Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for August 28, 2018, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Baknarla (Adlet Shaman Ranger played by Shane Bradley), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Averdick), Erris (Arctic Elf Bloodrager played by Casey Scruggs), Iguruzu Koshin (Human Monk played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Svala Alehorn (Orc Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), and Tulvur Xandersen (Troglodyte Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Rejoined by the rest of the team, the party cast several spells and quaffed potions in preparation.  They can flying back into the church, and Svala blew all the church pews out of the way with a grenade!  As they came through the hallway, the Brothers Three engaged!  The team, now outnumbering them and immune to their domination, quickly turned the tide.  One of the nosferatu exploded into a swarm of bats and attempted to flee.

Over some machinery, Rasputin rose up into the air and yelled at the party!  The nosferatu were cut down, but Rasputin proved more of a challenge.  The team tried to charge him but found themselves hedged out by some kind of barrier.  Deska, however, blasted him with a powerful flame strike!  Rasputin retaliated with a fire storm and quickened flame strike of his own!  The team was burned terribly.  The team was somewhat stifled by their inability to reach him.  He tried some enchantment magic but their protection from evil prevented it from affecting them.  After taking a lot of damage, Rasputin healed.  The team groaned in frustration.

Another fire storm later, and Magnus lay dead and Baknarla cowering behind a wall.  Greta hit him with repeated negative energy channels.  Koshi began hurling sling stones while Tulvur tried his crossbow.  Erris had a great idea, though.  He cast enlarge person, and his new extended reach allowed him to cut Rasputin down!

The team won themselves a moment, but they all began to wonder how and when this “soul-stitching” would take effect!

Game summary for August 14, 2018, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Baknarla (Adlet Shaman Ranger played by Shane Bradley), Iguruzu Koshin (Human Monk played by Peyton Harmon), and Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team kicked in the doors to the chapel and found it warded with a powerful forbiddance spell.  Most of the team, except Greta, took damage entering.  This killed Anastasia!  Greta jumped out and gave her the breath of life.  They then tasked Viktor with taking her somewhere safe and hiding her.

They then found an old crone begging for their aid!  She claimed to be Baba Yaga and said she had defeated Rasputin in battle after the World Engine failed and freed her!  The team began asking her questions, and Baknarla challenged her to tell the keys to bring the Dancing Hut to earth.  In a rage, the illusion-shrouded erodaemon attacked!  Her snake-headed tail sank its fangs into Koshi, draining his Charisma.  She hit the team with crushing despair and slashed at the group, but she was unable to defeat them.

The group moved into another room piled high with precariously stacked church pews.  Baknarla and Magnus moved up to investigate, and it collapsed on them, burying Magnus!  The Brothers Three, hideous nosferatu, came scuttling across the junk like grotesque spiders.  They channeled negative energy but were surprised when, from beneath the crapalanche, Magnus channeled positive energy back at them!  The Brothers hit some of the party a few times, and then began dominating them.  It eventually became clear they were not fighting to kill.  They sent the dominated party members away.  The Brothers Three were stalling.

The party retreated to safety and called forth Zilvazaraat to buy scrolls of break enchantment, some potions, and a wand of communal protection from evil.  Re-armed, and no longer with anyone dominated, the team prepared for a second confrontation.

Game summary for August 7, 2018, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Baknarla (Adlet Shaman Ranger played by Shane Bradley), Erris (Arctic Elf Bloodrager played by Casey Scruggs), Iguruzu Koshin (Human Monk played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Svala Alehorn (Orc Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), and Tarik (Human Bard played by Andrew Renfrow). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Koshi fell back from the golems as Erris, Tarik, and Baknarla arrived.  Magnus and Svala were reincarnated, and the team battled valiantly.  Erris cast flash forward and charged the gorynych, hitting and scoring a critical hit.  The dragon was rendered unconscious.  The stained-glass golems closed in and started slashing the party and causing bleed damage in abundance.  Tarik and Magnus were able to provide lots of healing to the team, and the bard began a performance, inspiring his allies to greatness.  Baknarla used a green elixir of dragon breath to kill the gorynych with acid.  The rest of the team bashed the golems to pieces.

