Mike Tuholski's page

This is really awesome and I love that you guys decided to go for a 12-15 level range. That not only makes planning much easier but also gives those 13+ characters some PFS options beyond modules and APs, which is nice.

Actually, I would really love to see these "Seeker Arcs" become a more regular feature of the campaign. I know they'll never be as popular as level 1-12 scenarios because relatively few characters make it to Seeker status, but I think a new Seeker arc every other year would not be too much.

I am in the midst of running this game on line and have been a bit frustrated by the lack of suggestions on how to proceed when the players reach the Bronze House. There are suggestions for different "routes" they might take but not much on what to do for each one.

For example, my players decided to go with the "Business as Usual" tactic, playing themselves off as merchants as they pretty good Bluff modifiers all-around. But once they sit down with the clerks, what then? I had one of the clerks present them with the mask from area C5 as an example of their wares but how are they supposed to find any secret documents or evidence using this method without just flipping the desks over mid-negotiation and fighting off the guards. Once they get in, there don't seem to be many subtle ways for them to investigate without raising the alarms immediately. That is, I am sure such ways exist but the scenario offers no suggestions on how to handle this part of the investigation. It's just basically "once they raise the alarm, Sloan shows up after x minutes."

I agree, this season has been a vast improvement over Season 5 and I have in general been a fan of many of the changes that have been implemented over the past year. The scenarios have been much easier to run and complete in time and I have greatly enjoyed the story arcs this season.

However, one thing that never seems to be on the PFS "to-do" list is sanctioning of APs and modules. I know it's not a top priority but I think it should at least make the list. The last AP backlog sanctioning we got was Carrion Crown in the fall of 2013. It is getting dangerous close to two years since we have seen one of the older APs sanctioned.

Furthermore, Iron Gods has been finished for some time and we still have yet to see the chronicles. I put my own game on hiatus and know another GM who has done the same because we were expecting it to be sanctioned as it came out (a la Mummy's Mask). And now we're half-way through Giantslayer so it's going to start falling way behind if those don't get taken care of soon. And with the themes of Season 6 being technology and Numeria, I would have thought Iron Gods sanctioning would be have been near the top of the list.

I realize that it takes a ton of unappreciated work to complete these momentous projects and that there are probably higher priorities that cause these sanctionings to be pushed back again and again, but if they never even make it onto the "to-do" list, it becomes increasingly unlikely that they will ever be done. And that's too bad, because some of those old APs are great and opening them up to the PFS community might spark some new interest in them.

Again, great job on all of the changes this season and on everything done this far. I am looking forward to running all four specials at GenCon this year and coordinating all of that took a huge amount of effort, I am sure. Thanks again to our intrepid PFS team!

Thank you, these look so much better. Glad to be rid of those garish LE and SS colors. These are much more appealing to look at.

Some of you may remember "The Flesh Puppets premier aka how to seduce the BBEG".

I just wanted to add that the leading Flesh Puppet is still very much active and during a game of The Harrowing recently immortalized the event in that most epic forms of art, the power ballad.

Brilliant idea!! As say David Haller many people leave the PFS because many characters become overpower with the optimization, and some we want more role playing than Roll Playing. This is Awesome initiative!!

I want to applause the minds that thoght this!!! Many thanks team!!!

I haven't left PFS but I have been getting overwhelmed with so much new material lately. We just got 10 new classes with the ACG and before the dust settles the dev teams goes and releases the Occult playtest? Too soon in my opinion, but this isn't really the place for that discussion....

It will be a nice reprieve to return to a more basic RPG style with the same great adventures we've all come to love.

Very very cool! As a GM who has run every single scenario (as well as most of the modules and several of the APs), I was really hurting for material to run for credit. I've also played all but a handful so this will be a nice challenge to me to create core-only characters and replay some of my favorites!

Question:

Will the character numbers remain the same? i.e. Will there be a 'regular character #1' and a 'Core character #1' or will there just be a mark somewhere to indicate that characters #1-10 are regular, #11 is core, #12-13 regular, #14 core, etc?

Man, I'm starting to feel like we (myself included, RE: Wardens) as a group are a bunch of entitled jackasses, here.

So, instead of griping about what is and isn't sanctioned, allow me to say thanks to the people who are working on these things.

Oh, don't get my tone wrong. I know it wasn't directed specifically at me but I just wanted to make it known that I'm not ungrateful for the recent sanctions, nor am I in the habit of griping about upcoming sanctions. I'm very happy to see all of this stuff sanctioned and I'm looking forward to more in the future. It's just been a long time since we've heard anything about the old APs and I've been concerned that that project will ever get finished. But I'm glad to see that John still has it in his mind and I look forward to seeing what comes of it in the future.

thistledown wrote:

But still no sanctioning for Iron Gods... :(

Maybe.

Cool. I'm patiently looking forward to IG sanctioning as well.

Mike Tuholski wrote:

Between Wardens sanctioning last week and Plunder sanctioning this week, it seems the time between module release and PFS sanctioning has dramatically decreased. In fact, at the current rate I believe I can project that we should expect the chronicle sheets for Daughers of Fury slightly before the module is actually released and the chronicle sheets for Feast of Dust any day now as well.

;)

But seriously, keep them coming! Nice to see lots of new sanctioned material out there!

Oh, that's a dangerous trend—one that probably results in my publishing several Season 9 scenarios two weeks ago.

However, I didn't run the projections on the previous APs. We got Carrion Crown over a year ago and I've been looking forward to Serpent's Skull since then. I'm scared to look at the projections for Curse of the Crimson Throne sanctioning but I have a feeling they look pretty dire.

Between Wardens sanctioning last week and Plunder sanctioning this week, it seems the time between module release and PFS sanctioning has dramatically decreased. In fact, at the current rate I believe I can project that we should expect the chronicle sheets for Daughers of Fury slightly before the module is actually released and the chronicle sheets for Feast of Dust any day now as well.

;)

But seriously, keep them coming! Nice to see lots of new sanctioned material out there!

Yes, I'm glad to be back to the world-spanning PFS model after the whole Year of the Demon debacle. It sounded cool at first, but man was I tired of demons and Mendev-related plots by the end of the season. Moving away from the APs is a fantastic idea; PFS has the opportunity to be highly mobile and varied in its presentation of Golarion and tying it to one location/story-line with the APs was detrimental to its potential.

The first half of this scenario seems fine but there really should have been a more explicit discussion about how the characters find out what to do about the moving sphere and the crystal. I think the above suggestions about an empathic link are implied in the text and that's what I'm using when I run to that part but it is nowhere explicitly stated and a GM who doesn't pick up on the empathic link could easily leave the players in the dark. With the players having no idea what is going on or what needs to be done, failure would come pretty quickly.

I've come across this problem a few times in PFS scenarios so in the future I'd suggest that the authors/editors/leadership/etc make sure that there is explicitly written an in-game way for the characters to figure out what to do when something special or timed needs to be done.

Congrats everyone, especially Mike and Jeremy! Many good times gaming with you two!

GM Bold Strider wrote:

Question: Why is the worship of the Old Great Ones or Outer Gods disallowed?

