The Strange Aeons Experiment

Credits
Authors Sterling Brunsvold, Aerick Lim, Jody Gerst, Daniel Scholler, Louisa Morris, Sean Linville,
and Adam Smith
Editors Sterling Brunsvold, Aerick Lim, Michael Dappolone, and Louisa Morris
Graphic Design Sterling Brunsvold (Axion Studios: www.axionstudio.com)
Photography Jody Gerst, Adam Smith, and Sterling Brunsvold
Audio Documentation Jody Gerst and Sterling Brunsvold
Video Production Jody Gerst and Sterling Brunsvold
Contractor for Setups Sean Linville
On-site Cooking Aerick Lim and Sean Linville
Downloadable Stat Blocks Adam Smith and Aerick Lim
Marathon Locations Adam Smith (NJ), Cheryl and Chris Smith (NJ)
Musical Supplementation Aerick Lim, Sterling Brunsvold, and Adam Smith
Paint Work for Iconic Miniatures Blue Table Painting (bluetablepainting.com; artist: Lizz)
Special Thanks Wesley Schneider and Adam Daigle for giving us the chance to share our journeys
with the world, Jim Groves for his advice and time, along with Louisa Morris and Alizah Allen for
supporting Alahazra and Feiya in this endeavor. Also, Michael Gentile for providing us with a
second GM's trove worth of gaming supplies. We couldn't have done this without you.
Thanks to all of the members of Order of the Amber Die who helped out, regardless of whether they
were physically present for The Strange Aeons Experiment. Thousands of miles did not stop our
membership from contributing in various ways, and it was much appreciated.
Chapter One
The Experiment
The Strange Aeons Experiment
What We're Doing
What follows is a detailed account of how our Pathfinder gaming association, Order of the
Amber Die, is attempting to craft a legendary role-playing experience out of the Strange Aeons
Adventure Path. Beginning in August of 2016, with one GM and four core players, we are attempting
to play the entire adventure path to completion in six marathon sessions of c.72-hours each, with our
estimated time of completion at just nine months. While Order of the Amber Die frequently
undertakes ambitious enterprises such as The Emerald Spire Project and The Giantslayer Endeavor, this
venture is no different, possessing its own unique spin as detailed on page nine. We have had no
fewer than twenty such campaigns over the course of nearly three decades devoted to the world's
oldest fantasy roleplaying game, and many of these have been played to fruition near 20th level or
beyond.
Having the perspective of already having
experienced so many full campaigns in the past three
decades, this needs to be said out front: we will be lucky to
finish this campaign with our personal lives intact. Words
cannot express the amount of combined effort it takes to
pull off the preparation, play, production and
documentation of such a venture. In addition, the sheer
number of life-events that occur in the combined lives of
many adults has the potential to derail a project of this
magnitude. At the start of this campaign, we held a
meeting at which these very issues were discussed; it was Our namesake:
The Amber Die
decided that if we were to fully document this campaign,
the utmost level of commitment would be necessary from all involved. As every participant is aware,
the uncertainty of such an endeavor and the high level of commitment necessary both help create a
thrill that is like no other found in tabletop RPGs.
Initially, we will also offer some analysis of each adventure after we play through it, followed
by more thoughts on the Strange Aeons Adventure Path in the months to come; as such, this
document will remain fluid until after our hopeful completion of the sixth and final adventure. As
with all Order of the Amber Die undertakings, the project itself--the way we chose to undertake the
adventure path--will receive fair description throughout. Furthermore, this work will serve as a fully
documented playthrough of an entire adventure path from 1st level to as high as 18th level. In this
regard, we will also be able to provide insight into character class development, efficacy of class
abilities, and feedback on magical items utilized throughout. We have listed our session history in
this document, and since we play as closely as possible to the way each adventure is written, this
should give any group wishing to play the adventure path a fairly good estimate of the time required
to complete it. We also intend to provide support and supplemental materials for GMs and groups
seeking to undertake the Strange Aeons Adventure Path. Please see our support sections later in this
document; our Dropbox will also contain some of the supplemental materials listed, and will be
added to after each volume in the path is completed.
Who We Are
Order of the Amber Die is an association of Pathfinder players that is dedicated to the
authentic completion of published adventures. For our association, authenticity means playing
published adventures as closely as possible to the author's original intent, with deviation only
occurring for player decisions and actions. We never alter the outcome of rolls, and little benefit of
the doubt is ever thrown to our players. The GM uses less creative license in altering the published
adventures we play, and instead focuses more effort on bringing the adventures to life as written,
while strongly adhering to the Pathfinder rules system. We take enjoyment in comparing the various
styles of authorship that are prevalent in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and make it a point to
play as many different types of adventures as possible. We have also enjoyed going as far back as
first edition and converting old adventures to modern rules in order to play and compare them to
current Pathfinder publications.
Consisting of the same GM and an active pool of between ten and fifteen players, we have
been an association since 1987. To date, Order of the Amber Die has completed 137 published
adventures across five editions of the game, and we are very comfortable in our new home with
Pathfinder. We place very few limits as to how far we will go, or have gone with this game in the
past. Our devotion rides at the front of each project we undertake, and there is no better example of
this unswerving loyalty to the game than The Giantslayer Endeavor, The Emerald Spire Project, and The
Strange Aeons Experiment.
August, 2016: The members of The Strange Aeons Experiment. Left to right: Jody Gerst as Feiya, Sean Linville as
Winter Klaczka, Adam Smith as our ever-present GM, Daniel Scholler as Quinn, Aerick Lim as Erasmus, and
Sterling Brunsvold as Alahazra.
Why We're Doing It
As with our previous works, The Emerald Spire Project
and The Giantslayer Endeavor, our primary desire is to contribute
something both meaningful and lasting to the Pathfinder
community, as well as the global RPG community. After nearly
half a lifetime spent in the relentless pursuit of adventure
through the world's oldest fantasy role-playing game, the time
has come to give back. It is our hope that sharing our projects
with the community will help elevate and reinforce the game's
legitimacy as a creative pastime. Growing up as gamers of
Generation X, it was only natural for us to hide our early
endeavors from the public eye. History was on our side,
however, and now it is more acceptable than ever to undertake
and document something like The Strange Aeons Experiment.
Another highly prominent motive shared by all in the group (regardless of past experience) is
the desire to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime gaming experience.
After so much time together, we are of the shared opinion that
marathon sessions are the truest test of group compatibility and
the ultimate form of game-immersion. We've had everything
from blowouts to hugs, goose bumps and tears in our marathons,
and we've learned through the years that in the middle of the
night during a three-day run of Pathfinder or equivalent RPG--
anything is possible in the game--and we always come back for
more.
Our final motivation involves the drive to expand on our
experiences with published adventures of an unusual slant. As
developer Adam Daigle noted on the messageboards in April of
2016, Strange Aeons "should be a fun, weird, and scary ride."
Creative director James Jacobs, who originally laid out the
adventure path, added to this in June of 2016: "People who expect
to have a pleasant and friendly time visiting lovely and
friendly places should probably not play Strange Aeons."
Well, there is nowhere the Order won't go, and we have even
fearlessly plunged into such dark material as Gygax's
enigmatic chambers in The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun--and
still walked out alive. We had no idea what a wyste was in
2004 when our characters struggled just to get their bearings in
The Speaker in Dreams, but we took the adventure head on and
survived with at least some of the party intact. When it came
to one of the weirdest and most disjointed experiences in our
collection, we converted Palace of the Silver Princess to v3.5 in
2009, and loved it enough to TPK out three times in a single
marathon weekend. Clearly, we have faced a plethora of
oddities over decades and editions, and with the release of the
2016 Strange Aeons Adventure Path, we challenge Paizo to
take us somewhere stranger.
How We're Doing It
Foremost, making this entire endeavor possible is each player involved. They have pooled
their talents and resources, devoted their time, and gambled on all of us to pull this off. Since we all
have different careers and responsibilities to manage while attempting an enterprise of this size,
childless life is the obvious common thread that allows us to devote so much of our time. While it is
the job of the GM to continually prepare and guide each venture, the players match this responsibility
by managing nearly every logistical factor that arises during a project. Creative work is spread as
evenly as possible between the two spheres of player and GM, as whenever permissible we combine
our thoughts to improve the overall experience. We hope it is evident to the reader that something
like The Strange Aeons Experiment requires commitment to one another that goes well beyond the
typical weekend session of a tabletop RPG.
Some Order of the Amber Die Member Contributions
Professional-quality printed maps of Ustalav and the AP's towns/cities for all players to use
Custom GM screen complete with the Strange Aeons colors and iconic character art
Professional soundtrack work done by Axion Studios
Thousands of dollars of combined RPG resources are pooled by all players
Professional-quality printed iconic name cards for each player to use throughout
Props, lighting, and ambiance for each module provided by all players
Dark Tapestry songs written and performed by The 9th Filter
Spouses/partners displaced as apartments and homes are offered up for marathon locations
Serious travel expenses, even flying from North Dakota to NJ or driving down from Maine
While the players prepare for each coming marathon by taking care of all logistics including
food, travel, supplies, sleeping arrangements, etc., the GM's job is to ferociously prepare for the next
marathon. As the group is also working on a writeup of each module while trying to prepare for the
next marathon, the pace will be frantic throughout. May 2017 will be our first reprieve.
[As with all Order of the Amber Die projects, we purposely do not track the amount of caffeine
consumed during our experience, though Monster and Starbucks have become part of a regular
marathon diet for all.]
Our custom GM screen, provided by Axion Studios, using the official iconic character art by Wayne Reynolds.
The Experiment
What happens when you take four players and one GM,
who are almost completely ignorant about all things Lovecraft,
Elder Mythos, and Cthulhu--and send them through Strange Aeons?
We're about to find out.
Assembling a team of gamers that could marathon often and also meet this criteria was much
harder than expected! We had to turn down so many of our members, that at one point we were
about to draft a new member just to fill the project. Fortunately, a retired member who last played in
2002 returned to our roster and fit the criteria--proving that once you play with the Order, you're
never really out.
Criteria for core players/GM participation in The Strange Aeons Experiment
Must not have read a single piece of Lovecraft's writing, nor any of Lovecraft's
contemporaries who also contributed to the Elder Mythos
Must never have participated in a single game of Call of Cthulhu or anything remotely close--
even the miniatures wargame Cthulhu Wars was off-limits
Must not have anything more than a familiarity with the words "Elder Mythos"
Must not have seen any films or viewed any other media relating to Lovecraft, Cthulhu, the
Elder Mythos, or even watched actual play of games such as Call of Cthulhu
Our GM teaches history and previously had an understanding of Lovecraft's significance in a

historical context, which helped greatly in structuring this project (while keeping the membership
unawares). Aside from that, each of us has purposely remained ignorant of anything that might spoil
the experiment. It's easy to imagine how confusing it can be at times; for example, having "the elder
sign" on our Cthulhu dice set, without knowing what "the elder sign" actually is. One interesting
issue we've come across already is that everywhere we go, people who are familiar with the project
try and make references to Lovecraftian monsters or encounters, and we're forced to remind them
that we are trying to remain as oblivious as possible--it's awkward.
Since it is our goal to try and help the community as much as possible with our projects, it is
our hope to be able to offer commentary and reflections about our experiences as Lovecraftian
rookies. As such, a portion of each PC's report following each module (detailed later in this
document) will be devoted to the describing how "the experiment" is unfolding for them. We
encourage the reader to seek us out on the Paizo messageboards under our thread, The Strange Aeons
Experiment, and ask us anything one might want to know about the project, its results, or how any of
the modules played out. Obviously anything time-sensitive cannot be discussed until after the
material goes live to the community.
Chapter Two
The Party
The Party
Order of the Amber Die Mantra:
There are few absolutes in the world's oldest fantasy roleplaying game.
When it comes to party construction, one of the things that we sometimes have an issue with is
when players sit down at a table to begin character creation, and they drop an absolute such as "we
need a rogue" or "we need a cleric." We have enough documented experience to say that we have
seen few absolutes that hold up over the years in this game, regardless of edition. We have witnessed
players have just as much fun and success with a party of all bards (let's be a band, everyone pick an
instrument!) as they did with the optimized party builds that can be found in abundance online. Our
GM stresses that the most important factor in character selection is that a player choose something
she will enjoy playing, for there are few worse liabilities than an uninspired player. To this extent,
we have tried our hardest to prove throughout dozens of successful campaigns that no one class or
party design is absolutely necessary.
With the above mantra in mind, our players set out to create characters that would try to
succeed at completing one of the most unusual campaigns in their careers. To make this playthrough
against unknown entities different from our past experiences, we decided to place additional
stipulations on character creation (as seen below). Additionally, as with almost all of our campaigns,
we're playing iconic characters; knowing that James Jacobs personally selected the four iconics, we
decided to play those exact four.
Each player built their character with certain parameters agreed upon:
Each player must select one iconic character from the four featured in the concept art
Each character will be played single-class (no PrC) throughout the entire adventure path
The background provided by Paizo's authors will serve as a guide for character construction
Each player must select one campaign trait from the The Strange Aeons Player's Guide
Each player must select one teamwork feat as determined by the group
Any character that dies and cannot be brought back is replaced by another iconic at 1st level
CRs will not be adjusted down, so if too many characters die, the likely result will be TPK
In the event of TPK, the campaign is over and the Great Old Ones are victorious
With these guidelines in place, this

project also becomes an excellent experiment or
test run for tracking a character all the way to
17th level, as little documentation exists for the
single-classed experience to such high levels.
Our players intend to share as much as possible
in regard to the efficacy of class abilities and
other features of their characters, well as any
Occult Adventures and Horror Adventures issues
that come up during the course of play.
Playing iconics had its advantages, and
our players have seized upon them with the
fervor that would make any GM proud. Each
Custom iconic character-placards help our members see each other for
player had their character's exact Reaper who they really are over the next 9 months: Erasmus, Feiya, Quinn, and
Alahazra.
miniature, painted to exquisite detail by Blue Table Painting (bluetablepainting.com). Players even
came equipped with props such as: Erasmus's harrow deck, spirit board, and grey streaks in his hair
(extensions), Alahazra's clouded eyes (contact lenses), Feiya's many occult fetishes, and Winter
Klaczka's cowl.
Each player was also assigned to track certain data about their character throughout the course of the
campaign, so that we might offer up some data to the RPG community:
Alahazra: Use of all Revelations

