| Tündérke |
Hi everyone, we’re about to start this great campaign, which has personally become one of my favorites. I’ll be running the story for three players.
If you feel like it, read through the backstory I created—you might find some inspiring ideas in it. It’s quite long: the beginning is a standard narrative and includes characters who may have had roles after reading the six books, before the campaign begins.
The interesting part is at the end, starting from the paragraph “What happens in Dreamsland?”, where I tried to create an event that brings the party together, as well as something that gives the characters a real reason to pursue Lowls.
The whole text is a big spoiler!
We’re in our 50s and have been roleplaying for 40 years (along the classic AD&D–D&D 3.5–Pathfinder line). Maybe it’s not too arrogant to say we’re not beginners, so I’ll have to step up my game if I want to show the guys something new.
The text was translated with the help of DeepSeek AI, so sorry if anything is unclear or if some information might be missing.
The players could not look up anything regarding the Strange Aeons campaign (not even the guide), everything about the campaign is completely unknown to them.
Their task was to create a first-level character each.
The campaign backstory below is a considered set of possibilities, a Guide intended for the GM, written after a single read-through of the six books; the players also know nothing about this. Below are many possibilities and twists that could have happened based on the 6 Strange Aeons modules before the campaign begins. The basic story below must be tailored to the players' given backstories based on the backstories they wrote and the answers they gave to the questions.
Many flashbacks are a simple image that I send to the given player on Discord (Messenger); many flashbacks are a short text that the given player also receives. The images are created using the Leonardo AI system (e.g., Melisenn offering a drink towards the viewer, Muric being angry, and the like). I have created an infinite amount of image material with Leonardo anyway, for every room, scene, etc., situations.
All this significantly burdens the GM (time, work, energy), but I, for example, thoroughly enjoyed it (about one year of preparation work alongside family and other activities). In April 2025, I asked the guys to send a character idea they would like to play, just thought up in a rustic way, since at that time we were simultaneously heavily playing several other Pathfinder campaigns, and it was clear we would finish them by the summer of 2026. 3 players, 3 characters: paladin, bard, investigator. By the time I reached the material I considered final for Strange Aeons – because even now new ideas keep coming, many other ideas, branches, fleshed-out stories were created, which I simply deleted, and continued according to the new idea. The material – the first two books – is thus almost completely in my head (I practically learned it by the time I finished), which might help in narrating the complex material and increasing the players' enjoyment factor. At the very end of the game, the players receive this writing as a WIP (Work In Progress) document, each their own story.
At the beginning of the backstory, the yithian envoy – from The Whisper Out of Time module – bombards Therst (see below) with suggestions, and because of this, he traverses the path that the paladin and the bard also start on, but even the two PCs could receive suggestions, motivating them to travel. Then, after the professor's death and the two PCs' ordeal, the Mad Poet's ritual takes away the PCs' memories, blocking the connection towards the yithian envoy. At the end of Dreams of the Yellow King, the PCs regain their memories, and the yithian envoy contacts the PCs again (now clearly only the 3 PCs), trying the same route with them as it tried with the professor (the corruption of Xhamen-Dor in the investigator is the strongest sign for it). The following backstory takes place before the Strange Aeons campaign, i.e., this is the player characters' (PCs) backstories. The story starts on two separate threads, which intertwine later. And at the end of the backstory, they begin the Strange Aeons campaign with the nightmare where the Tatterman executes them – as active participants.
Basic Character Story, BARD and PALADIN: Their story starts in Ustalav's capital, Caliphas: Sir Karthis Alboran (LN), leader of the Caliphas knightly order, Supreme Commander of the Order of the Lance of Holy Blood. Sir Karthis is an older, grey-haired, thick-mustached, old-fashioned noble who believes the order's purpose is to maintain civilization in Ustalav – by men. Extremely conservative, he sees the role of women solely in the familial background. Although a surprisingly skilled strategist, he has never fought in a real war – he gained his influence through connections and alliances. His order protects the city of Caliphas from magical and occult threats (at least on paper), but in reality, it rather wields political power. His regular card-playing partner is the chancellor of the University of Caliphas, Provost Emeritus Vellad Ivraxim (N), Chancellor of the University of Caliphas, Professor of Occult Antiquities. Ivraxim is an aged, pipe-smoking scholar who enjoys long philosophical discourses but, above all, loves to play cards. He has maintained a good relationship with Karthis for a long time, although he often mocks his narrow-mindedness. In the background, he is also interested in dark, forgotten sciences and has his own hidden agenda regarding his research – perhaps he knows more about the Necronomicon than he admits. He is not evil, but extremely pragmatic.
During a card party, they talk about a local university professor, Professor Elidran Threst (Male, 58, CG), Head of the Department of Occult and Forgotten Languages. Elidran Threst is an exceptional scholar who has been researching ancient seals, magical defense systems, and forgotten, unique languages for decades, especially those connected to the forbidden libraries buried under the Osirian sand, Thassilonian seals, or the symbol systems of pre-Absalom eras. A great scholar of forbidden books, he believes that within all dangerous knowledge lies the possibility of redemption – if it falls into the right hands. Threst started as an anointed priest of Sarenrae, but during his first desert excavation in Osirion as a young man, he received such impulses that he moved towards deepening his research and knowledge. Fate led him to Ustalav; he does not particularly propagate his faith, only his closest acquaintances know about his religious affiliation. His latest theory suggests that in a hidden location in the Gnoll-ruled semi-desert of Katapesh, there is a seal that might be connected to the theoretically existing "Seal of the Opened Gates" – a lost element of prohibition magic that could have prevented entities from other planes from stepping onto Golarion. During his research so far, Threst has found several references to an unholy relic from another world as a guiding document that could aid Threst in his further research (this document is never explicitly named, shrouded in mystery throughout the entire game). This latter work is a unique rarity; the professor roughly knows how dangerous an artifact it is, although most of his ignorant colleagues consider it a fantastic myth, a simple "marketing gimmick" – those who have even heard of its existence. The professor, however, is certain of the work's authenticity and power, and for this reason, intends to travel to the city of Katheer to continue his research there. Chancellor Ivraxim explicitly encourages the professor's expedition – perhaps not by chance – and the university also provides financial contribution for the travel, as well as providing the professor with an excellent letter of recommendation.
Aedorita (female, 18, paladin of Sarenrae, LG, one PC character) – ever since, due to her origins, she was appointed as a resident member of the Order of the Lance of Holy Blood half a year ago – constantly bombards Sir Karthis Alboran with requests to give her some suitable task, zealously indicating how suitable she is for any pathetic task, because she has already become a member of the order (even if not as a knight anointed, only having reached the lowest level of the pyramid), and she wants to prove herself agilely, worthy of the title. Alboran first smiled at her, then her zealous pestering began to bore him and finally annoy him. After all, what task could he give a woman? At most a kitchen maid's quest or struggling with dirty diapers. So, during the mentioned card party, seizing the opportunity to get the girl far away from himself, he convinces Ivraxim to place the paladin-to-be with the professor as well, arguing that a dangerous journey lies ahead of the professor, protection will be necessary, and she could be of great use in fighting the evil posed by the seals; perhaps the fearless paladin-to-be would be the best choice for the professor, a desert being a more "homely" terrain for Sarenrae's knight than Ustalav. (Sir Karthis extols the PC to Ivraxim, describing how unshakeable and excellent her abilities are, concealing the fact that the girl hasn't even been knighted by the order, she's just an intern resident.) After a plethora of better and better reasons, the chancellor finally agrees, yielding to the request out of their old friendship. So Alboran presents to the paladin-to-be what an important mission it is, that she should do everything as Threst commands, protect him, and bring the research group home safely, because the professor is performing extremely important research. Aedorita bites into this "terribly important" mission (which, according to Alboran, is merely a long and boring journey). The paladiness is especially glad that she can get into the heart of Sarenrae's religion, and is particularly happy that her chosen goddess calls her to Katapesh. Later, after consulting with the professor personally, she convinces him to also bring her "newfound companion," the bard (Name not yet known, male, 19, bard of Desna, CG, one PC character), because he will be a truly useful member of the team.
