Year of the Shadow Lodge

This page contains spoilers for the following products: Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Season 2.
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For another meaning of "Year of the Shadow Lodge", please see Year of the Shadow Lodge (scenario).

Logo of the Shadow Lodge faction.

Season 2 of the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild campaign ran from August 2010 to July 2011. The season is referred to as the Year of the Shadow Lodge due to the prominent appearances of a rogue group of Pathfinders called the Shadow Lodge and the Pathfinder Society's attempts in bringing them back into the fold over the course of the season's plot. At the start of this season, no new factions were introduced.

Metaplot overview

During the annual celebration of the city's first military victory and its freedom, the Passion of the First Siege of Absalom, a rogue Pathfinder agent, Charvion Eater-of-Bones, attempts an attack on Absalom with a thought non-existent group of Pathfinders named the Shadow Lodge. During this attack, Charvion attempts to steal a newly discovered artifact, the Cage of Spirit Echoes, but Pathfinders step in and prevent his theft from coming to fruition. After their defeat in a full assault on Absalom, the rogue Shadow Lodge attempts to assassinate Venture-Captain Drandle Dreng by impersonating him and leading Pathfinders on a wild-goose chase. The Pathfinders realize this ruse and kill the assassin before he is able to cause complete his mission on Drandle Dreng. Knowing they will need more allies in order to compete against the size of the Pathfinder Society, the rogue Shadow Lodge heads to the Lands of the Linnorm Kings and Irrisen in hopes to convince enemies of the society to join their plight. A Shadow Lodge agent in Whitethrone, Caggrigar, receives word from an inside agent in the Grand Lodge that a powerful prophecy lies in ancient ruins of The Worldwound. Hopeful that this is the edge they need against the Pathfinder Society, Caggrigar and a elite group of Shadow Lodge agents head into the Worldwound in search for The Sarkorian Prophecy. Knowing the Pathfinder Society can not let the Shadow Lodge find this relic first, the sends a group of Pathfinders out to locate this as well. During their travels in the Worldwound, the Pathfinders, after attempting to bring them back into the Pathfinder Society, eliminate the rogue Shadow Lodge agents. The Pathfinders kill Caggrigar who had, just moments before, found the Sarkorian Prophecy before it was used against them.

When the Society arrives to offer assistance to a society contact in Whitethrone, Rognvald Skagni, the society realizes that the Shadow Lodge has gotten to him to try and use him as a bargaining chip for critical political information. The Shadow Lodge, able to act on some of Rognvald's research notes, head deep into the frozen north in search for an ancient artifact to use against the society. The Pathfinder society pursues the Shadow Lodge into the city where the Shadow Lodge has convinced the town to ban any presence of the Pathfinder Society. After careful negotiations, the Pathfinders are allowed inside the town and find the Shadow Lodge's hidden base under a brewery. Inside, they locate documentation regarding the Shadow Lodge's current trek in the north to a location called Keep of the Huscarl King, that houses an ancient weapon, Jedrek's Shard. Hot on the Shadow Lodge's trail, but still having quite a distance between them, the Pathfinder Society meets a local barbarian tribe that, after telling them of their worthiness, provide the Pathfinders a shortcut to the keep that allows them to arrive just as the Shadow Lodge does. After an intense battle with the Shadow Lodge, the Pathfinders prevail and are given a choice about the outcome of Jedrek's Shard. Shadow Lodge member and heir to one of Taldor's most wealthiest families, Chalfon Dalsine, catches Oppara Venture-Captain Muesello using illegal Sarenite cultists to smuggle artifacts out of Taldor and attempts to get the Society banned from Taldor because of it. The Decemvirate sends a group of Pathfinder agents to help Muesello out of this situation and attempt to reason with the officals of Taldor. Chalfon catches wind of the Pathfinder's actions and then, in a fury, kills the sister of Qadira faction leader, Muhlia al'Jakri. This leads to Muhlia al'Jakri killing Jacquo Dalsine, which forces her to retire.

