. I’m not saying that this adventure might lay the ground work for a future “arc” to the campaign but maybe it will. That’ll all depend on the players.

Assuming that the party survives this place, I can only assume that they (or at least the players) might be a little relieved to get back to their normal investigations of the Shiver Killings with fresh minds and renewed inquisitiveness!