Pathfinder Adventure Path #66: The Dead Heart of Xin (Shattered Star 6 of 6) (PFRPG) (based on
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Chapter 6: "The Dead Heart of Xin"
by Brandon Hodge
The seven shards of the Shattered Star have been recovered, and the Pathfinders prepare a grand festival on Magnimar's Irespan to celebrate this incredible achievement. The culmination of this celebration is to be the reassembly of the seven shards into the legendary Sihedron itself, rebuilt for the first time in over ten thousand years. But a lot can change in that amount of time, and as the ritual to reforge the artifact finishes, ancient contingencies rumble to life, and as the dead heart of Thassilon begins to beat again, all of Magnimar is put in terrible danger. With the power of the Sihedron on their side, the heroes take a stance against this risen evil—but will the aid of an ancient artifact be enough to save them all?
This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path concludes the Shattered Star Adventure Path and includes:
“The Dead Heart of Xin,” a Pathfinder RPG adventure for 15th-level characters, by Brandon Hodge.
Explorations of lost cities and confrontations with ancient evils to continue your Shattered Star campaign, by Adam Daigle.
A survey of the ancient rulers of Thassilon—all seven runelords detailed in one place, by Rob McCreary.
The madness-inducing conclusion of “Light of a Distant Star” in the Pathfinder’s Journal, by Bill Ward.
Four new monsters, by Dennis Baker, Adam Daigle, and Brandon Hodge.
Each monthly full-color softcover Pathfinder Adventure Path volume contains an in-depth adventure scenario, stats for several new monsters, and support articles meant to give Game Masters additional material to expand their campaign. Pathfinder Adventure Path volumes use the Open Game License and work with both the Pathfinder RPG and the world’s oldest fantasy RPG.
ISBN–13: 978-1-60125-491-7
The Dead Heart of Xin is sanctioned for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The rules for running this Adventure Path are available as a free download (373 KB zip/PDF). The Chronicle sheet for this Adventure Path is available here (94 KB zip/PDF).
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I have a request. Could we get pictures of each of the runelords in their section of the book? We have karzoug and sorshen, but no pictures of any of the others.
I have a request. Could we get pictures of each of the runelords in their section of the book? We have karzoug and sorshen, but no pictures of any of the others.
I have a request. Could we get pictures of each of the runelords in their section of the book? We have karzoug and sorshen, but no pictures of any of the others.
Are headshots good enough?
We got Headshots in Inner Sea Magic for most of them. I'd like more than headshots for Runelords who are not Karzoug and Sorshen.
I wanted to do more than just head shots, trust me, but making this article fit in 8 pages is going to be hard enough with full body shots for each one of them. It's a words vs. art space balance.
I have a request. Could we get pictures of each of the runelords in their section of the book? We have karzoug and sorshen, but no pictures of any of the others.
There's a picture or two of Alaznist (Ultimate Magic has one of those), and a headhost of Xanderghul in Inner Sea Magic.
Honestly though, I'd prefer full pictures for Belimarius, Zutha, and Krune without any other artwork, than headshots of all 7.
I have a request. Could we get pictures of each of the runelords in their section of the book? We have karzoug and sorshen, but no pictures of any of the others.
There's a picture or two of Alaznist (Ultimate Magic has one of those), and a headhost of Xanderghul in Inner Sea Magic.
Honestly though, I'd prefer full pictures for Belimarius, Zutha, and Krune without any other artwork, than headshots of all 7.
That's true. I forgot about Alaznist there, and I know we have a headshot of Xanderghul. though what I would truly like is just the full-body pictures of Xanderghul, Belimarius, Zutha, and Krune. that way we would have seven full body images. (Karzoug in Rise of the Runelords, Shorshen in Lady's Light, and Alaznist in Ultimate Magic)
P.S. If we finally do get images of all seven, someone has to make a poster with them together in it.
There's a picture or two of Alaznist (Ultimate Magic has one of those), and a headhost of Xanderghul in Inner Sea Magic.
Honestly though, I'd prefer full pictures for Belimarius, Zutha, and Krune without any other artwork, than headshots of all 7.
That's true. I forgot about Alaznist there, and I know we have a headshot of Xanderghul. though what I would truly like is just the full-body pictures of Xanderghul, Belimarius, Zutha, and Krune. that way we would have seven full body images. (Karzoug in Rise of the Runelords, Shorshen in Lady's Light, and Alaznist in Ultimate Magic)
P.S. If we finally do get images of all seven, someone has to make a poster with them together in it.
I'm sure once someone does we'll immediately see art of them all taking a bath together. Or perhaps building their empires. Whether this art will be official or fan art is a question for the ages of course.
Will we at least get stats for all the non-mythic Runelords in this volume? or will we forever be limited to Xin and Karzoug?
Will we at least get stats for all the non-mythic Runelords in this volume? or will we forever be limited to Xin and Karzoug?
I can't speak to forever, but I can manage some expectations for this article. There will be no stats for any runelords in this article. This is an 8-page article that spends a page talking about each runelord. It talks about how they became a runelord, things they did while being a runelord, and surviving legacies of their rule. Pretty much we crammed as much information as possible onto that one page, collecting bits and pieces we've talked about for the past five years while introducing new information.
Will we at least get stats for all the non-mythic Runelords in this volume? or will we forever be limited to Xin and Karzoug?
I can't speak to forever, but I can manage some expectations for this article. There will be no stats for any runelords in this article. This is an 8-page article that spends a page talking about each runelord. It talks about how they became a runelord, things they did while being a runelord, and surviving legacies of their rule. Pretty much we crammed as much information as possible onto that one page, collecting bits and pieces we've talked about for the past five years while introducing new information.
8 page article, 7 Runelords. is the 8th page an Intro? or is it Xin?
How did Xin whose body on the record was destroyed in an arcane explosion get most of his unbroken and unblackend bones inside a giant piece of quartz postmortem?
Sorry, slight perfectionist for details in reference to Pathfinder world lore.
How did Xin whose body on the record was destroyed in an arcane explosion get most of his unbroken and unblackend bones inside a giant piece of quartz postmortem?
Sorry, slight perfectionist for details in reference to Pathfinder world lore.
Magic, to a certain extent.
To a lesser extent... that explosion didn't destroy his WHOLE body.
It's unfortunately not something we were able to go over in great detail in the adventure... but:
Spoiler:
Just as trap the soul traps a body and soul inside of a gemstone, this creature, the "clockwork reliquary," was created to trap Xin's body within at a certain point after his transition/death—the explosion that killed him prematurely interacted strangely with the reliquary and his palace, resulting in what's going on in this adventure!
Zergtitan, beyond the revelations in James' uncharacteristically spoiler-filled reply, all will be clear when you read the adventure and the events surrounding Xin's death. Though for the record, I don't think Mr. Reynolds realized the bones were supposed to be blackened, burned, and much fewer in number, so nice catch. Though that's a beauty of a BBEG, isn't it? =-)
Have to say, I'm really glad you guys didn't go with a "brain in a jar" aesthetic for that character. This is so much more horribly regal and wrong. :)
This guy deserves some magnificent monologue material.
I'm really curious how Scylla (another one?) gets/is involved in this surely grand finale!
Ruyan.
Maybe climax spoilers?:
Plenty of weird folks might have caught a ride up to the surface when Xin's clockwork city surfaces. :)
The synopsis in Shards of Sin does mention a large chunk of the Irespan popping loose and riling something big and bad up in the ocean's depths, but I initially assumed it would be a rematch between Magnimar and those gigantic seamonsters introduced in that city's sourcebook, the kind that attacked much earlier in the city's history. It might be a Scylla instead.
Freakin sweet cover. Again I must worry that I might have to buy another ap I wasn't interested in after learning of it's contents, stupid clockworks why must you be soo cool.
Freakin sweet cover. Again I must worry that I might have to buy another ap I wasn't interested in after learning of it's contents, stupid clockworks why must you be soo cool.
So I was thinking about Shattered Star and Juno Reactor's Mona Lisa Overdrive(Thomas P Heckmann Remix) came on, and it hit me:
FUTURE PROPHET CLIMAX SPOILERS?:
The final book is going to have a clockwork city resurface next to Magnimar, right?
That city is most likely going to be crawling with clockwork creatures. Animated weapons and tools of ancient design, far more advanced than most of what's being made in modern Golarion for the most part.
But Magnimar is crawling with constructs of its own. From traditional golems to art deco Angel Guardians, there's a wide range of these things in use. They're a part of Magnimar's identity.
When the PCs invade that clockwork city, there has to be a full blown construct vs. construct war going on around them. Ancient clockworks following ancient protocols or the new commands of the First King himself vs. the labors of love of Magnimar, fighting alongside their flesh and blood creators. The top-of-the-line technology of Thassilon vs. the best Varisia has to throw at it. Xin's masterpiece vs. works made in the shadow of his accomplishments but with their creators' own innovations.
Hey there ... just a question ... will the clockwork reliquary be a mini in the Shattered Star miniatures set? (May be a "stupid question" but there are only so many "slots" in the set ... ) and I was curious. :)
How did Xin whose body on the record was destroyed in an arcane explosion get most of his unbroken and unblackend bones inside a giant piece of quartz postmortem?
Sorry, slight perfectionist for details in reference to Pathfinder world lore.
So I was thinking about Shattered Star and Juno Reactor's Mona Lisa Overdrive(Thomas P Heckmann Remix) came on, and it hit me:
** spoiler omitted **
oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy :D
This is awesome!
Spoiler:
But I was also planning a backstory in which player characters from the preceding APs working together towards a goal of unifying the city-states of Varisia into one true nation. To better work together and face threats both from their past and abroad.
While the constructs of Maginimar are trying their best to fight back the clockwork golems long enough for the Heroes to defeat Xin. Just when the city is about to be overrun, the monster and construct forces of Kaer Maga arrive to aid the city. Along with the armies of Korvosa led by the heroes of CotCT, and a fleet of pirate ships from Riddleport led by some of the heroes of SD.
Only unified together are they able to push back the clockwork golems and give enough time for the heroes to defeat Xin, ending the threat and in the process establishing the council of Varisia lead the nation into an brighter future.
Hey everyone. This is a question for those of you who have been running Shattered Star. Currently, I have a group consisting of a Fighter, Inquisitor, Bladebound Magus, and an undecided fourth. I was hoping to utilize the Magus's Black Blade as a role playing device in the adventure. Do any of you have any recommendations as to how I can go about developing the Black Blades increasing sentience to work with the Shattered Star's overarching story line? I'd like for his blade to have a purpose that would prove useful or a hindrance in late game. Thanks a lot! I'm looking forward to hearing some fun ideas.
James Jacobs
Creative Director
Set
Ravenmantle
doc the grey