I honestly cannot think of a reason why these two groups of deities are excluded when deities such as Urgathoa/Lamashtu/Zon Kuthon/etc. are allowed to be worshipped.

I'm guessing it might have something to do with the fact that these deities are actually strongly represented in the Inner Sea and Golarion lore, whereas the GOOs or OGs are only mentioned as having out of the way cults?

PFS is played in Paizo's version of Golarion. I know the GOOs are there, but they are a minor group in this version.

To your point about the GOO and OGs not being major forces on Golarion: the Ancient Osirion deities are legal even though they are not normally worshiped in modern Golarion nor do they hold much force in modern Golarion. Even though they only hold small pockets/cults of worshipers, they are still legal for Society play.

I had the same thought a while ago when I considering rolling up a cleric of Yog Sothoth or something similar and was disappointed to find that choice unavailable for Society play.

I have to agree with the OP that I am a bit perplexed by the decision to exclude these deities from Society play and yet allow the aforementioned Urgathoa, Lamashtu, etc as legal choices for divine classes. Ideally I'd like to see the GOOs and OGs become legal but at the least I'd like perhaps a bit more of an explanation as to why those deities are not allowed.

Thanks!

Nice fairly obscure reference on the title!

Yep, looks like you're right. I also missed that sentence, which is why I wanted to double check on here. Although I admit that I'm a little saddened that the cohort-of-monkeys alchemist build is not going to work in PFS.

Question regarding the alchemist's formula book:

As a vivisectionist, he gains baleful polyrmorph as an extract, which is not normally available for alchemists. I have an alchemist in my game (PbP) who is wondering if he could learn this in his formula book for future use, as it is available during the scenario (he likened it to the keen longbow situation).

As far as I can tell, nothing is stopping him from doing that since according to the Alchemy ability alchemists can prepare any formula in their formula book and nothing is preventing him from adding it to his formula book. Unless leadership says otherwise I suppose he is free to do that.

I believe his ultimate plan is to give his monkey familiar poisoner's gloves, fill them with infusions of baleful polymorph, have the monkey 'poison' victims with baleful polymorph and turn them into what he is calling his "monkey cohort."

I just wanted to jump back in to correct what may have been some hasty assumptions from a few posters:

I am not the type of GM who enjoys killing characters. This is not a plea to let me kill more characters. I wouldn't say I have "GM angst" over the issue or over my players having a slight advantage in avoiding death via the reroll.

Maybe this was just my general dislike for 'reroll mechanics' coming to the surface. Maybe my proposal wouldn't change anything or make any sort of improvement; honestly, my preference would be to get rid of rerolls entirely but I didn't think that was even remotely plausible.

I guess I just prefer to leave the dice where they fall. I thought that rolling two at once might be an improvement because with the system as it is instituted now most people use their reroll when they roll lower than a 5. Despite people's anecdotes to the contrary (there is probably some confirmation bias and selective memory going on here), there is a greater chance that you will roll better on that reroll (especially when GM stars are factored in).

However, when rolling two dice at once you have the distinct disadvantage of potentially wasting that ability when it is not needed. Both dice could come up 17 and you're fine. Both dice could come up 2 and you're not fine. You might say but the chances of you being fine after using the reroll ability are increased compared to how rerolls work now. But I think you're failing to consider that the player has to decide to use the ability before they roll anything, which changes things a lot.

I guess I just have less of a problem with that system than the current system but that's just my opinion. It actually gives the players a greater chance of success but doesn't allow them (necessarily) to get rid of that natural 1 exactly when they want to. I enjoy chance and luck in the game (that's why we use dice, after all). Whether that is a better system or not is up for debate and honestly I'm not wedded to my proposal so I'm enjoying the back-and-forth.

Statistically/mathematically it might be more powerful as you are taking the greater if two rather than the second one even if that is lower. However in practice I'm not sure it would actually be more powerful because people wouldn't be deciding after they've cal ready seen that 1 on the first die roll; they'd have to decide to use it before anything is rolled at all.

Well, it's not just an issue with save-or-die spells but with any type of d20 roll be it a stabilization check or a fort save to avoid poison or even that attack that just rolled a nat 1. And natural 1s are a part of the game and should happen once in a while. If everyone has a "get out of jail free card" to avoid a natural 1 very scenario, it gets rid of that certain element of the game.

However, by allowing someone to roll two dice at once and take the better you still eliminate a certain portion of that (bad) luck and give the player the appearance of taking fate into their own hands without just letting them save that reroll until a 1 comes up on their d20.

In wouldn't say it's a problem unique to PbP and knowing the save DC ahead of time. I actually have more over-the-table GM experience and have noticed the issue there as well.

Becca and I surely miss the vibrant Bloomington PFS community!

As a player I also refrain from using my reroll unless another character's life depends on it. I don't like using it to save or benefit my own character; like Bold Strider said, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It just feels too close to cheating.

I will not ask to remove the reroll rule, but alter it to make it less game-changing.

At this point, I have GM'd every single PFS scenario out there including quite a few modules. I also have GM experience with several APs. That amounts to GM credit for just shy of 200 games at this point.

And in that time I can not begin to count how often a reroll has completely changed the course of a game. In my opinion, it is game-breaking. In my (campaign-mode/homebrewed) APs I do not allow rerolls unless they are gained through a feat or class feature and save-or-die/suck spells are tense moments at the table. In PFS I hesitate to even use such spells because almost every single time that the player fails the save they pull out their reroll, save their character, and move on. Save-or-die/suck spells go from being tense moments to *shrugs* from my players.

Examples? Here are two in a row from a game I'm currently running:

There seems to be something wrong with the maps in this pdf. With most other scenarios you can copy-paste the maps (which leaves the room labels behind) and print the maps out or use them for online games. The maps in this scenario just copy-paste as a black box; I suspect something isn't layered right as I don't know what else would cause that.

Which of course means that for anyone wanting to print the maps or use them for an online game is stuck with the room labels (and secret door labels!) on their map for the players to see in plain view.

Thanks! I missed that. Doesn't bother me at all, I was just curious when I saw that.

GenCon GMs who got a free hardcover: does your ACG say "Pathfinder Adventure Path" instead of "Pathfinder Roleplaying Game"? Was this a misprint? The store image shows the correct "Roleplaying Game" logo but my book shows the AP logo at the top. It was free so I'm not complaining if they gave us the misprints but was just curious if others had noticed this (of if Paizo had even noticed this). Maybe it's not even a mistake and I'm the one who's mistaken and someone can shed some light for me.

I actively dislike the new Faction logos. They aren't really up to the standard that's been set in the past. It would be great if a dedicated graphic designer could redesign these. Right now they're not cutting the mustard. Heck, I'd do it myself for free if I thought it'd get somewhere. Without getting into details, I think they could all go back to the drawing board.

I tried to give some advice above on improving them but the more I look at them the more I agree with you. I really dislike them and think someone with more graphic design expertise than myself needs to go back to the drawing board on all of them.

"They aren't really up to the standard that's been set in the past" was a great way to put how I felt about them too.

