Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for May 7, 2024, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Claude Dill Budshire (Sokari Sorcerer played by Peyton Harmon), Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

For a week, The Perry continued at spelljamming speed across the Realmspace sphere heading toward the Crystal Shell so they could enter the Phlogiston.  The ship lurched out of spelljamming speed as it entered the gravity plane of a seemingly drifting dragonfly vessel, the Sky Seeker.  The ship appeared abandoned, and what appeared to be blood splatter and gouging from something heavy being dragged adorned the upper deck.  The team approached and then boarded.  Komorebi used his amazing gloves to see through the floor down into the cargo hold; however, with no light source, it was pitch black.  He then moved up to the upper deck and used the gloves to peer down into the bridge.  It was dim and contained several items of furniture, such as a metal chair (perhaps the spelljamming helm), a shelf, a crate, and a chest.  Edonna cast a detect thoughts spell and sensed some jumbled thoughts in a language she did not understand. 

Some of the team cloaked Komorebi, Edonna, and Khesen in an invisibility sphere.  Notch, Claude, and Hekera would remain up top while those three did a quick recon run down the stairs into the bridge.  They opened the door and filed down the stairs noting something heavy had been dragged up them.  Edonna, with darkvision, led the way.  She noticed the bookshelf lick its lips.  It licked its lips!  Suddenly the floor flowed up like a pseudopod and slammed Edonna and then began wrapping around her!  Of course, she (and everyone in the hallway) was invisible!  Notch, at the top of the stairs, could see the pseudopod but not any of the team!  Suddenly, something warm and wet splashed across Komorebi and Khesen.  The floor had crushed the life right out of Edonna! 

Khesen fled up the stairs and turned visible as he left the spell effect around Komorebi.  Komorebi then fled as well and began a bardic performance to encourage the team.  Claude came around the corner and blasted a Bogg’s cinderball spell down the hallway.  The horrific blast ripped through the ship with concussive force and fire!  Screams came from the bridge as shapeshifters burned!  Unfortunately, the glass windows in the bridge blew outwards in a shower of glass, and the explosion burst forth and rocked the party’s adjacent cargo barge!  Fortunately, it did not burst into flame but was scorched and battered. 

The trapper, dragging Edonna’s corpse, slithered out of the now open front of the ship and came over the top while the furniture, revealed to be mimics, came charging down the hallway.  Khesen met the trapper on the upper deck while Hekera engaged the mimics.  Notch consumed a potion of haste and Komorebi cast blur on Hekera.  Claude cast a shrillfire spell down the hallway, catching all of the mimics (and Hekera) in the blast!  Hekera chopped away with his sword, Khesen slashed away with his knife hand chops, and Notch unleashed a deadly volley.  Soon, all the shapeshifters were killed. 

The group searched the ship and found a trapped chest.  Hekera accidentally triggered the magical glyph and was hit with an enemy hammer.  Fortunately, he was able to hold on and prevent himself from being used as a pummeling tool while Komorebi dispelled the effect.  In the chest they found a magical wand.  In another room, they found six polished skeletons, the digested remains of the trapper and mimics’ previous meals.  In the cargo hold, they found 5 tons of valuable dyes and inks!  To load the heavy crates, Hekera hacked the entire side out of the ship, and they pushed them onto The Perry!  They mourned the loss of Edonna and headed off to continue their journey.

Game summary for April 30, 2024, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Claude Dill Budshire (Sokari Sorcerer played by Peyton Harmon), 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 Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The Perry lurched out of spelljamming speed to find an asteroid passing beneath the ship.  Off in the distance, they could see the water planet H’catha with its single massive mountain in the center.  As the asteroid drifted closer, several orbs rose up into the air.  Two were mottled and about five feet in diameter with a central eye surrounded by a ridge of flesh dotted with a dozen or so smaller human-like eyes!  These creatures, gauth beholderkin, possessed six tentacle-like eyestalks ending in eyes and a large fanged mouth.  Another larger orb drifted up, a zombified beholder!  A final beholderkin, a death kiss, rose up from the asteroid as well.  It was an off-white orb with long hanging tentacles that gradually fades to a crimson color at the tips.  Each tentacle ended in wicked mouths! 

