clgarret's Strange Aeons


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Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Preamble: So this is my first post here, though I've been a frequent player in PH Dungeon's games for the last 3-4 years. I have characters in his Shadowrun game, his Swords of the Realms, Swords of the Moonsea, Swords of Saltmarsh, and Age of Worms.... and I'm running this game to partly give him the odd break so he can play a character, but also because I miss Pathfinder since we play more 5e these days....

Session 1 - Meet the Tatterman

Connor (Human Oracle 1 (Lore))
Pwyll Spinebreaker (Half-Orc Unchained Monk 1)
Vorlin Vanderboren (Human Rogue 1 (Eldritch Scoundrel))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 1)

The group find themselves immersed in a sickly, soupy yellow fog barely able to see the ground in front of them. They have little to no memory of how they got there, and do not even immediately recognize each other, though they have a feeling that they do know each other. They stagger around a little bit, running into walls and buildings that have remarkable but very foreign looking architecture. Behind them they can hear heavy steps. Something is making its way through the fog towards them.

Suddenly the Half-Orc is grabbed from behind and pulled into the mist. The group hear him gag and his companions see the bloody scrawl that was their acquaintance splatter onto the wall and drip into a semblance of language - the word ‘Save!’.

Vorlin pushes forward while the rest of the group hang back unsure of where to go. A ghastly figure in robes bursts through the fog into Vorlin’s path and quickly hacks him down with a heavy blade. Another bloody word gets splashed onto the wall ‘Me!’.

Connor rushes forwards forwards to attempt to revive his comrade, only to find that he has very little of his equipment with him, and that Vorlin’s body has disappeared somehow. This leaves an opening and the Tattered figure again leaps out at Connor trying to make him one with the mist. After a brief struggle Connor falls, leaving the Dwarf to stand face to face with the ragged creature. The words ‘Wake Up!’ appear drawn with Connor’s blood on the wall beside Zolash.

Wake Up! Save Me! Zolash sudden wakes, gasping for air. Only to find himself in a musty cell. Beside him is Connor who appears to be unharmed. In another cell to the right of them are Pwyll and Vorlin.

They can see what looks like a torture chamber, with a man in some kind of medical orderly clothing strapped to a rack and someone in the bloody rags of a nurse uniform stripping skin from his leg with a scalpel. Suddenly a strap seems to break and the orderly lashes out a leg and slams the nurse back against the bars in front of Connor and Zolash. Quick to act, Connor pulls back on the neck of the nurses uniform and holds her tight to the bars while Zolash is able to rip the key ring from her belt. She lashes out and catches Connors hand and escapes his grip turning back to the man on the torture table in anger. As she exacts her vengeance on him Connor rifles open the cell door and tosses the keys to Vorlin.

Seeing that her prisoners have escaped the nurse turns on Connor slashing him, while Zolash comes out from the cell behind him. Connor sees a dagger on the table holding the surgical implements and grabs it preparing to defend himself. The nurse throws herself at him, but rings her scalpel against the cell bars and ends up dropping her weapon into the cage holding Vorlin and the monk. Vorlin picks up the weapon and having opened his own cell door stabs the nurse in the back. Zolash and the monk pile on, and nurse soon lies dead on the floor.

Looking around the party see an old furnace that is inoperable and cold as well as their own gear lying in a heap in the corner, which they reclaim. They also see a pile of bodies in a room to the east, gathered around the mouth of a drop chute. The chute is 8 feet off the ground, but the group is able to help each other up to it and make their way up to the a featureless room with a door.

The door leads to a courtyard. Though it is dark the party can see that some kind of strange weather is happening outside. A yellow fog pervades the area, though not as thick as in their ‘dream’, and the rain is a strange muddy red color. A small path leads from their room to a door on the side of the building. They can see that some of the building has collapsed, though in general the architecture looks old and stable.

The door opens to a corridor. To the south looks like a makeshift barricade and to the north the corridor extends into darkness. Heading south the group makes their way to the barricade and can see 2 guards with crossbows pointing at them through the rubble. Another more smartly armoured man approaches and introduces himself as Vaustin York. He seems a bit evasive and is unwilling to answer the parties questions, beyond the fact that they are in Briarstone Asylum, that he is responsible for a community of survivors, that some kind of revolt happened a few days previous, and that he does not recognize them. The group agree to clear out some of the threat to the north, and in return they will be allowed through the barrier. They are allowed to rest though and recover before heading out.

In the north areas the party run into a similar creature to the one that they found in the furnace room. It hid amongst other bodies and grabbed Connors leg as he passed by, but the Barbarian hacks it down with no mercy.

Making their way around the area the group find themselves in what appears to be a makeshift surgery room. Three prisoners are chained to tables which rest up against the wall. One appears to be undead, another is dressed in a yellow robe with an arcane symbol on his forehead, and the other appears to be truly dead.

Before they decide what to do a humanoid figure opens the door and is surprised to find them in it’s surgery. It charges them and hacks at Zolash scoring a slash to his ribs. Zolash and the monk deliver blows to the pretend Doctor, and the Doctor slashes back at them scoring hits on Vorlin and Connor. Soon though the Dwarf’s fury takes hold and with a massive enraged swing of his axe he cleaves the creature in two.

Searching the surgery/washing room the group finds a phylactery, a handy sack which seems bigger on the inside than outside, some jewelry, and a few scattered coins.

The session ends there.


It was a fun first session. Thanks for running it! This looks like it could be a pretty cool AP. I hope we eventually get through the whole thing, though I expect it will take a while, and hopefully you'll be able to maintain the journal. It's always nice to see an AP journal that goes from start to finish.


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Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 2 - Winter is here, where are you?

Connor (Human Oracle 1 (Lore))
Pwyll Spinebreaker (Half-Orc Unchained Monk 1)
Vorlin Vanderboren (Human Rogue 1 (Eldritch Scoundrel))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 1)

The group return to the revolt survivor camp with evidence that they have cleaned out most of the northern rooms; three dead dopplegangers as per request.

Vaustin York allows them to pass around the barricade and into the encampment, and they are taken to see the leader of the survivors, Winter Klaczka. She talks with them briefly as she walks around the camp, introducing them to a few people - like Tolman Leolies, who was doing origami with two little children; Brenton Lieklan and Maeve Kostenbau - in an attempt to keep their minds off the horrors of existence at the asylum. Also nurse, Naysa Walkia - who was attempting to get a young man named Loic to take his meds to calm down. Winter asked the party to see how they could help out since the camp was struggling at the moment just to get by.

Connor was able to provide a healing touch to a few survivors who had been injured during the revolts and to quiet down the young man child Loic, so meds could be administered - preventing any self-harm from occurring.

The group was also tasked to clear out the boiler room and get it fired back up again, Vaustin York had the key to get access. Cracking open the boiler room door the group was confronted by a human body, sprawled before the boiler, partly eviscerated. As they neared it, the body started to glow with magical energy and intestines and human meat leapt from inside the ribcage to entangle Connor. Seeing an entangled foe, a dire rat and a small flying creature, a zoog, leapt out from around the boiler to attack. A color spray from Vorlin knocked out the rat, leaving a viscera laden Connor to dodge the tiny Zoogs attacks. He was mostly able, though not without receiving a small bleeding gash to the forearm. The viscera lashed out again pinning the orc and the zoog slashed a deep cut into the Dwarven Barbarians chest. That was it for the creatures though, as they were soon felled by blows from the Monk and Barbarian. The group were able to fire up the boilers again, to provide some kind of heated water to the encampment.

Returning to the chapel, the party were able to spend some time questioning Winter as she supped with them on some kind of stew and drink around a fire. She was able to provide some information; that she was a sister of the Maiden’s Choir Cathedral in Caliphas that had come, with a Royal Accuser named Omari, to investigate the Count of Versex Counties (one Hasterton Lowls) doings at the Briarstone Asylum. That the strangeness had began about a week ago, with a general revolt, seeming led by an Ulver Zandalus, a patient in the asylum. The strange part was that Zandalus had never shown any inkling towards violence before. She didn’t know why he would now.

Winter was also able to point the group towards Eliege Losandro, the main administrator for the facility, in terms of being able to find out more about what was happening around them. She also mentioned that the creatures (dopplegangers and ghouls) had not existed in the asylum previous to the night of the revolt.

She had little to say about the strange yellow eye that adorned the wall to the East of the chapel, which previous had led to the main asylum entrance, but now seemed to bar the survivors exit, while also preventing others from reaching them - a bit of a double edged sword, though she gave her blessing to the group if they could somehow remove the eye haunt without too much violence. Initially the Barbarian attempted to chop at the infestation his axe, though that brought on only series of howls from the eye, while doing little damage. The eye also asked ‘Who am I? I can’t see myself’. Puzzling over these cryptic words the group decided to rest on it. The next morning the group attempted the door again with a few different strategies, though ultimately bringing the mirror from the makeshift surgery to the eye, causing it to fade back from whence it came, and to reveal a warped door behind it. (Here the party reached level 2).

Pushing through the warped door the party found itself in a huge room with many exits and entries, but also the main door to the Asylum itself. Cracking open the doors with a huge strength test and the aid of Vorlin, Zolash caught his breath as the smelly yellow fog started to penetrate into the room. Also glimpses of shadowy forms moving around in the mist convinced him to slam the doors shut again, and to turn his gaze back to the inside of the asylum.

A door to the north lead to a room holding 6 bodies, beaten to a pulp and tossed against the wall with bags tied over their heads. From the bodies the group recovered 2 Thunderstones and a nice expensive looking ring. Removing themselves from that gruesome scene the group opened a door to the east, which lead into a courtyard. This courtyard had less of the yellow mist so the group decided to investigate only to be attacked viciously from above by a Nightguant, a devilish looking flying predator. The nightguant grappled the Monk, and attempted to take him to the sky to drop him from on high, but the Monk was able to squirm free of the nightguants embrace.

Zolash ran at the creature and hacked at it, then Connor dealt it a brutal blow with his mace. Seeking somewhere to escape to the Nightguant grabbed onto Connor and poked him with its tail. Evading the claws though, Zolash and Pwyll were able to smash it down to the ground and cave its face in with a rapid flurry of fists.

Exploring to the north the group came up a shed. This shed had stairs pointing down, though they dropped off after 6-7 feet of slope. The bottom of the drop evaded even dancing lights, it was simply too deep. Vorlin had a wonderful idea. Why not throw one of the thunderstones off and see what would happen. The Thunderstone fell for 5 or 6 seconds before exploding with a furious burst of sound. Something seemed to move down there, and the entire asylum shook on its foundations. Vorlin briefly lost his footing and almost flew off the steps into the darkness, though he was able to barely grab ahold of the final stair and hang on long enough for his companions to come rescue him.

Returning to the main entrance, the group went north and opened the doors into a huge library filled with musty tomes, though also accompanied by a rather bestial scent. Movable ladders slid along the shelves and permitted the highest stacks to be reached. Entranced with all the books, Connor felt right at home. Always suspicious though, Zolash discovered a tiny tunnel on one of the the bottom shelves. Peering in he couldn’t see much, though standing up he caught a glimpse of a tiny ratlike figure standing on the top of the stacks ready to launch a heavy tome into his face.

The session ended there.


I'm enjoying the mystery of playing this adventure. Our current theory is that the asylum has somehow been wrested from the material plane to the plane of dreams (based on the presence of the nightgaunt and the weird yellowish fog that surrounds the place). However, we aren't sure right now. Vorlin was pretty curious about the abyss in the basement, but after throwing the thunderstone down, he figured it would be suicide to try to get down to the bottom. He was also considering trying to get the party to take their chances in the mist, but that also seemed like suicide.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 3 - It's not a tumor, no it pretty much is

Connor (Human Oracle 2 (Lore))
Vorlin Vanderboren (Human Rogue 2 (Eldritch Scoundrel))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 2)

Preamble 2: So no game last week due to illness, but we are back playing this week. I ‘disappeared’ the Orc Monk, because I was playing him as an NPC and he wasn’t adding much to the party and just slowing things down in general.

Zolash was able to react before the rat creature threw the book at him and he leapt up the ladder to the top of the staircase. The creature was able to dimension door over to a further bookshelf. His pack mate tried to summon a swarm of spiders under Connor, but Connor was able to leap off the table and avoid them, and head towards a slightly better dressed ratling on a bookshelf to the north.

Vorlin leapt into action and dazed one ratling with an effective color spray, causing it to fall off the bookcase to land at his feet. The ratling to the north threw a stream of acid at Connor and caught him with a direct hit, scorching him fairly badly.

The ratling that had escaped Zolash tried again with the spider swarm, with little luck, only to have Zolash leap the gap between the shelves and cleave him in half. Both Connor and Vorlin hit the ratlings near them, Vorlin taking advantage of the dazed one on the ground to poke a tiny hole in him.

Seeing his friends fall, the Ratling sorcerer pleaded for surrender and the group gave in, while plying him for a bit of information about the asylum and also taking his shiny brooch and cloak. He revealed that the ‘Shredman’ had been around the asylum area for years and had apparently been summoned somehow by someone called the Briarstone Witch, but otherwise he didn’t know much about the current situation in the asylum beyond the library doors (basically his whole world).

Cracking open the north doors the party found a trail of mucous like liquid connecting a number of doors. They discovered the offices of a Dr. Chawaar, with some interesting medical notes in them, and a display case that appeared to be the start of the mucous trail.

The group then entered into the offices of Dr. Eliege Losandro, administrator of the asylum. They found the office swimming in the same yellow fog that they had found throughout the area, though it was tinged with blue and purple indicating something different about it. They couldn’t see the centre of the room, but could see the administrators desk and a stairway leading up to a small library.

Opening the desk they found Losandro’s journal (amongst other magical items) indicating that the Count of Versex had visited the asylum many times, that he had offered her the book called Chain of Nights (a legendary collection of psycho-arcane studies and treatments for dreams), and in return she was to take in his former associates that had now developed some kind of group amnesia (and keep no record of receiving them). Apparently Losandro had discovered a process for drawing dreams into the physical world and was going to try some kind of experiment to confirm her hypothesis the next night.

Exploring south of the office, the companions found a record room and a secret stash with a lockbox in it, hidden behind a painting. The stash contained a beautiful short sword with a red cardinal pommel, named Red Destiny, as well as various other valuables and a card for the ‘Thrushmoor Sleepless Detective Agency’. Bashing open the lockbox drew the attention of some yellow robed cultists though, who attacked with crowbars and saps, only to find themselves seriously outskilled by the adventurers, and hacked down mercilessly.

A doorway to the end of the hallway off the record room seemed interesting; it had a bloody red, substance leaking under it, and the group found themselves unable to open it no matter how hard they tried. A room to the north contained the personal effects of asylum residents and was rifled through quickly.

Returning to the rooms below Losandro’s office the party found a compact room with two bodies in it, apparently killed by blows to the head, but also with their legs savaged, and a conference room, which the trail of mucous seemed to lead into. The room seemed empty, though the trail led to the closet. Zorlash opened the closet door only to have a jar of disgusting fluid dropped on him. The fluid caused a nasty red rash over his shoulders. Seeing a tiny undead creature yelling at him and another at his feet Zorlash promptly smashed them both into sludgy paste. It seems like they had a repugnant collection of brains, tumours, and disposable body parts in the closet and were defending it.

Deciding that they had found enough to report back to Winter the party returned to the chapel, and reported what they had found to Vaustin York and Winter, who healed them up and listened with interest to their story. They also took the time to look through the notes in the lockbox and found a patient record for Ulver Zandalus. It seems that he was an artist that had dreams of crazy foreign landscapes and putting them to paper calmed him somehow. Hasterton Lowls, the count of Versex, seemed intrigued by these drawings for some reason. They also identified the cloak that they got from the ratling sorcerer as a cloak of resistance +1, the brooch as a brooch of shielding, and Red Destiny as a +2 Shortsword.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Streamlining In Search of Sanity (GM Stuff)

I was talking with PH Dungeon about streamlining some of the Pathfinder adventures (though not this one specifically) since we are using the story based advancement track, so we can skip a few of the more filler type encounters that seem to be in there to pad out xp to get characters levelled up. Also though we have a pretty great group, if we can make it through each adventure in 5-6 sessions we’re more likely to see the end of the AP. We plan on running some other games in between each adventure as well to mix it up.

So anyway, in case anyone’s interested, this is what I’ve changed so far for Strange Aeons In Search of Sanity …

Encounter Changes:

1. I moved the Viscera Haunt from B12 to B9, so ran the Zoog and Dire Rats and had the party encounter them together since both encounters were relatively low threat and it made sense to have Winter or Vaustin ask the PCs to see what was happening with the Boilers being down.

2. I skipped the Giant Centipedes in B10 since they didn’t really add much.

3. I merged the Ratlings from C12 into the library fight at C6, since having the two fights independent of each other seemed a bit redundant.

4. I brought the Apostles C16 & C17 together, since the group ended up smashing open the lockbox in C18 and making a ton of noise bringing the cultists in to investigate.

5. I’m going to skip the Ghoul in D4, since it also seems a bit redundant.

Otherwise I’ll be running In Search of Sanity pretty much as is.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 4 - Blood Trials

Connor (Human Oracle 2 (Lore))
Vorlin Vanderboren (Human Rogue 2 (Eldritch Scoundrel))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 2)

The group found themselves exploring the Visitors area to the south. The main visitor receiving room was a warm, inviting place, with a hearth ready for a fire, and two small birds chirping away pleasantly in a small cage. The mood was spoiled though, by the bodies of the two cultists - one pummelled to death on the floor and another impaled on a mounted animals horns about 10 feet off the ground on the west wall.

When nearing the bird cage, the birds began to get agitated and started to chirp in a more shrill way. All three of the adventurers found themselves losing their footing and drifting into the air. They floated up about 10 feet off the ground, only to slam back to the ground. Vorlin was able to use his amulet to mitigate the fall, but Zolash and Connor landed awkwardly, taking damage. As they neared the cage, the birds crashed against the cage door (with an odd mechanical sounding clanking noise) and were able to free themselves and started to skirt around the ceiling, raising their voices again. Again the group found themselves levitating off the ground. This time though Zolash was ready with a throwing axe, and he was able to toss it and chop off one of the birds heads. After one more up and down and rather rough landing Vorlin was able to pick off the remaining bird with a ray of frost ending the eerie aura around the room. On inspection they found out that each cultist had an amulet of Natural Armour +1, amongst assorted other items.

The room exited to a little garden path, though outside led to the yellow mist and an ominous loud buzzing sound. While attempting to pick the lock at the other end of the path, Vorlin saw a repulsive swarm of bugs in a roughly humanoid form, burrow out from under the earth. The swarm seemed to resist weapon attacks and even Connor’s blunt mace, which became magical when he cast Magic Weapon on it. Fortunately the swarm was unable to breach the groups armour after multiple attempts before Vorlin shouted out to Zolash to bring out a torch. Zolash lit a torch and tossed it to Connor, and he lit another for himself. The burning brands quickly depopulated the swarm - though it was able to escape under the earth.

Opening the door the party found themselves in what looked like an admitting area. The torches on the wall all appeared to be frozen in time somehow, though they still provided a static light. The group was able to sneak around a few repulsive looking red oozes on the ground and set about investigating the rooms of some of the inmates.

In the rooms they found mostly bodies, some mauled and torn apart, and others caught in the collapse of the building. They also found a gorgeous pair of boots, which Connor recognized the handicraft, and a small pair of wooden knights in Brenton and Debis room. They remembered the name Brenton from the children that they had met in the chapel.

In the common room to the north they found a man lying on a bed - thrashing around, shouting “Don’t come near me, you bastard, stay away!”. Moving in cautiously - Vorlin found the man firmly restrained, and reached him just in time to see him expire and watch an escaping wisp of yellow expel from his mouth. He soon became colder and in front of their eyes, with Connor examining him, his visage became courser and he seemed to change into a ghoul. Taking advantage of the fact that he was tied down the three party members quickly put him out of his mercy.

The north room held a rather enormous lady resting up against the wall in wheelchair. A stream of blood ran against gravity to the west, pooling up against the western wall. Vorlin saw a note next to the chair, and attempted to leap the blood only to find the blood flow burst from the ladies chest and slam him down the hall towards the wall. He was able to grab onto a door handle though and pull himself to the other side of the stream. With Zolash’s help Vorlin was able to move the enormous lady’s chair and Zolash and Connor were able to make their way around the stream of blood.

A room to the north held cultists picking through medical supplies. Vorlin and Connor dressed in cultist garb (which they had found and thoughtfully stored in the haversack earlier) and approached the cultists demanding that they return to the main group - that they had been summoned by their master, and that he wasn’t happy. The cultists believed him briefly, but admitted that they could not find a way through the room to the west, which seemed to be populated with an unnatural darkness. Realizing that the deception wasn’t working the group left, only to burst through the door again a few minutes later - finding the cultists injecting something into themselves and lying spaced out on the floor. They stopped the final cultist from injecting himself and tied him up.

Using the medical supplies Connor read the note near the obese ladies chair; it was a medication schedule. Trying his luck, he injected her with the correct concoction of medications and the stream of blood slowed to a trickle and the lady expelled a breathless sigh. With the stream out of the way the group were able to access a closet - where they found a lady holed up - decked out in some nice equipment, though punctured with stab wounds. They took the potions and Cloak of Resistance +1.

The voice in the dark room to the west sounded like a child’s voice. He was crying and he asked that the group come in and rescue him. He also called out for Brenton, a name which the group recognized. Vorlin decided to do a test and pushed the remaining cultist into the darkened room. They heard him scream, though it was instantly cut off by a strange silence. He also pushed a burning couch into the room, only to see it consumed by the darkness.

Unable to get past the room for now the party decided to return to the chapel and report on their findings. Winter didn’t seem to know anything but asking the boy Brenton about his brother, the party found out that late at night the two brothers would use some small little toy shadow lantern to keep away all the monsters that wanted to eat them. Remembering the carved knights in their haversack Vorlin was able to exchange them for the lantern, making Brenton & Winter happy in the process.

