Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for October 19, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Ten-Penny Tacey (Halfling Rogue played by Shane Bradley), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Deska opened the door to the Dancing Hut and was immediately warned to stay outside by Ratibor the Bold.  Deska revealed Baba Yaga’s cookbook and enacted the ritual to free him!  He stepped outside and declared his intention to resume his quest to conquer all of Iobaria.  The team tried to dissuade him and get him to come with them instead, but instead they made him angry.  Finally, they departed each others’ company.

The team entered the Dancing Hut and placed the blue dragon scale and gold nugget in the cauldron.  Once again, reality shifted, and they found themselves in an ornate glassed-in gazebo in a great garden.  Deska sent her magical owl to scout around, and they were most interested in a clearing containing a stump upon which sat a gray cat.

The group went to the cat and learned it could speak!  They discovered its name is Syvet, and its “master” is missing Queen Yelizaveta.  The cat said it is afraid she died around 100 years ago, but it believes she has been unable to find peace.  Deska moved to pet the cat and realized it was barely in control of itself.  Suddenly, the stump split open to reveal sharp fangs and tentacles rose up all around.  The wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing pulled several of the party in close and began biting them.  Deska turned into a mastodon and began goring the stump.  Tulvur and Greta slashed away as Ten-Penny hit it with a magical ice spear.  As the entity died, the cat thanked Deska for its release.  Intrigued, she cast reincarnate upon it, and Syvet came back as an orc.  She told them she had been killed by the aberration long ago and had somehow merged consciousness with it.  Syvet was a bit unsteady and trying to get used to her new form.  Deska put her on her mastodon back and carried her around.

The team went to investigate a storage building the owl had spotted.  In the trees they were ambushed by a pair of moonflowers!  The deadly plants blinded half the party with a flash of light and then swallowed Tulvur.  He was encased in a constricting acidic cocoon and spit out upon the ground.  Ten-Penny drank a ditch dram admixture to heal injuries and turn invisible.  She then started trying to cut Tulvur out of the cocoon.  Meanwhile, Deska the blind mastodon struggled alongside Greta to fight off the plants.  Greta’s axe seemed to cut deep wounds, but Deska’s tusks were quite ineffective.  Eventually Deska regained her sight, shifted into large fire elemental form, and used Natural Spell to cast multiple flame strikes upon the plants to great effect.  Ten-Penny freed Tulvur just in time, and the team defeated the plants.

Game summary for October 10, 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), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Kobold Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Svala Alehorn (Orc Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), and Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team cast a number of spells upon Denessia for protection and then sent her down the spiral of the Eon Pit to retrieve the key to Baba Yaga’s Dancing Hut.  She found it easily, and she withstood most of the ravages of the curse; however, at nearly the top, her mind buckled under the pressure!  She began drooling and babbling.  Bravely, and with no protection, Magnus hurtled down the stairs to rescue her.  He shook off the effects of the pit and saved his companion.  They learned that her mind was badly damaged, and she had become erratic and somewhat unpredictable.

They talked to Jadrenka again, and she mentioned some other visitors inside Artrosa that Caigreal had let in.  She led them to a forest and a meditating upasunda asura.  The dangerous woman was intrigued by the party and eagerly engaged them in battle despite their attempt at diplomacy!  She hit several with a rainbow pattern, but the team was able to shake their fascinated allies out of it.  She then activated haste and ran amok among the team.  She became a dervish of death, slaying both Ten-Penny and All Might and badly injuring Kenwrec.  Denessia, in moments of clarity, smited the creature but then accidently blew up her pistol.  Magnus, Greta, and Svala closed in, and finally Svala (enhanced by her newfound orc strength, rage, and Greta’s bull’s strength) chopped the creature down!  The team collected the monster’s treasures and left Artrosa.  On the way back to the Dancing Hut, they stopped by Vurnirn and purchased a scroll to heal Denessia, and they got All Might and Ten-Penny reincarnated.

Game summary for September 26, 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 (Bugbear Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Svala Alehorn (Dwarf Unchained Barbarian played by Todd Hughes), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party proceeded, with Jadrenka’s instructions, down toward the Eon Pit.  In an antechamber, they discovered a pair of frost giant guards.  The vicious monsters attacked with massive axes.  Deska cast flame strike as the team advanced.  The giants brutally injured several of the party, and Magnus channeled positive energy to try and heal them.  Bullets flew, axes swung, swords slashed, and chaos ensured.  Finally, the giants were cut down.  Deska and Magnus spent quite some time healing the team.

