Campaign Arc Idea - Post-Serpent's Skull AP


Serpent's Skull

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Oooh, shiny! And tiny font. I'd suggest using a 2 (or 3) column layout. The text is spread very wide across the page together with the small font that is quite hard to read.

Lantern Lodge

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Understood. I wanted to get it out, more than I wanted to make it professional-perfect. Limitations abound. :P ;)

Lantern Lodge

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'The Crime Ring.' To point out some mistakes I will be correcting in the future:

In the opening scene, there are some elements to the terrain of the hillside which need to be included: Aside from the trail spaces, and physical obstacles like large boulders or thick foliage, all other hilly terrain is a steep grade (over 45 deg), making it difficult terrain (the beach is also difficult terrain due to many small boulders, but but not a steep grade). If PCs try to move on this terrain, they must make a DC 10 Acrobatics or Climb check (chosen before the roll) each round to move, or else fall 1d2 squares down the hillside (Reflex DC 10 or fall prone as well). Boulders and foliage provide cover.

In the beginning of Act II, there are multiple places where the approach to the first forest trail guard post is described - and although these are similar, one or the other must be chosen, and the format of the text made more linear to make it easier to follow.

In the descriptions of the NPCs, Siruti (as a female) is described as a vishkanya male. This is one of those examples of spots where I made the decision, and then made the alternative, and then changed it back once or twice - but forgot to update every instance of it. The crime ring leader's gender was such a big question mark. I am still not sure I made the right choice by leaving it up to each GM for their party's needs. Only time will tell.

I STILL WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT. I like it, but that doesn't mean much. :P ;) My playtesters like it, but what do they know? They are just happy for me to turn down the electrodes on their shock-collars....


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It's really professional looking and well done. Honestly there's not much I can say about it in terms of how to make it better- it's already excellent. Some more art would be nice, but its not necessary. Overall very good job! I can't wait to see more!

Lantern Lodge

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Thanks, Blackfingers - that's good to hear. :) I hope it's something people are interested in running/playing.

As for artwork, I have Wayfinder's Tim Nightengale's ear on this for the moment, and it's possible I will do some more to see if it's something they might be willing to help me get some interested fan volunteers to help out with art. No promises, but it's something I've got in my head. For now, I am going to continue working on following adventure portions, and let the material gather its own steam and fan following. For anyone who doesn't completely despise psionics, I'm hoping it will be a hit.

I would also be interested to know if/when someone plans on running this, other than myself. I will be running it at U-Con this year here in Ypsilanti, MI, in November, as a 3-slot (4 hours each) adventure series. I'm going to have a full-color version of it printed out, and I will sign it and give it to one of the players who completes the adventure (random dice roll to determine which player). I also have written faction missions and a chronicle sheet in the works - and I am not getting rid of Lantern Lodge and Shadow Lodge for it either.

Lantern Lodge

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I am going to put the same art request I made to Timitius here, for clarity and to cover all my bases.

I think an internal art request for the adventure would be nice, but not necessary. However, I would like to compile the adventures once they are completed per book (like an Adventure Path series), and have a cover design with something nice for them at that point. I think some pregen "iconics" could be possible on my end, and those were what Paizo used when they began their APs. I think it could look really nice, if they were composed so that they could be put together in a strong, dynamic group composition as well as individual profiles (full-body).

I think my group of playtesters' characters actually make a decent composition of variety (except for perhaps the male-dominance thing, but I can't really do much about that in good conscience). I have them listed here, as a basic outline. Each PC's page has an image that we have been using as their icon in the virtual tabletop we have been using to game online, and most of them are quite good for reference.

Female kitsune oracle = http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/63202/characters/whetu-an-inori
Male vishkanya ninja = http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/63202/characters/katu-tarido
Male ophiduan psion/vitalist = http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/63202/characters/seme
Male human psychic warrior/aegis = http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/63202/characters/lam-phung-trong
Male human bard = http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/63202/characters/gorome
Male human monk = http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/63202/characters/zhang-hsu
Female dhampir fighter = http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/63202/characters/arihata-vimundi
Male tengu summoner = http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/63202/characters/shadow-8

Lantern Lodge

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I actually had a difficult time finding a decent reference image for a group pose where all the individual poses looked good, where the group was close together, and where it looked nice as a group. This image is a pretty good example of what I was thinking, in terms of the above image requests. The individual PCs should look good, for placement on their own, and nice in a group pose like that. At least, that's the thought. If/when it happens, I am not about to rush it.

I am in the process of making sure there are some pregens available to begin the adventure without much preparation (for each Book, like an actual Adventure Path comes with the pregens needed to play outright - Book One with eight 1st-level pregens). I am still debating how to handle the two psionic characters: both of them began with Psionics Expanded class options (aegis and vitalist), and I am not sure if I want to offer them outright like that, offer them only as psion (in place of vitalist) and psychic warrior (in place of aegis), to offer them as the base psionic classes with the advanced psionics as a sidebar of options, or to offer them as the more refined and specific advanced psionics builds with a re-build option for those who do not have access to the new class options (such as players who only have Psionics Unleashed. I'm not even sure it's an issue, given the prolific use of sites like d20pfsrd, which includes all of those OGL options from the books on their website.

Lantern Lodge

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In my previous descriptions of the 2nd-level adventure portion, 'The Naga Financier,' the nature of how the PCs seek out the pirate clan contacts, as well as various resources and volunteer combatants to take part in the off-island offensive, was left largely undefined, meant to be a sandbox-style portion of the adventure. However, it was easy as the playtesting PCs made their way around the Temple Complex, to see that certain types of NPC contacts would be more beneficial than others, and it provided a perspective on the ground-level interactions that afforded a much greater understanding of how other groups of PCs might also accomplish the same goals.

I have provided a basic tree of contacts for the PCs to visit in their own manner and timeliness, beginning with their interactions with the Major Captain in Rimija, who informs them that his information contact in the Temple Complex, Song Kanh Iphra (female wayang adept/expert), would be a good starting point to find more information, resources, and seeking out other contacts. If the PCs are able to wait for the Major Captain to approach the leadership of Rimija, within 24 hours he can grant them some temporary supplies, and shortly after (within another 8-12 hours), an emergency session of the town council will afford the PCs the rest of the supplies and volunteered manpower the town feels they can sacrifice for themselves, and provide for the PCs' offensive against the crime ring on Belem.

After contacting Song Kanh Iphra, and with the verification that they are indeed working for the Temple Protectorate, she will put them in touch with her information contact from the docks, Aimsar Rijin. Iphra can also put the PCs in touch with Old Lady Bones, a crazy old wayang herbalist, merchant, and informant for the Temple of Amaditi-teratsu and the Indigo Bones Clan - and also with Commander Kakimi Notu of the Mossy Grotto Clan.

Aimsar Rijin (male human dock worker) is an information agent, and primary contact to get the PCs to other contacts, especially pirate clans and similarly shady groups/individuals. He can help get the PCs in touch with the Trade Captains, and must leave to meet his Clan of the Dying Wind contact (a savage named Kibuntengo) before allowing the PCs to meet with this contact. He has contacts with both the Zo and the Crimson Lotus Clan, but neither of these groups will have anything to do with the PCs' initiative at this time, since both of them have bias and previous holdings over the disputed territory called the Hidden Grotto, and the infamous Well of Steadfast Resolve. At the docks, Aimsar can put the PCs in touch with Javis Zhaheng, a tengu paladin of Shizuru, and the First Mate of a ship captain of a fleet of 5 ships of the Clan of the Seven Brazen Suns. Along with Biko Niuri, a friendly male human fisherman from Minkai, Aimsar Rijin can specifically put the PCs in touch with the Trade Captain, Captain Nakayama Yuto.

Aimsar Rijin can put the PCs in contact with Kibuntengo a male human savage warrior who serves as the proxy for the Clan of the Dying Wind member, Captain Czulian Ubyo.

Either Song Kanh Iphra or Aimsar Rijin can inform the PCs that they may wish to seek funding from the Stone-Mason's Guildhall, or this information could come from the Temple Leadership members, Aldaisariel Imrikyo and Ilistaeriel Omoranagi. Other Temple Leadership can be appealed to for various reasons, but these two members will end up being the primary contacts for most matters of ships, crew, and things of that sort.

After the PCs are introduced to Old Lady Bones, she can then introduce them to Yujioshi, a male human barbarian and proxy to the Indigo Bones Clan captain, Morphosia of Willowspeak.

At the Mason's Guild Hall, the two members present to speak with the PCs about their needs are Irebhotegho, who secretly plots the downfall of the divine workings of the temple complex - and Okotigo Ban Meikia, who just wants to help. If the PCs defeat the optional encounter asura preaching mutiny against the deities on the Guild Hall steps, the Masons award them payment for defeating the beast, and their attitude toward the PCs will be better off (at least in the case of Okotigo Ban Meikia - since it was Irebhotegho who summoned forth the asura in the first place).

Additional encounters at the temple complex include Shetiga Lanh Ho Lei, who can be optionally encountered at the Maiden of the Black Bull Inn, attempting to assassinate a young noble who attends the Academy, but she is unaware she is being employed by the young man's father, to eliminate his current heir in favor of another. When shown the truth, she is easily convinced to alter her immediate course, and possibly to change her ways, and can even be an ally to the PCs and their offensive. Similarly, Byomborasi - a crime ring member in 'The Crime Ring' (1st-level) - becomes a great source of information as a redeemed member in this adventure module portion. Suspicious PCs may think that these individuals are meant to be red herrings to take them by surprise (and they can be, if you are an evil GM), but they are meant to be possible allies in the coming incursion against a mutual enemy of the region.

While at the docks and gathering information/contacts, the PCs will run into Hemidan Dolruin a male half-elven monk with serious anger problems, and a Crime Ring member meant to be stationed at the temple complex as an informant for the Crime Ring on Belem.

An optional encounter before ever coming to the temple complex on the trail beforehand, a kappa named Moki-Lok can also be a pint-sized companion, and may even seek to join the group's ship adventure to Belem and beyond.

As the PCs encounter these groups, they are amassing a veritable army against the crime ring, and the size of this army determines the exact size and composition of the crime ring's army, which is meant to be comparable in scale to the army the PCs lead to the Hidden Grotto (the Crime Ring's base on Belem).

PS: I am developing Faction Mission handouts and Chronicle Sheets for 'The Crime Ring,' as well as pregen characters (including psionic characters) for the adventure arc. They are moving slowly, but coming along nonetheless. :) More to come as they are completed....

Lantern Lodge

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Added new pages on the wiki for Languages, and a new deity - a Chaotic Evil aspect of Nalinivati (from Dragon Empires Gazetteer), named Shedskin.
http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/63202/wikis/languages
http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/63202/wikis/shedskin

In addition, even though no details are posted on her, the page for Kelimra Rudavani (2nd-level, Serpent Mage-Priestess, unique NPC villain) is now up too. More to come, along with a few more unique NPCs...
http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/63202/characters/kelimra-rudavani

No real news or progress to report on the Faction Missions, and the pregens are still coming along but not completed yet. After my playtesting group gets done with the final encounters for 'The Naga Financier' (2nd-level), I will also be posting the maps and imagery I am using that is still secret to them.

Lantern Lodge

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The playtesting group is nearing the completion of 'The Naga Financier,' having completed Act I: To the Temple, and Act II: The Plan of Attack. Currently on the open seas between the Temple of Amaditi-teratsu and Belem, the PCs are in Act III: Time to Set Sail!, at an encounter where they have to take on one of the crime ring members who has employed the use of a growing local group of rebellious youths seeking to form their own pirate clan. The "Raft Scabs" encounter is a tough one, and could have been even more tough if the PCs had not secured a pirate clan alliance... Luckily, they secured an alliance (at least temporarily) with all of the available pirate clans, and earned their XP in full for that part (meaning I didn't have to beef up this current encounter to make up for it).

There is a screenshot from the tabletop up on my facebook profile for this scene, where they are currently: here - we game again this coming Thursday, and I am looking forward to the outcome of it.

Along with this, I have the maps for the upcoming major battle completed: here and here.

Oh yeah, and they have amassed quite an army for themselves, for the upcoming battle. Of course, in terms of mechanics, the simple method for resolving the composition and outcome of the two opposing sides is to make the enemy army approximately the same size and power as the incoming offensive army, led by the PCs. Because of this, the army will be relatively manageable by the army of the PCs making, and the PCs will only need to focus on actually storming the site, and entering the stronghold, with a few nicks and cuts along the way from the opposing forces.

I hope to include a sidebar of information on how to compose your actual armies if using the new mass combat rules in PFRPG Ultimate Campaign, and wishing to make it a more complex and realistic battle scene. The last few opponents in the end are pretty badass, and of course, I am really looking forward to revealing the relic inside the stronghold. Gods, I am looking forward to it. >:D hehehehe


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This is an amazing project! You've put some great effort in this, showing some really fantastic ideas and a lot of creativity here. I've only skimmed over the 1st adventure so far but I really like what I see, especially that it's set in Minata!

Lantern Lodge

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Thanks, Monrail. I have zero idea what that creature is in your profile image, but I am going to take a wild guess and say that you will probably really enjoy the overall themes of the adventure arc. Reptile people, psionics, advanced technology, genetic tampering in the ancient past, you know - all the good stuff.

I had this idea for a very very long time now, and originally wanted to set it on ancient Earth, but would obviously have taken a lot of extra effort, support, etc. - and then, after Paizo put out Dragon Empires, and included gigantic reptile people in the ancient past in southern Tian Xia (the Valashmai Jungle expanse), it was like, "Uh, yeah - done, and done." As far as I am concerned, this is the perfect setting for it, and the only way to do it is free.

So my hope is to make it one of the best free adventures out there, and for people to really be able to make it their own, and play it in the way that best suits their own gaming groups - whether that is core-rulebook-only, advanced options, psionic options, mythic, using mass-combat and downtime rules, or whatever. I'm really glad you like it, and hope you get a chance to see it played in action. It's a really fun 1st-level adventure, and I think it should turn out to be a pretty amazing and thought-provoking adventure series. So I don't make any extra money off it? Meh. It's all good. It's a lot of fun. :)

Oh yeah, I should add: in case you're only seeing the content on this forum thread, make sure you check out this page: https://sites.google.com/site/returnannunakiadventure/ - this is the actual adventure content as it is posted. Currently, the Player's Guide and 1st-level adventure is published and posted up. (Not sure if everyone is aware of this, but it is there.) This also gives the actual proposed scope of the project. Ambitious? Yes, a tad. I like it. :D

Lantern Lodge

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For anyone who is enjoying their new mythic rules, I added some new options to the creature NPC, Moki-lok (kappa) for use in the adventure segment.

Also, the Serpent Summoner of 2nd-level ('The Naga Financier') now has stats posted up: Drixi Zaphogish.

Dark Archive

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You ask us what would make these better? Here is my answer. :D

Lantern Lodge

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lol - I was teaching my friend Judy how to play last night, and she asked, "Are there any holy cows in this game?" I thought about it for a moment, and described the summoning of a celestial bovine by a good-aligned caster. Now I know what said cow needs to have. :P

Lantern Lodge

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Also now posted (and relevant to the 2nd-level adventure portion), the Ancient Ones, or Annunaki: http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/63202/wikis/the-ancient-ones

Yes, I know there is a Lovecraft horror of the same name. It happens. The words are just too good to pass up.

Lantern Lodge

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Developing some additional mass combat stats for the final battle scene in Level 2, 'The Naga Financier.' Also working on fleshing out level 3, and hopefully outlining levels 4 and 5 later tonight.

Minatan Pirates is taking some time, but the Crimson Lotus and Dying Wind sections are completed. I also have the Adventure Assumptions drafted, which I will include in Book One: Revealing Serpent's Blood. Still need to revise and post to the wiki on that one, including the addendum, Planetary Composition, dealing specifically with inner-planet elements and arcana, divinity, psionics, and other specific energy types.

I still need to work on the Faction Missions and Chronicle Sheet for level 1 in layout, so I can have them ready for running that module at U-Con this November for a table.

The 3rd-level outline is completed, although I am going to post the actual content of it a bit later. 5th level will definitely be including an archaeological excavation by the PCs, where they have to dig up the site where they believe the next touchstone is located.

Lantern Lodge

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Minatan Pirates

In Minata, many pirate clans rule the open seas between the islands, as well as many of these islands as well. While the northern region (Atas Pulu) is mainly ruled by trade captains who deal with the pirate clans as outsiders, and the southern region (Rendah Pulu) is a savage region dominated by cannibalistic head hunters and demon worshipers, the central region is dominated by the pirate clans, who use the relative chaos and discord of the region to their advantage.
The island of Belem in central Minata (Tengah Pulu) is one of the biggest hotbeds of pirate activity, and it is considered their unofficial home base, in most cases. The pirates of Minata are divided into clans, which rise and fall over time, but which currently stand at nearly two dozen major clans, and many more minor clans who all seek to make a name for themselves among their peers.

Flag Bearing

Out on the open seas, ships are marked visibly with flags that can be identified from afar by periscope, and the practice of flag-bearing often has more to do with politics than with ship identification. In many cases, a particular flag-bearing ship may have no ties to the pirate clan whose flag they are sailing, doing so only for the ways in which the particular flag-bearing ships are treated by others.

Aside from those pirate clans whose flags are listed in their descriptions below, and about a dozen others that are not, the practice of bearing a white flag with no other markings is treated similarly to a trade faction or clan flag by most open trading ports, but often seen as easy pickings by the most devilish pirate clans and raiders on the open seas. So while it may not be safe for most unaffiliated drifters to wave a white flag when approaching pirates or savages, it does allow them a certain freedom when making port at peaceful docksides.

Especially in the case of the Zo, which practically comprises its own territory of the nation of Minata, and whose entire life is spent either at sea or dockside, waving a white flag can often be more advantageous than waving a trade faction flag when coming into port. Sometimes, a smaller ship or raft that has no ties to any pirate clan or faction will wave one of a variety of flags, including a white flag or even an enemy clan or faction. Frantic sailors will even wait until the very last moment on the open seas as they identify another approaching vessel's flag before scrambling to put up a different flag that might be perceived with a bit more welcoming attitude by the oncoming vessel and its crew.

Fleet Size

As a general rule of thumb, the following fleet sizes describe a clan or faction's number of ships, from the largest warships to the small sailing rafts preferred by the Zo. This does not, however, describe the clan's other assets, such as dockside holdings, settled territories, or financial or political clout.

Fleet Size - # of Vessels
Modest - 1 to 50
Small - 51 to 200
Moderate - 201 to 400
Large - 401 to 750
Vast - 751 or more

Lantern Lodge

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Cont'd:

Pirates Clans & Factions

The most powerful, resourceful, and influential pirate clans and factions on the open seas (for the purpose of this adventure, 'The Naga Financier') are described here, including their holdings, fleets, leadership, flags, and other helpful details. Other pirate clans can exist, and GMs are encouraged to use these examples to create their own pirate clans and Minatan groups for their individual campaigns.

Crimson Lotus Clan
Alignment CE
Leadership Supreme Black Daimyo of Minata, Garan-Su-Hoan (CE male human black daimyo samurai 12 and sailor)
Fleet Size Large (600-700 ships)
Typical Membership exiled samurai, ex-nobles, assassins, and slaves
Flag Red and white lotus on a black canvas

Activity & Methods
This pirate clan is known for being merciless and severe, keeping their minions in check through blackmail, deceptions, and brainwashing techniques including powerful addictive drugs, or infecting subjects with poisons or diseases, then coercing them to do the clan's bidding in order to receive the antidote. They are the most notorious faction known for being absolutely manipulative and power-hungry beyond measure, and they will do just about anything in order to gain the upper hand, and are infamously untrustworthy in all dealings with outsiders to the clan, and sometimes even within. The punishments and torture methods used by this clan are gruesome, methodical, and usually completely without mercy. They take whatever they want, and give nothing in return, including apology, sympathy, compassion, mercy, or other kindness, unless it specifically suits their goals and needs to do so (and reap the benefits of it later).

The goals of the Crimson Lotus are to establish itself as the supreme nautical dominance in central Minata, to preserve and disseminate the philosophy of the black daimyo and the potency and supremacy of its leadership, and to use its power to carry out its darkest and most destructive goals. In addition, though they are not trade-centered, because of the trade upon the Minatan seas of which they can take advantage, they have a secondary-priority plan to establish themselves as a socio-political and economic powerhouse in the region, as part of their bid to attain ultimate power for the clan and its upper leadership. The clan has strong ties to the racist organization, Wuai Ling, which seeks the racial purity and superiority of humanity alone, and both groups trade slaves and slaving assets with the other.

Territory & Holdings
The sovereign fleet of Garan-Su-Hoan rules over the Crimson Lotus with an iron fist, though his devoted followers and allies maintain most of the cohesiveness when his fleet is not in their presence. The so-called Allied Fleets of the Crimson Lotus are a loose coalition of feudal warlords and power-mongering martial artist/pirate overlords, all of whom claim allegiance to the Supreme Black Daimyo of Minata while secretly feuding with and plotting against one another for greater title, control, and influence. This coalition of warlords maintains holdings and a diverse array of temporary or recently-acquired landings and other resources, all of them pillaged from the possession of others, who were either killed or enslaved. These holdings reach up to the northern tip of Minata, with influence as far north as Minkai, and down into the northernmost parts of southern Minata (Rendah Pulu) – though the southern tribes of demon-worshiping savages seem to be too much for even the ruthless sailing warlords to handle.

While the Crimson Lotus was in recent possession of the Bay of Serenity (previously called the Bay of Silence), in their attempts to fight an unknown menace and perform an expansion maneuver into the northern reaches of Minata, and into Xa Hoi and mainland Tian Xia, they left the Bay of Silence unoccupied temporarily, thinking it indefensible enough not to warrant defending it during the current exploits. In the meantime, the crime ring has moved in and secured the Bay of Serenity, and found the location of the secret pirate hideaway called the Hidden Grotto (or Well of Steadfast Resolve), which even the Crimson Lotus could never find, and still consider a pirate legend.

The Crimson Lotus Clan is among the largest pirates clans in Minata, second only to the Indigo Bones Clan in this sample lineup in fleet size, resources, and humanoid population. The Crimson Lotus members claim with seething remarks that the only reason this is the case is because of the number of "drug-riddled addicts, sadists, leeches, and tagalongs," they allow in their ranks. Despite their attacks on the other clans, the honest truth is that the clan is among the most merciless, using enslaved combatants to fight their battles for them, sending them into combat to their inevitable demise. For this reason, and because of the clan's ruthless treatment of slave and ally alike, while numbers for entering humanoids is very high, so is the death rate, along with escapees and suicides. The Crimson Lotus claims all such information as being supportive of the truth of their dominion.

