Bloodright: The Blood Royal

Walkthrough

By Scott Kurkul

Contents

  1. The Story
  1. TheWorld
  1. The Game
  1. Wolfgate District
  1. Abandoned Home
  2. Customs House
  3. Darkhammer Forge
  4. Ernald Nordane, Mapmaker
  5. Gatehouse (Wolfgate)
  6. Mad Wolf Inn
  7. Red Moon Weapons
  8. Sorand’s Salves and Such
  9. Storehouse (Wolfgate)
  10. Thirsty Drover Tavern
  11. Wise Woman’s Home
  1. Pennytown
  2. Abandoned Home (Pennytown)
  3. Algren, Greengrocer
  4. Braegin’s Folly
  5. Corvelle’s Transport
  6. Dead Stiff Pub
  7. Dreyloch’s Home
  8. Greyblade Discount Weapons
  9. Gatehouse (Pennytown)
  10. Fence’s Shop
  11. Merwin Allister, Apothecary
  12. Nightdancer’s Guildhouse
  13. Sewer Entrance (Pennytown)
  14. Storehouse (Pennytown)
  15. Temple of Fellafrin
  16. Tenement Building
  17. Unseen Guildhouse
  18. Valdemar’s Supplies
  1. Seaside
  1. Bilge and Barnacle
  2. Calimorr Drood’s Home
  3. Edelton Home
  4. Enderson’s Exceptional Encasements
  5. Gatehouse (Seaside)
  6. Harbormaster
  7. Sallidar’s Fine Jewelry
  8. Storehouse (Seaside)
  9. Temple of Khorist
  10. The Fletched Feather
  11. The White Lilac
  12. The Wicked Wench
  13. Wealthy Home (Contessa’s Estate)
  14. Weapons of the World
  1. Administration District
  1. Absalon’s Home
  2. City Watch Barracks
  3. Hall of Trades
  4. Hunwald’s Fine Arms
  5. Jade Tiger Exotic Arms
  6. Reinbald’s Home
  7. Temple of Dergarion
  8. The Great CourthouseCity Gaol
  9. The Merry Minstrel
  10. The Watcher’s Inn
  11. Wellsford Estate
  1. King’s Point
  1. King Aelfrecht’s Palace, First Level
  2. King Aelfrecht’s Palace, Second Level
  3. King Aelfrecht’s Palace, Cellar
  1. Riverside
  2. A Thousand Facets
  3. Bornhold’s Estate
  4. Brightsteel Arms
  5. Fellwarden Estate
  6. Godric’s Estate
  7. Merrivale Estate
  8. Morgryn Estate
  9. Ranulf Estate
  10. Silver Circlet Inn
  11. The Last Drop
  12. Theobald’s Estate
  13. Vorliss Estate
  14. White Owl Curios
  15. Yewwood Bowcraft
  1. Osgyll’s Isle
  2. Tower of the Moon, Level 1
  3. Tower of the Moon, Level 2
  4. Tower of the Moon, Level 3
  5. Tower of the Moon, Level 4
  1. Boar’s Gate District
  1. All That Sparkles
  2. Balazar’s Dry Goods
  3. Boarshead Gang Hideout
  4. Gatehouse
  5. Nature’s Touch
  6. Soaring Eagle Arms
  7. Storehouse
  8. Talbot’s Home
  9. Temple of Kiella
  10. The Weary Wanderer
  1. Henchmen
  2. Brother Cedric
  3. Emma del’Ambry
  4. Kumiko
  5. Lillian Darkenwold
  6. Lorwin Hendry
  7. Maynard du Bastienne
  1. Appendix: Items Magical and Mundane
  2. Armor
  3. Weapons
  4. Set Items
  5. Intelligent Weapons

I. The Story

You begin the game as an illegitimate child, born to a nobly born mother, Muriel, who was cast out of her home and sent to live as a common peasant. You never knew your father, and your mother would never speak of him no matter how often you questioned her. You eventually learned to live with the mystery, figuring that whoever it was, he must have mistreated her horribly for her to remain silent for so long.

Then came a day when your mother took ill. Your meager ministrations were not enough to stave off the sickness, and her health rapidly declined. Local villagers could do nothing, as well, and so you had no choice but to sit by her side and comfort her in her last moments. It was then that your mother decided, at long last, to reveal the secret that she’d kept all those years: The identity of your father.

With her last breath, Muriel told you that your father was none other than Aelfrecht, king of Elondria. She bequeathed to you the proof of her claim, Aelfrecht’s signet ring, and bade you journey to Elondria’s capital, Deornhal, and seek out a man named Faelred who would, she promised, aid you in your new life. And then she died.

You had no other options but to honor your mother’s dying wish. There was no life left to you in your tiny cottage, now that she was gone, and the nearby village held little interest for you when compared to the sprawling, chaotic excitement of Deornhal. You packed up your few belongings and set out on a journey that would alter your life forever…

II. The World

Elondria, the kingdom in which this story is set, is at the time of the adventure one of the preeminent nations of the continent. Only its neighbor to the east, Havillond—with whom it has just recently ended a years-long war—rivals it in greatness. For centuries Havillond has been determined to re-forge the old Empire of Deshandrea, of which Elondria, Havillond, and many other kingdoms were once a part. Of course, Havillond also expects to rule over such a revitalized Empire—a key point that Elondria and its other neighbors find rather dissuasive. Havillond had therefore taken it upon itself to put the old empire back together by use of its mighty war machine.

