Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for July 22, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Einar Ormsson (Human Fighter / Unchained Barbarian played by John Osborne), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team looked around and found a sigil-inscribed stump near the portal.  Helg splattered it with blood from the acidscale boggard while trying to remember the ritual words he overheard in another language in the scrying spell.  He said “klaatu barada HRMMPHH…” with no effect. 

Hwrulf extracted the brain from the acidscale boggard’s corpse and put it in his magical gravemouth.  The skull burned with dark necromantic energy, and the eyes filled with blue flame.  The item spoke with the voice of the dead boggard and answered three questions.  It confirmed the half-dragon did not know how to operate the portal to the Forbidden City and that the Mirelord feared yuan-ti.  Finch told the party yuan-ti are cursed serpent people, formerly human, who are shapeshifters and psionicists who typically dwell in jungles.  The gravemouth told them how to activate the stump using the Mirelord’s blood and the words “klaatu barada nikto”.  The team decided to use the stump portal right away and whisked themselves (without their barge) to parts unknown.

They found themselves at another stump in the swamp guarded by flying half-dragons!  The beasts began dropped boulders from above!  The team scrambled to dodge the falling rocks until a pair of draco-wyverns swooped down to engage.  They breathed lines of acid across the party.  Finch was able to help the team finish dodging rocks while Einar charged in and whacked one of the dragons.  The dragon retaliated.  It stung Einar who was immediately poisoned.  It then grappled him and began rending with its talons.  Helg channeled positive energy to help heal the injured team.  The other dragon tried unsuccessfully to poison Finch.  Hwrulf ran after it, swinging away.  Hekera moved in as well and cut it down right in front of Hwrulf!  The other dragon was hit several times by Einar and let him go.  It fled quickly following the direction its brethren had flown off a few minutes earlier.  Callum launched an empowered fireball and blew it out of the sky!

The team examined the bodies and healed several of their injuries, including desperately pumping potions into Einar to keep him alive from the horrendous poison!  He pulled through, in rough shape, but alive.  The team then began discussing heading after the dragons that had dropped all the boulders, surmising they landed about an hour’s walk away.  The dragon’s lair?

Game summary for July 8, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Adeline Tormak (Human Magus played by Andrew Renfrow), Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Einar Ormsson (Human Fighter / Unchained Barbarian played by John Osborne), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group began talking with Nada, the elderly goblin.  Although somewhat confusing in his manner of speech, he was able to let them know about the Mirelord and its servants, a tribe of boggards and tribe of marsh giants.  He also told them there are several half-dragon progeny leading the tribes.  He let them know the general direction of the dragon’s cave.  He also told them a group of humans had traveled through a few days earlier.  They figured out it was the Scarlet Brotherhood, and they had headed north to a trio of serpent statues.  Nada said after that, they were no longer in the swamp.  The team debated if they should go to the dragon cave in pursuit of Aratheas or the statues in hopes of finding the wards for the Forbidden City disabled.  The party rested at Nada’s and recovered spells.  Helg cast scrying on Aratheas and saw her with boggards and marsh giants.  The foes seemed to travel through some kind of portal at a sigil-inscribed stump by speaking some ritual and sprinkling it with their blood, taking Aratheas with them. 

The group decided to head to the snake statues to make up time because it was only a few hours away, especially utilizing their flying cargo barge.  They discovered a circular stone platform surrounded by stylized snake statues.  Tracks, up to three dozen humans, lead up to the circle but disappeared.  As they investigated, boggards, slurks, and a marsh giant rose up from the water! 

The slurks spit their oily secretions over Hekera and Callum.  The marshpiercer peppered the team with arrows.  The fen marauder and croakbrute charged the team, impaling with spears.  The boggard acidscale used a wand to activate haste on many of the team.  It also cried havoc, causing the giant to advance and attack with its gaff.  The giant then kicked mud in Helg’s eyes, forcing him to try and mop it out. 

Finch began tripping foes while Hekera, Einar, and Hwrulf ripped into them with blades.  Komorebi cast a shadow conjuration with minimal effect, and Callum’s empowered fireball was partially avoided and negated with magic.  The team was struggling at first, but they quickly gained the upper hand with their superior abilities.  The acidscale tried a yellow smoke spell (dispelled by Callum) and breathed acid.  The giant hit as hard as expected but could not withstand the team’s combined attacks.  Callum blasted away with Dalamar’s lightning lance and scorching ray.  Helg cast a flame strike, and the warriors and barbarians of the group hacked and slashed with abandon. 

Finch got hit and nearly killed, but Helg’s heal spell saved him.  One-by-one enemies fell until only the party remained standing!

Game summary for July 1, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Adeline Tormak (Human Magus played by Andrew Renfrow), Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team found themselves turned around in the dark and struggling to follow the tracks.  The group put together their resources and tried to navigate.  For a while, they were led off course by a pair of will-o-wisps but realized the danger and turned back.  However, they did discover the remains of previous victims and recovered some treasure which included a frightening magical skull known as a gravemouth.  Examining it, they learned they could insert a brain into the skull and utilize speak with dead. 

As dawn broke across the swamp, boggards rose up from the muck.  Marshpiercers armed with bows fired upon Snagy while a croakbrute marked Hwrulf and led several in a charge against him.  A stalker and a fen marauder came around the other side.  Adeline fired spell-enhanced arrows upon the assailants.  Helg mortified his flesh and cast a tremendously enhanced flame strike while Callum cast an empowered fireball.  The fiery explosions injured the bullywugs as Hwrulf, Finch, and Hekera waded in.  Meanwhile, Snagy charged with his lance through the sky.  The foes landed several telling blows, but the combined might of the party was too much for them.  The fen marauders and croakbrute were slain, which broke the morale of the rest.  They fled into the swamp.  The group searched the bodies and pressed on.

Soon they caught sight of a creature scuttling through the brush.  He attempted stealth but realized they had already noticed him.  They were pretty certain he was a goblin.  He was short, with green skin and large pointed droopy ears.  His crude clothing was dirty from mud and water.  The goblin was old, leaning on a crooked wooden staff with dangling bone trinkets.  His yellow eyes gleamed with mischievous intelligence and a surprising air of wisdom.  He glanced about looking for a way to escape, and realizing there was none, he stopped and faced them.  He leaned upon his cane.  “Mmmm…” he said.  “Looking for the sorceress, you are.  Tracks, you follow.”  His yellow eyes looked them over.  “Cautious, you should be.  Taken by the Mirelord, she is.  Boggards and giants he has many.  Nada, am I.  The vapors said you would come.”