Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for June 23, 2026, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 1st Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Polaris Helmsmeade (Dwarf Templar played by Peyton Harmon), and Ursay (Mongrelfolk Slayer played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team decided to visit Snagy’s contact, Rhedda Boltmark to see if she had any information on the missing people.  She did not but gave them a few potential ideas and said she would ask around.  They then went to the home of one of the missing women, Hessa Varn.  They met her brother, Heath, a longshoreman and fisherman.  He told them everything he could about her, such as how she makes quilts that she gives to homeless children and repairs the clothing of their neighbors.  While they talked with him, Hekera and Ursay decided to walk the few blocks to the Forest Gate just to get an idea of the area.  They could tell the gate was very heavily guarded, and it would be particularly difficult for a person to be snatched near the gate without being noticed.  Unless the guards are in on it.  They noticed a man hiding in the shadows apparently watching the guards and making notes about them.  He had his cloak hood pulled up, and they could see embroidered cloth manacles and chains adorning his sleeves.  Ursay decided to stay and watch him while Hekera went back to the rest of the team.

After the next shift change, about four hours later, the man left and Ursay followed.  To his surprised, the man went to the Tenderloin Lodge!  He was staying in a room near the groups’ rooms.  Ursay went back to meet the group at Heath’s house.  He found them sitting around listening to Heath’s fish stories.  They decided to go and try to talk to the man and left heading to the Tenderloin Lodge.

Inside, they spoke with Pella about the man.  She said he was very quiet.  Inexplicably, she once again handed Hekera his massive warhammer and told him he should probably hang on to it or tie it to his tail.  She also handed them a key she said the man they are talking about left lying around.  Ursay went and knocked on the man’s door.  Through the door he heard the man open the window and take off running down the street.  By the time the team got outside, the man was long gone.  Ursay was unconcerned.  He sniffed the air, tasted the wind, and peered at the cobblestones.  He definitively pointed down a street and declared the man went that way.  The group heading along and came across the market.  They could see the man over by a stall looking in the general direction from which they came.  They tried to nonchalantly approach, and Ursay spoke to the man, spooking him.  He darted through the crowd tripping people and hurling them down behind him.  The ever nimble Ursay easily caught him in the crowd and put him in an arm bar.  The man screamed for help, and in the busy market, the Saiones guards closed around them in moments. 

The man and the party were all detained and questioned at the guard house one at a time.  They all gave fairly similar report of events.  After several hours, the team was fined 5 gp each for disturbing the peace and released.  The man, however, was apparently not released. 

The group returned to the Tenderloin Lodge, and Ursay agilely leapt through the man’s window and searched his room.  He found many papers and prayer book, but being illiterate had no idea what it said.  Callum and Helg read through it all and learned this man is associated with the Chain Breakers, a religious group fighting for freedom, liberation, and an end to oppression.  They found notes about the missing people and thoughts about the Upright Men being involved.  It did not take long for the realization to set in that this was one of the good guys.  Four of the five of them had told the Saiones about him making notes on all their shift changes and movements.  Could he have been charged with espionage? 

The team went back to see Rhedda and learned the man could be in serious trouble.  His day in court would be an arena battle with the prosecution, a minotaur.  They asked how to get him out of jail, and she took them to see Thessal Murvak of House Murvak.  Allegedly, she is one of the heads of the thinly veiled crime family.  They told Thessal the story of the man, their investigations for Rathun Brangus, and their need to rescue him from the arena.  She told them she would help but wanted to be present when they question him.  The team agreed, and she had them wait in the parlor.  A few hours later, she returned with the man, Jorvek Ashwill.  She revealed he was now in her custody, and the team offered to buy his release. 

Jorvek and the team talked and realized the ridiculous series of misunderstandings leading to their current situation.  He realized they were all working toward the same end, the rescue of missing people.  He told them he believes the guards are corrupt and under the sway of the Upright Men, a thieves’ guild.  Decades ago, liquor was smuggled through tunnels under the gate into The Loaded Keel, a nearby gambling den.  If liquor could be moved unseen, so could people.  Jorvek’s theory is the tunnels still exist and people are taken underground and on to who knows where. 

Thessal was delighted to hear all of this and suspected the Upright Men were involved.  Like Rathun, she would like to see proof of this (for no good reason, certainly).  The team agreed to share any evidence they find with her in exchange for her helping them get into the tunnels.  She revealed not all the Saiones are corrupted by the Upright Men.  Many are corrupted by House Murvak!  She told them the next night she would make sure those guards do not show up for work, which would make it easier to get into The Loaded Keel and down into the tunnels if a ruckus is raised.  They prepared to depart and wanted to take Jorvek with them.  Smiling, Thessal reminded them they offered to buy his freedom.  They settled on when they finish working with Rathun on this matter, she has a task for them.  They left with the rescued inquisitor of the Chain Breakers and returned to the Tenderloin Lodge. 

