Pathfinder Tales: "Lord of Penance" [RPG]

 

NO SPOILERS

Lord of Penance is a four-part Pathfinder short story available as free web fiction or as an ePub download here.  Set in the Puddles District of Absalom, it's a grittier tale--there's no epic quests or dragons here.  But the story is really well done and enjoyable.  It's hard to say much more without spoilers, but I'd recommend it.

SPOILERS

The main characters in Lord of Penance are Sefu, a Wave Rider of Absalom, and his best friend, a gillman named Olhas.  Sefu's sister has fallen in with a stereotypical cult, and has started worshipping a would-be new god named Domitian, "The Lord of Penance", by engaging in begging and prostitution.  When Sefu tries to pull his sister away from the cult, it's seen as a veritable kidnapping and bystanders intervene--a nice twist.  Sefu and Olhas confront Domitian, and the story has an excellent depiction of how charm magic (and resistance) "feels" in an in-universe sense.  Sufficie it to say, the cover art is a major spoiler.  Overall though, it's a solid, fun tale.