Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for September 16, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Einar Ormsson (Human Fighter / Unchained Barbarian played by Preston Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), Skree Grizzlehide (Mongrelfolk Gladiator played by Peyton Harmon), Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs), and Ursay (Mongrelfolk Slayer played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Following the brutal battle, the team went to ground and nursed their wounds.  Snagy found the mongrelfolk and befriended several.  He soon recruited two, a gladiator named Skree and an slayer named Ursay, to join their adventures.  Einar and Komorebi caught up with the group, and they plotted their next steps. 

The mongrelfolk shared some information, and they decided to make a push deeper into the city to try and find the tablet.  They slipped into the mongrelfolk caverns because it has fewer bugbear patrols than the city above.  The group made great progress through the caves before they came upon a group of bugbears. 

Battle erupted quickly.  Komorebi immediately began a performance, inspiring his allies!  His rally was instrumental throughout the skirmish.  The sword-wielding bugbear slaughterists and axe-swinging bugbear rampagers gleefully closed in, taunting the group as they came.  Callum unleashed scorching ray to scald bugbear hide.  Ursay popped up and rained death from the shadows with his bow, delighting in the carnage inflicted upon the oppressors.  The bugbear bladepriest cast field of razors, which littered the cavern floor with caltrops.  It then moved in and disappeared into the shadows. 

Skree proved his battlefield prowess with his mighty macuahuitl.  He devastated a bugbear and caused a bleeding wound the likes of which the team had never seen!  Einar advanced and displayed a dizzying flurry of spinning axes.  He ripped the feet out from under a bugbear, causing allies to hammer down upon it.  Snagyndar moved up and throttled a foe only to get surprised by the hiding bladepriest.  He hit him with a poisoned and diseased spiked gauntlet, and the foul poison burned through Snagy’s veins!  He was weakened by the toxin but kept fighting. 

The bugbears fought hard but found themselves in several unfortunate situations.  The team was able to capitalize on these and sway the fight in their direction early on.  The new mongrelfolk team members proved their worth early, and in a few moments, all the bugbears had been slain.

Game summary for September 9, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Adeline Tormak (Human Magus played by Andrew Renfrow), Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Piper Quickstep (Human Druid-Mage played by John Osborne), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Piper cast dimension door to move him and Hammer way out of the fight.  Snagy dismissed Stingy to escape the wasps and fell prone (but invisible).  He remained still as several foes rushed past him.  Adeline was mostly undetected and was able to fall back, but Callum was clearly visible and struck with multiple attacks.  He eventually fell to the ground, and an invisible Helg flew over and touched him with a heal spell.  Adeline cast ghost sound and convinced a handful of Scarlet Brotherhood monks a small army of behtu approached! 

Finch was hemmed in and pummeled while numerous monks tripped and grappled Hwrulf.  He killed a couple of the monks before they pinned him.  Hekera was hit by attack after attack.  Snagy rallied the team, but it was too little too late.  Hekera was slain by the swarm of monks.  Moments later, Piper noticed a horrifying fact.  Like they had seen them do earlier, the Scarlet Brotherhood had held back a small portion of their forces who arrived as reinforcements.  The fresh enemies ran in and beat Piper unconscious and killed Finch.  Hwrulf held out a little longer but was finally beaten to death as well. 

Callum escaped with dimension door, and Piper’s wolf, Hammer, picked up his master and fled.  Adeline ran alongside Hammer trying to get away.  Helg sent an earth elemental, summoned from a magic gem, among the monks and flew off following Hammer.  Meanwhile, Snagy (also invisible) was able to slip out the other side of the battlefield and ran away seeking to find a way down into the mongrelfolk tunnels hoping to find shelter among them.  The last any of the party saw, the monks were dragging the slain PCs together into the street. 

Game summary for September 2, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Adeline Tormak (Human Magus played by Andrew Renfrow), Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Piper Quickstep (Human Druid-Mage played by John Osborne), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group began interrogating the captured member of the Scarlet Brotherhood.  They did not get his name.  They confirmed the Scarlet Brotherhood was in the Forbidden City seeking the tablet.  They learned the Brotherhood had been making assaults against the bugbears but kept getting driven back.  They were also skirmishing with the vicious behtu attacking from the jungle.  The rank and file were tired and discouraged and hoping to leave.  However, failure would result in their deaths.  The man told them were to find the Brotherhood camp and that Professor Tormak is there.  As the only person living to see the tablet, they need him to identify it.  They decided to scout out the Brotherhood, and Snagy killed the defenseless prisoner.  Adeline cast greater invisibility and went running in the direction of the camp, only to become visible a minute later. 

