Episode 4 - To Riddleport

General Summary

The night before the heroes were to board a coach to Riddleport, Valarius woke to find Hugo’s gloved hand burning a hole in his sheets. The alchemist awoke, eyes wide and white, and he burst into flames briefly before turning to ash.
The next day, the heroes (along with scholar Winifred Aldysh), took the three-day ride to Riddleport. Once in town, they made their way to the pier to find out a bit about The Blot that floated above the ocean. Satisfied that it was just a cloud, they made their way to The Golden Master – an inn/tavern with a fighting platform in the middle, run by a large dragon man (kobold on steroids?) named Kenoshi . After getting rooms for the week, the heroes headed out to explore the city.
With Sikali opting to stay at the room to make jam, the rest of the group headed to the Gold Goblin to check out the gambling tournament. There, the owner of the gaming house, Saul Vancaskerin, welcomed everyone and wished them luck. Overhead, a caged devil (actually just an imp named Old Scratch who agreed to do this to work off a debt) laughed and hissed.
During the tournament, there was an attempt to steal the grand prize – a chest filled with ten thousand silver pieces. A wizard, a bard, and a handful of thugs tried to blind everyone and shrink the chest. Once the chest was small enough, they would attempt to flee out the front door. However, the heroes foiled their attempts and killed the wizard, the bard, and most of the henchmen. Saul let them loot the bodies before the gendarmes came to collect the survivors and the deceased.
After everyone had left, and most of the staff had quit, Saul asked the heroes to stay behind. He said that, despite the setback, he felt good things were around the corner and that the heroes were a part of that. He was going to be a success, despite the wishes of many of the heads of the various criminal elements in the city who wanted him to fail. Saul offered the group employment – 10gp per week, plus a cut of the house earnings. In return, they would be given token titles at the Gold Goblin. In truth, they would be bodyguards and protectors to help Saul (and the party) succeed. He awaits their decision.

Character(s) interacted with

Winifred Annella Aldysh – The young scholar who came to Riddleport in search of knowledge. But after only getting a room for two days because she “might have to leave in a hurry”, is she also running away from something? Her friends call her Fred.
Kenoshi – Former gladiator and current owner of The Golden Master. Who, or what, is he exactly? And what’s with all the blood on the platform in his inn?
Saul Vancaskerin – Former lower tier crime boss, looking to turn his life around. However, other criminal elements in the city may not be so forgiving of his past crimes.

Notes

Saul Vancaskerin introduced himself as a former, retired gang leader from the old days of Riddleport, but stated matter-of-factly that his life of crime was far from lucrative and in fact cost him his health, his fortune, his family, and his left hand. With his wife dead, his sons exiled, and much of his fortune gone, he took what meager funds he could scrape together and was eventually able to purchase the Gold Goblin, a once-famous gambling hall that had fallen on hard times. He presented himself as too old to relocate or return to a life of crime and has tried to turn the Gold Goblin into a modestly profitable business venture. He confessed that although he no longer considers himself a part of Riddleport’s crime scene, he still has enemies among the city’s criminals who would love to see him ruined. Despite his attempts to “go legit,” he still lives under the ever-present shadow of retribution.
Saul had recognized the dead wizard as the leader of a group of street toughs he had seen around the casino before. He knew that the wizard and his one-eyed trollop had contracted out to most of the other crimelords in the past, mainly for protection rackets and strong-arm jobs.
Saul had considered throwing himself at the mercy of Clegg Zincher or one of the other crime bosses for protection but loathes to re-enter that world. This situation prompted him to approach the group for aid— with their help, he hopes to avoid further backsliding into his old ways.
The Barracuda Cartage is rumored to be a front for the Aspis Consortium that had set up in Riddleport a few months ago. They had a setback when they were infiltrated by a group of Pathfinder Society members who sabotaged the Aspis Consortium’s attempt to build an alliance with the Lissalan cult located somewhere within the city.
The Golden Master inn often hosts brutal gladiator fights, with gold flowing almost as much as the blood of the combatants.

Report Date

23 Apr 2018