Aquaman: Time and Tide # 1-4 (DC Comics) (Ltd. 1993)

Aquaman: Time and Tide was a four-issue limited series in 1993 meant to clear up some backstory undergrowth to clear the way for the ongoing series that would start immediately thereafter (and last a solid five years).  Written by Peter David, the strength of this limited series is the scripting: it's clear and easy to follow and has a great sense of humor.  However, the series is let down by some really inferior artwork (and I'm one of those people who don't really notice the art unless its really good or really bad).  As a whole, I'd say the series is fine, but I'm not a big Aquaman fan and this series didn't convert me or make me want to read the ongoing.

Issue # 1 is humorously (to me, anyway) labelled a "1st Issue Blockbuster!".  Aquaman is reading his mother's journal and concludes that she must have been literally insane.  I'm guessing this is some ret-con work to clear up some messy pre/post-Crisis stories, but I don't really know.  The bulk of the issue is a flashback to Aquaman's first encounter with the surface world, as he helps the Flash stop the Trickster.  It's pretty good, and has the virtue of being self-aware that it could seem a bit cheesy compared to the "EXTREME!" vibe plaguing comics in the 1990s.

Issue # 2 tells how, as an infant, Aquaman was abandoned on a reef and raised by a school of dolphins!  This story could be super cheesy, but Peter David's just good enough to make it work.  Mostly.

Issue # 3 has a teenage Aquaman living in Alaska.  He saves a girl from a bear, but has angered a goddess by killing the bear and is driven out of the community.  Also, I think maybe his half-brother Orm appears?  Don't ask me Aquaman questions.

Issue # 4 has present-day Aquaman writing about his first encounter with Ocean Master and brooding over his half-brother and the future.  It sets up some nice backstory and I can see how it would lead in naturally to the ongoing series.  Still . . . that art! Ugh.

Pathfinder Tales: "Lord of Runes" [RPG]

 NO SPOILERS

"So much fun!" "clean, clear writing", "fantastic!" "so good!" are all notes I made while reading Lord of Runes.  It really is a gem of a Pathfinder Tales novel.  Varian and Radovan are back, and this time they're adventuring through some locations and interacting with some characters that are near and dear to my Pathfinder heart.  It's funny, exciting, surprising, shows a love of the setting, and is an all around good novel.  I give it my highest recommendation.

SPOILERS!

Having literally just finished running a multi-year Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign and running the Pathfinder Module Academy of Secrets for PFS, I was both jazzed and frustrated that Lord of Runes spends several opening chapters in Korvosa!  Jazzed because I love the setting and it's fantastic to see NPCs like Vencarlo Orisini (he and Jeggare are old drinking buddies!) and locations like the Acadamae (Headmaster Toff Ornelos' niece is a major character) brought to life.  I was frustrated because if I had known earlier, I good have incorporated some of the novel's great flavour into my running of the adventures!  But that's just how the cookie crumbles.  In addition to Korvosa, the novel features more of Varisia, such as Kaer Maga and the Cenotaph, and the plot (as the title might indicate) has to do with an ancient Thassilonian Runelord: in this case, Zuthra, the Runelord of Gluttony.  Fans of Eando Kline should also read the novel, as he's a major character as well.

For me personally, it's a little weird to have finally read Lord of Runes.  I remember seeing it in a bookstore very early in my immersion into Pathfinder (circa 2016) and buying it despite knowing it would be years before I read all the ones published before it.  I think I'm in the last quarter or so of the existence of the Pathfinder Tales line.  Bittersweet, but ever onwards!

Pathfinder Society Scenario: "Special: Race for the Runecarved Key" [RPG]

 NO SPOILERS

Race for the Runecarved Key is one of those scenarios I really wish I had been able to play at a convention.  Normally, I'm perfectly happy with play-by-post, but Race for the Runecarved Key is clearly designed for a live event--it features props, actors (real or conscripted amateurs) to depict major NPCs,  a competitive environment, call-outs to individual players for particular achievements, and more.  As one of the very early multi-table interactive specials, the scenario definitely doesn't have the more formulaic template that Paizo later adopted for Pathfinder and Starfinder.  It's not perfect by any means--characters of good alignment in particular may find it problematic--but it's definitely fun and worth playing.

SPOILERS!

Unlike modern specials, Race for the Runecarved Key doesn't have any mustering activities.  It just starts with a main briefing once all the players are seated.  The scenario takes place in and around Magnimar, as Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch explains that the Pathfinders have been assembled to help the Society obtain an intriguing artifact at a public auction.  It seems that, while dredging stone in the harbor, laborers for the city's Golemworks discovered what looks like a giant key etched with ancient Thassilonian runes.  The city has decided to auction it off, and Heidmarch believes that purchasing it would help the city accept the relatively-new Pathfinder lodge and, of course, potentially pave the way to some amazing discoveries.  Heidmarch, however, doesn't intend to play fair at the auction.  She wants the Pathfinders to find out everything they can about potential bidders and then undermine them so that the Society's bid is more likely to succeed--and she says she'll disavow knowledge of their activities if they get caught!

Act One takes place at a pre-auction gala hosted at the Cathedral of Abadar (which is running the auction).  The PCs are charged with learning the identities of potential bidders, how serious they are about bidding, and what resources they have at their disposal.  Through skill checks, PCs can try to peek at the guest ledger (with a limited real-time duration to look at it depending on how high the roll is!) and then scope out the crowd to see who the serious competitors might be.  There's a lot of role-playing potential in this part of the scenario as the PCs interact with various NPCs, and the scenario gives the GM plenty to work with in terms of each NPC's motivations and personality.  I wish there had been artwork for each of the major NPCs, as I find that always makes these "chat to five NPCs in quick succession" sections of an adventure run much more smoothly.  (our group split up to talk to different NPCs simultaneously, which probably did not make life easy on the GM--especially with play-by-post) I liked that one of the NPCs, an agent of the Aspis Consortium, tries to insult the PCs and provoke them to violence so they get kicked out--I imagine that wouldn't be too hard for some characters.   The scenario makes excellent use of setting lore by tying many of the NPCs to established Magnimar organisations and institutions.  As an aside, one of the fun things that is supposed to happen in a live running of the special is the reveal of a giant prop key--I don't know how such a thing was made, but it's certainly a fun idea.

Act Two is one of the problem sections of the scenario.  Having realised that the Aspis Consortium plans to bid, Heidmarch instructs the Pathfinders to effectively knock them out before the auction even starts by raiding a caravan that is transporting their funds into the city.  In other words, the PCs are essentially asked to become highwaymen.  The fact that this is not only illegal but likely to lead to the death of hired (and neutrally-aligned) mercenary caravan guards and potentially even Varisian wagon drivers makes it, to me, a clearly evil act.  I know in later seasons that scenarios sometimes go too far in the *other* direction of making Pathfinders into "Golarion world police", but a better balance has to be struck.  Maybe if it had been characterised as a non-lethal heist of clearly ill-gotten gold, the gist of the premise could have been maintained.  Anyway, I had my character sit out this part of the scenario for alignment reasons.

Act Three gives the players a lot of options and takes up the bulk of the special.  Each table is offered one of eight missions to complete to try to disrupt other potential bidders (and if they finish the mission with time left, they can go on to another one).  For example, they might try to trick a superstitious bidder into thinking he's cursed so he runs away, impersonate debt collectors so another potential bidder turns over his money, blackmail an aristocrat with proof (or forgeries) of an illicit affair, etc.  The missions are all designed well with plenty of flavour, and I especially like the range of skills that can be used and that player creativity is encouraged.  There's still some moral issues with many of the missions, but at least the PCs are instructed by Heidmarch to "try not to kill anyone important".

Act Four is the auction itself.  It has a fun competitive element, as each table will have accumulated a certain amount of "auction notes" depending on their performance, and the table that wins the auction receives special acclaim from the auctioneer (role-played by the Overseer GM).  I imagine it's a  moment with a lot of clapping and good-natured booing from the losing tables.  (although not obvious to the players, the auction is rigged so that none of the NPC rivals can win.) Of course, things are never that easy for the Pathfinder Society, as the Runecarved Key is snatched by cultists of Lissala who crash into the cathedral!  There's a short battle and then a Chase through the streets of Magnimar using the GameMastery Chase Cards deck.  I know a lot of players don't like Chase scenes, but I always find them a nice change of pace from normal encounters and a way to make skill challenges exciting.  Even once the key is recovered, however, the cultists don't give up that easy, as they summon waves of demons.  Tables can "tap out" at anytime between waves, otherwise they keep fighting higher and higher CRs of demons until they die! (or the Overseer GM has to call time)  I've never seen escalating waves like that used in a scenario before, and I wonder how many groups quickly got over their heads.

For the Conclusion, Heidmarch acknowledges the victory that comes with obtaining the key, but observes ominously that dark forces have surfaced in Varisia.  I imagine this leads into the Season Four meta-plot.  Back in the real world, the table that amassed the most "Key Points" (which have been secretly tracked during the entire session by table GMs) in each subtier gets a special Chronicle.  There's really a lot in Race for the Runecarved Key that I think would make it a blast to play in-person that just can't be replicated online.  Although it displays a skewed morality that makes certain PCs challenging to play within its framework, I still had a good time with it.

Starfinder Miniatures: "Iconic Heroes Set # 2" [RPG]

The second set of Starfinder's "Iconic Heroes" miniatures includes the Iconic soldier (Obozaya), solarian (Altronus), technomancer (Raia), and mechanic (Quig) plus the mechanic's hover drone (Scout).  Like with the first set, the price point on these is fairly high considering the number of miniatures you get.  That being said, the sculpts and colouring are really impressive.  I've used several of these in Starfinder Society games, and haven't had any issues.  If you've got the money to spare, you probably won't be disappointed.

Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 46 [RPG]

[Sunday, 28 Sarenith 4708 A.R. continued]

 

In the aftermath of a sudden night-time battle against bulettes, the Boneslayers accompanying the Harrowed Heroes connect with the spirits of the land to heal their wounds.  Everyone manages to catch a few more hours of sleep, but in the morning, Anorak and Hargev are gone.  Ahalak reassures the others that the two are fine, explaining that Anorak had a vision in the night and set off to ponder what he had seen, with Hargev as an escort to make sure no harm comes to him.

 

The others continue their journey toward the Acropolis of the Thrallkeepers.  Using most of the remaining power in the magical wand provided by Thousand Bones, the travellers from Korvosa are able to shrug off the heat and make good speed.  Partway through their march, the group are startled by a giant lizard-like creature emerging from hiding nearby and darting off into the distance.  Ahalak explains it’s simply a horned spirestalker, and of no real danger.  But its appearance puts the travellers on alert, and they realise they’re being shadowed!  Five figures on horseback, barely visible on a distant ridge, are keeping a parallel course.  The Reckoner asks if the Sklar-Quah would follow them, and Ahadfar admits he may have accidentally let slip their destination when he entered Flameford to inform the clan about the massacre at Blazehearth.  The Reckoner says no harm has been done, and the situation can be dealt with if it becomes an issue later on.

 

[Moonday, 29 Sarenith 4708 A.R.]

 

A slightly-cooler day allows for another solid sixteen miles’ of marching.  The peaks of the Wyvern Mountains grow slowly but steadily larger, and as the sun begins to set in the west, it silhouettes a partially-collapsed tower bearing the mark of the strange, seven-pointed star known to historians as the Sihedron.  Just to the side of the Sihedron, a pair of twenty-foot-wide stone doors stand ominously ajar.  The Boneslayers agree to take the horses to a nearby creek, and to return at dawn each day for two weeks to see if the Korvosans have emerged with the Thrallkeeper’s Mark. 

 

Yraelzin, The Reckoner, and Goldcape (along with her ever-present companion Rocky) search the doorway carefully for traps and then descend a flight of dusty steps into complete darkness.  Goldcape says that if this complex was once under control of the same archmage now threatening Varisia from the Kodar Mountains, everyone in the group will have to strive to control their greed.  Yraelzin, however, says there were rumoured to be several so-called “Runelords,” and this complex could have been in a different territory than that ruled by the Runelord of Greed.  As the group descend, a magical light spell cast on The Reckoner’s battle-maul provides a small bubble of visibility, but walls of black granite decorated with Sihedrons and strange runes seem to swallow up the light.

 

The stairs end at a long hallway cluttered with dust and tiny mounds of ash.  Goldcape notices footprints in the ash—recent ones!  Moving very slowly, alert for any danger, the group pass through the hallway and into a massive, strangely cool, cathedral-like space.  The ceiling vaults nearly sixty feet into the air, while a narrow balcony rings the room and overlooks twin pools of dark water.  The footsteps lead to a stone door marked with the Sihedron.  By pressing the symbol, some unknown mechanism causes the door to rise slowly up into the ceiling.  And on the other side: Krojun and his Thundercallers!  The Shoanti are in a narrow corridor that has hidden eyeslits allowing observation of the entire central chamber.  Krojun laughs at being discovered so quickly, but is unapologetic about his reason for being here: to ensure that the tshamek do not disrespect the ruins and fake having obtained the Thrallkeeper’s Mark.  He also arrogantly demands to know what took place at the Bone Council Fire in the Kallow Mounds.  The Reckoner replies curtly that they don’t owe him an explanation, but Goldcape tells all—“spilling words like water pouring forth from a gourd”, in Krojun’s delighted estimation.

Under Krojun’s watchful gaze, the trio of “wetlanders” continue their exploration of the Acropolis.  The next chamber they explore is empty, but in the center of the floor is a hole surrounded by a ring of tangled runes.  The hole allows access to a shaft descending dozens of feet, with its entire length illuminated by brilliant emerald light.  Goldcape peers over the edge and swears she sees the shadow of someone or something near the bottom.  She calls down but gets no response.  The Reckoner asks Krojun what lies below, forcing the Sklar-Quah warrior to admit (reluctantly) that he’s never ventured far into the Acropolis himself—and has no interest in going further.

The seekers of the Thrallkeeper’s Mark explore another nearby chamber, and discover a strange bronze statue in the center of the room.  The statue depicts a half-snake, half-human creature with the lower body of a serpent coiled about a stand and the upper torso of a slender human woman.  The woman’s hands are crossed over her chest to clutch two objects at her shoulders: the right hand holds a large quill, while the left holds a jade-handled whip.  Six birdlike wings emerge from the torso’s shoulders, and instead of a head, it has a disk bearing a seven-pointed star.  Completing the uncanny effect, jade runes run down the statue’s belly and along the length of the woman’s snaky lower body.  Goldcape and Yraelzin examine the statue, but they can’t figure out what it signifies—or what the enchanted whip could be for.

