Pathfinder Society Scenario # 1-08 (# 36) "Echoes of the Everwar, Part I: The Prisoner of Skull Hill" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

 

I played Echoes of the Everwar, Part I: The Prisoner of Skull Hill with Makras, my dwarf oracle of Groetus.  The Echoes of the Everwar is a four-part series of Tier 7-11 scenarios from back in Season 1 of PFS1, and (I think) Paizo’s first real attempt at a major connected series of adventures in organized play.  I appreciate the attempt, but I don’t think this one (a forgettable and overlong series of battles) got the series off to a very good start.  Cool cover though!

 

SPOILERS!

 

Before getting started, there’s a hefty amount of backstory to cover, both for this individual scenario and for the Echoes of the Everwar series as a whole. 

 

About 500 years ago, just at the beginning of the Everwar, a very wealthy Osirian merchant named Khalfani Zhuberi decided to extend his trading empire by sending forth three concubines to three separate points on the frontier.  In order to keep track of them, each was given a special magical ring.  One of the concubines, Akila, had established a trading post in a fortress known as Skull Hill in what was, at the time, part of the nation of Lastwall.  As the decades passed, Zuberi became obsessed with immortality and begin drinking the infamous sun orchid elixir.  But, this brought the attention of a death cult that cursed Zuberi: he would have eternal life, but only as an old man!  Zuberi eventually faked his death, hid his treasure in Sothis, and lived out the succeeding centuries in his own tomb.  Meanwhile, the three concubines were slain instantly when the death cult’s curse severed the connection between their magic rings and Zuberi.

 

Recently, Zuberi realized the curse was finally waning.  For the first time in centuries, he started to sense the connection with the three magical rings and realized they contained enough power that they could be used in a ritual to restore his youth!  But how to get the rings?  Somehow, Zuberi has managed to get Pathfinder Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir of the Sothis Lodge to send out expeditions to retrieve them.  One such group (the one in The Prisoner of Skull Hill) will be sent in search of Akila’s ring.  However, Skull Hill is a very different place than it was five centuries ago.  The area of Lastwall where Skull Hull is located long ago became overrun with orcs and is now deeply in the Hold of Belkzen.  Skull Hill remained a hidden Chelish spy post to keep an eye on the orcs for (dubiously!) centuries, but an even worse disaster has befallen it just weeks prior to the scenario’s start.  The Skittering Ravagers orc tribe (led by a chief/shaman named Krug) located the fort and overran it, slaughtering all of the inhabitants.  But the orcs then suffered karma in the form of strange rocks crashing down from the skies that wrecked much of the fort and left craters in their wake.  A strange wave of necromantic energy pulsed from the rocks, instantly transforming many of the orcs to undead warriors!  But somewhere far below the fort, in a vault recently-unearthed by the devastation, still lies the corpse of the concubine Akila and her magic ring.

 

Whew, that’s two long paragraphs of backstory and even then I’ve condensed it down pretty well!  As you might surmise from the description above, tracking down the other two concubines’ rings are the focus of Parts II and III of the series, which is why the first three parts can be played in any order before Part IV finishes things off.  There’s a lot of details that even the lengthy backstory doesn’t really explain: what these rings are, what this death cult was, how V-C Balentiir got persuaded/manipulated/entranced to send out teams, how an active Chelish fort could remain unnoticed in the Hold of Belkzen for centuries, whether the rocks crashing from the sky is related to the magic of the ring, and so forth.  In lieu of answers, let’s get into the scenario itself.

 

From the players’ perspective, the scenario starts with their characters on a ridge overlooking the ruins of Skull Hill, with their PCs having received a “flashback” briefing in Sothis and then a hand-waved six weeks’ of travel to get from there to here.  In the briefing, the PCs aren’t given any of the backstory above.  Instead, they’re sent on two tasks.  First, to find a Pathfinder named Heralt who had infiltrated the Chelish forces in Skull Hill but who hadn’t reported in lately.  Second, to investigate claims in an old edition of the Pathfinder Chronicles that the body of a legendary Osirian sorceress named Akila had a magic ring and is buried under Skull Hill.  The “flashback briefing” (always a bit weird) does have a nice array of Knowledge checks to get some more details.

