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The Stars Are Right

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Dear Reader,

The light from Aldebaran and the songs from the Hyades fall upon our brittle planet, and I'm pleased to share with you that in the coming weeks the Strange Aeons Adventure Path will be slinking out of our warehouse and making its way into game stores, distributors' warehouses, and your homes. After much research and many an occult ritual, this Adventure Path steeped in the cosmic horror of the Elder Mythos has broken free from the Dreamlands and become a reality—a sentient thing, perhaps.

Now, this is no reason for concern. I assure you that the Strange Aeons Adventure Path is fairly benign. You will not go mad from reading it; the books won't flap themselves from your shelf and scuttle about your home in the stygian hours of the night while you slumber—dreaming of things far more horrific, no doubt. It will, however, provide hours and hours of creepy excitement for you and your friends.


Illustration by Caio Maciel Monteiro

While this Adventure Path is perfect for experts on the Lovecraft Mythos, don't feel like Strange Aeons isn't for you if you're not familiar with or well versed in the literature that provides the inspiration for this campaign. If you enjoy creepy cultists, bizarre monsters, forgotten lore, and accursed locations, Strange Aeons is a good fit for you.

I will, however, bestow upon you a small warning that this campaign starts off in an atypical way, perhaps our most non-standard Adventure Path opening to date. The characters wake up in an asylum with no memory of how they got there and only hazy recollections of who they are. This kind of start requires a fair amount of trust of the GM and of the Adventure Path. You can still create a character with a complete backstory, but know that some things happened in your character's past that are beyond his or her control. The upcoming Strange Aeons Player's Guide provides advice on how to make the best of this strange (but fun) situation.

If you are eager to play through or run the Strange Aeons and want to gather some associated materials to help spice up your campaign, consider checking out some of the following items. As this is a cosmic horror campaign, picking up the newly released Pathfinder RPG Horror Adventures is a great idea. In addition to great advice on running horror games, the book provides plenty of great character options for GMs and players both. I also advise using the new alternate fear rules included in this book, as I feel it will really help set the mood for the campaign. Similarly, grabbing a copy of Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures provides plenty of character options and new rules that fit the tone and flavor of the Strange Aeons Adventure Path.


Illustration by Ramon Puasa Jr.

Strange Aeons kicks off with Pathfinder Adventure Path #109: In Search of Sanity by our own Editor-In-Chief F. Wesley Schneider, who puts his own brand of horror on the Adventure Path right out of the gate. I cornered him in his office and got him to jot down a few thoughts about his opening adventure.

"As soon as it was clear that we were returning to Ustalav, I was pretty vocal that I wanted in. Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Rule of Fear established Versex county as Lovecraft country, and Thrushmoor already had dozens of threads dangling for cosmic horror plots, so I was instantly stoked that Strange Aeons was going to be playing in that sandbox. The fact that the first adventure was set in an asylum was just icing on a really big pile of also icing (I might have written a couple of fictional asylums in past works).

Now, it's been nearly a year since I wrapped up work on In Search of Sanity. I wrote it on something of a binge after finishing my novel, Pathfinder Tales: Bloodbound (also set in Ustalav), and the first volume of Hell's Vengeance, "The Hellfire Compact." As a result, "In Search of Sanity" features as few subtle nods to both. I won't give away too much, but if you're interested in learning more about Ustalav's royal accusers or about the tribulations of Longacre's Lieklan family, the first Strange Aeons has more to say.

You'll also have the chance to join an asylum revolt, surf a blood tsunami and give a ghoul a shower.

I seem to remember that some Lovecrafty stuff happens too.

Y'all like bholes, right?"

If you're eager to get into the right feel for Strange Aeons and want to do some reading, I've compiled a brief reading list of some of the stories that capture the feel of and have inspired the Strange Aeons Adventure Path.