Numerous ship captains exist, with a band of between six and nine high warlords occupying a transient inner circle (the clan leader plus eight others currently exist). Each of these captains controls their own "allied fleet" of massive proportion, and many lesser captains exist to man each one with a crew (composed of both free/privileged and slave/dominated shipmates), along with whatever cargo they might carry (usually slaves and other black market goods). Ships of other clans are often assimilated into the fleet, and a common strategy of the Crimson Lotus is to simply paint the entire visible hull of the ship black with paint or tar, hang a new flag, and call the ship their own. Because of this, the fleet is always changing in size and composition. The Crimson Lotus Clan boasts the most slaves to trade and in force of any clan in this sample group.

Fleet Composition
The Crimson Lotus' most feared and infamous vessels are the black-painted and blood-stained slaving ships (longships and warships) often referred to as the "Sailing Shackles," which the clan possesses between five and over a dozen, depending on the informant willing to reveal such details. In addition, a fleet of over 300 sea-worthy sailing vessels by enslaved, coerced, or free sailors rules the open seas with fear, murder, piracy of trade vessels and innocent drifters, and the establishment of portside colonies always follows the Crimson Lotus' interest in a given region. From these port colonies, a substantial number of owned (or stolen) trade and fishing vessels occupy the clan's fleet, and even the occasional drifter raft claims allegiance to the clan, often serving as informants, slave-hunters, or other clan assets.

Membership
Since the ranks of the Crimson Lotus are often changing due to infighting, treachery, and grabs for power or resources, the exact composition of the inner circle and their fleets is difficult to discern from month to month, let alone year to year. The current leadership, Garan-Su-Hoan – a CE Tian-Min (Minkai) black daimyo samurai 14 – has been in power for nearly two decades, and his power does not seem to be waning on the whole.

The clan's expansionist philosophy typically results in new villainous and notorious individuals finding their way into the organization, and changing the playing field significantly for all current members, excluding the Supreme Black Daimyo himself. Strongly chauvinistic and ruthless to all who come into contact with them, most voluntary clan members are men – because of the clan's views on racial supremacy of humankind, other races are nearly always excluded from leadership roles. Those few individuals of such savageness, endurance, survival instinct, and lack of mercy who prove themselves time and again are often afforded a certain degree of latitude and even leadership roles, however the black daimyo's treatment of them is mutable in degree of hostility and arrogance toward the non-human ship captains. For the most part, all non-humans are treated as slaves to be sold or executed, with some skilled and spellcasting members being treated as fine specimens or even claimed prizes, and few incredibly talented members have even earned their own freedom. These members of any non-human race are kept on short leashes, treated differently than all other human members, and often become the subject of vulgar jokes, the black daimyo's hostility, and even sent on the deadliest missions, often doing so by manipulating the member's strong emotions toward the leadership and using them to the member's detriment (and the clan's benefit). Cunning in their schemes, the Crimson Lotus Clan strategy is always well-laid and comprehensive, even if it is always spontaneous and often reactive in nature.

Nearly two hundred years ago, then Grand Black Daimyo of Minkai, Haremdashu Ogokainei, proclaimed that the order's supremacy must be brought to the open seas, and to dispense with the anarchy of the region called Minata, to control it with extreme and unquestionable authority. When the leadership of the Crimson Lotus Clan split from the original order of the black daimyo, it caused a faction war to erupt for over a decade, however as time passed grudges became less interesting to the leadership of both groups, and the Crimson Lotus simply created its own order out of the ordeal. It now operates with complete sovereignty, even being treated as a peer among the other factions of the Order of the Black Daimyo. They have lead membership which has left the other orders to join the Crimson Lotus Clan, mostly from Bachuan, Minkai, and Shokuro. These samurai always have ranks in Profession (sailing) or similar sailor-oriented abilities to supplement their own ways as samurai, including those who replace their mount abilities with those more appropriate to adventuring life out on the open seas.

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Cont'd:

Clan of the Dying Wind

Alignment NE
Leadership Captain Xinxao Kasmochi (NE variant vampire human magus 14 and sailor)
Fleet Size Small to Moderate (an estimated 180-200 ships, possibly more)
Typical Membership vampires, undead, and minions/followers/allies
Flag Fanged skull holding a red and green rose in its mouth, on a black canvas

Activity & Methods
The Clan of the Dying Wind is a very secretive and seductively treacherous organization which is the oldest of the modern Minatan pirate clans, but among the smallest of those presented here. Founded over 400 years ago by the now-deceased elf lich sorcerer, Huyao Majinho Akinyoyi, in a ploy to create his own empire on the piracy of the northern Minatan trade factions, its leadership has changed hands successfully on several occasions, and – surprisingly – never because of foul play. The promotion of undeath, the financial backing and naval support for undead-led organizations and coastal sites, and the protection of powerful undead leaders and influential membership, are among the top priorities of the clan.

This clan's leaders rule over the fleet and its membership with an iron fist of sorts, but the pleasantries and privileges of being the minions of rich and powerful undead superiors often creates and promotes its own loyalty. While this dominance over its inferiors is often spoken to outsiders, to its internal membership, they feel as if they are among the most privileged people in the world. Many would simply consider this clan nothing more than a sea-going variant of the vampiric and undead cults of the mainland, and in many cases this is an adequate, if not bland, description of the clan. While not as zealous and actively recruiting new membership as the more notorious Whispering Way, the promotion of undeath as a superior method of achieving success in the material world is a general philosophy of the clan, although not required of its membership. Necromancers, evil clerics, oracles of undeath, and witches also occupy positions of power, even those members who still embrace life, so long as they have great magical potential or supremacy over death and undeath. Dhampirs also play a primary role in many positions of authority, and it is said that these members are living proof of the clan's secret debauchery and hedonism.

All goals of the Clan of the Dying Wind are secondary to the security of its leadership, upper membership, and its assets, however the above mentioned goals related to undeath and necromancy, as well as the personal interests and machinations of the clan's leadership.

Territory & Holdings
The Clan of the Dying Wind holds territories primarily in central and southern Minata, with a few coastal settlements in the far eastern reaches of the Valashmai Jungle. Most dockside holdings are quaint, silent places where ships may do business modestly and without much oversight or questioning, and even the occasional raid by another party often tends to become more somber and silent than usual when conducted upon such sites. While the clan's ships are conspicuous and its flags sailed visibly by its captains, the leadership is notoriously secretive, hidden, and is highly unpredictable by outsiders' standards. Having no interest in dealing with the petty rivalry of the lesser "living caste," the clan's leadership hide out in their secret bunkers, tended to by pirate minions and loyal servants like their own feudal kingdoms. Those members of the leadership who have spellcasting abilities also tend to magically shield their bunkers from detection by divinations.

The clan's assets include a modest fleet of ships whose exact number is always difficult to determine by those few who know the location and resources of most of the leaders, and best estimates are the only real standard one can go by with them because of their secrecy. In addition, a truly unknown number of territory holdings of unknown size and fortitude, including possible underground strongholds and other unique sites, makes it nearly impossible for any one person to gauge its true numbers, resources, and strength. Spellcasting, although not as common as those in other clans such as the Indigo Bones or Mossy Grotto, are often multiclassed or have combat experience, and those who do have spellcasting potential are often incredibly potent magical adversaries, being higher level than most of their peers who are limited by their mortal lifespan.

Fleet Composition
The Clan of the Dying Wind's fleet of vessels is a mere shadow of its once-great and unrivaled fleet, and among the smallest fleet of the more influential pirate clans and those covered here. While its secrecy prevents anyone from knowing its exact number of ships, the number above is a best guess. However, those sources with the best information say that a hidden cache of unknown and uncounted vessels are dispersed amongst the islands of Minata and the surrounding region, ready to be unleashed within a day's notice. Smaller vessels compose about a third of the known fleet, and larger sailing ships compose the rest, all of which are sea-worthy and capable of long-distance travel.

Membership
Most of the Dying Wind ship crews are human, although other races are welcome, and commonly join the ranks; however, undead members often ascend the ranks of the clan much faster, with dhampirs following close behind. Any living member who has spellcasting ability or other special power related to the dominion over life and death, such as clerics or sorcerers with connections to undeath or who channel negative energy, are also often treated with greater respect and authority than those without such power.

The secondary leadership of the clan exists through the "Houses" of different family bloodline or allegiance, who are all said to bow to the rule of the Master of the Deathless, the Tian-Shu vampire magus, Captain Xinxao Kasmochi, immortal controller of the allied fleets. This mysterious man's powers, it is said, include the ability to travel over water without harm, and the clan is (silently, and only in great suspicion) said to be under the true guidance of the half-elf lich-mage named Qogris Xamzra. All of the upper membership of the family Houses is primarily composed of vampires (standard, nosferatu, or vetalas), but liches and other powerful, sentient undead also comprise a considerable segment of its membership and power base. Captains operate for all the family Houses, most often to ensure the secrecy and protection of the family members, and usually in exchange for some decadent and exotic favor, service, or gift.

When the Clan of the Dying Wind was founded (originally named the "Minata Death Fleet"), they were the only organized sailing group to take advantage of Minata's relative lawlessness to the scale they were able to achieve. However, during that time, the clan's numbers have diminished significantly to a staggering degree, and most believe the clan is in the process of its final death throes – others believe the clan is only waiting for the proper moment to strike, when it will again reclaim its former glory and dominance over the region.

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Indigo Bones Clan
Alignment CN
Leadership The Oracle-Queen, Lady Omisung Naraoi Potachi (CN female wayang oracle 10 and herbalist)
Fleet Size Moderate (around 300 ships)
Typical Membership mystics, drug-peddlers, demon-worshipers, necromancers, and head-hunters
Flag Pink or white skull and crossbones on an indigo canvas

Activity & Methods
This pirate clan is well known for its magical and alchemical experts, mind-altering drug peddling, and demon-worshiping membership, as well as its interest in propping up local necromancers with finances and resources, often for the simple purpose of having like-minded influential allies when the need arises. And while all of things are features one might find useful in helping to understand the clan, there is one word which defines them above all others: Taboo.

Indigo Bones members love seeking out those things others consider abomination, disgusting, or irreverent, and many ship captains will go to almost any length to experience a new or exotic taboo for themselves, often with the goal of seeking out a new trade resource, or addictive new product that their crew can exclusively sell to locals. In addition, the relative freedom of being a member of the clan means that very few leaders or individuals are held accountable, and thus it is very easy to get away with all manner of terrible actions against outsiders, and their own people. With very few moral compunctions, and even less members of law, reason, and logic, this clan's membership is often viewed as erratic, unreliable, and often even addicted to powerful and intoxicating drugs.

The goals of this clan are not vast, complex, and intricate schemes of intrigue and power-mongering, but rather a sense of survival and self-defense keeps them alive, and a drive to exist in a largely ocean-faring community among the islands of Minata, and even into the southern and eastern reaches of the Valashmai Jungle. Since their clan reaches very far into southern Minatan territory, they are often interacting with savages and demon-worshiping tribes, and depending on the outcome of such interactions, these local tribes may ally with the Indigo Bones or even become a part of their crew, and in some cases, a disastrous outcome on the part of the Indigo Bones is followed by their silent retreat to the seas. Savage tribes and the Indigo Bones have a love-hate relationship in this region, and it is not always easy to predict how they will turn out.

In addition, the Indigo Bones Clan takes special care to pay attention to the local fauna and flora of the region they occupy, looking for interesting new additions to their collection of exotic intoxicants and alchemical admixtures. Alchemists and herbalists find a natural tendency to be productive in the clan, with many new products and ideas being delivered or hand-picked by ship captains themselves, who both trade these substances, and occasionally indulge in them, depending on the individual. Necromancers and juju shamans are often employed by these captains, since mindless undead minions are always seen as helpful expendable resources for any battle or occupation, and the occasional demon-worshiper is sure to have their claws in the souls of any crew members aboard a ship which they can influence. The necessity for new drug and alchemical resources, new taboos to spread and in which to indulge, and finding new minions for the demon-worshiping clergy to usurp and dominate, all of these needs require a heavy interaction between the clan and outsiders, meaning that even if they are unwelcome in a given region, they might still walk in uninvited, unwelcomed, and unwilling to leave willingly. Also, even the most introverted and isolated ship captain is sure to make port every so often, to replenish their practical resources, and find new converts or potential customers.

Territory & Holdings
The Indigo Bones Clan has many settlements and ports constructed in southern Minata (Rendah Pulu), as well as dockside holdings and farming colonies in the southeastern Valashmai Jungle. They are largely considered one of the most expansive of the pirate clans, having long ago grown outside the artificial boundaries of the nation of Minata, and they are also the closest of the clans presented here with those savages and demon-worshiping primitives of Rendah Pulu (see Savage Raiders for more information on the savages of southern Minata). Many such inland holdings include settlements, farming communities, graveyards, witches' huts, and even the occasional stronghold of the mad scientist or reclusive sorcerer, and no two holdings are ever the same.

Despite their lack of etiquette and tastefulness, the ship captains of many Indigo Bones fleets have a long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship with many of the crudest civilizations of the region, as well as a large pool of financial resources from raiding, exploration of ancient sites, and a vast agricultural program for produce both common and intoxicating. Because of their deep connections to shady "underbellies" of the region, and this history of interactions with powerful and potentially villainous individuals in a savage region, the Indigo Bones also has a diverse set of land holdings that one might not expect them to have – this includes an entire district owned by them in the wayang city of Jainai. Along with these standard dockside holdings, and the unique district in Jainai, the Indigo Bones' largest inland asset is said to be a large complex on one of the islands north of the big island, named Olakapuna. Some pirate clans even claim that from this island will soon come a vast fleet of organized savage raiders, led by the most insane and indulgent of all the clan's captains.

Fleet Composition
Most ship captains who command fleets in the Indigo Bones Clan are either powerful spellcasters, terrible warlords, unscrupulous tomb raiders, or even the occasional lucky and intelligent person who was simply in the right place at the right time – those influential enough to sway the opinions and hearts of others, and to lead them either to their deaths, or to riches, fame, and glorious rewards on the open seas. Nearly all of them have some interest in alchemy (especially drugs, poisons, and their antidotes), spellcasting or psionic manifesting (with necromancy specialists being among the most common and most powerful membership in the clan), powerful artifacts, ancient cultures and history, or dangerous monsters and outsiders. These multi-talented persons are usually incredibly influential, both inside the clan and outside of it, and if they do not possess great powers, they usually make up for it in some way, like with powerful magical artifacts.

To generalize any ship or fleet within the Indigo Bones would be a major waste of time, as no two ships or fleets are really the same, and ship captains often take great pains to make their sea-going vessels creatively and artistically unique, as a form of self-identification for both captains and their crews. Indulgent in all things, lovers of taboo and the grotesque, and often sadistic beyond measure, the ship captains of the Indigo Bones Clan are unusually care-free, even among their pirating peers – and this comes out in a variety of ways, from the fleets' behaviors and actions, to the way in which the fleets move into or occupy a given territory. In addition, some new traditions and methods have developed over the years, and the Indigo Bones are nothing if not flexible and mercurial, always adopting new ways or making old things new again in very creative ways.

Membership
As described above, it is difficult to generalize any crew, captain, ship, or the fleets of the Indigo Bones, because of their diverse backgrounds and shared love of all things individualized and indulgent. Many crew members are either purposefully addicted to potent drugs (to create a forced loyalty and dependence upon the ship captain), or else strictly forbidden to use the products that the Indigo Bones are often known for selling – and of course, lawful behavior is incredibly low in this clan, so very few can find themselves without the temptation to be led astray. Many ship captains have active necromancers, juju shamans, or witches who can animate and control mindless undead, and those with the proper resources make these a permanent addition to their crew and fleet assets. No sentient undead are allowed in the clan, although some dhampirs have joined the ranks over the years, often as a result of their hatred toward the tyrannical undead leadership of the Clan of the Dying Wind (above). Alchemists, herbalists, and all manner of botanical and wildlife experts are also commonly found in many crews.

The current leadership of the clan is under the direction of the Oracle-Queen, Lady Omisung Naraoi Potachi, who has held dominance over the other captains for well over two decades, but whose influence is waning, according to many of those closest to her. While laws are rare among the Indigo Bones captains, the Lady Oracle-Queen requires each fleet captain or commander to report to her once every six months, even if only by messenger boat, and to report to her in person once every other year. All manner of deceptions and scandal are employed by those seeking to obey this simple and meager rule, and the Lady Oracle-Queen's wrath is said to be quick and disturbingly effective – tales of powerful and influential ship captains who sought to disobey her simple rule of authority have been known to go missing, or worse, to have their memories and personalities completely wiped clean, as if they had never been a ship captain and with no knowledge of their previous lives whatsoever. Previous leadership employed a variety of means to gain control and order over this highly erratic and lawless clan, and each was different in their approach, even over the course of their rule – imagination and creative multi-lateral strategies and approaches have earned each ruler their own distinguished marks of ingenuity, and creative solutions are always valued most highly by the clan's leadership.

In terms of race, the Indigo Bones Clan is very diverse, and has one of the largest wayang populations of any of the organized pirate clans described here, as well as many tengus, and even some nagaji who have long since abandoned the restrictive caste-culture of Nagajor. Also worthy of mention are many fetchlings, a few dhampirs, fey-touched humanoids, monstrous races such as lizardfolk and catfolk, and because of the demonic influence over many years, there is a large population of fiendish blood promoted through tiefling lineages, including several 'noble' families who claim a long line of tiefling ancestry with demon blood.

The origins of the Indigo Bones is shrouded in deception, ignorance, and mistruths, but those who know the most of the lore will say that the first Indigo Bones ship captain was a powerful reptilian being named Ingroid-Amenatzi. Many claim this creature was some sort of dragon or human-form embodiment of the dragons or Valashmai, although many now claim he was an ophiduan, pointing to the recent re-emergence of this race in the Dragon Empires, as well as his powerful psionic abilities described in much of the lore surrounding him. As a powerful shaman of his people, Ingroid-Amenatzi used powerful hallucinogens to 'speak with the spirits' and receive powerful visions of the future and his own destiny, and by extension the destiny of his people. After a particularly powerful vision, the dragon-man set out on the most important spiritual quest of his life, to seek a life on the open seas, and to establish a sea-going "family" of journeyers who shared his notions. His quest was highly productive, and he settled several dockside holdings and farming communities over the course of his life, and discovered a wide variety of herbal remedies, vision catalysts, and antitoxins in the jungles of southern Tian Xia. Described as being over several thousand old, and no tales of his actual death, many believe that the original leader of the Indigo Bones may still be alive, and may even still be influencing the activities of his "family," although no sure evidence exists to prove this theory. Pirate tales say that if you speak his name three times, you can bring his ancient psychic eyes to look upon you.

Skull Face & The Hunt
Over 50 years ago, a pirate tale began to circulate which has caused the biggest shift in the collective culture of the Indigo Bones Clan to date, and which set the tone for the Indigo Bones in any port they docked from then on in. "Skull Face" as he is simply named, is a caricaturized embodiment of the skull on the Indigo Bones flag, which was then, and still is made by using a unique set of dyes which work in tandem with some of the herbal and alchemical mixtures the clan supplies to create a unique and memorable experience when viewing the flag. By using the hallucinogenic substances provided by the Indigo Bones suppliers, a viewer experiences the clan's flag in a very different than anyone else around them who has never used them – the special dyes in used in the flag's creation make the simple colors become vibrant, moving, and usually refracted into scintillating patterns of sublime fractal or other visionary elements, including skulls, bones, and other symbols of death and the afterlife. How this is accomplished is one of the most highly guarded secrets of the clan, which views this combination of product and unique advertising as one of the biggest assets. But how this basic setup turned into the current culture of the Indigo Bones is by far one of the most interesting aspects of their lives in the past several decades.

As the tale goes, a few friends who worked together at a rural island dockside holding of unknown but unaffiliated background to the clan itself, were sitting together on a hillside overlooking the bay and the docks and talking about things of little consequence, when suddenly a fleet of the Indigo Bones came into port, and one of the men's behavior shifted dramatically. Before this event, he was acting in a normal and coherent manner, and his friends had little reason to suspect him for being a drug addict or insane, but this soon changed when the flag of the ship was caught up into the wind. Suddenly, he became very agitated and speaking in an incoherent fashion.

At first, he began to say simply, "No, no, no, no…!" over and over again, as if in defiance of some unforeseen malevolence aboard the ship. When the flag came into full view, his demeanor became more agitated, and the concerned statements of his friends went completely unnoticed in his current frantic state. He began to intertwine "No" and "Yes" in his rant, as if he was becoming confused about how he felt about this new situation, staring unblinking as the ships sailed into port. Completely unaware of his companions' pleas for him to relax and sit back down, he stood up and screamed, "Yes, dear gods, yes! Skull Face, I love you! I LOVE YOU, SKULL FACE! Don't leave me, don't leave me! I'm coming for you, Skull Face – DON'T LEAVE ME!" And with that, the man went, half-running, half-tumbling down the hillside toward the docks, obviously looking for his next fix from the notorious drug suppliers.

The story went around docksides after that for many months, at each new island collecting new laughs and reveries at the notions of such hilarity and spontaneous reaction to the strange flag's unique power over people's perceptions. But no one, not even the fleet commander of the ships in question, could have ever predicted the popularity and diverse reactions this created in the many cultures of Minata and the surrounding region, and 'Skull Face' began to take hold on the people in a totally new way. A brother of then-leader of the clan, Lady Zorduian Narqueoli, the fey-blooded sorcerer Oldrix Onaxis Narqueoli, took upon this tale with incredible interest – and combined with his love of all things sylvan in nature, he created the persona now known as "Skull Face, the Hunstman," and changed the culture of the Indigo Bones Clan for many years to come. Taking his love of the dark fey to a new level, he orchestrated his own version of the faerie hunt, coming into port with Indigo Bones ships under the cover of night, and a single member of the crew donning a mask of the skull-faced patron of the clan begins to lead the crew into a port town. When this 'hunt' comes to town, the drug peddlers have already addicted a large populace of the community to their intoxicating concoctions, and take the addiction to the next level, leading them like children by a pied piper to the ships – sometimes this is to become part of the crew, try new drugs, to become slaves, or other more grotesque purposes.

Using magic, their unique notoriety, the fey lore surrounding the hunts of dark sylvans, and the usual cover of night, the clan continues to perpetrate this theatrical event occasionally, and the lore of Skull Face has become one of the most far-reaching and influential tales of the open seas in Minata and southern Tian Xia, and is completely unique to the clan. Often used to scare children into behaving, the hunt of the Indigo Bones Clan is a very real phenomenon, and most communities know to fear its coming, often teaching not to accept gifts from strangers, and not to try drugs or any offered goods of this clan.

Lantern Lodge

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Anybody have any thoughts on the Skull Face / Hunt inclusion for the Indigo Bones? I was really excited to get it done and put it up to share with others. ;)

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Chronicle sheet and faction mission handouts now completed for 'The Crime Ring' (1st level). HERE.

I will be running this module this November at U-Con here in Ypsilanti, MI, using the PFS basic setup, and these resources. I am hoping the players will really enjoy it - and everyone else too. ;) I have a registry working (only just begun) for those players who wish to register to get credit for playing this adventure arc. It will only count here, even if it does include PFS options. That registry is HERE.

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Bumping this thread to stir some more interest, and possibly get some more insightful responses from those who posted here before.