Returning to the area of darkness Vorlin tossed the shadow lantern into the room. The sobs stopped along with the whispers and the darkness faded away - they saw a little skeletal figure clutching onto the lantern peacefully - before collapsing into a pile of small bones and pieces of etched paper.

Walking through the room the adventurers opened the door to the north and found themselves looking into a cavernous room filled with makeshift tents and people in yellow robes. The people all all grew quiet and turned around to face the group expectantly.

The group levelled up, and the session ended there.


I somehow forgot that I the whole reason I put the cultist in the straight jacket was to interrogate him before sending him into the darkness filled room to get killed. I threw him in the room to his death fine, but I forgot about getting information out of him first. Oops.

At least now that we are level 3 my character will be a lot less gimpy.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 5 - It’s a ghoul, ghoul world

Connor (Human Oracle 3 (Lore))
Vorlin Vanderboren (Human Rogue 3 (Eldritch Scoundrel))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 3)
Pwyll Spinebreaker (Half-Orc Unchained Monk 3)

The group were met by a wall of mistrust by the room of cultists, it seemed like few of them were dedicated or courageous enough to stand up and identify the adventurers as outsiders. They noticed a makeshift room at the back filled with injured men and women. A doctor walked through the wounded poking and prodding them.

In the room the Doctor identified himself as Wren Elbourne. Connor was quick to notice that the doctors actions didn’t seem to be congruent with actually healing his patients. Confronting him, the doctor was forced to admit that he was instead a patient and an actor - with a few bardic spells that enabled him to fake healing skills.

The ‘Dr’ had a plan though and seemed to be very familiar with what was going on in this area of the asylum. Up above was Zandalus, with Aggra ‘the bag lady’ Loomis, an elderly lady with supernatural strength plus a few guards. Unfortunately they also had with them a number of onerogins, the portal like beings responsible belching out the thick yellow dream smoke. The smoke in volume caused sleep and dreams and would be hard to penetrate. Fortunately the Dr knew of a lone onerogin who occupied a tower to the west, who could be taken out and would help to dissipate some of the mist.

The group decided to head out to the west, past a barricade - meant to block entry to some creatures out in the courtyard. They encountered a kitchen with an overflowing pot, that belched forth some substance that Vorlin choked on, but the group continued on past a kitchen, with cultist guards and cooks in it.

Heading through a narrow corridor a small lizard crawled through the rocks out at them. It howled a ferocious sound for such a small creature and leapt on Connor with all claws slashing away. Connor overcame his initial fear and slammed it with his mace, over and over, while Vorlin tried to shift his way behind it, until it lay dead on the floor in front of them.

Heading south the group noticed that the wall in front of the looked particularly cracked and fractured. Considering that most of the asylum looked a little worse for wear though they decided to proceed. Suddenly the wall caved in on top of Vorlin, who was unable to dodge out of the way. Three ghoulish creatures pushed into the corridor, hitting and stunning Zolash and clawing at Vorlin who rounded the corner away from them. Unfortunately for Vorlin he wasn’t able to bring the ghoul in front of him down with his initial round of attacks, and he ended up on the receiving end of three vicious claw attacks and paralyzed. With his companions around the corner and unable to reach him Vorlin wasn’t able to fend off the ghoul as it tore out his throat and killed him.

Zolash and Connor fended off the pair of ghouls in front of them, and were able to sneak up on the remaining ghoul that was feeding on Vorlin to bash its skull in.

The group then headed north towards the tower, but heard some guttural noises behind a door to the east. Choosing to bypass it they went upstairs in the tower towards where the yellow smoke seemed to be getting thicker and thicker. On the stairs they encountered the mute half-orc Pwyll. What the hell was he doing wandering around here? Anyway, he joined up with the party again, his motivations unknown.

Braving the smoke, Zolash was the first to fall asleep and he found himself walking through the strange yellow mist and alien architecture that he had woken from as he first woke in the asylum. He bumped into a rather exhausted looking man with white hair and a ponytail who shouted “We’re all lost here! We’ll never escape! What have I done? What have I done?” He then awoke and joined the others in breaching the mist and coming upon a transfixed man who was clearly the source of all the mist in the nearby area. They quickly dispatched him as he lashed out at them, and the fog started to clear substantially through not just the tower, but it looked like most of the nearby area.

Heading downstairs they decided to crack open one final door to the south, and found themselves looking upon a bathhouse of gore and carnage. Zolash relieved himself into the repulsive trough, before laughing at the “ghoul king”, a rather scrawny, sickly looking, one armed undead creature who ordered his two ghoul guards to attack. Pwyll launched himself at the king, and hit him with a few blows, though the king clawed back at him, scoring some hits, though not able to paralyze the half-orc. Connor and Zolash were able to smash down the ghoul that approached them, while Pwyll bravely, or suicidally, kept launching attacks at the king and his remaining guard. The king went down, but the guard was able to bring Pwyll to his knees. Connor and Zolash then arrived to beat down the last ghoul and bring Pwyll back to consciousness with a heal.

The group then headed back to the chapel and were able to rest there. The session ended there.


So my character reached third level and got less gimpy... but a ghoul tore his face off and killed him. Goodbye Vorlin. You had a good run. Well not really, since you only made it like 5 sessions. All good though, Vorlin will be replaced next week by Khalaban the aberrant bloodline sorcerer, who I'm sure will fare much better.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Preamble - so we reached the end of In Search of Sanity last night - a bit of a whifffest, but still fun I think :) Will be taking 3-4 weeks off to play some Cthulhu 7th edition, then we’ll return with The Thrushmoor Terror.

Session 6 - Lifting the fog

Connor (Human Oracle 3 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 3 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 3)
Pwyll Spinebreaker (Half-Orc Unchained Monk 3)

After resting in the Chapel’s protective arms, the group returned to the cultist encampment, ready to head up to confront Zandalus. Elboune quickly motioned for them to come over. He had been scouting out the cultists as subtlely as possible, and had found one other who was prepared to rebel and confront Zandalus. The others appeared either too afraid or too fanatical. Strangely enough this other, who was a sorcerer named Khalaban, also had difficulty with memory loss from weeks prior. Perhaps this one was deemed too dangerous to be kept with the rest of the amnesiacs for some reason?

Elbourne also mentioned that he remembered that a previous attempt had been made to storm the upper level, and the group was apparently slaughtered, and also from rumours it was like their mundane weapons had no effect on whatever was above.

Prepping their weapons with the Silversheen and magic weapon, the group ascended the stairs, with Pwyll scouting. He was noticed fairly quickly by the three apostles in the room above, and accosted. He wasn’t supposed to be up here. The apostles gave him a 10 count to head back downstairs, but instead the adventurers charged in to attack.

Immediately the magic weapons started to take their toll on the cultists, and two were hurt badly. Then a pile of rags in the corner started to move and come towards them. It appeared to be the old lady they had heard about - the bag lady. She immediately stepped towards Connor and grappled him with her strange, almost superhuman, strength.

Seconds later Connor felt himself start to grow to a massive size. Khalaban had enlarged him. Zolash pounded on a cultist and brought him down, as Connor struggled to get out of the bag lady’s grasp. The bag lady applied strangling pressure to Connor wounding him, and the cultists struck a few blows, though yet another cultist went down to Pwyll’s now magic fists. Khalaban cast grease to better enable Connor to escape the Bag lady.

Again Connor attempted to break free from the bag ladies grasp and again she applied more pressure causing him to almost pass out. The remaining cultist also scored a wound on Zolash.

Finally Pwyll and Zolash were able to bring the final cultist down, and Connor managed to heroically slip out of his enemies grapple. She stepped up to grab at Connor again, but was surrounded by the adventurers and brought down to her knees and killed.

The party decided to move quickly so as to maintain their enlarged size. Peering through a gap in the wall they saw the same yellowish smoke that was pervasive throughout the entire complex. They decided to brave it and stepped inside. Wading through the smoke they all kept up their will and kept moving until they bumped into one of Zandalus’s onerogins.

Connor and Zolash were quick to bring it down, though two more onerogins stepped in and attempted to slam the adventurers, though their attacks proved mostly ineffective. The group were hit a few times, but were able to put an end to the smokey horrors with quiet effectiveness. Zolash was also enlarged during the battle.

Immediately on the death of the onerogins the group were able to survey the room and saw that the north wall had a large gap in it - showing the crazy weather outside in full effect, and also that the south wall was covered with charcoal drawings. Zolash went to take a close look at them and appeared fascinated by them, but he was quickly snapped out of it by his companions.

With the mist mostly cleared up in the room, the group continued on down the corridor to see a rather emaciated man with a white pony tail sitting cross legged on a mat in a spartan room. On seeing them he immediately stood up awkwardly - in almost a puppet like fashion and said - “I thought that I killed you already - how are you still alive?”

He lashed out at Connor with magic missile and scored some hits. The group surrounded him, and started to pummel away with the monk and barbarian especially landing telling blows. Zolash was then targeted with a mind thrust and almost brought to his knees, though he proved able to handle the psychic pressure. Another mind thrust also almost brought down Pwyll, but then the group were able to land a telling blow on Zandalus.

Immediate Zandalus dropped to his knees, though he seemed to be strangely suspended in the air as if held up by imaginary strings. Unsure what to do the party hit him a few more times, before the body began to writhe around and spew out yellow smoke.

Moments later the creature from their nightmares stepped from Zandalus’ body, freed into the world. The Tatterman radiated his frightful presence and all but Zolash turned to flee. Connor healed himself up, while the Tatterman turned on Pwyll, who cowered in the corner, and was able to slash him into unconsciousness with his claws.

The rest of the party had fled down the hall, so the Tatterman turned to confront Connor. Connor hit him solidly with his mace, and the Tatterman scored a few hits with his claws, wounding Connor. The rest of the group then gathered their courage and ran back to the area where the Tatterman was fighting Connor. Suddenly the Tatterman vanished. Feeling him trying to slip past them, Zolash and Connor lashed out at the open air, both managing to somehow connect. They were rewarded with tatters of yellow ribbon filling the air and floating to the ground.

Then Tatterman reappeared and attempted to grab Khalaban, but his grab was awkward and he missed. The group managed to find him and again landed a few more blows. Finally the Tatterman was able to grab Khalaban and the two disappeared in a whisp of smoke. They reappeared down the hall and Khalaban was quick to yell to his friends for help. The tatterman was able to score a hit on Khalaban in the mean time, but he wasn’t able to bring Khalaban down. The group surrounded him once again though neither side seemed to gain an advantage immediately, each landing a few blows but nothing telling.

Finally the Tatterman turned to Zolash and suggested that he attack Connor. Using his every last reserve of will Zolash heroically resisted the suggestion, and with a combination of blows from Red Destiny, Connor’s mace, Pwyll’s magic fists, and Khalaban’s acid sprays and splashes they were ultimately able to end the Tatterman before he was able to claim any further victims.

Exploring, the adventurers found some bags full of gold, a wand of command, an elixir of truth, a scroll of summon monster III, and a strange tome called the Chain of Nights.

Having explored the upstairs thoroughly the party headed back downstairs. Much had changed. With the absence of the mist, the cultists (and Elbourne) had quickly lost their faith and disappeared. The group of survivors were still in the chapel when the party returned there. Winter and Vaustin were assembling them and heading to the docks, to take them off of this hellish island and back to the town of Thrushmoor.

Determined to find out more about Lowls and their lost memories, the group accompanied Winter back to town.

The group levelled up, the session ended there, and that was also the end of In Search of Sanity - Strange Aeons adventure 1.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Starting back up with The Thrushmoor Terror Tuesday night...


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 7 - My Supertheory of Super Everything!

Connor (Human Oracle 4 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 4 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 4)

The adventurers took a small boat back to the city of Thrushmoor braving inclement weather, looking for some stability. Stepping off the boat Winter headed off with Vaustin to report to Royal Accuser Omari, with a promise to check up on the party later. The group decided that they might want to bypass meeting any authority figures for the moment, until they had a better grasp on their reputations and their pasts.

Finding out that there was a single Inn in town, the Silver wagon, run by a Dena Gallagos - the adventurers decided to head there, and set up. Unfortunately for them they were remembered by Dena. Especially Zolash. It seems that he had some kind of relations with Dena, and she wasn’t too happy that he had up and disappeared (like most men seem to do). There was also a matter of the tab of 39g that had been left when Zolash split town. Zolash paid up, but Dena was still holding on to her grudge and wouldn’t allow him to stay. Connor and Khalaban set up in the rooms above the common room, while Zolash ended up spending the night resting on a hollowed out log on the edge of town.

In the morning the group was fed, but they heard a righteous sounding voice coming from outside, and Dena was quick to complain about Elgrior - a local layabout who was spreading conspiracy theories out on the street nearby and was putting a damper on her business. Despite Dena’s ambivalence to the group she answered some of their questions about the local area; about the disappearance of the Count & the Royal Accuser, the gathering of some nobles at the Iris Hill Manor, the appearance of yellow ‘art’ on the sides of buildings, and the rumours of the Briarstone Witch - who some were blaming for the kidnappings.

The party decided to go out to confront Elgrior, the soothsayer. They found him amidst a small group of people, spreading his version of the truth. The owner of the Stain, Emman Gulston, came out to drive off Elgrior, but found that the party had the situation in hand. Khalaban decided to humour the man and bought him some food which Dena allowed only because of the extravagance of the coin that Khalaban had dropped on the counter.

Elgrior was full of truths about the disappearances, the yellow signs, the light across the water, the gathering of nobles, and the bad weather. All signs obviously pointed to the return of the Briarstone witch and the upcoming second vanishing - a repeat of an event that happened many years back, and was sure to happen again. After the meal Elgrior appeared sated; he decided that he was going to work with the party, and headed out, stopping his ranting - for now.

The group then decided to approach the Iris Hill Manor itself to pay a visit to the Count. Unfortunately for them the estate was surrounded by a massive hedge with the only entry point being a very well patrolled guard house, with many vigilant guards quick to move them on. They got a quick glimpse of a lady figure through a sliding opening in the door, and Connor was able to pick out some words about ‘getting rid of them’ before the guards turned back to them to encourage them to leave the estate alone. Khalaban seemed tempted to start something, but he thought better of it when he saw how well defended the guard house seemed to be.

Heading back into town the group went to the Sleepless agency, and heard Winter’s voice inside talking with two others. Opening the door, they met a well dressed serious looking woman, Cesadia Wrentz, the founder of the Sleepless Agency, and one of her agents, Meg Thalen. They were discussing what seemed to be common topics around town. The disappearance of the Count and Royal Accuser as well as a local Magistrate. Wrentz seemed to be a bit reluctant to share much information with the group - their reputation had preceded them (they were thought to be thugs and murderers), though Winter was quick to step in and point out how they had helped out at the Asylum.

Cesadia agreed to give the adventurers 20gp each to check out the rumours of a light across the water; Elgriors story was backed up by a local fisherman, Remi. Also they were asked to do something (though nothing law breaking) about Elgrior and his non-stop campaign of fear.

Deciding to tackle the issue of the witch the group asked around and found the fisherman Remi at the Stain tap house. He confirmed most of the non-conspiratorial rumours - saying that he had really only seen a suspicious light over the water, nothing more. He agreed to take the party to the spot, for interest sake.

Heading across the water in Remi’s boat they found themselves staring into a rather small cave entrance elevated a few feet above the wet marshy landing area. Stepping into the cave a scything blade swung across the entrance nicking Zolash and leaving behind some kind of white residue in the wound. Zolash felt a bit less limber, but otherwise fine.

A short way into the cave the party found a barrier of wood and tightly wrapped vines. They heard some magic being uttered behind the barrier and decided on chopping their way through. Bursting through they were confronted by a rather unkempt looking woman and two fungal wolf creatures. She appeared to recognize them, though she seemed confused when they challenged her as to her activities, and she and the wolves leapt to attack.

One of the wolves scored a hit on Zolash, while Connor attacked the other with his mace. The druidic lady held out her hands and lashed out at Zolash and Connor with a bolt of lightning, though they avoided the worst of it’s effects.

Khalaban enlarged Zolash, though he was surprised immediately after by a large entangling vine wrapping around him from behind and starting to squeeze the life out of him.

Another lightning bolt sprung from the druidic lady scorching Zolash pretty good, though Zolash was able to slash down one of the hounds with Red Destiny, his magic shortsword.

The Assassin Vine continued to constrict Khalaban, though he was able to cast grease on himself to help with his struggle to escape.

The druid lashed out with her masterwork spear at Zolash and scored some powerful blows, thought the barbarian barely seemed to feel the damage in his rage.

Connor rushed to heal Zolash and keep him up, while the vine continued to fight with Khalaban and felt its grasp tightening despite the well oiled Khalabans best efforts, finally wrapping the sorcerer into unconsciousness.

The lady druid healed herself a little bit, while Zolash lashed out at her though seeming unable to hit her.

Finally Connor finished off the wolf on him, and rushed to heal Khalaban back to consciousness. Zolash and the druid continued to go toe to toe, with Zolash appearing to be losing the battle.

With Khalaban back up though, Connor was able to come to Zolash’s aid and together they managed to slash down the druidess, with Zolash driving a poisoned spike into her to make sure she was dead.

Then turning back to the vine holding Khalaban, they leapt to attack it and made quick work of it, freeing Khalaban in the process.

Searching the cave netted the group some magic Wooden armour, some gold, quite a few reagents, and a few scattered healing and other potions. They also found a note from someone named Melisenn thanking the druid for her work, and requesting some further alchemy in the future.

They gave the fisherman a few gold for his troubles and headed back to town.

The session ended there.


That vine creature kicked my butt. I thought the +10 bonus from the grease spell would get me free of that grapple, but I couldn't roll worth shit to escape, so that was a bit rough.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

The rolls of 1 vs 1 that one round was pretty classic, heh.


Yeah it sucks when your opponent rolls a nat 1 and you still can't beat them (because you also rolled a nat 1).


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Preamble - So we gained a player since a regular from the Tuesday group could no longer make that day. He rolled up an Investigator - which obviously fits right into the campaign, plus I think it’s a fun hybrid. Only thing that I didn’t allow was the Rogue Bomber talent, though I don’t think that it’s OP in this case - but I generally dislike options that are so good that it’s hard to find a reason not to use it all or most of the time - and the character becomes a boring one trick pony.

Session 8 - U mad bro?

Connor (Human Oracle 4 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 4 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 4)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 4)

The group returned to Thrushmoor after defeating the witch. They wisely decided to wrap up the body in a blanket, and left it with Remi at the docks instead of parading it through town. At the Sleepless agency they found Meg and Cesadia pouring over some maps. Cesadia seemed impressed with their story of taking down the witch, and sent over an agent to recover the body from the docks.

Cesadia then asked the group what their objective was and if they would be willing to work together to further their mutual agendas. The group mentioned their need to get into Iris Hill Manor and Cesadia suggested that she may be able to use her authority to summon a group from the Manor - and perhaps leverage that to somehow enable the party to get access to the Manor grounds. First she asked that the adventurers check out what happened to the Royal Accuser and the Constable at Fort Hailcourse.

The group waited til night, having taken time to load up on rope, grappling hooks, etc, from the Sleepless agency and headed out to reconnoitre the fort. While walking the streets on the way though the three saw a figure ambling around somewhat directionless. Zolash was able to catch a whiff and he smelled a fairly pungent stench emanating from the figure.

Suddenly the man turned to face them and started to make his way directly towards them. Once he got close enough they could hear him cursing Zolash under his breath, and he let out a baleful shriek and lashed out at Zolash with two grimy claws, scoring two slash marks across Zolash’s chest.

From a rooftop above Kallista saw the man charging at the party. She had been tasked with watching over the group by Cesadia. Kallista was able to recognize the man, as someone long dead, but a town local. Obviously though something had corrupted him. Unaffected by the shriek she took studied aim at the man and released a powerful crossbow shot that blasted through his shoulder and out the other side leaving a gaping hole. The man seemed to ignore the shot and kept his focus on Zolash.

Zolash, Connor, and Khalaban all heard some of their worst nightmares in the shriek and ran around the corner of the house. Regaining some composure Connor cast remove fear on Zolash and himself, while Khalaban held himself up against the wall, out of the things sight, in fear.

Another slash from the creature, this time across Zolash’s fleeing back, and another wound. Kallista continued to fire bolts at the undead man, wounding him further.

Finally able to look into the creatures eyes, Zolash recognized Klyn Murik, a local layabout that he had been tasked with sending a message to by Count Lowls way back when. Unfortunately Zolash had gone too far, and ended up raging and beating the man senseless and killing him, even leaving sets of teeth marks on the mans arms and back. Fortunately for Zolash he never faced any repercussions from the event; it seems like the Count had been able to bury :) the situation.

The creature again lashed out at Zolash scoring some more hits, though Connor was able to restore some of Zolash’s health, and Khalaban rejoined the fight. Zolash also started to dish out some punishment with Red Destiny as well, and he started to taunt the dead thing (u mad bro?), while slipping into another of his rages.

The storm of bolts, combined with a spiritual hammer from Connor, and repeated blows from Red Destiny were able to bring the creature down, though Zolash collapsed soon after, exhausted and reserves emptied, but still alive. Fortunately Connor was able to bring him back to consciousness with a heal.

Kallista pirouetted off the roof acing the landing and introduced herself after the battle: “Cesadia said that you guys might need some babysitting, and it looks like she was right!”. The party didn’t seem too won over by her attitude but they had to admit that she appeared to be pretty useful, and decided to head back to the Sleepless agency and recover themselves, and perhaps return to the fort another night. The group levelled up to 5, and were able to pass the night quietly in the Sleepless building.

The next night the party headed to the Fort and were able to approach it fairly stealthily. Kallista stalked up and surveyed the building. The walls were 20 feet high, with towers reaching 40 feet. There were windows on each side, though there appeared to be at least one guard in each of the 5 towers.

