The Book of the Raven

The Rookery, Session 9

A match was a’makin late last night

It wasn’t with the girl that I’d loved the best

I’ll leave her behind

And go along with you

Down by the banks of the ocean.

Sleeping til milking time is my delight

A bed of green rushes underneath my side

And a bottle of brandy underneath my head

And a charming young maid in my arms.

I’ve walked east and I’ve walked west

And I’ve walked through long and darkened streets

But equal to my true love, I didn’t meet

She's the wee lass that's left my heart broken.

Sleeping til milking time is my delight

A bed of green rushes underneath my side

And a bottle of brandy underneath my head

And a charming young maid in my arms.

I’ve walked up and I walked down.

And I’ve walked Cobh, Llewellyn, and Callidyrr Town,

But equal to my true love, I didn’t meet

She's the wee lass that's left my heart broken.

Sleeping til milking time is my delight

A bed of green rushes underneath my side

And a bottle of brandy underneath my head

And a charming young maid in my arms,

And a charming young maid in my arms.

“A Match Was Made”—Razorvine and Firethorn

Because the planned time for the next meeting with Whitby Dane and Obsidian was not until the afternoon, the party used the morning of the next day to visit the temple of Oghma and its library, hoping to research a number of things. The temple—also known as the the Font of Knowledge—is located on the north side of Temple Lane where it intersects with Sword Street.

The temple was a large, marble faced building, with granite steps leading up to a columned entrance. Inscribed above the door to the temple was the following:

Knowledge is the greatest tool of the mortal mind, outweighing anything made by mortal hands. Before anything else can exist, the idea must exist.

The party spoke with the an assistant priest and priestess of Oghma who were at the front desk, who greeted them with the question “Do you seek consultation, or merely want to browse the archives?” The party told the priest and priestess that they were seeking information about:

1. The walls between the planes and how they might be broken down.

2. Gargoyles.

3. Creatures that can cause petrification.

4. Possible ways for the Aaracockra to return to the Plane of Air (Sariyas was in particular interested about any way to pass from one plane to another.)

5. Any information about the symbols they had found when they defeated Oreioth (the "Lord of Lance Rock,"way back in session 1.)

The party was fortunate, and it turned out that one of the resident priestesses area of study was the nature of the various planes of existence, and she was available that morning for a consultation. Even better, they were informed that most consultations of a non-commercial nature were free—although the temple did accept donations.

The party were escorted inside the temple library to a small study room, and spoke with Najwa Suithrasas, a half-elven priestess of Oghma and scholar. Among other things she:

1. Directed them to a general reference on magical creatures entitled “Dorian the Sagacious’s Guide to Fantastical Beasts.” This popular-level reference mentioned three creatures that could petrify: basilisks, cockatrices, and medusas.

2. Told them that the top-central symbol from Oreioth was called an obex, and that it was one of the symbols of the god Tharizdun, also known as the Chained God, or the Elder Elemental Eye. She told them that Tharizdun had been imprisoned by many of the gods working together, since his goal is to remake all the known Planes of Existence in its image—in essence a maelstrom of chaos.

3. Also told them that Tharizdun had attempted to escape many times in the past, using different schemes and proxies on different planes of existence to try to open its prison.

4. Could not identify the other symbols that they showed her.

The party returned to the temple of the Raven Queen for their noon meeting with Whitby Dane and Obsidian. Whitby and Obsidian told them that they believed it would be possible to restore Quilana, but that they would need 4 or 5 days to prepare, and that the ritual necessary would be complex and require:

1. A crystal ball that would be used to contact Quilana’s spirit and hold it in place as the rest of the rite was performed. Caelyn said she might be able to obtain one from her grandfather Argonath, who specialized objects of fine crystal, including crystal balls.

2. An elemental mage to cast Stone to Flesh on Quilana’s petrified body. Obsidian said that he would travel with them and perform this part of the rite.

3. A priest to cast Greater Restoration on Quilana after she had been returned to flesh. Whitby was too old to come, so that Whitby will talk to head priest of his temple to find priest of the Raven Queen who could.

As their meeting with Whitby and Obsidian finished up, there was a rap-tap-tapping on the door to the meeting room that opened onto the central courtyard of the temple. When they opened the door there was a raven there with a small book at its feet. The raven gave a gurgling croak, and cawed gutturally at them. It then pecked insistently at the book, then flew away, leaving the book behind.

