Pathfinder Adventure Path: "Curse of the Crimson Throne, Chapter Four: A History of Ashes" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

 

Curse of the Crimson Throne is a great adventure path, and Chapter Four (A History of Ashes) doesn’t let the team down one bit.  It adds breadth to the campaign by introducing some new geography for the players to explore while simultaneously adding depth to both the story and the setting through an excellent portrayal of distinct cultures.  If that all sounds too academic-sounding, there’s some fantastic set-piece encounters as well!  A History of Ashes is something that, in lesser hands, could have come across as cringey—but in Paizo’s hands, it’s a real winner.

 

As always, we’ll start with the non-spoilery back matter and overall design.  The cover art is fantastic—the images of the Iconic barbarian in the foreground and a giant fanged worm about to swallow the Iconic paladin in the background really pops.  We have to enjoy these Wayne Reynolds covers while we can, because he doesn’t stick around forever!  The interior art is a real mixed bag, with some pieces that Paizo would be proud to show off today and others that are frankly a bit amateurish.  The geographical maps are excellent (and may still provide more detail than any other map for certain areas), but the encounter maps are often a bit plain.  The interior back cover is a stylised chart of the various major groups and NPCs relevant to Chapter Four—I didn’t think to use it, but some GMs might find it handy.  The issue has half-page entries for four Level 10 pre-gen Iconics, and the usual one-page preview of next issue.

 

In terms of back matter, there are four substantive articles.

 

“The Cinderlands” (8 pages) provides an excellent naturalist’s overview of the geography, environmental challenges, flora, and fauna of the area.  It was obviously written by someone with knowledge in geology, which makes a fictional setting seem very realistic.  The overall impression one gets is perfect: the Cinderlands are not to be trifled with!  It is a harsh, imposing landscape and unprepared travellers or explorers are likely to find nature as much or more of a threat than any inhabitants they encounter.  One of the reasons I enjoy reading, reviewing, and implementing flavour from these 3.5-era issues (despite primarily relying on the hardcover version of the AP) is that they contain detailed content like this that just isn’t available anywhere else.

 

“People of the Storval Plateau” (8 pages) is still the best, most in-depth resource I know of about the Shoanti.  It covers the history of the Shoanti peoples along with a few paragraphs of description on each of the seven quahs (tribes), including their territory, rites of passage, common totems, and totem-worship clerical domains.  One of the tricky things Paizo pulled off here was discussing fictional indigenous-themed peoples without resorting to lazy stereotypes, treating them as all alike, or one-dimensional portrayals.  If I were to make a Shoanti PC, this overview is still the first place I would turn.

 

I’m full of praise today.  Is it the iced coffee and banana bread, or is this just an excellent issue?  Maybe both!

 

“Pathfinder’s Journal” (6 pages) continues the tale of Eando Kline.  In this instalment, he and his Shoanti guide Joskan need to cross the plains of Belkzen where rival orc armies are getting ready to fight each other!  It probably turns out mostly the way you’d expect, but is still lots of fun nonetheless.

 

“Bestiary” (10 pages) starts with a useful Cinderlands random encounter chart (interestingly, the hardcover AP also has one and they have some very different entries!).  I like the little sidebar discussion on the use of random encounter charts.  As it says, a GM is sometimes in a dilemma: creating a truly “realistic” chart means that there will be a wide span of CRs: some so low that PCs might find them laughably easy, and others so high that they’re potential TPKs.  On the other hand, a random encounter chart that always delivers exactly a CR-appropriate threat to the PCs can seem artificial (and frankly, a little boring).  The advice the sidebar gives is the method I use: if an unbalanced encounter turns up, roll with it while keeping in mind that not every encounter has to be a combat encounter—if I roll a CR 15 red dragon and the PCs are only level 10, perhaps they see it a great distance away and have a chance (if they’re smart) to hide.  Etc.  Okay, aside over.

 

The entry contains four two-page entries of new monsters.  First up is probably my favourite, “bonestorms”.  They’re a supernatural vortex of bones that sometimes arise in cemeteries or battlefields, and they take the game form as a CR 8 swarm.  It’s an excellent concept (we need more higher-level swarms), and I especially liked the connection to Bloodsworn Vale.  I’m surprised Paizo never reprinted it for PFRPG use.  Next up is the “cinder wolf”.  Essentially a mix of a wolf and a hell hound, I found this unremarkable despite the good ecology section.  Third is the “havero”—at CR 24!  This creature has a great Cthulhu mythos feel, and a really smart point-based tentacle mechanic.  If you need a *real* boss for a campaign, the havero might suit.  Last is the “red reaver”, a CR 13 brute monster with an interesting twist in that it bonds itself to a site of great beauty but can be lured away by presenting it with something even more beautiful.  As a side note, I’ll flag that the little bit about the red reaver of Roslar’s Coffer is taken up in PFS scenario # 10-04.

 

Okay, on to the adventure!

 

SPOILERS!

 

The two-page Foreword by James Jacobs explains what’s important about A History of Ashes: it asks the PCs to leave Korvosa!  As he discusses, it’s a lot to ask a group that has invested ten levels’ worth of adventuring to leave the city they call home, but, on the other hand, it might just be time for a change.  Amusingly, the players I ran this for thought they were just making a quick “there and back” jaunt to the Shoanti-held Cinderlands, and had no idea the entire chapter would be set there!  It was interesting to read that the Shoanti come from one of Jacobs’ college campaigns, which is a real inspiration to homebrew GMs everywhere.  I also have to note the irony where he says he was worried the art designer might not be able to fit double-digit volume numbers on the AP spines and then says “I wonder if it’s too early to start worrying about how we’re going to fit a triple-digit number on the spine”?  2008 James Jacob would be chuffed to hear from 2023 Jhaeman that this concern has been solved.

