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I've been considering dipping back into GMing some PFS in the near future. I don't mind running some low-tier games, but I don't particularly enjoy running Evergreens, so it probably won't be one of those. I think my next game will still be Starfinder but after that gets going and my plate clears a bit more I'll probably kick off a PFS game.
An eerie silence begins to spread across the battlefield as the most powerful demons teleport away, and the lesser demons are quickly slain. You look around... the walls of Nerosyan stand, but at what cost? Is it a time to celebrate, or a time to mourn the fallen? After wandering the field of battle, helping the wounded, taking count of casualties, and clearing out straggling demons, you feel pretty good about today. The forces you faced could have done far worse than they did. Today is definitely a day to celebrate.
The staggered demon suffers a serious wound from Syeira's frigid rapier, but manages to grab at her shoulder as she closes in.
In a fit of frustration it swings wide with a clawed pincer, sweeping from Syeira to Radek in one motion.
Its strike at Syeira is returned with a quick blow from Radek, but the slash catches the dwarf on the flank and leaves quite a mark on his armor. Thankfully, no wound is left behind. Round Something:
Omrax, with a trio of cuts, dispatches both of the shadows before they can drain him further. The staggered Glabrezu looks back and forth between Syeira and Quaff. Knowing it only has 1 shot, it picks the more wounded of the 2 and makes one strike at Quaff.
Round 2:
Syeira and Quaff work to tag team the next Glabrezu into oblivion, but it's reinforced hide makes it able to resist enough damage from both the axe and frigid blast that it remains upright. The demon standing over the corpse of the crusader bellows laughter. "Now for you..." It takes a lumbering step forward and begins to claw into Omrax and Hania.
It scowels. "Minions! Sap the strength away from these do-gooders!" Almost on cue, the corpse of the slain crusader shudders as it's spirit rises as well, reaching for Omrax's ankles.
Their chilling touch begins to leech Omrax's strength away from him. Radezk charges forward with his shield, but the demon raises a pincer to intercept him.
The two warriors exchange fierce blows, wounding each other greatly... but it seems as though the demon is coming out ahead so far.
Suddenly, the demons are caught off guard by a barrage of arrows and ballista bolts! The 2 large demons are able to withstand the worst of the blows, but the ghostly creatures seem torn and confused. Round 2:
Omrax rushes forward and the Glabrezu snaps a pincer at him as he closes in. The furthest one eyes Syeira, apparently seeing through her invisibility. "And what plans do you have? Hiding behind a rock? With cheap tricks to conceal you? What did you think you were going to do? Do show me... and you lot?" It raises a pincer and waves at the largest concentration of foes. "...leave us be... I shall see what she wishes to do..."
Round 2:
Quaff hacks and slashes at the Glabrezu, quickly disrupting it's spell and wounding it greatly. The Glabrezu standing over the fallen crusader continues to torment him. "You are fallen... And rather than end your life, I offer you a token of my power. What say you?" The crusader coughs up blood, then nods with the weary look of a broken man. "You wish for your friend to rise again rather than face death at hand?" He nods. "...I ... Wish ...it" The Glabrezu bellows laughter. "Let it not be said that the Cavorting Court does not keep its word." It clenches a fist, and the dead crusader gets to his feet... Or at least a dark sprirt does... The wounded crusader screams in agony as he witnesses the undead spirit rise... And is promptly torn to pieces by the ghostly figure. Radek finishes off the Glabrezu that was trying to summon reinforcements. .
how high are the battlements? (should one fall of them, of course) How does APL x 10 ft sound? Anyhow, question for leadership that isn't at my table right now. Hania don't look:
The Cavorting Court is described as wandering around offering wishes to raise fallen soldiers... promptly returning them as undead. I had my party encounter them during one of these... episodes. Would it be in the scope of the adventure to actually have the demon carry out the corrupted wish should the PCs fail to dissuade the fallen crusader from answering? Batpony: What was the item in question?
