GM Giuseppe's page

Hi folks!
After I finished running my homebrew of a Norse-themed campaign set in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, I just wanted to say that I think the whole area is full of potential.
I know the area was more associated with Pathfinder 1, but as far as I have understood, this is not to be taken as a strict rule.
Also, I know some viking themes emerge in Reign of Winter and Jade Regent, but they do only incidentally and sparsely.
I am SO curious to see how the talented writers at Paizo deal with a Viking-themed campaign. I would personally go down a sandbox route mixed with some linear adventures, such as this outline.
- 1st module: The characters join a raid sailing under the command of a Linnorm King. Something dramatic happens and they somehow become heroes (they are the only survivors, their Linnorm King betrays, does something unexpected, has to be saved by them).
- 2nd module: The characters go back to the Land of the Linnorm Kings and are noticed by Arma, who asks them to go beast hunting. They also have the chance to interact with the other Linnorm Kings, perform tasks for them and gain Reputation.
- 3rd module: Now heroes of some renown, the PC take on the challenge to defeat a linnorm and become Linnorm Kings themselves. After gaining the title in the first part of the adventure, they have this huge sandbox where they can choose to build their "kingdom", raid foreign lands or rival clans, build ships, build an army, muster followers, and so on.
- 4th module: A huge conspiracy involving several Linnorm Kings is set in motion. The heroes have to choose which sides to take.

This is just an example, but it is indicative of how much potential is there. After Opir died in the canon, and new Linnorm Kings vie for power, the land is rife with adventure and... its theme is very strong! We also have the Viking archetype already!

Please Paizo make my dream come true!

EDIT: This was originally a new thread, but I moved it here.

Has anyone noticed that Grabble Forden (p. 45) can make his ranged attack as a free action? Even his Drain Bonded Item and Poison Conversion abilities are labeled as free actions. Is that a typo of some sort or is that exactly as intended?

Most dialogue isn't written out, which means that sayings and aphorisms specifically are rarely used for that reason.

That aside they already pretty much do this. Every adventure I've read from Paizo has loads of connections and references to relevant lore from the world. Often quite a lot of it, when examined.

So I'm a little confused what you're requesting, honestly.

I am not talking about lore in general: I reckon Paizo does a great job in bringing Golarion to life in adventures, and I am not discussing that point.

I am talking about including options and lore tidbits from other books in the actual adventures. My example here would be boons and curses: I would love to see them applied to NPCs sometimes. Or deity-specific magic items: I would love to see some NPCs or monsters in the adventures equipped with them. Or even some feats, archetypes and so on. I only read Age of Ashes for 2E, and perhaps due to it being released before the complete ruleset was available has something to do with it. But as far as 1E goes, I rarely saw any option presented in a splatbook for an NPC in an official adventure. I take they are mostly for PCs, but I think they will greatly add to NPCs characterization if they were included.

I know it is hard to cross-reference them though!

This is a question I always had about Pathfinder's official adventures, which I cherish dearly.

What I mean, in a few examples:

[1] In Gods & Magic we have a few aphorisms for each major faith in the Inner Sea region. I would absolutely love if one of the different NPCs that are encountered in Adventure Paths and modules actually *use* those sayings!

[2] In 1E Campaign Setting books (I'll take Classic Horrors Revisited as an example) you have all manner of juicy lore tidbits about specific monsters, such as vampires, ghosts, etc. I would love some official encounters to be built around that lore!

[3] Also in 2E's Gods & Magic, we have descriptions for boons and curses bestowed by deities. I would love to meet some NPCs who are afflicted by one of those, and, for example, help them out to lift their curses.

[4] In 1E's Varisia, Birthplace of Legends we have common sayings among Varisians and Shoanti people. I would love to see them used!

Now, I would love this to cover also crunchy bits, such as character options, but I know that applying this to stat blocks is kind of a mess, because we do not want to send the message that you need to have *all* of the published book in order to play. So, for example, it is not easy to implement rules from People of the Sands in the statistics for a Mummy's Mask npc, because you would have to write all of the content in the adventure, which in turn would lead to useless expenditure of precious space.