Erasmus: Use of Spirits and Spirit Surge
Feiya: Use of Channel Energy and damage dealt
Quinn: Use of Inspiration points
Entire Party: Successful Willpower saving throws made as a result of using the teamwork
feat, Shake It Off
It is our hope that this data will become some of the foremost evidence of the efficacy of
certain classes and abilities throughout the course of a single-classed level progression all the way to
18th level. After due diligence given to researching other data contributed by the community, very
little exists in regard to a controlled environment such as a 15-point buy, 4 party members, and
playing modules as-written and
with full implementation of the
core rules.
In addition, our player-captain

provides tracking sheets prior
to each marathon, which help
PCs manage their data. While
tracking data takes extra time to
manage, it provides useful
information for the community
about the functionality of our
classes, ensure that our abilities
are being used properly, and
highlights our overall
performance throughout the
campaign.
Being a professional role-player involves a lot of commitment; as such, there aren't many
breaks during a marathon. Even when there is a brief respite, players spend it researching
feats, spells, options, managing inventory, and polishing up on their combat rules.
GM's Note: I'm going to add something here, since these guys are reluctant to toot their own horns.
The amount of gaming experience present at this table is a record among all Amber Die projects.
There is a combined c.130 years of gaming present--and I don't mean just any gaming, since we are all
rabid gamers--but this game in particular. I can't wait to see how their skills meet the challenge of not
knowing anything at all about what to expect from this Adventure Path. For me as GM, there is
serious personal enjoyment in watching players face what I deem to be the ultimate challenge: a
campaign of uncertainty.
Erasmus
Player Info
Name: Aerick Lim
Age: 39
RPG Experience: 1990-2016
OAD Published Adventures Completed: 44
Order of the Amber Die Member Since: 2005
Character Info
Class: Medium (Reanimated Medium)
Alignment: Neutral
Race: Varisian human
Character Song, Levels 1-10: "Eon" (Drop Remix) by Celldweller
Character Song, Levels 11-20:
Player Perspective
Right away I knew Erasmus was going to be a challenge. The medium can be one of the most
complicated classes in the game to play, as his statistics are constantly in flux depending on what
spirit he channels each day, so I had to prepare seven stat blocks for Erasmus one in case he doesnt
have time to perform a seance to channel a spirit, then one for each of the six spirits in case he does,
so preparing for levels 1-4 to manage time more efficiently during the marathon I prepared 28 stat
blocks. Although tedious, this is something that I like to do--and do quite often for Order of the
Amber Dieso there were no issues with that. But, ironically, just as I had to prepare for my
character to be constantly changing, so was my process to create him: Originally, I built Erasmus
using the heroic fantasy 20-point purchase system for ability scores, as is customary to all iconic stat
blocks, but my colleagues who recently attended GenCon heard from Rob McCreary that adventure
paths are meant to be played by PCs with a standard fantasy 15-point purchase, so I prepared
another 28 stat blocks. However, in accordance to his iconic backstory, I gave Erasmus the relic
channeler archetype so he could specifically channel the spirits of his deceased family members,
regardless of location and the other spirits that would be available there. I also did this to speed up
game play since marathon hours are a precious commodity with a limited time to complete each
module, eliminating the time the GM would need to spend to decide what spirits are available, as
well as the time I would need to spend choosing a taboo. However, my colleagues also ran into Mark
Seifter and he expressed how he would like to see Erasmus played without the relic channeler
archetype, as the daily GM interaction is what makes the class dynamic. So I went back to the
drawing board again, and after another 28 stat blocks his final draft was locked in.
As for how to play Erasmus in the game, there were so many potential ways that it was hard
to decide. Lacking a strong melee combatant in the group, it seemed necessary to focus primarily on
the Champion spirit for the entire campaign. However, wanting to explore the full extent of what the
medium could do, I also considered featuring a different spirit for each module of the adventure
path, depending on which one would seem the most relevant for each part. But in the end I decided
to go with something more natural, playing him closer to the way the medium seemed to be
designed, and have Erasmus choose from whatever spirits are available at favored locations in the
area, then selecting the one that would benefit the group the most given their current situation.
Hopefully this method will prove to be as effective as it is organic to the class.
Alahazra
Player Info
Name: Sterling Brunsvold
Age: 37
Character Info
Class: Oracle
Alignment: Lawful Good
Race: Garundi human
Character Song, Levels 1-10: "Oracle" by Haelos
Player Perspective
No matter how many times you prepare for a marathon, its never quite enough. Although
weve been running our game in this extreme fashion for the better part of 20 years, the idea of
putting ourselves through another project similar to Giantslayer is daunting. The Strange Aeons
Experiment wont be pushing for a world record, but still - playing through 3 years of material in 9
months and surviving to the end looms in the distance. Maybe even larger than the pressure to
survive is the adventure path itself. The brainchild of Paizo founder and RPG legend James Jacobs,
Strange Aeons is likely to be a seminal work for Paizo. Although Rise of the Runelords is the most
beloved path, Strange Aeons represents a subculture that has deep and dedicated roots, not only
within Pathfinder but in the gaming community in general. Lovecraft has created a fanatical
following; his world and imagination have crept into nearly everything Paizo has created over the
last decade, from blatant use of the Cthulhu mythos to the tiniest related Easter eggs. Lovecraft and
Pathfinder fans (often one and the same) are primed and chomping at the bit for Strange Aeons to be
a hit, and the pressure is high.
Playing Alahazra was equal parts challenging and exciting. We have yet to see an Oracle in
our campaigns and as a player it has been more than a decade since Ive had the opportunity to play
a spellcaster. Although I was required to do a lot more melee than would normally be expected due
to the absence of a true fighter, as Alahazra grows in power I suspect my choice to push the
boundaries of her revelations will separate her from swinging her staff and instead require judicious
and well-timed uses of her abilities, not only for offense and defense, but in ways that many players
would not expect. Her spell choices are limited compared to a prepared caster, but her access to all
healing spells as well as some tricky options provided by her Time mystery should help keep the
party alive when used in conjunction and in complement to the abilities of the rest of the party. We
are all looking forward to her Erase From Time revelation in the later adventures, which she now has
use of twice a day thanks to the Abundant Revelations feat, and the possibility of ability focus could
make the power one of the all-stars of the entire path.
Look out Magic Eraser. Im coming for your job.

Quinn
Player Info
Name: Daniel Scholler
Age: 37
Character Info
Class: Investigator (Cult Hunter)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Race: Mwangi human
Character Song, Levels 1-10: "Trust Me" by Zola Jesus
Player Perspective
Out of the four iconics chosen for this module, Quinn is the best suited for my style and Im glad to be
playing him. As soon as it was announced, I started doing as much research on his class and his background
as possible. I had already started building ideas in my head and tossing things around before discovering the
psychic detective archetype, which I knew would be very appropriate for this adventure path.
It didnt take long for me to arrange my thinking from extracts to spells, and I spent a few weeks
talking with another player and the GM about the direction I wanted to take with Quinn. But after the release
of Horror Adventures and then the Strange Aeons Players Guide, I went with the cult hunter archetype
instead. As much as I would have liked to premiere the psychic detective, this was the perfect opportunity to
showcase this archetype instead, as its even more appropriate to the theme of this campaign.
Furthermore, the Foe of the Strange campaign trait was a nice fit for a cult hunter, and would allow me
to play a character that wouldnt succumb to the fear and madness in the adventure path easily. From there it
was easy to work out what skills would be best suited for him, mainly Knowledge, Perception, and Sense
Motive, but also a liberal use of Disable Device. I also decided to focus on two-weapon fighting after his first
few levels so that I can make the most out of Studied Combat and Studied Strike, and to exemplify how Quinn
is often portrayed in the artwork.
Making up an advancement plan for the first few levels was actually helpful this time around. It
allowed me to make sure that my extract selections werent redundant, as well as helping to focus my skill
selections. There are plenty of options built into my progressions for things like skills, feats, and investigator
talents, but having a framework to build off of will help improve speed and efficiency when gaining levels.
I had trouble picking his secondary trait, but I opted into Rich Parents for the ability to improve some
of his starting equipment, which seemed appropriate given his background. Being middle-aged on top of a 15-
point build, his Strength was pretty low so I really had to be careful selecting his adventuring equipment as to
not be encumbered. After my initial list was way too high, I had to try and get rid of as much as possible while
attempting to keep as close to the iconic portrait. So instead of the clutter, I spent his increased starting wealth
on things I normally couldnt consider at 1st-level, like a masterwork weapon and a health compliment of
potions.
I look forward to playing Quinn again in the future. I want to try and expand more sides of his
personality, and am excited to see what shenanigans the investigator class is capable of.
Feiya
Player Info
Name: Jody Gerst
Age: 38
Character Info
Class: Witch (Hex Channeler)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Race: Tian human
Character Song, Levels 1-10: "Black Magic Woman" by Santana
Player Perspective
Earlier this year I resumed gaming after a decade-long hiatus. I dusted off my dice, sharpened
my pencil, and steeled myself for adventure. The game has certainly evolved since last I played, and
Order of the Amber Die along with it. Now theres an amazing focus on the game that we lacked
when we were younger; a solemnity that adds dignity to what might otherwise be dismissed as a
nerdy hobby. The six of us in the room had come together for a purpose, not just to play, but to
conquer an adventure that promised to be simultaneously entertaining and frightening.
My original intention with Feiya was to have her be a negative energy powerhouse. I
envisioned being able to channel massive amounts of damage and to supplement with necromantic
magic. Then I found out two things that made me have to start from scratch: The first dealt a blow to
the strength of her channeling, as the errata restricted me from taking the Extra Hex feat to add
damage dice. The second ruled out negative energy and necromancy entirely, as Feiya is chaotic
good. Intent on staying with the Hex Channeler archetype (even more so since it was one of the
recommended archetypes in the Strange Aeons Players Guide) Feiya now channels positive energy
and has a much more diverse compliment of spells.
During this revision I also gave Daji the Sage familiar archetype, and I have grown quite
attached to him in the few days we spent together. My concept for Feiya was that her disturbing
upbringing at the hands of the hags left her with an ironically cheery disposition, which also serves as
a resilience to the macabre. She still has a bitterness toward the hags that stole her childhood and is
distrustful towards strangers, but once someone has earned her trust she is fiercely loyal.
A note about ambiance in this path: Where you play usually doesnt matter, as Ive gamed in
cafeterias, dorm rooms, basements, attics, libraries, and recently outdoors. Yet, there are little touches
that can completely change the gaming experience, making the environment more immersive. Never
before I have played in a situation where I was in the same obscuring fog my character was. I
literally could not see more than five feet. Two fog machines and dozens of candles complimented
the effect, then the soundtrack and occasional ambient noise tracks completed the tone. Only a few
dreary nights of storms could have made it any better.
Winter Klaczka
Player Info
Name: Sean Linville
Age: 43
Character Info
Class: Cleric
Alignment: Neutral
Race: Changeling
Character Song, Levels 1-10: "All That I'm Living For" by Evanescence
Player Perspective
When I was approached to be a part of the Strange Aeons Experiment I was honored and
elated, although because of my working knowledge of Cthulhu and Lovecraft stories I was ineligible
to play a PC role. So I waited in eager anticipation hoping an NPC would be a viable option for me in
module one, and thanks to Wes Schneider it was. Excited to play the party's first "sane" contact in the
asylum, I jumped into the role. As my first time playing a female AND a cleric, I brought props and
other specialty items to help me stay in character, which can be seen in the picture gallery. When
Adam gave me the details of how she was to interact with the group, I started researching each little
nuance of the character and prepared to play her accurately to how she was written.
Winter Klaczka
Player Info
Name: Erick Germer
Age: 29
Character Info
Class: Cleric
Alignment: Neutral
Race: Changeling
Player Perspective
When Sean had unavoidable schedule conflicts, we tapped Erick with but a few days notice to
take on the role of Winter Klaczka. Usually when Erick shows up to a session it's because our GM is
giving him the role of some nasty NPC we'll have to contend with, as Erick is the best player-vs.-
player member in the Order. You can imagine our relief when we found out that Adam had given
him the cleric of Pharasma, and we'd have Erick alongside us as an ally instead of an enemy. Winter
had a solid performance in The Thrushmoor Terror under Erick's guidance, and we ended up relying
on her more than we had originally imagined, including some challenging combats in Fort
Hailcourse (see the Grid Gallery section for more info). Erick also played a few cameos in Dreams of
the Yellow King, such as Nestor Bindlay, Kelvetta Brix, and viscount's ball attendees.
Winter Klaczka
Player Info
Name: Savannah Broadway
Age: 24
Order of the Amber Die Member Since: N/A (guest)
Character Info
Class: Cleric
Alignment: Neutral
Race: Changeling
Player Perspective
This marathon was unique, because joining us at the table for the three-month voyage to Cassomir
was a special guest: Paizo alum, author, and editor Savannah Broadway flew from Seattle to NJ to take
the role of NPC Winter Klaczka. Savannah bunked in the command center of the Order, a room we call
The Lair, and it was an honor to game alongside her. We clocked 60 session hours, and even had
Savannah with us for the longest day of the AP: a nearly 20-hour run. Her live tweets throughout the
marathon helped present the experience for our fans. Not only will we miss Savannah's perfect accent for
Winter, but she did something unprecedented by naming our first party after an NPC: Winter's Wolves.
See Savannah's "Meet the Intern" feature on Paizo.com:

http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5ldj9?Meet-the-Intern-Savannah
Follow Savannah on Twitter:

(https://twitter.com/purplegnomling)
Game Master
Player Info
Name: Adam Smith
Age: 39
GM Info
Published Adventures GMed: 139
Number of Long-Term Players: c. 40
Favorite Die: The Amber Die (pictured)
Most Consecutive 20s: x4, twice, two decades apart
GM-Impetus Quote: "I may lose a battle, but I shall never lose a minute." --Napoleon Bonaparte
GM Perspective
Ever since my older brother took me through A1, Slave Pits of the Undercity, I wanted more--and the
only way to get it was to GM. The next day I invited a willing friend who rode his bike over, and I ran the
module for him. It was 1987, and I became a 10-year-old game master. I never told my friend, but I didn't
really know how to play the game that well, so I just made everything happen the same way my brother had
for me (including getting pick-pocketed by the trees) and we had a blast. I soon learned the rules, tried
playing it again with other neighborhood kids, and realized the drive wasn't going to go away. Since then,
I've devoted a lifetime to bringing published adventures to life, and The Strange Aeons Experiment is my latest
attempt. I'm passionate about collecting adventure modules, learning the lore behind each, and most
importantly: making the pages breathe. Every childhood family vacation, every university trip overseas, or
any dull place I didn't want to be--there was always a module along for the ride.
So here we are, where for 29 years I have been the common GM-thread that has woven many different
players together throughout 137 adventures. While a few of the players have not overlapped during the years,
many have, and lifetime friendships between them have enabled us to build a close and committed group.
Though I have been the shared link, there is another common factor that each member experiences while being
part of our association, and it is so unique that we are willing to make it our namesake: The Amber Die.
Every group has its legendary die that you can hear about in gaming convention crowds, so I will only
speak for myself and what my players have seen. The Amber Die is a crystalline 20-sider with an enigmatic
substance trapped inside of it, and though it rolls 20s (and 1s) no more often than an average die (some say
less), a little too frequently when it does roll them, it does so in x2s and x3s. I have years of old initiative logs
and character sheets covered with the scrawling of frantic sessions, where the only thing left after the dust of
TPK settles is "Amber Die: x2 20s, then x3 20s five rounds later." Yes, it has twice rolled four 20s in a row. I
can only tell you that when it happened there was no laughing and screaming as you might expect, only
serious faces staring at each other across the room, wanting to be sure each had just seen what actually
occurred; I have learned that when the first 20 drops, always show it, as you never know what might come
next. Other than these strange outbursts of chained 20s and 1s the die is rather normal, and out of respect for
it, I do not roll the Amber Die as often as you would a regular die. However, due to the die being used at the
most critical points of an adventure, it has delivered many far-fetched stories and lopsided experiences. It has
such a reputation among us that it now enhances our game, and players are on edge when I reach for the
Amber Die. Our group consists of gamers who have careers and reputations such that if I was making this up,
they would surely stop me; they have all witnessed it, and doubters have always been converted.
Party Roster Progression
In Search of Sanity Party Composition:

Erasmus
Alahazra
Quinn
Feiya
Winter Klaczka (live NPC where applicable)
The Thrushmoor Terror Party Composition:

Erasmus
Alahazra
Quinn
Feiya
Winter Klaczka (live NPC where applicable)
Dreams of the Yellow King Party Composition:

Erasmus
Alahazra
Quinn
Feiya
Winter Klaczka (live NPC)
Character Deaths: 5
Death #1: (Erasmus) In Search of Sanity: Part 1: "Dr. Latchke," a crafty doppelganger who got
around our Sense Motive, attacked the party from behind while they were distracted with a haunt.
One critical hit from a claw left Erasmus depending on the champion spirit of his sister, Nissa, to
guide his fighting retreat--yet the asylum's collapsed walls left the medium no choice but to leave his
mortal body behind.
Death #2: (Quinn) In Search of Sanity: Part 3: 4 iconics with poor Fortitude saves. 3 Ghouls. 9
attacks. 1 missed save. Coup de grace. RIP Quinn.
Death #3: (Alahazra) The Thrushmoor Terror: Part 3: An assassin, Risi Nairgon, stalked the party
around Thrushmoor, seizing our vulnerable moments to strike and get away. After tailing us to a
safehouse, she patiently waited on a rooftop for the party to emerge the next morningsans buffs.
Despite sniper's fatigue, she scored a direct hit with a Death Attack on Alahazra: one shot, one kill.
Death #4: (Quinn) The Thrushmoor Terror: Part 3: Three natural 1s on fear saving throws left Quinn
alone facing a Manananggala vampiric horror we had yet to see in 138 modules. We could hear his
screams while we ran.
Death #5: (Alahazra) Dreams of the Yellow King: Part 2: On our first attempt, we botched the
Dreamlands occult ritual and allowed an animate dream to follow us out into the real world. It took down
Alahazra with a phantasmal killer, and the fight spilled out onto the deck. Skywin Freeling, the ships captain
(and major NPC), came to our aid--but was put to sleep forever with a crit from the Amber Die. The room was
silent when it was over.
PF109: In Search of Sanity. The asylum's shower room would see a

terrible conflict between the party and Klades, a one-armed ghast. This
self-styled lord of ghouls wouldn't quit his assault until two party
members were down. Things got so desperate that when Feiya fell, Daji
the familiar leaped from the witch's side and viciously engaged the final
ghoul--downing it and ensuring we would see another day.
Chapter Three
Campaign Data
Session History
Marathon 1: In Search of Sanity
Date Session Length Pacing
August 12th, 2016 9:30pm-2:45am Intro scene, freed from cells, reached barricade
August 13 , 2016
th 10am-12am Met Dr. Latchke, allied w/Winter, library research
August 14th, 2016 8:45am-12:15am Burned library, lots of haunts; Nightgaunt, Wren
August 15th, 2016 7pm-4:30am Ghouls, oneirogens, "Bag Lady," Tatterman
Marathon 2: The Thrushmoor Terror
Sept.23rd, 2016 8am-12:30am Round trip to Caliphas; Thrushmoor investigation
Sept. 24 , 2016
th 8:30am-11:30pm Investigation continues, Hailcourse attempt
Sept. 25th, 2016 7am-:2:50pm; 4:50pm-1am Assassin, Iris Hill incursion; killed Melisenn
Sept. 30th, 2016 6:30pm-2:30am Returned to Iris Hill for more clues; found intel
Oct. 1st, 2016 9:30am-6pm 3rd and final Hailcourse foray; research session
Oct. 2nd, 2016 8:30am-11:45am Second round trip to Caliphas, two PCs raised
Marathon 3: Dreams of the Yellow King
Nov. 10th, 2016 2pm-11:45pm Journey, research, and Razmiran
Nov. 11th, 2016 8:30am-11:30pm Sailing the Sellen to Galt, Dreamlands rejection
Nov. 12th, 2016 7:30am-3:15am*longest of AP Viscount's ball, Enchanted Wood, and Necropolis
Nov. 13th, 2016 9:30am-1am Prison contact, repeat struggles
Marathon 4: The Whisper Out of Time
December 2016
Marathon 5: What Grows Within

February 2017
Marathon 6: Black Stars Beckon

April 2017
Total Hours Played as of 11/13/16: 171 hours, 30min.

Total Session Time to Completion per Module
Module 1: In Search of Sanity

44hrs, 15mins
Module 2: The Thrushmoor Terror

67hrs, 15mins
Module 3: Dreams of the Yellow King

60hrs
Module 4: The Whisper Out of Time
Module 5: What Grows Within
Module 6: Black Stars Beckon

Campaign Timeline
Marathon 1: In Search of Sanity
Golarion Chronology Pacing
Arodus 12th - 19th, 4716 A.R. Explored Briarstone, found clues, freed patients and asylum
Marathon 2: The Thrushmoor Terror
Arodus 20th-27th Round trip to Caliphas, various random encounters
Arodus 28th-Rova 3rd Entire Thrushmoor investigation, evidence compilation
Rova 3rd-Rova 6th Journey to Caliphas, random encounters, raised two PCs
Marathon 3: Dreams of the Yellow King
Rova 6th- Lamashan 5th Began research, reached Glass Giver, Skywin killed
Lamashan 5th-Neth Sailed the Sellen, attempted dream quests, dealt with madness
Neth-Kuthona 4th Arrival Cassomir, sought treatment, completed quests
Marathon 4: The Whisper Out of Time
4717 A.R.
Marathon 5: What Grows Within

Marathon 6: Black Stars Beckon

Total Time Passed on Golarion: 112 days

Random Encounters Throughout Strange Aeons
Encounter Location Details
Spider Swarm x1 : CR 1 Briarstone Asylum, Library: Module PF109
Apostles in Orpiment x3: CR 4 Briarstone Asylum, Administration: Module PF109
Apostles in Orpiment x3: CR 4 Briarstone Asylum, East Ward: Module PF109
Apostles in Orpiment x3: CR 4 Briarstone Asylum, East Ward: Module PF109
Draugr x4: CR 6 Journey to Caliphas: Module PF110
Marsh Giant x1: CR 8 Return journey to Thrushmoor: Module PF110
Giant Dragonflies x4: CR 8 2nd Journey to Caliphas: Module PF110
Saltwater Merrow x1: CR 6 2nd Journey to Caliphas: Module PF110
Large Mud Elementals x3: CR 8 Glass River: Module PF 111
Water Orm: CR 10 Kallas Lake: Module PF 111
River Drakes x4: CR 7 Sellen River: Module PF 111
Gray Render x1: CR 8 Sellen River: Module PF 111
Gray Render x1: CR 8 Sellen River: Module PF 111
In a typical random encounter during our run of In

Search of Sanity, the party was returning from an
excursion into the northern halls when they ran
straight into three Apostles in Orpiment. The
enemy was also on the way back to their own
base--the cafeteria--and were determined to get
through us to get there.
Note: This table was used to track the random encounters our group faced throughout the entirety of
the Strange Aeons Adventure Path. All random encounters were generated from the tables provided
by the author in the back of each module, and are listed in chronological order as they were
encountered. Encounters noted with an asterisk are the unique encounters created by each author
and with additional description in the module. Rolls are never adjusted, so a preponderance of the
same type of encounter often ends up providing an unusual storyline. In the case of a random
encounter table without a frequency, our GM spoke with author Mark Moreland during GenCon
2016, and as the designer of these tables he offered some insights for GMs: Since this is a horror-
themed campaign, rather than roll randomly or worry too much about frequency, GMs should select
encounters that serve to enhance the game (obviously out-of-place encounters should be avoided).
Briarstone's Supernatural Weather
Weather Type and Chronology Recurrence Effect (if applicable)
Scalding Rain None
Scalding Rain Recurrence: Chunks of Eyeballs
Angry Thunder None
Unpredictable Winds None
Calm Weather None
Angry Thunder Recurrence: Densely populated city toppling off a cliff
Unpredictable Storm Resulted in weather below this row
Unpredictable Winds Recurrence: Scraps of Ulver Zandalus's artwork
Unpredictable Storm Resulted in weather below this row
Calm Weather None
Scalding Rain Recurrence: Bile
The party opens another door to

an outside courtyard, but upon
seeing strange weather once again,
decides to avoid this open area for
now. They wouldn't return until
near the end of their Briarstone
experience.
Note: This purpose of this table is to give GMs a reference as to how often our group ventured
outside during their exploration of Briarstone, and the strange weather they randomly encountered
when doing so. As GM I was inspired to include this table solely because I had rarely seen anything
like this in 137 modules GMed--it deserves documentation. As always, dice rolls are never adjusted,
so a preponderance of a certain type of weather simply becomes our story. If too many "calm" effects
are rolled, then PCs can just assume that things are fairly normal outside Briarstone (except scary
supernatural fog), and go on their way. For us, however, that was definitely NOT the case.
Whenever a recurrence was rolled, as GM I was allowed to select the exact weather option, and I
chose to go with things my veteran PCs had never seen. The worst effect the PCs dealt with was the
"tripping fog;" I played this up as GM, making mysterious dice rolls and acting as if monsters might
appear from the fog while so many PCs were prone and struggling to get back up. It worked.
Chapter Four
The Soundtrack
The Strange Aeons Soundtrack
Setting/Theme/Location/Character Title & Source
Intro The Awakening (Nox Arcana)
Strange Aeons Theme The End of the Beginning (God is an Astronaut)
In Search of Sanity Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (Metallica)
Module 1: Battle of Bloodmarch Hill War Pigs (Black Sabbath)
Easmus: Iconic Medium Eon (Drop Remix) (Celldweller)
Alahazra: Iconic Oracle Oracle (Haelos)
Quinn: Iconic Investigator Trust Me (Zola Jesus)
Feiya: Iconic Witch Black Magic Woman (Santana)
Winter Klaczka: NPC All That I'm Living For (Evanescence)
Strange Aeons Setting Dark Tapestry (The 9th Filter)
Ulver Zandalus Sweet Dreams (are made of this) (Marilyn Manson cover)
Research Background Theme Carnage Visors (The Cure)
The Tatterman Enter Sandman (Metallica)
Lovecraftian Setting Cthulhu in R'leyh (Darkraven Fantasy Soundscapes)
Welcome to Briarstone/Asylum Setting Welcome (Midnight Syndicate)
Asylum Setting/Key Encounter The Lunatics (taken over the asylum) Fun Boy Three
Asylum Setting Sleep Tight (Midnight Syndicate)
Insanity Theme Beyond the Borders of Sanity (Yggdrasil)
Insanity Theme Questioning My Sanity (L7)
Insanity Theme Becoming Insane (Infected Mushroom)
Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dreamsleep (Collide)
Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Nightmares (The Last Dance)
Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Serene Dream (Kidney Thieves)
Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Gamma Goblins (Turtles All the Way mix) Hallucinogen
Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dream On (Aerosmith)
Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dreaming Blade (Rhea's Obsession)
Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Wide Awake (Audioslave)
Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Dream Song (Ministry)
Dreams Theme/Dreamlands In My Dreams (Robert Miles)
Dreams Theme/Dreamlands Madman's Dream (Assemblage 23)
End Credits Strange Days (The Doors)
*Tracks not listed in actual order, and spliced material listed instead on the next page
**Module 2 tracks coming soon!
Building A Marathon Soundtrack
"Strange days have found us
and through their strange hours
we linger alone
bodies confused
memories misused
as we run from the day
to a strange night of stone"
--The Doors, 1967
Throughout the years, we have tried and