Not digging the new Faction symbols. Darkives in particular, all about uncovering hidden knowledge and their symbol is burning books??? Liberty's Edge, is very, very "meh". Not sure what the Sovereign Court has to do with their symbol? It sort of seems mix of the newer Andoran faction symbol and something that suggests Tian Xia.

Just some of my thoughts on the new logos and some suggestions on how to improve them:

I have to agree with the several other people who have brought it up already but I am a bit. . . offput. . . by the new faction symbols. Hopefully they are just temporary mock-ups or something. I actually think Darkives looks the coolest, even if Beckett doesn't think it's a good representation of the faction. Darkives is the one symbol I'm actually ok with, although if he or someone else can come up with a more appropriate symbol I wouldn't cry over seeing the current one go.

Liberty's Edge seems very tacky and the color scheme is too bright/too neon. If you're going to stick with that symbol (and I don't have a problem of the sword and shackle), use a natural color scheme or at the very least not highlighter yellow.

The Exchange uses an actual bag o' cash as their symbol? That one is the most hokey I think. The scale would be fine on its own but the money-bag is just too Monopoly Guy for me. Either just the scale or something new entirely; they're not bank robbers carrying bags of cash from their most recent steal.

Scarab Sages is fine but the colors need to be tweaked to be a little less neon. I'm sure you were trying to distance it from the red scarab of Osirion but the current color scheme is too funky. If the color scheme were adjusted I think this logo would be fine. Even if it is very similar to Osirion's symbol, that's unavoidable as the Jeweled Sages were from Osirion.

Sovereign Court's symbol looks neat but I was also confused at first; I caught the 'rising from the ashes' Taldor reference, as someone pointed out, but I thought we were trying to get away from nation-based factions? The phoenix rising from the ashes is too closely associated with Taldor and the Sovereign Court is supposed to represent nobility everywhere. Maybe you should take a page from The Exchange's book and make the symbol a monocle. . . jk. I'm not sure what to suggest for this one though but I'm sure the community could think of something clever.

I think this is a great move and a fantastic way to transition to "Pathfinder 1.5" as I imagine it (without forcing people to buy new books if they don't want to upgrade).

The one thing I didn't see listed that I was really hoping for though was an alternate magic system (i.e. NON-Vancian casting). Without that I think the book will be fairly incomplete.

They should either take the blog down or release the scenarios anyway. It's already out in the open.

Agreed. I bought them and downloaded the PDFs immediately before they were taken down (not realizing it was a mistake), as I'm sure many others did. Nothing's really stopping anyone from running them if they were so inclined. Since they're already out there, just go ahead and put them back up unless there are further edits that need to be done.*

*like the chronicle for 05-24, which says "[Include 2 check boxes here]" instead of actually having checkboxes next to one of the boons.

j b 200 wrote:

I started this thread for discussion of my updated Bard Guide. This was one of the few that hadn't been updated since Treantmonk did it and it was somewhat incomplete even then.

Any suggestions are more than welcome. I've only just started the Spells section (as you can likely tell) and I haven't quite gotten to equipment or Multiclassing, but the bulk of the work is there so I wanted to get it out for people to get a look at.

Hope you like it.

Pathfinder Bard Guide

Can you please amend the feat section? Silent Spells cannot be used by Bards.

I was about to note the same thing. Silent Spell specifically calls out that bard spells can not be silenced.

Primitive Humans? Excellent! Now I can finally make my Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer negotiator bardbarian.

Edit: I'm surprised the suggested names don't include Mr. Key Rock ("Just Key Rock, Your Honor.")

Additional Resources has been updated. Chronicle sheets for Mummy's Mask and Pathfinder Tales are still pending.

Good to hear Mummy's Mask is coming soon, I'm really looking forward to seeing that. Any timeline on Wardens or Tears? Just last week I knew I guy who was going to buy Wardens from our FLGS and then put it back on the shelf when he heard it wasn't sanctioned yet. . . (I'm not saying that's a great attitude to have-I bought it anyways-but PFS is a marketing campaign, after all).

Also, you may not be able to buy scrolls of higher level spells but as I understand it, it is fully within the rules to have those spells in your spellbook even below 13th level (you can't cast them yet but they can be there) if you come across them in-game. For example, if you come across an NPC who happens to have those spells in a spellbook or on a scroll, you could copy them into your spellbook and save them for a level when you could actually cast them.

---

Also, the new FAQ allowing you to learn spells from nameless NPCs (or Aram Zey's library as I think of it) between scenarios means that you don't have to buy a high level scroll to put it in your spellbook, so could you potentially learn level 7+ spells in your spellbook from Aram Zey's library before you actually reach level 13? That one is a little fuzzier. I don't see why you wouldn't be able to (or why that would be an issue since you can't cast them yet) but I'm a bit confused by this sentence:

Access to these spells is restricted to scrolls and is not available for spell-casting services.

What do they mean by "access"? Does that mean there are no NPC wizards with level 7+ spells in their book who would be willing to let you copy the spell (for a price)? That's what it sounds like on first pass but I'm not really sure if that is what is intended.

Good job Other Bloomington Mike! Many fun times over the past couple years. A few more specials and perhaps one day I will join you in the five-star rank.

What is the actual price of the Mossy Disk Ioun Stone? Page 45 says 5000 go but page 48 says 2500 gp.

Or just require this AP be run in campaign mode.

I think this is the way to go. Unfortunately I don't think it will happen.

He is a First Law Cavalier

Unfortunately this was recently made illegal.

I know, I was upset too. I already had mine up to 2nd level when the ruling was changed.

John Compton wrote:

GM Hills wrote:

The real question: When/will they be legal for PFS?

An Adventure Path's rules contents typically appear on the Additional Resources page within a month of the book's publication—often very close to the listed street date. Since this material appears in Pathfinder Adventure Path #80: Empty Graves, I would expect to see any material from this book available around April 30th.

Thanks very much, Mr. Compton. That's perfect, I just wanted to make sure: 1) It would be legal and 2) It would be available for an eventual Warpriest once the full release rules are in my hands at GenCon.

Yes, I had the same question so that's good to know. I'm already making my khopesh-wielding warpriest of Horus that I've been dying to try.

Yes! I've been waiting for this for quite a while! Very nice!

Ok, thanks! Just wanted to make sure they were aware of the problem but looks like they're working on it.

The Paizo Blog and Web Fiction links at the top of the home page haven't been working for me since the update; I've had to scroll down and use the links on the side. Is anyone else having this problem?

I think it might have been more because of spells like bless that they couldn't save against. Some players might have seen it similar to PVP as every time a helpful divine spell is cast they lose their abilities. It doesn't seem like that friendly of a class for organized play, especially when they'd refuse any kind of healing, quite possibly be killed early in the scenario, then everyone else is facing even tougher odds.

I hadn't considered how bless might affect them-I suppose you could just ask the cleric/oracle not to use bless. To clarify, they wouldn't refuse any kind of healing; as long as you have a bard, witch, or alchemist with infused cures you'd be fine. There are plenty of other builds which would be just as or even less 'friendly' for organized play that are currently legal. But that's besides the point; I'm a bit frustrated that I have to recreate that character after already putting XP on him but I'll save that concept for an AP or homegame and put something else in his place I guess. No harm done.

