DA2 TTRPG Campaign Diary - Session 3 - The Party Comes Together!

Last we left off, our party was split with half in Hightown and half recruited to Fisher's boat. Fishing isn't going well in Kirkwall due to all the boat activity from the influx of refugees. So, Fisher goes looking for work at the end of last session and finds a couple help-wanted posters on the Chanter's Board.

Fisher heads to Midtown to investigate a potentially "haunted" house. He meets with a woman named Loretta who explains there's been some unusual activity around a decades-vacant home at the end of the street. Neighborhood cats have gone missing. A neighbor, named Phineas, thought he saw movement within the house, went inside to investigate, and never came back out. People have heard strange noises - moans, screams, growling.

The neighborhood boarded up the house and went to the Templars. The Templars told them animals and people disappear all the time in the city - often due to gang activity - and that strange noises and shadows are not proof enough of demons. The community then went to the City Guard who said demons were the responsibility of the Templars. The neighbors are desperate for someone to take care of the issue and put up the help wanted posters. They've also gone around and gathered a community pot of money as a reward for the job.

Fisher went to Loretta alone, so he tells her he will confer with the rest of the party and return if they agree to help. He also wants to give fishing another go. Fisher, Revas, and Dardin'an go out on the boat.

((Since I wanted to encourage the group away from the water and into the city, and I have a future quest planned with some sea monsters, I thought this would be a great opportunity to give a hint toward that quest. I had players roll luck, and whoever failed had a "sea devil" climb onto the ship an attack them.

The sea devil was a modified sahuagin from D&D. Not a fish monster, but a demon inhabiting the corpse of someone who died at sea -- specifically, this was one of Fisher's mutinous crew who Fisher had stabbed and thrown overboard just the other day. I passed a note to Fisher stating that he recognized the corpse and that he had heard sailor's tales of those who died at sea rising as demons but had until this moment always thought it was superstition. This was info he could have shared with the party, but chose not to.))

The party defeats the sea devil and decides the sea was a no-go and land was safer. They managed to get a little fishing in before the monster attack, so they make some money from their time but not much.

Meanwhile, in Hightown

Fenlin sets out to explore the area for possible hideouts. She's good at stealth and searching, and finds quite a few options. There's a handful of unoccupied noble mansions. But she also notices that they are being maintained so the owners can drop by at a moment's notice and the house will be ready. She could squat in one of these places, but eventually, she would be at risk of encountering whoever kept up the place.

She also discovers a noble house with what seems to be mercenaries coming from and into it. This is odd as no nobility seems to be living there. She suspects the group is up to something, but their activity doesn't appear to be illegal since they aren't making much of an effort to hide it. ((This is the Amell mansion that Gamlen sold to Slavers, though Fenlin does not realize this)).

Fenlin also notices a seemingly abandoned castle tower. It is a two story, round tower of stone in a state of disarray. No one seems to have been invested in upkeeping it. She moves in for a closer look and notices small signs like trampled grass and areas where brush seems to have been specifically placed in front of windows or repaired areas to hide activity.

((Fenlin could have investigated further. I had already decided this was the headquarters of The Friends of Red Jenny! But she choose at that moment to retreat and report back to Deorum, which I had not expected)). The two of them and Lulia agree the castle was worth checking out, but finding work is the main priority -- Deorum wants his own space, and doesn't want to take advantage of his family's hospitality for long -- so they make a promise to check back later.

Deorum's first step is to ask the Lord of the House about where work can be found. Kristol Dalmasso has a moment as he realizes he's rich and hasn't had to look for work and thus isn't certain how to answer that question. He suggests the local bars and the city guard.

The Noble's Quarter of course has a tavern, but it is very high-end and everyone is expected to maintain decorum. Oldtown (right next to the noble's quarter) is essentially the business center of Kirkwall. There's a tavern there as well, also rather high-end, but it's specifically intended for business people to take a load off after a hard work day, so it is much more relaxed. Deorum isn't crazy about the sound of either of those and sets out around town to inquire about a true adventurer's tavern, leading him to The Hanged Man ((I was not expecting the PCs to discover The Hanged Man this early, but I'm so glad they did!))

Deorum asks the city guard for potential work, having been told they sometimes hand out work to the public for jobs that are sitting at the bottom of their piles, either because they don't have the time or manpower to get to them or because they don't find them important. Deorum learns of Loretta's haunted house. The guards are tired of being pestered to take care of the issue and offer to pay Deorum if he can take the task off their plate (in addition to the reward the community is offering). Deorum thanks the guard and takes the paper with him.

The group then heads to The Hanged Man, orders drinks, and asks the bar tender about adventuring work. Deorum learns about a nobleman seeking a group of adventures to track down a coveted pie recipe. There's a gold reward, but the ad warns of possible death. The bar tender is tired of this noble coming around begging some one to help. Deorum pockets this paper as well.

Deorum and co locate a specific beardless drawf with an affinity for crossbows sitting at his own table near the back of the tavern ((which was definitely a meta game moment, but whatever)). Varric is welcoming and greets his new acquaintances, though he's a little confused why they chose to sit with him. He takes an interest in the group once they mention their desire for adventure -- Varric always has an ear out for new talent. He tells them he will be in contact if work comes up.

The Party Finally Forms!

((This was a bit of a nail biter for me because Deorum now got to make the choice of which of the help wanted ads to pursue. And I was really concerned he would go after the gold reward and the party would remain split. But he reasoned (1) they were already in Midtown and the haunted house was close (2) the noble sounded kinda daft and he wasn't entire sure about the ad (3) he didn't know enough about the city to know where the location in the ad was.))

The party meet up together in front of the house. Loretta informs them the community was really excited to hear someone was finally going to take care of this and they made a final money push. ((This extra money was actually a request Fisher had made to Loretta. So, I had the group make luck rolls and their Dragon Die equaled how much extra silver they got)). Loretta also told them that no one had lived in that house for decades and if the party wanted, they could stay there and the neighborhood wouldn't say anything ((the party members now have their own house, if they want it)).

The group go in and clear everything out. This adventure, used The Trouble With Goblins interlude from the Ptolus City by the Spire rpg, except all the goblins were replaced with demons. The poor missing missing neighbor Phineas has become a corpse possessed by a fear demon with a paralyzing scream and claw attack. The party also encounters skeletons, shades, and a rage demon. The shades prove troublesome as only magic or magic weapons can harm them. Deorum is the only mage, and he does his best to hide his casting, such as hiding around corners, at the edge of combat, or going into other rooms entirely on his own.

After the clearing the main floors of the house, all that's left is the cellar. Deorum hurries down first but doesn't check his surroundings before descending. The cellar ladder is rotten and brakes under his weight. He falls to the floor, and looks up to find another skeleton staring at him.

The party follows Deorum. Without the ladder, they have to jump down into the cellar. The jump isn't long, but about half have difficulty and end up falling like Deorum. One of them falls onto Deorum.

While the party is taking out the skeletons in the cellar, Deorum hurries through another door and runs straight into another Shade. He's got this one, though, and closes the door behind him. Once the house is completely clear, the party discovers the collapse in cellar wall that opens up into an ancient burial ground. This is where the demons are coming from. The wall will need to be sealed to prevent the demons from returning to the house.

The party also discovers the original house deed. If they want, they could take steps to put the house officially in their name. But that's an adventure for another time.