The death kiss beholderkin drifted closer and began slapping tentacles into Khesen.  The biting appendages grappled him and latched hold to drain blood!  Helg peeked out and cast flame strike which destroyed one of the gauth!  The other gauth blasted away with eye rays hitting several of the team.  Claude was burned, Hekera suffered open wounds, and Notch was exhausted.  Claude cast a maximized shocking spark on the death kiss damaging it terribly. 

Notch was too tired to draw his bow, so he spun the magical ballista around and used its lance power to kill the death kiss which exploded in an electrical blast to which Helg was immune.  Hekera chopped away at the zombie beholder but was unable to cut it down.  Helg cast cure serious wounds on Khesen. 

The gauth continued to blast eye rays at the party with limited effect.  Claude stepped back and cast manyjaws which ripped the gauth to pieces!  Khesen realized he knew how to use a ballista, and he fired the other one at the beholder zombie!  Finally, Notch spun the magical ballista around and used the volley effect to blast the zombie to pieces.  The team nursed their wounds and then explored the asteroid.  They found part of a wrecked groundling vessel.  They surmised the asteroid had crashed through the ship at some point long, long ago.  Casting detect magic, the discovered the crow’s nest was actually a magic item that enhances perception!  They decided to take it and install it on The Perry.  Beneath the ship they found a handful of onyx gems.  The group discovered several signs of beholder excrement, but they were unsure how long the beholders had been here or what they had been eating. 

Game summary for April 23, 2024, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Claude Dill Budshire (Sokari Sorcerer played by Peyton Harmon), Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), 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), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team took the three severed heads they discovered frozen on The Green Guppy out of the storage barrel now that they had thawed.  To their horror, they found them infested with rot grubs!  Fortunately, their crocodile-man, Hekera, was able to stomp them before they could burrow into anyone.  The team cleaned out the barrel and killed all the grubs they could find.  They discovered a few cracks in the barrel but were uncertain if any grubs would have fit through them. 

Helg then cast speak with dead on the first head and posed five questions.  They moved on through the two, questioning them as well.  They found several interesting tidbits.  After discussing, the team decided they wanted to ask more questions but would have to wait a week.  In the meantime, they began trying to open the religious text they discovered on The Green Guppy.

They took turns trying to decipher the bizarre markings, mechanical locks, and magical wards.  It took several days, but they eventually unlocked the tome and found it to be a copy of the Apostolic Scrolls, an unholy text of the worm god, Kyuss.  Notch noticed some key pages dogeared and passages underlined.  Focusing on these, he learned a tremendous amount about Kyuss.  He shared his information, and the entire team spent time studying the text.  By the end, the entire team had learned a great deal about Kyuss and even some tips on how to resist the effects of burrowing Kyuss worms! 

At the end of a week, they once again used speak with dead on the three heads.  After gathering all they felt they could, they launched the barrel of heads off the ship and destroyed it with a barrage of fire magic!

Game summary for April 16, 2024, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Claude Dill Budshire (Sokari Sorcerer played by Peyton Harmon), Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), 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), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team spent a week traveling peacefully through Realmspace.  Edonna used the time to craft a magical wand, and Komorebi started working on some traps.  Bright blue lights flashed and portals opened throughout The Perry from which emerged an arachnoid manticore, several drow, a few Zhentarim mercenaries, and a terrifying banelar (a type of fearsome purple-scaled naga with venomous fangs and stinger). 

Immediately, Notch and the manticore began exchanging volleys.  One of the Zhentarim, a man in full plate armor wielding a bastard sword, engaged Helg in the cabin on the cargo barge.  The two tried to exchange blows, but both kept hitting the door frame and walls with their chops.  Helg stepped back and hurled a flame strike out the window and blasted the manticore into pieces.  Meanwhile, Claude cast a maximized shocking spark at another Zhentarim and melted him into oblivion. 