 

Act I of the scenario has the PCs exploring the settlement around Skull Hill.  They see it bears signs of recent attack, heavily cratered, and has no signs of habitation.   However, as they approach the inn, they’re attacked by a pair of orcs (who survived the necromantic wave and have been living off stockpiled food for weeks).  Near the cornfield, orc barbarians-turned-skeletal champions attack.  Some piece of the puzzle (an orc attack) start coming into focus for the players, but there’s clearly more to uncover.  I should mention that the map of the exterior of Skull Hill is really well-done.  It’s a sizable location (especially since there’s only a couple of encounters), so a GM shouldn’t try to draw it all out on a flip-mat and should instead be prepared to “zoom in” only where needed.

 

Act II starts when the PCs enter the fortress itself.  There’s a lot of rooms here, most of them uninhabited.  This is realistic, but definitely adds to the running time of the session as players understandably feel they need to cautiously go through each one.  There are, however, three (maybe four) things of note.  First, another skeletal champion disguised as a corpse in the mess hall.  Second, the body of the Pathfinder Heralt—he’s been strangled to death.  Third, the orc shaman-chief Krug is still alive, clearly entranced, boiling heads in the kitchen!  In an interesting twist, Krug doesn’t want to fight and can actually be a key source of exposition on what’s been happening in Skull Hill.  Last, there’s an optional encounter (time-permitting) with more skeletal champions.

 

Act III sees the PCs make their way down into the lost caves and burial chambers under the fort.  I remember, as a player, being surprised at just how much content was in the module—we had explored 11 locations on the surface, 16 more locations in the fort, and were now headed into a who-knows-how-big series of caverns underneath?  Kinda crazy for one PFS session.  Fortunately, there’s only one location left, and it helps to answer what’s been going on: the spores of a Moonflower (an alien plant monster) were on the rocks that crashed into Skull Hill.  Once the PCs destroy the Moonflower, they can search Akila’s tomb.  Refreshingly, Akila’s corpse is just a corpse—not a mummy or something predictable.  Perhaps oddly, the ring cannot be removed from her hand, so the PCs have to take her entire skeleton (or, at least, her hand).  There’s also a mysterious non-magical wand that the scenario insists be tracked on the Chronicle but whose function won’t become apparent until Part IV of the series.

 

The Conclusion is only two sentences long: a hand-waved return to Sothis and another mission, this time to Varisia (presumably, in Part II of the series).

 

I don’t remember being particular enthralled by The Prisoner of Skull Hill when I played it.  It felt like stumbling around mostly-empty rooms, occasionally battling orcs or undead orcs, and eventually locating a big plant monster in the basement.  It’s one of those scenarios, especially common in early PFS, where there’s a ton of material in the backstory that the players will never get exposed to.  And from the players’ perspective, the encounters are pretty generic and forgettable, there’s only one opportunity for role-playing (with Krug), and not a lot of room for creative storytelling.  All in all, not a propitious beginning to the series.

Pathfinder Campaign Setting: "Andoran, Birthplace of Freedom" [RPG]

Andoran, Birthplace of Freedom is a 64-page, full-colour sourcebook in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting line.  Andoran is a fantasy pastiche of post-Revolutionary War era America, and is very idealised in its focus on freedom, democracy, and egalitarianism.  The book is divided into four main sections: Gazetteer (24 pages), Anodren Factions (10 pages), Adventures in Andoran (10 pages), and Bestiary (16 pages).

The cool cover art depicts a very patriotic Eagle Knight holding the banner of Andoran high while a hobgoblin raider is about to bring a very painful weapon down.  The inside front cover is a map of the country that does a good job noting geographical terrain features (rivers, mountains, forests, etc.) and settlements, though it'd be handy to have roads or trails depicted (if any) that connect the settlements.  The inside back cover is the cover image sans text.  The interior art design is solid, and the artwork is excellent when it comes to monsters but only a little better than average when humans are depicted.

