Pathfinder Module: "Guardians of Dragonfall" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Guardians of Dragonfall is a really interesting, memorable, and lore-heavy module that deserves better recognition.  I ran it in my "Roots of Golarion" campaign of 3.5-era Pathfinder material and found it was a rich and densely-packed adventure.  It's certainly not one to try and run on the fly, but instead rewards careful GM preparation (and some patience for 3D map visualisation).  For reasons that are inexplicable to me, the setting material in the module has been labelled "non-canon" (an issue I'll take up in the section below).  Despite that, I think this is an adventure well worth revisiting.

I'll get to the adventure itself in a moment, but first I'll briefly cover general design and back matter.  This is a 32-page, full-colour module.  The cover is great (undead dragons should be scary!), and the interior artwork is solid.  The cartography is excellent, though they're trying to convey some challenging 3D relationships which isn't easy for Pathfinder tactical combat to encompass.  I love the "Designer Notes" sidebars in these early modules, and still can't fathom why they were done away with in later products.  Backmatter consists of five short appendices:  "Dragonfall and Draconic Belief" (a brief summary of lore covered extensively in the adventure), "New Feats" (two new feats only for true dragons, with "slow exhalation" being a particularly nasty combination of bite and breath attack), "New Magic Items" (featuring a major artifact called a bellwether brooch and a CL15 wondrous item called a hand of the theurge--it fires wands for you!), "New Monsters" (includes cool raw magic elementals called arcanatons and flying snakelike constructs called tongues of rebuke and wings of protection), and "New Spell" (featuring apparent master which is essentially a charm spell for constructs).  Level 11 Iconics (Valeros, Seoni, Merisiel, and Kyra) round out the collection.

SPOILERS!

Apart from a brief opening, almost the entirety of the module takes place in the eponymous Dragonfall.  Dragonfall is the fabled graveyard of the dragons, a remote mountain in the highest range of peaks in Golarion, and the place that dragons who are reaching the end of their normal lifespan fly to in order to be entombed with their ancestors.  To dragonkind, it is the most sacred place in existence, and outsiders are never welcomed.  The module provides extensive background and detail on Dragonfall and the history of dragons in general, and I imagine some readers will eat it up with a spoon!  I might be one of those readers who isn't particularly fussed about dragons, but even I can admire the effort and thought that went into constructing an original and unique contribution to the campaign setting like this.  It was also integrated into the first deep treatment of dragons in Golarion (in Pathfinder AP # 4).  It's excellent, well-written material, and thus I'm baffled that Paizo declared it non-canon as if it were a passing throwaway reference in a product as opposed to a deeply thought-out and integrated aspect of the setting.  I guess that's my mini-rant, and I'll let dragon aficionados hash it out from there.

The adventure is premised on the idea that a tiefling sorcerer named Tornulis (amusingly christened "Tortilla Chip" by my son) learned of the existence of Dragonfall and, with the help of a pair of renegade dragons (a mother-undead son duo) breached the mountain's defenses and has taken over its magical guardian constructs.  Tornulis' motivations are admittedly pretty cheesy--she literally wants to rule the world!  (The artwork for her is also unfortunately top-heavy)  The GM may want to adjust her motivation and perhaps even add some backstory to better fit the plot.

Part 1, "The Herbalist's Home", gets the ball rolling.  The way the PCs get involved isn't necessarily great as an adventure hook--they receive a letter delivered by a young boy named Curthew from a herbalist named Aroon who wishes to hire them.  When the PCs show up at Aroon's residence, another (very long!) letter reveals that he is actually a gold dragon named Auronorex!  The letter indicates Auronorex learned of the intrusion at Dragonfall and has gone to investigate, but, fearing the worst, he is willing to do the unthinkable and invite a band of mortals he trusts to follow in his footsteps, promising them great treasures if they succeed.  Hidden in his basement is a magic teleportation circle that will take everyone to an outlying area of Dragonfall called the Bone Field.  It's a hook that is premised on the notion that Auronorex has been watching the PCs and entrusts them with a mission of the utmost sacred responsibility which, frankly, doesn't seem realistic for most tables of "kill-the-bad-guys&take-their-stuff" adventurers.  Ideally, a GM who is able to plan ahead could have the PCs interact with Aroon earlier and thus provide retroactive justification for his trust in them.  (When I ran it, I came up with the idea that Curthew was Aroon's nephew, and the boy had no idea he was actually a dragon too!  Perhaps also cheesy and implausible, but it made for a fun NPC to accompany the group on the adventure) 

Part 2, "The Bone Field", has the PCs arriving in a vast field of draconic skeletons--the bones of those dragons who were deemed unworthy to enter the sacred mountain.  Not every dragon gets to enter the crypts, as they must first present the Dragonfall Seneschal with an offering worthy of their power.  Normally the construct guardians quickly destroy any undead who arise in the Bone Field, but as Tornulis has seized on the guardians for her own ends, the PCs will have to fight some young adult red skeletons and potentially other undead.  (I like the random encounter table with entries like "avalanche [of bones]" and "bone storm", though the PCs probably won't linger in the Bone Field long enough for the GM to roll very often on it)  Assuming they head toward the mountain in the center of the Bone Field, the PCs will encounter the ghostly spirit of Auronorex, and probably have their first (and potentially only) major role-playing opportunity in the module.  It's revealed that each type of dragon has its own entrance to the sacred mountain, and Auronorex suggests the group try the portal to the Emerald Shrine as the closest.  They need to fight their way through some "half-dragon satyr" barbarians called the Winterhorns who (through some contrivances) have taken up residence near the entrance.