Down below, the drow priestess held one of the gnomes who was then murdered by a Zhentarim.  The banelar stung Edonna and envenomated her with horrifically toxic poison. She was wracked with agony and fled down the ladder where she collapsed unconscious from the toxin.  The banelar then slithered up the ladder to the top deck while the priestess killed Sailmaster Tuk.  The drow scouts unleashed volleys of poisoned arrows inflicting minor wounds, but they were no match for the focused might of the party, especially Khesen’s onslaught. 

Komorebi sang out and enhanced the abilities of the entire party.  Hekera then cut down the banelar and plunged down into lower decks where he cut the Zhentarim in half with his massive greatsword.  Claude followed him down and blasted the priestess into whatever afterlife awaited her.  Helg and the Zhentarim continued to brawl while Komorebi slipped around and hit him with a blistering invective.  The mercenary then surrendered. 

The team regrouped and the slain bodies began decaying into reeking sludge!  As the placed manacles upon the Zhentarim, he screamed in agony and melted into goo as well!  Komorebi recognized this as a common tactic of the Black Network and especially a particular foe from his past, the archmage Manshoon!

Game summary for April 9, 2024, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Claude Dill Budshire (Sokari Sorcerer played by Peyton Harmon), Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), 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), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

With all foes vanquished from the ship, the team began searching thoroughly for clues and items.  Several mundane items were discovered.  Inside a magically sealed locker was a child’s doll, old but unused.  Within a barrel they discovered a broken mechanical parrot that seemed stuck making a humming squawking sound.  They opened the magically sealed crate they previously located in the cargo hold and were horrified to find three perfectly preserved frozen heads.  Opened, the crate’s magic was dissipated, so they no longer had a way to keep the heads frozen.  They decided they would later use speak with dead once thawed to learn what they could. 

In the sail locker, they found a hand drawn map of an unknown star system with only a single planet.  Beneath a bed, they turned up a wooden unholy symbol of Umberlee.  Another room revealed a book of old sea shanties.  Komorebi recognized some as old versions of songs of which he is very familiar.  He was also able to read the journal of the former captain, Aric Shadowbane.  It contained various tidbits of information and possible clues. 

They discovered several other old things that seemed to have no real value or significance such as an old mug, a small silver compass, a feather quill, a worn leather belt, and a single left leather glove. 

The group unbolted the furnace helm from the ship and moved it over to The Perry as a spare.  Once back on the ship, they handed the mechanical parrot to the gnomes to repair and tried to secure the Kyuss loreworm they discovered earlier as safely as possible. 

Game summary for March 26, 2024, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Claude Dill Budshire (Sokari Sorcerer played by Peyton Harmon), Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party went in search of the undead that fled a few minutes earlier.  As they went down the hallway, they could see the wormcaller creeping back as the tragic spectre emerged from the wall behind the party.  Much to their horror, a massive wormswarm also emerged from the room they had not yet explored!  Edonna protected the team with blessing of fervor and Claude used his metamagic rod to blast the spectre with shocking spark.  The tragic spectre then hit Claude with a critical hit and inflicted four negative levels!  It healed much of its damage and sent Claude scurrying for safety. 

Hekera dealt a critical hit to the wormcaller and rocked it backwards.  It tried quickened hold person on him, but his reptilian mind shook it off.  It then suggested he climb to the top of the mast, but he resisted that as well.  The wormswarm emerged and started distracting and poisoning the team.  Although not devastating, it was dangerous enough to split the party and force them to try new tactics.  This allowed the spectre to inflict a few more negative levels before being defeated. 

Hekera continued to ravage the wormcaller, and it failed again at both hold person and suggestion.  The team started trying different tactics against the swarm, including throwing a tangleburn bag in its midst with minor effect.  Claude picked up a severed hand from a previous fight and cast Illemak’s smarting slivers upon it.  However, he and the team confused themselves on how it works and ended up throwing it down the hallway where it just lay inert on the ground. 