The Gazetteer establishes that Andoran is the Inner Sea's first republic, and contains an interesting history of the country, along with a detailed description of how its government operates.  I especially appreciate the incorporation of material from some classic 3.5-era modules involving Falcon's Hollow, material from adventure paths, and even Pathfinder Society scenarios.  In short, I love it when authors do their homework and make a seamless web of lore across various lines!  The section devotes four pages each to various important cities or areas: Almas, Arthfell, Carpenden Plains, Darkmoon Vale, and the Verduran Forest.  The material provides a nice general overview (Bellis, for example, seems like a great "home town" for a low-level campaign), though some more adventure hooks would have been nice.

The Andoren Factions section focusses on the Eagle Knights (and their various sub-units), with a handy sidebar noting other Paizo books that include additional details. The Lumber Consortium, Primordial Ones, and Seven Houses get about a page each (I've never heard of the last two).  New feats are included for each faction, and they look pretty solid.  The writing and artwork remain strong in this section.

Adventures in Andoran provide 5-6 paragraphs of information each on various adventure sites: Arthfell Forest, Black Forks, Candlestone Caverns, Claes Redoubt, The Colony, Crystal Falls, Diggen's Rest, Droskar's Crag, Nogortha Necropolis, Occarin, The Portside Strangler. and Selian's Watch.  There's a lot of great leads here for an enterprising GM to build on.

Last up is the Bestiary.  Random encounter tables are provided for each of the cities/areas covered in the Gazetteer, but I find them way too broadly spread in terms of CR to be really feasible in play.  One-page entries are then provided for either new creature types or individuals:  Cervapral Agathion's (antelope-men!), the Bee-Man of Bellis (a super-cool guy with swarm-like powers and a neat story premise), Candlestone Courtiers (fey emissaries), Corrupt Politicians (very useful for stories with lots of role-playing), Eagle Knights (having generic stat blocks are great for NPCs), Fellsigs (undead who arise from molten rock deaths), Erinat Gremlins (proprietors of discord--good for very low level stories), Lumber Consortium Enforcers (very useful for the Darkmoon Vale modules), Ragewright (raging undead barbarians!), Sawdust Slough (kinda silly supernatural cloud of sawdust), Silverblood Lycanthrope (power wanes with the moon), and Talmandor (avoral agathion and non-divine patron of Andoran).  I think it's one of the best and most extensive bestiaries I've ever found in the Campaign Setting Line, and something I should make more use of.

And that's the book!  Andoran is a major aspect of many adventures and PC options in Golarion, so having a copy of Andoran, Birthplace of Freedom on hand would be a wise option.

Starfinder Flip-Mat: "Ice World" [RPG]

I've had a few opportunities now to pull out the Ice World flip-mat, most recently when the PCs discovered the existence of izalguun on the remote planet Izalraan.  One side features a frozen lake mostly covered by snow, overlooked by some rocky outcroppings.  It's very attractive, though the landscape contours aren't easy to discern.  And I'll repeat, to no effect, my ancient plea that these flip-mats would be of better value if the inside of the sleeves came with some suggested game effects for the terrain depicted--for example, maybe some DCs to move across the ice?  The other side of the flip-mat depicts a series of subterranean icy caves and passages.  There's three entrances/exits, several side chambers for smaller encounters, and a big cavern for a big showdown.  I like how icy steps are depicted to show different aspects of elevation.  A plus is that both sides are generic enough that they can be reused without drawing attention to themselves.  I'm far more likely to use the icy lake side, as it can stand in for any fantasy or science-fiction scene as long the weather is right, whereas cave networks are a dime a dozen in flip-mats and map packs.  Overall, a solid, usable flip-mat that's a smart addition to one's library.

Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 94 [RPG]

 [Toilday, 11 Arodus 4708 A.R. continued]

 

Near the semi-circle of shops known as Eodred’s Walk, Protosilaus and Ralph discuss whether the former could teleport the latter all the way to Absalom!  Interested in some magical items that just aren’t available in a city the size of Korvosa—especially after the recent unrest—the prospect is a tantalising one.  Protosilaus says it’d be easy for him to do; all he needs is a good description of a location within the city.  He enters Basha’s, the small bookstore and map shop, just before closing time.  The ever-cranky Basha is quick to confirm he has just what Protosilaus is looking for.  But when the proprietor returns from a backroom after several minutes’ absence, Protosilaus notices the scroll looks brand new and the ink is still wet on it! He leaves in disgust at the attempted scam, smashing an inkpot on the way.  Meanwhile, Ralph gets Phaeton Skoda to agree to let him know if House Arkona makes any large or unusual purchases of magical items.

 

When the two return to Ralph’s safehouse, they see the others are there.  Protosilaus talks Goldcape into accepting a magical brand (which he puts in the shape of a roc) that will, ostensibly, hardly hurt at all and will allow him to heal her even from a great distance.  Hearing Goldcape’s shout of pain, Ralph inquires what’s going on and is also persuaded to accept a brand.  But when he’s not quick to specify what he wants it to look like, Protosilaus chooses an outline of The Reckoner wearing a dunce hat!  Ralph punches him hard in the nose for it, and Goldcape decides to add a sap blow to the back of the head for good measure.  Ralph seems serious when he tells Protosilaus he better figure out a way to remove it soon or Korvosa’s dockworkers will find the half-orc’s body floating in the river.

 

After everyone’s asleep, Goldcape slips on the distinctive mask, cowl, and cloak of . . . Blackjack!  It’s time for Korvosa’s famed hero to make a return, and it doesn’t take long for them to find trouble—or for trouble to find them!  Up on the Shingles—the shantytown of huts, tents, and plank bridges crossing from rooftop to rooftop across the city—a fire has started!  Blackjack races in the direction of the flames, only to slip on a loose tile and land ignominiously in an alleyway below.  Fortunately, no was watching, and they’re able to scale back up just in time to see a band of thieves, arms filled with potions and wands, emerging from a rebel storehouse.  Clearly having set the fire as a distraction, the thieves seemingly have the perfect plan, but there’s one thing they didn’t count on: vigilante justice!  The thieves spread out, some drinking magical potions to turn invisible and escape while others, determined to make a name for themselves by being the ones to defeat the legendary Blackjack, come forward to fight.  Heavily outnumbered, Blackjack fights rapier to rapier against the thieves, suffering severe wounds but giving as good as they get.  Forced at one point to cast an uncharacteristic healing spell, Blackjack manages to triumph over four of the thieves—but others manage to escape.  A quick interrogation reveals that they’re full members of Korvosa’s only thieves’ guild: the semi-legitimate Cerulean Society. 

 

After turning over the prisoners and recovered items to Grau’s forces, Blackjack slips back into The Reckoner’s hideout and becomes Goldcape once more.  Wounded and still smelling of smoke from the nearby flames, she explains to Ralph what just happened.  He says the Cerulean Society is secretly run by Glorio Arkona, and it’s surely a plot against Grau.  What neither realise, however, is that a third person is listening in to their conversation . . .

 

[Wealday, 12 Arodus 4708 A.R. continued]

 

Over breakfast, Ralph suggests that today is the day to have the proclamation read because it would be best if some time passed between that event and the actual assassination attempt so that the castle’s defenders are exhausted by being on high-alert for so long.  But Lorien is much more interested in drama closer to home: he explains that he overheard some of Goldcape’s and Ralph’s conversation last night!  He says Goldcape shouldn’t be going on adventures without the rest of the group, but she replies that she’s known Ralph for a long time and shares some confidences with him that she doesn’t yet feel comfortable sharing with Lorien and Protosilaus.  Since the cat’s out of the bag about a run-in with thieves, Ralph shares his suspicions that the Cerulean Society has been directed by Glorio Arkona (whom he believes is their real leader) to steal from Grau’s army to weaken it for a potential post-Ileosa clash.  He says that directly after assassinating Ileosa, the group should teleport and try to take out Glorio too, before the aristocrat has time to react.  Yraelzin, however, is outraged by the idea, and says the group can’t start killing people just to shape the city the city to their own ends, and assassinating a rebel leader would completely undermine the rebels’ cause of furthering lawful transitions of power.  Ralph ripostes by reminding the group that Glorio is surely evil, and that he’s having his xill army implant captured Gray Maidens.  Yraelzin’s not so sure that Xoza’s intelligence is reliable.  Goldcape brokers a temporary truce by turning the focus back to the more immediate matters at hand: getting the proclamation read.

