Stolen Fate Book 2: The Harrowed Realm

from the Wiki

The Harrowed Realm is pretty cool! Especially if you've played the 1st edition module that not only inspired this chapter but the whole adventure path. Unfortunately, outside of the scripted locations, there's not a ton of detail on how to run it. It's not nearly as bad as Katapesh in Chapter 1, or any of the popcorn locations in Book 1, that really feel like you need 7 other books and hours of research just to set the scene, but I think this scenario would benefit from a little more connection between those disparate threads.

And there are hints in the module that it originally was going to be! Page 49 says "three events will take place as they travel. The first of these, Event 5, takes place automatically the first time they arrive in the Harrowed Realm." James Jacobs confirmed that these events were incorporated into the set adventure locations, and this line was meant to be cut but was missed. On the upside, this probably made those locations cooler! On the downside, it makes the Harrowed Realm feel more static in a way I don't love.

So, today we'll be going through this chapter and the 1e module to better orient ourselves in the Harrowed Realm and help breathe some life into it!

Getting Our Bearings

Page 48 actually has pretty reasonable descriptions of the relative positions of the various locations, which I did not realize until I saw the map in the 1e module!

I'd originally thought the p48 descriptions were a bit vague, but so is the map! I think that's intentional given the vibes. Obviously, the letters don't line up:

• A. on the map is The Midnight Circus - this corresponds to F. Shadow Circus in SoT
• B. is The Briar, which is referenced as The Bramble by Hajeck on page 48.
• C. is The Demon's Fen, now called I. Demon's Bog (empty other than treasure).
• D. is The Manmolds, renamed K. The Fleshworks, though the map has been entirely redone.
• E. is The Prophet's Garden, renamed to J. Garden of Grief.
• F. is The Sanguine Playhouse, transformed into G. Blood Briars as it was overgrown through disuse.
• G. is Smith's Caldera, now known as H. Ticktock Peak after a conspirator turned into a Velstrac.
• H. is The Trackless Dearth, referenced by Hajeckk on page 48. Now, L. Fallen Fortress is crashed within, somewhere to the west according to page 51

The names are juuuust a bit different - some of them reflect the change in the location in a cool way, others just seem a big arbitrary haha.

Here's an edited version with the new letters!

Traversing the Harrowed Realm

We know that the Realm is 84 miles across, probably about 60-70 miles of which are within the Bramble? We probably want to treat this as a vague pointcrawl, since distances are clearly abstracted but the module calls out that there are little dirt paths between the brambles.

• We'll assume adjacent locations count are roughly 1 day's travel apart (24 miles a day is pretty standard based on most overland travel rules, including my own, and that's not too far off).
• Locations that are not adjacent, such as F./G. in 1e (G./H. in 2e) and C./D. in 1e (I./K. in 2e), need to route through adjacent locations or else will take 4 days of travel through the Bramble.
• PCs can also travel through the brambles to go between adjacent points, which will take twice as long (2 days) but avoid random encounters (see below).
• Other than using the Deck of Destiny, planar travel or conjuration spells might be counteracted!
• I think I'm going to extend this to The Deck of Destiny as well probably stopping them from escaping for the next 24 hours or so if counteracted (vs. the PCs class/spell DC - or maybe have them roll vs. DC 42).
• I'm probably going to reduce that DC by 2 for each card found, and remove it entirely once the PCs have The Lens of the Outreaching Eye.
• This one's optional! I just think it serves to disrupt the PCs regular routine in a fun way, making them really explore a bit and giving you a chance to highlight some of the weirdness of the Harrowed Realm!
• PCs can use the cards in The Deck of Destiny to guide their paths, basically lighting up when pointing in the right direction (to make up for teleportation being tougher, matching the written teleportation pairs).

Key Locations

Where do the PCs need to go as written?