The Pathfinders are sent to Sothis on a urgent missive from Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir that many Pathfinders have gone missing as well as the vaults holding relics and artifacts has been robbed. After retracing the steps of the thieves, the Pathfinders are able to track down all of the missing artifacts and locate the leader of the Shadow Lodge in Sothis, Hondo Heru. He tells the Pathfinders that he was told by someone named "The Spider" to steal the relics and kill the Pathfinders.

On word that the Cathedral of Aroden, part church and part Pathfinder Society Lodge, has recently been invaded by Hobgoblins, the Decemvirate dispatches a team of Pathfinders to break into the cathedral and rescue any survivors, one being Venture-Captain Brackett. As the Pathfinders progress through the cathedral, they kill the commander of the invading hobgoblins, Hagla, and save all of the hostages. After resucing him, Venture-Captain Brackett explains that the real mastermind behind this ruse was not Hagla, but a person by the name of "The Spider". As well, the Sapphire Sage, Amenopheus, has pretended to defect to the Shadow Lodge in order to uncover their secrets, but has been captured. "The Spider", having gained notoriety in the city of Almas, attempts to tarnish the Pathfinder Society's name by using Amenopheus' ruse as proof that the Pathfinder Society is spying on the city of Almas. The Pathfinder Society must collect evidence of The Spider's corruption and use it as counter-arguments in the speech. Successfully convincing the city of Almas of The Spider's actions, she is captured, but quickly escapes and confronts the Pathfinders directly. After defeating The Spider, revealed to be Dorianna Ouidda, the Pathfinders find a note stating an assassination is about to take place. The Pathfinders found out that this assassination is targeted for Grandmaster Torch and are requested to help Torch anyway he requests. Grandmaster Torch tells the Pathfinders of a Red Mantis cell that is hiding inside the Allegro College in Absalom and requests they eliminate that threat. As the Pathfinders eliminate the college of any Red Mantis, they encounter the assassin that was chosen to kill Grandmaster Torch. The Pathfinders overtake the assassin and stop the assassination attempt on Grandmaster Torch. Grateful of their help, the Pathfinders are provided history and information about Grandmaster Torch, how he was the leader of the rogue Shadow Lodge group, and how because of the Pathfinder's help, the rogue Shadow Lodge is no more. Torch declares a truce with the Decemvirate... for now.

Other ongoing plots

The Pathfinder Society locate an ancient magic under the Terwa Uplands and in turn, send an expedition out to research more about this new and strange magic. However, the expedition is attacked and left without any food or supplies as well as any ways to communicate to other agents for more supplies. A team of Pathfinder agents are sent to the nearest town, Bloodcove, to supply a caravan and then escort it to the expedition site. After arriving with a fully stocked caravan at the expedition site, the Pathfinder agents are shown the ancient magics that allow one to control ancient azlanti artifacts. Their find is cut short, as the site is attacked by inhabitants of the uplands and the Pathfinders are forced to test the artifact's strength. After defending the camp, the Pathfinders pack up and head back to Absalom with research and notes of their findings.

Pathfinders are dispatched to find a group of missing Pathfinders, who have not reported back after being sent to the newly discovered, Halls of Seven Scepters, and complete their mission. Once the Pathfinders arrive, they find a group of bandits who have captured the team of Pathfinders and are holding them hostage in exchange for the rescuing Pathfinders helping them escape. The bandits betray the Pathfinders and attack them. The Pathfinders defeat the bandits and rescue the missing Pathfinders. Exploring the Halls, they collect ancient magic items and return them to Sothis for cataloging.

Part three and four of the Eyes of the Ten series take place in this season. Pathfinders are sent to the Mindspin Mountains to gather regents from a mystic, Phitoness of Axioms, in order to possibly cure a cursed Venture-Captain from an ancient affliction of dark magics. Arriving in the mountains, the Pathfinders are sent to the Chasm of Screams where the Phitoness of Axioms has been taken. After clearing the chasm of it's denizens, they are able to rescue the Phitoness and she agrees to help the Pathfinders because of their actions.

Pathfinders are sent to a small lake-town named Stom's Claim to recover an inscribed silver bar. As they arrive in the town, they are notified that those same silver bars are needed to contain ancient evil that was once played in the lake next to the city. With the help of the local clergy, the Pathfinders work to contain the evil in the lake just as it attempts to overtake the village.

