Pathfinder Society Scenario # 7-12: "The Twisted Circle" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Life has gotten busy, so it's nice to have a little time to write a much-belated Pathfinder review!  Today I'm tackling The Twisted Circle, an interesting and original scenario that I played via play-by-post many moons ago using my Prophet of Kalistrade character (he allegedly turns into a savage, bloodthirsty beast when harmed, but that's just a Society-wide prank that he resents!).  The Twisted Circle takes place mostly in the rarely-visited Mana Wastes and features an interesting setting, some open-ended investigation of a mystery, and a solid moral decision.  I think it's an especially good scenario for when no one's in a rush and folks are good to put their thinking caps on and look for clues.  I'd definitely recommend it.

SPOILERS!

The scenario officially begins with a briefing by Venture-Captain Roderus in the Winding Road Inn lodge in Katapesh.  Roderus explains that the PCs are being sent to a small village called Mercy in the Mana Wastes.  Their mission is to find out what's happened to a missing investigator named Amenira.  Amenira is a priest of Nethys (God of Magic) and she went to Mercy to investigate reports that it was somehow able to perfectly withstand a fearsome mana storm that devastated all of the surrounding area.  Amenira sent in reports regularly after reaching Mercy, but it's now been four months since the Temple of the All-Seeing Eye in Osirion has heard from her.  It's not made clear why the Pathfinder Society is getting involved in this matter, but it's a solid hook for an adventure.

The nautical journey from Katapesh to Alkenstar is hand-waved.  In Alkenstar, the PCs can gather some information about Mercy, and may learn that the village worships a god, Robori, that is not worshipped anywhere else.  There's not much else to do in Alkenstar, so soon the PCs will hit the road into the Wastes.  The first encounter is against an ambush by gnolls.  The encounter takes place in an "invisible magical fog" that (very subtly, likely unnoticeably) has some effects on certain spells, and this is the only tangible manifestation that the PCs are in the Mana Wastes--a boon for spellcasting PCs, but disappointing to me, as I would have loved to see some real chaos and confusion! (that's part of the fun of setting adventures in the Mana Wastes, after all).  Now, what the PCs are supposed to do is notice a nearby cave that the gnolls were lurking nearby and go explore it, as it holds some very early clues to help build an understanding of what's going on in Mercy.  My Prophet of Kalistrade was understandably against the idea of exploring random gnoll caves when a potentially-profitable mission needed to be pursued elsewhere, but unfortunately Pathfinder Society players are trained to never skip an encounter or piece of treasure, regardless of the role-playing ramifications.

The writer of The Twisted Circle (John Cazares) did an excellent job with Mercy.  Players will immediately notice some things that seem "off"--large weapons are prohibited, there's a strict nightly curfew, children are nowhere to be seen, there are a series of unspoken rules, and more.  That, and their one-of-a-kind deity, will likely put players into a Call of Cthulhu-style "we've stumbled into an evil cult" vibe.  While staying in Mercy, the investigation of what happened to Amenira is open-ended, as the PCs can talk to residents, explore her house, gain some insight into Robori ("God of Trees"), and more.  This is a section of the scenario that the GM will have to be flexible and well-prepared for (there's a lot of lore, and a lot of directions the PCs can take).  One bit that could have been improved is more NPCs to help the GM from having to improv who the PCs are talking to when they go around and ask questions. The scenario is well-integrated into the history of Golarion (with some intriguing connections to the origins of ghorans, a race that doesn't get a lot of attention in Pathfinder).

At one point, Mercy will be attacked by a bat swarm.  During the encounter, the PCs will notice a strange, child-like animated doll lurking around the edges of the village.  Following the doll will lead the PCs to an underground area outside of Mercy, and closer to understanding what's going on and what happened to Amenira.  It's a bit complicated and hard to explain, so I'll just say I really like the twist that the people of Mercy *aren't* evil cultists.  They've innocently misunderstood what's protecting them from the dangerous mana storms, and it's up to the PCs to decide whether to tell them the truth (and undermine their faith) or let them remain in blissful ignorance.  It reminds me a bit of some of the best of the Starfinder scenarios that verge on Prime Directive territory--how much should outsiders meddle with the affairs of remote cultures?

So all in all, unless you're looking for a simpler or more combat-heavy scenario, I'd definitely recommend The Twisted Circle.