The group attempted stealth, but Helg’s gleaming armor caught the light and the attention of the entire Scarlet Brotherhood camp!  The group scurried into a nearby building as the monks came leaping across rooftops and surrounded the team.  The group roped themselves together and cast invisibility on everyone via a wand.  They then tried to tiptoe down the street away from the monks, but the alert martial artists heard them and trailed them a while before completely surrounding them. 

Battle erupted with the team invisible, which proved critical.  The monks were uncertain the exactly location of the team.  Piper revealed himself by casting, and the monks hurled shuriken at him in bulk.  Still being invisible, most missed, but he still suffered many damaging hits.  Hwrulf attacked and became visible, drawing attackers, as did Hekera.  The monks swarmed in.  Adeline hit with several arrows, Finch tripped and savaged another, and Callum blasted one dead.  Snagy summoned Stingy and sent him into the air, which proved the wasps will attack airborne foes.  Helg quaffed a whisk away admixture and invisibly flew over to heal Piper.  However, unable to see him, he missed him with the spell!  The team was now surrounded and hard pressed by the Scarlet Brotherhood.  Can they fight their way out?

Game summary for August 26, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Adeline Tormak (Human Magus played by Andrew Renfrow), Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Piper Quickstep (Human Druid-Mage played by John Osborne), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team resumed following the trail they believed belonged to the Scarlet Brotherhood.  Before long they came into a ruined portion of the city and were confronted by red-robed men and women carrying lajatangs and three-section-staves.  As they closed in, they mentioned someone named Uncle Izdreth wanting to know who they are.  The groups talked for a bit, and Helg realized they were stalling and watching behind the party. 

Battle erupted, and Piper hurled a trio of stone discuses at one of the Brotherhood while his wolf, Hammer, tripped and tore into another.  Helg enhanced the team with righteous wrath of the faithful, and Finch and Snagy moved into melee.  Adeline found herself frustrated as the monks swatted her arrows from the sky.  Callum blasted with lightning as the battle raged.  The monks put up a good fight but were no match to the team.  However, as the last one fell, another group arrived behind the team and isolated Callum!  The spellcaster was no match against the whirling monk weapons.  Blades and staves beat him to the ground and bashed in his skull!  The team was momentarily shocked by the sudden death of their ally.  Piper cast mad monkeys upon the foes, which started to take effect before Helg accidentally blasted the monkeys out of existence with flame strike. 

Hekera, Snagy, Finch, and Hammer got back out into the open and brought the fight to the reinforcements.  Finch and Hammer did a great job of tripping enemies, but even from the ground they proved dangerous.  The team was able to defeat several more before the last one finally threw down his weapon and surrendered! 

Game summary for August 19, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Adeline Tormak (Human Magus played by Andrew Renfrow), Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Piper Quickstep (Human Druid-Mage played by John Osborne), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Aratheas’ apprentice, Piper, shouted out to the team warning them of the dangerous and approaching behtu!  He told them the tasloi tribe had been wiped out by the simian behtu.  Piper told them the behtu are intelligent, have spellcasters among them, and are usually accompanied by larger apes. 

The behtu emerged from the jungle hooting and howling.  Finch cut one of the behtu, much to its delight.  It sprayed acidic blood all over him!  The crazed simians gleefully took hits and sprayed their blood all about.  Fiendish dire apes moved in with them, and a towering great ape lumbered forth!  Helg cast blade barrier, which blocked the approach of most of the beasts.  Callum and Piper cast powerful combat spells while Hekera consumed a potion of enlarge person.  Hwrul, Snagy, Finch, and Hekera went toe-to-toe with the enemy as Adeline fired arrows into the mix.  One of the behtu was slaughtered by the blade barrier and Hekera’s sword.  Snagy cut down another and a dire ape. 

Observing the turn of events, one of the behtu howled an order, and the apes scattered.  Piper caught one in a web, and the group charged around the blade barrier to attack it. 

With the simians slain, the team searched the bodies and found a bizarre tattoo, the emblem of Mechuiti.  Adeline knew this to be a dangerous ape-like demon lord known for love of poison and sacrifice.  They thought about it a while and backtracked to a previous battle scene.  They considered what Piper told them and what they had learned.  They began debating how the behtu fit into the scenario.  Was their demon lord driving the hostility for purpose or mere slaughter?