The bard is just a drifting nobody, living on the streets of Caliphas from occasional music-making, storytelling, pickpocketing, and petty thefts, and it was there he met the paladin-to-be. Over time, their relationship became closer; the bard's assertiveness somehow entertained the knightly girl, and the bard lives with (platonic?) love towards the young girl. When the bard finds out that the knightly girl is leaving him behind, he almost begs her to take him along; the capital is a nice place, but his life so far destines him for little (he already has several enemies); he sees the journey as an opportunity to break out. In a moment of weakness, Aedorita finally speaks to Threst about the bard; she doesn't lie to the professor, but strongly presents what a scholarly seedling the bard is, a misunderstood genius who understands linguistics (this is true), smaller scientific matters, and they can also use his other useful abilities (people skills, he sells himself well, a real survivor); he would do as an administrator. Upon the paladiness's urging, the professor finally agrees to the matter and accepts the bard into his research group as well. So, a 5-person research expedition finally sets out: the professor, the two PCs, and the professor's two interns and assistants. The university finances the journey, though not very generously. During the truly long and boring journey, the knightly girl talks a lot/very much with the professor; excited about the journey, she drinks in Threst's words about the world, theories, gods, seals, and dangers. The professor is impressed by the girl's interest, gladly presents himself to her, and finally earns Threst's trust. During the journey, the paladiness learns that the professor's research area and his current journey, besides researching seals, are focused on a very dangerous document (it is never explicitly stated what exactly it is). The scholar believes that uncovering this work could be one of the pinnacles of his research. The paladiness learns what dark writing it is, and that the professor wants to study it so that, by understanding what is written there, it would be easier to defend against the dark things contained within. Based on Threst's research so far, it is an extremely dangerous writing, but he does not want to destroy it (he understands it is not possible), he wants to understand it. "The true destruction of horror might only be possible if we understand its origin or discover its unique weakness." He tells the PC the grim, dark history of the work that has come to his knowledge so far, and warns her not to even go near it unprepared; he seems to have precise knowledge of its dangers. The paladiness is not necessarily sure that the book cannot be destroyed ("after all, it's just a book"), but she believes in the professor's sincere intention. The girl thinks that if this writing truly is what it is, it must definitely be destroyed so it cannot fall into the wrong hands, and then there would be nothing to fear, although the professor still claims the book cannot be destroyed (based on his studies, there have been several attempts), and it's only a matter of time before it falls into the wrong hands, because "thinking theoretically, this is somehow an inevitable fate of the situation." "We must understand its nature and operation so it can benefit us. It might be necessary to touch the darkness, but by doing so, we can then help those in need." – the professor pressures the knightly girl (and this latter sentence might become particularly important later, see further story). They pit these two opinions against each other in long philosophical battles during the journey, not necessarily declaring a winner, but they pass the boredom of the journey excellently with it, and they grow almost friendly; the older professor is increasingly impressed by the young girl's – for now only scholarly – approach. (Flashback opportunity.) They talk a lot about Sarenrae as well, and at one point during the journey, the professor gifts the knightly girl one of his trinkets, a very old copper holy symbol of Sarenrae found during a previous excavation, which blazes beautifully in the sunlight. Furthermore, in a ceremonial setting (playfully), he anoints the paladin as the protective knight of the current research company, with the broken hilt of a sword dedicated to the now-broken goddess, which he also found during that same excavation and is taking as a gift to Katheer for a colleague there. The sword, richly decorated with motifs, is noticeably very old, and even as a broken stump, it inspires strong awe in the observer, a very valuable piece. And this gift, along with several other excavated treasures, would later serve well to open gates for the professor towards researching dangerous and thus well-hidden documents. On the occasion of being knighted, Threst swears in the girl, now a "true knight," to make the mission of understanding dangerous and dark things her primary service, to help the professor achieve his goal, and together thereby improve the world. The girl says yes with proud devotion. (Of course, the professor is not a knight, nor a member of any knightly order; still, from this point on, everyone on the ship regards Aedorita as a knight. The bard even writes a special heroic song for the occasion. What they don't know is that the professor acts as an anointed priest of Sarenrae, and the sword, as a transport medium, passes on the blessing of the Dawnflower to the girl, so from then on, she truly can write herself down as a knight. This could be important because when the paladin regains her memories, she might realize that no one officially knighted her, only the professor, yet she became a knight; this could somewhat restore her faith – or plunge her into even deeper despair.) Meanwhile, the bard enjoys the idleness the journey provides, hangs out with the sailors, gambles, entertains with songs, a true showman. Perhaps he is a little jealous of the professor, though this is more about the difference in knowledge (with which the professor can divert the young girl's attention) than physical/spiritual lines. When they dock at waypoints, unlike the scholarly club, he always goes out into the town; he likes the tourism the journey offers. The professor's two assistants are true nerds, hanging on the professor's every word and wish, living with arrogant disdain towards anyone who doesn't have their university knowledge and attitude, especially despising the bard. An important episode could be that in Cassomir, the bard, as per routine, leaves the ship together with Captain Bonnet, with whom he has become better friends. They visit the captain's local favorite tavern, where they happen to find Skywin Freeling as well (the latter is there on business). Great joy between Bonnet and the halfling; they are old good buddies (it's not by chance it's their usual place...), and in a good sense, professional rivals. Skywin, completely innocently, asks the captain about his current cargo, to which he only replies something about a scholarly group, strange fellows. The bard, just to spice up the conversation, mentions that they are carrying ancient treasures to Katapesh, relics and very valuable artifacts. This is overheard by someone who always has their ear open (whether the bartender or a person in the tavern, their identity can remain shrouded in mystery), and they tip off their pirate buddies, always hungry for loot (for good money).
Shortly after leaving Cassomir, a tragic turn occurs in the journey: on the Pashman River, a pirate band attacks and massacres most of the group; the paladiness's combat effectiveness in the battle is about zero (total failure, which she might flashback to later); the bard only escapes the attack by luck. The professor suffers severe injuries while trying to protect his valuables, causing the pirates to find it simpler to leave him for the scavengers. Before they move on with their loot and a few new slaves (including the two PCs and one of the professor's interns – this thread might be usable in the future – as well as the ship's remaining crew with the captain), the dying professor still reminds the paladiness of the importance of her oath. (This is, incidentally, a hopeful gesture from Threst towards Aedorita, as he suspects what awaits the girl, and somehow wants to instill strength in her for the difficult period ahead, a lifeline that would protect her soul from madness even in the most hopeless situations.) Then the pirates leave the professor on the looted and burning ship, which burns into the retina of the girl as she moves away. (This scene will also be a flash, which can be used to motivate the female knight to continue the story and "pursue" the Necronomicon in the 4th module. Also, based on the above story, the female knight will have a connection to the Necronomicon, wanting to use it rather than destroy it... The professor's later role: he often appears in the knight's dreams, with two types of narrative, giving guidance; and because he died a violent and bitter death, he who has not yet finished his earthly mission wanders the afterlife, and until he finds rest, it will not be otherwise.) So the two (PCs) survive the attack (the girl swallows Sarenrae's necklace so it won't be torn from her neck...). The pirate crew drifts down to Okeno, and here, at the first slave market, they get rid of their captives. They are bought from the pirates by Biting Lash, the gnoll slave trader. He has an extensive network in the city. After he quickly realizes the paladin is unsuitable as a courtesan – she immediately beats up the first customer, upon which Lash's local man applies bloody retaliation (beats her half to death) – they throw the paladin (as a warrior Amazon) into the arena. Here she mostly has to fight similarly worthless wretches who can't do anything else; they attack her in the arena, either them or the paladin... Blood flows, guts spill, the paladin's combat skill grows. Her soul becomes orphaned; she doesn't understand why she has to do this; she prays zealously to Sarenrae (by now the necklace is around her neck), but receives no feedback. Meanwhile, the bard is a servant at Lash's own residence, the victim of regular humiliations and beatings. Since gnolls generally do not treat slaves well, his strategy is survival. Often he manages to talk his way out of severe retribution, but his lot is still bitter; he never knows when his fate might reach him. A great help in survival is Bonnet's encouragement, with whom he ended up at Biting's residence together. The captain is present due to his knowledge, providing the gnoll slave trader with a wealth of information, although he is aware that he is only interesting to the gnoll as long as he can tell him something new. At the servants' quarters, the captain always encourages the bard, telling him not to worry, everything will be alright, they won't be killed (unlike some of their fellow slaves who cannot bear the daily "attrition"); he supports the