• G. Blood Briars has The Hidden Truth. Weirdly, it's tucked into a corpses boot - yes, they're magical, but I could foresee many parties not wanting to desecrate a corpse by searching it. We'll add some clues that it's here:
• As written, if the PCs speak with dead or similar he might tell them.
• PCs who spend any time observing the corpse notice a glow within his left boot.
• An NPC might be able to tell them, for example Molly or Bernaditi.
• The Boar Demons (see "Threats") might have taken both.
• H. Ticktock Peak has The Forge and some treasure.
• K. Fleshworks has The Midwife. It also has a bunch of consumables and Bernaditi's tongue.
• L. Fallen Fortress has The Tyrant and, most importantly, the lens!

The other locations aren't essential, but are worth visiting:

• F. Shadow Circus might provide useful info if the PCs can get Bernaditi to talk. In our pointcrawl, this one effectively isn't skippable.
• I. Demon's Bog has a ton of treasure!
• J. Garden of Grief has a ton of treasure, a potential boon in later negotiations (the bloody fruit), and an easy path to the Fallen Fortress.

There are also clues in F. (Bernaditi can share info)

Overland Travel

We'll be adjusting a few things. We'll be adding a revised hazard die that's specific to the Harrowed Realm, statting out a few random encounters, and coming up with some cool set pieces to showcase as the party travels.

The Hazard Die

Every day of travel, roll 1d6:

1. Threat. Something scary is also travelling along the paths! Ignore this result of the PCS are travelling through the Bramble rather than on the paths. See below for details.
2. Signs of Threats. Foreshadowing! I'll include specifics in the individual encounter entries. The next time the PCs roll a Threat or Sign, it is always the foreshadowed threat. (Though you're welcome to give this a cool down of 3 days ish if you like!)
3. Local Drought. The PCs are unable to find water until they critically succeed to subsist. If the PCs go at least a day without water, they are fatigued until they drink enough water. If using magic to create water, assume each person requires a gallon of water a day (in my experience this is about right for a day of heavy hiking and makes math easy).
4. Barren Land. This region of the Harrowed Realm has been picked clean by Velstracs and other inhabitants, and is infected by their fiendish taint. If the PCs are carrying rations, they must mark off 2 rations each today instead of 1 as some food spoils. If they attempt to subsist, 
5. Ambient Details. Weird elements!
6. Wandering Storykin. Going about their lives, may be willing to share useful information!

This is adapted from my travel rules, so feel free to give those a read if you want to flesh things out more, but the PCs won't need to navigate (unless you want to make them when moving through the Brambles as opposed to a road) and we aren't keeping strict track of mileage. You'll also notice I changed the Hazard Die frequency from once per watch to once per day because I don't think it should be quite as important in this chapter as my rules assume.

Threats

Roll 1d6 on the table below to determine which threat the PCs face. Details in "Encounter List" below. Feel free to reroll duplicates. For signs involving murderer Storykin, feel free to pull from the "Friendly Storykin" list for inspiration. Random encounters never award XP.

