Of Seas and Sequels

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

This month's scenarios take us from the whirling waters near the Eye of Abendego to the ruined cyclops city of Kadoddi near Sargava, so let's take a look at what's in store!

Illustration by Enrique Barajas

This month's Tier 1-5 scenario, Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-22: Grotto of the Deluged God from author Gabrielle Harbowy—author of Pathfinder Tales: Gears of Faith—takes the PCs to the turbulent waters near the Eye of Abendego in search of the lost ship, Pride of Aspenthar. If that name sounds familiar, it's because this ship disappeared in the events leading up to Pathfinder Society Scenario #7-19: Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts. If you've been wondering about the ultimate fate that befell the rest of the expedition Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry regards as one of her few regrets, you'll want to play this scenario!

For over two years, Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry has struggled with the guilt of sending the Thuvian caravel Pride of Aspenthar on an ill-fated mission from which none of her crew ever returned. While Calisro was able to locate the Aspenthar's final resting place, the fearsome storms and deadly currents around the Eye of Abendego kept her from salvaging the ship and discovering the final fate of her captain and crew. Lately, the weather around the Eye of Abendego has become even more erratic, but the shifting currents have opened a narrow pathway by which a daring crew can reach the lost ship—and perhaps gain some insight into the recent weather disturbances. In addition to old crimes and dangerous new threats, the PCs will also meet potential allies like this bedraggled fellow on the right, illustrated by Enrique Barajas!

Of course, some adventures are a bit more dangerous and require a more seasoned hero. Our Tier 7-11 offering takes us back to the ruined city of Kadoddi, bringing back old friends and old enemies alike for a final showdown.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-23: The Ghol-Gan Heresy takes place in the Kaava Land's jungles, where the PCs have been summoned to deal with a joint venture between the Aspis Consortium and the Vanji Prospector's Guild that threatens to tear down the final walls of an ancient prison. Building on events from Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-14: Scions of the Sky Key Part 2: Kaava Quarry, Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-21: Champion's Chalice Part 2: Agents of the Eye, and Pathfinder Society Scenario #9-10: Signs in Senghor, The Ghol-Gan Heresy will require the PCs to navigate the threats of Aspis agents and ancient asurendra in this fearsome climax! Take a look at the danger ahead, as illustrated by Tadas Sidlauskas.

Illustrations by Tadas Sidlauskas

Michael Sayre
Developer

Elementals Armed to the Teeth

Monday, January 23, 2017

Illustrations by Enrique Barajas and Sebastian Rodriguez

It's been about a week since I returned from my sixth SCARAB, a delightful 4-day gaming convention in Columbia, South Carolina that I've been attending since before I started working at Paizo—and it's now one of the biggest Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild events worldwide. Each year it's been a great experience, and this year was no exception. I've definitely returned with some fun stories. I'll fondly remember the high-level group of adventurers who navigated a dungeon almost entirely by repeatedly casting augury, and the high-level group that nearly decided to throw both major NPCs under a bus and declare themselves queens of a small village makes for a thrilling tale. I can't forget the giantslayers who neither understood giant nor could identify a peryton, referring to instead as a "deer-headed marmot-squeezer." Perhaps best of all was getting through an entire scenario without rolling initiative because we decided that throwing a immense rival party on another plane of existence was a much more fun alternative to raiding someone's home. Thank you Del Collins II, Matt Polkowsky, and the SCARAB crew for putting on a great event, and thanks to David Shaw, Amanda Plageman, Brent Gass, Matt Beebe, Leslie Foster, Chris First, and many others for some great games.

Speaking of great games, the team has two more fun adventures debuting this week. The first is the conclusion of the 3-part series Tyranny of Winds, which has taken the PCs from the elemental wastelands of eastern Osirion to the stunning djinn capital of Armun Kelisk on the Plane of Air. In Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-12: Tyranny of Winds, Part 2: Caught in the Eclipse, a Tier 3-7 adventure by Jason Evans, the Society has learned of an immensely powerful enemy, and the Pathfinders' one-time foes have become allies of convenience to ensure their mutual survival. If the Society's to stand a chance, it needs to secure one of the few weapons that this new threat fears: the Horn of the Hurricane, which is trapped within the lawless harbor Port Eclipse. Not only is this a hotbed of enemy activity, but the Pathfinders' best contact for how to reach the weapon has disappeared there. Plan for subtlety but brace for a climatic finish with this exciting finale with ties to the Grand Lodge faction!

The Pathfinder Society's been busy on other elemental planes, too. Having recently concluded a dangerous deal on the Plane of Fire, the Decemvirate now knows of a powerful tool lost within the Kullan Dei mountains (something we first hinted at in Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-02: Ward Asunder). However, retrieving this doesn't just mean succeeding where a famed local hero could not; it also requires braving the icy mountains that still rumble with roiling magma. Tier 7-11 scenarios like Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-13: What Sleeps in Stone are so often a great opportunity to present adventures in extreme locations, and there's little more exciting than going into an active volcano. It gets even better when the volcano isn't just capable of swallowing the PCs—it's alive! Larry Wilhelm brings you a thrilling story, but if you want to survive, watch your step!

John Compton
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer

Where Winter is Always Warm

Monday, December 19, 2016

Illustrations by Enrique Barajas and Sebastian Gomez

This is the time of year when I hear requests for wintry scenarios that involve trekking through Irrisen, delves into ice caverns, or toboggan-jousting (sounds dangerous—please don't hurt yourself trying it). While there are no doubt tales yet to be told of misfit toys that (in the true spirit of Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild) come to life and take over a tribe of gnolls, I'm not a big fan of cold weather—much less reinforcing how nippy it's getting in much of the northern hemisphere by playing an adventure that culminates in getting eaten by an icicle ooze. No, we're instead fleeing the frosty climes by vacationing in the elemental planes: the Plane of Air and the Plane of Fire, to be precise.

The aerial metropolis of Armun Kelisk is positively lovely in the winter, and the Pathfinder Society has a djinni friend who's happy to provide a team a place to stay. That's especially helpful because a thief is on the lam after stealing from the Society, so it's up to the PCs to track her down while keeping up appearances. In the Tier 1-5 adventure Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-10: Tyranny of Winds, Part 2: Secrets of the Endless Sky, the PCs must navigate the city's rich social scene and chase mysteries while barely knowing which way is up. Watch out, though, as it's all too easy for a first-time visitor to find new enemies, instead!

Things are heating up on the Plane of Fire, where the Pathfinder Society has made a dangerous deal with an influential efreeti named Qalkami Mishalq. She's called in her last favor, intended to seal her triumphant return to the City of Brass, the monumentally wealthy capital of the fire genies. In the Tier 5-9 adventure Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-11: Forged in Flame, Part 2: Cleansed With Fire, the PCs must strike down a once-mighty efreeti household that once even tormented the Inner Sea region. Watch out, though. The PCs may enjoy temporary privileges, yet the City of Brass is a tyrannical and merciless destination where one misstep could be an adventurer's last.

A lot of us are taking some time off for the holidays, but we're making these scenarios available before the last Wednesday of the month so that you have new material to play. Season 8 is going strong, and there's a lot more exciting content planned for 2017. See you then!

John Compton
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer