"Horrors of the Red Cathexus!" Pathfinder Bodysnatcher campaign!

[Beckoncall]

Hidden from the eyes of the lands of men and elves, there are epics and heroes of evil as much as of good. This is one such story, behind the veil of the dark tapestry, and behind the veil of broken ground in the deepest underdark -- this is the story of the Red Cathexis, and the horrors it issued like a cancer unseen beneath the surface of the world of Golarion.
In 4606 AR, The same year that the world-wound began to open in response to the death of Aroden, the fabric between the prime material plane and that of the dark tapestry weakened. The unimaginable and horrible beings of that place looked covetously upon this new world, and dangers so hideous the simple minds of mortals cannot comprehend them, quickly set to work on encroaching there --
However small the rift, a hole, a pore even - cunning beings set to realizing how they could jump the breach into Golarion. The beings that came forth were in diametric opposition to the gods of golarion, light, order, and the very laws of nature. As such, to simply cross the breach was impossible -- a being from the dark tapestry would be rent from the world explosively as quickly as it arrived. Undeterred, the horrors of that dark place set to creating a device -- a vessel, that would enable at least a fragment of a being from the dark tapestry to enter this world. That object came to be known as "The Red Cathexis" -- No larger than a grain of sand at first, and carrying merely a scintilla of the trueforms of the beings that rode within it -- it burst into existence deep underground, somewhere between Ustalav, Belkzen and Lastwall -- and began to grow.
it is now 4713, and the Cathexis -- now little larger than a fist, is finally large enough to open and release it's forbidding cargo into the underworld. The beings within, such as they are, cannot exist indefinitely outside of a native host, and to be seen as they truly are by light of day or without such cover from the sight of the gods would destroy them utterly. They had forseen this. They were bodysnatchers -- Hijackers of the minds and corpses of mortal beings, and they would use the forms of beings in the underdark to hide their nature, mitigate their relative weaknesses, and embrace their strength.
Their individual motives and goals are unclear, but to be certain they cannot bode well for any being on Golarion. All that is clear for now is that they are hungry, covetous, and malign -- The Cathexis has finally opened -- and they will offend this world, only hesitating in the face of their own destruction -- or the Cathexis they must protect if they are to maintain their ties to this world...
And so it began...

(Stage will be set shortly so players can post!) - Beck

 

[Beckoncall]

THE CISTERN OF SKULLS –

This chamber is a relatively large single cavern, cold mountain water is pouring in from three different sides through holes in the ceiling, mingling with an E/W river all flowing to a pool in the center of the this cave. The wet walls and floor are carpeted with algae, and strange plants grow in the bright light of irredescent minerals. The Cistern, A natural bowl-shaped pool approx. 30 feet deep, is lined all along it’s contours with the skulls and bones of creatures that have died, fallen in the river, and come to rest here. The center of the pool appears to be bubbling though the exact cause of this is not apparent… the water is very cold. Halfway down in the Cisterns’ basin, the Cathexus, now opening, pulses menacingly – it’s red glow barely perceptible in the turbulent water.

The Cistern is almost completely filled with bones (mostly skulls) of various creatures – mostly orcs, but humans and elves are well represented, as are a myriad of other creatures. From the three extremely cold waterfalls in the cistern chamber, the ceiling seems to sag around the holes where the water falls from above. The walls of the chamber are veiled in mist, A fast running river (fed in part by the waterfalls) comes into the Cistern Chamber from the West and somewhat slower from the East, both feeding into the Cistern and giving the Cathexus’ Pool a kind of whirlpool effect at it’s rim – though the pool never seems to fill. To the North the natural stone of the cave begins to show signs of brick and cobblestone, quickly progressing into a smooth, worked stone hallway. To the South, a wider cave mouth arches low to the ground, it’s way partly obscured by ancient cobwebs. Though everyone has darkvision, lighting is good, provided by dull blue-glowing natural mineral veins running through the stone in the area – which is vaguely luminescent, but highly reflective – the light would normally be dim, but the combination of the irredescent minerals and the reflective surface of the pool throws playing light everywhere, with true darkness only found below the water and closer to the ceiling of the chamber.

Ways to go:

West along the river (difficult terrain, the river is almost the entire tunnel wide, very fast, and low in places) You can’t be sure – but it looks like there might be tracks this way, of the same type, heading both into and back out of this chamber.

East along to slower river – one shoulder is wide enough for easy travel into the darker tunnel beyond, the water is constantly buffeting a drape of extremely thick web above it like a blanket on a clothes-line, mist and river droplets cover this sheet of webbing, making the light play like stars on what interestingly enough be described as a dark tapestry… (anyone homesick?)