The group spent a few moments nursing wounds, retrieved Anastasia, and then charged the church.  There they encountered a crucifixion spirit that nailed Magnus’ soul to a cross!  It flew up into the air, and Erris used winged boots and Koshi a potion of fly to close in.  It was near the wall of the church, so Svala used some amazing acrobatics to wall-run and attack as well.  Magnus thrashed about in agony, but in rather short order, the spirit was destroyed.  Magnus used restoration to recover the damage.

Now, the team stands just outside the church!

Game summary for July 31, 2018, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Iguruzu Koshin (Human Monk played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Dwarf Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Nikolai Pavlenko (Human Fighter played by Casey Scruggs), and Svala Alehorn (Orc Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The battle with the gorynych dragon started poorly.  The dragon had initiative and hit the entire party with all three blasts of flame!  Magnus dropped back and warded himself with protection from energy.  Koshi stepped up and hit the dragon with two devastating punches.  The group closed in and hit with several attacks.  They found the dragon partially resistant to their melee attacks, and it appeared to regenerate damage done.  Greta cast baneweapon on Nikolai’s rifle, and he dealt some serious damage.  The dragon began biting and clawing, and the team was not too impressed.  Then a half-dozen headless Siberian Cossacks arrived.

Their leader, riding a flaming nightmare, slashed Magnus with his ride-by attack.  Horseman after horseman filed through an opening in the barbed wire and hit Magnus repeatedly.  The last came crashing in and impaled Magnus, killing him instantly.  The horsemen scattered and began a grueling campaign of hit-and-run attacks.  The team was able to focus on the dragon and deal enough damage that it collapsed to the ground.  With the dragon down, they focused on the horsemen.  Nikolai ended up isolated away from the group, and the horsemen crisscrossed their charges to bring him down with their lance attacks.  Nikolai ended up unconscious on the ground and then slain by a malicious rider.

All Might ended up unconscious on the ground, and one of the riders stood over him as his horse stomped him to death.  Greta cast breath of life to bring him back from the dead.  She also cast cure serious wounds upon him.  Koshi and Svala slowly picked off Cossacks with some impressive attacks.  However, Svala found himself unable to withstand the barrage from the remaining horsemen and was soon dead on the ground.  All Might tried to cast flame strike but was hit by multiple attacks of opportunity.  Eventually, he bled to death on the ground.

Finally, Greta and Koshi took out the last of the horsemen and mounts.  Suddenly, the dragon stood up!  It was not slain earlier, merely rendered unconscious.  Throughout the fight, it had been regenerating hit points!  It hit the survivors with a triple blast of flame!  Greta fled one direction while Koshi ran toward the church.  Much to his horror, golems made of stained-glass stepped from the windows before him!  With golems before him, a dragon behind, and grievously injured, Koshi felt despair as Greta continued fleeing out of sight.

Game summary for July 24, 2018, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Baknarla (Adlet Shaman played by Shane Bradley), Iguruzu Koshin (Human Monk played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Dwarf Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Nikolai Pavlenko (Human Fighter played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group investigated Viktor’s corpse and learned it was too damaged for raise dead.  They decided they would need the tombstone fairy’s assistance in bringing him back.  After much consideration on how they would march the body across the camp, they wrapped up his prosthetic leg and cut off his head, which they stuffed into a bag of holding.

The team met with the fairy and finally struck a deal with her that they would deliver Rasputin’s body to her after they killed him in exchange for recovering Viktor.  They sealed the deal by revealing their names to the fairy.  She asked about the body, and they pulled out the head.  She informed them she needed more, so they went up and found some ammo crates and smuggled the body down into the catacombs to her.  The fairy chanted and danced and brought him back to life.  She then gave the soul shawl to Baknarla.  They also asked if she knew anything about Rasputin’s stitched soul and how to kill him.  She said she did and would exchange that information for more payment.  Eventually, they agreed to also deliver to her the body of Elvanna.  She told them how the stitches worked, and the team realized they have their work cut out for them.

