Summary
The party travels to Riverguard in Redshield territory to retrieve Craig Gallund, who has gone dark. They discover Craig is in a complicated entanglement with Viviana the Mad (a Trayalon resistance symbol), and that Gregor of Riverguard is using their relationship and reputation to stir up anti-Gallund sentiment while secretly orchestrating a scheme to drive non-human businesses out of Landings.
Detailed Narrative
Dispatched to Riverguard to check if Craig has defected, the party arrives at the Golden Ladle Inn and first encounters the Singer Sisters — Bethany and Sarah — entertaining with embellished tales of the Council of Trayalon. Craig Gallund is drinking heavily and has become entangled with Viviana Valstallen (Viviana the Mad), a regional hero and symbol of Redshield resistance who lost her husband and two sons to a Trayalon raid that Craig himself led years ago. Craig loves Viviana but carries the secret guilt of having killed her family. Viviana drinks and brawls, while Gregor of Riverguard (a zealot warpriest and Helmar/Landus follower) uses Viviana's reputation and grief to fuel resistance without her actually caring about the big picture. The party investigates further at Landings and uncovers a conspiracy: Gregor working with Mathius Straight (White Flag gang) has hired dopplegangers to impersonate a council attack and hit businesses owned by non-humans or Trayalon sympathizers in Landings — a scheme to take over those businesses and consolidate economic power. After chasing down the dopplegangers and exposing the scheme (they hold a writ with Gregor's seal), Gregor goes underground but the larger plan is revealed. Craig ensures no further open conflict from Riverguard and accompanies the party back to Trayalon. Danger Dave Rubblefield appears insisting on joining the council as an apprentice.
Details
GM Content
Campaign Notes
DM only — campaign-sensitive materialCraig's secret guilt — he led the raid that killed Viviana's husband and sons — is a major dramatic thread. If ever revealed to Viviana, this could turn her from a passive figurehead into an active antagonist or trigger Craig's redemption arc. Madame Flicket is revealed here as Gregor's silent business partner with ambitions to take over Seamus's territory — she is setting up as a villain in her own right for ch-11/12. The Singer Sisters (who use prosthetic elf ears — Perception DC 15) are a useful recurring NPC pair for bard performances and unreliable narration. Galbrand Landus's growing doubts about his religious calling are mentioned as a rumor in Riverguard — worth developing.