Game summary for June 16, 2026, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 1st Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Polaris Helmsmeade (Dwarf Templar played by Peyton Harmon), and Ursay (Mongrelfolk Slayer played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team decided to explore the Athenaeum of Sargas to find clues about the tablet fragment.  They approached the beautiful building and discovered they had to be citizens, scholars, or have a letter of recommendation from a noble house to enter.  The ended up visiting House Valdurrak, which has strong affiliations with the Orders of High Sorcery.  There they met with Arch-Factor Gellus Valdurrak and were able to secure letters and hire Tessavra Valdurrak as a scribe to accompany them.  Back at the Athenaeum, they were now able to enter and began researching the upper tier books and scrolls.  They found just a few references to the tablet, but it was enough to seek deeper knowledge.  They paid the entrance fee and agreed for scribes to accompany and record each book and scroll they referenced.  On this tier they found quite a bit more information, which made them want to go to tier 3.  Unfortunately, they are unavailable to foreigners.  They got a meeting with the Keeper of the Athenaeum, Tharrek of the Third Horn, to try and convince him to let them in.  He was already aware of several of the things they had learned thanks to the documentation of the scribes.  They told him they were seeking the tablet for their business interests, and he told them it seemed something far too dangerous for profit and sale.  He politely but firmly escorted them out and revoked further access to the archives. 

The group then went to meet with Vesk at The Tenderloin Lodge.  While they waited for him, Pella was once again their server.  She shocked them all by pulling Hekera’s hammer from her pocket and telling him she had no idea how it ended up there.  They deduced the tiny kender must have some kind of bag of holding.  Soon after, Vesk arrived and told them Rathun Brangus agreed to meet with them in the morning.  They then had a meal, and Ursay tried to dance with the minotaur.  Unfortunately, he was a terrible dancer.  Or at least he was on that particular evening.  Vesk didn’t seem to mind. 

The next morning the team went to the Brangus Far-Reach Mercantile.  They first met Korrak Ironhorn, head of security.  Helg volunteered to hand over all their weapons, and they were escorted to meet with Rathun.  The minotaur struck a deal with the party.  Four of his employees have gone missing around the Forest Gate.  Only his people have gone missing, so it seems targeted by an unknown enemy.  He wants to know who.  He wants proof, a living perpetrator, and rescue anyone they can.  In return, he will uncover all he can about the tablet; if he finds nothing, he will pay them for their service.  He gave them his seal, and the team decided to go investigate.

Game summary for June 9, 2026, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 1st Edition, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Polaris Helmsmeade (Dwarf Templar played by Peyton Harmon), Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs), Ursay (Mongrelfolk Slayer played by Paul Potter), and Vulkanthos (Nephilim Paladin/Sorcerer/Dragon Disciple/Eldritch Knight played by John Osborne). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team debated possible destinations and settled on Kristophan first.  They sailed into port and sent Vinnie on a mission to sell their cargo and the two towed vessels.  The group met with a contact of Snagy’s, Rhedda Boltmark, an arms dealer and fence.  They sold some items and asked her to find some gear for them.  She was also able to steer them to the Tenderloin Lodge to meet with a minotaur named Vesk who works for Brangus Far-Reach Mercantile. 

Once at the lodge, Ursay and Polaris went out carousing while the rest of the team chatted with a curious young woman named Pella.  She was their first interaction with a kender!  Soon, Vesk Orrun arrived, and the team ate and drank with him.  Snagy even shared a spirited dance while the bard played the flute!  He agreed to try and arrange a meeting with Rathun Brangus and told them to meet him back at the Lodge the next night.  He also told them about the Athenaeum of Sargas, a repository of knowledge and learning about numerous topics the minotaurs can exploit and weaponize.  Perhaps there is something about their tablet there.

In the middle of the night, Ursay returned from his carouse little worse for wear and with his coin purse intact.  Polaris returned much later.  He had experienced a much more interesting evening. 

After a night of boasting that “a proper dwarf can tell true stone from ornamental rubbish by smell alone,” Polaris discovered a squat stone marker outside a dockside drinking hall. A few locals had been complaining about “the beast at the Breakwater” that had been “eating cargo,” which Polaris interpreted as some sort of burrowing monster undermining the street.

In truth, “the beast” was dockworker slang for a badly placed freight route marker that regularly caused wagons to bottleneck, tip, or scrape cargo against a tight corner.

Polaris, righteous, drunk, and absolutely certain this was a public menace, tested the “beast” with dwarven seriousness. By morning, the loadstone marker lay in three heavy chunks, the road edge was cracked, and every cargo crew using the Third Harbor spur was arguing about which way to go.