Flying back over the battlefield, you make your way towards a trio of Glabrezu that are clearly driving a wedge in the crusader's counterassault. The potions of fly run out rather quickly, forcing the party to slow down a bit, and as they approach the site, Omrax's heavenly wings recede as well. You find yourselves forced to land and make the last leg on foot, but by that time your target is clear. You see one of the Glabrezu standing over a wounded crusader and his slain comrade. "Do you wish to share the battlefield with your friend once again? I have the power within me to grant such request... your struggle was... worthy of my... respect. Do you wish for me to raise your friend from death? Once Nerosyan is taken, there is no reason for worthy warriors such as yourselves to be slain needlessly..." Sense Motive DC 25:
You've got a hunch that this offer is not going to end well for the surviving crusader. Sense Motive DC 40:
It's definitely looking to animate the fallen soldier as undead. Initiative:
PCs: Baddies: Round 1:
I might recommend having them triage back behind the walls so they are considered 'out of combat' and probably knock off any minute/level buffs while you're at it. That being said, from an availability perspective, I have a Paladin with Ultimate Mercy at my seeker table who is probably reading this thread and would probably be willing to high five a dead pathfinder, and while that is definitely out of scope for this it is a good indication that these sort of services are 'available' in this sort of siege. Nerosyan has a population of 67000, which is well in excess of the 5000 requirement, and per the guide "You can hire a spellcaster to cast a spell for you at any time during an adventur eas long as you're in a settlement or have access to a temple, shrine, or wandering mystic at the GM's discretion." So I see nothing by RAW precluding availability of a purchased raise dead so long as it can be adequately worked into the narrative.
Radek charges, shield first, straight towards the Nalfeshnee. With his trained hunter's skills and Shelyn's guidance he's able to land his strike cleanly at the demon's center of mass. The demon shudders and begins to lose consciousness. Hania and Radek find their strength sapped as something within the demon reacts violently with their spiritual core.
With a thud, the demon collapses next to the pile of corpses beneath.
As the demon strikes the ground, unholy tendrils wisping out from it's body dissipate and for at least this moment... in this small stretch of field... there is calm.
That small bit of calm is interrupted by a massive explosion half a mile away. You really aren't sure what happened there...
Syeira's armor discharges a pulse of force directly into the Nalfeshnee's chest, causing it to stagger back in agony. Omrax moves into position and begins to hack and slash at the Nalfeshnee, but every single attack seems thwarted by these blasted visions! Cugel launches Hania around the back side of the Nalfeshnee, giving her enough momentum to plunge towards it blade first.
Her blade fails to pierce it's hide, but she follows up the charge with another radiant flurry of strikes.
Hania manages to strikes across the sides of it's neck leaving it horridly wounded... but it still... wont... die... Round 2/3:
I'm currently covering Silberg. PJP, Chadius, are you available?/Summoning GMs You're covering the seeker table? Brave soul... My guys started fighting their epic target. You presiding over a Balor fight?
The stout demon rotates in the air as Syeira approaches underneath, then swats her her with it's massive claw, imparting it's mythic power to overwhelm her with chaos. It also seems to be increasing its collection of ioun stones on the ground below.
Round 2/3, Will saves all around:
Cugel pats Omrax on the back as he drops off, launching the eager paladin towards the Nalfeshnee. While she is unable to take advantage of Omrax's opening like she did with Quaff, she is still incredibly agile, heavily armored, and protected by horrid divine wards. His blade is unable to tear into her. With a bright flash, the aura about the Nalfeshnee explodes in a colorful array of tendrils which attempt to force their way into the minds of everyone except Syeira. No sooner than the tendrils vanish, the demon begins to rip and tear at Omrax and Quaff, biting at the paladin, then tearing at the Dwarf's head.