North: Along the way where the Cave of the cistern slowly converts into a proper hallway.

South – the dusty, cracked, natural arch into the cave beyond. Many tiny scraps of web hang from little nooks in this tunnel, the floor down this way, once beyond the thrown moisture of the cave, is very dusty and scattered with debris.

Smell: The Cistern smells profoundly clean under the waterfalls and at the pool, with taints of corruption all along the walls. You are unsure if the corruption comes from the Cathexis, negative energy signature from what is obviously a mass grave of things that died in the river, or something more conventional.

Touch: Clammy, Cold, Wet.

Hear: Crash of water, under the water a vague pulling sound, The dull thrum of the Cathexis, likely heard only by you and your compatriots.

The Cathexis is here! – The Cathexus, now fist sized, is moored to the side of the cistern, seemingly by a black crystal exuding faint negative energy. This crystal has been growing since the Cathexus started to open, though it is not perceptibly growing now. While it is unlikely you can return to the Cathexis after leaving, it is an artifact of tremendous power – and may have uses, if you could discern what they were.

Current Plot Seeds: The Cathexus should have opened 100 years ago! Also, you’re not sure, but the makeup of your party seems to have changed somewhat… it’s hard to remember such things – being borne into a new world as a sliver of your own nature takes a lot out a being.

Feel free to take actions as you would, declare checks (ESPECIALLY PERCEPTION), state objectives, etc. I am starting small and hyper-descriptive but will adapt as we cultivate a collective style. This first area is an invitation to find your sea-legs and begin to explore what you can do. Time is moving slowly now, but passing -- acting or not... so you could explore here, leave the area, or even wait to see if something shows up. Good luck and welcome to Nightmare Golarion!

-Beck

 

[Demonsoul]

Crawling forth from the red cathexus a red centipede, seemingly lacking a carapace enters the cold water. Surprised by this water the centipede quickly swims towards the surface, red fluid mixing with the water and dispersing spreads from the centipede as it swims. Upon reaching the surface it quickly scampered on to land and began to look around, its dull black eyes lacked any great vision but they appeared more avian than insectoid. These eyes gleamed with intelligence and carefully took in its surroundings (PERCEPTION).

The creature paused and waited for its companions who also came on board the cathexus. In its waiting it began testing its mandibles on a nearby skull, but it remained in careful watch of any threats, or prey, after all it was vulnerable.

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

The Gluttonous One emerged into the basin. It knew little, but one thing it knew was that it hungered and coveted. It wanted to consume. The ball of slime began its search to consume. Could it eat the bones in the bottom of the pool? What were these vegetables and flora around the chamber? (Knowledge Check) It needed to eat... anything that it could eat would soon be food. It simply just wanted more. No matter what it was. It had to gain some strength and prepare for the blight to come. Eat, create, own, and dominate.

 

[Beckoncall]

Heyitsjiwon Demonsoul

Had the Gluttonous one the skill, it could have easily disguised itself as various flora and algae that grew about the cavern, but alas it did not.

Scanning about the fungi and flora there was little that appetized -- while the biomass was substantial, the gluttonous one craved prey with a will, if not actual life.

The Fleshless and the Gluttonous one regarded each other in the damp gloom, the latter drawing the former's attention to a kind of net-like system of webs that seemed to cover a hole in the ceiling. There was a spider up there... they could sense it.

The gluttonous one also thought it could hear, despite the loud noise of the water, a distant chatter that was steadily approaching upriver from the west.

The fleshless for a moment considered absorbing the body-template of one of the creature-skulls in the pool -- but it lacked sufficient biomass to create a host body. Perhaps if left alone to consume all the plant matter in the cavern it could produce some crude bastardization of a humanoid? Or quickly produce some smaller humanoid form with just the flora that was closeby?

 

[Demonsoul]

After confirming the arrival of a companion, the centipede began getting to work, the first step of which is getting a suitable body-template. She began to climb towards the spider webs. (CLIMB)

(FAILURE) Having failed to scale the wall to begin hunting the spider, she began trying something with a higher success rate, namely copying the humanoid body-template for future use. And consuming algae, probing before eating for safety. Biomass is a useful resource and she knew she should get as much as possible.

(SUCCESS) Having successfully scaled the wall she used her intellect, firstly by tapping the web a couple times to draw out her prey. Once the prey is drawn out she would first check for its strength, if weaker, she would proceed to kill it, if stronger, well there was water to catch her fall.