Surmising that there would be fewer people in the smaller section of the caste, Kallista was able to point out a window near the back that seemed to enter into a room that was unoccupied. She climbed the wall effortlessly with the grappling hook hanging from the window, and the others followed, though not nearly as silently.

The room was actually empty, and appeared to be the sleeping quarters of some men, though Khalaban noticed some webbed footprints in the dust. The group headed south through a few locked doors that Kallista was able to pick open, when they reached a third locked door. After snapping a few lock picks Kallista sheepishly turned to the group, with a smile - “uh just one more try…”. Turning back she found that the door had been opened and an amphibious frog creature stood there looking menacingly at her and waving a trident in her direction.

Attacking the creature through the door, and scoring a few hits, the party found the door slammed in their faces. Readying themselves they were not surprised when the door behind them and another door to the side opened and 3 undead mercenaries came bursting through, accompanied by a number of vicious looking dogs of war.

The mercenary lashed out at Khalaban with his longsword and hit, and Khalaban retreated behind Connor. Zolash reopened the southeastern door and waded into the middle of the creatures. Kallista, being a local was able recognize the web footed creatures as skum. Local amphibians who did not normally stray too far from their native swamps without good reason.

The skum poked and prodded Zolash looking for a hole in his defences and finding many - scoring lots of little hits on him.

Kallista decided to swallow a fire breathing extract and unleashed an unladylike fiery belch, roasting some of the dogs and skum, and wounding some of the mercs. Connor dropped a spiritual hammer on one of the skum in the other room with Zolash, then watched as Zolash went into a frenzy lashing out visciously at everything around and smashing in gills and frogteeth. Unfortunately none went down and for the moment he was taking as much as he was dishing out.

Khalaban cast web and was able to entangle a great number of the creatures in the corridor, while Connor and Kallista traded blows with them.

Zolash let out another yell, and continued to cleave out in a frenzy, taking down all but one of the skum. Fortunately for Zolash since he was severely wounded at this point, Connor was able to bring the final skum down with his spiritual hammer. Zolash collapsed against the wall out of breath and almost out of life.

Spying an opportunity with so many creatures webbed up, Kallista swallowed another one of her horrible tasting fire breathing extracts and blasted flame at Khalaban’s web and all the entangled foes in it. They all went up in a mini fiery inferno; with the skum roasting alive and the undead melting into pools of decayed sludge.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 9 - Fort Brainsss

Connor (Human Oracle 5 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 5 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 5)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 5)

The adventurers decided to heal up and continue exploring the rest of the main floor of Fort Hailcourse. Opening the door to the north they entered into a room that teemed with archival documents. Kallista and Connor, being in their elements as lore specialist and investigator - poured through the documents and found out some interesting things about what was going on in the town of Thrushmoor…

. A lawsuit filed by the Booklayer arcane book store, by Kallista’s wife (the owner), claiming that the Count had not paid for an expensive book on occult mysteries called The Revelations of Hali. Lowls lost and was ordered to pay up. Kallista revealed to the group that the Count had not in fact paid up, and had threatened and later killed her wife due to books that he claimed that she “withheld from him”.

. A memo about the official interrogation of Count Lowls concerning the unexplained death of his mother Nemira Lowls. Her elder brother in the city of Kerse - demanded the search, but nothing seemed to come of it.

. A document showing the arrest of Vorlin & Zolash for starting a brawl and destroying property at the Silver Wagon. Lowls paid a fine to get them out of the charges.

. Some trial notes summarizing the case for high Treason against a Dr. Clymes Prett, accused of having poisoned Count Hasterton III (the current Count’s father). Prett was sentenced to “die in his cell”.

Heading north around the thinner section of the Fort, the group opened a door to find 3 zombie mercenaries pacing about. Khalaban sprayed them with acid, having realized that his electricity wasn’t doing much damage to the creatures. Connor lashed out with his mace, but seemed to be having some trouble connecting. Khalaban was able to throw a web spell that entangled one of them while Zolash and Kallista were able to significantly damage them with Red Destiny and studied strikes. When the last one went down the fort was eerily silent.

The group realized that they were relatively short on resources, but decided to scout out the upper floor a little more. Kallista agreed to stealthily take a peek up the stairs. A good thing, since she found an enraged skum sorcerer, radiating electricity from his right hand, in the room and evidently looking for something, but also destroying the room in the process. Kallista decided that enough was enough, and retreated back down the stairs unnoticed.

The party then decided that to take a breather and head back to the Sleepless Agency. Fortunately Cesadia was still awake, she was able to provided some potions and allowed them to rest, but also recommended that they go to see the Winter, should they need anything further in the arts of healing.

On the way to the new chapel, the group ran into a mob of commoners accosting a well dressed half elf. They were up in arms about the yellow graffiti and the disappearances. Since this half elf was the only artist in town and had arrived at the same time as the graffiti started to appear - naturally the blame fell on him. Fortunately Khalaban had brought along a skum head from the fort to show Cesadia. Dropping the skum head down on the ground in front of the mob had the intended effect, and they dispersed soon after.

The artist was thankful, and asked the group in. He reached behind some boards and brought out a bag (of holding) that contained 500gp and gave it to the party as thanks for possibly saving his life, or at least his ego and sanity. The group also glimpsed his current work on the easel, and it showed a remarkable resemblance to the party down to the same equipement and weaponry. The artist seemed to be at a loss to explain it other than that he was having bad dreams recently and believed that he was somehow ‘channeling Thrushmoor’. Whatever the hell that meant.

A quick visit to Winter revealed that she had taken over the New Chapel and was unable to help them out beyond giving them a cure moderate wounds potion each. She was worried and angered by the appearance of the undead, but her duties at the chapel held her there since the old priestess had disappeared recently along with the other authority figures in Thrushmoor.

A brief examination of one of the two Star Stela in town proved somewhat of a mystery. The seemingly ancient artifact was made of stone, but cold to the touch, and was covered with strange arcane symbols, which no one in the group could decipher.

The party headed back to the Fort, having rested up. Finding the main door locked, Khalaban cast spider climb on Zolash, making for the Barbarian’s easy ascent up the wall. He placed a grappling hook, and the rest of the party joined him near the south side of the castle.

The adventurers decided to explore the rest of the southern area. In the room to the west of the courtyard the group ran into two more undead zombie guards. The two mercenaries cornered Kallista and drew blood with claw slashes across her side. Another came at her from the doors to the south. She realized the bad situation that she was in and ducked under one of their attacks to sprint off around the corner.

Zolash meanwhile ran at the mercenaries and drove Red Destiny into one of the zombies rib cages, and twisted it around, causing massive damage, bringing one down. The other two fought furiously, but acidic ray and Connors mace brought another one down, and Kallista’s studied strike through the other one’s eye nearly decapitated the last one.

The floor seemed quiet once more, and the group decided to head down to the basement to see what they could find. Confronted by a massive door armed with a very complex lock, Kallista pulled off a masterful lockpick (a critical with inspiration :) and slowly edged the door open. Inside she found a small earthen chamber with three skum in it, all garbling incomprehensibly to each other. They stopped what they were doing and turned to rush at the party.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 10 - That b$$~+ in the mirror

Connor (Human Oracle 5 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 5 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 5)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 5)

Facing the skum, Khalaban fired off a snowball at one, hitting him in the gut and keeling him over, then Kallista stepped forward and let loose with a fire breath and killed one, injuring two others.

Stepping into the room Zolash and Connor saw a big puddle of ooze slowly flowing toward them.

Meanwhile, Khalaban was surprised when a shimmering female figure stepped from a small mirror on the side wall cutting at him relentlessly with two short swords.

Realizing what a threat the mirror lady was, Khalaban tried to catch her in a web spell, but she nimbly stepped aside, though another three skum had come through the door to the west, and two of them found themselves trapped in it.

The mirror lady stepped forward and lashed out at Khalaban again, this time deeply wounding him.

Seeing what was going on in the other room, Connor dropped a spiritual hammer on the mirror lady, managing to wound her, while Kallista stepped in to breath fire on the webbed amphibians, roasting two of them, as they weakly attempted to throw their tridents towards her.

The slime finally reached Zolash and Connor and lashed out with an elongated glob of protoplasm to batter Zolash around, wounding the Barbarian. Connor tried to bludgeon the ooze, and scored a hit.

Meanwhile the mirror lady slid a short sword into Khalaban’s guts and he felt his consciousness fade, and she turned her attention to Kallista, who was trying to get off some studied strikes while she wasn’t the focus of attention. She managed to get off a few hits on the mirror lady, and by now the group could see that the creature was quite wounded.

Finally, backpedalling again and desperately looking for a good vantage point from which to shoot, Kallista was able to fire a studied strike into the mirror creatures shoulder, which combined with another hit from Connor’s spiritual hammer, caused the lady to leap back towards the mirror - compressing in size as she flew through the air.

Connor rushed to bring some healing aid to Khalaban, who gained consciousness, and was laced with anger. He rushed forward to help Zolash with the ooze, reaching out with a shock laced hand and touched the ooze. The ooze exploded with a loud pop, spraying slime all over the walls.

Searching the rooms and the prison cells in the next room, the party found a young man named Sholn, who Kallista recognized as a local, from a rather old and wealthy family. He told the group that he had only been there for a few days, but that he had seen many people moved in and out, and that he suspected that he was next. He had no idea where the people were being taken. He also warned them about hearing horrible sounding moaning coming from the area to the south. He then thanked them and they escorted him to the fort entrance before returning to the prison area.

Opening the door to the south the group found the constable Barawyn Cesyll tied to a rack, looking fairly beaten up. Kallista recognized her and fed her a potion of cure moderate wounds, and she seemed to return to consciousness. When Kallista questioned her though, she seemed unable to respond. Zolash saw a small mirror on the wall and a small trail of blood leading from the mirror to the rack, but before he was able to call out, the constable pulled out two swords from behind her and drove them into Khalaban. The party was quick to react this time though and they surrounded her. Khalaban broke the small mirror, and the rest of the group were able to bring her down, without any further injury. On her they found an amulet of natural armour and two +1 short swords. They also healed up somewhat.

They did notice that part of the wall had been plastered over, and intrigued, Zolash started to dig at it. It broke loose to reveal a room that had been mortared in, and covered with earth. Clearing away the debris the party found a handwritten nameplate that said Prett on it. Remembering Clymes Prett from their searches upstairs, as the one who had supposedly killed the current Count’s father, the group still decided, or at least Zolash decided, to break the door open.

As Zolash burst into the room he ran into a ghost like creature. The ghost looked angry. Zolash slashed into him with Red Destiny - cleaving the shimmering form, and the ghost reached out and grabbed Zolash by the arm, a touch which felt repulsive and Zolash felt his body corrupting under it.

Khalaban launched a spray of acid at the ghost, while Kallista fired some bolts at it, and Connor cast magic weapon on his mace.

The ghost reached out again and fortunately for Zolash it missed. Another round of bolts and acid smashed into the ghost, and the ghost of Clymes Prett again reached out again corrupting Zolash, this time bringing him to his knees in pain. Fortunately most attacks were hitting this incorporeal thing though, and another series of attacks managed to knock the ghost back into the spirit world.

A body lay resting against the wall, and noticing a blueish glow around the torso, Connor was able to make a quick and surgical incision, and he pulled forth a glowing blue and red stone. He identified it as a Scarlet and Blue Ioun Stone, which Kallista took.

A quick look around the corner into the water supply ended up triggering an icy trap, and served as a final sign to the adventurers that it might be time to head back to the Sleepless agency and report their findings.

A quick visit to Sholn’s family to ensure that he had made it back was greeted with some fine food and ale, and also a gift of a heavy mithral shield from the family’s war chest.

Back at the Sleepless Agency, Cesadia listened with interest to the story of the battle at the Fort. She revealed that she had made overtures to Iris Hill but had been rebuked, but also that she had agents watching over the manor grounds and that they would report their findings the next day.

The party gladly crashed on some of the available beds, eager to heal up and get some of their spells back. Unfortunately for them, later that night, Zolash heard a strange hissing sound. He woke to see a yellow sign being slowly drawn upon the wall. Angered, Zolash went over the wall and started to scrape at it. His scraping woke both Kallista and Khalaban, just in time - as the sign turned into a portal and two shadowy figures stepped through.

Connor still slept on as if dead to the world, leading Khalaban to toss a little acid drop into this bed covers. The acid stung and Connor threw back the covers and took in the scene with a surprised look on his face.

Unarmored Kallista tried to step back but was hit by a sap from one of the assassins. The other attacked Zolash, but he was able to fend it off. He had Red Destiny in his hand and drove it through the assassin, killing her. Another two assassins stepped through the portal, though one went back through as quickly as she had emerged, her face completely caved in by a solid iceball hurled by Khalaban,

Khalaban had also managed to get off an enlarge person on Zolash.

The dwarf grew in size and stepped forward to tear off the arm of one of the black robed figures, before biting into it. Kallista finished off another, and seeing his chance to get in on the action as another assassin came through the portal, Connor stepped forward bashing the robed figures skull in.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 11 - Fall of the House of Lowls???

Connor (Human Oracle 5 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 5 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 5)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 5)

The adventurers discussed the repercussions of the attack on the Sleepless Agency with Cesadia. She is surprised that the attackers had the temerity to attack the Agency building, and feels that events may be escalating if the attackers were willing to take such a risk. Winter is summoned and she helps get the group back on their feet and gifts them with additional healing potions.

In the morning the Agency is greeted by a knock on the door by someone who claims to know the party. Kallista knows him as Keldrin Mon, a local stevedore who used to frequent the Silver Wagon with Connor and Vorlin. He asks if the rumours are true, that they have been away and at the asylum, and tells them that he is surprised that they haven’t come by to visit. Connor is truthful and tells Keldrin that they did awaken at the Asylum and that Vorlin was unfortunately killed in the fighting that ensued getting out of the cursed place. Keldrin tells the group to drop by when they get a chance to catch up on old times, and also offers any help that he can and reveals that last he saw Connor he was stashing something under the dock at Pier 19. He also warns about some mysterious deaths that happened at that Pier the previous year, and Kallista remembers the men who died there, backing up Keldrin’s words.

The group decide to follow up on the Pier 19 tip, and arrive there with some rain coming down and the waters a little bit threatening. The wood creaks as they walk to the end of the pier. Reaching underneath Connor is unable to find anything. A creepy sludge-like tentacle reaches out of the water behind Connor, and Khalaban is quick to point it out and reach out with an electric charge to fry it. He releases a massive charge into the thing, and the tentacle blackens. The creature releases a gibbering screech and Connor and Zolash find themselves momentarily confused. Kallista reaches into her bag of extracts and belches fire at it, scorching it.

The creature spits slime at Zolash, though he is able to dodge the worst of it. It’s tentacles all connect to Zolash and dig trails into his skin, though they aren’t able to dig in and latch on. Then Khalaban reaches out again and explodes the thing with an electric charge spewing bits of fingers, toes, teeth and skin all over Kallista, Zolash, and Connor.

A deeper search around the pier brings up a large sack full of potions (non-detection), a scroll (protection from energy, and two wands (death knell and cure light wounds), plus some gold and a few platinum. They also find a silver nail inscribed with runes - which Connor recognizes as an item that they could use to anchor dimensional spirits and prevent them from escaping.

On the Pier Zolash feels eyes watching the party. As they head back to the agency, they spy a translucent figure watching them from a few hundred feet away. The figure appears to be the ghost of an elderly woman. Connor approaches her and she does not shy away from them. They notice her disfiguration but tactfully decide against mentioning it. The ghost lady tells Connor that she has had her eye on him for a while now, and that his physical degeneration and his unique powers have always interested her. She also mentions that she felt the releasing of the spirit of Clymes Prett a few days previous and assumes that the group was responsible for it. She tells them that Prett wasn’t much of a lover anyway, and that Connor might make a good replacement, something that she needs since she isn’t in fact dead at all. Kallista recognizes that the figure is a projection and possibly not an immanent spirit and tells Connor and the group. With that in mind Connor allows her to get close to him where she caresses his cheek asking him to come visit, and floats off, disappearing a few feet away.

The group levelled up here.

Back at the Sleepless Agency, the group finds Cesadia talking with Meg, looking over a roughly drawn map of the Iris Hill Manor grounds. Meg reveals that she has been watching the house for days, with another agent called Darius, and that she has seen some nobles coming in and out, but also that she has identified a stable, some guest houses, and found them to be occupied with nobles as well as some primitive warrior types, that seem to serve as guards. Cesadia warns them that once they are inside that they would be unable to receive any further help from the Sleepless Agency, and they’d be on their own.

The group decide to approach at night. They climb an overhanging tree and drop down over the hedge, while attempting to make as little noise as possible. Kallista winces though as Connor lands with a thud and Zolash drops down on Connors foot. Luckily for them the display didn’t attract too much attention.

Deciding to enter one of the buildings that house the Kuru guards, they head to the back of the building. Unfortunately for them as Zolash peers in the window, a Kuru is there looking out at him. Zolash quickly smashes in the window and leaps halfway in to attack, cleaving the primitive. Khalaban throws up a web spell between the manor and the front door of the building, preventing the guards from coming outside.

Two living topiaries stride out from the hedge and attack Connor and Khalaban from behind. Kallista loudly smashes in the side window and shoots a bolt at one of the savages on Zolash.

The kuru hit back leaving Zolash wounded and bleeding from many nicks and cuts. He snarls at them and they snarl right back. A great cleave leaves all three damaged, but they all continue to slam at him with their clubs. Another hedge creature leaps out from the foliage and Zolash leaps through the window into the house, to avoid its attentions. It continues to attempt to get at him through the open window with no success.

Kallista fires another studied shot through the window killing a kuru guard, while Zolash chops down two near the north window. Two living topiaries pound relentlessly at Connor slowing chipping away at his well armoured body.

Khalaban casts an enlarge at Connor, in time to see a well dressed man and two more kuru come around the corner from the building beside them. Kallista turns on them and shoots one as it attacks her, and Zolash bravely leaps through the window only to hit his shoulder on the frame and land in a pile a the Kuru guard’s feet. The kuru lash out with their clubs and bites and the topiaries continue to flail away at Connor, beating him mercilessly when they are actually able to hit.

Khalaban charms the noble and the man runs up to help protect the sorcerer from the attacking hedge monster. The monster turns on its wealthy patron and beats at his finery.

Zolash leaps up beside Connor and starts cleaving away at the shrubbery. Realizing that his bludgeoning attacks are having little effect on the topiaries, Connor pounds instead at the kuru with his now huge mace.

Kallista brings down another kuru guard with a studied shot through the window and Khalaban charges up his shocking grasp and fries some leaves and foliage from a topiary.

Unfortunately for Connor his enlarged person receives a devastating series of blows from the two living topiaries on him and he falls in a large heap, breathing his last. Seeing this, Zolash cries out in rage and slashes down a living shrubbery, but not before it drives a branch through the chest of the noble, killing him. Kallista fires another bolt pinning the kuru guard to the wall, killing him, and Zolash reaches into the living topiary and rips leaves and branches from it before finally snapping it’s main trunk in two with his powerful teeth, covering his face with sap and chunks of bark. All is quiet and the group decided to gather up the fallen body of their comrade Connor and climb back over the hedge to recover from their losses.

The session ended there.


Poor Connor, he really got wailed on last night. On the bright side, you get to chalk up another kill to your PC death tally.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Still a long way before I can match your total, heh. That was pretty spectacularly unlucky on his part though. The topiaries had been hitting him about once per round, then to go 4/4 :/ ouch.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 12 - Fall of the House of Lowls part 2

Connor (Human Oracle 6 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 6 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 6)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 6)

The group picked up Connor’s remains and leapt back over the hedge wall to safety. They returned to the Sleepless agency to recover from the failed attempt on the manor house. Winter was quickly summoned and applied her healing magics to the surviving members of the party, she also revealed that the old priest had left a scroll that would enable her to raise Connor, but that it would tax her dearly and was definitely a one use only deal.

After a long ceremony Connor awoke, slightly weakened (-1 CHA, -1 STR), and the party immediately set about recovering. In the morning they met Cesadia who said that she had earlier discovered that a supply ship was incoming to the Iris Hill Manor, as signed by someone named Weiralai. Cesadia had sent forth all her remaining agents to ambush and slow down the ship, leaving the group with a bit of breathing room if they wanted to head back to into the manor grounds.

Regaining their courage, the party headed back in, finding the entire manor grounds ominously quiet, with even the bodies of the fallen cultists not having been taken care of. They approached the manor house, seeing lights still in the window and found three gentlemen discussing affairs of trade and politics around a table in what looked like a dining room.

The party attacked through the open window, wounding one of the men. In response the 3 men emerged into the manor grounds and attacked. One massive hit from Zolash and a bolt to the gut from Kallista convinced them that they were overmatched, and the remaining two surrendered. The group queried them and were told of strange floating creatures lurking around as well as a shadowy predator in the next room. The group let them go with a warning not to return.

The party decided to head up to the second floor and sent Kallista up to scout. She found a well furnished sitting room with some cupboards and a strange twittering noise emanating that seemed to be coming from random directions around the room. Suddenly a translucent squid like creature was up in her face. Though surprised, she was still able to quickly leap back down the stairs while firing her crossbow back at the pursuing beast.

The rest of the party readied for an attack but the creature stopped at Zolash and slapped some suckered tentacles onto his bare skin slowly drawing blood out of the wounds. As it extracted blood though, it started to lose its translucency, and became visible. A shocking grasp, a few bludgeons from Connor’s mace, and a few bolts downed it though, before it was able to cause too much more harm.

Sneaking down the upstairs hall Kallista encountered an open door. She bypassed a couple doors, and peered into an open room. It appeared to be a childs room - coated in dust. Resting on the bed was a woman who awoke as Kallista approached on tiptoe. Kallista quickly told her that she was there to rescue her, and that the woman should come with her. The woman asked for time and privacy to get dressed, as she was dressing she asked Kallista if anyone was accompanying her, and was told no. As Kallista turned back towards the door the woman lashed out at her with a rapier, barely nicking her but causing her to feel somewhat weakened. Reacting on instinct Kallista leapt back into the corridor and threw a darkness spell into the room. Emerging from the room the lady launched further attacks at Kallista scoring a few hits. The side doors opened and two well dressed men emerged from the door on the left and a bizarre undead thing - a head with dripping organs, was seen through the door on the right.