 

With Protosilaus taking the form of a crow, the others fly on Rocky’s back to the Grand Cathedral of Pharasma.  Keliathrothe, a xenophobic elven priestess who insulted members of the group previously, passes by the group in the corridors, and this time, she doesn’t say the word.  Could it be because she has somehow been cursed to appear as a disfigured intermix of elf and human?  Protosilaus smiles as she passes.  When they find Bishop d’Bear, she immediately agrees to send a messenger to the three faction leaders and to Seneschal Neolandus Kalepopolis.  After months of resistance the final step is about to begin: a formal proclamation evicting Ileosa Arabasti from Castle Korvosa will be read at noon, giving the self-styled Queen sixty minutes to depart.  And if she doesn’t . . . her life is forfeit!

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

GM Commentary

I liked the concept (drawn from the Korvosa sourcebook) that the city's major retailer of maps is more than happy to sell items of dubious provenance (or, to put it plainly, forged himself!).  As an aside, I really love the "in-universe" map of Varisia that came with that region's Player Companion.  It was (perhaps unintentionally) different in distances and layout of geographical features compared to the "real" map of Varisia, which is exactly what one would expect.  After all, if maps were perfect and easy to read, people wouldn't get lost so much :)

We got to see Goldcape foil a robbery as Blackjack in this session.  As the vigilante is a big subplot in Curse of the Crimson Throne, I'm glad I could improv a scene where the new incarnation gets some action.  Trying to win combats while restricted to Blackjack's rapier was a sometimes-frustrating challenge for the player, but important for preserving the illusion.

Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 93 [RPG]

[Moonday, 10 Arodus 4708 A.R. continued]

 

Secure in The Reckoner’s safehouse, the Harrowed Heroes plan long into the night.

 

[Toilday, 11 Arodus 4708 A.R.]

 

The ringing of handbells in the street outside wakens everyone at dawn.  Goldcape sneaks out, invisibly, to see what all the clanging is about and learns it’s a horse-drawn cart to collect the bodies of those killed overnight by the terrible blood magic curse still striking down victims across the city!  Sadly, Mifeg—the homeless woman the group had some contact with months ago—is one of the deceased.  Goldcape returns to fill the others in on what she’s seen.  But although bodies may continue to accumulate as long as Ileosa lives, the group agree to plan their strike on Castle Korvosa carefully instead of acting rashly.

 

Goldcape decides to walk to Old Korvosa to check on Sergeant Clenkins and the other members of the rebel cell she organised there.  The vanara is recognised by friendly House Arkona soldiers at the bridge and waved across.  Although the perpetual gloom of the nearby Black Tower puts a damper on things, she’s surprised to see how much the city’s most notorious slums have improved in recent weeks!  Rubbish has been hauled away, no gangs roam the street, and there’s even early signs of new construction.  But curiously, her rebel cell is nowhere to be found.  There’s no sign of violence or disorder in the abandoned building, but it looks like everything other than Goldcape’s personal gear has been packed up and moved out. 

 

She decides to learn the rebels’ fate by directly asking the most important man in Old Korvosa: Glorio Arkona himself!  In Arkona Palace, after having her identity confirmed through a quiz from Glorio’s majordomo (apparently shapechanging assassins are a risk), Goldcape is immediately brought to meet the artistocrat in a well-appointed salon.  Glorio is welcoming and flattering, and explains that Sergeant Clenkins and his troops found it “unnecessary” to maintain their protection of the Black Tower after the forces of House Arkona arrived.  Instead, Glorio explains, they’ve joined the siege of Castle Korvosa.  Along with refreshments and a gift of platinum coins, Glorio hints that, should he become leader of post-war Korvosa, he would offer her a major position of responsibility: Commandant of the Sable Company Marines!

