#35 rejected submission


Society Scenario Submissions

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A friend and I submitted this together to try to get a more rounded idea to pitch. He is more the writer, I am the game mechanics developer sort.

Our guidance was "a new secret basement level has been found in the Blakros Museum from #5 Mists of the Mwangi senario."

We were rejected for a few things, some we are ashamed of like misspelling some names, at least we got Erik right and some were more general. Josh had mentioned they were not accepting submissions which used the surrounding planets.

Spoiler:
From the Age before recorded history, mankind has gazed with wonder and awe at the stars shining within the Dark Tapestry. Our ancient forefathers were certain in the belief that their beauty and wonder contained the very secrets of the gods themselves. But the wisdom of the stars is not a goal for the faint of heart, as the darkness between the points of light are often filled with dangers more terrifying than the deepest abyss.

It has been many years since Ralzeros; an eccentric archmage, searched the Dark Tapestry for secrets and forbidden knowledge. It was during the years of searching that he built his basalt observatory that would one day become the Blakros Museum. It was also during this time that his quest brought him to the attention of a Lashunta of the Nika-Dalmous clan of distant Castrovel, the Green. This clan of powerful psionicists had long sought for a way to exploit Golarion for their own ends, and corrupting Ralzeros, became the first step in their quest for power and domination. Eventually, Ralzeros was slain, but not before he had secretly created new agents for his Castrovel Mistress, the family that would come to be known as Blakros.

Descended from Ralzeros, bred with an ability to hear the distant voices from Castrovel and to entice the men of many lands with their beauty, the Daughters of Blakros slowly expanded their influence beyond Absalom. Over the years, the beautiful Daughters of Blakros married into the nobility of many lands, gathered wealth and secrets from beyond the Inner Sea and slowly fulfilled the wishes of the Voice from the Void.

When the mad pathfinder, Lugizar Trantos arrived from distant Numeria with a crate for the Blakros Museum, he muttered “And so my oath is fulfilled.” before slipping into a coma, the Society became concerned. When shortly afterwards, the numerous daughters of Blakros began to return to Absalom, sending Nigel Aldain away to far off Varisia, and closed the doors of the often haunted museum, that concern became worry.

The daughters are now having a massive celebration in their Absalom mansion, and have left only a skeletal staff at their many properties. What is happening behind the walls of the Blakros Museum, and who can discover the secrets of the Daughters of Blakros before they complete their ultimate goal?

The Nika-Dalmous have made a pact with the Demon Lord Cyth V’sug, and are using its magic to protect the seeds that the daughters have collected. The seeds are to be sent via the Arkall to Castrovel. Their plan is to use the seeds to create an undistinguishable human/plant hybrid that they will use to subvert the powerful nations of Golarion.

Rooms
1 Blakros Museum - Before Nigel leaves for Varisia he tells the Society that the Daughter have been spending a lot of effort working on the basalt floor of the North Exhibit Hall. He gave the Society a key to the museum’s front doors and warned them that something is afoot. The ziggurat on display in the North Hall has been moved back, exposing an opening in the basalt floor. Stairs lead down into the darkness below.
Enc1- Guardian (Alien) Tier 1 Vegapygmy x3 (EL2)/ Tier 2 Grick (EL 4) / Tier 3 Gibbering Mouther (EL 6)

2 Entrance Chamber – Enc2 Trapped stairs (EL 1-4) lead down to the Entrance Chamber.
Barren Sentinel – Not all the children of Blakros have the temperament or ability to become a true “Daughter”. Those found lacking for any reason are sterilized, and become Barren Sentinels. These beautiful but deranged daughters are turned into enraged guardians of the families holdings.
Enc3 Guardian Tier 1 Barren Sentinel (EL3)/ Tier 2 Barren Sentinel (EL 6) / Tier 3 Barren Sentinel (EL 7)

3 Incubation Chamber – The seeds gathered by the Daughters from the nobles of distant lands have been placed within the moist and nourishing earthen walls of this room to incubate. The “Seeds” are a mix of human and plant, and are nurtured in soil that is fed by demonic grubs and spores provided by Cyth V’sug. (Cheliax Goal)

4 Disposal Chamber – “Seeds” that are not viable are disposed of here. This is also the room where the Vegapygmy’s are grown from the Otyugh guano that is left after it consumes the discarded Seeds.
Enc4 Guardian - Castrovel Otyugh – (variant) Tier 1 (EL2)/ Tier 2 (EL 4) / Tier 3 (EL 6)

5 Preparation Chamber – The room is filled with alchemical and thaumaturgical equipment. Seeds are being encased within a viscous shell to protect them during their upcoming transfer through the Arkall to Castrovel. Once a Seed is prepared it is placed within a special cask and taken to the Arkall.
- Enc5 Castroval Astral Obelisk which details the pending astral alignment which the Daughters are going to use to help power the Arkall, and transfer the various Seed and information to the Nika-Dalmous Matriarch. EL4 (optional) (Sarenrae Ankh used as the symbol for the sun – Osirion Goal)
-Enc6 Guardian – Tier 1 Barren Sentinel (EL3)/ Tier 2 Barren Sentinel (EL 6) / Tier 3 Lashunta Agent (EL 7) and Enc7 Vegapygmy servitors who can be called from the Arkall room.
Information found within the Preperation Chamber also includes a record of which noble families / races were the source of each seed. Taldor, Andoran Goal.

6 Arkall– A vast circular room is dominated by ring of metal, suspended over a pile of Seed Casks. The ring of metal is held aloft by 4 stout chains. Attached to the metal ring is the Electro-Thaumaturgical device that Lugizar Trantos brought back from Numeria. ( Qadiran Goal)
Success
If the party is able to prevent the activation of the Arkall, they will have succeeded. The Pathfinder Society learns of a new threat and can warn their factions of the Blakros plot. Blakros influence will prevent the family from being totally discredited.
Failure
The Seed Casks are sent to Castroval, where they are grown to become Nika-Dalmous spies.

The main take aways I learned over the weekend was to pay attention to the little technical things. Never use a ";". Write encounters, not rooms. Try to avoid ideas that are comical. Josh used the term "retirement home for dragons" and it had never occured to me that my home style of gaming sometimes used laughter to break up the seriousness of an evening. Adventures need to be more serious and to the point. Research and try not to reinvent an earlier product.

Please feel free to comment on the submission.

Thanks in advance for your critique. Josh mentioned the boards were harsh, I will don my armor and shield and await the thrown vegtables.

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