By dawn, rumors spread that the “Third Harbor Beast” was finally slain by a mysterious stone-smasher.  Dockhands are leave little cups of cheap ale beside the rubble as offerings to the unknown hero. Unfortunately, three wrong turns later, a spice wagon blocked the Breakwater and the harbor master offered a modest reward for information about whoever “heroically vandalized a public navigation marker.”  The rumor is out the smasher is a dwarf, but so far, Polaris’ identity is safe. 

Game summary for June 2, 2026, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Polaris Helmsmeade (Dwarf Templar played by Peyton Harmon), Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs), and Ursay (Mongrelfolk Slayer played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Ursay searched for secret doors while Helg cast detect magic and discovered strong conjuration magic on the warp pipe.  As they approached the pipe, the rim shimmered like heat rising from stone.  Beside it rose up a squat pedestal topped with a row of five chunky glyph-buttons: a mushroom, a flower, a star, a shell, and a crown.  Above them, painted in bright, childish letters, a rhyme curled across the stone like graffiti.  Somewhere in the painted sky, a woman’s  voice sang sweetly:  “Plumbing is simple.  Even you can do it… if you follow directions.”

They team examined the riddles and came up with a sequence to press the buttons.

The last symbol clicked into place, and the pipe answered like a living thing—one heavy swallow, followed by a violent reversal.  The pedestal’s light bar filled to the top, and the rim of the pipe flared emerald-bright.  The suction struck like a giant hand.  They were dragged through a tunnel of glossy bricks and rushing wind.  For an instant, they saw other pipes—hundreds of them—stretching like veins through a world that was not their own.  Something cold and amused brushed against their thoughts, as though someone had leaned close enough to whisper directly into their minds.

Then came the impact.  They tumbled back onto their own deck, gasping.  The ship lurched as if it had felt the pull as well.  Loose objects bounced across the planks, and something small—something bright—clattered across the deck.  A single gold coin bearing Bowser’s crest skittered to a stop near one of their boots, warm as though freshly minted.  The pipe mouth remained open for one final second. A sultry woman’s voice curled out of it like smoke: “Tell the stars my father sends his regards. I’ll be back for the rest.”

The pipe snapped shut.  The deck was left damp, and the air carried the lingering scent of hot stone and mushrooms—impossible, yet unmistakable.

The team examined the coin and decided to ask their shipboard fence, Vinnie Getz, about it.  Vinnie took the coin, held it up to the light, squinted at it like he was appraising a diamond — then squinted harder.  He flipped it over.  Flipped it back.  Tapped it on the table.  Bit it.  Nodded slowly, as if that told him something.  It did not.

“Okay, okay, okay — so.  This is a coin.  Right?  Gold.  Heavy.  Somebody stamped an 872 on it, which — look — that’s a number.  Could be a year, could be a serial number, could be somebody’s address, who knows.  I seen a lotta coins in my time.  Lotta coins.  And this one?  This one’s got a crest on it.  Some kinda big fella, shell on his back, very intimidating, very… spiky.  Very dramatic.  Somebody spent money on this stamp, I’ll tell ya that much for free.”

He set it on the table and slid it back toward the party, then immediately picked it up again.

“Now — and I’m just speculatin’ here, okay, I ain’t tellin’ ya nothin’ I know for a fact — a coin like this, with a crest like that, somebody important had this made.  Important or, y’know, crazy.  Sometimes those are the same guy.  The 872?  Could be a mint mark.  Could be there’s 871 more of these floatin’ around out there.  Could be this is the only one.  I genuinely, honestly, with my hand on my heart, do not know.”

He paused.  Drummed his fingers.  Leaned forward conspiratorially.

“What I will say — and again, pure speculation — is that whoever owned this coin?  They wanted people to know it was theirs.  That’s a power move.  That’s a guy who says, ‘This is mine, it’s got my face on it, don’t forget it.’  Very big energy.  Very… aggressive shell guy energy.”

He leaned back and shrugged both hands wide.

“Beyond that?  Seriously.  I got nothin’.  But if you find out what it’s worth — and I mean, really worth, like to the right buyer — you come talk to Vinnie.  Okay?  Okay.”

Unimpressed, the went to consult Wizzlecrank.  After telling them coinage is the trade standard of the inferior, he let them know he didn’t know anything about it either. 

The team sailed on for several days getting closer and closer to planet Krynn.  About a month out, their ship had to veer somewhat off course after approaching a massive cloud of freezing vapor, a phenomenon allegedly unique to Krynnspace.  While it was generally safe to traverse such clouds aboard a vessel, they were known to mesmerize observers.  Anyone unfortunate enough to fall overboard risked freezing solid and shattering.  No one knew exactly where the clouds originated.

Swinging wide of the cloud had inadvertently brought them into a small asteroid field.  It was small enough that they had not seen it coming, yet large enough to present a real danger.  Rocks of various sizes now threatened to crash through the deck of their ship or tear apart its sails.  Even worse, the field was inhabited.

Fiery creatures darted among the tumbling stones.  They resembled stone heads trailing flames, almost like living comets.  They streaked through the field with alarming speed.  The burning animate rocks appeared to have nudged one of the asteroids into the path of their ship.  Perched upon that asteroid was an even more terrifying sight: a centipede of staggering proportions.  Each of its legs was the length of a man.  Though the vacuum of space carried no sound, they could see its mandibles clacking hungrily.  Those jaws looked more than capable of biting a horse in half.

Small rocks struck the ship and shattered, scattering showers of scree across the deck.  They were not moving especially fast, and perhaps their impacts could be predicted.  Larger asteroids followed close behind, posing a more immediate threat than the approaching monsters.  Perhaps they could fire a few well-placed siege weapon shots and break apart the larger rocks before the creatures arrived.

Hekera took over aiming and firing the catapult while the giff shot the ballistae.  Ursay and Callum, in the crow’s nests, hurled arrows and spells at smaller rocks to knock them off course.  The team did a great job clearing the debris just in time for the hostile creatures to swoop in!

The fiery murder comets spit molten rock as they charged and then slammed into their opponents.  Up in the crow’s nests, Ursay and Callum proved tempting targets.  The megapede closed in, and the shockingly large monster nearly bit Hekera in half!  Helg furiously channeled positive energy into his injured allies while Snagy summoned Stingy, his magical flying wasp, and took to the air.  Callum discovered cold ice strike was particularly effective against the murder comets.  Meanwhile, one of the asteroids opened its single eye and gaping mouth!  An eye monger, this beholderkin drifted toward Polaris.  They exchanged a scuffle before it bit and swallowed him!  Hekera quaffed a potion of enlarge person and then demonstrated the power of an overly large sword. 

The giff fired numerous ballista bolts into enemies with great effect.  Multiple party members rained blows on the megapede, but it was Helg’s mighty flame strike that brought it low.  Ursay’s arrows kept landing in, and killing, murder comets which exploded when they died!  With the ship on fire, Callum was able to stagger to his feet after nearly tasting death and killed the fleeing eye monger!  Snagy flew out to the bobbing corpse and dragged it back to the ship where Polaris successfully used his spiked gauntlet to cut himself out. 

With all enemies slain, they found a magical rod and some gemstones in the eye monger’s gullet.  They shoved the bodies overboard and continued on their voyage. 

Game summary for May 26, 2026, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Polaris Helmsmeade (Dwarf Templar played by Peyton Harmon), and Ursay (Mongrelfolk Slayer played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

A metallic clank echoed through the ship. The deck shuddered.  Between two planks, a circular rim of glossy green metal pushed upward, like something forcing its way through a wound in the vessel.  It grew fast—far too fast—until a waist-high pipe stood where only deck boards had rested a heartbeat before.  The air around it rippled.  The pipe emitted a hungry, hollow glug.  Then it inhaled.  Loose gear skittered across the deck.  A coil of rope whipped toward it.  The hair on their arms stood on end as the ship’s air itself began to slide, tugged inexorably toward that green metal maw.

Callum’s understanding of magic helped him negotiate the pipe and help the team orient through the portal.  Ursay dove from the mast gracefully into the pipe in an amazing leap.  Polaris carefully climbed along the pipe walls resisting the worst of the pull.  Hekera attempted to swim through the air with very limited success. 

They burst out of a green pipe mouth-first and tumbled onto bright, blocky stone that felt far too solid for space.  Above them stretched a sky that looked like painted midnight, stars fixed in place like pinpricks in a stage backdrop.  Ahead lay a causeway of floating platforms, hard-edged and wrong, with oversized brick blocks suspended in impossible patterns.  Echoing faintly through the strange realm came the fading sound of a woman’s laugh—confident, delighted, and cruel.  “This time my father shall be avenged!” claimed the voice.

A goomba, two bob-ombs, a hammer brother koopa, and a magikoopa assaulted the team.  The magikoopa conjured a diseased fog, but Callum dispelled it with ease.  The goomba tried to charge Hekera and missed.  The bob-ombs moved up and began exploding.  Polaris slipped past and activated a question block and found a banana peel which he decided not to activate.  Ursay lit the enemies up with piercing arrows, drawing the attention of the hammer brother.  The koopa hit him with hammers and bit him, dealing deep wounds and impairing his coordination.  Callum unleashed numerous spells while the bob-ombs continued exploding. 

Ursay got hold of a POW block and knocked most of the enemies to the ground.  Callum continued blasting while Hekera continued swinging.  The magikoopa tried several spells but only really successfully moved around the battlefield with quickened dimension door spells.  The hammer brother proved the most formidable foe and nearly crippled Ursay and Hekera with its vicious bite.  Fortunately, Hekera cut it down.

