Run Amok Blog

And that's it! Below are my last two chapters, Chapter 15 and Chapter 19. They're very different! One has a bargain with a lich gone wrong (which ends in a fight with the lich on the heroes' side) and the other has the heroes quashing evil in more discrete adventure locations than I've used in any chapter thus far. 

So, now, if you go back through all my blog posts, you'll have every chapter of an entire adventure path. But I intend to make this much easier on the reader and compile it all together with revisions and updates--my next blog post will talk about what I'm doing with the whole thing now that the writing is done!

Chapter 15: The Possibility Bargain (15th level)

Professor Koladsfar explains that the process of creating the breaching runeis simple, even though the lore behind it is incredibly complex. The sigil is painstakingly drawn on special paper, then transferred as a tattoo the recipient with the white ink of the albino kraken. The process is time-consuming but ultimately painless, and invests the recipient of the tattoo with special power. As a mortal mind can’t retain knowledge of the sigil in its entirety, the professor must access his books for it to re-create it for the heroes. After a short time of research, he discovers that one piece of the sigil isn’t in his library. He quickly deduces that Mokillan Vetch, the lich who invaded his library in Chapter 12, must have seen the sigil and destroyed the reference. The only hope of completing the breaching runeis to track down Vetch, wherever her phylactery reconstituted her, and force her to divulge this knowledge. 

As much as Professor Koladsfar doesn’t like dealing with a lich and rival, he understands that negotiation is probably the best answer when the fate of the Northfells hangs in the balance. He recovers his possibility tomefrom its secret location beneath the library and gives it to the heroes. He asks them to seek out the lich and trade the possibility tomefor the sigil.

Learning where Vetch can be found is a difficult endeavor; the professor suggests the heroes start with an oracle named Tarsiel the Dead-Seer, who is rumored to have divinatory insights into undead across the Northfells. Tarsiel lives in a ruined temple of the Judge of Souls situated in the Pale Barrens, the rolling hills due many days east of Jortoft, beyond the Lake of Eyes. The professor warns that Tarsiel’s aid is unlikely to come without a cost, but that he doesn’t know much more about the oracle than this.

 

Part 1: The Dragon’s Trap

The heroes likely have many ways to cross the Pale Barrens, including magical travel. As they do, they enter a magic-scarred region where active spell effects might suddenly fail (counteract modifier +27, applied only when entering the area). Any magical travel the heroes are using, such as wind walk or shadow walk, are automatically dispelled to land the heroes here.

Encounter 1A (Moderate 15)

The heroes’ failing magic deposits them in a scrub-dotted valley (if they are walking, they simply come across it). A corpse-field of innumerable travelers who have died here contains two gogitethspicking through the bodies. Many of the corpses rise up together as a warswornto join the gogiteths in attacking the heroes. The corpses still contain several treasures, including a suit of silver dragonplate, a greater salamander elixir, and a broken scythe with a dazing coil.

Encounter 1B (Moderate 15)

A deep roaring sound comes from a cave at the side of the valley, followed by an echoing cry for help. The cry is from a blue dragon named Qurvinnar who lairs in this magic-scarred region, idly luring passersby to their doom and taking their treasure to add to his hoard. The cry is particularly realistic, as Qurvinnar is using his Sound Imitation ability to reproduce the desperate wails of his last victim. The entry to the cave contains four rusted statues of dragon-headed humanoids; these are four iron golemswho serve as the dragon’s mindless guardians. Each has a gemstone worth 500 gp embedded in their foreheads. These golems don’t attack unless disturbed, or unless heroes return this way bearing any of Qurvinnar’s treasure.

Encounter 1C (Severe 15)

The cries lead deeper in the cave, to the lazy Qurvinnar’s lair. Qurvinnar is an ancient blue dragonwhose first action is to use hallucinatory terrainto make it seem as though a massive block of stone rolls into place, sealing the exit. He then ducks behind several thick columns in his cave, using project imageand other illusions to conceal his true location. The dragon’s hoard includes 3,805 gp, 130 pp, six rubies worth 200 gp each, a runestonewith a greater thundering rune, a vial of obfuscation oil, major eagle-eye elixir, and a jug with a dose of Qurvinnar’s own concentrated dragon bile. After defeating the dragon, the heroes can leave the magic-scarred region and resume their trip to the oracle.

