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This product makes use of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary, and Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide. These rules can be found online as part of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document at paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd.
Open Content: The game mechanics of this game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d), found on page 88 of this magazine.
I really admire the dedication of the Paizofan community when it comes to volunteerprojects like Wayfinder, especially the people
who put the magazine together. In my job as adeveloper,Icreateoutlines,wranglefreelancewriters,piece together completed turnovers, and tuneup thecompletedmanuscript before it goes to the editors.Atypicalprojectmayhaveanywherefromtwotofiveauthors,andsomebookshave10ormore.
The wet branches and tangled undergrowthof Backar Forest slowed Ella as she ran,snaggingathermuddytabardandcatchingon
thecrossbowstrapped toherback.Herbreathcamein short, ragged gasps as she paused to free herself.Although the sharp briars pricked her fingers, sherippedfreeandpushedon,herheavystepschurningthe mud underfoot until she finally broke from thethicket.Ashowerofdislodgedrainfurthersoakedherhair,followingtheblondecurlswetlystucktoherfaceandbringingthetasteofherowntearstohermouth.Despite the rising fear in thepitofher stomach, thegirl’ssensesfeltsharperandmorealivethanever.Assheran,shecouldsmellthescentofpineonthedampbreeze, the earth and leaves of the forest floor, andeven thewet leather andmetal bucklesof the strapsholdingherarmorandweaponsinplace.Allastarkremindershestilllived.Andyet,behindher,shecouldalsohearthedelightoftheghoulspacingherovertherain,tirelesslyclosingin,readytofeedonherflesh,orworse—makeheroneoftheirown.
With that thought spurring her on, Ella sprinteddownalittle-usedgametrail,herhopesliftingasshemadefasterprogress.Thepathleddownward,towardsthe gorge and river, where she hoped to quicklycross despite the flood—anything to put an obstaclebetweenher and theundead.But shemisjudged thesteepdescentinthefadinglight.Herleftfootsuddenlyslipped on the angled hillside, shifting in a layer ofrain-slick pine needles that sent her crashing to theground.Hermomentumrapidlycarriedherdownthemuddyhill,burstingthroughthetreelineandovertheedgeofahighridgeoverlookingthefloodwatersoftheswollenNosamRiver,thirtyfeetbelow.
Still awash in the mudslide, Ella grabbed foranythingtoslowherfalldownthesharpembankment.Sheblindlylatchedontoathinsaplingtenfeetdown,butthegriptwistedhershoulderatanawkwardangleagainstthehardedgeofherbreastplate,bringingherto a painful, jarring stop. Something popped in her
shoulder,wrenchingananguishedcry fromher lips,audible even over the churningwater below.Alongwith the noise of her descent, it clearly alerted herpursuers. Ella could already hear them scrabblingdownthesamemuddyslope,butwithfarmorecautionthanshecouldhavespared.Hangingfromthetrunkofthesharply-benttree,shebracedherselfagainsttheembankmentandlookedupatthreesetsofferal,redeyesgleaming in thedark.The indrawnhissof theirlaughtermadesportofherpredicament,butoneoftheghoulsalreadypickeditswaydowntheslopetoreachher.
Lookingdown,Elladebatedifsheshouldletgoandtakeachanceonswimmingfortheotherside,butsheknewherarmorwouldweighherdown.And,tiredasshe'dbecome,she'donlydrowninthestrongcurrentastheriverclaimedher.Holdingonwithherinjuredarm,shereacheddowntofreethemacebeltedatherwaist, preparing todefendherself as the ghouldrewcloser.Shecouldalreadysmellitscarrionstinkdespitetheheavydownpour.Agrinofeagernessspreadacrossitsfacewhenitspiedherarmingherself,almostasiftheghoulrelishedherdefiance.Likeapackofwolvestheothers circledaround to theother side, loweringthemselves through the remaining saplings with anunearthlygracetheycouldneverhavemanagedwhenalive.
“Getaway!”Ellashouted,tryingtosummonenoughcourageand intensity tomake theghoulshesitateorbackoff.Buttheyweren'tsoeasilydissuaded.Oneofthemonsterspausedtognawthroughashorttreelimb,holdingitasamakeshiftweaponwhiletheothersdrewnear. Initially,Elladidn'tunderstandthe threatuntilthe first ghoul reached forher.She swunghermacetodrive itback,but theother thrust thesplayed treebranchtoblindandimpedeher.Ellabatteditasidejustintimetoseethethirdreachingforherwoundedarminanattempttopullherup.Heradrenalinesurgedassheswungagain,smashingthecreature'sclawagainsta rock with a satisfying crunch of bone. The ghoulgnasheditsteethinpainandpulledaway,itshatefuleyes promising amuchworse retributionwhen theyclaimedher.
“There is no escape, priestess.” The first ghoulhissedthewordsinthecommon-tongue.“We'llhaveourfillevenifyoufall.Watercan'tdrownus,sowedon't fear the river.We'll find your body nomatterwhereitlies.”Ellastaredbackattheghoul,afranticterror starting to take root as she grappledwith thecertaintyofherdeath.Shecouldn'tdeny theghoul's
words.Theywouldhaveheronewayoranother.Shelookeddownat the ragingwater again, imaginingadeathbydrowning tobepreferable to theclawsandteeth of such monsters. At least if they found herlifelessbody,she'dbebeyondcaring.
As she prepared to let go, a key-shaped pendantslipped free of her tunic and breastplate, suspendedfromagoldchainaroundherneck.Itgleamedwithapermanentradiance,providedonthedayshepassedherfinalritestobecomeafaithfulacolyteofAbadar.Theholysymbol inexorablydrewhereyes,mockingherfinalmoments.
“Pleasedon'tabandonme!Notnow…notlikethis...”she pleaded.But thewords soundedhollow even inherownears.Sheknewhersinlockedherawayfromhergod.Thejusticiarshadtoldherso.TheMasteroftheFirstVaultwouldneveragainhearherprayers.Itwasshewhohadabandonedhim,forsakinghervowsto steal from thechurch treasury.HisLawgiver sawherasnothingmorethanacommonthiefnow.Andifshewantedtochangethat,she’dhavetoundohercrime.
Theghouls leaned inagain.Shecouldsmell theirgrowingstinkastheyswayedbackandforth,perchedon bowed saplings like ever-patient vultures. Theywouldcomefrombothsidesnow.Shehadnowaytofightthemoff.
Then she heard the growl. Not from one of theghouls. But an animal growl, like that of a dog orwolf. She looked up in unisonwith her attackers atthe ridgeline. In the weak light, she made out thefigure of not only a large dog, but also aman.Hisbowthrummedandoneoftheghoulsjerkedundertheimpactofanarrowburied in itschestall thewaytotheblackfletching.Thebeastlostitsgriponthetreeandplummetedintotheriver.Seizingtheopportunity,Ellapushedofffromthebank,usingherownbowedsaplingtoswingherselfintoanotherofhertormentors.Theghoulneversawhercoming.Shelashedoutwithbothfeet,connectingsolidlywithitsmidsection.Themonster held on, but the added force ofElla’s blowuprooted its small tree. The sapling tore away fromtheerodedhillside,dumpingtheghoul intotheriverbeforeitcoulddragheralong.
Withasnarl,thelastoftheghouls...theonewho’dspoken...beganscramblinguptheslopeinanattemptto reach the newcomer. The man’s dog positioneditselftointerceptthemonster,delayingtheghoullongenoughuntilanotherarrowfounditsmark.Itwasn’t
a killing shot, but the ghoul recognized it couldn’toverpower the rescuers in time.With a gleam in itseye,itturnedinsteadforEllaagain,launchingitselftotakethembothintotheriver.ButEllasawitcoming.Shepushedoff again, swingingher tree in theotherdirection.Theghoulsailedpast,reachingouttomarkhercheekwithadirtyclawbeforedisappearing intotheflood.Thescratchstungandbegantoburn,makinghermusclesgorigidandlockinplace.Theparalysistightenedherwoundedarm’sgriponthesapling.But,muchliketheghoulshe’dattacked,hertreestartedtouprootfromherabuse,loweringevenfurthertowardstheriver.Sheheardthemancalloutabove,probablyurgingher toclimbhigherorswitch toanother tree.Butshehadnowaytorespond.Thesaplingpulledfreeandshedroppedintotheroaringdark.
***
Ellafeltthewarmthofthefirebeforesheopenedhereyes.Itsradiatingheatseepedintohertiredmuscles,encouragingher to lie stillwhile it driedherout forwhatseemedlikethefirsttimeindays.Thedogalerteditsmasterwhen she finally sat up. She looked fromitsbaredteethtothelatticeframeworkofpineboughsarching overhead, awell-made lean-to situated on aforestedhillside.Thecrudestructureshieldedthefire
and her borrowed bedroll from the continuing rain,leavingher,thedog,andamoderatepileoffirewoodasdryasthecurrentcircumstanceswouldallow.
Outside,herrescuerapproachedthroughtherain.Heworea leather jorpaoverhisarmor,anunusual,single-piece garment treated to ward off the rain,providingahoodfortheheadandlace-ableopeningsalong the sides to keep the arms free.Ella had seensuch coats exported bymerchants from the SoddenLands,butneverexpectedtoseeoneintheforestsofMolthune.Ofcourse,giventhenear-steadyrainofthepastfewweeks,itseemedfarmorepracticalthanhertabard,whichshesuddenlyrealizedhadgonemissingalongwithherarmorandclothes.
“You took my things?” The accusation soundedworse than intended, but she drew the borrowedbedrollcloseranyway.
Shenoticedhisearswhenhedrewbackthehood.Ahalf-elf.Andamoderatelyhandsomeoneatthat.Inhappiertimes,shemighthaveadmiredhisblueeyes,close-trimmedbeard,andhard-setjaw.“I’mElla.EllaSerramin of Canorate,” she replied, “Do you knowwhathappened?”
“They aren’t just ghouls. They werebanditsonce.Iknewthem,buttheyhaveno memory of it now. A man namedMever used to lead them. Still does, Isuspect.He’swantedforthetheftofseveralplatesfromthechurchtreasurythreeyearsago.Each one’s made of gold and carved with thestoriesofhumancivilizationasfarbackastheAgeofEnthronement.They’repriceless.”
“Well,Iwon’tfaultyouforthat.”Ziekereachedouttoscratchthedogbehinditsears.“Folksusuallyconcern themselves more with the fey out here,
but those ghouls have causedmore than their shareof problems, too.Me andRue here started trackingthemaftertheykilledabunchofhomesteadersinthefoothillsamonthago.Gruesomestuff.Ateeverylastoneofthepoorsouls.Slowly,too.Keptthempennedup in the rootcellar, taking themonebyone,andapieceatatime,fromwhatIcouldtell...”
“Thatbigonealmostcarriedyouwithhim.Knockedyour tree loose. You fell another ten feet. Then hityourheadonsomeexposedrockandgottangledupinapatchofbriars.Ihadahellofatimegettingyououtofthere.”
“Happytohelp.”Ziekesatupstraight.“ImaynotbeaworshiperofAbadar,butI followtheteachingsofErastil.And there’s a fair amount of cooperationbetween OldDeadeye and the City-Dweller. Seemslikewehavethesamequarry,too.Youknowwhere
theseghoulsmaketheirlair,Itakeit?”
“Ido.”
“Good.Let’sputyouback together.Then, Rue and I’ll tag along tomakesure you don’t get in over your headagain.” He offered the last statementwithawinkmeanttoencourageher,butEllaonlyfeltnumb.
Ellalookedbackathim,afraidhemayhavereadmoreintohersituationthansherealized.Butheheldagolden-headedcrossbowbolt inhishand.Sheimmediatelyrecognizeditfromhergear. The tip bore distinctive runes denotingAbadar’sjustice.
“Itismychosendutyandassignedtask.”Theanswersoundedgood.Itwastherightthingtosay.Itseemedto satisfyhim, andEllawas glad shedidn’t have toexplaintheotherreasonshecarriedit.Because,ifshefailed tokillMeverand reclaim the temple treasure,shemeanttousethedeadboltonherself—firedfromherowncrossbowinonelastactofpenance.
***
They broke camp two days later, after Ella fullyrecovered.ShecouldtellZiekedidn’tbuyherinabilitytohealherself.Everyoneknew,afterall,thatAbadar’sclergyheldsomemeasureofpowertocuretheillandmend the wounded. Most carried a certain stigmafor charging the commonfolk for such boons. Ellalied again, telling Zieke she’d prayed for guidanceinstead, focusing on ensuring their success againstMever rather than wasting such power on healingherself. He accepted the explanation with the samestoicexpressionaseverythingelsesheshared,butheseemedmoredistantnow.Lesstrusting.Shecouldn’tblamehim.Shewould’vefeltthesameiftheirpositionswerereversed.
AtleastRuelikedhernow.And,truthfully,thedoghadliftedherspiritsoverthepasttwodays,remindingherofthepupherfamilyraisedbeforemovingtothecity.Hehadanosefortracking,too,anamazingfeatgiven the amount of rain and washed-out sign. Buttheydidn’tneedRuetofindMever.Ellahadseenhishideoutbefore,runningtohimrightafterrobbingthechurch.Thatwaswhenhe’dcastherout,turningonherassoonas thegoldplatespassed intohishands.Mever had promised they’d sell them and use themoney to leave Molthune, to travel the world andcelebratetheirlove.Howyoungandnaïveshe’dbeen.Howstupid.Henevercaredforher.
“Isthatit?”ZiekepointedatacopsewhileRuesniffedthetrailahead.Lightninghadlongagosplitthehillside’soldest tree,amarkerMeverhadused to identify thecaveshismenusedaftereachraid.Themainopeninglayaboutfiftyyardsdowntheslope,facingawayfromthemsotheycouldn’tseeitunlesstheywalkedstraightdown.They’d purposefully chosen to get upwindofthecaveonahigherelevation.Thatway,iftheghouls
cameout,they’dhave to turnaround andcome back upthe hill to reachthem.Hopefully,that would slowthem downenough to pickoff a few beforethey closed thedistance.
“Yeah.That’sthe one.” Ellaunstrapped hercrossbow andloaded it with aquarrel dippedin holy water.She saved thedeadbolt forlater. Meverwould haveplenty of gangmembers left.And he neverfailed to letothers take risksbefore exposinghimself.
Dear Ask a ShoantiMy big day is coming up! Wedding bells are in the air. Would you recommend I go with the vest or the cummerbund?
Sincere Regards,Dances with Tuxes
dear danCes wiTh Tuxes
The key for you is to remember that the vest uses up the chest slot while the cummerbund occupies the belt slot. Therefore, if you are already going to be sporting a belt of giant strength (+6) on your wedding day, a patterned vest will make a nice compliment – but stay away from anything too flashy. Conversely, if you are more traditional and will be bringing your mantle of spell resistance, then I’d like to see you pair that with a classic cummerbund, black folds and all. Congratulations on your big day.
Itdidn’ttakelong.Thewindshifted,bringingwithitmoreclouds,butthankfullyonlyalightmiststartedfalling.Thebreezecarriedthedeer’sfreshscentintotheravineandpastthecave.Twofiguressoonemerged,hunched and bent, shuffling in that same awful gaitElla recognized from her flight through the forest.They hissed and warily started up the hill, clearlyinterestedinthefreshkillleftforthem.Buttheywerefarfrommindless.Theycouldsenseatrapandlookedbeyond the corpse at the surrounding forest, curiouswhowoulddareleavesuchagiftontheirdoorstep.
Ella’s jaw tightened as she kept the leader in hersights. They had agreed to always target the closestuntiltheykilledeachone.Whilethefirstkeptcoming,itspartnerstaredupatthetreeasifhesitatingtoclimborcalltheotherstofeed.Cautionwonovergreedandit barked out a guttural chatter of syllables to alerttherestofMever’screw.Fourmoreghoulsemerged,sniffingattheair.
Sixnow.
Ella didn’t like the odds. She took her eyes offthe leader toglanceatZieke,but thehalf-elfseemedresolute, still staring at his target. She renewed heraimaswell,herheartbeating faster.The leadghoulcoveredanothertwentyyardsintheirdirectionwhiletheothersmilledaroundthetree,examiningtheropeandpreparingtocutit.
“Ready...”Ziekewhispered,“Three...two...one...”
His counting helped steady her nerves like theenumerations recited by her fellow-priests in thetreasury.Theyfiredinunisonandbothshotsflewtrue.Thesharpimpactsliftedtheghouloffitsfeet,killingitbeforeitevenreachedthegroundagain.
A shriek of outrage came from the others andthe pack scattered, taking cover among the trees.Ella worked to quickly wind her crossbow’s winch,fumblingwithshakyhandstoplaceanotherboltinthetiller.SheheardZiekefireagainandlookeduptoseeoneoftheghoulschargingtheirposition,weavinginanefforttothrowofftheiraim.Zieke’sarrowpiercedits leg,slowing itdown,but itkept limpingforward.Ella snapped her crossbow back into position andfired.Toohasty.Theboltsailedwideandskitteredoffatreetrunk.