Game summary for August 12, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Adeline Tormak (Human Magus played by Andrew Renfrow), Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Einar Ormsson (Human Fighter / Unchained Barbarian played by John Osborne), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Hwrulf reached down and pulled Aratheas out of the dragon’s pit.  Much to their surprise, she was indignant at their arrival!  She was quite put out that they had slain the dragon.  They learned she had allowed herself to be captured because she knew the egotistical dragon would talk and reveal answers to her questions.  However, since the party got there and killed the dragon, she would not get her answers!  She wanted to know why the Mirelord, with whom she has coexisted peacefully for three decades, would suddenly attack her. 

The team was able to tell her about the Scarlet Brotherhood and how they expect they have taken Professor Tormak to the Forbidden City.  Aratheas was annoyed but told them the Professor once helped her escape the Forbidden City and so would help them mount a rescue.  She told them about the city, as it was when she was there thirty years earlier.  They learned the Olman civilization built the city but believed it was haunted by the spirits of the dead and abandoned it.  Aratheas claimed to have never seen any undead there.  She warned them the city is in a valley surrounded by cliffs and the skies are filled with giant wasps.  The wasps are aggressive and viciously attack anything that flies within the city! 

Aratheas let them know there is a group of yuan-ti that controls the city.  They seem to worship some kind of cosmic entity.  She often heard them muttering something like “Cthulhu fhtagn!”  The yuan-ti dominate a vicious tribe of bugbear enforcers who have enslaved mongrelmen to farm and do manual labor.  Aratheas had befriended some of the mongrelmen but did not really trust them.  She said they worship something in the waters beneath the city they call The Maw that Remembers. 

She also told them of the tasloi, a tribe of jungle goblins that live around the city and often tame the wasps.  Aratheas would not go with them but revealed she had already sent her apprentice, Piper, through the portal into the Forbidden City to try and learn what was going on there.  She gave them her sigil and told them Piper would help them. 

They traveled to the portal and Aratheas taught them what to do and helped them start the portal ritual.  She realized it has been sabotaged by the Scarlet Brotherhood and was starting to collapse!  The team scrambled, some to physically hold up the stones and others to stabilize the magic.  Aratheas urged them to go through quickly and she’d try to salvage the portal.  The team struggled for a bit but was able to help her get the portal open and slip through!

The team emerged in the sweltering jungle heat of the Forbidden City in a secluded area.  There were obvious tracks where the Scarlet Brotherhood had come through.  All around they could hear the droning of the wasps.  The group traveled toward the city and found a battle scene.  A dead red-robed human and several slain bugbears lay rotting on the ground, partially consumed.  Finch carelessly kicked the human corpse, causing it to burst upon and spray rot grubs across the ground!  Finch narrowly avoided being infested himself. 

They could tell the Brotherhood took some injuries and dragged their wounded off the battlefield.  They tracked them to an old stone house.  It was apparent they had gone in and nursed their wounds before traveling on.  Lots of prints crossed over this area including those of mongrelmen and some simian tracks. 

The party continued tracking the Brotherhood and came upon another battle site.  This one was different; there were no corpses in the street but a lot of blood.  Some of the pavestones were depressed as if from a great weight.  Stepping back it appeared to be from a giant ape!  They noticed a blonde-haired human head sitting up on something in a second story window but decided not to investigate.  Moving on, they got closer to the edge of the city by the encroaching jungle.  Soon, they could see halfling-sized ape-like creatures in the trees moving along with them.  Finally, Hwrulf hurled a javelin and hit one.  It nearly fell out of the tree, and they got a good look at it.  It was brown-furred with a pink face with blue and yellow highlights.  It wore crude studded leather armor, and an obsidian-studded macuahuitl hung at its side.  It righted itself and snarled with rage at Hwrulf before disappearing into the trees howling and hooting.  Answers from the jungle were immediate, and the trees began to shake!  As the team circled up, something large began to crash through the foliage!

Game summary for August 5, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Adeline Tormak (Human Magus played by Andrew Renfrow), Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Einar Ormsson (Human Fighter / Unchained Barbarian played by John Osborne), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team rested on their barge and strategized.  They prepared and cast numerous spells and quaffed potions before travelling back through the portal and making a beeline for the alleged lair.  They found Veshrakul the Mirelord at home.  And ready.  He had two marsh giants, three boggards, and a half-dragon boggard with him.  Within the lair, thornroot tangles erupted up through the mud damaging the team and slightly impeding free movement.  The Mirelord was surrounded by ambient energy—a mix of electricity and profane energy—that blasted out as twin orbs of destruction each round to strike random foes.  The dragon also dropped an enormous globe of darkness down upon the team.  Nonplussed, Helg activated daylight and dispelled the gloom!  Komorebi inspired the team with his bardic talents, giving them heart and courage.  One of the giants hurled a boulder, side-arming it into Hekera with bone-jarring force.  A marshpiercer boggard unleashed a volley of arrows at the gatorman as well.  Finch turned invisible, as did Einar after getting struck by enemy fire.  The croakbrute found itself fighting Snagy and Hekera and was soon dead.  Adeline fired numerous arrows into the Mirelord’s hide, despite his partial submersion in the fetid water.  Hekera and Hwrulf began doing what they do, drawing lots of blood, while Callum empowered a fireball. 