 

After leaving the palace, Goldcape realises she’s near Vencarlo Orisini’s old fencing academy and decides to pay a visit to her mentor.  The two speak carefully in case spies for the Queen are listening in, but Goldcape subtly confirms that the mission to Scarwall was a success while Vencarlo talks about rebuilding the academy with the aid of a wealthy student.  He welcomes Goldcape to stop by for lessons anytime.  Goldcape says her farewells and makes it back to The Reckoner’s safehouse in the early afternoon.

 

Meanwhile, Protosilaus and The Reckoner haven’t been sitting idle!  Leaving Lorien and Yraelzin behind, the two walk to a particular alleyway not far from the safehouse to meet with one of The Reckoner’s informants.  In this case, that informant is Xoza, a dandasuka in the employ of House Arkona who is magically-bound to spy for The Reckoner!  Xoza reports progress on the three tasks assigned to him by The Reckoner before the Harrowed Heroes left the city for Scarwall.  First, Xoza reports a (not-so-stunning) revelation: the vigilante Trifaccia was an efreeti agent of The Queen!  Given that Grau Soldado took care of that problem some time ago, the information is now of little value.  Second, Xoza was charged with learning what House Arkona was planning, and again the little spy has information that may be too late to be of much value: the aristocratic family has entered into an alliance with the queen of the xill from the Black Tower.  In exchange for military support, House Arkona lets the xill implant their spawn in the bodies of captured Ileosan loyalists!  Third, Xoza says his third task (to find out Glorio Arkona’s weaknesses) faltered due to the man’s security and that, as far as he knows, Glorio is just a human.  But The Reckoner gets a hunch that Xoza has doubts about that, and presses him to reveal not just what he knows, but what he suspects: that Glorio is a rakshasa!  Xoza doesn’t seem able to articulate exactly what that means or what the differences are between different kinds of rakshasa, but insists the only weakness of a “true rakshasa” is a blessed  crossbow bolt.  The Reckoner asks Xoza to next look into finding information about the Queen and her new seneschal, the bloodmage Togomor.

But as Protosilaus and The Reckoner leave the alleyway, they hear angry shouting nearby to the south.  It seems that the rebel forces loyal to Kroft (the “New Korvosan Guard”) and the forces loyal to Glorio Arkona (his enlarged “Palace Guards”) are pushing, shoving, and yelling.  And watching ominously, just behind the Arkonan side, are a contingent of the four-armed, flame-red insect-like xill, surely ready to intervene with lethal force at the least invitation!  The Reckoner pulls the leaders of the two sides away from each other and learns that they’re arguing about a boundary dispute stemming from an ambiguously-drawn map.  He’s able to calm the situation enough that the leader of the Arkonan forces agrees to return to the palace and verify the map with the majordomo.  On the walk back to the safehouse, The Reckoner says that immediately after taking out Ileosa, they should go after Glorio Arkona!  Protosilaus grins disturbingly at the notion, and The Reckoner continues by explaining that they can’t give the man any chance to seize power, and that allowing the xill to implant their eggs in captured loyalists is surely a sign he’s evil.  Protosilaus shrugs and replies, “or just pragmatic.”

Once everyone is back together, they plan their next steps: Yraelzin and Goldcape will visit Jeggare Library to check the castle blueprints (stashed there long ago by Goldcape) against the maps provided by Sabina to see if the latter are indeed accurate; meanwhile, Protosilaus and The Reckoner will do some long-range reconnaissance on the castle to determine if their current plan for entry is viable. 

