Dudemeister's Caravan of Courage: Jade Regent Journal


Campaign Journals

Silver Crusade

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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

A harsh voice booms from the smoke and darkness in the Imperial Palace of Minkai.

"When does a story begin? Does it begin Eon's ago when the gods chose mortals over great and noble spirit kind? Does it begin a century ago when those noble beings who rebelled escaped their unjust prison? Does it begin decades ago when my evil became LAW? Does it begin years ago when a ship lost in a storm crashed into a murky swamp? Does it begin weeks ago when pathetic goblins discovered the explosive secrets inside? Or did it begin days ago when a band of friends escorted a caravan down a lonely coastal road?"

...

12 Rova 4712

The ride down Lonely Coast Road was relatively uneventful and the trade of goods with the Magnimar merchant went smoothly. Ameiko Kaijutsu was beginning to suspect the rumours of violent goblins from Brinestump were exaggerations. She was about to proclaim as much when suddenly a firework exploded!

The horses were spooked, and the guards and friends she had hired were about to earn their pay. Goblins burst forth from bushes and trees, firing arrows and attacking with their scrap metal weapons.

While Sandru Vhisky and Ameiko Kaijutsu tried to get the wagon horses under control, and Koya Mvashti complained about the bumpy ride. The party had problems of its own.

A goblin leapt out of the tree (with a natural 20 on it's acrobatics check) doing a sweet backflip and landing behind Darktread the exiled ninja of the dragon clan. The goblin and the ninja exchanged blows back and forth.

The Half-Elf Druid Mordred worried about his foster mother, rushed towards the wagon horses and attempted to soothe them. Ordering his battle-cat Avalon to kill as many goblins as she could. The horses' panic was great and so Mordred leapt atop one of the steeds and with the aid of Ameiko & Sandru managed to stop the caravan before it careened off the path. Avalon crushed a goblin skull in its jaws with ease.

Garfaz Starclaw's horse had panicked. The Tengu Samurai was cool under pressure using his reigns to calm the horse and steer it towards the goblin menaces to the East. The goblins, despite being under attack from a giant cat decided to team up against their dreaded horsy enemy. Garfaz's blade destroyed any goblin it could reach.

Brando "Little Cat" Tormir another of Koya's wards, and a ranger to boot charged in sword-first killing a goblin with skill and ease.

Shalelu was under assault by a small pack of goblins who recognized her as a slayer of their kind. Hoping to return the favour she had once done him, Cale Anders charged into the fray destroying a goblin with one swift strike. While Ameiko's younger half-elf brother Rorrin Kaijutsu used minor magics to attack the goblins.

The battle was a tricky thing, but the skill of the caravan guards won out. Two pieces of treasure stuck out:
The firework husk, with an obviously Tian design, and a strange lamp bearing odd symbols of ancient Minkai. The party finished their quest, escorting the caravan back to the town and a drink at the Rusty Dragon.

The party spent the evening at the Rusty Dragon talking to their allies. Darktread's legendary bar-tab growing even larger. As Ameiko and her younger brother Rorrin tried their hardest to puzzle out the ancient Lantern. Rorrin's arcane studies served him well as he came to the realization that the Lantern could generate magical light, and magic items with a certain Arcane Kanji would glow if the light covered them. Curious Ameiko charged the PCs with dealing with the Goblin Problem, and perhaps discovering the source of their strange magic items. The mark read Amatatsu, but whatever the word meant seemed to have lost meaning for the characters, as if the knowledge was a song they once knew but could no longer even hum the tune to.

The night ended with a Fortune Reading by Koya, the cards predicted danger in the coming days particularly mentioning the players should "beware the dead". That much would be lost, before much could be gained, and a land freed from bondage and slavery. Ameiko extracted a promise from Darktread to make sure Rorrin returned home safe, she had already lost her father, and her older brother the previous year. She didn't want to lose the last member of her family to goblins or worse things that might reside in the Brinestump. She entrusted the lamp to Rorrin, in the hopes that he might be able to use it to track down further Tian artifacts in the Swamp.

13 Rova 4712

The party spent the next morning buying some supplies with the payment they had earned guarding Ameiko's caravan, and arming themselves with knowledge about the Brinestump swamp (what little there was to learn). Shalelu warned Cale of a creature that stalked the swamps. A Soggy River Monster had been spotted by farmers, with a face that opens sideways. Koya gifted her wards with potions, telling them to be careful and to visit an old friend of hers, a halfling named Wolthus who knew the swamps passing well who might be able to lead them to the Goblins. She recommended a gift of tea, to make him more likely to share his aid. While Cale learned from a shopkeep that Wolthus was fond of snakes, keeping many as pets.

They travelled overland by foot, reaching the New Fishing Trail by mid-afternoon. The swamp itself was dark, wet and creepy. The first bridge they crossed revealed an ambush predator, a Belostomatid. The creature's paralytic venom, and mighty claws nearly killed Mordred's faithful kitty Avalon. Fortunately some lucky strikes from Brando and Garfaz ended the creature before it could make a meal of the cat. Darktread and Rorrin barely entered the fray. "It's too dangerous! For my bar tab!"

The rest of the old road was easy enough to traverse, and it wasn't long before Walthus' shack came into view. Rorrin and Cale volunteered to speak to the halfling, after a protracted period of knocking the halfling finally answered the door. Haggard and exhausted, he appeared to suffer from many snake bites, and he seemed completely uninterested in tea. Perplexed, Cale asked the others to scout the perimeter of the house for anything unusual, while he knocked a second time.
"You appear to have taken some injury. Trouble with snakes?"
"Trouble? Yeah! Actually, some snakes somehow got in my garden. You wouldn't happen to be able to deal with them would you?"
"Sure, lead the way."
As the pair approached the garden, Cale, Paladin of Sarenrae drew his blade and turned on their "host".
"Okay, where's the real Walthus?"
"Walthus" surprised at the accusation slammed the door and proceeded to hide in the house. The party poured in, but "Wolthus" rapidly stabbed Cale in the kidneys, and took the bleeding PC hostage.
Mordred didn't have any patience for that and conked the shape shifting monster in the head, while Darktread wreslted Cale's unconscious form out of danger.