“Take your time,” Zieke encouraged, nockinganother arrow. He fired again and staggered theghoulthistimewithadirecthittothechest.Butstillitcrawledforward,angrilygnashingitsteethwithits
eagernesstoreachthem.
The other ghouls must have finally sensed theyhad greater numbers, for they burst from the copseinasuddenrush.BeforeEllacouldreloadagain,thecrawler disappeared into the undergrowth ahead ofthem. She heard Rue rip into it, savagely thrashingthrough the fallen leaves. She raised her crossbowagain, sighting more carefully this time. AnotherarrowfromZiekeimpactedontheleadrunnerandsheadjustedas it righteditself tokeepmoving.Hershotpunchedstraightthroughitsskull,bowlingitoverinalifelesssprawlonthemuddyslope.
Realizingshewouldn’tgetoffanothershotbeforetheyreachedher,Ellacastasidethecrossbow,pickingup her shield and readying hermace instead. Ziekekeptfiring,woundinganotherasshesteppedforwardtomeetthem.Thefirstghoulbodilycrashedintoher,heldbackbyhershieldandthebetterleverageofthehigh-ground.Itsclawsattemptedtoscrabblepasttheedgeofherdefense,butEllapushedbackandswunganoverhandblow,bruising thecrownof itshead. Itdropped to the ground like a stone andRuequicklyrushedpasttoholditdown.Sheturnedherattentionto the next one, but it danced out of reach, circlingaround so its partner couldhaveher back.Even so,shekeptontheoffensivewithseveralshortblowsonthecraftystrategist,leavingtheothertoZieke.Behindher, the half-elf fired again and again with wickedprecision,untilshehearditdrop.Thelastonedidn’tstandachance.Shebasheditwithhershieldtothrowitoffbalanceandthentookittothegroundwithawell-placed strike for its knee.Onemore bone-shatteringcrunchendeditsstruggleandsheroseuptocatchherbreath. Distant thunder rumbled overhead and therainpickedup,pingingsharplyoffherbreastplateandshield.
HereyeswidenedassherecognizedMever’svoice.Another ghoul stood by the cave, bigger and moremonstrousthantherest.Itcarriedthegoldentreasuryplates under its arm, and she could make out herlover’sfeaturesbeneaththegreenishcastofhislong-deadflesh.Sharpfangsandalongtonguehungfromhismouth, his hair and beard hanging scraggly anddarkintherapidlypouringrain.
“Ialways saidyou’dcomeback.Ordie trying...”Meverlaughedatthestunnedexpressiononherface.“You thought I’d forgetmy old lifewhen I became
likethis?Theothersdid,Ella.Butnotme.I’llalwaysremember you. I remember everything. You reallyshouldbeoneofus,youknow?Youdeserveit,afterall.Youshouldshareourpunishmentandguardwhatwestoletogether.Comeletmetasteyouandyoucanbemineagain...justlikeoldtimes.”
Ella retrieved thedeadbolt from the quiver at herbelt.“Howaboutyoutastethisinstead?”
Ella lookedbackathercrossbow,still several feetaway.Shehadn’tevenwoundthewinchyet.“Shoothim!”sheshoutedtoZieke,scramblingupthehillsideinahurrieddash.Thehalf-elffiredhisbow,butMeverraisedagoldenplatetodeflectit.
“Once I’m done with this one, we’ll play Ella,”Mever called, charging up the hill and closing thedistancemuchfasterthantheothershad.
“Rue!”Ziekecalledoutandthebigdoglauncheditself to intercept him. Before it reached the ghoul,however, Mever threw one of the plates, hurling ittowards the dog’s master. The heavy disc smackedZieke in the forehead, knocking him to the groundinadaze.Withagrowl,Rue leaped forward,bitingMever’s forearm, but the ghoul sunk his own teeththrough thedog’sheavycoat, shaking itoffuntilhecouldbodilylift theanimalandhurl it intoanearbydeadfall.Ruelandedawkwardlywithastartledyelp,impaledonthetree’sbrokenbranches.
Thepriestessfinallydrewthepininplace,fumblingwiththedeadboltasMeverleaptforher.Heextendedhis arm just as she seated the gold-tipped quarrel.And,beforeshecouldfire,heknockedthecrossbowaside.Thedeadboltfelloutandherweapontriggeredharmlesslyas ithit theground.Withhisotherclaw,MevergrabbedElla’sbreastplateandshovedherhardagainstthetree.Rainstreameddownboththeirfacesashetoweredoverher.
“Ididn’tknowaboutthecurse!Youbroughtitonyourselfwhenyouseducedmeintostealingfrommyownfaith.”ShesmashedherforeheadagainstMever’sfaceandshovedhimaway.Theybothcollapsedonthemuddygroundandshedesperatelycrawledaway.ThegleamofthedeadboltcaughthereyeandshereachedforitjustasMeverlatchedontoherankle.Hisclawsdugdeep,drawinganagonizedcryfromherlips.Hermuscles started tightening again, but this time shefoughtitoff.
“You know the problemwith the living?”Meversnarledashepulledhimselfatopher,“Alwaysthinkingyoucangoonsurviving.Undeathisfarmoresatisfyingandcarefree.I’llbehappytoshowyou.”
Ella rolled over beneath him. “You know theproblem with the undead? They never know whentodie!”Shejammedthedeadboltbetweenhisfangs,skeweringhistongueanddrivingitdeep.Theweapon’srunes triggered in a wash of golden light, blazingoutwardandspreadingintocracksofradianceacrossMever’sghastlyface.Whenitfaded,Ellapushedhischarredremainsasideandkickedfreeofhisembrace.
***
“What happened?” Zieke opened his eyes andreachedfortheknotonhishead.
Need More Fan Fiction?“Rain of Redemption” was the winner of the Pathfinder Chronicler 2010 contest - go to http://www.pathfinderchronicler.net to read the other entries and receive critiques and feedback from fellow fan fiction writers!
My new bodyguard entered my employ undera cloud. Since the adumbration of his characteroriginated from the headquarters of Order of theScourge,Iweighed itswarningagainst thevalueofa favor tomy cousin Ersilia. She pledged to placemeforemostinherprayersshouldIoffertheformerHellknightanopportunitytoredeemhisreputation.AsmycousinisfamedthroughoutCheliaxasmuchforher influence in theCourt ofThruneas forherpersonalcharms,Iwaspowerlesstorefuse.
The first harbinger of discord occurred duringourpassage fromEgorian.Whilstwepassengersofnoble birth enjoyed a late supper of roast pheasantat the captain’s table, a supremely vulgar songeruptedbelowdecks.Theensigndepartedthecabinto investigate the disturbance. Moments later, thesameslurringvoicethathadregaleduswithexcerptsof the amorous adventures of the TrickAlley Triobellowedcurses,threats,andfinallypleasasthematesclappedthesingerinirons.MyappetiteperishedasIrecognizedthevoiceasthatofmynewservant.
Four of the ship’s mates bore the proof of myman’sviolenceupontheirfaces.Themalefactorhadalreadyfallen intoanunshakeableslumberdue lessto his own injuries than to the copious amount ofgroghehadconsumed.AbriefinvestigationrevealedthathehadbeguntheeveningwithDesna’skissuponhisbrow,forhehadablazingstreakofluckinagameofcrabsbelowdecks.Havingwonthegrogrationofeveryoff-duty sailor for theevening,he steppedonthe hem of CaydenCailean’s cloak and proceededtomockhisconquered foesbydrinking itallwhileregaling themwithhis favoritebrothelditty.Whenthe sober crewmen implored him to constrain hisvolume,herespondedwithfisticuffs.
The knave presented a grotesque figure as heemergedfromthebriginamiasmaofcheapalcoholandbodyodor.Ishieldedmynosewithahandkerchiefmycousinhadgrantedmeasasignofherfavor.Herdelicate perfume succumbed to the assault of thedrunkard’sstench.Asmileflickeredoverhismouthashewitnessedmyreaction,butitvanishedwhenherecognizedthehandkerchief.
At that point I fully understood my cousin’sinterestintheman.
I returned theman’s scowluntilhe relentedandcasthiseyestothedeck.“ItrustIneednotarticulatemydispleasure,Remigo.”
“No,sir.”
The hairs on my neck became needles. “Do Iresembleaknightofyouracquaintance?”
“No,YourExcellency.”
I withdrew for fresh air above decks. Remigo’sconduct was sullen until we reached Westcrown,where we disembarked to await passage to ElederunderSargavancolors, lestweattracttherapaciouseyesoftheso-calledFreeCaptainswho,emboldenedby their victory at Desperation Bay, continued topreyonloneChelaxianvessels.Inhindsight,Ishouldhave been wise to delay my departure and seek areplacementformybodyguard,butIwasanxioustobeginwhatpromisedtobemyfinalexpeditionasamemberofthePathfinderrankandfile.OnceIhadcompletedmyBestiaryofGarundi,theDecemviratewould surely offerme the reward for which I hadlonged since first joining the Society: my venture-captaincy.
***
Ofthemarvelswitnessedduringthevoyagealongthewestern coast ofGarund, I have expounded atlengthelsewhere.WedisembarkedatEleder,whichresembledahalf-completedChelaxiancity.Sincemypreviousvisittwoyearsearlier,theproportionoffair-skinned inhabitants had risen to nearly one-fifth ofthecrowdgatheredbythedocks.Icounteddozensofhalflingportersandseveraldwarves.Therewasevenapairofelvesawaitingourvessel,oneofthematall,pale figurewith eyes the color of amethysts. For amomentIimaginedhimtobethespecterofthefatherIhadnevermet.
“IamAmadi,Excellency.”Hisbowwasperfect,although it revealedwicked scars upon the backofhis shoulders. He wore an unbuttoned Chelaxianwaistcoatandshorttrouserscinchedwithalengthofsisal.Hehadacanvasbagslungoverhis shoulder.“Youresteemedcolleaguebademeawaityourarrivaland offer my service as a guide to Kalabuto.” Heprofferedasealedletter.
IopenedittofindashortnoteofrecommendationfromtheexplorerRoskHargun,afellowPathfinderwhoseacquaintanceIhadmadeduringmypreviousvisittoSargava.Ourassociationhadbeencollegial,but I had no expectation of such a favor from thedwarf.
Amadi’sradiantsmileindicatedthathewaspleasedtobeasked.Heunfurledtheparchmentandrevealedasketchdepictingme.Itwasanextraordinarylikeness,and my first impulse was to imagine that HargunhadcommissioneditsothatAmadicouldrecognizeme. Yet behind my image was an equally strikingdepictionofRemigo.
“No, Excellency.” He smiled again, obviouslyapprehendingthetrajectoryofmyinquiry.
“Howlongdidthistake?”
“Sinceyouleftyourship.”
Wehad been on the stone docks for only a fewminutes.Amadi’scombinationofspeedandaccuracywas a rare gift, one that I could fruitfully apply tomyBestiary.IunderstoodwhyRoskHargunwouldrecommendthelad.
We remained in Eleder long enough for the localventure-captaintoensureBaronGrallusthatmyvisitwaswhollydivorcedfromanyintrigueoftheHouseofThrune,towhomallloyallordsofCheliaxhadswornobedience.Ifthebaronhadreceivedanyintelligenceonmyserviceduring thewar, itwas insufficient tocompelhimtodetainmefrommypersonalventures.
Remigocomplainedconstantlyduringourpassageupriver. He hated the temperature, the humidity,andmostofall themosquitoes.Onthefinalcount,my sympathywas limited, since the sickly odor ofmupute on his breath only attracted the vermin. Ifhe imaginedIcouldnotsmell thepineapple liquor,he was more stupid than I had imagined. In pastexpeditions I too had endured the depredations ofthepests,whoseemedparticularlyfondofmyhalf-elven blood.At last I had relented and applied thenoisomeunguentthenativesusedtodetertheinsects.Amadihadofferedhimthebalm,butRemigorefusedto acknowledge the lad, much less to contaminatehimselfwithanativeconcoction.
AtlastwenavigatedtheLakeofLostArmiesandturnednorthwardtoKalabuto,anoasisofcivilizationupon a mound of ancient ruins. While the city isnamedforthemostpopulouslocaltribe,theKalabutawere not its founders. Rather, the tangled moundamongthepineapplefields,dateorchards,andcattleranches is all that remains of a long-forgotten tribewhosemysterieslingerineverycrumblingmonumentprotruding between the contemporary huts. Therewas no telling where a marketplace ends and thehomes began, but there was also nomistaking thegrandpavilionofPrinceKasiya.Itssilkententsand
golden-helmedguardians appeared like amirageofdistantOsirion.
The prince was no older than I, although as ahuman he appeared a good fifteen yearsmy elder.The illusion of chronological seniority served as areminderthatthePrincewasmysuperioroutsidetheSociety.Hewas the sixth son of the greatKhemetandbrothertothecurrentruler,KhemetII,knownbytheluridappellationof“theCrocodileKing.”KasiyagreetedmewithafraternalgripofmyhandbeforeIcouldbendknee.
“Your highness.” I glanced back to ensure thatAmadi had knelt and to remind Remigo that heshoulddothesame.
Inwhatseemedbutafewmoments,theservantswere dismissed andwe reclined upon embroideredpillows, replete with a sumptuous meal of localfarepreparedwith the subtlestOsirian spices.Onlywhen thesorbetarrivedand the lastof theservantswithdrewdidtheprinceinquireastotheparticularsof my expedition. I shared with him as much asoneusually does,which is to say Iwashonest butindistinctaboutmyintendedcourse.Iwouldindeedtravel beyond the Laughing Jungle, but he did notneedtoknowexactlywhere.
“There is no doubt yourworkwill persuade theDecemvirateyouareadeservingventure-captain.”
His unwavering gaze told me he was awaitinga reaction from me, but I could not fathom whatsecrethehopedIwouldreveal.IknewthenthathetooharboredambitionsforadvancementwithinthePathfinderSociety.Unfortunately,suchadvancementwas limited, and as all evidence suggested that theDecemviratemade their selections of new venture-captainsbasedonmeritratherthanstation,Ifavoredmychancesoverhis.
“Your Highness, it is incomplete,” I demurred.“Uponitspublication,Ishallbehonoredtosendyouacopy.”
Themomenttheprince’slipsmoved,yetbeforehecouldspeak,awomanshrieked fromthe farcornerofhispavilion.Theprincecomposedhisfaceasweheard the clamor of his guards’ armor. Shouts ofaccusation, a familiar voice raised in protest, andtheminutescrawleduponmythroatlikeadisease.IknewwhatIwouldseeevenbeforetheguardsenteredtheprince’stentandforcedRemigotohisknees.Themupute from his breathwas almost visible. BesidehimkneltAmadi.
I loweredmyspyglassandcomparedwhatIhadseen through the mist with Amadi’s sketch of thedinosaurs.Hisillustrationswereastonishingforboththeir simplicity and their accuracy. At first glance,the dinosaurs we observed from our treetop postappeared identical to the brachiosaurus.Theywereslightly smaller, perhaps no more than twenty-fivetons. Theirmost distinguishing featurewas a largegill-likeorganjustbelowtheangularjawsoftheheadsofthefemales.
Provingthatthesecreatureswereaspeciesdistinctfrom the brachiosaurus would be a commendableadditiontomyBestiary,but todeduce the functionofthissingularfeaturewouldsurelyimpressupontheDecemviratethevalueofmystudies.
“Weneedacloserlook,”Isaid.
“No, Excellency, I beg you not to approach,”saidAmadi.“It is toodangerousduringthematingseason.Youmustlistthesecreaturesas‘dangerous’inyourBestiary.”
The simple classification of creatures into the‘dangerous’ and ‘docile’ categories had charmedAmadi. During our trek from Kalabuto, hehad pointed out various wildlife along the way,
categorizing them himself. He pronounced a bandoftinylemurs‘docile,’butthendeclaredafamilyofsimilarly tinymonkeys ‘dangerous.’ Before I coulddemand an explanation, Remigo threw a stoneamongthemonkeysandsufferedabarrageof fecesinretaliation.Undercoverofhiscurses,IwhisperedtoAmadi,“Definitely‘dangerous.’”Amadilaughed.
Much as I had grown impatient in our arborealperch,IhadtoacknowledgethewisdomofAmadi’swarningaboutthedinosaurs.Itwastemptingtosendsome of the bearers for a closer look, but they toowerewaryofapproaching thebeasts. IwouldhavesentRemigo,butthevillainhadslippedawayafewnightsearlier.