It bites down hard on Omrax's shoulder, piercing armor, bone, and sinew... leaving the paladin gasping and shocked, and seeing double. It tears at Quaff's throat, nearly lacerating his jugular as it removes a chunk of flesh along with his helmet and another ioun stone, each of which clatter to the ground 50 ft below. Round 2/3, Will saves all around:
The heavily armored paladins make their approach as Syeira flits around below, preparing for a carefully aimed shot. Round 1/2:
The Nalfeshnee lashes out with one claw as Quaff approaches.
Quaff notes a really annoying chain of events as the claws dig in. First... it kinda hurts. Second... his vision, control, and movement become very chaotic. Third... the demon snatched away one of your ioun stones! The nerve!
Round 1/2:
The Nalfeshnee casts a spell, then rises higher as it looks over the field. The demon calls out with a horrid raspy voice, sounding like a whisper but as loud as a warcry "As the Valkyries of old shall I descend upon this field of battle to claim your bodies, your souls, and your minds. Your pitiful illusions do not impress me... cease them now." Syiera feels her mind suddenly begin to cloud and she panics as she realizes the spell being cast. As it reaches it's new position overlooking the pile of corpses, it begins to shimmer with writhing lights. Cugel recognizes them as a potent extension of the creatures evil aura. Any moment now anyone near it will find themselves subjected to maddening visions from the abyss Round 1/2:
You all regroup, patch up as quickly and effectively as possible, then buff up and make your way across the battlefield to the center where the Mythic Nalfeshnee hovers over the chaotic remnant of a melee... and it looks as though the crusaders that engaged her were able to dispatch much of her retinue, they stood little chance against her. The sight of flying pathfinders flying TOWARDS the Nalfeshnee is a rarity on the battlefield, and the horrid demon turns and faces you, pauses, then descends like a twisted Valkyrie to carry off the remaining crusaders... and drop them into a massive carrion pile. When you're a couple hundred feet out, it takes to the air over a swath of the battlefield utterly devoid of life, ordering the rest of her retinue to push forward without her. It's just you, her, and a short stretch of now uncontested battlefield.
Init:
PCs: Baddies:
Round 1:
Hania swings her blade twice, and the Hopebringer's reign of terror is brought to a swift end. Quaff makes triply sure. As it crashes to the ground, and you peer about the battlefiend, you see a horrible sight. A new threat has appeared... and it is moving nearly unimpeded through rank after rank of crusader, leaving bloodied corpses in it's wake! Knowledge (Planes) DC 27: This creature is a demon known as a Nalfeshnee... and not your usual run of the mill type... This is a champion among others of it's kind.
"...for this wretched dwarf!" The dragon tears into Quaff with its teeth and claws, smacks down hard with its tail, then batters him with its wings.
The dragon opens its jaws and lets Quaff fall out... although it seems a bit unnerved by the fact that the dwarf is still floating and not in fact crashing to the ground dead. Round 2/3:
Quaff begins to hack, slash, beat, and tear at the dragon, managing to do a fairly significant amount of damage to it's hardened scales. The dragon however, grins. "Ah... so shall I demonstrate how the fury of the wound feels?" Round 1:
The acid burns deep into Hania, but she simply seals her wounds with divine power, and moves forward to face the dragon head on.
A shimmering aura flashes around the dragon as Cugel's ray nears, altering the ray's path. Fortunately for Cugel, the deflection merely causes it to strike the dragon's shoulder rather than chest... which for a spell of that magnitude results in very little difference. Flashes of energy spark as it barely drills through the creatures demonic flesh and begins to do it's work.
A small chunk of flesh is burned out from the dragon's shoulder and it's black voids that it has for eyes turn and face the caster.
Round 1:
Dragon's turn: The dragon bellows with eerie laughter. "Coward? I have slain armies, and it took a legion to force me back into the wound... yet here I am! You think you frighten me? Feel the wrath of the Hopebreaker!" It swoops down, cranes its head, and unleashes a caustic line of acid, cutting straight through Quaff, Hania, and Cugel.
Cugel knows that the Woundwyrm has DR/Good or Lawful. Additionally, it is immune to acid, poison, sleep, and just about any sort of illusion. It also has spell resistance.
