#Heroes of Golarion

[dailycharacteroption]

Class Feature Friday: Phoenix Bloodline (Sorcerer Bloodline)

(art by AgusZanetti on DeviantArt)

Ah, the phoenix. Is there any symbol of life, death, and rebirth more wondrous and inspiring? Oftentimes, including in Pathfinder, phoenixes are also associated with manipulating fire beyond self-combustion, making them especially awesome as well.

It would only make sense that there would be those who want to emulate that power, and today’s bloodline seeks to do just that!

While it is unlikely that they have any direct relation by blood, sometimes a mortal or their descendants are infused with the power of a phoenix, perhaps by directly witnesses their fiery rebirth, or having been healed from near death by their magic, or maybe experiments involving phoenix blood. Either way, there are those that channel the magics of fire and healing through their blood, making them one of the very few sorcerers that can heal.

Physically speaking, this bloodline might manifest vibrant hair colors, feathers growing from the head or body, or other signs of the immortal bird’s influence.

Given their generally benevolent nature, I can imagine that most phoenix-blooded sorcerers share a similar disposition, but just as there can be corrupted phoenixes, I imagine there are exceptions among these mages too.

As we’ll soon see, this archetype is equal parts healer and blaster.

The spells granted by this bloodline include those that unleash a multitude of colors, namely a weak stun and barriers of deadly rainbow magic, piercing invisibility, fire magic in the form of barriers, runes of flames on allies, and transforming oneself into living flame, as well as breaking enchantments and creating safe pathways using hurricane-force winds.

Meanwhile, the techniques they learn include agility training in combat, focusing on fire magic, medical training, increased willpower, and quickening metamagic.

Perhaps most integral is their bloodline arcana, however, which lets them convert fire spells into a healing warmth to heal their allies, though with only have the potency compared to the destruction the spell would normally do.

These sorcerers boast supreme magical senses, allowing them to sense magical auras with ease, as well as immediately understand most magical items, though curses may still elude them.

They can also surround themselves with flame, empowering their attacks and searing foes that stand too close to them.

Additionally, they can grow a pair of phoenix wings to carry them aloft.

Later on, they can perform greater acts of restoration once a day, infusing the recipient with magical healing and purging flame.

The most powerful of these mages invoke the true power of the phoenix, and can resurrect from death once a day, rising a minute after apparently perishing, though overtaxing this ability can still kill them permanently.

While the wings and the free identification on most items and the fire aura are nice, the bread and butter of this bloodline is the ability to turn fire spells into healing magic, letting you do things like healing fireballs and the like. As such, This is one elementally-aligned bloodline you’ll want to load up on good fiery options, though of course, leave some room for diversity both in terms of other elements, and also other types of spells depending on your build.

With the powers of both flame and healing, this bloodline is certainly set up to inherit the reputation of the beings they draw power from. As such, they may find themselves living up to a lot of expectations, both reasonable and otherwise, and that’s a lot of pressure to be put under.

They say that phoenixes are related to other powerful elementally-aligned avians, and this includes tidehawks, who have their own sorcerous inheritors. Such is the case with the merfolk Melagi, who boasts a combination of stormwracked and phoenix bloodlines as a result, a combination she is proud to display, earning the nickname Storm Singer.

Subject to divine punishment from an evil god, a pharmakos is a creature of nearly immortal suffering and death with no respite. Even finally being slain only results in the soul being brought before the dark deity they forsook. However, one scholar posits that a ritual involving an atonement spell and blood donated by a phoenix-blooded sorcerer may yet free such a creature from their torment.

Despite the phoenix appearing as a symbol among many cultures, very few sorcerers that claim link to them are born. When one does appear, it is considered an omen of good fortune, one that many faiths may forget themselves to raise and acquire, such is the case with the infant that the party has been tasked with escorting.

[the-grove]

One thing I really like about Golarion in the pathfinder 2e era is the way they are Handling Sakoris. For those who do not know Sakoris is the region of the world that was affected by the worldwound and the demonic invasion that lept out of it during and proceeding the adventure path(and bleh video game) Wrath of the Righteous.

The demons are invaders and colonizers and polluters and destroyers are of the land.

During wrath of the righteous you play as the heroes who lead the knights of mendev against the demons and save the world from becoming a part of the abyss......

The thing is... The knights of Mendev are also a colonizing force. Sure there cities were created to help push back and fight back the demons... But Mendev s singular focus on defeating the demons led to parnaoia, cruelty and oppression towards the Indigenous Sakorians who were already displaced and suffering from said demon invasions and other convenient others. This helped no one and is generally condemned both in 1e text and 2e text. And while the adventure path does have you lead the knights against the demons... You don't necessarily have to be a member of the knights you could in fact be a member of the Sakorian people or some other group from the region. The adventure path also has heavy themes of redemption, trying to do better in the present even if you've done awful things in the past, at least those are the strongest themes I connected to when reading and running said adventure path.

So the player characters and the knights are heroes.. but the knights are still colonists.

So here comes 2e the timeline hae moved forward a couple of years. The knights and Mendev are still around, the leaders of the demons are dead and gone but demonic forces still exist in the land, and the land is still damage by there presence. The question is what do the knights do now that they've largely won? And it's complicated. Some go off to fight other emerging threats while others stay in fight the remaining pockets of demonic forces.. importantly... Along side the indigenous Sakorian people. While Mendev hasn't given up it's cities it is actively working with the indigenous people of the land and helping work towards preserving and protecting what's left of those people and culture. And there is still a tension there! Though narratively the focus has been shifted away from said knights only being mentioned now and again while the Sakorians have been mentioned more and more, and will even be getting a focus in one of the books coming out next year, specifically about a school that is focused on preserving and teaching the culture of the Sakorian people.

Now the Sakorian people from my understanding are not analogous to anyone specific real life group, I've seen a lot of people claim Celtic people are the direct comparison but I've seen other groups feel represented by them as well.

I just really like how this arc has gone. The shift and focus to the Indigenous people and their struggles. Something that was acknowledged but mostly left in the background in 1e is now up and in the forefront In 2E and I think it makes for a more interesting and fresh take on the genre.

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Vilderavn

CR 16

Neutral Evil Medium Fey

Bestiary 5, pg. 268

Unlike our last few articles, these horrors are decidedly not just little guys, and are in fact one of the most vicious Fey we've ever seen. Unlike many malevolent Fey which are merely born from mortal misery and anguish, Vilderavn were directly created by an unnamed fey lord for the express purpose of destroying mortal armies and kingdoms, something they excel at to such a degree that they make excellent overarching villains in a campaign featuring a looming war and political intrigue. A Vilderavn, more than any other monster we've seen in several weeks, is not a monster to simply be dropped on the party! These bloody birds thrive at being shadowy puppetmasters behind a conflict, advisors to (what the party believes is) the Big Bad, or even potential backstabbing allies and resources to the party themselves, turning on them at the climax of the adventure!

And the best part is that it's extremely unlikely the party will see it coming. Don't think it's just as easy as spotting an ominous black knight with a raven motif; Vilderavn are accomplished shapeshifters with an extremely wide repertoire of possible forms, able to take on the form of any Small or Medium Humanoid, a black-feathered Peryton, a wolf, or a Dire Wolf. You may find it strange that a raven-themed knight doesn't turn into a raven, and that's because it already is one! The above picture? That's after it's shapeshifted. A Vilderavn in its NATURAL form is a gigantic raven, and this is the form it uses to swoop over battlefields and kingdoms it plans to destroy... and to appear before prospective allies as an omen of fate, offering nobles, soldiers, and mages its skill as an advisor, an oracle, and spellcaster to give them the edge they need in the coming war.

If you can't believe some ostensibly smart people could be so easily tricked into believing a dog-sized bird is here to help them, don't be so judgmental! That might seem suspicious to someone from Earth, but on Golarion the culture surrounding such events is quite different; after all, not only do stories of heroes cursed into the forms of animals and deities appearing to people in the shapes of animals abound, but the Psychopomps as a whole are often associated with carrion birds and possess powers over fate and fortune, both of which Vilderavn can manipulate with their powerful spells and Raven Hexes. Those Hexes have numerous uses both in and out of combat, one of which includes the ability to send Dream spells to up to 6 people a day, letting them sculpt a first impression LONG before they appear physically before their target.

This isn't even getting into their skills, such as +30 to Bluff and +21 to Diplomacy (and further heightened by their Charm Hex), or their spells, such as at-will Suggestion or a 1/day Mass Suggestion to steer opinions, send anyone who could call their bluffs out on errands, and create trust where there was none before, or even a 1/day Modify Memory to completely rewrite a victim's knowledge of events until the fey appears to be some sort of saint or savior. They can also offer a Limited Wish once per month to a mortal being to sweeten any deal they make, making them seem trustworthy even as manipulative malevolence swells within their hearts.

Even if appearing as an animal doesn't work, they can freely change into generic wise sages, charismatic nobles, intelligent generals, or imperfect copies of just about anyone... unless they pull a kill-and-replace. Any creature killed by a critical hit from their bite (including a coup de grace if they're unconscious or helpless) has their soul devoured by the fey, and from there on out, the Vilderavn not only has the ability to perfectly assume their form, but has access to all of their memories, making their imitation literally flawless unless someone can see through their disguise with magic (and it will likely HAVE to be magic, because their Bluff and Disguise shoot up to +40 when imitating a devoured victim). Even then, good luck convincing anyone of what you see, as everyone else is likely under the raven's dewclaw as it steadily kills its way into more and more important positions until, eventually, it can take command of events entirely.

Wow, all this and we haven't even gotten to what it can do in combat! We're going to have to put the rest of this under a cut!

Vilderavn tend to avoid combat right up until the point they can destroy an entire army with a single blow to its leadership, right after it's spend weeks or even months carefully sculpting their confidence by leading them to numerous smaller victories. Until then, they serve as excellent advisors and powerful spellcasters, able to use Dispel Magic at-will to shield themselves and their allies from enemy magic, Detect Thoughts at-will to sniff out dissent and betrayers among the ranks (along with anyone who could view them with suspicion), and Scrying at-will to spy on anyone who lacks protection from such invasive magic. They also have a handful of constant spells which make it almost impossible to sneak anything past them: Deathwatch, True Seeing, and Tongues. No vampires, illusionists, or hidden conversations in foreign languages will corrupt and mislead the leader the raven is trying to corrupt and mislead!