Remigo’sdesertionwas surprisingonly in that ithadoccurredsolongafterIhadrelentedtotheman’spleastoremaininserviceratherthantoreturnalonetoCheliax.Ihadexpectedhimtoaccepthisdismissalwith relief after the indignity of his punishment,although it couldnot have been too severe judgingfromhisunhinderedgait.Instead,Remigosurprisedmewith an apology so abject that I couldnot findit inmyheart torefusehim—orrather, Icouldnotbringmyself to disappointmy cousinErsilia.Withreticence, Iallowedhimto remain in serviceunderafewabsolutestrictures,foremostofwhichwasthatthere would be no mupute or any other alcoholicdrinkamongoursupplies.
TheabsenceofhisbelovedliquorworeonRemigoas the days slogging through the humid Mwangijungle elongated into weeks under the increasingtorrentof therainyseason.Attimestherainfellsohard that it splashedupatusasviolentlyas ithaddescended,andeventhenativebearersgulpedinanatmospherethickerthanalakebottom.
By the time our party reached the observationpost that theTaldanPathfinderVorsNevarionhadconstructed nearly thirty years earlier, we tumbledintothebarrentoolhutatthebaseofagreatrahurutreeandcollapsedbeneathitsshabbyroof.Westirredas the susurrus of the rain subsided, and I set thebearerstoworkconveyingsuppliestotheupperlevel.Theyignoredtherottingropeladderandclamberedup hand- and footholds I could barely perceive inthegleamingbrownandgreenbark.Whenat lastIturned to giveRemigo his orders, hewas nowheretobefound.Thebriefsilencesurrenderedtoarisingcacophonyofhootsandshrieksfromthemonkeysfor
whichtheScreamingJungleearneditsname.
Amadi reported seeing Remigo step outside thehutduringtherainandassumeditwastoemptyhisbowels.TheformerHellknightdidnotappearbeforedusk,when I sent thebearersoutwith torches.Anhour after dark, the men returned with the rain,havingfoundRemigo’stracksleadingbackthewaywehadcome.
Remigo’sabsencewasasmucharelieftothemenas it was to me, but kind-hearted Amadi wishedvocallythatthemanwouldfindhiswaybackhome.I wished the same, although with somewhat lessenthusiasm.TherewasnotellingwhatfalsehoodshewouldrelaytomycousinErsiliaabouttheconditionsunderwhichheleftmyservice.
Once we had repaired the observing post, Iestablishedadailyroutineforourcamp.Themenwereexperiencedat journeysto theMwangi interiorandneededlittledirectiontoestablishrainpotsforfreshwater.Afterrepairingthelowerhut,theropeladder,andtheobservationplatform,theysetthemselvestogatheringandhuntingtosupplementtheprovisionswebroughtfromKalabuto,whileAmadiandIbeganour surveyof the southernplainsbetween theedgeoftheforestandthesoutherntributaryofthelowerKorirRiver.
Through the veil of rain we could discern theshadowsofthecolossiinthedistance.Onmistydayswesawtheirserpentineneckscraninguppasttheriverbushwillowstoteartheleavesfromthemiddleboughsoftheloftybaobabs,whoseleavestheyfavored.Theymovedwithelephantinegrandeur.Malesandfemalesalikegreetedeachotherbynuzzlingnecks,towhichIcouldobservenoreactionfromtheunusualgill-likeorgansonthefemales.
I foundmyself ambushedbyayawnandcaughtAmadi’samusedgrinbeforeheturnedaway,waryofmydispleasure.Iletoutthenextonewitharoarandabroadstretchofmyarms,crassasaporter.Atthathe laughed,andI felt the firstmomentof joysinceRemigo’sdeparture.
“WakemewhenGozreh answers your prayer,”Isaidbeforewithdrawingto therelativecomfortof
There was but one reason I could imagine forKasiya’s arrival, especially if he were guided byRemigo. He wanted the Bestiary for himself. Ihastened to the table containing my journal andAmadi’ssketches.Therewasnoplacetohidethem,nordidwehaveanyavenueofescapefromourtree-topshelter.Theplatformtrembledundertheweightofmenclimbingtherestoredropeladder.
I could have tornmy journal to shreds, or lit itonfireifIdared,butIcouldnotbeartodestroymylife’swork even to spite a thiefwhowouldpresentit ashis own.Awicked thought emerged frommyimagination.Itookapaperknifeandliftedthelabelsfrom the dinosaur sketches, reversing them. Thepastewasstillmoist,andIcompletedthetaskjustasRemigoroseupfromthetrapdooropening.
“I’ll have those, Jeggare,” he growled. I steppedaway,wishingbrieflythatIhadtakenupmyswordinstead of the knife. Remigo followed my fleetingglanceandputhimselfbetweenmeandmybladeasKasiya followedhimup onto the platform.Behindhimcametwoofhisarmoredguards.
A long smile creasedhis eel-like jaws.Hebeganto speak, but somethingheldhimback.His cheeksdarkened,andIrealizedhewasblushing.
“Youwouldhavelethimflogme,”saidRemigo.Hatred colored his face, and I needed no furtherexplication of events. Remigo had traded hispunishmentforbetrayingmylocation.
“Forgive me, Count Jeggare.” Prince Kasiya’svoice rangwith sincerity. “Perhaps one day,whenyouhaveforgiventhisoffense,youwillallowmetodemonstratemygratitude.”
“Let me demonstrate mine first,” said Remigo.He jerkedmetowardtheedgeof theplatform.ThegroundwassofarbelowusthatIcouldnotmakeitoutthroughthemist.
“Releasehim,”orderedKasiya.
Remigo scoffed, but he sobered as he saw thedeadlyearnestintheprince’seyes.
“Youareatreacherousdog.Yourhandsareunfitto sully a noble person,” said Kasiya. “Await usbelow.”
Remigo glowered at me before descending theropeladder.
“I must delay your pursuit.” Kasiya whistled acommand, and one of his guards boundme to theguard rail.Theotherplaced foodandwaterwithinreach of my hands. “Once we have captured aspecimenandhaveagoodlead,Ishallsendaservanttoreleaseyou.”
“Very cunning,” said Kasiya. His expressiondarkened again, but not in shame this time. “Andmost wicked.” He stepped toward me and kickedthefoodandwaterovertheedgeoftheplatform.“Isuddenlyfindthatmygratitudeforyourlaborsknowsbounds.”
Withthattheyabandonedme.
My initial efforts to wriggle out of my bondssuggested that Iwould sooner starve to death thanescape them.Thatwas of course assuming that nopredatoryvisitorsfoundmefirst.TheprospectofbeingdevouredalivetemptedmetoimploreAsmodeusforvengeanceuponmybetrayers,butIwouldnotbreakthe vow I had made to my late mother. Instead IprayedtoDesnaforsomefantasticstrokeoffortune.
reasonchosena female. Iwatched inastonishmentasKasiyacommandshismentodabtheirspearsinsomedarktoxin.Remigowasamongthem,holdinghis own spear cautiously away fromhis body as ifwhatever they had told him about the poison wasmore frightening than the dinosaur who becamerestlessattheirapproach.
As the men raised their spears, the dinosaurtrumpetedheralarm.The“gills”uponherneckflaredintothick,tumescentrillsofbrilliantcolor.Fromthemradiatedadeep,barelydiscernablesound.Itseffectsweremorevisible thanaudible, for thesurroundingtrees shuddered and shed their foliage. A momentlater,Ifeltahorrificscrapealongmyteethandinmysinus cavities.The soldier’s spears bent andmeltedunderthesonicwave.Thebodiesofthemenleapedfromtheground,theirlimbsjerkinginvoluntarilyintoahundredunnaturalposturesastheirbonesshatteredandtheirorgansburst.
Behindme,Amadi panted as he returned to theobservation post.Hemust have slipped away evenbefore the ill-fated party approached their prey.He released a breathless torrent of apologies as hereleasedme frommy bonds, but I already guessedwhyhehaddoneashedid.
“You altered the drawings before I switched thelabels.”
Amadigrimaced.Itwasasbeautifulashissmile,butmore sad.Despite the treachery ofKasiya andRemigo,hemournedtheirdeaths.
Amadi remained with me all the way back toKalabuto,andthentoEleder.Hischeerfuldispositionhadbeendiminishedbythehorrorswehadwitnessed,butstillIfeltabondofaffectionhadgrownbetweenus.ThedaybeforeIembarkeduponthevoyagehome,Iofferedhimaplaceinmyhousehold.
“You would make an excellent secretary,” Itoldhim,meaning it. “Iwill sendyou to the finestschools.”
“Whatever for? Among the Sargavan colonists,you will never be treated better than a slave, andoutsidethecities,thereisnothingbutdanger.”
Amadi offered me a wan smile. “I have metmanyofyourpeoplebefore,”hesaid.“Eveninyourhomeland,andinthatoftheprince,Iwouldclassifymostofthemas‘dangerous.’”
Itwasimpossibletoarguewiththat.Disappointmentwrestled with admiration in my heart. “Farewell,Amadi.”
Originating from the city of Oregent inAndoran, the Arcane Archaeologistsexplore the unknown, risking their lives
in the name of discovery. Individually theyare interested in anthropology, cryptozoology,history,andtechnology.Asagroup,theystriveto advance the mystic arts for the bettermentofall arcanistsand toeachclaim theirpieceofimmortality.
Formally,theArcaneArchaeologistsare:
• Mazi Verrechia, an Andoran human asinterestedinunderstandingthehistoryandramificationsofmagicassheisinwieldinganddevelopingit.
• Ahiyo Kyishi, a Tian elf who crossedthe crown of the world to influence hisspellweavingwiththecastingphilosophiesofAvistan.
• Redaluccala “Red” Daipeati, a gnomewhoalwayshasoneeyeinaspellbookandthe other on whatever contraption he istinkeringwith.
• Leclair Shnag, a half-orc cryptozoologistwhosemassive tusks are proportionate tohismonstrousvocabulary.
During their adventures, these intrepidexplorers have created new spells, crafted newitems,anddiscoverednewmagicalbeasts.
Feeling the Past
The lack of written records, along with themortality rate of visitors, makes the MwangiExpanseseductivetoexplorersoftheunknown.Surviving the experience can answer questionsabout the present, but only powerful magiccan unlock the past. Because of their pactswith nature, druids are better able to learn the
Mwangijungles’ancientstoriesthantheArcaneArchaeologists, but that same pactwith natureswearsthemtosecrecy.
Before setting out for the jungle, MaziVerrechiasetouttoformulateaspelltounlockitssecrets.Withhertouch of history,herhanddoestheresearchofahundredsetsofeyes.Shecandiscernacreature’sentirelifeordetermineifafruitonatreewasurinatedonbythelocalwildlife.Once,Verrechiawasable to trackdownanenchanterwithaquickenedtouchofhistory,learningwhodominatedindividualshadencounteredrecently.
Touch of hisTory
School divination; Level bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 3Casting Time see textComponents V, STarget object or creature touchDuration instantaneousSaving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yesTouch of history provides you with a full, detailed history
of the target. This includes its age, when and how it was handled, and where it had been. You see this history as though you were in the object’s presence in the exact position at the time of casting.
The amount of information gained depends on the time spent casting touch of history, as indicated on the chart below.
caStiNg time hiStory learNed1 round 1 minute/caster level
1 minute 1 hour/caster level
1 hour 1 day/caster level
1 day 1 year/caster level
Digesting the amount of information a caster gains can be staggering. Although you gain the entire history immediately, you must focus on details to learn from the knowledge you have acquired. Even experienced diviners use mnemonic techniques like asking themselves questions aloud to properly use the histories they gain. If you do not focus on specific aspects of the histories you learn, the information remains dormant, much like lost memories.
In the Arms of a Girallon
Elected to be navigator, Redaluccala “Red”Daipeatisenttwosetsofhisclockworkcreaturesinto the jungles of the Mwangi Expanse first:scavengers– cabinswith shovel faces to collecteverything the tree eaters (ball-jointed rotary
daggers) had eviscerated. Among the moreinteresting items collected by one of Red’sscavengerswasafullsetoffourgirallonarms.
Girallon cluTch
Aura moderate necromancy; CL 7thSlot body; Price 8,000 gp; Weight 20 lbs.DESCRIPTIONFour muscular arms with matted fur wrap across the
wearer’s chest like a bandolier, all four hands meeting just below the heart. The arms obey the wearer’s commands, lifting heavy objects, holding objects ready, or grant the abilities of a girallon.
As a standard action, the wearer can command one, two, or three of the arms in the following ways:
• Carry an object weighing up to 30 lbs.• Retrieve an item from the wearer’s pouch or pack
and hold it ready. Drawing this item from the arm is a swift action. Even if the retrieved item is a weapon or shield, the arm holds the item but does not wield it. The arms do not threaten squares, can not attack, nor grant bonuses to AC.
• Manipulate a simple machine, like a lever or pulley.• Grant a +2 bonus to Climb skill checks.• Grant a +1 bonus to a combat maneuver check.
Which combat maneuver the bonus applies to must be selected when the command is given.
The arms can be given the same command, separate commands, or a combination. Although all four arms can be commanded, one must be used to cling to the wearer’s body. If the fourth arm is given a command, the girallon clutch loses its grip and falls to the ground, inert.
CONSTRUCTIONRequirements Craft Wondrous Item, animate dead; Cost 4,000 gp
Irresistible Ape
Manymagicalbeastsarecloselyrelatedvariationson animals common to the same environment.ApesdominatetheMwangiExpanse,andthussodomagicalapeslikethegirallonandthecreaturediscoveredbyLeclairShnag:theredringgorilla.
Red Ring Gorilla
Glintinglightsshinethroughthisape’swiryblack-and-red fur. As it approaches, you feel your metal itemsdrawntowardsit.
red rinG Gorilla cr 4XP 1,200
N Large magical beastInit +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +10DEFENSEAC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+2 Dex, +10 natural,
–1 size)
hp 42 (5d10+15)Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +2OFFENSESpeed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.Melee 2 slams +7 (1d8+3 plus disarm or grab)Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.STATISTICSStr 16, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 5, Wis 12, Cha 7Base Atk +5; CMB +9 (+11 disarm, +15 grapple); CMD
21 (23 vs. disarm and grapple) [fixed CMB and CMD]Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved DisarmB, Improved
GrappleB, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Perception)Skills Acrobatics +6, Climb +15, Perception +10SQ magneticECOLOGYEnvironment warm forestsOrganization solitary, pair, or troop (3–12)Treasure double standardSPECIAL ABILITIESMagnetic (Ex) The bones of the red ring gorilla contain
a rare mineral that attracts metal. When a red ring gorilla successfully hits a creature carrying or wielding a metal item with its slam attack, it immediately makes a disarm check to see if the item clings to the red ring gorilla’s hide. If successful, the item can only be retrieved by a successful disarm or steal combat maneuver. If the red ring gorilla successfully hits a creature wearing metal armor with its slam attack, it can choose to grab the target. If a creature is not wearing or wielding any metal items, the red ring gorilla’s magnetic aura has no effect.
Red ring gorillas are roughly the same sizeand have the same disposition as the commongorilla.Theyareoftenmistakenforthecommongorillafromafar,butcanbedistinguishedbythecircular red pattern on their hide.More tellingisthemannerinwhichmetal itemsreacttothepresence of a red ring gorilla.Cryptozoologistshaveyettofindatheoryexplaininghowtheredringgorillaevolvedtheirmagneticauranaturally.The popular explanation, though unsatisfyingto the members of the Arcane Archaeologists,is that the red ring gorillas were the project ofanexperiment.Redringgorillascanmatewithcommon gorillas, producing a red ring gorillaoffspring just underhalf as often as a commongorilla.
Learning from the Parasites
Ahiyo Kyishi packed many potions of removedisease but very few supplies for diseaseprevention.Thiswasdeliberate.Oneoftheelf’sobjectives in his Mwangi adventures was to
subjecthimselftomanyexoticdiseases.Althoughhespentweekscot-riddenlearningnewformsofinternalpainanddiscomfort,hewas inspiredtoformulateanoffensivenewuseforthediseaseshediscovered.Wall of disease
School conjuration (creation); Level druid 5, sorcerer/wizard 5
Casting Time 1 standard actionComponents V, S, M/DF (a
pinch of dried fungus)Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./
level)Effect wall whose area is up to
one 5-ft. square/levelDuration Concentration + 1 round/
level (D)Saving Throw Fortitude negates;
Spell Resistance yesAs you cast this spell, millions of
mosquito-sized larvae begin to swim through the air, desperate for living creatures with which to spread their pestilence.
Choose a disease you are familiar with when you cast this spell. Any living creature that comes within 10 feet of your wall of disease must make a Fortitude save or contract the disease. This save is based on the DC of your spell, not the normal DC of the disease. Targets immediately suffer the effect of the disease, ignoring its usual onset. They suffer further effects of the disease at the normal frequency.
Additionally, any target attacked through the wall of disease gains concealment. ❂
I amwell settled atKorvosa’sAcadamae, in goodhealthandmostgratefulforthisopportunitytolearnthewaysofforeignwizards.Mostofthefirst-yearmagicisfamiliarground,butanunexpected lessonwas taughttomeyesterdaybyafellowscholar.Thoughthestorydoesmenocredit,Iwillnonethelessreportitfaithfully.
