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So, having arrived in Elecado, Liam and Ulda Bordis speak with Master Zersis, Liam's old tutor, regarding his situation. They decide that Liam formally disavowing his family is the best idea. Master Zersis asks if he can come along, as he would like to see how things play out. Liam and Ulda Bordis agree.
The three leave town and head for the City of Lionscliff. On their first night, they meet an elvish ranger, a member of the Home Legion, dispatched to the north with important instructions.
A few days later, the trio has a less polite encounter with a dragonbear. Eventually, the three companions are able to overcome the creature.
They continue on their way, coming to a rough inn, where they reveal that the dragonbear is dead. A brief celebration ensues, and the three decide that Ulda Bordis and Master Zersis will go ahead tomorrow, while Liam follows the next day. Their hope is that, in the busy traffic entering the city for a local festival, any spies on the city gates won't spot Liam.
The next day Ulda Bordis and Master Zersis continue on to Lionscliff. Nothing dramatic happens, although we learn that Master Zersis used to work in the Regent's Court as a scribe and was, very briefly, a member of the Ebon Daggers. He remains on good terms with the organization of assassins to this day. They arrive in Lionscliff and make their way to the Tinker District and the home of Master Galio, a friend of Master Zersis. They wait their for Liam to arrive, so they can come up with a plan to get him into the Regent's Court.
Liam meanwhile has waited half a day and decided to leave the rough inn, maybe camp in the woods until the morrow. Unfortunately, there are no good camp sites along the road. He does find shelter for the night at a dilapidated farm. There is an awkward moment between Liam and the farmer's daughter, but nothing comes of it.
The next morning, as Liam is packing his pack and getting ready to leave, the farmer's daughter is killed by a water-dragon, sleeping in the farm well. The farmer, in grief stricken madness, attacks the water-dragon and is killed almost instantly.
Realizing he cannot defeat the water-dragon on his own, Liam flees. He is certain the farmer's family was killed by the creature.
Making his way to a busy inn, Liam hires a prostitute named Vio to beat him with a whip, as pennance for abandoning the farmer and his family.
The next day, Liam decides to change the plan. Rather than slip through the city gates, he decides to approach his eldest sister, Elektra, who lives on an estate outside the city. Elektra is surprised to see Liam, and she and her servant, Amalice, take him to Elektra's bedroom, where she is preparing to attend a party in the city.
During the conversation with his sister, Liam learns that the Regent's Hand is looking into the murder of his brothers. Elektra also confides that she was the one who sent the assassins the night Liam ran away from home. She is a member of the Freedom League and her hope was that the death of the Merrik family would cause a significant collapse in the regional slave trade. Then she and her servant try to kill Liam. They very nearly succeed, but Liam is victorious in the end, slaying Elektra and her servant. Hiding the bodies in the floor using a spell, Liam then proceeds to the city. Passing through the gates, still in a state of shock from recent events and his wounds, Liam does not go to the Tinkers District, but decides to go to the the Temple of the Peacekeeper.
Four days later, Ulda Bordis and Master Zersis are summoned to attend the Regent's Hand. The Hand advises them that Liam is in his custody and that he has been very helpful is resolving certain matters. The companions are reunited and Liam shares most of his experiences with his friends.
They are then escorted to the Regent's Court. Ulda Bordis and Master Zersis watch from the balcony gallery as Liam eventually appears before the Regent to disavow his bloodline. His parents have been summoned to witness the event and Liam's father, Victor, flies into a fury and protests Liam's actions. His wife, Damera, approaches the matter more pragmatically. Both their efforts fail and the Regent witnesses and approves the disavowal. Liam has three days to get out of the Kingdom of Lionscliff, never to return, upon pain of death.
The companions reunite with the Regent's Hand, who is very happy that Victor Marrik has been knocked down a peg or two. He wishes the trio luck and departs, after telling them there is someone else waiting to speak with them, outside the Regent's Court.
Before venturing outside, Master Zersis is convinced by Ulda Bordis to come with them, as she thinks the Marriks identified them and they may try and take vengeance on Liam's old tutor. Master Zersis agrees.
The trio open the door, and encounter a priestess of the Peacekeeper. She informs them that as their god and temple performed a service for Liam, establishing his bonafides with the Regent's Hand, now he must perform a service for them.
* * * * *
So, some things got resolved in these sessions. We leaned who was behind the attack on the Marrik family and their motivations. Liam was able to disavow his bloodline, and formally sever his connection with his parents. When I consulted the dice to see if Victor and Damera would pursue matters, I got a firm 'no,' which makes sense given their cold, pragmatic natures.
I was honestly hoping for a hot confontation between father and son, but that didn't happen. The dice just did not roll that way, when I questioned my System Oracle.
Elektra's part in the assassination came as a complete surprise, but, in retrospect, it sort of makes sense. If she had survived, I might have made her a recurrent character, but I think it's best that she didn't. The scene with Liam and the whip-wielding whore also caught me off guard, but, again, the dice rolled as they did.