The research part of the plan goes off without a hitch, as the blueprints are exactly where Goldcape left them (in the “Fungi of the Mwangi Expanse” shelf) and, after an afternoon’s comparison, seem to support Sabina’s veracity.  On the way back from the library, Yraelzin and Goldcape run into a strike organised by the city’s dockworkers.  Seizing on a rare opportunity provided by the rebellion (trade unionism is illegal in Korvosa), the dockworkers are threatening to stop unloading grain shipments for the rebels unless they’re guaranteed bargaining rights in whatever regime follows Ileosa’s!  Goldcape tries to explain to the strike’s apparent leader just how important the grain shipments are, but has no luck, even when she name-drops The Reckoner (it seems like Blackjack is the “people’s champion” to this particular dockworker).  Eventually, Goldcape sends a message to the rebels camped around Castle Korvosa about the situation, and their commander, Sir Gyrad Tolgrith, comes himself!  Tolgrith’s reputation precedes him, and, after Goldcape explains the situation, he’s able to give the needed assurances to get the ships unloaded.  Interestingly, the well-respected leader pointedly refused to answer Goldcape’s question about which of the three rebel faction leaders he supports.

The surveillance part of the plan also provides valuable intelligence.  Protosilaus conjures a magical invisible flying eye that he can somehow see through, and sends it on multiple journeys in and around the castle.  The witch-doctor learns that the group’s originally-planned incursion site (a salon on the fourth floor) is the barracks for a contingent of Red Mantis assassins—one of whom spots the eye and sounds the alarm so another can dispel it!  But Protosilaus always has another spell, and is able to conjure more eyes to continue the reconnaissance.  He’s unable to see into the throne room or the queen’s bedroom due to the stained-glass windows, but is able to discern the shape of  . . . something . . . in the latter.  A look into the armory and Sabina’s room doesn’t provide confirmation that there really are secret doors as Sabina said, but the sight of a corpulent imp raiding the kitchen and barbed monsters in the mess hall support her story about Ileosa consorting with devils. 

 

Still, the crucial question remains: has Sabina provided the group with everything they need for a surgical assault or instead simply set the bait for an irresistible trap?

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

GM Commentary

I liked the idea that sanitation and safety in Old Korvosa was much improved under Glorio's control.  I wanted each of the three potential leaders to have positives associated with them, and (apart from being charming and generous) Glorio was good at keeping order.  Yes, he's an evil rakhasa, but he "keeps the trains running on time" as the phrase goes.

In regards to Xoza, I think I've talked before that it's hard as the GM to decide how much to have a spy reveal; it has to be enough for the players to feel like their efforts are being rewarded, but not so much that it undermines the campaign.  Here, it worked pretty well because I was able to draw links to a couple of subtle story elements that the PCs might not otherwise have put together.

Sir Tolgrith appears in Conquest of Bloodsworn Vale, one of the best 3.5-era Pathfinder modules.  Since Bloodsworn Vale is an area under Korvosan control, I thought it made sense to have him make a cameo.

I always find it a bit uncomfortable as the GM to handle reconnaisance like magical scrying eyes, gaseous form, etc., where the PCs aren't interacting with the rooms directly.  The issue is that if I go through the full room description it takes ages and they're not going to do anything apart from moving on to the next room to see what's there--so it's a huge exposition dump.  But, it can also be hard to concisely summarise flavour text in the moment.

Pathfinder Map Pack: "Fungus Forest" [RPG]

Fungus Forest is one of those Map Packs that will sit in your collection for years without ever being used.  And then all of a sudden, say during a campaign in the Darklands, it'll be the perfect thing for an encounter.  At least, that was my experience, as I finally got to use it as the PCs raided a drow fungus farm.  I used all 18 tiles to make the cavern depicted on the back of the box, which worked pretty well (apart from the tiles on the lower right having an awkward cave wall that didn't quite match the adjoining tiles).  I liked the stagnant pond and maze-like structure provided by the fungal walls, and I added rules for visibility, movement, and cover to them (plus a few toxic hazards, naturally).  I wouldn't have minded if the designers had created one or two other landmarks in addition to the stagnant pond, but admittedly I can't think off the top of my head what those would be.  Anyway, I certainly wouldn't recommend spending a lot for Fungus Forest--it probably won't get a lot of use.  But, if you can find it cheaply, it's a nice thing to have on hand.  (And remember to use blue-tak to hold the tiles in place--I forgot and looked like an amateur GM!)