And speaking of corruption, Vilderavn are masters of the corrupt art of curses. Immune to curses themselves, they can freely cast Bestow Curse to personally torment anyone they desire and Geas 1/day to force annoyances on petty quest, and their aforementioned Raven Hexes also have a menagerie of debilitating curses and debuffs among them as well, including the crushing Misfortune, the action-economy-ruining Agony, the absolutely Fighter-punishing Retribution, and the ever-reliable Evil Eye... and capped off by the damning Dire Prophecy, a permanent -4 penalty to not only their AC, but most d20 rolls as well, including saving throws. The Prophecy can also be cashed in at any time by either the Vilderavn (if it's nearby) or the DM (if it's not), imposing a -18 penalty on the victim's AC or on an attack roll, combat maneuver check, skill check, or saving throw.

Where's the -18 come from? Well, they use their Hexes as if they were an 18th level Witch, and all of their Hex effects (as well as the DC, which is 25) are modified by the fey's Charisma rather than its Intelligence. Powerful enough on their own, anyone who's played alongside a high-level Witch knows that Hexes are extremely potent force multipliers when the rest of the party can take advantage of them, and this means if a Vilderavn has allies, it can safely sit back and use its 110ft fly speed to keep it out of trouble as it debilitates the party with its powerful Hexes... and caw-haw-haws at them with Cackle, keeping the punishment of Misfortune, Agony, or Evil Eye rolling round after round as its allies tear into the debuffed party.

UNLIKE a Witch, forcing a Vilderavn into melee doesn't mean you're home free, oh no. They're dangerous enough in their raven form, where Bloodbird tacks a stacking 1d6 bleed damage onto its Claw-Claw-Caw-Caw attacks, the former doing 1d6+11 and the latter 1d8+11. If you think that's a mistake on my part, no, the Vilderavn can indeed make TWO bite attacks with its beak whenever it Full-Attacks thanks to a constant Haste effect on itself. If that beak damage looks low, it really isn't, because it's got a critical range of 15-20, threatening a critical hit 25% of the time instead of 5%. With a single Full-Attack, the unkind knight can deal an average of about 70 damage AND stack up to 4d6 bleed onto a single victim, then fly backwards the next round and strike them with a Hex or two before flying back in to do it all over again.

But of course, it's rare for a Vilderavn to have allies it doesn't plan to slay itself. When it has already used (or cannot use) its spells or Hexes to weaken its foes, or when it simply wishes to display its martial skill and fight on even terms with a human, it takes the shape of the Raven Knight, shedding its natural armor and its terrible beak and claws but gaining +5 Full Plate and a +5 Cruel Keen Falchion. Its AC goes from 34 to 38 in its knight form, and its melee goes from four weak natural attacks to four powerful sword swings (despite its low BAB; remember a permanent Haste gives it an extra attack!) dealing 2d4+21 damage... while also keeping the same 15-20 critical hit range AND the stacking bleed, potentially dealing around 50 damage with one swing instead of needing four attacks to achieve the same result.

So, let's see, that's the offense, how about the defense... High AC, check. High saves? +17/+21/+18, check. DR 15/Cold Iron and Good, check. SR 27, also check. Permanent Freedom of Movement? Of course, we can't have a battle end with a single Hold Monster now, can we? No elemental immunities, but it IS immune to energy drain, death effects, and all forms of fear. I'm also receiving a note about its saves, hold on. Ah, no, my mistake, its saves are actually +22/+26/+23, because the Vilderavn DO have power over fate, which includes the ability to add +5 to any one saving throw of their choice each round as an immediate action, something they're likely to save when they're targeted by a powerful Save-or-Suck that they're not immune to, such as petrification, sleep effects, or nausea. There's no per-day limit on this ability, only per-round, so maybe ask your allies to pile on all their most powerful abilities at once?

Hah. 'Allies.' There's no one here that's your friend. At least, that's what you're going to think while in combat with the Vilderavn; anyone within 30ft of it is not only vulnerable to its Frightful Presence, but its FP is also attached to Shatter Loyalties, an ability that causes anyone affected by it to treat all other creatures as an enemy, thwarting not only teamwork, but teamwork feats, as well as flanking bonuses, movement in tight spaces, and of course: willingly accepting beneficial effects. Any creature whose loyalty has been shattered has to be forcibly administered any positive effect (and is allowed to make a save to resist such effects), and doesn't count as a valid target for any effect or ability that counts 'allies.' This shattering effect lasts until the victim is no longer within 30ft of the fey and bypasses fear immunity entirely, so the party Paladin may not be shaken up by the Frightful Presence, but if they fail the DC 26 Will save anyway, suddenly all their beneficial auras shut off for everyone else, leaving them more vulnerable to the raven knight's fierce spells and Hexes.

If the Vilderavn pauses its assault momentarily when it has someone at death's door, do not mistake it for a show of mercy. Remember that they can tear the souls from their mortal victims, but they can only do so while in raven form, as Soul Eater very specifically triggers from its bite attack. A party held at bay by its magic or laid low by its damage may only be able to watch in horror as it assumes raven form, climbs atop their fallen friend, and drives its beak deep into their chest, shearing their heart from their body and their soul with it (frightening everyone who sees it, or shaking them up if they succeed a DC 27 Will save). From there on out, it has full access to their memories, their personality, their very face, ready to destroy their lives and everything they had ever hoped to create... and if the DM is especially cruel, it may use Modify Memory on the only conscious witness to the act to make them think their ally is fine, that they managed to get away from that fiend! A fiend slithering its way into the party as it wears the fallen allies' face. Waiting for the chance to tear hope away from you all one final time.

You can read more about them here.

[1stprototype]

Doing a Doomguy roleplay playthrough in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. Trying to make him look as close to his Dark Ages self as possible. Having a blast so far.

Our hero heard Golarion has a little bit of a demon infestation problem and has come to do what he does best.

By the way that helmet isn't a mod. You can actually find Doomguy's helmet in the game as an easter egg. What's even better is it's found in the sci-fi dungeon populated by literal cyber demons. Owlcat are pretty based.

[another-heroine]

The Bravest of All

Pathfinder: Kingmaker

CW: post-game events

Characters: Linzi & the Baroness Queen

A.N: I was thinking about write this one after THAT unfortunated event in the House of the Edge of Time. I think that I will never get over it (as so Andrine *sobbing*)

A bored reader walked into the public library. They already read (and re-read) all their favorite epic adventures. Rummaging through the corridors, they found a metal plate fixed on a bookcase: History of the River Kingdoms. They gave it a chance and proceeded to check the titles.

Then, between many decorated spines, one caught their eyes; a red book with golden letters.

“The Rise of the Kingdom of Solovey, Linzi the Bravest,” they read out loud, tilting their head. The reader took the copy, feeling the velvet cover. The pages were yellowish, but the ink was still neat.

On one of the first pages, there was a preface with the title To the Bravest of All. And the next words were from the Solovey’s first queen herself:

Everyone who was born in the old Stolen Lands knows better: sooner or later, you will lose. And I was one of them; since I was a child, I learnt that these lands are full of mysteries and sometimes you get a heartache at a very young age. But also I learnt that here doesn’t exhale only doom, but hope, bravery, faith, love, and many other virtues.

That night at Jamandi Aldori’s mansion changed my life forever. Not only because we suffered treason, and many people lost their lives around us, but because you were there with me, Linzi. I was minding my business, and then you appeared, offering to be my minstrel, and asking me to be your muse. At first I thought that was very amusing and I agreed with you because you were so energetic and full of good ideas and intentions. I would never forget your little eyes sparkling with eagerness. We were young and about to go on an adventure in the Stolen Lands!

 You were by my side every moment. When we defeated the Stag Lord, when we laid the first stone of the barony, when you made me publicly swear to protect the kingdom at the Coronation, even when we went after your printer!

Not everything was fun and games, though. We lived in dark chapters, but like you used to say, all heroes have their moments of doubt. And we had. But also we held on to each other and waited until the storm was gone, humming merry songs or just crying on each other’s shoulder. Both were good.

Bandits, trolls, beasts, cultists, fey folks, ghosts. We went through so many things, always overcoming them. We began to feel above any evil. And then they took you away from me. It was like being stabbed and felt someone twisting the knife.

There is not a single day that I don’t mourn your death. I wished that the things were different, that we could do anything to counter the fate, but it was useless.

Everyone who was born in the old Stolen Lands knows better: sooner or later, you will lose.

You were the bravest of all the kingdom, my friend. The one who stood for their beliefs until the end. When the readers flip our pages, they will know that you were worth it. You are worth it, since your work will live until the day the sun devours Golarion.

Who is remembered will be never forgotten. That’s why I nominated you Linzi, the Bravest Bard, the Enchanter of Crowds, the Fleet-Feet, and Queen Andrine’s Sparrow. They would never forget any of us – and that’s my decree.

Tagging: @smuglyankabrazilyanka

[weavercobra]

The Burden of Divinity

This story follows up events that happened in one of our games. And if you're familiar with Pathfinder lore, then it probably requires a bit of explaining about some of the changes in our settings.

So first off, Maya is a snake goddess we've invented for the setting. She's the mother of Ydersius.

Speaking of Ydersius, there's been some adjustments there for a number of reasons. Evil gods in Pathfinder(And other similar settings) often suffer from a problem I like to sum up as: "Who the fuck would worship this guy?" Setting aside any personal opinions, I can't think of any deity considered evil by their followers outside of some extreme edgelord cases. In fact, the idea of an evil religion worshipped by evil idea has more often been an attempt at discrediting others. So we've been going through the pantheons with a surgeon's kit and a saw to rejigger things.

And as for Ydersius being evil, well, hard to find any information on the fan wikis of what he's done that's so evil or which of his creeds that are so bad. Really, I guess he's evil because he's the patron deity of the sekmin, aka the serpentfolk.

So let's talk sekmin. They are evil. Their wiki pages contains sentences like : "it is unknown how many races the serpentfolk exterminated for pure pleasure.", "view all non-telepathic creatures as slaves or food," "They feel no love or attachment towards other serpentfolk, even their own mates or children." I mean wow, laying it on thick here aren't we?

Now, I'm not saying the sekmin empire wasn't problematic. Empires tend to be problematic. No doubt the sekmin, even removing their inherent evil alignment, would have a sordid history. But if they aren't inherently evil, well...

Here's a line from the wiki I find relevant. "The destruction of Azlant caused by Earthfall saved the remaining serpentfolk from complete elimination."

And if the serpentfolk aren't inherently evil, then you might have to call this what it actually is.

An attempt at genocide.

Which brings us to Azlant and Aroden. And I'll be honest, our read on both of those don't paint either as good guys. Azlant had Xin banished for daring to suggest they had anything to learn from non-humans and we have no reason to doubt it was an isolated case. The fact their descendants turned into space Nazis in Starfinder seem like a natural conclusion.

And Aroden, beloved hero of humanity. The list of things he's fucked up, both before and after divinity is quite long. There's the stuff he did in Arcadia with the Veins of Creation. Stole the aeon orbs from the xulgaths because humanity would use them better, condemning the land of Vask to death by radiation. And his patronage of humanity is probably why you can't throw a rock on Golarion without it landing in a human country. So our conclusion is simple.