The book was bound with thin sheets of dark colored wood as its cover, and appeared to be the journal of a girl named Helathe Brantifax, detailing her attempts to cure her younger sister Sylphene, who had been born with a debilitating physical condition. Most of the entries dealt with her attempts to use a figurine of Orcus that they had obtained from a somewhat sketchy purveyor of magical artifacts to affect a cure for Sylphene. All of Helathe’s attempts were unsuccessful, and as the entries continue, she seems to become more and more manic and incoherent. The last entry read:

“ Mother tried to get me to get rid of the figurine. She even said she would take it from me and get rid of it herself. I told her that even if she took it from me, it would always find its way back. It will be mine always, even in death!”

There was also a loose sheet of paper—different than the paper bound in the book—stuck between the pages of the book, written in a different hand. The page contained a drawing of a house, along with the following lines of verse:

Doors slam

Open

Closed

Blown by a fickle wind

What steps through?

A cerulean beacon to chaos

Servants of the Matron watch

But cannot banish

Will help come?

Across the wood bridge

At three tree hill

Put the sea to your back

To the wind swept hill

In Helimbrar’s shadow

The party investigated the information in the mysterious journal and note further. They were able to quickly learn that Helimbrar was the southern-most peak in the Sword Mountains, and that it lay only a day or two’s ride along the coast north of Waterdeep. They resolved to ride out the next day to investigate, while Whitby and Obsidian made their preparations.

That afternoon the party went back to Gralkyn’s Tankard—which they had noticed on their earlier explorations of Waterdeep. The tavern had been built in the lap of the lap of a colossal statue called the Great Drunkard. A sign at the feet of the Great Drunkard read:

"The Great Drunkard is one of eight known walking statues that can be called upon by the Blackstaff to defend Waterdeep in the times of greatest peril. The Great Drunkard fell at this location during the Spellplague (D.R. 1385.)”

At Gralkyn’s, the party enjoyed drinks and a meal. Included in the beers and hard ciders the party sampled were:

• Grallkyn’s Stout

• Harvest Ale (brewed in Amphail)

• Green Dragon Champion Cider (from Phandalin)

The available menu for that night at the tavern was:

• Griffon Sausage Sandwich

• Great Drunkard Poutine

• Sahuagin Humbled Fish and Chips

Desserts:

• Lady Dreaming Tart

• The Honorable Knight Fried Cakes

The entertainment was provided by a musical group playing music from Alaron in the Moon Shae Islands: Razorvine and Firethorn (featuring the Triangle Band.) The band is led by Reaghar Razorvine. Reaghar is a jovial, middle aged human man from Alaron with salt and pepper hair, a physique that suggests that while he is still physically fit, that Rheagar also enjoys sampling the fare at the inns and taverns where the band usually play. Reaghar sings and plays the mandolin.

Rowena Firethorn is a female human, perhaps in her early thirties, with long red hair and striking green eyes. Rowena speaks with a rich brogue common in Alaron. Rowena sings and plays the harp.

The Triangle Band is composed of three goblins. They do not sing, but all three are amazingly skilled multi-instrumentalists.

The next day, the party traveled to the location indicated on the map. They found a hunting lodge—-that, although long abandon by the Baron Brantifax and his family—seemed to be currently in use by someone. Exploring the house gave clues that led the party to the Brantifax graveyard and mausoleum nearby. After fighting and killing two gargoyles that were hanging around the outside of the mausoleum, the party entered the mausoleum and found the crypts of Baron Brantifax, Sylphene, and Halathe.

In Sylphene’s crypt , they opened her sarcophagus, out of which floated two dolls, and where they heard a child’s voice telling the to “Leave them alone and go away!” Mistaking the voice as coming from one of the dolls, the party attacked the doll, they knocked the doll to the floor, causing the voice to scream at them “You’ve hurt Kathy!” and were attacked by Sylphene’s poltergeist. After a tense discussion with Sylphehe, they were able convince her that they meant no harm, and were able to close the sarcophagus with the dolls Kathy and Katie inside.

Inside Halathe’s sarcophagus, they found a figurine of Orcus holding a blue gem over its head interred with her body. After a brief battle they defeated Helathe’s ghost, and were able to collect the figurine, being careful to use a Mage Hand to pick it up and place it in a bag. They spent the night camped on the hillside near Brantixax Manor.

The next morning the party was approached by a group of raven looking humanoids that explained that they were members of a kindness of ravens known as the Scarlet Sash, and that they were the ones that had sent the diary and message. The wereraven’s leader Madrina asks that the party return their robes, that the party had removed from the house when they were searching the hunting lodge the previous day.

Campaign and Design Notes

The setting of Brantifax Manor—as well as the wereravens—are adapted from chapter 3 in Candlekeep Mysteries. I was looking for a side quest for the party while they were in Waterdeep—something to add a bit of intrigue and action to the lore dropping and city exploring during the session. I adapted the content in Helathe’s diary, aka The Book of the Raven, and changed a few details of the setting to better fit my campaign. Other than that, I largely used the adventure as written.

