The Cursed Campaign
Pathfinder RPG
The Cursed Campaign is a Rob G mini-campaign. It is a gothic horror campaign set in the region of Ustalav in the world of Golarion. It uses the Pathfinder RPG rules.
SETTING
The story unfolds in the Principality of Ustalav, on the continent of Avistan, on the World of Golarion
The Party
Darkin-Rao (Fred): Dhampir Arcanist NG
Teras (Cheez): Half Giant Abomination Bloodrager NG
Van Hammerson (Papo) Dwarven Cleric Forgemaster NG
Mr. Murk (NPC): Gnomish Investigator NG
Agrimar (NPC): Half-Orc Paladin
Adventure Summaries:
1st: The Haunting of Harrowstone:
-DarkinRao-Teras-VanHammerson---Mr Murk-
It was a sad day in the town of Ravengro. Professor Petros Lorrimor had died. Today was his funeral. His many friends had been invited. Among them were the party members who had all been classmates together under the Professor’s tutelage at the University of Lepidstadt. Darkin-Rao, Van Hammerson, Teras, Agrimar, Whispers, and many other former students had come. Also present were important town’s people and the Professor’s longtime assistant Mads Mirkerson (aka Mr Murk). Mr. Murk was a terribly old gnome who had always talked of adventuring. After the services the party was invited back to the Professors house by his daughter Kendra.
The last will and testament of Professor Lorrimor was read back at the house. He left mostly everything to his daughter with these exceptions. He requested that the party remain in town for one month to see his daughter through this difficult time. When the month was up he asked the party to deliver some his ancient texts on dark arts to the University in Lepidstadt. Kendra offered the party members to sleep at her house during their stay. The party investigated the books to find the professors journal. The most recent entries indicate he was worried about an organization known as “The Whispered Way” trying to find or get someone or something from the ruins of Harrowstone Prison. The professor had gone to investigate this and apparently died of misadventure. Due to this the party would pick up this investigation where the Professor left off.
During this first day the party would be attacked by Stirges who seemed to attack as music played. They would be attacked by Skeletons risen from the Graveyard. They would also encounter a Gray Ooze at a monument. The towns people they encountered seemed not to know who they were and did not trust outsiders. They did get some cooperation from Father Grimburrow at the Church of Pharasm (Dead). The party would learn that the whole town was built around a prison that houses the nation’s worst criminals. In a failed takeover long ago the prison and many guards, including Warden Hawkron and his wife Vesorianna had died in a fire. Since that time the ruins have been haunted and left alone. The party would also piece together that the evil now seeping from the prison might be connected to the five worst criminal that died in the prison. These were The Mosswater Marauder, Father Charlaton, The Lopper, The Piper of illmarsh, and The Splatterman. Following clues left by the professor the party liberated some holy weapons and items from a secret crypt cache in the cemetery. While there defeated two giant centipedes. The investigation was interrupted
When a town memorial built to honor the guards who died in the fire was vandalized. Somebody has painted the letter “V” on the stonework in blood. The party tracked this back to Gibs Hephanus. Gibs was a local cook. Gibs said he did not do it and the party had to take that word.
Eventually it was time to explore the prison. All around the base of the prison walls the party found necromantic writings written in Varisan interspaced with the wardens name. This is what remained of a past incantation. Inside the party encountered many haunts and evils. Harrowstone was indeed a place of darkness now. Within the party battled Severed Screaming Heads, Flaming Skulls, Ectoplasmic humans, and many haunts that would lock doors behind them or drop the temperature in a room to freezing conditions. The party was nearly killed as they ambushed by Skeletons. The party would have to retreat, rest and re-enter the prison. During this second incursion the party was ambushed by the haunting spirit of The Mosswater Marauder. Darkin-rao managed to channel this energy into a haunt siphon. The party would again return to rest and resupply for another run on the prison of the damned.
XP: 2,296
-1-28-16
The Carrion Crown Adventure Path: Haunting of Harrowstone By: Michael Kortes (Pathfinder)
2nd: The Haunting of Harrowstone: Part 2:
-Darkin-Teras-Agrimar (NPC)---Van Hammerson-
The party had re-provisioned and were ready to head back into Harrowstone Prison. Van Hammerson was delayed for a while from a bad case of Dungeonknee. To help out the party called in Agrimar, the half orc Paladin whom they had attended school with back in Lepidstaad. Agrimar explained that he and Whispers had been dealing with unsettling events outside the town. The evil he suspected was coming from the prison.
They returned to the dungeon where they soon encountered The Lopper. One of the five powerful evil spirit haunting the Prison. The Lopper was powerful but with the new found help of their Paladin the party prevailed. Beyond the Lopper the party faced and defeated the headless flaming skeleton of Captain Vortch. They proceeded further and came to the Torture Room. There on a wrack was the dead body of Warden Hawkron. However the party did not know this at the time.
Teras fell victim to a haunt that enclosed him in the Iron Maiden. The party frantically tried to get him out all the while being molested by Crawling hands. After overcoming this the party found a secret cave leading to an otherwise unreachable chamber. Within the cave they defeated a Gray Ooze,
Beyond the cave was a large chamber filled with cells. In the center of the floor was a pit filled with water. As the party entered they began to feel the manifestation of a haunt. Soon the letters of the party’s individual names were appearing on the wall in blood. Each time that party would be drained of wisdom. The party recognized this modus operandi as that of the dreadful Splatterman.
After defeating the haunt the party would come face to face with the spirit of the Splatterman, now a wraith. The Splatterman only had some of his spells but he was using them to terrible effect. Summoning in Dire Rats to slow down the party while interspacing magic missiles with varying metamagic enhancements. The party nearly lost this battle but in the end prevailed. Afterwards Van Hammerson abandoned the dungeon due to exhaustion.
The party had now killed three of the five very powerful evil spirits. They would need to proceed upstairs. After killing a Poltergeist and Giant Crab Spiders the party came to meet Vesorianna. It was the ghost of the warden’s wife. She explained her soul had been here since the great fire. But that in the weeks prior some men in dark robes had come to prison and taken the soul of her husband. It seemed that in the many years since the fire that the warden’s ghost had continued his duties into the afterlife. He had kept the evil spirits trapped. But now with him gone they were getting loose. Vesorianna could suppress them but she was being overwhelmed by the power of the five. If the party could destroy the five she could bring the prison back into check. She also informed the party that it was these men in dark robes that murdered Professor Lattimor. The party quickly located the Piper of Illmarsh and destroyed him using Haunt Syphons. They next came to the final of the five. It was Father Charlatan who would not give a straight up fight. Instead he attempted to possess and kill Darkin. Darkin resisted and together the party killed the haunt. They then brought the warden’s badge to Vesorianna who thanked them. The evil within Harrowstone Prison was once again sealed. In the weeks to come the party would be celebrated in the town.
6-5-2016
+4200 XP-