What I am talking about here is pure lore. Something that can be explained with a single sentence or might not be explained at all. Is there anything preventing those cool bits of lore to pass into official adventures? I reckon that perhaps not all the writers have read all the books, but from a fan perspective, I think they should, because it's cool stuff, and it directly feeds into their job.

In general, I would love to see more of the stuff Paizo puts out in their books making their way into the official adventures!

Hey James!

What is your view of polytheism in Golarion? The way I imagine it after reading the published material is the following:

Ordinary people are full polytheists, in that they pray to a different deity according to their current need (Desna for good dreams, Pharasma when a child is born, Erastil for good hunting, etc.) with no particular preference for any specific deity.

Clerics and other religion-themed individuals (champions, priests, etc.) tend to focus on a single god (sometimes even a single aspect of it) or a pantheon, in the sense that they devote their lives to those gods or aspects.
But I think they still believe in other gods: a cleric of Iomedae may not like Asmodeus, but I think they would for sure recognize it as a true god, although probably never praying for his favor or helping his faith. And the same cleric may still pray to Pharasma when their child is about to be born, or thank Sarenrae when the sun appears after days of rain.

Is that picture close to yours? What would you change about it? Are clerics still polytheists, or they tend to focus on their god exclusively?

And bonus question: how pervasive is religion in the Inner Sea region, by design? Is the common folk deeply religious as in the Middle Ages or the Early Modern period, or a bit more like today, when finding people completely uninterested in religion is not so rare and those interested in religions are just a part of the population?

Thanks in advance!

Hey James,
I am struggling a bit to justify rationally how small towns such as those frequently depicted in APs could contain such a variety of ethnicities.

In real history we had a true mixture of cultures only when easily accessible traveling means (cars, airplanes) became available. Before that, migration usually concerned groups of people (tribes relocating, settlers founding new colonies) and only very rarely single individuals. Travels were perilous and they took very long, cultural shock was definitely a thing, and people moving in new areas usually did not enjoy all the benefits (usually political rights) granted to normal citizens.

In the Age of Lost Omens, we do not have all of those modern means of travel, and the world is probably much more dangerous than ours, due to monsters. The common pantheon and tongue surely help, but I still feel like that is not enough to justify the huge diversity of ethnicities in small settlements. I feel like common folk travel too much in a world so dangerous as Golarion is, and with a technology level not high enough to ensure safe travels.

May I ask your 2 cents on this? I feel like there is something I am missing from my picture.

GM Giuseppe wrote:

Hey James, any chance we can get Amanda's original development for finding out about Voz's location in Hellknight Hill?

I remember you and her talking about cutting it for word economy in thr developer commentary, but I would love to include that into my Age of Ashes campaign!

Sorry, but no. We don't do that sort of thing; once something's developed and edited and published, I'd rather let it stand unless we're reprinting it and have the chance and time to go back through and make sure it's developed and edited properly before we make it public. Furthermore, it's a time-management thing... if I did this once, folks would want to see more "cut content" and it'd set a precedent that would frustrate people when, inevitably, I had to say no for whatever reason.

Well, no problem! Perfectly understabdable. Thank you anyway!

Hey James, any chance we can get Amanda's original development for finding out about Voz's location in Hellknight Hill?
I remember you and her talking about cutting it for word economy in thr developer commentary, but I would love to include that into my Age of Ashes campaign!

Hey James, I am working on the Italian translation of the Bestiary (PF 2e). As far as you know, the "s" in Chu'ulothis is to make the name plural? In other words: what is singular form of Chu'ulothis?

Thanks you so much!
P.S. Having a blast watching Shensen in Band of Bravos!

- Now for the corner case. Merisiel is trying to get into the castle, and there are guard rotations patrolling. Now, you can't hide if people can just plain see you, you need some cover or concealment to hide. So if Merisiel tries to hide somewhere but the guard patrol is coming from the wrong side, she'll be spotted. However, no fight has broken out yet. In this case, you can decide as GM which way you'd rather run this - is it an Avoid Notice check, or would you prefer a round by round hide and seek game?

