Alase in the Season of the Runelords

These are the chronicles of Alase Brinz-Widowknife, as she investigates the return of Alaznist, Runelord of Wrath. Alase is a god-caller who serves as an adventurer’s guide. She is accompanied by her ancestral companion, Tonbase, a divine bear-sized wolf. Alase first appeared in Wes Schneider’s book Lost Kingdoms, and has also appeared in the novel Kings of Chaos by David Grossman, and the Pathfinder Summoner Class Deck.

In these tales, Alase sets out from her home of Gundrun in Sarkorsis to seek out adventure, to grow in power, and to acquire allies, all in the hopes reclaiming the ancestral Widowknife Clanhold in Sarkorsis from its current demonic overlords.

Along the way, Alase and Tonbarse are joined by Imrijka, a half-orc Inquisitor, Amli, a dwarf Warpriest, and Gaston, a human Cavalier (Alain, renamed by his player).

Call of the Runelord

Season of the Runelords: Introduction

HERE BEGINS THE TALES of the adventures of Alase Brinz-Widowknife, and… no, I can’t write that way. That’s the way father began his journals. And I want to preserve the tradition, since tradition is pretty much all the Widowknife clan has going for it these days. Well, aside from Tonbarse and me.

I think this will have to be a more practical journal, due to the needs of the times. And what we need is experience, tactics, skill, magic, and some help. Tonbarse said he sees a future where I embark on a quest, and return to Sarkorsis a great hero, and restore our clan’s line. I can’t see the visions he sees, but I know enough to trust him. Perhaps in time I will be able to see through his eyes, like father could.

But Tonbarse cannot yet see where our quest lies. So I decided that we should head towards Varisia. It’s close enough to get to, but far enough away that we can leave these demon-infested lands behind for a time. There are also rumors that the Runelords, or at least their remaining minions, are stirring in Varisia. Supposedly various cults and monsters are active there, and local heroes are hunting them. Sounds like a good place to learn some things, pick up some new spells, maybe acquire some magical artifacts.

It’s going to be a long trip, since I can’t ride Tonbarse. Our bond is still not strong enough for me to maintain our connection all the time. That’s another thing I hope to improve on this journey. I’ll write down anything I learn.

For now though, I’m going to visit one of the local crusader’s base camps. There’s one not too far from town, where they keep watch over the local area, and send out patrols towards the Worldwound. The paladins have been known to help displaced people head West towards safety… maybe I can convince some of them to escort a poor defenseless girl to Varisia. Or at least I can “borrow” one of their horses.

So do they just let anyone be a paladin nowadays?

Well, that’s what I get for trying to be clever. I just got out-conned by a paladin.

I arrived at the camp, and asked for the captain. I knew a few knights there, from adventures out in the field, but they had a new captain that I didn’t know. I made my case about needing help getting to Varisia, and asking if they had a supply wagon or mail carrier heading West that I could ride with. As soon as I mentioned not wanting to go alone, he was suddenly very sympathetic, and insisted that one of his strongest knights escort me. I though it was his sense of honor and chivalry talking, but the bastard was playing me like a lute.

He quickly introduced me to Gaston, a big strapping cavalier. His armor didn’t match the paladins’, but it was in good fighting condition, and he was positively bristling with weapons. The captain wouldn’t let me get a word in edgewise, insisting that Gaston agree to escort me all the way to Varisia. Before I could object, Gaston was pledging up and down to protect my safety and honor, while leering at me out of the corner of his eye.

Then the captain sprung the trap by announcing to the whole camp that we would be heading out before nightfall. By then I couldn’t say no, or I’d have mortally offended half the paladins, and become the laughingstock of the rest.

As Gaston was packing up all his gear, I figured why the captain was so eager to send him out on a quest. He is an absolute braggart, and has no shame. He told me all about his glorious rise to martial mastery, and how he fell in with the paladins, while carefully stowing each of his many, many weapons. He’s a soldier of fortune; an aimless wanderer. And a total lush, judging by the bottles in the weeds around his tent. It’s a miracle the paladins didn’t drive him off sooner.

Initially I had planned to ditch him in the night, but now I’ve changed my mind. When we had made camp the first night, his constant litany of his accomplishments was getting tiresome, and so I started the summoning ritual. Mainly to shut him up, but also to seek guidance from Tonbarse. It did shut him up; a jet-black bear-sized wolf appearing from nowhere and demanding your intentions tends to have that effect on people. Since then he’s been more restrained, and much more tolerable.

The other reason I’ve decided to keep him around was that he’s not just bragging about his combat experience. He knows how to handle his horse and his gear, he can see as far and as sharp as Tonbarse can, he sticks to our night watch rotations like clockwork, and we’ve made excellent time westward. It’s certainly worth keeping a strong blade by my side on this journey.

Although I swear, if he makes one more crack about his exploits with his “veteran’s lance,” I’m going to have Tonbarse eat him.

TODO: meeting Amli and Imrijka

TODO: embarking on quest, heading to Varisia, Sandpoint

Alase in the Season of the Runelords:

Introduction | Adventure 1 | Adventure 2