The team found several Mario World magical items, such as magical mushrooms and power form items.  They then began searching for a way back to their ship.

Game summary for May 12, 2026, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Polaris Helmsmeade (Dwarf Templar played by Peyton Harmon), and Ursay (Mongrelfolk Slayer played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

A ribbon of Phlogiston current struck the ship like a sideways tidal wave. The Flow beyond the rails became a shrieking smear of rainbow color, and the deck bucked beneath their boots as if the ship had forgotten what “level” meant. The wind was so fierce they could barely keep their footing, and they suspected ranged weapons would be severely affected. Their ears rang with a high, pressure-filled wail that made shouted words seem distant and distorted.

As the winds whipped across the deck, one of the crew shouted, “Tie off!” and began lashing himself to the railing.  Then they saw them.  Dark, fast-moving shapes rode the shear like predators gliding along a wave, closing in to grab and carry away prey. The creatures were humanoid, though overly muscled. They seemed to swim through the Flow despite the raging winds. Their skin ranged from yellow to green, their mouths filled with rows of razor-sharp, shark-like teeth, and each possessed four powerful arms.

The flowfiends swept in riding on the winds of the shearfront pulse.  It had deafening sound and brutal winds sliding the party around.  They considered the crew and team for a while and seemed disappointed.  One finally settled on Helg as target and grabbed hold of him.  Another grabbed hold of Callum.  That was a mistake.  Callum activated elemental blast and devastated the creature.  He followed it with cold ice strike, staggering the monster.  Ursay fired several arrows into the storm and let the wind sweep them back in to pierce a fiend.  He then fired again and killed the flowfiend grappling Callum.  The other flowfiend flew under the ship and came up on the other side.  The giff fired the ballistae, but the shots were blown wide by the storm. 

Hekera stepped up and cut down the other flowfiend on the ship.  Callum cast an empowered cold scorching ray and killed the remaining flowfiend.  They decapitated two in hopes of feeding the brains to Wizzlecrank and realized they were regenerating!  They tried to feed them to the gnome ceremorph, but he recoiled.  They tossed all remnants of the fiends into the colorful Phlogiston. 

Another leg of their journey had reached completion. They reached the massive Crystal Sphere of Krynnspace. It was significantly larger than Realmspace, though smaller than the enormous Greyspace. Their ship passed through one of the stable silver-blue portals in the Sphere and emerged once more into the vastness of Wildspace, leaving the explosive rainbow currents of the Phlogiston behind.

Those among them who followed the gods felt an immediate reconnection with their pantheons, including mighty Kiri-Jolith, god of honor and war.

Far in the distance, like an enormous star, the sun burned at the center of the Sphere. Orbiting around it was the fiery planet Sirion. They were certain that some of the additional points of light scattered across the darkness were not stars at all, but other worlds.

Barring delays, it would take them a little over forty days to reach Krynn.

Two days into their voyage across Krynnspace, a broad-bellied tradesman slid out of the star-dark beyond the Stellar Islands, its lanterns glowing warm as hearthlight and its pennants snapping crisply in the void. A row of dwarves and gnomes along the rail lifted tankards and waved with exaggerated cheer.

A brass speaking trumpet caught the light, and a friendly voice boomed across the gap:

“Ho there, new skyfarers! Welcome to Krynnspace! Friends – if you will have us. We are the Hand of Reorx. We bring bread, drink, and a moment of honest fellowship to all who cross the threshold!”

The team greeted the dwarf, Captain Forge Irongrip.  Most of the party went over to their ship to drink and exchange information.  They discovered these are evangelists of Reorx, and while not overly pushy, they kept recounting teachings about Reorx and his philosophy.  Eventually, they ended up talking about the shrike ship they had acquired, The Lark Ascendant.  The party showed him a rubbing of the maker plate. 

They discussed a bit, and they helped each other decipher some of the markings, such as one indicating the ship was built in Krynnspace this year.  They are pretty certain this was a warship built by the Anvilwheel Consortium, a combined dwarven and gnome shipyard operating on planet Reorx.  Because elven ships are grown, they are slow to make.  They believe this was a lot of fully armed warships sold to the Elven Imperial Navy.  Why are the elves buying ships?  What do they know? 

The team gave a donation of a deep blue spinel and a minor magic potion to the evangelists and wished them well.

Game summary for April 28, 2026, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Polaris Helmsmeade (Dwarf Templar played by Peyton Harmon), and Ursay (Mongrelfolk Slayer played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The pirate captain jumped from the crow’s nest and landed a little harder than planned on the deck before leaping over the rail and bobbing up and down in the gravity plane.  One of her crew threw a line to her, and she began to haul herself back to the Diamondback.  The giff hit her with a ballista bolt while Helg cast spiritual weapon to attack the pirates still on the viper ship deck.  Polaris cut down the pirate trying to scramble back up on deck.  Meanwhile, Hekera charged up the stairs, jumped the rail, and charged through Helg’s blade barrier to cut down a pirate!  He took the deep slashes gleefully to inflict carnage himself. 

