Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for October 25, 2022, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Intevar Dagella (Centurian Drow Silent Hunter played by Casey Scruggs), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), Ruby Rue (Blink Dog Rogue Cohort played by Dylan Whittinghill as secondary), Scraggy Lodgers (Werebear-Kin Gunslinger / Witch played by Dylan Whittinghill), and Zzyym (Zif Esoteric / Academy Sorcerer played by Kaliegh Belda). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

After speaking with Botticelli a while, they convinced him to ride with them to Refuge and then decide if he wants to depart or would rather become their new cook. 

A few days later, a pair of winged coldsnap basilisks drifted into the ship’s air envelope.  Void creatures, they began to revive when exposed to air.  Gunny was able to swivel the ballista and skewer one!  Scraggy alerted the rest of the team and warned them to avert their gaze lest they turn to ice.  The team tried to figure out a way to engage the basilisks without looking at them.  Gunny was turned to ice first.  Zzyym hit one of the basilisks with magic missiles.  Scraggy shot one with his musket, Jiraiya punched one square in the snout, and Intevar unleashed a volley of arrows.  The team unleashed a torrent of attacks at one of the basilisks, but the dreadful gaze of the creatures kept turning people into ice! 

One of the basilisks collapsed unconscious on the deck and was killed by a coup de grace from Ruby Rue.  The other snatched up Gunny and flew out of the air envelope, disappearing into wildspace!  Intevar and Ruby drained the blood from the basilisk and coated Zzyym, who was restored.  However, they knew they didn’t have enough to coat Scraggy and Jiraiya.  The revived Zzyym added its mind to the task at hand.  They mixed some of the remaining blood with Zzyym’s two potions of resist cold, and while not guaranteed to work, it was the best shot they had.  Miraculously, both were restored to flesh! 

Game summary for October 18, 2022, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Intevar Dagella (Centurian Drow Silent Hunter played by Casey Scruggs), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group spoke with Admiral Antarra and agreed to hire on for a mission.  He asked them to deliver a sealed missive to the commander of the Elven Navy at the Rock of Bral in Realmspace with information about the Black Widow Nation.  In exchange, he offered to pay their crew costs for the journey as well as send them with a letter for Cap’n Gyudd, a merchant on Bral, to get the Perry “topped out” in the shipyards.  The team agreed and then went to the Skyport shipyards and negotiated a deal to sell the Elamshin damselfly for 17,700 gp.  They then reinvested half the money in cargo to take with them to Realmspace to sell.  Before heading out, they took the entire crew of the Perry to a tinker gnomish pastry shop for donuts.  The place was amazing.  Amazing in that it had not exploded.  But, the food was good, and the effect on crew morale was palpable. 

The party headed out to space, and two days’ out came across the smoking wreckage of a ship!  There were several pieces of smoldering hull and four large brown scavvers circling a trapped tortle!  The party immediately moved to rescue.  Neko burned one with scorching ray but was immediately snatched up in the creature’s maw!  Hekera cut one right in half when it approached him.  Khesen moved in and killed the one trying to eat Neko, and he flew from its mouth bobbing up and down through the gravity plane.  He made an astounding maneuver and caught the side of the cargo barge and scrambled back aboard.  Intevar came rushing up out of the hold firing her bow and hitting one of the beasts.  Helg stepped out and cast searing light coupled with targeting foreknowledge, which blasted a scavver to smoking pieces.  Gunny Havoka fired the ballista at a scavver but missed terribly.  Hekera and Intevar got hit by the acidic breath of the scavver right before Hekera cut the last one down, but he also fell off the ship in the process.  He was able to scramble back aboard.  Meanwhile, Khesen tied off a rope and jumped 30 feet into space toward the tortle!  He got to the wreckage, and they were able to drag it over to the ship.

The tortle introduced himself as Botticelli, former cook of the ill-fated Star Skimmer tradesman vessel.  The ship had been attacked by a vessel shaped like some kind of squid-snail-like creature with a ram.  Most of the crew had been taken captive by squid-headed men… mind flayers!  There were a few survivors among the wreckage after the Star Skimmer was destroyed, but all except Botticelli had been eaten by scavvers.  In thanks for his rescue, Botticelli offered to make them an excellent meal. 

Game summary for October 4, 2022, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Crimson “Pyro” Deathcloud (Tiefling Alchemist played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Intevar Dagella (Centurian Drow Silent Hunter played by Casey Scruggs), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), and Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team quickly began moving down the hallway trying to kick open doors.  Hekera kept slamming his snout against the doors and struggling to bust them open.  He got one open and revealed the galley.  Within they found more stinky mushroom stew.

The next door was the helm room, empty.  There was a lot of blood around the helm, and shrapnel in the walls.  The grenade blast from the communication pipes and ripped through here! 

Another door seemed too tough to open, but the one on the end was opened, and two ogrillons attacked! The team focused their attacks on the pair, and another drow slipped up behind them!  He was blurry and surrounded by ring of blades.  He blasted Crimson with a trio of scorching rays that also tripped Crimson and put him on the ground!  The team was then fighting on two fronts, and the drow moved up, slashing Crimson with ring of blades and stabbing him with a poisoned short sword.  Fortunately, his antitoxin kept him from becoming poisoned! 

Hekera positioned himself between the drow and Crimson while Intevar sickened him with a ghoul retch flask!  The drow continued its attack with magically elongated arms and a hastened attack.  Crimson fell unconscious and was then slain!  This violent drow asked who the party was, and Helg answered.  Between blows, they began discussion. 

He was very curious why they were on his ship.  Helg told him they were chasing Alton.  This drow, Tanthalyn, learned how they were tracking Alton, and he revealed himself to actually be Alton.  He started negotiating what it would cost for them to just go away.  Talking back and forth, they learned Tanthalyn is with a group called the Black Widow Nation, and some of the team recognized it as a powerful drow organization out of Realmspace.  He was obviously not upset about the death of any of the priestesses, but he said he could not offer them the necklace.  He told them it was out in space expanding into the portal growing before them.  He told them the Black Widow Nation is a group with much power, influence, and reach.  Helg knew, though, that the reigar are not a group to trifle with either.  Now, the team is talking among themselves and trying to figure out if there is any deal that can be reached. 

Game summary for September 27, 2022, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Crimson “Pyro” Deathcloud (Tiefling Alchemist played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Intevar Dagella (Centurian Drow Silent Hunter played by Casey Scruggs), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Ruby Rue (Blink Dog Rogue Cohort played by Dylan Whittinghill as secondary), Scraggy Lodgers (Werebear-Kin Gunslinger / Witch played by Dylan Whittinghill), and Zzyym (Zif Esoteric / Academy Sorcerer played by Kaliegh Belda). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Crimson moved down the hallway and started opening doors.  He found some storage areas filled with ship supplies and ammunition for the siege weapons.  He went into another room and triggered some sonic glyphs of warding that hurt him and nearly killed Intevar.  Hekera gave Intevar a potion of cure serious wounds while Crimson took a few extracts.  Meanwhile, Ruby could smell something down the stairs, so he and Scraggy went to investigate.  At the bottom were three drow!  A fight broke out while Crimson continued searching the trapped room and found a chest filled with provocative weblike undergarments.  Zzyym went into the room around the corner and found another bedroom filled with various pieces of art and weapons. 

Scraggy fired both barrels at the drow spell dancer encountered at the point of the stairs.  The team came rushing down while the drow tried to defend.  The spell dancer used a flail to hit several party members and cast mass reduce person across several of them!  Jiraiya was shrunk down to half size but still came charging in!  Once most of the party packed into the hallway, the spellcaster hit many of them with a Kiara’s stingball, inflicting nonlethal damage on many of the team.  But not Jiraiya!  The hurwaeti was able to nimbly dodge the attack and came rushing back in!  One of the drow raiders was slain by the party, and the other knocked out by the spell dancer’s spell.  Khesen then stomped the raider into a trip to see Lolth. 

Meanwhile, Zzyym was using detect magic and finding some auras in the room upstairs and found a stand where one might hang a necklace, although there was no necklace there.  Crimson continued rifling through what appeared to be the priestess’ bedroom and found a hidden locked metal coffer.  He took it and the mauve-glowing Lolth idol. 

Back on the lower deck, Hekera and Ruby were able to slip around behind the spell dancer.  It was badly wounded and cast greater invisibility, but Intevar recognized what it was.  So, the team continued its onslaught in the seemingly empty square but landed blow after blow!  The spell dancer stood no chance and crumbled dead. 

Game summary for September 20, 2022, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Crimson “Pyro” Deathcloud (Tiefling Alchemist played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Intevar Dagella (Centurian Drow Silent Hunter played by Casey Scruggs), and Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Intevar charged down the stairs and was ambushed by a drow raider who missed him with her crossbow.  Intevar slashed the drow, and the rest of the party came rushing down to assist.  Down in the ship, a drow noble priestess emerged from the shadows and cast greater forbid action which prevented Helg from being able to attack.  The half-drow who had flown over to the party’s ship earlier also emerged from the shadows.  She looked at Intevar and shrugged almost apologetically and then cast boneshatter on her!  Intevar was wracked with agony as her bones splintered into shards poking into her muscles and skin causing her horrific pain with every movement.  In close quarters, the party quickly started getting the upper hand.  However, the drow were not out of the fight just yet.  The necromancer blasted the team with a lightning bolt while Intevar filled the floor with shard gel caltrops.  This hampered the drow movement even more and set them up for a pummeling from the melee fighters.  Helg healed the entire team while Crimson blasted away with bombs and Hekera and Khesen closed in on the priestess.  She caught Khesen with a bestow curse and then tried to hit him with blindness!  The necromancer fell to the party’s brutality moments before Hekera put his sword through the priestess’ face, slaying her instantly.  The group defeated the remaining raider, and prepared to move deeper into the ship.

Game summary for September 13, 2022, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Crimson “Pyro” Deathcloud (Tiefling Alchemist played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Intevar Dagella (Centurian Drow Silent Hunter played by Casey Scruggs), and Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team prepared several items for an all-out assault on the man-o-war.  They decided they did not know what was keeping the portal open and didn’t want to risk it closing in the battle and being separated from the Perry.  So, they decided they would fly the damselfly through and attack while the Perry came through and made for Archin (20 days away).  They would try to meet up with the crew there. 

The team sailed their ship through the portal and up upon the man-o-war before anyone could adjust targeting on the siege weapons.  They had lined up on the rails and were prepared to board.  Khesen tried to use a grappling hook to link the ships and missed his first toss.  Several of the enemies jumped over onto the damselfly!  Crimson started hurling bombs while the team engaged the enemies on board.  Intevar tried to rush up through the hatch and found Crimson standing on it and holding it shut!  One of the drow illuminated most of the boarding party with faerie fire. 

Several of the enemies hurled tanglefoot and tangleburn bags and missed terribly.  Another hurled an iron pellet grenade, but it bounced around the deck!  Helg picked it up planning to throw it down the communication pipe!  Most of the team jumped over to the man-o-war after repelling the attackers on their own ship and securing the ships together.  The rest of the enemies were cut down, and Helg rolled the grenade into the depths of the ship, and they waited…

KABOOM!  Intevar grinned as smoke and dust rolled up the stairs. 

Game summary for September 6, 2022, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Crimson “Pyro” Deathcloud (Tiefling Alchemist played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Intevar Dagella (Centurian Drow Silent Hunter played by Casey Scruggs), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Ruby Rue (Blink Dog Rogue Cohort played by Dylan Whittinghill as secondary), Scraggy Lodgers (Werebear-Kin Gunslinger / Witch played by Dylan Whittinghill), and Zzyym (Zif Esoteric / Academy Sorcerer played by Kaliegh Belda). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team spent two weeks sailing across Pirtelspace toward Alastriel.  It was mostly uneventful with the team pitching in on chores around the ship and spending time crafting items.  As they approached Alastriel, they noticed a growing blue nebula nearby, and the tug of Alton’s trail veered toward it.  They came out of spelljamming speed and saw a large black elven man-o-war and moved toward it.  Crimson began using Linguistics to try semaphore to signal they were tradesmen.  They then decided to hide some of their members and put Intevar prominently visible.  They had Crimson start signing drow aboard as the man-o-war rotated to line up most of its weapons upon them.  Drow aboard used semaphore to tell them to come to full stop and prepare for boarding.  Soon a single flitter arrived, and a dark-eyed half-drow emerged.  She looked around and demanded to know who Intevar was and what they were doing with the Elamshin (meaning “the will of Lolth”) that was towed behind their vessel!

Intevar tried to intimidate the woman.  Nonplussed, she stepped up into a close whisper and demanded the truth.  Intevar decided to tell her everything, that they were trailing Alton using magic, he is onboard their ship, and they had wiped out the drow at the fortress.  She had no idea who Alton was, but at the news they had killed the other drow, especially the priestesses, she smiled.  She told Intevar she would give them a little gift for killing the priestesses, a head start, before the captain destroyed their vessel.  She disparaged Lolth and got aboard her flitter and headed back.  The group, recognizing the nebula as a portal, rushed past and through in the Perry.  On the other side, they realized they had traveled all the way to Realmspace!  They then decided since the portal is too small for the man-o-war to travel through, they would wait one day to let the drow drop their guard and then charge back through in the Elamshin damselfly and board the man-o-war and sweep through killing drow and looking for Alton!

Game summary for August 23, 2022, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Crimson “Pyro” Deathcloud (Tiefling Alchemist played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Intevar Dagella (Centurian Drow Silent Hunter played by Casey Scruggs), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), and Sienna Whispermist (Half-Elf Cleric / Illusionist / Rogue played by Todd Hughes). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team decided to use the ballista to fire upon the catapults.  Crimson had some engineering expertise and served as crew chief while Hekera and Khesen began cranking the ballista around.  The drow catapult crews frantically began turning the catapults upon them!  Helg, Sienna, and Intevar took off through the keep to try and attack the drow in melee while the ballista fired away.

Two catapult shots went wide, and Crimson fired the ballista and struck a catapult!  They then began reloading.  Meanwhile, the assault crew climbed up through the trap door and engaged the first catapult crew.  The trio ripped into the drow in a stunning display of violence and skill bolstered by Helg’s Valhallan prayers.  The other catapults succeeded in destroying the ballista, so the rest of the team rushed into the keep to try and make it to the catapults. 

The assault team went running across the roof firing arrows and magic missiles, dropping drow as they went!  The remaining drow drew forth blades and attacked.  They landed several blows, but they were greatly overmatched.  The group defeated the drow as the rest of the team arrived, and they destroyed the rest of the catapults. 

With no siege engine crews remaining, the party walked unmolested to the docks.  From there they learned Alton had left heading into space toward a star.  They boarded the damselfly and flew back to the Perry.  There they gave a harbor moon to Sailmaster Tuk and talked to him about the star.  He told them it is called Alastriel.  He explained it is actually a portal into the Phlogiston, and he told them why such an opening does not flood the sphere.  They then talked to First Mate Flick and told him their destination.  He also got Crick and Vick to tie up the damselfly for towing.  They then set out with the warning that after a few days, it was going to get really, really cold as they get further from the sun.

Game summary for August 16, 2022, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Intevar Dagella (Centurian Drow Silent Hunter played by Casey Scruggs), and Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Helg made a knowledge (arcana) check and figured out how to neutralize the symbol of weakness.  Hekera went in and covered it with a blanket.  They then took numerous items from the chests, including dozens of bizarre half-moon coins.  The party members from Realmspace recognized them as Waterdhavian harbor moons, very particular coinage from the city of Waterdeep in Toril.  The odd thing is that is two Crystal Spheres away, quite a journey. 

The group followed the pull of the ring out the front doors toward the docks.  Outside they were noticed by the remaining ballista and catapult crews!  The team rushed back inside to take care of the remaining siege engines.  They rushed up the stairs and burst out upon the ballista crew.  Hekera led the way and cleaved through two drow!  The ogrillion went into a rage, charged, and punched Hekera right in the snout!  Intevar slipped in and critically hit the ogrillon from flanking position!  Helg rushed in and missed with his sword.  Khesen then came in and landed a punch.  Finally, Hekera cut it down! 

Game summary for August 2, 2022, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Crimson “Pyro” Deathcloud (Tiefling Alchemist played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Intevar Dagella (Centurian Drow Silent Hunter played by Casey Scruggs), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Ruby Rue (Blink Dog Rogue Cohort played by Dylan Whittinghill as secondary), Scraggy Lodgers (Werebear-Kin Gunslinger / Witch played by Dylan Whittinghill), and Zzyym (Zif Esoteric / Academy Sorcerer played by Kaliegh Belda). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Jiraiya, Zzyym, and Scraggy rejoined the party and immediately engaged the demons.  Scraggy began drawing pistols from his magical bandolier and blasting away while Crimson continued hurling bombs into the fray.  Jiraiya slipped in and ripped a spear out of the hands of one demon and hurled it off into a corner.  The demons continued a coordinated attack and savaged ripped into Khesen’s flesh.  He collapsed beneath their vicious throttling and lay dying in a deepening pool of blood.  Fortunately, Zzyym cast stabilize and saved his life and Jiraiya tumbled out of the demons’ reach and dragged his friend to safety.  Hekera did what he does, swing his big sword with gusto!  It bit deeply into demon flesh.  Meanwhile, Intevar used her newly acquired magical trident to deal deadly blows to the demons. 

Ruby found himself in a bad location and was slashed by demonic claws!  Zzyym cast mudball and blinded a demon while Intevar killed the other.  The blinded demon tried to dispel the mudball and failed.  Several combined hits from the party hurt the last remaining fiend, and Intevar then drove her trident through its heart, banishing it back to the Abyss.  Unfortunately, the accumulated damage from the demons’ acidic slime destroyed the trident!

Crimson healed some of Khesen’s wounds and roused him back to consciousness.  Zzyym then went into the hidden room and cast detect magic.  She sensed magic on or in the chests.  Scraggy walked in using a pistol and blasted a lock right off a chest.  He then opened the chest and triggered some kind of rune or symbol that sapped all the strength from both him and Zzyym, and they collapsed unconscious.  Hekera ran in and dragged them back out to safety!