The Six Trials of Larazod

I see that Mister Logue write the script. Who's writing the score?

:D

Is is a musical? Awesome!

I'm really looking forward to this 'play w/in a play' format/adventure. Chaosium's Tatters of the King has this concept of incorporating a play into the adventure, but this adventure takes it to the next level where the Players are part of the Play!

Reminds me of Karazhan in WoW where the PCs are on stage to fight a sub-boss in the Theater Room.

Is is a musical? Awesome!

I'm assuming that its original form is not as a musical, but that's true of lots of plays. If the score is finished soon enough I might be able to get a production together in time for next summer's fringe festival, if all goes well. :D

I'll take a look at the script when it comes out.

The real question is:

Who will be first with their performance on youtube and what boon will Paizo bestow upon them?

If you are an actor, or have a theatre background, and would be mad enough to consider staging such a maddening show, raise your hand!

*Hand raised nice and high*

:)

I'm looking forward to this one. I think Logue should get his students to put on the play.

This is a brilliant idea... I bow before the genious of your twisted minds, messieurs Logue and Pett! :)

If you are an actor, or have a theatre background, and would be mad enough to consider staging such a maddening show, raise your hand!

*Hand raised nice and high*

*Raises hand*

I need to see the script, though. If it's just a few pages long it might need extensive choreography or something to make it long enough to be worth getting space and convincing people to watch it.

:)

I'm looking forward to this one. I think Logue should get his students to put on the play.

I agree, his wife can direct it too. Maybe Daigle and Lilith can get on the action too :) Or maybe use Paizo staff as the cast. I can just see Jason and James on stage in tights.

:)

I'm looking forward to this one. I think Logue should get his students to put on the play.

You're just suggesting this because nobody's supposed to survive it, aren't you?

I have at least two former stage/drama (as in, high school or perhaps college level) players at the table for the Council of Thieves. They are looking forward to the play ... even though it may mean seriously messy character deaths ... ^_^

Just read the play. And the mechanical bits for it in the main adventure.

Wow.

-applause-

:)

If you are an actor, or have a theatre background, and would be mad enough to consider staging such a maddening show, raise your hand!

*Hand raised nice and high*

Dude, I SO want to see that - in fact, that's what the foreword is about. Just throwing that out there, if you do this, keep your camcorders and YouTube accounts handy!

Anvengen's Edge makes me so very much wish I had a cleric of Shelyn playing this AP...

EDIT: It looks like Szasmir is supposed to be carrying Anvengen's Edge; wouldn't that bump his CR by 1 or so?

Anvengen's Edge makes me so very much wish I had a cleric of Shelyn playing this AP...

EDIT: It looks like Szasmir is supposed to be carrying Anvengen's Edge; wouldn't that bump his CR by 1 or so?

Probably, since his glaive is certainly higher in GP value than a monster of his CR would normally have. Chalk this one up to us writing, developing, editing, and publishing an adventure when the rules were still being worked on and/or so new that we have trouble keeping track of them all.

Shisumo wrote:

Anvengen's Edge makes me so very much wish I had a cleric of Shelyn playing this AP...

EDIT: It looks like Szasmir is supposed to be carrying Anvengen's Edge; wouldn't that bump his CR by 1 or so?

Probably, since his glaive is certainly higher in GP value than a monster of his CR would normally have. Chalk this one up to us writing, developing, editing, and publishing an adventure when the rules were still being worked on and/or so new that we have trouble keeping track of them all.

Meh - remember, as you get used to the new rules (presumably, playing through/GMing CoT) the characters are almost certainly going to prove more formidable than one might expect.

In casting Tybain, there's a Reflex save involved, but no DC given. What should it be?

In casting Tybain, there's a Reflex save involved, but no DC given. What should it be?

DC 15

I don't know if I'm relieved or saddened that the play has no 'Kneel before Larazod!"

I don't know if I'm relieved or saddened that the play has no 'Kneel before Larazod!"

In fact, Larazod himself spends a fair amount of time on his knees in the play, if the awesome art is any indication!

The beginning of the text for the play itself states that the play's history and dramatis personae can be found online. Is this still in the works?

The beginning of the text for the play itself states that the play's history and dramatis personae can be found online. Is this still in the works?

