Jade Regent (adventure path)
From PathfinderWiki
Jade Regent is the ninth campaign to grace the pages of the Pathfinder Adventure Path series, and is scheduled to run from August 2011 through January 2012.
The fate of a nation on the far side of the world falls into the heroes' hands—will they be equal to the task of restoring balance to an empire on the verge of collapse? The Jade Regent Adventure Path is a sweeping quest that takes the heroes from familiar territory in Varisia all the way across the ice fields of the Crown of the World to distant Tian Xia, the land of the Dragon Empires.
Chapters
When the Licktoad Goblins of Brinestump Marsh get hold of a crate of fireworks, adventurers are needed to handle the explosive and annoying situation. But in vanquishing the pyromaniac goblins, the heroes uncover a secret that had been hidden in the marsh for nearly a quarter of a century—a secret that sends them north to the mysterious ruins of Brinewall Castle, where a powerful legacy waits to be rediscovered. The fate of a nation on the far side of the world falls into the heroes' hands with the recovery of this legacy—will they be equal to the task of restoring balance to an empire on the verge of collapse?
With the discovery that Ameiko Kaijitsu is the last in the line of a family destined to rule in the Dragon Empire of Minkai, she and her friends join with a Varisian caravan and head north to the Linnorm Kingdoms, taking their first step on the long journey to Tian Xia. Arriving in the capital city of Kalsgard in order to hire a guide for the treacherous journey over the Crown of the World, the PCs learn that Ameiko's family passed through here years ago, but left behind a powerful sword that could hold further clues to their now-shared destiny. But the sword's been stolen and their would-be guide has gone missing—and attempts to find either quickly arouse the wrath of the mysterious assassins known as the Frozen Shadows.
The ancient sword Suishen recovered and their guide Ulf Gormundr rescued, the time has come to take the longest portion of the journey to Minkai—a voyage across the frozen Crown of the World at Golarion's north pole. Warned that attempting this continental crossing in the off-season could be dangerous, the travelers quickly find the situation is much worse, for the legendary blizzards of the northern continent seem to have a mind of their own. Hounded every step of the way by icy threats, arctic beasts, and the beasts' mistress—a powerful and mysterious antagonist—the PCs uncover a threat that could start a new ice age if left alone. Will attempting to halt the advance of the Hungry Storm spell the PCs' doom even before they reach Minkai?
The PCs arrive in Tian Xia only to learn what they had feared has come true: the empire of Minkai is controlled by a despotic ruler known as the Jade Regent. His agents lie in wait for the PCs and watch every road into the empire, but an unlikely friend shows the travelers a hidden route south into Minkai, revealing that the Jade Regent works for an ancient organization of evil spirits called the Five Storms. Before the PCs enter Minkai to attempt to save the empire, they must first explore the abandoned stronghold of the Five Storms deep within the mysterious Forest of Spirits. While many important secrets and useful tools to aid in the Jade Regent's defeat await discovery in this stronghold, the heroes soon learn that the place is not nearly as abandoned as they might like...
The PCs arrive in Minkai only to discover the empire is on its knees. The Jade Regent has twisted the ruling government to cater to his despotic whims, and throughout the realm, the people suffer. Before the PCs can attempt to stand against the Jade Regent and liberate Minkai, they must first earn the trust and respect of the ancient empire's people and recruit aid from throughout the beleaguered empire—all the while dodging the oni and ninja agents controlled by the Five Storms. Liberating monasteries ruled by oni, rescuing a famous geisha from a deadly island prison, defeating armies of bandits led by monsters, and standing tall before a corrupt daimyo's army of samurai are all in a day's work for the would-be liberators of the empire.
War has come to Minkai! As the resistance rises against the Jade Regent's tyranny, the PCs must escort their friend Ameiko to one final site—the Imperial Shrine on a hidden island in the capital's harbor. Here, Ameiko and the PCs must seek the blessing of Minkai's dead emperors if they hope to have a chance to liberate the nation, but even here the Five Storms and the Jade Regent have their influence, and hungry demons and ravenous ghosts must be defeated before the ancestor spirits of the empire will give their blessings. Only then can the PCs take the battle to the Imperial Palace and confront the Jade Regent and his allies in the Five Storms.
