Game summary for September 17, 2024, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Einar Ormsson (Human Fighter / Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow), and Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Josh Jenkins). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.
The team packed up in Bonanza and headed out into space to continue their journey toward Ginsel. They went about two days and the party’s ship slowed out of spelljamming speed, and they saw they were surrounded by bright green, leafy plant matter. Plant material was everywhere: ahead, behind, above, and below. It also seemed to be waving or moving within the cosmic winds, temporarily opening paths and closing others. It would have been exceedingly easy to get mired in such flotsam, perhaps permanently! The ship came to a halt, unable at that moment to move freely in any direction. Navigating this hazard was going to be quite the challenge.
The ship had come to rest against a shelf of plant material solid enough to serve as a floor. The adventurers could have jumped right off the ship and walked around if they had so desired.
But that was the least of their concerns. This plantscape was inhabited! Creatures were swarming over the plant and up to the ship. Never had they seen anything like these entities. Their primary feature, an enormous body, appeared to be composed of wrinkled brain matter. These brains seemed to float in mid-air, trailing what looked like ten long rubbery tentacles. A massive beak protruded from the front of the brain, but there were no obvious ears or eyes. The creatures carried short silver rods that occasionally emitted sparks of electricity as they approached. Bizarre alien clicking and squawking emerged from the beaks. After a moment, the party realized they were talking! But what they were saying was beyond their comprehension.
The creatures, which Komorebi identified as colonial grell, moved in quickly. They blasted the party with lightning lances and a barrage of spells such as slow and flame strike. Helg cast spiritual weapon, and Hekera climbed out onto the sargasso and advanced on a grell. Moving slowly, Komorebi began inspiring his allies with his bardic performance and then cast dispel magic on the spell upon him. Notch, also slow, started drawing forth a potion of haste. Einar unleashed a volley of arrows into a grell, and Khesen advanced upon the same one and hit it repeatedly.
Hekera tore into a grell but found it extraordinarily tough. Despite his martial prowess, the beating he put upon it barely slowed it down. Khesen was paralyzed by a grell, but Komorebi used a flourish to cancel the effect. Notch was able to drink his potion and cancel the slow effect, which brought him back into the fight. Another grell cast spike growth to hamper Hekera, but it had little effect. In a nasty twist, Khesen was hit by a moonstruck spell and went utterly berserk! He ripped into Helg and nearly killed him. Only his celestial heritage which protected him from Khesen’s magical cold and acid effects kept him alive. The Valhallan priest strategically retreated into the hold of The Perry to heal himself.
Hekera struck down one grell while Einar killed another with his bow. Komorebi unleashed an ear-piercing scream and killed the last grell! The group quickly looted the bodies and then turned their attention to the next problem. The Perry is firmly mired in the plant!