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Waking Nightmares
The Strange Aeons Adventure Path begins with 'In Search of Sanity,' a mind-shattering foray into horror where the heroes awaken within the walls of the eerie Briarstone Asylum, their minds wracked and memories missing. Working together to recover their missing time, they soon learn that their amnesia is but a symptom of a much greater cosmic menace. As the...more

Published August 31st 2016 by Paizo Inc.

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Editor-in-chief at Paizo Inc. and co-creator of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, F. Wesley Schneider is the author of dozens of Pathfinder and Dungeons & Dragons adventures as well as several dark fantasy and sci-fi tales.
His first novel, Pathfinder Tales: Bloodbound, debuted from Tor and Paizo Inc. in December 2015. Watch for his story, 'Stray Thoughts,' in Eclipse Phase: After the Fall - The...more

Strange Aeons(6 books)

Credits Authors • Sterling Brunsvold, Aerick Lim, Jody Gerst, Daniel Scholler, Louisa Morris, Sean Linville, and Adam Smith Editors • Sterling Brunsvold, Aerick Lim, Michael Dappolone, and Louisa Morris Graphic Design • Sterling Brunsvold (Axion Studios: www.axionstudio.com) Photography • Jody Gerst, Adam Smith, and Sterling Brunsvold Audio Documentation • Jody Gerst and Sterling Brunsvold Video Production • Jody Gerst and Sterling Brunsvold Contractor for Setups • Sean Linville On-site Cooking • Aerick Lim and Sean Linville Downloadable Stat Blocks • Adam Smith and Aerick Lim Marathon Locations • Adam Smith (NJ), Cheryl and Chris Smith (NJ) Musical Supplementation • Aerick Lim, Sterling Brunsvold, and Adam Smith Paint Work for Iconic Miniatures • Blue Table Painting (bluetablepainting.com; artist: Lizz)
Special Thanks • Wesley Schneider and Adam Daigle for giving us the chance to share our journeys with the world, Jim Groves for his advice and time, along with Louisa Morris and Alizah Allen for supporting Alahazra and Feiya in this endeavor. Also, Michael Gentile for providing us with a second GM's trove worth of gaming supplies. We couldn't have done this without you.
Thanks to all of the members of Order of the Amber Die who helped out, regardless of whether they were physically present for The Strange Aeons Experiment. Thousands of miles did not stop our membership from contributing in various ways, and it was much appreciated.
Chapter One The Experiment
The Strange Aeons Experiment What We're Doing What follows is a detailed account of how our Pathfinder gaming association, Order of the Amber Die, is attempting to craft a legendary role-playing experience out of the Strange Aeons Adventure Path. Beginning in August of 2016, with one GM and four core players, we are attempting to play the entire adventure path to completion in six marathon sessions of c.72-hours each, with our estimated time of completion at just nine months. While Order of the Amber Die frequently undertakes ambitious enterprises such as The Emerald Spire Project and The Giantslayer Endeavor, this venture is no different, possessing its own unique spin as detailed on page nine. We have had no fewer than twenty such campaigns over the course of nearly three decades devoted to the world's oldest fantasy roleplaying game, and many of these have been played to fruition near 20th level or beyond. Having the perspective of already having experienced so many full campaigns in the past three decades, this needs to be said out front: we will be lucky to finish this campaign with our personal lives intact. Words cannot express the amount of combined effort it takes to pull off the preparation, play, production and documentation of such a venture. In addition, the sheer number of life-events that occur in the combined lives of many adults has the potential to derail a project of this magnitude. At the start of this campaign, we held a Our namesake: meeting at which these very issues were discussed; it was The Amber Die decided that if we were to fully document this campaign, the utmost level of commitment would be necessary from all involved. As every participant is aware, the uncertainty of such an endeavor and the high level of commitment necessary both help create a thrill that is like no other found in tabletop RPGs. Initially, we will also offer some analysis of each adventure after we play through it, followed by more thoughts on the Strange Aeons Adventure Path in the months to come; as such, this document will remain fluid until after our hopeful completion of the sixth and final adventure. As with all Order of the Amber Die undertakings, the project itself--the way we chose to undertake the adventure path--will receive fair description throughout. Furthermore, this work will serve as a fully documented playthrough of an entire adventure path from 1st level to as high as 18th level. In this regard, we will also be able to provide insight into character class development, efficacy of class abilities, and feedback on magical items utilized throughout. We have listed our session history in this document, and since we play as closely as possible to the way each adventure is written, this should give any group wishing to play the adventure path a fairly good estimate of the time required to complete it. We also intend to provide support and supplemental materials for GMs and groups seeking to undertake the Strange Aeons Adventure Path. Please see our support sections later in this document; our Dropbox will also contain some of the supplemental materials listed, and will be added to after each volume in the path is completed.
Who We Are Order of the Amber Die is an association of Pathfinder players that is dedicated to the authentic completion of published adventures. For our association, authenticity means playing published adventures as closely as possible to the author's original intent, with deviation only occurring for player decisions and actions. We never alter the outcome of rolls, and little benefit of the doubt is ever thrown to our players. The GM uses less creative license in altering the published adventures we play, and instead focuses more effort on bringing the adventures to life as written, while strongly adhering to the Pathfinder rules system. We take enjoyment in comparing the various styles of authorship that are prevalent in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and make it a point to play as many different types of adventures as possible. We have also enjoyed going as far back as first edition and converting old adventures to modern rules in order to play and compare them to current Pathfinder publications. Consisting of the same GM and an active pool of between ten and fifteen players, we have been an association since 1987. To date, Order of the Amber Die has completed 137 published adventures across five editions of the game, and we are very comfortable in our new home with Pathfinder. We place very few limits as to how far we will go, or have gone with this game in the past. Our devotion rides at the front of each project we undertake, and there is no better example of this unswerving loyalty to the game than The Giantslayer Endeavor, The Emerald Spire Project, and The Strange Aeons Experiment.
August, 2016: The members of The Strange Aeons Experiment. Left to right: Jody Gerst as Feiya, Sean Linville as Winter Klaczka, Adam Smith as our ever-present GM, Daniel Scholler as Quinn, Aerick Lim as Erasmus, and Sterling Brunsvold as Alahazra.
Why We're Doing It As with our previous works, The Emerald Spire Project and The Giantslayer Endeavor, our primary desire is to contribute something both meaningful and lasting to the Pathfinder community, as well as the global RPG community. After nearly half a lifetime spent in the relentless pursuit of adventure through the world's oldest fantasy role-playing game, the time has come to give back. It is our hope that sharing our projects with the community will help elevate and reinforce the game's legitimacy as a creative pastime. Growing up as gamers of Generation X, it was only natural for us to hide our early endeavors from the public eye. History was on our side, however, and now it is more acceptable than ever to undertake and document something like The Strange Aeons Experiment. Another highly prominent motive shared by all in the group (regardless of past experience) is the desire to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime gaming experience. After so much time together, we are of the shared opinion that marathon sessions are the truest test of group compatibility and the ultimate form of game-immersion. We've had everything from blowouts to hugs, goose bumps and tears in our marathons, and we've learned through the years that in the middle of the night during a three-day run of Pathfinder or equivalent RPG-anything is possible in the game--and we always come back for more. Our final motivation involves the drive to expand on our experiences with published adventures of an unusual slant. As developer Adam Daigle noted on the messageboards in April of 2016, Strange Aeons 'should be a fun, weird, and scary ride.' Creative director James Jacobs, who originally laid out the adventure path, added to this in June of 2016: 'People who expect to have a pleasant and friendly time visiting lovely and friendly places should probably not play Strange Aeons.' Well, there is nowhere the Order won't go, and we have even fearlessly plunged into such dark material as Gygax's enigmatic chambers in The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun--and still walked out alive. We had no idea what a wyste was in 2004 when our characters struggled just to get their bearings in The Speaker in Dreams, but we took the adventure head on and survived with at least some of the party intact. When it came to one of the weirdest and most disjointed experiences in our collection, we converted Palace of the Silver Princess to v3.5 in 2009, and loved it enough to TPK out three times in a single marathon weekend. Clearly, we have faced a plethora of oddities over decades and editions, and with the release of the 2016 Strange Aeons Adventure Path, we challenge Paizo to take us somewhere stranger.
How We're Doing It Foremost, making this entire endeavor possible is each player involved. They have pooled their talents and resources, devoted their time, and gambled on all of us to pull this off. Since we all have different careers and responsibilities to manage while attempting an enterprise of this size, childless life is the obvious common thread that allows us to devote so much of our time. While it is the job of the GM to continually prepare and guide each venture, the players match this responsibility by managing nearly every logistical factor that arises during a project. Creative work is spread as evenly as possible between the two spheres of player and GM, as whenever permissible we combine our thoughts to improve the overall experience. We hope it is evident to the reader that something like The Strange Aeons Experiment requires commitment to one another that goes well beyond the typical weekend session of a tabletop RPG. Some Order of the Amber Die Member Contributions ♦ Professional-quality printed maps of Ustalav and the AP's towns/cities for all players to use ♦ Custom GM screen complete with the Strange Aeons colors and iconic character art ♦ Professional soundtrack work done by Axion Studios ♦ Thousands of dollars of combined RPG resources are pooled by all players ♦ Professional-quality printed iconic name cards for each player to use throughout ♦ Props, lighting, and ambiance for each module provided by all players ♦ Dark Tapestry songs written and performed by The 9th Filter ♦ Spouses/partners displaced as apartments and homes are offered up for marathon locations ♦ Serious travel expenses, even flying from North Dakota to NJ or driving down from Maine While the players prepare for each coming marathon by taking care of all logistics including food, travel, supplies, sleeping arrangements, etc., the GM's job is to ferociously prepare for the next marathon. As the group is also working on a writeup of each module while trying to prepare for the next marathon, the pace will be frantic throughout. May 2017 will be our first reprieve. [As with all Order of the Amber Die projects, we purposely do not track the amount of caffeine consumed during our experience, though Monster and Starbucks have become part of a regular marathon diet for all.]
Our custom GM screen, provided by Axion Studios, using the official iconic character art by Wayne Reynolds.
The Experiment What happens when you take four players and one GM, who are almost completely ignorant about all things Lovecraft, Elder Mythos, and Cthulhu--and send them through Strange Aeons? We're about to find out. Assembling a team of gamers that could marathon often and also meet this criteria was much harder than expected! We had to turn down so many of our members, that at one point we were about to draft a new member just to fill the project. Fortunately, a retired member who last played in 2002 returned to our roster and fit the criteria--proving that once you play with the Order, you're never really out. Criteria for core players/GM participation in The Strange Aeons Experiment ♦ Must not have read a single piece of Lovecraft's writing, nor any of Lovecraft's contemporaries who also contributed to the Elder Mythos ♦ Must never have participated in a single game of Call of Cthulhu or anything remotely close-even the miniatures wargame Cthulhu Wars was off-limits ♦ Must not have anything more than a familiarity with the words 'Elder Mythos' ♦ Must not have seen any films or viewed any other media relating to Lovecraft, Cthulhu, the Elder Mythos, or even watched actual play of games such as Call of Cthulhu Our GM teaches history and previously had an understanding of Lovecraft's significance in a historical context, which helped greatly in structuring this project (while keeping the membership unawares). Aside from that, each of us has purposely remained ignorant of anything that might spoil the experiment. It's easy to imagine how confusing it can be at times; for example, having 'the elder sign' on our Cthulhu dice set, without knowing what 'the elder sign' actually is. One interesting issue we've come across already is that everywhere we go, people who are familiar with the project try and make references to Lovecraftian monsters or encounters, and we're forced to remind them that we are trying to remain as oblivious as possible--it's awkward. Since it is our goal to try and help the community as much as possible with our projects, it is our hope to be able to offer commentary and reflections about our experiences as Lovecraftian rookies. As such, a portion of each PC's report following each module (detailed later in this document) will be devoted to the describing how 'the experiment' is unfolding for them. We encourage the reader to seek us out on the Paizo messageboards under our thread, The Strange Aeons Experiment, and ask us anything one might want to know about the project, its results, or how any of the modules played out. Obviously anything time-sensitive cannot be discussed until after the material goes live to the community.