Returning to the shaft, The Reckoner attaches a grappling hook to its lip and lets a rope dangle down.  He begins climbing down the rope while Goldcape—a natural climber—starts scaling the almost sheer walls of the shaft.  Once they’ve descended several feet, they feel their bodies grow light and somehow buoyant in the air!  Realising that the emerald light is some kind of feather fall enchantment, The Reckoner lets go of the rope and falls some feet before grabbing hold of it again.  But when Goldcape seeks to replicate the stunt, she can’t get a grip on the walls of the shaft and falls (slowly) the entire way—and right into an ambush!  No less than four Red Mantis assassins are waiting at the bottom of the shaft to slaughter whomever lands first!  Goldcape manages to somersault out of the ambush as The Reckoner drops the rest of the way to come to her aid.  But the assassins are determined to make up for past failures and doggedly pursue Goldcape.  Without eyes in the back of her head, it’s impossible to dodge sawtooth sabres slashing in from every direction, and the vanaran is quickly on the ground—and just moments away from bleeding to death!  The Reckoner methodically smashes one assassin after another, but he won’t be quickly enough to save Goldcape.  Fortunately, the pair aren’t alone!  Hearing the shouts, Yraelzin uses magic to teleport right into the fray and staunch his ally’s wounds.  “Witness the power of Yraelzin!” shouts the cleric before retreating as the assassins turn their attention to him.  But The Reckoner is relentless, and soon the threat is ended.

Goldcape is revived and her wounds healed at the cost of rapidly-dwindling wand charges.  She joins The Reckoner (and Anorak previously) in deciding to don one of the assassin’s masks.  The Harrowed Heroes shout up the shaft to tease Krojun about his reluctance to come down, and he shouts back that battling gaudily-clad bug-headed men isn’t the same thing as obtaining the Thrallkeeper’s Mark.  During the shouting, the Acropolis seems to rumble slightly.  The Reckoner experiments with the light-filled shaft, learning that if something (like the body of a slain foe) is placed in the light at the bottom, it slowly levitates upwards.

 

Exploration of the lower chamber shows a long hallway heading north that terminates at a narrow opening in the wall.  But as they patiently search for danger along the way, the group discover what could only be a hidden door in the side of the hallway.  They’re able to open the door, only to find passage beyond blocked by a massive stone plug that must weigh tons!  They decide to leave that mystery for later, and pass through the end of the hallway and into another strange chamber.  In this one, the walls, ceiling, and floor have been painted to resemble a starry sky, giving the illusion of walking through space.  A ten-foot-diameter stone sphere floats above the floor, resting on three short metal rods that radiate outwards like a tripod—only resting on empty air rather than a solid surface!  The globe itself is carefully carved with tiny rivers, mountains, oceans, and forests.  Something seems off about the geography of the globe, but no one in the group can quite tell why; and although it’s clearly magical, no one can discern its purpose. 

The Reckoner decides to take a chance on touching the globe, and promptly disappears!  He finds himself seemingly floating in the void between stars, capable of travelling across the cosmos through the merest desire.  But The Reckoner is too strongly tied to his own world to go exploring, and tears himself free.  His body appears again in the chamber, standing next to the globe, but with a crucial difference: on his palm is a seven-pointed star—the Thrallkeeper’s Mark!

 

Although they’ve achieved their goal, the lure of the secret door—and the blocked passage beyond—continues to intrigue the group.  They try to push the stone plug out of the way, but it doesn’t move an inch.  The Reckoner asks Yraelzin if there’s any magic that could assist, and he promptly names three methods: turning oneself into gas, magically reshaping the stone, or teleporting to whatever is on the far side.  Alas, he says, only the latter option is within his means, and that only through a wand he carries.  The Reckoner is strongly tempted to take the risk to see what’s on the other side, but Goldcape says it’s too risky.  The pair argue for several minutes until The Reckoner decides he’ll go alone if he has to.  Borrowing Yraelzin’s wand, he teleports about fifteen feet east—and into solid rock!  Fortunately, magical safeguards built into the spell shunt him elsewhere, and he finds himself in the globe room with only minor wounds.  Undeterred, he tries again, going just a little bit further this time.  It works, and he appears in a small chamber containing five crushed skeletons and several stone niches filled with a veritable dragon’s hoard of treasure!  Gathering everything together, he uses the wand again to reappear next to Goldcape and Yraelzin. 

 

The delve into the Acropolis has seemingly been a complete success.  But instead of exultation, the group is instead split by dissension over questions of risk and reward—who should be entitled to a share of the treasure horde?  Has the Runelord of Greed won yet another victory?  Or can the Harrowed Heroes overcome their differences?

------------------------------------

GM Commentary

In past appearances, the Red Mantis haven't actually posed much of a threat, diminishing their reputation as fearsome assassins.  It was good that in this session they get a chance to use their sneak attacks and almost kill a party member.

I found the stuff with the globe (psychically exploring the cosmos) hard to run, and I don't think I did a very good job with it.  I was surprised the group didn't think to try to take the supports for it--they were immovable rods and quite valuable/useful.

The stuff with the treasure at the end was a real disagreement both in-character and out.  The issue was The Reckoner's player saying that, as he took all the risk to get the hidden hoard, he should get to keep all of it.  The whole situation did fit naturally into the Runelord of Greed theme, so that's how I handled it in the recap, but real-life tensions in the group remained high.

Starfinder Miniatures: "Iconic Heroes Set 1" [RPG]

This was the first set of Pathfinder miniatures released.  It contains the Iconic envoy (Navasi), the Iconic operative (Iseph), the Iconic mystic (Keskodai), and a starship called the Sunrise Maiden (from the first adventure path, Dead Suns).  Each miniature comes on a round black base.  I've used the Iconics miniatures several times in Starfinder Society games (people frequently have to play pre-gens), and found them really handy.  The details on the miniatures is really nice and detailed, with excellent painting and definition.  I know there was a lot of criticism of this set when it first came out because of the price and (if I remember right) some delays and concern about the history of the manufacturer, but I really think they're worth the purchase for someone who plays a lot of SFS and can make use of them.  I do wish the packaging was in a form where I could remove the miniatures and put them back without ripping the cardboard, but that's a minor quibble.

Anima (DC Comics) (1994) [COMICS]

Anima is hard to describe.  It reads to me like a sort of halfway cross between a normal DC title and a Vertigo title; it's a super hero series set in the mainstream DC universe, but with a high-concept, confusing, metaphysics/Jungian unconscious mythos that (with a harder edge and better writing) could fit alongside something like Sandman or Shade the Changing Man.  The other thing that definitely jumps out is just how early-to-mid 1990s it is: everyone has the grunge look, and major subplots include the HIV/AIDS crisis.  It's a series that was meant to appeal to teens of the era, but the writers weren't able to pull it off and the book was cancelled after about 18 months.  I guess I'd label it an interesting experiment, but not exactly a "hidden gem" or something I'd mourn the loss of.

Issue # 1 really throws the reader into deep water.  The title character was introduced in one of the Bloodlines crossover annuals, but surprisingly we don't get a recap or origin here.  As best as I can tell, a  teen girl named Courtney can manifest/transform into a spectral-hallucinogenic weird monster thing called Anima that has the powers to age people, fly, create armor, and generally stomp the bad guys.  Courtney really misses her family because its Christmas Eve and she's living homeless on the streets of Gotham City.  Each of her family members has a subplot at some point in the series, and here we're introduced to her mom, Willow, who is undergoing dream therapy with a woman named Maxilla Yale who works for an evil corporation named Tellus.  Anyway, Courtney meets some other street kids who perform as a rock band named Boojum; after stopping an attempted rape by a street gang named the Scorpions, Courtney decides to accompany the Boojum kids a journey to Rain City (i.e., Seattle--max grunge!).  We're also introduced to a Special Agent Kyle Woodleaf who works for a secret government agency.  I read the issue carefully and took notes, and I was still pretty lost--I feel bad for the casual reader!