This corner case is exactly what I was thinking about. I love the possibility to choose based on what I prefer case by case.

I have recently watched this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFR-7N_nOS0

I think the author made a great job in explaining how Stealth works, but I was a bit confused by his example of Merisiel sneaking into the magic school because it happens in Encounter mode, and I thought: wait, this is cool! A rogue character would enjoy that! When I thought on how to integrate such a scene into my game, however, I realized that if Merisiel was part of a group, she would be in Exploration mode in that particular case, trying to Avoid Notice, so that wouldn't happen in rounds and play as cool as it seems in the video.

So for example, it the rogue sneaks up to the edge of the clearing and spots a couple of guards and then goes straight back to the party, I'd make that one stealth roll.

If we suppose that she fails her Stealth check under this circumstance, would you make her roll initiative and enter encounter mode, or notify her that she has been noticed? The latter doesn't really make much sense to me. A guard may very well have a bow at hand, and if they win initiative, they would use their actions to fire it at the rogue in certain cases.

If entering combat mode is the option, how should the distance between the rogue and the rest of the party determined? Should I go with whatever makes more sense to me? Should the entire group enter Encounter mode?

Mornin'! Nice day for fishing, ain't it?
I am trying to figure out how Stealth works in 2E and it is not clear to me whether it is an Exploration activity or it should be part of Encounter mode.
Let's say Merisiel is sneaking into a chelaxian vira trying to avoid being noticed by guards. Should I put a gridded map in front of her and let her take turns using the Hide and Sneak actions? Or should I avoid using a map for now and just consider her as taking the Avoid Notice activity? And if this is the case, would this be a single check for the entire vira, or should I ask her to roll for each new room she enters?
Another exemple: let's say Merisiel is in Citadel Altaerein, the dungeon from the first PF 2E AP. After an encounter in the first room, she decides that she wants to scout ahead for the group and check future rooms before the party enters them. Now, do I describe this scene without using the map (physical or virtual) relying on description, or should I ask her to move square by square and use the Hide and Sneak actions as required? I am quite sure that what Merisiel wants is not covered by the Scout activity. Would this be another Avoid Notice activity? Or should I stay in Encounter mode?

Thank you for your insights!

Thank you guys, those are some nice inputs!

Hey everyone!
Does anyone have tips on the most thematically appropriate characters for this Adventure Path?
My players love to have ties with the themes of the adventure, but since this is the first campaign we play in 2nd edition, I am making some pregens for them to customize at their will.

As far as I know, some big themes in this adventure include:

- Dragons
- Slavery
- Personal freedom and moral choices
- Building a keep
- The six ancestries from the Core Rulebook (one for each module)

So after reading the player's guide, the only option that seemed immediately appropriate to me was a sorcerer with the draconic bloodline. I also think that a druid may be fitting, especially with the warg puppies being in the Citadel.

Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks for the tip!
My only concern is that usually when I put a map of a dungeon in front of my players they tend to use it as a reference and move on it even outside combat.
Now with the way Exploration mode works in PF2 I am not sure whether I want to encourage that style of play. I am kinda digging the idea to run exploration in a more fluid form, and having a map of the dungeon as a whole in front of the players may in fact encourage the opposite of what I want.

Any suggestions on this?

Thanks for tip!

I use a 40" TV on the table with maps displayed on it when running Age of Ashes. We use miniatures and simply place them atop the TV (I bought a relatively inexpensive TV for this purpose, about $100). I have a laptop at the table and control the map from there. I find this the best method as I can have all the maps prepared in advance, so there is very little time to start combat, especially when used in conjunction with Combat Manager. An added bonus of this method is that I can use animated maps, which really help bring the scene to life.

Interesting! And do you use a specific program to display the maps on the screen, or just the images?

I am completely fine with creating tokens for the PCs of course!

Hello everyone!
I am looking for advice on the best way to represent combat in Age of Ashes. I am playing in person.

My options:
- Theater of mind
- Roll20
- Fantasy Grounds
- Physical battlemaps

I have always found theater of mind to be a little bit tricky with PF1e, given its tactical complexity. I don't know how much this changed with PF2e.

Roll20 hasn't released official modules for this particular AP. Since it is fairly easy to create custom tokens and import maps from the web, this could be an option, with two PCs at the table (one for me, the other for the players).

Fantasy Grounds has the official modules, as far as I know, but is quite expensive and has the disadvantage of forcing me to put two PCs on the table.

Physical maps would be perfect, since a Pawn Collection for this AP is out already, but I have always struggled to accurately represent the huge dungeons on the gridded map (usually a basic terrain flip-mat). Drawing each room separately forces me to spend a lot of time drawing, thus significantly detracting from the pace of the session (which I consider a top priority). The alternative is to pre-draw the map, but that is not always possible (sometimes the maps won't fit in a single flip-mat) and also gives huge spoilers to players.

Can you help me with this decision?
Of course I am open to suggestion of methods I didn't mention. They are not there simply because I am not aware of their existence.

As per the title: how do you guys use the dialogues in the Adventure Paths?
I am aware it is a sort of tradition for dialogues to be in adventures. I always struggled with finding the best way to convey the contents of the dialogues to the players.

I remember that when I was GMing Rise of the Runelords ages ago (my first campaign) I would steer the players towards the questions in the book and then read them aloud. That was the worst option ever, since it made me feel restricted in the roleplay of the NPC.

Nowadays I usually take notes about the info I absolutely need to convey through that dialogue (key pieces of information for the progression of the adventure, usually) and then just RP my way through the dialogue, using the contents in the adventure as a tool to be able to answer specific questions, basically as information.

Sometimes I wonder what's the point of switching to direct dialogue where an indirect description would probably convey more info in less space, and offer me, the GM, a much clearer overview of the situation. Especially since I am going to paraphase it anyway.

But I also think that seeing how the writer thought that specific NPC would talk (its terminology, its catchphrases, its probably partial comprehension of the situation, its interpretation of the matter at hands) really helps to make the NPC alive and not just a bag of gray information.

What do you guys think?

In my group as a player, the GM does not use minis at all. He just draws the maps and lets us place our character's position with a pencil.

In my group as a GM, we use mostly Paizo's pawns. They are cheap and very useful: sometimes the presence/absence thereof has oriented my choice on what particular AP to run. I sometimes create new pawns for monsters, NPCs and PCs while we progress.

In my upcoming Dragon's Demand game, however, I am going to give the paper minis a try! I'm curious to see how they look like.

Sounds very interesting, I may be able to pay depending on what day/time is settled upon. I've a lot of PF experience both as a player and GM. I've just finished running Rise of the Runelords and am considering running Hells Rebels. I prefer to use maptools for my VTT but can be flexible.

I take you were meaning play, isn't it?

By the way what do you mean with Hangout contact?

You can join the group on Discord, I'm going to send you the link ;)

Good, we are 5. An acceptable number. Can you please all send me a PM with your Hangout contact if possibile? I plan to create a chat group to discuss our possible campaign. Thank you!

Good, we would just need one more. Anyone?

Paizo folks,

I will get straight to the point. I want to give online gaming platforms a try, since until now I have only used them for PbP purposes. Since I live away from home, and from my real life party, I want to try my hands at GMing on a digital platform such as Roll20.

What I need: A group of 4 to 5 english-speaking players based in Europe. This is not due to continental discrimination (does something like that even exists?), but rather due to timezones.

What I would prefer: Players with a decent amount of experience with Pathfinder rules, since explaining them during the game scares me off a bit. Good knowledge of the lore, and a sincere fan attitude toward Golarion is not needed, but is appreciated.

What we will play: An Adventure Path. Or a module, depending on the feedback of the players. Ruins of Azlant is a strong candidate, for only a few have already played it. But I'm open to input from players on this.