thoroughly enjoyed many sound effects in our
campaigns, as well as soundscapes and other tools like
Syrinscape. A sound effect loop is excellent for a
normal length session where the group breaks and
returns a week or two later, their memories clear. That
same loop played even moderately throughout a 72-
hour marathon can go from exciting to monotonous
faster than one might expect; therefore, soundscapes
are applied for flavor when appropriate, but used sparingly. Instead, we have found that playing
such long hours are aided by music from our own collections, but with tracks selected to represent
aspects of the campaign. As music can be a powerful tool in memory recall, we essentially end up
listening to our current and past experiences of the adventure path with each song that goes by.
Generally, the GM prepares a lot of the soundtrack ahead of time for NPCs, encounters, items,
or even the occasional scene. Players contribute where possible, and the group listens to only this
soundtrack throughout the entirety of The Strange Aeons Experiment. Of the different options groups
have to choose from, this is the most extreme, as the players will be enveloped by all aspects of the
adventure path for the stretch of each marathon. Each player has also selected a song and quote that
defines their character for levels 1-10, and these are added to the soundtrack as well. Upon reaching
11th level, each player can select another song that represents any changes and developments in the
character's identity.
One key element of a marathon soundtrack is length. Since the GM has access to the modules
and understands best what scope and theme is being presented, he selects two or three different film
or video game scores--perhaps even ambient albums--and splices them together to create a base, and
then inserts adventure-specific tracks within. This can quickly turn two hours of module-specific
songs into a 6+hour soundtrack to be enjoyed on repeat. It's important to take into account all
musical tastes that will be in the room, and this group is pleasantly eclectic. For Strange Aeons, we
are using the soundtrack to Pandorum and also Nox Arcana's Cthulhu-themed album Necronomicon as
our foundation to splice between adventure-specific tracks. Also worth mentioning is that sources
for songs are always withheld until we finish the campaign.
What separates this soundtrack from some of our previous works is the addition of dark
ambient tracks which serve to both control the pace of play, and also provide the mood for a horror-
themed game. Lustmord's album Where the Black Stars Hang, along with many of Inade's albums have
served us well so far in this campaign. Every tabletop RPG group has its own unique collection of
talents, and we are extremely fortunate to have both a grammy-nominated music producer and a
lifelong composer.
Chapter Five
Production
Stills
Marathon 1 Production Stills
Marathon 1 Production Stills (continued)
Right: Two sets of Cthulhu-themed dice--both glow in

the dark. For this entire marathon, our GM only used
these dice, forgoing his other more extensive collection.
We have no idea what that Lovecraftian symbol means
Right
on each die, but it looks cool. More important though,
is the Amber Die, which is charging on 20 at this point
during setup. It paid off: In the very first round of the
campaign, our GM opted to roll an attack rather than
ad lib (which made the dream seem real). The result?
Natural 20, confirmed critical--Quinn drops. SOLD!
Left: This is what a professional role-playing team looks

like during setup: all business. There is little idle
chatter--especially before campaign launch as seen here.
Characters have been worked on for months, any details
have been hashed out, so there's simply nothing to do
other than get ready for 3 straight days of play. Each
player sets up their area in a different way; some prefer
to stand the whole time, others never get up. By the
time you've spent a few hundred hours together over 9
months, you know everyone's mannerisms. We have
fun but we also have to win to continue the path--don't
let down the team.


Having to play an entire volume of an AP in one sitting means that our GM has to prepare almost every encounter in the
module ahead of time. He sometimes lives with a module's minis in front of him for weeks before a playthrough.

These are some shots of a room sacred to us in the Order. It has been dubbed "The Lair," and has long been the creative and
command center of the association. Initially, it also doubled as our play space, and the room has seen easily hundreds of
hours of campaigns. Directives to the Order are issued from this chamber, the fates of characters decided, and ideas
conceived to push our next gaming endeavor. During our current projects, if something happens that separates your
character from the group--or if the GM just needs to speak to you alone--it will likely be in this room.
Above: The Lair has several different lighting effects possible, for whatever our GM is feeling as he is working on material for
the Order.
Below: The closet you see here contains a trove of RPG material dating back to 1974. Also contained within is somewhere
around $10K in miniatures collected over the course of a lifetime spent devoted to this game.
Chapter Six
Map Gallery
Chapter Seven
Module
Analysis
Module PF109: In Search of Sanity
Part 1: Prison of the Mind

"Welcome to where time stands still
no one leaves and no one will
moon is full, never seems to change
just labeled mentally deranged
dream the same thing every night
I see our freedom in my sight...
sleep my friend and you will see
that dream is my reality."
--Metallica describes the PCs' plight, 1986
In case PCs are wondering where they can

get three doppelganger bodies without having
to bring down three of these foes at 1st level,
the easiest solution is right in front of them.
They can just walk north from the barricade
into B11, grab the 3 dead doppelganger bodies
there (removing any evidence that the guards
killed them), and drag them back to the
barricade. Done! You might want to make it a
bit harder on them by having York question
them at the barricade about how they got those
bodies so fast, etc., which would just allow
your bluff/diplomacy character a chance to
shine. I confirmed this when speaking with author Wesley Schneider at GenCon 2016.
In case Winter Klaczka's speed should be listed as 20ft, not 30. With STR 8, her light load is 26lbs.
The map of Briarstone Asylum is just awesome. What better way to master its halls and know it
better than your frightened PCs, than to spend some serious time drawing it? Imagine yourself
completely immersed in the map for hours, learning every turn, each collapsed wall, and walking the
paths of its courtyards. While drawing it you'll have time to plan where doppelgangers might hide
after escaping, or just where the unicorn will first appear. Better yet: Think of the looks on your
players' faces when they see what you've done for them. Unlike the maps I presented for
Giantslayer, this one is a lot more feasible for the GM who is new to drawing their own maps, as it
can be done on a single Chessex Mondomat with the slight addition of a side-grid of gaming paper
(or another Chessex mat). To make your task easier, I placed a map procedure booklet in our
Dropbox, which should help any prospective GMs learn some of the steps involved in producing a
map like this. Clear some time, grab some markers, and go for it!
Part 2: The Dead Don't Dream
"I'm lying here in bed
am I alive or am I dead?
I'm questioning my sanity...
am I alive or am I dead?"
--L7 captures the Briarstone experience, 1994
The Nightgaunt might appear to be a very tough encounter; however, there are a few things to
consider that just might save a character's life. Your party should get one last opportunity for ranged
attacks even after they get some melee chances on round one when the grapple is initiated. When the
Nightgaunt uses a standard action to maintain the grapple, it can then move at its fly speed of 40ft
(feature of Nightgaunt); however, upward flight is done at half speed, so that should leave it at
elevation 20ft or at best 25ft in the air. The author notes that the fog begins at a height of 20ft, but fog
rules are such that the first square is 20% concealment (50% for each square deeper). The
Nightgaunt's AC will be lower because it is grappling, so even thrown daggers at -4 for range could
still land home, while arrows and crossbows should tag with efficiency--no time to stow weapons
here, veteran PCs will know to drop what is in their hands, draw, and fire. If any of these ranged
attacks hit, the Nightgaunt has to make a Fly check at DC 10 or lose 10ft. of altitude (fails on a 1 or 2,
but we're already scraping here). Assuming they miss, even with a +17 grapple against the frailest-
looking character (assuming the PC is not nauseated every single round) that PC should get one
chance at to break out and drop at elevation 25ft., one chance at elevation 45ft., and another at
elevation 65ft. 6d6 is a ton of damage at this level, but it may leave a PC at negative hp and alive.
Higher than 60ft and that's most likely all she wrote. Moreover, the Nightgaunt's light load
according to its strength is 100lbs or less. If the "frailest-looking character" is over 100lbs, then the
Nightgaunt's speed is reduced to only 15ft. upward in any given round. One last thing to consider
though, is what might break the fall. There are a good number of trees in the courtyard, so perhaps
they might reduce falling damage. Maybe assign sections of the courtyard to a d12 roll (cause d12s
are awesome) and that is where the damaged Nightgaunt decides to drop the character. Very
resourceful players with enough hp to take a big hit might even spread out, look up at the fog around
them, and ready an action to run under a falling character to try and break their fall somewhat.
These same characters might instead opt to ready a channel energy or healing spell in the case that
they are close enough to the dropping PC to reach out and interrupt the fall with a boost to hp
(probably what the Nightgaunt did on initial hit). Every point counts. Normally a monster can move
itself and another creature at half its speed with a standard action (grapple rules, CRB). Carrying
capacity always applies here, so there is a limit to how big of a creature you can move very far in a
grapple, with the best being half your speed. The Nightgaunt's ability lets it move at full speed,
which is 40. This is reduced by encumbrance if necessary (but maybe not if your character is less
than 100lbs), and also reduced by half for upwards flight. So a Nightgaunt that grabs a 120lb human
would move only 15ft up and away from the party on the next turn. Still, I think that in a decent
number of cases, PC death may occur here. What better way to go out than as the module cover
depicts?
Area C19 was not marked on my map, though it's easy enough to figure out (right of C17).
The records room in C17 is a really cool opportunity to give each of your players something
specific to their character. By this point in the module, my players were itching to learn anything at
all about themselves, no matter how insignificant the details. Taking the time to produce a record
sheet on some parchment paper (printed in old font) for your players will go a long way; perhaps
even reading it aloud to them in dramatic fashion as they pore over the records might help add to the
atmosphere: "Garundi female, 5'9", 130lbs...patient suffers from amnesia and possesses cloudy eyes
that render her unable to see anything but the closest of objects; however, she retains an uncanny
ability to see in the dark...patient has twice been found wandering the halls of the east ward at night."
This was Alahazra's just as an example. A little work accomplishes a lot here, and players love when
their character is spotlighted in front of the group like this. I recommend doing one for each PC, and
not leaving anyone out. If you don't want to read it, just hand each to the player doing the searching,
and enjoy their reactions.
A collection of item cards we used, each of which is applicable to In Search of Sanity. Playing iconic characters has its advantages; our GM
utilizes the Iconic Equipment Decks in item cards he gives out, so it is possible your character might find an item in the adventure (example:
a random sword +1 in the module text) is your specific iconic item.
Part 3:
Never-Ending Nightmare
Memorable Quote
Quinn, upon first seeing Wren Elbourne: "Helllooo doctor!"
Zandalus is listed as having a phrenic pool of 3; however, it should actually be 0. He has the
abomination discipline, which uses his Charisma instead of Wisdom. Since he is the part of the final
encounter and is a psychic, you'll likely want him to have some kind of phrenic pool. Perhaps
switching his Wisdom and Charisma scores is the easiest solution. Also, his detect thoughts should
have a DC of 14, not 10.
In case you're looking for the descriptions of some of the Tatterman's abilities or special features,
he is a nightmare creature, so you can find those abilities described on p. 204-205 of Bestiary 4.
The Tatterman. He's been discussed a bit on this thread, but having GMed him already I'm going
to reinforce what I initially felt about him: This is a very deadly opponent. I could go on about DR 5,
regeneration, spell-like abilities, decent AC, good HP, resistances, strong saves, strong melee, and
more--but we'll leave that to the rest of the thread. If you spend your first round kicking off his
Frightful Presence on top of the Fear aura, you might clear half the room of PCs. Suggestion should
take care of another one, and you could be down to a one-on-one against the Tatterman. Amusing.
Let's assume they make their saves, and surround the Tatterman as he emerges from Zandalus. With
fly (perfect), he can 5ft. step and stay above them, using some of the rubble to hamper them while
attacking from higher ground at all times; your goal here is to minimize the number of attacks per
round coming from PCs. The best part is the finale though: use Feign Death. Incredibly, it's an
immediate action, which makes selling it to your players even easier, and the Will save to notice it is
actually pretty decent considering their level (plus they've got to physically interact with the body).
Many horror baddies (Jason or Michael Myers come to mind) have the boogeyman getting up--again-
-and have to be beaten one last time. If you've got too many veteran players, when using Feign Death
make the PCs roll for something else or just have them roll an extra will save each round for no
reason throughout the combat, as you've got to throw off their metagame. When the Tatterman "goes
down" with Feign Death, cheer along with the PCs, slap their hands, and congratulate them. Then sit
down, act normal, ask them if they spread out to search the room or whatever your normal procedure
is (keep the attention off the Tatterman). Oh, and truly enjoy their reactions when the Tatterman gets
back up--this is a horror campaign, after all.
Module PF110: The Thrushmoor Terror
Part 1: Return to Thrushmoor