 

[Silvis]

The Devourer emerged slightly later than its companions needing more time to orient itself. It appeared as a small clear puddle when it oozed onto land. When looking around it formed small psudopod like appendages that turned back and fort. It moved towards the west to see what it can learn from the tracks. (Survival) Knowing that tracks usually means something left them it stays alert for noises or signs of danger. (Perception)

 

[Beckoncall]

Demonsoul :

Try as it might, the fleshless could not scale the slippery walls nor navigate the pouring water to reach the web... though it's fixation on it did tell it that there was more than met the eye initially... the ceiling was riddled with nooks, some of which contained giant crab spiders all careful to avoid the central web of the Giant Spider in the main web at the ceiling hole.

Silvis : These were the tracks of small humanoids, and in the rocks of the rushing river to the west there was a sandy walkway and piles of garbage washed up along the rocks. hiding in a small crevice, it could see the long shadows of a handful of chattering humanoids approaching the adjacent area to the Cistern... it was hard to make out... was it Goblin? The humanoids were apparently hauling their trash to this area to throw it among the rest of the debris... and seemed to be wary and in a hurry to leave this place, as if they knew this of such horridity waited in the darkness for them...

 

[Silvis]

The Devourer hesitated for a moment debating rather to inform the others of its prospective meal but decided to give them a chance to join the ambush it was planning. By way of a signal it simply picked up a pebble and lobbed it toward the Fleshless and used a psudopod to point toward the direction of the goblins. Hoping that they got the hint it moved to the wall and tried to climb partway up in preparation. (CLIMB)

 

[Demonsoul]

Having failed to climb the slippery walls the centipede gave up. But made a note of the suitable body-templates for future reference. She went over to the bones and gathered a basic humanoid template. It then joined with The Devourer in preparation to hunt prey. Plant matter didn't work properly for the Fleshless anyhow. The centipede crawled over towards the devourer using the stealth it has from being so small. (STEALTH)

 

[Sherwood]

Emerging into the cold water, Axtis struggles to get out of the water and look around. This is not the world she was expecting, but it is still certain that she must find a suitable host quickly. Her natural form is just too vulnerable to be out in the open for long. Moving as quietly as possible for her current, natural form, she sees others heading off in a purposeful manner. A hunt underway? Time to move.

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

The Gluttonous One detected some chatter from the west and it was clear that the others noticed too. His kin moved to seemingly ambush the goblins to the west. The slime would join them. The ball of acid would stick close to the water for now since it would likely blend in better.

 

[SpiralErrant]

Silence reigned.

No, no this was all wrong. Where was the song? Why could it not hear the song of the choir?! Disoriented and half mad from the experience of crossing the veil and breaking the laws of reality the scout scittered and chirped in a daze. Its kin were nowhere to be seen, the hive somewhere beyond hearing. Such a possibility had never existed to its mind. So this was how it felt to have one's reality shattered...

Terrible and beautiful was the mournful song of The Lone Soprano as it made real the yearning for the hive it had been so horribly severed from. Until purpose hardened the tiny monster's soul in the name of survival. It was a scout of The Choir and made to range far. If the tear that brought it here was too small for greater voices to follow then it would have to take matters into its own hands. First it just had to claim a set that were big enough.

Taking to the shadows it would stalk and try to make sense of these hunting grounds. (STEALTH AND PERCEPTION)

 

[Beckoncall]

They gathered for the ambush, crept into cracks and a cul-de-sac in the tunnel west of the cistern...

To the untrained eye the cul-de-sac contained a simple shrine devoted to a fire spirit, perhaps an elemental... but closer inspection by the choir scout and the gluttonous one tells immediately it is a shrine built by goblins. The crude coalwork around the center fire is not smoke, but rather of four goblin hero-gods, the symbiology quite distinct once you look past the addled-scribbliness of it all... and they are being appeased in the cave-paintings by the burning of scrolls, and an offering pit seems to contain burnt papers and books of previous offerings. The glyphs on the outside of the shrine and in the deepest shadows of the ensconcement relate to the placation and obsequiousness to "bhargests" -- this is usually done to symbolically receive protection or safe-passage from the undead -- a pool of skulls is a fine place to put a shrine like that, one might suppose...

 

[Beckoncall]

The noise of the approaching goblins sends the wolf-spiders scrambling towards the ceiling and hopefully out of sight, clacking and hissing reflexively. There is another pregnant pause as everyone decides what they will do next, each of the body-snatchers concealed by the water, up the wall, in the cul-de-sac -- waiting in ambush when the silence is clearly broken again... words in the goblin tongue...