Issue # 2 jumps to a new scene literally every page: from Rain City, to Gotham City, to northern California, to New Orleans, etc.  From what I could figure out, Courtney and Boojum arrive in Rain City. Courtney/Anima saves a pickpocket named Pockets from some thugs. A band member named Slam is looking for someone named Harper, but she's overdosed and died.  Slam is distraught and led to a rehab center named "New Dawn" that is evil and practices some type of aversion therapy.  Courtney/Anima rescues Slam, but gets captured herself.  Meanwhile, somewhere else, Maxilla Yale is trying to unleash the "mythogenic unconscious" through "oneiroshock" therapy on Courtney's mom, Willow.  I know that dry summaries of fantasy stories can make them sound a lot sillier and worse than they are, but Anima just isn't very good.

Issue # 3 reveals that the classic Batman villain The Scarecrow is behind the New Dawn clinic.  He puts in a call to Maxilla Yale about Courtney/Anima (bad guys always know each other!).  Courtney's mom and brother have dreams about her.  The members of Boojum decide to break into New Dawn to rescue her, and there's a big battle, but Courtney is kidnapped by Maxilla Yale. It sounds pretty chaotic, but according to my notes, it makes better sense than previous issues.  Also, Agent Woodlead arrives in town.

In Issue # 4, we realise that Courtney is happy to be at the Tellus facility,  It turns out that Maxilla Yale is her aunt.  However, Maxilla is still secretly evil and drugs Courtney with the Scarecrow's fear gas to bring out her Anima side.  We then learn about a sort of Jungian unconscious realm, where beings exist.  Courtney channels one called Animus.  Animus has a brother named Fenris, which is the one her mom is in contact with.  Both Animus and Fenris are fighting a bad guy called the Nameless One.  Anyway, Anima realises her aunt is evil and ages her as punishment.  Elsewhere, a member of Boojum named Liv is in the hospital with HIV.  The doc does a good job explaining the facts in a PSA-style.  Whew, writing these summaries is like running uphill!

I'm not really sure what happened in Issue # 5.  There's a big battle in Nevada, and something to do with portals, supercolliders, and Native American legends.  Also, Anima searches for the Nameless One before crashing in the desert and being found by a Navaho named "Gateway Woman".  My notes call the issue "random and unsatisfying".

Somehow, I am completely lost as if I missed an issue--but I didn't!  Issue # 6 fleshes out the mythos a bit more, as three robed figures (allies of Gateway Woman) are named as the "Archai" (good guys in this dream world), while Nameless One is leader of the "Mania" (bad guys).  Anima and Animus (in the dreamworld, they're separate) go to the Shadowlands and meet someone named "Lost Johnny".  Meanwhile, Boojum is heading to Los Angeles--I don't know why, or why we care.  Agent Woodleaf is in some weird Casablanca-like reality/dream/I don't know what.  And Courtney's brother Jeremy is plugged into Maxilla Yale's dream machine and releases a Mania called Eris.

The Zero Hour crossover comes to Anima with Issue # 7.  We get some key backstory.  In the dream world space dimension thing, Animus long ago imprisoned the Nameless One (his father) in ice.  But, the Nameless One planted his genes in the Mason family, which is why they're each able to serve as conduits for figures from that realm.  However, every time Courtney becomes Anima, a small hole in the barrier between dimensions opens up.  Jeremy's archetype-creature is an evil-doer named Eris and attacks Anima and her guide, Lost Johnny.  Oh, and Superman appears.

One of the annoying things about the Zero Hour crossover is the numbering confusion they created.  Issue # 0 of Anima (the eighth issue in series) is sort of an origin of the Nameless One (viewed by Jeremy in a weird music festival tattoo van?), but it would completely incomprehensible to new readers--thus failing the point of a crossover entirely.

Issue # 8 (the ninth issue in the series) has "Johnny Come Lately" and Anima arriving at the Palace of the Archai.  They go to find Animus, and find him fighting a shadow demon.  Meanwhile, Liv (the band member of Boojum with HIV) is revealed to be in love with Anima.  And Mania and the Nameless One are in Hollywood.  And mom/Fenris awakes!  I read all of these issues in order and took notes, and I'm still lost.

The good guys kill a dragon in Issue # 9, but Anima feels guilty.  They're looking for the Gate of Worlds.  Somehow, for some reason, Boojum and Fenris are in the Arkana dreamworld looking for Anima; when they do, everyone escapes back to earth but Anima finds herself in something like a post-apocalyptic alternate timeline.  Meanwhile, the Mania are going to become movie producers.  Talk about evil!

Superboy guest stars in Issue # 10 and explains how the Nameless One and Eris basically took over the world by hunting down super heroes, tattooing them, putting them in camps, etc.  It's basically the least believable alternative-timeline I can think of in comics, and I've seen a lot of them!  Jeremy gets persuaded by the Nameless One that his sister is evil, so Eris/Jeremy go to kill her in Hawaii.  They make up, and Jeremy reveals that the Nameless One has a big evil plan for the upcoming Oscars: to unleash nightmares on humanity!

Of all people, the guest star in Issue # 11 is Conan O'Brien!  He (along with sidekick Andy) have a major role to play in the issue, so it must have been an authorised appearance.  As the Nameless One starts his plan, it turns out Conan O'Brien is leader of an underground resistance group.  It's kinda stupid funny in a way.  In the Arkana dreamworld, Eris fights Animus and somehow they join together to become the Syzygy?  Anima imprisons the Nameless One insider her, and then heads off to find her dad.  It's almost like a season finale.  Alas, there's more.

Another guest start in Issue # 12: Hawkman.  Courtney and Boojum hitchhike to Chicago to find her boozer dad, but he's being inhabited by an evil entity called the Shrike and killing criminals.  Hawkman is there, and of course there's a big clash.  There's also a lot of poorly-aged anti-drug stuff.  The good news is the series is a lot easier to follow without all the Arkana stuff, even if it becomes a more conventional super hero tale.

Hawkman appears again in Issue # 13.  The plot concerns a gang-related shooting, but I lost track of who was who and why we care.

Issue # 14 has Boojum performing with the Barnaked Ladies in Gotham City!  Liv is getting pretty sick and contemplating suicide when a vampire-like villain with aging powers known as the "Granny Killer" (inadvertently created by Anima way back in Issue # 1--a nice piece of continuity) ages her almost to death.

I make fun, but Issue # 15 actually has a really sweet ending.  Liv, aged by the Granny Slayer, is on death's door and starting to drift into the afterlife, but rethinking her earlier desire to die.  Just as the Granny Slayer is about to finish the job, Anima stops him.  Boojum breaks up in a bittersweet epilogue.

The title character had a handful of appearances after the series ended before being killed off in 2009.  The problems with Anima are pretty obvious.  Too many characters, too confusing a mythos, too many subplots, and too much in a hurry throwing a lot of stuff at the wall.  A slower pace and clearer writing would have made the series much, much better.

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 0-26: "Lost at Bitter End" [RPG]

 

NO SPOILERS

 

Lost at Bitter End is an interesting scenario with an original story.  It doesn’t quite live up to its potential because it doesn’t make good use of its memorable setting.  Still, as Season Zero scenarios go, it’s certainly playable.  I ran it via play-by-post at high subtier.

