Reign of Winter — Game Session — 040

Game summary for August 29, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Bugbear Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Svala Alehorn (Dwarf Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team decided to see what the prison-looking area scrawled on their map actually was.  They found it was actually a large tomb with ten sealed burial caves blocked by carved stones.  Deska and Magnus were able to detect necromantic magic.  All Might muscled one of the doors open and triggered a trap!  He seemed to shake it off, but disturbing the grave brought forth two barbarian ghosts!  The mere sight of the creatures wracked the party with pain and supernatural aging.  The ghosts floating closer and began thrusting their evil incorporeal hands into the bodies of the party and rending their life forces.  They proved particularly difficult to fight with blades partially passing through them.  Their corrupting gaze continued to wear away on the party who never tried to close their eyes or stare at the floor and not see the ghosts at all.  The team continued to age and suffer to the point Kenwrec collapsed unconscious.  All Might used bless and spiritual weapon to great effect, and Greta found herself desperately trying to keep poor Ten-Penny alive with healing spells.  Deska cast flame strike that dealt some damage, and Magnus channeled positive energy to revitalize his team.  The dwarven warriors engaged, and their shear rage and ferocity wore down the spirits.  Finally, Svala’s enchanted dwarven axe dealt felling blows to both spirits, temporarily discorporating them until they can reform to continue haunting the graves.  The team then nursed their wounds and traveled down a stairwell without exploring the other tombs.

The party entered a large temple dedicated to some kind of hag.  Artifacts used in evil rituals hung all around the room.  Doors led in all different directions.  A terrible flaming witchfire stood in the temple and seemed surprised to see them and not Caigreal.  She asked them about the woman, and the team seemed confused and unable to recall exactly to whom the undead spirit referred.  The witchfire determined they were obviously not supposed to be there and began hurling bolts of witchfire!  Several of the team burst into flame as they tried to close the distance.  The spirit tried to maneuver to keep the team from ganging up on her, but there were too many.  Despite horribly burning several, the spirit was unable to withstand the combined might of the team focused upon her, and she was cut down.

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 039

Game summary for August 22, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Bugbear Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Ten-Penny picked the door lock, and the team entered a cavern stairwell leading into the darkness.  Magnus was able to read a set of runes stating, “As the seasons of life change, so must we sacrifice our past for the wisdom of our winter years.”  Another set of runes stated, “Blessed be the path you are about to walk.  Cling not to what you were, but only to what you shall become.”  He recognized this as part of a witch’s Croning Ritual wherein youth and vitality is given up for the power and wisdom of age.  The group headed down the stairs and triggered a greater glyph of warding which aged all of them instantly!  The felt themselves grow weaker, slower, and less hardy.  Magnus pressed on and triggered glyph after glyph, nearly dying at the bottom of the stairs before a stone door.  Kenwrec tested some theories about how the glyphs worked and ended up terribly cursed with a hideousness so bad even his own companions nearly abandoned him.  Magnus healed himself while Ten-Penny and Kenwrec disabled all the glyphs.

At the bottom of the stairs, Ten-Penny tried to pick the lock.  It opened to reveal the withered crone in the wheat field again!  She again chastised them for being too young, unwise, and weak.  She told them to go back and return later but that the giants and centaur were already ahead of them.  She let them pass through the cornfield and go back “the easy way” as opposed up the stairs where all the terrible glyphs had been.  She also gave them yet another key.

The group circled around and decided to explore some of the passages they had avoided when they first entered.  They found a frost giant cramped in a corridor heading their way.  A fight erupted, and the giant fought as best he could in the close quarters.  He still hit with horrifying power, but he was an easy target.  The team tore into him until he was put down by a clean shot through the skull by Denessia’s pistol.

The team went further down the hallway and found another door.  They heard creatures heading toward them, so they waited in ambush!  Four andrazku demons came crashing out into the ambush and fell victim to divine spells, smite evil, and sneak attack.  The demons tried to teleport in among the party to cause chaos, but they were quickly brought down.  The party explored the room they came from and found a map revealing some additional areas.

Small Adventures — Game Session — 008

Game summary for August 19, 2017, Small Adventures campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Small Timers. Session included: Elsbeth Blackburn (Half-Elf Druid played by Maddy Smalling), Goshik Trakar (Elf Sorcerer/Dragon Disciple played by Jack Smalling), Kyras Sonata (Half-Elf Monk/Rogue played by Noah Smalling), and Reth Steelarm (Half-Orc Fighter/Rogue played by Luke Smalling). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Tower to the Sky adventure, part 2.

The team traveled to the moonlit clearing to search for the four-leaf clover.  While searching, a werewolf pack came charging to the attack!  The lycanthropes had a number of wolves with them as well, and the pack closed ground as Goshik hurled a fireball into their midst.  The party pulled forth silver daggers and met the beasts in a brutal battle in the shimmering moonlight.  Elsbeth called down blasts of lightning from the sky as her own wolf tripped an enemy wolf to the ground.  Reth and Kyras engaged in vicious close-quarters fighting, and Kyras suffered a nasty bite from one of the werewolves.  Eventually the team took down the pack, retrieved the packlord’s heart and a four-leaf clover for the mysterious Oz.  They returned to his cabin and woke him up which greatly annoyed him.  He slammed his door in their faces.  The next morning they tried again, and Oz was more receptive.  He placed the heart in a box and then brewed some kind of tea with the clover.  He then agreed to give them the information they needed.  He directed them to the top of Rutger’s Climb in two days’ time and warned a clan of pegataurs would likely try to stop them from attaining the tower.

Sure enough, after a rough ascent, the team found themselves nearly at the peak when accosted by a trio of pegataurs!  The winged centaurs fired arrows in the fierce winds to moderate effect.  The team tried to fire back, but the wind was too strong.  The pegataurs swept in, dropping their bows and drawing swords to charge in.  Elsbeth stepped right in front of one, and he crashed into her!  Both took damage from the impact.  The team split in half, leaving their henchman priestess, Gretchen, alone.  A pegataur attacked her, and she defended with her sword.  Kyras and Elsbeth took on one pegataur and took him down while Goshik and Reth took down another.  The team then closed in and defeated the third.  Just in time, they ascended the mountain and made the leap up onto Pilvi’s magical inverted tower!

Atop (below?) the tower, the team found a trapdoor.  When they tried to open it, a magical glyph flared to life and summoned a huge air elemental!  The monster buffeted the team with its mighty fists.  Goshik unleashed a fireball as Kyras tried to punch his way through the trapdoor.  Reth and Elsbeth tried throwing alchemist’s fire, and Gretchen began healing and enhancing the party with her magic and urging them to fight for their lives!  Kyras continued trying to open the door as the rest of the team took the fight to the elemental.  Reth began to devastate it with his magical dagger while Goshik’s fire and Elsbeth’s lightning landing one-two punches over and over.  Inspired, Kyras abandoned the door and moved into the fray.  Finally, Reth managed to slay the creature, dismissing it back to its own plane!

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 038

Game summary for August 15, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Bugbear Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team had nursed their wounds from the battle with the massive spider creature.  They decided to explore in a different direction and came upon a bubbling cauldron of stew heated by an unseen source.  The ground had runes inscribed around it saying, “Spice is the variety of life.”  As they approached a table covered in spices, a misty mihstu rose up from the steam and grappled Deska!  The team swarmed in and hammered at the creature as it tried to extract all of Deska’s fluids; however, she struggled well enough to prevent the creature from pinning her.  In short order, the group cut the creature down.  They began experimenting with the cauldron and discovered it could produce temporary potion-like stews.  They nearly killed Deska’s owl in their testing, but the team was pretty happy with the results.

Next the group ascended a flight of stairs, and Deska noticed shadows creeping in around them!  The unholy incorporeal undead began draining strength from the party!  Magnus and Denessia unleashed powerful blasts of positive energy which killed several of the shadows.  Good old fashioned weapons cut down several more.  However, the leader thrust its incorporeal hand into Denessia and dropped her to the edge of death.  Magnus, under a shadow onslaught, cast blessing of fervor, and the team was able to use the extra speed to rush Denessia back to the cauldron while the rest of the group finished off all the shadows.  Miraculously, the team was able to use the powers of the cauldron to prevent Denessia from dying and becoming a shadow herself!

The group made camp to gain restoration spells to fix their problems.  The team then went back down a hallway to explore another door they had yet to investigate.

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 037

Game summary for August 8, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Alfbern Winterbloom (Half-Elf Inquisitor played by Preston Harmon), Argun Longtusk (Wereboar-Kin Druid played by Parker Harmon), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Orc Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team moved on from the alchemy lab through a door to the south.  They traveled a moderately long hallway and emerged into a reeking room lined with partially preserved flesh containing a tent of skins.  A spiny pukwudgie wearing flayed skins stood within surrounded by an army of animated hoarpanther zombies!  Alfbern sent his bear charging in and ran close behind it as the panthers surged forward!  The pukwudgie disappeared almost immediately after Ten-Penny consumed a potion of invisibility.  Greta blessed the party, and Kenwrec moved to engage a hoarpanther.  The team was amazed at the panthers’ speed and barrage of attacks.  They realized they were in trouble!  Magnus strode forward and channeled positive energy in the name of Gorum which blasted two of the undead to slag and severely injured the others.  This turned the tide, and the team began slaying panthers with ease.  Argun cast a burst of nettles spell with great effect.  Meanwhile, the pukwudgie appeared and delivered a sneak attack to Kenwrec!  The horrid creature’s poisoned spines pierced his flesh and delivered a dose of virulent poison.  It coursed through his system as the team cut down the rest of their enemies.  Magnus cast a prayer to help Kenwrec, and he was given an antitoxin.  The poison proved too great, however, and he died in agony, foaming at the mouth!  The team determined they would reincarnate him when they reunite with Deska and pushed on.

The team ascended a great long stair and passed by a doorway.  They came upon an enormous web-shrouded chamber containing half a dozen cocoons and a glowing rune.  The group investigated and found one of the cocoons contained a slain and rotting andrazku demon!  The group turned just as a monstrous spider the size of an elephant descended out of the darkness.  Argun dropped a flame strike squarely on the creature burning it badly; however, it shook off the terrible blow and advanced!  Concerned about the obvious massive toughness of the monster, Magnus activated his divine presence to enact sanctuary for the party!  In his mind, he heard a demonic voice say, “Clever!”  The team started skirting to the side hoping the creature could no longer hurt them.  Argun, however, was outside of the effect and was bitten by the monster and began to rot before their eyes!  The bear attempted an attack of opportunity and broke the sanctuary upon itself and got mauled in return.  Magnus tried to be diplomatic, but the creature ignored him and slaughtered Argun!  The group was able to move under Magnus’ protection and get to the exit while the monster began to consume Argun’s corpse and ignored their retreat.

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 036

Game summary for August 1, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team continued down the hallway past the wooden figures and discovered a long ascending stairway.  They climbed to the top and found a locked door.  Tulvur hit it with a hammer, which elicited a response from inside demanding who was out there.  The team conversed, and eventually an old crone opened the door.  Behind her the stars shone overhead, and wind blew through dead corn stalks in a large field.  All around lay dead ravens.  She warned them, “The cancer grows in the womb of the Crone.  To face the Curse of Eons, you must have time on your side.”  She also warned them she felt they are too young and should come back later.  She gave them a key and shut the door on them.

The group backtracked and explored another side passageway.  They came upon a frightening scene where numerous creatures were vivisected and on display in some kind of mad laboratory.  A trio of misshapen forlarren with multiple arms prepared poisoned blowgun darts as the team approached.  Behind them, the demonic half-satyr they had been seeking rose up on bat-like wings!  The forlarren ascended the walls using spider climb and bombarded the team with poisoned darts!  The fiend unleashed an unholy blight and later summoned a fiendish boar to harass the party spellcasters.  All Might blessed the party and rode into the fracas.  Tulvur moved in to put pressure on one side as Greta broke toward the other.  Denessia started shooting opportune targets with her pistol as Ten-Penny moved to try setting up flanks.

The team at first struggled, but All Might came charging in on his horse and leapt into the air to impale the fiend with his cold iron lance!  The fiend charged down upon him trying to smite but found that tactic ineffective!  The fiend activated a fear effect that drove several of the team into retreat!  The rest of the team rallied, though and closed in.  Denessia unleashed her own smite and shot him between the horns and eyes, dropping him dead.  Denessia tried to capitalize and turn on the forlarren, but her pistol exploded in her hands!  Deska hit a climbing forlarren with a whip of spiders!  The team was able to close up ranks and slay the last of the misshapen beasts.