Haveneast: Shadow on Golrung Discussion Thread

[Hibou]

From now on this'll be the standard thread where I'll post campaign-relevant information and where we can discuss this game specifically.


Setting Thread

Aath
A Shadow on Golrung

Game type: 1st-level 25 point-buy human-only Pathfinder.
Restricted Classes: Gunslinger, Monk

Variant Rules:

Select one caste and lineage at 1st level (setting thread).

All characters get a feat at every level in addition to class level feats.

Fighters get Improved Unarmed Strike for free.

All skills are class skills for everyone; add +1 skill point/level to your total skill points.

Elemental spells are no longer restricted to the type listed. For example, burning hands could deal cold, acid, electric, sonic, etc. damage. The only restriction here is that when you learn the spell, you must select the type of damage and it stays that way unless you replace it. Feel free to flavor it however you wish.

Map of Haveneast (Thanks to Nomadic)

Rumours on the Missing

Golrung, found at the heart of the wooded foothills in the west of Aath, knows that winter is coming soon, and that with winter comes fog and a difficult path along the roads. The miners, woodsmen and rare alchemist prepare for its onset and for the cold that limits travel. As they do this however and the first light, disappearing snow begins to fall, a series of disappearances strikes the county. An unusually high number of travellers combined with recent rumours of strange encounters on the road is linked, and the Countess begins the process of calling upon her knights and seeking out individuals to hire in the investigation. A knight from the Order of Saint Wodigan is to arrive in a day under an inquisition order - the Council believes there is foul sorcery and the inhuman at work. No one knows where everyone has gone, and a great variety of speculation takes place, making the small population of the towns more paranoid. They speak of dark witches and nymphs and looming knights who stare from far along the road, of wolves too intelligent and stalking centaurs on the forgotten roads.

Map Link

Map Legend: Places

[spoiler=Places]
1 - Castle Glaun (Ruined)
2 - Belwyr Crossing
3 - Golrung Keep
4 - Tower of Sunhild (Ruined)
5 - The Old Post (Ruined)
6 - Witchmark Farm
7 - Waryn Mine House
8 - Belwyr Graveyard
9 - Shrine of Rottinghorn (Ruined)
10 - Abandoned Iron Mine
11 - Old Gryphon Inn and Stable
12 - The Crypt-Cave
13 - Temple of the Lake (Ruined)
14 - Lake of Serpents
15 - Hirkhorn
16 - North Woods Bridge
17 - Alchemist's Hut (Ruined)
18 - Belwyr Field
19 - Lord's Hunting Grounds
20 - Mountain Watchpost
21 - Broken Span (Ruined)
22 - Church of Ash (Ruined)
23 - Cleared Lot (Hirkhorn)
24 - Abandoned Woodlot
25 - Nightglow Cave
26 - Glistening Lake
[/spoiler]

Map Legend: Roads
[spoiler=Roads]
Intersections and forks in the road are handled by a "North-South-East-West" designation if they don't have special names, so "b" is Golrung-Hattesgrun-Norstadtl-Belwyr, for example.

a - South Hattesgrun Road
b - Golrung-Hattesgrun-Norstadtl-Belwyr Split
c - West Inn Road
d - Fieldwater Fork
e - Dead Trail
f - Crooked Turn Fork
g - Scoundrel's Rest Fork
h - Old Hattesgrun Road
i - Hirkhorn-Chapel-Belwyr-Trinctar Split
j - Bitterbrook Split
k - Cobble Trail
l - Osegod's Ruin Road
[/spoiler]

Quest Log

Colors of the Cross (County of Golrung) [Active]
The Countess of Golrung has hired the group to investigate a string of recent disappearances including a small child of the house of the smith, Lucarvin, and the former chief hunter (whose position Dorrel now holds). The only leads are the presence of a mysterious cauldron filled with rotting corpses discovered the night before the arrival of the group. Shortly after the assignment was given by Sir Felchos at the Old Gryphon Inn, a member of the Order of Wodigan, Lord Keinast, arrived. In the ensuing series of events, the group confronts an unknown entity located on the other side of a locked door in the castle, which proceeds to retreat as the group begins to follow. Following this ancient escape passage they find themselves several hundred feet into the forest from the castle, with the pouring rain helping to reveal the large tracks of whatever they were chasing. Lord Keinast at this point has chosen to return to the castle, beckoning the group to join him. Lord Keinast wishes to reduce their involvement in the affair and has offered a %50 bonus on their original rewards for them to remain at the castle as part of the Countess' guard.