Realizing he was outnumbered the imposter attempted to make a dash for it, but the kiss of Galfaz's razor-sharp katana meant the Faceless Stalker was dead within half a dozen paces, landing in two clean halves before he realized he was dead. After a search of the home, the party discovered the real Walthus hiding within. Though he had no specific knowledge of the Brinestump Goblins, he knew someone who did. Old Megus, a witch of some skill who resided at the end of The Witches' Walk. He offered the party his hospitality, and a cloak of resistance as payment for his rescue.

Quotes of the Night:
Rorrik's Player: "So it's just the one goblin and Darktread fighting?"
Rorrick: "Anyone want to make a wager on who wins?"
Shalelu: *sizes up Darktread* "I put three gold on the Goblin."
Darktread: "In the old country we call this one the curbstomp!" *Kills Goblin*.
Shalelu: "Well that was fast. Your three gold sir."

Mordred: "I use all my potions and healing magics to heal my kitty to full health."
Darktread: "Uh, I've got an injury over he-"
Mordred: *Death Glare*
Darktread: "Never mind."
Mordred: ""You left my kitty to die! No heals for you."

Walthus: "Where's that thing! That imposter?"
Rorrin: "He had to split."

MVP: Cale Anders, for using great tactics against the bug, and realizing the imposter.

Funniest Player: Darktread for refusing to allow Rorrin to get into any danger whatsoever.

Honorable Mention: Galfaz, for killing things with style.

Current XP: 468
Treasure Found: Cloak of Resistance +1 (Rorrik)
Goblins Killed: 8

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

14 Rova 4712

Rested up, the party planned their journey through the swamp to Old Megus' shack. The old witch's maps would likely reveal the path to the goblin village. At first they had hoped to hug the coast and reach Old Megus' shack that way, but realizing that there may be too many deep rivers between Walthus' and Megus' they chose to skirt around the swamp. The long trip around the swamp took most of the day, but circling around the swamp kept the party fairly safe from predations from swamp predators.

Late in the afternoon they managed to follow the long disused Witch's Walk to Old Megus' Shack. Scared of the old witch's curse, Anders the Oni-Blooded Paladin called out a greeting. Nought but eerie wind through the trees returned an answer. Curious as to the state of disrepair of the shed Anders peeked in first, getting mauled by Dire Rats. His allies ran to the rescue, Mordred's cat Albion playfully tearing the head off one rat, while Garfaz sliced another in half. The third was slain by Anders himself. With little of value in the shed, the party turned to the house proper.
"We tried polite, can we bust into the house. Now?" Whined Mordred the Druid.
"I think we can try knocking first," replied Anders. Although upon closer inspection he realized that the front door had swollen shut from water damage. "Hmm, we might have to try knocking a little harder than I thought." Unfortunately, try as he might the Paladin couldn't knock the door in (although every shove caused the shack to tremble terribly). Brando grew irritable and kicked the door in.
"After you."
The inside of the shack showed obvious signs of abandonment, as the Sandpoint natives spread throughout the building a horrible little ratling slipped out from under a closet door.
"INTRUDERSES! Gets out!"
"We only seek direction, perhaps we might speak with your mistress?" Inquired Cale Anders.
"Back the way the strangerses came from, that good direction gets out!" It skittered back into the walls.
Mordred and Brando opened the door to a small laboratory, Garfaz and Albion stayed outside in case of trouble from outdoors. Rorrin meanwhile kicked open doors discovering the Ratling just as he completed a summoning spell, causing the entire structure of the building to shake alarmingly. A swarm of rats crawled forth from every crack and crevice.
Mordred spotted a cache of treasures in the lab, and started throwing as much as he could into the pack even as he was attacked by rats, although he threw himself against a wall in the hopes of breaking out (only causing the building to further collapse).
Brando decided to take the problem from a different direction running around the outside of the building. Anders tried aiding Mordred directly, while Rorrin headed outside as well. Meanwhile the ratling Skitterfoot tried to frighten the intruders off with cause fear spells (unsuccessfully).
As the building collapsed around them, and rats tried to eat them alive the pair managed to grab a couple more treasures, while Brando and Rorrin tried breaking the wall down from the outside Finally they managed it, just as Mordred and Cale Anders fell unconscious to the horrid gnawing of the rats. Rorrin used magic to pull out the last treasure while the other heroes pulled their unconscious allies out. Just as the building collapsed into a heap of wood, and rubble.
Brando poured a healing potion down the Druid's throat, the druid in turn managed to activate the Cure Light Wounds Scroll in time to save Ander's life.
Exhausted from the day's trek and a battle for their lives the party decided to clean out the half-ruined shed and rest there for the night. Anders stayed up for a few hours to dig through the rubble in case they missed anything important rediscovering old Megus' corpse, but no sign of Skitterfoot. So he dug a grave for the mean old witch, and offered a redemptive prayer to Sarenrae. There was no sign of the Ratling.

At least until the following morning when Rorrin was returning from emptying his bladder to see the chilling sign scratched into the shed wall:

"I WILL
AVENGE HER
S"

15 Rova 4712

"Who's HERS?" Cale Anders asked. The rest of the party groaned, and accounted the treasures they had recovered:
Potent Scrolls made up most of the treasure, along with a masterwork dagger and a near complete map of the Brinemarsh. Noting there was a ruined "Tian Ship" nearby Cale petitioned the party check that out for Tien artifacts for Ameiko especially since some had not fully recovered from the previous evening's combat to make an effective Goblin Raiding squad. The party concurred and followed the map to the South West. After a few hours of travel the PCs discovered a broken ship. Upon the ship was a nameplate The Kaijutsu Blossom, they also discovered some undead crewmen still wearing broken Tien armor and rusted Wakizashis.

It was another tight combat, but again the Sandpoint locals managed to win the day, and some unusual Tian weapons.