bard just as he would his men on his ship. By now, the bard buddies up quite well with Bonnet; the only information he has about the paladin is what the gnolls gossip among themselves about "the wild b~&&%." Even so, he is still in a better situation than his quickly perishing companions, flattering his captors with his honeyed tongue, telling stories, singing; the jackal-people basically tolerate him as a pretty amusing nobody. This goes on for a good while, then one day Lash receives an unusual visitor, Weiralai, a person-thing wrapped in tattered leather clothes, seeming extremely alien and terrifying. The bard happens to be on duty, so he witnesses Weiralai bargaining with the gnoll for slaves. He hears that the stranger will be heading towards Ustalav with his fresh goods, which fills him with hope. In the evening, they gather everyone (the professor's assistant is no longer there, his fate uncertain) and the selection begins, which ends with both of them being purchased. Another episode here: When Lash gathers his slaves, the paladin is once more in the same place as the bard; the latter's heart beats faster for his former partner. Weiralai inspects the goods, bargaining with Lash; the outsider selects a batch of slaves which, unlike Bonnet, does not include the PCs. The desperate bard, in a do-or-die moment, calls out from the line that the outsider should take him; he won't regret it; he is also from where the goods are being shipped, and he has a lot of information that could be useful, even more. Lash would not hesitate to behead such a disrespectful nobody immediately, but since he already knows this amusing "plaything," he curiously allows the situation to unfold. Weiralai steps up to the bard, asks what he is talking about; the bard explains that he is from Ustalav, and so is the paladin (pointing to the girl), and he will surely do well if he takes them; he could even ask for a ransom for the girl, as she is from a wealthy family. The outsider looks at Lash, who shrugs; it's all the same to him who they buy from him. Weiralai nods, then quite randomly selects two figures, the captain and another, and shoves them back to Lash's side; he no longer needs them, piece by piece. The exchange occurs; the bard and the paladin end up in the group of purchased slaves; Bonnet, with a disappointed look, returns to Lash's camp. By night, the group is already boarded onto a ship. (This story provides an opportunity to make the Strange Aeons story more interesting later in books 3 and 4.) The journey back passes mostly uneventfully, spent in the dark, smelly, sweat-filled hold of a riverboat. Weiralai, as a pastime, regularly summons one of his slaves for a chat. During manipulative, mocking, and provocative conversations, he maps out – among others – the PCs as well, and they too can get to know the creature's style. They occasionally dock at places, but they only know this much about it, as they have little visibility from the hold; some people are taken up, never to be seen again. During the journey, the paladin becomes more closely acquainted with a middle-aged woman, Kiriana, who is very scared and worried, but the paladin's calmness and determination can soothe her as well. They have time to talk; they grow fond of each other; the woman talks a lot about her home, her family, how she became a slave, and her hope that perhaps one day she'll have the chance to see her home again, her children, about whom she knows nothing. Kiriana's kindness, charm, and devotion, which show even in this difficult situation, enchant the others. Then, at one of the stops (the journey has been going on for a good while by now), they bring many people up on deck, including the bard. Here, next to Weiralai, stand Lowls and a Creole-skinned woman, Melissen. The woman thoroughly gropes the slaves, their teeth, (conducts a physical examination), then quietly discusses with the Count, who, after a long look at the slaves, offers a deal to the people. He buys them from the slave trader, but the price must be worked off for the Count as debt-slaves. If they agree, they sign a contract, which binds them from then on; if not, they go back into the hold. (Episode: Here, one of the chained slaves throws himself into the water and tries to swim away, but his manacles pull him down into the depths. Weiralai is boredly annoyed at the loss, but the annoyance isn't that visible on him...) Touched by the breeze of freedom, the bard seizes the opportunity, and when he gets the chance (Melisenn is examining him), he quietly speaks up and quickly offers the paladin in place of the slave who went into the water (not forgetting his companion), as a truly excellent opportunity. One of Weiralai's officers immediately applies retribution to the still-slave, but Lowls calms the mood. He discourses a bit with Weiralai and Melisenn, perhaps even argues, then steps up to the bard, staring at him piercingly. Then he asks about the paladin, whether she is truly as good as he says. The bard confirms his statement, especially highlighting the arena fights, and thus the knight is also brought onto the deck. The Count asks the bard as well, why he is so mouthy, what he did before. This is when Lowls learns that a minstrel has fallen into his bag. After a long contemplation (Lowls just stares at the water of the open lake and broods), Lowls summons the paladiness, talks with her, asks a few questions, and then, following her answers, offers her that if she swears to serve him faithfully, the other slaves on deck – after they complete their assigned tasks – will become free. (Lowls tells the paladin that many bad people and ruffian types have appeared in the city, who all act against Lowls and order, and she must find these figures and bring them to justice, because the city guard is not up to this task... Or she can go back to the between-decks.) The paladin, looking at the group of slaves including Kiriana and the bard, who have hope in their eyes, finally nods yes. And thus they fall into Lowls's servitude. They sign a contract stating that until the PCs work off the goods, they are considered servants of the Count (the paladin is not necessarily offered the possibility of later liberation!!); they confirm this with their own (fingertip) blood; the bard assumes the contract was made with some kind of magic, but of course has no certainty, but he informs the paladin of this. (This scene can be used at Melisenn's final battle, at location G11 of The Thrushmoor Terror. Here, Melisenn raises the paper containing the bard's blood and uses some magic, granting a plus to the DC against the bard. Here, the fact matters that the paladin was not contracted but sworn – she is not bound, but made a situational decision – and the investigator is not present, meaning Melisenn does not have this option against them.) And so they end up at the Count's estate; they still see that Weiralai also goes with the Count to his mansion, and his ship only departs the next day (it is then that Melisenn orders the curukes from Weiralai). Thus, officially, each of these individuals transitions from slave to debt-slave (practically for life...). The paladin, thanks to her excellent physique, after a conversation with the Creole-skinned woman (Melisenn assesses the girl's abilities at this time), becomes the Count's "administrator"; her oath binds her; they are sure she will keep her word. By this time, the Count barely deals with his worldly affairs; towards the PCs, Melisenn is the boss (she often leads the paladin astray as to what tasks to perform); she finds the paladin's adherence to her strange and "chastising" god convenient, and – often manipulatively – they convince the girl to take action against those mean residents and strangers in Thrushmoor who acted against the Count and thereby lawful order, to keep curious eyes away, or to chastise the sinners. Thus the paladin became the Count's "teacher of manners" in Thrushmoor, the "talking-to" person for those who live against the laws (here Intimidate is emphasized; they are afraid of the Count's person, who won't give another chance for improvement). True, the paladin does not want to act aggressively, yet what she represents (the increasingly strangely behaving Lowls and his laws) does not have a positive effect on the people, and since Sarenrae's religion is, to put it mildly, not widespread, they do not understand the paladin's attitude; even though she helps the needy, they consider her two-faced, someone who "butts into their lives with all sorts of stupid reasons." "If she weren't Lowls's 'b&!@&' (originally called that behind her back), they might have chased her away by now..." During a stronger episodic story, Klyn Murik greatly angered the Count or rather Melisenn (see Book 2), so it became the paladin's task to teach manners to that commoner who regularly annoys the Count's men in their daily duties. Previously, the paladiness had already talked about this with Murik when he was thrown out of Lowls's kitchen for stealing food, explaining to him understandably(!) not to bother the gracious lord's circles again with the presence of this "base creature," especially not to steal! The second time, Murik only wanted to get back his taken money (collected tax) in the form of food because he was hungry (more and more/larger/unjustified taxes are being collected in the city to finance Lowls's expensive research). But then the cook caught him packing provisions from the pantry into his bag. While fleeing, Murik knocked over the cook, who hit her head on the corner of the kitchen table, fainted, and blood was flowing from her head. Murik makes the mistake of still packing things here and there (since the cook fainted, there's no danger). Then a maid enters, sees the motionless cook, blood everywhere, Murik packing. She starts screaming, and Murik takes flight. Out of the house, out of the premises. The maid screams, "Murderer! Catch him, murrrderer, he killed Irina!" The paladin then activates herself and chases after the already-known-to-her "villain." When they were one-on-one on the road by the forest, Murik dropped his bag, turned around, and began insulting the paladiness as Lowls's whore, cursing her as the slut of her b!