Ursay hit the pirate captain with several arrows, and she finally asked for parley.  They took her aboard and she tried to negotiate leaving with the cabin boy, Jax.  She would not really say why.  Meanwhile, Polaris took the boy aside and heard his tale.  He shared what he learned with the group about being part of the crew of half a dozen shrike ships that were captured by a combined group of Black Company pirates and very organized and militant orcs.  They killed all the crew, except for Jax who hid.  They delivered the ships to a much larger fleet of orcs, and while being towed, Jax cut the tow rope and drifted into the Phlogiston. 

The team decided to have the pirates walk the plank into the Phlogiston and then searched the vessels.  They found a chest filled with incredible wealth including platinum and gold coins of unknown origin.  The gold coins seemed stamped with scythe and mantis while the platinum bore emblems of a spiked mace and warthogs.  Aboard The Lark Ascendant shrike ship, they found a brass maker’s plate with some kind of cog or gear and anvil logo.  It was stamped AW-3SC-17-R / SHK-OP / Q3 / GF / LN-2. 

They moved all their cargo from their barge onto the other ships and cut the cargo barge free.  The party then began towing both The Lark Ascendant and The Diamondback. 

About two weeks later, a Davey, a Phlogiston-petrified body, drifted into their atmosphere.  They revied the young man, Marek, and learned he had only recently been lost in the Flow.  He was aboard a tradesman called The Coconut hauling weapons and armor out of Mount Nevermind on Krynn to the Free City of Greyhawk on Oerth.  Marek has been knocked off the ship when they were attacked by a giant scorpion that started ripping their ship apart! 

Helg talked to Marek a bit and finally deduced Marek is really a woman pretending to be a man.  Perhaps due to some ship crews’ superstition about women sailing with them.  They offered Marek a job and quarters until they could get to Krynn.

Game summary for April 14, 2026, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Polaris Helmsmeade (Dwarf Templar played by Peyton Harmon), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team reached the edge of the Greyspace Crystal Sphere, and Helg made some final prayers to prepare his spells going into the mystical Flow.  With 36 days to Kyrnnspace, they hoped for a peaceful journey.

About 3 days into travels, they came across a strange sight.  A gaudy tradesman ship drifted in a calm pocket of the Flow, towing a thorn-black shrikeship on a long hawser. Lanterns and pennants fluttered as if it were a dockside fair. The name Mutual Benefit was emblazoned on the tradesman, while the towed bird-like shrikeship bore the name The Lark Ascendant.

A tiny gnome in a tricorn hat bellowed through a brass trumpet: “Lot of the day! One shrikeship, gently used, lightly stabbed, absolutely authentic! No refunds! No returns! Minimal screaming! I am Frongall Gamm of Gamm and Grubb’s Reputable Reclamations! We have here one of our fine reclamations, and you there look to be just the sort in need of this beauty!”

The curious gnome dandy launched into full salesman mode: “How much for this almost new, fully armed shrikeship? I am so glad you asked! Let us start the haggle at 25,000 gp! Rumor has it the Elven Imperial Navy has been buying lots of shrikeships in several spheres. Someone friendly with them could likely turn a quick profit! Hustle up now with those coin purses! This safe eddy will collapse soon, and I cannot loiter. With your ship and helm, you could tow this beauty and make a tidy profit! It still has that new ship smell.”

Helg began haggling in earnest, urged on by the rest of the party.  He gave a very lowball offer, and the game was afoot.  They went back and forth until they seemed poised to settle on 19,500 gp.  While discussing, Polaris caught a glimpse of a young boy through the window of the shrikeship trying to remain hidden. 

A small, slender ship drifted out of the Flow—a vipership armed with numerous siege weapons, its crew standing ready at their posts. The name Diamondback was painted along its sides. It flew a square flag of solid black.

A serious woman stood upon the deck, clad in a matte-black cloak, spotless gloves, and an exquisitely crafted rapier at her belt. Her glossy black boots clicked sharply against the deck as she moved. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a tight, neat ponytail.

The ship approached their vessels, and Frongall nervously licked his lips. They suspected he recognized the ship—or what it represented. He half-heartedly asked if they cared to bid on the shrikeship.

Much to his obvious surprise, the woman answered: “I offer 40,000 gp for the shrikeship. No one boards. No inspection. Tow transfer only.”

Frongall kept glancing at the black flag and swallowing nervously.  He tried to talk the party into raising their bid, but they would not.  So, he sold the ship to the woman.  As they exchanged a small fortune, a few triangular silver coins fell out of one of the coffers and rattled around on deck.  Helg tried to engage the woman in conversation, but she was hostile and dismissive.  She kept urging them to leave and mind their own business; of course, they refused.  Eventually, Frongall and his crew left while the crew of the Diamondback secured the Lark Ascendant to their ship for towing. 