XP gained this session: 330.
Total XP: 798/1,300.
Treasures Gained: 2 x Scrolls of CLW (CL 7) (Given to Mordred), 2 x Scrolls of False Life (CL 7) (Given to Rorrin), 1 x Scroll of Water Walk. One Weird Syringe Wand Full of Red Liquid. Masterwork Dagger and Fancy Scabbard. Gold.
5 Rusted Wakizashi (can be resold for 17.5 gp if cleaned/repaired). 5 broken chain-mail armour.
You haven't levelled yet, but there's a whole village of goblins to deal with to get XP from.

MVP: Cale Anders

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

16 Rova 4712

Awakening in their rooms at the Rusty Dragon, the party came together to discuss strategy now that they had a location for the Licktoad goblins.
"I don't think genocide is a good solution to this problem," the oni-blooded paladin Cale said. "The goblins are a threat to the Lost Coast because of the fireworks they've gotten a-hold of. We know they fear horses and hate dogs. I think we should go in and have Mordred summon some dogs to draw their fire while we sneak through the village and maybe steal their fireworks."
There were no major objections and the party decided it was a good plan. They bought potions for their journey, cleaned up some of the wakizashi they found (handing them to Darktread the ninja). The party sallied forth into the swamp. The journey along the Old Fish Road to the Licktoad village was relatively uneventful. When they finally reached the village they saw a ruined palisade and goblin bodies floating in an algae filled pool that was the goblin water supply.
"This... is not what I expected," remarked Cale, "stay close but let's investigate before going deeper."
Darktread fished out one of the goblin bodies from the algae filled pool, finding all sorts of strange treasures.
"The body is bloated, but he was killed by a blade and look here," Brando the ranger pointed to some tracks leading into and out of the pool, "something walked through that pool directly into the village fighting goblins along the way. Something the size of a man, but with an irregular gait."
"Undead?" Rorrin asked.
"Possibly, zombies or skeletons I suspect and with our experience fighting in that wreck my intuition makes me suspect the latter."
"Uh guys, I don't think we're alone. I spotted something in that building," Darktread called.
"Fall in, let's get inside that building maybe we can question that goblin about what happened here."
Just as Brando was about to open the door a group of goblins burst forth from another building. Screaming and yelling in goblin.
"I think they want us gone," guessed Darktread who claimed to speak goblin, but was fluent only in Tien and passable in Taldane.
The surprise attack from the goblins nearly dropped Mordred, but her tiger Albion was quick to leap to his defense while he healed. Rorrin's reaction instantly slew one goblin, while another one broke its sword upon his armor. He then looked on in shock as the goblin calmly picked up it's fallen ally's sword and stabbed him with it. Causing him to fumble with his own blade.
Brando and Cale came to the aid of Mordred slaying the goblins menacing him and his tiger.
Darktread leapt into the fray attempting to push back the goblin that attacked Rorrin yelling: "MY BAR TAB!"
This shocked Rorrin out of his daze and he stabbed the goblin that had injured him, and then it was quiet again.
"Well that was fun," laughed Darktread.
Cale shook his head in disappointment, with nobody able to speak goblin negotiation and interrogation was right out. Worse, the goblins knew the party was there distracting them with dogs and horses would only be a waste of valuable healing resources.
"Come on, let's just find these fire works and get out of here."
At which point more goblins began pouring out of buildings and walkways, leading to injuries and many goblin fatalaties. Mordred expending much of his druidic magic to keep various party members up and moving Albion tearing a swathe through the goblin villagers.
Soon the tenor of the goblins changed, they ceased attacking and started retreating. Darktread still took the opportunity to try and get a few swings in, and then look nonchalant under the gaze of the paladin.
"They're retreating, leave it."
Darktread gave a hangdog expression from behind his mask.
The party approached the largest building in the village.
"If it's anywhere, the fireworks will be there."
Rorrin drew a mace and started trying to smash the locked door down.
"YOUSA GO AWAY! WESA GIVA BACKO YOU STINKY TREEESURE! LEAVES WE ALONEY!"
Yelled a surprisingly deep goblin voice from within the building.
"Uh, I'm not a skeleton, I'm uh... Steve your loyal minion returned from attacking Sandton...point whatever." Rorrin Kaijutsu realized his bluff was terrible and continued swinging away at the door, the finishing school in Cheliax had not left him the most eloquent man.
Meanwhile Brando and Darktread scaled the building to find a chimney leading inside and a box of treasure. Unfortunately they made an unintentional noise as they entered and the door to the treasury burst open a pair of goblins and an arrow from Chief Renwaddle Gutwad dropping Brando. Darktread threw a smoke-stick into the entrance of the door in the hopes of covering himself from the deadly chief's archery, but he still had two melee goblins to deal with.
Rorrin finally managed to bust a hole in the door wide enough to move the bar out of the way. Cale and Albion burst into the room killing goblins left and right clearing a path to the chief. Followed by Mordred's sling bullets and Rorrin's deadly blade.
The Chief let fly with another arrow this one struck Rorrin and managed to knock the magus unconscious. Two of five party members were already down and Gutwad had yet to take a strike.
Darktread was dealing with problems of his own, the goblins in Gutwad's honor guard were vicious and surprisingly quick dodging both the ninja's wakizashi.
"This is clearly not working. New plan!" He leapt past the goblins tucked and rolled into the smoke, leaving behind caltrops to deter the little beasts from following.

On the other side of the room Gutwad proved to be a wily combatant, Rorrin was on his feet again thanks to Mordred and one of his own potions, but Cale and Albion were having trouble connecting their attacks.
"Out of the way," Rorrin called out racing into the room and swinging his mace directly into the gobin chief's face, smashing teeth and breaking his nose.
Gutwad took that personally, but took a moment to down a potion.
Cale tried tackling the goblin, but to no avail as Gutwad leapt over the Paladin to land on the other side next to the smoke.
Darktread took his chance. His blade was swift and silent, cutting Gutwad's legs at the knees. The goblin collapsed to the ground, dead. The remaining goblin guard fled up the chimney and away from these crazy bloodthirsty humans.

