The Riddle

“The Riddle”
Rise of the Runelords episode
Episode no.	Episode 83
Date	2009
Game Master	Abbe
Characters	Honeypot Nathaniel Nell
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "The End of Xalista" "Arkrhyst"
Rise of the Runelords chapter list

In this chapter the heroes solve the riddle and try to open the way to Runeforge.

The Riddle

The quill.

Honeypot and I searched Xalista's room. We immediately saw a dead body laying in a corner. It was a man who had been tortured. I knew I was right to kill that scribbler. I also found a cool quill. It was made from a peacock feather and when I showed it to Honeypot she told me it was magic. I tried it and it wrote without adding ink. I only wished it would had been writing with a purple ink and suddenly it did. It could change color as i wished. I decided to keep it. I've fiddled with pen and ink to write down things in this diary for way to long anyway. The others entered the room and Nathaniel recognized the dead guy as someone who traveled the countryside looking for job, who had been known to work for the town guards in Sandpoint from time to time. There were some papers so Honeypot and Velicia stayed to search through them.

Nathaniel and I continued to look through the underground complex. I was careful not to set of any traps, but there were none. We did however find more of the strange writings on the walls. Nathaniel read them aloud so I could write them down.

If magic bright is your desire,
To old Runeforge must you retire!
For only there does wizard’s art
Receive its due and proper start.

On eastern shores of steaming mirror,
At end of day when dusk is nearer,
Where seven faces silent wait
Encircled guards at Runeforge gate.

Each stone the grace of seven lords,
One part of key each ruler hoards;
If offered spells and proper prayer;
Take seven keys and climb the stair.

On frozen mountain Xin awaits,
His regal voice the yawning gates
Keys turn twice in Sihedron—
Occulted Runeforge waits within.

And now you’ve come and joined the forge
Upon rare lore your mind can gorge—
And when you slough the mortal way
In Runeforge long your work shall stay.

We also found a round room with a round pool of water in the middle. We didn't think it was any runelord pool but more probably had something to do with Lamashtu. From what I know of that evil mother of monsters it would make monsters. We were soon finished and returned to Honeypot and Velicia and told them that we should all go back up.

When we got back up there were already a few town guards there, watching the hole. We told them to keep watch as we went to the nearby Cracktooth’s Tavern to think about poems. It was some kind of riddle and together we got a hang of what it might be about. It was of how to get to Runeforge that is some sort of place for magical knowledge. That in itself was of course boring, but Velicia said that there might be information on how to kill a runelord and where Kharzog might be hiding. Nathaniel and Honeypot knew of a volcanic lake on other side of sea. Nearby it had a very old druid circle. It might be where the poems say the keys were hidden. We spent the rest of the day preparing for the trip to the other side of the sea, but before we would leave we had to know what to do with the hole outside the garrison. As Honeypot suggested casting magic that would build a magical wall the mayor Kendra Deverin walked in, looking for us. Nathaniel noted that if you use laborers and stones it would cost a lot less. The mayor, standing behind Nathaniel's back, stated that if they could get a magical wall it would be much preferred to an ordinary wall as it would be much stronger and better for the town's safety. Nathaniel couldn't argue with that and agreed. The rest of the day, we spent preparing for a trip across Lake Quag. Velicia told us that there were important things she had to study in the library and she would teleport there and as soon as we had found the way to Runeforge we would contact her using the magical dwarven stones.

Ascending the mountain on our way to Runeforge.

After having discussed how to cross the big lake we agreed to go by boat. There are many, many boats trafficking the lake and we easily fond one that would like to take us aboard. It was Nathaniel, Honeypot and I, but also Orik, Kaven, Shadowmist and Creampuff. It took just more than a day to get to a small coastal town south east across the sea. When we got there I was surprised by the cold. After looking through all the stores I had a tailor make some good winter clothes for the journey up the mountain. We went to an inn for the night and the next day, after a steady breakfast and picking up my new clothes, we set out. We had planned to get the keys at dusk, but wanted to be able see the area in daylight so we made sure to have plenty of time to spare. It turned out that the mountain was harder to get up than we originally thought and it was growing late. When the sun had moved far in the sky and lit the mountain from our backs the big mountain itself looked like a fat, sitting man. The druid circle was in his arms in his lap. The last part we had to climb and so we left Orik, Kaven and Creampuff to make a camp below. Shadowmist flew magically over the terrain and Honeypot transformed herself magically to a four legged snow leopard with her upper body like a centaur. They both offered me to ride with them. I hesitated. Nathaniel noted that we were in a hurry and so set off. That made the choice easier and I mounted Honeypot.

We continued up to the druid circle. Looking around I noted that the mouth of the man-looking mountain was a cave. The druid circle itself was seven big stones, more than double my height, vaguely looking like heads. I quickly searched the area for dangers but found none. We were late, and it was slowly getting darker. It was almost dusk. We started too look at the statues trying to figure out which was which. I had hoped to have done that while we still had light. Honeypot went up to one she thought looked lusty. I followed and took out my eternal chalk. I wrote "Lust" on it. I looked around and thought that one of the stones would be worth a little more than all the others. I wanted that one. I decided that it would be greed and wrote "Greed" on it. Nathaniel, still mounted, rode up to one of the stones and while hitting it, announced that it was wrath. Something happened and the mouth of the statue opened. Dismounting he found a star-shaped key, looking like the one keeping the demon Malfeshnekor trapped below Thistletop. I joined him and wrote "Wrath" on that stone. Returning to the stone of greed I drew my dagger and gave the stone golden furnishings. It swallowed the magic and turned golden for a short while. The mouth opened and there was another key. I held it up and said "Look! I got one too!" to the others. Nathaniel joined me and together we identified the rest of the stones, me writing the corresponding words on them. Honeypot was still working her stone. I almost blushed looking at her and concentrated on trying to figure out how to open sloth. I couldn't think of anything so I sat down and watched Nathaniel trying to open pride. After a while he joined me and we waited for honeypot. She finally opened lust and looked very pleased with herself. I suggested her putting the hat of disguise on the pride statue and as she did it swiftly turned into looking like someone I had never seen before and who wasn't a runelord, before opening the mouth and revealing the key. A tone was heard. It sounded as if it came from far away and Honeypot said that it came from within the mountain. It must have been very loud in there if it was as loud outside. Honeypot continued on to me and Nathaniel and used her yppighetshorn to open sloth. It worked and I even got some fruit. Nathaniel poured a healing potion on the stone of gluttony and it opened. At last Honeypot cast the ritual to remove the sihedron rune on the stone of envy and we had all seven keys.