Yeah... yeah. We sort of forgot to do that. OR! We were planning on having that available for the book's official street date, which hasn't hit yet?

We'll get something posted sooner or later. Keep watching the blog.

Yeah... yeah. We sort of forgot to do that. OR! We were planning on having that available for the book's official street date, which hasn't hit yet?

We'll get something posted sooner or later. Keep watching the blog.

Very cool. Thanks, James.

Untema wrote:

In casting Tybain, there's a Reflex save involved, but no DC given. What should it be?

DC 15

Thanks much. I also wanted to add my thanks for the high quality work and outstanding customer service you guys provide. It's a joy to use Paizo products.

It might just be my preferred GM/Play style, but I have to say that this is the most awesome adventure path module you guys have done to date. I love all the social encounters, skill tests and other atypical encounters. The play is simply brilliant. And the "normal" encounters (like in the Knot) are well done and have really good internal consistency.

Bravo! Hurrah! And, um, encore! ;)

Man, I can NOT wait to run this one!

I'm trying to figure out which players would get the biggest kick out of which parts...

Hmmmm...usually I hate Pett with a vengeance...but his idea on having some of my students stage the play and put it on Youtube...

...

delicious.

Richard Pett wrote:

:)

I'm looking forward to this one. I think Logue should get his students to put on the play.

You're just suggesting this because nobody's supposed to survive it, aren't you?

Even better. ;-)

Btw, if you are interested in more Pett vs. Logue design tet-a-tet you can check out the upcoming Dark Vista, Ebon Shroud (scroll down a bit on the Dark Vista page).

It's mucho messed up stuff. You can scope some previews for it and other upcoming Sinister madness on our blog:

Sinister Sneak Peeks

Oh, and btw again, Rich sucks donkey privey-parts. His writing is terrible too. I just write with him to feel better about myself.

...sigh...

I was reading over the history of the play and things are not matching up to me

1)Aroden died in 4606 AR.

2)Abrogail I ascended the throne in 4640 AR ending 34 years of civil war.

3)Abrogail II is queen as of 4709 AR.

4)Lokoris is supposed to have written the play 200 years ago. he was rumoured to have been taken by the authorities of Thrune.

5)The play was surpressed for 100 years.

According to the history of the play and the timeline of Golarion, Lokoris would have written the play before the death Aroden and before the rise of the House of Thrune and the imposition of the Asmodean Church as the state faith.

Any suggestions on this contradiction?

House Thrune existed before they took over Cheliax. They may not have been major players, but they were a noble house with some power. Power enough to disappear a notorious playwright.

I was reading over the history of the play and things are not matching up to me

1)Aroden died in 4606 AR.

2)Abrogail I ascended the throne in 4640 AR ending 34 years of civil war.

3)Abrogail II is queen as of 4709 AR.

4)Lokoris is supposed to have written the play 200 years ago. he was rumoured to have been taken by the authorities of Thrune.

5)The play was surpressed for 100 years.

According to the history of the play and the timeline of Golarion, Lokoris would have written the play before the death Aroden and before the rise of the House of Thrune and the imposition of the Asmodean Church as the state faith.

Any suggestions on this contradiction?

I am sure I somewhere read that the house of Thrune is subtlely changing history to better match their rule over Cheliax...maybe thats the reason?! No?!

I was reading over the history of the play and things are not matching up to me

1)Aroden died in 4606 AR.

2)Abrogail I ascended the throne in 4640 AR ending 34 years of civil war.

3)Abrogail II is queen as of 4709 AR.

4)Lokoris is supposed to have written the play 200 years ago. he was rumoured to have been taken by the authorities of Thrune.

5)The play was surpressed for 100 years.

According to the history of the play and the timeline of Golarion, Lokoris would have written the play before the death Aroden and before the rise of the House of Thrune and the imposition of the Asmodean Church as the state faith.

Any suggestions on this contradiction?

My suggestion is that there's not really a contradiction, though: Lokoris wrote the play 200 years ago, and it was suppressed and came back into production about the time that Aroden died and was something that, in those crazy 30 years of civil war, folks did for fun. And remember, the House of Thrune existed before Aroden's death; they just weren't in charge of Cheliax. They were likely a powerful family before Aroden's death, otherwise they would have had a tough time emerging from the civil war as a winner, after all. SO! Lokoris can still write the play before Thrune rules Cheliax and still get in trouble with Thrune. It would have just not necessarily have been a LEGAL imprisonment at the time. And it being an illegal imprisonment is a good reason to suppress the play!