 

SPOILERS!

 

The first thing that’ll jump out to players in Lost at Bitter End is its setting: the Mana Wastes!  In both the briefing and a special reminder that GMs are supposed to tell players, the Mana Wastes are extraordinarily dangerous because its largely a dead magic area.  Dead magic zones hold such potential for interesting encounters (what does the wizard do when he can’t cast spells and how do PCs deal with the fact they can’t heal almost infinitely at-will with cheap wands?).  Unfortunately, despite the multiple warnings, there’s only one encounter actually set in a dead magic zone, and even then its intermittent (magic has a 50% chance of working every round).  My biggest critique of Pathfinder is that conventional encounter design in adventures helps to reify the “perfect build/one trick pony” problem.  If there were more encounters at long range, or against dozens of foes, or where weapons have to be turned over at the door, or in wild magic zones, PCs would really have to stretch to meet different unpredictable eventualities.  Ok, mini rant over.

 

The scenario starts with a briefing by Venture-Captain Adril Hestram.  It’s one of those odd Season Zero briefings that’s technically a flashback.  Hestram explains that a Pathfinder cleric of Nethys named Rijana has made a career of studying wild and dead magic sites (a clever concept for a Nethys-worshipping character).  Most recently, Rijana has been in the Mana Wastes where she reported a potential discovery that could return magic to that blasted land.  Hestram is so excited that he doesn’t want to wait for the cleric’s next report to reach him the old-fashioned way.  Instead, he arranges for the PCs to teleport to her last known location so they can talk to her and get her journals for inclusion in the Pathfinder Chronicles.  So far, so good.

 

Act One has the PCs arriving at the town formally known as Geb’s Rest (and colloquially as Bitter End), which is near the border of Geb and Nex.  Only, once the PCs start looking around, they quickly realise that everyone’s gone!  In classic Marie Celeste fashion, it seems everyone vanished in the middle of whatever routine activities they were doing.  As the PCs explore, they’re ambushed by several juju zombies (and a bone devil at high subtier).  After defeating the foes, they find Rijana’s body—dessicated and showing signs of unnatural death due to performing some sort of ritual.  As an aside, I really like the map of Geb’s Rest.

 

Act Two has the PCs using a journal found on Rijana’s body to realise she had journeyed to an ancient stele (a type of metal monument) two days north of Geb’s Rest that she believed might be the key to returning magic to the area.  The PCs naturally head there to investigate the mystery, but they’re attacked by a pair of hellcats (like hellhounds, but feline!) on the way.  This is the only encounter that makes even limited use of dead magic zones in the Mana Wastes.

 

Act Three is where things really start to pick up.  When they reach the stele, they find more journals from Rijana and learn of an incantation she translated from it.  Because the PCs were specifically charged with finding four journals and have only found three, they can’t turn back. (though that would probably be more logical)  Instead, they’re expected to read the incantation which transports them to a pocket dimension!  What’s really going on is that, centuries ago, when Geb and Nex were at war, Geb created several pocket dimensions full of undead that could be unleashed by reading the incantation on the stele if the country were invaded.  When Rijana intoned the incantation, she entered the pocket dimension (“Geb’s Accord”) and somehow drew all of the people’s of Geb’s Rest with her.  A bone devil general wants to come back to the Material Plane, but Rijana failed to properly read the incantation that would do the job, and died instead.  I’m a bit fuzzy on exactly the story and sequence of events here, but that’s the gist.  Anyway, once the PCs appear in Geb’s Accord, they have to fight off some more juju zombies.

 

In Act Four, as the PCs are travelling from the site of the stele to the pocket dimension’s version of Geb’s Rest they come across a massive army of undead held in stasis.  Some of the warriors and an ancient Gebbite battle cleric are awakening though.  I liked that this encounter had eleven foes to fight at high subtier.  (they were still a push-over for a modern Pathfinder party, but it made the battle a bit more interesting anyway)

 

Act Five has the PCs reach the mirror-Geb’s Rest and learning that the bone devil general (“Zepteffis”) has the townsfolk imprisoned and is using them to try to activate the stele.  Another big battle lies in store before the Pathfinders can return home.  Someone in the group better be trained in Knowledge (arcana) in order to activate the stele, or this whole adventure could get very tricky!

 

All in all, I liked Lost at Bitter End.  I just wish that, for a high tier adventure, it could have taken better advantage of the setting and proven more of a challenge.

Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 45 [RPG]

[Oathday, 25 Sarenith 4708 A.R. continued]

Having fought beside Order of the Nail Hellknights in Kaer Maga and then against them just minutes ago in the ruins of a massacred Shoanti village, the Harrowed Heroes now wait in ambush for a third encounter.  The trio of Hellknights—two tieflings in blood-red robes and a third, heavily armored cleric of Asmodeus—begin to slow down when they see no sign of their allies.  Suspicious, the cleric sends his diabolists to scout while he begins casting more defensive magic.  The Reckoner, completely invisible, leaps on one of the tieflings, revealing his appearance in such a frightening manner that the foe would have turned tail and ran if he wasn’t struck down with a single blow!  Anorak magically enhances his speed and moves like a blur, wounding the other diabolist as Goldcape emerges from hiding mounted on Rocky.  Yraelzin then joins in the attack, using necromancy to crack the tiefling’s bones in two!  It’s almost a mercy when arrows fired by the Boneslayers kill him.  The Hellpriest shouts “You savages will burn before the Order of the Nail!”, but it’s not to be—the Reckoner dodges the cleric’s flaming ranseur and crushes his ribcage with another stunning swing of his enchanted war-maul.  The battle is over in seconds, with the victorious side barely wounded at all.  Goldcape asks the Boneslayers whether defeating these Hellknights will earn the Korvosans respect among the Shoanti, but Ahalak shakes his head, indicating they weren’t worthy opponents since they fell in battle so easily.

After the battle, The Reckoner gathers everyone together and reveals what happened to him while he was waiting in ambush: he received a telepathic message from Korvosa!  Bishop Keppira d’Bear, leader of the city’s Church of Pharasma and member of Field Marshal Kroft’s resistance group sent a short magical message indicating that martial law has been re-imposed in the city after Grau Soldado’s (separate) resistance group conducted repeated ambushes of Gray Maiden patrols.  But, the message says, the “real resistance” is planning a major operation during the Founding Festival.  The message concluded by asking if The Reckoner and his allies would be back in time to be part of it, and he said they would try and asked where to meet—but hasn’t received an answer back yet.  Estimating that the Founding Festival is about eighteen days away, The Reckoner says the group has about twelve days to finish what they need to in the Cinderlands before leaving for Korvosa if they want to take part in the operation.  Goldcape insists the group’s present method of stop-and-start travel is taking too long, and that they need to move faster.  Various alternatives are discussed, but the only solution is a short-term one: using the magical wand that Thousand Bones gave the group to inure them to the effect of the sun’s heat.  The wand’s magic, however, will be quickly exhausted if used on the whole group, providing them only a few days’ respite.

The Boneslayers nod in approval as The Reckoner deals respectfully with the bodies of the slain Shoanti of Blazehearth.  The group then travels a short distance outside the site of the massacre to camp for the night.

 

[Fireday, 26 Sarenith 4708 A.R.]