To give the party a feel for what I imagine Razorvine and Firethorn sounding like, I played three songs from Henri’s Notions CD, Don’t Waste Your Wishes: “A Match Was Made,” “Crazy Man Michael,” and “Morrison’s/Kid on The Mountain.” The first two songs include vocals, and were included to give the party a sense of the sound of Razorvine’s and Firethorn’s voices. The third song is instrumental only, included to show off the playing of Razorvine and Firethorn’s instrumentalists—three goblins named Ke, Ki, and Ko—collectively known as The Triangle Band.

“A Match Was Made” is is based upon the traditional Irish song Ta Mo Chleamhnas Deanta. The translated lyrics that are used by Henri’s Notions are actually less dark than other translations I’ve seen.

“Crazy Man Michael” was written by Richard Thompson and Dave Swarbrick, both members of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention.

“Morrison’s/Kid on The Mountain” is a medley of two jigs: “Morisson’s” by Maurice Carmody, and “Kid on the Mountain,” a traditional Irish tune.

The idea for Razorvine and Firethorn started due to my wife giving me a couple of different sets of dice to use to roll up random NPCs. I gave the dice a test roll, with the result coming up that the NPC was a goblin bard named Ke, whose defining personal characteristic was that they were quiet. My wife (A.k.a Andira) asked me what I had rolled, and when I told her, she said: “How can you have a quiet bard?”

Naturally I took this as a challenge to my character creating skills, and immediately set to work. What I eventually came up with was three indistinguishable goblins named Ke, Ki, and Ko who are masterful instrumentalists, but who don’t sing and rarely speak. I decided that the “band” needed someone (or someones) who were talkative and charismatic to front the band. Thus Reaghar Razorvine and Rowena Firethorn were born to fill that role.

The Players

Andira—Female tiefling warlock. Andira is an orphan, left anonymously at the temple of the Raven Queen in Neverwinter when still a baby. The priests at the temple named her Andira, and raised and educated her. When she had reached her late teens, Andira was told by Vassyma—the head priestess of the temple—that she was to be initiated as a warlock of the Raven Queen. Soon after Andira completed her initial training as a warlock, Vassyma commanded Andira to travel to the town of Red Larch, and investigate any unusual happenings there.

Caelynn Xiloescient—Elven monk. Born into a family of glass artisans in Silverymoon, Caelynn grew up having little interest in the family business. Instead Caelynn dreamed of travel and adventure. With her parents grudging permission, Caelynn became a student at the Sun Soul Monastery in Silverymoon. There she trained for about 50 years (not that long for an elf.) Then, her master—Siora Quidithas—tasked her with her first quest; to travel to Summit Hall in the Summer Hills. There, Caelynn was to contact Ushien Stormbanner—the commander of the Knights of Samular at Summit Hall—who would give her further instructions. Ushien told Caelynn to travel to Red Larch, take a room at the Swinging Sword Inn, and “keep her ears open.”

Nazz Syldaran—Elven ranger. Nazz grew up in the elven enclave of Tangled Trees; her mother was a ranger and her father a Boyer. When Nazz was still relatively young, her mother disappeared—seemingly without a trace—while patrolling near the Sumber Hills. Nazz’s uncle Badgerlock—Quilana’s brother—completed Nazz’s training as a ranger. After fifty years (again, not long for , Nazz set off to try and find any clues to what might have happened to her mother. Badger lock suggested that she start her search in Red Larch.

Sariyas Theyne—Eladrin Rogue. Sarıyas grew up in the Feywild city of Elrodon, raised by his mother. Sariyas never knew his father, and his mother would never speak of him. When he got old enough, Sariyas joined a quasi-mercenary organization, and started working different—often unsavory—jobs as a result. While doing a job for an unknown client—who had paid up front—Sariyas broke into the house of an old and solitary merchant, with instructions to recover an amulet from the merchant. When he touched the amulet, he fell unconscious, and woke up in Faerun, with the amulet around his neck. Sariyas found he was unable to remove the amulet or step back to the Feywild. A note in his hand instructed him that if he wanted have the amulet removed, to travel to the town of Red Larch, and investigate unusual events in the. The note also instructed Sariyas to periodically return to an ancient rock cairn near where he woke up. There he was to leave written reports of what he had observed, and to check for further instructions.

NPCs

Hed—male human former adventurer, currently the Magistrate in the town of Beliard.

Obsidian—male human wizard, proprietor of Obsidian Magical Services in Waterdeep.

Quilana Syldaran—female elven ranger, mother of Nazz Syldaran.

Whitby Dane—elderly male human priest of the Raven Queen, whose research speciality is restoring petrified humanoids to life.