"See, Preet?! It was the spiders fishing, is all -- nothing we needs to worry about... now help me drag is bag!" -- "No! Mine heavier!" ...

From here forward it becomes very easy to hear them, you can now see their glowing eyes bobbing as they approach the cavern from the tunnel outside.

The voices grow more distinct, like evil children... there are five of them, the back four dragging large bags of trash, in two-man teams...

"So... Gorfeen say we 'ere to watch for kobolds, annai see that, yes? An' Gorfeen say we kill the naked orcs, but try and find friendship with the shiny ones. But why we always leaving gifts for deadlies?"

"That's simple! If somebody left an elven baby on an altar -- what would you do if you founnit?" "WE WOULD EATS IT!" "Yeah? and so if the deadies crave rotten meat, and the altars has it -- maybe they think we friends, see? At the very least we know if no flesh on the shrine, sumfing eenin it -- maybe deadlies! Gorfeen is Smart!"

"He wot? Gorfeen trying to turn dead orc into elven babies? Gorfeen REALLY smart!"

(a couple of goblins chuckle)...

Upon making entry to the room, the garbage teams continue to drag their burden towards the trash heap in the shrine part of the cul-de-sac centered around where the obscenities crouch waiting, hiding and listening.

The odd goblin (apparently the leader at the head of the group) walks past the river passage into the cistern and to the edge of the pool and prepares to relieve himself in the cistern... walking directly under the devourer as it does so...

"Dump-we trash, and then we lay the offering orc-meats for the deadlies. but for now I got me own offering to give, I do!" The goblin, (the leader one), chuckled as it fumbled with it's leggings to pee into the sacred waters where now rested the cathexus...

Perception: The noise and activity has sent the spiders to cover, and the party is positioned all around the hapless goblins in the passage and the cistern... the creatures from beyond the veil would need to either hide deeply or spring their trap -- as the goblins likely have delicate business in the shrine and there is risk of soon being noticed... but decisive action now would surely grant the party the element of surprise!

 

[Silvis]

This was exactly what the Devourer had been waiting for. While the numbers could be a little concerning it chose to trust in its abilities and the other horrors to come through. When the leader goblin passed beneath it the Devourer leaped down to attack and attempt to snatch its body in a surprise attack. (Attack with body snatch)

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

The Gluttonous One patiently waited and watched the Goblins. They seemed to be formidable... given the current status of the other horrors. However, the hunt was on. The seeming leader of the goblins approached the cistern and was about to defile the Cathexus. Such insolence would not be permitted. From the waters of the cistern, The Gluttonous One moved to attack as well and hopefully put the foolishing goblin in a flank between the two slime like beings.

 

[Beckoncall]

The Devourer stealthily peeeeled itself off of the wall where it lay hiding to drop upon the goblin leader as it passed.

Simultaneously, the Gluttonous one extended a gruesome psuedopod out of the water towards the goblin's bare foot. This would improve the chances of a successful attack, however slightly.

It happened so fast. The goblin only had time to quizzingly pick up it's foot before the devourer fell into the goblin's open ear... and dominated it instantly.

Shadowy memories, information, language, skills... all quickly flashed through the devourer's mind as it consumed the will of the goblin leader entirely. Somewhere beneath all that the devourer could use, the tiny silent scream of the goblin's consciousness shrieked amusingly.

"Preet?" one of the goblin followers questioned, dropping it's part of the sack of garbage.

"Wrugbag! Shaddap and help me drag trash!"

The four other goblins made their way into the cull de-sac and messily began to pour one of the bags of trash onto the rocks. The second pair of goblins, nearing the shrine, dumped a dismembered orc body onto the ground and began to pick up the lopped off pieces and lay them at the shrine.

The remainder of the lurking horrors needed to strike soon, as thus far their predations had gone unnoticed, but it was doubtful they would remain unspotted, or unsuspected, in perpetuity...

 

[Sherwood]

Axtis sees her opportunity to obtain a new host with the pair of goblins at the shrine. She advances forward, and tries to leap up and land on the back of the nearest goblin, trusting that her small size will not get her detected until it is too late. Moving up the body to the base of its neck, Axtis tries to plunge her stinger into its neck and successfully dominate this monster.

 

[SpiralErrant]

Goblins... yes it knew of these. A lesser species, one that seemed to spring up everywhere no matter how many you squished. This scout was young and hadn't encountered any of these things itself but past generations had consumed enough of their kind and been consumed in turn that this scout's generation knew them. Looks, language, culture and all.