I am sure I somewhere read that the house of Thrune is subtlely changing history to better match their rule over Cheliax...maybe thats the reason?! No?!

No! :(

Weylin wrote:

I was reading over the history of the play and things are not matching up to me

1)Aroden died in 4606 AR.

2)Abrogail I ascended the throne in 4640 AR ending 34 years of civil war.

3)Abrogail II is queen as of 4709 AR.

4)Lokoris is supposed to have written the play 200 years ago. he was rumoured to have been taken by the authorities of Thrune.

5)The play was surpressed for 100 years.

According to the history of the play and the timeline of Golarion, Lokoris would have written the play before the death Aroden and before the rise of the House of Thrune and the imposition of the Asmodean Church as the state faith.

Any suggestions on this contradiction?

My suggestion is that there's not really a contradiction, though: Lokoris wrote the play 200 years ago, and it was suppressed and came back into production about the time that Aroden died and was something that, in those crazy 30 years of civil war, folks did for fun. And remember, the House of Thrune existed before Aroden's death; they just weren't in charge of Cheliax. They were likely a powerful family before Aroden's death, otherwise they would have had a tough time emerging from the civil war as a winner, after all. SO! Lokoris can still write the play before Thrune rules Cheliax and still get in trouble with Thrune. It would have just not necessarily have been a LEGAL imprisonment at the time. And it being an illegal imprisonment is a good reason to suppress the play!

They are greatly overmatched, as Larazod is a minor scion of a piddling noble house whose influence lies tattered in the wake of Thrune's seizure of power in Cheliax. Undaunted, Larazod vows a smoldering blood oath to Asmodeus to see the traitor fall before Haanderthan's actions bring the dark glory of Cheliax low.

So was Lokoris writing about a (from his point of view) hypothetical future in which Thrune has seized power (sort of like George Orwell writing 1984 in the late 1940's), or has the play been 'updated' to be more contemporary (sort of in the same way that Richard III by Shakespeare sometimes gets set in the 1930s/1940s)?

So was Lokoris writing about a (from his point of view) hypothetical future in which Thrune has seized power (sort of like George Orwell writing 1984 in the late 1940's), or has the play been 'updated' to be more contemporary (sort of in the same way that Richard III by Shakespeare sometimes gets set in the 1930s/1940s)?

That's an error that we should have fixed but since this material didn't get as close an edit pass as the rest of the stuff (since it didn't see print) that slipped through.

Either ignore that section, or just assume that the play's been updated to be contemporary.

I'd go in and fix the blog post to be more accurate, but we poor editors and developers don't have the access to that part of the blog, so it'll probably have to stay as is, and serve as an example why I'm generally somewhat hesitant to post "cutting room floor" content as blog posts, I guess.

I would say post more cutting room floor stuff. Just maybe make a note that it is what it is. So when something like this happens everyone knows to take it with a grain of salt. Things like that added to the blog makes me want to buy more stuff. So please keep doing it.

I would say post more cutting room floor stuff. Just maybe make a note that it is what it is. So when something like this happens everyone knows to take it with a grain of salt. Things like that added to the blog makes me want to buy more stuff. So please keep doing it.

I ditto that!

I would say post more cutting room floor stuff. Just maybe make a note that it is what it is. So when something like this happens everyone knows to take it with a grain of salt. Things like that added to the blog makes me want to buy more stuff. So please keep doing it.

I agree! After reading that blog I was about ten times more excited to get my copy of Pathfinder #26. More cutting room floor stuffs in the blog please!

From another thread:

KnightErrantJR wrote:

You know, I kind of like the idea that the playwright may have been a worshiper of Asmodeus that was writing a play portraying Asmodeus as the savior of Cheliax when Aroden was still their patron deity, thus explaining why the play may have been even more controversial, especially since he's noted as being good at portraying other faiths more "even handedly" than one might expect for one of his faith.

In fact, he may have come into conflict with the House of Thrune because of his more neutral portrayal of Asmodeus' faith.