Hekera tried to get Wizzlecrank to read some minds but found the gnome mind flayer curled up in a ball in a corner of the hull rocking back and forth.  Cut off from the mind flayer hivemind, he was terrified.  He had also been rescued from being petrified in the Phlogiston several months earlier, and the return seemed to have awakened some kind of trauma.  He was able to tell Hekera he believed the boy was in danger of his life, but that was about it.

Helg cast blade barrier, which severed the tow ropes and damaged several of the enemy crew.  Battle erupted as Callum cast dark way and created a bridge of shadows crossing between their ships.  The woman ordered her crew to gut the boy on the other ship, and they rushed to obey, cruel knives in hand.  Polaris and Hekera ran down the bridge to engage.  Much to their surprise, the woman flew across to the Shooting Star‘s crow’s nest!  She then did something truly horrific.

The tangleburn bag she dropped exploded, and the alchemical fire continued to burst and spread in an incredible sticky conflagration.  It covered a huge portion of the deck and scorched Helg.  Helg cast dispel magic on the woman and flopped down on the deck rolling around trying to extinguish fire with his own body.  Snagy activated his battle tactics and prevented the enemies from gaining tactical advantage.  Meanwhile, one of the foes tripped over a rail and dangled trying to pull himself back up.

Polaris and Hekera cut through the disciplined pirates trying to get to the boy hiding in the cabin.  Callum cast a coldball and nearly blew out the windows which would have killed the kid.  Fortunately, the glass broke but did not shatter. 

The fire continued to spread, and Hekera realized it was about to explode with tremendous force.  If it blew, the ship would be blown in half!  Desperate, he hurled his massive adamantine greatsword through the Phlogiston.  It spun end over end, propelled by the crocodile man’s prodigious strength.  It slammed into the mast and broke free the yard.  The sails plummeted and fell down on the fire.  The rush of air and smothering cloth miraculously extinguished the fire!  The woman tried to fly from the nest but found Helg had dispelled her potion of flying! 

The team began to close in and debate how to get to her. 

Game summary for April 7, 2026, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Polaris Helmsmeade (Dwarf Templar played by Peyton Harmon), and Ursay (Mongrelfolk Slayer played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team scrambled to board the goblin ship and take the fight to them.  Ursay nimbly ran down the mast and used feather fall to drop to the deck of the ship.  He then flipped open a hatch and could see goblins in the darkness working levers and gears to cause the ship pincers to attack.  Polaris rushed across the deck and joined Ursay on the upper deck of the goblin’s scorpion scout ship.  The other hatch opened on the others side of the deck, and a lit fuse grenade came up!  It had a quick-burn fuse and exploded spraying shrapnel across the intruders.  A rumble rowdy goblin emerged and attacked Ursay and Polaris.  Soon, a goblin scallywag clambered up too.  Both these goblins were very short but unbelievably stocky, no doubt the effect of a lifetime on Armistice, the exile planet of extreme gravity.  Hekera, still enormous from quaffing a potion of enlarge person began chopping the pincers off the attacking ship!  He took a few bumps along the way, but it did not phase the massive crocodile man.  One of the pincers ripped free, bounced along the deck, and spun into the burning boards, spreading the fire!  From within, the sound of spellcasting emerged, and a horrible fog erupted over the deck doing more harm to goblins than invaders.  Helg cast create water to extinguish the growing flames!  Meanwhile, the party’s giff hippo-men marines ran from the aftcastle catapult toward the forecastle ballistae in hopes of turning them against the close enemy ship. 

Ursay fired into ship and struck a goblin, driving him back into another chamber.  He and Polaris then dropped in the ship after clearing the upper deck.  Hekera chopped off another pincer while Helg cast dispel magic and dismissed the magical choking cloud.  Down in the ship a goblin witch-doctor gave Ursay the evil eye making him more susceptible to his evil magic.  The two goblins in the entry room were slain, but a door opened and the final goblin hurled in a grenade!  The explosion damaged Polaris and Ursay, but they cut down the last defender readily. 

Searching the ship, the team found a black and red battle standard with a pair of eyes upon it.  They believed it to have religious significance but did not know the deity depicted.  It was certainly not Gruumsh as he only has one eye.  They recovered a blood-spattered star chart of Greyspace with several locations marked out.  It still had a few places encircled including Hepmonaland on Oerth.  In a closet they found a stack of severed elven heads.  The team stripped the minor helm from the ship and put it on their cargo barge for transport.  The witch-doctor carried a bizarre string of knotted leather cords with humanoid and animal teeth tied within.  Their illithid ceremorph companion, Wizzlecrank, discovered it is a form of writing the orc language and translated it as “Kill elves, collect magical weapons, find the tablet.  For the glory of Dukagsh (doo-cog-ish).”  Within an ironbound chest they discovered a small fortune in coins, a magical mace, and a coffer of strange Silver Mammoth coins, triangular money not recognized by anyone in the party. 