My first impression of the Acadamae was,admittedly, not very favorable. The compounditself is impressively large, awalled citywithin thecity,butthebuildingsarescatteredaboutinrandomfashionratherthanarrangedinasun-circletofocuspower.Itisstrangetowalkstreetsmoretwistingandcontrary thangoatpaths, to seewater contained inwellsratherthanfree-flowingthroughthedreamwalkpatternsofancientcisterns.ThereisnosymmetryintheAcadamae,andlittlebeauty.Itseemedincrediblethatmagiccouldbecalledtosuchaplace.
Still, the school is world-renowned and I feltone might reasonably expect a certain breadth ofknowledge in its scholars. To my surprise, little isknown of theMwangiExpanse.We are all one tothese northerners. When they express admirationfor my gold ornaments and the thread-art on mygarments, their manner suggests an expectation ofjangar-skinloincloutsandnecklacesofmonkeybone.Onthewhole,however,Ifoundmynewpeerstobecordialandcurious,ifonlyinhopethatImightsharesome bit of exotic magic, or perhaps some junglespicesmorepotentthatthosetheycurrentlysmoke.
IwasassignedquarterswithoneJamangKira,ayoungmanofKorvosa.Ifyoucanenvisionastruttingkimboda rooster, endlessly crowing and preeningat his black-and-red plumage, you need no furtherdescriptionoftheman.Despitehissmallstatureandirritatingways,hestandsneartheheadofourclass
andshowspromiseofbecomingapowerfulwizard.He is a first-year student,noolder thanmy twentyyears, but he spendsmuch of his time ingratiatinghimselfwitholder,morepowerful scholars.OneofthemisAsmondeAvari.
Rumorsflourishinanyschool.IhadthoughttheMagaambya scholars worse than village gossips,butintheAcadamaewhisperswanderthehallsliketheunquietdead.MorethanafewofthemspeakofJamang’smentor.
Shortly after the dinner hour, Jamang, whom Iseldom see before midnight, burst into our sharedroom. “Asmonde is casting a summoning in hischambers tonight,” he announced with greatexcitement.“Heallowsafewfriendstoobserve.Youshouldcomewithme.”
A smile bent one side of hismouth. “Asmondeis ambitious,” he admitted, “and he does tend tooverreach.Evenso,hisreachislong.Wecouldlearnmuchfromhim.”
With difficulty, I suppressed a shudder. Thesummoningofdemonsanddevilsisbadenough,tomywayofthinking.Foramerestudenttosummondevilsmorepowerfulthanmostwizardscouldcontainwashubris.Rumorswhisperedtalesofearlierfailedattempts.Itwassaidthatmostofhisfamily’swealthhad gone to shielding him from the consequencesof these failings.ThatAsmondekeptonwith thesesummonings, despite the devastation he’d alreadywrought,wasincredibletome.
To my surprise, Jamang did not press me. Hereached for small pot of herbs I’d just crushed. Icaughthiswristbeforehecouldraisethepottohisnose.
“That is zumalli,” I explained as I carefullyreclaimed my property. “It is like mosswort intincture,butfarstronger.”
Enlightenment flowed into his small black eyes.“No wonder you best me in potions class,” hemurmured.“You’veaccesstoplantsmostofushaveneverheardof.Strongerthanmosswort,yousay?”
Henoddedasifhe’dbeenexpectingthisanswer.“IfIthoughtitwouldcometothat,Iwouldn’task.Asmondepromisedhewouldtakeeveryprecautionknowntohim.Asmondeisgood,butI’dfeelbetterif magic not known to him were guarding theperimeter.”
ThiswasasideofJamangIhadnotseen.Itwasclearlydifficult forhimtoask this favorofme,buthis concern forhis friendoutweighedhispride. I’ddismissedhimasvainandshallow,concernedaboutno one but himself. Hewas a betterman than I’dcreditedhim,andIwasashamedtohavejudgedhimunfairly.
I lockedupmymedicinalcabinetbeforewe left,allthesame.
Asmonde Avari met us at the door. I saw atonce why Jamang followed him like a hound.Powersurroundssomemenlikeshadowsandmist.Asmondestoodinadarkcloudofhisowncreation.Hewasnearlyastallasmeandquitehandsome,withthedarkhairandpale skincommon toKorvosans.Therewassomethingabouthiseyes,however,thatIdidnotlike.
Still,hegreeteduscordiallyandshoweduswherewe should stand.His chamberwas larger than theoneIsharedwithJamang,asbefittedhisyearsandhigherstanding.Thefurniturehadbeenpushedbackagainstthewalls,andacirclesurroundedbyelaborateruneshadbeenpaintedonto the floor.Painted,notdrawn—apermanentworkofartandmagic,clearlytheproductofconsiderabletimeandeffortandstudy.
Thiswasunusual,butImustadmitthatIbreatheda little easier. Clearly Asmonde was not quite asrecklessasrumorsuggested.
He began the casting, chanting in a voice asresonantwithpowerasanoracle’sashestrodeslowlyaroundthecircle.Whenhecametoastop,Inoticedthattherewasasmallgapinthecircleandanemptyplacewherearuneshouldhavebeendrawn.
Asmonde drew a small knife from his belt andpressedittohisarm.Alineofbloodwelledup.Heknelt, still chanting, and closed the circle with hisownblood.
I lack the words to describe what happenednext. Imagine that thunder and lightning strucksimultaneously, yet without sound or light. Therewasnoroarorflash.Therewasonlythedevil.
Severalmomentspassedbefore I recovered fromthat first shock of power, and even thenmymindcouldhardlyencompasswhatmysensesperceived.Ihaveahalf-memory,likesomethingfromafadingnightmare, of great size and glistening hide andtwistedblackhorns.
I glanced at Jamang. He stood calmly at myside,meeting thedevil’sgazewithoutanyapparentdifficulty.Forsomereason,thatdisturbedmemorethananythingI’dyet seen. I toremygazeaway. ItwaseasiertowatchAsmondeasheintonedthechantthatwouldbindthefoulbeingtohiswill.
Buthiswordsfaltered.Astrangelookcameoverhis face, the expression of aman confused, not bysomefailingofwillorintellect,bysomeenchantmentorperhapsevenbygreen-death...
My gaze flew to the knife in Asmonde’s hand.Itwassmallandsilver, identical tothebladesmostscholars carried for magical purposes. Substitutinganotherknife—aknifetouchedwithzumalli—wouldbeasimplematter.
Asmonde continued to chant, but he no longercontrolled the spell. Blood spattered the floor aswordsofpowertorefreeofhisthroat.Herockedbackandforthlikeamanretchinghimselfdry.Closerandclosertothecircleherocked.
Tooclose.
Agreat,black-talonedhandsnatchedAsmondebythehair.Thedevil draggedhim into the circle andtorehisheadfromhisbody.
All of us stood frozen, too horror-stricken forthoughtoraction.
Jamangwasthefirsttorecoverhiswits.Heslappedthe shock frommy face andpointed toAsmonde’sbody,lyinghalfinthecircle,abridgeofmortalflesh.
At least, I thinkIshouted it.AnysoundImighthave made disappeared into the devil’s shriek. Aterriblewindbuffetedmewithblisteringheatandaroar like thescreamingof torturedsouls.Howlongit went on, I could not say, for when two of theAcadamae’s masters stepped into the empty circleandliftedmetomyfeet,myearsstillrangwiththehellishsounds.
Oneofthemasterstookthespirithousefrommyhandsandraisedittopeerintothewindow.Alookofwondercrossedhis face,as if the thingcapturedwithinwerenomorethanapleasanttoy.HelookeduponmewithnewrespectandsaidsomethingIcouldnot hear. The other master pointed to his ear. Anexpressionof chagrincrossed the firstmaster’s faceandhehandedmeasmallamulet.
Jamangreacheduptoplaceahandonmyshoulder.“That was the most astonishing act of courage Ihaveeverbeheld,”hesaidsolemnly.“Asiscustom,Asmonde deeded his personal effects to a youngerstudent,butIthinkhewouldwantyoutohavethis.”
The first thing I did upon reachingmy roomwasto empty all of my Mwangi herbals, every pot andvial, intomy jugofasperengi. Idid itquickly,beforeJamangcouldreturnandlearnthatIpossessedanearlyuniversalsolvent.Ididnotliketoimaginewhatusehemightmakeofsuchknowledge.
He came in late that night, flushed with self-satisfactionandladenwithAsmondeAvari’sbooksandscrolls. Imade nomove to help, nor did he seem toexpectit.
Imeant tokeep silent, forwhatgoodcancomeofbarkingatajackal?AndImighthavedoneso,hadhenot smirked at the sight of the empty zumalli pot onmytable.Temperovercameme.Isnatcheduponeofthebooks,aslendervolumeboundinblueleather,andhurleditagainstthefarwall.
“Iwill go to theMasters,” I promised. “Iwill tellthemeverything.”
Jamang made a show of yawning and stretching,as if he could barely hold himself awake for suchinconsequential threats. “And what exactly is
“Theknife inyourpossession?”he said.He shookhisheadinthemannerofsomeonegentlychidingaboytoo slow ofmind to learn simple runes. “If anythingis found on it, who do you think they will accuse?”Iwasabouttoremindhimofourearlierconversationabout our shared access to my store of green-deathwhen my gaze fell on “Asmonde’s” spotless knife. Ihadnodoubt that theknifeJamanggavemewasnotthe knife Asmonde had wielded. If dangerous herbswerefoundonit,itcouldonlybebecauseImyselfputthemthere.Anymagicalinquirywouldrevealthis.NoonewouldbeliefthatIdidsotobringanothermantojustice.IfIaccusedJamang,Iaccusedmyself.Bringingthespirithousetothesummoning,destroyingmystoreofMwangiherbalsafter—thesewouldnotbeconstruedastheactionsofaninnocentman.
But perhaps the masters might listen and believe,if the motive were sufficient. “Are those books sovaluable?”
Master Oyamba, I ammindful of your desire that Ilearn the art of Abjuration, but with your permission IwouldlikedevotemyselftothestudyofIllusion.Perhapsknowledgeofhowfalsehoodsaretoldwithmagicmightpreparemetobetterperceivetheillusionsbuiltwithwordsanddeeds.Thatability,Isuspect,mightholdmeinbettersteadthananythingelseImightlearnfromKorvosa.
Lizardfolk are savage and cunning predatorswhoareeasilyprovokedandfiercelyterritorial.However,thisconceptionisonlyahalf-truth.
The lizardfolk are an ancient race, whose cultureand tribal traditions have remained unchanged formillennia.
Physical Description:Lizardfolkresemblebipedalreptilian humanoids. Their imposing frame standsbetween6and7feettall,withbodiescoveredingray,green,orbrownscales.Theirheadsareadornedwithbrightlycoloreddorsalfrillsorspikyspinesandhaveshortcrocodiliansnouts.Althoughtheir4-foot longtailsoftendragsonthegroundbehindthemwhileonland, it allows them remarkable stability and greatmaneuverabilityinthewater.
Society: Lizardfolk dwell in highly communal,primitive settlements deep within swamp andmarshland. Their society is patriarchal, with thestrongest male leading tribes and shamans servingas his advisors. Despite their boorish treatment ofoutsiders,amongtheirownkindlizardfolkarehighlysociable.
Relations:Many tribeswatch the encroachmentof warm-blooded humanoids in their lands withweariness and dread. Ingrained superstitions,isolationisttendencies,andaversiontochangeoftenputslizardfolkatoddswithotherracesandasaresulttheirnumberssuffermightily.Althoughtheyregardanymammalwithameasureofdisdain,amongthemorecommonracestheygetalongbestwithgnomes,who are flighty and not considered a threat, anddwarves, whose toughness and craftsmanship theyrespect.
Alignment and Religion: Despite widely heldconceptions, most lizardfolk are not evil. Forlizardfolk,thestruggleforsurvivalismoreimportantthan how that survival is sustained, and they tendtowards neutral alignment. Lizardfolk may betemperamental but they rarely hold long grudges,as this is perceived as a wasteful use of energy.Lizardfolk have a similarly pragmatic approach to
The lizardfolk entry on page 195 in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary provides everything a GM needs to play them as suitable adversaries, but they make for unbalanced player characters compared with more conventional choices, like elves and dwarves. This article provides players with a set of tools for making lizardfolk characters. Although initially not as powerful as some of the core races, the player can take a number of specific feats in order to “buy back” some of their abilities (and even then some).
Adventurers:Increasinglymorecommon,youngerlizardfolk, either curious of civilization or eager toprove themselves, leave their ancestral swamps toexperience thewiderworld.For those facing exile,adventuring is the most viable option for survival.Lizardfolk make formidable combatants and arenaturallyskilledbarbariansandrangers.
Male Names: Arashk, Braza, Drazzat, Grauk,Guhet,Kaszuk,Kiuz,Rashaz,Traz,Varak,Yizzik.
• Medium: Lizardfolk are Medium creatures,andhavenobonusesorpenaltiesduetotheirsize.
• Normal Speed:Lizardfolkhaveabase speedof30feet.
• Swimming:Lizardfolkhaveaswimspeedof15feet.Alizardfolkhasa+8racialbonusonanySwimchecktoperformsomespecialactionoravoidahazard.Alizardfolkcanalwayschoosetotake10onaSwimcheck,evenifdistractedor endangered. A lizardfolk can use the runactionwhileswimming,providedheswimsinastraightline.
• Hold Breath:Alizardfolkcanholditsbreathfor a number of rounds equal to 4 times itsConstitutionscorebeforeitrisksdrowning.
• Natural Weapons: Lizardfolkpossessnaturalclawattacksthat inflict1d4pointsofdamageon a successful hit. This is a primary attack,orasecondaryattackifthelizardfolkwieldsamanufacturedweapon.
• Languages: Lizardfolk begin play speakingDraconic.LizardfolkwithhighIntelligencecanchoose bonus languages from the following:Aquan,Common,Goblin,Gnoll,orOrc.
Lizardfolk Feats
Ferocious Bite
Youcanmakeanattackwithyourrazor-sharpteeth.
Prerequisite: Characterlevel5th,lizardfolk.
Benefit: You gain a bite natural attack thatinflicts 1d4 points of damage on a hit. This is aprimaryattack,orasecondaryattackifyouwieldamanufacturedweapon.Yourbiteattackdamage ismultipliedby3onacriticalhit.
Great Swimmer
Youmove in thewater as easily as youdoondryland.
Prerequisite: Characterlevel5th,lizardfolk.
Benefit:Yourswimspeedequalsyourbasespeed.
Hardened Scales
Yourscalyhideprovidesyouwithprotection.
Prerequisite:Characterlevel1st,lizardfolk.
Benefit:You gain a+2natural armor bonus toyourArmorClass.
Monstrous Strength
Youdeveloppowerfulmuscles.
Prerequisite:Characterlevel7th,lizardfolk.
Benefit: You gain a +2 racial bonus to yourStrengthscore.
Rending Claws
Yourclawstearandripthroughfleshandsteel.
Prerequisite:Baseattackbonus+6,lizardfolk.
Benefit: If you hit with two claw attacks in 1round, theattackdealsadditionaldamageequal to1d4+your1-1/2Strmodifier.❂
Sargava has an abundance of patrons eager tosponsor expeditions to the Mwangi Expanse,Screaming Jungle, or outlying highlands.
Adventuringpartiesneedonlytoinquire.
Weal: Dumaka, Gemstone Merchant
“Yes,mycaravanscarrymanyvaluables,bothcutanduncutstones.ButIconsidermyfriendsandtherespectofmyworkers and trading partners to bemy greatesttreasure.Protectingthemandmybusinessinterestsarethemostimportantthingstome.”
Dumaka is a fair-minded broker who is eager toexpandhisbusiness.Thoughhestartedasacaravanguard, he learned the precious gem business froma merchant whose life he saved. He now livescomfortably in a warehouse complex in Kalabuto
and employsmany gemcutters, jewelers,and merchant captains. He depends onhis loyal friend Kosej for protection andadvice.
Hooks
• Dumakaishiringadventurerstopinpointthelocationof“smokingmountains” in the interior, asvolcanos are associated withdeposits of gemstones, especiallydiamonds.
• One of Dumaka’s caravanswas attacked and robbed. Hepresents evidence agents of the
AspisConsortiumwere involved.Heis hiring more guards for the nextmissiontoNantambu.