"This road is paved with tricksters and fools
oh deceivers
The gravel's loose so tighten up your shoes..."
--Lynx warns us of the Neutral Evil town of Thrushmoor, 2010
There was a ton of role-playing potential here; in fact, the players actually got behind schedule in
our marathon, as they were enjoying the unique situation of being amnesiacs in a place that
remembered them. Your rookies and intermediate role-players should have their hands full
managing these encounters anyway, but some of the authors events offer a chance to surprise even
your veterans. Better yet, pick your best role-player for this encounter: Keldrin Mon. To surprise my
grognard, I started by describing the party walking down the street in a typical return trip to the
Sleepless Agency. As I did so, I came out from behind the screen and pretended as if I was headed to
to grab something from the room adjacent to our play area. Coming close to where he was standing
at our table, I then began to describe a man who walked past the partyturned to regard Erasmus
and then IG and out-of-game grabbed him with Hey! I havent seen you in forever, Ras! You might
want to adjust Keldrins speech to fit someone whom you think would have been capable of being
close friends with your PC; also, have several potential lines for Keldrin worked up and practiced in
your head so that you dont stumbleits really important that you are confident and normal the
way Keldrin would come across at first. Your PC, on the other hand, might be the one stumbling here
by being forced into a live situation that is exactly identical to their character. I did go so far as to grab
my player and give him a semi-hug from Keldrin, who was excited to see him; youll have to gauge
your player here to know whether they will be comfortable with something like this. No matter how
your player manages their way through the encounter, you might want to give a Hmmmm (as if
judging how they played
their reaction out) followed
by Okay, let's go ahead and
make a diplomacy check.
Aerick (playing Erasmus)
actually responded as well as
I could have hoped, and the
other players said it was
their favorite role-playing
encounter to watch, as I had
him on the spot for a good 3-
5 minutes or so. Pull this one
off right, and all the players
at your table will gain a level
of OOG role-playing XP.
Part 2: Missing Magistrate
Memorable Quote
Itsqaal-Thoal: "(incomprehensible Aboleth dialect)"
Feiya: "That's right, I'm a different kind of Briarstone Witch."
Fort Hailcourse is likely to take a couple of attempts for your PCs to completely clear out, and yet
contains intelligent enemies capable of mounting a proper defense once they know what theyre up
against. Also, consider how your PCs might get into the fort to begin with; after all, the front doors
are a serious pair of doors for this level of party. Following each incursion, while the players would
plan their next attempt, I put myself in the position of both the skum commanders (as well as
Tilsitari) and made a list of all my available forces. Consider where you will reassign certain units; in
addition, remember the abilities you have access to. For example, if you have all four dogs available
after the first incursion, you might want to consider spreading them out at different points in the fort
(each with a handler or tied to a piece of furniture) where they can employ their scent ability
against invisibility and the like. By the third incursion, I played a loose defense, using runners to alert
the whole of my forces and bring them to bear against the PCs as soon as possible. Having intelligent
undead as shock troops really helps with this. Lastly, be sure to remember that there is some contact
between Iris Hill and Hailcourse, so depending on where you are at in the module and what enemies
are left at the manor, you may want to change the way future events play out.
Part 3: Against the Cult of Hastur
"Tell no one about it
they don't need to know
I'd chalk a line around it...
keep me quiet, honey
and I promise to
tell no one about you."
--True Detective accompanies our investigation of Melisenn and the secretive Cult of Hastur, 2015
Risi Nairgon. This assassin gives you the potential to add a great deal of stress and tension to your
players experiences in this module. Key to doing this is keeping her alive. Remember that even if
your PCs adjust to some of her tactics (mine starting walking around withglitterdust ready and see
invisibility running), a good old-fashioned stealth check gets around a lot. After a couple of days, she
may become familiar with the PCs movements, and you could always have Risi tail them just to see
if one of them breaks off from the group for any reasonand then have her strike. She won't likely
last long in combat against your whole party, so be prepared for her to run between buildings, dash
into a crowd, even leap into some water if thats nearby; as soon as she has line of sight obstructed,
she can attempt another Stealth check. Dont forget to adjust -1 per 10ft. of distance on Perception
checks to spot Risi, and if she has the time to set up a good hiding spot, depending on how youre
playing Stealth she may be able to take 20 on a Stealth check. Just having her out there lurking, with
the party never knowing when the next Death Attack might comeeven with the low Fort save on
itthey will become paranoid that anyone could botch the roll and perish if it becomes a pattern.
When combat breaks out, dont be tempted to stand and fight multiple PCs, as Risi is far more
important to your story alive than dead (regardless of her condition). With Risi alive and
unaccounted for, there is the ever-present thought of an intelligent foe hunting your character,
capable of delivering death in a single shot. Get ready to enjoy watching your PCs take fearful
precautions, such as boarding up windows in their sleeping area or peeking around every corner.
Risi should even have them afraid to return back from incursions on Hailcourse or Iris Hill when
theyre low on resources or out of buffs, as those are perfect times to strike. If you have metagaming
PCs who will try and listen
for the number of sneak
attack dice she rolls, just toss
your 6-siders with about 10
other dice (not d6s) and only
count up the applicable dice.
Sure, they can track the
damage count, but it will
take them longer to figure
out the average amount that
Risi does (as opposed to
hearing just 4d6 drop behind
the screen). All they have to
do is activate her by
asking too many questions at
Iris Hill, and the assassin is
all yours from there.
Module PF111: Dreams of the Yellow King
Part 1: The Sellen Passage

"Observing the shades,
interpreting the signs;
reporting the patterns
row by line..."
-- Maynard Keenan captures the long process of occult research while sailing the Sellen, 2011
Part 2: Dream Quests

"This horrible dream
a horrible nightmare
A wonderful dream
a wonderful nightmare
This toxic mind provoking all hostility
Frail on the outer side, anxiety
Afraid of what I'm capable of damaging
Manifestation of a mental disease,
Diffuse it
Destroy it
Abuse it and enjoy it..."
--The dreamlands experience--from treasure to madness--as told by Ayria, 2003
Part 3: Return to the Yellow King

Memorable Quote
Winter, unsure of what to say to Orsephellius the shadow dragon: "Um, yes, we are here from the
space prison health and safety committee. We just came from the next rock over. Please present your
papers."
Adam (GM): "Okay...roll your bluff check. Then roll initiative."
Chapter Eight
Grid Gallery
Marathon 1 Grid Gallery
Marathon 1 Grid Gallery (continued)
Left: The last stand of Risi Nairgon.