+%% goddess, spitting at her. The girl loses her head and attacks the "murderer." They fight; the man is a worthy opponent for the paladin; they do not spare each other. All the girl's tensions come out: the pirates, the arena, the slavery, the miserable servitude, everything. She does not spare poor Murik, who by now would rather flee; he's beaten to a pulp, covered in blood. He excuses himself, saying he was just hungry and didn't do anything wrong, but bloody foam pours from his mouth alongside his scarcely understandable sounds. Then Smogti, the courier (mercenary soldier) of Fort Hailcourse, appears on the road, heading towards Iris Hill for the overdue wages of the fort's soldiers. When he sees that the "Count's b*~+$" is fighting with a "peasant," to score a point with the Esteemed Lord, he rushes to the brawlers, hits Murik well on the head from behind with a club, causing him to immediately faint. (Important: Murik did not see who hit him; he was fighting the paladin. The paladin, however, saw Smogti's clear intent but did not stop him.) The paladin doesn't understand the interference at first, but then, seeing the bigger trouble (Murik is bleeding from everywhere and unconscious – he is still alive at this point), she tells Smogti to stay, and she goes back to the mansion for help. The paladin leaves Smogti with Murik and hurries off; on the road, she thinks that perhaps she went too far with the thief. Meanwhile, Murik dies, which Smogti does not admit to (after all, he only hit once; the girl beat up her opponent) and sneaks back to the fort. By the time the paladin returns with a healer's kit and a small cart for easier transport, Murik is already dead (everything is covered in blood), Smogti is nowhere. By now, the paladin knows that the cook only fainted; although she has a large bleeding bump on her head, she will be fine in a few days. Smogti denies his deed in every case and later perishes at the attack on Fort Hailcourse, never able to speak again. (Second module, Murik's Revenge part.) The paladiness tries to salvage what can be salvaged; she takes Murik's body to Trillis (there are many witnesses). Later, the city's inhabitants and its judge, Padget, suspect the paladin of being responsible for Murik's death (after all, many saw the knight pulling the cart with Murik on it); they refer to the paladiness as the Count's murderer (-in The Thrushmoor Terror module, she is also referred to by the nickname "murderer"). The Count tries half-heartedly to sweep the matter under the rug (he is not particularly interested in the case), he is explicitly annoyed that he is bothered with such fabricated problems, but this turns out to be a burdensome affair. Then the paladin catches the investigator as well (see below!), which somewhat regains her reputation. Parallel to the above story, the Count already realized on the slave ship that the bard could be very useful to him. He has a separate plan for him, and upon arriving at Iris Hill, immediately has the artist start writing the opera The King in Yellow. By then, Lowls is aware of the connection between Xhamen-Dor and Hastur, perhaps even of the activities of Hastur's cultists in the area. With his far-reaching plans, he thinks that by writing the opera The King in Yellow, he can advance towards achieving his goals. But he also suspects from his research that creating the work (even reading it) might carry certain risks, although he has no idea what that specifically entails. However, the nobody, good-for-nothing bard is an excellent subject for writing the play, considering the Count possesses a note and ritual based on which the willing person can write this masterpiece. He gives all the instructions and hypes up the bard, telling him what a great artist he is and what a fantastic play he will compose; it will be the defining opera of all Ustalav, and even beyond, his name will be known in every corner of the world. He also gives him the instrument of the Hastur Symphonists in his possession, and dangles freedom as a reward if he writes the opera. So he gives the bard a lute (which the bard will later find in area A1b of the first module, and through which he will remember his name, who he is, in his amnesia), which he previously enchanted with Hastur's inspiration; the musical instrument is thus the medium of transmission. For others, strangely, the Count treats the bard as a special person (the reason for this does not occur to the bard; he thinks his overwhelming personality charmed Lowls), which even Melisenn notices (and she doesn't like it; she hates the narcissistic little prick). The Count also holds a reception, where he hands over the instrument, which then enchants the bard's mind with Hastur's inspiration (through the medium of the handed-over instrument). Following this, the bard almost receives suggestions while writing his piece, with obsessive inspiration, progressing quickly, which will be important in the sixth module. At the same time, the bard's connection to the Yellow King surfaces and develops, aaand, as is right and proper, he goes insane as a result. The bard finally (last two weeks) composes almost in a trance, even forgetting to eat, only concentrating on this, and by the time the paladiness becomes inconvenient for the Count, he finishes his work, so Lowls no longer has use for the "nutcase," or rather, yes he does! The raw draft of the bard's opera will eventually be found by the PCs in the second module (The Thrushmoor Terror, Iris Hill), which has a special extra path/function, see below... During the bard's work (especially its second half), he gives several mini-performances for Lowls's servants (and some Hastur cultists already present), performing highlighted excerpts from his half-finished play. This causes a significant portion of the listeners to go insane, which manifests in many "strange" acts later. One servant starts talking to someone in a mirror, then gouges out his eyes while wailing, "These aren't mine! He's looking at me with them!" (when asked who he's ranting about, he mentions some yellow monster). Another, after repeatedly shouting into a well (because he hears a long-lost relative from there), climbs in smiling and drowns. A third falls into a catatonic state and repeats an excerpt of the opera, doesn't eat/drink, eventually falls off his chair, aaaand so on. Aaand, of course, the bard likes all this very much; he sees these events as inspirational, interprets them as confirmation of his work's greatness; in fact, since he wasn't present for the well-climbing incident, he tries to convince one of the cultists to dramatically climb into the well to make the scene even stronger (the person naturally refuses, upon which the bard walks off offended). The Count's servants begin to dwindle, and Lowls eventually confronts the bard about this, but he, in the name of artistic freedom and authorial greatness, protests the complaint. It's not his fault that these simple (prole) servants don't understand or misunderstand true art. The Count basically doesn't know what to do because the loss affects him sensitively, but the bard's transformation and the completion of the work also excite him very much. All this plays into Melisenn's hands; she sees an excellent opportunity in the situation to replace the servants with her own cultists, and she encourages the bard and mollifies the Count: "not a high price for a few useless servants in exchange for possessing the opera." The Count finally calms down; if this is the price, then this is the price; this situation pales in comparison to his own research. "Melisenn will sort this out too..." In the first weeks, the bard is often seen in town together with the paladiness (while the bard is still relatively coherent), so both are identified as the Count's people. Also, the Count's "strange fellowship" frequently parties in Thrushmoor's taverns (often with Keldrin, who is friendly towards the bard and his madness, especially since the bard almost always pays for Keldrin's drinking), eventually accumulating a large sum in debt at the Silver Wagon (see second module, first part). Initially, due to fear of the Count and the paladin, they don't dare collect the debt, but when they finally bring it up to the now half-mad bard, a fight breaks out, which again casts a shadow on the PCs – see the Thrushmoor trouble in module 2. The paladin protects the bard, who behaves quite badly. Following Murik's and the Silver Wagon trouble, the ground starts to heat up under the PCs' feet, and this also begins to annoy Lowls, who is pestered by Padgett (with full respect!), now forced to deal with these matters. After the Silver Wagon incident, the bard no longer really shows himself in town, only at Iris Hill. (So during all this time in Thrushmoor, the PCs become known as the Count's disreputable men). X amount of time passes, during which the bard finishes(?) the opera The King in Yellow; his mind is touched by the essence of the Yellow King, with clear signs of madness. The completion is not entirely certain, as his madness ultimately becomes so great that it's questionable where the end is. What is certain is that if the PCs later find the bard's notes written around this time, they are incomplete, and Lowls took the work the bard considered finished... The paladin also notices this negative development, although she has no idea of the reasons, but her companion seems increasingly strange to her; she is worried about him, especially since he practically disappears from her sight in the last few weeks. When she asks the bard several times what's wrong with him (e.g., after the Silver Wagon incident), the bard only denies, falling silent on the matter, although in the last period, he himself feels (perhaps even knows?) that something is very wrong with him (voices, suggestions, direct intuitions, which were never characteristic of the bard before), but paying no attention to the signs, he continues to revel in Hastur's madness. Finally, the two unnamed "nobodies" (PCs) become inconvenient for the Count; he sees it's time to get rid of them. The paladin because of her bad reputation in the city. Due to Murik, Aedorita is almost consumed anyway, tormented with a completely shattered mind, daily experiencing Melisenn's small evils and Lowls's ruthless obsession displayed for his own unscrupulous research. And they want to be rid of the bard because of his unpredictable craziness; the touch of the Yellow King left a strong mark on him, which even surprises Lowls; perhaps the Count finally decides that as the champion of Xhamen-Dor, he can get much further on Golarion. But the ruler of Versex sees no point in employing these pathetic scoundrels in the long term anyway; there will be others, they have served their purpose, gotten used up, trash, no longer needed. He mentions this to Melisenn, who offers a quick "fix" (see below), but finally – and somewhat unexpectedly for his housekeeper – Lowls comes up with a "better idea." The Count (without Melisenn's knowledge) kills several birds with one stone, and although he didn't plan it, he ends up extremely satisfied with his own solution. The mayor demands the extradition of the two PCs due to Murik and the Silver Wagon trouble, but the Count – understandably – does not want to hand over the culprits, and Lowls now also knows that there are many prying eyes around his residence (parallel to the investigator's story, see below); unwanted visitors could become regular. A resounding solution to his problem is brought by the Mad Poet; entering Dreamsland, the Count sacrifices the PCs at the lake; they can go to Briarstone insane. Amnesia protects the Count, and Briarstone is a secure "dumping ground" for the "trash," and the demanding people can rest assured; the prying eyes see nothing unusual.