The group talked with Viktor awhile and convinced him to help them reconfigure the World Anchors to force the World Engine back into this world.  The team, still disguised with their magic hats, went back to the surface.  A sniper in the ruined chapel saw him and shot him dead.  To try and cover themselves as not being with Viktor, Nikolai shot the body several times himself.  Baknarla then dropped a fog cloud, and the party slipped back into the catacombs with the body.

They asked the tombstone fairy to bring Viktor back, and she asked for more payment.  The group declined and found a “safe” corner of the catacombs to call Zilvazaraat, their mercane contact.  He sold them some scrolls of raise dead, a hat of disguise, and necklaces of fireballs.  The group raised Viktor, put the hat of disguise and an amulet of natural armor on him and went back to the top after they had him give them an overview of how to reconfigure the World Anchors.

The party then went from World Anchor to World Anchor bluffing their way up to do “maintenance.”  Eventually, they configured all four, and the chapel began to materialize!  The sky turned red with swirling clouds, and crackling red-orange lightning crashed all around.  An intense screaming rent the air, and the shimmering chapel appeared from the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom!

The group marched straight for the front door, stopped, and thought maybe they should go get Alexei and Anastasia.  They diverted toward the surgery building and found the kids outside staring at the chapel and sky.  Alexei demanded to know what they had done, and from his comments realized he could see through their disguises.  They tried to lay hands on him, but he suddenly transformed into a massive three-headed dragon and roared in defiance!

Game summary for July 10, 2018, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Baknarla (Adlet Shaman played by Shane Bradley), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Averdick), Magnus Erlingsson (Dwarf Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Tulvur Xandersen (Troglodyte Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team decided to try and investigate the cemetery.  Using Magnus’ touch of glory, Deska was able to bluff the soldiers at the burned prison barracks into going to help with the burning watchtower, which allowed the party to slip into Nikolai’s tunnels beneath.  Within, they came across a tombstone fairy digging and opening coffins.  From her, they learned the location of Viktor’s body and that she has the ability to bring the dead back to life.  The group was a bit freaked out by the disturbing entity and left her digging in the dark.

The group entered the old building she pointed them toward and found some kind of jackal- or wolf-headed monster eating Viktor’s corpse.  The party attacked, and suddenly a trio of baykoks sprung up around them as well.  Several of the party were paralyzed by the undead, and the monster somehow inflicted an exhausting hunger upon Deska.  Deska summoned a fire giant and stone giant, and the team rallied around Magnus’ channeled energy and several tremendous displays of melee prowess by All Might and Tulvur.  Soon, the undead were slain, and the beast teleported away.

Game summary for July 3, 2018, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Baknarla (Adlet Shaman played by Shane Bradley), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Averdick), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Kobold Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Dwarf Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Nikolai Pavlenko (Human Fighter played by Casey Scruggs), Svala Alehorn (Orc Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), and Tulvur Xandersen (Troglodyte Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Six of the ectoplasmic mediums stopped restraining the ghost of Tsarina Alexandra and attacked the party!  Kenwrec bravely stepped forward and was killed almost immediately.  Greta blessed the party while the mediums walked through walks to try and surround the party.  Deska used her cauldron to summon a fire giant and two stone giants, which nearly filled the house!  Magnus and Svala engaged with their powerful melee weapons while Nikolai unleashed a barrage of bullets still enhanced by Greta’s magic weapon spell.  The giants proved helpful in the battle and allowed Deska to maneuver to blast off a fire snake that devastated the entities.  Several of the team took hits and negative levels, but they maintained the pressure and soon wore their foes down.

After freeing the Tsarina, they began talking to her.  They learned that Anastasia is not only an heir to the Russian throne, but she is Rasputin’s daughter, and thus, granddaughter of Baba Yaga!  They were a bit shocked and realized there were plots within plots going on.  They figured out the spirits were holding the Tsarina to prevent her from telling anyone about Anastasia’s lineage.