Working as protection for a elven noble from the Mordant Spire, the Pathfinders are brought along on a boat ride from Magnimar to the Mordant Spire. During the trip, however, the elven noble is murdered and the Pathfinders must get to the bottom of it before arriving to the Mordant Spire with a dead noble.

After a plague strikes the city of Manaket, a group of Pathfinder agents are requested to help smuggle a cleric inside the city in order to help battle the plague. The Pathfinders, traversing smuggler tunnels under the city, come in contact with a small cult worshiping an evil deity and attack the Pathfinders. The Pathfinders dispatch this evil and make their way into the town proper where they find transportation that will lead them deeper into the city. Having made it into the city successfully, the Pathfinders are requested to locate a different group of Pathfinders who were on the same mission, before they went missing. Following the missing Pathfinders clues, they locate an archaic tomb which holds ancient evil inside that if destroyed, could rid the city of it's plague. Possibly ending the threat of the plague, the Pathfinders locate an artifact of immense power. After researching the found artifact, Pathfinders are sent to the legendary Citadel of the Weary Sky to finish the mission that the missing Pathfinders started. Deep into the citadel the Pathfinders encounter groups of Shadow Lodge agents and dispatch them. At the peak of the citadel, the Pathfinders encounter a div that is using compulsion magic to control a group of mercenaries to attack them. The Pathfinders defeat the div and offer the mercenaries a chance to leave the citadel. The Pathfinders locate a ring on one of the Shadow lodge agents that belonged to the Sapphire Sage, Amenopheus, implying some involvement with the Shadow Lodge. (Refer to paragraph 3 above for more information on how this affects the season plot)

Pathfinders are sent to locate a missing Pathfinder prodigy, Zahra, lost in a ruined forge city of Koor. Arriving, they find a hidden vault inside that houses ancient magics and traps. Overcoming these obstacles, they locate the missing Pathfinder that has succumbed to evil magic that has given her unimaginable power. The Pathfinders defeat the evil and realize that Zahra had been afflicted with an ancient genie curse.

Pathfinders are sent back to the legendary Jistkan city of Rachikan to search for a missing Pathfinder, Benton Grone. In order to delve into the city, however, Pathfinders disguise themselves as Hellknights to gain access to the deeper areas of Rachikan. The Pathfinders encounter a ghost of Benton's nephew who requests they free lost spirits in a desolate area under Rachikan in order to continue on their journey. Freeing the spirits, the Pathfinders are sent to a citadel where the creatures of Rachikan are preparing to sacrifice the missing Pathfinder and team of archaeologists.

Pathfinder agents are sent to the Monastery of the Unrelenting Tide to recover a magical manuscript, Fleshforge Manuscript, in Nex. Arriving at the monastery, the Pathfinders realize that the entire temple is dominated by a magical force and must combine three different sections of the manuscript together to end it's evil domination. After recovering the relic, a ghost dryad sorcerer by the name of Jathyl attacks the Pathfinders, igniting the entire temple ablaze. After putting Jathyl's soul to rest, the Pathfinders are able to take the relic back to Absalom.

The Pathfinders help the Blakros family welch on a deal with the Obsidian Order of the Netherworld, saving twins Michellia and Eleanir Blakros.

After Pathfinder scholar and historian, Joktan Heth, finds a magical tome relating to the history of the undead in Geb, a group of Pathfinders are sent into Geb to locate the tome to bring back to Skyreach. However, in order to go into Geb, the Pathfinders must drink from a magical chalice that turns them into undead. Arriving in Geb, the Pathfinders are mistaken as soldiers of an undead army and must talk their way of out conscription. Making their way to where the tome is located, the Pathfinders come across a human farm where undead feast on humans for food. The Pathfinders release the humans and fight off a group of human mercenaries confusing the Pathfinders as undead. Finding the location of the tome, Testament of Geb, the Pathfinders destroy Joktan Heth himself who has succumb to the evil powers of the tome. After, the Pathfinders return the tomb back to Absalom for archiving.