"Look at these treasures," remarked Darktread.
"Obviously Tien, suppose this is what our unknown assailants were after?" replied Brando.
"Perhaps more, the goblins must have given some of the treasures back to the skeletons but in their greed still held on to this stuff."
"Guys what do you make of this?" Mordred asked showing a fan with a crude map of the swamp drawn on the back side. The tien kanji for ship were in two locations, and another word for shelter on the other. Comparing it to the map the party recovered from the witch's den they sussed out which ship they had already explored.
"My suspicion is that shelter is where the skeletons came from," remarked Brando.
"I'll bet my boots that there's more tien artifacts there," replied Rorrin.
"I'll admit I'm curious about the other ship, but my guess is you guys are right we should check out 'shelter' first," Cale said.
"I think we should rest up tonight, I'm out of spells and we're all a little worse for wear. I don't want to fight anything nasty in this condition," remarked Mordred.
"Agreed, those goblins are unlikely to return today, we'll patch up the door and hole up in here for the evening and head into the swamp first thing tomorrow," said Cale.
"More trekking through the swamp... yippee," said Darktread pulling out a tiny pennant and sarcastically waving it in the air.

XP gained: 660 xp.
Current XP: 1,458/1,300 DING.

Licktoad Loot: Minkai Chest (Worth 150 gp), six masterwork shuriken, 429 sp, 172 gp, long hairpin with an inlaid pearl worth 150 gp, a gold and ivory fan depicting a gecko walking amid cherry blossoms worth 120 gp. +1 animal bane arrows (5), potion of cure light wounds, skyrocket fireworks (2), masterwork chainshirt (small), masterwork composite shortbow (being used as a longbow by the chief). 24 goblin ears (240 gp) and the head of Chief Gutwad (300 gp).

17 Rova 4712

The next morning the party awoke feeling refreshed and reinvigorated. Ready to face the new challenge of the day.
"Brando and I will take point, following a goblin path might require some experienced trackers," said Mordred.
"No arguments from me," replied Mordred.
"Where's Darktread?" Asked Cale.
During the night the ninja had disappeared. He left a folded note on Rorrin's back.
"Protected you from goblins, gone back to Ameiko to renegotiate contract/get drunk.
P.S. Kick Me."

Darktread's player had to leave early, so this was my explanation for that.
"Okay, looks like it's just the four of us then."
The party journeyed deeper into the swamp, following the lead of the wilderness specialists.
"Look here," Brando pointed to the mutilated corpse of a capybara, "whatever did this is vicious. That footprint doesn't look like anything I've seen."
"An aberration of somekind I suspect," replied Rorrin.
"The Soggy River Monster," Cale said, "keep a sharp eye out, don't move out of eyeshot of the rest of the group."
The party nodded their ascent and continued deeper into the swamp.
"I think this is it," Brando compared his maps and the various landmarks, "that cave looks pretty sheltery to me."
"Just be careful, those are stinging nettles over the surface of the entrance. They'll trigger an allergic reaction you'll be sick all day just for brushing against them," explained Mordred.
"Gross, let's just hack our way past them so we don't accidentally poison ourselves."

The darkness inside the cavern was pervasive, Rorrin sparked a sunrod and Brando lit a torch.
"Let's try to stay out of the water, I'll sink like a stone in this armor," Cale said. They headed west into a tunnel which opened out to a wolf spider hungrily sucking the juices from a giant gecko. Upon seeing the party it hissed and chittered in an effort to scare them away.
"Who has time for this?" Brando raced into the room and cleft the spider with his greatsword. Still the spider was tougher than it first appeared biting the ranger back, but unable to poison him.
The tiger Albion raced into the room and tore off a spider leg, causing the vermin to bleed to death.
"Onward then," replied Rorrin, growing ever curiouser about the possibility of Tien treasures. The next room was a small island surrounded by a moat of water. Upon the island glittering crystals formed a playful pattern on the walls and ceiling.
"Oooh, pretty! I'd love these for my rock collection," Mordred said stepping toward the water.
"No wai-" Cale's objection was lost as an amoeba burst forth from the water and slammed into Mordred causing acid to burn his legs.
"Ouch."
Cale, Brando and Rorrin all stepped forth and popped the creature.
"If it looks too good to be true, it probably is," Cale lectured.
Mordred spent a use of healing magic to heal the acid burns.
"Well after that I think we should definitely keep these crystals."
They followed a tunnel south and entered a chamber with a few skeletons laying about.
"Bludgeoning weapons out people," Cale ordered.
The skeletons did not stir.
"Uh? Now what?" Asked Rorrin.
"Now this!" Brando slammed down his greatclub on the head of a skeleton crushing the skull and helmet it wore.
The party looked around, and yet not a skeleton stirred.
"I don't know what's worse these things moving, or not moving," remarked Rorrin.
"C'mon, the tunnel continues this way. Hold up," the oni-blooded paladin's darkvision had revealed a skeleton dressed in Minkai style armour sitting upon a treasure chest.
"Uh Rorrin, could I borrow the magic lantern for a second?"
"Sure Cale what's up?" As the lantern was held aloft the skeleton stirred upon the makeshift throne, black energy crackling from its eyes and arcing into the room behind the adventurers.
<Demon! You will not lay your hands upon this treasure. I challenge you to most honorable combat!>
The psychic voice reverberated in all their minds, but in Cale Ander's it echoed most loudly.
"I'll handle this guy, stay back," Cale ordered.
"Sure, we have problems of our own!" Called back Rorrin as the remaining skeletons in the room stirred and stood, and more skeletons began walking up from out of the water.

The battle was intense, the skeletal champion Tsutamu was an obviously experienced swordsman wielding a magical blade. Cale had the power of Sarenrae on his side, but the goddess of redemption was doing little to guide the paladin's sword arm.

Meanwhile in the other room Mordred and Albion were tearing through skeletons like hot katana through butter. Rorrin was surrounded and Brando smashed skeletons wherever he swung his greatclub.

The duel continued an excellent strike from Cale had sliced clean through the bones in the skeleton's ribcage, but Tsutamu was constantly able to get past the Paladin's formidable defenses each cut deep and painful.

"I think he's run out of minions," laughed Mordred.
Rorrin raced back to the dueling chamber.
"Hey Cale how are y-" Rorrin froze, Cale was unconscious, the skeletal champion had his wakizashi raised for a killing strike. Upon seeing the elf-eared Tien.
<Agent of the devil, I know you for what you are! You are next.>
Brando was sick of it.
"Enough of this honorable stuff," Brando swung his sling with astonishing speed and accuracy.
The first bullet busted the skeleton's jaw sending it flying into the darkness, the second hit it square in between the eyes the back of its head exploding in bone dust particles. The champion collapsed to the ground.
Mordred raced to Cale's side injecting him with more of the healing liquid from the wand. Cale's eyes fluttered open and he called out weakly:
"Did I win?"
The party laughed in relief that their friend was okay and the terrible undead were now dealt with once and for all.
"Well we came here for a purpose let's see what's in the box."
Rorrin opened the chest and uncovered marvelous treasures, mysterious potions and curios.
"Any idea what this sword is Rorrin?" Asked Cale.
"Wakizashi," corrected the Magus, holding it up to the mystic lanternlight, "it's called Whispering Shrike, it is the weapon of a bodyguard, allows the wielder to protect an ally through the shield other spell. Handy, but the handle... seems... loose," Rorrin struggled to open the handle of the blade and managed to pull out a rolled up note. Sealed in wax with the kanji for Empire, although under the light of the lamp was also the kanji for son.
It was a letter from a grandfather to his son, speaking of dangerous enemies, lost legacies and secrets hidden in the vaults of Brinewall. Rorrin was amazed, this was written by his own grandfather, he had to tell his sister about this.
"We have to get back to Sandpoint, this is massive."

XP Gained: 970
Current XP: 2,428/3,300

Treasure Gained: Cherry Wood Chest (worth 300 gp), potions of cure light wounds (5), potions of cure moderate wounds (2), potions of lesser restoration (3), ring of climbing, wand of identify (19 charges), masterwork chain shirt, masterwork cold iron wakizashi, 11 Desnan candles and four skyrockets. 4,820 sp, 621 gp, and fine jewellery worth 560 gp. Whispering Shrike, broken masterwork chainmail.

MVP: Rorrin Kaijutsu
Funniest Character: Cale Anders

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

18th of Rova 4712

Our heroes spent the morning telling their tale to Ameiko, Koya and Sandru. Who listened in rapt attention, finishing with the letter from Rokuro Kaijutsu, Ameiko's grandfather.
"This is amazing! We have to go to Brinewall and find out more," Ameiko squealed with excitement, "Sandru do you think you can get a caravan together?"
"A journey to the Northern tip of Varisia? It'll take some serious cash, like 2,000 gp. I'll see if I can call in some favours," Sandru replied as he jotted down numbers on the back of a napkin.
"I have some money still stashed away from... anyway I'll need a hand carrying back that chest. Cale do you mind joining me tomorrow, it's buried along the river's edge."
"Sure, we can take Mordred and Brando with us, they're pretty good outside."
"Great," replied Ameiko sliding another ale down the bar to the Paladin.
Sandru clapped Rorrin and Darktread on the shoulders.
"Okay fellas, I'm going to need a hand calling in that favour tomorrow. Meet me in the market square tomorrow, let's say after lunch?"

The players spent much of the day spending their hard earned treasure, selling off things they no longer needed, and chatting with their local friends. Darktread and Cale regaled Shalelu with tales about the goblin village, and she gave them tips on goblin fighting styles and how better to combat the little monsters. Rorrin and Mordred spent some time with Koya, showing her the maps the party had discovered, she in turn showed them some navigational tips which Rorrin sorely needed to learn and Mordred used to brush up on. Brando meanwhile was spending some time with Ameiko studying the tien items found in the marsh, and she began teaching him kanji and the pronunciation of Minkai words.

Chapter Traits Taken: Shalelu's Goblin Slaying Tips, Koya's Cartography, Ameiko's Tian Lessons.

19th Rova 4712

The next day the party split into two groups:
Ameiko, Brando, Cale and Mordred in one group, headed into the Sandpoint Hinterlands.
Sandru, Darktread and Rorrin in the other looking for Sandru's contact.

The journey into the Hinterlands was about a day's travel, and uneventful for the most part. Brando and Ameiko kept themselves occupied with more Tian lessons, Mordred used the opportunity to practice his improved survival training and Cale enjoyed the morning walk taking it as an opportunity to renew his prayers to Sarenrae. As they came close the edge of a river a crashed and destroyed boat was buried in the sand of the river's edge.
Ameiko looked at the boat, and looked to the horizon.
"We're nearly there."
Mordred noticed a sadness in Ameiko's voice, he looked to see if the others had noticed, but they hadn't. He resolved to ask about it later.

Meanwhile in the town, Sandru met with Darktread and Rorrin.
"Okay fellas, before we start I need to ask a favor from you. The man we're looking for is my older brother Jubrayl Vhiski."
"Jhubrayl, "the Sandpoint crime don" Vhiski?" Darktread asked incredulously.
"... Yeah, I guess so," Sandru couldn't hide the disappointment from his voice.
"So, uh what's the favour?" Rorrin asked, more to break the tension than anything.
"Koya and Cale can't know that we're talking to Jubrayl, he's wanted by the Sheriff at the moment and Koya doesn't want me associating with the criminal element, and the paladin... well he has a code and I wouldn't want him to get all conflicted over it."
Darktread and Rorrin looked at each other and shrugged. They had both had dealings with Sandpoint's albeit limited underworld in the past, and had no problems keeping such to themselves.
"Unfortunately he's lying low, but there's always one person who knows how to find him. Jenny Lightfoot, a pickpocket and local urchin. She's usually somewhere in the markets at this time of day if we can catch her we can find my brother."
Rorrin and Darktread agreed on a plan, they dressed Rorrin up in particularly fancy clothes, and gave him a coin purse fat with coppers and filled with chalk. Darktread would stick close to Rorrin as a fake bodyguard to add to the illusion. Sandru would keep a little distance to watch out for the girl. It was a great plan, what could go wrong?