The team then searched the house and found Viktor’s plans for the World Engine!  Tulvur’s expertise in engineering proved extraordinarily valuable, and he was able to make out a lot of information including that reconfiguring all four World Anchors within one hour of each other could force the World Engine to bring back the monastery.  Meanwhile, Magnus found a black cloak that he identified as a powerful magical item.  Deska immediately put it on and discovered it was cursed!  She burst into flame and flailed about on the floor trying to extinguish herself.  Magnus pulled out a scroll and was able to remove the curse long enough for Deska to extricate herself from the cloak of immolation.

Game summary for June 19, 2018, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Baknarla (Adlet Shaman played by Shane Bradley), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Kobold Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Dwarf Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Nikolai Pavlenko (Human Fighter played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

While nursing their wounds, a soldier slipped into the barn and introduced himself as Captain Nikolai Pavlenko and told them how he has slipped the mind-control of the Brothers Three and would like to assist the team in getting the Romanov children out of the camp.  With his assistance, they got out of the barn and across the camp.  They decided to explore the Abbott House believing the Brothers Three and Rasputin to be in the monastery in the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom.

The team burst in and found Rasputin sitting in a chair holding a matryoshka doll!  Baknarla believed him to be an image and walked up to poke him.  Indeed, this was just an image!  However, Rasputin’s image hit Baknarla with a destruction spell!  The mighty adlet survived but barely.  Meanwhile, Kenwrec for some reason opened another door and found 8 spectres with ectoplasmic tendrils holding a ghost in stasis.  Rasputin then released four Romanov souls, the spirits of the sisters Olga, Tatiana, and Maria and their brother Alexei, to attack the party!  Baknarla was slain by the spirits, and Kenwrec was brutalized as well.  All Might’s death ward spell protected him from the spirits, and Magnus cast a holy sword to combat them.  Greta enhanced Nikolai’s rifle with magic weapon, and the firearm, similar to what was used in their execution, proved quite effective against them.  Eventually, the team was able to defeat all four spirits, but not before several of the party members were cursed and forced to suffer the spirits’ last moments of execution.  Meanwhile, Rasputin’s image disappeared to parts unknown.

Game summary for June 5, 2018, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Baknarla (Adlet Shaman played by Shane Bradley), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Kobold Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Dwarf Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Yelnoth the Dark (Winterborn Triaxian Sorcerer played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team went to investigate the bear barn, and they stepped into numerous bear traps!  The barn door flew open, and the Bear Hunter, dressed in horrific spiked armor, blasted All Might with both barrels of a double-barrel shotgun!  Blood sprayed across Magnus behind him, and All Might nearly went down.  A trio of polar bears snarled and paced behind the Hunter.  Kenwrec used a slayer’s advance to close in on the fight but then found himself grappled by bears and batted around back and forth between them until he was ultimately mauled to death.

Yelnoth used disintegrate to wound the Bear Hunter, and Baknarla and Magnus moved into melee range.  All Might found himself unable to free himself from the bear trap, so he cut through the chain and clomped around with a trap on his foot.  Greta healed some of his damage, as did Magnus.  The Bear Hunter proved a formidable raging foe piercing away with a nasty boar spear and her frightful headbutts.

Much to their horror, the team realized the soldiers in the trench a few feet away heard the shotgun blast, and the sound of machinegun fire ripped through the air.  The team was nearly torn apart in a hail of gunfire.  Then, the soldiers in the guard tower by the gate began shooting down on the team.  Yelnoth went down under the barrage, but Greta breathed life into him again.  Baknarla had hit the trench with an ice storm, and Yelnoth had used a fireball, but they were still engaged.  Baknarla dropped an obfuscating sleet storm over them.  Meanwhile, Magnus hit the tower with flame strike, which started it on fire and caused the burned soldiers to scurry down to the ground.  Then, the trench soldiers hurled a dozen or more grenades into the snow.  The resulting explosion sent Yelnoth right back into the cold embrace of death.  However, since they were throwing blindly, they did not realize they were ripping apart their allies as well.

The team dropped the Bear Hunter and the bears, too late to rescue Kenwrec, and fled into the barn.  Greta, badly injured from explosions and dozens of bullet wounds, cut down the remaining soldiers and charged in after the group.  They managed to close the doors and started tending to their wounds for a moment knowing the entire army would soon converge on this building.  How will the heroes escape?