Pathfinder Society Scenario # 10-19: "Corpses in Kalsgard" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I played Corpses in Kalsgard several months ago at low subtier with my psychic-monk, Arrius Vext.  Before rereading it for the purposes of this review, I couldn't really remember what it was about--which I guess isn't a good sign.  After going over it again, the scenario has some decent characters and makes good use of its setting.  But there are some flaws as well, and nothing that elevates it beyond the ordinary.  I guess "quintessentially average" is where I'd rank it.

SPOILERS

Corpses in Kalsgard is in the Land of the Linnorm Kings (in the eponymous city Kalsgard).  The Pathfinders have been summoned by one of my favourite venture-captains, Bjersig Torrsen (and his cute hound Mahki!).  There have apparently been several mysterious deaths of gnomes in Kalsgard, with the victims looking pale as if they died from the Bleaching (the disease that affects gnomes who lead bland, joyless existences).  However, the victims died suddenly and with fearful expressions, and the Bleaching takes far longer.  The PCs are asked to investigate the deaths and find the culprit.  The explanation of what any of this has to do with a group of explorer/scholars like the Pathfinder Society is pretty feeble, and this isn't the first time scenarios have cast the PCs as general, all-around world police problem solvers.  There is an interesting backdrop to the events, however:  Sveinn Blood-Eagle, the Linnorm King, has decided to step down from the throne, and his children are squabbling about who should replace him.  (There's a minor encounter against some street thugs who mistakenly think the PCs are supporting one faction or another.)  I assume this sets up an evolution in setting lore that will be reflected in PF2.

The Pathfinders' primary liaison with the local gnome community in Kalsgard is a fun and well-written cleric of Nivi Rhombodazzle named Quil Tabberdash.  Quil operates The Hall of Seven Wagers, a combination church and gambling parlor.  She explains that several gnomes have died over the past few months in a suspicious fashion, but only the four most recent crime scenes are available.  The PCs can visit the crime scenes in any order.  The way the investigation is handled mechanically isn't very good, in my opinion.  Instead of the scenario describing the general scene and allowing the players to ask some intelligent questions (as well as search for clues), the entire process (even down to getting a general description of the room!) is handled only by Perception checks or Diplomacy (Gather Information) checks.  It made the investigation very artificial, and was a bit infantilizing.  One thing that the investigation reveals is that all four victims spent time in The Hall of Seven Wagers.  My group spent a lot of time investigating the connection (and being suspicious of Quil), but that turned out to be either poor writing or an intentional red herring.  

What the PCs are supposed to discover, instead, are cryptic, fading messages written in ectoplasm (!) that express regret for the murders and contain a street address.  When they arrive, they find a small family of gnomes being held hostage, guarded by gnome wights!  What the PCs will learn is the killings have been done, quite reluctantly, by the ghost of a gnome named Humush Mum.  The rescued gnomes are Humush's family, kidnapped and held hostage by an evil gnome necromancer named Ellux Shost in order to force Humush to kill.  Ellux, it turns out, wants to establish a gnome kingdom in the northern lands, and thinks an army of undead gnomes is a good way to accomplish this.  Umm . . . hmm . . .  

There's a lot to unpack here!  The first thing that strikes me is that in Pathfinder, ghosts stick around because there is something very specific that they've left undone--they haven't been buried, they want revenge on their murderer, etc.  Here, Humush Mum died in an ordinary accident and her ghost is apparently hanging around just because she was generally concerned over her family's well-being (this was before they were taken hostage).  It's not really the sort of situation that one thinks of as giving rise to a ghost.  Further, Humush Mum fits into that very problematic (in Golarion at least) category of non-evil undead.  I have to give Ellux, the evil necromancer, credit for cleverly thinking that a ghost's corrupting touch would leave victims looking like they've suffered from the Bleaching, but I don't really see the connection between killing a bunch of gnomes and then raising them from the dead as a plausible way to establish a gnome kingdom.  Like, is the local graveyard running out of bodies?  That dude is bringing a lot of extra work on himself with these roundabout schemes.  I know that a searching exploration of most fantasy plots break down as some point, but these were things that jumped out at me during the session, and I think they're a sign of a story that needed more work.

Anyway, the Pathfinders will find their way to Ellux's lair (in true PFS fashion, even if they don't discover any clues, they're almost literally led there by the nose).  The lair is guarded by ghoul badgers (now that's an army!) and some skeletal champions.  I like the artwork for Ellux.  There is a nice little touch I thought was good--the faster that the PCs find Ellux's lair, the fewer buff spells the necromancer has time to put into place.  After the battle, the epilogue is fine and the Chronicle boons are pretty interesting.

I've probably made Corpses in Kalsgard sound worse than it actually is.  It plays fine, and although the plot needs work, there's nothing actively terrible about it.  Indeed, the scenario does a good job portraying gnome culture in Kalsgard and provides a bit of insight into the evolving setting lore of the Land of Linnorm Kings.  Overall final verdict: it's okay.