River Crossing

The party had stumbled into an ambush from the undead Witchfire, Old Maguyu, and things were not going well. They’d gotten a bit cocky that their fire-based spells could easily handle anything they encountered here in the frozen north, but Nicki’s Fireball had done absolutely nothing against the hag, and his Scorching Rays had passed harmlessly through her summoned Will-o-the-Wisp. Meanwhile, Marie had taken some serious damage from witchflame, and both she and Bella were wreathed in the sickly green flames.

Rough Road

The party built a funeral pyre for the unfortunate victims of Rimakak, and slid Arnaalak’s body through a hole in the ice and into a watery grave. The pyre was still smoldering the next morning when the caravan set off in silence, deeper into the Gaarjuk Hills. As Ulf had predicted, they came to a small Erutaki encampment a couple of days later. They left Rimakak’s lone survivor in their care; the girl had not spoken two words since they’d left the remains of her village. Hoping she would be all right, the party forged on.

The Tragedy of Rimakak

The trek across the frozen north was proving to be every bit as dangerous as advertised – and they’d barely started. But the group was determined not to let anything stop them from escorting Ameiko to her destiny in distant Minkai, so they healed up after the battle with the bulettes, and continued on into the Gaarjuk Hills.

On The Road Again

Having come to an “arrangement” with the King, the party’s preparations for their arctic journey proceeded rapidly. Ulf replaced Sandru’s wagons with heavier models, with sturdy sleigh runners that could be affixed to the axles when the path became too snow covered for wheels. He hired a crew of Erutaki with leathery faces wrinkled from years of exposure to wind and cold. The party spent their time upgrading their magical gear and worrying that they wouldn’t have enough protection from the cold (Ulf merely snorted at their concerns). On the day they set out, Thyrie Tarnalsdottir met them at the edge of town with a banner embossed with the sigil of King Sveinn Blood-Eagle. Mounting it to the lead wagon, they set out for the north.

Spoils of Victory

The party had defeated the oni, Kimandatsu, rescued Ameiko and Ulf, and found the lost ancestral sword of the Amatatsu family, Suishen. It seemed their work at Ravenscraeg was done, save for the matter of hauling all the loot back to Kalsgard. Between Ameiko, Ulf, and the other prisoner, Lute Haggersly, they now had more people than horses, and there was no sign of a stable at Ravenscraeg. So the party decided to split up, with Shinjiro, Nicki, and Sawyer staying behind to gather all the swag by the front door, while everyone else went back to town to fetch one of Sandru’s wagons. After all, what could go wrong?

DM Rant About Caravan Rules

One of the unique facets of the Jade Regent Adventure Path is something called “caravan rules”. These are a special set of rules that describe how to build, use, and fight in caravans designed for cross-country trade and travel. When I first heard about caravan rules, I thought that sounded like a cool twist that would provide some diversity from the standard D&D play we’ve all done for years. But after reading the actual rules, and reading the experiences of other DMs in the on-line forums, I’ve decided not to use them. Actually, we should have been using caravan rules for some encounters ever since the party left Sandpoint, but this is the first you’re hearing about them (unless you’ve snuck a peek at the Jade Regent Player’s Guide). However, the next portion of the AP, where you’re trekking across the Crown of the World, is dominated by caravan encounters, and I felt it was worth a short digression to explain why I’m going a different route (no pun intended) than the AP designers intended.

Scouring Ravenscraeg

The party had reached the deepest depths of Ravenscraeg’s dungeons, and found themselves locked in mortal combat with the leader of the Frozen Shadows: the oni Kimandatsu and her ninja minions. She had been making it difficult to target her by disappearing and flying to a new location after each of her attacks, but Sandoval had solved that problem by coating her with Glitterdust. But she was still well out of reach on one of the ledges 20’ above the floor of the room.

Kimandatsu's Lair

Having spent the night in the ninjas’ dojo beneath Ravenscraeg, the party felt prepared enough (they hoped) to venture still lower into the depths of the Frozen Shadows’ fortress. They were hoping that Ameiko was still alive somewhere in the dungeons below. They made their way back to the stairs, noting that none of the alarm traps Bella had rigged seemed to have been disturbed, and began to descend.

Omoyani's Deadly Kiss

The battle in the dojo still raged. Although the group had dispatched three of the Frozen Shadows monks who had ambushed them there, one still remained. Worse, their ninja-monk training master, Omoyani, had entered the fray. She had slipped her blade into Bella’s back as the rogue had fought the lone remaining monk. Bella felt a numbness start to spread from the wound, but she fought off the effects of the poison. Before she could whirl around to confront her new attacker, Omoyani vanished into thin air.

