Welcome to the first entry of the campaign diary for my Pathfinder 2e campaign entitled “The Weight of Mortal Years” where I plan to chronicle the misadventures of my tabletop group. With each entry you can listen to a newscast from the EBC (Esthian Broadcasting Corporation) for the highlights before delving into the story proper. Also with each entry, we’ll be taking a look at the minis I use in these sessions, as well as examining some of the details of the world itself. Whether you’re here for the lore of Esthia or the mechanics of the game, there’s a seat at the table for you. Let’s dive in.
Session 1: The Funeral
We begin in the sombre town of Willowhaven, a small village that sits astride the banks of the river Willow in the country of Daewan. Called here to attend the funeral of Farris Vane, the elder of the village for some twenty years, our characters each have a reason for being there.
Perhaps the easiest to explain is the elven ranger, Nugg’g. As a native to the village, he spent the years of his youth hunting in the forests with his friends and family. However, unbeknownst to our other heroes, he harbours a dark secret, and his return to the village holds more grief than just the death of the elder.
Another elf strolls through the marketplace, peeking in at the local wares. Her name is Freja, and she has recently come to town on the orders of her druid circle to investigate a mysterious disease that has begun infecting the local mushroom populations. So keen is her enthusiasm for all things plant-like and myconid, she even sports a tattoo of a cute chanterelle mushroom.
Also stomping around the markets is Dwoin, his dwarven axe emblazoned with the runes of his clan, clan Fireforge, strapped to his back. His clan have a long history of trading with Willowhaven, and Dwoin has come to pay their respects to Elder Vane.
Finally, Garz, Gnomeish Wizard and scholar of metallurgy, consults with Magister Fentwick, the local mage, on matters of the arcane. within the local mage tower.
The day of the funeral comes, and the body of Farris Vane is laid upon a great stone altar in the center of the village. The rain beats down as Magister Fentwick delivers his eulogy. Under Elder Vane these past twenty years, the village has thrived. He spoke of good times, the bountiful harvests, the expansion of the village, but also the bad times such as the death of Vane’s wife some five years ago, and the ever present threat of bandits.
Raising the flaming torch above his head, Fentwick made to free Vane’s soul from his body and send him to the afterlife, but before he could lower the torch, the sky grew dark. Not with clouds, but with the dark wings of a dragon. Its roar cut through the air as a tide of kobolds swept into the village causing destruction and mayhem. The people ran, and the heroes set about the invaders with blades, arrows, and spells. In the ensuing chaos, the party were called by Magister Fentwick, he gestured wildly, alerting them to where a group of the scaly black kobolds had broken their way into Elder Vane’s home. “Follow them!” he cried, and so they did, dispatching more of the foul lizards as they ran.
The elder’s home was dark. Garz, attuned to the arcane as he was, could sense a disturbing magic coming from beneath their feet. The room past the main entrance had been ransacked. Cupboards had been thrown open and their contents strewn about the room, but it was oddly quiet. Stalking inside the house as best they could in the company of a heavily armoured dwarf, the party found the rest of the property similarly ransacked, but also empty of kobolds. They delay outside had cost them a chance to stop the destructive lizards before the damage could be done. Following the uneasy feeling, Garz discovers a broken panel inside a cupboard, behind which lies an old stone stairway leading down into the cold earth.
Carefully folllwing the path, the group descend into the depths, the stone stairway soon giving way to a large underground room, at the centre of which sat an altar, currently surrounded by kobolds. Garz confirms that the altar is the source of the sickly feeling in the air, and the party waste no time in attacking the would-be burglars.
Through a combination of luck and extreme violence, the party obtain the item lying atop the altar. A totem made of a strange metal in the shape of a dragon. Garz and Dwoin quickly confirm that they are not familiar with the type of metal of which the totem is made, as a mighty roar from above sends dusts and small rocks falling from the ceiling. Determined, the party return to the surface.
The Elder’s home had been mostly demolished as they poked their heads through the basement door. The dragon. seeming to sense their arrival, landed its mighty bulk onto the creaking frame of the house. Nugg’g, in an apparent attempt to appease the beast, offered up the totem, raising it into the sky as Magister Fentwick staggered through what is left of the elder’s former home. Through the blood running down his face, he saw the totem and the dragon’s slavering maw getting closer. With obvious effort, he fired a burst of force at the dragon, causing it to temporarily abandon its perch. Wincing with effort, he approached the party. “Go.” he stated “Take that away from here and..” He is cut off by the dragon’s return, and its claws tearing apart the final remains of the house. He turned to the party, determination etched into his face as he raised his hands, casting a wild spell of teleportation, flinging the group away from the carnage.
When they opened their eyes, they were in a beautiful walled garden, surrounded by carefully cultured and vibrant plant life. As they looked round, they realised they were being watched by a man in a large sun hat and gardening gloves.
Miniature Spotlight – Nugg’g
All heroes of Esthia carry a story; some are told in tavern songs, others are buried beneath the roots.
Nugg’g is actually an older mini of mine and he really represents one of the first times I was super happy with how it turned out, particularly the cloak.
Technical Highlights:
- Layering & Glazing: I used a series of thin layers to build up the highlights on the cloak. It can often be difficult to transition smoothly between one shade and another, and I’ve learned since this mini that glazing can be a great way to achieve the effect relatively simply.
- Metallics: In this period of time I was still painting with metallic paints which give a very credible look as they have tiny flecks of metal suspended in the paint medium. More recently I have set myself the ridiculous challenge of painting non-metallic metal which you will definitely see in future highlights.
- The Narrative Detail: Every mini should tell a story, even if this is sublte. Thinking about where the character lives, what they do day to day, and their personality can really inform how you go about painting the miniature and the colours you select. For Nugg’g, I saw him as a hunter, but one in a more urban environment, hence the greys of his cloak and the tan of his tunic.
If you’d like to see more of my minis, you can find me on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky by hitting the buttons below!
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