Part 3, "Shearphorus," is the middle sequence of the adventure and the longest.  Shearphorus is the name of the tower of rock that contains the crypts in Dragonfall.  The PCs most likely enter inside the mountain through a magic portal to the Emerald Shrine, arriving on the other side in total darkness to plunge into a roiling and corrosive lake of bone shards!  Called the Maelstrom, this led to one of the most exciting (to me!) or scary (to the PCs!) sequence in the adventure, as some of the PCs were still fighting the Winterhorns on one side of the portal while those on the other side were fighting for their lives against some particularly nasty environmental hazards.  PCs who can't fly or climb well are in big trouble if they don't escape the acid pool quickly.  Further travel through the Emerald Shrine involves encounters with mohrgs, Winterhorn zombies, and an undead green dragon named Lephrelourge who enjoys participating in ritual magic that will not be convenient for the safety of intruders!

A long spiral passageway leads up from the Emerald Shrine into the hollow span of Shearphorus above.  Here, the PCs will have multiple encounters with Dragonfall's construct guardians: tongues of rebuke and wings of protection.  They do different types of elemental damage and explode when destroyed.  It's a great opportunity for me to pull out the flying rules, much to the consternation of my son.  Tornulis' half-fiend ogre wizard apprentice, Trauzek, is also encountered here.  Last up is Tornulis herself.  A level 11 wizard with the disintegrate spell should never be taken for granted, but with just 40 hp (D&D 3.5 rules), she probably won't put up much of a fight.  After capturing her, my PCs made an incredible Bluff check to persuade her they were divine emissaries and she should assist them!

Part 4, "The Gauntlet of Challenge-Cry" has the PCs traversing a series of chambers meant to test the worthiness of dragons who seek to be interred in Dragonfall.  They're doing this, despite having killed or captured Tornulis, because they need to recover the bellwether brooch, the artifact that controls Dragonfall's construct guardians.  Tornulis had given it to her green dragon ally Culpangia (mother of Lephrelourge) for safekeeping.  It's a lot of names, but it all fits together, I think.  Obstacles here include a great wyrm bronze dragon suffering from delirium (diplomatic and compassionate PCs may be able to avoid a fight), more constructs, and the raw magic elementals (arcanatons) that I think are a clever addition to the game and should appear more.  Assuming the PCs can defeat Culpangia, they'll be able to retrieve the Bellwether Brooch and set things right in Dragonfall, and bear witness to the spirit of Auronorex becoming the new location's new seneschal.

Guardians of Dragonfall certainly isn't perfect--there are some character motivations and plot points that could have used a second pass--but as an adventure, it's solid and makes use of a great location.  I think I'll integrate Dragonfall into my Golarion, no matter what Paizo says!

Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 60 [RPG]

 [Fireday, 24 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

It’s a hot summer’s day in Korvosa when the Harrowed Heroes, having spent several days apart to tend to their own affairs, reunite to continue planning their voyage to Castle Scarwall.  The meeting takes place at an abandoned building in Old Korvosa repurposed by Goldcape to house her own resistance cell.  After some confusion and banter over code words and security, the three get down to business.  Goldcape shares some information about The Harrower’s final words and that Yraelzin is leaving the Cinderlands after helping to repulse the giant army.  The Reckoner shares his discovery that Marcus Endrin is still alive and kept in a secret cell in Deathhead Vault, and adds his suspicions that the new “hero” Trifaccia is really an agent of the Queen.  He also informs them that Kroft and her band of rebels are safe and are awaiting reassurances before revealing the location of their new headquarters.  Anorak says he hasn’t learned much, as he’s been busy upgrading Plate to make The Reckoner more mobile on the battlefield; the only side-effect of the process is that the intelligent suit of armor seems to be growing confident and outspoken.  Although Plate is ready, Anorak says he wants to spend at least four more days in Korvosa to prepare himself for the journey, and the others agree.  The three agree on a signal for future meetings, with Anorak to hang an old towel outside his workshop and Goldcape to put an old mattress against the wall outside if either wish to talk.

As The Reckoner and Anorak are leaving Goldcape’s new quarters, the two discuss how Glorio let slip that a spy was watching the dwarf’s workshop.  The Reckoner explains it’s probably one of the strange gnomelike creatures that he and Goldcape once scuffled with, as they seem to lurk all over as hidden agents for House Arkona.  Talk slides into how such a spy could be detected or captured, and suddenly a plan is hatched.  Deciding there’s no time like the present, the two make their way to Anorak’s workshop.  The dwarf returns to work normally, while The Reckoner (invisible) hides in an alleyway watching.  Soon, he spots the spy crouching on the workshop’s roof, barely visible in the shadows of the chimney—the creature must be watching Anorak through a chink in the roof tiles!  Anorak later leaves and finds The Reckoner in the alleyway.  With the help of a memory-enhancing spell, he recognises the “gnome” as a type of rakshasa called a dandasuka.  The spell alerts the dandasuka to the presence of hidden watchers, but before it can flee, Anorak uses a short-range teleportation spell to take him and The Reckoner to the roof.  There, with one mighty swipe of his hammer, The Reckoner knocks the creature unconscious.  Fortunately, the fight was so fast that no one appeared to notice, even in broad daylight.

After the pair haul the unconscious dandasuka into the workshop and bind him securely, The Reckoner uses a wand to heal it back to consciousness.  The creature seems surprisingly unconcerned by its dire predicament—perhaps even happy to have some excitement, and readily admits it was spying on Anorak and reports to Glorio Arkona’s majordomo every morning.  It gleefully insults its captors for what it sees as a ham-fisted attempt at interrogation, and cheerfully volunteers to become a double agent for them, while noting that it could just as easily become a triple agent.  Perhaps flummoxed by the creature’s attitude, The Reckoner and Anorak decide to gag it and lock it in a chest until they can decide what to do with it.

Since he’s already in the workshop, The Reckoner decides to put on Plate.  The sapient armor is so enthused about his new abilities he shows off by lifting his wearer into the air without being asked—much to the vigilante’s consternation.  The Reckoner and Anorak discuss what to do with their captive, and eventually hit upon the idea of ensuring its loyalty through a contract—but no ordinary contract, a magical contract that coerces signatories to observe its terms!  Disguising himself as an ordinary day labourer, Ralph Blackfeather leaves the workshop with a plan to buy the contract at Hedge Wizardry, but then remembers there’s only one land crossing left between Old Korvosa and the rest of the city—and it’s guarded by the Gray Maidens!  Fortunately, Anorak is able to teleport him just across the river so he can make the rest of the journey on foot.

At Hedge Wizardry, Phaeton is dismayed when Ralph discloses who he really is underneath the disguise—which means the storekeeper will have to list him as the purchaser for anything he buys.  Ralph decides to go ahead, and scrapes together almost seven thousand gold pieces—nearly the last of his funds—to buy the magical contract.  A tip from Phaeton directs Ralph to a bookstore in Midland where the proprietor, Costa Serimus, has the legal skills to write out the terms that Ralph wants it to say.  It’s going to be quite an elaborate document, as Ralph and Anorak spent a long time thinking of loopholes the dandasuka might try to exploit.  One issues that Costa points out is that the contract will only be binding if entered into voluntarily (not through force or duress), and so Ralph should think of what he will offer in the way of consideration (value).  The nominal sum of 1 gold piece per month is decided, and Costa says he’ll have it ready the next day.  As Ralph is leaving, he notices a handbill posted by Costa offering a reward to anyone who can cleanse his store of a ghostly presence.  When asked, Costa explains that whenever he’s alone in the building, spooky things start to happen—he hears noises, feels chills, and find things have moved from where he left them.  Ralph says he might look into it.

His journey back to Old Korvosa is initially stymied by the Gray Maiden’s barricade of the bridge.  His first plan to rely on Plate’s ability to fly fails (after its resounding battle cry of “For the good of Korvosa!”) because the armor has already exhausted its magic for the day.  Fortunately, the resourceful vigilante combines invisibility and amazing physical prowess to scale the barricade without being noticed by the guards.  After a brief stop at Anorak’s workshop to share the news about the contract being drafted, The Reckoner goes to inform Goldcape of what they’ve been doing.  Once there, the two hear from Clenkins that House Arkona guards arrested several people nearby just minutes ago.  Goldcape and The Reckoner are alarmed to hear the news (fearing Glorio may be emulating Ileosa’s authoritarianism) and decide to investigate under the cover of invisibility.  But a pleasant surprise is awaiting them: the guards have only arrested a band of street robbers unlicensed by the Cerulean Society.  And more to the point, the criminals were bound and waiting for the guards after Blackjack foiled their brazen daylight attack on residents of Old Korvosa!  The return of Korvosa’s foremost hero is sure to improve morale in the neighbourhood.

After easily foiling an attempted theft by a strange spider-like humanoid creature called an ettercap, the Harrowed Heroes teleport across the river to investigate whether the city’s largest bookstore is haunted.  They perform a careful search using means mundane and magical, but fail to turn up signs of any spectral infestation.  Remembering that Costa said the haunting only occurs when he’s alone in the building, Ralph offers to spend the night alone in the bookstore, but Costa reluctantly declines—there are just too many valuable tomes in the store, and he just met Ralph hours ago.  Ralph is understanding and returns to his safehouse in Northpoint, while Anorak teleports Goldcape home and then returns to his workshop.

[Starday, 25 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

It’s just one bell past midnight when Anorak wakes from a sound sleep with tremendous pain—something is trying to tear out his throat!  As his life flashes before his eyes, a sudden burst of strength allows him to push the attacker away.  But the situation somehow becomes even worse, as the dwarf realizes there’s not just one attacker, but three, and they’re not remotely human!  Flame-red mixtures of insect and reptiles, the attackers have four arms and mandibles dripping with what must surely be poison.  As Anorak throws off the bedclothes, turns himself invisible with a mystic intonation and scrambles to his feet, one of the intruders breaks open the chest where the dandasuka is held, but snaps it shut and kicks it away.  The sound of breaking furniture in an adjacent room reveals another has found what it has been seeking: the box left by Mortimont!  Despite being invisible, the dwarf’s attacker has a rough idea of where his prey must be and continues clawing and biting.  Nearly succumbing from his wounds, Anorak makes the desperate decision to grab the box, throw open the door, and race out into the night towards the one source of aid nearby—Goldcape’s resistance cell.  As he runs—not knowing whether the creatures are following—he feels a peculiar sense of ownership over the box and the knowledge that it would let him open it . . .