With a web spell and some mace hits Connor and Khalaban were able to keep the men at bay, while Zolash and Kallista fended off the woman and the undead head. The men quickly realized the futility of their situation and retreated down the stairs, while Zolash and Kallista backed the woman into a corner, where Zolash eventually hacked her down.

The undead creature launched few screaming sonic attacks causing the party some minor damage, before the group surrounded it and chopped and electrocuted it down.

Exploring the rooms the group found a greatcoat with a pass to Briarstone asylum to visit a particular patient - Ulver Zandalus. They also found some notebooks discussing dream travelling, a number of phials of a powerful knockout agent, and notes on the correct dosage to administer to people of similar description and bearing as the party members provided by someone named Miacknian Mun. They also found a pearl of power, an oil of silence, and a stone of alarm. They also uncovered other notebooks in Lowls handwriting discussing the aftermath of some dream journeys wherein he met someone named the Mad Poet and sacrificed the groups minds to this Poet, putting them into fugue-like states - the condition which they were admitted to Briarstone asylum in.

Searching around the adventurers found a small room absolutely packed with books and occult writings. It appeared to be the room that Lowls used to gather details on his upcoming travels as mapped out on a piece of parchment, as well as notes about how his writings on Zandalus would repair his ruined reputation as a scholar, and his obsession with a foreign city that had columns similar to the star stelae that existed in Thrushmoor. Packing everything away for later perusal the group headed upstairs to the attic.

On the stairs up they heard a moaning voice, as if some figure were in great agony. The stairs emerged into a voluminous attic, and as their eyes adjusted to the shadows they could see an ugly ghost like woman with tentacles protruding from her sides. She begged them not to look at her, but the party approached anyway.

Taking a chance the woman mentioned that it was actually nice to see Connor again, and that he may be a good replacement for her last lover. Repulsed Connor tried to be civil and not show his true feelings. She began to press though, asking Connor if he thought that any type of relationship was possible with someone such as her. Getting no answer she flew into a rage and grew in size lashing out at Connor with her tentacles, though she was unable to hit him. The group focused on her with magic bolts, Red Destiny, as Connor cast magic stone, and Khalaban charged up his fist and gave a jolt to one of her tentacles.

The ghost woman, who had given her name as Nemira Lowls, the Count’s long dead mother, then reached out an elongated tentacle with a shocking grasp of her own, charging up Zolash and making his hair and fetishes stand on end. The combined strength of the party proved too much for her though and another bolt from Kallista and second charge from Khalaban dropped her into a heap on the ground with a final scream about the meaninglessness of love. Hidden in a potted plant nearby the party found a bag full of gems, earrings, an ornate comb, and a silver and amber bracelet.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 13 - Fall of the House of Lowls part 3

Connor (Human Oracle 6 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 6 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 6)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 6)

The adventurers made their way down the stairs from the attic after their encounter with the Count’s decrepit mother, Nemira Lowls.

On the first floor they found a cozy room filled with books. Set aside from other books and sealed in rather ostentatious glass containers, they found a number of tomes by the Count himself, which Kallista remembered had caused some controversy on their publication, and had ended up with some ridicule around the Count and all of his scholarship in general.

They also found some further books on dreamlands excursions as well as a note from someone named Miacknian Mun. It read : “It seems that the Mad Poet you met in your dream journey was right. The book you seek, the Necronomicon, is located in a special collection called the Mysterium in the Qadiran city of Katheer, though it is written in Necril. If you can find a way to retrieve it and bring it to me, I can certainly help you translate and research it. I look forward to seeing you again, my old friend“.

A continued search through the room was halted after the door quietly opened and Zolash felt something brush past his leg. He yelled out in anger and slammed the door shut, though some creature was now in there with them. Khalaban still had the ability to see the invisible, so he elongated his arm and pointed towards the creature, which appeared to him as a large mastiff with shadows flickering around it. When he met it’s gaze though felt it rip through him tearing a part of his sanity away.

Unable to communicate to his companions to look away fast enough both Zolash and Kallista saw the creature and felt the full force of it’s gaze. When it became visible Zolash was able to land a few solid blows and Kallista shot at it while leaping to the far side of the room and facing away from it.

The hound ripped into Zolashs back causing severe injury. He turned and again felt the force of its gaze tear into him. Still he was able to land a few more blows with Red Destiny. Khalaban shot it with an acid spray and Connor dropped a spiritual weapon on it. Though Connor felt the force of the gaze as well in doing so.

The group was somewhat on the ropes, first Connor, then Khalaban and Zolash beat a retreat to the curio room next door and Kallista followed. They all readied for an attack, though were still surprised when the creature somehow launched itself from corner of the room instead of coming through the door. It tore into Connor with claws and a bite, leaving him severely wounded as well. Turning though, Zolash and Kallista whacked and fired into the beasts side, causing its flames to flicker less brightly. The creature was relentless though and it again ripped into Zolash, though this time he was able to resist its glare, and he turned on it giving it a glare of his own plus a helping of Red Destiny to the gut. That was enough to back it down, leaving it open for Kallista to swallow a true strike elixir and fire through it with her crossbow, pinning it to the wall briefly before it dissolved into a heap of shadowy ashes.

The party healed up and explored the room and the one connected. This room they had retreated to was door to door in curios, paintings of Thrushmoor, as well as portraits of the Lowls family throughout the years. They also scooped everything that appeared to be valuable and was not nailed down into their bags of holding and handy haversacks.

Further exploration of the library revealed a rug with a trapdoor beneath it. Descending, the party entered a well stocked wine cellar. They proceed up the hall and passed an empty cell and had a look around - finding an ice cellar with a few Kuru primitives in it, that they quickly bull rushed and sharp shot into the nearby walls (though ever the perfectionist, Kallista complained about the lack of quality in her kill shot). They also found the clothing of a magistrate of Thrushmoor with the official seal intact. There were no remains, but this was obviously the clothing of magistrate Padgett, which had somehow made its way here from Fort Hailcourse.

They found themselves confronting two thick doors that had the Lowls family crest on them. Dragging the door open they saw a brief scene of an alien looking creature leaning over a sarcophagus which had a body on top of it, dressed in the clothing of a Royal Accuser of Ustalav. The creature was pressing two metallic plates to the accusers chest and talking with a spirit that flickered in the air above the body. The group only heard a question about how many others were aware of the situation here in Ustalav before the strange creature, which Kallista recognized as an otherworldly denizen of Leng, leapt nimbly to attack.

She refused to talk only saying that she wouldn’t let them interfere with Melissen’s plans, even with Khalaban’s prompting. Her attacks seemed to do little damage but with each hit scored on Zolash it diminished his agility bit by bit. A series of bolts, hits from Red Destiny and some acidic bolts ended up bringing her down before she could do too much damage to the party, though one massive electric charge critical was unfortunately wasted as she managed to resist it and channel it into the floor. Exploration of the crypts revealed a sliding door which led to a staircase down.

Heading down the group was confronted by a musky smell. It was semi-dark, but a yellow luminescence filled the area, revealing mosaics of alien yellow architecture on the walls of the room. The room itself was large, with a roof reaching up to 40 feet at its peak. Stepping into the room they saw a familiar monolith to the north, though this one was coated in old blood, and a pair of flying devolved ant like creatures as well as a small black woman flying in the air. They floated above a well that gave off a magical glow.

Melissen screamed at the group that she would have her due, that they weren’t important in the overall scheme of things and that she wasn’t going to let them ruin all the hard work that she had put into her plans.

She ordered the Byakhees to attack. The creatures attacked Kallista and Zolash scoring hits with their claws but missing with their beaks. Trading blows, the attacks on both sides were beginning to have an effect. Connor threw up a Spiritual Weapon on Melissen to try to interfere with her spellcasting. She still got off a spell though causing Zolash to actually feel something! To his companions disgust he started to chop away at himself with Red Destiny causing himself a fairly grevious wound.

Slowly the groups wounds were starting to add up, and finally a Byakhee bit deeply into Zolash’s arm, throwing itself into a raving frenzy. Only some timely healing from Connor saved Zolash from going down. Meanwhile Melissen weaved a hypnotic pattern in front of Zolash’s eyes only to be resisted. Kallista back-pedalled and fired off a black adder venomed shot into the maw of the byakhee in front of her, weakening it noticeably.

As they hacked down the two Byakhees Zolash resisted a further hold person spell, and the party turned their attention to Melissen. Just as Zolash ran towards Melissen, Khalaban reached out with his elongated arm and gave him the power of spider climb. Zolash quickly put it to good use and powered his way up the column near the priestess, leaping off and managing to barely grab onto Melissens legs on the way down. They both landed with a thud and a grunt, but Zolash was able to maintain his grapple on her. She attempted to get off a murderous command spell on Zolash, but found herself unable to get off the spell through her restraints. The party quickly surrounded her and showed her no mercy. A studied shot from Kallista and a Vampire’s touch from Khalaban caused her much grief, before a final acid spray from Khalaban ended her misery once and for all.

The session and The Thrushmoor Terror ended there with the adventurers levelling up to 7 and heading back to the Sleepless agency to discuss further plans.

The group plan is to get in some sessions of Emerald City Icons, before coming back to Dreams of the Yellow King in a few weeks time.


It was nice to make it through the second part of this! Hopefully, we'll be able to maintain the momentum and complete the campaign.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Preamble... and we're finally starting back up with Dreams of the Yellow King, adventure 3 in Strange Aeons....

Session 14 - You know you’re the Caravanserai of my Dreams

Connor (Human Oracle 7 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 7 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 7)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 7)

Heading out to the pier in Thrushmoor, the party heard a commotion coming from where the Sellen Starling was moored. The dockmaster seemed to have unevenly loaded up the Starling, and was unswayed by Skywin Freeling’s (the captain of the Starling) pleas to reload the expensive hardwood lumber in the cargo hold. Seeming to get nowhere, Skywin seemed pleased when Khalaban stepped in to make it happen. Intimidated by the dark sorcerer, the dock master quickly freed up his workers and the ship was reloaded and ready to set out in less than an hour.

Waving goodbye to Cesadia (head of the Sleepless Detective Agency), Kallista’s friend Meg, and Zolash’s lady friend Dena (who watched from the distance), the Starling set off, keeping close to the shore as it was not a boat suited for extended voyages out in the ocean. Two scholars also joined the crew, Gossa and Wreben, specialists in the Architecture of the Age of Enthronement and the Shining Crusade respectively. Khalaban talked them up a bit, but they weren’t able to provide much beyond an extra hand with research if necessary for historical matters.

Looking through the books they acquired from Lowl’s estate, the party found a hollowed out book. Inserted in the book was a small carved ivory staircase. With a bit of research into Lowl’s notes they found that the staircase was a focus for a ritual that allowed the ritual casters the ability to pass into the dreamlands, a fairly stable part of the dimension of dreams. Lowls had gone into the Dreamlands seeking out help from its denizens in his quest to find some arcane being named the Mad Poet.

They also uncovered the rules that governed the Dreamlands. Spells and resources would not be expended in the Dreamlands and physical damage would not persist back into the physical world. Items would also not come back through the ‘veil’, but would persist between dreams. Time also flows a bit differently in the Dreamlands, but inconsistently. In order to return from the Dream, the party would have to focus and overcome resistance, though those willing to take physical harm to their corporeal bodies would have an easier time returning.

A few days into the journey, as Connor and Khalaban were researching below decks, Zolash caught sight of a boat with a red sail following, before it slipped back into the mist and disappeared. He also saw some small lizard slithering rapidly through the water towards the boat. He wasn’t able to call the alarm though as the creature screeched out an inhuman sound and dazed the Barbarian. Fortunately Connor and Khalaban had heard scratching on the boats hull as the creatures scraped and leapt their way onto the boat. The hull also negated some of the sound of the lizards screams so neither adventurer was affected.

Two lizards ganged up on Zolash clawing away at him, doing minor damage to his resistant hide. Dazed as he was, Zolash was unable to respond. Khalaban and Connor climbed up to the deck and met the creatures with force. Connor summoned a Spiritual Hammer and Khalaban splashed out with some magic missiles. Connor’s hammer hit home and Zolash awoke from his daze, but Khalaban found himself flanked by two lizards. The creatures clawed and bit at him leaving him bleeding from many small cuts and gashes. Fortunately for him Connor threw him a heal and Zolash recovered, bringing some frenzied Red Destiny into play, chopping and cutting the lizards into mincemeat. A few more magic missiles and Barbarian attacks had the lizards on the run, and Khalaban was able to drain the last one down with an extended arm vampiric touch, leaving it belly up in the water. Zolash retrieved and skinned a few of them, trying to perfect his lizard-kabob recipe. Skywin seemed impressed by how they adventurers had handled the situation, though apparently Kallista had slept through the entire thing below decks.

Going back to research Khalaban and Connor uncovered the Dreamlands Excursion ritual, which enabled the party to cross over into the Dreamlands. Connor also found some notes of interest as to his return from death, and reinvigorating his soul. Four uneventful days later and they were ready to try out the ritual.

Passing around the ivory staircase, the ritual worked as expected and the adventurers found themselves in a parched desert, with a vicious sun beating down on them. Nearby the caravanserai stopped, quiet, but solid stone amidst a sea of blowing sand.

Walking into the structure, the party found the air cooled considerably and was quite comfortable. The structure seemed to be fairly empty. No one responded when Khalaban called out. Empty stalls stood in the centre courtyard, with no animals put up there. Checking out the guard house Zolash caught a glint from the corner of the room. A sword, that the party determined as magical sat resting against the wall. Connor identified it as a vorpal scimitar +1.

Further down the hall, the group ran into their first denizen of the dreamlands. Passing through a faded curtain they saw a shopkeeper mumbling to himself, though he turned when the party entered and greeted them, humbly complaining about the state of his wares. He was able to dig up a whetstone for Zolash, though as the Khalaban got a closer look at him, he saw that the figures feet trailed off into a misty black smoke. Since the keeper appeared friendly though, he thought little of it.

As the rest of the group left, the shopkeeper called Khalaban back, saying that he had found an item that might be of interest to a not-so humble sorcerer. As Khalaban stepped through the door though he attempted to ensorcel the sorcerer with a deep slumber spell. Resisting, Khalaban threw venomous words at him, though the shopkeeper wasn’t intimidated. Khalaban readied a vampiric touch, Connor dropped a Spiritual hammer on him, and Zolash rushed in to attack. The shopkeeper reached out with a necrotic touch and caused Zolash to cry out in rage and pain. Through the party’s onslaught, he also grabbed Connor and shocked him with the sheer cold contained in his grasp. Fighting though the pain the party were able to chop down the creature, which Connor identified as an Animated Dream, and it collapsed into a pile of dream ash.

Heading south down the long main hall Khalaban snuck up to a curtain near the end of the hall. Conversations seemed to be coming from the room, of many varied voices and tones. One voice, a woman’s, said that she was afraid that someone was plotting to kill her. Another talked of wrecking a valuable ecosystem, and yet another talked of revenge, and how the assembled festivities would never expect what was to come. The group recognized that all voices seemed to have betrayal as a theme. Peering into the room they saw some ghostly figures talking and drinking, though they seemed to have no interest in the party that peered in at them through the tattered curtain.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 15 - Sorcerer Backwash and the Enchanted Forest

Connor (Human Oracle 7 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 7 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 7)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 7)

As they left the ‘betrayal banquet’ room, the adventurers began to feel a strange force pulling at their minds. Fortunately most of the group resisted it, and though Zolash began to feel some animosity for his comrades he was able to restrain himself from acting upon his bestial nature.

Choosing to get away from the banquet room as soon as possible they soon came upon a grime filled room with three baths in it; large in size to accommodate many weary travellers. As Khalaban and Connor stepped through the door and took a glance around, the grime coalesced into a black tarry formless spawn. Connor was quick to bludgeon it, but the spawn grabbed Khalaban with one of its powerful tendrils and held him fast.

Kallista and Zolash ran in to help, with Kallista swallowing a fire elixir and belching flame at the tarry ooze. Zolash whacked away at it with Red Destiny. Suddenly the ooze swept across the floor coating most of the tiles in the baths. Black amorphous tendrils punched up around the group as they all attempted to leap out of harms way.

With a quick movement the spawn swallowed Khalaban whole, he attempted to blast it from within but was unable to penetrate its hide. Zolash, Connor, and Kallista all attempted to free Khalaban but were unable to break the slime open. Khalaban felt the pain of the spawns digestive acids and fell into unconsciousness that he wasn’t able to recover from.

Soon after the party had the spawn on the ropes, and a few more fire breaths from Kallista especially, and one final bludgeon from Connor and the slime popped, spraying tar all over the room, and releasing the dead dream form of Khalaban to slide motionless onto the floor.

Determined to carry on and aware from their readings that Khalaban had most likely awoken back on the boat after being expelled from the Dreamlands, the group opened a further door at the end of the hall and found themselves in a room filled with documents. Since Connor had a magical ability to understand languages on, he was quickly able to determine that most of the documents in the room had been written by someone under some kind of curse, and were unintelligible no matter how much anyone tried to decipher them.

Heading up the stairs the party encountered an odd man dressed in faded yellow finery. He introduced himself as the Yellow King, though Kallista immediately remembered him as Count Lowls himself, and began to pontificate about a varied number of subjects. Attempting to get the conversation back online, Connor spilled out the adventures that the party had been on, and that they were attempting to follow Lowls and meet some strange figure called the Mad Poet.

The Yellow King listened intently to Connor, then spouted about his own theories that; he was a figment of Lowls that had broken off when Lowls had encountered some kind of traumatic event; that as a result he had no memory of what happened after that event, but that he did know that Lowls had met with the rather quixotic Mad Poet. It seemed as if the Poet had some arcane knowledge that would help the group recover their memories as well as find some kind of path to the city of Neruzavin, where Lowls was most likely headed.

Through painstaking research Lowls had determined a list of gifts that would be required to placate Poet, one of the most famous denizens of the Dreamlands. The list was written inside the cover of one of the books that the group had procured from Lowls mansion earlier. Showing up with less than all seven of the items on the list was probably a good way to piss off the Mad Poet, though it was up to the group how they wanted to approach him.

Returning to the Sellen Starling the group found Khalaban looking rather shaken (he would never look at dirt and grime the same way again), but otherwise alive. Consulting the book that the Yellow King mentioned, they found a list of seven items; a Viscount’s signet ring, a Feline tail, a Skull of Ghoul Royalty, a Green Stone idol of a water lizard, a Night Hag Ambassador’s hearthstone, a Captain’s tricorne, and a Red Webbed Foot.

Researching the Feline tail first, Connor and Kallista found that the animal that they were looking for was called a Pard. Apparently a small rodent like race called the zoogs were native to a place in the Dreamlands called the Enchanted Forest. Zoogs enjoyed feline flesh as a delicacy and from Lowls notes it seemed like these Zoogs would know where to find this Pard creature.

Passing around the ivory staircase the group found themselves transition and awaken on a huge branch of a tree hundreds of feet up in the air. As they got their bearings the group saw a large horse faced creature sniffing and snorting around. Seeing Zolash as tasty dinner it charged at him. Smashing him with its hooves and biting with its dull but large teeth. The party hit it with some spells and attacks, but ultimately felled it when Khalaban cast a grease spell and Zolash was able to bullrush it over the edge of the branch watching it fall to its death far below. Grasping around and slipping off the branch himself, Zolash was luckily able to grab ahold of some bark and climb back up to the rest of the group.

After the Tikbalang fell, the party felt many small eyes upon them. Furry little creatures came out at them from many nooks and crannies on the branch, as a carpet of small bodies. The leader of the zoogs spoke for them, thanking them and asking if there was anything they could do to repay the party. Khalaban first asked if they had seen anyone with a Tricorne hat on, and the zoogs just looked at him with confusion. They then agreed to give the group a Pard’s tail in exchange for one of their favourite delicacies - some feline meat, mmm, yummy cats.

The lead zoog showed them on their way - that way, past the light creatures and into the area to the east, and good luck!

The group soon came upon a branch with a man tied up on it, and some small flittering streaky light beings flying around overhead. Khalaban tried to parlay but they would have none of it. Khalaban then threw a web spell over them and Kallista lit it up with her fire breath. Charred, and blackened, the little beings were then easily taken down with more mundane swords and maces.

As the Kallista walked over towards the tied and gagged man, she saw him shake his head vigorously as if to ward her off from danger. She quickly found a trap set to drop the entire leaf that suspended him down to the forest floor far below and was able to disable it.

Freed, the man introduced himself as Nestor Bindlay, an honourable hunter, who was here to protect the sacred environment from someone named Kelvetta, a less honourable hunter, who used poisons and trickery to take down majestic animals and unique creatures of the dreamlands. The Lurkers in Light had captured him in a moment of weakness and had tied him up.

Bindlay agreed to help out the group take down some Smilodon in what promised to be a wonderful and fair fight. Hopefully to the death! The party just wanted to get the cat meat and get the hell out.

A fair bit down and across much leafy terrain, the adventurers found a group of 4 smaller tree cats, and 1 larger mother cat. Kallista stealthed out to attempt to assassinate one. Her studied strike landed and pierced a smaller cats leg, but it quickly turned and saw her, launching itself at her and scoring some claw rakes across her chest. The rest of the tigers turned on them as Khalaban launched a lightning bolt at the cat that Kallista has attacked, greatly wounding it.

The cats the responded launching themselves at Khalaban, Zolash and Kallista all doing significant damage. Zolash, with the big mother cat on him was especially in tough.

Seeing that they might need a bit of help, Connor tossed the vorpal scimitar from the caravanserai to Nestor and he was soon attacking and fending off two of the smaller cats on his own, laughing in glee at joy of the fight.

