Game summary for October 1, 2024, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Claude Dill Budshire (Sokari Sorcerer played by Peyton Harmon), 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), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.
About three days after leaving the Nebula Weavers halfling tribe behind, the team came across a smoldering battle-damaged eel ship named the Hither Slither. They could detect nothing living or magical on the ship, so they cautiously boarded. The ship had the side ripped open from catapult shot and extensive rear damage from ballista fire. Much of the exterior of the ship was blackened from a recent blaze, but the fire had not spread to the interior. Upon the top deck was a single stout wooden barrel covered in congealed blood. The group discerned several people had been executed on the barrel and bodies thrown overboard. From the bloody tracks, they could tell there were at least a dozen distinct aggressors. The footprints were a wide range of sizes including small, perhaps halfling size, booted tracks beside wide heavy dwarven tracks. Larger still, somewhere between the mass of an ogre and an orc, were numerous really big footprints. They also found a whitish clump of hair or fur that they determined most closely matched that of a bear. They searched the entire ship and even though they found a secret compartment, there was nothing of value or interest. Even the helm had been removed. Perplexed, the group left the wreck behind.
Approximately three days later, they emerged from spelljamming speed to witness a bizarre sight. An asteroid tumbled through space, but what made it strange was that it appeared to have an atmosphere. Humanoids and other, more bizarre creatures moved about its surface, and smoke from burning fires rose into the sky. A shipwreck blazed in the distance—a tradesman vessel had crashed into the rock and broken apart. Crates and other goods were scattered everywhere, some ablaze, others smashed to pieces. On the far side of the asteroid, a departing ship caught their attention. It was enormous, one of the largest spelljamming vessels they had ever seen. With eight long legs spread around its spider-shaped body and web-like sails stretched between them, it vanished in a flash, spelljamming to who-knows-where.
On the asteroid, the party could see perhaps two dozen humans and demi-humans huddled among several large rocky boulders. Some were injured, others bound, and many cowered in fear. Massive insectoid creatures stood among them—bulky and powerful, with enormous sharp claws, multiple eyes, and snapping mandibles that looked capable of biting a horse in two. Smaller creatures scuttled around—spiders, perhaps? They certainly had eight spidery limbs, but from the front of each emerged a long eel-like neck.
As they watched, one of the insectoid creatures burst from the soil of the asteroid in a shower of debris, leaving a large tunnel stretching behind it into the darkness. Glittering bits of crystal or gemstone flew into the air and landed all around the area.
The team very wisely decided to engage from aboard The Perry. Khesen manned the magical ballista and fired at one of the massive creatures, an umber hulk! The bolt flew through the air, but at the last moment swerved violently toward one of the boulders! It blasted through one of the hostages, killing her instantly in a spray of gore as the siege weapon’s ammunition continued on its new path. The bolt slammed into the boulder and shattered. The metal head stuck to the rock, and the team realized the boulders were giant magnets! Fearful of firing again, and with the screaming prisoners in a panic, they landed The Perry and leapt into the fray.
The party had to hang back just a bit due to the pull of the magnets. The umber hulks and spider-creatures, called neogi, remained among the prisoners. This made combatting them a bit more challenging. The team also learned the umber hulks have a confusion gaze which sent Khesen into a melee against his own ally, Claude! Snagy proved himself invaluable as he swooped across the battlefield astride Sting, his magically summoned wasp, and used his battle tactics to negate confusion! He also put his trusty lance to deadly work. Claude unleashed a magical electric onslaught, but the creatures kept coming. Several umber hulks burrowed into the ground and emerged closer to the team as a third erupted from beneath them as well! The umber hulks dealt horrific blows, but the team dealt many of their own. The neogi proved especially dangerous though when one of them dominated Einar and sent him flailing into Hekera! The two began trading blows with axes and greatswords ringing against each other. Einar ripped Hekera’s feet out from under him, but the crocodilian man rose up and tried to beat Einar unconscious. Truly, it was a clash of titans awesome and terrible to behold.
Meanwhile, Claude was mauled into unconsciousness and nearly killed. Khesen proved him powerful unarmed combat training was up to even this challenge, and was able to eventually slay two umber hulks! Helg made excellent use of spiritual weapon and flame strike to deal lots of damage before switching to a more sustaining approach and channeling positive energy into his wounded allies. Snagy continued flyby attacks with great effect. The neogi both tried to enslave more of the party without success. Finally, the dominating neogi was killed, which freed Einar from its grip. He quickly consumed a healing potion and prepared to engage. The group rallied behind this sudden shift in momentum, and the team won the day!
They stood among quite a scene. Terrified people cowered all around them looking in fright at what the team had wrought upon the monsters as well as the woman they killed with the ballista. As the people crawled back and away, the team quickly ripped anything of value from the neogi corpses.