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

GM Commentary

This was the first session of Chapter Five, and some of the players used their 3d6 days of Downtime to gather some very handy bits of information that they shared to each other in the first scene.  During Downtime, I guarantee to players that there will be no combat interruptions and all ticking clocks in the background will be paused, but I also tell them if they want to continue Downtime activities after the 3d6 days is up, everything is fair game.  Anorak's player wanted to keep crafting, but it's hard to craft when xill are after the box you were supposed to ditch!

The idea of capturing one of Glorio's spies and turning him into a double-agent took me completely by surprise but became a pretty important subplot!  The Reckoner invested not only a substantial amount of money in that contract, but a lot of time trying to avoid any legalistic loopholes.  I tried to make the effort worthwhile in terms of the information received.  I had to improv the dandasuka's personality on the spot and came up with this crazy/creepy/enthusiastic vibe that really hit a chord with the players; he was voted the best NPC in the game when the campaign finished!

The stuff about the bookstore being haunted was my attempt to implement a reference from the Guide to Korvosa, but it didn't really pan out well.  I didn't have anything prepped.  Sometimes improv goes great, and sometimes it falls flat!

Pathfinder Flip-Mat: "Bandit Outpost" [RPG]

I've had the Bandit Outpost flip-mat for a while now and never used it, but the advantage of having a big collection is that, sometimes, you happen to have exactly what you need when you need it!  I needed something that could serve as the walled Aspis Consortium compound, and Bandit Outpost fit the description perfectly.  It has a good array of features, such as buildings and their interiors, stables, an inner parapet and ladders to reach it, etc.  It's the sort of thing that would fit the bill anytime the PCs are out in the wilderness and you need a bad-guy hideout, or, as the packaging says, something that could also serve as the PCs' own headquarters.  The only downside is that, as with a lot of the early flip-mat releases, the other side is just plain grassland with a bit of a clearing in the middle of it.  I've come to find these blank sides more useful than I would have thought, but it's still not the best use of space.

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 4-S: "Ruins of Bonekeep, Level One: The Silent Grave" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

I imagine anyone who's played Pathfinder Society for a while will have heard of the legendary Bonekeep scenarios: a series designed to test the most experienced character optimisers around!  Famously lethal (but with higher-than-normal rewards), these scenarios are not for your average, run-of-the-mill PCs.  It was thus with a great deal of trepidation (but with plenty of Prestige Points for a raise dead) that I entered my completely-randomly-generated-multiclass character Jilla into a play-by-post game of The Silent Grave, the first of the Bonekeep scenarios.  It was very exciting to play with a real sense of fear (usually absent from most scenarios), though I think the scenario wasn't as hard as rumour has it or the GM was taking it easy on us (or perhaps both) because we all made it out in one piece.  I'd certainly like to play the next one with a no-holds-barred vibe and see what happens!


SPOILERS!

The in-game premise behind the scenario is pretty simple: a crumbling white-stoned siege castle outside of Absalom named Bonekeep is ripe for exploration, and Pathfinders are the ones to do it.  Two hundred years ago, Bonekeep was the fortress of a necromancer named Volzaras who planned to open a portal to the Negative Energy Plane under the siege castle, command an army of undead, and take over City at the Center of the World (Absalom).  Of course, Volzaras' plan went awry; he was destroyed and his keep was razed.  Various expeditions in the years since never turned up anything of interest in the ruins of Bonekeep, until two Pathfinders recently discovered a secret staircase to its lower levels.  One was decapitated by a trap, and the other ran for help.  The PCs are assigned by Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin to explore the place.  Out of game, the PCs can only explore the first level of the dungeon, as other scenarios in the series are for deeper levels.  This first level was home to the laboratories of Volzaras' apprentice, and have since been taken over by a ratfolk alchemist named Korsan.  

The scenario is pure dungeon-crawl, with no NPCs, skill challenges, wilderness travel, etc.  It's classic, old school, check-every-square-for-traps gaming that can feel very nostalgic to those of us who played in the era of graph-paper maps.  The scenario definitely has some appropriately ruthless features: multiple creatures like caryatid columns and grey oozes that can destroy equipment (this happened early in the game I played and really limited one of the PCs who until then had the modern luxury of never needing to carry a backup weapon), combats that can get out of hand quickly with poor tactics or bad luck on the dice (an alchemist that buffs for five rounds can be scary), and some great traps (I love one trap that is armed only by the PCs adding their weight to a pedestal to disarm a more obvious trap).  Disease seems to be a special theme of this particular scenario, as there are multiple ways to catch one and the scenario even includes a special GM handout to keep track of who has one and their progression!  (and there's a negative boon associated with disease as well)  

The Pathfinder experience it reminds me of the most of is Thornkeep, which came out after this, but that was also pure (and sometimes pretty tough) dungeon crawling.  There must be some rules for running the adventure that are outside the scenario itself, as there's some references to time limits in the text (and for PBP, we were limited to a route of about half the rooms, chosen by the GM)

I certainly had fun with The Silent Grave.  I wouldn't want hard old-school dungeon crawls to be the only type of Pathfinder adventure, but as a change of pace, it was great and escaping the first level came with a sense of accomplishment.

Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 59 [RPG]

[15 Erastus 4708 to 23 Erastus 4708]

After weeks of exhaustive trudging through the Cinderlands and a narrow escape from Deathhead Vault, the Harrowed Heroes decide to spend several days in Korvosa to rest and plan the next steps of their quest.  The raid on Deathhead Vault has clearly broken the back of the Red Mantis assassins, as rumor holds they were effectively wiped out and are unlikely to return.  In addition, several mid-ranking officers in the Gray Maidens were slain, and the effects are clear: patrols are less frequent and more cautious.  Without adequate troops to enforce it, Ileosa has “graciously” lifted martial law from Korvosa.  Unrest and violence remain—along with the knowledge that the cruel queen could tighten her fist at any time—but for now the city is better off than it has been since just before the arrival of blood veil. 

Across the city, various factions are also planning their next moves.  With the Church of Asmodeus and the Church of Abadar officially endorsing Ileosa, the “neutral” faiths of Sarenrae and Pharasma are coming under increasing pressure.   In Old Korvosa, House Arkona continues to take advantage of the power-vacuum on Endrin’s Isle by exerting more influence over local affairs.  The city’s only thieves’ guild, the Cerulean Society, seems to be laying low for the moment—always an ominous sign.  Merchant shipping has resumed, though at a slower pace, as chaos is bad for business.  Cressida Kroft arranges for word to be sent to The Reckoner that the surface raid on the Longacre Building was easily repulsed, but that she and the others successfully escaped and have set up in a different location than before.  Rumors run rampant that a new vigilante named Trifaccia has appeared in the city—an expert swordsman wearing a gold mask and red robe, he allegedly saves ordinary law-abiding Korvosans from the depredations of violent rebels trying to extort money from them.  And of course, events continue to churn outside the city, with Yraelzin sending a magical message to Goldcape that the giant siege on Urglin has been broken, and that he’ll be heading east after a dream vision from The Harrower.

In the days after their return, The Reckoner commissions Anorak to further enchant Plate (his sapient suit of armor) and gathers information on Trifaccia.  Goldcape collects an assortment of rumors and researches at the University of Korvosa to learn about Belkzen.  Anorak puts in hour after hour in his workshop.  But even during these days of preparation, portentous events still occur.

Goldcape rides Nipper out of Korvosa and to the nearby village of Harse.  There, she easily finds Blackbird Ranch, the place Vencarlo Orisini asked her to come after finishing her time in the Cinderlands.  Goldcape is greeted by a friendly rancher (and former adventuring companion of Vencarlo) named Jasan Adriel.  Jasan invites Goldcape to dinner with his wife and children, and they have a fun meal as Goldcape tells stories and answers a lot of questions from the kids.  They’re especially interested in Nipper, and amazed that Goldcape can speak to a horse!  After dinner, Jasan leads Goldcape to an outbuilding on the ranch, asks for help pushing a bay of hale to the side, and opens a trapdoor underneath it.  After climbing down the exposed ladder, Goldcape finds herself in a fully-furnished underground apartment!  Vencarlo and Neolandus Kalepopolis (Castle Korvosa’s presumed-dead seneschal) are there, and happy to receive a visitor.  Goldcape confirms that in the Cinderlands, she and her allies found information that will lead them to a way to render Ileosa vulnerable to attack.  Vencarlo sends Neolandus to talk with Jasan on the surface, and leads Goldcape over to a small black trunk.  He smiles at Goldcape, and says she probably knows what he’s about to reveal.  Flipping the latches on the trunk, he reveals the distinctive costume and equipment of Blackjack!  Vencarlo says he’s past his prime and needs to keep Neolandus safe, but that Korvosa still needs a hero who will live up to the ideals of Blackjack: justice, mercy, and the rights of the common folk.  “Korvosa needs you, Goldcape, and Korvosa needs Blackjack. Will you be take on the mantle of the city’s greatest hero?”  Goldcape happily accepts.  She gets confirmation of something else she suspected—that Vencarlo had hoped that one of his former fencing students, Grau Soldado or Sabina Merrin, would be suited to the role, but after the three had a falling out, it was clear neither could be Blackjack.  Before leaving, Goldcape shares some tragic news with Vencarlo.  His former partner (romantically and in crimefighting), The Harrower, is dead.  Vencarlo looks stricken and tries not to weep, as Goldcape puts a consoling hand on his shoulder.

Having spent hours enchanting The Reckoner’s sapient armor with new capabilities, Anorak is just finishing up a long, sweaty day when he hears a gentle tap on the door.  He opens it to reveal Mortimont, the unsettling baker from across the street.  Mortimont explains that he’s brought cupcakes, and urges Anorak to try one, but the dwarf remains cautious and declines.  He does let Mortimont in to talk though, and the baker says that unfortunately, he’ll be leaving Korvosa soon.  He asks Anorak to dispose of the mysterious box he had paid him to watch over, suggesting “the heart of a volcano” or “the depths of the ocean” as suitable places for it.  Several times, Mortimont reminds Anorak not to open the box.  Anorak receives the news that the box has been abandoned by Mortimont in good spirits, muttering as the baker departs that he’s certainly going to open the box.