When will we play: Once a week, either on a weekday in the evening, from 8:00 P.M. to 00:00 A.M GMT; or in the weekend.

Disclaimer - More than a real recruitment, this is an interest check. I have not definitely decided whether this will turn into a real thing or not. I guess it largely depends on the interest I get as an answer to this post. So please, go ahead and tell me if you would be willing to join, perhaps with a brief introduction of you as players.

I'm very sad myself guys, the idea was born after a chat with Iff (Catina). I believe the game was agonizing, and we only used it mercy not to ruin it when three, perhaps four out of five people involved have clearly no time for the game anymore...So sorry to see this go this way, I still can't accept the idea not to play with you anymore after what...Two full years? More?

Ok guys, so it seems like everyone has a lot of stuff going on currently. That's quite sad, considering the amount of time and love we all invested in this, but I believe this game is starting to become more burden than fun for you, so if you all agree, I would call it a night and turn the campaign inactive for a while of forever, depending on your preferences.

The Irises set their plan in motion.

Petals goes back to the Sisters and knocks on the door. The sliding window opens, revealing two fiery eyes, but no voice comes from inside. Petals explains that she and her group are not willing to accept the Sisterhood's conditions.

"Then you should turn around and run away together with your friends, before we lose our patience," replies an harsh voice from behind the door.

Petals tries to explain that she will be attempting one last time to convince her friends, but the same voice admonishes her.

"You go NOW, or you won't see the sun rise again."

Petals decides to stick to the plan and walks to her friends. Fortunately, that's far enough not to allow whoever is spying from the sliding window to see the scene. The Irises are out of sight of the Sisters, right now.

Petals casts her illusion so that the scene of her and her friends can be seen from the sliding window. At the same time, Faustinia starts to cast her summoning spell while the other members of the group move around the building and prepare for the assault.

As soon as Faustinia's elemental appears, the summoner gives the orders and the creatures throws itself at the door, while in the meantime, on the other side of the building, Petals does the same with her hammer, magically bolstered by Catina's spell.

I need a DC 18 Strenght check to break down the door. Alternatively, you can try to destroy it by causing some damage on it. In this case, go ahead and roll you attack against the door. Varius can contribute to both attempts: he can either help Petals in breaking down the door (aid another, DC 10 Strenght check; +2 to Petal's check if he succeeds) or help her in damaging it (normal attack), but he will need a reach weapon, because Petals will be obstructing the only square in front of the door.

Hey guys, could anyone clarify the plan for me?

So far, I've got this:

While Faustinia starts to summon an elemental, Petals will place an illusion far from the door, then bash the door with her hammer. Catina will cast bull's strenght on Petals before she bashes the door.

Now, I've got a few questions:

1. Is Petals bashing the same door as the one in front of which she places the illusions?

2. Where is Faustinia summoning her elemental?

3. What is Varius doing?

Please place your characters on the map and mark the area of your spells, summonings and illusion so to simplify my task. This plan is a little complex, and it seems to me that it would have needed more player discussion. You don't seem to have agreed on a single course of action yet, and I'm not sure how to proceed.

Paizo website has been down for most of the day, by which I mean "european" day. I'll try to make a post before going off to bed, but posting in the evening is usually not easy for me due to RL impedements. I'll do my best, otherwise I'll post tomorrow morning.

OK guys, the new plan sounds a bit complex, so in order to avoid any mistakes on my part, I'd like each of you to describe his actions precisely, as Catina has done in her last post. Your description can and should involve several turns.

So you want to rush in when the Sisters open the door. That’s a risky plan, but it is entirely possible, so we’ll play it that way. I just need to know who’s going to undress and leave his weapons and armor (and all other equipment). I need two candidates. If they don’t undress and leave all their gear at their feet, the Sisters won’t open the door. Of course you can use the Sleight of Hand skill to hide a weapon and make the Sisters think you’ve left everything when actually you kept a weapon, but that’s entirely up to you.

In response to Petals' question, the sliding window closes, and silence follows.