1. 2 Mutilation Demons (Shemhazians). The perfect diplomats to speak with Velstracs! At least, as far as any Demon is a good diplomat.
• Reaction. They attack on sight, eager to inflict pain.
• Signs. Horribly mutilated storykin. DC 30 Religion or Medicine to recognize enfeebled flesh, partial lockjaw from paralysis, and wounds from pincers, claws, and a barbed tail. On a critical success using Religion, they identify the cause as a Shemhazian, and can ask 1 question as per recall knowledge.
• Development. If things are really dragging, feel free to give them the card from H. Ticktock Peak. If you're using XP, consider then giving XP for random encounters to make up!
2. 3 Boar Demons (Nalfeshnee). Sent to search less populated areas 
• Reaction. They attack if startled, but have heard that the PCs defeated their kind in Kho and would rather be gathering riches. If they do fight, they'll try to steal a couple items and then flee!
• Signs. A turned over wheelbarrow full of empty boxes, well constructed from solid wood, with a few scattered silver pieces throughout.
• Development. If things are dragging, or the PCs visit G. Blood Briars without finding The Hidden Truth, they've taken the boots and the card! You might also decide they've partially looted I. Demon's Bog.
3. 1 Ephialtes Velstracs and 2 Interlocutor Velstracs. The Ephialtes is mentoring the Interlocutors in the finer points of causing pain.
• Reaction. Attack on sight! The Interlocutors won't flee while the Ephialtes lives, but the Ephialtes might flee if things are going badly.
• Signs. Dead storykin with limbs missing. DC 20 medicine to tell they were surgically removed post-mortem. DC 30 religion tells them by who, and lets them ask 1 question as per recall knowledge. A critical success on either also identifies the Ephialtes' contributions (barbed chains).
4. 6 Interlocutor Velstracs. Constantly bicker about whose appendages are bigger and cooler.
• Reaction. Attack on sight! They try to spread out their attacks when possible to race to see who can defeat their foe first. 
• Signs. Dead storykin with limbs missing. DC 20 medicine to tell they were surgically removed post-mortem. DC 30 religion tells them by who, and lets them ask 1 question as per recall knowledge.
5. 3 transformed bears on unicycles. Pounce represents leaping off the unicycle (see The Harrowing 7-8).
• Reaction. They're hungry, and they miss their master (Bernaditi), but they aren't malicious. They will fight back if angered.
• Signs. 3 very deep wheel grooves, skidding at wavy almost random angles.
6. 4 transformed Tengu Clowns. Thirsting for blood!
• Reaction. Will assess the party and covertly smell them. If they think they can get away with it, they might attack, but can be talked or scared off. Can be easily distracted with performances, though will be angry if it's bad (DC 30).
• Signs. Corpse with clown make up drawn on in blood.

Then, roll 1d6 for Encounter Distance. (If you'd rather, you can have the PC with the best perception make a DC 30 check, where 1 is failure, 2-4 is success, 5-6 is critical success, and a critical failure means the party is ambushed!)

• 1: The twisting bramble paths lead to the creatures being within 30 feet of each other! Talk fast or it's initiative!
• 2-4: The creatures are about 60-120 feet away when the party notices them. If the party quickly hides (e.g. among the brambles), they might be able to avoid them (likely a stealth check). They can also likely flee, though this might become a chase.
• 5-6: The creatures are 200+ feat away, and will only notice the party if they attract attention. If travelling towards the party, the party can pretty easily get far enough into the bramble to automatically stealth by them.

Finally, check the threats Reaction as listed in their entry.

Ambient Details

Taking heavy inspiration from the 1e module here. Here are some possible maps I found. Roll 1d6 or pick on the table below:

1. Dead souls floating aimlessly through the sky.
2. A puppet on strings now hanging uselessly, twisted amongst the briars, its head rolling on the ground below.
3. 4 cockatrices resembling peacocks with nametags (Snuggles, Absolution, Kissyfur, Phumeria) saunter nearby, but won't fight such a scary looking party (see The Harrowing 20-21).
4. A drunken air elemental tears apart several of the briars before righting itself and flying on. The briars immediately start to regrow (see The Harrowing 24).
5. Amongst the briars are several human-sized cages with the doors open.
6. A boot the size of a human (not sized for a human), upside down amidst the brambles.

Wandering Storykin

Roll 1d6 or pick on the table below:

1. Eveready Jocob the centaur merchant, complaining about that damned Nightpeddler making such great sales! (See The Harrowing 24 and The Destiny War 48).
• Probably has food/basic supplies available!
• If the PCs find them trapped without supplies, I might have them automatically encounter him relatively soon in their journey.
2. A wandering goblin aggressively asserts that this pear he picked is definitely his, and no one else's! Certainly not that dang unicorn's (see The Harrowing 17).
• Note: The Unicorn in question is dead! It's horn now forms the basis of a cool wand in the Garden. The goblin is in denial, however, as despite their bickering, the story isn't complete with only a one-sided argument. The goblin will be incensed to help the party if they show proof of its former rival's demise, and will give as much useful info as possible!
3. A half cricket half elf called "Mr. Softshoes" plays the fiddle! (it's lost the magic it had on The Harrowing page 18).
4. A human storykin named Jack trapped in a large, knocked-over cage. He's been stuck in it for a long time, after being captured by the Night Peddler, and tries to hamster wheel it around but it's tough. The Velstracs just laughed at his plight and called it "suffering enough".
5. A very overworked hedge-trimmer named Saren, trying their best.
6. Algon the Never-Seeking, dressed in ordinary clothes, alternating between a puffed-chest proud posture and a shoulders-slumped demoralized one, seemingly at random. His drive is to fight against evil, but he thinks he's failed. If given his old gear back (from J2) he will join the PCs as an ally! He'll give it back when the PCs leave again. (See The Harrowing 5-6)
• Note: I added this before remembering that the designers did their own pun - Algon the Ever-Keeping - in J2. I kinda like the idea that things are So Fucked Up that there are somehow... 2 of them? Basically the Never-Seeking is the version if the PCs in The Harrowing successfully got him to give up the sword and run away, and the Ever-Keeping is if he stayed the course and was slain/defeated.
• Could be fun that a non-violent solution to J2 could be to get them to embrace? And then they sort of revert to the version in The Harrowing, still possibly antagonistic towards the PCs but not thrilled that Sonnorae is a Velstrac now.
• I that's too weird and meta for you, feel free to replace this with your favorite fairy tale! Maybe a lil bear cub looking for the jerk who stole their honey?

Negotiating with Sonnorae

You thought I would be doing a whole article without mentioning Negotiation? You fool! (jk I'm sure you're both smart and brilliant!)

Starting Interest: 1

Base DC: 35

Patience: 2 (3 if either Algon* is with them)

*I may be using my weird accidental meta "Never-Seeking vs. Ever-Keeping" thing depending on random rolls, see "Wandering Storykin #6" above, but in either case she is more willing to listen if the PCs bring her lieutenant alive! I separately also recommend he offer his old gear as part of his surrender if that happens so the PCs don't accidentally leave it behind.

Motivations:

• Offer a Blood Pear. Sonnorae does not expect kindness from "normal" people in her new form,. Note: I probably wouldn't have her demand it, but instead describe it more subtly - maybe she sniffs the air and looks directly at it in someone's pocket, licking her lips.
• Offer to Save her Realm. Sonnorae is pissed at the Prince of Wolves for damaging her home / grounding her castle, and is eager to get vengeance.
• Offer to return the Deck of Harrowed Tales to her. She will mention that he must have used it to reach here, and she could use it to reverse the damage. If they then offer to return it to her instead of trying to keep it, she will react positively!

Pitfalls:

• Attempt to "Fix" Her. Sonnorae is in denial, and vigorously denies any suggestion that the Harrowed Realm is corrupted (other than by the Prince's interference) or that she is somehow wrong.
• At your discretion, she might redirect more subtle suggestions to be about "The Event" (The Prince's invasion of The Harrowed Court) instead of immediately losing interest (especially about the Realm, but even about herself, saying like "No I'm fine, whatever it was didn't affect me", completely misunderstanding haha) - she will defs respond poorly to more focused attempts/comments though.
• She might accept this from one of the Algons, especially if they are merged back together.
• If the PCs reach interest 4+, she might reconsider after they return.

Interest:

• 0 - Attacks immediately!
• 1 - Demands the PCs hand over the Deck of Destiny and leave, and attacks if they refuse.
• 2 - Demands the PCs leave, and attacks if they refuse.
• 3 - Will allow the PCs to borrow the lens just long enough to find the Prince of Wolves, and will give them The Tyrant after they return the Deck of Harrowed Tales to her.
• 4 - Will allow the PCs to borrow the lens until after defeating the Prince of Wolves and immediately give them The Tyrant.
• 5 - Will allow the PCs to keep the lens forever and immediately give them The Tyrant.

That's all for now! I think I'll mostly be leaving Chapter 4 alone, so if I do more on this AP it'll be whenever we get close to Book 3. See y'all then!