Meanwhile in the wilderness, the party reached their destination, a cave at the edge of the river, overgrown with reeds to hide the entrance. The party was reluctant to enter:
"See these tracks," Brando pointed, "we've seen them before in the Brinestump."
Cale readied his sword: "The Soggy River monster."
Mordred scratched his leopard behind the ears more to comfort himself than anything.
"Ameiko, Mordred stay behind me, Brando and I will take point. If there's any danger run," Cale said.
"Run? What kind of paladin are you anyway?" Ameiko smirked unsheathing her rapier, "We got this."
The party walked into the dimly lit cave, the monster saw the party approach, hung the goblin it was terrorizing from a meathook drew its glave and let out a truly inhuman sound.
The battle was joined, Ameiko opening with some music from her Samisen. Cale and Brando attacking the beast with blades and Mordred supporting with his sling. The creature couldn't connect an attack to save itself, and Ameiko tumbled behind the beast and killed it with a perfectly placed rapier strike.
"I guess there wasn't any danger then," Ameiko teased Cale. The Paladin gave her a smile at the gentle ribbing, but it was wiped away at the site of the pathetic goblin hanging from a meathook. It was still alive but barely. Cale gently took the creature down and laid it on the floor.
"What are you doing?" asked Brando.
Cale didn't reply he sheathed his blade clapped his hands together and recited a prayer to Sarenrae...

"There she is!" Sandru yelled out. The girl had slipped past both Darktread and Rorrin's eyes. They spotted her in the crowd rapidly trying to wipe away the chalk on her hands, she looked up to see the three men headed towards her and bolted. She ran through the crowd like a ghost, and swore at the owner of a fruit cart in Varisian, finding her way blocked by a baker.
Darktread and Rorrin found their way blocked by the crowd, unable to slip through like the little girl. Rorrin climbed a stall and threw a globule of grease, it didn't hit the girl but it stood in her path. Sandru meanwhile found an opening in the crowd only to find the way stymied by a fruit cart.
The girl was having trouble of her own getting past the baker who had managed not to slip on the grease, but could not seem to move any further.
Darktread and Rorrin caught up with Sandru and boosted him past the Fruit Cart. He grabbed the girl.
"Hello Jenny," Sandru said as he took the girl by the scruff of her coat.
"I didn't do nuffin'!" She replied.
"I know honey, I'm looking for Jubrayl."
Jenny's eyes widened.
"I don't know nuffin'."
At which point Darktread and Rorrin strolled up each munching on a delicious banana they had bought from the frustratingly slow fruit-cart owner.
"What's the problem?" Asked Rorrin.
"She's not talking," replied Sandru.
"Hey kid you better tell us what you know if you know what's good for you!" Darktread threatened between banana bites.
"Why are you wearing pajamas mister? It's afternoon and we're outside."
The ninja was not nearly as intimidating as he had hoped. Rorrin rolled his eyes, and cast a minor cantrip to make his glove glow.
"Kid, if you don't tell us where Jubrayl is I'm going to cast a spell that will make you so weak you won't be able to stand. Let alone run."
"Okay, okay! Don't spell me or whatever! Jubrayl's hiding out at the Fat Man's Feedbag."
Sandru thanked the girl, gave her some silver pieces and let her go.
"Well we know where to head next."

The goblin screamed and crawled into the corner of the cave, obviously terrified.
"Calm down, the monster is dead," Cale said in soothing tones.
"That's pointless you know," Brando said.
"Let's just see where this goes," Ameiko responded.
"Yeah, it's kind a cute," replied Mordred.
"Monster... dead?" The goblin asked, curious looking at the corpse of the Soggy River Monster, "Mogo... free?"
Cale glanced at the others.
"Not quite," Cale said, "we saved your life, that means I'm responsible for what you do."
"Mogo... not free?" Mogo the goblin asked.
"Hold up, are you kidding me with this?" Brando said, leaning against the wall in a huff.
"Mogo, until I can be sure you won't set fire to things or hurt people I can't let you roam around wild, you might hurt somebody," the paladin said, "have you heard of Sarenrae?"
"Fire Lady of Longshanks?"
"Yeah, she believes that fires can be used for good instead of evil. It was her power that fixed you Mogo."
"Mogo thought it was you fixed Mogo."
"Well..."
"Hmmm, you save Mogo. Mogo saves you. Then even Stetven!"
The paladin thought about it, there might be a way to save this Goblin's soul after all.
"Even Stetven."
The pair spit into their hands and shook.
"This is going to end badly," Brando announced.
Ameiko chuckled, she had seen a goblin redeemed before back around the giant attack, she was positive Cale had no idea what he was getting into.
"In any case Cale do you mind taking the goblin outside while we find what we came here for?"
"What longshanks come here for?" Mogo asked.
"None of your business goblin," Brando replied.
Cale shook his head and lead the goblin out of the cave.
The trio searched the sandy floor of the cave until Mordred stumbled across the edge of the box. They spent some time digging the box from the ground and dragging it out. Ameiko opened it up.
"No, dammit. There's less than half of what should be here."