 

The first rays of dawn are just coming over the horizon when Goldcape wakes up because someone has stepped on her hand!  It’s Anorak, fully dressed, and headed away from camp.  Goldcape asks what’s going on, and Anorak says something startling: he’s planning to desecrate the bodies of the Hellknights!  The dwarf lets the vanara follow him back to the remains of Blazehearth.  He then crouches over the slain tieflings, performs a dark necromantic rite, and drinks their blood!  Goldcape is alarmed and races back to the others to share what she’s seen.  The Boneslayers are alarmed, but The Reckoner and Goldcape persuade them to stay at the campsite along with Yraelzin.  They then return to Blazehearth and confront Anorak.  The dwarf argues that he gains power from drinking the blood of slain spellcasters, but The Reckoner says it sounds evil, reflects badly on the group, and could create a real problem with the Shoanti.  Goldcape is even more insistent and draws steel, threatening violence if it happens again!  Even The Reckoner’s magically-intelligent armor gets in on the condemnation, whispering (none too quietly) that Queen Ileosa was also collecting blood in Korvosa, and perhaps there’s a link!  Anorak plays it cool, however, and refuses to apologise—though he does say that if he does it again, he won’t do it unless it’s for a very good reason.  The Reckoner ends the discussion by saying he’ll consider the matter closed for now, but if Anorak reopens it, it won’t be good.

 

Once the day’s march begins, by using the wand, the group make good time despite the sun’s heat, covering almost sixteen miles through the Cinderlands and reaching a landmark—the Yondabakari, the only river that crosses the Cinderlands.  The group set up camp on the eastern bank and settle down to dinner.  But as they eat, they spot hippogriffs flying high overhead, and The Reckoner catches flashes of crimson from their riders.  Yraelzin says it must be Red Mantis assassins, and as they’re flying in the same direction the group is travelling, someone in Korvosa has divined their destination! The others aren’t so sure, but The Reckoner says if it is Red Mantis, he may have no choice but to harm the mounts in order to deal with them.  Goldcape asks him to at least try to hurt the riders and not the mounts.  But for now, it’s all a moot point, as the hippogriffs fly much faster than Rocky could ever hope to catch up.

 

[Starday, 27 Sarenith 4708 A.R.]

 

In the morning, the most skilled survivalist among the Boneslayers, Hargev, leads the group to a point where they and their mounts can ford the river.  Shadfrar, a Boneslayer with friends among the Sklar-Quah (Clan of the Sun), removes his armor and races ahead to nearby Flameford to inform them of the massacre at Blazehearth.  The rest of the group continue on, but once again the Korvosans and their mounts quickly wilt under the unending heat.  Goldcape notices that the Boneslayers seem untouched by the heat, and asks Ahalak if they could share their magic.  Although Ahalak says he may in a truly dire emergency, the visitors must learn self-reliance if they wish to gain the respect of the Shoanti. 

 

Having covered roughly twelve miles, the group again set up camp.  Shadfrar catches up to the group and says the news of Blazehearth has further inflamed the passions of the Sklar-Quah, and now is not the time for tshamek to visit.

 

[Sunday, 28 Sarenith 4708 A.R.]

In the early morning hours before dawn, The Reckoner and Ahalak are standing watch around the campsite when Ahalak’s keen eyes see something in the moonlight: a massive fin seeming to cut through the earth like a fish through water!  The Boneslayer leader shouts to rouse the camp, but there are only moments to spare before the attack comes: bulettes!  With toothy maws and fin-like dorsal plates between their shoulders, the bulettes burrow ever closer until suddenly they leap out of the ground and pounce!  Anorak’s fireballs light up the sky and The Reckoner inflicts devastating damage with his trusty weapon.  Goldcape’s mastery of nature magic allows her to conjure ice spears that flip one of the bulettes over onto its back!  But although the predators are dispatched, the fighting has taken a heavy toll on the Boneslayers, with all but Ahalak and Hargev barely able to stand.

Despite Hellknights, heat, and night-time assaults by burrowing beasts, the Harrowed Heroes have managed to persevere and are now within just a few days of the Acropolis of the Thrallkeepers.  But will they succeed in replicating the feats of the bravest Shoanti warriors?

---------------------------------------

GM's Commentary

It's nice to have a situation once in a while where the PCs are the ones lying in wait for an ambush.  The Reckoner's player was happy to get to use his vigilante character's "startling appearance" ability, which is like when the Batman appears out of nowhere in a dark alley and terrifies criminals.

The sending at the end of last session is revealed this session, and it accomplished a few different things.  First, it was a reminder of what's going on in Korvosa and that the situation has escalated to the point of martial law.  Second, it set up the storyline I wanted to develop of multiple rebel factions (Kroft's and Grau's) so the PCs might have a choice to make.  Third, it created a time-related dilemma: if the PCs take too criss-crossing the Cinderlands, they would miss out on the raid on Deathhead's Vault.  (the Founding Festival is a "real" Korvosan holiday, so it was great to be able to use it to mark the symbolic first strike of Kroft's resistance group)

The Anorak blood-drinking incident caught me and the other players completely by surprise.  If I remember right, it was to activate some spell or other minor ability, and almost surely wasn't worth the alarm it caused the other PCs.  It made for some exciting role-playing though!

Starfinder: "Rules Reference Cards" [RPG]

 I understand the pitch for the Starfinder Rules Reference Cards.  As the back of the 110-card box says, "Stop flipping back and forth through rulebooks--grab the cards you need and keep your game moving!"  However, although I've tried to use these in a few Starfinder Society games (as both player and GM), I honestly find them far too cumbersome to be of much value.  The problem is that there's no easy way to find the rule you need apart from literally going through the deck until you spot what you want, and the cards are double-sided so that adds to the time-factor.  Books have had centuries to develop quick-finding aids: tables of contents, indexes, chapter titles, page runners and borders, etc.  I know from experience it's a *lot* faster for me to find what I need in the Core Rulebook than to sort through these cards.  The only real value I can see from the reference card is if a GM or player knows, before the session starts, that a special rule is going to come up and they want a reminder they can paperclip to a GM screen or their character sheet.  For example, the GM knows that a monster's primary tactic is to grapple, they could pull out the grapple rules card ahead of time.  Or if a new player needs a reminder of what can be done with a move action, you set out the relevant card at the beginning of the game.  For the most part though, this set is unlikely to see a lot of use. There's a reason libraries are full of books on the shelves, not decks of reference cards.

Starfinder Bounty # 4: "Poacher's Prize" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Poacher's Prize  is the fourth of the Starfinder Bounties (short adventures meant to be playable in an hour or so).  Like the first three, I played this via play-by-post with my journalist character, Vitellius Korpopolis.  I think it's probably the best written of the four, as it contains a good mix of skill use, role-playing, and (depending on how the PCs approach things) combat.  Even though the cover art (a rhino with elk antlers, really?) is a bit silly, the interior art is better and the scenario makes clever use of a flip-mat.  I'd recommend this one.

SPOILERS!

Arkanen is a moon of the gas giant Liavara, and is infamous for its bizarre orbit that causes atmospheric bleed and intense electrical storms & magnetic disruption.  None of that really comes into play in Poacher's Prize, which is set in and around a research station and nature preserve on the moon.  The PCs are called into Elkrius, the research station, because someone has stolen a pair of animals overnight.  But these aren't just any animals--the station has used advanced genetic recombination technology to bring back two specimens of an extinct species called mistuors (the animals depicted on the cover).  The station doesn't want any adverse publicity or to involve the authorities, so the PCs are hired to find the culprits and get the animals back before they're killed or sold off-planet.  It's an interesting set up for an adventure.