I think the above problem (and similar ones) were the reasons it was banned, yeah.

Yes, I'm sure that was the reasoning behind the decision, which is a little disappointing that they'd rather just ban the order outright than address the issue but I also understand that changing the rule may or may not have opened up lots of other issues that they didn't feel like messing with.

Still, even without changing the rule and forcing a cavalier of the Order of the First Law never to use potions or wands, I was willing to play such a character (already have XP on him, after all!). I don't know that a ban on the Order was necessary.

Well, you kind of answered your own question, didn't you? Except you bolded the wrong part:

Mike Tuholski wrote:

Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, pp 23-24 wrote:

Potions, Scrolls, and Wands

All potions, scrolls, wands, and other consumables are made by clerics, druids, or wizards in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The only exceptions are spells that are not on the cleric, druid, or wizard spell list.

That means that any wand/potion of a cure spell that you purchase has been made by a cleric. So while yes, a bard/witch can use a wand of CLW, it was still made by a cleric per the GtPFSOP.

Well, my question was whether this should be revisited based on the quoted class feature and trait. So unless there is a change in policy and you are allowed to buy potions from alchemists or witches, a character with the Rahadoumi Disbeliever trait has to make a Will save against potions they buy.

I'd like to point out that the Order of the First law was banned in the most recent update of the Additional Resources.

Wow, I had not noticed that. It was originally legal when the book came out and when I made that character. Thanks for pointing it out to me. I'm not sure why it's illegal, except maybe to avoid the above problem. That kinda sucks, I guess I have to remake that character even though he is second level already.

Infernal healing is a spell that is on the sorcerer/wizard list. Perhaps that might be more useful to you?

That is one solution but it doesn't answer the question: could a Rahadoumi character of the Order of Law buy an "arcane" potion/wand of cure light wounds and in order to abide by the restrictions of his rejection of faith ability?

Besides, I dislike using infernal healing without consequence. The character I am creating would not be comfortable using it. In fact, I only have one character (a necromancer) who accepts healing from that spell; all of my other characters refuse it if offered. But that is another topic entirely and not related to the question at hand so I won't get into that here.

As it stands now, consumable items are made by wizards, druids, and clerics:

Potions, Scrolls, and Wands

All potions, scrolls, wands, and other consumables are made by clerics, druids, or wizards in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The only exceptions are spells that are not on the cleric, druid, or wizard spell list.

. . .

For the sake of simplicity, there is no difference between an arcane and divine scroll or wand. Thus a bard and cleric may both use the same scroll of cure moderate wounds.

This ruling-particularly the bolded part above-has some interesting consequences concerning the following class feature of the new cavalier Order of the First Law.

Order of the First Law

Rejection of Faith (Ex): At 2nd level, the cavalier must refuse all divine magic, including helpful effects or spells. As long as he has not benefited from divine magic in the past 24 hours, he receives a +2 morale bonus on one saving throw of his choice. Each day he can change the saving throw to which this bonus applies.

There are also some complications with the following trait:

Rahadoumi Disbeliever (Regional): As a Rahadoumi who rejects covenants with gods, your belief is strong enough to repel divine spells. You gain a +2 trait bonus on saving throws against divine spells, but you must make a saving throw even when that magic is beneficial to you.

---

If the above trait and/or class feature were used in a home game, it would be simple enough for that character to make sure they always purchased their wands of cure X wounds from a witch, bard, or alchemist. However, since in PFS "there is no difference between an arcane and divine scroll or wand", how should a Rahadoumi character interact with these items? Would they be forbidden from using any consumable healing items because it is assumed that they are all made by a cleric? Or does the wand become arcane in the hands of a bard/witch/alchemist but then switch to divine in the hands of a cleric/oracle/druid?

And what about potions? The rule does not mention whether potions are arcane or divine, but this is important to a character with the above class feature and/or trait. Is the Rahadoumi character banned from ever using curing potions because they have to assume that it came from a cleric? Or can they buy "arcane" potions of cure light wounds from a witch or alchemist?

---

I think based on the above complications the ruling on arcane vs. divine scrolls/wands/potions might need to be tweaked a bit. At the very least some clarification is needed for those (albeit rare) character concepts that depend on this distinction.

For example, rather than limiting all consumable items to being made by clerics, druids, or wizards, allow items made by other classes as long as the spell level is not lower in that other class compared to the cleric, druid, or wizard spell list. The would not alter the price at all but would allow someone (for RP purposes or for legitimate mechanical reasons like the abilities quoted above) to, say, purchase potions of cure light wounds from an alchemist instead of a cleric. The reworded rule might look like this:

Potions, scrolls, wands, and other consumables are generally made by clerics, druids, or wizards in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The only exceptions are spells that are not on the cleric, druid, or wizard spell list. In addition, potions, scrolls, wands, and other consumables may be made by other classes (bards, witches, alchemists, etc.) as long as the spell is of the same level as it is for clerics, druids, or wizards. . . .

Of course, there may be better ways to phrase that so I welcome suggestions on how to clarify this ruling so that it no longer nerfs some character concepts like the above Rahadoumi features.

Tier 3 for me again. Just sent in my application. Great time last year, looking forward to it.

Introduction;
Started playing this amazing campaign last year in October. I have always enjoyed writing journal's of our group's exploits, but this campaign really caught me off guard, it has to be my favourite so far. Kudos to Fire Mountain Games. If you haven't played this campaign, i highly recommend it. We haven't finished it yet, only into the third book, but so far it is pretty damn rad.

The journal is written through the eyes of my character, Willow Monteguard, an Unchained Rogue. It follows her story, including i guess what you would call "side missions" of her own, delving into her backstory and personal development. I get a little more involved than most PF players, "obsessive" my DM likes to call it.

Hopefully someone will get enjoyment out of these journals, my group and i certainly have. The writing gets better as the campaign carries on, so bear with me here.
- Mindy

___________________________________________________________________________ ________________

Prologue – Solecism

Motionless, she sat staring at the blackened oozing flesh on her arm. Bruises covered her stomach and chest, cuts and grazes covered her knees, but not a tear fell from her eyes. She watched as the skin around the wound on her wrist reddened and swelled. As the wound festered, she thought back over the past few years; she needed to know where she went wrong if she was to survive.