Meanwhile in town the boys were talking to the owner of the feedbag. Sandru pulled more coins out of his pouch and slid them across the bar.
"Just let me see him, I don't have all day."
"Suit yourself," the barkeep said, opening a trap door behind the bar. The trio found themselves in a very well appointed basement. The walls covered in furs, and three men playing a game of cards smoking cigars.
"Jubrayl," Sandru called.
"Brother! Good to see you, what are you doing here?"
"Came to collect that favor you owed me."
"Favor I owed you? As I recall it was a favor you owed me."
"I lost three caravans thanks to you!"
"You lost all my cargo!"
"You said it was spice not Alkenstar blackpowder."
"That powder cost me a fortune Sandru!"
"You cost me three caravans, I don't think Vankor has recovered his hearing in his left ear."
The pair continued back and forth like this, and Rorrin was loosing patience, using ghost sound to echo his voice he yelled out:
"SHUT UP!"
Jubrayl and Sandru stood silent for a second.
"So uh, who are your friends Sandru?" Jubrayl asked.
"Rorrin Kaijutsu," Rorrin introduced himself.
"Darktread of the Dragonshadow Clan, ninja extraordinaire."
"Sandru, are you still hanging out with that b****, Ameiko after what she did?"
"Watch your mouth, that's my sister you're talking about."
"I already explained this to you Jubrayl you can't blame her for Alder's death!"
"You're right Sandru, I should blame you. You were supposed to be taking care of him."
"Jubrayl, I did the best I could."
"The best you could? Really? I know what-"
Darktread realized this could escalate quickly.
"Can we just make a deal already, I'm getting bored and hungry and a little stabby," Darktread said exasperated.
"I thought your kind was supposed to be quiet, what are you doing hanging out with a ninja Sandy? I've been hearing some things out of Riddleport. Those pajama wearing bastards have been showing up a lot, asking questions."
"I don't know anything about that," Darktread said, "all I know is the hungriness and the stabbiness can we just get these wagons and go?"
"Wagons, you go got wagons Sandy."
"I'm going to need more, I'm headed up North longer trip than the usual Magnimar run, I thought I'd call in that favor."
"You mean the one you owe me?"
"Jubrayl!"
"Okay, okay, look, you and me ain't going to agree on anything so how about a wager. I'll get you your wagons, if I win you take some cargo that I need shipped to Riddleport. You win, then no strings attached."
"Okay Jubrayl what's the game?"
"Knivesies one of my men against one of yours."
Darktread leapt up excitedly.
"Knivesies! I'm great at knivesies! I'll play! Pssst, Rorrin what's knivesies?"

Meanwhile Ameiko, Cale, Mordred, Brando and the goblin Mogo were carrying the heavy chest back to town.
"So uh, do who knew about this chest?"
"There were only 7 who ever knew about it, and three are dead. The other four were Sandru, Shalelu, Walthus and myself. It was the only treasure left from my brief career as an adventurer. I spent a big chunk buying the Rusty Dragon, and the rest I left in the river cave, buried."
"Could one of them have taken it?" Brando asked.
"No, Shalelu has never had much need for money, Walthus neither. Sandru I trust more than at least one of my brothers we don't keep secrets, he'd tell me if he needed money from the stash."

"The rules of Knivesies is simple, two men go up onna table, arms strapped together. They each get a knife. You win by being the last one standing. Easy right?" Jubrayl explained, "Your champion Darktread will face off against my champion Gnasher."
A half-orc with a cast iron underbite unfolded from the corner of the room. Darktread gulped.
"Uh, Sandru can I talk to you for a second?" Asked Rorrin, not liking the idea of his bodyguard getting stabbed to death in a basement beneath a tavern.
"What's up Rorrin?"
"Can you distract Jubrayl and his goons so I can cast a couple of spells that might tip the balance in our favour?"
Sandru smiled.
"I might be able to do that," he pulled out a bottle of fine Varisian brandy, "Come before we play we should drink!"
Rorrin acted quickly, first casting a ray of enfeeblement on Gnasher, and following it up with a True Strike on Darktread. Disguising the former as a sneeze, and the latter as a pep-talk.
The game of Knivesies lasted less than 6 seconds as Darktread took the initiative and pushed the giant half-orc off the edge of the table effortlessly.
Jubrayl's jaw dropped.
"He cheated."
"Cheated? No sir, I just eat my greens every day."
Jubrayl squinted but with no evidence.
"Fine, give me a list Sandru your wagons will be waiting outside the Dragon tomorrow morning."
"Thanks Jubrayl it's appreciated."

XP Gained: +383.
XP Total: 2811/3,300
Treasure Gained: Ameiko's Treasure Chest (1,200 gp), Sandru's Favour (800 gp worth of wagons and upgrades).
Next: A strange Lock-Box and the Journey Begins

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Super Quick Run Down

Mordred and Brando helped Koya retrieve an inheritance from her grandmother. Earning a darkwood cobra that could be worn as a shield.

The Automatic Hound

Probably the best session I've run in a long time, but because I'm dumb I didn't write it down. You just had to be there.

XP Gained: 1,160 xp
XP Total: 4,460/6,000 xp
Treasure Gained: 3,000 gp each to spend.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

So Much Has Happened!

I'm just going to summarize the highlights.

Brinewall

The party infiltrated Brinewall.
Highlights include:

Jenny Lightfoot befriending Spivey.
Darktread using a feather token (swan boat) to find a secret entrance to Brinewall castle.
Darktread almost getting killed due to fungus spore.
Darktread killing the Decapus with a feather token (tree).
Brando "Little Cat" cutting an ogre in half with his greatsword, impressing Kelda immediately.
Recruiting a captured Samsaran Samurai named Kiyoko, who in a past life protected the Amatatsu Family (New Player Joined the Party).
The oni-blooded paladin Cale forming an alliance with Zaiobe, which has since turned into a complicated friendship.
The battle against Kikonu (as voiced by Ed Wynn), who had a bottle of sovereign glue thrown in his face to stop him talking/casting. Which caused him to dimension door away, and tear his own face off (thank you Fast Healing).
The final encounter in Zaiobe's library tower, which resulted in the tower burning up.
Discovering Ameiko's legacy as the Amatatsu Scion, and the Amatatsu Seal declaring the PCs the guardians of the Amatatsu line, granting them Mythic power to complete their charge.

The Journey North

Lots of quality time interacting with the NPCs, learning about their allies and increasing their relationship scores with them.
Adapted the Buzz on the Bridge adventure for the brief trek throug the Grungnir forest, this is where the PCs recruited the mad atomie Sir Buzzbee.

More to Come...

Silver Crusade

1 person marked this as a favorite.

blind dotting for when we finish our Jade Regent game :)

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I've missed a lot of updates, and there is so much to update. We just finished book 2. Forgive the framing device, and I hope my players can forgive some of the minor retconning for narrative smoothness.