The group opened the doors before the Eon Pit.  They found Vsevolod the centaur standing drenched in blood.  He cursed them in the name of Kostchtchie, demon lord of frost giants, and then hit them with an unholy blight.  The team came swarming in, and Denessia noticed a svathurim lurking in the shadows!  The creature charged Svala with its lance.  Kenwrec, Tulvur, and Svala engaged the svathurim while Deska summoned several creatures to try and keep it occupied.  Magnus and Denessia went running after the centaur.  The svathurim impaled and killed Svala and then Kenwrec.  Tulvur drove Icebiter into the creature and killed it.  Denessia edged forward and shot and killed Vsevolod.  The team looted his corpse and made camp with Jadrenka’s blessing.  Deska cast reincarnate on Svala and Kenwrec, bringing them back into new twisted forms…

Game summary for September 12, 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 (Bugbear 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 talked to Marislova for a bit more and then went to find Jadrenka.  At first, the crone was livid they were with her lover.  After a lot of fast-talking, she agreed to let the team try and find proof that Marislova was framed.  Their best guess was Caigreal was involved, and they went looking for her.  They found the hag down deep beneath the shrine of Mestama along with another frost giant and a green hag.  The hags used invisibility to buy time and make surprise attacks.  Meanwhile, the party tore into the frost giant.  In particular, Ten-Penny and Kenwrec dealt some terrific damage.  The giant critically hit Ten-Penny, and she only remained on her feet due to her orc ferocity.  Greta cut down the giant as All Might began charging the annis hag, Caigreal.  Deska cast call lightning storm and blasted the green hag.  Svala and Tulvur charged in laying waste as Denessia began smiting and firing her pistol.  Soon, the green hag died, and only Caigreal remained.  She was unable to escape their clutches, and the team defeated her.

Greta cut off her head, and the team returned to Jadrenka.  Using speak with dead, Magnus was able to get the severed head to confess being involved in a plot to frame Marislova.  Jadrenka and Marislova tearfully reunited.  In gratitude, Jadrenka gave the team a gold nugget she said is one of the keys from Baba Yaga.  She warned them the centaur cleric was ahead of them down in the Eon Pit claiming the second key!

Game summary for September 5, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), and Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party opened the first door leading out of the temple and ascended a flight of steps until they reached a door.  Ten-Penny picked the lock, and the team entered a roundish room with a stairway spiraling up into the darkness.  Below the landing lay a wooden grate over a pool of congealed blood.  Ten-Penny used a wand to cast levitate on everyone as a precaution, and the group moved up the stairs into a larger room high above.  There they were attacked by a pair of female redcap faeries wearing iron boots and swinging massive scythes!  The redcaps hit with deadly blows, but they were fairly inaccurate.  The group was able to get up into the room and focus attacks on each individually.  Ten-Penny scored a sneak attack on one and caused it to bleed profusely, eventually slaying it.  Denessia used smite evil and scored a critical hit with her divine bound pistol, shooting the remaining redcap dead.  Greta used her spells to heal the party.

The group ascended a ladder and emerged through a trapdoor into a hallway.  They followed the hallway around 700 feet to a door.  Ten-Penny picked the lock, and they discovered a huge room open to the outside with snow blowing in.  Two andrazku demons and a frost giant attacked!  Greta blessed the party and moved in toward the giant with glee.  One of the andrazku activated righteous might while Ten-Penny disappeared using a potion of invisibility.  Denessia slipped in and activated her smite evil against the enlarged demon.  The other andrazku tried to summon more andrazku from the Abyss but failed.  Enraged, it came crashing into the fray.  The frost giant charged Greta and hit her with a devastating blow knocking her back against the wall.  She laughed and painted her face with her own blood and threw herself at the giant, hacking away with her own axe.  After a barrage, she sank her axe in the giant’s chest, wobbling but not killing it.  Ten-Penny appeared behind the giant and used sneak attack to injury and bloody the monster.  The giant got several horrific blows on Ten-Penny before it bled out from the wounds she had inflicted upon it earlier.  With one demon remaining, the team changed tactics.  Greta took the lead with Denessia healing Ten-Penny.  The rogue then slipped around into a flank and helped Greta devastate the last demon.  It fell dead, and Greta began another bloody ritual while defiling the giant’s corpse.  The group discovered the view outside was from the hand of the Mother.  They could see the Maiden and Crone on either side.  They deduced somehow they had magically traveled to the other statue because they had not physically moved far enough.