After a few minutes, the sliding window opens again. "Only two of you will be admitted inside, and you must leave all your belongings outside. Including your clothes. You will be searched for magical auras before entering," says the voice from behind the door. The voice seems a little different from the one who ordered Petals to go away a few minutes before.

Petals makes quite a noise with that lock, so much that after the first three attempts she hears some steps coming her way from behind the door. She barely manages to put her tools beneath her white coat and take on an innocent behavior before the sliding window on the door opens. Two fiery, black eyes appear.

"Leave now, or you will regret it," orders the voice in a threatful tone.

Unfortunately, the door does not open yet...and Petals is making quite some noise with that lock!

Petals sneaks around the building and looks for any possible danger before moving closer to the southern door, taking care to cause as little noise as possible. The others wait for her at about 30 feet of distance, to avoid drawing too much attention.

The heavy wooden door in front of Petal does not seem to be willing to surrender. The elf's efforts are useless, at least for the moment. The lock seems to be quite good, and very difficult to open, although not impossible, given the right amount of time.

Arael would suggest you to wear your white uniforms!

The party decides to rest before reaching the Massacre House. Each Iris spends the rest of the day as he or she sees fit, and the next morning the band is together again. Following Petals’ elven recollections, the Irises reach Parego Dospera in the usual way, that is by getting out of the city through the walls and then getting back inside through a breach in the walls of the northern portion of the City of Twilight.

The ruined part of the city seems a little more bustling than usual today. As the Irises walk through the expanse of abandoned house and wreckage, they spot some activity at the horizon, but when they start moving the that the direction, any activity seems to cease, with the points causing it disappearing who knows where.

Fortunately, both Petals’ memories and Faustinia’s studies are quite correct, and lead the party to the Massacre House in less than 15 minutes. Massacre House is a hexagonal stone building whose slateshingled roof comes to a sharp triangular peak. The external walls are thick, with four 10-foot vaulted passageways cutting through this stone shell to four separate heavy wooden doors (see map). Each door is fitted with a narrow sliding window.
________________________
Please, place yourself on the map and let me know how you’d like to proceed.

Quick question: are we assuming that we head to the Massacre House (or whatever our next destination is) the same day as our fight in the Devildrome? Or that we go there the next day?

I will go with whatever you decide. There seems to be some consensus on going there the next day, so unless you tell me otherwise I will do so.

"A hidden cache, you say? Mmmh, let me think..."

Ghaelfin's spirit takes its time to meditate on the question, then answers.

"I can't remember of any hidden cache, to be honest. I believe that Bisby and Loremaster Liriam left Westcrown and teleported to Absalom immediately after sealing the lodge. Sivanshin was already gone, and Coriana was too busy organizing the resistance to care about hiding something..."

Pronouncing the name of Coriana causes the spirit of Ghaelfin to cry again, but fortunately the ghost now starts to fade, and in a matter of seconds it has vanished from existance, leaving behind only an extinguished candle.

---

Very well guys. You got all your questions answered by Ghaelfin and now it's time to decide where to go next. I suppose the Massacre House, but let me know if you are thinking otherwise and would prefer to go somewhere else. Also, use your next post to notify me of any preparation you would like to make before reaching your next destination (such as buying items, preparing new spells and so on). In my next post, which will be up tomorrow morning, I will move you directly to the destination you've chosen.

The name doesn't ring any bell for Catina. It is a DC 23 Knowledge (local) or DC 20 Knowledge (history) check to know more about the Massacre House.

After a short discussion, the party decides to ask Ghaelfin's spirit about Sivanshin. The spirit of Ghaelfin grows somewhat pensive, then answers.

"After Delvehaven was sealed, we disbanded. Ilnerik had already left the Society a week before, however, after he had a falling-out of some kind with Donatulus Bisby. I don't know where he wound up, though. I recall that Bisby was furious after their altercation...He called him "thief", or something along that line..."

The next question is about Coriana's fate. Here Ghaelfin becomes sad and starts whine to himself for a few seconds before regaining his composure.

"Coriana decided to stay in Cheliax. She...she was a kind soul..."