She launched her last Death Attack
from invisibility and while we were
distracted by cultists and a swarm.
Above: After two failed attempts to take Fort Hailcourse through conventional spider climb/invisibility assaults on the
ramparts, the party defers to the daring suggestion of trying to come up from underneath the building. Below: By
ending small combats quickly, the party manages to open the most important melee with some surprise. Two skum go
for reinforcements, while the rest summon nearby allies and move to intercept. A grease spell made this battle a
tactical challenge as well (blue squares marked), with strong grid-play required to advance.
Above: Just as the party managed to press into the room and go on
offense, three undead mercenaries arrived from behind.
Below: The grease managed to slow up some of the undead on the party's
flank, but more juju zombies--accompanied by dogs--now through their
weight into the fray as well. Itsqaal-Thoal can be seen retreating up the
stairs to recover.
Right: With the win nearly secured, Tilsitari the soulsliver now had no
choice but to emerge to try and change the tide. She came down the stairs
as Feiya, and for a moment everything seemed to stop as both witches
stared each other down. A surprising critical hit prevented the soulsliver
from surviving the fight though, and the party was victorious. Third time's
the charm.
Featured here are two attempts at assassination by Risi Nairgon. Above, we see the party exploring old chapel, moments
before Risi fires from invisibility. Below, we see Risi after she has just taken a shot from a sniping position. Neither
attempt was successful, but the assassin did escape into the woods (above) and the water (below). Her time would come.
Chapter Nine
Player
Perspectives
Player Perspectives on In Search of Sanity
Aerick (Erasmus):
Although In Search of Sanity
was exactly what I expected
in a deranged and creepy
way, which is sort of
deranged and creepy of me
to say, I was still unnerved
the entire way through. This
is surely a Rated R
adventure path, and the
amount of gore,
disgustingness, and overall
depravity was evident early
on. Aside from the overall
paranoia brought on by the
fugue state, more and more
elements kept getting
introduced to escalate our fears as players as well as for our characters. First, there were
doppelgangers, and not only did everyone else in the asylum not trust us, we would be fools to trust
them too. Then there were the unpredictable inmates-turned-apostles of a long-term lunatic. We
tried to escape, but the fog outside revealed silhouettes of terrible things, accompanied with even
more horrific sounds, so on top of all the insanity around us we were also trapped!
So we found ourselves exploring the asylum for clues how to escape, or rather how to defeat
the evil presence that was preventing us from doing so. Fortunately we were able to form an alliance
with other survivors, the most notable being a visiting cleric named Winter Klaczka who was sent by
the Royal Accusers of Ustalav to investigate the hat was going on here. Although she knew little
more than we did, we were grateful for a safe haven amongst a few remaining guards and a handful
of benevolent patients who made it to the chapel before the mists arose. Pushing on, we soon found
something very promising a library containing a vast amount of lore, not only about the history of
the asylum, but so much more. That is, until I burnt it down. But thats another story, and a sad one,
which Ill leave to the living document to recant. Anyway, it soon became evident that the only way
out was the way we came in, and that we had to once again face our greatest fears, not on the
battlefield, but within our own minds. So, armed with less than ideal knowledge of our enemy, we
had to steel ourselves and face him with the only thing that still had left: each other.
Sterling (Alahazra):
As a player who is part of a
group of 4 PCs and a GM who
have almost no knowledge of
Lovecraft and his world,
starting In Search of Sanity I
had only the expectation that
we would be afraid, lost, and
possibly driven insane. Our
goal was to show the gaming
community that even a group
of people who have only
heard Lovecrafts name
whispered in dark corners
could be drawn into the Strange Aeons story line just as easily and completely as rabid fans of the
Cthulhu world. Knowing that the first of our possible six marathons would be in a Wes Schneider-
designed asylum made things all the more exciting and we were sucked in from the opening scene.
With candles and lanterns flickering in the darkness casting long shadows over a map of the asylum
(almost 8 feet long and 5 feet wide that took more than 30 hours to draw), we crept through collapsed
hallways and abandoned wards bumping into things that go more than bump in the night.
Without too many revelations, the asylum was a brilliant maze that had our party worried and on
edge for the entire weekend. A wonderful balance of puzzle solving, role-playing, combat, and
horror were spread judiciously throughout the entire adventure. It was an amazing feeling to
experience situations, problems, and monsters that none of us had ever been exposed to. One of our
main goals in the Order is to seek out fresh and new experiences, which is increasingly hard to do
with a combined gaming experience of more than 100 years between the five people in the room, and
yet, In Search of Sanity delivered in spades.
Adding to the complexity and freshening of this experience is our choice to again play four of
Pathfinders iconic characters, this time using the iconics that were personally chosen to go on the
path by James Jacobs. Despite some trepidation from a few of our party members, and some
difficulty due to the lack of a true BAB character, it seems like our decision might have been right on
the money and that Jacobs was incredibly calculating in his choices both in flavor and practical skill
application. After making it through the adventure with only two deaths, I think we are all very
excited to see what these specially chosen cast members will be capable of as the mystery unfolds.
Dan (Quinn): If the first module was an indication of things to come, then my wildest
dreams will be incapable of capturing all the greatness in this adventure path. In the opening scene,
our GM rolled a natural 20 with the Amber Die against me (his first roll of the campaign) which set
the mood of horror and agitation that would resonate for the rest of the module. Paranoia, fear,
disgust, and confusion ran rampant from that point, pushing both myself and my character to
question his memory, sanity, and conscience. By the end of the adventure I was glad that I was
playing a lawful good character, otherwise I would have walked away with many more scars than I
already did.
There are many different points of awesome in this module, Im not sure how to pick the best
ones. Discovering the library inside the asylum--including the battle against the ratlings within--
belongs at the top of the list. Not only were we able to shut down the casters in that fight with some
amazing teamwork, but the researching we
were able to do was really helpful,
considering we have two characters with a
lot of Knowledge skills. Unraveling the
mystery of how our characters came to the
asylum was another highlight for me,
especially since I love being able to piece
together notes and use my characters skills
in that manner. Plus, we had only scratched
the surface of the mystery and it only left us
with more questions and doubts.
It was amazing to see different pieces
of the adventure come together that could
have gone horribly awry at any moment
and changed the outcome of this path. Thankfully, our insistence of finding out as much as we could
and our desire for role-playing encounters was able to save us in the end. Thats definitely something
I learned during this module. The only way to appreciate the horror that your characters are going
through is through role-playing and really putting yourself in their shoes. By the time we destroyed
the BBEG, I was disturbed by this module more than I had anticipated.
Strange Aeons has been a pleasant surprise for me. Not only did it exceed my expectations through
design and construction, but also in how much it would unnerve me as a player. There were things
in this module that I havent seen in 20+ years of playing the game. I was the first one to have to
make a sanity check in the real world, and I failed miserably; on my first night alone, my brain
wouldnt stop processing information and forcibly woke me up when I tried sleeping. To me, thats a
sign that a great adventure is unfolding, and even though I was the only character to remain dead at
the end of the first module, I wait with bated breath for the continuation.
Jody (Feiya): As for the adventure, it delivered on its promises. Despite considering myself
relatively non-emotional, it evoked fear, horror, and perhaps a touch of insanity. I was alternately
afraid, elated, and disgusted. I found myself saying, Feiya is crying more than once as it echoed
where I was emotionally. Starting in a fugue state was fun and frustrating, and in the beginning I sat
wondering if I even knew my fellow adventurers before we ended up in the Asylum. What were our
relationships? What circumstance brought us together? Were we friends? Adversaries? The opening
of the module sucked me into the story, and the clues we uncovered along the way moved the plot
along in expert fashion, even including a riveting setup for the next module.
The characters we met and the ways in which we met them were well conceived and
delivered. We heard the name of our presumed antagonist, the Tatterman, before knowing we even
had one, and we saw the work of the Bag Lady before knowing there was also a serial killer loose in
the asylum.
Feiya nearly died several times, but what felt worse was watching members of my party lose
their lives. Against the many ghouls, there was one time when I was paralyzed by one and stood
helpless, then after coming out of it having to drag one of their bodies across the asylum five feet at a
time. It was draining. But as it seemed like we would never reach the safety of the chapel, we
eventually remembered there was a wheelchair nearby! This provided a better means of conveyance,
as well as some much needed comic relief, as Feiya and Alahazra hauled the boys at breakneck
speeds down the corridors. Less funny was being yanked up into the fog by a leathery-winged,
faceless foe and then dropped presumably to my death.
Unable to do anything, I screamed until I hit the ground.
I was certain I was dead. But the NPC cleric, Winter, had
been readying an action to channel energy, hoping that I
would fall within its radius, and as I did she saved me
from a gruesome death.
But what really hurt was accidentally burning
down the library. It was heartbreaking. All that
knowledge lost! We did get some background
information on the Asylum beforehand, but there was
potentially so much more to find.
Some of my favorite things in the module were the
haunts. Having to cross back through the bird room had
me so scared that would begin to levitate me again, so I
ran through ignoring any potential danger ahead. The
river of blood left me totally grossed out and needing a
showerthere was so much, and it never stopped!
Where did it all go afterwards? So creepy. These were
my first encounters with this mechanic, which worked so
well with the setting, adding to the mood, and enhancing
the experience. As awful as this sounds, Im actually
excited to see more.
Overall, I loved it. Despite lack of sleep and a
continuous caffeine overload, my first major marathon was a huge success. We beat a module in an
extended weekend. We found a smattering of magic items, a +2 shortsword named Red Destiny, a
ring of sustenance, a couple of cloaks, amulets, and a tome of dream magic. Four levels gained
through dozens of difficult encounters, we left the asylum with more questions than answers. Im
definitely looking forward to the next five marathons.
Sean (Winter Klaczka): Right from the start of the game, I smiled to myself as I watched the
horror, dismay, and even fright portrayed by my fellow Order of the Amber Die members. I
particularly liked the "Doppleganger Effect" that was truly well performed by the GM, creating an
immediate danger and mistrust of everyone the group encountered. Though I had a good idea of
what was to happen, I too was totally surprised when they ran into some never before seen
creatures.
Due to certain situations in the
game, I wasnt able to spend a lot of
time at table exploring the asylum
with the group, although I certainly
feel like Winter significantly
influenced the outcome.
Im looking forward to the next
marathon when shell likely see more
action, and hope to bear the mantle of
Pharasma to greater heights as the fate
of the group may rest in her hands!
Player Perspectives on The Thrushmoor Terror
Aerick (Erasmus): While the first module allowed Erasmus to excel, with all the haunts and
other paranormal activity throughout the asylum, the second module was primed for Quinn to shine.
Working hand-in-hand with the Sleepless Agency, the first part of this adventure was a riveting
mystery waiting to be solved. Spending most of the first two days of the marathon role-playing, we
covered a lot of ground and I believe we completed most (if not all) of the detective work. But this
was no normal mystery.
After dispatching a druid whom people believed was the Briarstone Witch, we thought that
we were in the clear. Later that night as we were returning to New Chapel to rest at, an incorporeal
old woman with tentacles floated towards us from the empty streets, moaning horribly. Playing the
medium, I thought this was well within my wheelhouse, so after winning initiative Erasmus stepped
out in front of the group and said Everyone behind me, I will protect you! then cast a calm spirit
spell on it. It looked like a spirit, sounded like
a spirit, but apparently it wasnt. After the
spell had no effect, he turned to the group
again and said, On second thoughtRUN!!!
It turns out it was some sort of aberration and
although it was incorporeal it wasnt undead,
even though it possesses some undead
abilities, which we found out after it assaulted
Quinn and did some significant ability
damage. We tried to fight it briefly, but even
with magic weapons we were still only
dealing a 1d4 or 1d6 damage, and against a
creature with DR 10 it became obvious that it
was hopeless so we fled.
The next parts of the module were
more action-packed, as we had to infiltrate not
one, but two fortifications to uncover the
agenda of the cultists of Hastur, how Count
Haserton Lowls was involved, and how to
stop them all from doing any further harm.
Our foray into Fort Hailcourse didnt go so well the first few times. Suffice to say our planning
couldve been better, as could our die rolls, but thats just how things go sometimes. Once again, we
had to get out of there in a hurry to regroup and reassess. Our incursion at Iris Hill went much
better. It was as frustrating as it was grueling, but eventually after many long hours we finally found
what we were looking for and brought down the cult. However, the Count had been long gone, and
with several solid leads we were determined to pursue. But before we did, we still had to escape the
grounds of the manor and found ourselves fleeing from living topiaries that we didnt fare well
against on our way in. Already badly wounded, we barely escaped.
On that note, there is a big difference between a tactical retreat and fleeing. If the group gets
into an encounter that's a little over their heads due to lack of resources, or suddenly finds one or two
of their members down and dying, it's often wise to retreat. However, in both modules so far -
especially this one - sometimes running away is the only viable option. On several occasions, we
were well over 50% of resources with the whole group in good health, but after identifying a creature
and seeing what terrible things it could do after only one or two rounds, it because obvious that we
were out matched and chose to live to fight another day. With some of us at 7th level, we hope that
were now capable enough to handle ourselves in most situations, so well be able to stand and fight
more often than not during the next module.
Dan (Quinn): Going into this module was a little rough for me. With my character dead
and not knowing if we would be able to raise him, I was forced to consider the possibility that my
adventures with Quinn would be over, but thankfully we were able to spare the time and money to
bring him back. He was part of the original four, so considering the fugue state, if we lost him we
wouldve also lost a part of the story that we had yet to uncover. Plus, there was an interesting little
surprise waiting for me when I opened my eyes and came back to life
This was, yet again, another shockingly new horror to experience in this adventure path. I was
able to drop hints through roleplaying that something wasnt quite right with Quinn, just by drawing
attention to the fact that I looked a little stiffer than usual and wasnt moving as quickly as I should.
But my favorite part to roleplay during this was the insatiable hunger I was carrying around. I had a
blast walking into different areas and asking for food, even if I had just finished a meal an hour
before. Or walking around with fish and food in my bag, and having the other PCs catch me
reaching into my haversack and grabbing a snack, I was even sharing with Daji. It became a bit of a
running gag, and added a little levity to a tense situation for both our characters and players.
Although, the next time I had gone into the negatives during combat caused another progression to
the disease. Not only did I wake up with an even stronger hunger than before, I developed a stench
that would not go away. It has been both a hindrance and a boon, since it actually started in the
middle of our first raid on Hailcourse. If it werent for that, I believe our first combat would have
gone much worse than it actually did. The growing hunger is what frightens me the most, it is still
controllable but Im concerned about the day when I am no longer able to control it. Im excited to
see how this condition presents itself further in the campaign but hope that at some point we can
figure out a means with which to cure it.
The investigation during the first part of the adventure was very exciting and tense. We
walked into a town, not remembering having been there and not knowing what to expect as a
welcome. I cant say that I was very surprised at the cold reaction that we received from the
townsfolk, especially after hearing stories of our behavior while working for Count Lowls. As much
as I enjoyed uncovering some
of Quinns past, it was a little
nerve wracking walking
around a town that hated or
feared you and having no clue
as to why. It was only a slight
shock to me when I had heard
that Quinn had started a major
bar brawl over a perceived
slight to his boyfriend.
Actually, it took me a moment
to realize what my GM had
said to me and process it. Not
only did I have a violent past to
makes amends for, but I also
had a boyfriend of which I had
no memory of. I love how nonchalant
Adam was during the actual reveal of
Quinns sexuality, and how none of the PCs
or major NPCs seemed to blink an eye. We
knew going into this that Quinn was gay,
even if it wasnt publicly known, and were
excited to showcase this during our
playthrough. To me this was the best way
to handle the reveal, as it was just another
part of his character. At least I knew that
during my worst days of the past, I was still
honorable enough to defend the person I
cared about. Unfortunately I wasnt able to
uncover his identity, so there is an unknown
individual with what seems to be a fairly
deep connection to me wandering around.
Our investigations went well during
the first part of the module, and even
though I as a player was certain that some of
these were dead ends, we as characters
needed to make sure we did everything to both get back into the towns good graces and to make
sure we had all the information we could. There were a few times during the module when I
regretted my alignment, but I made it through and it helped me grow as a player. Its easy to solve
problems with violence, threats, and crime, but to have to do these through the proper channels
provides an opportunity to expand on my playing skills. It was exciting to uncover more clues as to
what our characters past was, how we interacted with the town, and what was actually happening in
Thrushmoor as well as with Count Lowls. Some of the random encounters that we faced were brutal,
and either forced us to rethink our strategies or to run with our tail between our legs. There was one
particular monster that brutalized us and was way beyond our skills, I was more than glad to run
from it to survive. Even though we did miss a few little bits of information, all in all we did a good
job with the investigation and were able to find out what was needed to formulate an attack plan.
Fort Hailcourse was a nightmare for our group. It was a plan made of desperation and
exhaustion, and not our best time as a group. I had anticipated it being difficult, but I think that was
compounded by trying to take the easy way into the fort. Had we done a little more
reconnaissance and planning, things would have gone differently. Although, had we done it the
proper way, our excursion into Iris Hill would have been made that much more difficult.
Thankfully the group was able to go back inside the Fort, even being down a PC or two and
complete it. It was able to soothe the wounds a bit, and also gave us the ability to make up for the
money we lost through our first few. Being the treasurer for the party hurt during this module, I had
to watch a bunch of gold and items be sold or traded for temporary buffs that unfortunately were
necessary for our group to succeed. One thing that has been made abundantly clear for our group
during this module is that it is really difficult to know how challenging an encounter will actually be.