• Bandits have kidnapped twoof Dumaka’s best gemcutters.Unwilling to pay a ransom, he
wants to hire a rescue teamwilling to find andinfiltratethebanditoutpostsomewherealongtheVanjiRiver.
dumaka cr 7XP 3,200
Male human warrior 2/expert 5/aristocrat 2NG medium humanoid (human)Init +2; Senses Perception –1DEFENSEAC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+1 deflection, +2 Dex, +1
dodge)hp 55 (2d10+7d8+9)Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6OFFENSESpeed 30 ftMelee mwk adamantine scimitar +9/+4 (1d6+1/18-20)Ranged light crossbow +8 (1d8/19-20)STATISTICSStr 13, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 15, Wis 8, Cha 13Base Atk +6; CMB +7; CMD 21Feats Dodge, Intimidating Prowess, Leadership, Persuasive,
“When I dancewith the villagers, I feel connected totheworldaroundme—thesnakes, the lions,andthewhole jungle. It is exhilarating inways I finddifficulttoexplain.But joinmeonsafari,andyoucanhaveachancetoexperienceittoo!”
Felidia of Eleder is fascinated with the native peoples,immersingherselfintheirlanguageandculture,especiallytheirtribaldanceforms.Herweaponofchoiceisamagicalblowgun given to her by shaman. Felidia accompaniesexpeditionsshesponsors.Lightonherfeetandenthusiastic,Felidiamakes a good traveling companion. Sometimes,sheusesthehat of disguisetoappearasanativeandlearnthingsfirsthand.
• A DC 15 Knowledge (local or nobility) checkrevealsherreputationforsponsoringexpeditionsthat have runs of bad luck. If asked directlyaboutthemisfortune,however,shedismissestheallegationassuperstitiousnonsenseorliesspread
• FelidiapresentssalonprogramsforotherChelishcolonials, in an effort to raise their awarenessabout their native neighbors, as well as theregion’sexoticfloraandfauna.Theseprograms—andseveralpamphletsshehaswritten—alsohelpraisemoneyforadditionalexpeditionsandenticeotherstojoinheronsafari.Whennotexploringtheinterior,shecanbeencounteredmakingthesepresentations.
felidia aNada cr 4XP 1,200
Female human aristocrat 6CN medium humanoid (human)Init +2; Senses Perception –1DEFENSEAC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)hp 36 (6d8+9)Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +4OFFENSESpeed 30 ftMelee mwk dagger +6 (1d4+1/19-20)Ranged +1 blowgun +8 (1d2+1 plus poison)STATISTICSStr 12, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 17Feats Nimble Moves, Persuasive, Skill Focus (Linguistics),
Languages Common, Azlanti, PolyglotCombat Gear blue whinnis poison (10 doses), potion of
protection from arrows, scroll of locate object; Other Gear +1 blowgun, masterwork dagger, hat of disguise, spectacles, belt pouch, fetish of misfortune.
Drawback Possesses a “good luck” fetish: a wood carving of a man which fits into the palm of the hand. In truth, it is a cursed item. Twice per day (the hour can be determined by rolling two d12s for AM and PM occurrences), the item causes a “zone of misfortune” that emanates 30 feet in all directions from its owner. Allies in the zone must make a Will save DC 13 or be affected by the curse. The person who holds the item is immune from the curse’s penalty (but not always its effects). Affected allies suffer a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for one round. If the item’s curse is triggered outside of an encounter, then an incident of non-debilitating bad luck strikes, such as someone stubbing their toe, bumping their head, or having object slip from their grasp. Felidia is deluded as to the object’s true nature and only a remove curse will free her from it. ❂
The merfolk blood flowing through his veins hasgiven Storpen a deep hatred of the sahuagin whoassaultthetownofOllo.Hehassworntohuntdownall evil creatures of the sea, chasing them to theendsofGolarionifnecessary.Inreality,heisoftenfacedwithoverwhelmingodds,resortingtorobbingand sabotaging sahuagin strongholds.Although thesahuaginviewhimasapirate,Storpenneverstealsfromgood-alignedfolk.Hissailingship,Raven of the Sea,isasightwelcomedbythelocals.Thevesselisnamedforanornamentalsilverravensittingatopthebow.Theravenisactuallyafigurine of wondrous power whichcanflyofftoperformscoutingmissionsforitsmaster.
StorPeN ruNereed cr 8XP 4,800
Male elf sorcerer 9NG Medium humanoid (elf)Init +0; Senses low-light vision; Perception +6 DEFENSEAC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +1 natural); +2 vs
evilhp 48 (9d6+18)Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +8; +2 against enchantment spells and
effects, +2 vs evilDefensive Abilities DR 10/magic against ranged attacks;
protection from evil, ray of enfeeblement, sleep (DC 15)0 (at will)—daze (DC 14), flare (DC 14), ghost sound, light,
mending, message, ray of frost, touch of fatigue (DC 14)* These spells are from the PFRPG Advanced Player’s Guide.TACTICSBefore Combat Before a raid, Storpen sends his silver raven
to patrol the area. Meanwhile, he prepares himself for battle
with mage armor, protection from arrows, and protection from evil spells.
During Combat Storpen begins a fight by summoning a medium water elemental. He keeps the elemental between himself and the enemy while casting offensive spells. While facing sahuagin, he targets these hated foes exclusively.
Morale Storpen retreats to fight another day if reduced to 6 hp or below.
Base StatisticsAC 11, touch 10, flat-footed 11 (+1 natural)Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +8; +2 against enchantment spells
and effectsImmune sleep effects; Resist cold 5
STATISTICSStr 12, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 16Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 15Feats Blind-Fight, Brew Potion, Eschew Materials, Quicken
Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds; Other Gear +1 quarterstaff, masterwork silver dagger, figurine of wondrous power (silver raven), 486 gp
The Deceitful Mermaid
Captain: Liless Burks (CN female halfling
bard 4)
Home Port:PortPeril
An unimposing piratewith short, curly, brownhair and unwavering hazeleyes, Liless keeps her crewin line with her silver tongue andmagicaltalent.Shecanbefound selling stolengoods at Port Peril’s market square at ludicrous prices.Liless stayswellaway fromFortHazard, respecting themightoftheHurricaneKing.
The halfling’s keelboat, The Deceitful Mermaid, is asmallshipadornedwithawinkingmermaidfigurehead,
hintingat the slynessof its captain.The figureheadwashand-carvedbyLilessherselfwhowasanobscureartistandfluteplayerpriortobecomingapirate.
Captain: Osvaldo Kevis (NE male human fighter 4/rogue 2)
Home Port:Quent
The captain ofThe Damned Devil is a damned soulhimself.Heisatall,arrogantmanwithangry,darkgreeneyes,brownhair,andashortbeard.Osvaldowas once a member of the Devils’ Own, a groupof mutineers led by disgraced Admiral ArronaxEndymion.Aftergettingintoafightwiththeadmiralover the division of loot,Osvaldo decided to formhisowncrew.Withfewcoins tohisnameandstillsportinganastyscarfromthefightwithEndymion,Osvaldodesperatelysoughttheaidofabarbeddevil,Hamalus.Intheresultinginfernalbargain,thedevilgavehimamagicswordandawarshipwithwhichtowreakhavoc.Beforevanishing,Hamaluswarnedhewouldreturnonedaytocollectthedebtowedtohim.
The Damned Devil is a mighty warship built inChelish style. The ship’s massive ballista is not itsonlyintimidatingfeature.Theboatbearsanintricatecarving of a tormented soul, screaming in anguish,along themast.Theman’s torturers,apairofhugedevils,arepaintedontotheboat’ssailsinbrightredandblackpaint.Thesidesoftheupperdeckarelinedwithsharpbarbs,making theentirevessel resemblethebarbeddevilthatgiftedittothecaptain.
oSValdo keViS cr 5XP 1,600
Male human fighter 4/rogue 2NE Medium humanoid (human)Init +5; Senses Perception +6DEFENSEAC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+7 armor, +1 Dex)hp 45 (4d10+2d8+12)Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +4; +1 against fearDefensive Abilities evasionOFFENSESpeed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)Melee +1 longsword +10 (1d8+5/19-20), or
+1 longsword +8 (1d8+9/19-20) with Power AttackRanged mwk composite longbow +7 (1d8+2/x3)Special Attacks slow reactions, sneak attack (+1d6)TACTICSDuring Combat Osvaldo prefers to ambush his targets, firing
his longbow or the ship’s ballista. In melee, he makes relentless Power Attacks with his longsword.
Morale Osvaldo knows his soul is damned, so he fears death even more than the average man. He surrenders if reduced to 15 hp or below. The only person who can cause
him to overcome his fear is Arronax Endymion. If fighting Endymion or a member of the Devils’ Own, Osvaldo fights to the death in a blind fury.
STATISTICSStr 17, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 10Base Atk +5; CMB +8; CMD 19Feats Dazzling Display, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Point-
Blank Shot, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword)
Cyon, I think…” Valen paused, bringinghiswayfinder up to the hand-drawnmap,“We’relost.”
“Idoubttheformer,anddisputethelatter.”
Valen arched an eyebrow, struggling to alignthecompasstothemap.“MeaningIdon’tthinkandwe’renotlost?”
Cyon shrugged. “Well, if I have to explainthe joke…” Shaking his head, he pushed hiscompanion’s map down with the flat of hismachete’sblade,“Yourpreciousmapwasdrawnbyadrunkardwhopayshistabsellingthosethingstoidiots.”HenarrowedhiseyesatValen.
Valen let one side of the map drop, holdingitandthecompass inhishandashepushedthemacheteaway.“Cyon,Iknowyou’rehotandsickofthisdamnjungle,butIreallyamtryingtohelp.”
Cyontookastepback,droppingthemachete.It clanged loudly, and several birds burst intoscreechingflight.
Valen shook his head, letting his shouldersslump,“Cyon,don’tget—”
of thebladeonthegroundbeneathhisfeet.Themachetemadeadullclank.“Hearthat?We’reinajunglewalkingonapathmadeofcutandfittedstones.”Cyonstoodbackup,“Someonetookthetimetocut,carry,andfitthesetogetherformilesonend.”
Valenmovedhis right footand lookeddown.Beneaththemudandvineswereseveraldarkgreystones,wornsmoothfromtimeandmostlyburied.Valensighed;therewereexposedpatchesofstonebehindthem,andmorescatteredahead.“Great.”
“Doyouthinkthemonkeysmadeit?”
“No,” Valen exhaled. He vehemently wishedthat Cyon would be both wrong and humblesomeday.
“Good.”Cyongrinnedsarcastically.“Becauseifwe’reonaman-made road in themiddleofasteamingjunglecrammedfullofpoisonousbeastsand gibbering things, then itmust not only leadsomewhere,itmustleadsomewhereimportant—becausenooneintheirrightmindwouldbuildaroadhereinthishellotherwise!”
“True.” Valen glanced down at themap andcompassinhishand,“Butthatdoesn’tmeanthisistherightroad.”
Cyon pointed the machete at the treessurrounding the ancient and overgrown path,“Andjusthowmanyroadstoyouthinkthereareinhere?”
“Twelve.”Cyon scraped his fingernail on thesapand thedriedplantmatter thathad stuck tothesideofhismachete’sblade.“AndhowmanycaravanrouteswerethereinQadira?”
“Not this again,” Valen looked up at theinterwoven trees that formed the high junglecanopy,addressingtheunseenskiesabove.“Can’tyoumakehimforgetsomething,sometime?”
“That was three days ofwandering aimlessly and almostdyinginadesert.”
Valen sighed and shook hishead,“AndI’veapologizedmany,manytimessince.”
Cyon formed his lips intoa sardonic smile. “Then therewas the time you got us lost andalmost eaten by cannibals in TheShackles. That time inAbsalom’ssewerswhereyour‘shortcut’wasatreacherousropebridgethatkilledour snitch when it snapped. ThetimeyousentusupthewrongriverandwewasteddaystrekkingbacktoDaggermark.ThetimeinTaldorwhen…” Cyon shrugged, “Well,youget theidea.Soyou’ll forgivemeifI’mnotasconfidentinyoursense of direction as I am of myown irrefutable logic—there can’tbe another road that just happenstobeheadingthewayweneedtogo,sothisisthewaytothelostcityofOkotoko.”
“Fine.” Valen folded up themap and clicked the wayfinder’scover closed, “Since you knoweverythingI’lljusttagalongbehindandbaskintheglorythatisCyonFal’Duur.”
Cyon, hair disheveled and facecovered in a light sheenof sweat,performed his most majesticbow, “I shall endeavor to notdisappoint.”He spunonhisheel,headingbackdowntheroad.
Valen drew his machete andshook it at the skies above, “Justonce…”
***
Cyon knocked the stone-tippedspear away with his short swordand thrust his rapier into the
lizardman’s throat. “So, back a while when youbeggedthegods formetobewrong,was thiswhatyouwerehopingfor?”
Valenbackeduptwostepsandfiredhiscrossbowoverthelowwalltohisright;theruinsofanancientcity lay just beyond. The bolt buried itself into thechestofanotherreptilianwarrior.“HonestlyIdidn’tthinkanyoneheardthat—notevenyou.”
Cyon sidestepped a wild lunge and drove bothbladesthroughprimitivebonearmorandtheleatheryflesh beneath, “This isOkotoko,”Cyon smirked atValen,“I’llstakeyourlifeonit.”
“Andifthisisn’t?”
“Then we’ve just discovered another ancientcity—”Cyonwhirledaroundandstabbedareptilianwarriormoving to Valen’s flank, “—shouldn’t thatmakeyouhappy?”
“What do you really know of Okotoko?” Valenasked. The overgrown stones of hours earlier hadwidened and turned into a much more substantialroad, one built to bring trade to the large city theyunexpectedlyfoundthemselvesfightingthrough.
Cyon paused mid-step bringing his foot back,“Trap.”Hesaidnimblysteppingoverawirehiddenamongthevines,“Tripthatwireandit’llopenapit.”TurningtofaceValen,“Ialreadytoldyou:lostcity,fabulouswealth, evil cult—fill in the rest—whyareyouaskingmeagain?”
Valen carefully stepped over the thin strand oftwine.“Imarrasaidyou’dbeentherebefore,Ithoughtyou’drecognizeit…”
Cyondroppedthe lastof the lizardmen,“You’retheonetheysentonthislittleMwangidetour,aren’tyoubetterinformedthanI?”
Valen paused and reloaded, breathing heavily inthe hot, sweltering jungle, “The Pathfinders madesure Iwas prepared forOkotoko, notwhereverwe
are.”
Cyonnarrowedhiseyes,“ThisisOkotoko.”
“Well,”Valen looked around the towering ruinsbehindthelowwall,“ifthisisOkotoko,where’sthemassivegoldenidolwithrubyeyesthesizeofyourhead?Imarrasaidyoutriedtopryoneoutandit—”
“—led to a lot of unpleasantness, yes.” Cyon,frowned, looking past the outer ring wall into theheartoftheruinedcitythey’djustrunfrom.“Thoughhowmuchof thatwas attributable to the idol, andhowmuchtotypicalidiocy—andhowshouldIknowwherethedamnedthingis?”
Cyonsheathedhisweaponsandrestedhishandson his knees. For once, he looked frustrated anddefeated, “Maybe the damned savages melted itdown, ormaybe it came to life and devoured halfof themandwanderedoff.”Cyonstoodup, tookadeepbreathand tuggedat thebottomofhis sweat-soakedsilkshirttostraightenit,andadjustedthedarkmithralchainshirtoverit.
“Perhaps thingshave changed in the interveningyears.”
CyonshookhisheadandtossedtheskinbacktoValen,motioning to followas they slowly resumedwalking. “Not only are we in the wrong area oftheMwangi, but Jaha is populated, and its currentinhabitants have been erecting mysterious markerstones everywhere.” Cyon turned and pointedback fromwhere theycame,“I fail to seeanythingresembling marker stones, and these savages mayshelterintheruins,butthisisn’ttheircity.”
Cyon sighedheavily.Lookingover the ruins,heturnedhisbacktoValen,“And…Idon’tthinkit’s...”
natural occurrences. Mwangi tribesmen often crafttraps designed to catch game or kill intruders. Thefollowing traps would fit perfectly into any jungle-themedadventure.
riGGed Tree Trap cr 1
Withasimplerope,blade,andtripwire,treescanberiggedtofallwhenacreaturecomestooclose.Inadditiontodealingdamage,fallentreesmayrestricttravel through the jungle, especially if they block apathorriver.
Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20
EFFECTSTrigger location; Reset noneEffect Anyone in the path of the falling tree must make a DC
14 Reflex save or take 3d6 damage.
JunGle Bell Trap cr 2
Thesoundofa loudbellringsoutasacharacterapproaches,attractingtheattentionofaCR1jungleanimal. The animal is not necessarily hostile, butattacks ifhungryorprovoked.The call animal spellcan be found in the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player’s GuideTM.