Starfinder Society Scenario # 6-14: "The Missing" [RPG]

 NO SPOILERS

 

I got to play The Missing via play-by-post with a really fun PC, my “junkomancer” Nixxer (a character who has never spent a single credit!).  I had a good time, but truth be told, the scenario is pretty average.  It makes poor use of a solid premise, offers a pretty flat view of a potentially interesting setting, and comes up with a fairly generic villain.  It’s not really bad, just forgettable, with a lean into the sappy.

 

 

SPOILERS!

 

The hook to The Missing is good, classic adventure material.  Aboard the kasatha world-ship Idari, several residents have gone missing over the past six months.  The missing kasathans are from two adjoining (but rival) communities that have rejected mainstream society.  One community, the Vocation of Voices, are an insular, agrarian society that rejects technology and only interacts with the wider world to sell their homemade goods and heirloom crops.  Basically, Space Amish!  The other community, the Red Corridor, are artists, outcasts, and criminals living in a series of interconnected basement complexes.  In other words, something like the movie Rent.  The two communities often clash, and tensions are worse now with one blaming the other for the disappearances.  Captain Xogathu of the Idari briefs the PCs alongside First Seeker Ehu Hadif, and gives a very plausible reason why outsiders like SFS agents have been brought in to investigate: neither of the outsider communities trust the leadership of the Idari (the Doyenate) and their law enforcement officials.  I don’t have my copy of the Pact Worlds handy, but I’m guessing these two communities are drawn from it, and I always like seeing setting material get spotlighted in scenarios.

 

The investigation is pretty simplistic.  I sort of thought this would be like an FBI serial killer investigation with a list of victims, their common characteristics, and subtle clues to pierce together leading to a suspect, but I can be very naïve! Despite one or two people going missing every couple of weeks for six months, the scenario only has information about two of them: an adolescent girl from the Vocation of Voices named Nindir and an adolescent boy from the Red Corridors named Rahosa.  (If you immediately jumped to a Romeo and Juliet situation, you should aggressively pat yourself on the back with both hands simultaneously).   A little conversation with Nindir’s father and Rahosa’s art teacher, plus an easy skill check or two leads the PCs to a remote lookout over the Lake of Memories where Nindir and Rahosa would rendezvous.  Disturbances in the ground reveal a battle and a chase took place, and PCs quickly get confirmation of danger when they’re attacked by a sort of rat/leopard cross called a “leoporine”.  The scenario does a strong job with rules for ambush and terrain here, and the artwork for the creature (and really, throughout the scenario) is great!  After the battle, the PCs can follow tracks to the entrance to a once-concealed underground bunker.

 

The bunker is a secret research station operated by a disgraced scientist named Hynes.  In an origin worthy of a Marvel super villain, his research into genetically engineering animals for military purposes ran afoul of ethical and legal rules, and he was ostracised.  So he took to the bunker to do it all on his own—only his creations have a bad habit of getting loose and killing kasathans who wander through the area!  Fortunately (and oddly), Nindir and Rahosa escaped the leoporine attack at the lookout and happened to run right into the bunker, where they’ve been hiding since.  Searching the bunker requires overcoming the de rigeur laser turret and another cool creation, a combination scorpion and shark called a “carusidae”.  Again, the artwork makes a potentially ludicrous idea seem pretty cool.  Hynes is in the complex and taunts the PCs over the intercoms as they explore, but he immediately surrenders once confronted in person—as every cowardly scientist type should.

 

As a bit of an epilogue, the PCs can help Nindir and Rahosa overcome their respective families’ prejudices against each other’s communities.  Man, Shakespeare really missed a beat in not giving his little play a happy ending too!

 

I snark, but really The Missing is perfectly fine.  A bit too simplistic and twee for my tastes, but I really should have adjusted my expectations for Starfinder Society now that we’re in Season Six.