Masters Session Four
General Summary
In the dimming light of Salisgrad, beneath the twinkling stars that silently bore witness, a worried gnome named Rillo Leadstopper burst into the Halfling Hearth Tea Room. Clad in patchwork clothes and nervously wringing his hat, he sought the aid of adventurers to rescue his daughter, Villonah, from the corrupt clutches of the Black Gauntlets. Rillo, a tinkerer by trade, spun a tale of desperation and dark dealings beneath the city, hinting at a secret prison beneath the ruins of the Lyceum of the Lady of Graves. This secret prison was rumored to be used by corrupt Black Gauntlet officers for more nefarious questioning that they did not want their leadership to discover.
The adventurers - Bashrog Stonecrusher, Thistletop, and Dunner Greyblade - ventured into the depths beneath Salisgrad, guided by whispers and shadows to a secret tunnel leading to the hidden chambers. The air, heavy with the echoes of suffering and the faint glow of torchlight, led them to a well-crafted stone door that Thistletop easily - and violently- forced open.
Beyond the door, they encountered prisoners tormented by their captors, including two members of the Crimson Glove, a man whose only crime was sleeping with the girlfriend of a Black Gauntlet officer (and now paid the brutal price for it), and a mad dwarf cultist of the Ebon Triad, whose mind had been shattered by an extended stay in a room dubbed "the Funhouse." The adventurers were immediately engaged by off-duty Black Gauntlet guards and their large guard dog, who was struck down before its curious backstory could ever be revealed.
The heart of their quest lay within the Funhouse, where Villonah, the gnome tinkerer's daughter, sat imprisoned and broken. Surrounded by sinister obelisks, the adventurers faced the whispering shadow, a creature of darkness and despair. Their courage and resolve saw them through the battle, with the shadow defeated and the obelisks destroyed, freeing Villonah from her torment.
As they prepared to return Villonah to her father, an unexpected figure emerged – Yelivia, an elf of the Shadowed Guardians, with an arrow trained on the adventurers. A tense moment passed before the truth was revealed: Villonah was a member of the Shadowed Guardians, and her imprisonment resulted from her daring theft of a map from one of the Black Gauntlet officers.
With diplomacy and understanding, the adventurers agreed to return Villonah and the stolen map to the Shadowed Guardians. Rillo Leadstopper, overjoyed at his daughter's return, fulfilled his promise of payment and an additional surprise - a wand of Cure Light Wounds.
The events of that night echoed through the streets of Salisgrad, a reminder of the tyranny of the Black Gauntlet knights and the flickering hope of resistance. The adventurers, having braved the depths and confronted the darkness, emerged as heroes and beacons of hope in the fight against oppression.
Rewards Granted
From the Guard Room:
- A total of 36 gold pieces (gp) and 12 silver pieces (sp), the winnings from the guards' card game.
- A Potion of Cure Light Wounds, found tucked away in a locker (used by Thistletop).
- Four short swords, equipment carried by the off-duty guards.
- A promised 50 gold pieces (gp) each for the successful rescue and return of his daughter, Villonah.
- A wand of cure light wounds (8 charges) as a reward for their heroic efforts.
- A silver symbol of Pharasma worth 150 gold pieces (gp), likely overlooked by the guards or left behind by previous unfortunate souls.
Missions/Quests Completed
- Villonah Leadstopper was rescued and returned to her father, Rillo.
- The corrupt Black Gauntlet members were slain.
- REWARD: 1 XP
Character(s) interacted with
- Rillo Leadstopper was a gnome mechanic employed by the city-state to work on the runetech chariots.
- Villonah Leadstopper, Rillo's "spirited" daughter, was also a member of the vigilante group known as the Shadowed Guardians.
- Yelivia, a female elf associate of Villonah and another member of the Shadowed Guardians.
- "Romeo," an artist and brutalized prisoner that Thistletop led back to what he said was his home. In truth, it was the back of a restaurant in the arts district. The employees were familiar with him, as the grudgingly gave him food and a requested painting of Prince Eli Voronov.
