Demons and Sins

Our group's long long day continues, first at the Jail and a conversation with Shalelu in front of Tsuto and some goblins, and then with Tsuto about his fucked up family life and miserable experience growing up, and then with Mayor Deverin, about many of the same topics.  There was a modicum of Skull-Duggery too, but no new beans were to be had, it seems.  Nod the monk finds that perhaps eating so many grapes disagrees with his stomach, and retires to a room in the Lorrimor house, to be tended to by Bettina the maid. Sandpoint has its share of sad fucked up human misery for sure.  That's made more apparent when our Heroes meet with Father Zantus and hear more about Nualia's rough childhood too.  It's like I've always said - life's hard when you're one of the Pretty People. No wait - I've never said that.  Your Humble Narrator is significantly glad to be Of The Pretty - YHN is CERTAINLY appreciative not to be born into one of those Uggos families wher...

On the way somewhere - back from under the Glassworks, maybe - you overhear a group of children skipping rope and singing a song. Put her body on the bed. Take a knife and lop her head. Watch the blood come out the pipe. Feeds the stirge, so nice and ripe. Drops of red so sparkly bright. Splatters spell her name just right. With a hammer killed his wife. Now he wants to claim your life. Tricksy father tells a lie. Listen close or you will die.   Maybe you think - whatever, kids are weird.  Maybe you ask them, and they've been singing that song since, like, forever.  Her big sister taught it to them, they think?  It's just a song to sing for skipping rope. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn0brZCSXOo   

"Deverin's told me of your work against the goblins- well done. I've dedicated the last several years of my life to keeping them from causing too much trouble around these parts, but they're tenacious little runts. Like weeds that bite." She stops to take a long drink of water.  I mean, it's noon, so it's probably too early for vodka, right? "Anyway, there's five major goblin tribes in the region, and, traditionally, they're pretty good at keeping each other in line with inter-tribal squabbles and the like. Yet from what I've been able to piece together, members of all five tribes were involved in the raid on Sandpoint. A fair amount of the Mosswood tribe goblins I dealt with last night were already pretty beat up, and there was a lot of chatter about the "longshanks" who killed so many of them. Different from the guards.  Now that I've met you, it seems obvious from their descriptions who they were talking about. Seems l...

Above is the translated note Tsuto wrote to Ameiko to lure her to the Glassworks.  Below are the three pages from his journal that are still legible.

Our heroes are reeling from Kendra's fugue-state moment, and a bit panicky, when a New Friend joins them - Nod the Monk, someone who used to dig at excavations for Petros (and tell funny stories to Kendra, apparently).  He's a bit simple, but means well, and the party accepts him with minimal propers.  Meanwhile, Kand starts researching several of the things / places / organizations / people in Prof. Lorrimor's notes, which will occupy him for a short little while. That stands in stark contrast to Sherrif Belor, who offends the party by offering them his notes from his investigation into Prof. Lorrimor's death, and a job patrolling the city - an interaction with Father Zantus doesn't go quite as bad, but I doubt anyone involved walked away pleased with the interaction.  Mayor Deverin, on the other hand, tells the party that Petros told her some of the people at his funeral were to be trusted and some not, but neglected to say who was whom, and asked them very poin...

An additional note is tucked inside Petros Lorrimor’s journal.   It is dated from four weeks ago. Dear Friends, If you are reading this, then I thank you for taking the time to humor an old man’s final wishes.   Perhaps this is foolishness, or the paranoia that comes with age – no matter.   Take for this what you will. Besides the Eight of you, I invited four people who have struck me, throughout my travels and studies, as those who are particularly inimicable to Good People and perhaps to Golarion itself. Adivion Adrissant is, I fear, associated somehow with the Whispering Way, a Society that seeks eternal life through Darkest Necromancy, and perhaps even the return of Tar-Baphon himself.   He is knowledgeable and powerful; do not trust his words even in the slightest. Areelu Vorlesh was a student of mine, briefly, back when I taught in Magnima r, Long bef ore my daughter was born.   She had a darkness then, which I fear has only grown dee...

The following notes were circled within Professor Lorrimor’s journal that you were given as part of your inheritance: 12th August, 4697  (10 years ago) My research is progressing well. I recently met with a Holy Warrior who claims to have rescued an individual who had the blood of the undead flowing in his veins. The individual also claimed to have been tortured and was the subject of strange rituals conducted upon him by a group of men who were part of a sect of The Whispering Way. It would appear that my assumptions were correct and that The Whispering Way is more than just a cabal of necromancers. I see that now. Undeath is their fountain of youth. Uncovering their motivation does not place me at ease as I thought it might. Their desire to be eternal simply makes them more dangerous. 27th July 4707  (Current Year) My research into the Whispering Way continues, alas somewhat in vein. The trail that I began to follow almost a decade ago now has grown cold. I have ...