The mother Smilidon especially tore into Zolash pouncing on him and raking him into unconsciousness. A perfect shot from Kallista and another few bolts of electricity from Khalaban charred the majestic Dire Smilidon though, and she fell over dead surrounded by the bodies of her cubs.

Throwing the bodies of the great cats over their shoulders the group made their way back to the zoogs and exchanged the bodies for a blue and purple mottled fur Pard tail.

Fade to black and they awoke back on the boat.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 16 - The case of the pilfered Tricorne

Connor (Human Oracle 7 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 7 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 7)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 7)

With the pard tail in their possession the party still had six items left on Lowl’s Mad poet gift list. They decided that their next target would be the the Tricorne hat. Connor and Kallista got down to digging through the books and Lowls research notes. They discovered that the hat in question was owned by a Captain Vadrack, a traveller who had the ability to somehow sail into different dimensions through the waterways of the Dreamlands.

Unfortunately for the party the ritual didn’t seem to work. They ‘awoke’ in the same place where they performed the ritual, below deck of the Sellen Starling. Heading up on deck they found that little had changed as far as they could tell. Slowly though some small changes emerged - different fauna that came to drink along the side of the river and some strangely radiant fish that leapt through the air beside the boat.

Suddenly Skywin keeled over appearing to be wracked with pain. She then morphed into a horrific shadowy creature in front of their eyes and lashed out at them with misty tendrils. Connor was quick to drop a spiritual hammer on her and Zolash lashed out with Red Destiny. Zolash felt the creatures tormenting touch and dropped to his knees in pain. Khalaban fired bolts of electricity at it, while Kallista unloaded some bolts from the other side of the deck. The group seemed to be driving the thing back towards the side of the boat, only to see a large red sailed Pirate ship rapidly approaching from behind.

Seeing the pirates readying their bows on the deck of the pirate ship, Connor quickly threw up an obscuring mist hiding the party and the fearguant. Another quick attack from Red Destiny and Zolash had finished off the Fearguant, only to find himself immediately under attack again as another incorporeal ragged looking woman sailed through the air into the mist, acting as if it wasn’t there, and gripped Zolash with a brutal touch that shook him to his core; he spit blood and desperately pulled his arm away.

Meanwhile the Captain of the ship could see Kallista standing just out of the mist, and he weaved a hypnotic pattern that entranced her and she stood dazed as the buccaneers peppered her with arrows almost killing her. Connor heard her screams of pain and was quick to pull her back into the fog.

Seeing an opportunity, while Zolash held off the Wraith, Khalaban cast Spider Climb and ascended the mast which at this point hung out over the Bloodwind, the pirate ship. As he did this the pirate Captain Vadrack uttered some magic words and disappeared.

Zolash managed to take down the Wraith, but at great cost, he was bleeding profusely and he felt weakened and weary. Fighting off the fear and malaise he ran towards the boarding platform which had been lowered earlier by one of the pirates.

From his perch on the mast Khalaban cast see invisibility and saw the Pirate Captain, just below him, and standing right in front of Zolash. He quickly extended one of his aberrant stretchy arms towards the Captains hat. The Captain was invisible so he was surprised that he could be seen, and wasn’t expecting it, as Khalaban plucked the hat right off his head.

In a rage Captain Vadrack twisted his hands into an arcane symbol and cast grease on the mast that was holding Khalaban. With this he became visible and Zolash reached out to grapple him, but was powerfully rebuffed. Turning his attention to Zolash the captain slashed with his scimitar, hacking into the Barbarian and finishing off by channeling a shocking grasp through the weapon, leaving Zolash barely standing (exactly 0 hp :)

Using all his focus Khalaban was able to nimbly step through the greased up mast, and he dropped behind the cabin on the deck of the Starling. He focused on leaving the Dreamlands but failed miserably.

The pirates around the Captain continued to pepper Kallista with bolts, almost bringing her down, though another heal from Connor kept her up.

Khalaban tried again to concentrate to escape the dream, even enough to injure his physical body, but still couldn’t come up with enough focus to get out.

Quick thinking from Connor; he cast a Suggestion on the Captain to drop his scimitar, and he did drop it, into the raging waters below the plank that he was standing on with Zolash. Seeing how things were fairly desperate for the group Zolash gathered up all his remaining strength and grabbed the Captain by the waist and heaved him off the plank and they both followed the scimitar into the water. The waters quickly swept them behind the ship and soon they were hundreds of feet behind the boat.

Healed up, Kallista drank a fire elixir and belched it out over the remaining pirates. Seeing that their Captain was now gone a few pirates jumped ship and the remaining couple surrendered to the party.

The adventurers searched the boat and found some studded leather amor and a chest full of rubies that could be of use later.

They winced when the heard the water charge up and give off steam a few hundred feet behind them; the Captain had shocked and fried Zolash (and himself) as they wrestled in the water. The rest of the group all focused and left the dream.

Back on the Sellen Starling the party took some time to recover, with Zolash awakening with them, but coughing out a stream of murky looking water and bile.

A few uneventful days of sailing later the group decided to research the Viscount’s ring. They found that the Viscount was a man named Pietro Brellin from a Dreamlands hub called Celephais. He throws extremely lavish parties, and people are just happy to be there, and generally are reluctant to point out even bizarre events occur at these events.

The ritual seemed to work this time, and the group found themselves in the middle of a massive ballroom surrounded by thousands of dancing and partying dreamlands citizens. Well armed and armoured guards lined the halls, and an aura of refinement pervaded the entire event, with the exception of a strange field of darkness that covered a part of the ceiling, with some unslightly webbing poking out from it here and there.

Deciding that approaching the Viscount directly would be the best strategy, Connor and the group walked towards him, and he motioned to the guards to allow them through. The Viscount was a handsome man, though it was clear that something was a bit wrong with him as he coughed an icky black substance, and had some of it crusted on his finery. Explaining their situation and their need for a ring, the Viscount said that he could help them out if they could do him a small favour. The sunset waltz, the most important social dance of the event, was upcoming soon, and the Viscount had just learned that his beloved was coming to the party soon. Unfortunately he had promised the waltz to three others already, and was hoping to extricate himself from those promises. Would the group be so kind as to help him out (ideally without causing any kind of commotion)? In exchange he would give them a ring.

The three that were promised to were a diverse lot. A noble lady Urdenda Splinterbone, a wealthy merchant Ardvin Telgriette, and a beautiful commoner named Maudette. Connor was able to find out the whereabouts of Lady Splinterbone quite easily, with a dropped in hint that she was actually a vampire. They found her leaving the dance floor with another guest. After some pleasantries, Connor hinted that the Viscount had some strange illness, and with a bit of disappointment the Lady agreed to give up her dance with the Viscount, though she would require a handsome replacement. Connor agreed to step in in the Viscount’s place.

Searching for the commoner next, they eventually learned that something had descended from the dark area in the ceiling and had grabbed her up. Convinced that she would no longer be an issue the group collectively shrugged and moved on to the merchant.

Khalaban, with his new found desire for absolute cleanliness had kept up his clothing in impeccable condition, and decided to approach the merchant in a somewhat flirtatious manner. The merchant didn’t appear won over though, until Khalaban let slip that he was also a merchant and had a lucrative silk business and that he could throw some business the merchants way. That promise, backed up by some of the rubies that they had found on the pirate ship, convinced Telgriette to bypass the dance with the Viscount.

Soon enough the time for the waltz came and Lady Splinterbone gathered up Connor and he led her out onto the dance floor. She let slip that she was feeling a bit weak and thirsty and asked if he would let her have a little ‘nip’, Connor reluctantly agreed, and she as actually true to her word, and just drank a little as she lapped with her tongue around the little holes in his neck.

Seeing that the group was successful, the Viscount motioned to one of his liveried servants and the man came towards Zolash and handed him a ring.

Immediately after that the music stopped for a few seconds as some grotesque legs came into the light from the darkened area on the ceiling. A huge spider descended to the middle of the dance floor. The Viscount walked towards it and took it’s long hairy legs in his hands and began to waltz.

The party levelled up the session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

We're going to take another 3-4 week break for PH Dungeon to run us through some more of our Icons campaign, then back with the rest of Dreams of the Yellow King.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Starting back up again August 27.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 17 - Royally boned?

Connor (Human Oracle 8 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 8 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 8)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 8)

Acquiring the Skull of Ghoul Royalty was landed upon as the next gift to research and recover. Connor and Khalaban quickly poured through Lowls notes and discovered that Ghouls of the dreamlands were more sophisticated than their earthly cousins. They were still tribal in nature, but also had complex rituals and structures within those hierarchies.

Completing the ritual brought the group into a large cavern, right in the middle of what appeared to be a summoning circle. Around them six shamanic lizard ghouls chanted away. There appeared to be some genuine surprise at the characters arrival and also a lot of jubliation.

A rather plain looking ghoul stepped forward and introduced himself as Wilkins. He explained that the ghouls had been kicked out of their home cavern by encroaching gugs, and that his small band had no chance to defend themselves against such powerful creatures. Attempting to summon help had been a last gasp effort and no one expected it to work - but surprise - the group appeared in their circle!

Attempting to get their bearings Khalaban questioned Wilkins about the situation, and found out that the ghouls home was actually some kind of mausoleum - and would most likely contain the body of some kind of ghoul royalty, so the groups goals seemed aligned. Connor asked about a skull, and was told that surely skulls of royalty were indeed buried in the area, why was he asking? He managed to misdirect the query by turning the conversation back to the task at hand.

According to Wilkins the mausoleum was a short hike through some tunnels. The characters would attack what he called the Plaza of Bones while the ghouls mopped up smaller Gug forces elsewhere, then meet up afterwards. The group didn’t question the plan, and went with it, hoping to dig up a skull and be out of there asap.

Soon the party came upon some tall columns set two aside about ten feet apart. On the columns were depictions of many dreamlands undead. Before they had a chance to examine the columns more a large construct of bones and two smaller boney snakes came out from behind the pillars.

Connor was quick to act with a holy smite which blasted over all three creatures, but also interestingly enough hurting Khalaban in the process. Khalaban then raised his arms and the entire area was swarmed with black tentacles which lashed out entangling the necrophidius’ but proving unable to grapple the construct, which was a Bone Golem.

The one Necrophidius in view attempted to sway and daze Zolash, but he resisted. He gave a great cleave to the Bone Golem with Red Destiny in answer.

The Golem strode forward and slammed Connor multiple times almost bringing him down.

Feeling the black tentacles wrath again, both Necrophidius burst into piles of bones.

While Connor withdrew to heal himself, a few bolts from Khallista and a few more hacks from Red Destiny proved enough to reduce the gruesome bone construct to a pile of unconnected bone fragments.

Resting a few moments to allowed Connor to recoup himself, the party headed into the main plaza. In the middle of the plaza they saw a large ornamented structure, and behind it was a huge ugly creature, humanoid in shape, but with a gaping maw where it’s face should be. Luckily they were able to get the drop on it, allowing Zolash to approach it, and Khalaban to get off a lightning bolt that wounded it. Connor threw a spiritual hammer on it and Kallista fired at it with a studied strike, also damaging it.

The creature responded by launching itself at Zolash, only to be surprised again, as Zolash was ready and attacked as it came towards him. Still, the creature smashed into him, throwing him backwards into the wall with a roar.

Khalaban fired some magic missiles, and Connor got off another hammer hit, but the Zolash did most of the damage laying into the Gug with a huge blow that almost brought it down.

The creature responded by lashing out as Zolash and scoring him with a number of hits, but wasn’t able to smash the raging Dwarf down before a bolt from Kallista in the centre of it’s mouth-face caused it to thud down to the ground in a heap.

Hearing jubilant voices around the corner coming their way, Kallista quickly scanned the small building’s door for traps, and seeing none, she courageously opened the door. A ghostly hand raked at her making her almost drop her weapon, but she quickly reached in and grabbed the skull off the body that sat inside. Seeing all the other skulls littering the ground nearby, Connor picked one up and replaced the skull that they had taken. Fortunately for him his sleight of hand worked, and the incoming group of victorious ghouls didn’t notice. Also taken up in their revery the ghouls didn’t notice as Connor nudged the crypt door shut with his foot.

Asked if they wanted to stick around and celebrate with some tasty rat stew, Connor politely declined before Zolash could open his mouth to accept, and they all faded back to the deck of the Sellen Starling.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 18 - It’s not a party until a Great Old One shows up…

Connor (Human Oracle 8 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 8 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 8)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 8)

After acquiring the Royal skull last session the group turned its focus on the Green Stone Idol.  Apparently the Idol had been held or created by an alien race of creatures that owed fealty to a great Old One named Bokrug.  This race was eventually wiped out by a human civilization, whose major city was named Sarnath.

It was in this city that the party found themselves opening their eyes after completing the Dreamlands ritual.  The large opulent room that the group found themselves in was in the middle of a party.  Anything and everything seemed to be going on around them; drinking, fornicating, and other forms of excess.  Inhibitions were low at the party and through Khalaban and Connors questioning the group was able to find out a bit about the history of the occasion, but not much beyond that concerning idols or treasures.  Zolash did note however that the walls and tapestries to the north seemed thick with moisture.

It was at that moment that a stream of people started pouring down the stairs screaming.  Four glowing frog like creatures chased after them, grabbing and slapping at them - with people falling at their feet screaming in agony or as charred husks.  Khalaban quickly cast spider climb on every member of the group.  They all climbed the wall and watched as the Ib creatures chased more humans out past the staircase into the room.  Quickly Khalaban cast web over the figures, only to see the webbing fall right through these incorporeal beings bodies.

A couple of the Ib turned towards Zolash and flew up towards him screaming.  Zolash hacked at one as it leapt towards him.  Connor was able to get off a Spiritual Weapon on one of them and Khalaban was able to use his magic missiles effectively.  Feeling the force of the Ib spirits wracking touch though Zolash and Khalaban found themselves shaken with fear.  Seeing the state of his comrades Connor was able to get off a Remove Fear spell which suppressed the effects, enabling Khalaban to get off a shocking grasp killing one, and Kallista and Zolash to bring down the other shades with their crossbow and Red Destiny respectively.

Connor quickly healed everyone up.  Hearing more commotion up the stairs the adventurers spider-climbed up the moisture laden wall to peek over the edge.  A group of small blue spirit balls darted in at them buzzing around them giving off a low drone of electric charge.  Kallista yelled down to Khalaban to stay back since she recognized these spirits as Will o Wisps and that they were immune to magic.  Kallista downed a true strike elixir and fired at one piercing it.   Two descended on her though, and their incessant little series of charges had Kallista on the ropes, almost ready to drop off the wall, before Connor came in with a critical heal, keeping her up.

Zolash was able to use Red Destiny to great effect hacking away at the Wisps, bringing one down and shovelling some ectoplasm into his mouth lining his mask with florescent blue goo.  Connor also brought his mace to bear and was able to get some hits in also killing a Wisp.  The last Wisp was able to bring Zolash to a bloodied state, before it was popped by one of Kallista’s bolts.

As the Wisps disappeared the party could see four more of the Ib Shades standing in a circle around a heftier robed Shade, who was holding up a green idol - obviously the gift that they were looking for.  The Robed shade seemed to be calling out to the sea, chanting.  The seas responded by raging towards the wall and becoming even further agitated.  A horrifically loud wail could be heard coming from far out in the water.  In the distance a huge figure strode through the waters toward the wall.

Seeing that time was of the essence Khalaban cast a grease on the idol and was able to get the Ib priest to lose his grasp on it and watch it drop to the ground.  That didn’t effect the figure out in the sea though, as it continued it’s relentless walk towards the wall.

Kallista kept downing true strike potions and firing bolt after bolt into the shades, having some effect.  While Zolash held off two shades though they kept him wracked in pain with their corrupting touches.  Khalaban was able to grab at the wrist of the priest as it reached for the idol and get a shocking grasp off.  Fighting through Khalabans touch the Priest retrieved and rubbed at the idol.  The surrounding moisture suddenly got sucked out of the area and everyone felt the air sucked out of them also.  The idol had fired off a horrid wilting spell, almost killing Zolash and Kallista, but also greatly weakening the remaining Ib shades and the priest himself.  The figure out in the seas was looming now, a towering presence only a hundred or so feet away.

Seeing how weakened the Priest was, Connor stepped up with his mace and bludgeoned him over the head, bringing him down, enabling Khalaban to dispel his grease spell and pick up the idol.  Zolash finished off one of the remaining shades and Kallista was able to finish off the other.   Seeing how close the enormous figure was, and recognizing it as a Great Old One named Bokrug, Khalaban rapidly spider climbed back down the side of the wall into the downstairs area, and the party faded back to the Sellen Starling just as a massive webbed foot smashed through the wall near them.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 19 - Of Soul Trading Hags and Wamps

Connor (Human Oracle 8 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 8 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 8)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 8)

On a roll, the party wanted to continue picking up as many gifts for the Mad Poet as possible, and with only two left they decided to bear down and retrieve them. First came the Ambassador’s Heartstone.

Dylath-Leen. You’ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy ;) Performing the ritual brought the adventurers into a smoke filled opium den, with quite a few other substances available on demand. The den was fairly well populated, though most individuals looked pretty uninterested in their surroundings, so the characters appearance didn’t spark much notice. From the far side of the room though, a rather wealthy looking woman peered at them in interest, and from another dark corner a tiefling woman looked at them intently.

The wealthy lady beckoned them over, and as they neared her they got a glimpse of how hideously ugly that she was. With a huge streaked beehive hairdo, a sickly dark grey skin pallor, and warts dominating the visible parts of her body, she was quite the sight. Still she introduced herself as the Lady Quaveandra, a diplomat to the city. Surmising that the group had little vested interest in the surroundings she asked if they might help her out on a particular matter. Three or four attempts on her life had happened in the last few weeks - a robe of powerlessness, some poisoned food, and an ambush that she barely escaped with her life. She feared at this point that someone inside her retinue (of thirty or forty) was responsible. In particular she felt that her stewardess, Ammanetta, her pet prophet Dol Theth, and one of her musicians/dancers Kavriki had tweaked her hag’s intuition. Reading the fear on her face and demeanour Connor pushed her - explaining that the price for this could only be her heartstone, something that she reluctantly agreed to. Quaveandra allowed the use of one of the southern rooms in case the adventurers needed a quiet space to question the suspects.

With their sight and investigators talents, Khalaban and Kallista took on the task of questioning the targets, first being the Tiefling steward Ammanetta. They noted that she almost alone in the den seemed to be reluctant to partake in the substances that were available. They also noted that she had an exact itinerary of her mistresses actions and schedule, along with easy access to the food and gifts that Quaveandra consumed. After pushing deeper though, they also realized that this lady was serious about her job, and that she truly knew little about how the threats to her mistresses life had come about. She asked to be included in the investigation though, if anything suspicious was found.

While the others were questioning the stewardess, Connor and Zolash stood guard outside the curtain to the room, watching for any other suspicious activity. The dancer moved about the room, entrancing people, while the ‘prophet’ just sat staring into space on a couch nearby. With a keen eye Zolash noted that the dancer was wearing extremely expensive rings and jewelry, or at least he pointed out his general suspicions to Connor and Connor was able to confirm them. He approached Kavriki, and asked to have a little chat with her. She agreed. At first she responded positively to his line of questioning about her mistress, though she eventually realized how relentless Connor was pursuing the issue, and pulled him over towards one of the spare rooms for a private ‘dance’.

In the room she admitted that she had designs to kill the Night Hag Ambassador, but that her intentions were good. The ambassador was what was known as a soul-trader - trading the souls of victims (even children) for profit. She was attempting to set up a new network in Dylath-Leen and Kavriki was having no part of it, and had decided to assassinate her. Showing that she was true to her word Kavriki revealed a hidden passage to Connor, one that went through into the Ambassadors room. She also admitted that she had set up a trap on the door - if the Hag went through the door she was in for a surprise, at that point the group could take out Quaveandra in her own room, greatly weakened, and with no interference. From there the party was welcome to whatever they wanted off the Ambassador. Sensing no lie in the woman’s words Connor agreed and went back to the group to discuss the new plan. They all agreed to go along with it.

Khalaban lead the group over to Quaveandra and told her that they had reached a conclusion. Eager to hear it, Quaveandra led them into her room, with the Burnt Othur Fumes trap exploding in her face (and doing a whopping 13 con damage to her as she failed her saves - ouch). The party followed her in with no interference from the rest of her retinue (just maybe they didn’t like her too much either :) Khalaban summoned black tentacles that quickly entrapped the Hag, Kallista followed in with a bolt that missed, but Kavriki was also quick to take advantage of the situation - she danced nimbly through the tentacles and leapt on the vomiting and grappled ambassadors back, and slit her throat both ways with a pair of magical razor sharp daggers. She then thanked the group and poofed away leaving no trace. Kallista picked up the bloody heartstone and the group all faded back to the Sellen Starling before anyone else took notice of the Ambassadors corpse.

The next few days the adventurers were hard at work researching the Red Webbed foot. They found that there existed some strange grey multi-legged creatures that served as home for many and varied repulsive diseases. These creatures were easily identified by their blood red feet. Successfully completing the Dreamlands Excursion ritual brought the party to a strange city where the surface of most buildings seemed encased in a layer of yellow ceramics. Even the dust itself sparkled with yellow ceramic particulate.

Immediately when they arrived they were set upon by eight hungry ghasts. Apparently unable to find any living tissue to feed upon the ghasts ravenously leapt at the party, though they were quickly skewered by the party’s melee fighters. A few other ghasts peered out at them from the buildings, though they didn’t seem to be as far gone as the ones that had attacked. A few representatives came forward asking for the groups help in reclaiming their graveyard from some dastardly creatures that were eating their only source of food. Hearing the description of these creatures (red feet :) the adventurers set out for the graveyard.