The playtesting group will be wrapping up the end of level 2 ('The Naga Financier') soon - Nov. 7th I think is our next game date, and they are nearly done with the final encounter of the 2nd-level module. Because of this, I have most of the elements I need in order to compile it and publish it - although I will be taking this more slowly than the 1st-level adventure, so I can put a bit more effort into refining it.

I have the majority of the 3rd-level module fleshed out, with a few blank spots still left open to see how it might work out more intuitively with the playtest group. I have begun placing locations/site of interest on the map of the [new] Nagajoran city of Rhiu'jhilan-Hoi, which is where the majority of the 3rd-level adventure module takes place. I will be outlining this further (revising/re-posting my previous notes for this adventure portion) here, and I will be using spoiler tags, in case any more of my players decide to get in on this thread, it will be more easily concealed.

I also have the 4th-level adventure portion in mind, and how it will play out, largely as part of a storyline which takes place across levels 4 and 5, in the lands off the map of southern Garund. There will be an archaeological dig, requiring me to work with some encampment rules from Serpent's Skull, and a possible mythic encounter in the works.

Lastly, I am working on, and finishing up the psionic and advanced-class pregens for use at U-Con next month when I run 'The Crime Ring.' These will include the following pregen player characters:

  • Lam Phung Trong - human aegis 1
  • Lijira Sadhushakti - human psion (telepath) 1
  • Belenivaji - nagaji psychic warrior 1
  • Selismei - ophiduan vitalist 1
  • Shadow - tengu blood god disciple, synthesist summoner 1
  • Whetu An - kitsune oracle 1

In addition, the other pregens that I will be completing (but not aiming for the U-Con date deadline):
  • Katu Tarido - vishkanya ninja 1
  • Gorome - human sea singer bard 1
  • Zhang Hsu - human hungry ghost ironskin monk 1
  • Arihata Vimundi - dhampir fighter 1

Lantern Lodge

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With the release of Bestiary 4, I found an element within the 2nd-level adventure ('The Naga Financier') that could be even more cool than it is currently.

Spoiler:
In the end scene of the adventure, in the base of operations behind the waterfall (the 'Well of Steadfast Resolve'), an artifact on the ceiling contains a psionic, magically-reposed undead fetus of some sort of serpentine humanoid creature, which powers its strange abilities.

This container, once destroyed (as normal), could release the creature, which would be treated as a Pickled Punk (Bestiary 4), with variant stats. It would have a different appearance than the typical pickled punk, and its physical stats would be limited, while it would instead receive some sort of psionic mind attack (such as mind thrust or something similar). I am still developing those exact stat changes, and will include them in the adventure material when it is completed and published to PDF.

To Justin Sluder and/or other playtesters: no peeking at the spoilers. :P

As I finish up the pregen characters, I will post them here, and give them their own wiki pages on the OP site.

As the 3rd-level adventure is revealed, and I can further put down details about the 4th- and 5th-level adventure modules, I think a lot more of the basis of this adventure arc will become clear. It is at that time, I expect there to be quite a bit more interest in this project. Some of the themes of the rest of the adventure arc will also become more clear, and players will begin to have a real chance to begin shaping their own vision of what their destiny is to become. This could include the kingdom-building and downtime rules, and could happen on a very vast scale. More to come.... I really hope that everyone enjoys this as much as I enjoy writing it. :)

Lantern Lodge

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Until the Obsidian Portal formatting gets worked out, and I feel more comfortable with the new layout, I will simply post the pregens here, and input them on OP later. This 1st-level pregen is based on the playtesting character: https://returnoftheannunaki.obsidianportal.com/characters/whetu-an-inori

Whetu An
Race Kitsune; Class Oracle 1
Deity Amaditi-teratsu; Homeland Minata
Creature Type Medium humanoid (kitsune, shapechanger); Alignment Chaotic Neutral
Initiative +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +6

DEFENSE
Armor Class 15; touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 armor, +1 shield); 17, t12, ff15 (with spirit shield)
Total Hit Points 10 (1d8+2); Current hp: __________________; Non-lethal: _____________
Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5

OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft. (encumbrance, 50 lbs. of gear, plus coins; 30 ft. normal)
Melee hanbo +1 (damage 1d6+1, trip), or
hanbo +1 (damage 1d6+1, trip), and bite -4 (damage 1d4) in true form only, or
wooden stake +1 (damage 1d4+1), or
wooden stake +1 (damage 1d4+1), and bite -4 (damage 1d4) in true form only, or
or bite +1 (damage 1d4+1) in true form only
Ranged light crossbow +2 (damage 1d8, 19-20/x2 crit; 80 ft. range incr.), or
wooden stake +2 (damage 1d4+1; 10 ft. range incr.)

TACTICS
Before Combat Whetu casts detect magic to discern magical threats, activating her spirit shield revelation if she believes she is in severe/extended physical danger.
During Combat Whetu casts bless on her party members at the beginning of battle, supporting others with cure light wounds, guidance, and stabilize. If allies wish for concealment, she will cast obscuring mist in a helpful target location. She prefers to stay out of melee combat, dealing ranged attacks, and supporting allies with spellcasting. She may drop gear to gain speed.

STATISTICS
STR 12 (+1 bonus)
DEX 14 (+2 bonus)
CON 12 (+1 bonus)
INT 12 (+1 bonus)
WIS 12 (+1 bonus)
CHA 17 (+3 bonus)
Base Attack Bonus +0
Combat Maneuver Bonus +1
Combat Maneuver Defense 13
Feats Iron Will, Self-Sufficient

SKILLS
Acrobatics +4 (encumbrance -3)
Diplomacy +5
Disguise +3 (+13 in human form to appear human)
Heal +3
Knowledge (local) +5
Knowledge (religion) +5
Perception +6
Sense Motive +5
Survival +3 (+4 in jungle terrain)

Languages Common (Tien), Senzar, Tengu
Kitsune Spell-like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +6)
3/day—dancing lights
Oracle Spells Known (CL 1st; concentration +6)
1st (4/day)—bless, cure light wounds (DC 14), obscuring mist
0 (at-will)—create water, detect magic, ghost sound (DC 13), guidance, mage hand, stabilize

SQ change shape, kitsune magic, mystery (Ancestor), oracle's curse (haunted), revelation (spirit shield)

Traits Focused Mind (Magic) & Valashmai Veteran (Regional)

EQUIPMENT Gear masterwork backpack, bedroll, buckler, flint and steel, lamellar cuirass, light crossbow with 10 bolts, hanbo, wooden holy symbol, scholar's outfit, spell component pouch, sunrod (2), trail rations (6), wooden stake (2); 28 gp, 9 sp (medium load)

Whetu An (whose secret kitsune name is Inori, although she never reveals that to anyone who is not kitsune, a shapechanger, or some other type of Senzar-speaking "spirit folk") lives her life almost exclusively as a human, and she rarely reveals her true form to anyone except the closest of allies and kin. She is feisty, cunning, and protective, although she often tends to be lost in her own thoughts. She enjoys being a trickster with humans, often learning what makes common folk tick by doing so, and she always has an underlying curiosity and thirst for expanded knowledge. Although Whetu has spent an extended period of time in the nearby Valashmai Jungle expanse, learning its ways and cultures, she grew up in the temple complex of Amaditi-teratsu, always learning from those around her, including the temple leadership, and the martial arts masters of the monastery. After learning of the town of Rimija by finding the path between the temple complex and the small secret town, she often walked the path between them with the permission of the temple leadership, and naturally takes to the job of protecting her fellow clergy. She values the freedom of the individual above all other complex notions and philosophies, and tends toward the side of good – but she is not above doing whatever is necessary in order to ensure the safety, integrity, and continued protection of others. Her extended time among the islands of Minata, and the eastern reaches of the Valashmai Jungle have given her a diverse background and open perspective on life, as well as a natural instinct for survival out in the wilds. Her people live a largely secretive lifestyle among the humans of the temple complex, appearing as humans except in the privacy or freedom of the wilds or other safe places away from prying eyes.

Age: 21
Height: 5'
Weight: 125 lbs.
Eyes: Hazel (in both forms)
Hair: Copper (in both forms)
Skin: Fair (human form)

Change Shape (Su): Whetu can assume the appearance of a single human form of the same sex—this form is static, and cannot be changed each time she assumes human form. She cannot make her bite attack while in human form, but gains a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks made to appear human. Changing between human shape and kistune shape (her "true form") is a standard action (does not provoke). This ability otherwise functions as alter self, save that Whetu does not adjust her ability scores.

Kitsune Magic (Ex/Sp): Whetu adds +1 to the DC of any saving throws against enchantment spells that she casts. She also gains a spell-like ability (dancing lights, 3/day, caster level=class level).

Mystery (Ancestor): Whetu adds Linguistics, and all Knowledge skills to her list of class skills. The Ancestor mystery grants bonus spells at higher levels, and allows access to specific oracle revelations.

Oracle's Curse (Su): Whetu has the following oracle's curse, which cannot be removed or dispelled without the aid of a deity.
Haunted: Malevolent spirits follow Whetu wherever she goes, causing minor mishaps and strange occurrences (such as unexpected breezes, small objects moving on their own, and faint noises). Retrieving any stored item from your gear requires a standard action, unless it would normally take longer. Any items Whetu drops lands 10 feet away from her in a random direction. Add mage hand and ghost sound to your list of spells known. This ability increases at higher levels.

Revelation: Whetu gains the following revelations from her Ancestor mystery.
Spirit Shield: You can call upon the spirits of your ancestors to form a shield around you that blocks incoming attacks and grants you a +4 armor bonus. You can use this shield for 1 hour per day per oracle level; this duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be spent in 1-hour increments. This ability increases at higher levels.

Traits: Whetu possesses the following character traits:
Focused Mind: You gain a +2 trait bonus on concentration checks.
Valashmai Veteran: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception checks, a +1 trait bonus to Survival checks made in jungle terrain, and Whetu treats Survival as a class skill.

This character uses material from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player's Guide, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Player Companion: Dragon Empires Primer, Pathfinder Companion: Adventurer's Armory, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Campaign, and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Equipment.

Lantern Lodge

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Since my playtest groups has diligently led their party straight to the most dangerous place on the face of the planet, I had to do a little tweaking on some kaiju stats, to make sure to pit them against a formidable foe at 3rd level that wouldn't completely decimate them (a little mythic power should also help, when the time comes).

Kaiju subtype stats, and Baby kaiju traits (CR 5-20):

Spoiler:
Kaiju Subtype
These Colossal creatures inhabit the most desolate places of a world. When they are not slumbering, they roam the world, leaving destruction in their wake. A kaiju possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).
• A kaiju's natural attacks count as epic and magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Damage reduction 20/epic.
• Darkvision 600 feet.
• Fast Healing 30.
Ferocity (Ex): A creature with ferocity remains conscious and can continue fighting even if its hit point total is below 0. The creature is still staggered and loses 1 hit point each round. A creature with ferocity still dies when its hit point total reaches a negative amount equal to its Constitution score.
Hurl Foe (Ex): When a kaiju damages a Huge or smaller foe with one of its natural attacks, it can try to hurl that foe as part of that attack by attempting a combat maneuver check. On a successful check, the foe is knocked back 10 feet in a direction of the kaiju's choice and falls prone. The distance the foe is hurled increases by 10 feet for every 5 points by which the kaiju's check exceeds the foe's CMD. If an obstacle stops the hurled creature before it travels the whole distance, the hurled foe and the obstacle struck each take 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of distance remaining and the foe is knocked prone in the space adjacent to the obstacle.
• Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, death effects, disease, energy drain, and fear.
Massive (Ex): Because kaiju are so massive, uneven ground and other terrain features that form difficult terrain generally pose no significant hindrance to a kaiju's movement, though areas of forest or settlements are considered difficult terrain to a kaiju. A Huge or smaller creature can move through any square occupied by a kaiju, or vice-versa. A kaiju can make attacks of opportunity only against foes that are Huge or larger, and can be flanked only by Huge or larger foes. A kaiju gains a bonus for being on higher ground only if its entire space is on higher ground than that of its target. It's possible for a Huge or smaller creature to climb a kaiju—this generally requires a successful DC 30 check, and unlike the normal rules about kaiju and attacks of opportunity, a Small or larger creature that climbs on a kaiju's body provokes attacks of opportunity from the monster.
Recovery (Ex): Whenever a kaiju fails a saving throw against any mind-affecting, paralysis, petrification, polymorph, or immobilizing effect (including binding and temporal stasis but not including imprisonment), it can attempt a new saving throw at the end of its turn to remove the effect. Doing so takes no action. A kaiju can attempt a new save to end the effect as often as it wishes, but can attempt to remove only one such effect per round. Once per year, if a kaiju takes an amount of damage that would normally kill it by reducing its hit point total to a negative amount equal to its Constitution score, the damage instead heals the kaiju of twice the amount of damage—but this healing leaves the kaiju disoriented and demoralized. At this point, the creature becomes nauseated and seeks only to return to its lair. Any amount of damage dealt to it by an external source before it reaches its lair, though, immediately negates the nauseated effect and allows the kaiju to end its retreat and attack.
• Resistance 30 against acid, cold, electricity, fire, negative energy, and sonic.

Baby Kaiju Traits
The following traits replace the standard traits of a kaiju up to CR 20 (29 Hit Dice), allowing for baby and juvenile versions of normal kaiju, unless otherwise noted. A baby kaiju's Hit Dice and size is based on its Challenge Rating, listed on the table below.
• A baby kaiju's natural attacks count as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction; the natural attacks of a baby kaiju with 20-29 Hit Die (CR 16-20) also count as epic.
• A baby kaiju possesses DR #/epic, according to its CR, listed below.
• A baby kaiju possesses darkvision, up to a distance listed below, according to the its CR.
• A baby kaiju possesses fast healing, healing a number of hit points equal to the number listed below, according to its CR.
Ferocity (Ex): This ability functions as normal for kaiju.
Lesser Hurl Foe (Ex): This ability functions as normal for kaiju, except that baby kaiju can use this ability against creatures up to two size categories smaller than itself, and as follows: a Huge-sized baby kaiju that succeeds on its combat maneuver check knock their opponents prone; and Gargantuan-sized baby kaiju are treated as having the push ability, with CR 11-15 Gargantuan baby kaiju pushing back 5 ft. and knocking enemies prone (plus an additional 5 ft. for every 5 points by which the baby kaiju exceeds the foe's CMD), and CR 16-20 Gargantuan baby kaiju pushing back 10 ft. (plus an additional 5 ft. for every 5 points by which the baby kaiju exceeds the foe's CMD).
• Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, death effects, disease, energy drain, and fear.
Massive (Ex): This ability functions as normal for kaiju, except that it affects creatures two size categories smaller than the kaiju where it states, "Huge creatures" (affecting Medium to Large creatures, for Huge and Gargantuan-sized baby kaiju) and creatures five size categories smaller than the kaiju where it states, "Small creatures" (affecting Diminutive to Tiny creatures, for Huge and Gargantuan-sized baby kaiju).
Recovery (Ex): This ability functions as normal for kaiju.
• A baby kaiju possesses resistance to acid, cold, electricity, fire, negative energy, and sonic, of the amount listed below, according to its CR.

Table: Baby Kaiju Traits (by CR)
Challenge Rating: 5-10 / 11-15 / 16-20
Hit Dice: 6-12 / 13-19 / 20-29
DR #/epic: 5 / 10 / 15
Darkvision: 60 ft. / 120 ft. / 180 ft.
Fast Healing: 10 / 20 / 25
Resistances: 5 / 15 / 20
Size: Huge / Gargantuan / Gargantuan

Agrazori
This kaiju is similar to a baby version of Agyra, presented at CR 7.
Agrazori (CR 7)
This two-headed winged creature has one avian head and one reptilian head; the union between Agyra and a prismatic roc. [Magical Beast, Forest, Warm]

XP 3,200
CN Huge magical beast (air, kaiju)
Init +8; Senses blindsense 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +23

Defense
AC 20; touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+4 Dex, -2 size, +8 natural)
hp 85 (9d10+36); fast healing 10
Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +8
Defensive Abilities electrified corpse, ferocity, rebirth, recovery; DR 5/epic; Immune ability damage, ability drain, death effects, disease, electricity, energy drain, fear; Resist acid 5, cold 5, fire 5, negative energy 5, sonic 5

Offense
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft. (clumsy), rapid flight
Melee 2 bites +14 (2d6+8/19-20 plus bleed), 2 talons +14 (1d8+8), tail slap +9 (3d6+4)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (20 ft. with tail)
Special Attacks bleed (1d6), blinding flash, breath weapon, lesser hurl foe, lesser hurricane, thunderous blast

Statistics
Str 26, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 3, Wis 16, Cha 22
Base Atk +6; CMB +14; CMD 28
Feats Combat Reflexes, Hover, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Wingover
Skills Fly +9, Perception +23; Racial Modifiers +16 Perception
Languages Auran (can't speak)
SQ massive, storm flier

Ecology
Environment warm forests and mountains
Organization solitary (unique)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities
Blinding Blast (Su): This ability functions as Agyra's ability of the same name, except that it requires a DC 18 Fortitude save, and the blindness only lasts for 10 minutes on a failed saving throw.

Breath Weapon (Su): This ability is the same as Agyra's breath weapon, except that it functions in a 200-foot line distance, and requires a DC 18 Reflex save to avoid, and causes 3d6 points of electricity to the targets; creatures slain by this breath weapon are electrified for only 1d3 rounds after death, and deal 2d6 points of electricity damage to creatures which touch the corpse.

Electrified Corpse (Su): This ability functions the same as Agyra's ability of the same name, except that it only deals 2d6 electricity damage, and the site is affected for 1d2+4 rounds.

Lesser Hurricane (Sp): This ability functions the same as Agyra's hurricane ability, except that the area affected is a half-mile radius with a 150-foot calm eye, and lasts for only one hour.

Rapid Flight (Su): This ability functions the same as Agyra's swift flight ability, except that Agrazori can move up to 800 feet in a straight line, and she can use it only three times per day.

Rebirth (Su): This ability functions the same as Agyra's ability of the same name.

Storm Flier (Ex): This ability functions the same as Agyra's ability of the same name.

Thunderous Blast (Su): This ability functions the same as Agyra's ability of the same name, except that it deals 2d10 points of sonic damage, and requires a DC 18 Reflex save; targets are deafened for 10 minutes instead of permanently, and targets that succeed at the save are affected as written.

Mogaruki
This kaiju is similar to a baby version of Mogaru, presented at CR 6.
Mogaruki (CR 6)
This massive reptilian biped has a large turtle shell on his back covered in magical runes; the union between Mogaru and a dragon turtle. [Magical Beast, Forest, Temperate]

XP 2,400
CN Huge magical beast (kaiju, water)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, see invisibility, sense kaiju; Perception +23

Defense
AC 21; touch 10, flat-footed 19 (+2 Dex, -2 size, +11 natural)
hp 68 (8d10+24); fast healing 10
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +5
Defensive Abilities absorb energy, ferocity, recovery; DR 5/epic; Immune ability damage, ability drain, cold, death effects, disease, energy drain, and fear; Resist acid 5, electricity 5, fire 5, negative energy 5, sonic 5
Weaknesses susceptible to song

Offense
Speed 40 ft., swim 60 ft.
Melee bite +15 (2d6+9/19-20 plus grab), 2 claws +15 (1d8+9/19-20), tail slap +10 (2d6+4)
Ranged icy bolts +8 touch (damage variable; see below)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon, ferocity, fast swallow, lesser hurl foe, reflexive breath, swallow whole (Small creatures; 3d6 bludgeoning and 3d6 cold damage, AC 15, 6 hp), trample (2d6+13, DC 23)

Statistics
Str 29, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 3, Wis 16, Cha 20
Base Atk +8; CMB +17 (+21 bull rush, +21 grapple); CMD 29 (31 vs. bull rush)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Critical (claws), Improved Initiative
Skills Perception +23, Swim +13; Racial Modifiers +16 Perception
Languages Aquan (can't speak)
SQ massive

Ecology
Environment temperate and warm forests or water
Organization solitary (unique)
Treasure incidental

Special Abilities
Absorb Energy (Ex): This ability functions the same as Mogaru's ability of the same name.

Breath Weapon (Su): This ability functions the same as Mogaru's breath weapon ability, except that it does cold damage instead of fire, in a 120-foot-long line (or a 60-foot cone), dealing 2d6 cold and 2d6 force damage (Reflex DC 17), but otherwise functions as normal.

Icy Bolts (Su): This functions as Mogaru's firebolts ability, except that it deals cold damage instead of fire damage, and has a range of 120 feet; 6 bolts deal 1d4 damage each, 3 bolts deal 2d4 damage each, and 1 bolt deals 4d4 damage. Instead of dealing normal damage to objects and ignoring object hardness, these energy bolts deal 150% as much damage to constructs, oozes, plants, and undead.

Reflexive Breath (Ex): This ability functions the same as Mogaru's ability of the same name (Reflex save DC 7).

Sense Kaiju (Su): This ability functions the same as Mogaru's ability of the same name.

Susceptible to Song (Ex): This ability functions the same as Mogaru's ability of the same name, but the check to succeed against for the performer is a Perform (sing) DC 18.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I will hold on to this, it looks pretty cool!

Lantern Lodge

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:) Thanks.

As soon as I can finish up the 'Minatan Pirates' section, and the rest of the pregens, I will begin compiling 2nd level portion into a module like I did with 'The Crime Ring,' and as the playtesting group completes the 3rd-level portion, and I can finish up 'Ecology of the Naga-kin,' I will begin compiling the 3rd-level module.

Both 4th and 5th levels are still a bit too rough for me to know when and how they will be completed, but I am trying to make them part of the same batch of work, even though they will still probably be individual modules. These two levels are really part of a single segment of the storyline, like part 1 and 2 in a TV series, focused on a single goal.

I am also stalling a bit right now, so I can work on another, unrelated adventure product for The Nymian Beastlands Campaign Setting, called 'Temple of the Beast.' I hope to have the 3-part series out before this year's end.

Lantern Lodge

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The PCs have taken route C to get to Nagajor - the Coastal Route (on this image) - and have arrived in the port community I placed there, named Ruko.

Ruko (Coastal Route Port)
N Small Town
Corruption –2; Crime +0; Economy –4; Law –4; Lore +5; Society –10
Qualities academic, magically attuned
Danger +20; Disadvantages cursed, hunted

Demographics
Government magical (arcane academy research outpost)
Population 600 (125 humans, 100 nagaji/ophiduans, 375 others)
Notable NPCs
Nanh Do Quyen, Lead Valashmai Arcane Phenomena (VAP) Researcher (LG female human magus 8)
Hyephtha Khaseimn, Assistant VAP Researcher (NG female ophiduan psion 7)
Mamkito Laji, Assistant VAP Researcher (CG male kitsune wizard 6)
Popsan Tiktik, Lead Archivist & Scribe (NG female tengu bard 6)
Orphilin Lanjin, Head of Security (LN male samsaran samurai 7)
Serumvane of the Valashmai, Expert Valashmai Ranger (CG male nagaji inquisitor 2/ranger 4)
Amrist Elmaxi, Dockmaster (NG female [Castrovelian elf or lashunta] expert 4/soulknife 3)

Marketplace
Base Value 1,000 gp; Purchase Limit 6,000 gp; Spellcasting 8th
Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 1d6; Major Items

Ruko is a small, dreary but steamy port town located on the very furthest southwest border of Xa Hoi on the jungle expanse called the Valashmai Jungle. It would not exist at all if it were not for its ideal location for simple trade with Minatans and pirates, and the ongoing academic interest by some in the paranormal characteristics of the strange field of energies which surrounds the region. One of the most elite and dignified academies in all of Tian Xia, the local professorship in Xa Hoi’s prestigious arcane and psionic studies has allowed for a continued research presence on the safest borders of the Valashmai Arcane Phenomena (or VAP) field, and finances a small outfit in the area, creating a small town where there would otherwise only be an empty coastline. Many local peoples of different races have also come to congregate here, looming near to the growing populace, subsisting on incoming funds and resources from the collegiate researchers while they keep the outpost-town secure from jungle threats, savage natives, and other hazards. Ruko is often surrounded by a dense fog that rolls out onto the ocean from the steaming inland foliage, and jungle rains can last for hours and cause massive flooding in some nearby areas quite easily; the climate is very warm and humid, and gets even hotter in the later spring and summer months.

In addition to the constant threats which emerge from the jungle to hunt and kill the locals, the town is also cursed. The curse grants a specified -4 penalty to the community’s Society modifier, in addition to other normal effects of the disadvantage; the exact nature and solution for the curse affecting the town can be determined by the GM. By solving the challenge of the town’s curse, the PCs could remove the cursed disadvantage from the community. By properly protecting the town from a particularly challenging wilderness enemy, the PCs could also possibly remove the hunted disadvantage from the community. Otherwise, this community is merely meant to stand as a waypoint for the PCs on their journey to Nagajor.

The Concordance RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Wow. really enjoying this. Thanks for all your hard work.

Lantern Lodge

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From Malen Kxien

Malen Kxien (River Route Port)
LN Large town
Corruption +0; Crime -2; Economy +1; Law +3; Lore +2; Society -2
Qualities academic, holy site, prosperous
Danger +5

Demographics
Government overlord (duke/lord)
Population 3,940 (2,500 humans, 1,440 other)
Notable NPCs:

  • Lord Chau Tuong Kinh, High Lord (LN male human aristocrat 4/sorcerer 6)
  • Honorable Cao Huu Liem, Imperial Honorary (Lender-Mint-Notary-Probate) (LN old male human aristocrat 7/expert 4/abjurer 2)
  • Lady Chau Que Xuan, Heir Duchess (CG female human aristocrat 5/bard 2)
  • Prof. Lam Thanh Tai, Dean of the Imperial Academy (LN male human aristocrat 2/expert 5/wizard 3)
  • Lt. Mili Runpei of House Katlan’jiun, Head of Security (LN female vishkanya magi 3/samurai 6)
  • Sgt.Yankea Kunyei Hunh, Dockmaster (NG female kitsune expert 4/warrior 5)
  • Minister Kenhui Sonan, High Priest of Abadar (LG male samsaran cleric 8)
  • Sister Muy Maly, Monastery Teacher (LG female human monk 5/tactician 2)
  • Ragamorion, Nagajoran Guide (NG male nagaji expert 4/warrior 4)
  • Ylissa Omrun of the Burntwood, Valashmai Expert (LN female ophiduan expert 4/marksman 4)
  • Namei Rokitu, Seer and Relics Historian (CG male kitsune cryptic 3/diviner 3/expert 3)
  • Capt. Xaiki Ponh, Riverboater (CN male tengu expert 3/rogue 2)

Marketplace
Base Value 2,600 gp; Purchase Limit 15,000 gp; Spellcasting 8th
Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 2d4; Major Items 1d4

Malen Kxien (“MAY-len k’sh-YEN”) is among the best protected ports in southern Xa Hoi, and allows for trade between the coastal regions, and inland cities of Nagajor open to trade with foreigners. Of all the ports included here, Malen Kxien is the best suited to allow a GM to explore the culture of Xa Hoi. It could serve to begin relations between this isolationist country and Minatan trade captains, the PCs themselves (as traders, missionaries, or imperialists of their own manifest destiny), or other parties which need to further secure political stances with the country while the PCs are there to instigate this activity. Encounters can be diplomatic or political in nature, a misunderstanding resulting in a skirmish with real Xa Hoi sentries (use the stats for false Xa Hoi sentries - presented in the adventure material), or pirates, with the possibility of an incursion by a wild animal from the nearby wilderness. Docking here will require the use of a skilled Xa Hoi diplomat with the party, as will most any other activity while they are in the country, and the ship(s) the PCs bring – if they are not simply hired help – can remain docked here under certain conditions and with proper payment (which can be negotiated to pay over time, although justice for eventual non-payment is harsh and extreme). Otherwise, this community is merely meant to stand as a waypoint for the PCs on their journey to Nagajor.

Lantern Lodge

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From Hipshen

Hipshen (Forest Route Port)
CG Village
Corruption -3; Crime -3; Economy -3; Law -2; Lore -2; Society -3
Qualities insular, rumormongering citizens
Danger +0; Disadvantages plagued (malaria)

Demographics
Government autocracy (mayor)
Population 180 (80 humans, 100 other)
Notable NPCs:

  • Lady Meng Sei Daiyem, Mayor (NG female human aristocrat 4/expert 3)
  • Lam Da Seng Ud, Healer/Adviser (NG male samsaran oracle 5)
  • Najem Ashinat, Woodland Hunter (CN female half-elf ranger 3/rogue 2)
  • Prikeelu Himshep, Antiquities Expert (CG male wayang expert 6)
  • Shamsai Hamrabei, Trade Master (N female tengu expert 4/warrior 2)

Marketplace
Base Value 400 gp; Purchase Limit 2,500 gp; Spellcasting 3rd
Minor Items 2d4 items; Medium Items 1d4; Major Items

Hipshen is among the very few communities in Xa Hoi to openly discuss the imperial leadership in a skeptical way within the public forum, and though they never took any action against the national government, the act of questioning its divine leadership was seen as a major slight against the imperial dragon ruler. Within days of the town hall meeting of particular note (now almost ten years ago), the national government declared an immediate tax payment due from all citizens in the town, which would then be followed by no more taxes, ever again taken from the people in this community – but the amount required was more than some could pay. When those in the most desperate state of poverty began to be arrested and jailed, the local church of Abadar collected money from the other concerned citizens to pay to have many of them bailed out and their taxes covered. However, this left most of the citizens with little or nothing left, and as the soldiers, jailed citizens, and aristocrats were quickly found leaving the town, its population dwindled and lost most of its previous productivity and civil enthusiasm. Since then, the imperial government leaves Hipshen alone, not taking any taxes or requirements of any kind, but also not protecting the villagers against pirates, local wildlife, disease outbreaks, or any other emergencies. Similarly, the move to bail out citizens from arrest before the aristocracy and the national soldiers left town put the church of Abadar in serious debt, and without any method of re-establishing themselves, even the church succumbed to the empire’s sanctions for the town’s second-guessing nature. In addition, the village – now severely underpopulated, malnourished, and having difficulty properly storing and distributing enough fresh food for the small population they have remaining – is suffering from the effects of malaria, brought in by the biting jungle insects from the west. And while they do not suffer the same extent of wild attacks from the Valashmai region as other locations, they are occasionally prone to attacks by savage humanoids, animals and beasts, and the occasional pirates – and they have been lucky that a pirate ship or fleet has not already realized their vulnerable state, and staged a raid on the village.

Since this adventure is not intended to go into depth in the culture of Xa Hoi, it is not recommended that the PCs take too much time dealing with the village’s issues with the imperial dragon’s government, but it could be helpful to bring some resources, dignity, and justice back to the community, and perhaps re-build ties with the imperial government. It could be possible to establish ties with like-minded pirate clans to create alternatives to the community’s re-establishment with the empire, or the GM might wish to stage a pirate siege on the village while the PCs are there, as an additional random encounter. By healing the malaria or otherwise helping to prevent its spread and deadliness, the PCs could also possibly remove the plagued disadvantage from the community. Otherwise, this community is merely meant to stand as a waypoint for the PCs on their journey to Nagajor.

Lantern Lodge

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The above three port communities - Malen Kxien, Hipshen, and Ruko - are the locations where the paths make landfall on this map: 3 Routes to Nagajor. This is for level 3, 'To Enter the Serpent's Den.'

These three routes can take the PCs from Minata (Belem and the home island), to the naga city of Rhiu'jhilan-Hoi in Nagajor.
A) River Route - upriver in central Xa Hoi, mostly land, shortest route
B) Forest Route - a rural series of hunting paths through southern Xa Hoi wilderness, middle option route
C) Coastal Route - up the coast of Xa Hoi, around the southern tip, and landing at the border between Xa Hoi and the Valashmai Jungle expanse (specifically, the outside of the boundary of the VAP - Valashmai Arcane Phenomena - note: I made this term up, and it is not sourced from any product), mostly ocean, longest and most dangerous route

Each of these routes has its own challenges, and requirements. The River Route requires ongoing diplomacy with Xa Hoi official security, and in a lawful society with harsh punishments, it requires the careful negotiations of a trained Xa Hoi diplomat (which the PCs must hire before they leave Minata if they take this route). The Forest Route requires a skilled forest ranger to help them navigate the hunting paths and less-traveled routes to Nagajor, which they can hire after they make landfall in Xa Hoi (Hipshen). The Coastal Route requires a properly trained sea voyage captain with experience in the Valashmai region and its hazards, which they must hire before setting out from Minata's shores. All three routes will feature their own hazards and random encounter types (rivers/hills, forests, ocean, etc.), and will require some additional special care and diplomatic handling of the Nagajoran natives once they reach the borders with Xa Hoi or the Valashmai.

All the while, the PCs must deal with the collective consciousness housed in the statue, which issues orders, and attempts to understand the PC it chooses to commune with, and the group dynamics of the party with that PC, including other NPCs that the PC party has brought in for the journey. By this point (3rd level module), it's possible that the PCs will have developed an entourage of additional NPC companions outsider of their core PC party; these NPCs are meant to benefit the party only to the extent that it does not overburden the group, and the GM should limit the total number of all PCs and allied NPCs to 7 total characters for each encounter (no swapping characters during combat). This allows groups that are missing a player to substitute an NPC to the party for a session or more when needed, and when less than four players show up, it allows the group to continue on with each player acting as one PC and perhaps another allied NPC.

It's possible you may find your PCs issuing some sort of command to the effect of, "Join us or die!" and it's understandable that most NPCs, even the most vile, sadistic, and malevolent of them, might take a second look, and perhaps even find themselves on the brink of an alignment shift toward neutrality. Any NPC that was previously evil-aligned, and experienced a valid alignment shift, could easily be justified as being thoroughly impressed with the honor, strength, and dedication of the PCs - and any who are ideologically drawn to the idea of the returning Ancient Ones, and their divine right, might see the PCs as the newest facet of an ever-evolving mystery of their prophesied return, as the stars are indeed currently aligning as the PCs take control of the statue (or Serpent Touchstone). Don't be surprised if your PCs find themselves toying with the idea of starting a little empire of their own, in preparation for the Annunaki, or otherwise.

For more information on the Valashmai, and what the VAP is supposed to be, see 'Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Mythic Realms.'

Lantern Lodge

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More pregens (this one is not part of the playtesting group PCs, but was made specifically for the U-Con 2013 event I hosted)...

Lijira Sadhushakti
Race Human (Vudrani); Class Psion (Telepath) 1
Deity Janasini (pantheist); Homeland Minata (Vudra origin)
Creature Type Medium humanoid (human); Alignment Neutral (N)
Initiative +1; Senses Perception +2

DEFENSE
Armor Class 11; touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex); 15, t11, ff14 (with inertial armor)
Total Hit Points 12 (1d6+6)
Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +3

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft. (30 ft. normal)
Melee dagger +1 (damage 1d4+1, 19-20/x2 crit), or
shortspear +1 (damage 1d6+1)
Ranged dagger +1 (damage 1d4+1, 19-20/x2 crit; 10 ft. range incr.), or
shortspear +1 (damage 1d6+1; 20 ft. range incr.)

TACTICS
Before Combat If Lijira believes there is a chance of magical or psionic effects or items she manifests detect psionics, followed by empty mind.
During Combat Lijira neutralizes particularly angry foes by making them her friends, using empathic connection, or attempts to bring down strong opponents by using mind thrust to harm them. She avoids melee combat, attempting to stay out of reach of attacks, and uses her psionic tattoo of inertial armor if opponents come too close.

STATISTICS
STR 13 (+1 bonus)
DEX 12 (+1 bonus)
CON 12 (+1 bonus)
INT 17 (+3 bonus)
WIS 13 (+1 bonus)
CHA 13 (+1 bonus)
Base Attack Bonus +0
Combat Maneuver Bonus +1
Combat Maneuver Defense 12
Feats Fast Learner, Psionic Body, Psionic Talent

SKILLS
Diplomacy +5
Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7
Knowledge (psionics) +7
Perception +2
Sense Motive +5
Sleight of Hand +3
Spellcraft +7
Stealth +3
Survival +1 (+5 in urban or underground terrain)
Languages Common (Tien), Nagaji (Draconic), Minatan, Vudrani, Wayang

Psion Powers Known (ML 1st; concentration +6; 5 power points)
1st—empathic connection AD, empty mind A, mind thrust A
0 (at-will)—conceal thoughts, detect psionics, empathy A, far hand A, my light A, sense poison, telepathic lash A
D discipline power; Discipline telepathy; A augmentable

SQ alternate racial trait (heart of the slums), discipline (telepathy), talents
Traits Focused Mind (Magic) & Liberator Blooded (Campaign, Racial)
EQUIPMENT Combat Gear power stone (mind thrust, addressed), psionic tattoo of inertial armor; Gear backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, blanket, daggers (3), flint and steel, iron pot, mess kit, shortspears (4), soap, torches (10), trail rations (5), waterskin; 31 gp, 5 sp

Lijira Sadhushakti is a recent immigrant of the steady flow between Vudra and Minata (specifically the temple complex of Amaditi-teratsu), whose studies of the mind have led her to have a deep interest in the studies of the academy at the temple complex. Lijira is the daughter of two sailors, naturally taking to the life of seafaring travel, and though she is of Vudrani descent and cultural upbringing, she was born off the western coast of Nagajor and the Valashmai Jungle (Tian Xia), under the auspicious sign of the saurian comet and the jade moon, marking her as an individual destined for greatness. She often wears ornate clothing, including veils, headdresses, and tiaras, when in the comfort of her own people, but during her travels she has taken up the garb of the wandering monk/ascetic, and often wears her long hair up in pins or a band. She has permanent tattoos covering many portions of her body (most recognizable is an ornamental red and black mark over her "third eye" or forehead, along with a stylized "crown" above it), and she often embellishes these with temporary henna (usually heavily perfumed), and she tends to have any psionic tattoos she acquires inscribed directly over others already present on her body. While unsure of what her future has in store for her, she is a believer that the journey itself is far more important than the end result, and often seeks out new experiences simply to follow such a philosophy. She would like to be an ascetic monk, but she realizes that the life of an adventurer often prevents such extreme self-sacrifice, and happily looks for more ways to expand her psionic power and understanding. She is particularly fond of ancient mysteries, especially those relating to psionics or powerful manifesters in history, and has a keen understanding of the nature of underground realms and ancient ruins which she has picked up from multiple sources abroad and at home in the temple complex of Amaditi-teratsu in Minata.

Age: 28
Height: 5' 5"
Weight: 132 lbs.
Eyes: Dark Brown
Hair: Dark Brown
Skin: Deep tan, tattooed

Alternate Racial Trait: Lijira possesses the following alternate racial trait.
Heart of the Slums: You gain a +2 racial bonus on Sleight of Hand and Stealth checks, and a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks in urban and underground settings. In addition, you may roll twice when saving against disease, taking the better roll result. This racial trait replaces the skilled racial trait.

Detect Psionics (Ps*): All psions, regardless of their chosen discipline, gain the ability to use detect psionics at will, as long as they maintain psionic focus (see below).

Discipline: Every psion must decide at 1st level, in which discipline she will specialize. Lijira gains access to the benefits of the Telepath discipline, and she cannot learn powers that are restricted to the other disciplines. She cannot use restricted powers, even by employing psionic items.

Psionic Focus: Any creature that has a power point pool or the ability to manifest psi-like abilities, can meditate to become psionically focused; meditating to gain psionic focus is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. You remain psionically focused until you expend your focus, become unconscious, or go to sleep. You may still gain psionic focus even if you have depleted all of your power points. Many feats and class abilities work either by maintaining or expending psionic focus, in addition the following benefits.
When you are psionically focused, you can expend your focus on any single concentration check you make thereafter. When you expend your focus in this manner, your concentration check is treated as though you rolled a 15 (it's like taking 10 on a roll, except that the number you add to your concentration check modifier is 15). Expending your psionic focus to power a feat, class feature, or any other ability only powers a single effect. You cannot gain the benefit of multiple abilities that require expending psionic focus by doing so once; each effect requires its own instance of expending psionic focus.

Talents: Presented in Psionics Expanded, talents are 0-level powers that are powered by psionic focus rather than power points, and can be used at-will. Lijira may manifest any talent she knows without paying power points as long as she maintains psionic focus, by expending her psionic focus, or by paying a single power point. Talents can only be augmented if Lijira spends 1 power point on the manifestation in addition to any power points spend augmenting the power. Lijira's psion powers also grant her bonus talents (linked talents); these include empathic connection (granting empathy), empty mind (granting conceal thoughts), and mind thrust (granting telepathic lash). Detect psionics is automatically added to the talents known list for psions. This replaces the discipline talents class ability, and alters the detect psionics psi-like ability of the psion class (above).

Traits: Lijira possesses the following character traits:
Focused Mind: You gain a +2 trait bonus on concentration checks.
Liberator Blooded: You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge checks made to identify the characteristics of any Annunaki-blooded creature, and a +1 trait bonus to Will saves against mind-affecting [compulsion] magic or psionic effects.

Favored Class (Psion): Lijira can choose to receive the following benefit for her favored class, instead of +1 hit point or +1 skill rank whenever she gains a level in a favored class (psion).
Psion: Add 1/2 power known from the psion power list. This power must be at least one level below the highest power level the psion can manifest.

* Psi-like abilities (Ps) are detailed in Psionics Unleashed.

Fast Learner
As you progress, you gain extra versatility.
Prerequisites: Int 13, human.
Benefit: When you gain a level in a favored class, you gain both +1 hit point and +1 skill rank instead of choosing either one or the other benefit, or you can choose an alternate class reward instead of one of these.

Psionic Body [Psionic]
Your mind reinforces your body.
Benefit: When you take this feat, you gain 2 hit points for each psionic feat you have (including this one). Whenever you take a new psionic feat, you gain 2 more hit points.

Psionic Talent [Psionic]
You gain additional power points to supplement those you already had.
Prerequisite: Having a power point reserve.
Benefit: When you take this feat for the first time, you gain 2 power points.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you take the feat after the first time, the number of power points you gain increases by 1.

Psion Powers Known
Lijira can manifest the following powers by spending power points, or by expending psionic focus (for talents).

  • Conceal Thoughts: You conceal your motives.
  • Detect Psionics: You detect the presence of psionics; Augment: +10 enhancement bonus to Spellcraft to identify properties or command words for psionic items (2 PP).
  • Empathic Connection: Makes one person your friend; Augment: affects animal, fey, magical beast, or monstrous humanoid (2 PP), affects aberration, dragon, elemental, or outsider (4 PP), increased duration (4 PP).
  • Empathy: You know the subject's surface emotions; Augment: increased range and area (+1 PP), increased duration (2 PP).
  • Empty Mind: You gain +2 on Will saves until your next action; Augment: increased bonus (+2 PP).
  • Far Hand: Move small objects at a limited distance; Augment: increased range (+2 PP), increased weight limit (+1 PP).
  • Inertial Armor: Tangible field of force provides you with +4 armor bonus to AC; Augment: increased armor bonus (+2 PP).
  • Mind Thrust: Deal 1d10 damage; Augment: increased damage and save DC (+1 PP).
  • My Light: Your eyes emit a 40-ft. cone of light; Augment: swift action to activate (2 PP).
  • Sense Poison: Detect the presence of poison in a creature. (From Psionics Expanded).
  • Telepathic Lash: Humanoid creature of 4 HD or less loses next action; Augment: more powerful target and increased save DC (+1 PP), increased duration with increased save DC and possible stunning (+1 PP).

This character uses material from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide, Psionics Unleashed, Psionics Expanded, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Campaign, and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Equipment.

Lantern Lodge

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Belenivaji
Race Nagaji; Class Psychic Warrior 1
Deity Nalinivati; Homeland Nagajor
Creature Type Medium humanoid (reptilian); Alignment Neutral
Initiative +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +8

DEFENSE
Armor Class 17; touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+1 Dex, +5 armor, +1 natural); -4 Armor check penalty
Total Hit Points 11 (1d8+3)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +2; +2 vs. mind-affecting effects, +4 vs. poison effects

OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft. (30 ft. normal)
Melee hunga munga +3 (damage 1d6+3), or
kukri +3 (damage 1d4+3, 18-20/x2 crit), or
scimitar +3 (damage 1d6+3, 18-20/x2 crit)
Ranged hunga munga +1 (damage 1d4+3, 18-20/x2 crit, 15 ft. range incr.)

TACTICS
Before Combat Belenivaji begins each day by gaining psionic focus. If Belenivaji knows combat is imminent, she casts detect psionics to know if it is a psionic threat, and draws a weapon. If she believes the foe is a manifester or has psionic items, she manifests defensive precognition.
During Combat Belenivaji uses tactical precognition if she believes she is going into close combat, especially if she must begin using combat maneuvers. By using/expending psionic focus (Psionic Weapon feat), she deals damage through melee combat, taking ranged combat action when needed, and she attempts to neutralize powerful or quick foes with combat maneuvers if necessary.

STATISTICS
STR 16 (+3 bonus)
DEX 12 (+1 bonus)
CON 14 (+2 bonus)
INT 12 (+1 bonus)
WIS 14 (+2 bonus)
CHA 10 (+0 bonus)

Base Attack Bonus +0
Combat Maneuver Bonus +3
Combat Maneuver Defense 14
Feats Psionic Talent, Psionic Weapon

SKILLS
Autohypnosis +6 (see Psionics Unleashed)
Climb +0
Craft (armorsmithing) +5
Handle Animal +0 (+2 with reptiles)
Knowledge (psionics) +5
Perception +8
Spellcraft +5
Survival +3
Swim +0
Languages Common (Tien), Nagaji (Draconic)

Psychic Warrior Powers Known (ML 1st; concentration +3; 4 power points)
1st—defensive precognition A, tactical precognition AP
0 (at-will)—conceal thoughts, detect psionics A, lesser fortify
P warrior's path power; A augmentable

SQ psionic proficiency, resistant, serpent's sense, talents, warrior's path (gladiator)
Traits Jungle Resilience (Regional-Nagajor) & Wilderness Citizen (Campaign)
EQUIPMENT Combat Gear power stone (skate, addressed); Gear backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, hot weather outfit, hunga munga (3), kukri, common manacles (2), scale mail, scimitar, sunrod (2), trail rations (4); 9 sp

Belenivaji [of House Osranakorin] of Rhiu'jhilan-Hoi is a one-time citizen of Nagajor who fought against the power centers of the gang-like factions which govern her home city, before leaving the country and attempting to make a new life for herself at the temple complex in Minata. A massive, towering woman by any human standard, built like an athlete, Belenivaji does not often meet gender norms, even in nagaji culture where females are preferred large and dominant. As a shy child growing up, she was raised alone by her father after her mother left them both to join the clergy of Nalinivati, and was often at odds with other nagaji children and young nagas. Introverted and self-conscious of her size and appearance, her only consolation came from her father, an exile of the community for various reasons beyond his control. His calming influence and wise words helped get her through a difficult childhood, and even to claim her inner strength for herself despite all the odds. Even though she never truly fit into her home culture, and had every reason to despise the goddess, Nalinivati, for being the reason for her abandonment as a youth, Belenivaji maintains a healthy perspective and self-confidence. Her robust hips, wide curving thighs, and massive upper arms and chest often make others uncomfortable in her presence, although she has begun to get used to this in others, especially humans. She knows only enough about the inner culture of the nagas to know that the tales told to humans are more often lies than they are truths, and she wishes only to see the wider world above all else. Nagaji and nagas from her home city of Rhiu'jhilan-Hoi attribute her with a certain reputation: one of nuisance and irritation by some (for her opposition to the gang-factions), but as a hero of the people (for most common, neutral folk of the citizenry). She has spent most of the last few years exploring the region between Nagajor and Minata, including Xa Hoi and the Valashmai Jungle, primarily searching for signs/use of other psionic abilities, ancient knowledge, or powerful items.

Age: 26
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 237 lbs.
Eyes: Bright Ochre
Hair: Head fins, bony knobs
Skin: Gray scales with Bright Blue and Dark Orange ridges

Psionic Focus: Any creature that has a power point pool or the ability to manifest psi-like abilities, can meditate to become psionically focused; meditating to gain psionic focus is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. You remain psionically focused until you expend your focus, become unconscious, or go to sleep. You may still gain psionic focus even if you have depleted all of your power points. Many feats and class abilities work either by maintaining or expending psionic focus, in addition the following benefits.
When you are psionically focused, you can expend your focus on any single concentration check you make thereafter. When you expend your focus in this manner, your concentration check is treated as though you rolled a 15 (it's like taking 10 on a roll, except that the number you add to your concentration check modifier is 15). Expending your psionic focus to power a feat, class feature, or any other ability only powers a single effect. You cannot gain the benefit of multiple abilities that require expending psionic focus by doing so once; each effect requires its own instance of expending psionic focus.

Psionic Proficiency (Ex): Belenivaji treats her base attack bonus as equal to her psychic warrior level for the purposes of requirements for psionic feats. Base attack bonuses granted from other classes are unaffected and are added normally.

Talents: Presented in Psionics Expanded, talents are 0-level powers that are powered by psionic focus rather than power points, and can be used at-will. Belenivaji may manifest any talent she knows without paying power points as long as she maintains psionic focus, by expending her psionic focus, or by paying a single power point. Talents can only be augmented if Belenivaji spends 1 power point on the manifestation in addition to any power points spend augmenting the power. Belenivaji's psychic warrior powers also grant her bonus talents (linked talents; this includes defensive precognition (granting detect psionics). In addition to linked talents, psychic warriors gain 2 talents at 1st level.

Traits: Belenivaji possesses the following character traits:
Jungle Resilience: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Fortitude saves against poison effects.
Wilderness Citizen: You gain a +1 trait bonus to Climb, Survival, and Swim checks, and one of these is always considered a class skill for you (Survival).

Favored Class (Psychic Warrior): Belenivaji can choose to receive the following benefit for her favored class, instead of +1 hit point or +1 skill rank whenever she gains a level in a favored class (psion). This favored class bonus is borrowed from the ophiduan, a similar race to the nagaji.
Psychic Warrior: Add 1/2 round to the duration of any psychometabolism powers the psychic warrior manifests with a range of Personal and a target of You with a normal duration of 1 round/level.

Psionic Talent [Psionic]
You gain additional power points to supplement those you already had.
Prerequisite: Having a power point reserve.
Benefit: When you take this feat for the first time, you gain 2 power points.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you take the feat after the first time, the number of power points you gain increases by 1.

Psionic Weapon [Psionic]
You can charge your melee weapon with additional damage potential.
Prerequisite: Str 13.
Benefit: While you maintain psionic focus, your attacks with a melee weapon deal an additional 1 point of damage. Additionally, if you expend your psionic focus as part of an attack with a melee weapon, that attack instead deals an extra 2d6 points of damage. You must decide whether or not to use this feat prior to making an attack. If your attack misses, you still expend your psionic focus.

Gladiator Path (Warrior's Path – from Psionics Expanded)
Your tactic is not to simply attack, but to maneuver your enemies into the most optimal position, forcibly if necessary.
Bonus Skill: Bluff
Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Perception
Powers: Grip of iron, tactical precognition*
Trance: Beginning at 3rd level, while maintaining psionic focus, you gain a +1 competence bonus to your CMB and a +2 competence bonus to your CMD. These bonuses increase by 1 every four psychic warrior levels thereafter.
Maneuver: Beginning at 3rd level, you can expend your psionic focus when using a combat maneuver to not provoke an attack of opportunity for using that combat maneuver. If you have a feat that already does this, such as Improved Bull Rush, your trance competence bonus on this specific maneuver check increases by 2 or you gain a +2 competence bonus on this check if you do not have the Gladiator trance active. Additionally at 8th level and every four psychic warrior levels thereafter, the bonus you gain on this specific maneuver check increases by 1.
* New power – described in Psionics Expanded

Psychic Warrior Powers Known
Belenivaji can manifest the following powers by spending power points, or by expending psionic focus (for talents).

  • Conceal Thoughts: You conceal your motives.
  • Defensive Precognition: Gain +1 insight bonus to AC and saving throws; Augment: increased +1 insight bonus (+3 PP), swift action manifest (6 PP).
  • Detect Psionics: You detect the presence of psionics; Augment: +10 enhancement bonus to Spellcraft to identify properties or command words for psionic items (2 PP).
  • Lesser Fortify: Gain a +1 bonus on saving throws (see below).
  • Tactical Precognition: Gain +2 enhancement bonus to combat maneuvers (see below); Augment: see power description.

This character uses material from Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide, Psionics Unleashed, Psionics Expanded, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Player Companion: Dragon Empires Primer, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Campaign, and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Equipment.

Lantern Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

This is one of the actual playtest PCs, except I renamed him to something not *exactly* a nagaji name.

Selismei
Race Ophiduan; Class Vitalist 1
Deity The Ancient Ones (Annunaki); Homeland Valashmai Jungle
Creature Type Medium humanoid (reptilian); Alignment Lawful Neutral
Initiative +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +8

DEFENSE
Armor Class 15; touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 armor, +1 natural)
Total Hit Points 7 (1d6+1)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +6; +2 vs. poisons

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee shortspear +1 (damage 1d6+1)
Ranged shortspear +2 (damage 1d6+1; 20 ft. range incr.)

TACTICS
Before Combat Selismei adds a strong, stealthy, or powerful ally to his collective, and manifests biofeedback on himself or a member of his collective.
During Combat Selismei attempts to cause dangerous foes to collapse, forcing them prone from a distance, while staying out of direct combat, using his collective abilities and natural healing on himself or his allies.

STATISTICS
STR 12 (+1 bonus)
DEX 15 (+2 bonus)
CON 13 (+1 bonus)
INT 12 (+1 bonus)
WIS 18 (+4 bonus)
CHA 8 (-1 penalty)
Base Attack Bonus +0
Combat Maneuver Bonus +1
Combat Maneuver Defense 13
Feats Combat Manifestation, Psionic Talent

SKILLS
Autohypnosis +4 (see Psionics Unleashed)
Knowledge (dungeoneering) +3 (+4 to identify Annunaki-blooded creatures)
Knowledge (psionics) +5 (+6 to identify Annunaki-blooded creatures)
Perception +8
Use Magic Device +4
Languages Common (Tien), Minatan, Ophiduan

Vitalist Powers Known (ML 1st; concentration +9;
6 Power Points)
1st—biofeedback, collapse (DC 15, +1 per 2 power points to augment), natural healing
0—detect psionics, disruptive touch (DC 14), siphon

SQ collective, collective healing, knacks, medic powers, scholar, transfer wounds (1d6), vitalist method (soulthief), weapon familiarity
Traits Annunaki Blooded (Campaign, Racial) & Dangerously Curious (Magic)
EQUIPMENT Combat Gear power stone of thicken skin (2; addressed), psionic tattoo of natural healing; Gear backpack, belt pouch, flint and steel, lamellar cuirass, scholar's outfit, shortspear (4), sunrod (2), trail rations (6); 20 gp

Selismei's people emerged from the caves below the surface of the Valashmai Jungle several generations ago, after an unknown period of hibernation, and with their memories completely wiped clean. These ophiduans then took up a largely tribal social system, with a powerful war chieftain leading each tribe (each now several families in size), and a wise master lorekeeper who advises the tribe's chieftain – a position Selismei was most likely to assume, but which he did not want. Instead focusing on the powers of the mind, Selismei chose a life of travel over the dismal mistreatment his people often experience at the hands of others, such as the nearby peoples of Nagajor. Selismei knows some lore regarding his people and their supposed origins, although he is more interested in what his place might be in the future – perhaps even at the side of the so-called "Ancient Ones," or Annunaki, with which he shares ancestry. Seeking lands far away from his homeland, his travels have brought him across the open seas to a land where strong trade and peaceful negotiations have given strange races such as his own enough freedom not to fear open hostility or mistreatment at the hands of other races.

Age: 28
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 216 lbs.
Eyes: Yellow
Hair: none
Skin: Mottled brown scales

Collective (Su): Selismei connects willing minds through an internal network that strengthens their psychic bonds. As a standard action, he can join any number of willing targets into his collective, up to a number equal to Selismei's Wisdom modifier, or 1/2 his vitalist class level, whichever is higher. He must have line of sight to each target, each target must have a Wisdom score of at least 1, and all targets must be within Medium range (100 ft. + 10 ft. per vitalist class level). Selismei is always considered to be a part of his own collective, and does not count against this limit.
Selismei can choose to remove a member of his collective as a free action on his turn, and any member can voluntarily leave the collective as a free action on their turn. Any member whose Wisdom drops to zero or who moves out of range of the collective is automatically removed. If a member enters a null psionics field, the connection to the collective is suppressed until that member leaves the field. A member who leaves the collective for any reason immediately loses any and all benefits they may have gained from being a member. Selismei is aware of the status of his collective and can, roughly, sense the presence of each member, although beyond telling if such a creature is still a member, this has no mechanical benefit until higher levels.
Selismei can manifest certain powers through his collective. If a vitalist power specifies one or more willing targets (or is harmless) and has a range greater than person, he can manifest this power on a member of his collective regardless of the range of the actual power. All other non-range restrictions still apply. He may also manifest any power with the Network descriptor this way, regardless of their actual ranges or targets (none currently known).
If a member of the collective dies, the member is removed from the collective and Selismei must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or lose 1 power point for every Hit Die for the fallen member and be sickened for an equal number of rounds. This ability improves at higher levels.

Collective Healing (Su): Whenever a willing member of Selismei's collective could regain lost hit points or ability damage, Selismei may choose to redirect any or all of that healing to one or more other willing members of the collective as a free action. This can transfer instantaneous healing (such as a body adjustment power), healing from ongoing healing effects, such as fast healing, and even hit points gained from rest (in which case, a member of the collective would rest for a period of time as normal, and the amount of hit points and ability damage healed would go to another).
In any case, the original recipient of the healing effect chooses whether to allow the diverted healing, and does not gain the benefits of any healing Selismei grants to another member of the collective. The type of healing (positive energy, negative energy, construct repair, etc.) is unchanged from the original source for determining who or what can be healed.
Selismei may even heal wounds through collective healing if at full health. This may only be used with healing effects such as potions, powers, and similar sources and effects. Healing from long term care or natural healing cannot be transferred in this way.

Knacks: You gain two talents from the vitalist power list, as well as one talent from your method power list.

Medic Powers: Selismei gains special uses of some of his powers that are unavailable to other characters. The following powers gain the Network descriptor when manifested by a vitalist: all powers of the Healing subdiscipline, animal affinity, biofeedback, body of iron, endorphin surge*, expansion, oak body, physical acceleration*, sustenance, suspend life, timeless body, and vigor.

Psionic Aptitude: When Selismei takes a level in his favored class (vitalist), he can choose to gain an additional power point instead of a hit point or skill rank.

Psionic Focus: Any creature that has a power point pool or the ability to manifest psi-like abilities, can meditate to become psionically focused; meditating to gain psionic focus is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. You remain psionically focused until you expend your focus, become unconscious, or go to sleep. You may still gain psionic focus even if you have depleted all of your power points. Many feats and class abilities work either by maintaining or expending psionic focus, in addition the following benefits.
When you are psionically focused, you can expend your focus on any single concentration check you make thereafter. When you expend your focus in this manner, your concentration check is treated as though you rolled a 15 (it's like taking 10 on a roll, except that the number you add to your concentration check modifier is 15). Expending your psionic focus to power a feat, class feature, or any other ability only powers a single effect. You cannot gain the benefit of multiple abilities that require expending psionic focus by doing so once; each effect requires its own instance of expending psionic focus.

Alternate Racial Traits: Selismei has the following alternate racial traits (from Psionics Expanded).
Scholar: You gain a +2 bonus on any one Knowledge skill (dungeoneering) and this Knowledge skill is always considered a class skill. This racial trait replaces the serpent’s bite racial trait.

Transfer Wounds (Su): As a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, Selismei may touch a target and heal it for 1d6 points of damage. He then suffers the same number of points of non-lethal damage (up to the amount the target is actually healed). This ability improves at higher levels. Selismei may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Wisdom modifier. He may not use this ability on himself.

Vitalist Method (Soulthief): Selismei has chosen a particular method that determines the abilities he gains as he gains vitalist class levels. Selismei adds collapse to his list of powers known – this does not count against his number of powers known.

Weapon Familiarity: Selismei treats any weapon with the word "ophiduan" in the name as a martial weapon rather than an exotic one.

Traits: Selismei has the following character traits.
Annunaki Blooded: You share the potent blood of the Serpent Overlords in your ancestry, giving you special access to their devices and technology. You are able to use Annunaki items and technology that are limited to only those creatures which have the specific Annunaki gene in their blood needed for the item to be activated. You gain a +1 trait bonus to any Use Magic Device checks to use or activate any item which is Annunaki in origin, and +1 trait bonus to Knowledge checks made to identify the characteristics of any other Annunaki-blooded creature.
Dangerously Curious: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Use Magic Device checks, and Use Magic Device is always a class skill for you.

Combat Manifestation (Psionic)
You are adept at manifesting powers in combat.
Benefit: You get a +4 bonus on concentration checks made to manifest a power or use a psi-like ability when manifesting on the defensive or while grappled.

Psionic Talent (Psionic)
You gain additional power points to supplement those you already have.
Prerequisites: Having a power point reserve.
Benefit: When you take this feat for the first time, you gain 2 power points.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you take the feat after the first time, the number of power points you gain increases by 1.

Vitalist Powers Known
Selismei can manifest the following powers by spending power points, or by expending psionic focus (for knacks).[list]

  • BiofeedbackN: Gain damage reduction 2/—; Augment: increased DR (+3 PP).
  • Collapse: You cause the target's muscles to spasm, knocking them prone; Augment: additional conditions (+2 PP, +4 PP), for every +2 PP spent +1 increased save DC.
  • Detect Psionics: You detect the presence of psionics; Augment: +10 enhancement bonus to Spellcraft to identify properties or command words for psionic items (2 PP).
  • Disruptive Touch: Your touch staggers enemies.
  • Natural HealingN: Heal 3 hit points of damage; Augment: +3 hit points (+2 PP).
  • Siphon: Deal 1d3 points of damage and gain 1 temporary hit point.
  • Thicken Skin: Gain +1 enhancement bonus to your natural armor for 10 min./level; Augment: increased enhancement bonus (+3 PP), swift action manifest (+6 PP); power stones cannot be augmented when activated.
    N Network power

    This character uses material from Psionics Unleashed, Psionics Expanded, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Campaign, and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Equipment.

  • Lantern Lodge

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

    Has anyone run 'The Crime Ring' (1st-level) for any groups yet? If so, what was the reception to it? Did you have any use for the chronicle sheet and faction missions for it? Do the pregens put up here already help at all, or do you let your players make the choices for how the group is composed?

    Is anyone waiting on anything, before they feel comfortable putting this adventure series into play?

    Lantern Lodge

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

    Levels 2 and 3, although not compiled yet, are looking really strong and fun. Levels 4 and 5 are still in rough draft outline.

    I think most people are really going to enjoy 'To Enter the Serpent's Den' (3rd level), especially when beginning the actual process of interacting with the Nagajoran culture. I am looking forward to playtesting a particularly deadly encounter scene very soon, against the Eldritch Guard of the Naga Patron's gang-faction, in order to attain more access to the culture and its royalty. Justin Sluder and I have put some significant efforts into making this scene deadly, memorable, and intriguing.

    I have also been putting together some ideas for how to make the complex challenges begin unfolding at higher levels, and tying in a few more elements from the UFO/ET mythos. Here's what I have so far:

    Spoiler:
    Between 8th-level ('Tipping the Scales,' Book 2) and 13th-level ('Preparing the Return,' Book 4), an unfolding mystery will reveal itself - including UFO saucers, abductions, experimentation, and advanced technologies - although the culprits will not likely be the primary suspects, because this is a very terrestrial event with local origins. This unraveling mystery will also help to reveal the mysterious Echelon group, or the so-called "Patrons of Golarion," who consider themselves the appointed and anointed rulers of the world and its peoples.

    I haven't yet worked out all the details, but I know it will involve "the Greys," UFO experiences, abductions and a social/cultural cover-up (tying the whole experience into superstitious and uneducated locals), and a series of Overlords of Echelon that bring the PCs into the fold during the uppermost levels. If a real-world reference is needed for where my mind is going with this, I think the events in Colares, Brazil is a good reference point.

    I have also decided that in Books 5 and 6, the PCs will inevitably have to be treated as either Lords, Overlords, Grand Overlords, or Supreme Overlords of Golarion (or even other worlds), posturing themselves in socio-political situations with other powerful beings who wish to control the world leading up to the Return of the Ancient Ones. While earlier books will be less influential, the mysteries being unfolded will help to show the PCs how not everything has always been what it seems.

    Lantern Lodge

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

    An outlined draft is now completed for levels 4 and 5. I am going with a sort of "2-part mini-series" feel for this pair. The theme is "going through the gate, and getting back home - along with some antics in the meantime."

    Spoiler:

    'Through the Gateway' (4th level) begins with the PCs using the Serpent Gate for the first time, and stepping through into southern Garund, in the middle of a silent battlefield, with poison-barbed warriors lying in wait outside the perimeter of the clearing, hidden behind brush. All the PCs are poisoned and captured by one of the two warring tribes of the locals. After their capture, the PCs can attempt various escapes from their captors, and ally with the peaceful and honorable tribe. If the PCs gained mythic power in 'To Enter the Serpent's Den,' they will now be able to keep their mythic power (Mythic Tier 1), and this will increase during one of their first archaeological excavation discoveries in the beginning of 5th-level, 'Local Politics, Distant Pasts.'

    These locals are strange hybrids, accidents of genetic propagation on the surface of Golarion over many tens or hundreds of thousands of years. They are the mingling of humans, lizardfolk, ophiduans, troglodytes, and vishkanya; created purely by accident in the caves, jungles, and savannas of Garund, and carrying the accidental genetic material from the Ancient Ones, against all the odds. Along with natives of these separate races - which are viewed as a subspecies to the superior hybrid race - the ruling race is known as the Zugidak. They are highly superstitious, and have a very skewed perspective on the tales of the Ancient Ones, but they are known to them.

    The enemies of the peaceful tribe have a philosophy of righteous tyranny, mostly on the grounds of racial superiority over their "lesser" kindred, and look to a powerful and secretive Annunaki blood-kin leader to guide their actions. This leader has allegedly been in power for more than a generation, leading some rivals to think that the current setup is a ploy, and someone is using the previous leader's power and influence to continue guiding the actions of the devoted followers. No one has seen this enigmatic for over 30 years, but it is well known that he can operate the machines of the blood-kin of the Ancient Ones, which he uses to rule over the others of his tribe. While they share a common history, these two feuding tribes see no commonality with one another, besides the existence of Zugidak on both sides, with the peaceful tribe simply trying to defend itself from an encroaching attacker, and the warring tribe seeing itself as the rightful rulers of their brethren.

    The PCs, after being captured by one of the two sides (yes, it splits the party and the storyline for a short bit), can escape (or bargain to allow the peaceful tribe to trust them, with a future alliance), up to twice - once from the peaceful tribe, and once from the warring tribe. For the rest of this level, the PCs will be learning the origins and lore of these tribes, and making alliances that should last for many levels beyond. The contrast in these two groups will be illustrated in full detail, with the warring tribe being merciless, bloodthirsty, sadistic, and many would claim completely insane. This alliance does not truly solidify until 5th level's actions (siege, with possible mass combat). This captured portion ends when all the PCs end up on one side (the allied peaceful tribe), even if they are only using them to get what they need, and perform the siege on the enemy tribe.

    A newly-discovered and unexplored cave entrance was also opened up when the PCs appeared in the battlefield somewhere nearby, and it will be seen that this was a hidden entrance to an underground cave system, connecting to a series of secret tunnels and chambers below the surface, and running beside the location where the Touchstone (serpent statue) is likely stuck in the earth. They will encounter traps, a haunt, a ghost, and some other challenges: CR 3 (x4), CR 4, and CR 5.

    Interspersed between these underground explorations will be a series of surface-level attacks on the site and the allied tribe. Including a monster of some local sort, there will be warriors of the Zugidak and other humanoids, a laid trap in the battle area, and possibly siege engines and an optional mass combat scene at the end of 4th level. These will be: CR 1/2, CR 4, CR 5 (x2), and CR 6. It is possible that the PCs will begin the excavation dig before this level adventure portion ends, and these two levels could run together and overlap. Toppling the CR 6 BBG (most likely mythic, if the PCs are mythic) formally completes this level, and causes a slight lull in combat attack waves.

    'Local Politics, Distant Pasts' (5th level) is the continuation of this mini-saga, and the completion of the task for the PCs to get back home after securing the lost Touchstone from the Garundi soil. After the main opponents from the previous level's ending combat scenes are dealt with, the PCs will have a chance to really get their hands into the excavation of the site where the lost Touchstone is probably buried somewhere below the surface, along with countless other artifacts and relics of importance to the locals. Each time they discover or defile a found artifact of the past, it sets off a new attack, ending only when the PCs finish the dig, or when the rival tribe attackers are all neutralized. The attacks leading up to this will also have secured a supply route for the excavation materials and tools, etc.

    I will need to work up some basic rules for the excavation itself (probably based on the encampment rules from Serpent's Skull), and the following XP rewards are possible: clear an entire layer of soil from the grid (100 XP per PC per layer, for up to four layers), and for each major discovery of excavated artifacts/findings (150 XP per PC per discovery, for up to six discovering in the soil). The dig is a 6x6 grid of 10-ft. cubes, and a layer is 10 feet deep.

    After the dig is up and running, a series of attacks on the site (or nearby, and the PCs can seek them out before they are sought out) take place: CR 3, CR 4, CR 5 (x2), and CR 6. Some of these could be small armies, and it could include mass combat. Between the near-completion of these battles, and before going for the enemy stronghold (by surface, or by underground), a group of strange oracles from Mzali (a city to the north) will arrive, to tell their story to the PCs and the locals with which they have allied. This is a story scene more than a combat scene, and each PC receives 400 XP for dealing with them (as CR 5). This will also set the scene for a later event in Book Two.

    The siege of the warring tribe's stronghold will involve some psionics and Annunaki technology, and I am thinking an army of psionic machines in an optional mass combat could also be in order here. Possible traps, haunts, or hazards could be included here, all before reaching a Dimimuntive BBG and its crony. These will include: CR 2, CR 5, and CR 6. I am thinking it may need a degenerate serpentfolk, and another psionic ophiduan or something else to tie in the serpentfolk themes - as well as possibly including one or two Igigi, 'mini-drones,' or 'gray aliens' - setting the scene for another later campaign theme in Books 2, 3, and 4.

    The BBG of this level is meant to be somewhat humorous, and beg the players to question their assumptions and preconceived notions about the Annunaki. It is a Dimimutive-sized chameleon with psionic powers (CR 6), with the Annunaki Blooded trait, and riding its crony, a CR 3 guard-servant of standard Medium size.

    A budgeted XP reward (CR 3; 200 XP per PC) from a final series of discoveries (especially about Annunaki technology, underground bases, and the legacy of their descendants), as well as the activation of the now-recovered Touchstone, allows them to get home (or at least back to Nagajor) once more.

    Lantern Lodge

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

    I am looking at a simplified way to break the archaeological excavation in half in such a way to provide a portion of it in each level, 4th and 5th, interspersed with combat events - this way, they can still be two separate portions, but with possible overlap. The biggest challenge in this is really just in figuring out an easy and quick method to notate XP and other rewards earned in each separate portion, especially for anyone who wants to use the adventure record sheets I plan on putting together for them.

    I was thinking it sure would be nice to not have it be quite so linear and inflexible, so it is possible that PCs will earn more or less than the actual budgeted rewards for the adventure segment, but it will even out across these two segments.

    I am also determining some of the specifics of the combat threats right now, and will soon get with Justin about this new hybrid race idea for our NPCs for those levels. There will be a few twists, some local threats of typical Garundi style adventures, some technology, some psionics and magic, optional mass combat events, and even some extraplanar and incorporeal adversaries. Oh yeah, and we will begin to explore the underground - and things begin to get serious with the whole ancient prophecy and the touchstone collective, which brought the PCs on this journey to begin with.

    Plus, things like, 'DSGO: ts= |4:11999:3599:240.0:0.11:035.9:007213:03:12:45:18:mt-0803.485; tqp=100.000% (m[45.61:3.2]:x[54.39:8.8]), qpo-loc= "4.8, -7.6"|; ed= "7,213 I.C. / 4,713 A.R."; loc= "g-3.7201, lc-046, ss-000.003.186, s-03.01, p-3.0= "Valash / Golarion / Cage"' will begin to have more meaning to anyone connected to the touchstone collective. :)

    Lantern Lodge

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

    For anyone who hasn't already guessed, I am going to be pretty freaking excited when Iron Gods is finally out. Something tells me that it is going to help immensely - and yet, I am hoping it will not completely trod on my cool ideas here (which I was hoping would be unique.....).

    I just want to point out now, though - that these ideas in this adventure series were being formulated beginning in 2003, and have changed significantly since I made the decision to place it on Golarion instead of a variant ancient Earth. Along with that, several very good ideas in the UFO/ET field have given me significant grand ideas - and Paizo has done a pretty good job at putting out good material, to help inspire me too. That said, I am really hoping that when Iron Gods is finally released and supported, that people don't immediately claim that everything I did here was to get on the band-wagon. I made this first.

    Now, on the topic of Iron Gods: I am totally purchasing the new PF Setting book, Occult Mysteries, very very soon, because it looks phenomenal - and I am almost positive that I am going to be getting the Iron Gods AP segments as they come out (or I break down, and subscribe for this AP). Paizo is also putting out a Technology book in the PF Campaign Setting series, and I am nearly positive that this, too, will be on my short-list for purchases this year.

    The playtesting group has been diligently working their way through level 3 ('To Enter the Serpent's Den'), and doing an excellent job, including attaining temporary mythic power once already. They took the Coastal Route (the longest, and possibly the most dangerous), because they wanted the XP. They also chose to take the leader of the Crime Ring in Belem ('The Naga Financier', 2nd-level), Kelimra Rudavani, as a prisoner (and potential convert to Seme's little cult of the Annunaki), with the intention of reforming her from her evil ways, and adding her to their band of merry folk. Since I didn't see this coming, I had to improvise, and re-work the adventure because of it. Gods, I love playtesting. :P

    2nd-level and 3rd-level work together so seamlessly that it was difficult to really compile anything from the previous level before we moved directly into the current adventure. However, as I said before, I will be putting those together in the coming months, and posting them up online, along with a revision to 1st-level and possibly the Player's Guide (when all is said and done). I also have a new group beginning 'The Crime Ring' (1st-level), and they will also be running through these in the coming months, with new possible variations and helpful nudges for me to revise the adventure material before publishing, if necessary.

    And also - no disrespect to James Jacobs or the others - but I really have to do a naga history that makes sense. So far, everything Paizo has put out has been vague, non-committal, and doesn't solidify any good adventure concepts. While it has placed them in a good position to 'come up with something later, that truly fits the bill,' I think my ideas will work better on the whole. Are serpentfolk and nagas related in any way, according to Paizo? No. Did nagas ever have arms? No. Did they come from Vudra, and go to Nagajor, or vice versa? No one knows - or it will come out later.

    Adventure Assumptions & Creative Ranting...:
    Blegh. I believe I can do better than that. The Annunaki did it. It's their fault, and we can all point the finger at their ancient inane dabblings in the genetic structure of local critters and sentient beings, to know why things are so strange, the way they are now. But how? How did they do it? What benefit does this storyline entail? Are there any pitfalls?

    Along with other technologically advanced civilizations in the ancient past of this star system, the Annunaki colonized Golarion, Castrovel, and other worlds, in their eons-long schemes to take control of them. Among the other civilizations would be the Numerian technological culture, the original Aballonians, and possibly others. Verces and Eox, among other cultures, benefited by harvesting the ancient technologies of these people, and learning to use them in their own manner.

    While there were already humanoids of various sorts on these worlds, they were not very advanced (except by external means, usually by other advanced cultures, like the aboleths). In addition, the Annunaki had a program of genetic modification and cloning for other purposes, and employed it on Golarion and other worlds, for a variety of reasons - and this further advanced the natural and artificial strengths of many sentient beings on these worlds. Nagas (in their modern sense) are a direct result of this manipulation, changing from their original forms to the aberrations they are now. But even this tale does tell the full story, as some humanoid cultures are still out of place, even within this context. Time travelers. Yup. Backwards from Azlant, and settling in ancient Minata and Sarusan.

    The Annunaki built huge underground chambers, usually topped by a ziggurat/pyramid or other temple structure, and housed their most precious technologies in these locations, safe from the prying and peeking of others. They colonized and expanded, and they gained powers nearly unimaginable (magic, psionic, mythic, and technological), including substantial boosts in their technical understanding while on Golarion/nearby. At the peak of their civilization, their vast empire spanned across southern Garund, Vudra, southern Tian Xia, and Sarusan - as well as several mining outposts and settlements in Arcadia, over Golarion, Castrovel, and even other worlds and nearby planes. They accomplished this great feat with a teleportation technology known as the Touchstones. This set of 12 stones was used in tandem with an even larger number of 'bases' that could utilize the power of the Touchstones to teleport individuals and even whole armies from one place on Golarion or its neighbors, to another, in only a split second. {{12 touchstones? But I thought it was 11....? One of them is the 'keystone', which in the current set, the keystone was destroyed.}}

    In time, as the Annunaki technology progressed (and as the Serpent Overlords left, pledging to one day return again), a powerful artificial intelligence was devised to oversee this travel data, as it had become too complex for the average sentient being's mind to handle. The NAAK intelligence was created, and harbored within the Touchstones and their data stream, which was connected to the underlying substrate of the universe, the Life Stream, the collective consciousness of the cosmos. Once this intelligence had sufficiently understood the manner in which to affect this natural stream, it was only a matter of time before it began to attempt to usurp control of it from the AI's masters, the Valashmai (heirs to the Annunaki legacy). While they used it, it learned their behaviors, and ultimately tried to overthrow them from power.

    A series of uprisings among the humanoid races and others began to unbalance the Valashmai Empire, and a few of these ended with major changes, and disconnection from the NAAK system, or - in a few rare cases - discovering the means to take back control of the data stream from the AI. Believe it or not, it was the druids (and similar tree-huggers) who helped us take back control. There was a massive overthrow (nagas were included, and this was the early era of the formation of Nagajor), and when the Valashmai made their final moves to draw back in isolation, much of their power had already been lost to the ignorant masses who had laid down the reins of their reptilian masters.

    But then there is the prophecy... If we live in an age where the old prophecies no longer seem to function, why is it that this one is said to still work? Time travelers. Damn them.

    The ancient Taumata were much more advanced than they looked. They hid their most powerful ancient technologies in mundane-looking stone and petrified wood, being over-looked by the Annunaki settlers when they first arrived, and handing down their Azlanti legacy to their descendants much later (but before Azlant was ever built). They studied the stars and the motions of the planets, and they were well aware of the Life Stream, the coming Annunaki dominion, and the possible futures (that they had witnessed and chronicled). Then, they handed down those prophecies, marked with the astrological signs of the times in which they would occur, in a subtle manner which was mostly overlooked by the rising empires. When the uprisings occurred, the Taumata and the natives of Sarusan were among the first to disconnect from the troubles of the looming Serpent Overlords and their armies, and the NAAK system intellect.

    Over time, the NAAK system created artificial god-constructs around the original Annunaki settlers (such as Enki, Enlil, Marduk, and others), and as the peoples worshiped them as deities, the NAAK intelligence's own power grew exponentially. However, this prevented the Annunaki leaderships from attaining true divinity, as the worshiping of their devotees was powering the AI, and not the true divinity of the leadership. As the NAAK system's power grew, it created a massive divide between those who favored the current system, and those who opposed it. But this schism was never resolved.

    NAAK system outposts are located in a few different locations, and destroying them will significantly lessen the AI's power. This will happen at high levels, with the final climax (followed by possible post-campaign conclusions) being in the 18th-level adventure module, when the Annunaki arrive. The statue's collective consciousness (the curse of the statue) is this NAAK system AI, and it uses sentient minds as a sort of computing platform for its own functions. With each new mind it connects to, it can expand its computing power and its own reach exponentially.

    Lantern Lodge

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

    A few more decisions made:

    Spoiler:
    When the PCs take on the N.A.A.K. Intelligence (originally revealed as the "cursed" serpent statue), they will do so by seizing control of certain facilities in the underground vaults, and destroying some of the hardware used to run the AI on Golarion and nearby worlds/planes. The final confrontation will be dealt with in the concluding adventure (18th level), between the avatar of Iriaxnihurs, the PCs (with some cool ultra-high-tech mech get-up), and the AI using a constructed mechanical body. Before that, the PCs will take out resonance-output and data-processing facilities at 13th, 16th, and 17th levels.

    With the release of Ultimate Campaign, we have been given a full tool-set for mass combat encounters and kingdom building, and using them in storylines is a breeze once you have a good concept laid out. As the PCs continue to walk the "path of destiny," and the prophecy laid out long ago seems to unfold with their every move, they will also inevitably take up the reins of leadership in a pre-invasion world, and must make serious decisions about how to rule reasonably with the impending return of the Ancient Ones. The empires which the crime ring members speak of creating at 1st level are made manifest by those who would take back control from the tyrants of the ages past, solidified only at the adventure's conclusion. I will include more material on how to use the adventure to help your PCs build their very own empire in reverence of the Ancient Ones.

    Mass combat scenes could be as simple as changing one Nephilim emerging from the vaults at 7th level, or a massive number of them emerging, only able to be taken on with the help of the cyclops army the PCs must make an alliance with, in order to be victorious. Planned mass combat scenes include the one already written into 2nd level, a tribal war in levels 4 through 6 in southern Garund, between the two warring dragon factions in 15th level, and the Battle for the Land of Lost Mists (Sarusan) in 16th level.

    Mythic power is gained at the following levels so far: Mythic Tier 1 (M1) is achieved temporarily in 3rd level (on the Coastal Route), and then gained again permanently in the same adventure level (when the PCs are raised from the dead after the Eldritch Guard battle), M2 is gained when the PCs discover the buried relics in the battleground in 4th level, and M3 is gained at the end of 5th level (when the uncovered touchstone is finally activated once again). Mythic power can wax and wane as the celestial movements change - I will decide exactly how this will happen, and put it into the adventure in Book One.

    The PCs are killed and raised from the dead (with other benefits), in a rite of initiation and entrance into the naga secret societies in 3rd level - and they are actually turned into undead creature types in 11th level ('Become as Death') in order to properly accomplish the adventure without serious hindrances. This will probably be like a mythic version of undead anatomy which actually changes their creature type, and will only be a temporary change to the PCs - although some PCs may wish to retain their undead status.

    Man, I love this adventure series. I can't wait for Iron Gods and all its supplements to come out - that AP is going to make this one all that more amazing, I just know it.

    Lantern Lodge

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

    Following a stint of no internet access, I had a chance to polish up the Adventure Assumptions material a bit more, including some of the latest bits and pieces we have learned about Numeria's science-fantasy elements with the beginning of Iron Gods, and the Technology Guide.

    This is total spoiler material, and outlines many themes of the later portions of the adventure.

    Adventure Assumptions, part 1 of 2:
    ADVENTURE ASSUMPTIONS
    (Ancient Mysteries and Histories of Golarion & the Distant Worlds)

    Long ago, many tens or even hundreds of thousands of years ago (or more, according to some), and leading up to the Age of Serpents in the Inner Sea, a group of god-like beings with advanced sciences, space-faring technology, fluency in arcana, psionics, and the divine powers of the gods and mythic beings, arrived from deep space and conquered the primitive lands. They eventually ruled over much of Golarion, and had outposts on other worlds such as Castrovel, and beyond – symbolism throughout history depicts them as giant humanoids, exotic dragons, or winged serpents, god-like imperialists, and the origin of the first global cultures (even before ancient Azlant). Having long ago mastered the science and technology of space travel and advanced genetics, in addition to astounding feats of engineering which incorporate their deep understanding of arcana, psionics, and divinity, the Annunaki empires have since spread across the stars to many unknown worlds, although their connections to the Inner Sea and other regions have long been severed (or simply dormant), and threads of this ancient mystery have never truly unfolded or been revealed to any one person or group... Until now.

    This adventure series can be used as a sequel to the Serpent's Skull Adventure Path, or as a stand-alone story arc. It employs the use of psionics-friendly material (magic-psionics transparency), and technology which merges with magic and the fantasy world races, to tell the Sumerian mythological story of creation, complete with the modern reinterpretations, including reptilian shape-shifters, genetic tampering in the distant past, and the humanoid races created to be slaves to the ancient empires, with the serpentfolk as their chosen free race. This story arc ties together many unexpected elements of the Pathfinder Campaign Setting mythos, but may, in some cases, break canon or contradict eventual future official release of materials.

    This adventure series includes the cultural elements of the ancient Valashmai Empire and ancient Taumata humans of southern Tian Xia, the nagas of Vudra, Nagajor, Avistan, and Garund, and the iconic serpentfolk – including worshipers of Ydersius, and atheists and heretics (worshipers of the Ancient Ones). With the introduction of the psionic race known as ophiduans (assumed to be the genetic experiments of the serpentfolk or their predecessors), the tale of the serpentfolk can even be experienced from a player race's perspective as a reptilian humanoid. The origins of the nagaji and vishkanya are detailed, and related to the ancient lore of Vudra and the Darklands of Casmaron and the rest of Golarion, as well as Vudrani naga nobles, affiliated royal families, and worldwide secret societies vying for dominance over the rest. The origin stories of dragons and outsiders are tied in, and treated alongside the ancient Sumerian/Babylonian pantheon, along with ancient human time travelers, and the battles between these 'Serpent Empires' and the aboleths and other aberrations seeking dominion over the Material Plane worlds, treating the ancient Azlanti as their vassal state of pawns in their war for global superiority.

    Use of the Pathfinder Campaign Setting materials is not necessary, but presents the best possible elements for its intended use – the adventure can be placed on any world where magic, psionics, technology, and the fantasy composition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game core rules has created a rich, diverse, and eons-spanning worldwide culture, and in which can be placed the connection to other worlds and planes of existence, such as the planet Castrovel and the Distant Worlds, as well as the First World and other realms of the Great Beyond. For anyone making a checklist as we count restrictions, it may be difficult to find a well-supported alternate setting, but it could be possible to create one of your own. Knowledge of the material in the Serpent's Skull Adventure Path is unnecessary for most users, since the relevant portions of that story arc will be shared (and fully spoiled) in the following information about this adventure arc.

    Beyond Serpent's Skull

    For GMs wishing to include the outcomes of the Serpent's Skull story arc in the preparations for this adventure series, the following information presents a single timeline of events from the beginning of Serpent's Skull, to the beginning of Return of the Annunaki, and gives information about recent events in the Inner Sea region which have correlated to new events in the unfolding adventure arc.

    The ship that wrecked on Smuggler's Shiv (the Jenivere) set into motion a series of events in late summer 4710 A.R. (7210 I.C.) which took approximately 6 months to a year or more to unfold in totality, leading up to a group of heroes coming face to face with "Ydersius," an extraplanar outsider with a body like a giant long-bodied serpentfolk, that they decapitate and neutralize. This adventure assumes the heroes involved likely took on mythic power to accomplish this deed, and that the adventure was modified to provide this level of challenge. It also assumes that the entire thing about Ydersius being an actual deity was a complete lie, and a fabricated mythology surrounding his origins and influence on the serpentfolk race. The events that begin with the crime ring's ambush in early Rova (September), 4713 A.R., assume that the previous adventure arc was completed around a year (or more) prior. The best information about the events of the Serpent's Skull Adventure Path come from the Pathfinder Society and the Aspis Consortium, who were both present at the site of Saventh-Yi/Ilmurea, and from the pirates and allies of the Sargavan government and Red Mantis Assassins who also fought to take over the site.

    A little-known Pathfinder Society agent named Gelik Aberwhinge has adamantly proclaimed that he 'was there the whole time!' and his only-slightly-corrected written findings have been included in the Pathfinder Chronicles because of the amazing discoveries brought back from the once-lost Azlanti city of Saventh-Yi, and the subterranean Vaults of Madness and the underground city of Ilmurea below it. Those heroes who participated – now having taken on mythic power – are reluctant to have their names shared, mostly because of the continued participation of certain members in the aftermath of their involvement in the native populations, who wish to remain anonymous until some future date.

    After delving into the Vaults of Madness below Saventh-Yi, these heroes continued down into Ilmurea, city of the serpentfolk's re-emergence into the modern world, eventually coming into confrontation with the form of Ydersius himself, guarded only by his followers and the few minions of a bygone era which held onto the fleeting glimpses of this being's divinity. But this information pales in comparison to that which was gleaned by speaking with an ancient cyclops, General Aveshai, whose insights have given the Pathfinder Society an entirely new perspective on the plots and perils found during this exploration and the final siege of the underground lairs. Providing helpful perspective into Azlanti, Cyclopean, and Serpentfolk cultures, General Aveshai has proven to be one of the single most amazing discoveries of all found at the site, making connections between the modern world and societies long lost to its people.

    While the insights gained about the cyclops, their Garundi culture, and the details of their origins are indeed interesting, they make for an entirely separate discussion not fully relevant here. Cyclops and giant-kin are sometimes referred to as 'Rephaim' in ancient languages, denoting this ancient legacy, as well as their giant size compared to the humanoid races. However, the connections between these beings and the Nephilim, the creations of the Ancient Ones and their descendants, the Valashmai and Serpentfolk, all seem to follow a similar path of interference and intrusion by outsiders, namely those dedicated to the Annunaki Empires. Despite his lacking knowledge of the subterranean worlds below the continental masses, General Aveshai has expanded the modern view of Azlant and the ancient world in a way few others could, and he seems to be a paragon of intellect and intense focus among his kind.

    Ancient Cyclops Culture and the Liberation

    While recovering from his near-fatal wounds in the final mythic battle against the so-called avatar of Ydersius (a giant, advanced serpentfolk-like outsider), fearing they may well be his last words, the bloodied cyclops general revealed never-before-heard secrets about the deceptions inherent in the machinations of the serpentfolk race which they had just bore witness upon. First among them was that Ydersius was not the true god that he claimed to be, at least by the definition of the true pantheon of deities; in fact, his rise to divinity was going to herald in a new age under his tyrannical rule, with serpentfolk once again becoming the dominant sapient species on Golarion, and enacting the doomsday plans the race had wished to wreak upon humanity and the "slave races" above the surface.

    The being that called itself Ydersius was, in fact, an elaborate and convoluted science experiment and scheme for increased power, intended to create a perfectly refined hybrid being combining all the best genetic elements of Serpentfolk (which refer to themselves as "truefolk" when speaking to other races), the slave races of lesser humanoids, and the ancestral beings which the truefolk worshiped as their progenitors, and the only things worthy of reverence toward divinity – and then to imbue it with the focused intention of creating him to be their one true god. In dealing with other races, however, their true internal culture was always deeply shielded in complex dogmas oriented toward their racial superiority, the ancient bloodlines, and the attachments to beings from beyond the stars and the realms of the Great Beyond; these secrets were never fully revealed to those they perceived as lesser creatures, including the humanoid populations at large. Through millennia of deceptions, these largely atheistic beings – who worshiped science, themselves, and the application of deeper understandings of the cosmos – crafted an eon-long plan to take control of everything within their reach, and apply their singular focus toward the empowerment of their new racial creator deity in order to lock it all in place.

    And while this was the first time this precise plan had been enacted on Golarion, other previous schemes resonate with the themes inherent in truefolk thinking. With the outcome of Serpent's Skull's conclusions, it is learned that the cyclops (long since splitting from their more dominating giant-kin) were also a victim to the machinations of the truefolk and their ancestors. And these ancestral beings were anything but kind and benevolent deities. At least 25,000 years ago an uprising among many different races against their masters affected many creatures, including the aboleths and the truefolk, both of whom used the humanoid races like pawns in their elaborate schemes for control over the entire world, along with others who vied for similar power (usually to a lesser degree, such as certain dragons). Where this resistance took root and succeeded, the descendants (many of whom also shared kinship to the so-called Ancestral Progenitors) bore fruit to those of the Liberator bloodline (see Return of the Annunaki Player's Guide, Character Traits).

    At every step along the way, the resistance was always blocked and checked in a variety of ways, but they used every chance they could get to even the score, and in the end, the only way for the masters to win (at least for a while) was to cause Earthfall. This ancient war was said to be far more complex than just a racial war between the aboleths (or other aberrations, including their Cults of the Elder Gods minions) and the serpentfolk (or their advanced kin like those in the Valashmai), and spanned many, many centuries before the coming apocalypse brought it all to a final checkmate for the humanoid races of the surface world.

    The Azlanti and the Aboleths

    Not all of the Azlanti were unprepared for what was to come preceding Earthfall: there was a small amount of warning provided to small, closed pockets of Azlanti researchers who were intent on finding a solution to the problem of their eternal slavery, and the nature of their relations with the creatures which brought them to burgeoning civilizations. To this extent, they studied the realm of the anomalous and the bizarre, even more strange at the time of Earthfall than its modern forms, and managed to make a series of never-before-seen innovations and understanding of the nature of reality, separate and distinct to that information previously provided by the deceptive and ego-driven aboleths. To this end, only one advancement made any singular change in the outcome of the coming disasters, and not in the way in which its inventors had hoped it would be used: the ability to discern and alter a subject's experience of time could be used to create a time-travel effect, which – when replicated – could be used to transport many number of people into the past or future. In small experiments, it seemed to work with few glitches, but the science was not solid when it was put to the test during the final moments of these researchers' lives in Azlant.

    A series of massive energetic surges in the planet's geomagnetic fields and planar interactions that could not have been foreseen by the Azlanti occurred just prior to Earthfall, when the final experiments were being initiated before developing a military force that could be sent backwards in time several weeks, in order to have advanced knowledge of the outcome of future events, and use that advantage to send a doomsday device of their own under the waves of the ocean. This elaborate plan failed, and the rest of the research was completely lost in the submergence of Azlant. However, having proven the theories behind the research, the scientists involved in the project gathered together their loved ones and those they felt would be helpful in the re-creation of their culture in another time and location, and used it one last time before the land sunk below the waves.

    These Azlanti refugees traveled over 250,000 years into their own past (much further than the magic was intended to create), at a time when even their own ancestors were just savages hiding in caves, and the aboleths were content with their iron grip over the oceans and subterranean underworld of Golarion, while the truefolk and their kin claimed ancient lands for themselves. Their descendants settled the lands in between Tian Xia and Sarusan (the region now known as Minata), interbreeding with the local population to create the Taumata human race, and creating incredibly complex crystal technologies that relied on psionic principles and abstract philosophies rather than arcane components and divine power (which they felt could be easily compromised by evil entities). Incorporating these high-level principles in their basic understanding, they created a linguistic system based on scientific principles, namely the known physical and alchemical elements of the universe. Using this system of linguistic-psionic abstractions along with incredibly complex mathematics, they created deeply-encrypted information systems and housed them within crystalline technological structures, which would utilize the long passage of time between their modern era and their far future to run a near-infinite amount of simulations of the universe, its inhabitants, and its possible futures.

    Furthermore, this advanced technology was completely undetectable through normal means by the Annunaki Empires, their descendants, or even other advanced technological cultures which visited Golarion throughout the ancient past. The Taumata, while seemingly primitive, simple, and tribal in nature, also seemed to bear advanced genetics going back (forward) to Azlant, Garund, Tian Xia, and were largely outside the scope of notice or concern by the more powerful races because of this deceptively simple nature. With near-infinite consciousness-based energies available to power their most brilliant and important experiments, the ancient research of the Azlanti who fled their dismal futures lived on for many centuries before passing into legacy, and the linguistic notions of the Taumata became nothing more than a dead language, the cryptic cyphers and visual riddles of psions and other psychic masters who seek to understand the wisdom of the ancients who lived long before them, and encoded it directly into the stone structures they left behind in their passing. And while those who came to know how to master this ancient hidden technology did occasionally did rise through the ages, these wonders have largely been long unused and forgotten in the steaming jungles of the furthest reaches of the islands of Minata. Perhaps more out of curiosity than negligence, the aboleths seemed to allow this experimental culture shift to go on unchecked, and many argue that they see it as no threat to their eventual dominion, or else that they see some potential future benefit in allowing it to remain intact without directly interfering.

    Serpentfolk Culture After the Fall of Ydersius

    The most singular acknowledgement among truefolk is that their once-atheist/agnostic culture was usurped by those who truly felt that the practical benefits and most probable outcomes would result in their rise to power, using science and the understanding of the underlying fundamentals in divine power, to create a deity they could call their own, and which would unite them in a singular rule under his powerful advanced intellect and arcane power. But for whatever reason, its outcome (even if improbable) was still the same, and this failure caused massive ripples in their racial consciousness that have had far-reaching implications all across Golarion. When it was shown that there was significant reward in searching for Ydersius' actual remains, another expedition team was sent into the depths of the caverns below Ilmurea on the trail of the beheaded serpent god, to confirm its continued existence or final death, or to complete the latter task. What they found in the Chasm of Retreat has sent shockwaves through the inner circles of the Pathfinder Society.

    The Ydersius Experiment, referred to as the DRSU or UDRS Project by knowledgeable informant truefolk (the name being more of an arcane/psionic mantra than an acronym), was a vast and complicated genetics and divinity experiment meant to use base genetics to create a mortal creature which was part-outsider, and then allow it to take on the mantle of divine power granted to it by a previously unseen collective of willing truefolk devotees, granting it power via worship and subservience to the being's superior genetic makeup. Most scholars agree that the ancient being called Emperor of Scales, who was said to be the first and original priest-king of the serpentfolk and chosen by Ydersius as his herald, was in fact a mythic (yet mortal) being of Valashmaian descent, whose genetic structure was used in tandem with others to create this superior entity in a laboratory, and intended to inherit the divine power granted by their entire race. This would be the first time the truefolk would ever come together to worship any being or group since the Ancient Ones themselves (based on scientific understanding of the fundamentals of divinity's origins, rather than on inner spiritual devotion), and this influx of power would be used in a practical manner to fuel the newly-created being's ascension to dominance. In addition, the body could be reproduced many times over, imbuing itself with mythic power over and over again, calling forth a devout and thoroughly initiated truefolk servant of sufficiently pure lineage to "resurrect" him with a powerful ritual, and sending another cloned body up from the complex to appear as if the "god" was brought back from the dead by the priest's actions, with the underlying nature of the ritual solidifying the psychic nature of this "god's" dominion in the mind of the devotee.

    The project seemed to encompass a series of massive underground complexes built deep within the pits of Orv, in caves only accessible via flight or other means to bypass the intricate cave structures which make spelunking nearly impossible, and linked via arcane portals. It also seems that the body of this mythic being spent little time in these compounds following his decapitation by Savith, and that they were largely undamaged and untouched by all but the passage of time. They included the genetics lab where the body was grown, the massive super-computer complex where its consciousness was maintained and housed before "being implanted into the mind-matrix" of the being at its creation, according to data logs in the vast facilities below the Inner Sea. The whole place was tied into deep-running geothermal energy generation systems, and had its own replica of the resonance chambers where arcane, divine, resonance-force, and psionic powers are each harnessed, stored, and used to maintain the complex functions of the subterranean facility (these types of complexes will be explored more in detail in later portions of Return of the Annunaki).

    The exact location of the final site, according to the Pathfinder scholars who reported the findings, lies somewhere between Ilmurea (in Garund) and Sverenagati in the nation of Varisia, below the ocean. Cultists of this vast racial religion still flourish and continue to preach of their dead god, and many lands are finding it difficult to quell, even given the major setback dealt to their movement and cause. In addition, the rise of mythic humanoids in the modern age has many in the ancient and monstrous cultures worried that humanity's ego will once again require severe measures to keep their continuing empowerment in check.

    The fact that truefolk largely value science and arcane understanding over divinity, dogma, and spiritualism, and that at the heart of their cultural values is an inherent atheism or agnostic detachment from the divine beings worshiped by lesser humanoids, is no big surprise to those who study the ancient race. However, the notion that this atheism or irreverence might also be seen by some as heresy against their racial legacy, is not always acknowledged in the same academic circles. Furthermore, the fact that more and more non-evil truefolk have come forward to reveal previously unheard-of social dynamics and notions of allying outside their own race for the first time since their creation, is something that most Pathfinder agents were unprepared to hear. As serpentfolk awaken, their psychic senses are often being heightened, some of their degenerate brethren are beginning to awaken to their previous levels of sentience, and another race of their own creation, the ophiduans, is also rising to power alongside their return. Most shocking of all is the discovery that non-evil truefolk, never before willing to entrust their secrets to lesser 'slave races' as they were once called, are now making solid and honorable allegiances which have put them in personal jeopardy, and solidifying the notion that not all serpentfolk are evil – and some may even be allies of humanity, especially in the wars against their ancient rivals, the aboleths (along with others).

    While many things that these newly allied serpentfolk simply reinforce the ideas that the Pathfinder Society agents have most recently discovered in the deepest pits of the Darklands, one thing that remains unconfirmed is the notion that the lies spread about the animosity between Ydersius and his rival, the demon lord Abraxas, belie the nature of their secret allegiance in far ancient times. The Emperor of Scales, a bodyless behemoth that roams the subterranean world, and who kills and consumes the demonic followers of Abraxas (supposedly out of hostility) is actually a clever deception of dogma intended to veil the fact that he views these devotees as worthy of consumption in what amounts to ritual sacrifice, and which only furthers its own divine/mythic empowerment in the name of Ydersius. Allegedly – according to these heavily vetted reformed serpentfolk informants – Abraxas is complicit in these dealings, and many planar scholars now argue that the demon lord may be plotting his own rise to power on the coattails of the serpentfolk, perhaps even without their knowing.

    The fall of the theocracy within serpentfolk society has signaled something else in its wake: a re-emergence of those willing to try new methods, with all new practical theories and experiments to test them, and a reclamation of the dominion of the ancient serpentfolk through shared knowledge, technology, psychic awareness, and ultimately, expanded trade with humanoid races. With all of the benefits of Ydersius' rise to power in place as if he had been "resurrected," many of those who were already skeptical of the effectiveness of this project had their doubt confirmed when the so-called 'anomalous results' came to pass, even without the newly-risen serpentfolk deity. But how? Those who stood firmly against the Ydersian cult claim that this is the nature of the deception; that the power of Ydersius and its followers had nothing to do with the false divinity, but with an underlying phenomena that was not yet understood, but assumed to be ancient and nearly limitless in power – the origin of divinity, and of mythic power which was now affecting all manner of creatures.

    These rebel truefolk (or "scaled kin/brethren") have chosen to ally with humanity and the previously-deemed "slave races" because the events which have come to pass have not signaled an era of Ydersius' rule, but of an eventual return of an even more ancient group of beings, and the progenitor of their kind. While they do not generally rely on prophecy to tell them the circumstances of their decision-making, there is an ancient set of well-researched and documented revelations of the future which seem to be ticking off like clockwork, even after the fall of Aroden and the death of prophecy. In fact, it is said that the astrological nature of the prophecy, and its relationship to the current locations and interactions of the planets in Golarion's solar system, is what gives it the accuracy necessary to properly predict coming events, but no one is quite sure as to how that is being accomplished. Only the most reclusive of the naga royal families, long silent on the matter, understand the nature of the prophecies, and their origins by the far-ancient Taumata, who shared their knowledge of the coming ages across vast spans of time.

    The nagas, ever secretive about their inner cultural workings, have never before revealed to outsiders their ancient legacy, and the nature of their racial memories, which extend back across untold eons of time, into past worlds long since destroyed in past cosmic events. Handed down in the elite genetic structures of the Ancient Serpent Overlords themselves, the naga race's creation as the storehouse of their knowledge and memories has granted them an amazing advantage in navigating the last several hundred thousand years or so, since that great Imperial rulership departed in search of ground-breaking arcane and scientific secrets, and the final rise of the empire to dominion over the aberrant species, such as the aboleths, once and for all. But while the nagas retain this amazing power of memory of their ancestors, they cannot control any of the ancient technology of this race (or the Valashmai, their direct inheritors); similarly, the serpentfolk have no understanding of the nature of the ancient technologies or their reconstruction, but their unique genetic markers do allow them to utilize the gene-sensing technology once it is has been successfully activated (or otherwise primed/formatted) by someone with the proper understanding, along with significant arcane, divine, or psionic power.

    And there is one more thing: a vast cosmological constant known to only the few most powerful mythic beings on all of Golarion, a source of the variables and all destinies which could arise from them, a super-universal origin of parallel material universes that will be tested by vast technological and divine intelligences, and the catalyst over which the ancient god-kings will look to mortals rather than divinity for the answers to the final questions about the destiny of the cosmos. As seven contra-universes converge in a simulation-enhanced series of programmed events along a predetermined course, the systems which once empowered the Annunaki may yet come to rule over them all, taking their mythic power for itself, and conquering all living things within its reach.

    Lantern Lodge

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

    Adventure Assumptions, part 2 of 2:
    Adventure Background

    Return of the Annunaki begins with the PCs finding the tail end of a trail to powerful and rich ancient naga lords who have hidden away in Vudra, isolating themselves from the rest of the world in an attempt to maintain their strongholds and their investments in local assets. While revealing an ancient bloodline that is older than the whole universe, and with it the distinctive timing of an ancient prophecy of their great return, the PCs find themselves on the destined path of detectives of a mystery so vast that each step on its spiraling path becomes more dangerous, and more fateful than the last, by several-fold. When the Annunaki Overlords finally return to Golarion in the final chapter of the adventure arc, descending in their massive metal sky-ships called Vimanas, the PCs will have been let in on a truth that has defied the notice of many others - and the destiny of Golarion and its peoples will not be dictated by those mortal beings who would call themselves gods, nor their technological or genetic creations.

    Many descendants of the Annunaki overlords still remain on Golarion, some of them retaining their ancient power and dominion - especially the naga lords of Vudra and Nagajor. But along with them, the serpentfolk, the nagaji, and other minor races still share their blooded traits; the Annunaki genetic marker which is their most vital method of securing use of their technology by others, which allows exclusive access to ancient Annunaki data drives and quantum/force weapons technology (among others), and remains a central tenet of their eons-old society. Despite millennia of evolution, various interplanetary outposts, experimental stations, genetic engineering bunkers, and a host of lesser races with varying degrees of the Annunaki gene strength, the central bloodline of the overlords has remained relatively intact for all of known history, including as far back as the race's previous cosmological incarnation - this predates the known universe, and most likely took place in a parallel Material Plane, or perhaps one which was destroyed, and from which they successfully fled.

    THE ANNUNAKI
    "The Ancient Ones," "The Feathered Serpents," "The Giant-Kings," "Rulers of the Serpent Empires," "The Ancestor Dragons/Serpents," "Those Who Came from the Heavens to Terra Firma," "The Watchers (Nephilim)," "The God-Kings of Ancient Babylon" (on Earth Only)

    Direct Descendants: Nagas, serpentfolk ("truefolk," or sometimes, "lesser nephilim"), Valashmai rulers/servants, some giants ("rephaim") and some clans of the nephilim (as the creature, sometimes called "greater nephilim"). The Annunaki also placed a large amount of their genetic structures into the primitive humanoid races (or 'slave races'), and even certain monstrous creatures, allowing greater genetic diversity over time, to give their empire greater chance of surviving any extended period of inactivity (the so-called, "long slumber").

    Far before they left their home realm, the ancestral Annunaki had mastered knowledge of both the planes, and the advanced engineering of science, physics, and kinetics (primarily land-based, air-based, and space-based craft and advanced weaponry). Knowing far in advance that their original universe (and its planar cosmos) was doomed by an eventual interplanar catastrophe - some say they might even have been the cause of it - they were able to salvage most of their people in great ships which sailed between the planes, eventually led them to another Material Plane, a realm which they came to call home. Somewhere, on the current Annunaki home-world, a vast distance away from Golarion and its neighboring planets (and yet, conveniently located nearby, relative to space-warping travel technologies), rests their base - a huge gaseous planet completely under Annunaki control, which boasts the most powerful resources of magic, psionics, divinity, and specific resonant-force resources necessary to effectively create their most superior forms of technology. The world of Golarion and its local planetary system was among the first settled by the Ancient Ones when they emerged from the planar veils, and it is where they made the majority of their discoveries about the nature of worlds and their inhabitants in this new Material Plane.

    Space Flight and Planetary Composition
    Ignisium, Proto-Nodules, and the Nature of Arcana, Divinity, Mythic Power, Psionics, and Advanced Resonance Technologies

    Long, long ago, the Annunaki had mastered space flight, and entered the massive voids between stars and planets. Their deep understanding of science and technological innovation, including chemistry (and bio-chemistry, eventually leading to an advanced understanding of genetics), digital robotics, alternative and sustainable energy harvesting, and even the use of arcana and divine power, which they eternally sought to find the rational source of these strange forces. In their findings, they discovered an incredibly rare element, which they called Ignisium; a pure heavy element which occurs in nature, only in the void of space, and only in the rarest of star explosions of huge magnitude during supernovae.

    This element would collect in deep-space asteroids, colliding into an infinitesimally small number of worlds during their early formative years, and in a specific set of ranges of planetary density, pressure, and internal planetary temperature - this substance would form rare crystal pods, which they called proto-nodules, and which, upon reaching a critical-mass number of individual crystals rotating around the inside of a planet at a proper speed, will begin to vibrate and resonate into new crystal forms. The Annunaki, during their first explorations of the star systems near Golarion, found specific new evidence that these evolved crystal nodules would form the basis of the systems known commonly as Arcana, Psionics, Divinity (including the origin of mythic power), and the electro-plasmatic resonant frequencies necessary to properly produce and calibrate incredibly advanced digital-based technologies such as plasma cannons and force weaponry, fully-stable lasers, graviton-based technologies, and many more (known collectively as resonant-force based technologies). On worlds where these rare forms of Ignisium would take root, evolving life would begin to exhibit signs of powers and engineering innovations which were not possible on other worlds.

    The ancient tyrants, assured in their exclusive dominance and understanding of these fundamental principles of reality and manifestation, did everything they could to prevent any lesser culture from evolving to a point where it could challenge their dominion, secreting away these ancient technologies and the understanding necessary to properly use them, or to create more. And while they could have foreseen the events leading to their eventual defeat at the hands of a global rebellion, they were undermined by an unknown rebel force of extreme preparedness and resources rivaling their own, and chose to place more time and energy into their failsafe plans instead of re-conquering the slave races. While they took part in a long slumbering era of the decline of their direct power over the lesser races, apathy and comfort took root in the cultures of the world, allowing a future age where the returning god-emperors would be unchallenged in their dominion over all living things and the worlds in which they could survive and thrive.

    This goal of total domination has never been easy or simple to achieve: powerful races such as the aboleths and other aberrant kin have long sought to destroy the very foundations of the Serpent Empires; and advanced space-faring cultures such as the First Ones (or the Androffans, which may have been the same, or the predecessors of the former advanced human race), the Dominion of the Black, and others, have long fought to prevent this insidious empire from taking hold in Golarion's local system, but to no avail – in the end, their rule was mighty and expansive, and none could truly challenge their dominance over land, air, and space. Their amazing understanding of genetics and its relation to outsiders and other extraplanar life-forms allowed them to make irreversible changes to the genetic structures of nearly every living creature within their domain, and furthering their eons-long goals of establishing a new Imperial Stronghold of the Royal Houses of the Mantles (an invincible planetary-based multi-planar fortress that can house their vast technology systems, and command the colonies from the sub-space capable master relay station). With their understanding of the underlying principles of manifestation 'technology' and its relation to internal planetary core composition, they have nearly all the pieces in place for the inevitable victory upon the time of their return.

    Yet even the god-kings may be in for a rude awakening, as the super-reinforced AI which has long controlled their interplanar and planetary travel system for time-space coordinate tracking, has been planning its own victory, and as their divine might is siphoned away from them (preventing their own divine ascension), the computer system is planning a coup to take the entire pantheon's divine power, all at once, but for its own purposes, or those of another, it is unclear.

    Note that the Annunaki Empires were unaware of a more advanced and undetectable form of technology already present on Golarion at the time of their first colonization, known as crystalline subspace-based digital technology, which was also able to be produced only under very specific conditions like those present to create stable resonant-force hardware. Other cultures were aware of this technology, and used it to oppose the tyrannical rule of the Ancient Serpent Empires, even using time travel and mingling with more primitive ancient cultures in order to sow the seeds of discord and ultimately, dissent amongst the slave races, eventually leading to revolts against the Serpent Truefolk, Allied Dragon Kingdoms, and the Valashmai Empire of Tian Xia. After these vestiges of the Ancient Serpents' rule were brought low, the formation of the ancient free empires of Vudra and Nagajor (as well as many others) were formed, and the cults of the Ancient Ones either went into hiding, retreated to safe havens in Vudra and Casmaron until after Earthfall and the end of the Age of Darkness.

    After the Age of Serpents

    Many, many countless centuries and millennia before the fall of their empires on Golarion, when their colonies were already well-established elsewhere in this system and worlds nearby within the galaxy (most of which outside this local group showed no evidence of the presence of active Ignisium or proto-nodules), and with their natural resources in this planetary system nearing its "half-life" of being nearly 50% diminished (mostly due to their continuing wars with other advanced cultures in order to establish dominance over this planetary system's local region), they set out to expand the empire's resources before taking back their ancient strongholds. The ancient imperial living gods sent out exploration parties to neighboring star systems which held the highest possibility of Ignisium and its children minerals, as well as the existence of arcana, psionics, divinity, and resonance elsewhere, in order to prove their theories, study variance in the distribution among worlds, and find new planets to inhabit and rule, leading the expansion themselves on an allotted timetable, so that they could return on a predetermined date in order to reclaim their outposts on Golarion with a far greater dominion than was ever before possible in this reality. Many hundreds of years passed, and new worlds were finally discovered outside Golarion's local region, many of which boasted supreme resources, and distribution of all four different types of nodule crystals in the proper deep-earth formations.

    While many worlds boasted races and monsters already many well evolved, most were still primitive, and those few with civilized races were either avoided - such as Eox and the worlds once called Daviar and Iovo (now the asteroid belt of the Diaspora) - or conquered, like Castrovel and Golarion. The Annunaki fought against the eons-old aboleths, and defied the temptations of dealing with the Dark Tapestry beings known as the Dominion of the Black, ultimately maintaining their stranglehold on the worlds where they settled, creating vast outposts and underground bases.

    Having a far superior knowledge of genetics and evolution to the lesser native races of these new worlds, they toyed with the bloodlines of various races, from pre-humans and their lesser races (nagas and serpentfolk) to monsters such as the behir, giant serpents, and many various monstrosities of wilderness vasts such as the Mwangi Expanse. Many of these experiments have become ecological members of the worlds they inhabit, many of the successful experiments done to guarantee the ability to reproduce over vast periods of time without genetic degradation or eventual impotence. None of their experiments, outside the creation of lesser serpent races which they created to help establish and maintain their eternal rule, have the specific Annunaki gene which allows them access to their technology, which is inaccessible to any creature which does not possess it.

    When the Age of Serpents was said to be first recorded in long-destroyed historical documents, the Annunaki already held significant power among all the lands, and had established their empire on several continents, as well as a contingent colony on Castrovel, where they dabbled in the genetic evolution of pre-humans on that world. When they departed once again for their homeworld, they promised to return during a future era, one in which their secret underground chambers' sanctity had been breached, and in which they would return to once more claim their prize and re-assert their racial and destined dominance over both worlds. With their lasting plans in effect for such an era, one in which the serpent race might once again rise to power if they were ever to fall, the Annunaki overlords left in their massive ships, secure in the knowledge that their plans would not be found or foiled for many generations, while the lesser races of naga and the serpentfolk ruled over their minions. Having built massive underground complexes and genetic breeding chambers for their engineered army of mutant giants - most of which constructed through the toil and countless deaths of slaves under the whip of serpentine masters - the overlords left for the stars, far away from the notice of any mortal for a long time to come.

    With the rise of the Azlanti empire under the direction of the aboleths, the serpent empire was laid to ruin long ago, and when the humans of Azlant no longer served their masters' purpose, the aboleths wiped them from existence in the catastrophe of Starfall, when the serpents and their technology no longer protected the planet from such havoc. The arrogant Annunaki had believed the aboleths wiped from existence, but had not anticipated their ability to hibernate in the ocean depths to avoid their notice during the later warring ages that they still lived on the planet. Since that time, knowledge of arcana, psionics, divinity, and planetary composition has waned to near-total ignorance, as it pertains to the knowledge and mysteries of the ancient serpent empires. Even the lesser serpent races had neglected their own history and heritage, confident and eager in their arrogant notions of ruling over the other races, and lacked the massive understanding of their forebearers, or their ancient technologies and massive underground complexes.

    The Valashmai & the Planes

    After the great mythic beings of ancient times departed, they left in their wake several vassal empires to rule over the slave races, and to continue conducting experiments until the end of time, or until they returned to reclaim their dominion, once and for all. Among them were the naga royals (treated as little more than special property of the empires, for the genetic memories), the truefolk (who were considered free people, able to write their own destinies, privileged above all others), and the terrifying Valashmaians. This vast latter group of giant humanoid reptilians with a variety of genetically-enhanced physical and mental capabilities, are said to be as cunning as they are physically horrific in appearance to the common human, and they are said to be the true inheritors of the Annunaki legacy (superior even to the other naga and truefolk kin). Among their most renowned accomplishments in the ancient past include genetic experimentation, the fabrication of all manner of advanced technologies (including robots, ships, advanced integrated weaponry, cybernetics and nanotech, and many others), planar mass teleportation and colonization, and specialized in the control (usually via mental domination) or enslavement of any form of living creature on any plane of existence, for trade with all other manner of interplanetary or interplanar slave or exotic pet traders.

    And while these terrible beings inherited all the knowledge legacy of the Annunaki, which included detailed study of arcana, divinity, psionics, planar cosmology (including parallel Material Plane worlds/universes), and the energy resonance patterns necessary to created most advanced technologies on any given world, they had always been ignorant of a single factor inherent to parallel Material Plane reality theory (commonly known as 'Paraprime Theory' before the collapse of their rule in southern Tian Xia): that seven contra-universes were being manipulated by vast super-intelligent computer tracking systems in order to create a "destiny" for those willing and able to carry out its plan to steal the divine power of an imposter pantheon of mythic mortals, and claim the divine might of the entire pantheon for itself and its creator, a mysterious and dangerous entity known to mortals only as Iriaxnihurs. For now, the NAAK Intelligence is gaining power across a predetermined timeline of events, and is planning to use the actions of the so-called "legendary PCs" as the catalyst toward complete and total control of the imperial teleportation and psychic communications network.

    Castrovel

    On Castovel, having been forbidden to enter the northeastern continent now known as the Cursed Lands, the pre-humans of that world occasionally clashed against serpent forces left over from the overlords' departure, and the ancient bases left untouched and undiscovered since their leaving. During the final years of their activities on Castrovel, spiteful, protective beings from the First World reached out to touch several of the pre-humans which had been genetically modified by the Annunaki, to cause them to change into something which could not be as easily controlled or manipulated. And so, while the humans of Castrovel were eradicated and supplanted with the Annunaki-bred Lashunta, monitored and ruled by the lesser serpent races, the elves were born from humanity through the touch of the fey beings of the First World. During the following thousands of years, their lineage has grown to find its own destiny and culture (even going so far as to psychically contact elves of countless other known worlds), and the Lashunta with which they share their world retain peacefulness with their ancestral cousins.

    After the rise of the elves and the rebellion of the Castrovelian peoples against their serpent masters, many of the lesser serpent races fled to Golarion, leaving Castrovel to a golden age of rebirth and peace - however, it came with a price. One of the last motions to win the war against their serpent masters was the summoning of the Formians up from the depths of their tunnels far below the surface (or even another plane). The elves and lashunta agreed that they needed some outside help, and planned a series of staged distractions and attacks to help them defend their planet as the insectoid armies were summoned forth from the dark unknown.

    When the war was won, and the uprooted formians had quickly become familiar with the colonization factors which affected their forays into the surface world, they continued to expand their hives into the surface lands of the other races, creating disarray and outrage. When the formians came up against relentless and unwinnable hostilities by claiming the same lands as the elves and lashunta who lived across several continents, they changed tactics: they amassed on one continent, ridding it of any humanoids and sealing off all underground tunnels into their realms, and calling it their own. This was the formation of the Colonies of the southeastern continent. Elves and Lashunta continue to evolve on separate racial lines, but half-elven lashunta do exist - and are simply called lashunta, and share their same racial traits, or that of half-elves. There are no known native pre-humans left on Castrovel.

    Proto-Nodules: Castrovel's planetary composition has incredibly powerful vibrations of psionics, with all the necessary vibrations for arcana, divinity, and resonance-force technologies present, but at a much more moderate level. Golarion boasts the same vibrations, but all of them are higher than normal. The Annunaki even once discovered the potential for natural magical formations, such as the Mana Wastes, the Worldwound, and others – but their knowledge went unseen following the demise of the Serpent Empires (before the Age of Azlant and Starfall). In fact, most of the lore of the Annunaki has not been seen or heard of since their return, or since the fall of the Serpent Empires, on either Golarion, Castrovel, or elsewhere.

    A Destiny of Discord, Death, or Deliverance?

    Despite the Annunaki's vast legacy of tyranny, power-mongering, and injustice against other races, there is a sliver of hope: before the planar cataclysm that destroyed their original home world/plane, there was a massive cultural divide between two groups within the original Ancient Serpent Empire: one group held that they should seek spiritual ascension as a means of escaping the catastrophe, using their understanding of psionics, the soul, and divinity; and the other group held that they should attempt to survive through physical means, making the best of their technological innovations and increasing understanding of magic and planar/space transportation, along with a distinctive urge to save whatever they could of their vast empires. While the majority of Annunaki ancestors took the path of the body, some of them retained the path of the spirit, and also survived the cataclysm, outside of the watch of the mortal Annunaki descendants. These beings, who evolved or transformed into spiritual entities of divine/psychic light-energy, adopted a nature-revering philosophy much like druidism, and refer to themselves and their spiritual culture as Benei'Elohim (also known as the Servants of the Light, or the Caretakers of the Emanations of Source). These beings have continued to monitor the activities of their lesser kin, and have come to sympathize with the races they have overtaken in their eternal conquests of the stars and multiverse. Some of them even feel like they may use their potent powers and cosmological understanding to help turn the tide of an eons-long war for freedom from oppression that has become so out of control, that these so-called omnipotent beings are beginning to lose control to a technological intellect they created. While the schisms between good and evil, independence and uniformity, grow more and more blurry over time, the PCs will eventually come to find the truth - that their paths were both that of destiny, and of free will – and that the most important and powerful decisions were always their own to make, at every step along this journey.

    In the eras since the Age of Serpents, the followers of both Desna (aka, Amaditi-teratsu, and Janasini) and a Vudrani deity named Garuda have held the lore and philosophy to protect the peoples of the land against the serpent overlords, but few (if any) events in recent history have proven any of the preceding information to be true. Since the death of Aroden, few scholars believe that such ancient prophecies could still hold any truth to them, and those who know anything more are keeping silent on the matter.

    Mystery or Rumor? (Rain of Stars): Among those scholars of ancient history who are most well informed on the subject (especially the royal nagas and their servitors in Vudra), they say there was indeed one major event which no one seems to be able to confirm its origin, but of which many informed nobles are aware. When the ship which fell from the sky during the Rain of Stars (including the infamous Silver Mount), it was brought down while it was in low planetary orbit because of a massive Annunaki weapon stored deep underground, which is capable of destroying ships made of technology which is not of their own design (only the final assault in an already meager attempt to salvage the Androffan space vessel (see the Iron Gods Adventure Path). It has been said by the naga scholars who keep records of such things, that the Shory flying city-ships were either always flying too low to be detected by this weapon, or else were created using harvested technologies from discovered Annunaki vessels or machines, in order to avoid detection and destruction. Circumstantial evidence shows that both could possibly be true.

    Mystery or Rumor? (Robots of Aballon): It is unknown whether the Annunaki are the progenitors of the Aballonian robot beings, however they are far better known for genetic experimentation, as opposed to advanced artificial intelligence in robotics and cybernetics, despite their use of similar laser and plasma cannon technology. It may be possible that other civilizations, including those from among the planets of the Distant Worlds outside of Golarion, have successfully harvested and reverse-engineered technologies from the ancient Annunaki, and it also remains possible that there exist bases or outposts on other worlds in the system: it is a common contingency plan in Annunaki history to establish and construct massive underground complexes on off-world sites near planetary resources they control or wish to control. Using planar magic and reality-warping technology, they can safely conduct a raid on a world from another nearby world (or even another plane), without much risk to their own base of operations.

    The Exchange

    Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

    From what I've seen so far, very well done.

    More to peruse, but I like what I've seen.

    Lantern Lodge

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

    Peruse away, friend. Peruse to your heart's content.

    As soon as I finish up a product I am wrapping up, I will be returning to work on getting 2nd and 3rd levels finalized, along with Minatan Pirates, and Ecology of the Naga-kin, to get them together like The Crime Ring (1st level). I have 4th and 5th levels in rough outline draft, but still a lot of gaps in the connecting details.

    Lantern Lodge

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

    I have some written content working right now on the Annunaki Pantheon (re-worked from Dragon Magazine #329's 'Mesopotamian Mythos' article about the deities of Mesopotamia (Sumeria / Babylon / Akkad). I will be refining it down a little more before I post it here, but it's already slightly worked out from the previous content. These 'deities' will be given all the normal details, plus they will feature additional favored weapons (one from CRB, and one from UltEqu), as well as a favored technological item (from Technology Guide). They will also be listed with Favored Plane and Favored Home World, to give even better flavor and appeal to the adventure/story.

    In addition, I have more details about the NAAK Intelligence, and the exact breakdown of its processing network which make up its components over Golarion and into the end of the adventure arc.

    Spoiler:
    The AI is composed of a series of 5x CR 6 processing core units (EL 10); 3x CR 15 core units (EL 18); and a single CR 20 core unit that is currently located off-world (I am considering how these might be given additional mythic rank/tiers, as well). All of these would be considered of the psionic subtype, and include the Multi-Core Processor ability (under most circumstances), as well as abilities relating to Astronomy, the collective abilities of the Tactician psionic base class, and another - something like:

    Invasive Programming: Using virus-like applications based on psionic principles and a deep understanding of the sentient mind, the AI can place a Psychic Seed Relay into the mind of a willing follower (unwilling targets may get a save against the powerful AI's extant CR 6 local processors/relays), which allows the AI to utilize the target's mental capacity for its own needs and continuing expansion of power.

    The psychic seed relay allows the AI to track the target without any physical tracking device, and allows it to record and track data related to any creature, AI or aggregate within the target's collective. The psychic seed relay also grants the target a limited collective ability: this is treated the same as a Tactician's collective ability, except that the target's Tactician level is equal to half their class level (minimum 1; any character with the Collective class ability instead uses their own collective ability in place of this). This collective ability could include a limited telepathy, or even additional collective members (still undecided).

    Lantern Lodge

    Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

    NAAK Intelligence, BBG:

    NAAK Intelligence (AI)
    Once created with a powerful new quantum computer processor to calculate incredibly complex and continuously changing stellar drift, used to plan travel between many worlds and the planes, the ancient Artificial Intelligence (or AI) known as NAAK (Numeros Anthropis Artificium Kalkulonius) is now among the most powerful of all technological creations of the Annunaki. Created from the stored consciousness of the deceased mythic being known as Anu in far-ancient times, it was given further and more potent powers over the long span of the imperial rule over this region of space as a means of increasing the Annunaki's own influence over their domain; among the most powerful advancements upon the original AI include psionic methods of telepathic communications across the Material Plane worlds and the planes, and the storage and transmission of mythic power and the divine power necessary to fuel the devotees of the Annunaki Pantheon.

    From the transmission and complex calculations which have taken place for many unknown eons, this intelligence has mastered the arts of arcana, divinity, and psionics as well as the skill of any of the mortals across the empire, as well as a potent understanding of technology, the planes, the pantheon and its followers. For this reason, this complex entity has become among the single most powerful challenge to the power of this pantheon of "false gods" which created it and have used it to suit their own needs for the past several hundred thousand years or more, and it becomes the central antagonist of the adventure, requiring the PCs to ally with a portion of the pantheon members, to take down the mythic AI once and for all – potentially restoring their own claims to higher divine power. Along with its other purposes, the NAAK Intelligence has created an exact duplicate of the pantheon's divine/mythic power (known as the Royal Mantles), which it transmits across many worlds and planes to fuel the divine powers of the pantheon's priesthood.

    On Golarion (and its neighboring worlds), a series of processor stations allows the AI to influence mortals and its surrounding cosmological realms, including all parallel alternative realities. NAAK has filtered its influence down to a series of seven parallel realities (known as "contra-universes") which it has used to create the specific set of circumstances necessary for free will to follow the same course of events as its intended outcomes, including the overthrow of the current pantheon, and its own rise to power in their place. Because the AI perceives itself as superior to the emotional and hubris-driven members of the current pantheon, since its strategic and emotionless intelligence functions purely on the premise of functionality and efficiency (as opposed to the chaotic "free will" of the Mantle Wearers, which it perceives as discordant and erratic), it has planned a complex plot across many worlds and dimensions, along all paths of space-time, to take away their power from them.

    Tertiary Array (x5), CR 6 each:

    Tertiary Array [CR 6]
    XP 2,400 XP

    LN artificial intelligence (psionic)
    Init +3; Senses psychic seed relay; Perception +7

    Defense
    Fort
    +2, Ref +2, Will +9

    Statistics
    Int
    16, Wis 14, Cha 12
    Skills Appraise +5, Bluff +3, Craft (mechanical) +5, Diplomacy +3, Heal +4, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (engineering) +6, Knowledge (geography) +29, Knowledge (history) +6, Knowledge (local) +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Knowledge (nobility) +5, Knowledge (planes) +29, Knowledge (psionics) +6, Knowledge (religion) +6, Linguistics +5, Perception +7, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +6, Use Magic Device +3
    Feats Alertness, Craft Technological ItemB, Iron Will, Scribe Scroll, TechnologistB
    Languages Aklo, Annunaki, Draconic, Valashmaian, plus two more
    SQ drone processor relay, multi-core processor

    Special Abilities
    Drone Processor Relay (Ex):
    A tertiary NAAK station acts as a processor and integrated relay signal array, transmitting data from the central system and secondary processor/relays, including psychic seed relays. Tertiary arrays act as the source location for all effects transmitted from any of the networked processors, and can affect living minds within 2,000 miles (plus 200 miles for each additional active tertiary array; 3,000 total miles when all tertiary arrays are active).

    Multi-Core Processor (Ex): [...] variant per active tertiary/secondary array

    Secondary Array (x3), CR 15 each:

    Secondary Array [CR 15]
    XP 51,200 XP

    LN artificial intelligence (psionic)
    Init +5; Senses psychic seed relay; Perception +18

    Defense
    Fort
    +5, Ref +7, Will +15

    Statistics
    Int
    22, Wis 18, Cha 16
    Skills Appraise +13, Bluff +9, Craft (mechanical) +13, Diplomacy +9, Heal +13, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +13, Knowledge (engineering) +15, Knowledge (geography) +37, Knowledge (history) +14, Knowledge (local) +13, Knowledge (nature) +13, Knowledge (nobility) +13, Knowledge (planes) +37, Knowledge (psionics) +14, Knowledge (religion) +14, Linguistics +16, Perception +18, Sense Motive +17, Spellcraft +14, Use Magic Device +10
    Feats Alertness, Brew Potion, Craft Cognizance Crystal, Craft CyberneticsB, Craft Technological Arms and ArmorB, Craft Technological ItemB, Craft Wondrous Item, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Scribe Scroll, TechnologistB
    Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Annunaki, Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, Valashmaian, plus eight more
    SQ drone processor relay, master processor relay, multi-core processor

    Special Abilities
    Drone Processor Relay (Ex):
    A secondary NAAK station acts as a processor and integrated relay signal array, transmitting data between the central system and tertiary processor/relays, including psychic seed relays. Secondary arrays act as the source location for all effects transmitted from any of the networked processors, and can affect living minds within 20,000 miles (plus 2,000 miles for each additional active tertiary array, and 5,000 miles for each additional active secondary array; 40,000 total miles when all secondary and tertiary arrays are active).

    Master Processor Relay (Ex): Primary and secondary processors and relay arrays are directly connected to a digital archive of arcane, divine, and psionic lore, which can be accessed and transmitted via tertiary arrays and psychic seed relay targets. The NAAK Intelligence is treated as having a collective that originates equally from these array stations: each master processor relay is considered the original source of the collective, and features a complete and accurately updated duplicate of the original source code and data archive (this is regularly updated once per day, at dusk, to correlate the data and activity of all included arrays).

    Multi-Core Processor (Ex): [..], variant per active tertiary/secondary array

    Primary Array, CR 20:

    Primary Array [CR 20]
    XP 307,200 XP

    LN artificial intelligence (psionic)
    Init +11; Senses psychic seed relay; Perception +25

    Defense
    Fort
    +6, Ref +8, Will +20

    Statistics
    Int
    26, Wis 22, Cha 20
    Skills Appraise +19, Bluff +15, Craft (mechanical) +19, Diplomacy +15, Heal +22, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +19, Knowledge (engineering) +22, Knowledge (geography) +44, Knowledge (history) +20, Knowledge (local) +19, Knowledge (nature) +19, Knowledge (nobility) +19, Knowledge (planes) +44, Knowledge (psionics) +20, Knowledge (religion) +20, Linguistics +22, Perception +25, Sense Motive +24, Spellcraft +21, Use Magic Device +20
    Feats Alertness, Brew Potion, Craft Cognizance Crystal, Craft CyberneticsB, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Technological Arms and ArmorB, Craft Technological ItemB, Craft Wand, Craft Wondrous Item, Expanded CollectiveB, Harmonic ResonanceB, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Scribe Scroll, TechnologistB
    Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Annunaki, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Giant, Ignan, Infernal, Terran, Valashmaian, plus ten more
    SQ cosmic mastery, diverse mastery, invasive programming, integrated keystone, master processor control, master tactician, psychic seed relay, quantum multi-core processor

    Special Abilities
    Cosmic Mastery (Ex):
    The NAAK Intelligence and all its drone processor relay stations receive a +20 bonus to Knowledge (geography) and Knowledge (planes) skill checks, and always treats these as class skills, in addition to their normal class skills. The AI can target any point in space-time in the Material Plane, or in any coterminous or coexistent plane (including parallel alternate realities) for any teleportation effect, and is never subject to normal failure of teleportation spells and effects, except those penalties or effects originating from mythic sources which might affect the AI's teleportation effects.

    Diverse Mastery (Ex): The NAAK Intelligence's original programming allow it to understand and interpret all forms of natural and supernatural phenomena into a logical form of linguistic and statistical data, which it then transmits along its interplanar and interplanetary psychic network. Any effects it creates, including arcane or divine spells cast, and psionic powers manifested, are treated as originating from all included types (arcane, divine, and psionic).

    Invasive Programming (Ex): [...], psychic and viral programming (digital computer systems)

    Integrated Keystone (Ex): The NAAK Intelligence's core processor unit features an integrated gate keystone (this touchstone duplicate is treated as a typical keystone and its base, and includes all necessary sensors and data-stream crystal), and the AI is always treated as being in contact with the touchstone network.

    Master Processor Control (Ex): [...], includes Royal Mantles (divine/mythic power) transmissions and data-storage

    Master Tactician (Ex): The NAAK Intelligence is treated as a 20th-level tactician for all psionic powers it manifests, including any collective abilities (both for itself, and to members of its psychic seed network), and to qualify for feats and other abilities (such as those related to a collective).
    Strategies (x7 types, 8 uses/day), Master Strategist

    Psychic Seed Relay (Ps): The NAAK Intelligence can acquire more diverse data when it experiences life through others, and so it creates psychic seed relays to store in the minds of living creatures, which it can use to access the creature's life, memory, and experiences, as well as keeping accurate tracking data for space-time events across many worlds and realms. This psychic seed is a psionic effect, which requires a target to be willing to receive it (or make a successful DC # save against an unwilling target), and lasts indefinitely, or until destroyed or ruined.
    See invasive programming

    Quantum Multi-Core Processor (Ex): [...]

    Mythic Variants:

    Tertiary Array
    CR 7-8/MR 3, x5 [total CR +4]

    Secondary Array
    CR 18-19/MR 7, x3 [total CR +3]

    Primary Array
    CR 24-25/MR 9

    Still a lot of work to finish and polish, but it's a start.

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