As powerful as Havillond’s army was, the Elondrian forces—led by King Aelfrecht—proved to be their equal. Using superior tactics, the Elondrians were able to halt and eventually turn back Havillond’s advance. Aelfrecht even led a handful of bold strikes over the Havillondian border, proving to his enemies that they were not themselves immune from the carnage of war. The Havillondians poured more troops into the conflict, resulting in a deadlock that left both kingdoms drained and weary. Eventually Havillond sued for peace and Aelfrecht, realizing that even his bold strategies could not stem Elondria’s defeat forever, agreed to a cessation of hostilities.

At the time of the adventure, it has been about a year since the end of the war and Elondria and Havillond are stymied by their inability to agree on a peace treaty. Negotiations have dragged on, and still no end is in sight.

III. The Game

To be added soon…This section will offer an overview of the storyline, including various plot spoilers.

IV. The Wolfgate District

Upon entering the district (and starting the game), you will find that your journal has been updated, and that you have in your possession a signet ring. According to your deceased mother, Aelfrecht gave the ring to her years ago as a token of his love for her. Now it is your only means of proving the truth of your tale, so don’t lose it!

After taking a few steps out of the gate entrance, you’ll be approached by the district watch commander. The sergeant informs you that the city has just been locked down, and that you are the very last person to be granted entrance inside. The sergeant doesn’t know why the order has been given, but he’s determined to carry it out. You will not be able to leave Deornhal.

The sergeant can also provide you with some information on the various districts of the city, offering a general overview on what you can find within them. He’ll also tell you were you can find a man named Faelred, who is apparently the Royal Chancellor of the country. Could this be the man your mother wanted you to seek out?

a. Abandoned Home:

This building has long since been vacated by its previous tenants, leaving behind a few belongings and a bunch of hungry rats. This area provides a nice, easy little fight to get you warmed up for the rest of the game.

b. Customs House:

The City Watch operates a customs house in this district, directly across and a little north of the Wolf Gate by which you entered the city. Merchants wishing to sell their goods need to check in here first, and are sometimes subjected to contraband searches. With the city gates now closed, the customs house is deserted save for a few bored guards, a customs officer, and a merchant awaiting word on his seized goods. You’ll find a few minor items in the supply vault across from the entrance. There are two people of note here—the merchant Guillardo Erestes and the Customs Officer—both of whom won’t become important until later on.

c. Darkhammer Forge:

The smith here brings new meaning to the term “laconic.” Despite his curt nature, however, he’ll be more than happy to show you his wares. None of them are magical, but given the early stage of the module, what he does have will still be helpful.

d. Ernald Nordane, Mapmaker:

In this store you can purchase maps of the city. You can buy a map for the entire city of Deornhal (including the GreatPark and King’s Point), or just individual districts. Purchasing a map will reveal the entire district that the map is for (or all the districts if you get the one for Deornhal), which can be a blessing or a curse depending on your style of play. If you like to use the “fog” on the mini-map to keep track of where you’ve been in the city, you may find this more of a hassle. However, the maps also have the added advantage of providing a “rapid transportation” option to get around the city. Whenever you’re outside in the city streets, you can use the maps’ special power to jump to a different district, without having to walk through all the intervening areas. Be careful, though, as you may miss some encounters this way. If you bought a district map, you can only jump to that specific district. The city map, however, will allow you to jump to all districts within Deornhal.

  • Known Issue: Using the maps to get around the city may, on older machines, create some lag during the “dialog.” I’ve done what I could to optimize this, but there are still some lingering lag problems. I’m not sure why this is the case, so if anyone has any ideas, feel free to email me.

e. Gatehouse (Wolfgate):

Adjacent to the city gates is the guardhouse, where the majority of the city guardsmen for this district are garrisoned. For those “pilfer-minded” players, you can stock up on some simple weapons and armor in here by breaking into the armory. You’ll find that the suits of studded leather have the city’s colors of gold, black and green—which means no self-respecting shopkeeper is going to buy them, as they’re obviously stolen goods. You’ll have to find a black market dealer if you want to unload these.

f. Mad WolfInn:

The district’s inn, you can go here to purchase food and drink or rent a room where you’ll be able to rest in safety—courtesy of the bouncer-turned innkeep, Algar Dornik. On the second floor of the inn, directly across from the stairs, is the room you’ll be using to rest in if you got the key from the innkeep (for 5 gp).

Henchman: Lorwin Hendry - If you speak to Lorwin and ask him about his line of work, you can hire him for 75 gold (50 if you successfully talk him down using persuade) and take him on as a henchman. He was most recently a caravan guard by trade, but looking at his stats and feats you’ll see he’s more than a brute fighter. Lorwin alludes to a previous occupation that he held before becoming a caravan guard, but it’ll take a little while for you to draw out his story.

