A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1-5.
Recent discoveries suggest what was a simple theft is part of a grander plot that directs the PCs to floating metropolis of Armun Kelisk, capitol of the djinni empire. As the Pathfinders pursue the culprit and uncover the past that has brought them in conflict, they may find they have more in common than they had expected—including a shared enemy.
Content in Secrets of the Endless Sky also contributes directly to the ongoing storyline of the Sovereign Court faction.
So... I wrote in my review of part 1 of this trilogy that it didn't merit 4 or 5 stars like a really outstanding, talked-about module. However, I also wrote that it worked, that it was serviceable, that a pretty good time was had at the table.
And now part 2... sorta just does the same. I don't know what I expected. I guess I thought it would pick up steam as the trilogy moved on. It doesn't.
Here's the thing. If you could take part 2 as a standalone module, it works. It's fun. But as part of a trilogy, and part of an ongoing chase, it sure didn't feel very chasey. In fact, the entire original intention of the 1st module seems to have vanished. Are we still chasing a person? No? So what are we doing?
Here is what we are doing:
Spoiler:
It turns out we're going after a gem, the Untouchable Opal, which serves as a magical prison for Ranginori -- the leader of the plane of air. Now you might think, aha, this is what Jamila stole in part 1. Except... she stole a codex & abacus in part 1. AND it turns out Pathfinder Society already has the gem. So all they want from us is information about how to release Ranginori from the gem. You might wonder then, does Jamila even tie into this module at all? Kinda. She's the excuse to go on this information-gathering mission. It turns out, she fled to a city named Armun Kelisk in the plane of air. And that's where info about the Untouchable Opal is stored. So the setup is like this: "Hey go find Jamila in Armun Kelisk. Oh, and while you're there, learn about the opal." And then Jamila is never mentioned again (almost -- a couple NPCs will say "maybe I saw her?" if players ask about her). The items she stole are never mentioned again. In fact, if the players aren't clear, they're going to assume that Jamila stole the opal. Who can blame them? They're trying to find the tie to the previous module.
Even if the players ARE clear about the opal, then there may be a whole new round of questions. For example, why does Pathfinder Society care about this gem? And why are we unlocking the gem if an obscure group called The Concordance suggests that unlocking the gem will throw the planes into chaos and disarray? And what does this have to do with Jamila anyway (this is the most difficult question right now, because it honestly appears to be only tangentially related as far as the module text is concerned).
As a tip for GMs, don't get confused, even though the module will do its best to throw you off. There is a codex mentioned in part 2. However, it is not the codex that Jamila stole in part 1. So when you start thinking "these 2 modules ARE tied together" you better check yourself. They're not tied together.
I'm starting to get worried that this trilogy is becoming mired in its own aspirations. I worry that it's doing too much. I didn't understand half of what I wrote in the spoiler text until I bought the module. We shift goals so quickly that it's difficult to even track what the point is or why Pathfinder Society leadership is giving us missions.
My advice. While part 3 may turn this around and tie up everything with a pretty bow, for now my suggestion if you are running part 1 & 2 is to be really blunt with the players at the start: this is a trilogy in name only. People will have much, much more fun if they are not hung up on trying to continue the chase from part 1. Just tear the band-aid off, so to speak.
There is good reason to do that. If you can let go of expectations, there is a fun module in here. There is another one of those "interview people at a social event" mini-games here, just like in the older Bid for Alabastrine module. I know some people hate those, but I don't. I find them fun. Most encounters can be dealt with peacefully or with combat. This module even has a riddle -- although I'm upset that it's 100% player skill instead of any character skill. For example, we asked if our wizard with an INT of 20 was smart enough to get a hint about the riddle. Answer? Nope.
There is another riddle/puzzle with some gems & doors, and that was enjoyable too, although it also had no options for character skill. It was all down to what the players could divine at the table.
Bottom line: the game is enjoyable, but when I run it I intend to almost run them as stand-alone modules. The connections between part 1 & 2 are tenuous at best, and some things might make the players ask, "Hey, Pathfinder Venture Captains, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Boy, I really hope part 3 can bring this all together.
If I play in scenario #6-11 and receive Djinni’s Admiration boon in other character (6 level now), can I buy a carpet of flying with discount on Jairo’s Generosity boon for my character, that play in this scenario (2 level now)?