Aroden was a racist, imperialist douchebag who favored humanity at the cost of all other sentient beings and the universe is better off without him. And Azlant was a empire morally no better than the one it sought to eradicate from existence. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

If you managed to make your way through all that opinionated rambling, thank you and here's the story. Oh, and if you happen to notice any similarities to plot points from Paizo's Serpent's Skull campaign, then that's because I borrowed liberally from it to set up our own campaign in Saventh-Yhi.

Unconsciousness had been a mercifully numb experience. Her mind had just floated through the void, briefly unburdened by memory, by sorrow, by duty and by anger. For the first time in a long while, she was at peace, cut off from anything that could hurt her. But then reality slipped painfully into her mind, like a white-hot dagger between her ribs. Awareness of how her body ached bedevilled her, from the tip of her tail to the fork of her tongue, every muscle pulsating with an unpleasant aching. And as her pain dragged her mind kicking and screaming out of the numbing depths, thoughts started to flow in. And with them, the ceaseless memories. The memories of the invasion, seeing wounded after wounded be dragged in from the frontline, watching five of her countrymen bleed out in the time a healer could mend the wounds of one. She remembered offering words of encouragement to those going to and arriving from the battlefields, but towards the end, her sermons had sounded hollow and deceitful even to herself. And she remembered the fall, the devastation and the evacuation. Helping seal her fellow sekmin in stasis chambers, promising they would be safe, promising they wouldn't be found. All lies, of course. It was a desperate gambit and there was no certainty. She had half expected never to see the light of day again as the magic of the pod took hold, sealing her in dreamless preservation. She remembered her awakening alongside others of her kind, their confused staggering into a new, alien world, so different from the one she had left behind. She remembered the mission, to resurrect their empire now that their hated enemies had vanished from the surface of the planet. And how she had been sent out to gather information about their lost capital. It had been a harrowing journey. Everything had been so different and she had to apply all her skills and powers to pass herself off as a human scholar. She knew the future of her kind hinged on the success of her work. It had gone well, until the island. She had managed to get off the accursed rock, but her mission had depended on the kindness of a human. And they had let her go. She felt that was only the case because they didn't know the truth, but still, she had remembered it. And she had tried to warn the human's fellows, that only death would await them in the jungle and the lost city hidden therein. They had ignored her warnings. She had been anxious. And angry. For with them had travelled a being, a serpent, an avatar. An avatar of her. The one who had abandoned them in their hour of greatest need. And then they had finally met face to face. And Aethaxise had unleashed all her frustration, pain and feelings of betrayal in once venomous tirade aimed at the divine figure.

And Maya had smote her in response.

That was the second time she slipped in the dark expecting never to wake up. So the return of her consciousness was as surprising as it was unwelcome. Slowly, her eyes began registering the sunlight shining down on her. She hissed weakly and turned her head to avoid the direct glare of the overhead light. It took her a moment to ponder the oddity of the sunlight, before realising that the roof was missing. She groaned and tried to move, her body protesting the action. Her neck slowly bent, giving her a chance to observe what was left of her surroundings. Most of the walls and the roof had been blown clear out, even taking with it some of the adjacent outer masonry, exposing much of the inside of the structure to the outside. Her inner ear began registering the distant sounds of birds and bugs, alongside other noises of the jungle. She rolled over on her belly, splaying out her limbs to soak up the warm rays, feeling its heat sink into her body, slowly helping her wake up. Her tongue darted out of her mouth, catching nearby scents and delivering them into her mouth, letting her register them. She could smell that Krathus was nearby, though she was uncertain of his condition. Mingled with it was the smell of his companion Xantheithes. They were really close, by her estimate. She hoped they had survived. But mixed in was another scent. One she had only gotten familiar with very recently, but that none the less immediately filled her with rage. Her anger fuelled her strength, allowing her to plant the palms of her hands against the stone floor, pushing her upper body upwards, straining her neck to lift her head up and slowly turn it, while uttering a hoarse and exceedingly venomous: “You.”

The person she was speaking to looked like a giant cobra, her scales a pure, alabaster white, her eyes a vibrant purple save for the black slit in the middle. The pale serpent had been eyeing something in the distance, but upon hearing the utterance, had turned her attention to the speaker. Maya took a moment to note the sekmin's appearance, that of an emerald-scaled snake with arms and legs, before addressing her with: “So you're awake, little one. I trust that you will have learnt to behave, at least enough to have a civil conversation. Otherwise, I am more than capable of banishing you into unconsciousness again as many times as I need to make my point clear.”

Aethaxise responded with a growl, as she slowly rolled over on her back, trying to eye the other two in the demolished room.

She noted Krathus nearby. A sekmin like herself, though his scales were a combination of red and black. He was lying up against the only remaining wall in the room, one containing a detailed genealogy of the invading humans, which he had found amusingly interesting. Still protectively wrapped around him was the massive ophidian Xantheithes, a great white cobra. One that in many ways resembled Maya's current form. Not too surprising, as Xantheithes' species had been sacred to her faith, empowered over many generations by the divine waters of her temples. They were a clever species, with more than a few developing full-on sapience, Xantheithes being one of them.

Maya followed her gaze. “Your companions are both alive, little one, that I can assure you. Though painful, that attack could not have killed a fly, much less any of you.” She paused, her tongue flickering in and out. “And it seems they are waking up too.”

The prone form of Krathus stirred slightly. Reflexively, his tongue darted out of his mouth and his limbs twitched. He managed to roll the back of his head along the scales of his serpentine companion, giving him a chance to inspect the room. There was a moment of quiet, before he with a dry voice stated: “We're alive I see.”

“That you are,” the divine serpent confirmed. “And I have no intentions of killing you. All I want to do is talk.” Her voice took on a sharper edge, as she added: “However, as I informed your friend, I am more than willing to demonstrate what the wrath of a deity feels like if a polite conversation is too much to ask for.”

Krathus weakly held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I'll vastly prefer that we have a polite conversation.”

Aethaxise hissed angrily, but said nothing.

The red-and-black scaled sekmin leaned to the side to inspect his ophidian companion. With the inability to close his eyes, it would have been hard for a human to see whether Xantheithes was awake or not, but for one who shared many physical similarities like Krathus, it was easy enough to detect the tell-tale signs that the massive cobra was slowly beginning to register his surroundings. The entire length of the ophidian's body jerked slightly and with some effort, he managed to lift his massive head slightly. “You hurt?” he managed to croak, still dazed.

“No. The pain is merely superficial.” Krathus twitched slightly as he moved his tail. “But ever present. I suspect it shall pass very soon though.” He turned his gaze to observe the avatar. “So, you wanted a talk.” “In a moment, little one. My own companions will be with us shortly,” Maya said, looking to a nearby set of stairs going down. “I'll advice that you gather your strength in the meantime.”

“Oh, and what exactly would we be gathering our strength for?” Aethaxise pointedly inquired.

“Mostly sitting up. But if you prefer to lie on the floor as you do now, far be it from me to tell you to do otherwise, little one,” Maya replied. She turned away again. “And there he is.”

Yet another oversized white cobra slithered up the stairs. To one unfamiliar with dealing with serpents, he might have seemed identical to Xantheithes, but for everyone present, the exact pattern of his scales was different enough to mark him as a completely unique individual. As he slithered across the ground, the back of his hood became visible, upon which the colouration of his scales formed an insignia of a snake holding an arrow in its mouth, encircling a bow. He made his way over next to Maya and curled up in what among snakes passed for a sitting position. “I've checked up with everyone else in the building. Nothing serious for most of them. Though Random has taken some considerable damage, including massive cracks in her exoskeleton. It'll take some time to heal.”

“I gather she also managed to dish out some considerable damage,” Maya commented. “I was concerned Yaras might develop spheksophobia. But I digress. Good job, Lechaim.” She refocused on the others. “Now then, I guess saying you have a bone to pick with me would be an understatement.”

“You... You...” Aethexise managed with no small amount of venom, as she struggled to push herself off the ground. “You abandoned us. We were slaughtered by the hundreds and you were nowhere to be seen. Even when your own son died you... You weren't there. Am I supposed to be grateful because your priests ran around trying to fix things? AM I SUPPOSED...!” “AETHEXISE!” Krathus managed. “Calm... Calm down. I do not want to be blasted again and if I have to get Xantheithes to gag you, I will. I've already been punched by a deity once today, I do not care to repeat that experience.” The other sekmin growled, her claws scraping across the stone floor. Silence reigned for a while. “Where were you when we needed you?” she finally managed to ask, her voice barely a whisper.

Maya sighed. “Little one, I did everything I could. But if I had stepped in more than I had, what would the results be? You think their gods would have sat on the sideline? No. Had I stepped in, I would have ignited a divine war. It would have been a catastrophe.”

“Some would say it already was,” Xantheithes commented grumpily.

“True. It was grim,” Maya agreed. “The fact that things could be worse is, I understand, little comfort for all of you.”

“And what about your son?” Aethexise managed venomously, slowly getting up on her feet. “Even if all our suffering meant nothing, shouldn't his death have meant something?”

Krathus winced, almost prepared to eat another bolt of divine retribution from Maya.

Indeed, the ophidian avatar's tail swayed dangerously and her hood flared slightly at the provocation. But she took a deep breath and continued with: “Despite what you think, the harm done to my son has been a painful memory beyond description for all these passing aeons. It would be arrogant of me to claim that my pain was greater than what was felt by any of you, but it was there. And while I wanted nothing more than to bathe them all in poisonous vapours until their meat dripped from their bones, I am subject to responsibilities far beyond your reckoning. For one thing, we deities have an agreement among us that limits our ability to directly influence the mortal world. Even this avatar, which I created to circumvent that, is pushing against what is considered acceptable. Had I interfered more than I did, and I did everything I could, I would have started a divine war with the Azlanti pantheon, which would have benefited no one, not even you. And no, little one, I do not expect that to suddenly make the attempted genocide of your people seem less severe. I am merely trying to get you to understand the position I was in and to some degree, still am.” “But the Azlanti Empire fell,” Krathus stated inquisitionally. “According to the history books, they're gone. Not that I ever believed you owed us anything, but why not aid us in the aftermath? It cannot have passed you by that we barely managed to survive.”

“Again, it comes back to divine politics. Any attempt by me to help you would be opposed by... The Last Azlanti,” Maya managed grimly. “By the time there was a world worth coming back to, he was a deity. He did not dare move on you because I would visit retribution, but the same was also true the other way around. And even after he died, there was still limits to what I could do. In fact, I've searched for an opportunity such as this for a long time.” She paused. “I think Ydersius has given you the wrong impression of the burden of divinity. You were his creation, his children. He cared only for you and was with you through thick and thin. You might have come to expect similar levels of attention from the rest of us. But my concerns go far beyond you. If I had acted out of hand, even if I had shielded you with all my divine power from retribution, others might have suffered. For example, by targeting my followers among the skittermanders.” “The... What?” Xantheithes managed to ask, utterly perplexed.