The group elected to not return with Keinast, instead tracking down the mysterious interloper. Keinast was unconcerned with the decision. The group defeated the creature, a nymph, discovering evidence of more disappearances than thought, activity of covens of nymphs and hags throughout the forests, hints of black magic, and no sign of the former chief hunter or the missing child.

Following the defeat of the nymph (after tracking it down through the forest), the group attempted to return to the castle only to be warned by a member of the local watch that they are no longer welcome, and that Lord Keinast has an iron grip on Golrung. However, the group found allies in the Bringers of Steel, whom they met earlier, developing a plan split up, one group infiltrating the castle to learn more about what is going on, while the other heads to the Tower of Sunhild to discern what Lord Keinast is so interested in there.

-Investigate the Disappearances:
--Hag covens
--Tower of Sunhild
--Keinast's connection to hags
-Location of Countess


Diffident Inquisition [Active]

The group, after choosing to track down the creature encountered a group called the Bringers of Steel on the road, a companion of whom known as Goraidh later joined the party. Lord Feovar of Chanisk, the Bringers' leader requested that the group join them at camp for the evening, with an important matter to discuss. The Bringers will have a temporary camp set up shortly, just southeast of Castle Golrung.

The group has learned that the Bringers of Steel are actually seeking Keinast to put him to the sword, stating that their superiors have sent them with little information other than that he is a dangerous warlock who has devastated the ranks of the wizards of Kangdemar and Hawnil. They suspect he is headed for Gilbany, though they do not know why.

Covens in the Gloom [Active]

The group has learned that there are potentially many more nymphs and hags out there in the forests of the Elderdell.

-Find out more about the presence of hag covens

Thatch [Active]

A lance and armor is all he needs


General Game Info

Languages

West Hawlian is the language that will replace Common for the game (in this case it's the one that is most commonly spoken in Aath and most of the German-like countries). Kalcarian is an older language that some of Aath's road signs are etched in and is spoken by some more isolated communities in the woods. Other languages are sorted into lists from countries with details.

Warskaria

Elarric: primary, widespoken
Chau: northwestern tundra
Golair: eastern mountains and along border with Haviland; many regional dialects

Kangdemar

Haratan: most spoken language. Derived from Old Angauric
Mortric: spoken mainly on the western coast and in the Trollhowl Mountains. Great Mortriddynic is a presumed dead language found on tomb walls that Mortric is derived from, but mainly shares script now.
Chau: spoken sparingly in Trollhowls

Hawnil
West Hawlian: primary
Old Ingari: language originating in Gilbany on the Caernel Sea. Nearly dead but sees use as a ceremonial language in Hawnil and other central kingdoms
Athailic: considered a trade language, spoken largely on the southern coast and on the ocean.

Aath
As Hawnil, but add Ghosmian: old language of Gilbany, spoken on the Aath-Gilbany border

Agantha
West Hawlian: important for trade.
Haratan: primary language, as Kangdemar
Havilic: approaching Haviland border (hostile)
Old Angauric: as Havilic
Old Ingari (sparingly)

Gilbany
Ghosmian (primary)
Old Ingari
West Hawlian (educated, traders)

[Hibou]

reserved 1

[Hibou]

good to go from here.

[Hibou]

Also as a note make sure to check the top post for additional variant rules. There was a change to the skill system recently so you might want to relocate your skill points. :D

[HippopotamusDundee]

So, when's it looking like the next session is going to be held (roughly, I mean)?

[Hibou]

I'll be running another game in Haveneast the week of the 19th. I'll probably try to slip in some brief, individual recaps/intros before the game. :D

[Hibou]

Just a reminder that the next Haveneast game is next week. Is Thursday night easier for people?

[Magnus Pym]

At what time? And I usually prefer Friday, but if everyone wants Thursday, maybe I can do an exception, arrange something.

[Hibou]

Probably 8 EST on either night.

[sparkletwist]

Thursday is better for me, but I could also make it on Friday.

[Hibou]

I will check with the others about the times.

How do you guys feel about the game in terms of keeping track of what happens? Do you just want to see the logs posted, or would you like to work out some sort of "key events/information" list for each session, or something else?

[Nomadic]

I can't make this Thursday (it's finals week and I have a final on Thursday) but I can do Friday. As for logs and such I'd be fine with either, key points would be cool if the full log formatting eats up too much of your time.

[Hibou]

Anyone unable to make Friday?

[HippopotamusDundee]

Friday is fine for me.

[Hibou]

Just a reminder that the game is Friday night, 8 EST. :D