Type magic; Perception DC 21; Disable Device DC 21EFFECTSTrigger location; Reset automaticEffect spell effect (call animal)
TainTed WaTer piT cr 3
Thevictimfallsintoahiddenpitfilledwithmuddywater and drowned animal corpses. The water isuncleanandmayspreadfilthfever.Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC
20EFFECTSTrigger location; Reset manual
Effect 40-ft.-deep pit (4d6 falling damage); DC 20 Reflex avoids. Any character coming into contact with the tainted water must make a DC 10 Fortitude save or contract filth fever.
poisonous sWinGinG spear Trap cr 4
Abamboospeartippedwithvenomextractedfromamonstrouscentipedeswingsthroughthetreesfromtheendofahangingvine.Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC
20EFFECTSTrigger location; Reset manualEffect +15 melee (1d6+6 plus small centipede poison)
caGe of Vipers Trap cr 5
Asmall cage filledwithvipers ishiddenhigh inthe treetops. The cage is suddenly opened and theserpents released when a tripwire is sprung on thegroundbelow.First,themetalcagefallsontheheadofanyonebeneaththetree,thenthesnakesstrike.
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20
A quasi-real constrictor snake with glowing redeyesappearsoutofthinairandwrapsitselfaroundthevictim’sneck,chokingthelifeoutofhimorher.Type magic; Perception DC 29; Disable Device DC 29EFFECTSTrigger proximity (alarm); Reset noneEffect spell effect (shadow conjuration, mimics summon
monster III (fiendish constrictor snake), DC 14)
sTone sTaTue Trap cr 6
Astatueofatribaldeitystandsinaremoteshrine.The first creature to touch the statue is instantlytransformedintostone,formingasecondstonestatuetrap.
Type magic; Perception DC 26; Disable Device DC 26EFFECTSTrigger touch; Reset noneEffect spell effect (flesh to stone, DC 19)
MosquiTo cloud Trap cr 7
This trapreleasesacloudofmosquitoes into theair.Theinsectsbuzzandswarmaroundthevictim’shead. A bitten character begins to develop rashesontheirbodyandisatriskofcontractingapainful
illness known as bonecrusher fever. The mosquitoswarmisquicktodisperseoncetheyhavebittentheirtarget.SeePathfinder Chronicles: Heart of the Jungleforinformationaboutbonecrusherfever.
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
EFFECTSTrigger location; Reset noneEffect disease-carrying mosquitoes; never miss; onset delay
(1 round); DC 12 Fortitude or contract bonecrusher fever
spider Vine darTs cr 7
Abarrageoftinydartscoatedinparalyzingvenomspraystheroom.SpidervinepoisoncanbefoundinPathfinder Chronicles: Heart of the Jungle.Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC
Quicksandisoftendeceptive,magically-enhancedquicksandespeciallyso.Thistrapcoversaquicksandpit with a permanent illusion of trees and jungleplants.Unlessacharactersees throughthe illusion,theSurvivalDCforspottingthequicksandincreasesto18.
Type magic; Perception DC 24; Disable Device DC 24EFFECTSTrigger proximity (alarm); Reset automaticEffect spell effect (hallucinatory terrain, DC 15) ❂
Dear Ask a ShoantiThis time we have you. Could you please explain Clairaut’s Relation for us?
Sincere Regards,Geodesic Sorcerer
dear geodesiC sorCerer
Clairaut’s relation is a classical differential geometry formula. The formula relates the distance r(t) from a point on a great circle of the unit sphere to the z-axis, and the angle θ(t) between the tangent vector and the latitudinal circle. Booyah! Also, Clair is the half-sister of Au(n)t Bessy’s idiot nephew Gilbert.
Thenewshad come in atmidnight, brought byarunnerfromthetradingpartythathadrecentlyleftforNantambu.He alone had escaped to inform
the elders that the entire party had been ambushed andtaken. When she heard the news, Sionan had been inthe workshop with her uncle, Pharis, preparing roughgemstoneforcutting.Shehadstoodfrozen,andthebloodhadleftheruncle’sfaceleavingthecolorfultattoosbehindtostandoutgarishlyagainsthispaleskin.
The tormenting of the Ekujae tribe at the hands oftheAspisConsortiumhadgoneforfartoolong,andtheelderswerenowincounciltoretaliate,butitwouldtaketime.Sionanwasnowarrior,butshehadrefusedtowait.Amongthepartyhadbeenhersister,Fea,andthethoughtofherfrailyoungersisterinchainsspurredherintoaction.Minuteswereprecious.Ignoringheruncle,shegatheredwhatprovisionsshecouldandleftKibwewithinthehour.
ThefinishedgemsthathadsparkledinthefirelightnowlayinthebottomofSionan’sbackpack.PerhapsshecouldusethemtobuyFeabackifnootheroptionwasavailable.Sionan followed the trade route to Nantambu. Theslavers hadheadedwest, but southofNightfall Station,suggesting they were instead traveling to Bloodcove.Conversations with merchants and Pathfinder contactsinNantambu revealed a fewnames and confirmed thatthemenwere indeedheaded toBloodcoveand tocitiesbeyond–Absalom,Korvosa,Magnimar.Sionan’sheartsank.ShecouldfollowtheslaverstoBloodcove,butwhatthen?What if she couldn’t find and freeFea before theslaveshipsleft?Findingashipwillingtofollowwouldbedifficultenough,but,even then,whatguaranteedidshehavethatshe’dfindthecitywhereFeawouldbesold?
It was nearly dawn when she reached the city. Redmud clung to her boots and clothing as she cautiouslytread the boardwalks. Bloodcove reeked. The stench ofthe riverwafted through the thickets and itwas a relieftoreachtheelevatedsquare.Indecisionslowedherdownforamoment.Shehadnorealplan,andevennowalltheinformation shehadabout the slaverswasadescriptionandanamebelongingtotheirleader,ParnelJacre.ShouldsheattempttofindthePathfinderLodgefirstandperhaps
seek guidance from a group whose possible assistancewas suggested only by a mutual hatred of the AspisConsortium?MistrustofanyorganizedsocietyledSionantofirstseekanswersonherown.
Discreet attempts at conversation and interrogationwithtradesmenandpubownersweremetwithdowncasteyesandquietmutterings.Nooneseemedtohaveheardof Jacre, yet therewerewhisperings andmumblings alloverthesquare.Finally,inarun-downshacksellingcheaptrinkets a woman with a worried face nodded quicklytowardanearbybarandhurriedlyacknowledgedthathefrequentedtheplace.
The bar was crowded and as loud, but Sionan soonspotted a man matching the given description of theexpeditionleader,ParnelJacre,atatableneartheback.Atallfigure,hoodedandcloaked,wasjustleaving.Sionancaughtaglimpseof the figure’s face; theblueeyeswerelike ice and startling in intensity. Shewasmomentarilydistracted,butshookitoffandventuredtothebackoftheroom.Jacrewassurroundedatthetablebyacrewofmenplayingacardgameformoney.Sionanwatchedforafewroundswaitingforabreakinthegame.Jacrenoticedher,grinned,andstood.
Not for the world would Sionan reveal herdisappointment, though she hadn’t expected thistransactiontobeeasy.Sheleanedintotheman’sfaceandeffortlesslypluckedthecardsfromhishandsmid-shuffle.
“Really?Thenletmewinherfromyou.”
Jacrewas highly amused at the suggestion and, at aglancefromhim,severalothermenjoinedthegame.Anhour into it, Sionan, cards held tightly in her grip,was
upbytengoldandonlytwootherplayerswerestillinthegame.OnewasJacre;theotherwasalocaldockworker.Neitherwerepleased.ThoughJacreretained his ever-presentgrin,hiseyeswereglaring.Beaded sweat poured offthe shoreman’s brow.Sionan stared him downandraisedthebet.Jacre,toothpicktwitchinginhismouth, raised it again.Thedockworker folded.Jacre looked Sionan upanddown.
“Just you and me,Ekujae.” He addedanothercointothepileashespoke.
Sionan staredback at him. Shecould sense hisunease throughthe façade of his friendlygrin and easy chatter. Shedrew another coin, then,slowlyreachingintoherbackpack,shewithdrew two of the newly polishedstones and added them to the pile.Jacre swallowed, his grin fading.Anothermomentofdrawn-outsilence,two,andthen,rippingthetoothpickfromhismouthashedidso,Jacrefolded.Sionansmiled,andlaiddownhercards.Shehadnothing,noteventwoofakind.Itwasaperfectbluffandtheinconvenientspectatorsapplauded.Sourly,Jacreconcededthepot.Sionanshookherhead,returnedthegemstoherbackpack,andleftthegoldonthetable.
Jacregrinned,lookedup,andmethereyes.Hislooktoldhermorethanshewantedtoknowandwithoutrealizingit,shestumbledoutofthebar,slippingontheboardwalk.She made her way towards the purported Pathfinderlodge,hopingtofindbetternews.Assheroundedacornerintothenarrowwalkway,ahandshotoutfromanearbydoorwayandpulledherintoitsshadow.
whatturnedouttobeasmallshop,andout through the back. “Besides, youwasted your time. Jacre’s last groupofslaveswereloadedaboardashipboundforKorvosatwodaysago.”
Sionan was dragged into asmallbuildingattheedgeofanarrow drop. She looked upintotheblueeyesofthefigureshe’dseenleavingthebar.The
hoodwaspulleddowntoreveala tall, half-elf woman withlong brown hair and an air ofimpatience, but her eyes weremildasshetookinthelookonSionan’sface.
Sionan waved her awayangrily. “I know!” Shebrokeoff and shookherheadcontinuing in a more normal
tone. “I mean, I knew he didn’thave her as soon as he folded.”Then she frowned as somethingelseoccurred toher.“YouwereleavingasIcamein.”
The tall woman smiled. “Igotareport ten minutes later from a colleague
in Nantambu telling me to expect companyfromsomeonematchingyourdescription.Ireturned to findyou in themidstofa cardgamesoIwaitedforyoutofinish.”
Sionan’s eyes narrowed. “You’re aPathfinder?”
The half-elf nodded. “My name is Farrellon.” Shegestured over her shoulder at the office room and itstwo roughbunks. “This is the local lodge though that’sprobablytoograndatitleforit.”
Farrellon looked up, calculating in her head. “I canhave the ship ready bymid-morning.” She paused andyawned. “Get some rest.” Sionan nodded, wonderingwhattomorrowwouldbring.❂
cloak, raiNBow featherAura moderate conjuration and transmutation; CL 12th
Slot shoulders; Price 5,400 gp; Weight 2 lbs.DESCRIPTIONThis brightly colored half cloak is woven of countless
feathers. Complex and beautiful patterns are comprised of blue, green, orange, red, and yellow parrot feathers that never fade, even in the sun. Quite often, only important personages such as kings, nobles, priests, and shamans own these cloaks due to the painstaking labor and magical abilities woven into them.
A person wearing one of these cloaks is under a permanent feather fall effect. In addition, the wearer may tear out a feather from the cloak and use it as a feather token. The effect of the feather is dictated by the color of the feather torn from the cloak.
Blue feathers produce the effect of a compass token (see below). Green feathers produce the effect of a swan boat token, though the craft created appears as a raft instead of a swan boat. Orange feathers produce the effect of a bird token. Red feathers produce the effect of a vine token (see below). Yellow feathers produce the effect of a tree token. Each cloak can produce two vine token effects, two swan boat token effects, three bird token effects, three tree token effects and five compass token effects.
CONSTRUCTIONRequirements Craft Wondrous Item, feather fall, major
creation; Cost 2,700 gp
drumS, ZomBieAura strong transmutation and necromancy; CL 13th
Slot —; Price 55,260 gp; Weight 10 lbs.DESCRIPTIONThese two conga drums are made of deep black, well-
burnished wood and covered at the top with tightly laced goatskin. Favored by necromancers and shamans that haunt the waterways and jungles in untamed lands, these magical drums can speed or slow the very heartbeat of those that hear it, or cause even intelligent undead to march to the beat of the skilled drummer.
When the two drums are played at a fast and frenetic tempo and the player makes a DC 15 Perform (percussion) check, all creatures within 30 feet of the drummer are under the effect of a haste spell until the percussionist stops playing or 10 rounds have passed, whichever comes first.
When the two drums are played at a slow tempo and the player makes a DC 15 Perform (percussion) check, all
creatures within 30 feet of the drummer, except for the drummer himself, are under the effect of a slow spell. The DC to save against this effect is DC 14 + 1 for every 5 points by which the Perform (percussion) check exceeds 15. This lasts until the percussionist stops playing or 10 rounds have passed, whichever comes first.
The haste and slow effects can be used a total of three times each day.
A truly skilled percussionist can use these drums once per day to produce an effect as the spell control undead with a DC 25 Perform (percussion) check. This can only affect undead creatures within 50 feet of the drums. Undead may make a Will save, DC 20 + 1 for every 5 points by which the check exceeds 25. This lasts until the percussionist stops playing or 10 minutes have passed, whichever comes first.
Setting up the drums and beginning to play requires a full round action. If a percussionist attempts to activate the drums with a Perform (percussion) check and fails, that attempt is still used for the day. Using the drums to control undead requires all the power the drums can summon for the day – no haste or slow effects can be attempted after an attempt has been made to control undead. If a haste or slow effect has already been used within the last 24 hours, no attempt can be used to control undead until 24 hours have passed.
CONSTRUCTIONRequirements Craft Wondrous Item, haste, slow, control
undead, creator must have 8 ranks in Perform (percussion) skill; Cost 27,630 gp
feather tokeNAura moderate conjuration; CL 12th
Slot —; Price 50 gp (compass), 450 gp (vines); Weight —DESCRIPTIONEach of these items is a small feather that has a power to suit
a special need. The kinds of tokens are described below. Each token is usable once. A particular feather token has no specific features to identify it unless its magic aura is viewed, even tokens with identical powers can be wildly different in appearance.
Compass: When this token is dropped into open air, it appears to be caught by an errant breeze and is wafted due north for a period of 1 minute or until it touches any other object.
Vines: When this feather is touched to a tree, the tree is suddenly choked by long, large vines. The vines grow over the trunk and are anchored firmly, able to support creatures of up to large size with no extra support. Multiple sturdy vines also hang from the tree’s branches down to the ground. These can support the weight of creatures of up to Medium size. These vines are rooted in the earth around the tree and permanent.
CONSTRUCTIONRequirements Craft Wondrous Item, major creation; Cost
This long staff has two shrunken heads tied to the top with leather thongs and feathered fetishes. One head appears to be that of a man, and the other of a woman. Three times per day this staff can be used to produce an effect like the augury spell, with the same restrictions and limitations. This ability has a 75% chance of success.
When the response to the bearer’s question is “weal,” the female head will wail. When the response to the bearer’s question is “woe,” the male head will shout. When the response to the bearer’s question is “weal” or “woe,” both heads will cry out, and when the response is nothing, the heads will not do anything.
CONSTRUCTIONRequirements Craft Wondrous Item, augury; Cost 5,400 gp
Slot —; Price 48,600 gp; Weight 4 lbs.DESCRIPTIONResembling the headhunter’s staff in appearance, this staff
can be used to produce an effect as the commune spell cast by a 9th level caster three times per day. These items usually use a god that possesses the Death domain as their source of information, most often Pharasma or Norgorber.
A positive response to the bearer’s question will cause the female head to wail, while a negative answer will cause the male head to shout. Both heads on the staff will speak if the answer to the commune is a short phrase or word.
Slot —; Price 150 gp; Weight —DESCRIPTIONThis warpaint can come in a variety of colors and be applied
in any number of designs to a creature’s skin or fur. Usually a warrior uses the totem warpaint to help him improve on the skills associated with his totem animal.
Once all of the warpaint is applied to a creature, they are under the effect of an aid spell, gaining a +5 competence bonus to a specific skill for a period of three hours. The paint comes in six different varieties:
• Anaconda: Swim• Chameleon: Stealth• Eagle: Perception• Leopard: Climb• Monkey: Acrobatics• Tiger: IntimidateThis warpaint can be applied to any creature, though in
order to use enough of the paint to activate the magic, the creature must be Tiny or larger. Totem warpaint takes 5 minutes to apply correctly.
Slot —; Price 300 gp; Weight —DESCRIPTIONThis warpaint can come in a variety of colors and be applied
in any number of designs to a creature’s skin or fur. Once all of the warpaint is applied, they are under the effect of an aid spell, gaining a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and saves against fear effects, as well as receiving 1d8+3 temporary hit points for a period of three hours.
This warpaint can be applied to any creature, though in order to use enough of the paint to activate the magic, the creature must be Tiny or larger. Warpaint of victory takes 5 minutes to apply correctly.
CONSTRUCTIONRequirements Craft Wondrous Item, aid; Cost 150 gp ❂
Dear Ask a ShoantiI’m a blood mage from Kaer Maga. All the other PCs are teasing me because of my blood-induced obesity. I just can’t get enough leeches to keep up. What should I do?
Sincere Regards,Living with Leaches
dear living wiTh leaChes,First off, don’t be so hard on yourself. Remember you are beautiful ‘in every single way’. Besides, the scrying totally adds ten pounds. As for the other PCs, you can always just give them the ol’ black tentacles. Or, sit them down and try explaining that you’re proud of your appearance and would appreciate their acceptance and support.Naw, definitely go with the black tentacles.
