In case anyone's interested, here are my notes from running the Godsharp Saga as my weekly home campaign during the past school year.
-Nate
12
September 2017: “Out of the Blue”
The
PCs, relaxing at a local taverna in a fishing village on the Middle
Sea, happened to be present when a wizard arrived; moments later, a
strange fog rolled in under the front door. Some of them heard arcane
chanting and went to investigate (but not Eitel, because he was
apparently busy). In the fog, although they could still hear the
chanting, they could not see the source of it. When dretches appeared
and attacked, Edward rushed back inside to help the wizard, while
Yobari tangled with the one out front and Sicart pursued someone he
thought to be an invisible
thief. Following his tracks, Sicart learned that he'd boarded a ship,
the Fortuitous,
that was preparing to set sail. Edward slew one dretch with help from
Eitel's magic missiles,
but the other one overwhelmed Yobari after the monk succumbed to the
sorcerer's sleep
spell. Edward and a returning Sicart managed to fend if off until it
disappeared, though. In the aftermath, Thaddeus explained how he'd
plotted the likely location of a falling star, and then recruited the
PCs to help him pursue the thieves.
19
September 2017: “Out of the Blue”
Setting
sail from the village, the PCs encountered a storm. While Eitel and
Edward headed belowdecks, Sicart and Yobari climbed the ratlines and
furled the foresail. A loud thumping brought everyone to the cargo
hold, where a rat swarm burst out of the bilge, but Eitel felled it
with a sleep
spell.
In
the morning, the shp's lookouts spotted land; circumnavigating claw
island, they saw masts in the cove. Making a quick plan of attack,
the Intrepid
sailed alongside and grappled the Fortuitous.
After some archery sniping, Yobari jumped aboard and—aided by
another sleep
spell from Eitel—won the day.
Interrogating the survivors, the PCs learned that the others had
gone ashore looking for a “trading outpost.” They set out in a
ship's boat, and had to fight off giant crabs as they landed. Sicart
picked up the enemy's trail and led an expedition through the jungle;
a leopard pounced on Edward, but Eitel made it sleep, too, before
Sicart killed it.
In the end, the PCs decided to make camp and Thaddeus sent his owl
to summon help.
26
September 2017: “Out of the Blue”
Oswald (the owl) found a fishing boat, a charter taking Arcturus to
Alacudi village, and led the cleric to Claw Island. There he joined
the party and they proceeded inland. They found the trading fort,
seemingly abandoned, but discovered weird zombies in the house, which
they defeated with swordplay and lots of double-chained kama action.
There were also strange, tentacle-headed quadrupeds in the warehouse,
along with infected bodies. Sicart was infected, too, but Arcturus
helped cure him.
Moving from the maquis into the swampland, the PCs encountered a
patrol of lizard fold and managed to defeat, but not kill, them.
Thaddeus used to let Eitel speak with them, and the sorcerer arranged
a visit to their village. Their they found the thieves, imprisoned;
they learned that what the wizard saw was not a falling star, but
what the lizard folk called a “winged house” like travelers use
to visit their island.
3
October 2017: “Out of the Blue”
Acting on the lizard folk's information, the PCs sailed out east of
the island and found the wreck site. On the sterncastle of the
crashed vessel they could see the remains of the helmsman, an elf.
Yobari dove into the water and attracted the attention of an aquatic
eel, but managed to fight if off. He also saw a crab swarm in the
hold and informed the others. Deciding not to venture into its grasp,
the PCs instead used ropes aboard their ship to hoist up the downed
one and drag it in toward shore. There they made camp for the night,
and defeated a nocturnal attack by three sahuagin. Learning that the
sharkmen had looted the wreck, the PCs sailed out to their lair,
chummed the water, and then ambushed the remaining sahuagin. From
them the PCs acquired the elf's magical items, along with a
waterproof scroll case. After reading the notes and inquiring about
Syeknyg, the PCs learned that the lizard folk regard him as an
honored ancestor; they agreed to lead the PCs to his tomb.
17
October 2017: “Out of the Blue”
Accompanied by the lizard folk, the PCs ventured to Syeknyg's tomb;
after certain ceremonial preparations, they opened it. The entry was
occupied by two ghouls, whom they slew. Further inside they found a
statue depicting the lizard man traveler, along with his former
bedchamber—which contained some kind of magical orb—and kitchen.
There were also four chambers, aligned to the four elements, and each
occupied by a creature of that type. They killed the hellhound, shot
and ripped apart the caryatic column, defeated the water elemental
and fought off the stirges. From the chambers they acquired four
plaques inscribed with arcane symbols of the elements, and then
fitted them into the sides of a small pyramid held by the statue.
That opened a secret door, revealing a new puzzle. The PCs managed to
solve it, after suffering a few jolts from the electrical trap. This
opened the trapdoor into the upper level, where they found an
undamaged aethership.
24
October 2017: “Among the Stars”
The PCs negotiated with the lizard folk to have five accompany them
on their voyage beyond the heavens. Furthermore, Captain Josephson
will run the trading post; the PCs claimed the Fortuitous for
themselves; Thaddeus kept the wrecked Scintilla for his
research; five human sailors agreed to join their crew, too. They
loaded 500 gp worth of trade goods aboard their ship, along with
casks of palm wine, barrels of water, smoked meat and dried fruit, a
few caged birds that Sicart caught, and a dead elf in a liquor
barrel. The PCs christened their vessel the Homeworld. From
research they learned that the elves' Starfort Station was located on
a moon of an outer gas giant planet, and so they they raised their
vessel up into the sky, beyond the clouds into the star-strewn black
of aetherspace, before taking a bearing on Kronos and sailing
thither.
En route, one PC spied an approaching longboat, crewed by clerics of
Sol; they proved to be huecuva and the PCs slew them. At another
point they saw a blinking light among the asteroids; this turned out
to be a will-o'-the-wisp, which they also managed to slay.
31
October 2017: “Among the Stars”
Continuing their voyage, the PCs noticed an approaching ship. It was
crewed by a single gnome, along with a formerly caged ravid that had
broken loose and was animating objects all over the ship and
using them to attack the gnome. Elias steered the Homeworld
into a position above and facing this newcomer, and the PCs stormed
aboard it. With much swashbuckling, sniping, spellcasting, and sword-
and kama-play, they defeated the ravid and rescued the gnome.
Later a phase spider attacked in the hold of the ship and killed a
crew member before the PCs chased it away.
Finally, reaching the frozen moon of Kronos, the PCs were hailed by
an elven galleon; they conversed, and then went “ashore” in their
ship's boat. Elias decided to remain as part of the crew instead of
staying on the moon.
7
November 2017: “Among the Stars”
The PCs met with the elves, who were led by Admiral Solinus, and
reported what they'd learned. They also handed over Captain
Quinariel's body, preserved in a barrel of liquor, along with his
journals in the waterproof case. Learning that the late elf had
worked extensively with with a druid named Mr. Lemuel, they decided
to seek out that half-elf in his ice dome garden.
On arrival there, they were attacked by a decapus that charged up
out of the water. They managed to slay it before it dragged away a
party member. In the aftermath of the attack Mr. Lemuel welcomed them
into his home and workplace; he explained that attacks by unusual
monstrosities were becoming more and more common in the area.
Moreover, he mentioned that his assistant, an arborling (“tree
man”) named Mr. Akham had gone missing during a routine boat trip
on the nearby water.
The PCs agreed to go in search of the lost arborling. Following its
intended route, they spotted a sunken longboat and dove for it using
potions of water breathing. They fought off some fiendish
giant crabs, and then found and followed a trail to a cavern entrance
guarded by a skum warrior.
14
November 2017: “Among the Stars”
After a night's rest, the PCs headed back to the skum lair. They
managed to ambush the guard and slew him before he could raise an
alarm, in part because Yobari smashed his conch. Eitel used a mage
hand to raise the portcullis. Down one tunnel they found a statue
depicting Lamashtu, goddess of monsters; it was actually a caryatid
column, but they defeated it. Then Sicart led the party on a slow,
quiet killing spree through the skum sleeping quarters. In the
deepest part of the caverns they face the skum chieftain—a sorcerer
in his own right—and his guards, and managed to defeat them.
