Encounter 9A: Regaining Sjolander

The True and Rightful King

Encounter 9A:  Regaining Sjolander

Level 2:  Easy (party’s level -1 = 1) 100 xp

Skill Challenge

Complexity 1 (4 successes before 3 failures)
Skill check difficulty:  Easy 5, Moderate 10, Hard 15

Setup

This time, it is not hard to convince Baron Silverkin that Sjolander should be brought back to life.  Not only has he begun to favor “his” heroes, he is at least glad to have one of them that is not too far out of line from his “normal.”  So, he doesn’t want to lose Sjolander.

However, he hasn’t been a baron most of his life for nothing, and he exacts a promise from the heroes that they will continue to serve him until he deems their debt repaid.  After all, this is now twice that he has born the burden of a particularly expensive ritual.

Again, he has to send for a cleric of sufficient skill to perform the ritual.  That requires five days to get a messenger to the far off city and another five days for the messenger to return.

Unfortunately, when the cleric does finally arrive, with his entourage in tow, it seems there has been something of a misunderstanding.  First, he is in a foul mood because he “compromised” his principles – for money, of course – to raise a drow from the dead the first time.  Now, he discovers that the corpse is that of one known to scoff at the gods.  He is not happy about the idea that he will bring this miscreant back to life.

Tactics and Development

Primary Skills:  Diplomacy, Religion, Stealth, Heal

Religion (DC 5):  You engage the cleric in a discussion of theological principles.  (This can only be used for two successes.)

Diplomacy (DC 10):  The cleric finds your words to be convincing, if not your ideas.  (This skill can only be used for two successes.)

Stealth (DC 15):  You manage to sneak around behind the cleric while the rest are engaged in conversation and no one else is looking and “borrow” his ritual book.

(This can only be used for one success, after which only Heal can be used to complete the skill challenge.)

Failure by 5 or more:  Someone in the cleric’s entourage notices your attempt to steal the ritual book and stops you.  (+2 to every skill check afterward.)

Failure by 10 or more:  Your attempt to steal the ritual book is noticed, the cleric is incensed, and he immediately departs with his entourage.  (Instant loss of the skill challenge.)

Heal (DC 15):  After stealing the ritual book, you assist Frugold Ogrescrush, Baron Silverkin’s Septon, in performing the ritual with which he is completely unfamiliar.  (This can only be used after a successful use of Stealth.)

Secondary Skills:  Insight, Perception, History

Insight (DC 15):  You sense something about the cleric that you think will help you persuade him to perform the ritual.  (+2 to the next Primary Skill check by that character.)

Perception (DC 15):  You notice a book that you recognize peeking out of the cleric’s baggage.  Making a comment about how much you like the book “softens” the cleric up.  (+2 to the next Primary Skill check by any character.)

History (DC 15):  You remember a story about the city from which the cleric has come that only people from that city would be likely to know.  Mentioning this to the cleric “softens” him up.  (+2 to the next Primary Skill check by any character.)

Success

If the adventurers have persuaded the cleric to perform the ritual, he not only performs the ritual, but gives them a copy of the ritual from his own ritual book.

If the adventurers have managed to steal the ritual, they get to perform the ritual, as well as keep the ritual book.  However, all of the rituals except this one are written in some kind of code, and this ritual is the only one they can understand.

Failure

Brekain Shipsail approaches the adventurers and reveals that she managed to get a copy of the ritual when the cleric was here before.  She does not reveal how that was accomplished.  She and Septon Ogrescrush are willing to perform the ritual, but only if the adventurers will give their word to grant her one favor – of her choosing – when she asks it.