The first part of the Bounty takes place at the research station as the PCs investigate to figure out how the crime took place and "whodunnit".  That last bit's actually the easiest, as the leader of the break-in gang is caught on video surveillance: a former employee of the research center named Darvis Olem.  Still, I thought this part of the adventure was handled really well because there are a lot of different skills that can be used during the investigation and a variety of clues that can be uncovered, each of which adds a bit more information to the story of what happened and where the mistuors are now.

The second (shortest) part of the Bounty has the PCs racing toward where they think the mistuors are being held but having to overcome several obstacles along the way (such as not getting lost, removing felled trees on the road, etc.).  This was presented well, with reasonable consequences for failure.  (I hate adventure design where players just keep rolling dice until they succeed).

The third part of the adventure takes place at the forest campsite where Darvis and his gang have set up several trailers for themselves and some cages for the mistuors while they wait for the animals' buyers to arrive.  I really liked the set-up here, as it takes place at night and multiple approaches are viable.  The PCs can race into the camp at full-speed for a "shock and awe" approach (which is what my group did--it made for the best vid-footage!), or, if they're very careful and stealthy, they could sneak into the camp, unlock the cages, load the mistruors into their own vehicles, and escape before anyone at the camp realises they're gone.  Most groups probably will end up in combat, and the Bounty provides a plausible account of how the different poachers and their leader will respond depending on what the PCs do.  The Space Colony flip-mat was repurposed to serve as the campsite, and worked surprisingly well.

After the animals are (presumably) rescued and returned to the research station, the scenario ends on a curiously ambiguous note.  The research station is suspiciously adverse to contacting the authorities (even to turn over a captured Darvis), to the point where I wondered if they were themselves engaging in illicit behavior.  Or, maybe I'm just reading too much into it.  Anyway, Poacher's Prize meets the brief of a short, solid adventure, and I imagine most players will enjoy it.

Pathfinder Player Companion: "Osirion, Land of Pharaohs" [RPG]

 I love running and playing adventures in Osirion.  You just can't go wrong with ancient Egyptian-themed drama: thousand-year old pyramids, devious riddles, competing archaeologists/tomb robbers, and much, much more.  It's a downright interesting and intriguing setting, and speaks to me more than traditional "castles and jousting" motifs.  I've now run a couple of classic modules set in Osirion (Entombed with the Pharaohs and The Pact Stone Pyramid) as well as some shorter PFS scenarios, and I can't wait to someday run or play in Mummy's Mask.  All that's a lead up to saying I was looking forward to reading Osirion, Land of Pharaohs.  

This 32-page entry in the Player Companion line definitely gets one's attention with a great cover (reproduced sans text as the inside back cover).  I love how shocked Sajan is as the mummy arises, plus the creepy giant-head statue in the background.  The inside front cover is a useful, player-friendly map of Osirion that notes the most important cities and  ruins.  There's one page for the table of contents, and then the book proper starts, divided into seven sections.  It's worth noting a couple of things: this was one of the earlier books in the line (meaning it's far more lore/flavour heavy than game option crunch--a good thing, in my opinion) and it's from the 3.5-era, so some rules options would need to be updated for the PFRPG.

"Osirion" (14 pages) provides a brief introduction to the country and then a gazetteer of notable locations.  The writing's a bit cumbersome, unfortunately.  Still, it contains some good story seeds.  I found myself interested in the Lost Fortress of Mekshir (an entire fortress--and regiment of troops--buried alive by a sandstorm) and the Pyramid of An Hepsu XI (containing the Incorruptible Pharaoh, who could not be destroyed but only contained).  From a GM's perspective, there's a lot of information to draw upon.  However, I can see that from a player's perspective it's just a lot of setting lore that they can't really interact with unless the GM specifically wants them to by setting an adventure in a particular location.

"Sothis" (6 pages) is an overview of Osirion's capital city, one of the largest metropolises in the setting.  It features a good description of the city's bazaar, its slave market, and the memorable Black Dome--a truly massive hollow shell of . . . something . . . that dominates the city's skyline.  For a GM, setting info like this is invaluable.  For players, it'll give them a good feel for what Osirion is like (so they could make characters from the country), but it's probably more detail than they need.

We now move to a series of two-page-long sections that provide new character options.

"Combat: The Living Monolith" (2 pages) introduces a new prestige class.  The Living Monolith is a warrior who seeks to emulate the legendary stone sentinels of the land.  An interesting idea that needs a bit more flavour and development, in my opinion.  It has some cool abilities, but I'd worry they're a bit unbalancing.

"Faith: Cults of Osirion" (2 pages) discusses worshippers of Apep, Wadjet, and Khepri--secret cults with deep roots in Osirian history.  The section introduces three new magic items (one related to each of the three).

"Magic: Spells of the Dead" (2 pages) has, of course, necromancy themed spells.  I really like canopic conversion, which literally eviscerates the target and places their internal organs into different canopic jars while the body arises as a mummy!  Pity it's a Level 9 spell, so probably only an end-of-campaign boss would get a chance to use it . . .  There's also a couple of important metamagic feats that allow death spells to pierce common protections like death ward and mind-affecting spells to affect undead creatures.

"Social: Dark Dealings" (2 pages) has new feats for black market dealings and more.  I love "swarm dodger", which gives a PC a chance to avoid the damage and related effects from those peskiest of Pathfinder threats, swarms!  (and in Osirion, one can find all manner of swarms--scorpions, spiders, snakes, beetles, and more)  Because these feats were written for 3.5, some minor adjustments would be necessary to update them.

We finish with "Persona: Ruby Prince Khemet III, the Forthbringer" (2 pages), a full stat block and write-up for Osirion's ruler.  The entry includes two of his unique magic items.  Interesting, though probably not something even most GMs running adventures in Osirion are likely to need.

All in all, Osirion, Land of Pharaohs suffers from the problem that many of the early Player Companions did: it's sort of all over the place.  Players looking for cool character options will find over have of the book is material that should be in the Campaign Setting line.  GMs will find a useful overview to the setting but probably wish it were more in-depth.  Modern Pathfinder gamers will find the 3.5-era rules require some fine-tuning.  Still, with those flaws acknowledged, it's a relatively inexpensive introduction to a cool area to adventure in.

Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 44 [RPG]

[Wealday, 24 Sarenith 4708 A.R. continued]

 

After an intensive evening of discussion with Thousand Bones at the campsite of the Skoan-Quah (Clan of the Skull), the Harrowed Heroes retire to their guest yurt to rest for the night.  Outside, the wind howls, and for several hours the entire camp is assaulted by a powerful ash storm.  Fortunately, in the safety of their fur-lined tents, the newcomers to the Cinderlands are able to avoid the blinding, choking particles.  But it’s surely a sign of the dangers that await them on the journey ahead.

 

[Oathday, 25 Sarenith 4708 A.R. continued]

 

In the morning, a layer of ash almost a foot deep covers everything in the camp.  But the winds have died down, and the sun shines brightly.  The travellers from Korvosa discuss how to best earn the respect of the Shoanti peoples so that the Sun Shaman of the Sklar-Quah (Clan of the Sun) will reveal the truth about the Midnight’s Teeth and the nature of Ileosa’s power.  Anorak and Ralph Blackfeather agree that visiting the Acropolis of the Thrallkeepers—a ruin that brave Shoanti warriors enter to prove their courage—should be the first destination.  Goldcape isn’t so sure, however, and raises the possibility of going to Cindermaw first to replicate the deed of the legendary Shoanti hero Skurak by being swallowed by the beast.  Goldcape says she should be the only one to be swallowed because of the Harrower’s reading, but there’s not universal assent to the proposition.  Ralph Blackfeather asks Ahalak, the apparent leader of the four Shoanti Boneslayers assigned to be their guides, about visiting Flameford to find Krojun.  Ahalak replies that the Sklar-Quah are the least hospitable Shoanti clan to tshamek, and that open violence could result.  Yraelzin attempts to resolve the question of where to go first through his newfound hobby of reading the Harrow, but is able to prophesy only that the group will meet a juggler in the future—a seemingly absurd statement given the harshness of the Cinderlands.  Eventually, the group reach a consensus around visiting the Acropolis first.

