Game summary for March 18, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: 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), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.
The Showdown with Boris Steelbeard!
The battle aboard The Falling Star reached its peak as Boris “The Butcher” Steelbeard emerged from belowdecks, axes chained to his bracers clanking ominously. His platinum beard was slick with sweat and blood, his eyes filled with rage as he cursed the adventurers for ruining his operations.
Though Boris was not the most dangerous foe the party had faced—the tiefling abjurer still held that grim honor after slaying Callum the previous session—he proved to be the most formidable melee combatant they had engaged on board. His whirling axes struck with terrifying speed, and despite the overwhelming opposition, he fought with the fury of a cornered beast.
One by one, his crew fell before the party’s relentless assault, leaving the pirate captain to stand alone.
The Flow of Battle
🔥 Boris Steelbeard stormed across the deck, his twin chained axes spinning in deadly arcs. His first target? Komorebi.
🎭 Komorebi, relying on his mirror images for protection, watched as Boris tore through the illusions before finally striking true. A vicious axe swing slashed into him, spraying blood across the deck as Boris grinned through the carnage.
🎶 Not to be deterred, Komorebi retaliated with a shadow conjuration, forming a spiked pit beneath Boris and one of his henchmen. While Boris resisted its illusory effects, a toxic boogin was not so fortunate—he tumbled into the pit, screaming as the spectral spikes impaled him.
⚡ Callum, barely recovered from previous wounds, spun in the crow’s nest and unleashed empowered scorching rays at Boris. The blazing bolts hammered into the dwarf, heating his armor red-hot and searing his flesh, causing him to roar in agony. This attack turned Boris from untouched to heavily wounded, proving that firepower would be needed to bring the pirate down.
🦊 Finch, still weakened from poison, focused on control, tripping a nearby boogin and ensuring that Helg’s spiritual weapon could finish the job.
🐝 Snagyndar landed a crushing axe-hammer blow before following up with a devastating kick from his magical boots, sending a goblin reeling.
🐊 Hekera, now towering over the battlefield after drinking his enlarge person potion, became a juggernaut. His massive greatsword carved through Boris’s allies, shattering their defenses.
🔥 Hwrulf, no longer burning but still lost in his battle rage, carved through what remained of Boris’s crew, reveling in the destruction.
🛡️ Helg channeled divine power, healing the party and keeping them in the fight, while his spiritual weapon continued cutting through fallen foes.
🏹 Notch, despite still feeling the effects of poison, unleashed a deadly bane arrow at Boris. The first shot shattered harmlessly against Boris’ thick armor, but the second found its mark, punching through a chink in his plate and drawing a furious growl from the pirate lord.
🗡️ Boris fought with reckless abandon, his chained axes whirling in every direction. Even outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and badly injured, he refused to surrender.
The Final Blow – The Butcher Falls
As Boris reeled from the fire, arrows, and sword strikes, Hekera stepped forward, his greatsword gleaming in the dim light of wildspace. With a mighty swing, the massive blade cleaved through Boris’ defenses and took the pirate captain’s head clean off, sending it tumbling across the deck.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then, with a sickening thud, Boris’s headless corpse collapsed, blood pooling at his feet.
The largest challenge of the battle was over. Quickly the team mopped up the rest of the pirates.
The Arcane Trap – A Race Against Time!
The moment the last pirate’s body hit the deck, a wave of red-hot arcane sigils erupted across the ship, glowing with power. These sigils spread like wildfire, searing themselves into the very wood of the vessel. Within seconds, the adventurers realized what was about to happen—these runes were primed to detonate the ship’s entire powder magazine!
The party raced to decipher the symbols, trying to shut down the arcane bomb before the entire ship—and likely The Perry moored nearby—was reduced to splinters.
But the danger didn’t stop there.
🔥 A few seconds after activation, an elder fire elemental erupted from the runes, its roaring, infernal form looming over the battlefield! The creature lashed out immediately, attempting to ignite the ship in a final act of destruction.
Each member of the party was forced to make a split-second decision—disable the runes or battle the elemental.
⚡ Callum, Helg, and Komorebi focused on unraveling the enchantments, working furiously to shut down the magic before it reached critical mass.
🗡️ Hekera, Snagy, Notch, and Hwrulf, engaged the elemental, doing their best to hold it back before it could reduce the ship to cinders.
The fight against the elemental was brutal, with flames lashing out in all directions, but through a combination of raw power and divine magic, the creature was finally vanquished.
🔥 From the shadows, Finch came forward and successfully disabled the last of the runes, stopping the detonation just before it was too late.
As the runes faded, and the elemental’s form crumbled into harmless embers, the crew finally took a breath.
The Aftermath – What Comes Next?
The party now stands victorious aboard The Falling Star, having slain Boris Steelbeard, his lieutenants, and prevented the ship from being destroyed.
They searched the ship and found several documents with intriguing leads and clues about the Witchlight Marauders, mysterious militant orcs, and the possibility of joining Xenotermination, Ltd.!
But what now?
🚀 Will they claim The Falling Star for themselves, or will they strip it for parts?
⚓ What treasures or secrets still lie within its hull?
💀 And has Boris’ death truly severed his influence, or will his past sins come back to haunt them?
Find out next time in Chronoshift: Spelljammer!
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