Chapter Two The Party
The Party Order of the Amber Die Mantra: There are few absolutes in the world's oldest fantasy roleplaying game. When it comes to party construction, one of the things that we sometimes have an issue with is when players sit down at a table to begin character creation, and they drop an absolute such as 'we need a rogue' or 'we need a cleric.' We have enough documented experience to say that we have seen few absolutes that hold up over the years in this game, regardless of edition. We have witnessed players have just as much fun and success with a party of all bards (let's be a band, everyone pick an instrument!) as they did with the optimized party builds that can be found in abundance online. Our GM stresses that the most important factor in character selection is that a player choose something she will enjoy playing, for there are few worse liabilities than an uninspired player. To this extent, we have tried our hardest to prove throughout dozens of successful campaigns that no one class or party design is absolutely necessary. With the above mantra in mind, our players set out to create characters that would try to succeed at completing one of the most unusual campaigns in their careers. To make this playthrough against unknown entities different from our past experiences, we decided to place additional stipulations on character creation (as seen below). Additionally, as with almost all of our campaigns, we're playing iconic characters; knowing that James Jacobs personally selected the four iconics, we decided to play those exact four. Each player built their character with certain parameters agreed upon: ♦ Each player must select one iconic character from the four featured in the concept art ♦ Each character will be played single-class (no PrC) throughout the entire adventure path ♦ The background provided by Paizo's authors will serve as a guide for character construction ♦ Each player must select one campaign trait from the The Strange Aeons Player's Guide ♦ Each player must select one teamwork feat as determined by the group ♦ Any character that dies and cannot be brought back is replaced by another iconic at 1st level ♦ CRs will not be adjusted down, so if too many characters die, the likely result will be TPK ♦ In the event of TPK, the campaign is over and the Great Old Ones are victorious With these guidelines in place, this project also becomes an excellent experiment or test run for tracking a character all the way to 17th level, as little documentation exists for the single-classed experience to such high levels. Our players intend to share as much as possible in regard to the efficacy of class abilities and other features of their characters, well as any Occult Adventures and Horror Adventures issues that come up during the course of play. Playing iconics had its advantages, and our players have seized upon them with the fervor that would make any GM proud. Each player had their character's exact Reaper
Custom iconic character-placards help our members see each other for who they really are over the next 9 months: Erasmus, Feiya, Quinn, and Alahazra.
miniature, painted to exquisite detail by Blue Table Painting (bluetablepainting.com). Players even came equipped with props such as: Erasmus's harrow deck, spirit board, and grey streaks in his hair (extensions), Alahazra's clouded eyes (contact lenses), Feiya's many occult fetishes, and Winter Klaczka's cowl. Each player was also assigned to track certain data about their character throughout the course of the campaign, so that we might offer up some data to the RPG community: ♦ Alahazra: Use of all Revelations ♦ Erasmus: Use of Spirits and Spirit Surge ♦ Feiya: Use of Channel Energy and damage dealt ♦ Quinn: Use of Inspiration points ♦ Entire Party: Successful Willpower saving throws made as a result of using the teamwork feat, Shake It Off It is our hope that this data will become some of the foremost evidence of the efficacy of certain classes and abilities throughout the course of a single-classed level progression all the way to 18th level. After due diligence given to researching other data contributed by the community, very little exists in regard to a controlled environment such as a 15-point buy, 4 party members, and playing modules as-written and with full implementation of the core rules. In addition, our player-captain provides tracking sheets prior to each marathon, which help PCs manage their data. While tracking data takes extra time to manage, it provides useful information for the community about the functionality of our classes, ensure that our abilities are being used properly, and highlights our overall performance throughout the campaign. Being a professional role-player involves a lot of commitment; as such, there aren't many breaks during a marathon. Even when there is a brief respite, players spend it researching feats, spells, options, managing inventory, and polishing up on their combat rules.
GM's Note: I'm going to add something here, since these guys are reluctant to toot their own horns. The amount of gaming experience present at this table is a record among all Amber Die projects. There is a combined c.130 years of gaming present--and I don't mean just any gaming, since we are all rabid gamers--but this game in particular. I can't wait to see how their skills meet the challenge of not knowing anything at all about what to expect from this Adventure Path. For me as GM, there is serious personal enjoyment in watching players face what I deem to be the ultimate challenge: a campaign of uncertainty.
Erasmus Player Info Name: Aerick Lim Age: 39 RPG Experience: 1990-2016 OAD Published Adventures Completed: 44 Order of the Amber Die Member Since: 2005
Character Info Class: Medium (Reanimated Medium) Alignment: Neutral Race: Varisian human Character Song, Levels 1-10: 'Eon' (Drop Remix) by Celldweller Character Song, Levels 11-20:
Player Perspective Right away I knew Erasmus was going to be a challenge. The medium can be one of the most complicated classes in the game to play, as his statistics are constantly in flux depending on what spirit he channels each day, so I had to prepare seven stat blocks for Erasmus – one in case he doesn’t have time to perform a seance to channel a spirit, then one for each of the six spirits in case he does, so preparing for levels 1-4 to manage time more efficiently during the marathon I prepared 28 stat blocks. Although tedious, this is something that I like to do--and do quite often for Order of the Amber Die—so there were no issues with that. But, ironically, just as I had to prepare for my character to be constantly changing, so was my process to create him: Originally, I built Erasmus using the heroic fantasy 20-point purchase system for ability scores, as is customary to all iconic stat blocks, but my colleagues who recently attended GenCon heard from Rob McCreary that adventure paths are meant to be played by PCs with a standard fantasy 15-point purchase, so I prepared another 28 stat blocks. However, in accordance to his iconic backstory, I gave Erasmus the relic channeler archetype so he could specifically channel the spirits of his deceased family members, regardless of location and the other spirits that would be available there. I also did this to speed up game play since marathon hours are a precious commodity with a limited time to complete each module, eliminating the time the GM would need to spend to decide what spirits are available, as well as the time I would need to spend choosing a taboo. However, my colleagues also ran into Mark Seifter and he expressed how he would like to see Erasmus played without the relic channeler archetype, as the daily GM interaction is what makes the class dynamic. So I went back to the drawing board again, and after another 28 stat blocks his final draft was locked in. As for how to play Erasmus in the game, there were so many potential ways that it was hard to decide. Lacking a strong melee combatant in the group, it seemed necessary to focus primarily on the Champion spirit for the entire campaign. However, wanting to explore the full extent of what the medium could do, I also considered featuring a different spirit for each module of the adventure path, depending on which one would seem the most relevant for each part. But in the end I decided to go with something more natural, playing him closer to the way the medium seemed to be designed, and have Erasmus choose from whatever spirits are available at favored locations in the area, then selecting the one that would benefit the group the most given their current situation. Hopefully this method will prove to be as effective as it is organic to the class.
Alahazra Player Info Name: Sterling Brunsvold Age: 37 RPG Experience: 1996-2016 OAD Published Adventures Completed: 23 Order of the Amber Die Member Since: 1996
Character Info Class: Oracle Alignment: Lawful Good Race: Garundi human Character Song, Levels 1-10: 'Oracle' by Haelos Character Song, Levels 11-20:
Player Perspective No matter how many times you prepare for a marathon, it’s never quite enough. Although we’ve been running our game in this extreme fashion for the better part of 20 years, the idea of putting ourselves through another project similar to Giantslayer is daunting. The Strange Aeons Experiment won’t be pushing for a world record, but still - playing through 3 years of material in 9 months and surviving to the end looms in the distance. Maybe even larger than the pressure to survive is the adventure path itself. The brainchild of Paizo founder and RPG legend James Jacobs, Strange Aeons is likely to be a seminal work for Paizo. Although Rise of the Runelords is the most beloved path, Strange Aeons represents a subculture that has deep and dedicated roots, not only within Pathfinder but in the gaming community in general. Lovecraft has created a fanatical following; his world and imagination have crept into nearly everything Paizo has created over the last decade, from blatant use of the Cthulhu mythos to the tiniest related Easter eggs. Lovecraft and Pathfinder fans (often one and the same) are primed and chomping at the bit for Strange Aeons to be a hit, and the pressure is high. Playing Alahazra was equal parts challenging and exciting. We have yet to see an Oracle in our campaigns and as a player it has been more than a decade since I’ve had the opportunity to play a spellcaster. Although I was required to do a lot more melee than would normally be expected due to the absence of a true fighter, as Alahazra grows in power I suspect my choice to push the boundaries of her revelations will separate her from swinging her staff and instead require judicious and well-timed uses of her abilities, not only for offense and defense, but in ways that many players would not expect. Her spell choices are limited compared to a prepared caster, but her access to all healing spells as well as some tricky options provided by her Time mystery should help keep the party alive when used in conjunction and in complement to the abilities of the rest of the party. We are all looking forward to her Erase From Time revelation in the later adventures, which she now has use of twice a day thanks to the Abundant Revelations feat, and the possibility of ability focus could make the power one of the all-stars of the entire path. Look out Magic Eraser. I’m coming for your job.
Quinn Player Info Name: Daniel Scholler Age: 37 RPG Experience: 1990-2016 OAD Published Adventures Completed: 9 Order of the Amber Die Member Since: 2007
Character Info Class: Investigator (Cult Hunter) Alignment: Lawful Good Race: Mwangi human Character Song, Levels 1-10: 'Trust Me' by Zola Jesus Character Song, Levels 11-20:
Player Perspective Out of the four iconics chosen for this module, Quinn is the best suited for my style and I’m glad to be playing him. As soon as it was announced, I started doing as much research on his class and his background as possible. I had already started building ideas in my head and tossing things around before discovering the psychic detective archetype, which I knew would be very appropriate for this adventure path. It didn’t take long for me to arrange my thinking from extracts to spells, and I spent a few weeks talking with another player and the GM about the direction I wanted to take with Quinn. But after the release of Horror Adventures and then the Strange Aeons Player’s Guide, I went with the cult hunter archetype instead. As much as I would have liked to premiere the psychic detective, this was the perfect opportunity to showcase this archetype instead, as it’s even more appropriate to the theme of this campaign. Furthermore, the Foe of the Strange campaign trait was a nice fit for a cult hunter, and would allow me to play a character that wouldn’t succumb to the fear and madness in the adventure path easily. From there it was easy to work out what skills would be best suited for him, mainly Knowledge, Perception, and Sense Motive, but also a liberal use of Disable Device. I also decided to focus on two-weapon fighting after his first few levels so that I can make the most out of Studied Combat and Studied Strike, and to exemplify how Quinn is often portrayed in the artwork. Making up an advancement plan for the first few levels was actually helpful this time around. It allowed me to make sure that my extract selections weren’t redundant, as well as helping to focus my skill selections. There are plenty of options built into my progressions for things like skills, feats, and investigator talents, but having a framework to build off of will help improve speed and efficiency when gaining levels. I had trouble picking his secondary trait, but I opted into Rich Parents for the ability to improve some of his starting equipment, which seemed appropriate given his background. Being middle-aged on top of a 15point build, his Strength was pretty low so I really had to be careful selecting his adventuring equipment as to not be encumbered. After my initial list was way too high, I had to try and get rid of as much as possible while attempting to keep as close to the iconic portrait. So instead of the clutter, I spent his increased starting wealth on things I normally couldn’t consider at 1st-level, like a masterwork weapon and a health compliment of potions. I look forward to playing Quinn again in the future. I want to try and expand more sides of his personality, and am excited to see what shenanigans the investigator class is capable of.
Feiya Player Info Name: Jody Gerst Age: 38 RPG Experience: 1996-2016 OAD Published Adventures Completed: 9 Order of the Amber Die Member Since: 1996
Character Info Class: Witch (Hex Channeler) Alignment: Chaotic Good Race: Tian human Character Song, Levels 1-10: 'Black Magic Woman' by Santana Character Song, Levels 11-20:
Player Perspective Earlier this year I resumed gaming after a decade-long hiatus. I dusted off my dice, sharpened my pencil, and steeled myself for adventure. The game has certainly evolved since last I played, and Order of the Amber Die along with it. Now there’s an amazing focus on the game that we lacked when we were younger; a solemnity that adds dignity to what might otherwise be dismissed as a nerdy hobby. The six of us in the room had come together for a purpose, not just to play, but to conquer an adventure that promised to be simultaneously entertaining and frightening. My original intention with Feiya was to have her be a negative energy powerhouse. I envisioned being able to channel massive amounts of damage and to supplement with necromantic magic. Then I found out two things that made me have to start from scratch: The first dealt a blow to the strength of her channeling, as the errata restricted me from taking the Extra Hex feat to add damage dice. The second ruled out negative energy and necromancy entirely, as Feiya is chaotic good. Intent on staying with the Hex Channeler archetype (even more so since it was one of the recommended archetypes in the Strange Aeons Player’s Guide) Feiya now channels positive energy and has a much more diverse compliment of spells. During this revision I also gave Daji the Sage familiar archetype, and I have grown quite attached to him in the few days we spent together. My concept for Feiya was that her disturbing upbringing at the hands of the hags left her with an ironically cheery disposition, which also serves as a resilience to the macabre. She still has a bitterness toward the hags that stole her childhood and is distrustful towards strangers, but once someone has earned her trust she is fiercely loyal. A note about ambiance in this path: Where you play usually doesn’t matter, as I’ve gamed in cafeterias, dorm rooms, basements, attics, libraries, and recently outdoors. Yet, there are little touches that can completely change the gaming experience, making the environment more immersive. Never before I have played in a situation where I was in the same obscuring fog my character was. I literally could not see more than five feet. Two fog machines and dozens of candles complimented the effect, then the soundtrack and occasional ambient noise tracks completed the tone. Only a few dreary nights of storms could have made it any better.
Winter Klaczka Player Info Name: Sean Linville Age: 43 RPG Experience: 1988-2016 Order of the Amber Die Member Since: 2014 OAD Published Adventures Completed: 5
Character Info Class: Cleric Alignment: Neutral Race: Changeling Character Song, Levels 1-10: 'All That I'm Living For' by Evanescence Character Song, Levels 11-20:
Player Perspective When I was approached to be a part of the Strange Aeons Experiment I was honored and elated, although because of my working knowledge of Cthulhu and Lovecraft stories I was ineligible to play a PC role. So I waited in eager anticipation hoping an NPC would be a viable option for me in module one, and thanks to Wes Schneider it was. Excited to play the party's first 'sane' contact in the asylum, I jumped into the role. As my first time playing a female AND a cleric, I brought props and other specialty items to help me stay in character, which can be seen in the picture gallery. When Adam gave me the details of how she was to interact with the group, I started researching each little nuance of the character and prepared to play her accurately to how she was written.