Initiative:
PCs: Baddies:
The battlefield is a scorched ruin of what once was full of vegetation and small huts. You make your charge from the walls through the fields, slaughtering hapless weaker demons along the way as you push towards the enormous dragon. It makes lazy arcs back and forth across the field, swooping down to tear crusaders from horseback and bathe whole divisions in caustic gas. Finally, as the field opens up towards the rear of the battle, it sets its dark eyes upon you. "Your forces are weak compared to those from a century ago... I shall devour you... and then your pitiful Queen!" The field before you is littered with the corpses of demon and crusader alike. A small crater from siege weaponry is filled with a disgusting mix of mud, blood, and acid. Above it flies your target. Knowledge (History or Local) DC 26:
This wyrm is Hopebreaker, a horrid woundwyrm which battled the forces of the third crusade nearly a century ago. It is said to have killed over a thousand troops before being beaten back into the Worldwound by a small army... but today it is just you. Round 1:
The crusaders seem... rather upset with themselves. A closer look at the devils makes things clear... Cugel can recognize the signs of telepathy. He's not sure what the devils were saying, but the result is quite clear... antagonized crusaders. They sheepishly nod towards Omrax. "You are... correct sir. We wi-" A loud warhorn is sounded, and the crusaders look awfully confused. Suddenly it dawns on them. "That's the signal for attack! They must have eyes on their assembled forces outside... and... we're taking the fight to them?" They are clearly significantly less experienced than you, and are looking rather nervous about this, but willing and ready to do their duty. ~~~Ten minutes later~~~ You arrive at the walls of Nerosyan, heeding the call to arms. Several commanders are barking out orders, assisted by magical amplification.
Smoke rises across Nerosyan as the clamor of battle dies down. Venture-Captain Jorsal stands vigil over the Woundward ramparts of the city, looking out at a black cloud that descends from the northwest. He turns and speaking with grim resolve. “The attack within Nerosyan is defeated, but the demons have led an army from the Worldwound to our doorstep. I must move swiftly to warn the others of what is happening. “As for your mission... Look out to the fields below—you should be able to determine the greatest threats within the enemy army. You are the most experienced Pathfinders here in Nerosyan, so I trust you to make the best decisions about where your talents should be used.” Ascending to a better vantage point, you catch a glimpse of a radiant figure surrounded by elite knights leading the charge against the demon army. Omrax recognizes her as Queen Galfrey herself leading the counterattack! Behind the frontlines, you can see 3 areas in particular that could use your help. Two massive carrion swarm towers of the demonic hordes writhe towards the walls of Nerosyan, intent on spreading death among the crusaders and Pathfinders manning the walls. Knowledge (Planes) DC 24:
The towers are Kakuen-Taka, extraplanar swarms of the death and decay. A corrupted dragon has a large cadre of Galfrey's elite guard pinned down as it slowly pushes closer and closer to the gates. Knowledge (Arcana) DC 26:
The dragon is a Woundwyrm, a corrupted evil dragon 3 massive demons, bedeckedin a dazzling array of fine jewelry descend on less fortunate squads raising soldiers as undead to finish off their breatheren. Knowledge (Planes) DC 24:
The demons are Glabrezu, huge outsiders, known for their cruelty.
"They are bound to me by a family contract to act in times of emergency. I can think of no better time to make use of them than now! I can do my best to stay clear of civilians who may be disturbed by them I suppose, but I must do my-" At what must be the worst time possible, a small group of crusaders approach and begin shouting angrily. "A demonbinder! You are no better than those who call the beasts from the wound to lay siege upon us! Your treachery is inevitable! Begone you wretch!" The young lady looks furious with the sudden judgement. "I have stepped into the thick of the fight to defend Nerosyan and here you are finding allies to chastise?" The crusaders don't look particularly thrilled with the response and begin drawing blades... This looks like it's rapidly turning into quite the mess. |