I've written over 80,000 words in narrative notes for this campaign and, honestly? I'm ready to take a break. I'm not abandoning Liam & Friends, but I'm ready for a tonal change.
The three leave town and head for the City of Lionscliff. On their first night, they meet an elvish ranger, a member of the Home Legion, dispatched to the north with important instructions.
A few days later, the trio has a less polite encounter with a dragonbear. Eventually, the three companions are able to overcome the creature.
They continue on their way, coming to a rough inn, where they reveal that the dragonbear is dead. A brief celebration ensues, and the three decide that Ulda Bordis and Master Zersis will go ahead tomorrow, while Liam follows the next day. Their hope is that, in the busy traffic entering the city for a local festival, any spies on the city gates won't spot Liam.
The next day Ulda Bordis and Master Zersis continue on to Lionscliff. Nothing dramatic happens, although we learn that Master Zersis used to work in the Regent's Court as a scribe and was, very briefly, a member of the Ebon Daggers. He remains on good terms with the organization of assassins to this day. They arrive in Lionscliff and make their way to the Tinker District and the home of Master Galio, a friend of Master Zersis. They wait their for Liam to arrive, so they can come up with a plan to get him into the Regent's Court.
Liam meanwhile has waited half a day and decided to leave the rough inn, maybe camp in the woods until the morrow. Unfortunately, there are no good camp sites along the road. He does find shelter for the night at a dilapidated farm. There is an awkward moment between Liam and the farmer's daughter, but nothing comes of it.
The next morning, as Liam is packing his pack and getting ready to leave, the farmer's daughter is killed by a water-dragon, sleeping in the farm well. The farmer, in grief stricken madness, attacks the water-dragon and is killed almost instantly.
Realizing he cannot defeat the water-dragon on his own, Liam flees. He is certain the farmer's family was killed by the creature.
Making his way to a busy inn, Liam hires a prostitute named Vio to beat him with a whip, as pennance for abandoning the farmer and his family.
The next day, Liam decides to change the plan. Rather than slip through the city gates, he decides to approach his eldest sister, Elektra, who lives on an estate outside the city. Elektra is surprised to see Liam, and she and her servant, Amalice, take him to Elektra's bedroom, where she is preparing to attend a party in the city.
During the conversation with his sister, Liam learns that the Regent's Hand is looking into the murder of his brothers. Elektra also confides that she was the one who sent the assassins the night Liam ran away from home. She is a member of the Freedom League and her hope was that the death of the Merrik family would cause a significant collapse in the regional slave trade. Then she and her servant try to kill Liam. They very nearly succeed, but Liam is victorious in the end, slaying Elektra and her servant. Hiding the bodies in the floor using a spell, Liam then proceeds to the city. Passing through the gates, still in a state of shock from recent events and his wounds, Liam does not go to the Tinkers District, but decides to go to the the Temple of the Peacekeeper.
Four days later, Ulda Bordis and Master Zersis are summoned to attend the Regent's Hand. The Hand advises them that Liam is in his custody and that he has been very helpful is resolving certain matters. The companions are reunited and Liam shares most of his experiences with his friends.
They are then escorted to the Regent's Court. Ulda Bordis and Master Zersis watch from the balcony gallery as Liam eventually appears before the Regent to disavow his bloodline. His parents have been summoned to witness the event and Liam's father, Victor, flies into a fury and protests Liam's actions. His wife, Damera, approaches the matter more pragmatically. Both their efforts fail and the Regent witnesses and approves the disavowal. Liam has three days to get out of the Kingdom of Lionscliff, never to return, upon pain of death.
The companions reunite with the Regent's Hand, who is very happy that Victor Marrik has been knocked down a peg or two. He wishes the trio luck and departs, after telling them there is someone else waiting to speak with them, outside the Regent's Court.
Before venturing outside, Master Zersis is convinced by Ulda Bordis to come with them, as she thinks the Marriks identified them and they may try and take vengeance on Liam's old tutor. Master Zersis agrees.
The trio open the door, and encounter a priestess of the Peacekeeper. She informs them that as their god and temple performed a service for Liam, establishing his bonafides with the Regent's Hand, now he must perform a service for them.
* * * * *
So, some things got resolved in these sessions. We leaned who was behind the attack on the Marrik family and their motivations. Liam was able to disavow his bloodline, and formally sever his connection with his parents. When I consulted the dice to see if Victor and Damera would pursue matters, I got a firm 'no,' which makes sense given their cold, pragmatic natures.
I was honestly hoping for a hot confontation between father and son, but that didn't happen. The dice just did not roll that way, when I questioned my System Oracle.
Elektra's part in the assassination came as a complete surprise, but, in retrospect, it sort of makes sense. If she had survived, I might have made her a recurrent character, but I think it's best that she didn't. The scene with Liam and the whip-wielding whore also caught me off guard, but, again, the dice rolled as they did.
I've written over 80,000 words in narrative notes for this campaign and, honestly? I'm ready to take a break. I'm not abandoning Liam & Friends, but I'm ready for a tonal change.