21
November 2017: “At a Crossroads”
Finishing up their business on the moon of Kronos, the PCs headed for
the Crossroads settlement in the asteroid belt. On arrival they dealt
with the port inspector and then fought off a mimic that was posing
as flotsam. At the Sign of the Ourobouros tavern, Eitel flirted with
a barmaid (Kira), and then Edward urinated on some orc sailors who
were harassing her and a brawl ensued. There was much tripping a
punching, and Eitel unleashed grease and web spells.
The PCs won the fight, and the orcs were forced to flee—but swore
they'd have their revenge.
Heading back to the Homeworld, the PCs were ambushed once
again by the phase spider; it almost dragged away Sicart, but Edward
slew it with a well-placed arrow. Arcturus cured Sicart's poisoning
(again).
5
December 2017: “At a Crossroads”
During the Festival of the Comet, the PCs participated in numerous
events. Sicart engaged in armed combat against a number of opponents,
including dock workers, orc sailors and even elf soldiers, winning
each round. When the two faced off against each other, however,
Yobari prevailed. Edward challenged a dockworker and an elf in
archery, but was defeated in the end by Captain Corwyn. Yobari also
took home a laurel crown for defeating various opponents in unarmed
combat. Additionally, Eitel did some carousing and won some gold by
wagering on the contests.
After an evening of celebrating, the prepared for the next day's
Asteroid Belt Regatta.
12
December 2017: “At a Crossroads”
For the Regatta, the PCs competed against the orc merchantman
Abattoir, the elf galleon Steadfast, and Axelrod the
gnome's bark Redoubtable. They kept pace for much of the race,
running through open space before entering the belt and dodging
asteroids, and even fought off a mi-go attack. It was then, however,
that they noticed a cog frozen into the ice of the comet, and decided
to approach, draw alongside and go aboard it, and then explore. Due
to the heat of the approaching sun, though, chunks of ice from the
asteroid began to break free, causing tremors. That also freed a
nabasu demon that had been trapped, but the PCs managed to slay it.
In the process they recovered the dimensional shackles with
which it had been held captive.
9
January 2018: “At a Crossroads”/“Beneath the Sands”
The PCs rigged a towline to the cog, the Venture, and pulled
it free of the comet. Upon returning with it to Crossroads, Arcturus
went aboard the plague ship and healed its crew. Lieutenant
Vanderwald went with the PCs aboard the cog, which they agreed to
sell to the Royal Interplanetary Company for 2500 gp (with Governor
Reda and Captain Corwyn in attendance). After a few nights in town,
the PCs were at the Sign of the Ourobouros when Arcturus heard a
strange whispering voice outside the tavern's front door; he alerted
his comrades just before a strange cloud of darkness rolled into the
place. Wading into it, the PCs found that it concealed a
spear-wielding demon. They defeated it, but still had reason to
believe that a female spellcaster—whom they were unable to
confront—was responsible for this attack.
Aboard the cog they also found a journal.
30
January 2018: “Beneath the Sands”
Eitel set out to recruit an artillerist; he found a half-orc named
Grosh, who was once part of the Abattoir's crew. The the PCs
bought a keg of powder and other equipment for the swivel guns. They
read the journal and set a course based upon the information in it.
Arriving at Tyr, they landed outside the zigurrat. Sicart recognized
the mouths of some crude tunnels dug into the ground, and so the PCs
waited for something to come out of the tunnels before opening up
with their swivel guns. The emerging creature–a rhemoraz—retreated,
however, forcing them to go out on foot and engage it. Edward slew it
with a shut in the mouth. After that the PCs, led by Sicart, snuck
into the ziggurat and murdered a couple of troglodytes before one
managed to sound the alarm.
6
February 2018: “Beneath the Sands”
Combat erupts! The PCs pressed the attack down one hallway, until
Eitel filled it with a web. One troglodyte managed to escape
and summon reinforcements, however, leading to running missile combat
in the dining hall between Edward, Sicart and the trogs. The high
priest attacked the party from behind, but Eitel hit him with
irresistible laughter and Arcturus followed that with searing
light.
After defeating those foes, the PCs found a secret staircase in the
library and headed upward to explore the next level.
