Charles Plemons' Blog

Game summary for March 28, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The group, led by Helg, interrogated the captured ninja and made a deal with him for information in exchange for his life.  They learned the Hand is seeking to prevent Botticelli from getting to Toril and becoming the hero of legend.  Their master, the Ripper, sent them using scrying to locate the tortle.  They had infiltrated the crew of the Ambrosia and manipulated an encounter with the Perry.  The team put Needle in charge of their “guest” and put him to work in the hamster wheel providing power for the ship.

They arrived at Bral without incident a few days later and docked.  While Flick took care of the fees and cargo, the team set out to get a lay of the land.  They came across a boy handing out flyers for a local tavern, The Laughing Beholder.  The young man offered to help them with any errands they need.  Komorebi felt the boy was hiding something but still trusted him.  They paid him to take them to the elven embassy in the Elven Forest.  Once there they tried to convince the elves to give them an audience with Admiral Marianon Silmara.  After much negotiation they were able to arrange a meeting in five days. 

The group then went to the Laughing Beholder.  They were astonished to meet Large Luigi, a purple beholder bartender!  They also met the bar swain Colin Longshire, bouncer Sturion Anvilfist, cook Ma Ironkettle, and singer and bar wench Daiyu.  They talked to the beholder a while and sampled the excellent food and glasses of Thayan red wine. 

The group went back to the Perry and checked on the crew and Needle and Botticelli.  While at the docks, Komorebi noticed someone who looked at him strangely and melted back into the shadows.  He talked to one of the guards and learned the various factions employ people to watch the docks and report back on people they see. 

After that, they returned to the Laughing Beholder and secured rooms.  Edonna used her seer abilities to get a read on Komorebi and Daiyu and told him he needed to find out more about her. 

Game summary for March 21, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), 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.

While traveling through Realmspace, they crossed paths with a fish-shaped tradesman ship named the Ambrosia.  A grommam crewman used semaphore to offer peaceful trade, and the team agreed to talk.  They met with a fine Krynnish minotaur merchant named Bovus Brangus.  After some discussion they agreed to trade with him, and they exchanged numerous large baskets of goods. 

The group continued traveling and were stopped by a large sargasso sea spreading out before them.  In moments, several void shambling mounds clambered aboard and attacked!  The group began chopping and burning and defeated them pretty quickly.  Edonna discovered a very valuable necklace tangled in the branches of one. 

A few days later while Helg was on watch, four ninja of the Hand clan emerged from hidden spaces in some of the cargo from the Ambrosia and attacked!  They tried to knock him out, but he was able to channel positive energy and keep himself in the fight while screaming out for help.  Khesen and Hekera (on the upper deck) heard the calls first and woke up.  The ninja spread out and tried to kill everyone topside.  With the element of surprise gone, they were far less effective.  Neko and Edonna woke up next and also came to join the fight.

For the second time in a few days, the team demonstrated great cooperative ability.  They used spells to assist one another, buff abilities, and take down foes while the melee team unleashed their wrath.  Three of the ninja died fighting a brave but pitched battle.  The ninja magus was rendered unconscious and dying, and the group stripped him of his gear, bound him, and stabilized his wounds so they can interrogate him. 

Game summary for March 7, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Helg Ingvar (Aasimar Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), Khesen Pavel (Human Brawler played by Parker Harmon), Komorebi (Kitsune Bard played by Josh Jenkins), Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton 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 party rescued a Flow survivor drifting through their air envelope.  The young human man appeared to be playing a hurdy-gurdy.  As he came conscious, he was singing a ballad and suddenly realized he was surrounded by a strange cast of characters.  They made introductions and learned he is a bard out of Realmspace whose ship was recently mysteriously lost in the Phlogiston.  He hitched a ride with the crew for the time being. 

As they approached Realmspace, the ship’s gnomish engine experienced a “functional event” in that it was no longer functional and about to explode!  The group desperately tried to fix it, causes several concussive blasts to rip through the ship.  They lost one of their giant space hamsters in the blasts, and the team had to take turns running in the hamster wheels themselves! 

Once in Realmspace, the team was approached by a mated pair of turtle-sharks!  One snatched up Hekera in its jaws, and the other snatched up Khesen!  Jiraiya unleashed volleys of arrows while Zzyym fired magic missiles.  Ruby dimension door’d up onto the deck, and Scraggy rushed up and fired his double-barrel pistol.  Unfortunately, the gun misfired one barrel.  Nonplused, he fired the other!  The explosion sent shrapnel into him and several allies! 

Helg put spiritual weapon to great effect while Neko rattled a turtle-shark with mind thrust.  Khesen was able to break his grapple and escape the maw, and Hekera got free when his attacker was slain.  Edonna and Komorebi enhanced the combat abilities of the team, and they all converged on the remaining turtle-shark.  Hekera used a potion of flying to zip over and engage the beast.  The group unleashed a rain of destruction, and Neko hit it with scorching ray.  Finally, Helg’s spiritual weapon slew the monstrosity!

Game summary for February 21, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Edonna Match Wushu Lu Klighke (Dragonborn Oracle played by Casey Scruggs), Hekera Nephera Mawhesk Vyk’sebekenka (Sebek-ka Fighter played by Preston Harmon), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), 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 team sailed back to Refuge and paid for a resurrection for Hekera but respected Intevar’s wishes to be laid to rest.  While at the Low Dive, they met a fortune-teller named Edonna who needed to get out of town quickly.  She joined the team, and the group set back out into Wildspace and then the Flow.  Along the way, the continued to train in ninjutsu with Master Needle.  During the trip, both Jiraiya and Khesen earned their red belts under his tutelage. 

About a day out from Realmspace, they were attacked by a pair of void bonesuckers who grappled Faylen and pulled her off the ship.  The team quickly responded with Neko using mind thrust, Edonna casting haste, and the team scrambling into position.  The first bonesucker was killed pretty quickly while the group changed to ranged weapons and received a recitation from Edonna to further enhance their capabilities.  Faylen was screaming in pain in the tentacles of the bonesucker while the team fired arrows, magic missiles, and even leapt out into space to fight it!  Eventually, it was brought down by a blast from Edonna’s voidmote spell.  The group pulled Faylen back in and nursed their wounds.    

Game summary for February 7, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: 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), and Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party decided to head out from Refuge and continue their journey.  They debarked from Refuge and spent the next five days traversing Refugespace and training in ninjitsu with master Needle.  Sailmaster Tuk was able to locate a portal, and they soared back into the Phlogiston.  They spent three days in the Flow before a lifeboat came twirling through the air and slammed into their ship.  It broke up and spilled four corpses onto the deck.  The corpses, covered in writhing green worms, rose up and attacked!

The creatures unleashed a fear aura which terrified several members of the party and drove them into a fleeing panic.  The undead started flicking worms at the party, and the green critters started burrowing into the flesh of the party members.  This was not a problem for the characters in their right minds, but the panicked individuals were unable to remove the worms and began suffering damage from the burrowing monsters!  The team cut down one spawn of Kyuss quickly, but the others began healing their wounds and continued hurling worms.  Before long only Neko and Khesen were unafraid and fighting back.  Meanwhile, worms burrowed into the brains of Intevar and Hekera as the team cut down the remaining spawn!  Intevar died first.  Screaming.  Far more frightening was the sudden silence.  Moments later Hekera dropped dead as well.  As panic wore off, the party examined the bodies to find them twitching and filling with rapidly multiplying worms!  Unsure what to do, Khesen twisted Hekera’s head from his body, stopping his transformation!  Neko went below and decapitated Intevar’s twitching corpse. 

Game summary for January 31, 2023, 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), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), 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 echoes of battle had just begun to fade when Shafi’s counterstrike arrived.  More armed humans and tengu swarmed in.  Behind them skuttled a drider!  It carried a large mace and had long flowing blonde hair.  They weren’t quite sure if it was originally male or female.  The drider recognized Stanley and Simmons and snarled.  “You!  You and your boss are so meddlesome!  This moon isn’t big enough for all of us.  You keep showing up and interrupting our business!  We’re not gonna take it.  No, we ain’t gonna take it.  We’re not gonna take it anymore!”

Stanley snarled as well.  “It’s Dee, Dee Spider.  He’s twisted, sister.”  With blades drawn, the two forces crashed together! 

The drider split the room with wall of fire and burned several of the party.  Dastardly cads and tengu vandals engaged the party with various degrees of success.  The divided room slowed the party’s advance and effectiveness.  Dee Spider cast create pit and tried to drop Helg into it but failed.  The pit further slowed the team.  Simmons took a devastating blow but countered with a lethal one to his opponent.  Intevar put her bow to very deadly effect while Jiraiya began his deadly dance.  Neko unleashed magic missiles and fireballs.  Khesen was blasted by a fire-converted lightning bolt that nearly killed him.  Dee then fled using dimension door! 

Game summary for January 24, 2023, 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), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), 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 team decided to do some equipment shopping and then went out and found two more businesses for investments.  The first was Muckbuckle’s Marvelous Munchables, a tinker gnome bakery that hasn’t had an explosion in hours.  The second was Lezah’s House of Practical Magic, a place where they teach how to use magic in industry and everyday life.  The group invested 10,000 gp in each.

The group sat around the Low Dive enjoying an early evening dinner and talking to the locals when a tiefling strolled in.  The locals gave him a wide berth, and he walked up to the table.  He introduced himself as Stanley and invited them to come meet with his boss, Mugsy.  After he left, they asked around about him and confirmed he is a local criminal, and Mugsy is the neighborhood crime lord.  Stanley is a wicked sorcerer known for a love of magic involving skulls and demons.  He also has a maniacal axe-wielding brother named Simmons.  They also learned the Low Dive pays protection money to Mugsy. 

A few hours later, Stanley returned to get them and led them through the under halls where they met up with Simmons.  They escorted the party to meet the criminal mastermind, the one and only Mugs Money.  The harengon crime lord was quite gracious and hired them to strike out against his new rival, Shafi Schmuck.  He sent Stanley and Simmons with them, and the brothers were chomping at the bit for some mayhem. 

They arrived at a chamber where Shafi was moving goods stolen from Mugs.  Shafi ordered his human and tengu guards to attack while he fled out the back.  Simmons entered a rage and swelled to double his normal size!  The team moved in and engaged.  At first, both sides exchanged a couple solid hits.  Helg cast ring of blades and rushed in.  Khesen attacked a tengu who redirected his attack right into Intevar!  JIraiya nimbly moved about the battlefield whacking opponents with his flail.  Intevar setup some flanks, and Neko unleashed mind thrust.  A margoyle swooped in from the darkness above and attacked Neko.  Meanwhile, Simmons scored a critical hit and cut one of the humans, a despicable cad, completely in two.  Moments later, Neko did the same.  Stanley cast a calling and brought in a gelatinous cube!  The ooze began engulfing guards and dissolving them!  The team took down the rest of the enemies, and Stanley and Simmons began feeding bodies to the ooze and leading it away from the chamber! 

Game summary for January 17, 2023, Chronoshift: Spelljammer campaign, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: 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), Neko (Half-Orc Magus played by Peyton Harmon), and Sienna Whispermist (Half-Elf Cleric / Illusionist / Rogue played by Todd Hughes). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The Perry arrived at Refuge, and the party could see the famed gardens and sprawling city on the small moon.  Orbiting the base were 24 massive stone golems equipped with spelljamming helms, ballistae, and armed crew—flying animated ships of destruction!  Swimming about the docks were space remora, void fish large enough to serve as mounts.  Astride each were armored knights carrying lances.  Cruising around to keep the peace was another blue and yellow squidship.  Stretching out behind Refuge as far as the eye could see was the Salvage Ring, a collection of shipwrecks used for parts, repairs, and salvage. 

Once docked, the team paid 67 gp in docking and air refreshment fees.  They talked to the tax collector and learned where to find Renaldo’s Respectable Reclamations, a place they could sell the vipership.  While walking through the dock ward, they heard a merchant yelling for a thief to stop.  A giff guard caught the man, and the man began screaming.  Next to the party, another man began screaming as well.  After a few moments, both exploded!  Not in gore and viscera, but into clouds of dust leaving only their clothing behind!  Everyone looked on in stunned amazement.  A woman fainted.  The guards began trying to usher people along claiming it was an illusionist trick. 

The group moved along and visited Renaldo.  He went with them to the docks to inspect the ship, and they haggled a bit.  In the end, they sold the ship for 43,500 gp!  After making the sale, they decided they should start investing rather than walking around with mountains of coins.  Following much debate, they decided they wanted to buy into a tavern.  They went into the Low Dive, a tavern near the docks.  After meeting the owner and carousing with the locals, they decided it was just the place they had in mind.  They invested 10,000 gp into the tavern.  They also decided they wanted to seek out a place that teaches magic and a tinker gnome enterprise to invest in.

While in the bar, they listened to the locals and gathered some rumors.  They weren’t sure how much truth was in each, but they did take note of several:

1. The entire city of Refuge is riddled with secret doors, hidden tunnels, and interconnecting ways.  They say every building has one to three secret entrances.
2. The underground tunnels are ruled by the Watcher Below, a gigantic beholder who kills and eats everything it catches.
3. The Arcane are strict in their laws and often remove trouble rather than try to arrest or detain.
4. A recently arrived ship was filled with a dead crew covered in crawling green worms. 
5. A contingent of rastipede traders have infiltrated Refuge and are slowly stealing trade from the Arcane.

They were able to confirm with their new business partner, Bueford, that the Low Dive does have a secret entrance into the under halls. 

Game summary for January 10, 2023, 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), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), 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 team nursed their wounds and searched the last room of the viper ship hold.  Within they found supplies to repair a ship along with a single medium chest.  Jiraiya tried to pick the lock only to later discover it wasn’t locked at all.  Within they found a horrifying item, a severed mind flayer head!  They realized it was preserved and tentacles braided together down into a handle.  Someone had crafted and enchanted a flayer flail!  Jiraiya immediately adopted it into his arsenal.  They also found several copper ingots and some amethysts. 

As they began searching the enemy bodies, they heard the giff and several human soldiers board the ship from the squid ship.  They met each other and began talking.  The giff, Captain Horatio Macefist, was thankful for their taking of the goblinoid vessel and let them know it was theirs by right of plunder.  Thus, the team acquired another ship, the Deathbite.  They learned it was powered by a lifejammer helm that permanently drains lifeforce to power the ship.  Unwilling to make that sacrifice they realized they lacked the helm-power to get the new ship, the cargo barge, and their ship to port.  After debating cutting the barge loose, they then asked Captain Macefist if he had any spare helms.  He told them he had an emergency furnace helm he could loan them since they were heading to his home base of Refuge.  He let them borrow it and stationed one of his men with them.  The tinker gnomes were overjoyed to have the unstable, potentially explosive, dangerous helm strapped in to their ship!

Two days’ journey later, they came across another Arcane squid ship, the Pride.  Jiraiya used semaphore to communicate with them and learned they were looking for them specifically and had a visitor seeking them.  The ship came alongside and requested permission to board.  Several soldiers crossed over along with an aging red-robed catfolk with brown fur and black stripes (tinged with silver).  He walked with a cane and urgently asked to speak with Botticelli.  He introduced himself as Needle and told the tortle that he had traveled from the nation of Wa in the lands of Kara-Tur of the planet Toril in Realmspace, the home of Botticelli’s egg clutch.  He informed Botticelli he is prophesied to be one of four heroes destined to become the mightiest samurai ever known.  Needle had come to return him to Kara-Tur and begin his training in the martial arts.  He also offered to hire the Perry and team to take them to the planet, which is just a short jaunt away from the Rock of Bral.  The party agreed, and he paid them 500 gp now, five potions of cure moderate wounds, and will pay another 2,500 gp when they arrive.  Next, he presented Botticelli with a beautiful matched set of daisho—a samurai katana and wakizashi. 

Botticelli’s training began immediately, and the team watched the proceedings in wonder and fascination.  Needle noted their interest and offered to teach the basics of ninjitsu to them as well.  So, the party has begun the process of learning from Master Needle! 

Game summary for January 3, 2023, 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), Jiraiya (Hurwaeti Freebooter played by Andrew Renfrow), 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.

Helg channeled positive energy and healed his allies.  The team then surged down into the main deck searching for more foes.  They found a hobgoblin in the galley, but he was cut down quickly.  The team opened the hatch to the cargo deck and found it full of enemy crew!  Enemy crew hurling lit fuse grenades through the opening!  Jiraiya rolled into the cargo hold and engaged the entire force himself!  He disarmed one and dealt several blows before being forced to flee.  Helg cast create water and put out two fuses.  The third was extinguished by Intevar.  Neko stepped forward and cast fireball through the hatch and burned the enemies below, but it also hit Jiraiya!  The already injured hurwaet was rendered unconscious from his wounds. 

Helg rushed forward and spontaneously cast cure critical wounds on Jiraiya.  Hekera, Intevar, and Khesen went down into the hold.  Intevar used targeting foreknowledge and tore into a corsair.  Khesen and Hekera then finished up the stragglers.