The Inn of the Prancing Pony, Kalsgard
"Over 2 trillion locations multiverse wide..."
5 Kuthona 4712

The Prancing Pony had an atmosphere that could only be described as festive, and drunken. The three dozen odd men and women who had recently signed on to do the impossible, and cross the Crown of the World. Perhaps there was a slight desperation to the party. Which was fair considering the intensity of the Night of Frozen Shadows, as Ameiko liked to call it. Although she knew Cale preferred: "That bloody awful night."

Ameiko looked over the table at the people she considered her closest friends. Sandru, the younger brother of the late love of her life was drinking heartily, from very expensive drinking horns and offering sage advice on women to, anyone who might listen.
"Brando," Sandru slurred, "lishen, the thing about women, izzat they quite like being in charge. So jush ashk her to teach you to do a fing you don't know how to do."
Brando, the strapping, broad shouldered, battle-scarred ranger listened in rapt attention. Brando could tame a mountain lion into peace, but all of his skill translated to being tongue tied when it came to talking to women, especially the flaxen-haired Kelda Oxgutter. Ameiko couldn't invent a better character for a ballad, and she admired Brando for his unique blend of toughness and complete innocence.
Sitting next to him was Kiyoko, a relative new recruit to the Caravan of Courage, the blue skinned woman, with the white eyes, and white hair was still something of a mystery to Ameiko. She claimed to have served the Amatatsu line in a previous life, and vowed to serve the Amatatsu life in this one. She wore the sword Suishen strapped to her side, more to give Ameiko a break from the ancestor spirit's constant chattering than because Ameiko had no idea how to wield the blade.
"You're right to be skeptical," Ameiko remarked to Kiyoko, "I don't think Sandru has had a real date in years."
"Thatsh not true!" Sandru objected.
Ameiko raised an eyebrow.
"It'sh not true inshofar, ash I'd prefer it weren't true."
Kiyoko raised a hand in front of her mouth, in that particular Tian-Min style that was the opposite of Ameiko's hearty, Varisian laugh.

"Friends, come you must enjoy another mead!" The deep Ulfen accent, came from the Caravan's newest recruit. A man Ameiko and the others had endured hell to rescue from the dungeon of a demon, pretending to be a ninja master, pretending to be a guild leader.
"Really Ulf, you don't need to buy any more, you're going to guide us over the Crown of the World, that's more than enough," Cale said, from behind his mask.
"Verily, but I don't buy these drinks as thanks, no these meads are payment in advance," Ulf said, sliding tankards across the table to what Ameiko thought of as the heart of the team.
"I like getting paid in booze. What am I getting paid for?" Darktread grinned, lifting his mask just high enough to slip a straw underneath. Ameiko was concerned that she'd never seen Darktread's true face, but he'd saved her and her brother's life multiple times over, he'd earned her trust. Ulf took a deep swig of mead, and let loose a mighty belch.
"A tale. You've earned my services as a guide, but I would know who I'm guiding over the Crown, and the why of it," Ulf responded.
It seemed for a moment all eyes turned towards Ameiko. The unspoken conversation didn't even need poor Zaiobe's telepathic transmission.
Ameiko, took a deep breath, and a slight nod.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Minutes pass, as the party told their origin, hunting goblins in the swamp, rescuing Mogo from the Soggy River monster gathering their first few wagons and heading onto the Varisian road.

The Son of the Sandpoint Devil

"The road away from Sandpoint was supposed to be the easy part of the journey," said Cale, "relatively bandit free, it was supposed to be the quiet part of the journey. Except for the Sandpoint devil."
"It was my fault," Shalelu spoke, and being a woman of few words everyone listened. Even Cale, who was closest to the Elven ranger was surprised enough that he paused before arguing.
"It wasn't anyone's fault Shalelu," Cale said.
"I should have spotted the girl," Shalelu said.
"No-one spots me I don't wanna be spotted," Jenny boasted, "but anyway it was my fault."
"Hey, kiddo don't go blaming yourself," Darktread interjected.
"Would you people stop taking the blame and tell me what happened?" Ulf seemed eager to cut to the chase. Kelda and Kiyoko leaned in, they hadn't yet joined the caravan when the party had fought the Sandpoint Devil.
Shalelu began to speak, and Ameiko had to give the elf woman credit she was a natural storyteller.

For many long decades I had served as a defacto guardian for Sandpoint. Adventurers had come and gone and come again in my time there. Years ago I had aided a particularly strange group of adventurers who eventually discovered the lost city of Xin-Shalast. We slayed the Sandpoint Devil.

"Wait, the Sandpoint Devil was already dead?" Ulf interrupted.
"A Sandpoint devil was dead," Replied Cale, "now shush."

In any case, recently rumors were sprouting in the hinterlands, I'd seen the signs. Slain cows, burned crops. I thought I might be away from Sandpoint for a while, and thought perhaps to put those rumors to rest one way or another before heading to Brinewall. So I asked Cale, Brando, Mordred, Darktread and Rorrin for their assistance in slaying the Sandpoint Devil. We left the Caravan on the road, confident we could catch up to them in the next town.
Brando, Mordred and I were able to find sign of the Sandpoint Devil relatively quickly. We tracked it to a cave in the Varisian wilderness. We had it cornered. We rushed in.
To be honest the fight that followed was brutal, we could barely scratch the beast and it was only made worse when we discovered that Jenny and Mogo had not only stowed away on the Caravan but had followed us to the cave. The Sandpoint Devil is a monster in every sense on the word. Seeing the vulnerable girl and goblin it let loose upon them. Cale ran to stand between them and the beast. Mordred put them upon his battle cat Albion, sent them out of the cavern.
The Devil's wild attacks crashed into nearby natural pillars. The cave was going to come crashing down on us all. I would have stayed to see the beast slain, but I realized Cale would have done the same. I would not see my friend die, not when we had more friends to protect on the road ahead.

"You saved us both Shalelu," Cale said, putting a calming hand on the elf's shoulder.
"We never saw it die Cale."
"A cave collapsed on it, nothing could survive that," Cale responded.
Shalelu didn't respond.
Darktread was about to say something, but was poked in the ribs.

Next Time: The Automatic Hound

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