Winter Klaczka Player Info Name: Erick Germer Age: 29 RPG Experience: 2006-2016 Order of the Amber Die Member Since: 2006 OAD Published Adventures Completed: 41
Character Info Class: Cleric Alignment: Neutral Race: Changeling Character Song, Levels 1-10: 'All That I'm Living For' by Evanescence Character Song, Levels 11-20:
Player Perspective When Sean had unavoidable schedule conflicts, we tapped Erick with but a few days notice to take on the role of Winter Klaczka. Usually when Erick shows up to a session it's because our GM is giving him the role of some nasty NPC we'll have to contend with, as Erick is the best player-vs.player member in the Order. You can imagine our relief when we found out that Adam had given him the cleric of Pharasma, and we'd have Erick alongside us as an ally instead of an enemy. Winter had a solid performance in The Thrushmoor Terror under Erick's guidance, and we ended up relying on her more than we had originally imagined, including some challenging combats in Fort Hailcourse (see the Grid Gallery section for more info). Erick also played a few cameos in Dreams of the Yellow King, such as Nestor Bindlay, Kelvetta Brix, and viscount's ball attendees.
Winter Klaczka Player Info Name: Savannah Broadway Age: 24 RPG Experience: 2006-2016 Order of the Amber Die Member Since: N/A (guest) OAD Published Adventures Completed: 1
Character Info Class: Cleric Alignment: Neutral Race: Changeling Character Song, Levels 1-10: 'All That I'm Living For' by Evanescence Character Song, Levels 11-20:
Player Perspective This marathon was unique, because joining us at the table for the three-month voyage to Cassomir was a special guest: Paizo alum, author, and editor Savannah Broadway flew from Seattle to NJ to take the role of NPC Winter Klaczka. Savannah bunked in the command center of the Order, a room we call “The Lair,” and it was an honor to game alongside her. We clocked 60 session hours, and even had Savannah with us for the longest day of the AP: a nearly 20-hour run. Her live tweets throughout the marathon helped present the experience for our fans. Not only will we miss Savannah's perfect accent for Winter, but she did something unprecedented by naming our first party after an NPC: Winter's Wolves.
See Savannah's 'Meet the Intern' feature on Paizo.com: http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5ldj9?Meet-the-Intern-Savannah Follow Savannah on Twitter: (https://twitter.com/purplegnomling)
Game Master Player Info Name: Adam Smith Age: 39 RPG Experience: 1985-2016 Order of the Amber Die Member Since: 1987
GM Info Published Adventures GMed: 139 Number of Long-Term Players: c. 40 Favorite Die: The Amber Die (pictured) Most Consecutive 20s: x4, twice, two decades apart GM-Impetus Quote: 'I may lose a battle, but I shall never lose a minute.' --Napoleon Bonaparte
GM Perspective Ever since my older brother took me through A1, Slave Pits of the Undercity, I wanted more--and the only way to get it was to GM. The next day I invited a willing friend who rode his bike over, and I ran the module for him. It was 1987, and I became a 10-year-old game master. I never told my friend, but I didn't really know how to play the game that well, so I just made everything happen the same way my brother had for me (including getting pick-pocketed by the trees) and we had a blast. I soon learned the rules, tried playing it again with other neighborhood kids, and realized the drive wasn't going to go away. Since then, I've devoted a lifetime to bringing published adventures to life, and The Strange Aeons Experiment is my latest attempt. I'm passionate about collecting adventure modules, learning the lore behind each, and most importantly: making the pages breathe. Every childhood family vacation, every university trip overseas, or any dull place I didn't want to be--there was always a module along for the ride. So here we are, where for 29 years I have been the common GM-thread that has woven many different players together throughout 137 adventures. While a few of the players have not overlapped during the years, many have, and lifetime friendships between them have enabled us to build a close and committed group. Though I have been the shared link, there is another common factor that each member experiences while being part of our association, and it is so unique that we are willing to make it our namesake: The Amber Die. Every group has its legendary die that you can hear about in gaming convention crowds, so I will only speak for myself and what my players have seen. The Amber Die is a crystalline 20-sider with an enigmatic substance trapped inside of it, and though it rolls 20s (and 1s) no more often than an average die (some say less), a little too frequently when it does roll them, it does so in x2s and x3s. I have years of old initiative logs and character sheets covered with the scrawling of frantic sessions, where the only thing left after the dust of TPK settles is 'Amber Die: x2 20s, then x3 20s five rounds later.' Yes, it has twice rolled four 20s in a row. I can only tell you that when it happened there was no laughing and screaming as you might expect, only serious faces staring at each other across the room, wanting to be sure each had just seen what actually occurred; I have learned that when the first 20 drops, always show it, as you never know what might come next. Other than these strange outbursts of chained 20s and 1s the die is rather normal, and out of respect for it, I do not roll the Amber Die as often as you would a regular die. However, due to the die being used at the most critical points of an adventure, it has delivered many far-fetched stories and lopsided experiences. It has such a reputation among us that it now enhances our game, and players are on edge when I reach for the Amber Die. Our group consists of gamers who have careers and reputations such that if I was making this up, they would surely stop me; they have all witnessed it, and doubters have always been converted.
Party Roster Progression In Search of Sanity Party Composition: □ Erasmus □ Alahazra □ Quinn □ Feiya □ Winter Klaczka (live NPC where applicable)
The Thrushmoor Terror Party Composition: □ Erasmus □ Alahazra □ Quinn □ Feiya □ Winter Klaczka (live NPC where applicable)
Dreams of the Yellow King Party Composition: □ Erasmus □ Alahazra □ Quinn □ Feiya □ Winter Klaczka (live NPC)
Character Deaths: 5 ► Death #1: (Erasmus) In Search of Sanity: Part 1: 'Dr. Latchke,' a crafty doppelganger who got around our Sense Motive, attacked the party from behind while they were distracted with a haunt. One critical hit from a claw left Erasmus depending on the champion spirit of his sister, Nissa, to guide his fighting retreat--yet the asylum's collapsed walls left the medium no choice but to leave his mortal body behind. ► Death #2: (Quinn) In Search of Sanity: Part 3: 4 iconics with poor Fortitude saves. 3 Ghouls. 9 attacks. 1 missed save. Coup de grace. RIP Quinn. ► Death #3: (Alahazra) The Thrushmoor Terror: Part 3: An assassin, Risi Nairgon, stalked the party around Thrushmoor, seizing our vulnerable moments to strike and get away. After tailing us to a safehouse, she patiently waited on a rooftop for the party to emerge the next morning—sans buffs. Despite sniper's fatigue, she scored a direct hit with a Death Attack on Alahazra: one shot, one kill. ► Death #4: (Quinn) The Thrushmoor Terror: Part 3: Three natural 1s on fear saving throws left Quinn alone facing a Manananggal—a vampiric horror we had yet to see in 138 modules. We could hear his screams while we ran. ► Death #5: (Alahazra) Dreams of the Yellow King: Part 2:
On our first attempt, we botched the Dreamlands occult ritual and allowed an animate dream to follow us out into the real world. It took down Alahazra with a phantasmal killer, and the fight spilled out onto the deck. Skywin Freeling, the ship’s captain (and major NPC), came to our aid--but was put to sleep forever with a crit from the Amber Die. The room was silent when it was over.
PF109: In Search of Sanity. The asylum's shower room would see a terrible conflict between the party and Klades, a one-armed ghast. This self-styled lord of ghouls wouldn't quit his assault until two party members were down. Things got so desperate that when Feiya fell, Daji the familiar leaped from the witch's side and viciously engaged the final ghoul--downing it and ensuring we would see another day.
Chapter Three Campaign Data
Session History Marathon 1: In Search of Sanity Date 12th,
August 2016 th August 13 , 2016 August 14th, 2016 August 15th, 2016
Session Length
Pacing
9:30pm-2:45am 10am-12am 8:45am-12:15am 7pm-4:30am
Intro scene, freed from cells, reached barricade Met Dr. Latchke, allied w/Winter, library research Burned library, lots of haunts; Nightgaunt, Wren Ghouls, oneirogens, 'Bag Lady,' Tatterman
Marathon 2: The Thrushmoor Terror Date
Session Length
Pacing
23rd,
8am-12:30am 8:30am-11:30pm 7am-:2:50pm; 4:50pm-1am 6:30pm-2:30am 9:30am-6pm 8:30am-11:45am
Round trip to Caliphas; Thrushmoor investigation
Sept. 2016 th Sept. 24 , 2016 Sept. 25th, 2016 Sept. 30th, 2016 Oct. 1st, 2016 Oct. 2nd, 2016
Investigation continues, Hailcourse attempt
Assassin, Iris Hill incursion; killed Melisenn Returned to Iris Hill for more clues; found intel 3rd and final Hailcourse foray; research session Second round trip to Caliphas, two PCs raised
Marathon 3: Dreams of the Yellow King Date 10th,
Nov. Nov. 11th, Nov. 12th, Nov. 13th,
Session Length 2016 2016 2016 2016
Pacing
2pm-11:45pm Journey, research, and Razmiran 8:30am-11:30pm Sailing the Sellen to Galt, Dreamlands rejection 7:30am-3:15am*longest of AP Viscount's ball, Enchanted Wood, and Necropolis 9:30am-1am Prison contact, repeat struggles
Marathon 4: The Whisper Out of Time Date
Session Length
Pacing
December 2016
Marathon 5: What Grows Within Date
Session Length
Pacing
February 2017
Marathon 6: Black Stars Beckon Date
Session Length
Pacing
April 2017
Total Hours Played as of 11/13/16: 171 hours, 30min.
Total Session Time to Completion per Module Module 1: In Search of Sanity 44hrs, 15mins
Module 2: The Thrushmoor Terror 67hrs, 15mins
Module 3: Dreams of the Yellow King 60hrs
Module 4: The Whisper Out of Time Module 5: What Grows Within Module 6: Black Stars Beckon
Campaign Timeline Marathon 1: In Search of Sanity Golarion Chronology Arodus
12th -
19th,
4716 A.R.
Pacing Explored Briarstone, found clues, freed patients and asylum
Marathon 2: The Thrushmoor Terror Golarion Chronology 20th-27th
Arodus Arodus 28th-Rova 3rd Rova 3rd-Rova 6th
Pacing Round trip to Caliphas, various random encounters Entire Thrushmoor investigation, evidence compilation Journey to Caliphas, random encounters, raised two PCs
Marathon 3: Dreams of the Yellow King Golarion Chronology
Pacing
Rova 6th- Lamashan 5th Lamashan 5th-Neth Neth-Kuthona 4th
Began research, reached Glass Giver, Skywin killed Sailed the Sellen, attempted dream quests, dealt with madness Arrival Cassomir, sought treatment, completed quests
Marathon 4: The Whisper Out of Time Golarion Chronology
Pacing
4717 A.R.
Marathon 5: What Grows Within Golarion Chronology
Pacing
Marathon 6: Black Stars Beckon Golarion Chronology
Pacing
Total Time Passed on Golarion: 112 days
Random Encounters Throughout Strange Aeons Encounter
Location Details
Spider Swarm x1 : CR 1 Apostles in Orpiment x3: CR 4 Apostles in Orpiment x3: CR 4 Apostles in Orpiment x3: CR 4 Draugr x4: CR 6 Marsh Giant x1: CR 8 Giant Dragonflies x4: CR 8 Saltwater Merrow x1: CR 6 Large Mud Elementals x3: CR 8 Water Orm: CR 10 River Drakes x4: CR 7 Gray Render x1: CR 8 Gray Render x1: CR 8
Briarstone Asylum, Library: Module PF109 Briarstone Asylum, Administration: Module PF109 Briarstone Asylum, East Ward: Module PF109 Briarstone Asylum, East Ward: Module PF109 Journey to Caliphas: Module PF110 Return journey to Thrushmoor: Module PF110 2nd Journey to Caliphas: Module PF110 2nd Journey to Caliphas: Module PF110 Glass River: Module PF 111 Kallas Lake: Module PF 111 Sellen River: Module PF 111 Sellen River: Module PF 111 Sellen River: Module PF 111
In a typical random encounter during our run of In Search of Sanity, the party was returning from an excursion into the northern halls when they ran straight into three Apostles in Orpiment. The enemy was also on the way back to their own base--the cafeteria--and were determined to get through us to get there.
Note: This table was used to track the random encounters our group faced throughout the entirety of the Strange Aeons Adventure Path. All random encounters were generated from the tables provided by the author in the back of each module, and are listed in chronological order as they were encountered. Encounters noted with an asterisk are the unique encounters created by each author and with additional description in the module. Rolls are never adjusted, so a preponderance of the same type of encounter often ends up providing an unusual storyline. In the case of a random encounter table without a frequency, our GM spoke with author Mark Moreland during GenCon 2016, and as the designer of these tables he offered some insights for GMs: Since this is a horrorthemed campaign, rather than roll randomly or worry too much about frequency, GMs should select encounters that serve to enhance the game (obviously out-of-place encounters should be avoided).
Briarstone's Supernatural Weather Weather Type and Chronology
Recurrence Effect (if applicable)
Scalding Rain Scalding Rain Angry Thunder Unpredictable Winds Calm Weather Angry Thunder Unpredictable Storm Unpredictable Winds Unpredictable Storm Calm Weather Scalding Rain
None Recurrence: Chunks of Eyeballs None None None Recurrence: Densely populated city toppling off a cliff Resulted in weather below this row Recurrence: Scraps of Ulver Zandalus's artwork Resulted in weather below this row None Recurrence: Bile
The party opens another door to an outside courtyard, but upon seeing strange weather once again, decides to avoid this open area for now. They wouldn't return until near the end of their Briarstone experience.
