The Pathfinder Chronicles: Master of the Fallen Fortress, Part Three

Our Band of Adventurers

• Strider, a Kellid Ranger hailing from the rural nation of Nirmathas. He is a quiet individual, dealing death with his twin blades. 
• Morrigan, a Half-Orc Witch born in the Hold of Belkzen. She has made a pact with a mysterious entity and wishes to learn more about it. 
• Pix, a Tiefling Alchemist of Varisian descent. He is a shrewd potion merchant and something of a pyromaniac. 
• Firarli, a Half-Elf Rogue born from the union of a Mordant Spire elf and Ulfen sailor. She was banished from her secretive home and hopes to learn more about the world. 
• "Coach", a strange Half-Elf bard who randomly appeared out of nowhere. Very little is known about him beyond his strange speech pattern.

After dealing with a troglodyte ambush, the adventurers slowly made their way up the ever-present spiral staircase. Once they were on the next floor, they quickly dispatched a pair of giant frogs, but had trouble dealing with a swarm of hungry bats and two fiery skeletons lurking within a destroyed chapel of Nethys. 

The group continued to explore the ruined tower, finally stumbling upon the troglodyte named Tulok and more members of the small tribe. The fight was tough, but they managed to overcome the subterranean humanoids and learned Tulok was not the actual leader, but merely a figurehead. The tribe's shaman, Tasskar, was the actual leader of the group.

They also found Balenor, but not in the best condition. He was chained within one of the smaller chambers, covered in filth, missing one of his legs. Based on the the bloody knives and other equipment within the room, they figured out the troglodytes were planning to use the unfortunate Pathfinder as a ready food source.

Once they freed him, Balenor quickly thanked the group and offered them the equipment found within the nearby chest to take care of Tasskar in the upper floor. As soon as they were ready, they made their way up the stairs for the final battle.

While things started out well, it went downhill as soon as they throw a bomb at the shaman's head and blew it up. That final explosion destabilized the already shaky tower, causing part of it to collapse. Thanks to their quick reflexes, the group managed to catch each other and ended up dangling over the edge. 

As soon as they were on safe footing, the group made their way back down, picking up Balenor on the way and returned to Absalom. Having completed their mission, they passed the final test and became official Pathfinders. They also learned that Balenor would be their Venture-Captain, and would be traveling with him on his small ship, the Naiad.  

The Pathfinder Chronicles: Master of the Fallen Fortress, Part Two

Our Band of Adventures

• Strider, a Kellid Ranger hailing from the rural nation of Nirmathas. He is a quiet individual, dealing death with his twin blades. 
• Morrigan, a Half-Orc Witch born in the Hold of Belkzen. She has made a pact with a mysterious entity and wishes to learn more about it. 
• Nonali, a Gnome Bard from the strange land of Numeria. She has a hunger for knowledge, wanting to know everything about everything. 
• Pix, a Tiefling Alchemist of Varisian descent. He is a shrew potion merchant and something of a pyromaniac. 
• Sarkeesh, a Vudrani Cavalier from the island kingdom of Jalmery. He used to be a criminal and hopes to redeem himself. 
• Firarli, a Half-Elf Rogue born from the union of a Mordant Spire elf and Ulfen sailor. She was banished from her secretive home and hopes to learn more about the world. 

When we last left our heroes, the group had stumbled upon a gang of young troglodytes upon the upper floor of the Fallen Fortress. Having discovered the existence of the reptilian humanoids due to the footprints found earlier, the heroes were ready to fight. They made quick work of the inexperienced troglodytes, leaving one to question.

Although the language barrier made the interrogation difficult, the adventurers managed to learn the troglodytes were being led by a particularly strong specimen named Tulok. The captive also mentioned they captured a "fleshy" and have been keeping him upstairs. Having gained this information, the group dispatched with the captive and moved forward.

They entered the next room, which appeared to be filled with pools of water, broken shelves, and other miscellaneous debris. While the room appeared to be abandoned at first glance, the group discovered it to be the den of an infant shocker lizard. Although they were first hesitant towards the creature, Strider noticed it seemed rather happy to see them and managed to win the little reptilian over, deciding to keep him as his own. 