Willow Monteguard was raised like any other girl from a noble house in Matharyn. The capital of Talingarde and it's famous Golden Bow, the single richest district in the city, an arc of luxurious manors covering the western edge of the broadest and deepest part of the River Danyth. Equally one of the higher ranking noble houses, the Monteguard's had their city manor in prime location, a large mansion almost three hundred feet wide on the highest point of the riverside. They were part of the infamous Forty Four, the Noble’s Elite of Matharyn. And to be part of the Forty Four was to be on the cusp of the Talirean social scene.
The Monteguard line had been part of Matharyn since the origin of the Markadian reign. Generations had passed through the decades, becoming a staple in Talingarde's history. The current head of the house and Duke of Keldenryn, Bartley Cassidus Rebold Monteguard, was renowned for his abilities as a diplomat. His clever tongue and quick thinking had saved the region uncountable gold over the years. A trait that had evidently been passed on to his only daughter. Words flowed from her lips with ease and grace. Her eyes could read the lies others were telling, all without breaking face, controlled and calm she stayed, never giving away a thing.
Willow learnt to curtsey on arrival, sway and glide as she walked, cover her mouth when she laughed. She read books about kings, studied lore about empires, wrote songs about history. As she matured, she learnt to soften her gaze and flutter her eyes when a potential suitor was looking. She learnt to act like a proper lady, always leaving her admirers wanting more, but never leaving so much to the imagination that she wandered from their mind.
It was rumoured that Willow’s fair completion, slender graceful figure and pale red eyes were the result of distant generations of Elven blood mixed in the Monteguard line. Though such rumours were harshly dealt with and were never spoken in polite society. Still, her beauty was renowned among the people of Matharyn, common and noble folk alike. Her long luscious black locks flowing down her back were the envy of every woman, and her crimson kissed full lips were the desire of every man.
The townspeople spoke of her gracefulness, her kind aura and her angelic nature. The offers of suitors were in over-abundance. Every noble ranking family in the Matharyn region would have been grateful to accept Willow into their family. At the ripe age of sixteen, it was the offer of the great House Talrish that was finally accepted by Willow’s father. The eldest son, Audric Edmond Talrish, was a fine suitor indeed. He served the Knights of the Alerion, the elite warriors of Talingarde, devout followers of the Shining Lord Mitra. A fine match they made, a stern faced noble knight and his sweet talking ever-graceful bride.
Or so she would have you believe.
As a child Willow studied history and religion. She was particularly taken with a certain Prince of History. A man of pride, contractual obligations and tyranny. Asmodeus – The Prince of Darkness. It was him that the Monteguard’s honoured and followed. They strived for his order, his freedom from chaos. But of course it was only behind closed doors. For the worship of such a god was heresy – and the Monteguard’s were no use to Asmodeus dead.
Willow was taught power in hierarchy and order. She studied the way of Asmodeus rule. Every creature knowing its place, the weak always being ruled by the strong, the smart always outwitting the daft. What others called “evil” was what she saw the natural order of the universe; water flows downhill, fire burns and the strong dominate the weak.
The Monteguard's had worshipped their Infernal Lord since before the Taldorian vassal state of Talingarde was born. Their ancestors came across playing their part in the gruelling war of conquest. In the time of Markadian I, all religions were worshipped and the Monteguard bloodline ran strong in their home country of Cheliax, where the Prince of Darkness ruled unrivalled.
When Markadian IV came into power, The Zealot launched a war against the Asmodean faith. By fire and inquest he sought to destroy every trace of Asmodeus from the land. Cassidus Edward Monteguard, Willow's Great Grandfather, had long held the title of Lieutenant General. He had played an instrumental part in the great conquest, earning him and his family special recompense. Cassidus and his family publicly renounced Asmodeus. They repented, begging forgiveness, embracing Mitra as their lord. Of course, they did not actually abandon the Prince of Darkness. They worshipped him behind closed doors, plotting and planning for his return.
Every bit a child, Willow fostered a special connection with Asmodeus. Her parents would find her talking to him late at night as if he were in the room with her. She would tell them of him, his constant watchful eye, helping hand or warm embrace. At his command, she spent her younger years delighting in tricking people, convincingly lying and learning to manipulate them to her will.
As an adult, she fulfilled her duties as a wife and put on the face to make her husband believe he was all she needed. But he would never be enough. No man could ever be enough. No man could rule her while she was their better, she knew her place, and it was certainly above them. She could never love someone she could manipulate to her every whim. If they were not smart enough to see through the manipulation, then they deserved to be used like tools to suit her needs.

It was her strong connection to the Prince of Darkness that had her question her mother and father's devotion. As an early teen she would accuse them of their lack of faith, their laziness having taken over leaving them idle fat and happy. She regarded them as undeserving of their power and status. As she grew, she learnt that some thoughts were better kept to herself. For she knew Asmodeus to be the Lord of Ambition, and she was most certainly ambitious. She was strong where her parents were weak, and their Lord had his own way of working these things out.

“A way with words,” people would say of her gift – her ability to talk anyone into or out of anything. As young as fourteen, she had already begun work for her father as a lower transcriber in the Mayor’s office. It took only a few short years to talk her way up the ranks into the role of first administrator to the Mayor of Matharyn. It was from here that Willow could weave her web of deception in the name of Asmodeus.
As first administer she had access to most records and was responsible for sorting the priority list for the Mayor’s charges each day. The Mayor was an easy man to manipulate. All that Willow had to do was bat her pretty eyes while handing the him the contracts he was signing and his hand followed her lead while trying to slide around her waistline. While she was in the room he had no time to pay attention to anything else. Fraud and extortion were simple play things to Willow; she would smile gracefully as people unknowingly signed away their money. Most of them would never realise how mislead they had been.
But she had her sights set on something much bigger. The crown.
King Markadian V of the House Darius was known for his charity. It was his “help the less fortunate” attitude that sparked the fire in Willow. It was his “help the less fortunate that refuse to do anything to help themselves”. The natural order of the world was that the strong rule the weak. They were weak for a reason. Willow craved real leadership. She craved the rule of a man who saw the world and its people for what they were – most of them inferior helpless sheep. She craved Asmodeus.
It was this flame that put her into action. She knew that getting to the King himself would be perhaps beyond her reach for the moment, but a target she could surely reach was his beloved daughter Belinda. A benevolent kind girl, the apple of her father’s eye. No better way of disrupting the royal line than wiping out the only heir to the throne. She would work her way up to the king next. One by one she would wipe out every existing Markadian. Her own family were only a few steps from royalty. Nothing like a string of untraceable deaths to boost them up.

A decent assassin was always someone Willow had respect for, a man who could separate himself from his emotion and get his job done.
Willow had need of such a man, and she had just the one in mind. A man who had never failed a task set before him, with a poker face to rival Willow’s own. He asked no questions. He asked the target and location, he accepted your money, and the job was done on time as agreed. He called himself Switch, and after five years of working together, he’d never divulged his real name. But he’d earned himself a special place in Willow’s mind. A man in constant observation, a man who chose each word wisely, a man who never revealed his cards. It was not very often Willow lost control of her emotions, but a man so hard to break, no batting eyes would sway - he was a man worth her time.

It was only one night.
Willow usually sent payment along with a hireling, dirty work and road running were certainly not to her status. Only that night she decided to go herself, her curiosity was piqued, she had to know if the man of mystery and stone cold looks had a weak point.
They met in an abandoned temple on the outskirts of town, a forgotten relic of the past and a place she had always felt safe. She wore a cape of black to cover herself and her ruby encrusted daggers that were strapped to her hips. She stalked into the temple after she was certain she was not followed. Dropping her hood, she heard the faintest of breaths behind her and swiftly unsheathed her daggers as she span around. In a single moment, she came face to face with the ruggedly handsome masked assassin, his dagger resting at Willow’s throat. She smirked as he ran his eyes over her, not making any effort to disguise that he liked what he saw. As he met her eyes, he lowered his blade, gently tracing it down her chest before sheathing it. Willow fingered her dagger for a few moments more before unfastening her cloak and taking up a perch on the nearby wall.
As they stared in silence for a while, Willow considered the man. Tall, strong and built, but still lean and nimble. She noticed the scuffed boots with worn away soles, the tight fitting pants and shirt, even the soft material it was all made from. They would never hear him coming.
He chuckled as she tried to study his face, the mask he wore covered any recognisable features, but his familiar laugh sent shivers down her spine.Attempting to hide her reaction, she began talking and turned on her usual charm. She found it oddly curious how easily the conversation flowed with him. They spoke of everything from fine arts to tight corsets. He held a twisted sense of humour that Willow certainly enjoyed.
After an hour talking with the curiously evasive man, she said her farewell, tossing him the pouch of gold as she turned to leave. Before she had taken a step, he had her by the waist and pinned her against the wall. He crushed his lips to hers and pushed his thigh between her legs. Willow was outraged at his audacity, but she couldn't stop herself from grinding down on his leg. She knew she should push him away, only she felt undeniably compelled to draw him closer. Every time they had met, she had managed to stop herself. Tonight was different. He seized her hands and forced them above her head. It was like fanning the fire in her, she had to gain control of him, she drew his lip into her mouth and bit down firmly. In a trice he had her flipped around, face pressing into the sharp stonework of the wall. With a hand in her hair, he drew her head back, looking deep into her eyes. He stared into her soul as he took complete control of her, and all she could do was listen to her body and obey.

It was a night of weakness, she had let herself become vulnerable, she had been made to feel a passion she had never felt for anyone but Asmodeus. It was a frightening thought.
They never spoke of that night. After all, Willow was a married woman. The wife, the trophy, the pedestalled doll of a great noble Knight of Mitra. She could not be seen or connected with the scum of the streets; a man who killed for money.
Switch accepted the contract on the Princess’ life. No queries, no objections, just a price and a wink as he left her dishevelled and exhausted on the temple’s stone floor.
Willow had to admire the way he worked once under contract. He was smart, no bravado - quick and efficient, always believing in ending someone else’s life only through necessity, and through the fastest and most effective means. Willow had seen too many cases put through the Mayor’s desk, incompetent amateurs wasting time with painful prolonged revengeful deaths. Leaving enough time for the victim to escape, be found or saved, leaving only the moron who allowed his feelings to disrupt his task.
Switch kept his mind on the job and got it done.
Over the years he had done a few jobs for Willow. No one as high ranking as the Princess of course, but a merchant chewing into her profits, or a politician looking to jeopardise her convenient position. He was always efficient and successful. She had no doubt he would be again, for the exorbitant measure of gold she was paying, there was indeed no doubt.

As the daughter of a Duke, Willow was always invited to soirées the Princess hosted, and like every other year she would be bidden to the Royal Gala on the Vernal Equinox. If planned meticulously, she believed it would be the perfect chance to lace the Princess’ wine glass with a little Amber Lotus Powder. A swift death, leaving no trace of lingering poison.
She was incredibly gifted at bribes and blackmail and took particular pride in the way she could bend people into doing what she needed. A few well-placed coins to the palace kitchen staff. One would leave the potato sack in the way of the storeroom door while the stew was on. Another would leave the window ajar so the Princess’ favourite pie could cool on the sill. One would spill a bucket of water across the brick walk to the kitchen stores just as the rear western guards were changing watch.

It was the night before the soirée when the guards kicked Willow’s door in. They came bursting through, led by her husband and another of the knights. Before she could speak, she was thrown to the floor, restrained and gagged.
“High Treason!” they kept barking.
Willow kept her calm as she was dragged out in chains, staring into the eyes of hatred, her husband with his stone cold face tinted with betrayal.
When they brought her before the magistrate she stood silently listening to the testimony of the manor staff, what they had been paid for small mundane tasks all amounting to a clear path for the would-be assassin. The same assassin who had turned her in, who had anonymously been blackmailing her husband with the evidence of Willow’s guilt. The same husband who could no longer protect a woman, an apparent faithful, loving wife, who would sleep with another man.
It was a fairly short hearing; there was no doubt that Willow was guilty. She did not protest, she did not try to claim her innocence. In fact, she said nothing. There was nothing she could say. She had lost all she had worked for, and she knew why. This was the natural order of the universe. The strong rule the weak and those too weak will be taken advantage of by those strong enough to do it. She had been weak, but she had learnt a harsh valuable lesson. She would not be weak again. She would not be inferior.
She was hauled into Branderscar Prison and thrown onto the cold stone floor. They pinned her down and pushed a searing hot brand into her arm. She felt the skin split, melt and burn away, but she did not move. She would not grant them the satisfaction. Picked up by a firm rough grip around the newly scorched open flesh, two guards dragged her to her cell.

Willow gazed into her blackened oozing arm. As the wound festered, she knew it would serve as a lifetime reminder. She would grow from this, Asmodeus demanded it.
She closed her eyes and spoke to him; she would not beg forgiveness, for all he demanded was obedience, all he demanded was that she keep her place. And her place was with him, fighting for him. She was strong, she was meant to restore order to this world. She would not be the victim again.

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Chapter 1 – Escape from Branderscar

The throbbing of the bruises on Willow's side were what woke her, as she found herself dangling by the wrists chained to a wall. The smell of burnt flesh hung thick in air, the wound on her wrist still tender, the crisp edges of the “F” met with swollen red skin. Forsaken they said. Marked for eternity as scum, vermin, traitor. An abandoned soul.
Chains clanked as the Forsaken soul to her right tried to brute force her way out of her restraints. An abnormally strong looking female, with a face Willow could almost recognise, was pulling hard on her bonds trying to snap the chain away from the wall. Scoffing internally, Willow knew the Branderscar Prison chains would not be so simple to escape.
Straining her eyes she looked around the cell to find four other Forsaken. The man to her left was tall and toned, he had red fiery eyes with one of those charming faces Willow would have enjoyed taunting back at court. On his left was a woman whose face had that slightly angular exotic shape, clearly not from the lands of Talingarde. At the end of the row was an older gentleman, his ashing hair and almost wrinkle-less face spoke of a privileged life.
A loud clank to her right brought Willow's eyes around to see a reinforced cell, with a bulking beast of an ogre sleepily swaying side to side. Covered in wounds that had clearly not been tended to, the beast simply sat idly looking drugged out of his mind.
The cell stank of blood and faeces, the filthy rags she was barely dressed in stuck to the wall, in places where it had obviously not been cleaned in a while. Or ever.
The sound the butch female was making with her chains brought the attention of the guard to the door, as he yelled a warning, Willow remained motionless. Once the door slammed shut, she inspected the restraints. Simple enough locks if she had her tools, but tight enough that even Willow's slender wrists could not slip through. Willow contemplated breaking her own wrist to get at least one hand free, but with three days until the execution, she decided to leave that as her last resort.

An hour after she had woken from her restless slumber, the door flung open as the guards entered, led by their Captain. The same Captain who had laughed as he seared the brand into Willow's arm, who had explained to her in detail how it was going to feel being drawn and quartered. She had never known the feeling before, but she was looking forward to watching the life drain from his eyes.
It was too dark to see much, but Willow heard the Forsaken to her left being taken away for a “special female visitor”. An odd thing, to say the least. She had never heard of anyone in Branderscar being allowed visitors. Nor had she heard of anyone who would want to visit a soul condemned as Forsaken.
A short while later, the charming face was dragged back into the cell and re-chained to the wall. A few filthy comments from the Captain, and the cell was locked shut. Two guards had been stationed outside the cell, after a while they filled the dreary silence with drone conversation about card games and cheaters.
Chains quietly clinking to her left had her looking over at the charming one, as a white veil draped from his hand.
“It's a magic veil!” whispered the exotic one, "It has items sewn into it, try peeling it off!"
Upon seeing the star of Asmodeus, Willow's heart warmed. She knew she was not done in this life. She knew she had a much bigger role to play and that she would do great things for him. She knew she was not forsaken, Asmodeus was there for her as she was for him.
Seeing the lockpick embroidered into the veil cemented her will. The charming one offered them to her and with a wicked smile Willow set to her own hand restraints. A swift and quiet click of the lock and she could rub her sore but free wrists. She decided the best course of action was to free the other Forsaken, if not for help to escape, at least a mighty good distraction while she slinked off into the shadows. The charming ones bonds were as quick and easy as her own, but as she reached for the butch one's, her sweaty nervous fingers slipped and the long end of the lockpick chinked to the floor.
Willow whipped her hands above her head as quick as she could. Luckily, the guards assumed it was a rat, clearly not expecting any possible way of escape. After a few minutes, and with her feet still restrained, Willow returned to her task of unlocking the chains. The gentleman was too far away, she couldn't reach his chains, he would have to wait until she was completely free herself.
Willow watched the Asmodean star peel from the Veil and come to life. As it was passed to the butch one, she considered the possibility of not doing this alone.
Quiet as she could, Willow crept over to the side wall of the cell where the chains were attached to the wall. Deft hands made short work of the lock, as she quietly dragged the chains through the manacle attached to her ankle. Keeping a sharp ear for any pauses in the guard's conversation, Willow unlocked the gentleman's restraints.
With the five of them free, she heard the exotic one whisper an incantation as the faint sound of battle came from beyond the prison cell. The guards seemed to weigh up the repercussions of not aiding their comrades against leaving the prisoners alone. After a curse, they followed the sounds, rushing out of the room. Willow sprang to the door, quick and swift it was unlocked and open.
“What about the Ogre?” said the butch female.
Willow scoffed, “What about it?”
“We can't just leave him here. He could help us escape. Or at least be a decent distraction.”
Again, Willow smiled. Another distraction was always welcome. She ushered the manly woman into the Ogre's cell, and carefully set about unlocking the massive manacles on his ankles. The Ogre stirred, looking apprehensive and nervous, watching Willow work. The metal fell to the floor with a clank and she got out of the cage quick smart, positioning herself behind the corner cell. Without her blades there was little she could do in a fight, she would have to bide her time and wait for an opportunity.
Other items were stripped from the Veil, including two daggers, which Willow eyed hungrily. The men were given one each and prepared for an ambush. When the guards entered they were discussing the odd sounds they heard, and as they neared the corner, the Forsaken men attacked. Swift and precise, one guard had his eye impaled straight into his brain. The other receive a fair cut to the throat as he stumbled back, fell into the door and slid to the floor. Willow pounced forward as the charming one tossed her a dagger, she caught it mid air and as the guard mumbled a warning, she cut him off mid-sentence by embedding the dagger through his throat. An odd feeling it was. She didn't have much time to ponder but she was surprised how remarkably easy it was to end a mans life.
A man outside the door called out to his fellow guards as Willow stripped the bloody uniform from the dead man.
"All ok," barked the gentleman, "Just bloody rats!"
Willow picked up the guards longsword and tossed it to the charming one with a wink and a cheeky smile. He tried to catch it but fumbled and she had to muffle a laugh as the sword clanked to the floor. With little to no modesty left after spending nights dressed in foul rags covered in her own waste, Willow stripped naked and put on the guard uniform, trying to wipe off as much of the filth as possible.
After the bodies were stripped of their belongings the group set up another ambush. The ogre, who called himself Grumblejack, stood in front of the door while the gentleman called out to the guard in the next room. When the door opened, the guard was greeted by Grumblejack's fist. He was flung backward, tumbling into the seat behind him. Realising he was clearly out numbered and over powered, he sat quietly watching. While the others bickered about what to do with him, whether to kill him outright or whether to lock him away, Willow made the easy choice and approached him from behind and drove her dagger into the side of his neck.
“He can't stop us if he's dead.”
While some of the group looked shocked at her actions, the charming one gave her a disarming smile, with a wink back she began stripping the guard.
The group of Forsaken began discussing the plan to escape, when the gentleman suggested someone with quiet feet should scout ahead. Willow raised her eyebrows in disbelief and disgust. If the old man thought she would be at his beck and call, he had another thing coming. The old man raised his eyebrows back and pointed his sword at her face while repeating his suggestion. Willow fingered her dagger while staring him down. Willow pictured things turning out a lot worse if the charming one had not intervened.
He pushed in between the two and batted away the old man's sword.
“Forget this,” he said impatiently, “I'll go first.”
Willow eyed the old man for a moment longer before brushing past to follow the charming one. As she got to the bottom of the staircase she found him with his ear pressed to the door.
“My lady,” he whispered, “May I ask you to listen, perhaps you can hear what I cannot?”
Surprised and flattered, Willow obliged, pressing her own ear to the door. The sound of a crackling torch was all she could hear, as she was about to pull away she heard a distinct cough from the other side. She signalled the group and they prepared for another trap. The old man, who clearly enjoyed his theatrics, played the part of a drunken musical guard. As the door opened, Willow plunged her dagger into the throat of the wide eyed guard while the charming one skewered him on his longsword. As over kill goes, ogres do it best; Grumblejack stepped forward and crushed the impaled man into the ground.
Further down the hallway, a guard stood frozen in shock. A sickening terror flooded his face, the fear seeming to stunt his reaction. The team surged forward and reached him before he could flee.
“Do not move, do not speak,” the charming one said menacingly.
He quickly nodded and mumbled incoherently.
As he sank to his knees, he spluttered, “Nobody can escape Branderscar prison, you'll never succeed.”
The butch one smiled, a dark and ominous sight, “Asmodeus will show us the way.”
The guard's skin drained of all colour, with wide eyes he breathed, “Mitra preserve me.”
Willow lent down close to the guards ear and with a devilish grin she whispered, “Mitra can not save you now...”
As the guard let out a shriek and began to wail, she quickly slashed her dagger across his throat cutting off the sound while blood spurted from his neck.
As the group split up to search for supplies and any information to help them with the escape, Willow raided the armoury and the office rooms. She found a number of interesting items, including evidence that Sargent Blackley had been stealing supplies, and one of the “F” brands that had been used to mark Willow as Forsaken. She smiled holding the brand, she told herself she wouldn’t use it for vengeance, she would use it to send a message.
As Willow was searching through the desk drawers she heard the old man fumble around with the door handle to the Captain's room and clumsily knock the door open. As a signal horn sounded from the room, Willow clutched her dagger and sprang into action. She pounced into the room and slinked in behind the Captain as the butch one smashed a bottle of oil over his shoulder. Instinctively, Willow grabbed a torch from the wall and bludgeoned him, setting the oil alight. The fire spread across his body quickly, the Captain screeched and wailed crashing into the wall, falling to the floor in a heap. He struggled to roll trying to put the fire out. When he stopped moving Willow pulled out the brand she had found. She held it over his flaming corpse until it glowed bright orange and pressed the “F” into the centre of his forehead.
"It would seem dear Captain," Willow whispered, "That Mitra has Forsaken you.”