13
February 2018: “Beneath the Sands”
The PCs, led by Sicart, ventured up to the next level. They fought
off the mohrg ambush and then recognized the electricity trap built
into the elemental lock puzzle. After some deliberation (and a couple
of shocks) they solved the puzzle, thereby gaining access to the
orrery chamber. They studied the orrery and recognized that it
contained a planet in between Tyr and Thonar, where the aseteroid
belt currently lies. At the same time, unbeknownst to the, a shadow
demons possessed Sicart with a magic jar spell.
The shadow demon didn't reveal itself until the PCs were approaching
Homeworld. At that point Sicart backstabbed Silas, hoping to crash
the aethership. Eitel used a web spell to entrap the
characters, but then himself was possessed. His fireball
killed Silas. The other PCs were able to subdue him, however, and
regain control of their vessel, even though the shadow demon escaped.
20
February 2018: “Beyond the Pale”
The PCs went to the City of the Sun first, and there started
spreading word about the firearms and gunpowder that they proposed to
sell. Arcturus checked in with his church, too. After that they
arranged a quick demonstration in a local tavern with a pistol, and
promised a bigger demonstration back at the island.
On sailing to the island, they met with Captain Josephson; he gave
his report and the lizard folk had a mostly happy reunion. Yobari
donated gold to the widowed wife. The PCs rigged up sailcloth tents
for the visitors, arranged various trade goods for sale, and set out
copious amounts of food and drink. The demonstrations—of a pistol
and a swivel gun—went well; the PCs accepted 5500 gp in earnest
money, and Yobari signed the contract for delivery. Sicart captured
more wild birds for Mr. Lemuel, and Yobari sent a letter to his
abbot.
At the Temple of Ptah the PCs interviewed two lower-ranking clerics
before being directed to the high priest, Imhotep. After hearing
their story, he led them down to a secret archive in the catacombs.
There they found a large tunnel had been dug into them, and a bulette
waited for them. It was accompanied by a succubus who was rummaging
through the archive. They managed to slay the bulette and the demon,
and thus discovered a bit of poetry—written spontaneously by
someone traveling through the belt—that the succubus had sought.
27
February 2018: “Beyond the Pale”
Yobari speculated that the poem refers to Gaea, Kronos, Freya and
Tyr; X marks a spot in between them. Presented with that surmise,
Imhotep conferred with his people and then presented the PCs with a
communication scroll and some incense of meditation.
The PCs also haggled for a cargo of chickens.
En route to Crossroads, the PCs ran into the Redoubtable
again. They kept their distance and recognized the medusa who'd
kidnapped Captain Axelrod for what she was. Eitel ensnared her in a
web, which he and Arcturus followed with a barrage of searing
light and fireballs. After that they healed Captain
Axelrod and then chastised him.
On approaching Crossroads, they were accused of piracy, and
decided to leave and mull over their options. They believed that
Governor Reda's wife, Nora, is the succubus.
13
March 2018: “Beyond the Pale”
While the PCs were deciding what course of action to pursue, they saw
the Abattoir approach Crossroads and dock. They decide to
maneuver the Homeworld alongside the upper story of the
Governor's House and go in through the windows. Sicart went in first,
hitting Cornelius Vanderwald with a sap but not felling him. Arcturus
cast silence on him and then ran through into the hallway.
Edward hit the succubus with ineffectual arrows, and Eitel followed
with a fireball that also failed to harm her. Yobari leaped in
and hit her with a flurry of blows, again to no effect. Eitel then
used a web and Arcturus unleashed searing light.
Governor Reda fled into the hall. Yobari switched to his cold iron
kama, and they beat the succubus into unconsciousness.
20
March 2018: “Beyond the Pale”
Seeing a woman—indeed, a dryad—fleeing from Captain Cyrus and
members of his crew, the PCs stepped in and rescued her. She told her
story, about the orcs raiding her home planet, and suggested that Mr.
Akham, an arborling, might be able to provide more information. The
PCs therefore went back to the frozen geyser moon of Kronos, to speak
with Mr. Lemuel's assistant. He told them about the interplanetary
portal that leads back to his home planet, which is closely
guarded by the Elven Navy. The PCs headed back to Starfort Station to
meet with Admiral Solinus, but were attacked by a vrock along the
way. They defeated it.