Quest: A Business Proposition – Bortimun Havaris has taken up residence in one of the rooms on the second floor (2nd door on the right after coming up the stairs, once you get through his locked door). He’ll be a little annoyed at your intrusion at first, but will soon recognize that you may be just the kind of person to help him out of his quandary. It seems that he went on ahead of his merchant caravan to scout out the market in Deornhal, but soon after he arrived, the gates were closed and he was separated from his goods. Bortimun asks you to speak to the Customs Officer at the Customs House in Wolfgate on his behalf, hoping that someone of your talents might be able to persuade the authorities to let his caravan into the city.

Of course opening the gates again is impossible, as the Customs Officer will tell you in no uncertain terms when you go to speak to him. However, there are others ways of persuading him. For the sum of 50 gp, you can bribe him into helping you, while female players will also have the option of using their Sex Appeal to try to charm him. You can also use Persuade to convince him to help you, which wins you an extra 25 XP. If you manage to get his help, the Customs Officer will agree to let Bortimun take his pick of the confiscated goods he’s taken off of other merchants. Under the circumstances, it’s the best he can do. Head back to Bortimun to tell him the good news, and you’ll get a nice monetary reward of 100 gp for your trouble, and 150 XP.

g. Red Moon Weapons:

You can purchase nonmagical, non-exotic weapons from this shop. If you poke around a bit, you’ll find a trapped chest with a masterwork longsword that could add a nice little bonus to your early battles.

h. Sorand’s Salves and Such:

This store offers a variety of potions and healing kits. As there is no temple in the Wolfgate District, this shop is the only means of acquiring healing items.

i. Storehouse (Wolfgate):

Also adjacent to the city gates, the storehouse contains various supplies necessary for the district’s garrison of soldiers. Poking around in there will uncover some food and a minor item or two to get you by in the early stages of your new life in Deornhal.

j. Thirsty Drover Tavern:

Ah, the Thirsty Drover…a place for a weary traveler to put up his or her feet and knock back a few mugs of ale. It’s also a place where you can buy some food items to replenish your stock. If you wander around a bit, you’ll find a stairway heading down into the cellar, from where you can access the sewers. I don’t recommend braving the sewers yet at this early stage as you’ll find them to be quite dangerous, but it’s good to note that the entrance is there. You won’t find any direct access to the sewers in the streets of Wolfgate, so if you ever have need of getting down there, this is the way to go (short of entering another portion of the sewers and slogging your way to the Wolfgate portion).

Quest: A Perceived Insult - A hulking, brutish Ice Reaver named Fafnir Agnarsson stands against one of the tavern’s walls. If you talk to Fafnir, you’ll quickly find that there’s no real way to speak to him without insulting him. Of course, Fafnir is obviously looking for a fight, so it doesn’t really take much to offend him. If you do end up earning his wrath, you’ll either have to fight him, back down (in which case he will see you as a coward, and will attack you anyway), or use your skills of diplomacy to persuade/intimidate him from his course of action. Persuading you loses any respect he might have had for you (which doesn’t amount to much, but avoids a fight and gets you 50 XP. Intimidating him impresses Fafnir and wins you 100 XP. If you defeat him in combat, he will give up before you deal a killing blow and commend you on your marital prowess (100 XP). Alternatively, you can use a high Wisdom (14 or up) to offer you Insight into the Ice Reaver culture, thereby recognizing that this is their way of sizing you up. If you follow the Insight paths and insult Fafnir further, he’ll back down and acknowledge you as a master of the Ice Reaver ways.

k. Wise Woman’s Home:

This is the dwelling for the district’s wise woman and healer, Old Bess. Clearly the woman has a love of cats, as there are a number of felines who share the residence with her.

Quest: Old Bess’s Plea - If you speak to Old Bess, you’ll hear her tale about a sick boy whose parents don’t have enough money to take him to the temples to be healed. They’ve turned to Old Bess for help, and Old Bess is more than happy to take on the task—except there seems to be one component she needs for her special brew that she can’t purchase anywhere in the city. The herb she needs is called oreche, and she’s learned that a merchant by the name of Erestes has recently arrived in the city bearing, among other things, this very component. Old Bess appeals to the player to procure an oreche sprig from Erestes, but she leaves the specifics on how to do it entirely up to you.

Erestes can be found back at the Customs House, where he’s been patiently awaiting word on his impounded goods. When you speak to him about Old Bess’s request, you learn that he does indeed have the oreche, and—anticipating some trouble with his shipment—has hidden away a few sprigs about his person to be sold for hard coin. Of course, this means he isn’t going to part with it easily, and insists that you pay him 100 gold for the sprig. You can attempt to talk him down to 75 gold (and 25 XP), or you can take another approach, leave Erestes for now, and find the Customs Officer in his office. You can attempt to persuade the Customs Officer to release Erestes’s goods back to the merchant, and if he agrees, you can inform Erestes of this and he’ll be quite pleased at the news. He’ll then give you the oreche sprig at no charge as a reward for your efforts on his behalf. Take the sprig back to Old Bess, who will reward you with 150 XP and a special potion she’s concocted for you.