Beneath Ravenscraeg

The party was locked in combat in the tower that extended high above Ravenscraeg. They’d found themselves confronted by Frozen Shadows Ninjas, raven swarms, air elementals, and ultimately, the bloodfeather raven that had been dogging their steps almost since they left Brinewall Castle. But they’d begun whittling their enemies down.

Exploring Ravenscraeg

The party had begun exploring the clifftop fortress of Ravenscraeg. After fighting their way through ninjas and thugs in the great hall, they’d discovered a back corridor. Behind one of its doors was someone’s laboratory. All manner of alchemical equipment littered the workbenches around the room, and a profusion of dried plants and herbs hung from hooks on the rafters and beneath the stairs that wound upwards around the edges of the room. But what drew their attention was a table in the center of the room. On top of the table was a long glass case, and inside was the body of an elf.

Welcome to Ravenscraeg

After Nicki survived the Tengu ninjas’ attack on the stair, the group gathered on the landing at the top of the stairs. The massive front doors to Ravescraeg loomed before them. To their surprise, the doors were open a crack; the ninjas must have crept out unnoticed as the group raced across the plain to Nicki’s “rescue”. Not seeing or hearing anything from inside, they pushed one of the massive doors open.

Nicki's Last Stand

The party galloped south from Kalsgard, headed at last for Ravenscraeg where they hoped to find the kidnapped Ameiko Kaijitsu, along with her family’s ancestral sword, Suishen, and the missing guide, Ulf. As they left the main road for the track that led to Ravenscraeg, they could see hoofprints in the soft ground – Ameiko’s kidnappers were somewhere ahead of them. By nightfall, they’d reached the edge of an area of broad marshes, and could see a row of craggy hills rising to the south.

Falling Into Place

The party had survived the ambush in the marketplace, and Shinjiro had managed to capture the sniper who’d been doing so much damage from the rooftops. The market square was littered with the dead bodies of the thugs who’d attacked them, and several stalls were in flames, courtesy of Nicki’s Flaming Sphere. Panicked shoppers and merchants were still fleeing the scene or cowering under carts, and they knew it was only a matter of moments before the city watch arrived with an “arrest first, ask questions later” policy. Shinjiro waved everyone over to the alley behind the sniper’s building, and dropped the bound woman down to Sawyer (Zhustin desperately wanted to help “catch” the struggling female). A horse was tethered in the alley, so working under the assumption that it belonged to the assassin, they took it into custody as well. They hurried away from the scene just as city guards began pouring into the square from the other side.

Trouble, Trouble, Trouble

The party paddled slowly back to shore, their way lit by the flames of Snorri’s funeral ship that was burning to the waterline behind them. They’d survived the undead Snorri and an ambush by ninja, but had little to show for their troubles but burned fingers and scorched eyebrows. They hadn’t found Ulf, they hadn’t found Suishen, and they were at a loss for what to do next.

Smoke on the Water

After putting a damper on Asvig’s Longthew’s party, the party made their way back to Kalsgard. From what they’d learned from Asvig’s men and thralls, Ulf Gormundr, the man they hoped to hire to guide them over the Crown of the World, had been Asvig’s prisoner. He’d been taken away the day before, and the man they questioned suspected he was going to be hidden away on Snorri Stone-Eye’s funeral ship, to be burned as part of the funeral pyre.

The Battle of Asvig's Farm

Since Asvig Longthews seemed to be behind many of the attempts to thwart the party’s plans, they had decided to pay him a visit. They arrived at his farmhouse after dark to find some sort of party in full swing. They’d set fire to one of his barns to draw most of the Ulfen fighters outside, then snuck into the house through a back door. Inside, they found that their diversion had worked; only a couple of very drunken warriors were still on their feet, along with half a dozen passed out on the floor or under tables. However, when Shinjiro pulled aside a screen blocking off another room, he found himself facing a pair of very sober and very angry looking warriors, along with Asvig’s wife, Helva Longthews, who had a raven perched on her shoulder. She let out an ear-splitting screech and cast a hex at Shinjiro, who collapsed to the floor in a deep slumber.

Farm Raid

The party was taking advantage of finally being back in civilization to do some much-needed trading, selling off all the gear they’d collected since leaving Sandpoint and realizing that, even though they were richer than they’d ever dreamed of being, they still didn't have enough to buy that magical accoutrement they really needed.

Detective Work

Having defeated the Ulfen raiders, the party set off the next morning in their captured ship, the Aril’s Hammer. After some debate with Sandru and Koya, they’d convinced them to let Amieko join them on the boat, so they could make sure she was protected.