The approach to the graveyard was lined with yellow ceramic statues and two came alive as the party neared the graveyard gates. Connor recognized these creatures as Terracotta soldiers, which had some resistance to all weapons except blunt, as well as resistance to fire and some spell resistance as well. Khalaban went with the trusty black tentacles and the statues seemed unable to escape from the tentacles grasp, slowly being crushed. Connor, Kallista, and Zolash all piled on and the statues soon collapsed to the ground in broken ceramic pieces.

In the graveyard itself, the adventurers realized that though they heard the chittering of many creatures, they needed only one foot as a gift. Khalaban threw up another field of black tentacles catching two creatures in it. Connor smashed one with his mace, while Zolash went to work with Red Destiny, with Kallista providing supporting fire with her studied strikes. The disease laden creature fell under the onslaught, having been unable to pass along any of its filth to the party (with Khalaban casting prestidigitation on himself to make sure his robes stayed pristine and dark as always :). Kallista hacked off a foot and the adventurers retreated out of the graveyard, leaving the ghasts to fend for themselves. Why the hell would they want to save a bunch of ghasts anyway.

The group dissipated back out of the Dreamlands to the deck of the Sellen Starling, now having in their possession all seven of the gifts that any Mad Poet could ask for, even on a bad day.

The party levelled up and the session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 20 - Of Dirty Rats and Well Dressed Men

Connor (Human Oracle 9 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 9 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 9)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 9)

The next morning, still creeping up the Sellen River, the Starling drifted into a bank of fog. Through the fog though the adventurers could see a small raft slowly closing in on them, about 100 feet away. Four bedraggled men were visible on the raft, though it wasn’t immediately evident what they were doing. One appeared to be gesticulating in the air.

Kallista recognized the man’s motions and realized that the fog wasn’t a natural phenomenon, but was instead being created supernaturally by the men on the raft. Two men turned into some kind of aquatic animal form and dived off the raft heading towards the Starling. Seeing an opportunity Khalaban dispelled the fog, then dimension doored himself along with Kallista and Zolash over to the raft.

When the two rat-like men arrived at the Starling they were surprised to see only Connor left on deck. One tried to summon a water spout to drive Connor off the deck into the water, but Connor stood firm.

Back on the small raft Zolash appeared and he was frothing at the mouth to get at the water rats. He barrelled past Khalaban and knocked both men off the boat into the river. Kallista watched them drive past and unloaded into one of the backs with a series of bolts. From the water one of the men called forth a mini storm and brought down lightning on Khalaban with a loud crack. Zolash hacked away at the floating men with Red Destiny while Kallista kept up her flurry of bolts. Another hydraulic push from one of the rats sent Kallista head first over the edge of the raft, though she was quick to quaff a fly elixir and was only wet for a brief few seconds. Another call lightning from a rat charred Zolash, and left his hair smoking. Attempting to end it, Khalaban reached with an extended hand and plucked the man out of the water threatening more retaliation unless the man ceased hostilities. Seeing how badly things were going for him, he agreed, though not before Kallista filled his friend full of bolts and left the body bobbing down the Sellen river in the wake of the raft.

Seeing things there in hand on the raft, Khalaban ported Zolash back to the deck of the Starling. Khalaban attempted to bring the water rat along for the ride, but the man resisted and stayed standing on the raft. Still he wasn’t going anywhere with Kallista’s crossbow trained on his head.

Back on the Starling the men had jumped onto the boats deck and were attempting to skewer Connor with their scimitars. One lashed out and cracked his hand against the Starling’s sail though, and dropped his sword to the deck. The other slashed out but caused Connor only minimal damage. Connor burst forth with a holy smite, deeply injuring the men, leaving things fairly in hand for Zolash and Khalaban to take out the two with Red Destiny and a life drain when they re-appeared on the Starling from their Dimensional Door. Questioning the remaining man that Kallista held proved pretty fruitless, the men didn’t seem to have any master plan, but were merely pirates. Kallista threw the last one back in the drink, and watched him swim off. On the raft the party found a small chest with some gold and some nice bracers, which Kallista claimed.

The next morning, having recovered from the previous days fight, the adventurers returned to the Dreamlands to revisit the Yellow King. On their return though they found the place quiet as before, but it was night time, and the air had greatly cooled.

Stepping into the courtyard the group saw a slight but wirey creature that they recognized from the Asylum as a nightguant. This one seemed slightly larger than the one they had seen previously and he was also accompanied by others. Zolash was quick to rush in and cleave one down. The others flew in surrounding the party. One picked up Kallista and pulled her into the sky intending to drop her from on high, but was surprised with Kallista quaffed a fly elixir and instead floated away and filled the creature full of studied bolts from her crossbow.

Connor blasted out a holy smite injuring them, and also slightly searing Khalaban in the process. The creatures lashed out with claws injuring Connor and Zolash, but Khalaban stepped forward and sent a charged bolt of lighting through three of them, leaving Zolash free to wade in angrily cleave down the scorched creatures.

Hearing the commotion in the courtyard an alien creature dressed in robes joined the fray with his two hounds. The hounds nipped away at Connor ankles, injuring him and hobbling him, but another holy smite finished them off, leaving the alien Denizen of Leng open to be perforated by Kallista’s bolts and Khalaban’s maximized magic missile, which knocked him backwards and finished him off.

Entering the complex and making their way back to the room where they originally encountered the Yellow King, the party again encountered some more Yeth Hounds and another Denizen of Long, but they were quick to finish them off, though by the end of that fight Connor was feeling sluggish and clumsy, and needing a rest to regain some of his lost nimbleness.

Passing by the baths where they had previously encountered the Formless spawn, Khalaban shivered, and cast a quick prestidigitation on himself for reassurance. Nothing came out of the baths though. This time.

Opening the door to the room below which they had met the Yellow King, the party walked in on a rail thin man, all dressed up with a peaked collar, a fine top hat, and immaculate trim striped grey pants. As they entered he held up a finger to silence them for a moment and looked back at the book in his hand resuming his reading.

The session ended there. No session next week for Canadian Thanksgiving.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 21 - Lunar Exploits of the Inelegant Adventurers

Connor (Human Oracle 9 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 9 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 9)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 9)

The lithe man in front of the party calmly takes stock of the adventurers and asks them how much they know of accounting and mathematical theory. Having found some most interesting books he had become absorbed in them, trying to extract as much sense as possible. Unfortunately for him the party had previously determined that the books contained nothing but gibberish. With a bit of back and forth about the finer points of the philosophy of math, Mister Wanderlust, as the man was called, let slip that he had suggested that Weiralai (his employer), take the Yellow King to the Lunar Prison. He then turned his back on the adventurers lost in his own thought.

Up the stairs waited two denizens of the plane of Leng. They immediately attacked Kallista who had led the way up the stairs, draining some of her agility and wounding her, leaving her on the defensive. She responded with a studied bolt into one of the aliens shoulders. Connor and Zolash made their way up behind Kallista, both attacking with their mace and Red Destiny.

Kallista, wounded, made a lumbering attempt to dodge past one of the creatures, but got another deep cut and more sluggishness in return. At this point the creatures turned on Zolash clawing and scratching at him, leaving him feeling sluggish as well. Fortunately for the party Connor got a hit in and Zolash was able to bring the pain with Red Destiny, leaving Kallista open to swig a true strike potion and execute one of the creatures with a beautiful shot between Zolash’s legs. Khalaban enlarged Zolash and he was able to slash the last Denizen of Leng to the ground. By now everyone in the party (except for Khalaban) was feeling the drain, and moving around with the grace of a moon water buffalo.

They heard a large, nervous, squawking sound from out the door to the north and peered out to see a giant scaly bird like creature with bat wings. The creature noticed them, and talked to them as they approached asking their business and who they were. Kallista tried to pass off as being friends of Weiralai, but the creature was wary of them. It took an offer of some future favour, and the creatures apparent nervousness, to make it finally decide to take them to the nearby moon. “Hop on” it said, “It’s a journey of many hours ahead”. Using their time wisely the party restored as much of the drain as possibly could, and healed up as well.

The moon proved to be very moon-like - rocky and barren, apart from a turgid looking lake and an enclosed structure a few hundred feet away. With her keen investigator eyes Kallista noticed two sets of foot prints heading towards the building, one shuffling and the other walking. Heading straight for the structure, the party forgot to get their stories straight, and were surprised when a voice called out toward them asking who they were. Unable to answer convincingly they saw a small ball of fire streak out at them and explode in their midst, damaging everyone and especially Zolash.

Connor was quick to throw up an obscuring mist so they couldn’t be directly targeted again, and Connor and Kallista retreated to the side of the building. Meanwhile Zolash and Khalaban ran towards the entrance and the portcullis to see if it could somehow be lifted or broken through. Zolash strained but found himself unable to lift it. Kallista took to the air with a fly elixir.

The creature (that they recognized as a Leng Ghoul) at the gatehouse had now somehow appeared behind Connor and read out another scroll blasting Kallista with another fireball, which singed her, but she was able to dodge some of its effect. Connor stepped up to pound the creature, and Ballista let loose with a studied bolt, that ripped into it. The ghoul ripped into Connor though, paralyzing him.

Hearing a shriek from Connor, Zolash and Khalaban retreated from the door and came to help out their companions. Zolash stepped up and slashed away at the creature, but he too felt the twinge of paralysis come on, and was unable to move. Khalaban blasted out with a lightning bolt scorching the ghoul. At this point Zolash felt the paralysis wear off, just in time, as the ghoul stepped past him ready to tear Khalaban extended limb from extended limb, and he slashed into the creatures back with a massive chop, cleaving the ghoul in two.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 22 - The warden threw a party in the lunar jail

Connor (Human Oracle 9 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 9 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 9)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 9)

The ghoulish guard that lay dead before the adventurers gave up a few scrolls of dimension door and a scroll of fireball. Khalaban quickly put the scroll to good use and teleported the party past the murder holes and the massive prison doors.

With some stealth the party was able to surprise the three Denizens of Leng who stood peering through the holes waiting for them to come into view. Kallista sucked back a fire breath elixir and opened up catching all three alien creatures in her blast. Khalaban reached out with a Vampiric touch, while Connor stood blocking the door and cast Spiritual Hammer on the lead denizen.

Piling on, Kallista looked up and down her enemy and let go a powerful bolt, and Khalaban let loose with a lightning bolt that tore through all three creatures. Zolash stepped past the door to open the remaining door to the south, and found a female ghoul there with a pretty sparkly. She motioned with the gem, but Zolash, numb to any effect, launched himself at her.

The Denizens started to put up a fight with their wands - landing some hits on Khalaban and Kallista, but the series of studied strikes, vampiric strikes, and Spiritual hammers managed to put two of them down before the third ran. Kallista firing the final shots in each case. The third decided on the better part of valour and ran towards the door to the north. Kallista, recognizing that she was in her favourite position; from behind, unloaded a calculated strike into the small of the aliens back and he slouched forward through the newly opened door.

Meanwhile, Zolash attacked the female ghoul in a frenzy, resisting three more pretty sparkles from the gem, before chopping her down with a massive strike.

After healing up, the group examined the stone slab at the end of the corridor. Unable to make much of it, they decided to head north, and up the stairs, with a stealthy Kallista in the lead. At the top of the stairs they found a small room, occupied by an ugly dog like creature, with tentacles for a mouth, levitating over a gross, ancient greenish rug. The creature laid claim to be the warden of the institution and complained at the havoc the heroes had wrought in his complex. What was their purpose anyway?

Connor explained to the Warden that they had come for the Yellow King, who was supposed to be a prisoner there. The Warden told him of the latest happenings at the prison - apparently there was a philosophical rift between himself and the junior warden over the use of excessive torture on the prisoners, and the Jr warden had sealed himself in the west wing of the facility, with some other strange reinforcements, that the warden didn’t know much about. Picking some choice items from the supply room and from amongst the prisoners belongings, the party agreed to help the Warden reclaim his prison, insofar as it allowed them to get the Yellow King back. They also familiarized themselves with the prison layout by examining the to scale model that lay on a table in the supply room.

Returning to the granite slab at the end of the corridor in the halls below, Khalaban cast another Dimension door to take them through into the cell block. The group saw that most of the cells had been cleared out, but that two prisoners remained. One was a woman in an almost catatonic state, the other was a rambunctious young woman with an ugly scar across her face, named Kelvetta. She explained that she had been there for ‘a while’, and that a dark skinned woman kept coming down and taking the prisoners upstairs one by one over the last number of days, and the last one to be taken was the Yellow King.

After a bit more conversation with Kelvetta, the group agreed to let her get some vengeance with them, and accompany them upstairs, equipping her with a Kallista’s old gear. The room upstairs was something out of a horror show. Tortured victims lay constrained in cages, and a muted wailing came from an ominous looking machine on the west wall of the room. A dark skinned woman, was banging on the machine with a wrench, while adjusting a few levers and switches. She turned to face the adventurers when they crested the top of the stairs.

‘I assume that you’re here on request from the warden?’ She asked, then not waiting to answer, she mused philosophical about the nature of torture out loud, before veering into a large black Nightmare dragon.

Connor was quick to whip out his wand of Searing Light and deliver a taste the dragon, while Kelvetta and Kallista followed up by unloading crossbow bolts into her. In response the dragon let loose a spew of acid that caught everyone in it except for Khalaban, and sent out a frightful aura, that only caught Connor in it’s wake. Connor was quick to run around the corner and remove fear from himself.
More searing bolts and barrage of spells, and the dragon leapt in to tear into Zolash, wounding him heavily. The wands were proving their power though, as they kept pounding the dragon, plus Khalaban got off a lashing lightning bolt, that seared the dragon. Screaming in pain and rage the dragon slashed down Zolash, killing him, and lashed it’s wings and tail out at Khalaban. At this point some of the cages around started to animate and come towards the group, though their attacks were clumsy and didn’t amount to much.

Fortunately for the adventurers the wands proved devastating (the group made every single roll to penetrate spell resistance - didn’t fail a single one), but it was a final electric charge from Khalaban that did the final damage and the Nightmare dragon died, adding it’s screams to the nightmare machine. Kelvetta especially was happy to see the nightmarish creature die. With the creatures death the cages also stopped in their tracks.

A tap tap on the south wall was heard by Kallista, and the party opened up the door to see a line of cells, in one of which was the Yellow King, alive though looking slightly the worse for wear.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 23 - Some Mad Poetry

Connor (Human Oracle 9 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 9 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 9)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 9)

On returning to the Caravanserai with the Yellow King, the group immediately decided to head out to finally meet up with the Mad Poet. The Yellow King seemed nervous, though he produced some gourds that contained liquid that would protect them all from the endless heat of the surrounding desert.

A ten hour trudge through a featureless landscape had the party wondering if the Yellow King knew where he was taking them, before they came upon an oasis. The Yellow King would not accompany them into the area.

The oasis seemed quiet, though Zolash was surprised when the only tree in the area, an ugly tree that seemed to be populated by strange fruit that looked like weeping faces, lashed out with it’s branches to attack him. The party was quick to blast through the trees defences though, with a series of spells and bolts. Zolash at one point found himself compelled to drink from the repulsive fruit in the trees branches, but his iron Dwarf constitution protected him from any effect.

Having taken care of the Oasis’ Jinmenju tree protector, the Mad Poet himself made an appearance. He looked as old as the desert itself. He welcomed them back to his humble abode. He asked them to place the gifts they had brought on the table beside the hut. He speculated that they were there tracking Lowls, and produced for each of them a book which seemed to strengthen them in some way just by holding it.

The poet also ranted that it looked like Lowls was trying to use the book for an unintended purpose, that was not the purpose that he had written it for; to pull Golarion into another dimension, but aligning the Star Stelae in the other dimensional city of Carcosa with those in Thrushmoor. Lowls had been coopted by a being named Xhamen-Dor, a monstrous entity that resided in the other dimension, and was now acting as Xhamen-Dor’s champion on Golarion. With this news he also warned the group that they would have a difficult time reading the Necronomicon, and should likely seek out some help in translating it or reading it for them.

With that he asked the group to step towards the pool of water in the middle of the Oasis. As the party members stepped forward and gazed into the pool they each, apart from Kallista, saw reflections of themselves being held under the water by Lowls, and weakly struggling to resist. The reflections then seemed to break forth from the pool, dripping wet, but alive in some way. Also with the reflections of the 3 original party members, was a version of Vorlin, the groups old Eldritch Scoundrel companion. The reflections sprung to attack.

The party quickly came together with a solid attack strategy, apparently knowing their opponents intimately helped a bit. Khalaban tossed a lightning bolt at Vorlin, while Kallista and Connor pelted poor Vorlin with rays of Searing Light. A final hack from Zolash sent Vorlin back to the misty thereafter even quicker than the original Vorlin had fallen.

Now outnumbering their opponents, the party looked confidently around. Next to fall was the image of Khalaban, who went down before he could get off any spells uninterrupted. As Khalaban fell though, his reflection broke into a series of images.

The images showed Khalaban intimidating some Thrushmoor locals. Kidnapping a local cleric for Lowls. Arguing with Lowls when it turns out that the cleric has not returned days later.

Then we see an image of a red robed creature with giant wings in domestic situations with a human woman. Khalaban remembers them arguing about his future, how he must be sent away to be protected. The creature comes to him puts hands on his shoulders and he feels some tingly sensation across his skin. That is the only image of the creature that Khalaban has in his mind.

Soon after the reflection of Connor fell and also let loose a series of dreamy mist images that all the party could see.

Connor at a desk studying at behest of Lowls. Dark books. The Pnakotic Manuscripts. Libor Ivonis. The King in Yellow. Studying with Shaelynn, a red haired woman. Scenes of love. Mornings lying in bed. Lowls sent her off on dangerous mission, Connor doesn’t know to where and she wouldn’t tell him.

Words from a book:

Along the shore the cloud waves break,
The twin suns sink behind the lake,
The shadows lengthen
In Carcosa.

Strange is the night where black stars rise,
And strange moons circle through the skies,
But stranger still is
Lost Carcosa.

Songs that the Hyades shall sing,
Where flap the tatters of the King,
Must die unheard in
Dim Carcosa.

Song of my soul, my voice is dead,
Die thou, unsung, as tears unshed
Shall dry and die in
Lost Carcosa.

Connor arguing with Lowls about Shaelynn and about dangers of the path he is on.

The last to fall was Zolash, who also splayed into a series of disturbing images.

An image of Zolash pacing in wait on a road in Thrushmoor. Very hyped up. Agitated. Leaping out to attack Klyn Murik. Lowls had hinted that his removal would put him in Lowl’s good graces. He attacked the man, who barely has time to get his hands up before he’s chopped down, smashed over and over in the face, before Zolash bit deeply into his shoulder, leaving him dead in the ditch nearby.

Image of a woman (the alchemist witch from the cave in Thrushmoor), talking to Lowls and giving him some reagents. Lowls talking to Zolash demanding that he complete another task.

Another image of a glazed over Zolash striding towards a book store - the sign outside says “Scribbles from the Hearth”. In the book store he’s in a frenzy, throwing books left and right. Tearing out pages. We see a small, but cute halfing woman (who Kallista immediately recognizes as her wife), looking scared, but standing up to Zolash demanding he leave the store. Zolash picks her up and punches her, throws her back against a bookcase, with large volumes of books toppling to the ground. Zolash smashes her face against the shelf, stabs her with a dagger, looks around confusedly and a bit tentatively for the first time, then shakes his head and runs from the store.

Another image is of Zolash talking to Dena, owner of the Silver Wagon, with her angry, and Zolash leaving and not looking back. Seems to be breaking it off with her.

Seeing her wife killed in such a violent manner, Kallista screamed out and fired two bolts into the back of a stunned Zolash, who dropped to his knees in confusion. The other party members watched on letting Kallista and Zolash resolve the situation between themselves. Seeing Zolash’s confusion though, Kallista relented and somewhere deep in her analytical mind realized that Zolash was most likely under the influence of something in his actions.

Looking around, the party realized that the Mad Poet seemed to have disappeared, so there was not much left to do except return to the Sellen Starling and continue on the journey. On leaving the Oasis though the party heard a strange static sound and a voice filled their minds saying: “You are now free, but to remain so you must find me”.

The rest of the journey to Cassomir was interrupted by only two other events.

Stopping in Riverton, Connor met Naerel Twice-born, who proved to be sounder of mind that his reputation had claimed and he was able to restore Connor back to full strength (what he had lost through the resurrection ritual back in Thrushmoor long ago), and also release some of the trauma from Kallista over witnessing the violent death of her wife. They also received a supposedly cursed gem from the Rivertonian Elf, though on appraisal the gem seemed fine and very valuable.

They also met a Grey Gardener (an executioner of Galt justice), who looked for a Senator named Emilo Daldamane, and managed to avoid her while later taking on the Senator and helping to bring him into Cassomir. Pulling into Cassomir the Senator rewarded them handsomely with gold and he also managed to waive docking charges for Skywin for many years to come.

The party levelled up and the session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 24 - Why so Bleached, man?

Connor (Human Oracle 10 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 10 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 10)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 10)

Preamble: So in honor of having reached half way through the campaign the PCs were all able to pick a trait from the Strange Aeons trait list.

Khalaban took mind swapped - “As you regain your memories, you also receive flashes of earlier events you suppressed. You recall speaking with strange, conical creatures as they asked for information about your home world and you learned about theirs. Your newfound clarity has also unlocked more of your potential. For every 5 points by which you exceed the DC of Knowledge checks, you learn two additional pieces of information about the target instead of one.“

Connor took true devotion. - “As you regain your memories, you find that the connection between you and your deity has grown stronger after reliving all of your previous sins. This drives you to use your good nature to help your allies and continue your fight against the forces that are aligned against you, your companions, and the world. You gain a +4 trait bonus on concentration checks when casting conjuration (healing) spells defensively.”

Zolash and Kallista took Pugnacious - “As you regain your memories, you feel strong anger for those who wronged you during the period you couldn’t previously remember. You can’t get the image of Count Lowls’s face out of your head and it makes you shudder with rage while you plan your revenge. Once per day, you gain a +1 trait bonus on either attack rolls or weapon damage rolls for a single combat.”

This week was the start of Adventure 4 - The Whisper Out of Time.

Cassomir is a big port in Taldor, based around the shipbuilding industry. As the party pulled into port they saw skeletal frames of ships in different states of composition scattered throughout the docking area.

In Cassomir they decided to look up one of the names that Lowls had corresponded with named Miacknian Mun. Some inquisiting around by the Investigator brought up the names of a group of scholars called the Esoteric Knights of Evolvement, of which Mun was apparently a member (and a respected one), and Ethem Baler, the gnome chief Shipwright of the Imperial Naval Shipyards, but also a member of society. They discovered that he often holed up in a small private club called the Sceptered House.

They entered the establishment and inquired about Baler and were eventually pointed to a small corner where a tiny bleachling gnome had his nose buried in books. He initially seemed uninterested in talking with them even though Khalaban offered up a nice bottle of wine. After continued prodding though, Baler reluctantly admitted that some strange happenings had occurred around Mun in the last while - as in other people that had been directed to Mun had disappeared and not been seen again. Though there was a remote possibility that those people had shipped out in the middle of the night, Baler was concerned for the reputation of his Knights, and asked the party to look into the issue - but to contact him first should they discover anything suspicious. They agreed and were given an address in the Admiral’s Fen district.

The address provided proved to be an old infirmary, all weatherbeaten and overgrown with vegetation of various sorts. The top part of the house especially had vines smashing through walls it was so extensive.

When the party knocked on the door it was eventually answered by an ugly scarred man with glasses. He told them that he was busy and to come back tomorrow, but Connor would have none of that. He smashed the door open driving the man back into the room. As they pushed through the entrance though a jet of acid sprayed out and caught Connor and Khalaban in its spray.

Attempting to drive into the creatures mind, Connor found that the man was actually a thing, and not human at all as it seemed to have no mind to attack. This decided things for the group and they let loose on it and it unravelled into a pile of skin once destroyed.

Exploring the rooms, the adventurers found that the place was in a general state of uncleanliness, and also that a pungent chemical smell pervaded the entire facility. They found a main room overlooking a surgery area, with a small elevator that went down in the corner of the room. In the north though was also a staircase leading up.

In the room above they found another of the soulless skin constructs and quickly tore into it with Kallista’s new dragon breath elixir and a powerful critical slash from Zolash. Again the creature unravelled into a pile of skin on the floor when it ‘died’. The room had a series of abstract paintings on the walls, but the party was careful to not look at them too closely, being wary of such things. Kallista did notice a bulge on the wall behind a smaller painting though, and was able to pick open a small wall safe - revealing some bags filled with gold coins, and books on Cabal magic. The party decided to leave them there, since they were unsure of what was happening in the house, and what had happened to the house’s owner at this point.

Another staircase lead upstairs. Ascending the stairs the odour of chemicals and reagents was almost overpowering. The room appeared to be a laboratory, filled with jars of unknown body parts and items, as well as disgusting slimes and molds. As they crested the stairs two patchwork creatures of rotten clothing and skins turned to face them, and then lumbered to attack. An ominous buzzing sound came from within their stinking hides.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 25 - Some Skins in the Game

Connor (Human Oracle 10 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 10 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 10)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 10)

Preamble: Merry X-mas, Happy New Year, yada yada…

The party saw the grotesque Skinstitches and Hellwasps immediately as they ascended the stairs. The hellwasps leapt in to attack, and Khalaban was equally quick to throw up a Wall of Force that cut off the Skinstitches from reaching the party.

Kallista released a gout of fire breath at the hellwasps before taking in that the hell part most like meant some form of fire resistance, and they were barely affected. They leapt in, stinging Khalaban and Zolash on the legs and and upper bodies, making them a little bit sluggish.

As the Skinstitches watched helplessly from beyond the wall of force, beating on it with their raggedy flesh mitts, Khalaban broke out the lightning bolt and Kallista vomitted out a swarm of waspy competition. These wasps were smaller than the hellwasps, but they had Kallista’s biting personality and they managed to take down a few of their competition.

Meanwhile Zolash, still unaware of the wasps fire resistance pulled out a torch and started waving it around menacingly, but pretty ineffectively. The wasps scored a few more minor hits, but another lightning bolt from Khalaban dropped more of them, and a final fire breath from Kallista took them both down overcoming their resistance to fire and charring them into little cinders. Connor blasted the Skinstiches with a pair of Flamestrikes and completely scorched them, adding the scent of charred flesh to the already pungent smells of the lab.

Taking a look around the group found many alchemical niceties, as well as a partially formed Mi-Go machine, and an interesting looking skin rolling around in greenish fluid in a transparent container, with the label “Number 61” pasted on it. Kallista’s keen investigator eye caught that the skin inside seemed to be moving and even possibly looking towards the stopper at the top of the container. Everyone pulled back as Kallista popped the cork, though nothing immediately happened. Sure enough though, with the cork removed, the adventurers were able to hear a voice coming up with the bubbles in the container. The voice sounded like it was in great pain, though it was able to maintain a conversation. Number 61 seemed to know much of Lowls and Mun’s activities.

The group found out that Lowls and Mun were headed to the Mysterium in Katheer.

That they were worried about the guards there.

That Lowls had decided that bribery would be the easiest way in.

That their goal was to steal a book called the Necronomicon from a part of the library called “the Soul”.

That Lowls believed that this book was salavage his reputation amongst arcane scholars in Ustalav.

That the Soul of the Mysterium had powerful and dangerous wards surrounding it.

That a creature called the Keeper was guarding the book, and that he didn’t know how to overcome it.

That Lowls had made contact with a Gnoll slaver named Biting Lash in Okeno, to help organize a trip.

A trip to the hidden city of Neruzavin, which he hired out a number of slaves to help with.

That Mun spent a great amount of time upstairs with his anomalous friend, translating documents.

That there were currently two Derros in the room above that were terrified of what was in the attic.

The skin then begged the party for release from its current condition. It looked over at a blue vial, which Kallista emptied into the container, and the skin shrivelled up, thanked them, and then drifted slowly to the bottom of the container.

Knowing what to expect above now helped somewhat, but the group was still surprised to find a grim room above, filled with curtains of alchemically treated human skin hanging from the ceiling. In the room were the two Derro mentioned by Number 61, but also another of the skin construct Mun’s. The Derro consisted of a four armed long haired woman and a smaller man, who wore a coat with little vials all over it. They turned to face the party expectantly as they entered. The flesh construct ignored them completely, seemingly self-absorbed in its own pity.

With some diplomatic thrusts exchanged the Derro seemed no more friendly than before, though they did make an overture to work together, that it seemed like both parties needed something from above. Not content with this arrangement, and possibly afraid of being stabbed in the back by the venomous creatures, the group didn’t go with it, leaving them at somewhat of a stalemate with no one willing to back down. Eventually the Derro woman, named Twain, told them what they were really after. The hanging skins were apparently theirs through an arrangement with Mun, to be treated so the Derro could walk around inconspicuously outdoors removing their vulnerability to the sun, the skins hanging here were incomplete in some way, and Twain thought the key research was housed upstairs. Seeing that the party did not trust them though, the Derro exited, heading down the ladder to the room below.

Determined to go upstairs, Khalaban initially went alone (using altered self to disguise himself as Mun), and found an attic brimming with fetid overgrowth of vines, with noxious yellow flowers growing along them. He was unable to locate the desk though. Eventually he called up the entire party to help in the search.

With the entire party upstairs, the vegetation seemed to expand, cutting off rays of light coming from outside, and growing over the trapdoor which the group had used to enter. A dark presence seemed to emanate from the ceiling. Kallista spotted the desk, and made an attempt to open it but failed. Then, all feeling somewhat shaken by this, the floor vegetation seemed to heave up and roll over them with Kallista and Zolash throwing themselves to the side in time and Connor and Khalaban bearing the brunt of the attack.

Khalaban was able to dig through his memory and identify this creature as a Dark Young of Shub-niggurath. The creature lashed out at Connor and Zolash with tentacles, hitting and pinning each. Khalaban released a lightning bolt into it, to no effect, though Kallista was luckier with a Cone of Cold, which seemed to jar the aberration.

Zolash was able to free himself from the tentacles, but Connor attempted a Freedom of Movement spell which he wasn’t able to get off. The creature once again lifted the mass of vines and trampled over the entire party, smashing them down and shaking the entire foundation of the infirmary in the process (The infirmary happened to be in the middle of Cassomir’s locker a very unstable region of the city which was itself built land reclaimed from a swamp).

With the last rolling trample, the floor gave way, and the adventurers crashed down onto the floor below, with the creature hanging over them and dropping down to finish them off. Khalaban was able to touch the thing though and get off a vampiric touch, while Connor healed Zolash. Kallista drank a healing extract. The creature again lashed out with tentacles at Kallista and Zolash, almost bringing Kallista down, and flaying the skin off Zolash, leaving him deeply wounded. Finally Kallista was able to take a brief moment to size the creature up and unload into it with a studded strike right into its gaping maw, finishing it off and leaving the house in silence.

At this the trapdoor from below opened and the Derro Twain stepped back into the room, walked over to the remains of the desk and snapped up a paper from it then slid back through the trapdoor. Kallista thought about jumping her for a moment, but probably wisely held back, considering the state that the party was in.

The group explored around and found 500pp, some valuable diamonds, and a small wooden case which contained some archaic and ornate looking glasses that gave off a strong magical aura.

The party levelled up and the session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 26 - Into the Mysterium

Connor (Human Oracle 11 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 11 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 11)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 11)

Returning to the Knights of Evolvement after resting the night and heading out to purchase some new equipment, the group gave a full report of the depravities that were taking place in Mun’s laboratory. Ethem Baler looked disgusted, and was quick to ask the party not to implicate the Knights in what had been Mun’s activity alone and was able to offer payment to the party in the form of arranging a teleport to their next destination on the trail of Count Lowls and Mun.

With their business in Cassomir concluded the party met at a mages tower near the palace and were quickly teleported via circle to Katheer. The mage that did the teleport didn’t seem to interested in their names or activities and didn’t give his own in return.

After a further shopping spree in Katheer's renowned Great Market District and some skilled haggling (Kallista picked up some poisons and a ring of protection; a mace and shield for Connor, and a beautiful new flaming Axe, named Flame Hawk, for Zolash), the party attempted to find out more about the Mysterium.

They soon learned that the Mysterium had become more of a curiosity than a place of importance in Katheer in recent years, there were also rumours that it had been attacked in the past week, and that it was currently under lockdown. They found this to be true, as they approached the ancient building and six well equipped guards stiffened as they did so. The guards seemed less focused on the outside of the building than on the powerful looking door, which was also being reinforced by solid bars of metal, keeping whatever was in there inside. The guards said little but directed them to speak with the Elder Thyrr, one of the members of the order dedicated to safeguarding the knowledge held within the Mysterium, in the building across the street.

The Elder was initially reserved on meeting the adventurers, but soon opened up when they revealed the ordeals that they had been through to get to this point. She revealed that:

The wards had been breached and the inside of the Mysterium somehow corrupted.
Embarrassingly, Lowls and Mun had used the institutions current state of poverty to buy their way in.

Hounds of Tindalos had sprung from a mirror within the Mysterium, instead of it’s usual Axiomite protectors, and they quickly began to attack anything and anyone that moved within, but had yet to break out of the confines of the building.

In order to reset the wards of the building someone must penetrate to the Soul of the Mysterium, by first turning the angelic heads on each level towards the walls to gain access to each level, and then to the Soul itself. Once the Soul is penetrated and the guardian defeated, the wards must be reset by using a mechanism within that room.

Should the group need a rest, there was a sensory deprivation sphere built into the top of the first level, that should provide relative safety from even creatures such as the hounds.

The Elder Lythiin had earlier entered and tried to do what the party was attempting to do now, and he had not come out. If he was dead, his body was to be retrieved and would be raised by the order.

Should the party be able reset these wards they would be well rewarded. With that they were shown to the barred doors of the library and almost pushed in before the doors were slammed shut and re-barred.

After some initial investigation, the party was surprised when four hounds leapt from the corners of the corridor that they were in. They rushed in on Khalaban, wounding him greviously, though he was able to get off a lightning bolt and wound two of them.

Kallista broke out her cold Dragon Breath and Zolash cleaved one down with Flame Hawk, his new Axe. The remaining hounds gathered up though, almost bringing down Khalaban and Kallista by porting in behind them and clawing and biting at their exposed backs. Zolash stepped up though and chopped one down with a massive perfectly aimed hack with Flame Hawk, while Connor applied some healing magic. Khalaban took care of one of the remaining hounds with a lightning bolt and Kallista eyed one up with her studied strike and shot it through the eye with a bolt, smacking it’s head against the wall and ending the immediate threat.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 27 - Into the Mysterium 2

Connor (Human Oracle 11 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 11 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 11)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 11)

The party takes a vote and decides to investigate the classrooms. Entering one, Zolash is struck dumb when he sees the books rise up off the shelves and the words slipping off the pages into the air in front of him. Before he can react they all smash into him, overwhelming his mind and causing him to drop to his knees for a moment, before he is able to make his way back to the door to exit the room.

As the party reach to swivel the final angelic head, four more hounds pour forth from the guardian mirror and rapidly gain the group’s scent (maybe it was Zolash :?). Connor quickly starts throwing searing light at them, while Kallista whips out her crossbow and starts firing. Launching themselves from the corners of the rooms though, the hounds gain the advantage and rip into Kallista bringing her to her knees, though she is able to survive with a curing elixir and a mass heal from a quick thinking Connor.

Khalaban takes one down with a Vampiric touch, as they all gang up on Zolash trying to bite and tear him to pieces. Now frenzied, Zolash wipes one out with Flame Hawk, while Kallista takes out another with a perfect shot studied strike. The final one is downed by Khalaban’s magic missile barrage before he is able to taste Zolash once again.

Gaining a few moments of respite, the party make a beeline for the guardian mirror and smash it to pieces with their blades and axes.

At this the party decide to head downstairs and twist the last angel head to open the stairwell. Immediately below though they sense that they are being watched. Two pink coloured oozes slide toward them - Connor recognizes them as Proto-shoggoths.

The party fall back as Connor is able to get off a holy smite on both the creatures. At this Khalaban throws up a wall of force dividing them. Zolash lays into the one on this side of the wall, while Khalaban gathers up the group and dimension doors them farther down the hall. With Kallista and Connor throwing searing lights from their wands at the creature and Zolash unloading his full fury, they are able to take one down fairly quickly, just as the other crawls around the corner behind Zolash. At this point Zolash is solely wounded, and Khalaban steps up to him, taking an attack as he does so, and dimension doors Zolash back to the rest of the group. The creature crawls toward them and Zolash unleashes a lethal series of blows including a bite, filling his mouth full of the putrid pink flesh. A few more wand bursts melt the ooze into a puddle.

Feeling a bit the worse for wear, Zolash looks to Connor for a cure disease, and Connor gives in.

Gathering themselves up the group explore the rest of the area, and soon after Kallista feels a large dark spectral claw dig into her back stealing some of her vitality (7 con, ouch :) as well as tearing a few gouges. Zolash quickly swipes at the hand with Flame Hawk and it slips back into the wall that it extended out of.

Further exploration reveals a corridor that gives off an almost unbearable stench. The adventurers hold their noses, and Kallista, who is in the lead glances around the corner. In the room is a large creature that resembles a squirming mass of black tentacles with a humanoid head attached to the centre of the thing. The creature stands amidst piles of rubble and beside the Angelic gate. The spawn of Yog-Sothoth sees them as well and charges towards Kallista with tentacles flailing.

The session ends there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 28 - Into the Mysterium 3

Connor (Human Oracle 11 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 11 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 11)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 11)

Gagging from the stench of the Spawn of Yog-sothoth (all failed their saves), the party find themselves face to face with the creature as it charges Connor. One of the tentacles lashes out and hits but Connor still has freedom of movement up from the previous fight, nullifying the attempted grapple.

Connor withdraws and Kallista is the creatures next target. Grappled, Kallista also receives a freedom of movement from Connor. She steps back and pelts the creature with a well considered bolt, leaving room for Zolash to step up and pound it with a full attack, which he does to great effect cleaving away at the repulsive mass of black appendages.

Khalaban hurls some magic missiles at the creature, before retreating down the corridor only to come upon a group of Mysterium guards whose minds and bodies had been shattered by the corruption of Xhamen-Dor that Lowls brought along with him. Luckily for him one guard maintains his state of mind and holds back the others, telling Khalaban to run - which he does, eager to not to be attacked on two different fronts at the same time.

At this point Zolash has been going toe to toe with the Spawn and holding his own, with the aid of some healing from Connor, and some well placed bolts from Kallista. Unable to find purchase with any of it’s grapples frustrates the creature, and it can’t stave off the party for long before one of Kallista’s studied strikes ends it’s existence.
The party find the Angelic gate in the room, with much debris around it - the Spawn had been pounding the architecture, taking chunks out of the walls and ceiling in it’s fits of rage. Unfortunately there are still angelic heads to turn before the door can be opened to the next level. The party head out in search of them.

They find three of the heads quickly, though the fourth proves more elusive. While searching the dark clawed hand again reaches out from the wall and rakes Zolash across the side, though again he is fast enough to return the favour with Flame Hawk.

Finally they decide to check out the dual doors in the southern corner of the library, As they get near the door, they hear a voice call out “Is that you Lowlsy? I knew that you wouldn’t abandon me”. Figuring, rightly, that the voice belongs to one Miacknian Mun, Khalaban comes up with the idea to disguise himself as his former boss to at least see what is going on in the room.

The disguise takes, and Mun is completely fooled, though that may be partly due to the fact that he is in an awful condition, having been locked away in this room, with no-one but his familiar Akie, to keep him company as proto-shoggoths and worse patrolled throughout the complex outside the door. The room is in an terrible state as well, having arcane markings on the walls, along with books scattered all about, and tables overturned. Mun himself looks awful, alternating between blathering nonsensically and catatonia.

Khalaban tell Mun to wait, and he exits the room only to return invisible. He then discreetly turns the angelic head, then dimension doors Mun back up to the previous level, leaving the impish companion in the room. Confused, Mun is then hit by a feeblemind spell and then Khalaban leads him back down to the rest of the group, Akie joins them as they search around the room, uncovering a nice masterwork alchemy kit and some items of various worth.

After pulling the ring on the Angelic stairwell, the adventurers head down the stairs where they encounter another pair of proto-shoggoths, which they dispatch quickly, using similar tactics to their previous meeting.

The session ends there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 29 - Into the Mysterium 4

Connor (Human Oracle 11 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 11 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 11)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 11)

A quick exploration of the surroundings finds three of the angelic statues which are turned the proper directions. The adventurers then decided to focus on finding the last statue and moving on. They explored the rooms to the east first of all. After peering into the upper room, but seeing no angel statue, they closed the door.

Looking down the corridor below, Khalaban at once saw a scene of carnage. In the middle of the destruction they saw a larger version of the proto-shoggoths that they had fought earlier. Khalaban quickly threw up a wall of force, locking the creature into the room while they party debated their options. Ultimately they decided that they would have to confront the thing.

That gave them a few rounds to prep up though, and Kallista drank a displacement elixir, while Connor dropped a spiritual hammer on the creature and Khalaban filled the room with black tentacles. Unfortunately the hammer found it hard to hit and the tentacles couldn’t grab onto the slippery, repulsive creature.

They were able to wear the creature down slightly before Khalaban’s Wall of Force lost power, but still confronted a pretty powerful enemy. Kallista peppered it with true striked bolts, while Khalaban released hails of magic missiles at it. The missiles and bolts had some effect but some were also resisted.

Meanwhile the Proto-Shoggoth Synyctium, slapped Zolash with tentacle after tentacle eventually smashing him into unconsciousness. Connor charged in to take some hits, while also reviving Zolash in the process. Zolash awoke to immediately stoke back into rage and unleash a full attack, which seemed to stagger the creature.

Retreating down the corridor Connor and Kallista pulled out their wands of Searing Light, and started to use them to good effect. Connor even critting with one. Another burst of tentacles smashed Zolash back out of his senses, while the other desperately unloaded everything that they had into the beast.

Finally just as it charged towards Khalaban, the magic missiles and a critical Searing Light from Kallista’s wand brought an end to the creature. The group went into the room and discovered that most of the carnage was from a single body that had been dismembered, that of the Elder Lythiin. They left the body and continued on with their investigation of the other rooms.

The first room to the south seemed to contain books about trances and drug induced ecstasies. In the room there was also chest. With utmost care Kallista managed to find a trap and disable it, taking the scrolls, a periapt of health, and other items from inside the unlocked chest.

The second room contained 4 Axiomites that put up a pretty good fight, one unleashing a lightning bolt through all members of the party except Kallista, but the group rapidly took them down one after another, with Kallista finishing the final two with a studied strike then another precise shot in a nice show of skill.

The room below brought forth 4 clockwork mages all with different specializations. This fight proved a fairly exhausting one. Immediately on cracking open the door, Khalaban tossed in a black tentacles spell. The spell did not catch any of the constructs, but provided a difficult ground for Zolash to get in on them.

One of the mages hurled a fireball out into the corridor, hitting all but Kallista. Another cast a stinking cloud, and another a web. Khalaban found himself trapped in the web. Seeing Khalaban trapped even through the fog, Zolash light the webbing on fire, freeing his companion. After that Connor stepped in to give Khalaban freedom of movement.

A scorching ray blasted Khalaban, but didn’t bring him down. Then Zolash decided to get in the mages clockwork faces and rushed into the room. He was hit by a spray of magic missiles, but stepped in to hack one of the mages with a massive cleave. A lightning bolt from Khalaban brought one of the creatures down, while Connor provided some much needed mass healing for the entire group.