Having returned to his original safe-house in North Point, Ralph Blackfeather is working hard to prepare for the impending journey to Scarwall.  Given that his lair is meant to be well-hidden, he’s surprised to hear a sharp rap at a back exit.  Instead of answering directly, Ralph quickly changes into The Reckoner and sneaks out another exit to see what’s waiting for him.  There, wearing a deep-hooded cloak and signs of burn scarring, is Grau Soldado!  Having been brought to the safe-house months ago by Goldcape during the initial riots, Grau must have remembered its location.  The Reckoner calls out to him cautiously, and Grau says it would be safer to speak inside, out of prying eyes and ears.  When both men are in, The Reckoner says he heard Grau was severely injured.  Grau nods, stating that a battle against Ileosa’s new “seneschal”—a powerful wizard—left him with severe burns.  Fortunately, the Temple of Sarenrae took him in and hid him away, healing him with their magic.  Grau gets to the point quickly: he wants The Reckoner’s band to join his resistance.  He says Cressida Kroft has her heart in the right place, but is too cautious and lacks the edge to get the job done.  When The Reckoner raises the recent raid on the Longacre Building, Grau concedes it was an example of smart planning.  But, he says, that’s the only operation her resistance group has conducted since martial law was imposed.  In contrast, Grau says his fighters’ constant hit-and-run attacks have forced the Gray Maidens completely out of the Shingles, effectively freeing a sizable portion of the city’s population from Ileosa’s grip.  The Reckoner is impressed, but explains that for now, it’s a moot point about which resistance group has the better prospects, so long as Ileosa is invulnerable—but that may soon change.  Grau is intrigued, and says when it does, there’s another reason why the Harrowed Heroes should throw their support behind him; he has a person on the inside of Castle Korvosa.  The two warriors agree to go their separate ways for now, but establish a system of communication involving squares of red cloth should they need to meet again.

In the slums of Old Korvosa, one of the projects Goldcape has expended days of effort (and a lot of gold) to accomplish is to set up her own resistance cell in an abandoned building.  Outfitted with defensive traps, cots and bedrolls, and a small armory, the hidden base seems safe from the Queen’s forces as long as it remains in the still-quarantined part of the city.  Drawing upon thugs formerly loyal to the “Emperor of Old Korvosa”, regular citizens out of work since they can’t cross the blockaded bridge to the rest of the city, soldiers left to their own devices after the abolition of the Sable Company and the Korvosan Guard, and even a former acolyte of Yraelzin’s “Temple of Razmir,” Goldcape has assembled a potentially formidable force.  Her greatest bit of luck was finding Sergeant Clenkins, the aged Korvosan Guardsman formerly responsible for watching the gate of Citadel Volshyenek.  Clenkins promises to train the disparate members of the cell so they can work well together once Goldcape gives them their first mission.  Goldcape says she’ll be leaving for a couple of weeks and that it would be too dangerous to do any raids for now, but when she returns, she’ll have a target for them.

One day, enjoying lunch in his workshop, Anorak hears the sounds of horse hooves, carriage wheels, and marching soldiers out front.  He opens the door cautiously to see that Glorio Arkona, patriarch of House Arkona, has come by with “an exciting proposition”!  The dwarf lets Glorio in but refuses him a seat, putting himself in the power position.  Glorio beats around the bush for a bit, explaining that “a little bird—or an invisible spy” told him Anorak was working on some truly “crafty crafting”.  The aristocrat looks meaningfully at Plate, strapped down to the worktable.  Glorio says that “quality is what House Arkona stands for”, and that he wants Anorak to come to work for him as Chief Armorer.  Anorak is frank that he doesn’t trust Glorio, but Glorio tries to reassure him that all of the danger and manipulation the dwarf experienced was due to his sister, who has surely fled the city.  Glorio goes on to say that instead of the unpredictability and constant danger of adventuring, Anorak would receive a steady, stable, and very lucrative experience working in an exquisite workspace in Arkona Palace itself.  Anorak seems mildly tempted, but still turns down the offer, saying it wouldn’t be exciting enough.  Glorio makes a final pitch, subtly hinting that with someone as unpredictable as Ileosa as Queen, having friends like House Arkona could be very fruitful indeed.  Anorak says that will only matter if Ileosa can be defeated, and right now she has world-breaking magic, is quite evil, and could live for centuries.  Glorio sighs in resignation, remarking that if Anorak thinks he would survive such a direct confrontation, his father told him never to do business with those who have a loose grasp on reality.

Another startling event during this period begins when Ralph Blackfeather makes one of his many visits to Hedge Wizardry to purchase enchanted items for the group.  Phaeton Skoda, the cluttered store’s proprietor, pulls Ralph in, locks the door, and puts a “closed” sign on display in the window.  Looking nervous, Phaeton begins by staying something dreadful has happened.  Before he can continue, Ralph hurries to reassure him that he was responsible for the recent attempted break-in at the back door and was sorry for any damages caused.  Phaeton’s eyes widen, as he had no idea about that.  He mutters something about how it was lucky “the guardian” hadn’t been awakened, but continues to explain that something far more serious has taken place: an inquisitor of the Church of Abadar visited just a couple of days ago and seized Phaeton’s accounts books.  But the inquisitor wasn’t after records of last year’s transactions (taxes on which Phaeton assures Ralph were fully paid), but of the last few months!  In other words, Phaeton thinks there’s a high-level investigation into who has been buying expensive or powerful magical items in the city.  Ralph remains calm, and says he’ll likely be leaving the city for some time.  He promises to work out a way to make future purchases anonymously so that Phaeton can record the buyer or seller as “unknown” in good faith and without violating any laws.

The days of downtime pass by quickly, but soon the time will come again when the Harrowed Heroes need to assemble for the next step of their epic quest.  The stakes are clear: either Queen Ileosa survives, or Korvosa does.

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GM Commentary

In this campaign, I offered the players 3d6 days of "downtime" between each chapter: a time where they could retrain, craft, research new spells, earn coin, etc. with a guarantee that the downtime wouldn't count against any ticking clocks in the background or be interrupted by sudden attack.  I used a slightly modified version of the Downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign (I think) for this, and it worked out pretty well as the rules state how much different activities cost and how long they take.

Most of the downtime stuff was handled between sessions, but I promised my players they'd each get one or two role-playing scenes set during downtime.  That's what this session consisted of.  I knew the PCs would be off for Scarwall soon (and there for the entirety of Chapter Five), so I foreshadowed as much as I reasonably could about Chapter Six:  the vigilante Trifaccia, the new seneschal (the bloodmage Togomor), Grau's "man on the inside" of Castle Korvosa (Sabina!), and more.  I also tried to advance the three factions (Kroft's, Grau's, and Glorio's) plotline by showing what each has to offer and, hopefully, making the choice of which to support not be an obvious one for the group.

Two key moments during this session were Goldcape being selected as the new Blackjack (a rooftop-running, rapier-wielding chaotic good character fit the bill perfectly!) and Anorak being left with the mysterious box and advised to dispose of it (in a volcano or the ocean depths, no less!).  I loved the Blackjack element of Curse of the Crimson Throne, and it makes for a really memorable part of the campaign--and I know Goldcape's player loved it too.  As for the mysterious box, we'll soon see that Anorak was unable to resist temptation, and the startling consequences that has on the rest of the campaign.

Curse of the Crimson Throne Recap # 58 [RPG]

[Toilday, 14 Erastus 4708 A.R.]

A tremendous victory has been won, but the Battle of Deathhead Vault isn’t over yet!  As The Reckoner and Anorak search the bodies of the fallen Gray Maidens, the sound of reinforcements trying to break down the locked doors to the chamber echoes throughout the Vault.  The Reckoner says he wants to free the other prisoners in the facility, but The Harrower says cryptically that her power is waning and she has much to tell them.  She says she can’t stay much longer, and when she leaves, she’ll never see them again.  But The Reckoner is adamant that there’s more to do in the Vault and, using keys found on Kordaitra Destaid, the Gray Maidens’ second-in-command, he unlocks the door to a series of back rooms.  In one of them, he spots a secret door that opens to reveal a hidden closet full of potions, wands, scrolls, and more—a veritable treasure trove of supplies kept by the Gray Maidens in case of emergency!  But suddenly the outer doors to the main chamber burst in, and Gray Maidens begin to spill in.  The Harrower shouts her farewell, saying she’ll try to find Goldcape to listen to her final Harrowing.  She disappears in a swirling chain of cards.

The Reckoner and Anorak conceal themselves in the closet, shutting the secret door behind them.  They can hear the heavy footsteps of Gray Maidens searching the back rooms thoroughly for the intruders and decide to begin sweeping everything in the closet into The Reckoner’s handy haversack.  But one of the items must have also been enchanted as an extra-dimensional repository, as The Reckoner’s bag—and everything in it—implodes!  Trapped in the closet as dozens of Gray Maidens, led by a superior with an elvish accent, search for them, The Reckoner and Anorak decide it’s time to escape.  Taking the remaining valuables in the emergency stash, they use teleportation magic to vanish, reappearing safely elsewhere.

Meanwhile, The Harrower—frantic and dishevelled and somehow . . . less real—appears suddenly in Old Lady Cloggins’ kitchen!  The house’s owner is understandably quite startled, but quickly regains her composure, promising to make Goldcape and her guest some tea while they talk.  The Harrower pulls Goldcape into a back room, pulls the blinds, pushes a table to the center of the room, and spreads cards on it.  She performs a final Harrowing, pouring out her insight into what the future holds.  When she finishes, her body glows and becomes mist-like as she’s slowly drawn to a realm that perhaps mankind was never meant to witness.  “I’ve held on for as long as I could,” she says.  “But I can’t resist the pull any longer.  I have to say goodbye.  Remember what you’ve learned.  It may just be enough to see you and the others through.”  With a sad smile, The Harrower’s spirit moves on toward its final resting place.

Goldcape emerges into the kitchen to find Old Lady Cloggins feeding Rocky some scones in the backyard.  Goldcape explains she has to leave for a while, but promises to return soon.  She flies on Rocky’s back to Old Korvosa, fortunate that the Gray Maiden aerial scouts still haven’t returned from patrolling the skies above the statue unveiling to the west.  Once near The Reckoner’s hidden safehouse, Goldcape calls out and tries to get his attention, enraging the security-conscious vigilante.  The two argue, and Goldcape ends up flying away in a huff.

As another chapter in the epic tale of Queen Ileosa’s reign closes, the Harrowed Heroes have won a resounding victory against her forces.  But will constant internal fighting tear the group apart just short of their goal?
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GM Commentary

A correction to my commentary from last session.  One of the players reminded me that the reason I had the Harrower appear was as a fill-in for Goldcape's player being absent.  As I said in that post, the memory gets fuzzy the further away we get from the campaign!

When The Reckoner got going after blood and treasure, it was hard to get him to stop!  Thus, The Harrower's final message (meant to be a solemn and sad turning point for the campaign) was delivered only to Goldcape with the other players in another room.

We see here another exploded magic container, and believe it or not, despite warnings, this isn't the only time it happens in the campaign!

In the real world, personality conflicts between Goldcape's player and The Reckoner's player made Chapter Four a bit rocky, but things really come to a head here in a way that affects Chapter Five.  Soon, Goldcape's player decides to take a break from running a PC and instead becomes a temporary Assistant GM, helping me run combats and keep track of things.

Pathfinder Society Scenario # 0-28: "Lyrics of Extinction" [RPG]

NO SPOILERS

Lyrics of Extinction is the final scenario in Season Zero of Pathfinder Society, the season where they wanted to test out an organised play system using D&D 3.5 rules prior to the official launch of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.  I got to play it via play-by-post at high subtier (10-11) with my half-orc Paladin of Sarenrae, Trokkus.  The adventure has a cool backstory and the ominous briefing raises expectations of a potentially deadly mission, but unfortunately the rest of the scenario is a let-down and mostly a pretty forgettable dungeon-crawl that wastes a great premise.  It's okay, but not a particularly good capstone to the inaugural season.

SPOILERS!

About a century ago, there was a small but prosperous city in the Mwagni Expanse named Dokeran.  However, the city's shaman, a man named Tyruwat, fell into the worship of Zon-Kuthon and was ousted by the community.  Vowing vengeance, he called out to Zon-Kuthon and his prayers were rewarded with the divine inspiration to write the lyrics to accompany a music box that together form an artifact called the Song of Extinction.  When played, the Song of Extinction destroyed the entire city of Dokeran!  Tyruwat gained an extended lifespan from his monstrous act, and still dwells in the ruins of Dokeran today, dreaming of conquest.

The PCs come into the picture when they're briefed by a Pathfinder named Tuukna in the city of Kibwe.  It seems that some treasure hunters were found dead after exploring the ruins of Dokeran, and that others who have ventured close to the area have reported hearing an eerie song.  The PCs are assigned to make contact with a witch doctor who will serve as a guide, explore the ruins, and see if they can retrieve the fabled Song of Extinction.  It's a pretty strong backstory and briefing, and made us PCs paranoid about wail of the banshee style sonic death effects!  With silence spells and earplugs at the ready, we set off into the jungle.

Despite a great opportunity, Lyrics of Extinction doesn't make any use of its setting--there's no chance of getting lost, no need to deal with the heat, and very little interaction with the locals.  Before the PCs meet their guide, they have to fight off an ambush from a pack of howlers led by a "wild elf" (one of a group enslaved by Tyruwat).  The map is big and well-drawn.

The witch doctor guide, Nangi, escorts the PCs to Dokeran by canoe.  He's pretty much the only NPC to interact with, so hopefully the GM tries to give him some character.  Interestingly, and casually slipped in by the scenario, Nangi participated in the betrayal of Dokeran a century ago and also gained an extended lifespan from the Song of Extinction! (though he now regrets his action)  For some reason, the scenario provides full stats and tactics for Nangi and his giant crocodile animal companion, though I can't imagine why even mercenary-type PCs would attack him.

Some good writing could have been done to set an atmospheric mood for exploring the tragic remnants of a city destroyed in mere moments, with the risk of the song being heard again always at the forefront of the explorers' minds.  Unfortunately, the ruins of Dokeran get two lines of very bland flavor text and then it's into a crumbling temple (aka, dungeon) for the rest of the scenario. Definitely a lost opportunity.

The pyramid ("The Grand Temple of Dokeran") features encounters with some trapped spirits (ghosts with barbarian levels), giant stag beetles, an old-fashioned spear trap, and a trio of enslaved wild elves.  None of the threats are particularly dangerous or creative.  The battle against Tyruwat (a Level 14 bard at high subtier) is similarly disappointing, as he'll die quickly and there's never any actual risk of hearing the Song of Extinction.  The PCs simply gather up the music box and presumably take it back with them.  In short, there's a lot of build-up for what ends up as a real dud of a scenario.

The Pathfinder who delivered the mission briefing, Tuukna, has never reappeared as far as I know.  The Song of Extinction was written up in Artifacts & Legends.  As a true artifact that can destroy structures in a 10-mile radius, it's not something to mess with!  I really hope the Pathfinder Society keeps it in the Grand Lodge's version of Warehouse 13.