Pathfinder Society December Previews

A teenage human clears red and yellow leaves from the roof before he collapses down with an exaggerated groan next to a girl on a checkered picnic blanket.

“Good afternoon to you too, Sab,” the girl says as she tosses him an apple from a small basket and smoothes her skirt out. “I take it the make-up practical went well.”

“Couldn’t remember which theorem applied to the second law of alchemical stabilization, so I guessed at the reagents and the whole thing bubbled over. Professor was furious.”

“Better that than an explosion of stinking gas, which is what happened to Paisley last week. They tried to ask the Cheater Ghost for help and it ended up telling them to add a ludicrous amount of sulfur.”

“Oh?! Did it!?! I’ll add it to the ghost list!” Sab pulls out a piece of parchment covered in a patchwork of barely legible scrawl, neat cursive, and stylized angular letters, making some notes next to an enormous “DACILANE MYSTERIES!!! HAUNTED LAB??? CURSED BEAKERS??? MALEVOLENT SINK?!?” Beaming, he turns back to his friend, “Ayen! Maybe the ghost used to be a devil!”

“That makes absolutely no sense, Sab.” Ayen puts a bottle of tea in the center of a stone tile and breathes out a fine stream of flame to heat it as she watches students run around the track in the yard below. “It’s probably just echos coming through from the nearby classroom. Besides, a devil isn’t a mortal so it’d have to—Oh look, Voxi’s taking his shot!”

Sab rushes to the edge of the rooftop to see his friend waiting nervously under the massive maple tree in the corner of the schoolyard, a basket of heart-shaped cookies in hand. Ayen continues, “He’s been wanting to ask Liro to the Winter Week festival all month.”

“Oh no, he’s in for a rude surprise—Liro’s transferring out soon. His mom’s going on a Pathfinder mission to Orcland and the family is moving for a bit. He won’t be back to the Academy till next spring at the earliest.” Sab sighs. “I hope they at least have time to catch the opening of the festival.”

“Belkzen, you mean,” Ayen corrects, pushing the picnic basket closer with her tail so she can retrieve two mugs for the tea and filling them both. “Father says there’s some sort of diplomatic thing going on with the Burning Sun hold. I can’t wait to hear all about it when Liro is back.”

“Must be nice, traveling around like that. We’ll have to catch the academy ghost by the time he’s back!” Ayen rolls her eyes at another mention of ghosts as a bell rings throughout the courtyard, signaling the end of lunch.

The two friends gather their things as they leave the roof. “I still think you’re just seeing excitement where you want to see it, but I spoke with the headmaster anyway. She’s going to reach out to J Dacilane himself to see if the Society’s willing to do a ghost inspection, so we should finish up our report. Maybe we’ll even get some extra credit!”

“Honestly, after that disaster of a practical, I could use it.”

The pair disappears into the stairwell, arguing good-naturedly about whether the academy is or is not haunted, possibly with a negotiation of how many Winter Week treats one will have to buy the other if they’re wrong. In the now-empty courtyard below, leaves fall, and laughter echoes.

Art by Samuel Azeredo (left) and Hannah Boving (right).

This month, we have our last two scenarios of 2020! In Absalom, we have Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-09: The Seven Secrets of Dacilane Academy, by Rigby Bendele. This level 1–4 adventure has the PCs investigating the school legends of Dacilane Academy to determine if student reports on strange activity are due to simple imagination or paranormal activity. On the other side of the Inner Sea, Steven Hammond has a level 5–8 adventure for us with with Pathfinder Society Scenario #2-10: In Burning Dawn. As the PCs head to Belkzen for a diplomatic mission with the Burning Sun hold, they’ll need sharp wits—and, given the area’s dangerous nature, likely sharp blades as well.

If you missed it earlier today, check out our Starfinder Society previews! Otherwise, have a great week and we’ll see you back next Thursday for more Organized Play news!

James Case
prior Pathfinder Society Developer