The Fury of the Northmen

The party was nearing Kalsgard, and had reached the Thundering River. A freezing fog rose from the river as the sun set, and party wasn’t surprised to see the blood-feather raven that had been dogging their path watching them from the far end of the old stone bridge where they had made camp. The fog only intensified with nightfall, and the party prepared to endure a cold and damp night’s sleep. But suddenly, they heard a sound from downriver – the muffled thump of oars in oarlocks. Alert for danger, the party fanned out, some heading out onto the bridge while others headed for the western side of the bridge. A slight breeze parted the mists for a moment, and those on the bridge saw a dark shape materialize out of the fog. There was a crunch of wood scraping on gravel as the longship beached on the riverbank, followed by the sounds of splashing feet, and the war-cries and battle songs of dozens of Ulfen warriors, who came pouring out of the ship!

Ill Omens

Having defeated an ambush of moss trolls in the Grungir Forest, the party paused to catch their breath. Wondering if the trolls might have a lair nearby, they sent Spivey flying off into the forest to make a quick survey. She returned about half an hour later, reporting that she might have found something.

North to Kalsgard

The party awoke still hardly believing what they had learned yesterday. Their friend, Ameiko Kaijitsu, who they’d always known as a somewhat rowdy former adventurer and innkeeper, was, in fact, the last surviving heir to the Jade Throne of Minkai! They were now setting off for the city of Kalsgard, deep in the Land of the Linnorm Kings, to help her recover her family’s ancestral sword and possibly secure passage across the Crown of the World to the fabled Empire of Minkai!

Visions of Jade

The party had descended the final staircase into the depths of Brinewall Castle. The stair spiraled deep down into the rock below the castle, ending in an portcullis, its bars sunk deep into the floor and ceiling, with no apparent opening mechanism. Beyond it they could see a small room, its smooth stone walls spattered with ancient bloodstains and deep, violent gouges. Deep drifts of dust lay on the floor, while immense stone doors hung open to the southwest, revealing empty vaults beyond.

Horror From the Abyss

The party had descended into the lower reaches of Brinewall Castle, and fought off an ambush of troglodytes. As they caught their breath and tried to stop retching from the trogs’ stench, they took stock of their surroundings. They were in the castle’s mess hall. One of the groups of ambushers had come from a large room to the north, but the door had swung closed behind them. The leader had come from a door to the east, which stood open to reveal a narrow hallway.

Trog-lo-dyte!

Our intrepid adventurers were in the midst of fighting the elusive quickling, Buttersnips, but so far she’d been too quick for them. The only time they could see her was when she would zip past them with her poisoned sword. Bella had been briefly poisoned but quickly recovered, but Zhustin was still suffering from the poison’s weakening effects. Meanwhile, Sawyer and Shinjiro were in the throne room, guarding against the return of the troglodytes they’d chased down into the dungeons, while Marie did some exploring. Oh, and Nicki had set Ameiko’s castle on fire, ostensibly in an attempt to flush out Buttersnips, but more likely just because he just enjoyed watching things burn.

Treachery!

 After defeating Kikonu and finally getting some sleep, the party had elected to explore the tower above Kikonu’s study. Bella led the way, and found herself facing a harpy at the top. Unlike everything else they’d met in Brinewall, she did not attack; instead she held out her left hand in a supplicating gesture, while with her right she pointed to her mouth and throat, miming that she was mute. Bella, however, could only see the sharp claws at the ends of her fingers, and backed away. Sawyer and Marie climbed the stairs and the harpy turned her silent entreaties to them.

The King Is Dead

The party had bedded down for the night in one of the dire corbies’ bedrooms on the 2nd floor of Brinewall Castle – with hindsight, perhaps not the wisest of choices, since they had no idea how many of the creatures inhabited the castle. About an hour after they closed the door, they heard loud squawking from the dining hall outside – apparently some more dire corbies had returned and found the bodies of their slain brethren.

The Mute Bard

The battle in the throne room was continuing. Only one surviving dire corby was still fighting, while another slept, and the fighters were trying to surround Kikonu, self-proclaimed “King of Brinewall”, who had somehow stolen Sandoval’s voice. The odd little man didn’t seem very concerned, however, and continued to taunt them, spouting nonsense rhymes in Sandoval’s voice: “I’ll steal your eyes with sorrowful sighs,” or “You’d best take heed – you’re going to bleed.”

Over the Wall

After Ameiko fell into a coma, the party decided to head on to Brinewall “just to take a look around”. The next thing they knew, Bella had a grappling hook over the wall of the castle and was starting to climb. Maybe the word “reconnoiter” didn’t mean what they thought it did.

On To Brinewall

The next morning, Ameiko seemed more her old self, as if some weight had been lifted from her. The caravan continued north, crossing the Velashu River, and striking out across the Velashu Uplands. A few days after leaving Roderic’s Cove, Shinjiro awoke feeling extremely weak, with a fever and sweats. His skin had an unhealthy pallor, and gave off a faint smell of decay. Marie had never seen anything like it, but Koya took one look and nodded her head. “Zombie Rot,” she said confidently. “Must’ve come from getting sprayed by all that zombie pus back in that damned mine. It’ll probably run its course and you’ll be fine.”

