Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for June 27, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Dwarf Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Svala Alehorn (Dwarf Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team, rested from their encounter with the demons, continued through the forest toward Artrosa.  Along the way, they encountered a frightening cold rider fey astride a great boreal elk!  The creature dropped an ice storm on the party, but they retaliated with searing light and flame strike accompanied by arrows and bullets!  Kenwrec made it to the creature most quickly and suffered several bad injuries from its frosty glaive.  Most of the team got free of the ice storm and closed in.  Denessia aimed her pistol and shot it right between the eyes as Greta cut the elk out from under it.  The team looted the corpse, and Magnus questioned it with speak with dead.  They learned the fey was following the demons that had come from the frost giant camp further north.

After a few days’ travel, the team arrived at Artrosa.  Deska sent her serpentine owl figurine up to scout and discovered the Maiden statue had an entrance at the top surrounded by bones and a large tree.  She then used the power of the figurine to bring forth a giant owl, and she turned into a giant vulture.  Between them, they were able to ferry the party to the top as Erdija bade her farewells and returned to the centaur camp.

Atop the Maiden, they discovered a powerful witch tree with a disemboweled centaur in its clutches.  The tree demanded a sacrifice to pass.  The team spoke with it for a bit and finally revealed themselves to be Black Riders.  The tree reluctantly offered them a chance to solve a riddle to avoid a bloody sacrifice.  The team listened to the riddle and debated for a while until they collectively figured out the answer!  The disappointed tree allowed them safe passage and warned them half-a-dozen giants and a hammer-wielding centaur had gone in a day ahead of them.

The team progressed and heard two deep female voices arguing in some kind of broken mishmash of Giant, Goblin, and Orc languages.  They were discussing if they should have let the giants, escorted by the hag, to pass.  They thought maybe they should kill them on their way out.  The team entered the room and tried to talk to them in Common.  They learned the voices came from one creature, a female ettin!  She did not understand Common, so she opted to try and kill them.  She put an evil eye on Kenwrec and then forced him into deep slumber.  Svala charged and landed some good hits while Denessia opened fire.  Clever Ten-Penny moved for a flank as Tulvur strode up into the fight.  Deska hit the ettin with a flame strike, but she partially avoided it.  Greta kicked Kenwrec hard in the ribs to awaken him.  Magnus cast blessing of fervor on much of his team to bolster their abilities.  This greatly increased their effectiveness, and the team flanked and slaughtered the ettin with a barrage of rapier stabs, axe blows, and bullets.

Game summary for June 13, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team won over the support of Korak Kaag of the centaurs.  He told them what he knew about Artrosa, that it allegedly had rooms inside and the doors in the heads appeared only during certain moon phases.  He agreed to send a scout, Erdija, with them to Artrosa.  First, she took them to the centaur city of Vurnirn where they picked up a few resources.

The team headed north through the forest until evening and made camp.  They setup their pavilion and used Deska’s serpentine owl to stand guard.  Deska was awakened to the owl urgently alerting her to danger!  A trio of andrazku demons thundered out of the snow to accost the team.  Greta blessed the party, and Erdija ran out of the tent firing arrows.  Deska dropped a flame strike on one of the demons as the team scrambled out to engage.  One of the andrazku activated righteous might and doubled its size!  All Might and one of the demons began a brutal exchange as Greta and Tulvur fought another.  The third ripped its way into the tent and attacked Deska.  Ten-Penny flanked the one fighting All Might but soon found herself ravaged by the demon’s mutilating gouge.  Tulvur was able to land mighty shots with Icebiter, but the demon was able to devastate him as well.  Tulvur cut down one demon but found the enlarged demon too much to handle.  Denessia opened fire on the demon before her gun misfired and broke.  Deska failed to affect a demon with flame strike but did knock one prone allowing Erdija to kill it with her bow.  Tulvur tried to flee, but the demon teleported to cut him off and tried to murder him!  Denessia saved his life with channeled energy that also healed the demon.  All Might charged around and pressed in on the demon alongside Greta and a revitalized Ten-Penny.  Deska summoned a pack of hyenas and a wolverine which succeeded in surrounding the demon and pulling it off its feet.  At last, Greta landed a critical blow with her axe to slay the creature.

The team nursed their wounds, searched the bodies, and scouted the area.  Erdija determined the demons came from the north as a group from the general direction of Artrosa.  All Might was curious how Abyssal demons arrived on this plane to begin with and if this were a mere chance encounter.  The team patched their tent and resumed their rest, sleeping until dawn.

Game summary for June 6, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Dwarf Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The giants rushed in with violent aplomb, seven more in addition to the one the party slew earlier.  Great bloodshed followed as the team exchanged blows.  Deska’s summoned herd ran amok among the giants drawing blood and preventing them from moving too much around the battlefield.  Kenwrec began studying the giants and methodically cutting into them.  The Dancing Hut ran about kicking and pecking away with its beak causing grievous injury.  Ten-Penny deftly used stealth and her hand crossbow to deal devastating sneak attacks.  Tulvur charged into the fray in a rage and flailed about with Icebiter, cutting a swathe of destruction.  Kenwrec took as good as he got, and perhaps only through the healing ministrations of Denessia did he survive.  Greta took several massive hits, but she returned the onslaught in spades landing critical hits on two different giants.  The Dancing Hut revealed it possesses spell capabilities by unleashing an incendiary cloud on the giants followed by multiple irresistible dance spells.  The weak-willed dancing giants proved easier targets for the party, and against all odds the team stood triumphant among eight slain frost giants!

The team began nursing their wounds as Greta started some kind of odd ritual with the bodies of the giants.  She danced about and drank their blood while calling upon the power of Thremyr.  This horrified Denessia as she realized Greta is some kind of follower of this dark and wicked deity who allegedly created frost giants.  As a paladin, he was quite put out by her ritual and powers she must possess.  Using his detect evil ability, he confirmed the darkness residing within the mysterious warrior woman.  He told the team he thought she was doing some kind of burial ritual to honor these slain creations of her dark deity.  Still dripping in their blood as she finished her ritual, Greta scoffed and told them the giants possess a measure of Thremyr’s power, power she had now taken into herself.  This did not put Denessia at ease.

The Dancing Hut settled into a spot, and a bone fence rose up around it.  The party made camp for the night and set out the next morning.  Deska determined North, and the team moved deeper into the woods.  About a mile from the hut the team ran into four centaurs.  Kenwrec discovered they spoke Giant, so he talked with them a while.  The team agreed to return to their camp to meet their chieftain.  At the camp, the centaurs were excited because they had never met dwarves, elves, half-orcs, or humans before.

The chieftain, Korak Kaag, emerged from a great tent and spoke with the party.  He revealed he spoke both Elven and Common, although with a heavy accent.  He asked several questions which Deska tried to answer deceptively; however, Korak revealed a centaur scout had been spying on them and observing the Dancing Hut from afar.  He was aware they had emerged from the hut and killed the frost giants.  How he will react to this is yet to be seen; however, Deska did an amazing job trying to talk her way out of upsetting him.

Game summary for May 30, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Dwarf Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Svala Alehorn (Dwarf Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team found the third raven seer, Moc, and heard his riddle.  They proceeded to find a massive fiendish dire boar that smote Tulvur and gave the team a brutal fight.  The team struggled against the creature and its defenses:  damage reduction against non-good weapons, spell resistance, and energy resistances.  It badly injured several of the party.  Denessia suffered an embarrassing setback when her magical pistol exploded in her hands!  Fortunately, only she was injured by the blast.  Eventually, Svala was able to lay the Beast of Gelglast low.  The group then realized the answer to Moc’s riddle were the boar’s tusks.  He presented them with the third amulet and another clue.  The team now had three sets of clues, one from each Liar Seer:

Moc’s amulet with the Iobarian rune for “dragon”:

This amulet holds only one of the three clues you seek.  It reveals the first ingredient for Baba Yaga’s kettle.  Look for this key where time catches up to us all. 

                Look for the Mother when the moon is full!

Rozum’s amulet with the Iobarian rune for “gold”:

You have taken upon yourselves a great burden, for that which you desire, the changeling holds.  Know this as well—you will find the Crone only when the moon wanes. 

Tryva’s amulet with the Iobarian rune for “Artrosa”:

So be it.  Seek now the sisters three who are one:  Mother, Maiden, Crone.  But know that the Maiden is elusive, and may only be caught with the waxing moon.

With the riddles solved, the group was able to see through some of the illusions and realized the hallway was a large twisting loop.  Upon returning to the main hut room, they found double doors they did not notice previously across the hall.  Perhaps they had been hidden by the same illusions distorting the hallway?  On the other side of the doors, they found a room filled with all kinds of things they didn’t have time to fully explore.  They spoke for a time with a man named Ratibor the Bold, a barbarian warlord enslaved by Baba Yaga to kill anyone other than her who enters the Dancing Hut’s front door.  Since the party entered the room from the hallway, he was not compelled to fight them.  He was able to reveal some secrets of the Dancing Hut to them such as that it gains a new configuration for each location it travels.  When it goes, the other rooms are still in existence “somewhere” just unavailable to the people piloting the hut.  He told them he had only seen Baba Yaga and Zorka recently.  He also revealed to them they could re-enter the library using the index.  Finally, they learned he might could be freed from enslavement (and thus not have to try and kill them when they return) if they use Baba Yaga’s cookbook which he saw her carrying the last time she went into Iobaria but did not return with it.

The group went out the front door and discovered a frost giant guarding the entrance!  Unable to exit and help them, and a bit amused by the welcome the team received in his harsh homeland, Ratibor shut the door behind them.  If the party died at the hands of the giants, he would not be forced to murder them all later.  The team traded blows with the giant as other giants came rushing through the forest.  Several of the party took devastating blows, and things were starting to look bleak.  However, after a few moments the Dancing Hut animated and attacked a giant!  Svala landed a deathblow and felled a giant as well.  The team regrouped and readied to engage as more giants came crashing through the snowy wood!

Game summary for May 23, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Dwarf Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Svala Alehorn (Dwarf Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The raven repeated its riddle and the team entered the adjoining room.  They found a sparse bedroom with a bloodstained sheet.  The team looked around, and Deska blew out the candle plunging the room into darkness.  When she re-lit the calendar, and flickering, hazy woman stood beside her!  Some of the party recognized her as Yelizaveta, the 13th queen of Irrisen who disappeared at the ascension of Queen Elvanna one hundred years ago.  The began drawing forth negative energy and using extreme fear against the party.  The group tricked her by bowing to her and feigning to be her loyal subjects, and she ranted about her wishes to leave this room and have her vengeance against Baba Yaga.  The group then ran from the room and told the riddle answer to the crow.  He awarded them an amulet in return marked with the Iobarian word “Artrosa” which is a row of three gigantic statues carved into the confluence of three mountains.

The group traveled on and found the chamber of night and met another of the Liar Seers.  They went into a room with a stone platform, a table with five silver goblets, and a large area of shallow water.  The team could not translate the writing on the cups, so Magnus drank from one causing stone steps to rise up and a light shine down upon a cage nestled in an alcove.  Ten-Penny, Tulvur, and Kenwrec went to investigate and retrieved an hourglass from the cage.  Ten-Penny, however, touched the water and nearly drowned from some kind of magical affliction.  The team continued drinking from goblets and causing steps to rise.  They tried to discover a timing pattern to the stepping stones rising and lowering from the water.  Eventually, Ten-Penny revived from her near drowning and suggested they use spider climb to avoid the water entirely, which the team eagerly tried successfully.  They then returned to the raven oracle and presented the hourglass.  The raven presented them with additional information and another amulet marked with a word they failed to translate.

Game summary for May 9, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Dwarf Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Svala Alehorn (Dwarf Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team eased up onto the porch of the Dancing Hut and could see it was larger inside than outside!  Deska touched the chain holding the hut, and it shattered!  The group then entered and began to explore.  The main room held a massive cauldron and shelves of various magical and alchemical items.  The group explored the loft overhead and then went through some double doors to discover a bizarre room with a magical map of Irrisen surrounded by iron thrones.  A bone golem rose up and attacked the party nearly killing Ten-Penny!  Denessia slowed it with positive energy which drastically reduced its effectiveness.  The team swarmed in and flanked it, and Kenwrec was able to bring it down.