After saying farewell to Thousand Bones, the Korvosans and their native guides depart the Kallow Mounds.  But in the intense heat of a summer’s day in the Cinderlands, Ralph Blackfeather (now wearing the guise of The Reckoner) begins to sweat profusely and tire after barely an hour!  He asks Ahalak how the Shoanti survive the heat, and hears that each of the three clans in the area deal with it differently: the Skoan-Quah ask the spirits of the land for respite from the heat, the Lyrune-Quah (Clan of the Moon) travel only at night, and the Sklar-Quah push themselves through sheer fortitude and willpower to embrace the sun in all its glory.  The group continue on, and one of the Boneslayers, Nalmid, seems very interested in hearing about life beyond the Cinderlands.  He’s surprised to hear that in “wetlander” cities, the wisest and bravest aren’t necessarily the wealthiest or most respected.

After almost a full day’s travel, interspersed with frequent rests, the group has barely covered a dozen miles!  Even Anorak’s and The Reckoner’s horses from Kaer Maga are exhausted and plodding slowly across the parched earth.  Ahalak and the other Boneslayers offer no aid or critique—perhaps learning to survive in the Cinderlands is another, unstated, test that the Korvosans are being judged on.  But there are more dangers than just heat in the Cinderlands, dangers that even the Shoanti aren’t fully prepared for.  While attempting to make up some time in a final hour’s march before setting camp, a wide pit suddenly opens up under the group.  Although the Korvosans and their mounts manage to retreat back to solid ground in time, two of the Boneslayers—Nalmid and Hargev—tumble into an underground cavern almost forty feet below the surface!  Both are hurt but conscious, and as Hargev gets to his feet and looks around, he realises the true enormity of the danger they’re in—a purple worm tunnel!  He raises a finger to his lips as he looks at the others gathered on the lip of the hole above, urging them to silence.  But the falling rock has already echoed through the tunnels.  On the surface, Anorak presses a palm to the ground and feels rumbling in the distance—rumbling that is getting closer.

 

While the others talk of ropes and such, Goldcape acts quickly by dramatically leaping onto Rocky’s back and diving into the cavern.  She pulls Nalmid and Hargev aboard Rocky’s back and shouts for Rocky to fly back to the surface.  But the steep ascent is initially too difficult for the overloaded roc to make, and she hits the ground with a heavy THUMP! that carries down the subterranean tunnels.  Back on the surface, Anorak realises the rumbling sound has intensified in speed and that a purple worm will appear in just seconds!  They shout for Goldcape to hurry, and this time Rocky’s powerful leap and flapping wings are enough to get the fallen Boneslayers back to the surface. 

But now a decision has to be made for the entire group: fight, or flee?  Anorak and The Reckoner decide to fight, remembering how they already slew one purple worm.  Anorak cleverly conjures the illusory sound of dozens of huddled people talking and moving about to lure the purple worm into emerging at a precise spot.  When it does, The Reckoner charges into attack as the Boneslayers (having retreated some distance away) launch a volley of arrows that bounce harmlessly off the purple worm’s armored exoskeleton.  Anorak sends bolts of lightning and bursts of flame at the creature, but it mostly shrugs off the elemental attacks.  Goldcape’s archery is more accurate than the Boneslayers, but she decides it’s too risky for The Reckoner to be the massive beast’s only target, and directs Rocky to attack as well.  The roc’s talons tear open a deep wound in the worm’s soft underbelly, but it retaliates by rising up to its full height and then crashing down to swallow Rocky whole!  The Reckoner’s powerful earthbreaker has done tremendous damage, however, and the worm itself dies seconds later.  Knowing that Rocky has only seconds to live, The Reckoner heroically plunges into the worm’s open mouth.  With his ability to see in darkness thanks to the mask of the mantis he wears, The Reckoner finds Rocky and cuts open the worm’s hide to pull him out.  Anorak does his part by magically stopping Rocky’s bleeding in the nick of time.  Having witnessed the amazing series of events, the Boneslayers can’t help but be impressed—even if they must think the wetlanders are a little crazy!

Ahalak says there is a small Sklar-Quah camp nearby named Blazehearth, and, given how wounded and exhausted the travellers are, it could be worth the risk to seek shelter there for the night.  But when they arrive, it’s obvious something isn’t right: many of the tents have been torn down or burned to the ground, a wooden totem has been chopped down, and there are no Shoanti in the area.  On closer inspection, the situation becomes even worse—this was no mere skirmish, as multiple charred bodies are in the camp’s central firepit!  Goldcape rushes forward to see if there are any survivors, but her instincts stop her just in time as the perpetrators of the horrible crime emerge from hiding: Hellknights!  With weapons and armor identical to those encountered in Kaer Maga, it’s clear that the Order of the Nail has penetrated into the Cinderlands on a mission of terror—and to their mind, anyone who would help the Shoanti are just as “uncivilised” and “barbaric”.  Promising to bring order to chaos, they rush toward Goldcape and assault her with supernatural waves of unholy energy, but she keeps her feet and mocks their pretensions.  Anorak decides Hellknights can’t complain about fire, and immolates two of them with a powerful spell!  Boneslayer arrows drop a third, while Goldcape gets her revenge by summoning hailstones out of the desert sky to crush the skull of a fourth.

 

A search of the tents finds no survivors, but additional footprints—from heavily armored figures—heading off in a direction of a nearby bluff.  Noticing that one of the Hellknights has a signal horn, the Korvosans decide it’s time to turn the tables by springing an ambush of their own.  Once everyone hides, Goldcape blows the signal horn.  Tense seconds follow, seconds in which The Reckoner alone experiences something unusual.  And then, the rest of the Hellknight expedition into the Cinderlands appear: a pair of tieflings wearing blood-red robes marked with pentagrams, and a heavily armored warpriest bearing a flaming ranseur!

 

Having triumphed in every battle, the Harrowed Heroes are ready for the Hellknights.  But have they already proven themselves unready for the simple rigors of the Cinderlands?

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GM Commentary

In Janderhoff, Yraelzin bought a Harrow deck.  This session has an example of him trying to learn how to use it.  It's not as easy as the Harrower makes it seem!

I was really able to bring out the natural dangers of the Cinderlands this session, as the PCs learned just how hard it is to travel through heat extremes with proper preparation.  The group was really dragging as the Fortitude saves got harder and harder as the day wore on, and the effects (from fatigued to exhausted, plus accumulating nonlethal damage) started to stack.

The purple worm was from another highly-unlikely roll on the random encounter table.  I guess, if nothing else, it gave the PCs some extra XP and another memorable encounter.  The Fly rules once again have an impact.  The Reckoner was extremely heroic to wade into the worm's entrails to rescue Rocky just in the nick of time--otherwise, Goldcape's animal companion would have surely perished.

The stuff with the Hellknights is from "Slash and Burn", the sidequest for Chapter Four in the "Runescars" volume of the Pathfinder comic.  It's not a major or important plot point, but seemed to work well here. (and it earned them an extra Respect Point or two)