Adventure Overview

Essence of Fate is a campaign-length adventure tracking a rogue alchemist as she pursues her goals. The alchemist is styled after my player-character Nataliah. The alchemist frequently makes use of constructs, simulacra, undead, and generally underhanded methods to get the answers and outcomes she desires. A character which epitomizes the concept that the ends justify the means.

Miscellaneous / General Notes / Ideas

One of the construct improvements in Pathfinder is to essentially build a wearable construct. Like living armor, basically. This could make for a really cool "boss" encounter.
The alchemist, Nataliah Kas Zhukoff, works extensively with constructs, simulacra, and alchemically-created zombies. She has ambitions of building an army to fight off an invasion of the planet by unspeakable horrors. She claims such an invasion is coming due to knowledge she gained while being held captive by a cult. Her attitude is selfish and zealous, pursuing her goals through almost any means necessary.
Nataliah's presence around the world is thanks to duplicates of herself which she has made called simulacra. A simulacrum is an illusory double, made from roughly shaped flesh into a double of a target. The simulacrum is not as powerful as the original, but it does copy it exactly, unless modifications are made. Additionally, the proper simulacra obey Nataliah's commands without faulter. On occassion Nataliah has made lesser simulacrum, which are as the name implies less powerful, and also have a degree of free will. These versions, often of temporary allies and monsters, more often serve her as distractions or unwitting servants than trusted assistants.
- There is an opportunity to have some of the "perfect" simulacra act as allies, or be presented in such a way that their experimentation is obviously beneficial.
- All "perfect" simulacra should share some physical qualities, though it need not be all of them.
An idea for the campaign is that the first half's worth of adventures involve the party discovering and interacting with an experiment that Nataliah has tasked one of her simulacra with. Each of these acts on their own, though they being perfect duplicates of Nataliah means they act as she does. It could be the case that the real Nataliah only learns of the party towards the half-way point in the campaign. I'm uncertain yet if I want to have her be entirely villainous, and her move to destroy the party, or have her stick to her ambitions, and try to bring the party to her as allies. These are two different campaign arcs; perhaps there should be adventures for both? Perhaps the first arc can lead to the second.
- I had the visualization of the party fighting and defeating her, only for a duplicate of her, albeit not as well equipped, to walk out from another room, exclaiming how unpleasant and unnecessary that fighting was, and then inviting the party to join with her.
I had an idea for something in a desert, but I can't properly remember it.
Krugg's recent episode had him building crypts underwater, only accessible when the area was frozen. This sounds like a fun hook, especially if time passes during the campaign.
This campaign could lead to a science-fantasy/sci-fi campaign, in which the party (with or without Nataliah) moves from the fantasy-based planetary role into the sci-fi-based space adventurer role.

Adventure Outline

City of Monsters

Synopse

Somewhat early in the campaign will be an adventure set within a city. The city should be larger, perhaps a capital or major trade hub. The player characters learn of recent night-time killings, and are approached by representatives of some group to investigate. After a few days of investigation, and a few quiet nights without incident, the party is invited to patrol with the evening guards. Sure enough, that night, they encounter the killer: a monstrous humanoid figure, with unnaturally bulging muscles, animalistic and feral features, and an unyielding rage in it's eyes. When the party defeats this creature, it transforms back into a regular human, and is recognized by the guard as one of the city's poor. The guard consider the case closed, that the poor man was the cause, that he was doing some crazy drugs or something, and they're satisfied. However, the next evening more killings occur in the same manner. Sure enough, hunting down this killer reveals a similar monster. The party and guard dig deeper, and eventually catch-on to a figure stalking the poor. Eventually, they trap the figure, and reveal it to be a younger-looking woman, with porcelain skin and red eyes. The figure adamantly refuses to cooperate, and acts as the final boss for the chapter. The party may track her back to a hidden laboratory, where they find alchemical instruments, and her dilluting the liquid she uses to poison the poor. Otherwise, the guard will inform the party that they find the laboratory. In either case, they pass a journal along to the player characters, and within it are some details of the figure known only as "T." This ends this adventure.

Flow

Party is informed of heinous killings. Perhaps they find the body on their way into town? Or a town crier, or gossip at their inn, reveals the plot.
Party is approached by named member of the guard; an investigator or detective type figure. They are hired to help the investigation.
Party is given some leads to investigate in the city. People to talk with, witnesses, etc.. a. During this time, it could be good narrative flare to include interactions with the poor or the homeless, perhaps even including that they feel they're being targetted, but not for the killings. Just that for whatever reason, they've been disappearing too. b. The people being killed don't fall into any specific demographic; there's no pattern to the killings. They are senseless, purposeless murders.
Whatever the investigations reveal, no murders happen for a few nights. On the third night, killings resume. The party may have been out on the previous nights, but they are explicitly invited out this night, to join a patrol. On this patrol, the party and guards encounter the monstrous figure, and fight it; the party fights, the guards hide. a. Opportunity to introduce a guard "contact". The guards on this patrol won't engage with the monster. This adventure could be woven into an existing story, and the guards here could be repeat appearances. This experience can act as a bond of friendship between the PCs and these guards. b. The monster is based on the "Mr. Hyde" concept of an alchemist's mutagen. They're mostly human, but "enhanced" in monstrous and terrible ways. They're much stronger, but additionally are bloodthirsty, and when they fight they enter into a rage. They cannot be reasoned with, and they will not relent from aggression. Means to forceably subdue may work, but an hour after the monster is subdued, it will die, and transform back into a regular human. c. Regardless of how it dies, when it does die, the body (or what remains of the body, perhaps) will revert to a regular human. Some features (the face, or if the head isn't available, perhaps a tattoo or birthmark) will indicate it as one of the homeless poor in the city.
Party has some more leads. Guards give details on the homeless man. Perhaps something is found on his person, or an autopsy (or similar) reveals he was poisoned with something. The guard assume it was self-inflicted, and are satisfied that they found and stopped the killer. The original detective/investigator isn't convinced, and plans to follow-up with the party, but for now says there's nothing more to be done. a. Speaking with the dead body, it will mention it was "attacked by a doll" or some similar kind of language. Alluding to the appearance of the figure.
The following night(s), more killings occur. The party is approached by the detective again, who is convinced of something more nefarious. They bring information to the party to investigate the homeless and the poor, and thinks they're being unwittingly used as muderous monsters. a. Nobody generally cares about the poor, and nobody cared they were reporting some of their own disappearing. The detective brings this up, though perhaps without any sympathies.
Party eventually finds the culprit preying upon the poor, and can confront them. The figure, if given opportunity, is revealed to be a young-looking woman, with porcelain skin and red eyes. She will refuse to cooperate, will refuse to reveal any information, and will immediately turn hostile if engaged. a. The figure is a simulacrum of an alchemist. As such, it has the abilities associated with the alchemist class in Pathfinder, or something of a similar nature. They are experimenting on the poor, trying to craft some sort of "super soldier" serum. Initial attempts show problems with aggression.
Somehow, the party is eventually given access to the figure's laboratory. There, they find alchemical methods for developing and distilling all manner of concoctions, and a journal. The journal serves as a source for lore, and hooks to further adventures in this campaign. a. Loot?

Notes

It could be fun to introduce the simulacrum earlier. It runs a shop, and perhaps the party visits it. Or perhaps it's also brought in to help with investigations. It could be feigning support while using the guards' own supplies to further it's objectives.
This could be a one-shot. Leave out the journal, and instead of a simulacra, the alchemist is a regular mortal.

Bridge of Chimes

This is partially inspired by one of Kruggsmash's Dwarf Fortress play throughs, Northbridge. While I was idly listening, he described his plans for a bridge, and also mentioned a bell. I conjured the image of a massive stone bridge, surrounded by mists. The stones covered in moss, neglected for centuries, but still holding strong. Strung between massive towers were giant bells of various shapes and sizes. Legend says that ringing of the bells will clear the mists, and lift a curse that lays upon the surrounding lands. When I originally thought of this, I thought it might be an interesting adventure to write about that my alchemist could go on. I still think that, and I will still write about it, and additionally it will be included in the journal found above. Details for how to find this bridge, and mentions of buried knowledge and riches serve as a hook for the party to follow-up on.

Drawing directly from Northbridge, the bridge may once upon a time have been a stronghold. It has since fallen into disrepair. The main structure remains, but perhaps the larger buildings and holds along the bridge have collapsed. Maybe the bridge itself is broken along the way. Within, the party finds the remains of a laboratory, presumably one of Nataliah's, but no sign of her. This simulacrum of hers was killed long ago, but her research and experiments persist, living in the place. Could be an undead-focused dungeon. Maybe whatever killed her lives deep beneath the bridge.

Gist

The party finds a caravan heading towards the lands where this bridge is supposed to be. Upon arriving in a small trading town, asking around, they learn of such a bridge. Another person at the inn is also interested in the bridge, and offers to go with the party. In either case, they say they're leaving tomorrow to try and find the bridge and learn of it's history. They are an architect and archeologist, a lore master, and they believe the bridge and it's bells may have magical qualities alluded to in the stories and legends.

12 KiB Raw Blame History