Note: This purpose of this table is to give GMs a reference as to how often our group ventured outside during their exploration of Briarstone, and the strange weather they randomly encountered when doing so. As GM I was inspired to include this table solely because I had rarely seen anything like this in 137 modules GMed--it deserves documentation. As always, dice rolls are never adjusted, so a preponderance of a certain type of weather simply becomes our story. If too many 'calm' effects are rolled, then PCs can just assume that things are fairly normal outside Briarstone (except scary supernatural fog), and go on their way. For us, however, that was definitely NOT the case. Whenever a recurrence was rolled, as GM I was allowed to select the exact weather option, and I chose to go with things my veteran PCs had never seen. The worst effect the PCs dealt with was the 'tripping fog;' I played this up as GM, making mysterious dice rolls and acting as if monsters might appear from the fog while so many PCs were prone and struggling to get back up. It worked.
Chapter Four The Soundtrack
The Strange Aeons Soundtrack Setting/Theme/Location/Character
Title & Source
Intro Strange Aeons Theme In Search of Sanity Module 1: Battle of Bloodmarch Hill Easmus: Iconic Medium Alahazra: Iconic Oracle Quinn: Iconic Investigator Feiya: Iconic Witch Winter Klaczka: NPC Strange Aeons Setting Ulver Zandalus Research Background Theme The Tatterman Lovecraftian Setting Welcome to Briarstone/Asylum Setting Asylum Setting/Key Encounter Asylum Setting Insanity Theme Insanity Theme Insanity Theme Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dreams Theme/Dreamlands End Credits
The Awakening (Nox Arcana) The End of the Beginning (God is an Astronaut) Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (Metallica) War Pigs (Black Sabbath) Eon (Drop Remix) (Celldweller) Oracle (Haelos) Trust Me (Zola Jesus) Black Magic Woman (Santana) All That I'm Living For (Evanescence) Dark Tapestry (The 9th Filter) Sweet Dreams (are made of this) (Marilyn Manson cover) Carnage Visors (The Cure) Enter Sandman (Metallica) Cthulhu in R'leyh (Darkraven Fantasy Soundscapes) Welcome (Midnight Syndicate) The Lunatics (taken over the asylum) Fun Boy Three Sleep Tight (Midnight Syndicate) Beyond the Borders of Sanity (Yggdrasil) Questioning My Sanity (L7) Becoming Insane (Infected Mushroom) Dreamsleep (Collide) Nightmares (The Last Dance) Serene Dream (Kidney Thieves) Gamma Goblins (Turtles All the Way mix) Hallucinogen Dream On (Aerosmith) Dreaming Blade (Rhea's Obsession) Wide Awake (Audioslave) Dream Song (Ministry) In My Dreams (Robert Miles) Madman's Dream (Assemblage 23) Strange Days (The Doors)
*Tracks not listed in actual order, and spliced material listed instead on the next page **Module 2 tracks coming soon!
Building A Marathon Soundtrack 'Strange days have found us and through their strange hours we linger alone bodies confused memories misused as we run from the day to a strange night of stone' --The Doors, 1967
Throughout the years, we have tried and thoroughly enjoyed many sound effects in our campaigns, as well as soundscapes and other tools like Syrinscape. A sound effect loop is excellent for a normal length session where the group breaks and returns a week or two later, their memories clear. That same loop played even moderately throughout a 72hour marathon can go from exciting to monotonous faster than one might expect; therefore, soundscapes are applied for flavor when appropriate, but used sparingly. Instead, we have found that playing such long hours are aided by music from our own collections, but with tracks selected to represent aspects of the campaign. As music can be a powerful tool in memory recall, we essentially end up listening to our current and past experiences of the adventure path with each song that goes by. Generally, the GM prepares a lot of the soundtrack ahead of time for NPCs, encounters, items, or even the occasional scene. Players contribute where possible, and the group listens to only this soundtrack throughout the entirety of The Strange Aeons Experiment. Of the different options groups have to choose from, this is the most extreme, as the players will be enveloped by all aspects of the adventure path for the stretch of each marathon. Each player has also selected a song and quote that defines their character for levels 1-10, and these are added to the soundtrack as well. Upon reaching 11th level, each player can select another song that represents any changes and developments in the character's identity. One key element of a marathon soundtrack is length. Since the GM has access to the modules and understands best what scope and theme is being presented, he selects two or three different film or video game scores--perhaps even ambient albums--and splices them together to create a base, and then inserts adventure-specific tracks within. This can quickly turn two hours of module-specific songs into a 6+hour soundtrack to be enjoyed on repeat. It's important to take into account all musical tastes that will be in the room, and this group is pleasantly eclectic. For Strange Aeons, we are using the soundtrack to Pandorum and also Nox Arcana's Cthulhu-themed album Necronomicon as our foundation to splice between adventure-specific tracks. Also worth mentioning is that sources for songs are always withheld until we finish the campaign. What separates this soundtrack from some of our previous works is the addition of dark ambient tracks which serve to both control the pace of play, and also provide the mood for a horrorthemed game. Lustmord's album Where the Black Stars Hang, along with many of Inade's albums have served us well so far in this campaign. Every tabletop RPG group has its own unique collection of talents, and we are extremely fortunate to have both a grammy-nominated music producer and a lifelong composer.
Chapter Five Production Stills
Marathon 1 Production Stills
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Marathon 1 Production Stills
Right: Two sets of Cthulhu-themed dice--both glow in the dark. For this entire marathon, our GM only used these dice, forgoing his other more extensive collection. We have no idea what that Lovecraftian symbol means on each die, but it looks cool. More important though, is the Amber Die, which is charging on 20 at this point during setup. It paid off: In the very first round of the campaign, our GM opted to roll an attack rather than ad lib (which made the dream seem real). The result? Natural 20, confirmed critical--Quinn drops. SOLD!
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Right
Left: This is what a professional role-playing team looks like during setup: all business. There is little idle chatter--especially before campaign launch as seen here. Characters have been worked on for months, any details have been hashed out, so there's simply nothing to do other than get ready for 3 straight days of play. Each player sets up their area in a different way; some prefer to stand the whole time, others never get up. By the time you've spent a few hundred hours together over 9 months, you know everyone's mannerisms. We have fun but we also have to win to continue the path--don't let down the team.
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Marathon 2 Production Stills
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Marathon 3 Production Stills
Having to play an entire volume of an AP in one sitting means that our GM has to prepare almost every encounter in the module ahead of time. He sometimes lives with a module's minis in front of him for weeks before a playthrough.
Marathon 3 Production Stills
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These are some shots of a room sacred to us in the Order. It has been dubbed 'The Lair,' and has long been the creative and command center of the association. Initially, it also doubled as our play space, and the room has seen easily hundreds of hours of campaigns. Directives to the Order are issued from this chamber, the fates of characters decided, and ideas conceived to push our next gaming endeavor. During our current projects, if something happens that separates your character from the group--or if the GM just needs to speak to you alone--it will likely be in this room. Above: The Lair has several different lighting effects possible, for whatever our GM is feeling as he is working on material for the Order. Below: The closet you see here contains a trove of RPG material dating back to 1974. Also contained within is somewhere around $10K in miniatures collected over the course of a lifetime spent devoted to this game.
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Chapter Six Map Gallery
Chapter Seven Module Analysis
Module PF109: In Search of Sanity Part 1: Prison of the Mind 'Welcome to where time stands still no one leaves and no one will moon is full, never seems to change just labeled mentally deranged dream the same thing every night I see our freedom in my sight... sleep my friend and you will see that dream is my reality.' --Metallica describes the PCs' plight, 1986
□ In case PCs are wondering where they can get three doppelganger bodies without having to bring down three of these foes at 1st level, the easiest solution is right in front of them. They can just walk north from the barricade into B11, grab the 3 dead doppelganger bodies there (removing any evidence that the guards killed them), and drag them back to the barricade. Done! You might want to make it a bit harder on them by having York question them at the barricade about how they got those bodies so fast, etc., which would just allow your bluff/diplomacy character a chance to shine. I confirmed this when speaking with author Wesley Schneider at GenCon 2016. □ In case Winter Klaczka's speed should be listed as 20ft, not 30. With STR 8, her light load is 26lbs. □ The map of Briarstone Asylum is just awesome. What better way to master its halls and know it better than your frightened PCs, than to spend some serious time drawing it? Imagine yourself completely immersed in the map for hours, learning every turn, each collapsed wall, and walking the paths of its courtyards. While drawing it you'll have time to plan where doppelgangers might hide after escaping, or just where the unicorn will first appear. Better yet: Think of the looks on your players' faces when they see what you've done for them. Unlike the maps I presented for Giantslayer, this one is a lot more feasible for the GM who is new to drawing their own maps, as it can be done on a single Chessex Mondomat with the slight addition of a side-grid of gaming paper (or another Chessex mat). To make your task easier, I placed a map procedure booklet in our Dropbox, which should help any prospective GMs learn some of the steps involved in producing a map like this. Clear some time, grab some markers, and go for it!
Part 2: The Dead Don't Dream 'I'm lying here in bed am I alive or am I dead? I'm questioning my sanity... am I alive or am I dead?' --L7 captures the Briarstone experience, 1994
□ The Nightgaunt might appear to be a very tough encounter; however, there are a few things to consider that just might save a character's life. Your party should get one last opportunity for ranged attacks even after they get some melee chances on round one when the grapple is initiated. When the Nightgaunt uses a standard action to maintain the grapple, it can then move at its fly speed of 40ft (feature of Nightgaunt); however, upward flight is done at half speed, so that should leave it at elevation 20ft or at best 25ft in the air. The author notes that the fog begins at a height of 20ft, but fog rules are such that the first square is 20% concealment (50% for each square deeper). The Nightgaunt's AC will be lower because it is grappling, so even thrown daggers at -4 for range could still land home, while arrows and crossbows should tag with efficiency--no time to stow weapons here, veteran PCs will know to drop what is in their hands, draw, and fire. If any of these ranged attacks hit, the Nightgaunt has to make a Fly check at DC 10 or lose 10ft. of altitude (fails on a 1 or 2, but we're already scraping here). Assuming they miss, even with a +17 grapple against the frailestlooking character (assuming the PC is not nauseated every single round) that PC should get one chance at to break out and drop at elevation 25ft., one chance at elevation 45ft., and another at elevation 65ft. 6d6 is a ton of damage at this level, but it may leave a PC at negative hp and alive. Higher than 60ft and that's most likely all she wrote. Moreover, the Nightgaunt's light load according to its strength is 100lbs or less. If the 'frailest-looking character' is over 100lbs, then the Nightgaunt's speed is reduced to only 15ft. upward in any given round. One last thing to consider though, is what might break the fall. There are a good number of trees in the courtyard, so perhaps they might reduce falling damage. Maybe assign sections of the courtyard to a d12 roll (cause d12s are awesome) and that is where the damaged Nightgaunt decides to drop the character. Very resourceful players with enough hp to take a big hit might even spread out, look up at the fog around them, and ready an action to run under a falling character to try and break their fall somewhat. These same characters might instead opt to ready a channel energy or healing spell in the case that they are close enough to the dropping PC to reach out and interrupt the fall with a boost to hp (probably what the Nightgaunt did on initial hit). Every point counts. Normally a monster can move itself and another creature at half its speed with a standard action (grapple rules, CRB). Carrying capacity always applies here, so there is a limit to how big of a creature you can move very far in a grapple, with the best being half your speed. The Nightgaunt's ability lets it move at full speed, which is 40. This is reduced by encumbrance if necessary (but maybe not if your character is less than 100lbs), and also reduced by half for upwards flight. So a Nightgaunt that grabs a 120lb human would move only 15ft up and away from the party on the next turn. Still, I think that in a decent number of cases, PC death may occur here. What better way to go out than as the module cover depicts? □ Area C19 was not marked on my map, though it's easy enough to figure out (right of C17).
□ The records room in C17 is a really cool opportunity to give each of your players something specific to their character. By this point in the module, my players were itching to learn anything at all about themselves, no matter how insignificant the details. Taking the time to produce a record sheet on some parchment paper (printed in old font) for your players will go a long way; perhaps even reading it aloud to them in dramatic fashion as they pore over the records might help add to the atmosphere: 'Garundi female, 5'9', 130lbs...patient suffers from amnesia and possesses cloudy eyes that render her unable to see anything but the closest of objects; however, she retains an uncanny ability to see in the dark...patient has twice been found wandering the halls of the east ward at night.' This was Alahazra's just as an example. A little work accomplishes a lot here, and players love when their character is spotlighted in front of the group like this. I recommend doing one for each PC, and not leaving anyone out. If you don't want to read it, just hand each to the player doing the searching, and enjoy their reactions.
A collection of item cards we used, each of which is applicable to In Search of Sanity. Playing iconic characters has its advantages; our GM utilizes the Iconic Equipment Decks in item cards he gives out, so it is possible your character might find an item in the adventure (example: a random sword +1 in the module text) is your specific iconic item.
Part 3: Never-Ending Nightmare Memorable Quote Quinn, upon first seeing Wren Elbourne: 'Helllooo doctor!'