Coming from the hall Willow could hear the sound of swords clashing. She ran out of the room with her blade in hand, hitched up her uniform pants as she dove passed the guards with a forward flip and sideways roll, she sprang up and lodged her dagger into the top of his spine. As the guard fell forward, she saw the others impaled or crushed. Willow was relieved that each of the Forsaken seemed to have some fighting prowess. The charming one handled the sword with military efficiency, controlled strikes and defensive blocks. The butch one struck out with fierce stretch in each untamed blow. Even the old man pierced quick and true, a duelist style to his swing. The exotic one held no blade, but appeared to have a small set of arcane spells she could perform, some of which had already proven their worth.
While raiding the kitchen and finding some much need clean fresh food, the butch one ran out the front door, yelling about a fantastic plan to lure the Warden and the guards. With no more explanation she was gone. Seconds later, multiple signal horns sounded.
After scoffing and shaking her head, Willow gathered the group and crept out the kitchen door. Sneaking around the back of the cell block, heading towards the Warden's tower, the sound of guards yelling and dogs barking had Willow cursing. The thought of leaving the butch woman and sacrificing her so the rest of the group could get away, was certainly a tasty one. But Willow couldn’t ignore the fact that her possible allies in the world could be counted on one hand. With a sigh, she and the group charged around towards the fighting. Rounding the corner, they saw the butch woman limping towards them, guards and dogs at her heels. She saw the Warden, an elderly harsh looking man, commanding a sphere of flame and shooting wisping missiles of magic.
One by one the guards were cut down. Their blades and arrows had split open wounds and punctures in each of the Forsaken, but after decades of slackening and complacency, the guards were poorly trained and unequipped to deal with the ferocity of vengeance the Forsaken wielded.
Willow knew well that this standard of defence was not always so. When Branderscar was founded, it housed the most heinous of all criminals. The small bands of Asmodean cults were purged from the land like a stain on Mitra's glistening robe. They were hunted and captured, slaughtered and burnt at the stake. The prison once housed the ones they had managed to capture alive, holding them until the judgment of the pyre was ready to claim their souls. The walls of Branderscar were fabled to be filled with the strongest and mightiest warriors, protecting the fair people of the land from the vile villainy of Asmodeus. In recent times, the prison had fallen into disrepair. The guards grew lazy, their defence grew sloppy, their training severely lacking. No one ever escaped from Branderscar, no one ever would. It was a fact that was accepted and never questioned. Willow couldn't help but smile as each guard fell. The Talrien’s complacency was about to be their undoing.
She had her sights on the Warden. She took off at a run and with a forceful leap came down over him and hacked clumsily across the back off his neck. Blood showered across the yard as he collapsed to the ground. Willow stood over him and held him down with her foot. The Warden lay helpless on the ground clutching his neck, and as the blood pooled from his body and his struggling became weaker, Willow smiled. He was just another sheep, another blind follower. This is how she would do it. She no longer needed words, all she needed was a blade. Looking down on the Warden as the life drained slowly from his face, Willow leant close and positioned the blade to his skin. With one powerful jab, she rammed the dagger through his throat.

Leaving the courtyard through a hail of arrows, Willow picked up a bow from a dead guards body and started firing back. All those hunting trips with the Royal Court were coming in handy. Although, Willow couldn't see much difference in the mindless creatures she would shoot then and the ones she was shooting now. As her arrows landed true, she saw the butch one struggling to even draw an arrow to her bow. As she fumbled and continuously dropped first her arrow, then the quiver, flinging her bow string pointlessly, Willow couldn't stop the laugh that escaped. Another few failed attempts had the butch one and Willow keeled over in laughter.
It had been a very long time since Willow had laughed like that. Neither her usual days at work in the Mayor’s office, nor her social gatherings with the Noble houses, ever yielded any actual fun. Her husband had never been a particularly funny man. Nor a fun or interesting one. Apart from his status, there wasn't anything Willow liked about him. If there was one good thing about having been caught, it was the memory of the look of horror on his face when he realised Willow was not the weak, pushover, trophy wife he believed she was.
She smiled as she realised she’d never have to “make love” to him again. She often wondered how he had no clue that she was within her own world, wishful dreams of making love to her Infernal Lord. She would picture serving him, he would demand and she would obey. The only way she would reach climax with her husband was to believe herself commanded to by Asmodeus. Every time in the haze afterwards Willow always had trouble telling what had been real and what had been dreamed. She always felt the touch of Asmodeus, along with the cold dead weight of her husband.
Willow snapped out of it and shook her head as she wrapped the few coins, food and supplies she had gathered in her length of silk and wound it to her side. With no idea what would come next, she faced the massive double doors keeping her from the outside world. The group baited the last of the guards into a trap, where they blew up the guards and the front doors to the prison.

Stepping over the threshold, Willow saw the raging sea crashing into the road of rocks. Slowly walking along the rocky cliffs towards the gate had Willow grinning. One wrong step would mean a very painful fall to her death, but Willow had always been nimble on her feet. Each step was like a weight being lifted, her second chance was becoming a reality. The sea breeze whipping her hair around, the salt smell clearing her nose and watering her eyes, it truly was a beautiful day. And freedom tasted damn good. As the group made it to the gate there were smiles all around. The old man turned to Willow with a wicked grin of his own.
He winked and said, “But, nobody escapes Branderscar Prison...”

Upon reaching the outside, the charming one explained briefly about their anonymous helper and their expected attendance at the manor on Moors Road. With little to no other options, Willow was keen to meet this mysterious benefactor.
After travelling the moors for hours, the mansion came into view. There it was, foreboding and unwelcoming. A tall dark manor, with a single lit candle in the second story window. There was nothing warm about the place, it felt like no refuge. But it was as close to a sanctuary as Willow was going to get.
She had escaped. She was free. Her love for Asmodeus surged through her. He was giving her a chance to prove herself. He knew she was worth it. He knew she was strong.
Her lips crept up in a wicked grin, for she was only just getting started...