Path of the Harper

Path of the Harper is a solo game using Kevin Crawford's Scarlet Heroes, and features a lone hero, a Harper, set in the Forgotten Realms. Note: we'll use the 1987 original boxed set as the only authentic canon.

Players

• KnockingBox playing Sky
• roryb, the GM

Play Threads

• Recruitment
• IC Thread
• OOC Thread

Sky

Attributes

• STR 14 (+1)
• DEX 18 (+3)
• CON 15 (+1)
• INT 9 (0)
• WIS 15 (+1)
• CHA 15 (+1)

Class: Thief
Race: Human
Level: 1
XP: 0

Max HP: 5
Armor Class: 7 (Leather)
Attack Bonus: +1
Fray Die: 1d6

Traits: Exiled Acrobat 3, Mesmerizing 2, Friend to Aum 1, Eye for Beauty 1, Harper Initiate 1
Sneak Attack: +4 to hit and triple damage to unwary foes.

Weapons

• Spear (+4, d6, 60'/-2 past 30')
• Dagger (+4, d4, 30'/-2 past 15')
• Sap (+4, d4, 30'/-2 past 15')
• Sling (+4, d4, 160')

Gear: Black Hack Pack (1d8/1d12, downgrades on 1-2), a dirk and strangling cord, Antoine Amberyl's engraved dagger, a moderately fine set of masculine clothes, 8 GP Encumbrance: 39/80 lbs.

Journal

Dear one,

Having narrowly missed you in Berdusk, I have decided to keep a journal of my experiences until our paths cross again. I hope that you hear this account from my own laughing voice before you read it cold upon the page.

23rd Flamerule

I have been sent from Twilight Hall in Berdusk to Iraebor on Harper business. I was to meet my contact, known as "the lender," at the Riverside Lodge just outside the gate. He did not show, and I was ambushed by three thugs with lethal intent, whom I dispatched. Their leader told me they were sent by a man called Thargas, who is known to spend time at Dora's Hall of Delights in the lower city, and seems to have the lender captive. Acquired 9 gold crowns as a ransom and sent the thugs on their way.

24th Flamerule

I entered the city of Iraebor proper and spent some time exploring. There is a quaint little teahouse on Windermere's Walk whose cinnamon buns reminded me of your husband. For the most part, the lower city is in disrepair and cast in shadow by the towers on the tor - this is two cities in one place. The city is ruled by Lord Bron, but I gather that power is increasingly held by rising merchants, who fight over the limited real estate in Iraebor. Building vertically has opened doors to greater profit, at the risk of collapse.

A self-styled nobleman, the merchant Osmond Osvectar, recently threw elite cliques into disarray by mocking local nobility with a farcical play at a gala he held. I secured an invitation (from Mira D'Camp, a merchant lord's daughter; and Elva Deskarsun, a petty lordling's niece) to his next party tonight.

Supposedly a sorcerer resides in an abandoned tower on the tor, and the city worries about their workings. Their lackey, a well-dressed and silver-haired man of elven stock, has been buying occult oddities at sunrise from local vendors. I intend to follow him tomorrow and find this tower for myself.

In a chance encounter, I rescued a bloody and frightened young girl of about 10 from the city watch when they would not listen to reason. Her name is Aime, and she accidentally killed her adolescent half-brother, Lord Antoine Amberyl. It became clear to me that her home situation is abusive, and her half-brother was involved with powerful benefactors in extremely shady business, possibly trafficking. Her absent father perhaps lives in Berdusk, her mother died when Aime was very young, and her older sister fled a few years ago. Antoine was sometimes visited by a well-dressed man who traveled with bad company, giving him counsel, money, and abuse. Antoine was killed with his own dagger, a personalized instrument reflecting status and expense, which I have confiscated. I plan to return to the late Lord Amberyl's estate in the western half of the tor to recover Aime's locket and stuffed bear, and perhaps some other things which I may put to better use.

I am trying to send Aime to Twilight Hall, where the Harpers can help her in ways that I cannot. To do this, I will need money and trustworthy accomplices. We are currently staying at the Hanging Heron on Pigeon Swoop Way, a respectable inn near the gate in the lower city overlooking the river. The owner, a halfling named Mabel, is a friend of the Harpers and in fact knows you by name, dear one. She has sheltered us from the city watch and wishes you well. I have once again benefited from your unusually kind and benevolent spirit in far-reaching ways. When I see you again, I will tell you this, and you will wave it away and say you're only glad that Aime and I are safe, but I will see the usual self-satisfaction in your smile.

There is a white-haired luthier on Bon's Lane named Olo who is a friend of the Harpers, to the extent that he calls anyone a friend. He will help me find accomplices, but told me that trust is in short supply in Iraebor these days. The sorcerer in the tower, or at least their silver-haired lackey, covertly commissioned him to make some curio whose details Olo did not share. He also told me that Thargas is a new arrival in Iraebor and an unusually violent and ambitious crook. Rumor says he represents some criminal mercenary outfit, and his protection racket is just the beginning of their plans. I wonder whether he is connected with the man who visited Lord Amberyl?

I spent 1 gold crown (a worse haggler would have spent 2!) on moderately fine clothes with a sharp and masculine cut for Osvectar's party tonight.