The group then discovered a great library and learned a bit more about the hut.  The took the magical index with them and then threw the two keys they received from the Black Rider into the cauldron.  They were surprised to find the room shifted a bit, and the only exit now went into a seemingly infinite hallway.  Deska used her serpentine owl to scout and found some double doors.  The team approached and found an emblem resembling the dawn etched upon it.  Inside, they encountered an albino raven!  Ten-Penny recognized it as one of Baba Yaga’s “Liar Seers”.  It posed to them a riddle and offered to help them if they not only solved the riddle but also faced the answer to the riddle and learn its desire…

Game summary for May 2, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Svala Alehorn (Dwarf Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tiswichtt (Orc Witch played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team advanced upon the final dawn piper and prepared to engage.  A spriggan emerged from the woods and grew to large size!  It attacked Svala as Greta charged the piper.  The dawn piper caught Ringeirr and Tiswichtt in an aqueous orb in which the ranger eventually drowned as it rolled through the forest.  Tiswichtt, however, broke free.  Ten-Penny was able to slip in and slay the spriggan, allowing the team to focus on the piper.  All Might found his cold iron battleaxe particularly effective against the fey, especially after he blessed the entire party.  The piper tried to unleash its blinding beauty but to limited effect.  Soon, it was cut down and the elemental fonts shut off.

With the way to the Dancing Hut open, the team swarmed in only to be confronted by an ice golem and the White Witch, Nazhena Vasilliovna!  She told the team they had taken too much from her already, her tower and her apprentice.  They would not also take the Dancing Hut!  She summoned an ice mephit and then flew 30 ft. up into the air.  Svala moved up and hit the ice golem with her axe but found it quite resistant to damage.  Tiswichtt advanced and unleashed an empowered burning hands, but to her horror, it just rolled over the golem to no avail!  Meanwhile, Ten-Penny activated her rimepelt to shapeshift into a winter wolf!  Nazhena then separated the party with a wall of ice which slowed them tremendously.  Greta, All Might, and Ten-Penny all struggled to get past the wall while the mephit and golem both breathed cold upon Tiswichtt and Svala, sickening them.  Tiswichtt hit the White Witch with a lightning bolt.

Nazhena used a slumber hex upon Tiswichtt, but Ten-Penny was able to nudge her awake.  Tiswichtt hurled a molten orb upon Nazhena while the mephit her Tiswichtt with magic missiles!  The golem also hit her with its clubbing limbs, staggering her.  All Might cast spiritual weapon and began driving the witch back.  Svala chopped down the ice mephit while Greta chopped down the ice golem.  Nazhena cast ice storm to devastating effect, killing Tiswichtt!  All Might charged on his horse and hurled his axe at the witch, narrowly missing her.  Ten-Penny leapt into air and hit the witch with a cold breath weapon.  Svala used a lasso to snag Nazhena and pull her lower.  Ten-Penny was able to jump again and rip out the White Witch’s throat!  The team mourned the loss of Tiswichtt and prepared to enter the Dancing Hut!

Game summary for April 25, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Kenwrec Battleglaive (Dwarf Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team proceeded to the dawn piper’s tree and found her standing about ten feet up.  She warned the team to leave, but the group swarmed in.  Magnus jumped up and hit her as a twigjack emerged and blasted the team with thorns.  The dawn piper activated a fly spell and rose into the air activating her terrible beauty which struck Ten-Penny blind as Greta chopped down the tree.  Tulvur shrugged off his shield and started firing crossbow bolts with amazing accuracy.  The dawn piper charmed Kenwrec who nearly killed Ringeirr.  Ten-Penny slipped a few sneak attacks in with her hand crossbow between moments of being blinded.  Magnus hurled spell after spell at the dawn piper with frustratingly little effect.  Greta hurled icicles from her finger repeatedly with some effect.  The twigjack was taken down quickly, but the dawn piper continued to fly about hurling spells and causing mayhem.  Finally, Tulvur placed a well-aimed bolt and killed it and destroying its elemental font.