Next the team went back down the hallway and found another door.  It too was locked, and Ten-Penny picked it.  Within the lavish room they found an attractive young half-elf named Marislova.  At first she accused them of being someone named Jadrenka.  After some discussion, they found that Marislova and Jadrenka are lovers and Jadrenka believes Marislova has cheated on her with the nymph, Kyrisjana.  She loudly proclaimed her innocence and told them Jadrenka had locked her in here.  The more the group talked, the more confused Marislova became and she actually became concerned about Jadrenka’s well-being.  Finally, they realized they had met Jadrenka in the “corn room”, and she keeps giving them keys.  Marislova told them she is the Warden of Artrosa.  She was also able to tell them about a coven of hags that Jadrenka often has power struggles with inside Artrosa.  She learned from the party that Kyrisjana had been slain but that giants and demons were roaming the complex.  Marislova told them they needed to go to the “corn room” to check on Jadrenka.

Game summary for August 29, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Bugbear 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 decided to see what the prison-looking area scrawled on their map actually was.  They found it was actually a large tomb with ten sealed burial caves blocked by carved stones.  Deska and Magnus were able to detect necromantic magic.  All Might muscled one of the doors open and triggered a trap!  He seemed to shake it off, but disturbing the grave brought forth two barbarian ghosts!  The mere sight of the creatures wracked the party with pain and supernatural aging.  The ghosts floating closer and began thrusting their evil incorporeal hands into the bodies of the party and rending their life forces.  They proved particularly difficult to fight with blades partially passing through them.  Their corrupting gaze continued to wear away on the party who never tried to close their eyes or stare at the floor and not see the ghosts at all.  The team continued to age and suffer to the point Kenwrec collapsed unconscious.  All Might used bless and spiritual weapon to great effect, and Greta found herself desperately trying to keep poor Ten-Penny alive with healing spells.  Deska cast flame strike that dealt some damage, and Magnus channeled positive energy to revitalize his team.  The dwarven warriors engaged, and their shear rage and ferocity wore down the spirits.  Finally, Svala’s enchanted dwarven axe dealt felling blows to both spirits, temporarily discorporating them until they can reform to continue haunting the graves.  The team then nursed their wounds and traveled down a stairwell without exploring the other tombs.

The party entered a large temple dedicated to some kind of hag.  Artifacts used in evil rituals hung all around the room.  Doors led in all different directions.  A terrible flaming witchfire stood in the temple and seemed surprised to see them and not Caigreal.  She asked them about the woman, and the team seemed confused and unable to recall exactly to whom the undead spirit referred.  The witchfire determined they were obviously not supposed to be there and began hurling bolts of witchfire!  Several of the team burst into flame as they tried to close the distance.  The spirit tried to maneuver to keep the team from ganging up on her, but there were too many.  Despite horribly burning several, the spirit was unable to withstand the combined might of the team focused upon her, and she was cut down.

Game summary for August 22, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Denessia Rapidarma (Dwarf Gunslinger/Paladin played by Casey Scruggs), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Bugbear Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Ten-Penny picked the door lock, and the team entered a cavern stairwell leading into the darkness.  Magnus was able to read a set of runes stating, “As the seasons of life change, so must we sacrifice our past for the wisdom of our winter years.”  Another set of runes stated, “Blessed be the path you are about to walk.  Cling not to what you were, but only to what you shall become.”  He recognized this as part of a witch’s Croning Ritual wherein youth and vitality is given up for the power and wisdom of age.  The group headed down the stairs and triggered a greater glyph of warding which aged all of them instantly!  The felt themselves grow weaker, slower, and less hardy.  Magnus pressed on and triggered glyph after glyph, nearly dying at the bottom of the stairs before a stone door.  Kenwrec tested some theories about how the glyphs worked and ended up terribly cursed with a hideousness so bad even his own companions nearly abandoned him.  Magnus healed himself while Ten-Penny and Kenwrec disabled all the glyphs.

At the bottom of the stairs, Ten-Penny tried to pick the lock.  It opened to reveal the withered crone in the wheat field again!  She again chastised them for being too young, unwise, and weak.  She told them to go back and return later but that the giants and centaur were already ahead of them.  She let them pass through the cornfield and go back “the easy way” as opposed up the stairs where all the terrible glyphs had been.  She also gave them yet another key.

The group circled around and decided to explore some of the passages they had avoided when they first entered.  They found a frost giant cramped in a corridor heading their way.  A fight erupted, and the giant fought as best he could in the close quarters.  He still hit with horrifying power, but he was an easy target.  The team tore into him until he was put down by a clean shot through the skull by Denessia’s pistol.