The group cut down the wormcaller and fell back hoping the wormswarm would move down toward the trapped limb.  Unfortunately, the burning bag was a deterrent, and it swarmed over the rest of the team.  They were able to fall back with Edonna casting firebelly to kill several worms.  Khesen picked up the severed hand and tumbled into range of the swarm, but it turned and flowed over him!  When the worms touched the trapped appendage, it exploded with a powerful blast that killed the worms and hurt Khesen.  However, the foes were all vanquished!

Game summary for March 19, 2024, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Claude Dill Budshire (Sokari Sorcerer played by Peyton Harmon), Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), 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 Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The door at the end of the hallway on the tradesman ship flew open revealing a pair of mummies, a tragic spectre, and a heavily armored half-mad priest of the Apostles of the Apocalypse pantheon.  He was wild-eyed and muttering to himself about worms and Kyuss as spittle flew from his lips.  The priest wore ringmail armor, carried a heavy mace, had a buckler strapped to one wrist, and there was an exotic bone blade tucked into his belt.  A shiny silver chaos star bounced on a chain about his neck.  This large room appeared to be some kind of shrine or temple.  There was a small dark altar with several bloodstained bowls and knives.  A hammock hung to the side. 

The team tried to engage the evil cleric and found they could not advance due to some kind of unseen barrier.  Komorebi cast dispel magic but failed to dismiss it.  The mummies shuffled out and tried to engage the party while the cleric cast command upon Hekera, forcing him to drop his greatsword.  He unleashed a mix of quickened spells and powerful deadly magicks like phantasmal killer and mangle limb. 

Helg and the priest both cast spiritual weapon and tore into one another.  The spectre came through the wall of the ship’s dark hold and savaged Khesen.  Komorebi used his bardic performances to augment the team and repeatedly allow them to make second attempts to overcome negative effects.  Claude made excellent use of shocking spark while Edonna helped with spells like prayer, voidmote, and distraction cascade. 

Unfortunately for the team, they had not fully cleared the ship, and a side door opened to reveal a zealot wraith and a wormcaller!  The creatures advanced upon the party’s flank and caused a lot of trouble. 

Things looked very bleak, and Claude was struck down under a wrack spell and taken out of the fight.  Khesen was nearly killed by the spectre but escaped with a ditch dram admixture.  Komorebi had a breakthrough moment when he cast blistering invective and activated improved dirge of doom.  The combination drove the spectre and wormcaller to flee back into other parts of the ship.  Hekera fired many arrows while Khesen, under the cover of invisibility, tried to close in on the priest.  Unfortunately, Khesen (and others) were caught in channeled negative energy causing him to collapse dying on the floor and invisible to allies and foes!  He was incredibly lucky to accidentally be caught in Helg’s channeled energy. 

Komorebi cast dispel magic again and succeeded in dropping whatever barrier was before them.  This allowed the team to close in, and Khesen was able to kill the wicked priest! 

The team cast numerous healing spells while Komorebi and Hekera stood guard.  They then looted the body and the room.  They found a powerful brooch that absorbs electricity, some coins, and a magical scroll of Drawmij’s tool box.  As they claimed several magic items from the slain priest, they were shocked when a blue-banded green Kyuss worm emerged from one of his nostrils!  They snatched it up and studied it and learned it can be implanted to gain a magical bonus to a knowledge skill!  Skeptical, the shoved it down in a jar and prepare to clear the rest of the ship.

Game summary for March 12, 2024, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons. 

This was a “flashback” session taking place two days before Game Session 76. 

The team came out of spelljamming speed to find an approaching tradesman rotated along a different axis than The Perry.  The ships re-oriented to where their gravity planes matched.  Someone on board used semaphore to communicate peaceful intentions.  The ships closed together and joined atmospheres.  The team was amazed at the quality of fresh air wafting aboard.  The ship was covered in beautiful plants and was towing a cargo barge likewise covered in beds of growing plants.

The ship was a pilgrim vessel for a group of Chauntean followers.  The leader was an older woman with silver hair bound in a crown of vines and flowers.  This woman, Elowen Greenblossom, possessed amazing emerald-colored eyes.  Her right-hand man was Brother Alden, a jovial halfling gardener.  Their guardian was an adopted elven archer, Sylaria Moonshadow, who was raised among humans and lived three generations with the same family. 

Elowen and Alden were very excited to take a tour of The Perry.  Alden made fast friends with the tinker gnomes.  Elowen wanted to meet the giant space hamsters!  The party allowed her to speak privately with the hamsters, and she seemed pleased with whatever they discussed. 

The party learned the Chauntean pilgrims brew their own coffee beans, and with the Earthmother’s blessing, had created several magical beans.  They sold these beans to the party so they can make their own arboreal brew, Chauntea’s blessed brew, and revitalizing brew.  Komorebi appraised the beans and found the Chaunteans were dealing quite fairly with them. 

They began swapping tales of things they had encountered and rumors they had heard.  The team shared a warning about Kyuss worms and told them about Bral.  In turn, Elowen told them about a rumor of a militant faction of Red Wizards buying up magical weapons all around Realmspace for some unknown reason.  They also heard about a pirate vessel found near Bral.  The few survivors onboard claimed they were attacked by muscular goblins of unbelievable strength.  Finally, they mentioned an elven man-o-war recently informed them to be careful because drow were being encountered in increasing numbers.

The team asked the Chaunteans for some plants, which delighted the pilgrims.  They came aboard, and with the help of the tinker gnomes, installed a flower bed on the bill of The Perry which they filled with creeping phlox.  Then the group had a wonderful musical celebration led by the inspired musical talents of Komorebi.  Finally, Edonna used her gift of prophecy to provide guidance to the pilgrims for safe travel over the next week.  They all then said their goodbyes.

A day out from the interaction with the pilgrims, The Perry swept up five grey scavvers into the ship’s atmosphere.  The shark-like creatures quickly shook off void stasis and attacked the party and crew!  Komorebi and Edonna spelled up the party, and Notch unleashed a volley of arrows and slew several incoming scavvers.  The creatures got in close, and Komorebi was able to scare them with blistering invective (catching one on fire) and then frighten them with his dirge of doom.  Notch killed them as they started to flee, and one of the burning scavvers landed on the wooden ship!  Edonna was able to use her canteen to mostly douse the flames, and they dragged the monster over the side and safely away.

Game summary for March 5, 2024, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Claude Dill Budshire (Sokari Sorcerer played by Peyton Harmon), Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Notch Bowman (Human Fighter played by Andrew Renfrow). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Helg cast a cure spell upon himself, and the group went down the central hallway to the cargo area.  Komorebi used an audible illusion to make the sound of numerous gnomes going down the hallway which drew out a spectre!  It emerged from a cargo bay and drained levels from Claude!  The team kicked open all the cargo doors to expose the spectre, an avolakia, and a malevolent spawn of Kyuss spawn.  Edonna cast prayer to boost the team and impede foes.  Notch fell back and fired arrows while Claude found himself with a Kyuss worm inched down his shoulder!  Komorebi inspired the group and Helg channeled positive energy to blast the foes.  Meanwhile, the avolakia cast spectral hand and vampiric touch and horrifically drained Notch. 

Edonna cast voidmote and blasted the Kyuss worm to pieces and hit the spawn of Kyuss.  Claude used one of his magical rods to augment energy dart and destroy the spectre.  Helg stepped into the fray swinging his sword.  Komorebi terrified his foes with an improved dirge of doom and caused the spawn to burst into flame.  Claude moved down the hallway and blasted the spawn into bits with shocking spark.  Helg then slew the avolakia. 

The group looked around the cargo bay and found a crate marked with the unholy symbol of the Apostles of Apocalypse.  They detected some magic and determined whatever is sealed in the crate is kept cold.  Komorebi then used his new gloves of reconnaissance to investigate several cabins and found them mostly empty.  He did find one apparently occupied by some kind of mad, muttering priest along with several undead allies!