After exploring the rest of the floor (and setting off a javelin-based trap), the group's noise (specifically Pix's urge to use rather loud bombs) drew the attention of troglodytes from the upper floors, who ambushed them as they approached the stairs. A fight broke out and once again, the heroes were victorious. 

Once they defeated this group of troglodytes, the group made their way up the stairs, wondering what they'd find waiting for them. I'll give you a hint, it's probably going to be more troglodytes.

Tune in next time for the conclusion of the Pathfinder recruits' very first adventure!

The Pathfinder Chronicles: Master of the Fallen Fortress, Part One

Art by Tyler Walpole

Our Band of Adventurers

• Strider, a Kellid Ranger hailing from the rural nation of Nirmathas. He is a quiet individual, dealing death with his twin blades. 
• Morrigan, a Half-Orc Witch born in the Hold of Belkzen. She has made a pact with a mysterious entity and wishes to learn more about it. 
• Nonali, a Gnome Bard from the strange land of Numeria. She has a hunger for knowledge, wanting to know everything about everything. 
• Pix, a Tiefling Alchemist of Varisian descent. He wishes to travel the lands of the Inner Sea, making a name for himself as a potion merchant. He also happens to be something of a pyromaniac.
• Sarkeesh, a Vudrani Cavalier from the island kingdom of Jalmeray. He used to be a criminal and hopes to redeem himself. 
• Firarli, a Half-Elf Rogue born from the union of a Mordant Spire elf and Ulfen sailor. She was banished from her secretive home and hopes to learn more about the world. 

Our adventure begins on the 21st of Calistril, 4715 AR. The previous evening, each adventurer received a strange message from a nameless courtier, which said the following: "Meet me where it all began." The only clue to the message's origins was the the Glyph of the Open Road printed upon the parchment, the well-known symbol of the Pathfinder Society.

Following the clues and using the knowledge they've gained over three years studying under senior Pathfinders, our group of students found their way to the Merchant's Quarter of Absalom, standing before the dilapidated entrance of the Pig's Paunch, the tavern where the first Pathfinders met over 400 years ago and founded the faction. The group entered the establishment to find one of their teachers, a bombastic and broad-shouldered Chelaxian named Marcos Farabellus.

As soon as they had taken their seats at Farabellus' table and one of the servers had brought the group a round of drinks paid for by the Society's Master of Blades, the students learned why they were summoned here. Three years ago, each of them arrived in the City at the Center of the World for one reason or another and joined the Pathfinder Society. They have spent those past few years training and the Three Masters felt they were ready for their final test. This exam, known as the "Confirmation", is usually a solo endeavor uniquely crafted for each candidate to test their skills as adventurers and explores, making sure they are ready for the duties that come with being a full-fledged Pathfinders.

However, a situation has arisen that gives the Masters an opportunity to test these six greenhorns all at once. Recently, a small earthquake has opened a siege tower that was once sealed. Wishing to explore this new set of ruins, the Society sent a recently graduated agent named Balenor Forsend to investigate it. A few days have passed since he ventured out into the Cairnlands located outside the city walls and he hasn't reported back. Rather worried about Balenor's fate since he rarely reports back late, the Masters figured they could have the students explore the tower being referred to as the "Fallen Fortress" and find out what happened to Balenor. Success at this task means they will be brought into the fold as official Pathfinders and receive their wayfinders.

After accepting the test, the group headed out later that day since the trip would only take a few hours on foot (and even less on horseback). As they traveled furthered from the large metropolis, the surrounding hinterlands became choked with numerous ruins of towers and siege engines, relics of failed invasions of Absalom. While passing by these ruins, they were ambushed by a group of bandits. Although some of the Pathfinder recruits wished to fight these brigands demanding them to hand over their gold and rations, Pix the Alchemist managed to negotiate with them and avoid an unnecessary fight.

Eventually, the group arrived at the Fallen Fortress, seeing the collapsed wall and deciding to head into the darkness inside. Nonali, the group's bard decided to test something out, pulling out her harp and used the instrument to send a wave of sound into the shadowy chamber to see what lurked within, discovering numerous tiny, thin objects inside. Knowing this, Firarli the Rogue decided to be the first one to enter the chamber, but failed to notice the spider lurking above her and fell into its trap. Wishing to help their friend, the group rushed in killed the two large vermin who lived there.

Once they had finished killing the spiders, the group moved onto the next room, which appeared to be empty at first. However, they quickly noticed something was off about the center of the room. Upon investigation, they discovered a hastily covered entrance to a collapsed tunnel with reptilian footprints. They followed said footprints into the next chamber and up a spiraled flight of stairs. Waiting for them atop these stairs in the very next chamber was a group of young troglodytes, shocked by the appearance of the "fleshies", and grabbed their weapons to assault these intruders.

Will the party survive this encounter? Will they discover the fate of Balenor Forsend? Will they make it out of the Fallen Fortress alive? Tune in next time to find out!

Heroes of Sandpoint: Burnt Offerings

Art by Wayne Reynolds

Our Cast of Characters

• Alfgeir Stannisson, an Ulfen Cleric of Gorum who has traveled from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, hoping to become a great hero like his ancestors. 
• Fiona of Sandpoint, a Varisian Rogue who has spent most of her life on the streets of the coastal town, doing whatever she can to survive. 
• Jon Silverbow, an Elf Ranger who hails from the Mierani Forest of northern Varisia who has a deep hatred for goblinoids. 
• Ongar, a Half-Orc Paladin who has dedicated his life to the goddess Sarenrae and hopes to spread her redeeming light wherever he goes. 
• Theoian Daleborn, a Half-Elf Investigator who joined the group on the behest of Belor Hemlock, Sandpoint's current sheriff. 
• Tywin, a Half-Elf Sorcerer from the shadowy realm of Nidal who has traveled far and wide in search of vengeance against someone who has wronged him.

A week has passed since the heroes traveled to the Devil's Platter and foiled the derro's nefarious schemes. Needing to take a rest from their harrowing adventures, the party decided to attend Sandpoint's annual Swallowtail Festival.  

Sadly, their day of relaxation was cut short when a goblin horde invaded the town, singing their demented songs, setting fire to numerous buildings, and attempting to kill everyone in sight. Acting quickly, the heroes engaged these sadistic monsters in battle, hoping to prevent more death and destruction. After a long and arduous battle, the heroes managed to defeat the goblins while the town guard ran the remaining invaders out of town and tried to put the fires out. 

Wondering what the cause of this sudden attack might be, the heroes and the town's mayor Kendra Deverin interrogate one of the goblins they managed to take prisoner. After some words and careful intimidation, the heroes manages to coax some information out of the goblin. This horde was sent by a white-haired woman as a distraction so she could sneak into the Sandpoint Boneyard and extract the corpse of the town's former high priest for a ritual that will turn her into a demon. After retrieving what they came for, the remaining goblins returned to their headquarters near the Nettlewood. 

Wanting to stop this mysterious woman from performing this ritual and causing more problems along the Lost Coast, Mayor Deverin hires the heroes to travel to the Nettlewood and put an end to this menace. After getting a good night's sleep and directions from the local ranger Shalelu Androsana, the party headed northeast to the area known as Thistletop. 

While they were slowed down by a goblin patrol and their owlbear companion, they managed to reach their destination as the sun was slowly setting behind the horizon. After a number of brutal fights with numerous goblins, the party managed to make their way down to the white-haired woman's chamber, interrupting her while she was starting the ritual. Before the battle began, the characters learned this woman was an aasimar named Nualia, whose tragic past drove her into the arms of the evil goddess Lamashtu. She was the one who burned down Sandpoint's previous cathedral, accidentally killing Fiona's parents. Hoping to stop her from completing the ritual, the heroes attacked and the two sides met in a vicious conflict. 

Although things seemed grim for the heroes, with most of them unconscious or bleeding out, Ongar managed to land the blow that brought the fight to an end. Instead of delivering the final blow to kill Nualia, the party decided to bring her back to town so she could be brought to justice. 

The trip back to town was rather uneventful and Nualia was placed within the town's garrison. After a few days, Fiona and Ongar were contacted by a guard, who said Nualia requested to talk to them. Feeling that her goddess had abandoned her, she begged Fiona to just end it. However, before the rogue could plunge her dagger into the aasimar's gut, Ongar stopped her. After revealing that he too had come from a rather rough background and did something horrible, he managed to find redemption and believes she can too. Listening to the half-orc's speech and seeing the dark path she could be heading down, Fiona decided to forgo her vengeance and leave with her friend. 

((I used a heavily modified version of the  Burnt Offerings adventure for this session. Also, while I know some people would believe that Nualia was beyond redemption, I'm glad the session went that direction because the scene with Fiona, Ongar, and has become one of my favorite roleplaying moments ever)). 

Heroes of Sandpoint: The Derro of The Devil's Platter

Art by Michael Jaecks

Our Cast of Characters

• Alfgeir Stannisson, an Ulfen Warpriest of Gorum who has traveled from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, hoping to become a great hero like his ancestors. 
• Fiona of Sandpoint, a Varisian Rogue who has spent most of her life on the streets of the coastal town, doing whatever she can to survive. 
• Jon Silverbow, an Elf Ranger who hails from the Mierani Forest of northern Varisia who has a deep hatred for goblinoids. 
• Theoian Daleborn, a Half-Elf Investigator who joined the group on the behest of Belor Hemlock, Sandpoint's current sheriff. 

A month has passed since our brave heroes managed to defeat the tiefling witch Mahga and thwart her plans to turn the entire town of Sandpoint into horrible monstrosities bound to the will of Lamashtu, the Mother of Monsters. During this time of rest and relaxation, strange things have been happening near the limestone escarpment known by the locals as the "Devil's Platter." A number of unlucky travelers have disappeared near an abandoned mine. 

Wanting to find out the cause of these disappearances, Sheriff Hemlock decided this job would be perfect for his new honorary deputies. Unfortunately, Ongar the Half-Orc Paladin of Sarenrare had taken another assignment and Tywin the Half-Elf Sorcerer was busy tracking down leads to the location of his mentor's murderer, so they could not accompany their companions on this mission. Thankfully, Sheriff Hemlock came prepared and ordered one of his best detectives, a Half-Elf named Theoian Daleborn, to investigate this mystery with them. 

Once they had gathered their equipment and supplies, the adventurers made the rather uneventful hour-long trek to the abandoned mine at the base of the Devil's Platter. While investigating the entrance, one of the heroes noticed a strange, reptilian footprint in the mud. Fearing this mine might not be so abandoned after all, they proceeded with caution. After some investigation within the initial chambers of the mine, the heroes found the source of the footprint: a small group of troglodytes. Thankfully, they managed to catch the foul-smelling creatures off-guard and quickly dispatched of them. 

While it seemed like they discovered what was kidnapping the travelers (due to the items found within the troglodytes' den), the heroes decided to investigate the other chambers just in case the creatures weren't the only inhabitants of this mine. After finding a chamber dominated by large, blue mushrooms (and killing a rather vicious basidirond), the adventurers traveled further underground and discovered what was truly behind the disappearances and what was the fate of those travelers. 

A derro alchemist dedicated to an alien deity known as Shubb-Niggurath had enslaved the troglodytes and ordered them to capture the occasional traveler so that he could perform profane experiments on them, mutating them into horrific abominations. The heroes managed to find him just as he was completing a ritual to turn him into a aberrant creature. Luckily, Theoian managed to interrupt the process with a well-placed thunderstone, causing the derro to be sucked into another dimension. Sadly, they could not save the travelers, who were now just mindless monsters. While they failed to save the travelers and had to put them out of their misery, the heroes managed to escape the mine with their lives and return to civilization. 

((If you'd like to read the recaps of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd sessions, click here, here, and here.)) 

Heroes of Sandpoint: Strange Happenings at the Old Light

Art by Eva Widermann

Our Cast of Characters

• Alfgeir Stannisson, an Ulfen Cleric of Gorum who has traveled from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, hoping to become a great hero like his ancestors. 
• Fiona of Sandpoint, a Varisian Rogue who has spent most of her life on the streets of the coastal town, doing whatever she can to survive. 
• Jon Silverbow, an Elf Ranger who hails from the Mierani Forest of northern Varisia who has a deep hatred for goblinoids. 
• Ongar, a Half-Orc Paladin who has dedicated his life to the goddess Sarenrae and hopes to spread her redeeming light wherever he goes. 
• Tywin, a Half-Elf Sorcerer from the shadowy realm of Nidal who has traveled far and wide in search of vengeance against someone who has wronged him.

When we last left our heroes, they had just defeated the ghast Baltazar and his ghoulish followers who had taken up residence underneath the Sandpoint Boneyard, using the surrounding graves as an easily accessible food source. The town priest, Father Zantus, thanked the adventurers for taking care of the problem and gave them their promised reward. 

Since then, two weeks have passed and the adventurers have started to notice the word of their good deeds has started to spread throughout the town and more people seem to be taking note of their presence. One of those people just so happened to be Belor Hemlock, a man of Shoanti descent and the town's sheriff, who just so happened to have a job that would be perfect for our heroes. 

Recently, a brand new narcotic has been circulating within Sandpoint's criminal underground. This black, liquid-based hallucinogen called "Bliss" or "Liquid Bliss" usually causes its users to enter a comma-like state where they fill nothing but pleasure. However, some users have a violent reaction. While those who have the second reaction are a very small minority, Hemlock wants to put an end to this drug before that number starts to grow. 

While he believes a local group of Varisian con artists and thugs called the Sczarni are the ones selling the drug, his evidence is less than concrete and he fears that sending his men after the gang might spark a war between the two groups and put the town in danger. However, if a group of independent adventurers were to confront the group, the sheriff could claim "plausible deniability." 

After being promised a handsome reward if putting a stop to this Liquid Bliss, the party gathered there things and made their way to the Fatman's Feedbag, a tavern located near Sandpoint's docks known to be a favorite hangout of the Sczarni. Once inside the tavern, Jon approached a group of surly individuals, hoping to gather information. However, it all went south rather quickly and a rather vicious bar fight ensued. Once two of the thugs were subdued (with one of them having their face slammed into the bar), the fight was interrupted by the secret owner of the establishment and the leader of Sandpoint's Sczarni, Jubrayl Vhiski.

Wanting his establishment to remain intact, Vhiski put an end to the fight and approached the characters, wanting to know why they were there in the first place. After a lengthy discussion, Vhiski confessed to selling the drug, but not its production. The adventurers made a deal with the Varisian where he would tell them who was supplying him with the drug and they would keep his name out of their investigation. He informed the adventurers that a strange group of individuals who had taken up residence underneath the ruins near the edge of town called the "Old Light" are his suppliers.

With this new piece of information, the characters left the Fatman's Feedbag and traveled to the Old Light. Once they arrived, half of the party decided to enter the ruins while the other half remained outside, laying in wait to see if the group would make an appearance. The party exploring the Old Light discovered a hidden door in the floor leading to a subterranean set of chambers, which they decided to explore. As they descended underground, the other half of the party spotted a group of cloaked figures heading towards the ruin. Guessing they were apart of the group Vhiski mentioned, the heroes ambushed the group and managed to subdue them.

While searching the cloaked individuals, the heroes discovered they were all wearing crude medallions that depicted a three eyed jackal. Alfgeir, using his religious knowledge, identified the medallion as a holy symbol dedicated to the demonic goddess Lamashtu, meaning the group was most likely a cult dedicated to the Mother of Monsters. Fearing their companions might be walking right into the lion's den, the group stripped the cultists of their robes and jackal masks, slipping them on so they can sneak in without a problem.

Thankfully, the adventurers managed to catch up to their companions before they had delved to deeply into the dungeon and informed them of their findings. Knowing there were probably more cultists in the ruins, the party decided to tread carefully and those wearing the cloaks and masks (Alfgeir, Ongar, and Tywin) decided to act as if they captured the others as sacrificial offerings. However, that plan backfired when they entered the main worship chamber and the other cultists tried to force them to drink the black liquid they called the "Waters of Lamashtu."

After taking out the cultists, the found the leader of the group, a tiefling witch named Mahga and her gnoll bodyguards. The tiefling, with a maniacal cackle, told the heroes her diabolical plan. The black liquid wasn't a drug at all, but a vial potion that would mutate those who had ingested it into horrific monsters after she finished a ritual. Not wanting this to happen, the characters quickly engaged the witch priestess. While the fight was long and hard, the adventurers managed to defeat Mahga and her gnolls, preventing her from completing the ritual.

((If you'd like to read  re-cap for the 1st and 2nd session, click here and here)) 

Heroes of Sandpoint: A Grave Encounter

Art By Wayne Reynolds

Our Cast of Characters

• Alfgeir Stannisson, a Ulfen Cleric of Gorum who has traveled from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, hoping to become a great hero like his ancestors. 
• Fiona of Sandpoint, a Varisian Rogue who has spent most of her lives on the streets of the coastal town, doing whatever she can to survive. 
• Jon Silverbow, an Elf Ranger who hails from the Mierani Forest of northern Varisia who has a deep hatred for goblinoids. 
• Ongar, a Half-Orc Paladin who has dedicated his life to the goddess Sarenrae and hopes to spread her redeeming light wherever he goes. 
• Tywin, a Half-Elf Sorcerer from the shadowy realm of Nidal who has traveled far and wide in search of vengeance against someone who has wronged him. 

Two weeks have passed since our party of adventurers saved the local sage's niece from certain death. During this time, the town's gravekeeper has noticed something strange happening in the town's cemetery. A number of graves, all surrounding a rather old mausoleum, have been dug up and the coffins that inhabited the plots have disappeared.

Fearing what might be behind these disappearances, the gravekeeper Naffer Vosk quickly informed the town priest Abstalar Zantus of the robbed graves. Not wanting to bother the town guard in case its just a couple of hooligans playing rather morose pranks, Zantus contacts this new group of heroes after hearing what they did for Brodert Quink.

Once the characters were caught up to speed, Naffer led the group to the now vacant graves and the mausoleum. While investigating the inside of the mausoleum, the party discovered a secret passage underneath an ornate coffin, leading down to a cave system underneath the Sandpoint Boneyard. After securing some rope to one of the columns inside the mausoleum, the party carefully lowered themselves down into the first chamber, a large cave dominated by a pool of murky water with three tunnels leading further underground.

Wanting to test the depth of the pool before attempting to cross, Fiona took her quarterstaff and stuck it into the water. After hitting the bottom, she quickly pulled the staff back out and noticed something odd. The end of her staff was sizzling, as if it had been dipped into acid. Figuring something might be lurking in the water and believing his ability to see in the dark might allow him to see through the murky water, Ongar moved onto his knees and stuck his head into the pool. Unfortunately, this caught the attention of the gray ooze living in the water, which quickly grabbed the half-orc and pulled him in.

Thankfully, his companions manage to pull him out of the water and the grip of the ooze before he could sustain any serious injuries. Once the paladin was safe, Tywin decided to experiment with one of his spells, casting ray of frost* onto a section of the pool to create a temporary bridge. While it worked, the bridge wasn't very stable and they had to move across quickly.

After collecting themselves and healing their wounds, the heroes moved down the nearest tunnel and onto the next chamber. As they moved forward, the group heard two creatures arguing about the "proper" way to consume a freshly dead corpse. When they finally entered the next chamber, they discovered the source of the argument: two ghouls perched atop two piles of bones. It didn't take long for the ghouls to notice the unwanted company. Luckily, the party reacted quickly and managed to take out the pair of ghouls before anyone was seriously hurt.

The group quickly searched the room for anything of value before moving onto the next chamber. When they entered the strangely well-lit cave, they spotted a ghast dressed in tattered rags with an amulet constructed from a jackal's skull. The creature named Balthazar was perched upon a throne made from bone. After summoning a pair of zombies from the coffins found behind him, the group of undead attacked the interlopers. While the battle was long and hard, with two of the characters getting paralyzed by Balthazar, the group managed to slay the creature and his minions.

After searching the room and gathering anything of value they could find, the party made their way back up to the surface and informed Zantus and Naffer about the source of the empty graves and received their reward.

*(Yes, I know ray of frost doesn't work like that. However, it was an interesting idea and I didn't want to shut him down for coming up with a cool idea. Although, I did have him make a check to see if he succeeded or not.)