The thornroots continued to erupt from the ground serving as an annoyance more than a threat.  Profane electrical orbs arced around the battlefield, damaging many of the team.  The dragon corrupted a great number of the team’s magical potions with one of its foul innate abilities!  Snagy’s lance landed many solid strikes, and Komorebi dropped one of the giants into an illusory shadow pit!  Finch began landing blows as Helg approached and channeled positive energy; however, he accidentally healed the giants as well.  Hwrulf didn’t seem to mind.  In fact, he seemed excited for the opportunity to chop on the same giant even longer.  Adeline’s magic-laced arrows continued to find marks as Einar found himself pretty injured.  The boggard acidscale hit the team with a cold-converted fireball and a steam cloud.  Hwrulf, displaced due to a potion, fought and killed a marsh giant goon.  The team scattered to escape the cloud, and one of the casts dispelled it. 

The dragon dropped another globe of darkness; Helg succeeded in dispelling it!  Komorebi cast heroic inspiration and shoved the team closer to victory.  Boggards and giants began to full under sweeping and swinging blades.  Helg cast flame strike while the brawlers moved in close.  The watery bog proved a problem to most but not Hekera.  He closed in and cut down the dragon!  Moments later, Hwrulf hurled himself from the shore out to a rocky outcropping.  He cut down the last of the defenders with his dragon-hating blade! With all the enemies slain, they looked around and found a pit containing an elven woman—Aratheas!  The group gathered the dragon’s hoard and rescued Aratheas!  What secrets can she tell them?  What secrets will she tell them?

Game summary for July 29, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

Helg channeled positive energy to heal his allies.  The team walked a moment and debated casting some protective spells.  In the meantime, enemies rose up from the swamp water around them as they crossed a narrow land bridge.  Half-dragon marsh giants and a draco-wyvern emerged.  One of the half-dragon giants was surrounded by a ring of blades and flew into position behind the party.  All around, broken limbs continued to fall from the bombardment of rocks from a few minutes earlier, and rains pounded down from the sky.  Snagy was hit by several but was able to shout out some battle tactics that greatly assisted the team.

Hwrulf activated one of his magical tattoos, entered a rage, and dropped into a guarded stance.  Meanwhile, the giant surrounded by the blade cast prayer on all allies and foes.  Finch studied foes and tripped one of the giants, which submerged it under the water.  Hekera massacred one of the giants, a goon, with his first assault.  Helg cast bane weapon upon Hekera’s sword so he could be more effective against the dragons.  The draco-wyvern flew over and lined up it’s breath weapon across most of the team.  One of the half-dragon giants did likewise.  The combined acid attacks took their toll on the party.  Callum decided to dispel the ring of blades but failed. 

The battle raged on with Snagy slaying one of the giants and Hwrulf slaying the draco-wyvern.  Callum began unleashing fireballs, and Hekera tried to engage the clerical half-dragon.  Much to his shock, the giant-dragon halfbreed wielded its gaff with astounding might and skill.  It beat him to death, but his contingent breath of life spell triggered and saved his life.  However, the ring of blades rendered him unconscious again.  The other surviving half-giant dragon then killed him.  Helg tried to dispel the ring of blades too and also failed.  Hwrulf ran up, and his magical sword and shield, enchanted against dragons, helped him overcome the spellcasting giant! 

Callum was able to successfully fool a magical vest and scroll to allow them to cast raise dead on Hekera.  The team then activated the magical stump and fled back to their barge.  They flew up into orbit to rest and plan what to do next.

Game summary for July 22, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Einar Ormsson (Human Fighter / Unchained Barbarian played by John Osborne), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team looked around and found a sigil-inscribed stump near the portal.  Helg splattered it with blood from the acidscale boggard while trying to remember the ritual words he overheard in another language in the scrying spell.  He said “klaatu barada HRMMPHH…” with no effect. 