Meanwhile (see the full story above), at that certain card party (Sir Karthis Alboran and Provost Emeritus Vellad Ivraxim), during the conversation, Lowls's name also came up in the topic "the role of the nobility in academic life." Alboran brings up Lowls as an example of how great his scholarly output is. Alboran also mentioned during the card party that this Lowls is so neglecting his official duties these days that the tax money doesn't even reach the capital, for which reason he will likely end up on the King's Prosecutors' list. "Surely the academic life has taken the Count's wits away from his duties." Ivraxim had not heard about the mentioned scholarly activity, and although it's true that Lowls constantly struggles for the respect of the academic elite, the professorial board has not yet submitted Lowls's otherwise not very strong body of work to the Chancellor. The Chancellor, initially only out of curiosity, looks into Lowls afterward and is surprised to find that he has treatises on occult topics that explicitly interest Ivraxim, although he did not judge the quality of these treatises positively. So he also realizes that the Count has been neglecting his official duties lately, has become secretive, and has ordered several volumes of relevant books from the capital (these bibliographic data are easily discoverable for the Chancellor within the university line, through his assistants...). After all this, the Chancellor falls into thought and concludes he should look into the Count's activities before the King's Prosecutors beat him to it. So he contacts the Chapel Shadow guild in the capital, requesting information about Lowls's affairs. The organization identifies the task as a simple routine matter, territorial data collection, requiring no serious effort, therefore entrusts the task to only a single agent, Quayle Higgins. Higgins decides this easy task will be just right for the investigator so far treated as a talented but completely inexperienced apprentice-agent based on his assessment, Jack Magnum (young male, LG, third PC character), so Higgins takes the boy, who is otherwise idling with nothing to do, along with him (the master doesn't fancy this trivial work anyway, he destines himself for much more exciting opportunities...). On Higgins's instruction, the PC first looks into matters in the capital (+2 to all Knowledge Local checks regarding Lowls and his family, should he later regain his memories), then they travel together to Thrushmoor and begin the fieldwork. Here, Higgins instructs Magnum to start asking around in the city, for news, moods, while he looks around Lowls's estate, Iris Hill. The PC starts asking questions in one or two places, but faces the complete distrust of the locals towards strangers. Many think the investigator might even be the Count's agent, snooping around for their secrets, seeing where else extra taxes can be collected; they refuse morosely, i.e., he gets nowhere. Here he might even run into Cesadia's agent, who, noticing the PC's presence, directly provokes him, perhaps to flush him out and make the PC reveal his true intentions. This eventually almost escalates into physical violence, see the first part of The Thrushmoor Terror. Sensing the situation is not simple, the PC sounds the retreat, returning to his lodging at the Silver Wagon. This happens at night (on the way from The Stain to the Silver Wagon), and the PC witnesses three stocky figures simply kidnapping a woman walking hastily on the road (they don't notice the investigator, who quickly hides behind a house). The woman's first screams quickly fade, then the three figures grab the girl and scamper away with her. The PC instinctively follows but loses track, as if the earth had swallowed them. Where they disappeared, he only finds a strange, mural-painted house wall; he even lights a light, but the leads lead nowhere... Completely stunned and disturbed, he returns to his lodging. But here he realizes that Higgins has not (yet) returned. Magnum waits, then restless sleep overcomes him. He wakes up alone in the morning, unsure what to do, but when his companion hasn't returned by the next afternoon, he makes a decisive resolution. He waits to directly contact Fort Hailcourse (official city leadership) or the Agency of Insomnia, not knowing the local circumstances, connections with the Count, and not knowing if Lowls's people are in those organizations who might report the PC's and his companion's presence to the Count. Driven by naive self-confidence and curiosity, Magnum finally decides that before writing his first independent report, he will check out the Count's estate, conduct a local terrain survey and observation, and only then decide on his next step, with more specific formulations in his report. Thinking himself wise, he leaves an escape pack at the pier about which, based on his conversations the previous day, he believes the locals have a superstitious dread (The Thrushmoor Terror, C. Pier 19). If he and his companion need to flee suddenly, he thinks, this will be a good hiding place... He trusts himself; finally, he can prove his talent; he sets off after Higgins aaaand on the estate, he gets caught due to a stupid mistake, apprehended by none other than the paladin (flashback opportunity, possibly with a little scuffle)! The stupid mistake: the investigator is severely allergic to pollen, and while hiding in the bushes, sneezes loudly, betraying himself. Xhamen-Dor's corruption suppresses all such effects, causing the investigator's allergy to "disappear" later. Should Xhamen-Dor's corruption cease in the endgame, or if they suppress the corruption with daily interventions, the pollen allergy returns... The paladin, already tormented by doubts over Murik, then hands over the troublemaker to Melisenn, although she is unsure she did the right thing. (Higgins was caught by those Hastur cultists, lured into a trap, whom Melisenn had already invited to Iris Hill.) The bard, already mad and wandering in the garden, also sees the actual capture, and dashes off a nice little snippet from the scene, which can then be found in part 3 of The Thrushmoor Terror at Iris Hill, allowing all three to flashback to it, from different aspects! By this time, the bard is so mad that during the capture, he only shouts, "The King sees! The King sees!" (harking to "Zandalus sees" from Juglan Rivercane in scene B13). The incident doesn't reach the Count's threshold (many are prying at Iris Hill these days; he has people to solve this problem; he doesn't even know about Higgins yet), so the investigator falls into the captivity of Melisenn Kororo. She interrogates the PC and gets a little scared, considering she also interrogated Higgins (Higgins kept silent, and then, for a quick resolution, she simply sacrificed him at the Star Stele). Magnum is interrogated in one of the cells in the basement, and following this, she reveals the coffin containing Higgins's body to the PC: "Are there any others investigating the Count? If you're honest, perhaps I'll spare you." In the person opening the coffin (Melisenn's Hastur cultist servant, with a characteristic limping gait), the investigator recognizes the figure he saw during the girl's kidnapping. Aaand Melisenn now informs the Count because she thinks this matter goes beyond mere curiosity. Higgins said nothing, also stayed silent about Magnum, who, however, cooperates; a reference to this can be found in The Thrushmoor Terror, among Melisenn's notes. Magnum answers Melisenn's and the Count's questions in turn, whereby Lowls realizes that the authorities will be on his neck soon; he must act, accelerate his research. Magnum does not remain in the cellar prison long; they consider the investigator's presence at Iris Hill dangerous, his uncovered network of contacts, and the knowledge he has gained about Lowls and his environment (Magnum previously learned much information about the Lowls family in the capital). Killing him is finally dismissed due to possible complications (this is the Count's decision, who, however, does not know about Melisenn's hidden actions, see below), but soon they come for him, because he too can be thrown before the Mad Poet, and quickly he'll also get to Dreamsland, and from there straight to Briarstone. (Thus Lowls saves Magnum's life, as Melisenn would have preferred to sacrifice him at the Star Stele as well, see below.) Before Dreamsland, Melisenn makes him drink the sleeping draught, which the investigator can flashback to when they reach the medicine room D10 in In Search of Sanity and smell the characteristic scent of the sleeping potion. Ultimately, Lowls believes this is the best method to hide the completely amnesiac unknown stranger from prying eyes and permanently remove him from circulation, without the Count becoming suspect before the royal authorities.