They then went back aboard The Shooting Star and left the damaged and helmless scorpion scout ship drifting in space after decapitating the goblins in hopes of proving they are allies of the elves if ever confronted. 

Game summary for March 31, 2026, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Polaris Helmsmeade (Dwarf Templar played by Peyton Harmon), Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs), and Ursay (Mongrelfolk Slayer played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The distant shimmer of starlight revealed movement ahead—massive, serene forms drifting through the void. A pod of kindori, space whales the size of castles, swam the currents of Greyspace with ancient grace. The noble creatures possessed rows of sparkling eyes that seemed to draw in the ambient starlight. The enormous entities had no mouths. They moved through the void as effortlessly as whales glided through the seas of a world. But their peace was broken.

A lamprey ship, its hooked jaws extended, darted and weaved like a predator through the pod. Harpoon chains glinted with cruel barbs. One kindori calf bled ichor into space, trailing behind the pod, slowing. Nearby, a squat tradesman ship hung in the void with open cargo bays, nets, and tethers prepared.

A signal flare burst from the tradesman—red and gold. On board, a man signaled in semaphore: “Authorized Whaling Operation – License of House Jassan of Bral. Interference is a punishable offense.” But this was not Realmspace. Bral’s laws carried no weight in Greyspace… unless someone there decided they did.

The team debated a few moments as the whalers continued to harpoon the kindori calf.  They decided they had no real moral objection to whaling and did not want to engage in battle with two ships full of crew.  So, they left.

About three weeks later, Their ship lurched out of spelljamming speed. Ahead, a sleek vessel glided through the void—shaped like a manta ray, its form smooth as if grown rather than built. It moved with silent grace. Its hull glowed faintly from within, like phosphorescent bone. It turned with remarkable maneuverability, almost like a living thing. Despite its alien form, it bore a wooden deck. Dark-robed figures drifted across it, wearing copper bracers and carrying staves shaped like rudders. They chanted in unison: “The Deck is laid. The Helm is stirring. The Spelljammer shall return. Prepare thyself.”

A bald elf with a tattooed head with shimmering blue and gold runes asked them about the Spelljammer and if they had seen it.  Beside him, an elegant woman with veins glowing beneath her translucent skin stepped up.  She pulled down her hood in shock and stared wide-eyed at Snagy.  Her blue eyes began to glow silver, and she started to prophesy.  She said in a previous life he had been a member of the Spelljammer crew and invited him on their quest to find the ship.  He was tempted, but the rest of the team talked him into staying with them.  The woman, Chanter Thaleen of the Fourth Deck claimed she and Snagy were the manifest echo of what it yet to dock.  The team tried to disengage, but the cultists, The Heralds of the True Deck, tried to sell them purple fungus wine.  As the party was leaving, their elven leader told them to beware the Elven Imperial Navy.  Something had them riled up.  He also said the elves fear the Deck because it remembers what they did.  The team flew away leaving the weird religious group behind. 

A strange red shape approached—at first resembling a massive scorpion flying through space. As it drew nearer, they realized it was not a creature, but a ship. Rigging stretched from the top deck up to the tail stinger. Catapults and ballistae lined its decks, and small, muscular figures scurried about—goblins, but unlike any they had seen before. These were squat and sturdy, with powerfully muscled limbs. They were armed and eager for blood.

As the vessel swooped in, it became clear this was an armed scout ship. Its crew likely mistook them for an easy merchant target. The front “face” of the scorpion formed a sharp ram. The pincers began to move, likely controlled from within the hull. Those massive claws could rip through sails, snap masts, and even grapple their vessel. Any man caught in those crushing mechanisms would be killed instantly. The name “Burning Claw” was engraved along the hull.

The goblins opened fire. Siege ammunition rained down upon their ship. The nimble menace was faster than they were. They would not outrun it—but they might maneuver to avoid the worst of the assault, keep the claws from shearing their rigging and sails, and inflict enough damage before the goblins could close and board.

The team did everything they could to try and shake the goblin vessel.  Helg cast flame strike and searing light, and the team rallied the crew.  They were able to keep the goblins from swarming them; only a few got aboard.  Meanwhile, the grappling claws swept across the deck trying to smash everyone.

Violence erupted on deck.  The goblins were brutally strong and took an amazing amount of damage.  Helg took several hits, as did Snagy.  Fortunately, the team had quaffed a few potions, and Helg had cast blessing of fervor.  This gave the team an edge in the fight, and the small powerfully-built goblins were slain.  However, the fight was not over.  Someone was inside the ship operating the flailing pincers!