Hwrulf extracted the brain from the acidscale boggard’s corpse and put it in his magical gravemouth.  The skull burned with dark necromantic energy, and the eyes filled with blue flame.  The item spoke with the voice of the dead boggard and answered three questions.  It confirmed the half-dragon did not know how to operate the portal to the Forbidden City and that the Mirelord feared yuan-ti.  Finch told the party yuan-ti are cursed serpent people, formerly human, who are shapeshifters and psionicists who typically dwell in jungles.  The gravemouth told them how to activate the stump using the Mirelord’s blood and the words “klaatu barada nikto”.  The team decided to use the stump portal right away and whisked themselves (without their barge) to parts unknown.

They found themselves at another stump in the swamp guarded by flying half-dragons!  The beasts began dropped boulders from above!  The team scrambled to dodge the falling rocks until a pair of draco-wyverns swooped down to engage.  They breathed lines of acid across the party.  Finch was able to help the team finish dodging rocks while Einar charged in and whacked one of the dragons.  The dragon retaliated.  It stung Einar who was immediately poisoned.  It then grappled him and began rending with its talons.  Helg channeled positive energy to help heal the injured team.  The other dragon tried unsuccessfully to poison Finch.  Hwrulf ran after it, swinging away.  Hekera moved in as well and cut it down right in front of Hwrulf!  The other dragon was hit several times by Einar and let him go.  It fled quickly following the direction its brethren had flown off a few minutes earlier.  Callum launched an empowered fireball and blew it out of the sky!

The team examined the bodies and healed several of their injuries, including desperately pumping potions into Einar to keep him alive from the horrendous poison!  He pulled through, in rough shape, but alive.  The team then began discussing heading after the dragons that had dropped all the boulders, surmising they landed about an hour’s walk away.  The dragon’s lair?

Game summary for July 8, 2025, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Adeline Tormak (Human Magus played by Andrew Renfrow), Callum Spellhardt (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Einar Ormsson (Human Fighter / Unchained Barbarian played by John Osborne), Finch Bloodrain (Half-Hobgoblin Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Hwrulf (Human Unchained Barbarian played by Paul Potter), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Snagyndar Blackthorn (Huldran War Master played by Casey Scruggs). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group began talking with Nada, the elderly goblin.  Although somewhat confusing in his manner of speech, he was able to let them know about the Mirelord and its servants, a tribe of boggards and tribe of marsh giants.  He also told them there are several half-dragon progeny leading the tribes.  He let them know the general direction of the dragon’s cave.  He also told them a group of humans had traveled through a few days earlier.  They figured out it was the Scarlet Brotherhood, and they had headed north to a trio of serpent statues.  Nada said after that, they were no longer in the swamp.  The team debated if they should go to the dragon cave in pursuit of Aratheas or the statues in hopes of finding the wards for the Forbidden City disabled.  The party rested at Nada’s and recovered spells.  Helg cast scrying on Aratheas and saw her with boggards and marsh giants.  The foes seemed to travel through some kind of portal at a sigil-inscribed stump by speaking some ritual and sprinkling it with their blood, taking Aratheas with them. 

The group decided to head to the snake statues to make up time because it was only a few hours away, especially utilizing their flying cargo barge.  They discovered a circular stone platform surrounded by stylized snake statues.  Tracks, up to three dozen humans, lead up to the circle but disappeared.  As they investigated, boggards, slurks, and a marsh giant rose up from the water! 

The slurks spit their oily secretions over Hekera and Callum.  The marshpiercer peppered the team with arrows.  The fen marauder and croakbrute charged the team, impaling with spears.  The boggard acidscale used a wand to activate haste on many of the team.  It also cried havoc, causing the giant to advance and attack with its gaff.  The giant then kicked mud in Helg’s eyes, forcing him to try and mop it out. 

Finch began tripping foes while Hekera, Einar, and Hwrulf ripped into them with blades.  Komorebi cast a shadow conjuration with minimal effect, and Callum’s empowered fireball was partially avoided and negated with magic.  The team was struggling at first, but they quickly gained the upper hand with their superior abilities.  The acidscale tried a yellow smoke spell (dispelled by Callum) and breathed acid.  The giant hit as hard as expected but could not withstand the team’s combined attacks.  Callum blasted away with Dalamar’s lightning lance and scorching ray.  Helg cast a flame strike, and the warriors and barbarians of the group hacked and slashed with abandon. 

Finch got hit and nearly killed, but Helg’s heal spell saved him.  One-by-one enemies fell until only the party remained standing!