10
April 2018: “Beyond the Pale”
Arriving again at Starfort Station, the PCs met with Admiral Solinus.
The discussions went well, but were interrupted by the spectre of
Althea, who had died from the loss of her bonded tree. They sent her
to eternal rest with a flurry of kama strikes, the channeled power of
Sol and three lightning bolts.
With an elven escort the PCs proceeded out into the gas giant's
ring, where the elves concealed and guarded the interstellar
portal. Taking their ship's longboat through it, they found
themselves in another star system, in orbit of the planet Sylvanus.
Heading planetside, Eitel used his fey intuition to find the scar in
which the necromancer had been working the magic for his foul
construction project. There they were attacked by a demented earth
elemental and almost lost Yobari and Sicart. They defeated it,
however, and then were greeted by Harmony, a lillend. She had much to
tell them.
17
April 2018: “Into the Eye of the Storm”
Armed with what they'd learned from Harmony, the PCs returned through
the interstellar portal to the Sol System. They apprised
Admiral Solinus of what they knew and then arranged transportation
back to the Asteroid Belt aboard an elven galleon. While exploring it
they were attacked by a bebelith creeping along their hull. While
Edward and Yobari rushed to the attack, Eitel trapped it with black
tentacles and then hit with a lightning bolt. Arcturus
blasted it with searing light and Sicart swung in from the
rigging to sneak attack it. It killed him before the rest of the
party could kill it. For that reason they returned to Mr. Lemuel, who
conducted a ritual to reincarnate Sicart—as an elf.
Back in the Belt they found an asteroid in the expected place—based
on Yobari's interpretation of the poem—and ventured into the cave
inside it. They parleyed with a pair of xorn, and then negotiated
with the haunt that remained of the Formian Queen. They promised to
destroy the Godsharp, so she told them where to find it: in the eye
of the unending Great Storm that swirls through the atmosphere of the
gas giant planet Thunar.
24
April 2018: “Into the Eye of the Storm”
Arriving at Thunar, the PCs and their elf allies steered their way
into the eye of the storm. During their descent they were attacked by
a huge air elemental, but Arcturus dismissed it. Eitel spotted
the ship of the dead on the edge of the eye and the PCs charged to
attack it. They swept the decks with the elves' cannons—loaded with
shot—and thus claimed that ship. They they stormed into the
entrance of the hidden temple, alongside which the ship of the dead
hung in the air.
Inside they faced off against the succubus, defeating her again, and
then sought out Cyril the necromancer and his ghasts. In a
hard-fought battle they won the day and thus took possession of the
Godsharp.
1
May 2018: “Into the Eye of the Storm”
Upon returning to the moon of Kronos with the Godsharp and
telling of their adventure, the PCs heard another story from Admiral
Solinus—one that told of an elven expedition to explore a black
hole, but that ended in disaster, causing the crew of the arkship to
abandon their vessel and flee back to the Sol System through their
interstellar portal. The important detail, of course, was that
they could find a black hole if they were willing to face the thing
that had ruined the expedition. They were willing.
Traveling through the portal, they arrived in an even more
distant system. There they could see the black hole, along with the
star on which it fed, along with the derelict arkship. As they
approached, three elf musketeers mounted on griffins—and wearing
necklaces of adaptation—flew out to attack their longboat.
Eitel used lightning bolts, Yobari unhorsed one, Edward
delivered a storm of arrows, Sicart defended the boat, and Arcturus
kept everyone alive. Moving further past the arkship, however, the
PCs were confronted by the weird creature that inhabited it: a colour
out of space.
The PCs managed to run from this strange, incorporeal thing; they
reached the event horizon of the black hole and cast in the Godsharp.
It was sucked into the absolute darkness and disappeared. At the same
time, the colour out of space tried to flee back through the portal,
but they ran it down and slew it, and then headed back to the Sol
System.