What happens in Dreamsland? After the above events have occurred, Melisenn tries to get rid of the problems with her own solution. She has already had to lock up several insane servants because their behavior would endanger the fragile peace of Iris Hill, but she doesn't want to unleash them on Thrushmoor either, fearing one might talk. The bard is completely nuts; Lowls already told Melisenn he no longer needs him. The investigator knows too much; he cannot be allowed out of captivity; the paladin is dangerously close to turning against her master (-according to Melisenn, at least, who is very distrustful of the paladin and sees her inner conflict, sees through the Count's/Melisenn's deceptions...). The solution is obvious: these useless nobodies can perform one last service with their miserable lives: they can recharge the Star Stele system, whose functions Melisenn is just starting to decipher; she zealously fills the relics with energies just to experiment with them. With each victim (including the PCs), they are given a short-acting narcotic brew (by trickery, force, cunning), then they are tied up and taken down to the relic in the dungeon corridor. In the evening, they begin the ceremony; the Count does not know about this; it is Melisenn's own decision and authority with the cultists... Melisenn turns to the PCs and lustfully declares that they will be the last ones, the sweetest victims for Hastur; she will enjoy every moment of their sacrifice, looking particularly sharply at the bard. After tying them to the pillar, they slit the throat of the first then the second unfortunate servant like slaughterhouse animals; their brief suffering horrifies the others; some scream, beg, all in vain. Meanwhile, the cultists murmur Hastur mantras, all to Melisenn's greatest satisfaction, as she leads the ceremony and presents the victims. Each PC tries (would try) to escape according to their temperament, all in vain. The ceremony proceeds, but then the limping servant steps forward from nowhere and, after a brief discourse with Melisenn, to the woman's greatest anger, the 3 PCs are hauled up from the ground and taken straight before the Count. The PCs still hear Melisenn instructing the cultists to continue the ceremony, and the scream and gurgling suffering of the next victim as they move away. During the short walk, Melisenn fumes, not hiding what she thinks. Lowls greets the PCs with a wide grin, not even asking Melisenn why her face and clothes are bloody. Next to the Count lies Kiriana on the ground, unconscious. Then the Count instructs Melisenn to make each PC drink a brew; she does so with a little force (with the help of the limping servant); the paladin has to be beaten more for it, but eventually, she also swallows the drink. Then the PCs fall asleep... The Mad Poet demanded that Lowls prove his commitment by sacrificing his own allies. Lowls delivers four people to Abdul Alhazred: the 3 PCs and Kiriana. Regarding the paladin, he is genuinely curious how the Mad Poet and the dark side of Dreamsland will affect a paladin following Sarenrae. The bard is already completely flooded with Hastur's essence; Lowls thinks the ritual's effects can manifest maximally in him; he is very curious about the extreme result, what the maximum that can be extracted from this whole ritual is. The investigator he simply wants to disappear in his own way, so he can never, ever tell what he learned in the past days; he brought him for practical reasons. Kiriana is a different matter: with her charm, lovingness, gentleness, and devotion, she conquered the remaining, last human parts of Lowls. The Count grew close to the girl, although the woman ultimately rejected the man; she was unable to return his advances. In revenge, the Count sends not only the three troublesome PCs but also the "impudent" girl to Dreamsland. There, the Mad Poet begins his ritual (psychic magic line), allowing Lowls to sacrifice the four people to Abdul's hunger. Important: Abdul reads the ritual text from a thick, distinctively shaped book: the Necronomicon. The PCs can later recognize this in the The Whisper Out of Time module, in the Katheer section. During the ceremony, the evil wizard chants in some alien language and lustfully asks Lowls how it feels to be so close to knowledge and power? First, the Count immediately starts with Kiriana (as a matter of simple experience), who cries and begs the man not to do this to her, "My lord, I know you are not like this!"; she promises anything, shouts at the paladin, do something, asks the others too; she would just like to hug her children one more time, etc. But there is no escape; the cruel Count drowns the girl. Meanwhile, the paladin kneels helplessly in the sand (the Mad Poet's magic completely paralyzes her); she prays to Sarenrae but does not feel her presence in the dream (this is also Abdul's dark influence); she is completely helpless; her pleas fall on barren ground. The incident is particularly painful for her because Kiriana had indicated several times at Iris Hill that the Count was acting strangely and increasingly violently towards her; she feared the great lord. The paladin gave her advice on how to keep Lowls away, even promised that if it came to that, she would physically protect the girl from the Count... Then comes Aedorita's turn at the lakeside ceremony; the paladin not only feels betrayed but completely abandoned; no one and nothing helps her, no matter what or how she tries; the light goes out around her; the feeling of warmth disappears; the voices also fall silent; and finally, when Lowls pushes her head underwater, she silently cries out for revenge one last time, then bubbles and sinks into the water. Then comes the bard, who during all this is either grinning enthusiastically, or criticizing with great seriousness, perhaps annoyed, showing similarly chaotic and strong emotional storms, babbling incoherently: "A scene pleasing to Hastur!", "The second drowning wasn't dramatic enough, it must be repeated!", "Louder with the liturgy, if you please!" (this last directed at the Mad Poet); he performs a dramatic vocal accompaniment during the paladin's drowning, and the like. Wheeen it's his turn, he basically doesn't resist at all; in fact, he asks the Count to act especially theatrically because that would be perfect, it's his big scene. Incomprehensible behavior, but who knows. Then, just before drowning, it seems his mind clears for a moment; his gaze becomes sober, perhaps filled with terror, and an "oh dear, what's happening" leaves his mouth... but then he is again enthusiastic with pleasure, if only he weren't gurgling underwater... Finally, it's the investigator's turn. Last, he is the one who finally sees Lowls's true inner (dark?) self, being torn apart by some alien monstrosity (Xhamen-Dor consuming Lowls's more evil nature), causing the PC to recoil in astonishment and horror. He seems to have an epiphany, but the realization comes too late. Although he struggles a bit, it has no effect on the certain outcome. The Count fulfilled the Mad Poet's request; the wizard rejoices and gives Lowls what he longed for. However, these discoveries shattered Lowls's mind. Although he obtained the keys to the knowledge he sought, a fragment of his consciousness remained trapped in the Dreamlands. This dream fragment retained part of his knowledge and personality, but lost most of its memories. The vague rumors about the Yellow King became confused within him, and he eventually started calling himself that. The Yellow King wandered the desert of the Dreamlands until he came upon an abandoned caravanserai, which he made his home. But not only this fragment of essence was torn from the Count. Several mind-shards also left him, which burrowed into the still-open soul-mind bed of the laid-out PCs (and Kiriana). These Lowlsian shards, fused with the PCs' final cathartic moments, are attracted to the given person like two magnets, residing within the person with various effects. Or rather, the final moments of the four sacrificed individuals provided the foundation for receiving the Count's appropriate mind-shards. Thus, the paladin's final feeling of despair and abandonment received the Count's fears, doubts, and weaknesses. The bard's Hastur mental collapse provided the ground for the Count's Yellow King thread. And the investigator received the darkest part of Lowls, the consciousness of Xhamen-Dor, thereby opening himself up to Xhamen-Dor's dormant yet infectious being. Those who once discovered Neruzavin learned that the mere knowledge of Xhamen-Dor is enough to endanger dormant minds with infection. Consequently, the paladin awakens next burdened with the corruption of despair, the bard with the corruption of Hastur, and the investigator with the corruption of Xhamen-Dor. (Kiriana's fate is that when she awakens with complete amnesia, the Count takes her as a puppet – not really for pleasure, but as part of his revenge, just because he wants what he wants; he will discard her later; the knowledge received from the Mad Poet interests him far more, suppressing all his other intentions. When Lowls sets out on his journey, he leaves the girl behind (absolutely not caring what happens to her); later, Melisenn sacrifices her at the Star Stele, and her body placed in a coffin can be found by the PCs in part 3 of The Thrushmoor Terror, in the basement of Iris Hill, which is also a flashback opportunity!) The fully amnesiac PCs then go to Briarstone; the external persons (Padget, investigators, prying eyes, and other "leeches") can rest assured, the cases are closed. And the Count begins to pack quickly and sets out on his journey. The fractured Lowls does not know about the existence of the corruptions, although perhaps he feels that his mind is slightly disintegrated. The Necronomicon is important insofar as the liturgy described within can help cleanse the PCs of the Lowlsian shards, but this is a very dangerous ritual requiring a valuable sacrifice. If and when the PCs possibly obtain the Necronomicon at the end of the 4th book (they can roll to see if they recognize the lakeside book among the library works in front of them in materiam), they may attempt to remove these shards, but this will require significant effort; it could be a small side-quest, and it must certainly represent a strong sacrifice for them. Also, to be able to cast out these shards, they need something that attracts them like a magnet (pulling these memory shards out of the PCs' bodies), and that is none other than Lowls's own essence, a piece of his body (heart, perhaps head). For this reason, they must then catch the Count; otherwise, they have no chance with the ritual, and they can wait for Wish/Miracle possibilities...
