Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for January 17, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Intevar Dagella (Centurian Drow Silent Hunter played by Casey Scruggs), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon), and Sienna Whispermist (Half-Elf Cleric / Illusionist / Rogue played by Todd Hughes). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The Perry arrived at Refuge, and the party could see the famed gardens and sprawling city on the small moon.  Orbiting the base were 24 massive stone golems equipped with spelljamming helms, ballistae, and armed crew—flying animated ships of destruction!  Swimming about the docks were space remora, void fish large enough to serve as mounts.  Astride each were armored knights carrying lances.  Cruising around to keep the peace was another blue and yellow squidship.  Stretching out behind Refuge as far as the eye could see was the Salvage Ring, a collection of shipwrecks used for parts, repairs, and salvage. 

Once docked, the team paid 67 gp in docking and air refreshment fees.  They talked to the tax collector and learned where to find Renaldo’s Respectable Reclamations, a place they could sell the vipership.  While walking through the dock ward, they heard a merchant yelling for a thief to stop.  A giff guard caught the man, and the man began screaming.  Next to the party, another man began screaming as well.  After a few moments, both exploded!  Not in gore and viscera, but into clouds of dust leaving only their clothing behind!  Everyone looked on in stunned amazement.  A woman fainted.  The guards began trying to usher people along claiming it was an illusionist trick. 

The group moved along and visited Renaldo.  He went with them to the docks to inspect the ship, and they haggled a bit.  In the end, they sold the ship for 43,500 gp!  After making the sale, they decided they should start investing rather than walking around with mountains of coins.  Following much debate, they decided they wanted to buy into a tavern.  They went into the Low Dive, a tavern near the docks.  After meeting the owner and carousing with the locals, they decided it was just the place they had in mind.  They invested 10,000 gp into the tavern.  They also decided they wanted to seek out a place that teaches magic and a tinker gnome enterprise to invest in.

While in the bar, they listened to the locals and gathered some rumors.  They weren’t sure how much truth was in each, but they did take note of several:

1. The entire city of Refuge is riddled with secret doors, hidden tunnels, and interconnecting ways.  They say every building has one to three secret entrances.
2. The underground tunnels are ruled by the Watcher Below, a gigantic beholder who kills and eats everything it catches.
3. The Arcane are strict in their laws and often remove trouble rather than try to arrest or detain.
4. A recently arrived ship was filled with a dead crew covered in crawling green worms. 
5. A contingent of rastipede traders have infiltrated Refuge and are slowly stealing trade from the Arcane.

They were able to confirm with their new business partner, Bueford, that the Low Dive does have a secret entrance into the under halls.