□ Zandalus is listed as having a phrenic pool of 3; however, it should actually be 0. He has the abomination discipline, which uses his Charisma instead of Wisdom. Since he is the part of the final encounter and is a psychic, you'll likely want him to have some kind of phrenic pool. Perhaps switching his Wisdom and Charisma scores is the easiest solution. Also, his detect thoughts should have a DC of 14, not 10. □ In case you're looking for the descriptions of some of the Tatterman's abilities or special features, he is a nightmare creature, so you can find those abilities described on p. 204-205 of Bestiary 4. □ The Tatterman. He's been discussed a bit on this thread, but having GMed him already I'm going to reinforce what I initially felt about him: This is a very deadly opponent. I could go on about DR 5, regeneration, spell-like abilities, decent AC, good HP, resistances, strong saves, strong melee, and more--but we'll leave that to the rest of the thread. If you spend your first round kicking off his Frightful Presence on top of the Fear aura, you might clear half the room of PCs. Suggestion should take care of another one, and you could be down to a one-on-one against the Tatterman. Amusing. Let's assume they make their saves, and surround the Tatterman as he emerges from Zandalus. With fly (perfect), he can 5ft. step and stay above them, using some of the rubble to hamper them while attacking from higher ground at all times; your goal here is to minimize the number of attacks per round coming from PCs. The best part is the finale though: use Feign Death. Incredibly, it's an immediate action, which makes selling it to your players even easier, and the Will save to notice it is actually pretty decent considering their level (plus they've got to physically interact with the body). Many horror baddies (Jason or Michael Myers come to mind) have the boogeyman getting up--again-and have to be beaten one last time. If you've got too many veteran players, when using Feign Death make the PCs roll for something else or just have them roll an extra will save each round for no reason throughout the combat, as you've got to throw off their metagame. When the Tatterman 'goes down' with Feign Death, cheer along with the PCs, slap their hands, and congratulate them. Then sit down, act normal, ask them if they spread out to search the room or whatever your normal procedure is (keep the attention off the Tatterman). Oh, and truly enjoy their reactions when the Tatterman gets back up--this is a horror campaign, after all.
Module PF110: The Thrushmoor Terror Part 1: Return to Thrushmoor 'This road is paved with tricksters and fools oh deceivers The gravel's loose so tighten up your shoes...' --Lynx warns us of the Neutral Evil town of Thrushmoor, 2010
□ There was a ton of role-playing potential here; in fact, the players actually got behind schedule in our marathon, as they were enjoying the unique situation of being amnesiacs in a place that remembered them. Your rookies and intermediate role-players should have their hands full managing these encounters anyway, but some of the author’s events offer a chance to surprise even your veterans. Better yet, pick your best role-player for this encounter: Keldrin Mon. To surprise my grognard, I started by describing the party walking down the street in a typical return trip to the Sleepless Agency. As I did so, I came out from behind the screen and pretended as if I was headed to to grab something from the room adjacent to our play area. Coming close to where he was standing at our table, I then began to describe a man who walked past the party—turned to regard Erasmus— and then IG and out-of-game grabbed him with “Hey! I haven’t seen you in forever, Ras!” You might want to adjust Keldrin’s speech to fit someone whom you think would have been capable of being close friends with your PC; also, have several potential lines for Keldrin worked up and practiced in your head so that you don’t stumble—it’s really important that you are confident and “normal” the way Keldrin would come across at first. Your PC, on the other hand, might be the one stumbling here by being forced into a live situation that is exactly identical to their character. I did go so far as to grab my player and give him a semi-hug from Keldrin, who was excited to see him; you’ll have to gauge your player here to know whether they will be comfortable with something like this. No matter how your player manages their way through the encounter, you might want to give a “Hmmmm…” (as if judging how they played their reaction out) followed by “Okay, let's go ahead and make a diplomacy check.” Aerick (playing Erasmus) actually responded as well as I could have hoped, and the other players said it was their favorite role-playing encounter to watch, as I had him on the spot for a good 35 minutes or so. Pull this one off right, and all the players at your table will gain a level of OOG role-playing XP.
Part 2: Missing Magistrate Memorable Quote Itsqaal-Thoal: '(incomprehensible Aboleth dialect)' Feiya: 'That's right, I'm a different kind of Briarstone Witch.' □ Fort Hailcourse is likely to take a couple of attempts for your PCs to completely clear out, and yet contains intelligent enemies capable of mounting a proper defense once they know what they’re up against. Also, consider how your PCs might get into the fort to begin with; after all, the front doors are a serious pair of doors for this level of party. Following each incursion, while the players would plan their next attempt, I put myself in the position of both the skum commanders (as well as Tilsitari) and made a list of all my available forces. Consider where you will reassign certain units; in addition, remember the abilities you have access to. For example, if you have all four dogs available after the first incursion, you might want to consider spreading them out at different points in the fort (each with a handler or tied to a piece of furniture) where they can employ their scent ability against invisibility and the like. By the third incursion, I played a loose defense, using runners to alert the whole of my forces and bring them to bear against the PCs as soon as possible. Having intelligent undead as shock troops really helps with this. Lastly, be sure to remember that there is some contact between Iris Hill and Hailcourse, so depending on where you are at in the module and what enemies are left at the manor, you may want to change the way future events play out.
Part 3: Against the Cult of Hastur 'Tell no one about it they don't need to know I'd chalk a line around it... keep me quiet, honey and I promise to tell no one about you.' --True Detective accompanies our investigation of Melisenn and the secretive Cult of Hastur, 2015
□ Risi Nairgon. This assassin gives you the potential to add a great deal of stress and tension to your players’ experiences in this module. Key to doing this is keeping her alive. Remember that even if your PCs adjust to some of her tactics (mine starting walking around withglitterdust ready and see invisibility running), a good old-fashioned stealth check gets around a lot. After a couple of days, she may become familiar with the PCs’ movements, and you could always have Risi tail them just to see if one of them breaks off from the group for any reason—and then have her strike. She won't likely last long in combat against your whole party, so be prepared for her to run between buildings, dash into a crowd, even leap into some water if that’s nearby; as soon as she has line of sight obstructed, she can attempt another Stealth check. Don’t forget to adjust -1 per 10ft. of distance on Perception checks to spot Risi, and if she has the time to set up a good hiding spot, depending on how you’re playing Stealth she may be able to take 20 on a Stealth check. Just having her out there lurking, with the party never knowing when the next Death Attack might come—even with the low Fort save on it—they will become paranoid that anyone could botch the roll and perish if it becomes a pattern. When combat breaks out, don’t be tempted to stand and fight multiple PCs, as Risi is far more important to your story alive than dead (regardless of her condition). With Risi alive and unaccounted for, there is the ever-present thought of an intelligent foe hunting your character, capable of delivering death in a single shot. Get ready to enjoy watching your PCs take fearful precautions, such as boarding up windows in their sleeping area or peeking around every corner. Risi should even have them afraid to return back from incursions on Hailcourse or Iris Hill when they’re low on resources or out of buffs, as those are perfect times to strike. If you have metagaming PCs who will try and listen for the number of sneak attack dice she rolls, just toss your 6-siders with about 10 other dice (not d6s) and only count up the applicable dice. Sure, they can track the damage count, but it will take them longer to figure out the average amount that Risi does (as opposed to hearing just 4d6 drop behind the screen). All they have to do is “activate” her by asking too many questions at Iris Hill, and the assassin is all yours from there.
Module PF111: Dreams of the Yellow King Part 1: The Sellen Passage 'Observing the shades, interpreting the signs; reporting the patterns row by line...' -- Maynard Keenan captures the long process of occult research while sailing the Sellen, 2011
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Module PF111: Dreams of the Yellow King Part 2: Dream Quests 'This horrible dream a horrible nightmare A wonderful dream a wonderful nightmare This toxic mind provoking all hostility Frail on the outer side, anxiety Afraid of what I'm capable of damaging Manifestation of a mental disease, Diffuse it Destroy it Abuse it and enjoy it...' --The dreamlands experience--from treasure to madness--as told by Ayria, 2003
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Module PF111: Dreams of the Yellow King Part 3: Return to the Yellow King Memorable Quote Winter, unsure of what to say to Orsephellius the shadow dragon: 'Um, yes, we are here from the space prison health and safety committee. We just came from the next rock over. Please present your papers.' Adam (GM): 'Okay...roll your bluff check. Then roll initiative.' □
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Left: The last stand of Risi Nairgon. She launched her last Death Attack from invisibility and while we were distracted by cultists and a swarm.
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Above: After two failed attempts to take Fort Hailcourse through conventional spider climb/invisibility assaults on the ramparts, the party defers to the daring suggestion of trying to come up from underneath the building. Below: By ending small combats quickly, the party manages to open the most important melee with some surprise. Two skum go for reinforcements, while the rest summon nearby allies and move to intercept. A grease spell made this battle a tactical challenge as well (blue squares marked), with strong grid-play required to advance.
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Above: Just as the party managed to press into the room and go on offense, three undead mercenaries arrived from behind. Below: The grease managed to slow up some of the undead on the party's flank, but more juju zombies--accompanied by dogs--now through their weight into the fray as well. Itsqaal-Thoal can be seen retreating up the stairs to recover. Right: With the win nearly secured, Tilsitari the soulsliver now had no choice but to emerge to try and change the tide. She came down the stairs as Feiya, and for a moment everything seemed to stop as both witches stared each other down. A surprising critical hit prevented the soulsliver from surviving the fight though, and the party was victorious. Third time's the charm.
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Featured here are two attempts at assassination by Risi Nairgon. Above, we see the party exploring old chapel, moments before Risi fires from invisibility. Below, we see Risi after she has just taken a shot from a sniping position. Neither attempt was successful, but the assassin did escape into the woods (above) and the water (below). Her time would come.
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Chapter Nine Player Perspectives
Player Perspectives on In Search of Sanity ► Aerick (Erasmus): Although In Search of Sanity was exactly what I expected in a deranged and creepy way, which is sort of deranged and creepy of me to say, I was still unnerved the entire way through. This is surely a “Rated R” adventure path, and the amount of gore, disgustingness, and overall depravity was evident early on. Aside from the overall paranoia brought on by the fugue state, more and more elements kept getting introduced to escalate our fears as players as well as for our characters. First, there were doppelgangers, and not only did everyone else in the asylum not trust us, we would be fools to trust them too. Then there were the unpredictable inmates-turned-apostles of a long-term lunatic. We tried to escape, but the fog outside revealed silhouettes of terrible things, accompanied with even more horrific sounds, so on top of all the insanity around us we were also trapped! So we found ourselves exploring the asylum for clues how to escape, or rather how to defeat the evil presence that was preventing us from doing so. Fortunately we were able to form an alliance with other survivors, the most notable being a visiting cleric named Winter Klaczka who was sent by the Royal Accusers of Ustalav to investigate the hat was going on here. Although she knew little more than we did, we were grateful for a safe haven amongst a few remaining guards and a handful of benevolent patients who made it to the chapel before the mists arose. Pushing on, we soon found something very promising – a library containing a vast amount of lore, not only about the history of the asylum, but so much more. That is, until I burnt it down. But that’s another story, and a sad one, which I’ll leave to the living document to recant. Anyway, it soon became evident that the only way out was the way we came in, and that we had to once again face our greatest fears, not on the battlefield, but within our own minds. So, armed with less than ideal knowledge of our enemy, we had to steel ourselves and face him with the only thing that still had left: each other.
► Sterling (Alahazra): As a player who is part of a group of 4 PCs and a GM who have almost no knowledge of Lovecraft and his world, starting In Search of Sanity I had only the expectation that we would be afraid, lost, and possibly driven insane. Our goal was to show the gaming community that even a group of people who have only heard Lovecraft’s name whispered in dark corners could be drawn into the Strange Aeons story line just as easily and completely as rabid fans of the Cthulhu world. Knowing that the first of our possible six marathons would be in a Wes Schneiderdesigned asylum made things all the more exciting and we were sucked in from the opening scene. With candles and lanterns flickering in the darkness casting long shadows over a map of the asylum (almost 8 feet long and 5 feet wide that took more than 30 hours to draw), we crept through collapsed hallways and abandoned wards bumping into things that go more than “bump” in the night. Without too many revelations, the asylum was a brilliant maze that had our party worried and on edge for the entire weekend. A wonderful balance of puzzle solving, role-playing, combat, and horror were spread judiciously throughout the entire adventure. It was an amazing feeling to experience situations, problems, and monsters that none of us had ever been exposed to. One of our main goals in the Order is to seek out fresh and new experiences, which is increasingly hard to do with a combined gaming experience of more than 100 years between the five people in the room, and yet, In Search of Sanity delivered in spades. Adding to the complexity and freshening of this experience is our choice to again play four of Pathfinder’s iconic characters, this time using the iconics that were personally chosen to go on the path by James Jacobs. Despite some trepidation from a few of our party members, and some difficulty due to the lack of a true BAB character, it seems like our decision might have been right on the money and that Jacobs was incredibly calculating in his choices both in flavor and practical skill application. After making it through the adventure with only two deaths, I think we are all very excited to see what these specially chosen cast members will be capable of as the mystery unfolds.
► Dan (Quinn): If the first module was an indication of things to come, then my wildest dreams will be incapable of capturing all the greatness in this adventure path. In the opening scene, our GM rolled a natural 20 with the Amber Die against me (his first roll of the campaign) which set the mood of horror and agitation that would resonate for the rest of the module. Paranoia, fear, disgust, and confusion ran rampant from that point, pushing both myself and my character to question his memory, sanity, and conscience. By the end of the adventure I was glad that I was playing a lawful good character, otherwise I would have walked away with many more scars than I already did. There are many different points of awesome in this module, I’m not sure how to pick the best ones. Discovering the library inside the asylum--including the battle against the ratlings within-belongs at the top of the list. Not only were we able to shut down the casters in that fight with some
amazing teamwork, but the researching we were able to do was really helpful, considering we have two characters with a lot of Knowledge skills. Unraveling the mystery of how our characters came to the asylum was another highlight for me, especially since I love being able to piece together notes and use my character’s skills in that manner. Plus, we had only scratched the surface of the mystery and it only left us with more questions and doubts. It was amazing to see different pieces of the adventure come together that could have gone horribly awry at any moment and changed the outcome of this path. Thankfully, our insistence of finding out as much as we could and our desire for role-playing encounters was able to save us in the end. That’s definitely something I learned during this module. The only way to appreciate the horror that your characters are going through is through role-playing and really putting yourself in their shoes. By the time we destroyed the BBEG, I was disturbed by this module more than I had anticipated. Strange Aeons has been a pleasant surprise for me. Not only did it exceed my expectations through design and construction, but also in how much it would unnerve me as a player. There were things in this module that I haven’t seen in 20+ years of playing the game. I was the first one to have to make a sanity check in the real world, and I failed miserably; on my first night alone, my brain wouldn’t stop processing information and forcibly woke me up when I tried sleeping. To me, that’s a sign that a great adventure is unfolding, and even though I was the only character to remain dead at the end of the first module, I wait with bated breath for the continuation. ► Jody (Feiya): As for the adventure, it delivered on its promises. Despite considering myself relatively non-emotional, it evoked fear, horror, and perhaps a touch of insanity. I was alternately afraid, elated, and disgusted. I found myself saying, “Feiya is crying” more than once as it echoed where I was emotionally. Starting in a fugue state was fun and frustrating, and in the beginning I sat wondering if I even knew my fellow adventurers before we ended up in the Asylum. What were our relationships? What circumstance brought us together? Were we friends? Adversaries? The opening of the module sucked me into the story, and the clues we uncovered along the way moved the plot along in expert fashion, even including a riveting setup for the next module. The characters we met and the ways in which we met them were well conceived and delivered. We heard the name of our presumed antagonist, the Tatterman, before knowing we even had one, and we saw the work of the ‘Bag Lady” before knowing there was also a serial killer loose in the asylum. Feiya nearly died several times, but what felt worse was watching members of my party lose their lives. Against the many ghouls, there was one time when I was paralyzed by one and stood helpless, then after coming out of it having to drag one of their bodies across the asylum five feet at a time. It was draining. But as it seemed like we would never reach the safety of the chapel, we eventually remembered there was a wheelchair nearby! This provided a better means of conveyance, as well as some much needed comic relief, as Feiya and Alahazra hauled the boys at breakneck speeds down the corridors. Less funny was being yanked up into the fog by a leathery-winged,
faceless foe and then dropped presumably to my death. Unable to do anything, I screamed until I hit the ground. I was certain I was dead. But the NPC cleric, Winter, had been readying an action to channel energy, hoping that I would fall within its radius, and as I did she saved me from a gruesome death. But what really hurt was accidentally burning down the library. It was heartbreaking. All that knowledge lost! We did get some background information on the Asylum beforehand, but there was potentially so much more to find. Some of my favorite things in the module were the haunts. Having to cross back through the bird room had me so scared that would begin to levitate me again, so I ran through ignoring any potential danger ahead. The river of blood left me totally grossed out and needing a shower…there was so much, and it never stopped! Where did it all go afterwards? So creepy. These were my first encounters with this mechanic, which worked so well with the setting, adding to the mood, and enhancing the experience. As awful as this sounds, I’m actually excited to see more. Overall, I loved it. Despite lack of sleep and a continuous caffeine overload, my first major marathon was a huge success. We beat a module in an extended weekend. We found a smattering of magic items, a +2 shortsword named Red Destiny, a ring of sustenance, a couple of cloaks, amulets, and a tome of dream magic. Four levels gained through dozens of difficult encounters, we left the asylum with more questions than answers. I’m definitely looking forward to the next five marathons. ► Sean (Winter Klaczka): Right from the start of the game, I smiled to myself as I watched the horror, dismay, and even fright portrayed by my fellow Order of the Amber Die members. I particularly liked the 'Doppleganger Effect' that was truly well performed by the GM, creating an immediate danger and mistrust of everyone the group encountered. Though I had a good idea of what was to happen, I too was totally surprised when they ran into some never before seen creatures. Due to certain situations in the game, I wasn’t able to spend a lot of time at table exploring the asylum with the group, although I certainly feel like Winter significantly influenced the outcome. I’m looking forward to the next marathon when she’ll likely see more action, and hope to bear the mantle of Pharasma to greater heights as the fate of the group may rest in her hands!
Player Perspectives on The Thrushmoor Terror ► Aerick (Erasmus): While the first module allowed Erasmus to excel, with all the haunts and other paranormal activity throughout the asylum, the second module was primed for Quinn to shine. Working hand-in-hand with the Sleepless Agency, the first part of this adventure was a riveting mystery waiting to be solved. Spending most of the first two days of the marathon role-playing, we covered a lot of ground and I believe we completed most (if not all) of the detective work. But this was no normal mystery. After dispatching a druid whom people believed was the Briarstone Witch, we thought that we were in the clear. Later that night as we were returning to New Chapel to rest at, an incorporeal old woman with tentacles floated towards us from the empty streets, moaning horribly. Playing the medium, I thought this was well within my wheelhouse, so after winning initiative Erasmus stepped out in front of the group and said “Everyone behind me, I will protect you!” then cast a calm spirit spell on it. It looked like a spirit, sounded like a spirit, but apparently it wasn’t. After the spell had no effect, he turned to the group again and said, “On second thought…RUN!!!” It turns out it was some sort of aberration and although it was incorporeal it wasn’t undead, even though it possesses some undead abilities, which we found out after it assaulted Quinn and did some significant ability damage. We tried to fight it briefly, but even with magic weapons we were still only dealing a 1d4 or 1d6 damage, and against a creature with DR 10 it became obvious that it was hopeless so we fled. The next parts of the module were more action-packed, as we had to infiltrate not one, but two fortifications to uncover the agenda of the cultists of Hastur, how Count Haserton Lowls was involved, and how to stop them all from doing any further harm. Our foray into Fort Hailcourse didn’t go so well the first few times. Suffice to say our planning could’ve been better, as could our die rolls, but that’s just how things go sometimes. Once again, we had to get out of there in a hurry to regroup and reassess. Our incursion at Iris Hill went much better. It was as frustrating as it was grueling, but eventually after many long hours we finally found what we were looking for and brought down the cult. However, the Count had been long gone, and with several solid leads we were determined to pursue. But before we did, we still had to escape the grounds of the manor and found ourselves fleeing from living topiaries that we didn’t fare well against on our way in. Already badly wounded, we barely escaped. On that note, there is a big difference between a tactical retreat and fleeing. If the group gets into an encounter that's a little over their heads due to lack of resources, or suddenly finds one or two of their members down and dying, it's often wise to retreat. However, in both modules so far especially this one - sometimes running away is the only viable option. On several occasions, we were well over 50% of resources with the whole group in good health, but after identifying a creature
and seeing what terrible things it could do after only one or two rounds, it because obvious that we were out matched and chose to live to fight another day. With some of us at 7th level, we hope that we’re now capable enough to handle ourselves in most situations, so we’ll be able to stand and fight more often than not during the next module.
► Dan (Quinn): Going into this module was a little rough for me. With my character dead and not knowing if we would be able to raise him, I was forced to consider the possibility that my adventures with Quinn would be over, but thankfully we were able to spare the time and money to bring him back. He was part of the original four, so considering the fugue state, if we lost him we would’ve also lost a part of the story that we had yet to uncover. Plus, there was an interesting little surprise waiting for me when I opened my eyes and came back to life… This was, yet again, another shockingly new horror to experience in this adventure path. I was able to drop hints through roleplaying that something wasn’t quite right with Quinn, just by drawing attention to the fact that I looked a little stiffer than usual and wasn’t moving as quickly as I should. But my favorite part to roleplay during this was the insatiable hunger I was carrying around. I had a blast walking into different areas and asking for food, even if I had just finished a meal an hour before. Or walking around with fish and food in my bag, and having the other PCs catch me reaching into my haversack and grabbing a snack, I was even sharing with Daji. It became a bit of a running gag, and added a little levity to a tense situation for both our characters and players. Although, the next time I had gone into the negatives during combat caused another progression to the disease. Not only did I wake up with an even stronger hunger than before, I developed a stench that would not go away. It has been both a hindrance and a boon, since it actually started in the middle of our first raid on Hailcourse. If it weren’t for that, I believe our first combat would have gone much worse than it actually did. The growing hunger is what frightens me the most, it is still controllable but I’m concerned about the day when I am no longer able to control it. I’m excited to see how this condition presents itself further in the campaign but hope that at some point we can figure out a means with which to cure it. The investigation during the first part of the adventure was very exciting and tense. We walked into a town, not remembering having been there and not knowing what to expect as a welcome. I can’t say that I was very surprised at the cold reaction that we received from the townsfolk, especially after hearing stories of our behavior while working for Count Lowls. As much as I enjoyed uncovering some of Quinn’s past, it was a little nerve wracking walking around a town that hated or feared you and having no clue as to why. It was only a slight shock to me when I had heard that Quinn had started a major bar brawl over a perceived slight to his boyfriend. Actually, it took me a moment to realize what my GM had said to me and process it. Not only did I have a violent past to makes amends for, but I also had a boyfriend of which I had
no memory of. I love how nonchalant Adam was during the actual reveal of Quinn’s sexuality, and how none of the PCs or major NPCs seemed to blink an eye. We knew going into this that Quinn was gay, even if it wasn’t publicly known, and were excited to showcase this during our playthrough. To me this was the best way to handle the reveal, as it was just another part of his character. At least I knew that during my worst days of the past, I was still “honorable” enough to defend the person I cared about. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to uncover his identity, so there is an unknown individual with what seems to be a fairly deep connection to me wandering around. Our investigations went well during the first part of the module, and even though I as a player was certain that some of these were dead ends, we as characters needed to make sure we did everything to both get back into the town’s good graces and to make sure we had all the information we could. There were a few times during the module when I regretted my alignment, but I made it through and it helped me grow as a player. It’s easy to solve problems with violence, threats, and crime, but to have to do these through the proper channels provides an opportunity to expand on my playing skills. It was exciting to uncover more clues as to what our character’s past was, how we interacted with the town, and what was actually happening in Thrushmoor as well as with Count Lowls. Some of the random encounters that we faced were brutal, and either forced us to rethink our strategies or to run with our tail between our legs. There was one particular monster that brutalized us and was way beyond our skills, I was more than glad to run from it to survive. Even though we did miss a few little bits of information, all in all we did a good job with the investigation and were able to find out what was needed to formulate an attack plan. Fort Hailcourse was a nightmare for our group. It was a plan made of desperation and exhaustion, and not our best time as a group. I had anticipated it being difficult, but I think that was compounded by trying to take the “easy” way into the fort. Had we done a little more reconnaissance and planning, things would have gone differently. Although, had we done it the “proper” way, our excursion into Iris Hill would have been made that much more difficult. Thankfully the group was able to go back inside the Fort, even being down a PC or two and complete it. It was able to soothe the wounds a bit, and also gave us the ability to make up for the money we lost through our first few. Being the treasurer for the party hurt during this module, I had to watch a bunch of gold and items be sold or traded for temporary buffs that unfortunately were necessary for our group to succeed. One thing that has been made abundantly clear for our group during this module is that it is really difficult to know how challenging an encounter will actually be. There were multiple combats that lasted 20-30 rounds, damage resistance being our biggest setback. I also missed having a heavy hitter in the group through many of these combats, the lack of consistent high damage output led to the combats being extended and harder to defeat. Plenty of times, if it hadn’t been for lucky low rolls from the GM and the group’s ability to heal, I fear that the outcome would have been different. Once I was able to get Studied Combat and Studied Strike going, it made things a little better as long as I could hit. Inspiration points are hard for my character
to come by, and I’ve had to use them as sparingly as possible. There have been a few times that they have successfully saved me or allowed me to hit, but all in all it’s a resource I’m still learning how to manage. During our first attempt at Iris Hill, we were able to stumble through fairly well. There were a few hiccups during combat and exploration, like the living topiaries and their damage reduction or when I jammed the lock at the guest house to keep the nobles inside from sneaking out behind us. Spider climb during those encounters was a double edged sword, it allowed us to find one of the secret entrances down under the manor, but it also ended up being a little bit of a crutch in regards to making us focus on that being the only way. I think lack of sleep, a desire to push through and get it done, and player blindness caused many of our problems throughout this module. Our stumbling upon the trap door down into the ice cellar was one of our better accidental finds. It allowed us to escape having to go through the inner parts of the main manor while still being able to somehow find out way down to the main boss. Thankfully we found the secret door behind the bas relief in the crypt, or I guess I should say Daji did, because I don’t think any of us would have been able to. That allowed us to climb downstairs and kill who we thought was Mellisen, even though at the time and after didn’t have concrete proof of that. This was yet another long rounded combat, and gave us an opportunity to note where our group is lacking ranged attacks and DR - although we were able to outheal her channel negative energy bursts with multiple channel positive energy bursts of our own, plus make the saves against the all the spells she threw at us. Were it not for her ability to fly, the combat would have been much quicker. There was a point during the combat where we were all left with running after our thrown weapons and using them, or helping a character load a heavy crossbow. Quinn was fittingly able to land the final blow on her, and end her reign of terror in Thrushmoor; if it hadn’t been for a few clutch rolls, and a long arm extract, that fight would have been even longer. We ended this marathon on such an odd note; we had won but not fully, I’ve never dropped the module’s BBEG and not known whether it was truly them or where we should be going next. This brings me to our continuation during the next weekend, to clean up Iris Hill and possibly make another go at Fort Hailcourse. We had gone into this with fairly high hopes and determination to not make the same mistakes happen. The living topiaries again caused us some grief, even though we were prepared for them. The assassin had shown up again and also the nobles that we had thought left previously, reappeared to cause grief. Our struggle with the assassin would finally be over later in the manor, but during this battle her presence on the opposite end of the battlefield studying us was a harrowing time. Everyone was able to make their saves, the nobles dropped fairly easily (thanks to a few key saves vs suggestion from Erasmus), and the topiaries were handled for the most part. We ended up sneaking back underground and came up inside the manor. This is where my first mistake, and what proved to be my final one for Quinn during these sessions, was made. After picking the lock on the trap door, I discovered that a large rug was covering it. I knew that
crawling under this rug would probably be a mistake, but I also knew that we needed to get in as quickly and stealthily as possible. I bit the bullet and crawled under, only to be faced with a horror the likes I hadn’t seen before. It summarily wiped the floor with me while my companions were trying to crawl out from under the carpet, and at some point during the combat Quinn dropped to dying again. After making my death save, and a few heals I was up and back in the combat. Only to watch the rest of the party not just fail their saves vs fear, but roll natural 1’s, four of them in the same combat. I was left there on the ground, knowing that Winter had already run and not sure what my compatriots were doing. I went ahead with my plans and watched as the rest of my party summarily ran away panicked. Quinn stood his ground against his adversary, gladly sacrificing his life so that his companions could safely get away and return for revenge. Apparently I don’t have to worry about cults as much as I do the undead. As pained as I was to lose out on all the XP and the experience for my character, I was glad that my death was able to accomplish something for the group and that it was the dice that spoke, not our poor planning. Knowing that everyone else bombed their Will saves helps alleviate some of the guilt I feel for dying, no matter how strategic we had been in our entrance, it wouldn’t have mattered because of the fear. I’ve learned that when the dice speak that loudly, I have no recourse but to stop, listen, and process. Lastly, I’d like to say that I’m glad that I was given the opportunity to not only play Quinn, but also to be the one that was able to reveal his sexual identity. From the moment I found out this information, I had started to mull over in my head the ways in which it would be proper to reveal his sexuality and how I as a player would handle it. It was also important to me that during my playthrough I acted true to the character and not make him into a walking stereotype. I believe I was able to do that successfully and, more importantly, was able to put his sexuality out there without it being too obvious. It was a fine line for me to walk, especially with how my own coming out happened always looming in the back of mind, but this was an honor that I always took seriously. It is unfortunate how under represented the LGBT community is in the RPG industry, as well as in gaming material, and I hold Paizo in the highest esteem for their commitment to being inclusive. Most companies I know of are welcoming and supportive of the community, but one of the things that makes Paizo great is their usage of LGBT characters as both NPCs and Iconics. They have strived to make these characters both believable and likeable, putting them in spots where these qualities will come out. It’s important to me that there are characters out there for our community to identify with, and I want to make sure that I do Quinn justice as both a gay man and an Iconic. ► Jody (Feiya): Thrushmoor is a lively town full of colorful characters, but also with terrifying horrors lurking in every alleyway. The townsfolk are standoffish to us, and it’s a weird feeling to have a reputation and not remember earning it. It’s even weirder to realize that in your previous life you were a ruffian, especially when it goes against your current alignment. To the people of Thrushmoor, “I” am one of the monsters lurking in the alleyway waiting to spirit them away never to be heard from again, “I” am the Thrushmoor Witch, although a kinder, gentler one than they realize. So now I feel like I owe a debt to the
people of Thrushmoor, and must atone for my previous behavior. It doesn’t matter that I don’t remember doing it because they remember, and in their minds I am something to be hated. I’d like to say it’s not ego that drives me. I want to do good because I think that’s the person that I am and I want to be viewed by others as I see myself. When I awoke in the Briarstone, no one knew me. I developed an opinion of myself as a good person that wound up in a bad situation, but now I’m questioning that. Who am I, really? Sadly, getting out of the aslyum didn’t get us out of the fog. Thrushmoor is blanketed with the stuff, and the constant rain added to the dreariness. Regardless, the town became our home for a few days, though alternating nights sleeping in the New Chapel and the Sleepless Agency left me wanting a real bed. We eventually earned enough credit with the Silver Wagon Tavern that they offered us rooms, and we should have taken them up on that offer. My back would have thanked me for it. However, we didn’t exactly get to decide where we were sleeping. More than once we found ourselves running from something to the nearest shelter. I’ve never run from so many things. Ever. We were hounded by scum, incorporeal aberrations, a gibbering mouther, an invisible assassin, a revenant (totally my fault, but in my defense I didn’t remember killing the poor bastard), some animated topiaries, the cannibalistic kuru, insane cultists, and a poison-brewing druidess with her fungal-infused wolves. We didn’t run from everything we encountered, but next time I’m wearing more comfortable shoes. I got to try something new and exciting! After a few prolonged battles, I found myself with two spells remaining, and my mage armor flickering as its duration expired. For the first time - I put on armor. It was wooden and smelled like druid funk, but it saved my butt. I was especially delighted to be wearing it as my last two spells proved relatively ineffective against our foes. (You’d think that living topiaries would run from a burning hands spell.) Risking the chance that my spells might fail because of it was scary, but since I succeeded and got nowhere I was happy to be decked out. Little by little we’re remembering our previous lives. The Count is still missing, but hopefully he’ll have more answers for us when we track him down. For now though, I’m content to be alive and have friends. What more could a girl ask for?'
► Erick (Winter): I made a special guest appearance in Strange Aeons as Winter Klaczka, a cleric of Pharasma. At the point I took her over, due to an Order member unfortunately not being able to make the session, Winter was a 5th-level character, but by the time I finished with her she was on the cusp of passing to 7th level. Even then I witnessed how much of an impact Winter was having on the party. Donning the armor and shield formerly worn by Alahazra, she became the front line character which, a role I’m very used to as a player, and which likely was the saving grace for the group as she helped to hold back more than few dangerous foes in that position. While I usually play characters with a strong offense, Winter had an 8 strength. Her claws and daggers only did 1d4-1 damage, so it was good that she took up a more protective role for the group, especially being 2 PCs down. Adhering to her backstory, I played her more as a healer and she carried her weight in terms of usefulness due to her channel energy ability and burst of radiance spells. I also felt it was useful to the party to have a fresh set of eyes to help contribute to strategy and tactics for our return to both Iris Hill and Fort Hailcourse. I’m glad I was able to help formulate a winning strategy with the team, and proved that even as an NPC there are benefits of having another player at the table. I was almost sad to let Winter go in the end. I grew really fond of her and want to see more of her. I’m confident that a member of the Order can pick up where I left off and continue being a strong contributor to the party with her.
I didn’t know what to expect from Strange Aeons. I had thoughts that this module would take place in unusual locales or other dimensions, and figured weird creatures not usually seen in Pathfinder would be more common here. I truly love the sort of “steampunk” setting that’s going on in Strange Aeons, and the flavor matches the campaign perfectly in my opinion. I’m sure things will get even stranger as the players advance and I look forward to following the adventure path like all fans of Order of the Amber Die.
Player Perspectives on Dreams of the Yellow King ► Aerick (Erasmus): At the start of this module, I felt something similar to going on a really long road trip. Not one fraught with deadly encounters of course, but that same looming feeling you get, like how you check, double-check, and triple-check that you have everything you need before you go, how you know you have such a long journey ahead of you and you almost don't want to go, but you've already committed to your friends and you know that it's going to be awesome once you finally get where you're going. Little did I know that it was going to be so, so much more than that. The boat was slow. Not because it was overcrowded, but it was just slow in general. 10 miles in one day? Needless to say, it was a really long trip. But, fortunately, our group of iconics was very capable of performing research into the Dimension of Dreams, and we were able get access to our secondary journey only two days into the voyage, which made times seem to pass a bit faster. On the other side of things, we didn't fare so well over there. It turns out that dying in the Dimension of Dreams wasn't fatal, but there was a price. Madness. The lesser madnesses were a little rough, but role-playing them was very interesting and took the edge off in a way. The great madnesses, were...maddening, for the lack of a better word. Erasmus was the first to perish twice and wake up with one that rendered him unable to speak or read. Worse, this also made him unable to use his class abilities, cutting him off from his spirits and his spellcasting ability. Playing for a full day (a 20hour session) was extremely difficult and frustrating. Having to communicate with everyone nonverbally was a challenge, but in combat he was almost entirely ineffective. I still had decent saving throws and a lot of hit points so I was able to provide some defense for the group, but without the Champion spirit he did very little damage, as did the others without the spirit boon. Most importantly, about the Dimension of Dreams--beware the animate dreams! To my knowledge, with the exception of a handful of rare monsters, most incorporeal creatures are undead. No such luck with this one. Actually, so far in this AP we have faced two that were not, which is unfortunate since we are really good against undead. But not only is the 50% reduction to attack and spell damage an issue, its touch attack was extremely powerful too. In my entire career, I've never rolled so well for hit points as I've done with Erasmus, and even being one of the highest level PCs in the group it only took two easy hits to take him down. I hope other groups are better prepared to face this thing than we were, especially if it follows them out of the Dimension of Dreams where you can't just wake up and have everything be all right. Being able to get yourself out of trouble and make concentration checks to wake up made it impossible to actually die (unless you took too much voluntary damage to reduce the DC and didn’t calculate the backlash damage) but that doesn’t mean TPK isn’t possible. Our group died in the Dimension of Dreams so many times that all except one of us had greater madnesses by the time we reached Cassomir. As
most of those are extremely debilitating, if we suffered them earlier on in the actual journey it’s unlikely we would’ve survived the real dangers on the river. It also cost us a lot of time, because every part we weren’t able to complete on our first attempt we had to play again, and even after 60 hours of game time we found ourselves out of time. This was definitely a unique experience because of the dual format of the module, but also a harrowing one to attempt in marathon format. But we all made (sort of) through the long weekend, and despite almost going actually insane it was a lot of fun!
► Dan (Quinn): I’d like to start by thanking Savannah for coming to join us for this marathon. She was not only an awesome player to have at the table, her roleplaying skills were one of the highlights of marathon for me, and also a great addition outside of game. I hope that we will be able to play at the same table again soon! Considering how this marathon began, I tried to brace myself for an intense weekend, yet even that wasn’t enough. I found myself raised from the dead for a second time, and yet this time seemed to be far worse than before. Quinn’s disease had progressed to a point where it was barely under control for him, and no one had any good ideas to suggest. On our return trip from Caliphas, we returned to Remitas’ farmstead and stayed the night. That evening it was suggested that with no other options that seemed to work, the group decided to starve out the hunger that Quinn was experiencing. During watch that evening, Erasmus caught Quinn staring at him with an inhuman hunger in his eyes. Following Erasmus’ suggestion, Quinn started to place himself in manacles, but something snapped within and he turned on his friend. Unfortunately, the only solution was to drub Quinn into unconsciousness and lock him in the barn while he was being starved. After a long week of suffering, from Quinn and his companions, the seemingly impossible happened and Quinn was cured of his malady. I as a player, and a character, am completely relieved to have this affliction be cured, yet I’m slightly disappointed that I will not get to see how this disease would have progressed. The trip down the river was grueling, and if that is the fate of most ships traveling through the area, I don’t know how sailors survive their jobs. Luckily Quinn and Alahazra had the foresight to train with the crew [taking ranks in Profession (sailor)] and help out so we were able to do our part after more than half of them were killed and we dropped down below functioning levels. The researching on the river was actually an interesting concept, and despite the personalities of the scholars that were traveling with us, they were actually quite helpful in allowing us to burn quickly through topics that were needed. It allowed us access to the proper rituals and also insight into what was needed to be done while in the Dimension of Dreams. Traveling there came with its own type of danger, and that had its own deleterious effect on our group. Madness played an important part this time around, more than I would have expected going in. It was difficult balancing the need for us to discover more information about what needed to be
done and where we should be going with our apprehension of this realm and the effects death there had on our characters. Even knowing going in that madness was quite likely, it hadn’t occurred to me just what form that would take. Quinn watched his party slowly descend into madness as we pushed further in, even when we knew we probably shouldn’t. It was difficult as a player towards the end, trying to keep the party from fracturing inside the game while enjoying the role-playing outside of the game. Right up to the end, Quinn managed to maintain his sanity until even trying his hardest he couldn’t succeed and was killed within the Dimension of Dreams for the first time. Despite that, Quinn is finally coming into his stride in combat. I may not be able to hit as often as I’d like, but I sure do get many attempts at it with two-weapon fighting. After rescuing slaves from the Razmiran “Faith Barge” and escorting them to safety, Quinn and Winter were given a pair of old ragged boots from one of the former slaves. This turned out to be my favorite item so far: boots of speed! That was such a huge game-changer for me, now with my feat selections and haste added on I can get 5 attacks with a full-attack action. I’m still struggling with all the calculations, especially once you figure in Studied Combat, but managed to fumble my way through things. There is a certain joy that comes from rolling 13 dice at one time as a player! I’ve been pushing the potion route for Quinn this time around, we’ve been given plenty of opportunity to gain them as loot or to purchase, and the alchemist discoveries are coming in handy. I’m looking forward to seeing how his build continues to pan out and see what other nifty toys I’ll be able to find in our adventures. There were so many exciting and strange things going on with this module, it definitely reminded me of old-school RPGs with the deadliness of monsters. It was also able to push the boundaries on things and provided the essence of what I understand a Cthulhu game to be. I’ve always heard it was a fight against inevitable defeat and madness, and this module gave us that possibly more so than I was prepared for. I’m really curious as to where the next one takes us, and how far both the players and characters of our group will be pushed.