There were multiple combats that lasted 20-30 rounds, damage resistance being our biggest setback.
I also missed having a heavy hitter in the group through many of these combats, the lack of
consistent high damage output led to the combats being extended and harder to defeat. Plenty of
times, if it hadnt been for lucky low rolls from the GM and the groups ability to heal, I fear that the
outcome would have been different. Once I was able to get Studied Combat and Studied Strike
going, it made things a little better as long as I could hit. Inspiration points are hard for my character
to come by, and Ive had to use them as sparingly as possible. There have been a few times that they
have successfully saved me or allowed me to hit, but all in all its a resource Im still learning how to
manage.
During our first attempt at Iris Hill, we were able to stumble through fairly well. There were a
few hiccups during combat and exploration, like the living topiaries and their damage reduction or
when I jammed the lock at the guest house to keep the nobles inside from sneaking out behind us.
Spider climb during those encounters was a double edged sword, it allowed us to find one of the
secret entrances down under the manor, but it also ended up being a little bit of a crutch in regards to
making us focus on that being the only way. I think lack of sleep, a desire to push through and get it
done, and player blindness caused many of our problems throughout this module. Our stumbling
upon the trap door down into the ice cellar was one of our better accidental finds. It allowed us to
escape having to go through the inner parts of the main manor while still being able to somehow find
out way down to the main boss. Thankfully we found the secret door behind the bas relief in the
crypt, or I guess I should say Daji did, because I dont think any of us would have been able to. That
allowed us to climb downstairs and kill who we thought was Mellisen, even though at the time and
after didnt have concrete proof of
that. This was yet another long
rounded combat, and gave us an
opportunity to note where our
group is lacking - ranged attacks and
DR - although we were able to out-
heal her channel negative energy
bursts with multiple channel
positive energy bursts of our own,
plus make the saves against the
all the spells she threw at us. Were
it not for her ability to fly, the combat
would have been much quicker.
There was a point during the combat
where we were all left with running
after our thrown weapons and using
them, or helping a character load a
heavy crossbow. Quinn was
fittingly able to land the final blow on her, and end her reign of terror in Thrushmoor; if it hadnt
been for a few clutch rolls, and a long arm extract, that fight would have been even longer. We ended
this marathon on such an odd note; we had won but not fully, Ive never dropped the modules BBEG
and not known whether it was truly them or where we should be going next.
This brings me to our continuation during the next weekend, to clean up Iris Hill and possibly
make another go at Fort Hailcourse. We had gone into this with fairly high hopes and determination
to not make the same mistakes happen. The living topiaries again caused us some grief, even though
we were prepared for them. The assassin had shown up again and also the nobles that we had
thought left previously, reappeared to cause grief. Our struggle with the assassin would finally be
over later in the manor, but during this battle her presence on the opposite end of the battlefield
studying us was a harrowing time. Everyone was able to make their saves, the nobles dropped fairly
easily (thanks to a few key saves vs suggestion from Erasmus), and the topiaries were handled for the
most part. We ended up sneaking back underground and came up inside the manor. This is where
my first mistake, and what proved to be my final one for Quinn during these sessions, was made.
After picking the lock on the trap door, I discovered that a large rug was covering it. I knew that
crawling under this rug would probably be a mistake, but I also knew that we needed to get in as
quickly and stealthily as possible. I bit the bullet and crawled under, only to be faced with a horror
the likes I hadnt seen before. It summarily wiped the floor with me while my companions were
trying to crawl out from under the carpet, and at some point during the combat Quinn dropped to
dying again. After making my death save, and a few heals I was up and back in the combat. Only to
watch the rest of the party not just fail their saves vs fear, but roll natural 1s, four of them in the same
combat. I was left there on the ground, knowing that Winter had already run and not sure what my
compatriots were doing. I went ahead with my plans and watched as the rest of my party summarily
ran away panicked. Quinn stood his ground against his adversary, gladly sacrificing his life so that
his companions could safely get away and return for revenge. Apparently I dont have to worry
about cults as much as I do the undead. As pained as I was to lose out on all the XP and the
experience for my character, I was glad that my death was able to accomplish something for the
group and that it was the dice that spoke, not our poor planning. Knowing that everyone else
bombed their Will saves helps alleviate some of the guilt I feel for dying, no matter how strategic we
had been in our entrance, it wouldnt have mattered because of the fear. Ive learned that when the
dice speak that loudly, I have no recourse but to stop, listen, and process.
Lastly, Id like to say that Im glad that I was given the opportunity to not only play Quinn, but
also to be the one that was able to reveal his sexual identity. From the moment I found out this
information, I had started to mull over in my head the ways in which it would be proper to reveal his
sexuality and how I as a player would handle it. It was also important to me that during my
playthrough I acted true to the character and not make him into a walking stereotype. I believe I was
able to do that successfully and, more importantly, was able to put his sexuality out there without it
being too obvious. It was a fine line for me to walk, especially with how my own coming out
happened always looming in the back of mind, but this was an honor that I always took seriously. It
is unfortunate how under represented the LGBT community is in the RPG industry, as well as in
gaming material, and I hold Paizo in the highest esteem for their commitment to being inclusive.
Most companies I know of are welcoming and supportive of the community, but one of the things
that makes Paizo great is their usage of LGBT characters as both NPCs and Iconics. They have
strived to make these characters both believable and likeable, putting them in spots where these
qualities will come out. Its important to me that there are characters out there for our community to
identify with, and I want to make sure that I do Quinn justice as both a gay man and an Iconic.
Jody (Feiya): Thrushmoor is a lively town full of colorful characters, but also with terrifying
horrors lurking in every alleyway.
The townsfolk are standoffish to us,
and its a weird feeling to have a
reputation and not remember
earning it. Its even weirder to
realize that in your previous life you
were a ruffian, especially when it
goes against your current alignment.
To the people of Thrushmoor, I am
one of the monsters lurking in the
alleyway waiting to spirit them away
never to be heard from again, I am
the Thrushmoor Witch, although a
kinder, gentler one than they realize.
So now I feel like I owe a debt to the
people of Thrushmoor, and must atone for my previous behavior. It doesnt matter that I dont
remember doing it because they remember, and in their minds I am something to be hated. Id like to
say its not ego that drives me. I want to do good because I think thats the person that I am and I
want to be viewed by others as I see myself. When I awoke in the Briarstone, no one knew me. I
developed an opinion of myself as a good person that wound up in a bad situation, but now Im
questioning that. Who am I, really?
Sadly, getting out of the aslyum didnt get us out of the fog. Thrushmoor is blanketed with the
stuff, and the constant rain added to the dreariness. Regardless, the town became our home for a few
days, though alternating nights sleeping in the New Chapel and the Sleepless Agency left me
wanting a real bed. We eventually earned enough credit with the Silver Wagon Tavern that they
offered us rooms, and we should have taken them up on that offer. My back would have thanked me
for it. However, we didnt exactly get to decide where we were sleeping. More than once we found
ourselves running from something to the nearest shelter. Ive never run from so many things. Ever.
We were hounded by scum, incorporeal aberrations, a gibbering mouther, an invisible assassin, a
revenant (totally my fault, but in my defense I didnt remember killing the poor bastard), some
animated topiaries, the cannibalistic kuru, insane cultists, and a poison-brewing druidess with her
fungal-infused wolves. We didnt run from everything we encountered, but next time Im wearing
more comfortable shoes.
I got to try something new and exciting! After a few prolonged battles, I found myself with
two spells remaining, and my mage armor flickering as its duration expired. For the first time - I put
on armor. It was wooden and smelled like druid funk, but it saved my butt. I was especially
delighted to be wearing it as my last two spells proved relatively ineffective against our foes. (Youd
think that living topiaries would run from a burning hands spell.) Risking the chance that my spells
might fail because of it was scary, but since I succeeded and got nowhere I was happy to be decked
out.
Little by little were remembering our previous lives. The Count is still missing, but hopefully
hell have more answers for us when we track him down. For now though, Im content to be alive
and have friends. What more could a girl ask for?"
Erick (Winter): I made a special guest appearance in Strange Aeons as Winter Klaczka, a
cleric of Pharasma. At the point I took her over, due to an Order member unfortunately not being
able to make the session, Winter was a 5th-level character, but by the time I finished with her she was
on the cusp of passing to 7th level. Even then I witnessed how much of an impact Winter was having
on the party. Donning the armor and shield formerly worn by Alahazra, she became the front line
character which, a role Im very used to as a player, and which likely was the saving grace for the
group as she helped to hold back more than few dangerous foes in that position. While I usually play
characters with a strong offense, Winter had an 8 strength. Her claws and daggers only did 1d4-1
damage, so it was good that she took up a more protective role for the group, especially being 2 PCs
down. Adhering to her backstory, I played her more as a healer and she carried her weight in terms
of usefulness due to her channel energy ability and burst of radiance spells.
I also felt it was useful to the party to have a fresh set of eyes to help contribute to strategy and
tactics for our return to both Iris Hill and Fort Hailcourse. Im glad I was able to help formulate a
winning strategy with the team, and proved that even as an NPC there are benefits of having another
player at the table. I was almost sad to let Winter go in the end. I grew really fond of her and want to
see more of her. Im confident that a member of the Order can pick up where I left off and continue
being a strong contributor to the party with her.
I didnt know what to expect from Strange Aeons. I had thoughts that this module would take
place in unusual locales or other dimensions, and figured weird creatures not usually seen in
Pathfinder would be more common here. I truly love the sort of steampunk setting thats going on
in Strange Aeons, and the flavor matches the campaign perfectly in my opinion. Im sure things will
get even stranger as the players advance and I look forward to following the adventure path like all
fans of Order of the Amber Die.
Player Perspectives on Dreams of the Yellow King
Aerick (Erasmus): At the start of this module, I felt something similar to going on a really
long road trip. Not one fraught with deadly encounters of course, but that same looming feeling you
get, like how you check, double-check, and triple-check that you have everything you need before
you go, how you know you have such a long journey ahead of you and you almost don't want to go,
but you've already committed to your friends and you know that it's going to be awesome once you
finally get where you're going. Little did I know that it was going to be so, so much more than that.
The boat was slow. Not because it was overcrowded, but it was just slow in general. 10 miles
in one day? Needless to say, it was a really long trip. But, fortunately, our group of iconics was very
capable of performing research into the Dimension of Dreams, and we were able get access to our
secondary journey only two days into the voyage, which made times seem to pass a bit faster. On the
other side of things, we didn't fare so well over there. It turns out that dying in the Dimension of
Dreams wasn't fatal, but there was a price. Madness. The lesser madnesses were a little rough, but
role-playing them was very interesting and took the edge off in a way. The great madnesses,
were...maddening, for the lack of a better word. Erasmus was the first to perish twice and wake up
with one that rendered him unable to speak or read. Worse, this also made him unable to use his
class abilities, cutting him off from his spirits and his spellcasting ability. Playing for a full day (a 20-
hour session) was extremely difficult and frustrating. Having to communicate with everyone non-
verbally was a challenge, but in combat he was almost entirely ineffective. I still had decent saving
throws and a lot of hit points so I was able to provide some defense for the group, but without the
Champion spirit he did very little damage, as did the others without the spirit boon.
Most importantly, about the Dimension of Dreams--beware the animate dreams! To my
knowledge, with the exception of a handful of rare monsters, most incorporeal creatures are undead.
No such luck with this one. Actually, so far in this AP we have faced two that were not, which is
unfortunate since we are really good against undead. But not only is the 50% reduction to attack and
spell damage an issue, its touch attack was extremely powerful too. In my entire career, I've never
rolled so well for hit points as I've done with Erasmus, and even being one of the highest level PCs in
the group it only took two easy hits to take him down. I hope other groups are better prepared to
face this thing than we were, especially if it follows them out of the Dimension of Dreams where you
can't just wake up and have
everything be all right.
Being able to get yourself
out of trouble and make
concentration checks to wake up
made it impossible to actually
die (unless you took too much
voluntary damage to reduce the
DC and didnt calculate the
backlash damage) but that
doesnt mean TPK isnt possible.
Our group died in the
Dimension of Dreams so many
times that all except one of us
had greater madnesses by the
time we reached Cassomir. As
most of those are extremely debilitating, if we suffered them earlier on in the actual journey its
unlikely we wouldve survived the real dangers on the river. It also cost us a lot of time, because
every part we werent able to complete on our first attempt we had to play again, and even after 60
hours of game time we found ourselves out of time. This was definitely a unique experience because
of the dual format of the module, but also a harrowing one to attempt in marathon format. But we all
made (sort of) through the long weekend, and despite almost going actually insane it was a lot of fun!
Dan (Quinn): Id like to start by thanking Savannah for coming to join us for this marathon.
She was not only an awesome player to have at the table, her roleplaying skills were one of the
highlights of marathon for me, and also a great addition outside of game. I hope that we will be able
to play at the same table again soon!
Considering how this marathon began, I tried to brace myself for an intense weekend, yet even
that wasnt enough. I found myself raised from the dead for a second time, and yet this time seemed
to be far worse than before. Quinns disease had progressed to a point where it was barely under
control for him, and no one had any good ideas to suggest. On our return trip from Caliphas, we
returned to Remitas farmstead
and stayed the night. That
evening it was suggested that
with no other options that
seemed to work, the group
decided to starve out the hunger
that Quinn was experiencing.
During watch that evening,
Erasmus caught Quinn staring at
him with an inhuman hunger in
his eyes. Following Erasmus
suggestion, Quinn started to
place himself in manacles, but
something snapped within and
he turned on his friend.
Unfortunately, the only solution
was to drub Quinn into
unconsciousness and lock him in the barn while he was being starved. After a long week of
suffering, from Quinn and his companions, the seemingly impossible happened and Quinn was
cured of his malady. I as a player, and a character, am completely relieved to have this affliction be
cured, yet Im slightly disappointed that I will not get to see how this disease would have progressed.
The trip down the river was grueling, and if that is the fate of most ships traveling through the
area, I dont know how sailors survive their jobs. Luckily Quinn and Alahazra had the foresight to
train with the crew [taking ranks in Profession (sailor)] and help out so we were able to do our part
after more than half of them were killed and we dropped down below functioning levels. The
researching on the river was actually an interesting concept, and despite the personalities of the
scholars that were traveling with us, they were actually quite helpful in allowing us to burn quickly
through topics that were needed. It allowed us access to the proper rituals and also insight into what
was needed to be done while in the Dimension of Dreams. Traveling there came with its own type of
danger, and that had its own deleterious effect on our group.
Madness played an important part this time around, more than I would have expected going
in. It was difficult balancing the need for us to discover more information about what needed to be
done and where we should be going with our apprehension of this realm and the effects death there
had on our characters. Even knowing going in that madness was quite likely, it hadnt occurred to
me just what form that would take. Quinn watched his party slowly descend into madness as we
pushed further in, even when we knew we probably shouldnt. It was difficult as a player towards
the end, trying to keep the party from fracturing inside the game while enjoying the role-playing
outside of the game. Right up to the end, Quinn managed to maintain his sanity until even trying his
hardest he couldnt succeed and was killed within the Dimension of Dreams for the first time.
Despite that, Quinn is finally coming into his stride in combat. I may not be able to hit as often
as Id like, but I sure do get many attempts at it with two-weapon fighting. After rescuing slaves
from the Razmiran Faith Barge and escorting them to safety, Quinn and Winter were given a pair
of old ragged boots from one of the former slaves. This turned out to be my favorite item so far: boots
of speed! That was such a huge game-changer for me, now with my feat selections and haste added on
I can get 5 attacks with a full-attack action. Im still struggling with all the calculations, especially
once you figure in Studied Combat, but managed to fumble my way through things. There is a
certain joy that comes from rolling 13 dice at one time as a player!
Ive been pushing the potion route for Quinn this time around, weve been given plenty of
opportunity to gain them as loot or to purchase, and the alchemist discoveries are coming in handy.
Im looking forward to seeing how his build continues to pan out and see what other nifty toys Ill be
able to find in our adventures.
There were so many exciting and strange things going on with this module, it definitely
reminded me of old-school RPGs with the deadliness of monsters. It was also able to push the
boundaries on things and provided the essence of what I understand a Cthulhu game to be. Ive
always heard it was a fight against inevitable defeat and madness, and this module gave us that
possibly more so than I was prepared for. Im really curious as to where the next one takes us, and
how far both the players and characters of our group will be pushed.
Jody (Feiya): Day 1: With the party whole again, we set off for Cassomir by boat. It's
an...adventure. The cabin is cramped, and there are a pair of snooty academics throwing me dirty
looks because of all the books. I'm looking forward to peacefully gliding down the river and reading
about dreams.
Day 3: I've figured out how Lowls was able to get into the Dimension of Dreams. The ritual is
complicated. There's a tiny set of stairs, they look like ivory, that is the focus. We'll try tonight.
Day 6: Desna, what have I done? We didn't make it to the world of dreams, but we got far enough
something came back with us - a living dream! More like a living nightmare. It killed the Alahazra
and Skywind. We've only got one scroll. What the hell are we going to do without the captain?
Day 10: We've been attacked on the river. A strange ship with red sails showed up, fog rolled in, and
then there were voonith climbing up the back of the boat. That same awful scream as the one we ran
into at Briarstone.
Day 19: I'm seriously considering throwing the academics overboard. We could use the room.
Pompous jerks.
Day 23: Mud elementals. Who knew river travel was so dangerous? Lost a couple of the crew.
Hortimer has really stepped up into the captain's role.
Day 28: We're going to
try the ritual again. Off
the boat this time.
Day 29: Well, we