It might also be kind of fun to explore that the playwright may have been 150+ years old when House Thrune caught up with him, and his unnatural lifespan and his knowledge that Asmodeus had an interest in Cheliax before Aroden's death might have been part of the impetus behind House Thrune's actions against him.

This post hits it right on the nose.

For that matter, do we know what race Lokoris was? Might he have been a dwarf, elf, or some other long-lived race (possibly posing as a human) and occasionally putting out revisions/updates of his play?

I would say post more cutting room floor stuff. Just maybe make a note that it is what it is. So when something like this happens everyone knows to take it with a grain of salt. Things like that added to the blog makes me want to buy more stuff. So please keep doing it.

These kinds of discrepancies can be really problematic for anyone trying to catalogue canon or attempting to keep things like timelines and world continuity straight. As it stands, it's going to be a major headache for us to include or explain this information in the PathfinderWiki article on the subject. The more often pseudo-canonical material makes it out to the public (meaning that it hasn't gone through the rigorous editorial process), the more convoluted world continuity risks becoming. This is an example of why I much prefer dates instead of "xxx years ago" for any event which doesn't change the age of a living NPC should someone wish to play an AP set in 4735 or whatever. What specific year it was written or in which the author died won't have any real impact on a campaign, but it does have an impact on world continuity. But I have a very specific viewpoint on the issue because of my involvement with the wiki, so I know that my desire for these things can't be the only motivator for Paizo.

You know, after reading the first adventure of Council of Thieves, I imagined a mini-opera "The Daughters of Thalaria" that would likely be popular in Cheliax (at least among the nobility).

The daughters of Thalaria are at first happy, and the opera begins with a happily choreographed dance ensemble, an aria by the oldest daughter who is happy about her upcoming marriage.

This is rudely interrupted by a ferocious red dragon. Cue epic dramatic music, fire effects, black smoke. The daughters of Thalaria now dance and sing a different tune. Their lands lie in ruin, wealth is given to the dragon to appease it (sometimes successfully, sometimes not) The daughters mourn as the last wagon of valuable items is slowly wheeled across the stage, exiting stage right.

A paladin of Iomedae enters stage left. Trumpet fanfare (perhaps played overdramatically, depending on where the opera is performed) and humorously sensationalized epic music. The paladin sings of his great conquests against evil, as the daughters of Thalaria kneel at his feet, fawning and attentive. These songs have no small amount of humor in them (making fun of Paladins is a favorite past-time of the Chelish). Then the paladin rushes off to fight the dragon, as the daughters of Thalaria sing him on to victory.

Flame effects, roaring, smoke, crunch and munch. Cue guts and gore.
(varies depending on where it is performed, but its not uncommon for the audience to be splattered with delicious tomato sauce with meatballs). The paladin's helmet clatters across the stage and the daughters of Thalaria sing a dirge of mourning and woe.

And now the music takes on a more ominous tone. The dragon has taken the wealth and all the cattle of the land. All the crops have been burned, and the land lies in desolation. The dragon's demands still are not met, though, and the human sacrifices have begun. The lord mayor enters and sings a sad song regarding the disaster of the land, and how Aroden and Iomedae have forsaken them. (etcetera - there are a variety of versions of this where other good deities are censured). The youngest daughter is bound in chains and slowly marched off stage right, while the other daughters sing more melancholy.

The oldest daughter has an idea though, a desparate and daring idea, and she calls on her sisters for help. In a mystical ritual, they draw out daggers and spill their blood (again, the depth of reality of this depends on where it is performed). The oldest daughter calls on Asmodeus, offering her soul for the life of her sister.

In a flash of brilliant light, Asmodeus appears in the finest red robes, a ruby scepter in his hand. He holds out the parchment and the daughters sign in their blood. Asmodeus sings an aria of the glories of Hell, the wonders that await the faithful. And the promise of a new life of peace and order.

Asmodeus disappears again in a flash of red light, and the theatre suddenly begins to shake as one hundred hellknights storm down the aisles. (This is as much a fear effect as one of awe - it is part of the performance but allows the hellknights to demonstrate their power). Within seconds, the dragon is dispatched and the youngest daughter returned safely to her sisters.