► Jody (Feiya): Day 1: With the party whole again, we set off for Cassomir by boat. It's an...adventure. The cabin is cramped, and there are a pair of snooty academics throwing me dirty looks because of all the books. I'm looking forward to peacefully gliding down the river and reading about dreams. Day 3: I've figured out how Lowls was able to get into the Dimension of Dreams. The ritual is complicated. There's a tiny set of stairs, they look like ivory, that is the focus. We'll try tonight. Day 6: Desna, what have I done? We didn't make it to the world of dreams, but we got far enough something came back with us - a living dream! More like a living nightmare. It killed the Alahazra and Skywind. We've only got one scroll. What the hell are we going to do without the captain? Day 10: We've been attacked on the river. A strange ship with red sails showed up, fog rolled in, and then there were voonith climbing up the back of the boat. That same awful scream as the one we ran into at Briarstone. Day 19: I'm seriously considering throwing the academics overboard. We could use the room. Pompous jerks. Day 23: Mud elementals. Who knew river travel was so dangerous? Lost a couple of the crew. Hortimer has really stepped up into the captain's role.
Day 28: We're going to try the ritual again. Off the boat this time. Day 29: Well, we succeeded. We made it to the forgotten caravanserai in the dream world. Things could have gone better. We found another animate dream. At least dying in the realm of dreams doesn't kill you here. Day 30: I've been having nightmares. I'm having trouble making it through the night without waking up screaming. I think I'd be exhausted if I needed more than a couple hours of sleep. Thank Desna for my ring of sustenance. Day 32: Today we saw water dragons of some sort. Maybe not actual dragons, but dragon-like. I didn't recognize them. Lost another couple crew members. Day 34: Back to the dream realm. We're prepared for the animate dream this time. Day 35: Dreams have their own nightmares. After taking care of the animate dream we came upon a haunt. I don't know exactly what it had planned for us, but I'm getting better at recognizing them. Being able to channel positive energy works in the dream world too. We weren't prepared for the ooze monster. It started swallowing everyone whole. First Alahazra, then Quinn, Winter, and finally Erasmus. I bugged out. Day 36: Something bad happened to Erasmus. He can't talk, or read, or well do anything Erasmus-ee. Actually, I think he's forgotten how. Along with how to channel the spirits he holds so dear. I think being apart from them is worse than not being able to communicate. Day 47: My days are blurring together. We fought a denizen of Leng, but I don't know anymore if it was before or after the ooze beast. Day 48: Alahazra has been casting something on me every morning. It's been a week since my last nightmare. Whatever she's doing is working. Day 50: We found a shard of Lowls' personality. A silly looking remnant of him dressed in yellow curtains from the caravanserai. He recognized us, more or less, but didn't know from where. He's
given us our best clue yet regarding what the real Lowls was doing. Back to researching, now that we know what to look for. Day 52: When we performed the ritual this time, I spoke the words to bring us to the Viscount's Gala. An amazing and horrifying place. Endless miles of revelry. I can't believe they are unable to see the horrors in the rafters. Spiders and ettercaps. I saw dozens of guests get pulled into their webbing, and even when blood splashed down around them, the dancers twirled around it as if nothing untoward had just happened. We eventually got the signet ring we came for. I hope I never see another spider so long as I live. Day 63: Two nights in a row, we were attacked by grey renders. We're down to four crew plus the captain. Alahazra is surprisingly good with knots. Day 70: Winter is seeing things that aren't there. Or I'm not seeing things that are. She claims her lady, Pharasma, is speaking to her. Doesn't really sound any crazier than me saying Daji talks to me though. Day 72: Everyone else was just torn to pieces with sharp teeth in the they find the tail we
is still unconscious. I by a horse-faced terror dream world. I hope went looking for.
Day 78: I'm not feeling wrong. The but I'm losing time. I things but they make back in looking for a
myself. Something is nightmares are gone, have vague images of no sense. We're going royal ghoul's skull.
Day 80: I'm shaking as the skull, but I don't anymore. It's world than it is a Each horrible thing horrors behind it.
I try to write. We got want to go back in definitely less dream realm of nightmares. has two greater
Day 83: I got to go to the moon! It wasn't pretty colors like it looked like it was from the ground. It was grey. And rocky. But I got to ride a dragon. Maybe it wasn't a dragon-dragon, but it was like a dragon. There were more Leng guys there. We had to run again. We'll get them for sure next time! Day 89: Things have suddenly become much clearer. I don't know what was motivating me before. Why I pushed myself through such discomfort. Now I understand. I had some vague notion that I wanted my memories back. I thought Lowls had stolen them from me. But, those memories are irrelevant. This group of adventurers, my so called friends, they're to blame. And they're going to pay. My mission now is clear. Erasmus is cowering in the corner. Alahazra has succumbed to the nightmare and seems bereft of even basic knowledge of who she was. They'll be easy to kill. Quinn and Winter will be harder. I probably can't take them together. I need to separate them. If I can manage to hold them, they'll be helpless, easy to dispatch. Otherwise Quinn will wear me down.
Winter may be able to outlast me with her healing. Daji will help me of course. He's loyal to me. Now, how to get Quinn alone. He's the more dangerous of the pair. Oh, this will be delightful...
► Savannah (Winter): To Her Holiness Mother Thestia, Temple of Pharasma, Caliphas From Sister Winter Klackza Greetings and well wishes Mother Thestia. I hope the Lady has smiled upon you during our time apart. As you are aware, I am accompanying a group of survivors from Briarstone Asylum in order to better investigate the murder of Accuser Omari and the mystery that is Count Haserton Lowls. As I do not have reason to trust a courier service with this letter as we travel downriver, I shall be posting it at Cassomir, which will also allow me to add our findings as I go. May the Lady guide our path. I am unclear as to why this is the boat that we have chosen--it often seems as though it can barely hold its own crew, much less the passengers on board. Aside from us, there are also two academics, which I could do without. They never leave our quarters, and between them and Count’s collection of books that we procured from his estate, many of us have elected to spend much of our time outside where there is room to breathe. Still, Pharasma calls us to endure with grace. We have the focus object required to re-create the ritual that Hasteron used to visit the Mad Poet, which we are planning to do soon. I know not what vile doings Lowls was wrapped up in, but I do know that I want no part of it! Tonight we attempted to enter the Dimension of Dreams, but the process went all wrong and a strange, intangible creature (that we later learned to be an animate dream) came through to our world instead. The results were disastrous--we lost Alahazra and Captain Skywind. I truly believe that it is not Alahazra's time, however, and we were able to bring her back to us; Captain Skywind, however, has gone on to face Pharasma's judgment. May there be mercy on her as she travels the River of Souls. It is with great satisfaction that I personally sent a follower of Razmir to the Lady for judgment. Let him see the power of a true deity.
Since the initial incident, there has been no attempt to go back into the Dimension of Dreams, and I must confess that I've been glad for it. I will bear this burden if it is my fate, but it is a heavy and often frightening one. However, after being pursued by a mysterious ship with red sails, we have accepted that the dreams will continue to follow us if we do not take action. We were successful this time, after taking precautions that none of the ship's crew were in danger, of course. Unfortunately, it is still a realm of horrors. Fortunately, dying there is not as we know it in this realm. We will modify our tactics and return ready for the animate dream within. Still, the different aspects of the Dimension of Dreams are beautiful, each in their own way--a golden, endless desert landscape broken only by an abandoned caravanserai. It would be far more so if it were not for the heat. This was a terrible plan. I thought that going back into the Dimension of Dreams prepared would mean less tragedy for all of us, but it seems that we couldn't prepare for everything. The animate dream was vanquished, but we managed to run afoul of a strange, oozing creature. Three of us were killed, and when we awoke Erasmus was afflicted with some terrible malady. He awoke unable to speak, either with us or with his spiritual companions. He was understandably devastated, but my magic had no effect on him. I've never felt at such a loss before. However, in this dark time there is hope. While I seem to have been affected mentally--I have apparently spoken to crew members that the others cannot see or hear--I can now hear the whispers of Pharasma herself. Surely this must be an assurance that this path is the true one, even if it is hard. I will take solace in that. It is frustrating that the others do not understand the importance of Pharasma's words and that they have been passed down to me, but at least Erasmus understands. We have been healing him bit by bit during morning prayers, and the faith seems to soothe him. We went back to the caravanserai two nights ago and finally found a friendly face, or at least one belonging to someone that didn't try to kill us. How different things would have been if we had simply turned left instead of right a month ago! This was apparently a fragment of Lowls’s mind. I didn't know such things were possible, but then I know little about this awful plane of existence. It somehow became more horrible as we sought the Vicount's ring--one of the treasures needed to present the Mad Poet, according to Lowls’s notes. It was an endless party, but the guests were unpleasant at best and literal abominations at worst. But even worse, there were the horrors in the ceiling. I never thought that I would prefer a 50-foot fall to facing a creature, but I would not have wanted to experience the alternative. Still, we achieved our goal and, on top of that, the vodka was exceptional. I know I cannot question the will of fate, but the weight of it gets heavier and heavier each time that we go into the Dimension of Dreams. We have gone in several times by now, but I cannot bring myself to take pen to parchment each time--living the horrors was bad enough without having to
recall them again. It is becoming evident that each time one of us dies there, they wake up with a part of them damaged. Alahazra and I are using the strongest magic we can bring to bear, but it still takes time that we don't have. Feiya's minds seems to have truly broken--she acts either as a small child or an old woman, and either way it is difficult to understand her ways. Thank the goddess Erasmus has regained his mind, and Quinn has managed so far to escape unscathed. Sadly, I feel that the goddess has left my side--I can no longer hear her voice, though I do see small spirals about the boat. Perhaps this is her way of making me stronger. My main solace has been prayer sessions with Erasmus and Alahazra--who seems to have reconsidered her godless ways--and in the rare, not-terrible creature we meet. The tentacle-faced rat creatures known as zoogs proved to be incredibly affectionate, though I'm not sure what it says for my own mental state that I am so fond of such creatures. Now it all makes sense. The horror, the pain, it was all preparing me to assume my true role: as an avatar of Pharasma. Truly I am the most powerful and devout of our faith, and the goddess is finally choosing to recognize that. Unfortunately I am cursed by the most useless retinue of servants, but one must work with what one has. This group needs more steel in them--the fact that we have fallen so many times is clearly due to a lack of strong leadership, which I am more than capable of providing with my newfound destiny clear ahead. We shall henceforth be known as Winter's Wolves, and once we prepare we shall return to the prison on the moon--with the help of my mount, the dearest Snoot-and rain holy wrath down those who oppose the will of the goddess. All is quiet now. I keep trying to think that this, too, is a dream and that I will wake up, but there is nothing.
Closing Thoughts Following the messageboards and online chatter for months preceding the Strange Aeons Adventure Path, it was clear that this was a much-anticipated AP. We knew the Lovecraft fans would surely come out in full support, as would potential Call of Cthulhu fans possibly switch over to Pathfinder just to play this AP. One of our main concerns was whether or not it was possible to enjoy this path while being part of a segment of gaming society that does not belong to either of those branches--Lovecraft or CoC by Chaosium. Our members are coming from the often jaded perspective of having played far more published adventures than most, and they would certainly call out this AP if it failed to be as entertaining as they had hoped, and we don't place any restrictions on what our players decide to offer regarding their experiences. We encourage the reader to take the time to sift through the player reactions in this document, and see for oneself what many different players felt about the modules of Strange Aeons. To help any prospective GMs considering running Strange Aeons, we will continue to provide player perspectives at the end of our post-analysis section for the entirety of The Strange Aeons Experiment. While Paizo has dabbled in Lovecraftian themes and monsters in previous modules or in individual encounters, they are bold for doing what so many have wanted since Gygax dared to place the Elder Mythos inside Deities and Demigods in 1980. It is our hope that this document sheds light on the dynamic qualities of Strange Aeons, and we would direct the reader to our thread (The Strange Aeons Experiment) on the Paizo messageboards for further questions or discussion. [This is a live document and will change over time. Due to the rigorous schedule at which we are playing the adventure path, many notes will not be added until after completion.]
For the Future Think you have what it takes to be a professional role-player? Well, we didn't get here by shutting our doors; moreover, we are always on the lookout for players whose reverence for this game matches our own. If playing extremely long hours completely immersed in Pathfinder is something you've already done, or you think you can contribute, please feel free to reach out to us. We would also love to hear from any groups that have attempted something like this so we can compare notes and add to both our experiences for the future.
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