((If you'd like to read the re-cap for the 1st session, click here))

Heroes of Sandpoint: The Lure of Greed

The Town of Sandpoint, The Light of the Lost Coast

Recently, I ran the first session of my new Pathfinder campaign. As the name implies, the campaign is set in Sandpoint, a prosperous town located on the coast of Varisia in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting. Unlike previous campaigns, I plan to make this game a little bit more episodic and focus more on the characters and their growth as adventurers instead of some complicated metaplot. I thought it would also be fun to post regular re-caps of each session here. I'm going to do my best to keep everything short and spoiler-free as well. 

Our Cast of Characters

• Alfgeir Stannisson, a Ulfen Cleric of Gorum who has traveled from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, hoping to become a great hero like his ancestors. 
• Fiona of Sandpoint, a Varisian Rogue who has spent most of her lives on the streets of the coastal town, doing whatever she can to survive. 
• Jon Silverbow, an Elf Ranger who hails from the Mierani Forest of northern Varisia who has a deep hatred for goblinoids. 
• Ongar, a Half-Orc Paladin who has dedicated his life to the goddess Sarenrae and hopes to spread her redeeming light wherever he goes. 
• Tywin, a Half-Elf Sorcerer from the shadowy realm of Nidal who has traveled far and wide in search of vengeance against someone who has wronged him. 

The session began, like most do, in the Rusty Dragon Inn of Sandpoint. The characters had been drawn to the tavern by the town's sage, Brodert Quink, who wished to hired them to travel into the surrounding hinterlands and find his missing niece, Lucendi. While Ongar was the first to show interest in the old man's plight, the others eventually agreed to help after being promised a decent reward. 

After purchasing some horses from the town's stables, the party made their way down the Lost Coast Road, with the Jon at the lead, using his survival skills to make sure they stayed on track and didn't get lost. After a few hours of travel, the party decided to retire for the night and made camp along the eastern border of the Tickwood. As they relaxed by the fire, the group was ambushed by a large group of goblins. Thankfully, the group managed to handle their attacks with a well-timed sleep spell from Tywin. While most of the goblins were either killed or fled, the party managed to capture two of them and interrogate the pair. 

They learned the goblins were dedicated to an entity known as the "Snake Mistress" who was supposedly a goblin once that was cursed for being greedy. The also say they've moved into one of the old ruins in the nearby Tors, having attacked a archaeological dig that was taking place. Knowing Quink's daughter left with a cleric of Nethys on an archaeological dig to the same region, the characters make a deal with the goblins and they lead them back to their new lair. 

After arriving at the camp and using the shade of night for cover, the party ambushed and easily overtook the goblin camp. After which, they took the time to heal a man who turned out to be one of the dig's guards. Now conscious, he told the characters that Lucendi and the cleric Marsoolian had escaped into the ruins, with the goblin's leader eagerly chasing after them. With this new knowledge, the characters entered the ancient ruins. 

The group quickly found the leader of the goblins, a goblin snake sorceress named Tethiqqa. After defeating the wicked creature, the party discovered a secret passage that lead to a series of hidden chambers underneath the ruins, figuring Lucendi and Marsoolian had traveled down there. They quickly moved through the chambers, only being slowed by a elaborate pit trap that almost took the life of the sorcerer (who was thankfully revived after Fiona force-fed him a healing potion she had stolen from the ranger earlier). 

The party finally found Lucendi, on the flood slowly bleeding to death with the cleric standing before her and a armored skeleton laughing maniacally over them. Figuring the skeleton was trying to kill the two, the party joined the fray and managed to take down the undead champion. However, they quickly discovered this was all a ruse when Marsoolian, smiling wickedly, blasted them with negative energy and tried to kill them. Earlier in the dig, the cleric had discovered a strange book that cursed him when he red it, turning him evil. He had taken control of the skeleton and used it to attack Lucendi. The party retaliated and, sadly, killed the cleric. Alfgeir quickly healed Lucendi's wounds and returned her to her uncle and the party received their reward. 

((Note: I used a modified version of the Lure of Greed adventure from Wayfinder #7. Also I'd like to thank Fiona's player, Drew McClain, for sending me a re-cap last week. It really helped me when writing this post))