Meanwhile the mages stepped up to Zolash and started to slam at him with their metallic arms. Deciding to risk it, Khalaban dove into the room and unleashed some magic missiles and after dodging a series of attacks from the creatures, a lightning bolt, which brought another of the mages down. Finally Kallista stepped in a quaffed an elixir of Blue Dragon breath and spewed an arc of electricity at the two remaining clockwork creatures, sparking off chains of blue charges throughout their bodies and leaving them smoking husks.

They then turned the final angelic statue which was in the corner of the room, and heard a rumbling sound, undoubtedly meaning that the staircase towards the soul of the Mysterium was now accessible and the Keeper now awaited them.

The session ends there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 30 - The Mysterium does have a soul after all!

Connor (Human Oracle 11 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 11 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 11)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 11)

The party heal up and replenish their spells before heading down into the Soul of the Mysterium.

When the Angelic Gate on this level opens up there is no obvious stairway down into the area below. Kallista pulls through though and discovers a fairly accessible path down, by using using the angel figures that line the walls as foot and handholds.
The room below is small, but also filled with angelic statues. A few of the figures give off a sense of motion and have a certain dynamism to them, but they do not seem to be an imminent threat. In the middle of the room is a cube with images on either side and concentric squares that rotate on the top.

Connor studies the sides of the cube and is able to see that one side has predominately creation type images and the other has images that lean towards acts of destruction. With this base, Connor turns the squares so that all the life based icons are on the side of the creation images while the darker images shift to the other side.

Connor's initial settings seem to be correct as the cube slides off its base and opens up into a portal, one that can not be seen through. The party enter as a group, though Kallista wisely drinks an elixir of blur and another of fire resistance before stepping through.

The portal drops them in a squared off room filled with books. Books line the walls, but others hang from chains on the ceiling. Unfortunately there appears to be a gap where one book rested, but that’s an issue for later, since the party is immediately confronted by a twenty foot tall, enraged, Broken Soul Exscinder Archon. With its fiery wings out the being wails right in the faces of the group. Amazingly enough, having faced down many horrors in the last few months, none of the party are affected.

Connor acts first and pulls out a scroll of psychic surgery. A solid plan, but unfortunately this creature has been corrupted body and soul, and the spell has no effect. Zolash steps up as well and launches into full enraged attack, chopping away at the angel.

The Archons then unleashed it’s flaming longsword on Zolash with a series of massive swings, almost bringing him down.

Khalaban brings out the vampiric touch and pulls away at the creatures body and soul, while Kallista unloads with a true strike elixir studied strike.

The Archon then attempts to get off a defensively casted flamestrike, only to have it fizzle and not go off.

Taking advantage of this Zolash steps in for some more swings and Khalaban is able to pelt the thing with some magic missiles. All this damage is beginning to take it’s toll on the creature and enraged, it takes a step back and unleashes a flamestrike on Khalaban, Kallista, and Connor.

The party inflicts some more damage on the creature with Connor and Kallista pulling out their wands of searing light, and Connor able to get off an impressive blast causing the Archon to stagger. Unfortunately for him this draws the beings attention and it cleaves down with a massive power attack and chops Connor down the middle, killing him instantly. Other slashes reduce Zolash to a sliver of health as Khalaban dimension doors away to the corner of the room.

Enraged at his friends death, Khalaban pulls out a scroll of Horrid Wilting and is able to get the impressively powerful spell off, and also penetrate the creatures natural spell resistance. The spell immediately takes its toll, opening up the already grevious wounds on the Archon and causing it to stagger even more.

Seeing their opportunity to strike Zolash steps up and cleaves the thing with Flame Hawk and Kallista swallows a true strike elixir and focuses on the enemy, then pulls off a remarkable shot, blasting the angels head open with a studied strike, causing it to drop to its knees, flaming wings extinguished as it dies.

As the Archon collapsed the party saw some kind of remnant vision of Lowls coming into the soul of the Mysterium, chopping down the Necronomicon, and rapidly casting a teleport from a scroll before the protective wards were activated.

The party reset the Mysterium wards and Zolash claims the Archons flaming longsword. The group then take the bodies of Connor and Elder Lythiin back to Elder Thyrr, where they are able to get some attention and healing/raising. The Elder is grateful for their help and immediately offers to help raise Connor, since the Mysterium defenders have just had their very reason for existence salvaged by the heroic actions of the adventurers.

Elder Thyrr offers up 5000 gold to be divided by the party and also some items from their vaults that the martial group had accumulated over time in their defences of the Mysterium. They also offer to teleport the party to Okeno, to continue their dogged pursuit of the Count, who had escaped once again. They accept.

The party levelled up and the session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

We'll be going to our Icons campaign for the next month or so, then will come back to finish The Whisper Out of Time.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 31 - Um, it was Allan not us!

Connor (Human Oracle 12 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 12 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 12)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 12)

GM Notes:
So Kitha and crew are from Pathfinder Players Companion - Pirates of the Inner Sea. She's an ex-slave, and a pirate and the Captain of the Branded Chain! I had some worries about running this section of the adventure, but I'll go over them next time after I see how the next session plays out :)

To the party’s surprise the teleport to Okeno exited to smallish room with wooden flooring and walls, and just the dim aura of a lamp lighting the area. The room also rocked slightly with the movement of the waves? They were in the hold of a ship.

The room itself was fairly uninteresting so they headed up the stairs and down a corridor. A small monkey skirted across their path, but the corridor was more well lit than the room below, and the loud sounds of conversation and laughter could be heard from around the corner. The room around the corner turned out to be a bar - a tavern on the waves. As they entered the room, no one appeared surprised, and the bartender, a full-bodied woman, with a deep throaty voice welcomed them to ‘nicest part of the Fleet’. It turned out that the Fleet was a group of floating ships that had been tethered together and were a permanent mass fixture in the harbour of the port city of Okeno, the Slaver/Pirate City.

The bartender wasn’t open to much talk but she directed the group towards a beautiful young tattooed woman, who sat back in a chair with her feet up on the table. Glancing over the full room the party saw a crazy assortment of well armed men and women, none of whom paid too much attention to them, as well as a small red haired girl, who ran between the tables, and who everyone seemed to pay affectionate attention to.

The beauty introduced herself as Kitha Saltspray, the proprietor of the bar. She wore a captains hat with a pink rose on it, and had a longsword at her belt. Across the table from her sat a balding man honing a big bastard sword who seemed to talk in nothing more than grunts and yups. Kitha introduced her companion as Skamon. The monkey ran up and perched itself on her shoulder.

Kitha and Kallista hit it off right away, it seemed like there was a spark between damaged souls. The booze flowed and Kallista opened up about the parties goals and plans and what they were after and Kitha gave them a bit of a lay of the land in Okeno. With the Gnoll slavers being prominent in the city, and largely living in walled off fortresses, keeping anonymous by having most of their business done through proxies. There was little law in Okeno, and the ‘governor’ didn’t have much sway. It was definitely the Slavers that were at the top of the food chain here. Kallista was able to find out that Biting Lash was most likely one of these pseudonyms, and that the only well known Gnoll Slaver was a powerful, rich Gnoll woman, known only as the Princess Njano. She was called the Princess because people really didn’t screw with her, because of her wealth and her two powerful bodyguards. She also walked the Fleshfairs with a impunity. Soon after Kallista and Kitha retreated to Kitha’s room to continue their debriefing :) Khalaban barked at Kallista to be ready for the next morning, and Kallista retorted with ‘Thanks, dad!’.

The next morning Kallista woke in Kitha’s bed, though Kitha was gone (which probably wasn’t too unusual since she had a lot of responsibilities). Kallista rolled out of bed and promptly vomited the contents of her stomach all over Kitha’s nice floor. ‘Crap’, she said, ‘Someone should clean that up.’.

The rest of the group was ready for action and they headed out immediately to the Slaver Fleshfair. The human fair didn’t have much going on of help, though through deft negotiations the group picked up a butler named Allan for a gold piece.

The next stop was the Gnoll’s Laughing Fleshfair, named that because of the yips and barks used to negotiate prices for the merchandise. Usually it was only Gnolls that were allowed in with full access, so Khalaban used his alter self to disguise himself as a Gnoll trader. Some guards around the area paid a bit of attention to them as they entered, but they were allowed in.

After a few hours of searching with no result, they saw the smelly crowds parting and observed the Princess walking through as if parting the sea. A small halfling in a dark robe walked behind her. He had a small monkey, similar to the one in the Fleet on his shoulder. Another shorter dark skinned woman with dual swords on her back, walked in front, rippling with muscle but also an unusual grace.

Khalaban approached with the party and Allan at his side. Soon the muscled woman, named Kisetz blocked their path, and in particular snarled at Zolash. Khalaban introduced himself with a flourish as a trader from far off. Though wary of such things, Khalaban was very persuasive (crit diplomacy!), and the Princess motioned to a side tent, waving her hand to make space and the traders in the tent scurried aside like rats abandoning a ship. The initial negotiations did not go well, and the mention of Biting Lash seemed to put the Princess on her hackles. Despite their suspicions Khalaban was able to get off a sleight of hand dominate person spell on her. Questioning her about other Gnolls caused her guards to push forward and try to extricate her though, so acting quickly Khalaban extended his arm past them and dimension doored the party and the Princess away, leaving poor Allan shrugging his shoulders saying “it wasn’t me!”.

Khalaban realized he would need a quieter place to interrogate her, and hearing the alarms being raised all around, and the place rapidly turning towards chaos, he cast invisibility on himself and the Princess. The party agreed to meet back up at the Fleet. With that Khalaban leapt into the air carrying the Princess and flew back to the Fleet unobserved. The rest of the group was able to make it back unaccosted as well.

After sneaking back into their room, Khalaban put his new friend, the Princess, to the question. He was able to find out the location of Biting Lashes fortress, and the fact that the Gnoll’s did have a certain code of honour between each other, that was used to protect them as a group from outsiders (like the party!). The interrogation was disturbed by Kallista hearing a scratching at the door, but it turned out to be just the monkey and little red haired girl playing in the hall. Having the information that they needed they decided to release Njano outside in a random spot in the city, after all they weren’t going to be here long anyway.

Kallista waited til night and quaffed an invisibility elixir and a fly elixir then scouted out the Gnoll fort. It was an impressive structure and well fortified. It had a portcullis gate entrance and was about 60 feet tall. Just a few small windows dotted the outside walls. The top floor seemed to be open though, and Kallista saw two tents that she couldn’t see into, as well as many heavy crossbow emplacements around the walled edges of the roof. Also on the roof Kallista saw some incredibly detailed statues of people in a wild assortment of conditions. Satisfied with her surveillance, she flew back to the Fleet to prepare for the next day’s attack/infiltration.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 32 - It’s just business

Connor (Human Oracle 12 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 12 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 12)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 12)

GM Notes:
So as expected this section went pretty much nothing like it was written in the book. The party has too many resources at their disposal not to be able to hand a Gnoll fortress (with an open roof? I mean c'mon) at this point. I think they probably could have laid waste to the entire fortress if they had wanted to, which I was prepared for - had all the attacks in macros, heh, but thankfully my players are too wise to go that route, and were able to get everything they needed through diplomacy.

It does seem like a bit of a strange thing to throw at the characters at this stage in the adventure, but it is cool that it gives them a chance to really show off their powers and feel powerful, which at this point they obviously are.

Many strategies were discussed about how to approach the fortress of the gnoll slaver Biting Lash, including possibly turning the city against him or her, approaching as traders, and even head-on assault.

The group ended up attempting the old fake prisoner bit, with Zolash as the prisoner and Khalaban (with altered self disguising himself), as a trader dabbling in exotic barbaric dwarves. They approached the gates of Blossoming Thorn with Zolash in manacles, and were immediately accosted by the gnoll guards on either side of the entrance. They seemed to indicate that this was a rather uncommon thing - allowing traders into the fortress, but after taking a look at Zolashes pearly whites and sculpted physique they changed their minds. They walked the party through seemingly endless corridors up to the top of the building. They saw many slaves being trained in the courtyard, as well as quite a few exotic animals and monsters caged up along the walls of the facility. Kallista recognized a Dragonne and some rather overgrown Basilisks.

As they entered the gnoll building a familiar disembodied voice breached their minds once again, telling them that she was in the cells, and that they must hurry to free her, as the inmost blot was growing in power even as they dawdled.

Reaching the top of the tower, the group saw what Kallista had seen earlier - many sculptures of humanoids, which Connor’s knowledge revealed as to be most likely petrified victims of the basilisks seen below. They were led to the larger tent, and saw beneath it many well armoured super gnolls, standing in front of a a weathered looking gnoll woman, who had a hawk resting on her shoulder. She addressed the party and asked their business. Khalaban went with the agreed upon story, that they were traders in exotic dwarves, and let her speak. Biting Lash asked a few questions about the goods, to which Khalaban continued with his story.

At this point Princess Njano stepped forth from the shadows behind the tent, alongside Kisetz and Harkoor, her martial bodyguard and halfling sorceror respectively. She appeared to have regained her full faculties, and blazed with anger. Seeing how the group were caught in a lie, Njano screamed that Biting Lash must attack them. In a town where the gnolls were frequent targets - the gnolls had formed some kind of pact not to attack each other, and rather to defend instead in the face of human or other aggression. Biting Lash asked if Khalaban wanted to revise his story… Khalaban relented and told the truth, that they were only interested in Count Lowls, and his passage, and were not here to impact Biting Lashes business in any way. Biting Lash seemed to consider this and had one of her gnoll bodyguards go to fetch a map for the adventurers. Khalaban also requested the psychic slave, the one who had been contacting them in their dreams and the gnoll seemed to have an idea of who that might be, and that she didn’t value that slave all that much, willingly bringing her forward.

Njano was hopping mad, she demanded that Biting Lash attack and kill the group immediately. In this case though it appeared that Biting Lash had had enough. She turned on Njano, telling the group that she was not interested in getting in their way, that she had no love for Lowls (who was simply a deranged business acquaintance) and that she didn’t want to be seen by the other gnolls in the city as having broken her races implicit agreement, so she would not get involved in what was to come next.

Infuriated, Njano stepped back and Kisetz and Harkoor leapt to attack. They didn’t make it too far, Kisetz got in a few blows on Zolash, but she looked back to see Harkoor trading spells with Khalaban and ending up on the worse end of it. Harkoor got off a feeblemind but it was deflected by Khalaban’s spell resistance, and she was in turn hit by a feeblemind and hacked to death by Zolash and Kallista. Njano also tried to escape and was chopped down as she ran. Seeing the others fall, Kisetz bit back her anger towards Zolash and dropped her weapon. Khalaban cast a charm on her and she was unable to resist it, tamely walking towards Khalaban with a new attitude of deference.

With their business concluded, Biting Lash allowed the party to leave as it had entered, undoubtedly hoping to never see them again, and the group returned to the Fleet, to plan their next move.

The party levelled up and the session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

So it's on to What Grows Within in a few weeks, and until then we are back to another few weeks of Icons - which is such a great little game, and definitely a refreshing contrast to the complexity in Pathfinder at Level 13.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 33 - Starting to find a home

Connor (Human Oracle 13 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 13 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 13)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 13)

Before heading out to confront Lowls, the group again found a little red haired sneak at the door of the room they had in the Fleet. This time though Khalaban heard her at the door, and dimension doored to the end of the corridor catching the girl running back towards the main room. A voice called out through the door - ‘Rose, where are you? You haven’t been bothering the customers again have you? A beautiful red haired woman stood in the doorframe. Khalaban didn’t recognize her. When Connor stepped out of the room though he was shocked. The woman also cried out his name in surprise. It was Shaelynn, the woman that Connor had been with while at Lowls. She pulled Connor aside and they had many words to say to each other.

Years earlier, when Shaelynn left Lowls she had been sent out to reconnoiter the area for him. At the time she hadn’t realized that she was pregnant, and when she discovered it she knew that she couldn’t return to that house, no matter that Connor awaited her back there. She managed to find a relatively safe space in the fleet, and Kitha had taken them in and been a source of courage and employment for them. The people around treated her and their daughter, Rose, as if they were part of a family. Realizing that this place was about as good and safe as he would be able to find for them Connor left them with some money and some words that he would do his best to come back. Kallista also made some more time with Kitha.

In the interim Khalaban came into a knowledge of how to walk the shadowy plane, a spell that was surely going to help them in their pursuit of Lowls, through the area known as the Parched Lands. Kaklatath explained the situation to them in further detail. She was a Yithian, an elder race that had been watching the planet for a millennia, since the time of the Age of Serpents. Their mortal enemy had been the Flying Polyps, who served as a precursor to an invasion by the God of Yellow, Hastur. At the time the Yithians had succeeded, at great cost to their number, sealing the Polyps below Neruzavin with powerful magics. Lowls had pushed up the time table on this greatly and these seals were now under great threat.

The party left as soon as possible traversing great distances with the use of Khalaban’s Shadow Walk ability and Connor’s newly acquired spell Heroic Feast keeping them well feed and sustained. Using the map, and Kallista’s Overland Flight spell, the group were able to pinpoint a few landmarks of interest, including a cairn that the resident Girtablilu used to record their scoutng missions on and a cavern that stretched hundreds of feet across.

After a matter of days they discovered the lost city. Though as they stepped out of the shadow plane they were immediately attacked by two giant humanoids. Kallista was quick to react and get off a shot, but the giants closed quickly with the party, one of them smashing Zolash with a giant club.

Khalaban used his innate sense of geometry and fired off an empowered lightning bolt through both, singeing them. From behind him sprang a large Scopion, which pincered him twice and hit him with a poisoned tail stinger. Khalaban was sorely wounded and Dim Doored away, as Connor lashed out with Searing Light and Zolash and Kallista hacked and shot up the two giants.

Zolash then managed to cleave through the stomach of one giant, almost ripping him in two. Apparently this feat of strength impressed the hell out of the remaining giant who quickly called for a truce, tapping the scorpion into subservience with his axe, and laughing over the fate of his dead companion. “Come” he said, “You strong. That really good. Mother Grim Moon would like to meet you.”

A few hours travel and the group entered a large grouping of huts and walked into the giant village, with the giants clearing a path directly to the massive tent of the one called Mother Grim Moon.

The session ended there.


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Session 34 - She who has been there

Connor (Human Oracle 13 (Lore))
Khalaban (Human Sorcerer 13 (Aberrant Bloodline))
Zolash Keshan’Uvel (Dwarf Barbarian 13)
Kallista (Tiefling Investigator 13)

The one known as Mother Grim Moon turned out to be a large, twisted, blistered Ash Giant priestess or prophet. She had spent time in Neruzavin, and knew something of it’s layout and dangers. Unfortunately the Ash Giants know only strength, and Mother Grim Moon felt that she would not be able to spend time with the group unless they somehow proved their mettle and strength to the entire tribe.

Fortunately such an situation had already presented itself. A massive scorpion called Old Obsidian had attacked the tribe, and though they had driven it off into a cave, they had so far been unable to kill it. If the party could take down this scorpion they would have earned the respect of the Ash Giants many times over. Killing Old Obsidian would come later though, as a small ‘feast’ of unusual desert delicacies - charred rat, was presented to the party. Only Zolash chose to partake.

The next morning the party buffed up and readied themselves for battle. The giants all gathered around them drumming and making loud warlike cries, while leading them to the cave where the Colossal scorpion rested. The cave lay in the dark, but the tail stinger of Old Obsidian poked out. The tail alone was massive, the scorpion itself stood 25 plus feet tall and 65 feet in length, with a nausea inducing 30 foot reach.

Unafraid Zolash charged in and delivered a truly immense blow (65 damage crit). The giants ate it up. A Khalaban disintegrate and a Connor searing light soon hit the creature, while Kallista sat out of its range and breathed in a Dragon’s breath cone of fire.

The Scorpion lit into Zolash with a rapid flurry of attacks tearing him open, and poisoning even the hearty dwarf, but Connor was quick to step in with a Heal spell with dealt with all of that. Zolash then roared at the creature in the throes of his rage, and hacked off it’s tail, picked it up and then beat the mighty vermin to death with it. The giants went crazy - more than impressed with how handily the group had taken down the enormous creature.

A discussion with Mother Grim Moon followed. She admitted that they had not been able to stop Lowls from entering Neruzavin, and that he had bypassed them somehow. She also gave a clear vision of some of the obstacles that she had seen within the city as well as the locations of three rather strange monuments, which the group immediately recognized as the sisters to the Star Stelae that they had seen in Thrushmoor. Mother Grim Moon had slept beneath each pillar and had differing visions based on each, as each seemed to represent some different aspect of the entity in control of them or that they called to. She also revealed what she knew of the evil that slumbered beneath the city, and that it seemed to be some kind alien entity, that appeared to be getting very close to being freed.

Mother Grim Moon also told them that she had some healing, restorative abilities, as well as the ability to Raise Dead in extreme circumstances, though the physical cost to her was great as it left her weak and open to corruption for a period of time afterwards. The party thanked her and left in the morning towards Neruzavin.
The trip to Neruzavin was a short one. Shadow Walk is fast and though you can’t see exactly what you walk over, they were able to estimate effective distance having been near the lost city before.

Stepping inside the proximity of the city was a jarring transition. Visual distances became hard to consistently make out and estimate, and perspective seemed to be shattered. Angles seemed to be impossible, yet right there in front of them. Flight seemed to be greatly restricted due to the disorientation of looking into this mess of irregularity.

Fortunately then for the group they were able to sneak up on a slowly moving group of disgusting seeded creatures. That stealth allowed them to target the seeded spellcaster and bring her down quickly with Kallista’s studied strikes and poisons. Zolash chopped at some of the centaur type seeded creatures, while Connor made effective use of Holy Smite, and Khalaban was determined to see his disintegrate spell earn its name. The party made mostly quick work of the seeded mutants, though two assassins that leapt out from the strange angles in the walls caused some trouble to Khalaban, almost disabling him, and laying into Kallista with some corrupt spored weaponry. Fortunately the party quickly regrouped and brought down the assassins before they could take anyone out.

The session ended there.

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