That explained the understanding the little soprano felt as it looked on this crude little shrine of protection. Even the words they shrieked at each other sounded familiar. Kobold... Orc... Elf, yes these conjured memories far older than this individual choir member and the prey it stalked. So there was more material to work with nearby and conflict between these materials that could be exploited. This was the kind of task the scouts were made for!

There may not have been others of the hive here to make sweet music with but there were similar beings at least. There may have been no bond between them but each had come through the crystal tear and each had enough intelligence about them to understand they depended upon it to survive and were week on their own for now.

Unspoken and acting on instinct each took up positions in the shadows, ready to pounce. While others struck by the water the soprano suppressed its natural urges and stayed silent. Skittering through the shadows it rounded to the two goblins that were dumping out the parts of a dead orc, tensed all of its legs... and leaped. Aiming right for the back of a goblin's neck, with its stinger at the ready. Soon it would sing!

(Body snatch DEX)

 

[Beckoncall]

Sherwood :

Axtis leaped. Her stealth was grand enough to land unnoticed upon the nape of one of the goblins in the cul-de-sac, but her stinger could not strike true! It's peircing probocis could easily kill this fragile thing in it's surprise attack, if it could merely lay an accurate blow! the thing barely eluded it's attack thus far, but Axtis Jen would not be deterred...

SpiralErrant :

At the same time, The choir scout struck. This time, the goblin was not so fortunate. The choir insect quickly set to infesting it's host, causing it to shudder and spasm from it's head to it's feet. It belonged to the choir now.

________________________________________________________________________________

"PESTIES!" Axtis' would be victim exclaimed. "BUGS! Attacking! fight!" the seconds were loooong, and the creature had yet to be able to act, but it had it's sights set on smashing axtis with the flat of it's crude shortsword.

The goblins by the river dropped their bag of trash.

It was time for the fleshless to act.

 

[Beckoncall]

Status: Surprise round almost over, Fleshless still has an action then everyone rolls for initiative.

The leader goblin and one of the followers have already been hijacked. Three goblins remain uninfested, and are quickly coming to the conclusion they are under attack from stealthful enemies... or at least pests of some sort.

 

[Demonsoul]

This ambush was too important to fail, thought the centipede as it quietly skittered down and waited in preparation for any failure to take over a goblin. The moment any of her fellow horrors failed she was ready to bite and gnaw at the poor goblins. She didn't need a host, all she needed was the perfect biomass the goblins are leaving on the shrine. Once the goblins were taken care of she would swiftly consume the laid out orc meat, and copy the orc body-template. It would serve her well, even if not for stealthy purposes that she relied on.

 

[Beckoncall]

The Fleshless skittered from the shadows towards the noisiest goblin, the one raising the alarm at the failed attack of Axtis Jen. It's attack was swift -- if only it could be said to be painless.

Waves of endless otherworldly agony shook the goblin's small frame as the blood-like centipede merged with the foot of it's victim and quickly, almost instantly, infected all of it's biomass on a devastating and cellular level. Axtis was thrown from her would-be host as the skin and clothes of the goblin ERRUPTED in an explosion of blood, leaving in it's place a bloody simulacrum of a goblin where the infected goblin once stood.

"Maahhhhh" was all the pathetic creature could utter as it died, it's sharp teeth burbling, falling, and regrowing in the horrible new mouth of what was the "goblin fleshless"... a trail of ichor lapped at the rotten corpse of the dismembered orc in anticipation of the changes to come.

The two remaining goblins, dropping their bag of trash in the river, could do nothing but scream.

"Peesshh-ties..." the last fumbling word of the exterminated goblin consciousness fell from the fleshless' mouth. now it was in control.

Initiative!!!
Goblin 2: 25
Axtis: 16
Devourer: 15
Choir: 11
Fleshless: 10
Goblin 1: 9
Gluttinous: 0

 

[Beckoncall]

It happened so fast.

The goblins at the riverside saw the shuddering and jerking of their former friends, now possessed of an otherworldly foe.

First the quickest goblin called to it's leader -- "PREET!"

only it wasn't preet anymore. It was the devourer, holding Preet's sword and bow.
The look in the devourer-goblin's eyes was horrifying.

So the goblin ran. It ran west, abandoning it's comrade to what was likely it's fate.

The party of abominations had two concerns now -- could they afford to allow one of their quarry to escape? Likewise, there was still one other goblin, slowly raising it's bow, that was left to overcome...