Aftermath

The stench of blood, unwashed bodies, and decaying flesh filled the air of the chamber as the party struggled to catch their breath after defeating the necromancer Vasharian, the druid Golubrin, and their cannibal followers. They had managed to rescue young Isabelle, but had arrived too late for the Stark lad. Their victory seemed hollow as they stared at the bloody remains of the teenaged boy.

Chamber of Horrors

The party was fighting their way through Blood Creek Mine, trying to rescue the innkeeper’s daughter and her boyfriend (or possible kidnapper) from a bloodthirsty cannibal cult. They had just fought off a half-dozen zombies, only to be confronted by a mob of filthy cultists.

The Blood Creek Mine

Hot on the trail of the possibly kidnapped, possibly run-away innkeeper’s daughter, the party were following the lead of the sheriff’s tracker, heading south from Roderic’s Cove. The dense forest of the Churlwood was to the west, while to the east rugged cliffs dropped off into the sea. The northernmost peaks of the Fogscar Mountains rose ahead of them, growing closer with each passing mile., Ameiko and Sandru seemed to be growing apprehensive as the search led them farther south, but kept their concerns to themselves.

No One Expects the Chelish Inquisition

The party completed all their preparations in Sandpoint, and set off on their journey to Brinewall Castle. The weather was beautiful, and the first day passed pleasantly. About midday the next day, the party heard hoofbeats on the road behind them. Looking back, they saw three men cantering up the road. The man in the lead wore plate armor and had a large mace slung beside his saddle, while his two companions wore chain and carried crossbows and short swords.

The Cavern of Shame

Seeing the cavern littered with skeletons made the party catch their breath. Would these skeletons rise to attack them, like the ones at the shipwreck? They waited at the edge of the cavern, but nothing stirred in the dim light from Nicki’s lantern. They could barely make out what looked like another small passage leading off to the right about 20’ in, and the far end of the cavern was lost in darkness.

Rats!

As the group explored the Brinestump Marsh, looking for the mysterious shipwrecks marked on the crude map they’d found in the goblin village, they had stumbled across a mouldering shack deep in the swamp. They’d heard tales about a witch named Megus who lived in the swamp, and wondered if this could be her home. Marie had gone into the shack to look around, but was finding nothing but mold-covered walls and furniture, and a floor criss-crossed with rat prints. Zhustin had checked out a collapsed shed nearby, but couldn’t see anything inside.

A Mystery Awakes

Last week saw the party launch an attack on the Licktoad’s village. They had cleared out most of the huts, and one of the surviving goblins was running for his life, but two more had Sandoval backed into a corner (or did he have them backed into a corner?), and there was still the matter of a locked set of double doors on the village’s largest hut.

Blackhawk Down

Feeling a good bit better after a night’s sleep at the Rusty Dragon, the party set out to find the Old Fish Trail that they’d been told would lead them to the Licktoad’s camp. After following the Lost Coast Road for about a mile past the New Fish Trail, they spotted another track leading off towards the Brinestump. Unlike the trail they’d followed yesterday, which, while overgrown, had shown signs of frequent use, this trail didn’t look like anyone had been down it in some time. In particular, the party saw no signs that the goblins had been using it to stage their recent raids. Had they been steered in the wrong direction?

Into Brinestump

The party awoke a bit hungover, but anxious to set off into the Brinestump Marsh to hunt down the Licktoads. They spent some time selling off the meager loot they’d collected from the goblins who’d attacked them on the road, and bought some simple adventuring supplies, then set off towards the New Fish Trail that the locals had pointed out to them.

Things That Go Boom

The party set out from Magnimar headed for Sandpoint and parts unknown. Well … not really a party at this point – just seven unacquainted and somewhat mutually suspicious individuals. Sawyer thought Bella looked like trouble. Roderick sulked and refused to talk to anyone else. Shinjiro kept a meditative silence. Only Zhustin was incurably cheery, pestering everyone with unsolicited questions about who they were, where they were going, and why.

Pathfinder Intro

We had another night where not everyone was going to be available for the climax of Scott's 4E Ravenloft dungeon. Scott had never gotten to play We Be Goblins, so he hadn't been exposed to Pathfinder yet, and some of the others wanted another chance to play, so we decided to run the introductory adventure from Paizo's Beginner Box Set.

Traveling Companions

You are bound for Sandpoint and points north as part of a caravan led by Sandru Vhiski, a Sczarni trader whose caravans travel this route often. Along with the usual crew of drivers, a cook, and a wainwright, the caravan has two guards.