  • "The Shadow Out of Time," by H. P. Lovecraft
  • "The Dunwich Horror," by H. P. Lovecraft
  • "At the Mountains of Madness," by H. P. Lovecraft
  • "The Call of Cthulhu," by H. P. Lovecraft
  • "Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath," by H. P. Lovecraft
  • "The Doom that Came to Sarnath," by H. P. Lovecraft
  • "The Repairer of Reputations," by Robert Chambers
  • "The Yellow Sign," by Robert Chambers
  • "The Great God Pan," by Arthur Machen
  • "The Wendigo," by Algernon Blackwood
  • "The Willows," by Algernon Blackwood
  • "The House on the Borderland," by William Hope Hodgson

In a few short weeks the ritual to properly summon the Strange Aeons Adventure Path will be complete! Keep your eyes on this blog for the Strange Aeons Player's Guide, which you will see soon enough.

Adam Daigle
Developer

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Tags: Caio Maciel Monteiro Pathfinder Adventure Path Ramon Puasa Jr. Strange Aeons
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I wonder who they are.
captain yesterday wrote:
I wonder who they are.

Really?

Spoiler:
If you get a chance, I'd highly recommend season 1 of True Detective. (Don't bother with season 2.)

I'll look around for it, never seen it.
Paizo Employee Developer

It's pretty rad.

I'm a big fan of Fargo, but somehow I don't think that will translate as effectively.

Paladin: I swear to Iomedae! If you say "you bet'cha there" one more time, I'll kill you myself!

Rogue: You bet'cha! That's a real pickle there, eh!
Cohle Slaad wrote:
I wonder how many Rust Cohles and Marty Harts will be run through this? :)

I believe my group might have a Cohle.

I also expect a Harry Dresden, a John Taylor, maybe an Eddie Drood, and a Molly Metcalf.
2 people marked this as a favorite.

As a deputy sheriff, True Detectives is the closest to a true to life police show that I have ever seen. If you want to see what real police work is like, check it out! (In other words, it's not all shoot outs and car/foot pursuits.)

But what about Inspector Gadget. :-D

Also - if you're looking for more inspiration for this AP, check out the game Darkest Dungeon for PC and PS4.

Amazing.

It is full-on fantasy characters battling the sanity rending forces of evil.
Firstbourne wrote:

Also - if you're looking for more inspiration for this AP, check out the game Darkest Dungeon for PC and PS4.

Amazing.

It is full-on fantasy characters battling the sanity rending forces of evil.

I want a game where WE play the Sanity Rending Forces of Evil/Darkness/Death/War/SJW/Politic/etc...

Scarab Sages
Firstbourne wrote:

Also - if you're looking for more inspiration for this AP, check out the game Darkest Dungeon for PC and PS4.

Amazing.

It is full-on fantasy characters battling the sanity rending forces of evil.

Trust me, at least one of my players ahs already suggested having an entire party of iconic Darkest Dungeon characters for this AP. I must say I'd thought of it a few weeks back but was glad a player came up with the idea without my suggestion. We probably won't do it but it would certainly be fun.

We'd probably end up with something like two Highwaymen, a Houndmaster and a Hellion.
Silver Crusade Contributor
1 person marked this as a favorite.

On the topic of Darkest Dungeon... I thought the art for the paladin section in Horror Adventures looked familiar. ^_^
Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
Firstbourne wrote:

I believe my group might have a Cohle.

I also expect a Harry Dresden, a John Taylor, maybe an Eddie Drood, and a Molly Metcalf.

And who are those?

Zaister wrote:
Firstbourne wrote:

I believe my group might have a Cohle.

I also expect a Harry Dresden, a John Taylor, maybe an Eddie Drood, and a Molly Metcalf.
And who are those?

Characters from fiction.

Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.
John Taylor from Simon R. Green's Tales from the Nightside.
Eddie Drood and Molly Metcalf from Simon R. Green's Secret History series.
Firstbourne wrote:
Zaister wrote:
Firstbourne wrote:

I believe my group might have a Cohle.

I also expect a Harry Dresden, a John Taylor, maybe an Eddie Drood, and a Molly Metcalf.
And who are those?

Characters from fiction.

Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.
John Taylor from Simon R. Green's Tales from the Nightside.
Eddie Drood and Molly Metcalf from Simon R. Green's Secret History series.