“They're not even native to this solar system,” Lechaim replied. “Cute fellows. If silly.” Aethaxise just stared.

“I have followers across the entire universe,” Maya continued. “I must always consider how my actions will affect all of them. I am not saying this to diminish your suffering. Only to enlighten you to the burden I carry. My followers number more than you could count in a lifetime and every single action I take can have consequences for them. That is the true cost of divinity. And that was why I couldn't throw everything away to help you. That is why it has taken me so long to find a way to help at all. Didn't matter what I wanted to do, because I had the responsibility to care for all who worship me. And even for the world beyond my faith, for surely a divine war could have rend the planet in two and that is at the small end of the scale. You think you know what devastation looks like, little one? I have witnessed what happens when gods and titans make war, when entire clusters of stars are vaporised by stray shots and the very fabric of time and space buckles under the blows of warring combatants. I would not wish that on anyone. Not even the Azlanti.” She went quiet, her head lowering slightly. “But I am trying to make things better and that is why I am here. I truly just wish to help.”

Everyone was quiet for a while.

“Well... I guess... Maybe I understand,” Aethexise managed, her voice hollow and drained. “But we don't need your help.” Maya shook her head. “No, little one, you do. I know what you and yours are planning, and if it would work, I would be more than happy to stay out of your way. But you are about to make a grave mistake that could very well create the type of disaster I was trying to avoid.”

“So you know of the operation we've started then,” Krathus surmised running his claws along his lower jaw in a contemplative gesture. “Fascinating. And you're saying there is some sort of flaw in this plan then?” “Indeed. But before we get to that, I know someone you ought to meet.” Maya returned her attention to Lechaim. “Is she ready?” “She is,” the other white cobra confirmed.

“Alright then.” She turned towards the stairs. “You can make your entrance now.”

Silence reigned in the ruined room, as the sounds of someone ascending the stairs was heard. A figure made their way into the light of the distantly setting sun, a human woman. Her head was framed by short-cropped brown hair, her body clad in dull coppery plates of metal that looked like they had seen their fair share of wear and tear. A torn leathery cloak enveloped her and a massive sword was sheathed on her back. Bandages were wrapped tightly around the left part of her head, obscuring one of her eyes, and her left arm hung limply in a sling.

The patient quiet in the ruined room immediately changed character, taking on a grim and cold mood.

Krathus tried to jump up with a hiss, only stopped by Xantheithes protectively curling around him, the serpent's hood flaring open.

Aethexise was not so hindered. Instead, motivated by a burst of adrenaline and unyielding rage, she leapt from the floor and galloped forward, claws outstretched and fangs unfolding in her mouth, deadly venom dripping from their tips. She leapt, ready to tear the woman's face off, only to find herself caught in mid-air by Maya's tail, which quickly wrapped around the struggling sekmin. “Let me go,” the green-scaled cleric hissed furiously. “Why is she here? WHY IS SHE HERE!? WHY ARE YOU NOT DEAD!?”

“Well, that went about as well as expected,” Lechaim muttered.

The woman, for her part, stood unfazed, though with a forlorn expression.

“I must concur,” Krathus hissed, finally untangling himself from his aide. “Don't tell me you brought her of all people back.” “Oh no, little one, this came as quite the surprise to me too,” Maya said, shifting her tail to maintain her grip on the furiously screaming Aethexise. “But I brought her here because she has something important to say.”

“So, what, we hear her out and then kill her?” Xantheithes venomously commented, bundling up behind the red-and-black scaled sekmin.

“If that would fix anything, I'd tell you to go ahead,” the woman said. “But as it is, I suspect it would make things much worse.”

“Indeed. So, are you willing to hear her out?” Maya inquired.

Krathus eyed his fellow sekmin. Aethaxise was now little more than a pair of serpentine eyes glaring murderously from atop the rim of the avatar's pale coils. “We're not getting much choice here, are we?” “No.” “So be it.” The sekmin wizard sat back down, leaning against the piled body of Xantheithes. “This is not a case of mistaken identity, right? You are Savith, the very same one who lead the campaign against our people. The one who murdered our deity.” “Guilty as charged,” she said in a tone of voice indicating that she indeed thought it something to be guilty of. “As for how I survived, I'd say barely. After my fight with Ydersius, the divine backlash left me on the brink of death. Your people found me before my fellow Azlanti did. Dragged me away from the site of battle and stuffed me in one of your stasis pods. I figure it was to interrogate me later. Or punish me. Probably both. Either way, they never came back for me. And I was never found by my comrades.” She went quiet, as she began to pace. “Once I was freed from the pod by happen-stance I began wandering this new world. That's how I ran into the Mystical Peacekeeping Society and through them, Maya.” She paused again, looking contemplative. “Well, first of all, I feel I owe you an explanation for what happened. From your perspective, our campaign must have seemed quite unfounded.” “What? No apology?” Xantheithes sourly inquired.

“Could any apology I could come up with ever truly suffice?” Savith asked. “I am sorry, but I can't imagine that means much to you.”

The serpent didn't respond, instead just lowering his head as he kept observing her.

“So as I was saying, Azlanti seers predicted that enemies of our people were gathering to unleash a devastating weapon upon us. Our leaders determined that those enemies had to be your people. I was asked to lead the campaign. And I did. Because I was convinced I was protecting my people from a grave threat by doing so.” She shook her head. “I've had many centuries now to contemplate how foolish that was. Me and my squad were, well, for us the goal was strictly military. To take out any part of your empire that could be used against us. But for most of my fellow Azlanti, that translated into making sure none of you were left alive. And I claim no innocence here, because I paved the way for those that burnt your cities and butchered your people. And I let it happen, because ultimately, I valued Azlant more than anything else. That's as bad as if I had done those deeds myself. And to make things even worse, turns out the whole campaign was founded on animosity. Our leaders had picked you as the target, not because there was any actual evidence of you preparing to attack us, but because our nations had had... Issues getting along.”

Maya heard a murmuring from her coils. She shifted them slightly, allowing Aethexise to get her entire head out. “It was the aboleths, yes? I've read all about it,” she hissed venomously. “They uplifted you and then decided to cast you down again.”

“Can't say I blame them,” Savith admitted. “But yes, that was the case.”

“So why are you here?” Krathus pointedly asked. “Think you can somehow make up for your actions?” “No. I can't imagine what I would have to do to accomplish that,” the Azlanti general replied. “I could do good deeds from now until the end of time and I don't think it would make up for the blood I have on my hands. But that is not going to stop me from doing the right thing. And the right thing to do is helping you people not unleash a disaster upon yourself.” “Really? The Azlanti general wouldn't want to see the sekmin self-destruct,” Aethaxise commented. “Why do I find that hard to believe? Even if what you said is true, which I doubt.” “As I said, I've had a lot of time to think.”

“What do you mean by that?” Xantheithes inquired.

“The stasis pod was flawed. It stilled my body, but not my mind. I've had the passing of many centuries to think and I've come to realise that, as different as we are, a lot of the things I looked down upon the Sekmin Empire for were the same sins that the Azlanti committed,” Savith explained. “Azlant is never coming back. And that's for the best. But your kind has a chance and your current plan risks snuffing that out.” “Enough with the vagueness,” Krathus demanded. “What is it you claim to know?”

Savith sighed. “Alright. Sorry. You're planning to resurrect Ydersius by reconnecting his skull with his body, which you lot managed to preserve in one of your hidden vaults. But it's not going to work. At least, not in the way you think it will. The thing is, you have his body and you might find his head, but what you don't realise is that a piece is still missing. His soul. The Ydersius you'd resurrect would be a divine being without thought, without memory, a soulless wild husk. Barely a wild beast, but with the power of a god. Such a being could wreck a horrendous amount of havoc.” “That's nonsense,” Aethexise hissed. “His soul is still among us. My connection may have faded, but I can still call upon his power.” “As could Tovkuc and he was a recent initiate,” Krathus added.

“The charau-ka?” Maya added, her hood vibrating slightly. “Yes, you sure taught him well. Between the attempted human sacrifices and generally unpleasant demeanour.”

Aethexise harrumphed indignantly.

“To get back to the subject,” the human added, trying to disarm the brewing conflict. “You are right, but his soul did not lock itself away in his skull or his body. It instead fled into a nearby vessel, one that was not dying. It...” She paused and sighed. She grabbed the bandages around her head and began unwrapping them. As the bandages gave way, stunned silence filled the ruined room. Underneath, her hairline had receded and much of her skin had changed into brown scales, her left eye a softy glowing orange orb, the pupil slightly misshapen. Taking the opportunity to continue, she unwrapped her arm, revealing more scales and that her nails had twisted into semi-sharp claws. “The nearest vessel,” she stated with finality. “Was me.”

Krathus looked like he was trying to say something, but he only succeeded in moving his jaws.

Maya looked to Aethaxise and slowly let the stunned sekmin loose. The green-scaled cleric slowly stumbled over towards the human, seeing in her alterations fragments of her deity. Carefully, almost as if she was afraid to break a pleasant dream, she reached out and laid a hand on Savith's scaled arm. Immediately, she retracted the appendage, as if she had gotten an electric shock. She stared, first at Savith, then her hand.

“Well?” Xantheithes asked. “You have the closest connection to him. Is it true?” “I... Yes. I could sense him,” Aethaxise said slowly, utterly befuddled. “But... How?” “As I said, I was closest. I am not chosen or favoured by Ydersius if that's what you're worrying about,” Savith said. “It's sheer coincidence. But we've had the passing of millennia to get to know each other. And Ydersius would very much like you to not resurrect his body without his soul present. So I need you to contact your fellows and tell them the news.” “Well, that is amazing,” Krathus said. “Ehm, slight problem. We can't.” “You can't? Of course you can't, that would be way too easy,” Lechaim sighed. “So what is it?”

“We have no way of contacting our leader in the depths of Ilmurea,” the red-and-black scaled wizard explained. “We were to set up an outpost and gather local resources and subjects in order to dissuade intruders into Ilmurea. But for safety's sake, we have no way to contact them, to minimize risks of them being tracked if, say, we were to be killed.” “And even if we were to get into contact with them, what do you think they'll believe? Your ridiculously improbably story, or that you're there to finish the job and has managed to brainwash us?” Aethexise asked. “Or, what, you gonna let every single priest we've got feel you up to confirm our Lord of Coiling Poison's presence?”