The team went further down the hallway and found another door.  They heard creatures heading toward them, so they waited in ambush!  Four andrazku demons came crashing out into the ambush and fell victim to divine spells, smite evil, and sneak attack.  The demons tried to teleport in among the party to cause chaos, but they were quickly brought down.  The party explored the room they came from and found a map revealing some additional areas.

Game summary for August 15, 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 (Bugbear 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 had nursed their wounds from the battle with the massive spider creature.  They decided to explore in a different direction and came upon a bubbling cauldron of stew heated by an unseen source.  The ground had runes inscribed around it saying, “Spice is the variety of life.”  As they approached a table covered in spices, a misty mihstu rose up from the steam and grappled Deska!  The team swarmed in and hammered at the creature as it tried to extract all of Deska’s fluids; however, she struggled well enough to prevent the creature from pinning her.  In short order, the group cut the creature down.  They began experimenting with the cauldron and discovered it could produce temporary potion-like stews.  They nearly killed Deska’s owl in their testing, but the team was pretty happy with the results.

Next the group ascended a flight of stairs, and Deska noticed shadows creeping in around them!  The unholy incorporeal undead began draining strength from the party!  Magnus and Denessia unleashed powerful blasts of positive energy which killed several of the shadows.  Good old fashioned weapons cut down several more.  However, the leader thrust its incorporeal hand into Denessia and dropped her to the edge of death.  Magnus, under a shadow onslaught, cast blessing of fervor, and the team was able to use the extra speed to rush Denessia back to the cauldron while the rest of the group finished off all the shadows.  Miraculously, the team was able to use the powers of the cauldron to prevent Denessia from dying and becoming a shadow herself!

The group made camp to gain restoration spells to fix their problems.  The team then went back down a hallway to explore another door they had yet to investigate.

Game summary for August 8, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Alfbern Winterbloom (Half-Elf Inquisitor played by Preston Harmon), Argun Longtusk (Wereboar-Kin Druid played by Parker Harmon), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Orc Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Ten-Penny Tacey (Half-Orc Rogue played by Shane Bradley). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team moved on from the alchemy lab through a door to the south.  They traveled a moderately long hallway and emerged into a reeking room lined with partially preserved flesh containing a tent of skins.  A spiny pukwudgie wearing flayed skins stood within surrounded by an army of animated hoarpanther zombies!  Alfbern sent his bear charging in and ran close behind it as the panthers surged forward!  The pukwudgie disappeared almost immediately after Ten-Penny consumed a potion of invisibility.  Greta blessed the party, and Kenwrec moved to engage a hoarpanther.  The team was amazed at the panthers’ speed and barrage of attacks.  They realized they were in trouble!  Magnus strode forward and channeled positive energy in the name of Gorum which blasted two of the undead to slag and severely injured the others.  This turned the tide, and the team began slaying panthers with ease.  Argun cast a burst of nettles spell with great effect.  Meanwhile, the pukwudgie appeared and delivered a sneak attack to Kenwrec!  The horrid creature’s poisoned spines pierced his flesh and delivered a dose of virulent poison.  It coursed through his system as the team cut down the rest of their enemies.  Magnus cast a prayer to help Kenwrec, and he was given an antitoxin.  The poison proved too great, however, and he died in agony, foaming at the mouth!  The team determined they would reincarnate him when they reunite with Deska and pushed on.

The team ascended a great long stair and passed by a doorway.  They came upon an enormous web-shrouded chamber containing half a dozen cocoons and a glowing rune.  The group investigated and found one of the cocoons contained a slain and rotting andrazku demon!  The group turned just as a monstrous spider the size of an elephant descended out of the darkness.  Argun dropped a flame strike squarely on the creature burning it badly; however, it shook off the terrible blow and advanced!  Concerned about the obvious massive toughness of the monster, Magnus activated his divine presence to enact sanctuary for the party!  In his mind, he heard a demonic voice say, “Clever!”  The team started skirting to the side hoping the creature could no longer hurt them.  Argun, however, was outside of the effect and was bitten by the monster and began to rot before their eyes!  The bear attempted an attack of opportunity and broke the sanctuary upon itself and got mauled in return.  Magnus tried to be diplomatic, but the creature ignored him and slaughtered Argun!  The group was able to move under Magnus’ protection and get to the exit while the monster began to consume Argun’s corpse and ignored their retreat.