 

In the Adventure Background, we get some more information on the origin of the Crown of Fangs that influenced Ileosa’s evil machinations.  The Crown is made from the fang of the slain blue dragon Kazavon and is one of seven relics that remained indestructible (and holds the power to potentially resurrect him).  There’s also a bit about Serithtial, the enchanted sword used to slay him.  Much of this will get covered in much greater depth in Chapter Five.  I have to confess that I’m not a big fan of the “magic sword” and “seven scattered relics” elements—too video gamey for me.

At the very end of the last adventure, the PCs learned they would have to head to the Cinderlands to learn about the source of Ileosa’s new invulnerability.  Part One assumes the PCs do depart on this journey, but acknowledges that getting the PCs out of town might not be easy and gives the GM a little advice on what to do if they’re reluctant.  Assuming the PCs escort Vencarlo Orisini and Neolandus Kalepopolis to safety at Blackbird Ranch near Harse, the PCs will also get to catch up with Trinia Sabor (from Chapter One).  Here, Neolandus reveals what he knows.  This section also provides the GM with information on two of the major threats the PCs will encounter there: the Red Mantis assassins (led by a cool NPC named Cinnabar) and a Shoanti-hating ranger named the Cinderlander (whom I wish had been integrated more into the story so he’s not just another foe to fight).

 

Part Two has the PCs reaching the Kallow Mounds, home of the Skoan-Quah (the Clan of the Skull) where the shaman Thousand Bones explains that only the Sun Shaman of the xenophobic Sklar-Quah (Clan of the Sun) knows the history of the Crown of Fangs.  But getting the Sun Shaman to speak to outsiders will be incredibly difficult, and the PCs will have to earn his respect.  This is handled through a well-designed “respect points” mechanic wherein the PCs accumulate points for achieving specific tasks (or lose points for disrespecting Shoanti customs).  Earning the respect points primarily comes from undertaking what we could uncharitably call “chained quests”—where each task has to be accompanied in order to move on to the next one.  A lot of groups apparently felt a bit railroaded here, so one of the innovations of the hardcover version was to “unchain” the quests and allow them to be completed in any order (and make it so all of them weren’t necessary).  This part of the chapter also introduces a good NPC, Krojun Eats-What-He-Kills (a rival who could become an ally).  Interestingly, there’s a lot of discussion about the Shoanti potentially warring on Korvosa—either that’s a story theme that wasn’t taken up in the hardcover version, or I just missed it.

 

Part Three is set at a Thassilonian ruin called the Acropolis of the Thrallkeepers.  The location has a cool backstory (that ties into Karzoug) and an excellent subterranean hazard (curious tentacles of a dormant havero).  I found it hard to run though, as there are three other NPC groups to account for: Krojun’s band (stalking the PCs), Red Mantis assassins (trying to kill the PCs), and a Kuthite sect called the  Brotherhood of Bones (observing and potentially allying with the PCs).  It makes for, as a sub-heading calls it, “A Crowded Dungeon”!  One bit I particularly liked is a bit of meta-fun in the form of a special glyph trap that has the PC standing still to try to make sense of it; every time the player asks whether their character has figured it out, the GM is encouraged to play along and say it’ll take just a little bit longer—and when the player has finally had enough and tries to have their PC stop, the magic of the trap means they might not be able to!

 

Part Four features a battle against a red reaver (a creature described above) that has occupied a site sacred to the Lyrune-Quah (Clan of the Moon).  The PCs need to aid the Lyrune-Quah in order to earn the services of their Truthspeaker, a man who never lies and whose word therefore is trusted even by the sceptical Sklar-Quah. 

 

Part Five is why the PCs need a Truthspeaker, and it’s a treat.  One member of the group needs to get themselves swallowed by a ginormous fiendish purple worm named Cindermaw and then cut their way out!  By doing so, they replicate the deeds of a legendary (and probably apocryphal) Shoanti hero, a deed that even the Sklar-Quah would have to admire.  Because the AP version made the quests optional, my group didn’t do this one—which was disappointing (I would have loved to see it!), especially for the player of a PC who had received a vision from the Harrower that it was the character’s destiny.

 

Part Six is the big climax.  Assuming the PCs have been successful and have earned enough respect points, they’re allowed to enter the Sklar-Quah’s campsite at a place called Flameford.  There, the Sun Shaman forces them to endure one final challenge: the Trial of the Totems.  This was really fun (at least for me as the GM!) as it’s truly a Strength- and endurance-based trial that allows all sorts of fun effects to come into play (the heat, lack of food, thirst, etc.).  After the challenge, there’s a big final battle when Flameford is invaded by the Red Mantis and their gargoyle allies.

 

In the Conclusion, the Sun Shaman reveals what the PCs must do to defeat Ileosa: travel to a massive haunted castle named Scarwall and find the legendary lost sword Serithtial.

 

Overall, although I might quibble with a bit here or a bit there, Chapter Four is a real winner.  It forms a memorable part of Curse of the Crimson Throne, as it gets the PCs out of their urban comfort zone and exposes them to entirely different cultures and challenges.  If the GM does their job right, the players should finish the chapter hating and respecting the Cinderlands in equal measure.