Ghaelfin cries to himself, then curses the Thrune.

"She remained behind to help organize Westcrown's recovery from the recent chaos and tragedy. I...I viewed Westcrown’s salvation as a lost cause, but I was unable to convince Coriana to leave with me..."

The spirit's expression has now turned to guilty.

"She was stubborn, but true in her faith. Her opposition to House Thrune caught the attention of the Sisterhood of Eiseth, a group of murderous monks dedicated to the art of slaying. They murdered her. They cremated her. And they stored her below their cursed convent, the Massacre House."

For a few seconds, Ghaelfin erupts in a series of swears against the Sisters of Eiseth and House Thrune. He then starts to moan Aroden's death, mumbling something about his treason and the fact that hadn't He died, none of this would have happened. Finally, he starts to whine about Coriana's sad fate.

"I retaliated. I throwed my remaining resources behind the resistance, but I got killed in the process. I suppose my petrification was the work of an assassin from the Sisterhood..."
_____________________________
Last question: choose wisely!

The ghostly form of Aiger Ghaelfin stares at the void as Catina explains that Delvehaven has been sealed for many decades and that her intention, together with their friends and in collaboration with the Pathfinder Society, is to search Delvehaven for clues in order to find a way to rid Westcrown of an evil presence.

The spirit of Ghaelfin is dour and depressed, as it is clear for it ghostly expression. As Catina explains the reason why her group has summoned Ghaelfin's spirit, the latter periodically lapses into sobs for a woman named "Coriana", bemoans Aroden's death and curses House Thrune.

As soon as the first question is asked, Ghaelfin's spirit widens his eyes, then goes back to his normal expression. "Lodge wizards laced the halls with magical traps and guardians," he explains with an otherworldly voice, "but my mind was otherwise occupied, and I paid no attention to details, for she who planned to reclaim Delvehaven was taking care of the matter. Oh, Coriana, your soul was too pure for this corrupted country."

For obvious reasons, the party decides not to ask the second question. About the third one, the spirit of Ghaelfin stares at the void for a few seconds before answering that "Bisby and Sivashin were the only survivors, but their discovery was worth it. A grand expedition, a majestic parade, the honors of the king. What a moment that was for the Society. And the object they uncovered, it had incredible powers, but we didn't had the time to study it, 'cause the war broke out soon after their return."

You've asked two questions until now. I will give you the opportunity to rephrase your questions before answering to the remaining three. Keep in mind that questions about specific persons need one question for each person.

Hey everyone, sorry for my absence. I'm attending a conference and there's no wi-fi available in my hotel, unfortunately. I will be back in a two days in the worst case.

In the meantime, please bot me as needed if I'm a player, or keep roleplaying among yourselves (if you wish so) if I'm the GM.

“Very well. I hope you will forgive me. Trust me, I didn’t suspect Thrax was such a…freak,” Lucca says with an expression of disdain as his eyes set on the unconscious body of the wizard. “Do whatever you want with him. He’s not my problem anymore, fortunately…”

Lucca then hits his forehead with his palm. “How absent-minded of me! Of course! That was the reason why you came to me in the first place, wasn’t it? Very well, follow me.”

You follow Lord Lucca on the stairs, and after reaching the highest part of the Devildrome, you see a nice collection of busts. Some of them are made of stone, others in bronze, one is even gold. “There he is!” says Lord Lucca pointing to a stone bust. “He’s your guy. As promised, I will leave you alone with him. If you need me, come to my office. And don’t forget to pass by for a greeting before leaving!”

Picture

This is the moment in which the Irises are supposed to use one of the four grave candles they’ve found inside the Chelish Crux. Once lit, the candle starts to burn. The smoke rising from the candle immediately grows thick, and a ghostly shape similar to the bust’s appearance in manifests in the smoke.

If you feel a bit confused about which questions you should ask, and in general about the purpose of your whole missione (something which is entirely possibile, given the amount of time required by PbP to progress the story), my suggestion is to read again this post, and in particular to pay particular attention to the letter. That should help you clear your head and get a few tips on which questions you should ask to Ghaelfin.

The smoky figure seems quite sad, and his eyes are low.

Yes. Go ahead and assume that you used your channel energy without healing Thrax.

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⁞⁞⁞⁞ ROUND 9 ⁞⁞⁞⁞
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The attacks of Faustinia’s elemental have the desired effect, sundering one of the bars of the cage: more than enough to allow the summoned creatures to enter the area inside of the cage. As for Lady Faustinia herself, she casts a powerful spell that Thrax is not able to dodge. In quick succession, the Irises capitalize on their good moment and attack the wizard. Catina heals Petals, and the elf hits Thrax with her bow. Varius charges forward, and with his weapon he manages to put down the deranged summoner.

Thrax falls unconscious, bleeding out. The fight is over, but the chaos is still mounting inside the Devildrome.

Do you wish to stabilize Thrax?

After a few minutes, however, Lucca reaches the Irises, who will have probably spent that time healing their wounds.

“There are no words to describe how mortified I feel in this moment…,” says Lucca with a sad tone, his eyes low on the ground. “I beg you to accept my humblest apologies, for I didn’t have any idea what Thrax was hiding inside of him. So much rage…I’m sorry”.

Lucca lowers his head and removes his hat in sign of apology, then sighs. “I hope you will allow me to make up for the troubles Thrax caused to you. Our rules state that if a contender breaks one of the arena’s commandments, all his possessions at the moment of the infringement becomes the property of the Devildrome, as a form of compensation. Since Thrax broke the rules, his gear his mine, including that precious-looking staff. Perhaps you would accept my apologies with less grudge if I allow you to take Thrax’s equipment over me?”

Thrax equipment consists in: a +1 mithral quarterstaff with twin rubies for eyes (worth 4,100 gp in all), an amulet of natural armor +1, a pearl of power (1st), diamond dust worth 500 gp.

“And of course, this is yours. You’ve earned it,” says Lucca with a smile producing a gold goblet depicting fighting devils on its side and offering it to Lady Faustinia. “The Hellcaller’s Cup. I sincerely hope that you will come at the Devildrome again in the future, to defend your title, milady. Your summoning skill were amazing.”

The Hellcaller’s cup is worth 1,000 gp.

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Well done! This was a nice fight. You earn 2 Fame Points and 800 XP each!

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⁞⁞⁞⁞ ROUND 8 ⁞⁞⁞⁞
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Lady Faustinia heads out of the cage, while Catina uses her divine magic to strengthen Varius. In the meantime, Petals tries to attack Thrax with her hammer, but her weapon hits only the dirt. As for Varius, he moves forward and attacks: he would have failed, missing his opponent by a mere inch, but the divine strength imbuing him allows the warrior to adjust his strike and hit the target.

Thrax reacts with a rageful grin. He lets out a few incredibly blaspheme swears in Infernal before disappearing again. He appears not far from Lady Faustinia, at the end of the corridor leading into and out of the Irises’ summoning cage. His face completely distorted by anger and madness, the spellcaster forms a dangerous seal with his hand, holding a a ball of bat guano and sulfur in it. Faustinia can see it coming, but can’t do anything to protect her friends.

A FIREBALL!

Yes, a fireball! The crazed wizard has just throw a fireball at the party.

The fireball deals 32 points of fire damage to Petals, Varius and Catina, unless they succeed at a DC 16 Reflex save, in which case the damage is halved.

The explosion is terrible, and causes the crowd to fall into a state of complete panic. In the middle of the screams of fear and anxiousness, the cloud of smoke quickly dissipates.

Thrax keeps on laughing, completely prey of his deranged madness.

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⁞⁞⁞⁞ INITIATIVE ⁞⁞⁞⁞
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ACTIVE EFFECTS: heroism, magic circle against evil (blue elemental), inspire courage (Petals), bless (Catina), glitterdust (Thrax)

① Lady Faustinia
② Catina
③ Petals
④ Varius
⑤ Manthritor Thrax (Conditions: none; Status: -21 hp)
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