Our heroes make their way to Sandpoint for the funeral of their friend/patron/mentor Petros Lorrimor.  They are met by his daughter Kendra Lorrimor, a wizard and associate of Petros named Adivion Adrissant, and a fledgling sorceror named Jaxom Wyandotte. Kendra's servant Bettina serves dinner just as Jaxom's friends Yaris Molybdenum (dwarven fighter), and sisters Viola and Charmaine duClair (Paladin of Sarenrae and Cleric of Groetus, respectively) enter.  A rousing dinner conversation is had, but after Kendra and Bettina retire Adivion reveals that Petros did not die from an accident, because there was no blood found near him, and his head was crushed suspiciously - specifically, his jaw was pulverized, preventing Speak with Dead - a difficult injury to have been caused by falling bricks. Hmmmm.... says the party.  Many theories are thrown around, mostly over drinks at the Rusty Dragon where Vig has been employed.  The scene of Petros' death is investigated, whic...

And now, let us meet our adventurers! So far we have, in Alphabetical Order: Antoine, halfling Cavalier, riding his War Wolf Nelson.  Antoine is motivated by the suspicious death of his father and his noble lineage to seek his fortune in the world - and, perhaps, to clear his family name.  He is spirit-touched by the ghost of his dead dad. Kand, Dwarven Wizard, and his electro-bird Birb.  Kand is an architect of constructs and things mechanical, and is fascinated by things Thassilonian. Torvan, Half-Orcish Rogue.  Charming and dextrous, Torvan strikes from the shadows with his hand crossbow.  He was Exposed to Awfulness as a child, and perhaps that Dark Heritage is why he passes so well for Human. Vig the Mysterious, a Ninja in the service of the Black Butterfly.  Rescued from evil Nidalese rituals, he Stole the Fury he was exposed to and made his way to Sandpoint. Broke and hungry, our young group is thrown together during a Goblin attack and a...

Campaign Traits Pick one of the following traits (and one other trait) when you create your character.   They will have additional effects – both in the campaign, and mechanically – as we progress in levels. Accidental Clone:             Adventuring has been in your blood for as long as you can remember, and this urge to go out and explore the world left you recently in over your head when you (foolishly or bravely, depending on how you look at it) decided to explore an old Thassilonian ruin near your home town. The adventure ended in tragedy when you set off a devastating trap while investigating a statue of a beautiful woman. The trap slaughtered your entire party—including you. You woke from death sometime later, your memories intact but your body transformed. No longer did you resemble your previous self—you instead looked like the woman depicted in the statue.   The strange dreams you’ve been having ev...

New Campaign Notes We’ll play Pathfinder, for the rule set.   Here are the rules: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/ We’ll do stats and all the first session.   Maybe think about who you’ll want to be and what they’re like, and some ideas for a character class and concept.   Make a character that’s generally good, or at least helpful, and that will get along well in a party of adventurers. I’m fine with many ways of generating stats.   Pick the ones you want?   25 build points?   4d6 drop the lowest, 7 times drop the lowest?   3d6 in order but reroll any ones?   You’ve played enough to figure this out. Any character class from the Core, Base, or Hybrid lists with any archetypes are okay, as long as they’re on the SRD: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/ Maybe don't play any of the occult classes?   They're weird.   Also, with the mythic stuff, eventually summoned creatures, pets, mounts, etc. won't be able to keep up, and ...

Besides the standard things we play with - rolling initiative every round, first potion is a swift action that provokes - here's some more.  I'll update this, periodically, as we come up with more. There are no stat-boosting items, and spells don't affect stats.  For example, Enlarge just embiggens someone - they weapon gets bigger and does more damage, and they get reach - they don't get any change to ST or DX.  That'll keep some of the on-the-fly math down as we get more levels. In response we'll get a bonus Stat point each even level (instead of every four levels). Death is not the End, necessarily: when the dice fall against us and we start our journey down the Black River from which none emerge, we can instead hover unconscious and reviveable.  When this happens you lose a stat point permanently - of your choice, with a cool story (ringing in your ears, severed finger, nasty scar - come up with something cool).  You can, of course, choose instead to m...