“I would have preferred that over having to storm your sacred sanctuary. Again,” Savith sighed exasperated. “Sicva must be blessing my journey, because you're making it sound like I'll have to storm in there and jam Ydersius' soul back into him myself and that every single one of your people will throw themselves at me to stop me. Again.” “That is an accurate summary of this stupidity,” Xantheithes commented. “Of course, you're also forgetting that you have no way to actually getting to Ilmurea. And even if you got there, you alone would not be enough.” “That is true, little one,” Maya agreed. “However, I am sure we can gather allies to help us, with a little luck. And as for a way down, we'll just have to keep an eye out for opportunities.” “Great. Seems like it's gonna be war all over again,” Savith noted in a tired voice, as she sat down on a piece of the wall. “I came here to help, not to fight you.” “Sadly, you Azlanti managed to impart on us the importance of not trusting humans,” Aethexise noted. “So, what now?”

“We need a plan. First, we must canvas the city. No doubt the Azlanti made many changes during their occupation,” Krathus noted, looking back to the wall with the genealogy.

“You do that, little ones. For now, I have someone else I'll need to talk with,” Maya said, as she moved towards the stairs, Lechaim following her. “I trust that I can leave you be without you all attempting to kill each other.” Aethaxise emitted an annoyed low hiss, as the two serpents slithered downstairs.

The avatar and her companion made their way through the repurposed ruin, finding in the middle of it a massive structure like an oversized wasp-hive. Maya observed it for a moment, turning to her companion and asking: “She's in there?” “I presume as much. I tended to her wounds out here, but I wasn't going to shove her into the hive,” Lechaim replied.

“I see.” The divine cobra turned back to the hive. She noted a faint buzzing sound. “You can come out, little one. I merely wish to talk.”

From the dark depths of the hive, several crimson hexagons lit up, outlining two massive compound eyes. “Forgive me if I don't feel in the mood to entertain any more intruders.”

“My apologies. But I had little other way of talking with you,” Maya noted. “I gathered from the others you put up quite the fight. I saw the wounds you inflicted. You're skilled. And I respect skill. To keep things short and sweet, I wish to for us to cooperate.” “Cooperate?” came the doubtful, thrumming reply. “You invade my home, strike down my children and now you want to cooperate?” “Well, you made a deal with the sekmin. Surely you understand the benefit of working together?” Maya explained. “And your children are alive, if dazed. I dare say we did our best not to cause them undue harm. But I get you. You want something more from me. And I'm willing to provide. After all, this ruin must impose certain... Limits. What if I offered to help secure you a better nesting ground?”

There was a pause, followed by a clacking sound as a massive wasp crawled out of the hive, her cracked exoskeleton wrapped in gauze. “You have my attention.” “The Mystical Peacekeeping Society, the ones who I'm helping and whom you fought, could use the assistance of a powerful predator like you. And they in turn possess a lot of territory, a lot of which is unsettled and which I can guarantee you they'd be willing to hand over to you in exchange for assistance,” Maya explained. “How does that sound, Random?”

The mutated wasp queen named Random paused as she mulled it over, her wings twitching occasionally. “I can see little reason why you'd lie,” she admitted. “You'd all just have killed me when you had the chance if this was to get me out of the ruin. And I admit, it is getting kinda cramped. I could do with a bigger nest for me and my brood.” “Sounds like a yes to me,” Lechaim commented.

“Yeah. But if I find out you lied to me, the last thing you'll see before I puncture your eyes will be my stinger,” Random asserted. “So, when do we start?” “When can you start?” Maya asked.

“In a while. Some of my brood has been out hunting and I'd like to do a full head count before going anywhere.” “Good,” Maya noted, coiling up slightly. “Should give us time to go over some of the finer details.”

[notarealwelder]

What are the like-that settings you're thinking of?

(Context: tags of)

The Quantum Thief trilogy on sci-fi side, building on cryptography and theoretically possibly quantum computing applications and hard transhumanism to quite alien societies and everyday interactions that make no sense without that foundation

team tyler's van, technically a fantasy, (sadly defunct), is like-that wrt...rpg-shaped isekai settings with 『Named Skills』, levels, dungeon farming, and hero-demon-lord civilizational cycle. I don't want to spoil thought-through implications of rpgness, but here's a nice fresh question asked of a hero-demon-lord protagonist: The cycle have been going on for eons. Millions of your predecessors tried everything they could think of. What hope do you have to do something new?

summoned hero sevar (also defunct) doesn't quite focus on being like-that, but has a similarly focused take on the genre of "the world have had OP isekai protagonists for a while" and some downstream effects.

Lintagolarion is....kind of hard to summarize really. It's basically Pathfinder's Golarion, but....tinkered a lot to make it consistent in like-that style.

[craigmaherart]

Last of four from "Heroes of Golarion" for Pathfinder from Paizo. Blind Mesmerist!

[abominationvault]

Session 49: Sat 31 Aug 2024

Update! Jorg’ath’s neighbour has closed the window and is in fact not dead. The only other possible explanation is that he is a serial killer, as our DM so wisely pointed out last session.

Crossfit is not only expensive but also bad for you. Scientifically proven. Hartvig wants to know what he missed last week; absolutely nothing because we didn’t play. Nadia wins a Hero Point for correctly guessing what floor we’re on (the fifth, if anyone's counting). Luna is not here, she’s taken BWJ’s 1 and 2 to Macclesfield to see her sister. Sprocket will take over for her. The DM has a Welsh people fetish. “You do you,” Hartvig encourages him. Hartvig bets Ricki Lake looks exactly the same now. He looks it up on Google. “Ooooh… No she doesn’t.”

Nadia does the recap: Chuffcum, spike traps, finding things including a set of alchemist’s tools (Hartvig found a cupboard) and see-through walls, and a stately hallway with broken statues and balconies and bridges. Yeah. Hero Point for recapping twice.

Skabb and Jorg’ath wrestle Baby Skabb into bed, and we’re off!

Nadia pokes Hartvig through the door he’s found. (Sprocket and Hartvig are having pizza. Nadia is well jel.)

We are in the stately hallway. Skabb thinks this might be the actual arena, as it would be interesting to watch people fight in here. She looks at the pinpricks of light in the ceiling - they are irregularly spaced and she thinks they might be a replication of the night sky. Then she notices that the stars don’t match our sky, and that it might be a view of stars a long way from Golarion…

We have a half alien in our midst, the DM tells us. Nadia looks around wildly to see who it is. (It’s her; technically elves aren't from Golarion and Nadia is a half elf tiefl- sorry, nephilim. She insists she’s a half elf so she was born here, but Skabb side-eyes her anyway. In any case Nadia can't help with the star thing, so it's all moot.)

Skabb sends Grabby to scout - and Hartvig finds some doors we’ve already opened. Hartvig and Nadia make Nature checks, but nothing doing. Grabby makes one, as she basically is Nature, and absolutely smashes it with a green 25. She knows exactly where we are! We have been here before, this is where we threw some chains down so we can escape from the lower levels when we get there. We just didn’t explore to the south - if we had, we’d have found the hallway earlier.

Hartvig is overwhelmed by the amount of doors, and we make Perception checks. Luna gets a bonus because she is a big-eared cat person now. Skabb, Grabby, and Jorg’ath notice something. There is a pair of double doors to the south, and on the other side they hear shouting. “Do they sound like they’re married?” Skabb asks, and makes a Society check - 7. She’s not sure.

We sneak up to the door - Luna helps us all with her new feat. (Long discussion about what type of creature Hartvig is these days and whether Skabb would eat a bit of him. He is waxy, we determine.)

Two voices on the other side of the door, one male one female, but they seem more like siblings than spouses, Skabb thinks from up closer. They’re speaking an old, posh dialect. It’s a form of common, but an archaic one. Do they sound big? Not really, they just sound regular sized. We can also hear something being thrown or slammed around with force, not dissimilar to a heated domestic.

Luna can’t sneak peek because the doors are barricaded. Can we slide Sprocket under? There’s no light, but a little gap - but there is stuff piled the other side. “If one could turn into, say, an ooze of some form?” Sprocket asks? Yes, he could extrude himself under the door, and gets a Hero Point for the idea alone.

What ooze form should he take? The sneakiest one. The juiciest? Oooh, he has one with a climb speed. He has one minute as an ooze so better make it fast. He can communicate with Augustus, but he only speaks gnomish and none of us do, so. Oh well, it was a nice thought. Sprocket erupts into a big pile of black goo, and splatches under the door. (Hartvig gags a bit; Skabb’s tummy rumbles.)

He sees tables with built in ovens, silver flatware and crystalware litter the floor. Magical glyphs next to the window, and two creatures are screaming obscenities at each other. They stop and turn to Sprocket as he squeezes through - wait, no. He was sneaking, so they don’t see him and carry right on rowing. He oozes across the floor, and has Augustus try to interpret Sprocket’s telepathic description of the room to us with hand gestures.

As he slithers across the floor, they spot him and stop shouting. The female-voiced one says, “How disgusting! Get rid of it!” and they both start throwing things at him. The Initiative order box appears. “Awh!” says Sprocket.

Outside, we just hear continued raised voices and more smashing. Skabb looks antsy.

They are trying to shoo him and aren’t attacking yet, but he gets the feeling that they will. “I will shoo.” He goes for a window I think, but it’s sealed? I’m not in the room and I can’t see. Are there any drainage grates? No, just back out the way he came. There are hearths - well, ovens. (Then I think their pizzas arrive, so he’s muffled and AFK for a bit.) He sees another door - he can get to it and squeeze under in one turn, so he does.

On the other side of that door he sees stairs leading down. Now that he's gone, the squabbling poltergeists go back to their argument. Sprocket tells Augustus what he’s done, and Augustus gives us a thumbs up and points at the door. “We should go in,” Hartvig says to us, and Augustus "nods with his whole body".

We try to remove the debris in front of the door. Jorg’ath is strong, he says, but not quiet. Do we want him to have a go…? Hartvig tries first. 8 STR check. Jorg’ath somehow rolls worse. We all pitch in; between Augustus and Nadia, we shift the debris fairly quietly.

Sneak in? Or send Grabby? We open the door enough to push Grabby through, and she zooms up to the ceiling. There are chains, which makes Grabby think there were chandeliers here once. The whole place is a mess now, though. She wants to know what they’re squabbling about, but they’re just trading insults. She looks at the ovens instead. Percep- no. Society check. 18. “She’s a well-to-do raccoon, don’t you know.” The ovens aren’t big, but shallow; they may have been used to keep food warm before serving. For the posh boxes in the arena, likely. Grabby peeks through the big glass window, and must make a Stealth check - 16. She flies towards the window, but as she hovers down and presses her splatty hands on the glass, she hears “Vermin!” and the Initiative box appears again.