8
May 2018: “Into the Eye of the Storm”
Passing back through the interstellar portal, the PCs found
the elves waiting for them—and intending to arrest them. In
response Eitel opened an acid pit on their sterncastle;
Admiral Solinus managed to spring clear of it, but other officers
were not so lucky. Yobari also grappled an officer and threw him
bodily into the pit. The sorcerer also made many of the elf crew
members fall into a deep slumber. Arcturus tried to dispel
magic on the elf commander, but failed; he succeeded, however, to
break enchantment, forcing the shadow demon that had possessed
him out of his body. Then the cleric jumped into the acid pit
to heal the officers trapped in it. The shadow demon tried to flee
off of the ship into open space, but Edward and Sicart jumped into
the void (wearing necklaces of adaptation) to pursue it, and
Eitel eventually slew it with magic missiles.
Following the battle the PCs returned to Starfort Station for
debriefing, during which they concluded that the demons must be
operating out of some stronghold on the Prime Material Plane.
Following up on that, they headed to the lawless asteroid freehold
known as the Grotto. There they encountered some of the remaining
orcs from the crew of the Abattoir; Edward paid them a
substantial bribe, thus learning that they'd made numerous runs to a
remote island in the Middle Sea on Homeworld. Knowing that, the PCs
hired the orcs to pick up the cargo of firearms that they'd purchased
from the merchants on Crossroads and deliver it to the buyers with
whom they'd met back on Claw Island.
14
May 2018: “Into the Eye of the Storm”
The PCs did some shopping at the Grotto before heading for Homeworld.
They did a slow nighttime pass over the Island of the Minotaurs, and
Sicart spotted some faint firelight close to the bottom of a
waterfall. They set their vessel down on a nearby river and
approached through the water, but were themselves noticed. Diplomacy
won the day, however, and they learned that these were refugees who
were stranded on the island and sought to avoid enslavement. They led
the PCs to meet with Amalthea, the nymph guardian of the area.
She told them more about the minotaurs and their demon
allies—including where to find the entrance of their labyrinth, and
thus the lair beneath it—and gifted Edward with a lock of her own
hair. (Eitel made a good impression on her, of course, but seemed
like a bit of an automaton in doing so.) The PCs took a day to
deliver the refugees to Alcudi village, and there prepared to strike
out against their foes.
Traveling once again in the Homeworld's longboat, the PCs
approached the area described by Amalthea. In front of the cave
entrance they saw to metal-skinned, bull-like creatures grazing on
the surround rocks; they opted to pepper the monsters with missile
fire from a safe altitude, chasing them away.
22
May 2018: “Into the Eye of the Storm”
The PCs brought their longboat alongside the entrance to the
labyrinth and ventured inside it. Sicart noticed the infernal
automatons that were standing guard, and managed to alert the others,
but he did not detect the invisible quasits in the maze. Eitel
dropped two of the constructs into an acid pit while the other
PCs attacked and defeated the second pair. They also recognized that
some sections of the walls could shift, but Sicart disabled the ones
he found and the others used detect evil spells along with
ranged attacks or area-of-effect spells to find and kill the quasits.
Moving forward, Sicart and Eitel noticed the minotaurs' approach
from multiple directions. Eitel hindered the half-fiend monsters with
black tentacles, and then Yobari moved in and dismantled them.
At the same time, Arcturus softened up the others with a holy
smite before Edward and Sicart slew them with bow and blades.
In the center of the labyrinth they found a spiral staircase leading
downward...
12
June 2018: “Into the Eye of the Storm”
Arriving at the bottom of the stairs, Eitel granted Sicart greater
invisibility so that the rogue could do some exploring. The
quasits knew to expect intruders, however, and used detect magic
spells to search for them, so Sicart slew one and the battle was
joined. The PCs made quick work of the normal minotaurs, but then
fiendish ones emerged; Eitel trapped them in black tentacles.
Arcturus cast holy lance on Edward's bow, and the archer began
sniping at them. That was when two vrocks appeared, infecting Edward
and Yobari with their spores. Eitel managed to hold one of
them, and Edward and Yobari slew first the free one and then the
other. Then the glabrezu arrived via greater teleport, and for
a time Sicart was forced to face it alone, suffering an unholy
blight in the process. The others rallied to his aid, however;
Yobari managed to trip the demon, and he and the others did it
considerable harm before it used greater teleport to escape.
In searching the rest of the stronghold, though, the PCs found its
portal to the Abyss, and used dispel magic to seal it once and
for all.
