Session 1 - Baldur's Gate Loop
General Summary
The group is still a bit stunned as they go their own ways after the fight, although they do tell each other where they are staying and arrange to meet. Two of them have strange dreams that night and the rest sleep a bit restlessly.
The next day, as they are walking around the city, strange things happen. They all see things in reflections. Glimpses of something that, upon turning around, is not there. Verrick forged a few things on the certificate for payment to get an extra hundred gold. Then shared it with Slash as the two of them went looking for things. Verrick got a new lute, the other one, while mended, didn't feel right anymore. Then he was getting some clothes when he saw something in the mirror. He looked behind and didn't see anything but when he turned back, the thing was closer and slashing at him! Glass broke off the mirror and formed into a claw to swing at him! He dodged and Slash saw it, wondering what was happening. They are a bit shaken but finish up then go to the square. Slash is determined to get Verrick a chance to play in the courtyard!
When they get there, no one else is there at first. They approach the fountain, cautiously, expecting something in the reflection. Magic swirls and Haela steps out of thin air, with the air having sharp edges, like glass cracking before sliding back together. She shows them that she was trying to make a horseshoe but her mind wondered and she made this instead. It's a metal rod, about a foot long, that has hard edges, like cracks in glass. The others arrive and start looking around the square.
That's when the demon, or at least some sort of outer planar creature for it could be nothing else, steps out of the fountain. It's blood red skin taught with muscles. Slicked back horns on its head and wielding a glaive, it attacks them! It gets a hit or two in but for the most part, the group kills it. As it goes down, it murmurs, "I am but the harbinger, you are the messengers."
Gerold runs to get the guards. As he leaves the courtyard area, though, he doesn't hear or see anyone. When he looks back at the courtyard, the archway ripples, like glass breaking and repairing itself from the outside in, and the group and demon body disappear. The sounds and sights of the town appear again! He goes to get guards.
The group sees Gerold disappear and realize they are not in the actual city. They concentrate and somehow cross over but as they do, it leaves the demons body behind. When Gerold shows up with the guards, he tells them everything, including what the creature said to him. Gerold doesn't seem to think anything of it but the rest of the group isn't happy that is known. There is a bit of panic as the wizard and cleric guard seem to be delaying them while the other guards go get the rest. The group manages to get everyone's attention and leave. They quickly run to their rooms and grab all of their things. Before Gerold had said that much, they had shared their names and where they were staying, not thinking much of it at the time, knowing it was procedure. Now, they aren't sure what the guards will do.
They go to another tenement and get more rooms, using different names. Haela and Kilroy go to the academy to do some research. The rest try and have a quiet drink but Verrick's lute is seen and he is encouraged to play a song. Slash again hypes him up!
Hours pass as Haela and Kilroy are doing research. They find out the coins signify something to do with the Blood War. Apparently, this is some planar conflict between angels, demons, and other outer planar creatures. Now, normally, something like that should be rare to go to any one given planet. There are so many to choose from, not to mention the infinite variety of the outer planes. However, a history book on the Netherese indicates that they messed with the Blood War generals on many occasions, taking artifacts from them to fuel their own projects. That has left a lot of artifacts from that time around the world. As such, Blood War incursions are not infrequent. Centuries apart, usually. They find a fight from over a thousand years ago that happened in this area. Then, five hundred hears ago, before this was Baldur's Gate, another fight occurred here. It's what prompted Balduran to bring the Flaming Fist here and protect the city. The book has speculation that there are special groups of guards that are specific to fighting off Blood War incursions.
As they are still studying, Master Thoren, Haela's instructor in magic and smithing, comes to them. He asks if they are in some trouble? They say they haven't done anything but are probably wanted for questioning. They wanted to get more information before they talked to the guards. Master Theron nods but then says that guards are now here, inquiring about them. They grab their notes, thank Master Theron, and use a side exit. They are spotted, though, and have to duck through a business, dodge a fruit cart, and get past a baker's wagon of goods before getting clear of the guards. They stumbled a bit but got away.
As they get to the new tenement building, they hear Verrick playing in the tavern a few doors down from it. They hear Slash yell out for Verrick, yes he said Verrick, to play more. They see guards come and look around and it's only a matter of time before they come here. The guards do head to the tenements, though.
Once again, the group finds themselves grabbing their stuff and leaving. "At least we were still packed," says Kilroy as they leave. Slash knows a person who can get them outside of the city. If they can win her trust. They go to a warehouse and knock. A half elf in leathers and with a club answers. She a bit gruff but believes them that they need a way out and for coin is willing to do so. She gives them torches and takes them to a secret passage that will get them out of there.
They go under the warehouse, move to the end, and find a ladder going into a worked cave. They go down the ladder and follow the tunnel about sixty feet to a ladder going up. A few think it was a bit short to get across the river but it's there so they head up. They are back in the basement of the warehouse. What?
They try again and again and again. Several don't understand what is happening and want to retrace their steps back to when they started. Haela isn't sure how they even do that? Izzy shows up and asks why they haven't left yet. They say they can't and she gets annoyed, grabs a torch, and tries to lead them out.
At the thirty foot mark, she disappears, again like glass breaking and reforming around here but they can't go any further. When Izzy tries to drag Slash, he just ends up walking back the way he came. They look for magic and sense it and see that it is dimensional magic but that's all they understand. Izzy takes them back to the warehouse. She tells them she will find another way, as they paid, but they need to wait until night. She puts some guards on them. They are supposed to get them food and water but it's obvious to the group that they are also to keep them down here.
Izzy comes back to speak to them and more creatures appear and attack! Again, they take care of them but a few are hit. Izzy has medical supplies and they use them and some spells but the group is tired.
As they are resting, a creature tells them they are bound to being the messenger and to accept it. Verrick denies him three times and at that point, the creature attacks! This fight is even easier for the creature succumbed to a Hideous Laughter spell and couldn't break out of it as they pounded on it. They hope nothing else comes for them and they get some rest finally.
Rewards Granted
800 xp (2 levels!)
Notes
GM Notes
- I had wanted them to be fugitives and this worked out well!
- I like using my city map sets for this. I like having props if I can.
- I like using the coins! Always fun to use them.
- At some point, the players, and characters, did stop and think about what the penalty could be for this.
- Thinking it might only be exile, they figure they would exile themselves.
- It didn't work out as they planned.
- They then realize it's good they didn't go to the guards because what would the guards do when they couldn't be exiled?
- I am happy how it started out and hopefully I can keep this energy going for this part of the story.
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