They throw things at her, but for now it’s just warning shots; it will escalate if she doesn’t leave. She flies up to the ceiling again, and tries talking to them. She tries to explain that she’s a familiar (a type of nature spirit in her case) and not a raccoon. She hasn’t been near bins in centuries. What is going on in here?

They are still disgusted by her. "What does it look like?", the male one demands. Grabby makes a Diplomacy check - 8. Can she use Skabb’s Hero Points? Yes - 15. The male spirit tells her that they can’t leave - stupid over there (he points accusingly at his sister) panicked when the alarm went off and they’ve been stuck here ever since. The female one immediately blames her brother for them being down here in the first place. What is keeping them trapped, Grabby asks?

The doors were barricaded. They have no way to get out, the female spirit tells her. If the doors were opened, what would happen? They would leave, obviously! Would they like Grabby to open the doors for them? They are very snotty at poor Grabby.

Luna can hear what’s going on through the doors with her big ears. She opens the door and says to the ghosts, “Jog on, then.” They zoom past us and up the stairs.

Well, that's that dealt with! Skabb wins a Hero Point for not murder-hoboing.

We go into the room; it is trashed. Hartvig takes a look at the ovens. What did Grabby see through the big window?

As we look out, we see a walkway, a seating area on a balcony, and what we assume will be the arena below, though we can't actually see it from inside the room. There are torches burning down there, so it is light. Skabb presses against the glass, leaving greasy nose and hand prints. And a belly print as well apparently.

Augustus opens the door and lets Sprocket out. Sprocket and Hartvig examine the glyphs - Hartvig thinks they can be interacted with by touch. One, Hartvig associates with the phases of the moon, and Sprocket associates them with power fluxes in magical stuff - like an occult dimmer switch. Hartvig touches the dark moon one - little Skabber, pot belly pressed against the glass, is surprised to see it turn opaque. Hartvig touches the full moon one, and the glass goes completely transparent. (Skabb tries to draw a smiley face on it with her belly.)

Jorg’ath goes to open the door to the stairs that led down - but he spots something interesting in the debris on the floor. It looks like a small metallic cube. He points it out to Nadia, who takes a look. It seems to be a dented metal box. She picks it up. It would once have been fancy, but it’s clearly been through some shit. She tries to open it, but it seems locked - she hands it to Luna. Thievery 16. Skabb has a try for a 25. Her nasty little fingers manage to pry it open, and inside is a ring, a fancy one, with a strange symbol on it.

Does she know anything about the symbol? She has seen it before. Occultism 26 for 30. It’s the symbol of Nimboloth… She is one of the most evil and unholy of the gods. Skabb is reluctant to carry this ring, knowing that. She's fairly certain she might have a soul, grubby as it may be, and doesn't want it getting scoffed by an evil god. She asks if Augustus would be happy to carry the ring in his tummy, as he doesn’t have a soul? Probably? Hartvig thinks Nimboloth sounds kinda cool; Skabb bungs the ring in his direction.

He recalls that in the mythology of this place, Velcro worshipped Nimboloth. He thinks the ring might have belonged to her. It is a +1 Ring of Wizardry! It will do all sorts of cool stuff - but it’s for arcane spellcasters, and he’s divine. Sprocket could use it! He could wear it as a crown. He puts it on.

Through the other door in here is the staircase leading down; we avoid it for now as we haven’t finished exploring.

Grabby scouts ahead and relays what she sees.

(It is here that the DM makes a huge mistake: “If you’re not obnoxious about it, I will let you draw on the map.” A green dick immediately appears.)

Some of us fly, some sit on the edge of the bridge and slide off down the ten feet to the floor below, some of us (Nadia) leap off and land perfectly in spite of wearing heels. (And win a Hero Point for it too.)

Grabby explores and finds a new room - and hears a scrabbling noise. She turns just in time to see three creatures appearing from their nest among the statues… It sounds like she’s going off on a little side quest of her own. (She could take Augustus, Sprocket suggests. "Grabby Cat and Barrel Boy.") Oh shit it's basilisks!

Initiative…

Grabby immediately flies upward out of reach, but still has to make a Fortitude save - a 6. She begins to stiffen…

Grabby is Slowed 1, after Hero Pointing for a 17. Skabb plops off the edge to join Nadia on the same level as Grabby, averting her gaze. (Which, it turns out, does nothing as they only have to be able to see us.) Skabb does Blazing Dive at them, doing a bunch of damage as she lands amongst them. She gets a Hero Point for being ballsy; "I will display it proudly on my grave." They all take some damage, in spite of a success on one of their saves.

Sprocket is up, and he’s got some brand new spell slots burning a hole in his pocket. And a +1 Striking Staff of Elemental Power. First though, he wants to know what he knows about basilisks. They have a 30 foot range on their Petrifying Gaze! (Skabb clutches her pearls.) Sprocket shoots a Phase Bolt at one of them, Hero Points, 19 to hit? Misses. “Ahhhhmmmm. Nuts.” Another Phase Bolt, 21 is still a miss. Only just.

Hartvig 2.0 is up. He dash-slash-plops down next to Nadia and scoots forward a bit and does a Needle Darts - 23 hits! Then he raises his shield.

(IRL Jorg’ath isn’t well. Skabb says he feels clammy and may have passed over. Perhaps he’s a dustwalker now.)

The basilisks start in on staring at Skabb. (The DM tells us that if we are fully petrified, we are petrified forever unless someone splats fresh basilisk blood on us. Hooray.) Fortitude save 30, phew. One bites Skabb, three times. “At least I don’t have any parents that you lot will have to tell that I love them.” 35 crit, then 22 to hit, and she’s down. Shit. Well, at least she’s not petrified.

Another one starts down the corridor toward Hartvig and Nadia. One tries to mean-mug Nadia but she makes her save. “Phew.”

Luna is on the balcony and can’t be seen; she wants to hide and then deal a million damage. She’s already hidden (well, she thinks she is), so she’s halfway there. She leans out over Sprocket, shoots, Hero Points, 22 to hit for 8 damage and 4 Sneak Attack. She shoots again, 21 just misses.

Another one mean-mugs Nadia but she makes her save again. She tanglefoot bags one, and runs away.

Jorg’ath slides off the ledge to the floor below and runs up to the basilisks that have come up the corridor, and wants to push his thumbs into their eyes. He makes a claw attack, not a critical, but does some damage. “In that case I’m going to target its head with my greatsword.” 23 hits, for 23 green damage!

Skabb uses her Hero Points to stabilise herself.

Sprocket casts Summon Moss Sloth!

He smells like wet rotten wigs and turpentine, we are told. Yeah, that tracks. The Moss Sloth sleepily slaps a basilisk with its wooden claws, and hits twice! It does its eerie half smile, which is the only expression it can make. Augustus has a move, so he uses it to get into melee with the basilisks, next to Jorg’ath.

A basilisk side-eyes Hartvig. “But… but… for why?” Because he is in range, and he started his turn. The shield doesn’t help. He makes a Fortitude save - a green 29! “I petrify it right back!” (Nice idea, but they’re immune.) He moves up to give Skabber some healing, Heightening it to Level 3. 24 HP back for her, plus 13. 37, nice. She’s only 9 away from her max now! Hartvig raises his shield.

The basilisks go next. The one closest to Hartvig moves into melee with him, and bites him, then turns to bite Augustus. 19 misses Hartvig and 17 misses Augustus. Ha! Wait - retcon, that was the one with the tanglefoot bag. It moves five whole feet and stops because it’s winded, and doesn't bite anyone. The other one bites at the lizard and then does a petrifying gaze at him. He’s got Fortitude for days! Red 14, not today apparently. Hero Point 24, that’s better.

The one next to Skabb thinks she’s dead; she smells dead on the best of days, she tells us. It moves up and glares at Sprocket. 24 saves and the DM is very annoyed; he wanted to petrify at least one of us. (He might yet.)

Luna Hides, but is not confident that she can’t be seen. “She let out a little cat fart as she was doing it.” She shoots, 30 hits for 5 damage. She can roll her sneak attack damage, yay! 7 more on top. Nice. 27 also hits, howdy doodis! The arrow pierces its eye. “All the blood comes out of it and goes into a flask.”

Nadia leaps back onto the upper level from halfway up the stairs, and with her Raconteur’s Reload, gets a free Intimidation check - 16. Does nothing, but she crits with her next Tanglefoot shot and it has to make a Fortitude save or be stunned - it saves. She gets a Hero Point for being badass, though. And it's Slowed!

Jorg’ath starts his turn and gets side-eyed for his trouble - 17 is a fail so he Hero Points for 29. Then 29 hits for a howdy doodis! Jorg’ath is very careful to avoid spilling too much of its blood, between the greatsword and the acid damage. The other one is flat-footed as well as slowed now, thanks to a feat of Jorg’ath’s! “You stinker,” the DM complains.

There is one left now, and it can’t see Skabb because she’s behind it so it can’t side-eye her. It’s a bit distracted. She is still on the ground; she wanted to bite it but that would be all three of her actions including standing up and moving over to it, so she decides to cast a spell from the ground. Wait - can she commando crawl? Yes, the DM will allow it. She crawls over and bites it on the ankle. Does 19 hit? It’s slowed, off guard and flat-footed…? No, it’s AC would be 20. She has another go with a Hero Point - 29 will hit. 9 piercing damage. It’s not an aberration, is it? It is not. “Balls.” She wants to do a spell but they’re all 2-actioners, so she bites again instead. 20 hits for 4 more damage.

Sprocketses. He’s AFK! Oh, he’s back. Augustus does some punchin’. 26 hits for 7 damage. Sprocket does a Phase Bolt; 17 misses. 16 also misses. Randy the Moss Sloth also gets a go with his wooden claws - 14 misses. “He fell asleep.” 9 also misses, and Sprocket’s team are done.

Does it look bad, Hartvig asks? Perception check - 25. “Oh, it’s fucked,” the DM tells him. Needles! 13 misses, Hero Point, 24 hits! “Loads of needles.” 12 piercing damage - howdy doodis! “It’s very splashy. The blood is conveniently spread around the corridor.”

Grabby Cat wipes herself against the bloody walls, removing the Slowed condition.

Skabb runs to meet her, and finds herself surrounded by the statues. All but two are badly damaged. There are two that could be saved, since we have all this basilisk blood. Do they look friendly? We have a look. Skabb and Hartvig make Occultism checks - Skabb rolls a dirty 20. Hartvig gets a 25. One looks like a flesh warp, so it would be a bad idea to revive that one. The other looks like some form of vampire or undead. It’s an Erdofan, which is not actually intrinsically hostile. We could take their gear without damaging them, if we wanted. Skabb makes a Thievery check to see if she can smear blood on their stuff without reviving them - 28.

She manages to pilfer a +1 Striking Composite Longbow, and a +1 Tamchal Chakram:

She could launch that from Rabies’ saddle.