succeeded. We made it
to the forgotten
caravanserai in the
dream world. Things
could have gone better.
We found another
animate dream. At least
dying in the realm of
dreams doesn't kill you
here.
Day 30: I've been having

nightmares. I'm having
trouble making it
through the night
without waking up screaming. I think I'd be exhausted if I needed more than a couple hours of sleep.
Thank Desna for my ring of sustenance.
Day 32: Today we saw water dragons of some sort. Maybe not actual dragons, but dragon-like. I
didn't recognize them. Lost another couple crew members.
Day 34: Back to the dream realm. We're prepared for the animate dream this time.
Day 35: Dreams have their own nightmares. After taking care of the animate dream we came upon a
haunt. I don't know exactly what it had planned for us, but I'm getting better at recognizing them.
Being able to channel positive energy works in the dream world too. We weren't prepared for the
ooze monster. It started swallowing everyone whole. First Alahazra, then Quinn, Winter, and finally
Erasmus. I bugged out.
Day 36: Something bad happened to Erasmus. He can't talk, or read, or well do anything Erasmus-ee.
Actually, I think he's forgotten how. Along with how to channel the spirits he holds so dear. I think
being apart from them is worse than not being able to communicate.
Day 47: My days are blurring together. We fought a denizen of Leng, but I don't know anymore if it
was before or after the ooze beast.
Day 48: Alahazra has been casting something on me every morning. It's been a week since my last
nightmare. Whatever she's doing is working.
Day 50: We found a shard of Lowls' personality. A silly looking remnant of him dressed in yellow
curtains from the caravanserai. He recognized us, more or less, but didn't know from where. He's
given us our best clue yet regarding what the real Lowls was doing. Back to researching, now that we
know what to look for.
Day 52: When we performed the ritual this time, I spoke the words to bring us to the Viscount's Gala.
An amazing and horrifying place. Endless miles of revelry. I can't believe they are unable to see the
horrors in the rafters. Spiders and ettercaps. I saw dozens of guests get pulled into their webbing, and
even when blood splashed down around them, the dancers twirled around it as if nothing untoward
had just happened. We eventually got the signet ring we came for. I hope I never see another spider
so long as I live.
Day 63: Two nights in a row, we were attacked by grey renders. We're down to four crew plus the
captain. Alahazra is surprisingly good with knots.
Day 70: Winter is seeing things that aren't there. Or I'm not seeing things that are. She claims her
lady, Pharasma, is speaking to her. Doesn't really sound any crazier than me saying Daji talks to me
though.
Day 72: Everyone else is still unconscious. I

was just torn to pieces by a horse-faced terror
with sharp teeth in the dream world. I hope
they find the tail we went looking for.
Day 78: I'm not feeling myself. Something is

wrong. The nightmares are gone,
but I'm losing time. I have vague images of
things but they make no sense. We're going
back in looking for a royal ghoul's skull.
Day 80: I'm shaking as I try to write. We got

the skull, but I don't want to go back in
anymore. It's definitely less dream
world than it is a realm of nightmares.
Each horrible thing has two greater
horrors behind it.
Day 83: I got to go to the moon! It wasn't pretty colors like it looked like it was from the ground. It
was grey. And rocky. But I got to ride a dragon. Maybe it wasn't a dragon-dragon, but it was like a
dragon. There were more Leng guys there. We had to run again. We'll get them for sure next time!
Day 89: Things have suddenly become much clearer. I don't know what was motivating me before.
Why I pushed myself through such discomfort. Now I understand. I had some vague notion that I
wanted my memories back. I thought Lowls had stolen them from me. But, those memories are
irrelevant. This group of adventurers, my so called friends, they're to blame. And they're going to
pay. My mission now is clear. Erasmus is cowering in the corner. Alahazra has succumbed to the
nightmare and seems bereft of even basic knowledge of who she was. They'll be easy to kill. Quinn
and Winter will be harder. I probably can't take them together. I need to separate them. If I can
manage to hold them, they'll be helpless, easy to dispatch. Otherwise Quinn will wear me down.
Winter may be able to outlast me with her healing. Daji will help me of course. He's loyal to me.
Now, how to get Quinn alone. He's the more dangerous of the pair. Oh, this will be delightful...
Savannah (Winter):
To Her Holiness Mother Thestia, Temple of Pharasma, Caliphas

From Sister Winter Klackza
Greetings and well wishes Mother Thestia. I hope the Lady has smiled upon you during our time
apart. As you are aware, I am accompanying a group of survivors from Briarstone Asylum in order to
better investigate the murder of Accuser Omari and the mystery that is Count Haserton Lowls. As I
do not have reason to trust a courier service with this letter as we travel downriver, I shall be posting
it at Cassomir, which will also allow me to add our findings as I go. May the Lady guide our path.
I am unclear as to why this is the boat that we have chosen--it often seems as though it can barely
hold its own crew, much less the passengers on board. Aside from us, there are also two academics,
which I could do without. They never leave our quarters, and between them and Counts collection of
books that we procured from his estate, many of us have elected to spend much of our time outside
where there is room to breathe. Still, Pharasma calls us to endure with grace. We have the focus
object required to re-create the ritual that
Hasteron used to visit the Mad Poet, which we
are planning to do soon.
I know not what vile doings Lowls was

wrapped up in, but I do know that I want no
part of it! Tonight we attempted to enter the
Dimension of Dreams, but the process went all
wrong and a strange, intangible creature (that
we later learned to be an animate dream) came
through to our world instead. The results were
disastrous--we lost Alahazra and Captain
Skywind. I truly believe that it is not Alahazra's
time, however, and we were able to bring her
back to us; Captain Skywind, however, has
gone on to face Pharasma's judgment. May
there be mercy on her as she travels the River of
Souls.
It is with great satisfaction that I personally sent

a follower of Razmir to the Lady for judgment.
Let him see the power of a true deity.
Since the initial incident, there has
been no attempt to go back into the
Dimension of Dreams, and I must
confess that I've been glad for it. I
will bear this burden if it is my fate,
but it is a heavy and often
frightening one. However, after
being pursued by a mysterious ship
with red sails, we have accepted that
the dreams will continue to follow
us if we do not take action. We were
successful this time, after taking
precautions that none of the ship's
crew were in danger, of course.
Unfortunately, it is still a realm of
horrors. Fortunately, dying there is not as we know it in this realm. We will modify our tactics and
return ready for the animate dream within. Still, the different aspects of the Dimension of Dreams are
beautiful, each in their own way--a golden, endless desert landscape broken only by an abandoned
caravanserai. It would be far more so if it were not for the heat.
This was a terrible plan. I thought that going back into the Dimension of Dreams prepared would
mean less tragedy for all of us, but it seems that we couldn't prepare for everything. The animate
dream was vanquished, but we managed to run afoul of a strange, oozing creature. Three of us were
killed, and when we awoke Erasmus was afflicted with some terrible malady. He awoke unable to
speak, either with us or with his spiritual companions. He was understandably devastated, but my
magic had no effect on him. I've never felt at such a loss before. However, in this dark time there is
hope. While I seem to have been affected mentally--I have apparently spoken to crew members that
the others cannot see or hear--I can now hear the whispers of Pharasma herself. Surely this must be
an assurance that this path is the true one, even if it is hard. I will take solace in that.
It is frustrating that the others do not understand the importance of Pharasma's words and that they
have been passed down to me, but at least Erasmus understands. We have been healing him bit by bit
during morning prayers, and the faith seems to soothe him. We went back to the caravanserai two
nights ago and finally found a friendly face, or at least one belonging to someone that didn't try to kill
us. How different things would have been if we had simply turned left instead of right a month ago!
This was apparently a fragment of Lowlss mind. I didn't know such things were possible, but then I
know little about this awful plane of existence.
It somehow became more horrible as we sought the Vicount's ring--one of the treasures needed to
present the Mad Poet, according to Lowlss notes. It was an endless party, but the guests were
unpleasant at best and literal abominations at worst. But even worse, there were the horrors in the
ceiling. I never thought that I would prefer a 50-foot fall to facing a creature, but I would not have
wanted to experience the alternative. Still, we achieved our goal and, on top of that, the vodka was
exceptional.
I know I cannot question the will of fate, but the weight of it gets heavier and heavier each time that
we go into the Dimension of Dreams. We have gone in several times by now, but I cannot bring
myself to take pen to parchment each time--living the horrors was bad enough without having to
recall them again. It is becoming evident that each time one of us dies there, they wake up with a part
of them damaged. Alahazra and I are using the strongest magic we can bring to bear, but it still takes
time that we don't have. Feiya's minds seems to have truly broken--she acts either as a small child or
an old woman, and either way it is difficult to understand her ways. Thank the goddess Erasmus has
regained his mind, and Quinn has managed so far to escape unscathed.
Sadly, I feel that the goddess has left my side--I can no longer hear her voice, though I do see small
spirals about the boat. Perhaps this is her way of making me stronger. My main solace has been
prayer sessions with Erasmus and Alahazra--who seems to have reconsidered her godless ways--and
in the rare, not-terrible creature we meet. The tentacle-faced rat creatures known as zoogs proved to
be incredibly affectionate, though I'm not sure what it says for my own mental state that I am so fond
of such creatures.
Now it all makes sense. The horror, the pain, it was all preparing me to assume my true role: as an
avatar of Pharasma. Truly I am the most powerful and devout of our faith, and the goddess is finally
choosing to recognize that. Unfortunately I am cursed by the most useless retinue of servants, but one
must work with what one has. This group needs more steel in them--the fact that we have fallen so
many times is clearly due to a lack of strong leadership, which I am more than capable of providing
with my newfound destiny clear ahead. We shall henceforth be known as Winter's Wolves, and once
we prepare we shall return to the prison on the moon--with the help of my mount, the dearest Snoot--
and rain holy wrath down those who oppose the will of the goddess.
All is quiet now. I keep trying to think that this, too, is a dream and that I will wake up, but there is
nothing.
Closing Thoughts
Following the messageboards and online chatter for months preceding the Strange Aeons
Adventure Path, it was clear that this was a much-anticipated AP. We knew the Lovecraft fans
would surely come out in full support, as would potential Call of Cthulhu fans possibly switch over
to Pathfinder just to play this AP. One of our main concerns was whether or not it was possible to
enjoy this path while being part of a segment of gaming society that does not belong to either of those
branches--Lovecraft or CoC by Chaosium. Our members are coming from the often jaded
perspective of having played far more published adventures than most, and they would certainly call
out this AP if it failed to be as entertaining as they had hoped, and we don't place any restrictions on
what our players decide to offer regarding their experiences. We encourage the reader to take the
time to sift through the player reactions in this document, and see for oneself what many different
players felt about the modules of Strange Aeons. To help any prospective GMs considering running
Strange Aeons, we will continue to provide player perspectives at the end of our post-analysis section
for the entirety of The Strange Aeons Experiment.
While Paizo has dabbled in Lovecraftian themes and monsters in previous modules or in
individual encounters, they are bold for doing what so many have wanted since Gygax dared to
place the Elder Mythos inside Deities and Demigods in 1980. It is our hope that this document sheds
light on the dynamic qualities of Strange Aeons, and we would direct the reader to our thread (The
Strange Aeons Experiment) on the Paizo messageboards for further questions or discussion.
[This is a live document and will change over time. Due to the rigorous schedule at which we are
playing the adventure path, many notes will not be added until after completion.]
For the Future
Think you have what it takes to be a professional role-player? Well, we didn't get here by
shutting our doors; moreover, we are always on the lookout for players whose reverence for this
game matches our own. If playing extremely long hours completely immersed in Pathfinder is
something you've already done, or you think you can contribute, please feel free to reach out to us.
We would also love to hear from any groups that have attempted something like this so we can
compare notes and add to both our experiences for the future.
Give us a Like on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/orderoftheamberdie
Follow us on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/orderoftheamberdie
Watch a Know Direction interview with the Order:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiRvAoFeppM
Watch a Tabletop Terrors interview with the Order:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s27gScexfL4
See our thread about The Strange Aeons Experiment:

http://paizo.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Store.woa/wa/browse?path=%2Fthreads%2Frzs2tu01

The Strange Aeons Experiment

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Credits

Graphic Design Sterling Brunsvold (Axion Studios: www.axionstudio.com)

Photography Jody Gerst, Adam Smith, and Sterling Brunsvold

Audio Documentation Jody Gerst and Sterling Brunsvold

Video Production Jody Gerst and Sterling Brunsvold

Contractor for Setups Sean Linville

On-site Cooking Aerick Lim and Sean Linville

Downloadable Stat Blocks Adam Smith and Aerick Lim

Musical Supplementation Aerick Lim, Sterling Brunsvold, and Adam Smith

Some Order of the Amber Die Member Contributions

We're about to find out.

Criteria for core players/GM participation in The Strange Aeons Experiment

Our GM teaches history and previously had an understanding of Lovecraft's significance in a

With these guidelines in place, this

Alahazra: Use of all Revelations

In addition, our player-captain

Look out Magic Eraser. Im coming for your job.

See Savannah's "Meet the Intern" feature on Paizo.com:

Follow Savannah on Twitter:

In Search of Sanity Party Composition:

The Thrushmoor Terror Party Composition:

Dreams of the Yellow King Party Composition:

PF109: In Search of Sanity. The asylum's shower room would see a

Marathon 5: What Grows Within

Marathon 6: Black Stars Beckon

Total Hours Played as of 11/13/16: 171 hours, 30min.

Module 1: In Search of Sanity

Module 2: The Thrushmoor Terror

Module 3: Dreams of the Yellow King

Module 4: The Whisper Out of Time

Module 5: What Grows Within

Module 6: Black Stars Beckon

Marathon 5: What Grows Within

Marathon 6: Black Stars Beckon

Total Time Passed on Golarion: 112 days

In a typical random encounter during our run of In

The party opens another door to

Throughout the years, we have tried and

Right: Two sets of Cthulhu-themed dice--both glow in

Left: This is what a professional role-playing team looks

Marathon 2 Production Stills (continued)

Marathon 2 Production Stills (continued)

Marathon 3 Production Stills

Part 1: Prison of the Mind

In case PCs are wondering where they can

Part 1: Return to Thrushmoor

Part 1: The Sellen Passage

Module PF111: Dreams of the Yellow King

Part 2: Dream Quests

Module PF111: Dreams of the Yellow King

Part 3: Return to the Yellow King

Left: The last stand of Risi Nairgon.

Day 29: Well, we

Day 30: I've been having

Day 72: Everyone else is still unconscious. I

Day 78: I'm not feeling myself. Something is

Day 80: I'm shaking as I try to write. We got

To Her Holiness Mother Thestia, Temple of Pharasma, Caliphas

I know not what vile doings Lowls was

It is with great satisfaction that I personally sent

Give us a Like on Facebook:

Watch a Know Direction interview with the Order:

Watch a Tabletop Terrors interview with the Order: