13th Age 2025 Demon Campaign Notes
Session 1
Opens in Red Wastes, in a fight against some Dismembered Zombies, and few Five-Arms.
Core idea:
The fallen paladin Gaspard the Golden's armor is being put to rest in an ancient gilded shrine, and Katarina has prepared for this, by starting a ritual to empower Sparagmos there. The demon Sparagmos (Dismemberment) is ascendant, while Zanureniy (Drowning) has been stalled by Gaspard's actions, but not dealt with entirely. Katarina is preparing for the incarnations of Ballos (Hunger) and Kavralmus (Scorching), in Horizon and Forge respectively, with the Horn and the Eye respectively.
Opening fight: Three dismembered shamblers, two five-armed, and a limb-given. (Boltstrike Pillar intro fight, core p.300)
Transition into shrine proper -- a small ziggurat on a dune. Some banners, trails of blood leading to the shrine. Long hallway with dismembered corpses strewn throughout, arms and legs scattered across the floor and hanging from ceiling.
Midway fight, shrine interior, ritual chamber: Some actual cultists! Probably just three 2nd-level archers and a troop? Should be actual cultists, not victims. Wandering Arms for archers, Double Joints for the troop. (Orcs, core p.242)
Breath-catch, read Katarina's note, perform rite of burial on Gaspard's armor. Investigate, hypothesis, etc. Eventually leave. All limbs in entryway have fallen to the floor, forming a runic circle, incarnating Sparagmos.
Finale: Sparagmos; partial incarnation. Probably an Imp made to be Large 3rd level. Lots of status effects, arms grabbing party members, joints popping, etc. (imp: corebook p.210, 2x hp, claw attack does 8, chains on natural even)
Session 2
Mostly roleplay, sets up stakes in Horizon, with leads towards Forge?
Important characters:
- Jared, Way of Blue. A Blue Mage from the Northern Outlands, come to the Dragon Empire to escape the menace from the skies.
- Jared's wife, Quinn. Quiet, demure. She gonna die offscreen in Forge so don't sweat this too much.
- Breeze, an orc. A Druid underling of Sidewind's. Themes of birds, kakapo-feather cape.
- Vuhil, another orc. A Golden Paladin, named after the saint Vuhil Sand-Made.
- Alex, hedge-mage. Involved in monster studies.
Jared and Breeze will be on their way to the Grand Tower in Horizon, for some interdisciplinary studies hosted by Alex.
Katarina might pop up somewhere in town, as drama dictates.
Session 3
Party used all their icon benefits to track down where the Horn is going, and through what passage, and when! Pretty strong stuff. They also got the Orcs of Horizon to cause civil unrest near the point-of-passage to funnel it down further. So there's gonna be some conflict!
Fight 1: The Passage
These cultists are delivering the horn into town. Party will waylay them!
- 2 Enduring Shield (B1.204)
- 2 Avenging Orb (B1.204)
- 1 Gnoll Ranger (C.229)
Fight 2: The Scramble
The party (hopefully) has the trunk with the Horn inside of it. It's painful to be around, painful to look at, and makes on nauseous to hold.
And the Diabolist's goons know exactly where it is. They feel the terrible weight of it settling on their hearts. They will have it back.
Also one of them is an intellect devourer trying to get the Horn themselves.
- 3 Lizardman Savage (C.237)
- 1 Kobold Hero (C.237)
- 1 Giant Web Spider (C.207)
- 1 Intellect Devourer (B1) (Lizardman 3)
Session 4
Here's some loot to disburse after the last fight:
- Seal of the Citadel (Book of Loot 32)
- Wand of Seizures (Book of Loot 17)
- Demonhide Cloak (Book of Loot 11)
- Blackscale (Loot Harder 62)
- Rapier of Demon-Thrashing (Book of Loot 13)
Fight 3: Horizon Aflame
- Katarina; Drow Spider-Sorceress (B1.59)
- Fear Aura (30HP), extra 1d6 demon ability (C.209)
- Phillip, Vessel of Ballos; Frenzy Demon (-1 def, -2 damage, -10HP) (C.211)
- 1d6 demon ability (C.209), not Fear Aura.
- 5 Dretches (C.210)
- Breeze's Cage; Imp (C.210)
The party fought Katarina, saved Breeze, killed Phillip, and escaped to tell the tale! Later, they met with Will while escaping town, who extracted some information from them. They're heading to Forge with Jared and Quinn.
Session 5: Into Forge
The party will be arriving in Forge for a bit of an RP session. They are tracking the Eye of the Diabolist, which is likely involved in a ritual for summoning Kavralmus (Demon of Scorching) taking place there. Here are some objectives:
- Get information on the Eye!
- Helmut wants information on Runes and Grafting.
- Selthorne wants to rabble and recruit some Dwarves against the Diabolist.
- Elezar wants to talk with the Dwarf King's contingent.
Here are some factions and key members:
- Dazud, owner of The Brass Contraption. Artisan, makes mechanical prosthetics.
- Kelazud, necromancer Dwarf on contingency to quell the deep crypts.
- Richard, a Dark Elf allied with the Dwarf King. Topside to recruit.
- Gidur, Akil, Legan, vault-guard dissidents aligned with The Three.
- Judge, exiled vault-guard, aligned with The Prince and The Diabolist.
- Mike, Way of Blue elder.
The Black, ruler of Forge is also a vampire. Richard and Dazud may have suspicions. Kelazud feigns indifference. Dazud and the vault-guard suspect a machine uprising from below.