 

Part 2: Oracle Under Siege

When the heroes reach the oracle’s temple, they find him under attack by a strike force of daemons (and their minions) who want to steal his knowledge to better prey upon souls.

Encounter 2A (Moderate 15)

The empty portico outside the temple has a large heap of sand and stone drifted to one side. They are a zaramuunand a grikkitogin disguise, placed here as guardians by the astradaemons. 

Encounter 2B (Moderate 15)

The ruined temple’s foyer contains many images of the deity known as the Judge of Souls weighing the deeds of mortals. Four elite great cyclopesare here; they were once Tarsiel’s allies, but the rune giant Kanasi who came with the astradaemons charmed them all and they now fight against any other intruders. If freed of their charms, they make eager if unreliable allies for the heroes and strive to save Tarsiel. Each great cyclops has a bracelet of heavy gold worth 1,000 gp.

Encounter 2C (Moderate 15)

An astradaemonhas just set up a frozen moment trapin a side chapel. The daemon is immune to the trap’s effects, but attempts to maneuver the heroes into the warded area during the fight. The chapel contains a greater potion of fire resistance in a silver vial worth 40 gp.

Encounter 2D (Moderate 15)

A rune giantnamed Kanasi is plundering the ruined temple’s vault, looking for valuables she can steal. She’s accompanied by another charmed elite great cyclops. If reduced to fewer than 80 Hit Points, Kanasi’s self-preservation instinct takes over and she offers information about the other members of the strike force in exchange for her release. The vault’s remaining items are either broken or valueless, but this cyclops also has a gold bracelet worth 1,000 gp.

Encounter 2E

The barracks used by the cyclopes here is an untidy mess.

Encounter 2F (Moderate 15)

An astradaemonis busy pulling a cloud of disembodied souls from a large font in a crypt. In fact, the “cloud of souls” is just an uthulwho has been bound here since before the temple fell into ruin. It’s pretending to be a cloud of souls to appease the astradaemon, who is smarter than the uthul gives it credit for, as it’s happy to be free. 

Encounter 2G (Severe 15)

Two astradaemonsare attempting to coerce the oracle Tarsiel into giving up his powers. Tarsiel is an elderly cyclopswho is immune to mental effects, and has thus far resisted the astradaemons whispered promises and outright tortures. If the heroes save Tarsiel, the oracle offers to aid them at no cost. 

Tarsiel takes the heroes to a magical pool, over which he intones the name of Mokillan Vetch. The lich swims into view in the pool’s waters, surrounded by an opulent study. Vetch looks up suddenly, clearly aware she’s being scried upon, and demands to know who’s watching her and why. The heroes can speak to Vetch through the pool, and the lich is happy to exchange the knowledge of the sigil for the professor’s possibility tome. The lich suspects treachery, though—as do the heroes, if they’re wise—and wants to meet at a neutral location. She can teleportanywhere in the Northfells the heroes prefer, she suggests a valley in the magic-scarred region of the Pale Barrens to reduce the chance of magical trickery (on both sides).

 

Part 3: The Lich’s Betrayal

This part details the heroes’ meeting with the lich Mokillan Vetch; it can occur at any location, although Vetch suggests a valley in the Pale Barrens. As Vetch no longer has the sigil but really wants the possibility tome, she leads the heroes into a trap. As before, active magic effects entering the magic-scarred region might be counteracted.

Encounter 3A (Moderate 15)

Vetch appears to be alone in the meeting place, but the robe-clad figure is only a skeletal championbearing a staff of major necromancy(which Vetch hopes will fool heroes detecting magic or the like). A bansheelurks in the ground beneath the skeletal champion, and it lunges out to wail when the heroes try to negotiate with “Vetch.” Both undead fight until slain.

            The genuine Vetch is a lichwho lurks invisibly behind a nearby outcropping of stones watching the battle. She knows the heroes outclass her, and she’s genuinely surprised if they defeat the banshee, too. Vetch decides she’d better come clean and emerges with her hands raised. She waits patiently while the heroes recover from the banshee fight. Vetch admits to setting the trap because she wants the possibility tomebut doesn't have the knowledge of the sigil any longer; she wrote it down and sold both the writing and her memory of it to Red Crown, the pit fiend orchestrating all the devils in the Northfells. Before Vetch can say more about Red Crown, begin the next encounter. 

Encounter 3B (Severe 15)

A flaming devil with wings of fire soars into the meeting place, accompanied by two gelugons. The devil has the statistics of a lawful evil phoenix(who has the Devil and Fiend traits, speaks Infernal, and is susceptible to chaotic, cold, and good damage rather than cold and evil damage). The devil displays a small iron box to Vetch and intones, “You can’t be saved any longer without your phylactery” while crushing it in a fiery fist. The fiends then attack. Vetch, having used her scroll of teleportto get here, can’t easily leave and therefore fights desperately by the heroes’ side. As she does so, she explains that she doesn’t know where to find Red Crown (or even what Red Crown’s true name is), but urges the heroes to find out in the Monastery of Frozen Stone. The heroes want the sigil, and Vetch wants them to get revenge. It’s possible that Vetch dies during this fight, but she should share this information first.

When the demon is finally slain, its remains collapse into several smoldering orbs on a chain of embers. This treasure functions as a necklace of fireballs type VI.

 

Conclusion

By the end of this adventure, the heroes know they need to address the threat of Red Crown. They probably also still have the possibility tome, which Professor Koladsfar encourages them to keep.

Chapter 19: Pillars of Corruption (19th level)

Now that the heroes are in the Skaldwood, they must locate Treereaver and decide how best to confront him. The Skaldwood spans hundreds of miles of untamed forest, so finding Treereaver’s seat of power seems a daunting task. Spells such as stone telland rituals like commune with naturecan identify loci of corruption, as can a successful DC 37 Nature or relevant Lore check (such as Forest Lore).

 The corruption in the Skaldwood is pervasive, but not absolute. The heroes can generally find safe places to rest and food to eat, but any intruder in the Skaldwood is subject to the effects of the Abyssal plaguespell each time they eat food from the Skaldwood or take serious injury (20 or more points of damage from a single attack). The DC of this save is normally 36, but you should feel free to increase or decrease this DC based on circumstances. The DC reduces by 2 for each pillar the heroes purify, and dissipates entirely shortly after they purify the sixth pillar. Eliminating the final pillar also gives the heroes a psychic flash identifying the location of the Blighted Grove, the locus of Treereaver’s power in the Skaldwood.

 

Part 1: The First Pillar

It doesn’t take the heroes much searching around before they come upon a twisting spire of blackened, rotted vegetation thrusting from the ground like an infected tooth. This pillar rises above the treetops in the northeastern section of the Skaldwood, only a few miles from Rimefall. 

Encounter 1A (Moderate 19)

A mu sporehovers near the ground at the base of the pillar, keeping it intact so it can serve to anchor Treereaver’s domain to the Northfells. It attempts to consume any creatures that come near.

Encounter 1B

When the heroes defeat the tor linnorm, a desperate sprite named Jargigger flits down from the top of the pillar, wiping his hands on his ragged tunic. Jargigger explains that he was “treed” by the mu spore and has spent the last several weeks at the top of the gross pillar, afraid the monster would spot him if he tried to get away. He knows nearly all the fey of the Skaldwood have sworn allegiance to a corrupting demon creature called Treereaver; canny Jargigger is one of the rare holdouts, mostly because he’s beneath the notice of most other creatures in the wood. From his position at the top of the pillar and the few clear days during that time, he saw that there are six such pillars around the Skaldwood. They can address the other five pillars (which are Parts 2 through 6) in whichever order they choose. The pillars are dozens of miles apart. Jargigger only saw them from a distance, but can give a basic description of each.

Encounter 1C

Destroying this pillar requires purifying it with a plant growthritual. When the pillar is purified, it melts away to be replaced by a healthy sapling bearing a single fruit that functions as a true elixir of life. If the heroes don’t know this ritual, Jargigger tells them that elder spirits collected rituals in the House of Lore, many miles away; this is Part 7, and the heroes could approach this location any time they need a ritual they don’t currently possess. At your discretion, spells such as wishor primal phenomenonmight allow characters who lack appropriate skill training for a ritual to perform the ritual as though they possessed the requisite skill training. 

 

Part 2: The Pillar of Bones

The northernmost pillar is nearest to the great northern sea. It resembles a stack of bleached bones from thousands of animals and fey slain in this region.

Encounter 2A (Moderate 19)

The region around this pillar is devoid of life, as the skulltakerand three lesser deathsthat guard it regularly kill any creatures in the area to add their bones to the pillar. They discover and attack the heroes as well.

Encounter 2B (Moderate 19)

Several of the creatures whose bones make up the pillar are seafaring elves who lived their reclusive lives away from others in the Northfells. When the heroes begin the process of purifying this pillar, four bansheesissue forth to stop them, believing (incorrectly) that their souls will be destroyed if their bones are purified. A hero who succeeds at a DC 41 Diplomacy check or DC 39 Religion check (each made as a 3-action activity) can convince a banshee of the truth and drive it away. On a critical success, the hero convinces two banshees; on a critical failure, the remaining banshees all focus their ire on that hero, whom they deem a liar.

Encounter 2C

Purifying this pillar not only requires the plant growthritual, but also consecrate(in either order). When purified, its sapling produces a fruit that functions as a major healing potion.

Encounter 2D (Moderate 19)

The skulltaker at guarding the pillar is only one of a cabal of those wise and wicked creatures. Within a day after the heroes leave this pillar, two elite skulltakerscatch up them, beginning their ambush with Splintered Ground before moving in for an attack.

 

Part 3: The Scorched Pillar

The northwestern pillar looks like a charred mass of dead fungal matter looming over the forest. The area around it for several hundred feet is burned away and bears open fissures of lava.

Encounter 3A (Moderate 19)

A tor linnormclaims the area around this pillar and attacks all who approach (even Treereaver’s demons, as it detests and only grudgingly serves the demon lord). The linnorm has a small hoard piled near the pillar: six carved obsidian wedges worth 1,500 gp each, a pile of gold and silver coins fused together in a mass weighing 9 Bulk and worth 3,000 gp, and wand of smoldering fireballs (9th level).

Encounter 3B

Purifying this pillar requires both the plant growthritual and the control weather ritual to bring in unseasonable cold weather across the blackened land. When purified, its sapling produces a long thorn that functions as a spellstrike arrow.

 

Part 4: The Pillar of Rot

The southwestern pillar is a fungus-encrusted mass that rises above the tops of the pine trees. 

Encounter 4A (Moderate 19)

The land around this pillar is a profusion of sickly fungal growths; before they reach the pillar itself, the heroes pass through an area where a terotricusand two wemmuthslurk, waiting to ambush any creatures passing by. 

Encounter 4B (Moderate 19)

The pillar itself is obscured by obscured by the cloud of poisonous spores it exudes. The area within a hundred feet of the pillar exudes a toxic aura identical to a terotricus’s Spore Cloud that also acts as obscuring mist. Two terotricuseslurk amid the spores and hungrily attack intruders.

Encounter 4C

Purifying this pillar requires first the blightritual to extinguish the fungus, then the plant growthritual to restore healthy life to the area. When purified, its sapling produces a fruit that functions as an elixir of rejuvenation.

 

Part 5: The Pillar of Flesh

The southernmost pillar is made of fungus-encrusted flesh piled in a gruesome totem. Many of the corpses in this pillar are made from Green Reach Bards or other allies of the forest, and it stands as a testament to Treereaver’s cruelty and power.

Encounter 5A (Moderate 19) 

The obvious guardian of this pillar is an adamantine golem. When this guardian begins combat, great sheets of corpses peel away from the pillar to fight as three warsworn. All of these foes fight intruders until destroyed. 

Encounter 5B

Purifying this pillar requires both the plant growthandatonerituals (in either order). When purified, its sapling produces a gourd containing a potion of undetectability.

 

Part 6: The Dragon Pillar

The southeastern pillar is a spire or rotted vegetation, similar to the first pillar the heroes encountered. Jargigger has seen the occasional form of a massive winged reptile soaring around it. 

Encounter 6A (Severe 19) 

Treereaver entrusted one of the pillars to the care of a two evil ancient red dragons, greedy and powerful siblings named Kurzaxishall and Venshishax. Kurzaxishall was happy to do so in exchange for a small hoard of treasure, but Venshishax is a fundamentally treacherous creature and has been examining the pillar for secrets of how to co-opt Treereaver’s power. All Venshishax has been able to do is put the pillar into temporal stasis with a ritual akin to imprisonment; Treereaver can’t draw power from the pillar, but neither can Venshishax. When the heroes arrive, Kurzaxishall plainly wants to fight, but Venshishax first engages in conversation; he hopes to learn more about the pillars. When it’s clear the heroes don’t have any useful information (or, worse, that they want to destroy the pillars rather than learn to tap their evil power), the dragons insist that the heroes leave all their treasure and depart with their lives. If the heroes don’t comply, the dragons attack. Their hoard consists of 45,100 sp, 16,809 gp, 1,130 pp, a diamond-studded bracelet worth 3,000 gp, four obsidian statuettes of demon lords worth 9,500 gp each, a frost brand, and a ring of spell turning. 

Encounter 6B

Purifying this pillar requires both the plant growthand freedomrituals (in either order). When purified, its sapling produces sap that functions as antimagic oil.

 

Part 7: The House of Lore

Made from the boughs of a single great pine tree that shroud this part of the forest like a massive hall, the House of Lore has long been a repository for natural wisdom. It has been tended by fey lorekeepers, nearly all of whom were slaughtered by Treereaver shortly after he arrived. The heroes might need to come here to seek rituals to purify the pillars of corruption around the Skaldwood.

Encounter 7A (Moderate 19)

The House of Lore is already occupied by some of Treereaver’s most powerful forces. Two marilithsand three shemhazianslurk in the building’s entry, ready to ambush anyone coming to seek the forest’s wisdom. 

Encounter 7B (Moderate 19)

An elite pleromalooks over some of the ancient scrolls in a reading room. The creature is looking for clues to mysteries in the cycle of creation and destruction which its kind doesn’t comprehend. Trawling sources of mortal lore is shameful for the aeons, but Treereaver’s offer to share the House of Lore’s archives was too good to pass up. To maintain the aeons’ reputation among mortals, the pleroma first attempts to deceive the heroes as to its purpose, then attack them if its deception doesn’t work.

Encounter 7C

One of the branches of the House of Lore is hollow, and a pixie named Sarpo Pollen-Chaser is currently hiding in it. Sent as an acolyte to the venerable fey lorekeepers in the hope of developing her appallingly short attention span, Sarpo is the only survivor of the demon attack. Having to hide from the demons has forced her to develop patience and focus in ways her acolyteship never did, but she’s not yet discovered a way to escape the House of Lore undetected. She immediately puts herself in the heroes’ care, trusting them to rescue her. In exchange, she provides a lavender and green ellipsoid aeon stoneand all the information about the House of Lore she has (including how to access the rituals in the library). Sarpo and Jargigger are old friends, and happy to be reunited. 

Encounter 7D (Severe 19)

The library at the heart of the House of Lore doesn’t possess shelves of books, but ancient trees whose leaves are scribed with secret lore. A balornamed Haskizok is carefully reviewing these for information that might aid Treereaver; the three marilithswho accompany him would rather just burn the place to the ground and be done with it. They are bored and spoiling for a fight, which Haskizok joins as well. This library contains information about all the rituals in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, but finding each amid the esoteric filing system requires 1 hour and a successful DC 40 Society check to Decipher Writing. Characters can instead use Nature to Decipher Writing for this purpose, although the Sarpo can point the heroes to each ritual without a check. One of the leaves that Haskizok already carries is a scroll of primal phenomenon.

 

Conclusion

By the end of this adventure, the heroes should know the location of Treereaver’s Blighted Grove.