I ran a slapped together one-shot for Carly and Austin and they asked me to run more for them over hangouts, so I gathered them and two more friends as an adventuring party. They’re adventuring in the region of Stroms (which I posted to The World Known and Unknown forum).
Austin - Valoric the Cleric, who wears a tunic with his house crest emblazoned on it.
Carly - Burke the Dwarf, with ribbons and silver threads woven in his beard.
Ian - Milo the Halfling, who wears a puffy blue baking apron over his armor.
Jere - Dracen the Magician, who wears a ceramic cult mask over his face.
Here’s my canned text that I read to the players:
“Boch was a fierce warrior and agent of the ageless wizard Aage, and in his later years a powerful wizard in his own right. Towards the twilight of his life, he and Aage had a falling out and he retired to a tower in isolation to spend it on his own research and spend his final years in peace. The tower has remained undisturbed for years, and no word has been heard from Boch, and fear of his wrath has kept anyone from venturing to found out what his fate may have been. Now, people from steads neighboring the tower are disappearing, and hard questions are being asked. Is there anyone brave enough to find out what’s been happening to the villagers, to face the haunts and enchantments of the tower, and to climb BOCH’S BELFRY.”
The party journeyed through the rocky desert north of Karsand towards the wizard’s tower, and arrived hungry and thirsty (Failed Pathfinder test). They investigated around the tower and found what at first appeared to be a clump of flapping rags, but when investigated turned out to be a body, broken and hurled from the top of the tower (in that order) (Passed Healer test). Milo pounded on the door of the tower, but there was no answer and the party was wary of just walking in, so they walked around the tower first, looking to see how sturdy it was and if there was a way they could climb it. As they were investigating and making their way around, a group of robed figures came from the opposite direction, armed with daggers, and attacked! (Failed Stonemason test)
Dracen tried to talk and explain to them that they were here to investigate a mystery, but suddenly darkness shrouded the entire group (Failed Oratory test). The party, unable to fight in total darkness, tried to flee the robed figures but one by one were swallowed by the darkness. Burke lasted the longest, his dwarven endurance leading the strangers on quite a chase before he too was caught and the entire party bound. (Flee conflict due to mysterious Total Darkness, GM won, but players got a major compromise). During the conflict, Dracen cast Celestial Music causing the bell to appear to ring. The figures were not lured away, but a frightening, skeletal figure climbed up the tower and into the belfry. After being caught, the figures recognized the mask worn by Dracen and his magic powers and mistook him as the Arcane Master, a cult leader of the Arcane Lord, a cult deity of the Immortal Lords of Mystery (this was the major compromise). He was taken to their leader in the basement of Boch’s Belfry in a hidden room - the Shadow Master! The room contained a bloody altar, a summoning circle, shackled prisoners, and an altar to the Veiled Lord. The Shadow Master wears black robes and a black mask, and slits the throats of one of the cultists to demonstrate his apology to the Arcane Master for his mistreatment.
The players are in the hands of an insane, human-sacrificing cult, and the only thing keeping them from being murdered is a case of mistaken identity. Next time: the Arcane Master and the Shadow Master!