How are the Dresden Files? I am a very, very big fan of Butcher's Codex Alera series (literally the entire basis for, and reason I'm currently playing a roman-themed kineticist) so I'd definitely be interested in reading his other works.

Captain Battletoad wrote:
Firstbourne wrote:
Zaister wrote:
Firstbourne wrote:

I believe my group might have a Cohle.

I also expect a Harry Dresden, a John Taylor, maybe an Eddie Drood, and a Molly Metcalf.
And who are those?

Characters from fiction.

Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.
John Taylor from Simon R. Green's Tales from the Nightside.
Eddie Drood and Molly Metcalf from Simon R. Green's Secret History series.
How are the Dresden Files? I am a very, very big fan of Butcher's Codex Alera series (literally the entire basis for, and reason I'm currently playing a roman-themed kineticist) so I'd definitely be interested in reading his other works.

The Dresden files are amazing.

But, his new book The Aeronauts Windlass (takes place in a whole new world), is one of the best books I have ever read. It's that good.
The characters are great, as is the world and the story.
2 people marked this as a favorite.

The first two Dresden Files are pretty bad. Start with 3 and enjoy that the next half dozen get better every time.
Firstbourne wrote:
Captain Battletoad wrote:
Firstbourne wrote:
Zaister wrote:
Firstbourne wrote:

I believe my group might have a Cohle.

I also expect a Harry Dresden, a John Taylor, maybe an Eddie Drood, and a Molly Metcalf.
And who are those?

Characters from fiction.

Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.
John Taylor from Simon R. Green's Tales from the Nightside.
Eddie Drood and Molly Metcalf from Simon R. Green's Secret History series.
How are the Dresden Files? I am a very, very big fan of Butcher's Codex Alera series (literally the entire basis for, and reason I'm currently playing a roman-themed kineticist) so I'd definitely be interested in reading his other works.

The Dresden files are amazing.

But, his new book The Aeronauts Windlass (takes place in a whole new world), is one of the best books I have ever read. It's that good.
The characters are great, as is the world and the story.

Well then, that series is getting added to the list then. Thanks, friend!

Scarab Sages
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Kalindlara wrote:
On the topic of Darkest Dungeon... I thought the art for the paladin section in Horror Adventures looked familiar. ^_^

It really does, doesn't it? :)

Scarab Sages
Firstbourne wrote:
Zaister wrote:
Firstbourne wrote:

I believe my group might have a Cohle.

I also expect a Harry Dresden, a John Taylor, maybe an Eddie Drood, and a Molly Metcalf.
And who are those?

Characters from fiction.

Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.
John Taylor from Simon R. Green's Tales from the Nightside.
Eddie Drood and Molly Metcalf from Simon R. Green's Secret History series.

Are you sure it's not Edwin Drood from The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens? it was his last novel (he died before he finished it and another author had to step in to finish it off, I believe it was Leon Garfield).

This Secret History series may have borrowed the character of Edwin Drood for their stories.
Balgin wrote:
Firstbourne wrote:
Zaister wrote:
Firstbourne wrote:

I believe my group might have a Cohle.

I also expect a Harry Dresden, a John Taylor, maybe an Eddie Drood, and a Molly Metcalf.
And who are those?

Characters from fiction.

Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.
John Taylor from Simon R. Green's Tales from the Nightside.
Eddie Drood and Molly Metcalf from Simon R. Green's Secret History series.

Are you sure it's not Edwin Drood from The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens? it was his last novel (he died before he finished it and another author had to step in to finish it off, I believe it was Leon Garfield).

This Secret History series may have borrowed the character of Edwin Drood for their stories.

Never read Dickens, so I can't say for sure. Maybe the name is a tip of the hat? Otherwise, unless Dickens wrote about a family that wears symbiotic power armor and protects all the world from horrible things, then no.

Dark Archive
Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Just looked it up - Eddie is what Edwin Drood goes by in the books. I'd be surprised if this wasn't an allusion to Dickens' final work, especially since the original Edwin disappeared under mysterious circumstances, presumed murdered. In fact, the "gold and silver torc" might also be an allusion to the fact the Dickens story was supposed to end with Drood's skeleton found with an engagement ring on it.
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