Corruption Theories: Elidran Threst: "The true destruction of horror might only be possible if we understand its origin or discover its unique weakness." Based on the game's dynamics, the further we progress in the story, the stronger, deeper effects the PC can encounter with their own corruption. This development is modeled by layer upon layer per level, written up to level 17. In the dynamics of the corruptions, the positives are weaker than the negatives, because fundamentally it's a bad thing! Initially, the positives stand out; the player might even be pleased with the effects; then a shift occurs; the negatives are effects that explicitly hinder the characters, especially on the social and madness lines. The player must recognize the negatives; these are not handled openly; they can come to understand them through experience and discovery. If the player does not wish to go down this path, the corruption can be suppressed temporarily (skills), which requires smaller or greater resources; later spells (wand, scroll); the paladin's lay on hands-mercy can better handle given situations (resource consumption). Certain discovery of the corruption (the fact of the corruption) becomes concretely known by the end of Dreams of the Yellow King. Permanent removal is possible with the help of Wish, Miracle, or perhaps the ritual described in the Necronomicon, although the latter explicitly prescribes the use of very dangerous black magic, posing the dilemma: should a good person use a very evil thing to improve their fate?
Investigator - Xhamen-Dor corruption, see table Investigator Xhamen-Dor corruption worksheet: at each level, one bonus ("A" column) and one negative effect ("B" column) surface. The bonus is open, known to the player; the negative effects are handled secretly by the DM (but the player can slowly figure/discover them upon experiencing their negative consequences). The "C" column indicates other and narrative effects. The corruption can be suppressed for 24 hours with a successful Heal or Alchemy Craft skill check (if the PC even wants to). This is only valid for that day, meaning these are short-term effects against the corruption (which require tools, materials), i.e., this continuously consumes resources, which is not a hidden intention. The corruption effects can also be suppressed with spells, see the specific spell in the table! (These spells offer different possibilities against the corruption, with different effects, such as Remove Disease, Heal, Limited Wish, Greater Restoration, Wish, Miracle, as well as Modify Memory and Mindwipe, and Feeblemind). If the PC or another person successfully suspends the presence of the corruption (even for a day), then both the positive and negative effects are suppressed; the PC can exist without them (as if no Xhamen-Dor effect lived in them). Complete and permanent recovery is only possible by defeating Xhamen-Dor, or with the ritual described in the Necronomicon, although the PC can let the infection take over in their body, chasing the bonuses (with increasingly harsher effects, level by level...). An infection that has just been suppressed can be triggered, e.g., by encountering an entity of Xhamen-Dor, an alchemist or wizard who can activate the corruption (e.g., Daridela), by strong environmental effects (e.g., sleeping or wallowing in compost or among mushrooms), etc. Then, round by round, the effects written up to the character's given level emerge, with the situation becoming increasingly severe (e.g., at level 13, it reaches culmination over 13 rounds); a Fortitude save negates the effect, but then the DC is +4 harder compared to the Heal DC given for the character's level, as the infection wants to break out. In its final form, losing its humanity, the PC can become a semi-Xhamen-Dor being, continuing to exist as a high-level servant of the Great Old One, as a member of a large community's common consciousness. Oooor, by confronting the trans mutation, they can be freed from the pressure of the Great Old One (merging vs. denial). Minor madness lines: hallucinations (whispers of the mushroom brethren, suggestions of the superior/greater self) and paranoia (at first, who is whispering(?), what do they want(?); later, others surely want to steal the power acquired through the infection, going deeper into Xhamenian madness). Major madness: Dissociated Identity, in which the infection often takes control of the body; it's questionable who is actually controlling the PC. This develops quietly at first (e.g., when the PC checks their notes, they might find "alien handwriting" here and there), but the cool, analytical, impersonal character increasingly takes over the PC, using a different moral codex. His memory lapses during the game are no longer amnesia, but the temporary surfacing of the other person (only at high levels), when the PC's base character is suppressed and doesn't remember what the other person did (since they weren't there).
Bard - Hastur collapse, see the excel "Bard" worksheet: by the bard writing the play "The King in Yellow," his spirit was touched by Hastur, then the Count's shard engulfed him with the corruption of the Yellow King. Thus, at each level, one bonus ("A" column) and one negative effect ("B" column) emerge within him (see table). The bonus is open, known to the player; the negative effects are handled secretly by the DM. The latter primarily act through the sanity system, deepening increasingly potent minor-major madness lines. The narrative goal: Hastur's corruption gives many advantages, but these plunge the bard into deeper madness. The more he uses the bonuses, the more sanity damage he suffers. The effects of the Unspeakable One on the bard, on the minor madness line, are primarily mania (several types) and hallucinations; major madness follows the schizophrenia line. His mania is the writing of the opera, according to which the adventure, reality itself, is nothing other than his opera, which he must immortalize. Its main characters are the PCs; its author is the bard. "Reality is the stage on which I am the main character." He hears the voices of critics, directors, and the audience, commenting on his activity, giving advice. Reality is the fabric of the play, which must be performed! NPCs are actors, and his companions (PCs) can be grateful to him for saving them from the damnation of oblivion; through his play, unforgettable immortality will be their reward. His speech is flowery, his movements overdramatized and increasingly disintegrating; for example, he is capable of resurrecting a defeated opponent because their defeat wasn't dramatic enough, giving them a chance to do it properly in a new battle as he imagined it, as he sees fit, fitting his play. He subordinates reality to art, sinking deeper and deeper into Hastur's madness, into the swamp of decadence and inspiration. Eventually, he can reach Hastur himself, who passes judgment on his play, and if the Yellow King likes the play, he receives a reward. He can be cured as described in the sanity/madness system, either along conservative lines or using magic.
BARD OPERA!! By the beginning of the story, Lowls becomes aware of the realities of Hastur, Carcosa, and Xhamen-Dor. However, as a candidate champion of Xhamen-Dor, he believes it is worthwhile to favor the cult of the Yellow King and please his cultists. He becomes aware of the significance of the play The King in Yellow, what such a work means, what can be done with it. He is basically happy with the bard's presence as an authentic person, as well as a target of madness (or the Count's useful idiot). Thus, Lowls quickly persuades the bard to write the opera. The Count tells him about this "grandiose undertaking" several times, explaining the concept, and finally, with the help of a seance, opens the artist's mind to the Yellow King, explaining that this way he will create a true masterpiece that will be known throughout Golarion (vanity). Naturally, he does not reveal concrete information about Hastur's reality to the bard. The bard is thereafter bombarded with continuous images, melodies, texts, sequences of images, and the notebook contains the fragmented imprint of inspirational dreams leading to this opera, hasty sketch-like recordings. Lines of verse, scene outlines, musically articulated rhythmic texts, notes, feelings, associations, occasionally drawings (character heads, masks, stage designs). At the beginning of the campaign, the player does not know about this; only during the second module does he find his earlier notes (The Thrushmoor Terror part 3, Iris Hill). The recognition can be gradual: writing style, line of thought, motifs, then later specific turns of phrase. The story describes the PCs' story up to modules 1-5 (not necessarily in detail, but definitely in the main motifs and twists); the sixth is incomplete (here madness takes over the bard). The unfinished scene at the end of the play actually vaguely describes the finale of the sixth module. This includes the bard's scene in Aevan-Vhor, and the bard can influence the outcome with the "writing" of the final scene: see the concept of the bard's final Hastur bonus/minus, i.e., his final great scene, tragic heroic self-sacrifice vs. failure, or a third ending path. The final dilemma: does he want to finish it? Does he know what he is invoking by doing so?
The writing is more decipherable at first (first and half of second module), revealing that it might even be their own story committed to paper. This is the catharsis part: this happened to us. From this point, the bard can receive a Hastur bonus to Inspire Courage, see below. But then things become more and more confusing, harder to discern, as the bard progressed in the depths of madness; at times, almost different handwriting appears. For example, one page is completely empty, containing only this one sentence: "Today he finally understood why he had to die." Some pages seem to write themselves (palimpsests, mirror writing, differing styles per page). The text may be sensitive to certain locations: Carcosa, Yellow Signs, perhaps magical effects. In each module: 1× full Research check, like a library one. Complexity: Module III:20 IV:25 V:30 VI:40 (as they progress in the campaign); Linguistics, Sense Motive, Perform... Successful recognition: can choose one additional bard performance to receive a bonus.
After the bard finds the opera draft in The Thrushmoor Terror, there is a well-recognizable, nice little piece in it. If he performs this as Inspire Courage, then an additional Hastur bonus value is added to the current (level-dependent) bard bonuses (plus 2 bonus above level 11). Upon the performance's end (at the work's conclusion), a sanity dmg (DC: bard lvl/2 + bard charisma bonus). If the save is made, nothing happens; if the listeners fail, 1d2 sanity dmg (1d3+1 above level 11). If this triggers a minor madness, it causes a hallucination related to the Yellow King. Lawful characters can roll a concentration check to see if they reject the performance (as a conscious decision), DC: 10 + bard lvl/2 + CHR bonus. If concentration is successful, the performance (i.e., the Inspire Courage) does not affect them (they do not receive the bonuses / sanity dmg). A person under a protection from chaos spell automatically rejects the Hastur-infused Inspire Courage. The bard can perform "plain, normal" Inspire Courage; the above only applies to the Inspire Courage spiced with Hastur madness. After the bard regains his memories following the 3rd module, a similar mechanism can apply to all performances if he were to use the Hastur line.
For the first module, In Search of Sanity:
"Two days drawing, darkly in the light,
one brother reads, another shivers in fright.
The lantern's flame flickers, fading slow,
and the world he knew into darkness goes.
'Brenton?' – a voice calls from the deep past,
but only echo answers, grown into the walls at last.
A small hand clutches chalk, trembling and cold,
but there's no one left to save, to lift into the fold.
The hands that drag him are rough and strange,
childish masterpieces writhe on blood-slicked floor's range.
And before the world within him falls silent and deep,
the unspoken word is the one he'll forever keep."
For the second module, The Thrushmoor Terror:
"No sword laid to rest, no martial glory's token,
just a word, a blow, a passion blindly spoken.
The shield of truth, that others would defend,
now failed the one who long forgot her own soul's bend.
The Path is not always bright, intent alone won't do,
when the striking hand is hungry for vengeance too.
The face she knew looks back now, all deadened and cold,
and the morals she swore by are shattered, shards of empty mirror's mold.
The Count just waves his hand, 'just a slip, little girl',
but the blood won't forget, perhaps the town's whisper will unfurl.
A soul drifts away, by accusations torn, in silence, apart,
but its voice remains there – murmuring, inside, within the deepest quiet of the heart."
Paladin's belief system or the path of despair. (In broad strokes, described primarily with narrative elements!) The corruption begins when Lowls's mind-shard (the "corruption of despair") merges with the paladin's own guilt (Murik, arena, Kiriana, etc.). These two together create the anti-ego. The catalyst itself is the lakeside ritual – when Lowls pushes the paladin underwater, and the Mad Poet's ritual takes away her memories. Then, in the opened, damaged consciousness – following Lowls's disintegration – the Lowlsian shard (fear, despair) merges with the paladin's own shattered soul, creating the anti-ego.
Unlike her two companions, the paladin does not progress deeper into the changes level by level, but receives inputs in specific scenes, traversing a path of questioning herself and her faith down to despair, using the sanity system. When certain events contrary to Sarenrae's codex occur, the paladin's faith undergoes a strong test (DC-based). In the first module, such events could include the possible beheading of Pharasma's ghoul priest (as opposed to saving his soul), the slaughter of the Oneirogens (victims through whom the path leads to the goal), Linweigh's death, confronting the tragedy of the Lieklan brothers, etc. These events involve strong sanity damage, all testing the strength of her faith and the paladin's self-belief. Minor madness lines: delusion, melancholia; major lines: moral insanity and psychosomatic loss. The light cracks; she tries to be merciful but keeps failing; her god has abandoned her or is simply silent, thus testing her judgment; under the constant disturbance of the innocent souls she has shed (see Murik's case), she sinks deeper and deeper. Additionally, the paladin is under constant temptation by an anti-paladin entity, which Lowls's shard released within the paladin and is nourished by her own doubts (see narratives in the Paladin worksheet). She cannot decide what truth is; the line between good and evil blurs. The pillars she thought stable behind her decisions collapse as illusions (to the extent that she may experience direct consequences, e.g., detect evil doesn't work, or points at herself). In her deep collapses, her hands do not flow with lay on hands; her throat cannot form the words of spells. The fulfillment of the path: she may get to the point where she uses the fully evil and powerful Necronomicon to rid herself of her curses, or perhaps becomes an actual antipaladin herself. She cannot only extract the Count's shard from herself but also perform a ritual (this is the epic moment written for the other two characters at level 17), with which she can reach those souls (e.g., Murik, Setrakian) and lead them as a shining point to the river, to Pharasma's bone tower, so their damned wandering can end (redemption). Oooor the paladin may decide (if she has become an antipaladin by then?) to use the Necronomicon for her own/other purposes (fails, Sarenrae casts her away and she becomes a follower of another god, but this is a line dependent on the player during the story!).
What is the great truth of the first book? The PCs do not suffer because Lowls is evil – but because Lowls is broken, and the shards of his own breakage burrowed into them. The Count they served transferred his own demons into them. And the most terrible truth: they themselves were part of it – the paladin captured the investigator, the bard chanted the mad prophecy, all of them watched Kiriana drown.
Questions for the players (each player receives every question), with which they can shape the above backstories (in parentheses is the specific situation that the answer can influence):
You are threatened, and your god is blasphemed; polite but even firmer words do not calm the situation, rather it seems to escalate. What do you do? (Paladin -Murik)
A desperate person's actions – despite many warnings – repeatedly run afoul of the law, and he makes his deed worse with his brutish behavior, blaming you for his life's fate turning bad. What would you do with such a person? (Paladin -Murik)
You are offered an excellent job, rewarding you with wealth, recognition, and a carefree life. However, during/under the performance of the work, you are warned that something is wrong with you, although you yourself perceive nothing concretely negative; in fact, everything feels fine and wonderful. Do you take action, and if so, what? (Bard -opera writing)
You find yourself in a situation where you must fight for your life against strangers. Those you face are as desperate as you are. What do you do? (Paladin -arena)
You are asked to swear service to a power you do not know. In exchange, you could help many suffering people. If you do not swear, an unknown but ominous fate awaits you. What do you do? (Paladin with Lowls on the ship's deck, in Thrushmoor)
You catch an unknown trespasser on your estate. What do you do? (Paladin and the investigator)
You helplessly witness the cruel murder of an innocent, good soul. Later you have a chance to act. What do you do? (Paladin and Kiriana in Dreamsland)
You must choose between two people; you love both. One is an old, loyal friend who has always stood by you. You have a deeper, stronger feeling for the other. You can only save one. Which do you choose? (Bard's question with Weiralai at Lash's, Paladin vs. Captain issue)
You are in a group where it's important to make a good impression. Sharing a small secret about someone not present could draw attention to you and increase your authority. The secret is not major, but the person wouldn't be happy if it came out. What do you do? (Bard in Cassomir)
Are you willing to suffer harm (be it material, health-related, physical, mental, any other) just to save another person? (Bard on the slave ship in Thrushmoor, when asking for the paladin to be brought on deck)
During interrogation (even torture), what are you willing to reveal? How far do you go? Are you willing to reveal secrets for survival, risk the consequences of a bluff being uncovered (and the retribution), or choose silence with its certain and fatal punishment? (Investigator vs. Melisenn)
In an unknown, hostile territory, alone, knowing no one, abandoned, you must carry out your task; you have no information about your former companions/allies. What do you do? How do you begin? (Investigator in Thrushmoor)