Season 2 releases

The following adventures were released as part of Season 2. This table may be sorted by scenario number, title, level tier, metaplot arc, venture-captain (or other official) assigning the mission, location, or country.

PFS#	Title	Tier	Metaplot	V-C	Location	Country
2-00	Year of the Shadow Lodge	1-11	Shadow Lodge	Osprey	Absalom	Absalom
2-01	Bloodcove Disguise, TheThe Bloodcove Disguise	1-7	Before the Dawn Part 1	Aram Zey	Bloodcove	Mwangi Expanse
2-02	Rescue at Azlant Ridge	1-7	Before the Dawn Part 2	None, continuation from The Bloodcove Disguise	Terwa Uplands	Mwangi Expanse
2-03	Rebel's Ransom, TheThe Rebel's Ransom	5-9		Norden Balentiir	Parched Dunes	Osirion
2-04	Shadows Fall on Absalom	7-11	Shadow Lodge	Drandle Dreng	Absalom	Absalom
2-05	Red Revolution	12	Eyes of the Ten Part 3	Eliza Petulengro		Akiton
2-06	First Heresy, TheThe First Heresy	5-9	Heresy of Man Part 1	Retief VanSchuyver	Qassabah Heb Amar	Rahadoum
2-07	Where Dark Things Sleep	5-9	Heresy of Man Part 2	Obo	Wadi al-Hesr	Rahadoum
2-08	Sarkorian Prophecy, TheThe Sarkorian Prophecy	7-11		Thurl		Worldwound
2-09	Beneath Forgotten Sands	5-9	Heresy of Man Part 3	Obo	Citadel of the Weary Sky	Rahadoum
2-10	Fury of the Fiend	7-11		Drandle Dreng	Rachican	Cheliax
2-11	Penumbral Accords, TheThe Penumbral Accords	1-5		Drandle Dreng	Blakros Museum	Absalom
2-12	Below the Silver Tarn	7-11		Osprey	Menador Mountains	Nidal
2-13	Murder on the Throaty Mermaid	1-5		Sheila Heidmarch		Arcadian Ocean
2-14	Chasm of Screams, TheThe Chasm of Screams	7-11		Osprey	Mindspin Mountains	Nidal
2-15	Written in Blood	1-5	Shadow Lodge, Shades of Ice Part 1	Drandle Dreng	Trollheim	Lands of the Linnorm Kings
2-16	Flesh Collector, TheThe Flesh Collector	7-11		Brackett and Wystron Telfyr	Monastery of the Unremitting Tide	Nex
2-17	Exiles of Winter	1-5	Shadow Lodge, Shades of Ice Part 2	None, continuation of Written in Blood	Whitethrone	Irrisen
2-18	Forbidden Furnace of Forgotten Koor, TheThe Forbidden Furnace of Forgotten Koor	7-11		Osretia Cassomiran	Koor	Qadira
2-19	Keep of the Huscarl King	1-5	Shadow Lodge, Shades of Ice Part 3	None, continuation of Exiles of Winter	Ranulf's Keep	Realm of the Mammoth Lords
2-20	Wrath of the Accursed	7-11		Norden Balentiir	Sothis	Osirion
2-21	Dalsine Affair, TheThe Dalsine Affair	1-7		Muesello	Oppara	Taldor
2-22	Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained	12	Eyes of the Ten Part 4	Eliza Petulengro	Skyreach	Absalom
2-23	At Shadow's Door	1-7	Shadow Lodge, Shadow's Last Stand Part 1	Dennel Hamshanks	Almas	Andoran
2-24	Web of Corruption	1-7	Shadow Lodge, Shadow's Last Stand Part 2	Alissa Moldreserva	Almas	Andoran
2-25	You Only Die Twice	5-9		Ambrus Valsin	Graydirge	Geb
2-26	Mantis's Prey, TheThe Mantis's Prey	7-11	Shadow Lodge	Shevala Iorae	Absalom	Absalom
2-EX	Midnight Mauler, TheThe Midnight Mauler	1-7		Marcos Farabellus	Ardis	Ustalav