The daughters sing a song of thanks, joy and happiness. Then the music becomes more dramatic again as a full choir (often this part is performed by the hellknights) sing a song of praise to Asmodeus as the stage is slowly transformed into a red and black throne room. Then the song becomes even more epic as praise is heaped upon the House of Thrune. The daughters of Thalaria mount the stairs to the great throne, where Thrune's ruler (you'll forgive me if I can't remember current name or title) sits on her throne, with Asmodeus standing behind the throne and various devils kneeling on the stairs before her. (in the more expensive productions, these are likely bound real devils, but just costumes in the less expensive ones). The chorus raises to epic proportions as the banners of Cheliax unfurl throughout the theatre.

epic awesomeness

That sounds more like a royal masque than a 'standard' opera, but The Daughters of Thalaria has just been added to my home game's canon as having been performed as part of Abrogail II's coronation festivities... Excellent stuff!

Dark_Mistress wrote:

I would say post more cutting room floor stuff. Just maybe make a note that it is what it is. So when something like this happens everyone knows to take it with a grain of salt. Things like that added to the blog makes me want to buy more stuff. So please keep doing it.

These kinds of discrepancies can be really problematic for anyone trying to catalogue canon or attempting to keep things like timelines and world continuity straight. As it stands, it's going to be a major headache for us to include or explain this information in the PathfinderWiki article on the subject. The more often pseudo-canonical material makes it out to the public (meaning that it hasn't gone through the rigorous editorial process), the more convoluted world continuity risks becoming. This is an example of why I much prefer dates instead of "xxx years ago" for any event which doesn't change the age of a living NPC should someone wish to play an AP set in 4735 or whatever. What specific year it was written or in which the author died won't have any real impact on a campaign, but it does have an impact on world continuity. But I have a very specific viewpoint on the issue because of my involvement with the wiki, so I know that my desire for these things can't be the only motivator for Paizo.

Thats why i said just post a note with it, that it is unedited or some such from the cutting room floor. That way people know it could have mistakes in it.

Thats why i said just post a note with it, that it is unedited or some such from the cutting room floor. That way people know it could have mistakes in it.

If something might have mistakes in it, don't post it at all, is what I'm saying. Even cutting room floor stuff should maintain continuity. If it doesn't, it shouldn't be released.

If something might have mistakes in it, don't post it at all, is what I'm saying.

I couldn't disagree more strongly. Every product ever released has mistakes in it.

yoda8myhead wrote:

If something might have mistakes in it, don't post it at all, is what I'm saying.

I couldn't disagree more strongly. Every product ever released has mistakes in it.

They are not, however, intentionally released knowing that there can be major continuity confusions caused by them. In general, errata or simple explanations can fix any of the errors in fully edited, released products. The entire canon heirarchy hinges on products at least trying to be canonical. Sure, web supplements can be considered a low-tier source, but they're still official products, and should be treated as such or not released. Or have a little extra time put into them to ensure that those of us who are concerned with continuity can have a few concrete dates instead of ambiguous ranges that are going to do nothing but cause confusion.

Dark_Mistress wrote:

Thats why i said just post a note with it, that it is unedited or some such from the cutting room floor. That way people know it could have mistakes in it.

If something might have mistakes in it, don't post it at all, is what I'm saying. Even cutting room floor stuff should maintain continuity. If it doesn't, it shouldn't be released.

That pretty much omits everything we publish.

AKA: There's no way for us to ensure that everything we print, be it on paper or electronically on PDFs or on blogs, will have no mistakes. The sooner folks come to terms with the fact that errors are here to stay, and that when you're processing, on average something like 125,000 words a month (on a normal month), some of those words are going to be wrong, the better. Even if we have 1 mistake per page, that's only 192 mistakes a month. That's an accuracy of 99.8%.

We aim for an accuracy of 100%, but if we only hit 99.8% (or hell, even 99%), I'm pretty happy with that. Doesn't mean that hearing about those mistakes doesn't gnaw at me and make me think about switching jobs to be a commercial fisherman or comic book colorist now and again, but I get over the mistakes and move on to the next project.

So... sorry about the errors, but if you're looking for an error free product, I'm afraid you're looking at the wrong industry. Come to think of it... I'm not sure ANY industry can boast an accuracy rate of 100%.