With that, we get a description of the arena. Wide open space, six balconies with porches, huge metal gong hanging on thick chains. Could we see any creatures down there, Nadia wants to know? We will have to wait until next week!

[evernightpf2]

🌙 Embark on an Epic Journey in Golarion's Arcadia: "Echoes of the Evernight" 🗡️✨

As the last light of day fades, the small village of Cuarón in Arcadia prepares for the annual Festival of the Souls. The Evernight, Golarion's answer to Día de Muertos, is a time to honor the departed and celebrate the lives they once led. But this year, something sinister stirs in the shadows.

Welcome to "Memories and Shadows," the first chapter in our Pathfinder Second Edition campaign set in the mysterious and vibrant lands of Arcadia. This isn't just any campaign—it's an epic tale of exploration, intrigue, and combat that will take your characters from humble beginnings to legendary status.

🎭 What's the Story?

In Cuarón, a village rich with the echoes of colonial history and culture, the Evernight is more than just a celebration—it's a reminder of the thin veil between the worlds of the living and the dead. But when darkness falls, and the village is plunged into chaos by a malevolent force, it’s up to you and your party to uncover the truth, protect the innocent, and confront the terrors lurking in the night.

The campaign begins with the festival, where your characters will engage in activities deeply rooted in cultural traditions—everything from crafting cempaxochitl altars to competing in vibrant games. But as the night progresses, these celebrations turn deadly when the forces of Xibalba, led by the terrifying Sahkil, descend upon the village.

🧙‍♀️ Why Play This Campaign?

Rich Lore and Culture: Immerse yourself in a world inspired by the legends and myths of Mesoamerican civilizations. From the architecture of Cuarón to the deities worshipped in Arcadia, every detail has been crafted to create an authentic and compelling setting.

Epic Scope: This campaign isn't a quick adventure—it's a full saga designed to take your characters from level 1 to 20, with challenges that will test your wits, your courage, and your resolve.

Dynamic Characters and Backgrounds: Create heroes with deep ties to the world. Whether you're a Cowboy, a Militiaman, or a Mariachi, each background offers unique opportunities to shape your character’s story and influence the unfolding events.

Terror and Heroism: Face the darkness, both literal and metaphorical, as your party fights to protect Cuarón from the Sahkil—monsters born of the deepest fears of children. The choices you make will determine the fate of the village and set the stage for the greater battles to come.

🗺️ Join Us in the Adventure

Are you ready to step into the shoes of heroes in a world filled with magic, mystery, and danger? Are you prepared to face the horrors that the Festival of the Souls will unleash? If you love stories that blend rich cultural latinamerican elements with the epic fantasy of the Pathfinder system, then this is the campaign for you.

Gather your friends, sharpen your blades, and prepare your spells. The darkness is coming, and only you can stand against it.

🌟 "Memories and Shadows"—the adventure begins now.

[dailycharacteroption]

Holy Beast (Shifter Archetype)

(art by LuMosido on DeviantArt)

Most deities in the Pathfinder game have a sacred animal of some kind, a beast favored by their deity. Whether that animal is truly blessed by the divinity in question or merely the god’s favorite for whatever reason, it’s clear that despite how different they are to mortals, even most gods think that animals are pretty neat.

While the list of possible animals far outstrips the frankly limited pool of animal aspects for the shifter class, there are nevertheless those shifters that devote themselves to a deity, and in doing so are rewarded with a measure of divine power. They might be servants of the faith or lay worshippers with strong convictions, but either way they find their bestial might empowered and changed by their deity, for good or ill.

With this power, they become predators that hunt the servants of their deity’s enemies. Some are divine beings preying upon rakshasa and invading fiends, while a devotee of a dark god would hunt mortals and goodly servants alike as a fell beast.

This archetype is especially common in Vudra, a land with hundreds upon hundreds of minor divinities that often have much more intimate contact with mortal-kind than the distant powers that most other cultures in the setting are used to, but anyone of any culture or faith might take on the role of holy beast, able to shift into an animal champion of their deity.

The claws of these shifters are always built for piercing, but their true strength lies in the divine blessing they are charged with, allowing them to pierce the hides of outsiders of their opposed alignment with the same ease as those vulnerable to cold iron, silver, or magic.

They also gain an instinctive understanding of how to tear apart and befuddle their favored foes as a ranger might, picking exclusively among broad outsider categories that their deity considers enemies.

While this is a simple archetype, it’s nice and thematic and provides a good way to play a shifter that specializes in fighting outsiders for whatever reason. Beyond that, feel free to build them however you see fit.

To be a holy beast is to be chosen by the divine, but the exact relationship between mortal and deity may vary. Indeed, for those unprepared it may seem as much like a curse as it is a blessing, albeit one that aligns with the morality of the recipient. On the other hand, for some it may be a euphoric experience, being transformed and changed by their deity’s will.

They say that the Iron One’s army counts werewolves and other lycanthropes among their number, this is only partially true. In truth, the majority of these fierce warriors-turned-beasts are in fact shifters, holy beasts devoted to the army’s patron god of war, with claws that pierce like a needle and a fury that strikes down those they consider weak.

Left alone when the doors to the Shadow closed, the wayangs of Powan called out for succor from the light, and something answered, gifting their fiercest warriors with the fury and forms of beasts, the only cost being they must fight against horrors that hide in bright light.

The Master of the Endless Cycle is represented in their faith by a serpent, though in truth this is an ouroboros. Of course, such cosmic creatures are beyond most worshippers, but some worshipping this deity of life, death, and reincarnation are able to take on serpentine aspects and forms, and become guardians against those that would disrupt the cycle.

[smiteworks]

New Releases from Paizo Inc.

🏹Pathfinder RPG - Campaign Setting: Lands of Conflict

Never Surrender!

A seemingly endless war rages between the expansionist nation of Molthune and its fiercely independent neighbor Nirmathas. To Molthune, it's a civil war to preserve its legacy of unification; to Nirmathas, a war to throw off tyrannical occupation. Ancient ruins, headstrong leaders, and longstanding feuds are present on both sides—but the similarities end there.

💎Pathfinder RPG - Campaign Setting: Qadira, Jewel of the East

Glories of the Dawn

Sprawling along the eastern shore of the Inner Sea lies Qadira, one of the mightiest nations of the region. Itself merely the westernmost tip of the vast Padishah Empire of Kelesh, Qadira has long stood as a bastion of culture and faith for humanity. Great dangers and wondrous opportunities for adventure await within this storied land--those who visit Qadira are well-advised to prepare for their journey!

🗡Pathfinder RPG - Council of Thieves Adventure Path (2 of 6) - The Sixfold Trial

The Play's the Thing

To banish the monstrous shadows that stalk Westcrown by night, the PCs go undercover, joining the city's chaotic theatrical community in an elaborate plot to infiltrate the estate of the decadent lord-mayor. Yet theater life turns deadly when they become players in a spectacle no actor has ever survived. Can the PCs endure their debut performance in a city where an actor's first big hit is often his last?

😱Pathfinder RPG - Campaign Setting: Horror Realms

Horrors Await Within

Terrors beyond compare lurk in the world's shadows, yet the bravest of Golarion's heroes must face these nightmares again and again.

[mk-robinsteve]

Annnnnnnd, that's a wrap! The Fearless Four complete their first campaign, Curse of the Crimson Throne (Pathfinder), helping the powers that be defeat the dragon-possessed Queen Ileosa and restoring peace to their home city of Korvosa. Kudos to all who made this happen - writers, players, GMs, and the actors/characters who inspired the PCs making up the FF!

On the young heroes continue as they venture into the dangerous world of Golarion, following Nancy's wish to become a Pathfinder Chronicler. More adventures await the intrepid four! Stay tuned...

[audiofictionuk]

New Fiction Podcasts - 18th October

PodcasTales New Audio Book! Un podcast che dà voce agli scrittori esordienti e ai loro racconti. Podcast narrativi di breve durata, da ascoltare mentre vai al lavoro, in metro o in auto, quando sei a casa o mentre passeggi al parco. Ogni due settimane potrai ascoltare un racconto fantasy, storico, romance o di narrativa contemporanea. Scoprirai nuovi autori che hanno già pubblicato e a cui Libri in Rete vuole dare visibilità E non dimenticare di lasciare i tuoi feedback anche sui nostri social. Vota i racconti, il genere letterario, gli scrittori o i voice actors che preferisci, per avere sempre più storie che ti emozionano! https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231008-01 RSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/5950288/episodes/feed

Tag Till We're Dead (TTWD) - horror anthology podcast New Audio Book! Tag Till We're Dead (TTWD) is an anthology horror podcast, with short, original stories written by British author Karen Cave. Designed to get under your skin... https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20230409-03 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/de816aa8/podcast/rss

Æther New Audio Drama! Æther est une série audio qui se déroule, en 1885, dans un univers fantastique où l'ère industrielle a commencé depuis quelques décennies. Dans ce monde où la technologie est en plein essor, la magie recule petit à petit. Ces deux forces (magie et technologie) sont opposées l'une à l'autre, elles sont les deux faces d'une même pièce. Elles ne font pas bon ménage ensemble... Au milieu de tout cela, trois jeune gens, Saturnin, Kevin et Mélusine, enchaînent les petits jobs pour gagner leur vie. Ils se retrouvent à enquêter, pour le compte d'une tiers personne, sur le crash d'un dirigeable: le Zephyr. A travers cette enquête, ils vont se mettre dans une situation extrêmement délicate... Comment vont-ils s'en sortir? Pour le savoir, vous pouvez écouter la série audio.  https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231009-04 RSS: https://feed.ausha.co/QQE9RcYNaLNJ

Mystery Dungeon: a Path Through Time New Audio RPG! A Pokemon Mystery Dungeon TTRPG podcast that follows the attempted adventure of three young heroes on their way to save the world from time travel shenanigans. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231008-02 RSS: https://feeds.zencastr.com/f/2vNd2pQ5.rss

Le Monde d'Orélia New Audio Drama! Suivez Pierre Duval à travers sa caméra, un jeune youtubeur passionné d'Urbex, qui part explorer une maison abandonnée perdue dans un marécage. Cette expédition promet d'être grandiose pour lui, mais malheureusement, les choses ne se dérouleront pas comme prévu... https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20230806-04 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/e6ef84e0/podcast/rss

Describe Your Kill New Audio RPG! This actual-play podcast of Paizo's Stolen Fate Adventure Path for Pathfinder Second Edition unlocks the magic of immersive collaborative storytelling through captivating live-action role-playing games. Cards from a powerful Harrow deck have been scattered across Golarion, threatening the very balance of destiny. A group of unlikely heroes, each bearing a single card, must unite to restore the legendary deck, or risk unravelling reality itself. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231011-01 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/describe-your-kill

Disney Frozen: Forces of Nature New Audio Drama! Queen Anna has a lot on her plate – there are visitors in her Kingdom, a friend in need, and even the Duke of Weselton’s nephew skulking around – so when the Spirits of Nature start acting up, she knows she has to solve the problem – and fast – before things get more out of control. But when Anna and Elsa travel to the Enchanted Forest, they find mysterious copper machines that are disrupting the natural order of things. Who made these machines and what are they doing in the forest? And more importantly, how do Anna and Elsa stop them? Disney Frozen: Forces of Nature is a 12 episode audio-first story for kids 6-12. Listen for free starting October 11. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231011-02 RSS: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/ESP3054801210

The Delivery Boy New Audio Drama! Bryce Williamson is a pizza boy who sold his soul to work at Check's pizza on accident. In the heart of East Tennessee he delivers to haunted houses, Nuclear Plants, and has some strange co-workers. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231011-03 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/64e3ba2cfd52ea0011de87f5

Das Hörspiel zu Babylon Berlin New Audio Drama! Ab dem 13. Oktober: Die ganze Serie am Stück. "Der nasse Fisch", "Der stumme Tod" und "Goldstein". Die Goldenen20er Jahre finden ein abruptes Ende, das Klima in der Weimarer Republik wird immer rauer. Gereon Rath ist von Köln nach Berlin zwangsversetzt worden. Die Hauptstadt-Polizei ermöglicht ihm einen Neuanfang - bei der "Sitte". Und trotzdem gibt's bald Tote. Rath gerät immer tiefer in einen Dschungel aus Betrug, Gier, Korruption, Drogen und Gewalt. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231013-01 RSS: https://www1.wdr.de/mediathek/audio/wdr/babylon-berlin/babylon-berlin-hoerspiel-102.podcast

Frankenstein: A Radio Play New Audio Drama! A complex and tragic relationship, marked by conflict and mutual suffering, is at the center of Mary Shelley’s 1818 classic Frankenstein. Frankenstein unfurls the gripping tale of Victor Frankenstein, a bold and audacious young scientist who ventures beyond the limits of conventional methods to bestow sentience upon a created being. With each step of Victor's exhilarating journey, he becomes increasingly entwined with the repercussions of his creation's actions. As the stakes escalate, Victor finds himself confronting not only the formidable moral and ethical dimensions of his unchecked ambition, but also the profound essence of genuine humanity itself. Brought to you in an immersive radio play format, MAD Company’s Frankenstein will feature dynamic performances, foley, and atmospheric music. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231012-01 RSS: https://feeds.transistor.fm/frankenstein-a-radio-play

The Last Person on Earth New Audio Book! An original Lovecraftian Comedy by Ivy Magaña. A whimsical dive into the existential musings of an immortal, astral servant in a post-apocalyptic world. Darkness served with a smile! https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231011-04 RSS: https://feeds.libsyn.com/489734/rss

Damien's Diaries New Audio Drama! Damien Saint Germaine's love life hasn't been ideal lately. After many attempts at love he finds himself in a therapy session tasked with the responsibility of deciphering his love life to determine if he is truly the cause of his romantic pitfalls. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231011-05 RSS: https://media.rss.com/sweetbayproductions/feed.xml

IsenLawl - Hörspiele und Geschichten New Audio Book! Hallo zusammen, ich habe schon seit längerem überlegt, ob ich Fanfiction einlese und diese wie eine Art Hörspiel aufbaue. Diese Geschichten findet ihr hier auf meinem Profil. Ich bin keine professionelle Sprecherin oder Autorin. Ich liebe Rollenspiele und mache dies in meiner Freizeit als Hobby. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231008-03 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/eac6d9b0/podcast/rss

A Scary Home Companion New Audio Drama! Drinking whiskey in the kitchen and telling scary stories around the fire. Music and mayhem, fearful fiction and furious fact, tall tales and terrible truths. A Scary Home Companion is a sinister variety show, featuring original stories and original music https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20180628-03 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/184534.rss

Aquel verano de 1973 New Audio Drama! Durante el verano de 1973 los amigos de Rebeca la convencen de ir al campamento "Elrodi" sin saber lo que le esperaría ahí. El campamento fue fundado en 1943 por Olivia Bercoff, pero ese mismo año desapareció su hijo Elton. Rebeca, Javier y Amanda se enfrascarán en la búsqueda de qué fue lo que le sucedió. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231013-03 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/651c50ab8cacd500112f75bd

[thecreaturecodex]

Machine Beast

Image © Wayne Barlowe

[The Sword of Shannara is perhaps the most brazen of all Tolkein derived fantasy. It has one new gimmick; the setting is a post-apocalyptic Earth, and all of the fantasy races (gnomes, elves, trolls, etc) are mutated humans. This concept would later be borrowed by Shadowrun. I am led to believe that Shannara originally found its own identity, but the first book, The Sword of Shannara, is basically just an outline of The Lord of the Rings with major nouns changed. A magic ring becomes a magic sword. A Ring Wraith becomes a Skull Bearer. Cross out the word “wizard”, replace it with “druid”. And Shelob becomes a cyborg!

The nameless beast presented here fills the Shelob role from The Two Towers, guarding a hazardous pass, leading one of the characters to believe another one is dead, etc.  It, or something like it, appears in a later book to save our heroes from rampaging robots. So I decided to make it a robot hunting monster. In a game set on Golarion, these could be creations of the Technic League, or natives of Aballon (in which case, you should give them the no breath ability). ]

Machine Beast CR 11 NE Aberration This creature is a horrible conglomerate of mammalian, arthropod and reptilian features, all of which are concealed by mechanical devices. It has fur in some places, scales in others, and metallic plates in patches. Its head is mostly insect-like, with two long, mobile antennae, each ending in a harpoon-like barb.

Machine beasts are strange cybernetic horrors, created by a combination of fleshwarping and technology. The base species used to make them is unknown, and may very well be a combination of various animals and monstrous vermin. They were designed by their original masters as independent weapons of terror in a technological war—machine beasts hunt robots, killing them and stripping them for parts to attach to their own bodies. Unfortunately, machine beasts proved to be difficult to control, and some of them have gone rogue.

A machine beast hungers for both flesh and mechanical apparatus, and is not afraid to hunt humanoids. In fact, it seems to prefer such prey out of a sense of sadism, perhaps a warped reflection of conditioning as living weapons. They can smell the difference between robots and living creatures—they attack the former with EMP rays, and the latter with their claws, mandibles and stings. Strange chemicals burble within a machine beast, and it can send a surge of them to enhance one of its physical abilities for a short time. The venom of a machine beast is debilitating and deadly. Machine beasts have enough of a sense of self preservation to flee from a losing fight, especially if enemies can pierce their armored plates or deal electricity damage.

Strangely, machine beasts are capable of procreation. This is an asexual process—the beast lays a single leathery egg, and spends ample time and energy to attaching robotic remains and other metallic junk to the egg, forming a second shell. The machine beast hatches with metal parts already integrated into its flesh, although it often replaces and replenishes them as it grows. Machine beasts are surprisingly good parents, making sure their young are fed both meat and metal, teaching them how to hunt and to repair themselves.

Machine Beast   CR 11 XP 12,800 NE Huge aberration Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +11, scent Defense AC 25, touch 9, flat-footed 24 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +16 natural) hp 142 (15d8+75) Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +11; +4 vs. death effects, disease, mind-influencing effects, necromancy, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, stunning DR 10/adamantine; Resist cold 10, fire 10 Defensive Abilities constructed, fortification (25%); Weakness cybernetic, vulnerable to electricity Offense Speed 40 ft. Melee bite +16 (2d8+7), 2 claws +16 (1d8+7), 2 stings +16 (1d10+7 plus poison) Ranged integrated EMP rifle +10 touch (6d6 electricity) Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks chemical surge, robot hunter Statistics Str 25, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 10 Base Atk +11; CMB +20; CMD 31 (39 vs. trip) Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Nimble Moves, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Stealth), Vital Strike Skills Acrobatics +10 (+14 when jumping), Climb +20, Perception +11, Stealth +5, Survival +11 (+15 following tracks by scent); Racial Modifiers +4 Climb, +4 Survival tracking by scent Languages Common (cannot speak) SQ scavenge robot, searchlight Ecology Environment any land Organization solitary or pair Treasure incidental Special Abilities Chemical Surge (Ex) As a swift action, a machine beast may give itself a +4 alchemical bonus to Strength, Dexterity or Constitution for 5 rounds. A machine beast may use this ability three times per day, but cannot use it multiple times concurrently. Constructed (Ex) A machine beast gains a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws made against all death effects, disease, mind-influencing effects, necromancy spells and abilities, paralysis, poison, sleep effects and stun effects. Cybernetic (Ex) A machine beast is treated as having cybernetic implants for the purposes of spells and abilities that interact with these. EMP Rifle (Ex) A machine beast has a built in EMP rifle. This weapon has a range of 150 feet and 10 range increments, and deals 6d6 points of electricity damage to robots on a successful ranged touch attack. It deals half damage to androids or creatures with cybernetic implants, and no damage to other creatures. Poison (Ex) Sting—injury; save Fort DC 22; duration 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d4 Con damage; cure 2 saves. The save DC is Constitution based. Robot Hunter (Ex) A machine beast gains a +4 competence bonus on all attack and damage rolls made against creatures with the robot subtype. Scavenge Robot (Ex) By spending 1 minute with a robot’s corpse, a machine beast can heal itself of 1d8 points of damage per HD of the robot, as well as curing itself of 1 point of ability damage or drain per 2 HD of the robot. This destroys the robot’s remains utterly. Searchlight (Ex) As a move action, a machine beast may emit a 60 foot cone of normal light from its head. This cone also increases the light level by one step in an area beyond the initial cone out to a 120 foot cone. The searchlight does not increase the light level in areas of normal or bright light, and is suppressed by magical darkness.

[dreadfutures]

The Mortal Usher, by eldrtchmn (x).

The Pathfinder Agent known as "the Mortal Usher" is an Oracle of Bones chosen by the Goddess of Life, Death, and Prophecy: Pharasma. Her adventures began in 4709 AR in the small town of Kassen, in Nirmathas. Over the following decade, she traversed Golarion and made a name for herself as an adventurer and hero. But by 4718, she’s sick of being meddled with by prophecies that don’t come true, and tired of losing the people who mean most to her.

Halide turns her eyes to the Worldwound to make her last stand--and to decide her own fate, once and for all.

I’m over the moon with this commission of my Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Commander, Halide! You can read more about her here, along with some drabbles about her leadership and romance through the game. eldrtchmn was a joy to work with on this commission and absolutely went above and beyond to deliver a piece I absolutely adore!