Session 1 - Swallowtail Festival

Sunday Rova 1 4707 A.R. - First day of Fall

Budwar, Preacher, Phain, and Xantumal are all in Sandpoint for various reasons (All still unknown to anyone but themselves). Sandpoint is celebrating the first day of fall with the Swallowtail Festival that also has a second purpose in consecrating their new cathedral.

The festival went fine until Father Zantus began the ceremony at dusk with a thunderstone. Right after that the goblins appeared. A pack of three goblins killed a dog which got Xantumal's and his animal companion, Hogie's attention. They quickly disposed of the goblins with the aid of Preacher.

Soon all 4 of their attentions would be drawn to some new screams and a roaring fire. They appeared on the scene to see a number of goblins including one that seemed to be chanting a song inspiring the goblins. Xantumal and his wolf attacked that goblin, and Phain finished him off with a devasting blow.

After the rest of the goblins were dispatched, the group heard a cry for help nearby. Aldern Foxglove, who is a nobleman from Magnimar that had arrived with Budwar, was about to be killed by a large goblin on a wardog. The Druid charmed the wardog and commanding it to roll over, while the others began to attack the rider. Phain landed another strong blow after chanting something first.

Aldern was saved and the group became local heroes for their effort. The received a free room at the Rusty Dragon that night as well as a celebration feast made by Ameiko Kijitsu.

Moonday Rova 2

The next day the group found the whole town a buzz with their accomplishments. They attended the smaller ceremony to consecrate the cathedral. The group asked questions of the town's past.

The town was built a little over 40 years. Five years ago there was a string of murders done by a recluse on an island whose name was Stoot, but was called Chopper. Once all the clues led to him being responsible, he commited suicide. A few months later the town's cathedral burned down killing Father Tobyn and his daughter Nualia in their sleep. Since then the town has prospered and recovered leading up to the new cathedral that was built.

Toilday Rova 3

Budwar accepted Aldern's invitation to Boar hunt as a way to say thank you for the rescue. The rest of the group, feeling a little uncomfortable with Aldern's "mancrush" on the paladin, made up excuses on why they couldn't go. Aldern purchsed a light riding horse for Budwar for the hunt and also rewarded the group 50 gold. Preacher visited the boneyard in town to make sure nothing was disturbed in the attack. Xantumal stayed at the Rusty Dragon waiting for the ranger Shalelu to come with news. Phain ventured out and was approached by a young lady needing help killing rats in her father's basement. Sensing a trap he hesitantly went with her, and was pleasantly surprised as her bodice fell to the floor. But once in the throws of passion he did not hear her father come down the stairs. Panicking he assured the father that he was going to marry her so he was able to leave without a fight.

Prelude

So begins Rise of the Runelords. Four people are heading to Sandpoint for various reasons, but will unite to face a multitude of danger. Here are the four future heroes that will be part of the story, as long as they can survive.

Phain - Having strange powers all his life he decided to eventually try and figure out why. His father always hinted at ties to an ancient civilization in Varisia and even taught Phain the language passed down over generations. Intrigued, he began to travel and examine ancient monuments to see if he could learn anything more about himself from them. He decided that Sandpoint's Old Light would be a good place to start as the bigger cities tended to have strict policies on examining the Thassilonian monuments.

Budwar - Budwar is a human paladin of Torag, which is almost unprecedented. Having grown up and lived in Korvosa, he was finding more and more the oppressive laws and the corruption, including the presence of the Hellknights was more than he could take. He accepted a task to go investigate the western region of Varisia where there was disturbing rumors of Ogres and Giants moving about. He was to take the boat to Magnimar and then make his way north up the coastline gathering any information he could and help those who couldn't help themselves.

He arrived in Magnimar and began to travel north. He met up on the road with a minor Magnimar noble names Aldern Foxglove who was traveling to Sandpoint to enjoy the Swallowtail festival and do some hunting. Always nice to have someone to travel with, they went the rest of the way together.

Preacher - "Preacher" Bloodmoon is a cleric of Pharasma from the Shoanti clan Skoan-Quah. As protector of the Shoanti history and their dead. Most of the Shoanti are uncomfortable around the Skull Clan, and most people react that way to Preacher. Preacher has a half-brother training to be a clan leader one day.

Preacher was sent a vision one night in a dream. When he awoke, he knew that he was supposed to travel immediately to Sandpoint and learn why there were souls not arriving to Pharasma to be judged. Assuming a Varisian disguise he left immediately not telling anyone where he was going, even his brother.

Xantumal - Xantumal is a druid from the forests of Sanos. He bonded at a early age with a wolf that he named Hogie. One day the other local druids called a meeting as there were ogres, giants, and other strange monsters moving about the forest and the surrounding areas. They decided they needed to gather more information so they split off in different directions and sent Xantumal to the cities in the west as he was the youngest of the druids.

Having taken a boat down many of the rivers, stopping through towns he eventually made it to Magnimar, where he found little help from the mayor in getting any answers. He decided his next stop was Sandpoint.