This week marks the anniversary of my sixth year working at Paizo and overseeing the organized play content development. Perhaps it's fitting then that not only do this month's Pathfinder Society scenarios deal with ancient places, but they also pertain to subjects that intrigued me even before I moved to Seattle to share adventures with so many groups worldwide: archaeology and the sorcerer Hao Jin.

We had a blast coming up with the premise for Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-14: Debt to the Quah, a Tier 3-7 scenario that Adrian Ng executed beautifully as the author. Although many Pathfinders are capable scholars, there are the bad eggs—unscrupulous academics willing to do anything to become famous, self-absorbed explorers ready to misinterpret an ancient site to promote their pet theories, rage-fueled warriors using the Society as an excuse to swing greatswords at others, and reckless mages who hurl fireballs while fighting in libraries. The nature of a tabletop RPG like Pathfinder lends itself to explosive combats and the PCs who can survive those encounters, yet even though I comfortably acknowledge this, there's a part of me that dies a little whenever RPGs and video games show an archaeologist character blowing up ruins or hacking apart a priceless fresco to see if there's a secret passage on the other side. Due to my archaeology background, I really enjoy including an adventure every year or so that delves into archaeology's nuances and the ramifications of casting ice storm in a carefully preserved tomb.

The Pathfinder Society has made some positive inroads with the generally standoffish Shoanti people, such as in Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-06: Green Market and Pathfinder Society Scenario #8-22: Wrath of the Fleshwarped Queen. As Debt to the Quah begins, though, the PCs learn that a former Pathfinder not only looted one of the Shoantis' most revered sites, but he also mistakenly presented it as a Thassilonian ruin in the latest Pathfinder Chronicle. Imagine how upset the combined Shoanti clans must be to learn of this desecration through a scholarly journal that adds insult by misattributing their accomplishments to another culture? It's the PCs' job to play damage control. Not only do they meet with the many Shoanti quahs' representatives to repair damaged relationships, but they'll also need to repair the damaged tomb their colleague left in ruins. Fortunately, the PCs have a few allies among the Shoanti, including the half-elf Cousin to All, illustrated by Michele Giorgi. This is a really fun adventure that delves into Shaonti lore that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

So even though archaeology's considered a "destructive science," just remember not to take that too literally the next time you want to chop your way through a wall with that adamantine greataxe. Looting is a natural part of RPGs, but let this be my reminder to respect archaeological sites overall in real life. It might seem cool to climb that pyramid or swipe some pottery sherds, but only by holding ourselves to a higher standard can we preserve and understand the past for future generations.

In Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-15: Tapestry's Trial, a Tier 7-11 scenario by Alex Greenshields, we are approaching the end of the Hao Jin Tapestry storyline, and we're doing it in a big way. Within the past year, the Society learned that the museum demiplane created by the legendary sorcerer Hao Jin was collapsing during Pathfinder Society Special #10-00: The Hao Jin Cataclysm. The Society's extended the demiplane's life long enough to perform salvage archaeology jobs in Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-11: The Hao Jin Hierophant and Pathfinder Society Scenario #10-13: Fragments of Antiquity, but new cracks are appearing. The Pathfinders have one last option to save the tapestry: finding and enlisting the creator herself, none other than the storied Ruby Phoenix, Hao Jin.

This scenario's been percolating for more than half the campaign's life, ever since Mark Moreland mentioned where Hao Jin's been for so long. Not only are the PCs traveling to Axis to meet Hao Jin in person, but they're also going to learn so much more about the Ruby Phoenix's past in the process. Add to that the strange possibilities for adventure in the Eternal City—including this eclectic inevitable illustrated by Leonardo Santanna—and you have one heck of a scenario. I'm reticent to share too much more than that just to avoid spoilers.

Well, I'll explore one element just a little more. Especially in Season 10, the team's been really interested in providing the players an opportunity to understand and respond to some major NPCs' ongoing stories, particularly NPCs who have been around for 5 or more years and so have inspired some strong feelings. I'll leave it at the Tapestry's Trial title being a play on words with multiple meanings, which we explore considerably in the scenario. I hope you enjoy the final encounter as much as I do.

John Compton
Organized Play Lead Developer