Fellow wanderers, the time has come again toheartalesofdangerandwoe.Mysteryandlorefillsthe Mwangi Expanse, where many have bravedtreacherousterrain,man-eatingapes,andallmannerofrotanddiseaseinsearchofpower,glory,andgold.Inaplacewhereempireswerelostbuttimewasnot,truehorrorlieswithintheExpansewhereadventurersmaycome towish fordeath.There, suchawish iseasilygranted.
Tenyearsago,ashipcalledtheEbon Starsailedfrom Cheliax to Sargava, heading towardsthe wilds of the Mwangi Expanse. General
Gorthoklekhimselfgaveeachmemberofthemissiona secret assignment. Leading the expedition wasa veteran called Elgar Ladislau, but even with hisskillstheyfaceddisasterafterdisaster.Sufferingfromstrange jungle plagues and curses, battles againstbrutalapesanddinosaur,theysurvivedonlytobearignominy of several mutinies and betrayals. Afterten years there are only two desperate survivors:the captain andhis former slave adopteddaughter,Morina Ladislau.
Athinandwell-dressedman,withastylishgoateeandslickblackhairstandsbeforeyou.Hecarriesmanysmallbottleswithstrangeliquidsinsidethemstrappedoverachainshirt,andafewweaponspoorlyconcealedunderhis cloak. His face shows no expression but his eyesbetrayagreatsadness.
Boon If the PCs manage to capture his wayward daughter Morina with the manacles of cooperation, he will share his copious handmade maps of the Mwangi Expanse, listing the locations of clean water and supply caches. These maps grant a +2 bonus on Knowledge (geography) or Survival checks made in the Expanse.
elGar ladislau cr 11XP 12,800
Male human alchemist 6/rogue 6LN Medium humanoid (human)Init +2; Senses Perception +16DEFENSEAC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +2 Dex, +1 shield)hp 66 (12 HD; 12d8+12)Fort +7, Ref +12, Will +5; +4 vs. poisonDefensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +2, uncanny dodgeOFFENSESpeed 30 ft.Melee +1 rapier +11/+6 (1d6+3/18–20), +1 dagger +11/+6
attack +3d6Alchemist Extracts Known (CL 6th)2nd—barkskin, bull’s strength, protection from arrows1st—comprehend languages, cure light wounds, endure
elements, keen sensesRogue Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th, concentration +8)3/day—detect poisonTACTICSBefore Combat Elgar will almost always try to confront
enemies with some tactical advantage, be it numbers, traps, or dirty tricks. He consumes his mutagen before combat.
During Combat While mounted Elgar will shoot at his opponents, keeping his distance. When on foot, or forced in close, he will attack with his rapier and dagger. He uses his extracts as the situation calls for it.
Morale If staying and fighting would cost him his life, Elgar will flee. The only exception is when someone dear to him is in danger or his country expects him to fight, in which case he will fight till his last breath.
Combat Gear acid flasks (4), alchemist’s fire (4), black adder venom (4), mutagen (Constitution); Other Gear +1 chain shirt, +1 rapier, +1 dagger, +1 seeking composite longbow with 60 arrows, efficient quiver, manacles of cooperation, alchemist’s kit, healer’s kit, formula book, silver holy symbol of Asmodeus, heavy war horse (with chain shirt barding and military saddle)
Woe: Morina and Lavelnial
Youhearherwailsofpainasayounggirlwithblood stained golden hair and cold grey eyesscuttlesawkwardlyaway.Shewearsasoiledandtorndress,remnantsofsilkandlacehangingintatters.Slungbehindherbackare a bunchof strange lookingsticks,tiedtogetherbythestrandsofblondhair.
Boon If the PCs befriend Morina, she reveals the location of a shrine of Ydersius that she uses as her shelter. This location has wealth appropriate to a CR 12 encounter and has many pieces of art and religious texts of interest to scholars and academic groups. Lavelnial does not grant any boons.
moriNa ladiSlau cr 11XP 12,800
Female human rogue 2/summoner 10CN Medium humanoid (human)Init +2; Senses Perception –1DEFENSEAC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 deflection, +2 Dex)hp 79 (12 HD; 12d8+22)Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +3Defensive Abilities evasionOFFENSESpeed 30 ft.
mending, message, open/close, read magicTACTICSBefore Combat Morina herself is quite harmless, but mentioning her adopted father’s name causes the dominant (and violent) personality of Lavelnial to take over. Lavelnial always tries to
fight in a place that she has the tactical advantage, be it near a large body of
water, over a cliff, or deep in the forest. She tries start the fight hiding or invisible.
During Combat Lavelnial uses her metamagic rod to cast create pit on her enemies then attacks
them from above with summoned animals. If that fails, she will flee to summon her eidolon (Chexgul)
and will return shortly after to attack again.Morale Lavelnial employs hit and run tactics. She will
run away if confronted, only to return when she thinks she has the advantage again.
STATISTICSStr 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 20Base Atk +8; CMB +8; CMD 22Feats Acrobatic, Augment Summoning, Extra Rogue Talent
Combat Gear wand of fireball (12 charges), wand of invisibility (48 charges), wand of lightning bolt (12 charges), lesser silent metamagic rod; Other Gear sling with 50 bullets, ring of protection +2
SPECIAL ABILITIESMultiple Personality Disorder Every morning, and each
time Morina is rendered unconscious, she must make a DC 23 Will save. Failure indicates that Lavelnial takes over. Her memories and skills remain unchanged, but the various
personalities have no knowledge of each other and will deny, often violently, that these other personalities exist. Morina has a -6 penalty on Will saving throws and Wisdom-based checks because of her disorder – these adjustments have already been made to the statistics above.
XP 1,600Female eidolonCN Large outsider (eidolon)Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7DEFENSEAC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +4 natural, –1 size)hp 68 (8d10+24)Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +6 (+10 vs. enchantments)Defensive Abilities evasionOFFENSESpeed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.Melee bite +12 (1d8+5 plus poison), tail slap +10 (1d8+2 plus
grab), 2 unarmed strikes +12/+7 (1d4+5)Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with bite)Special Attacks constrict (1d8+2), poisonSTATISTICSStr 20, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 12Base Atk +8; CMB +14 (+22 grapple); CMD 26 (28 vs.
Dear Ask a Shoantii wanna get it so dat my PC has higher DPR (damage per round) than the rest of the party. How do i get my damage up so i can stick it in their faces? That would be totally sic. What do you recommend?
Sincere Regards,Power Gamerz
dear power [gaMer],I respect both your efforts to better yourself as well as the competitive spirit you employ. Here’s a quick and ready solution that’s both time-tested and practical: when the DM hands you plastic dice to roll, roll higher numbers than you usually do. (Sigh)
theKaavalands.DominicusRell,spymasterandheadofthesecretiveLion’sBladeacademyinOppara,hadtaskedhimwiththismission.Whileheknewhewouldnotallowhimselftofail,hesilentlycursedRellunderhis breath for sendinghimhere.FollowingNabutu,hisMwangiguidewasdifficult.Thenativemanknewthe jungle well and walked over the rough terrainaseasilyasif itwereflatgrass.Dark-skinnedwithashavedhead,Nabutuworeonlytannedgiraffehidesand sandals made from the underbelly of pythons.He carried a sharpened bamboopole and a paintedboomerang,whackingasideheavyfoliageandcurioussnakes.
Wade’shairwasunusuallyoutofplace,hisshortblack curls spilling across his forehead. His thickleather coatwasbecomingunbearablyheavyby therain.Blackkneebreechesweretuckedintohisleatherjungle boots and a shirt ofmithril mail covered anundershirt of white cotton. His leather belt held aseven-inchjungleknifeandasilverbladedrapierinanelaboratelydecoratedfrog.
“How much further is this place, Nabutu? IthoughtyousaiditwasonlyafewmilessoutheastofBloodcove.”
Fadingsunlightspilledthroughbreaksinthehighjungle canopy, and as night grew closer, glowinginsects fluttered through the air, creating a multi-coloredarrayofdancinglights.
Afterhikingforanotherhalf-hour,thejunglebeganthinning out until finally breaking into a clearingroughly one hundred yards wide. A small bamboobuilding on man sized bamboo stilts stood in the
middle of the clearing. Roughwooden stairs led toa door flapmade from leather. Standing in front ofthe building was a large insectoid effigy, fashionedtogetherfrombirdfeathers,reeds,andthinbamboo.Smoke rose from a chimney in the thatch roof andWadesawlightemanatingfromwithin.
Nabutu cupped his hands around hismouth andmadetwobirdcallstowardthehut.Withinmoments,the door flap opened and a young, dark-skinnedMwangi man exited, carrying a torch and a bonespear.ThemancalleddowntoWadeandNabutuinathroatyvoicefullofgroansandclicks.Nabuturepliedin his native tongue and theman seemed satisfied.HereenteredthehutwhileNabutuclimbedthestepsmotioningforWadetofollow.
The walls of the building were waist high andmadefrombambooboundtogetherbybraidedvines.Bamboopillars,adornedwithangrylookingcarvings,heldupthe thatchedroof,allowingforapanoramicviewofthejungle.
FiveMwanginatives,threemenandtwowomen,occupiedthehut.Thewomenwereyoungadults,aswere two of themen. The fifth, sitting in a wickerrocking chair,was clearly their patriarch.Hewas avenerableoldmanwithlong,whitedreadlocks,andthe cloudy eyes of the blind. Despite the obvioushandicap, theoldmanwascarvingona solidpieceof black wood with a hook bladed knife. Themancarryingthetorchwalkedovertothewomenwhosatcross-leggedandshirtlessneartherearofthehut.Theotheryoungmanwasbusystirringafireplacefullofred-hotcoals.Ablackironcauldronbubbledaudiblyinthefire,amusky,sweetsmellemanatingfromit.
The oldman spoke, his tones raspy. He seemedwaryandafraid.
Wadereachedintoaninnerpocketofhisjacketandremoved a fist sized, black wooden figure, vaguelyaquaticincountenance,andsetitbeforetheoldman.Thewomeninthehutgaspedattheidol’sappearance,mutteringuneasilyamongthemselvescausingthemanwiththetorchtousherthemoutthebackentrance.
“AnassassininCheliaxcarriedthis.”Wadesaid.“Beforehis escapehe toldmeyoumade it forhim.Magical attempts to findhimhave failed. Iwant toknowwhoyoumadethisfor,whereIcanfindhim,andnowIalsowanttoknowwhyyourwomenfearit.”
K’naka took the idol and ran his hands over it,gingerlyinspectingitssurface.Whenhespokeitwashushedandfullofsadness.
Nabutu translated. “He says the idol is the manwhodidnotwalk.Thathecarvedhistrueface.”
K’nakahanded thecarvingback toWade.Purvistookanotherlookatitsmenacing,aquaticform.Thethinghadahumanoidshapebutitscrippledlegsweretwistedbackwardsbeneathitsbody.Theclawsonitsfeetandhandswerewebbedandfourfingered,anditsheadhad themixed likenessof a sharp-toothed fishandbird.
Asuddenloudcracksoundedthroughoutthehut,followed by a heavy thud and the smell of burninghair.Wadeturnedtowardsthesound,hishandfalling
tothehiltofhisknife.Acat-sizedstirgelaidsmokinglifelessly on the floor of the hut. The angry facedcarvings on the bamboo pillarswere cracklingwithelectricityandglowingavibrantpurple.
Theyoungmanbythefirescoopedupthecreature,choppedoff itsprobosciswitha jaggedcleaver,andthrewtheremainingbodyintothebubblingcauldron.Hethendicedupthefeedingtubeintobite-sizedringsandbeganroasting themin the fireona longmetalspike.Heseemedinsuddenhighspirits.
TheyouthgavetheroastedringletstoK’nakaalongwithawoodenbowlof stew from thecauldron.HehandedWadeandNabutubowlsbuthadtotakestewoutside to thewomenwhowould not return to thehut.
K’naka fell silent and spoke no more about theBrotherhood of the Beast. When Wade pressedNabutu to bring it up again the guide gave him astonylookandshookhishead.K’nakainvitedWadeandNaubututospendtheremainderof thenight inthehutandprovidedthemwithblanketsmadefromthefurofbigjunglecats.Constantrainfallfellonthethatchedroofofthehut.Despitethis,Wadedriftedofftosleepquicklyandsleptsoundly.
In themorningWadeawoke to findNabutuandhimselfaloneinthehut.K’nakahadabandonedthemwhiletheyslept,fleeingwithhisfamily.Aquickscanof the building revealed they had taken what littlebelongingstheyownedwiththem.TheirabsencegaveWadeahollowfeelinginhisgut.
“I found answers. I’m just afraid I found morequestionsaswell.”
Walking out of the hut, Wade saw the solitaryobject that K’naka and his family had left behind.On the front steps of the bamboo hut was a smallblackwoodcarving,thesamewoodK’nakahadbeenwhittlinguponWade’sarrival. It looked likea lion,proudandstandingtall,butwiththeheadofasnake.WadewonderedifthatwaswhatK’nakathoughthistruefacelookedlike.❂
seeking entry for trading, rest, ordirections. The large animal- shapedcarvingsscattered around the village onlyheightenthe feeling of being watchedwith silent suspicion. Ratherthan answer any questionsthat strangers might have,the locals are suspiciousandgreetanyconversationor attempts to tradewith instructions thatthe adventurers speak tothe tribe’s spiritual leader,Ungozi.
Woe – Shaman Ungozi
Ungozi canbe found leadinga sadprocession toward an open grave.Behindher is thebodyofayoungwoman, borne on a bier by sixyoungmen.Even themostcursorylook reveals some vicious animalhas mauled the deceased woman.A weeping young man trailing theprocessionand two freshgravesnextto theopenone testify to the troublethisvillagefaces—threeviciousattacksinasmanynights—allofthemfatal.
After the service, Ungozi is happyto assist adventurers in any way shecan, with her divinations, naturalknowledge,skills,orspells.Perhapstheadventurersareseekingaspecificruininthejungle,andheranimalcontactscanprovideguidanceordirections.Perhapsthey are in need of healing, or simply
Heraffinityforbirdsandcaninecreaturesallowshertospeakwiththem,buttheyhaverevealedonlya reluctance to speakwith her these last few days,andifpressedwillonlysaythata“strange”animalattacksthevillagers.Theanimals’reluctancetocomenearher or the village and their refusal todescribethe attacker in detail worries Ungozi. This, alongwith the dead woman’s husband’s fleeting glimpseof a large spotted cat vanishing into the forest leadUngozitoadisturbingsuspicion–thatKhatzi,oneoftheanimaltotemprotectorsofthevillage,hasturnedonthemforsomereason.Khatzi,whoappearsasalargeandwell-fedleopard,hasprovenelusiveaswell
sincetheattacksbegan.
UngozihopestheadventurersmightbeabletotrackKhatzidowninthenearby ruined ziggurat where heseems to make his home, andeither appease or destroy theangryanimalguardian.
unGozi cr 4XP 1,200Female human afflicted weredog oracle* 4N Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger)Init +0; Senses Perception +3DEFENSEAC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor)hp 29 (4d8+8)Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +7OFFENSESpeed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)Melee mwk longspear +6 (1d8+1/x3) or club +4 (1d6+1)Ranged club +3 (1d6+1)
natural, +1 size)hp 378 (4d8+16)Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +7 DR 5/silverOFFENSESpeed 40 ft.Melee bite +6 (1d6+3)STATISTICSStr 15, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 8,
Wis 16, Cha 16Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD
16 (20 vs. trip)SQ change shape (human,
hybrid, dog; polymorph), lycanthropic
empathy, oracle’s curse (haunted), revelation, speak with animals (bird, dog)
Weal – Tribal Protector Khatzi
Khatzi doesn’t clearly remember when he beganto understand the tongues of the villagers, he onlyremembersakindlyvoiceandgentlehands.Howeverhecametoawareness,hehassfeltakinshipforhumansever since.He settlednear the village ofAbiinbe afewyearsagoandhasgiven themhisprotection inexchange for the respect and conversation of thevillagersandtheirshamanUngozi.
Afewweeksago,hesawUngozitryingtospeakwithastrangereddoghe’dneverseen in the jungle before. It lookedlike a giant fox, with reddish fur,large rounded ears, and a fluffyblack tail. The dhole, unlikemost canines, reacted violentlyto the shaman’s overtures and
only her skill with her spear andKhatzi’s intervention prevented aworse injury than the biteUngozireceived.
Two nights ago, however,anotherdhole—differentinscentbut similar in looks—attackedand killed a young man in thevillage.Khatzichasedthecreaturefromthevillageandlostit inthejungle.Thenextnight’sattackwassimilar,andKhatziagainlostthecreature after an extended chasethroughthedarkness.Khatziwasa little insulted that the creaturewas able to evade him, andwasdeterminedtocatchthecreaturebeforeitpreyedonthevillagersagain. He spent the next daysetting small dry twigs asnoise traps along the forestgame trails to help himtrack the fleeing creaturethe next night. Again, thecreature seemed to comeout of nowhere to attack avillager,butafter theattack,thetwigsdidtheirworkand
Khatziishorrifiedandconfusedonhisnextstep.He ishopeful thatotherhumansmayassisthim instopping Ungozi from committing further attacks.Khatziisunawareofthenatureoflycanthropesanddoes not realize that as tonight is the last night ofthefullmoonthismonth,Ungoziwillbeunlikelytotransformforanothermonthaftertonight.
Khatzi is sleeping or hunting during the day inpreparation for another night of trying to thwartthe strange vicious creature that hunts the villagersofAbiinbe.Hecouldcomeacrossthepartyastheyseekhimoutandfollowthemstealthily forawhileto gauge their intentions before asking for theirassistance. He could be surprised from sleepwhentheadventurersentertheziggurat’scoolcentralstonechamberwhereherestsfromtheheatandhumidity
ofthejungleintheafternoon.Ifattacked,Khatziwilldefendhimself, retreat toadefensibleposition,andtry to communicate with the party. He will flee ifbroughtbelowhalfhishitpoints,however.
Khatzi’s main concern is seeking assistance todealwiththedepredationsofhisoldfriendUngozi,evidently gone mad. In exchange for curing orstoppingUngozi’sdepredationsonherownpeople,Khatziiswillingtosharehisknowledgeofthelocaljungle,actasaguideandprotector,or showsecretcachesofancientknowledgeandtreasurethathehasnousefor.
+5, Stealth +11 (+15 in undergrowth), Survival +6, Swim +7; Racial Modifiers +4 on Stealth in undergrowth
Languages Common, Polyglot
*This content is from thePathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player’s GuideTM.❂
Dear Ask a ShoantiThanks to random treasure tables my encumbrance is quickly reaching its maximum limit. How should I arrange my equipment? Should I get a backpack?
Sincere Regards,Type II Fanny Pack
dear Type ii,Absolutely not. According to the Core Rulebook, a backpack costs 2 gp and adds 2 pounds of weight. It actually increases your encumbrance instead of reducing it. It is a fact of our world that non-magical receptacles have no functional value of any kind. Whenever your GM asks where you keep anything – anything at all -always answer “at the ready, in the sheath at my side”. If after a time your GM begins to ask you just how many #$*# sheaths do you have, answer him thusly: “one, of course” and look at him as if he were a Korvosan loon. If he’s a GM of any skill he will have better things to do than pursue it.
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Savage,primal,andmalevolent,orcsaretheenemiesof civilization throughout Golarion. The orcs ofBoneMound, which lies in the western jungles oftheMwangiExpanse,withinraidingdistanceoftheSoddenLands,strikefearintotheheartsofanywhohaveencounteredthem.Thefewsurvivorstell talesofmuscularhorrorswhowearbronzecapsadornedwith human skulls, capes made from the tannedskin of their victims, andmummified hands strungthrough iron rings around their necks. Whispersabound describing disturbing customs, where theorcsdrinkthebloodoftheirpreyandchantasinglename,Duthm’zha!
Numerousexpeditionsintothejungletoendthisthreat have met with no results; they either findnothing,ordonotreturnatall.Manyhavediscountedthesehorrificorcsasjungleinducedcreationsofthecollectiveimaginationsofthepeople.Thetruthofthematterisfarmoresinister.
Amerefifteenmilesintothejunglelaytheruinsofanancienthumantemple.Thesite’soriginalfunctionis lost totime,thestatuesof its forgottengods longsincesmashedtopieces,andtherunictextshonoringits original masters have worn away to nothing.Whatremainsisahiddenpyramidconstructedoftheblackestbasalt,whichisovergrownwithvines,trees,andfoliage,andhassunkintotheboggyearth.
TheyrefertothisstructureasBoneMound.Builtupontheoriginal toptierof thepyramidisanotherlayer that the orcs have added themselves, madeentirely of the bones of their sacrifices. Each piecehasbeencarefullyfittedwiththeonesarounditandmortared intoplacewith the junglemud to formasolidsurface.Atthecenterisanaltar,alsoconstructedfrom bones. It is here that the orcs perform theirwretchedceremonies.
Thepointof theorc raidson thepeoplepassingthrough the area is not to simply kill them andplunder theirbelongings. Instead, theyseek toonlytoappeasetheirdarkdemigod,Duth’zhawithadarkceremony that the entire tribewitnesses.Wheneverpossible,theycapturethosetheirpreyandbringthembackhere,wherethevictimsaretiedtopostsmadeofbonenearthealtar.Theorcshamangoestoeachof them and makes a dozen precisely placed cuts,bleedingthemslowly.Hethenforceshissacrificestodrinktheirownbloodfromaceremonialcup.Oncethishastranspired,hereverentlypassesthecuptothetribe,who in turndrink.He repeats theprocess foreachcaptivethen,onebyone,separatestheirheadsfromtheirbodies.
Their livesextinguished, theorcscatchbloodfordrink,roastthebodies,cutmeatfrombones,andfeastuntil themorning, knowing that they have pleasedDuthm’zha. In the following days, what remainsof thebodiesof their sacrifices isused foravarietyof purposes.Hair is harvested for blankets, roastedeyeballs are delicacies, the hands are made intoornaments, and the skin thatwas flayed from theirvictimsistannedandturnedintovariousitems,fromcapes,tothrow-mats,andevenroofingmaterials.
Duth’z ha, the Lurking God
Despite the stories that have circulated about thedemigodworshippedby thisunusuallybloodthirstybandoforcs,nonehavebeenabletolearnthenatureof the orc’s god.Most orcs ofGolarionworship ahandful of deities, including Lamashtu, Rovagug,andZon-Kuthon.TheorcsofBoneMoundhavenoneedforgodsthattheycannotsee.Astairwayatthetopofthepyramidleadstoitsdepth,whereDuth’zhaitselfresides.
The creature they worship is a horror from theAbyss,a shoggtiqlippoth. Inpre-historic times, thecreature had been part of a qlippoth raiding bandseeking out slaves. The raid was successful, but itwaswounded in the effort. Forweeks the creaturelayamid the trees inablind,dreamlikestate.Witheveryday, its graspon lifebecamemoreandmoretenuous.Withno food,noability tomove,andnoawareness, itwas forced touse its immensementalabilities to perceive its surroundings through thecreatures around it.Eventually, it overpowered theminds of several animals,which it used to drag its
body to the nearest settlement, a temple belongingtotheserpentfolkoftheMwangiExpanse.Duth’zhaquicklytookcontrolofanumberofthesecreatures,forcing them to turn on the others. In short order,only the serpentfolkwho served him survived.Hisnew thralls proved excellent replacements for hisown failed faculties. He could see through theireyes, speak throughwhicheveroneof themthathechose, and he could have themmove him around.Inlittletimehehadregainedhismentalstrength,ifnothiseyesorhisabilitytodirectlyinteractwiththeenvironment.Whenthepyramidcameunderattackbytheothernearbyserpentfolkwhohadnoticedthattheirbrethrenweremissingandtheirtemplenolongerservingitsoriginalfunction,Duth’zhahadrecoveredenoughofhismental fortitudetoonceagaindividetheserpentfolk,forcingsometoservehimandhavethemkilltheoneswhodidnotfalltohisinfluence.
In time, the serpentfolkwho served him died ofvarious causes, though he channeled a great dealof energy into preserving the life of the one thatservedhim.Eventuallythesitewasfoundbyatribeof orcs. Mentally weak, the qlippoth found themeasier to dominate than the serpentfolk, and theirbrutestrengthwasabletoservehimbetterthantheserpentfolkhad.Better,theycontinuedtobreedandproduceoffspring,andafterthefirsttwogenerationsoforcshaddiedoff,theothersregardedhimasagod.Henolongerneededtodominatehissubjectsunlessitwastohavethemperformspecifictasksforhim.
The blood ceremony the orc shaman performsadds to his overall strength, allowing him tomakebriefconnectionswiththeouterplanesoftheAbyss.At firsthewastedhisenergysimplytryingtomakecontactwithhishomelands,butovertimeherealizedthatifheweretostoretheenergywithinhimself,hemightonedaybeabletotransporthimselfbacktohishomeplane,wherehewouldbecomewholeagain.Theorcs,who regardedhimasagod,wereall toowilling to continue performing these dark rituals.He would absorb the energy from the sacrifice’ssouls, and the orcs would feast while theyworkedthemselvesintoreligiousfervor.
Todaytheqlippothliessurroundedbyaprotectivecocoon of rotted vegetation, mud, and dung. Heis still served by the one serpentfolk whose life hepreserved,andthecreaturestillobeyshimmindlessly.The orcs take orders from the scaly intermediarywhennecessary,andhavecometoviewitasasort
of divine figure itself. Aftermillennia of sacrifices,Duth’zha suspects that he has nearly accumulatedenough power to return to the Abyss; just a fewhundredsacrificestogobeforehewillbecertainthatheisreadyforthejourney.
How to Use the Orcs of the Bone Mound
In game, theOrcs of the BoneMound should notbeusedasfodder.ThePCsshouldhearaboutthemthrough whispered tales of horror from the peoplelocaltothearea.Theyspeakinhushedtones,afraidthat speaking openly of them will bring the wrathofthesedemonsuponthem.Also,thetempleisnotvisible from a distance because of the overgrowingfoliageofthejungle.
The orcs should possess levels in fighter orbarbarian,whiletheirshamansshouldhavelevelsofcleric.Alsoamidtheirinnerranksaresorcerers.TheyshouldproveadifficultchallengeforPCstoovercomeinordinaryencounters,andencountersnearorinthetempleshouldbeonetotwochallengeratingsabovethePCs’level.
IfthePCsareabletofighttheirwayintotheinnersanctumanddisturbtheqlippoth,theyarefirstfacedwith theserpentfolkwizard,who isattendedbysixorcs.ShouldthePCsdefeatthem,thereleasedenergyfloodsintotheqlippoth,grantingitenoughenergytomakeasolidconnectionwiththeAbyss.Theenergyfrom its home plane floods into it, granting it thestrengthtohealitsancientwoundsandfightthePCs.DependinguponthePCslevel,thismightbeapartialrecovery,leavingitatlessthanitsfullstrength.Iftheparty is higher than 5th level, substitute the shoggtiwithwhicheverqlippothfromPathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 2isbetweentwoandfourCRshigherthantheparty’slevel.
IfthePCsdefeattheqlippoth,anysurvivingorcsfrom the tribe will consider the party the ultimateblasphemers,andtheywillfollowthemuntiltheyhaveeitherkilledthePCs,ortheyhavebeeneliminated.Ifinitialattacksfail,theydonotwastetheirremainingmembers on suicide attacks, but instead attempt todrawmorepowerfulcreaturesintofightswiththePCs.Theyarerelentless,followingthemfromlocationtolocation,intocitiesifnecessary,evengoingsofarastopursuethemacrosstheoceans.Intheend,however,onlytheorcsorthePCswillremain.❂
Dalia’stemperflared,“IthoughtImademyselfclear,Major Greganis, that you will address me as PriestessDasvidalinpublic.”Themancouldn’tgetitthroughhisthickgrayheadthatshewasn’tthegirlheusedtoteachtheartofthescimitartoanymore.Shewasagrownwomanof nineteen and had been celebrated into the church ofSarenrae formore thanayear.Sowhat if shepreferredfineboots?TheonlyreasonCainwasherewasthatinhisyouthhehadbeenamongmissionarieswhoexploredthisregionandspokesomeofthelocallanguagesanddialects.
Caingesturedtothethickjunglesurroundingthem.“Isthiswhatpasses forpublic inyoureyes,Dalia? Iwouldhave thought that this grand adventure outside the SunHallwouldhavebroadenedyourhorizons.”
“Grand adventure? Grand adventure? What is thisgrandadventureyouspeakof,Cain?Wasittheweeksatsea, crossing fromAndoran toOsirion? I recallmy finebootstouchingsoilintheportofSothisforallofanhourbeforebeingbundledontoanevensmallershipforseveralmoreweeks.”
“Looking at a greymass on the horizon isn’t a tourofAbsalom,Cain!AsfortheruinsofKho,backinKho-RarnePassyoumerelypointedtowardssomemountains!Is that what passes for…” Her words were lost as shebangedhernoseonCain’sarmoredback.Shedrewinadeepbreath,graspedhernose,andpreparedtodeafenthemanwithastreamofprofanity,butCainstolethosewordsaswell.
“Ifearwehavearrivedatthecolony.”
Pastthefingersclutchingherthrobbingnose,Daliasawalargeclearing.Itwasnotfilledwiththeneatrowsofcornorbeansshewouldhaveexpectedatavillageofmorethanfifty.Itwasafieldofweedsandsaplingswiththingametrails leading to what looked like a heap of vegetationin thedistance.Theworst fearsofher churchhadbeenrealized.
CainmovedswiftlypastDaliaandspoketotheirshort,dark-skinnedguideinhisnativetongue.Theportersbeganto set down their bundles, bags and crates, while Cainprepared for battle.Hedroppedhis backpack, tightenedarmorstraps,examinedhisweaponsandtucked-inlooseclothing.Asheprepared,Daliarecoveredfromherinitialshockatfindingthevillagedesertedandjoinedhim.
Cain did not reply immediately, but eventually hesparedhersomeofhisconcentration.“WhathaveItaughtyou,Dalia?”
“Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” sherepliedinasingsongvoice.
“That’sright.DidyouthinkIintendedthatruletobeapplied only when the enemy stands across from you,bladebared?”
DaliastewedforafewminuteswhileCaincontinuedhis preparations. Shewas perturbed at his tone and hislack of respect for her authority. She looked across thefield towards the overgrownmass of vines that coveredthevillage.Shecouldseetheremnantsofflimsywoodenpalisadessurroundingthevillageandtheskeletalremainsofthatchedroofs.Theonlysignoflifewastheoccasionalbaboon.
Almost without thought, Dalia announced, “This isridiculous,”andbeganwalkingpurposefullytowardsthevillage.
“Dalia!”Cainshoutedatherback.Shecouldn’thelpbutgrin ever so slightly.For some reason she imaginedhimhoppingalongafterherwithonebooton.Italmostmadeherchuckle.
Cainmovedquickly toblockDalia’spath.He stareddown at her with wide-eyed intensity and bellowed,“WhatinthenameoftheDawnflowerdoyouthink—”The flash and crack that wrenched his jaw was like astrokeoflightning.
“You will not blaspheme in my presence CainGreganis!”
It was Cain who first softened his visage and spokein a tone fairlydrippingwith sarcasm. “PriestessDalia,pleaseacceptmyapology. Ivowtodopenanceassoonascircumstancesallow.Icannot,however,allowyoutoproceed.IsworeanoathtoHighPriestLisseltokeepyousafe,andinthisregard,Iactunderherauthorityalone.Doweunderstandoneanother?”
Dalia’s eyes flitted towards the ground for just amomentasherownfacesoftened.“Wedo.Pleaselead,”wasallshecouldthinktosay.Cainhadoutmaneuveredher.
Thesmallvillagewassimilarinlayouttothousandsofothers that dotted theAndoran countryside – a roughlycircularplacementofhomesandothernecessarybuildingssurroundinganopenpatchofgroundin thecenter.Theonly significant difference was that this jungle villagesurroundedatempleofSarenrae.
ItwasonlynaturalthatDaliafeltdrawntoinvestigatethe temple first and Cain agreed. They found fewsurprises. It was an open-air structure typical of theworship of Sarenrae and remarkably well preserved forbeingabandonedinthejungleclimateforsomanyyears.When they stepped out of the shadowed interior of thetempleintothelightofthecourtyard,Daliasawthelargeblock of intricately carved wood andwas relieved. Shehadattendedtheconsecrationofthealtarbeforeitmade
thelongtrektothisland.
She was caressing the altar’s smooth surface whensomethingcaughthereye.Therewasayounggirlsquattingina fardoorway.She looked tobenomore thansixorsevenyearsold.ShewasalsoasnakedasthedayshewasbornandpossiblythefilthiestchildDaliahadeverseen.Mattedclumpsofhairhidhereyes.
“Hello there,” Dalia said in a motherly tone. Sheglanced around for Cain, but the man was probablyurinatingonsomethingsomewhere.Daliadidn’ttakehereyesoffthegirlasshebegantoslowlystalkforwardandspeakinsoothingtonesasiftoafrightenedcat.Shegottowithinafewpaces,butthegirlshriekedandscrambledaway.Daliaimmediatelychasedafterher,butlostsightofthegirlwhensheleaptthroughanopenwindow.WhenDaliaemergedonthefarsideofthetemplethechildwasalreadyslippingintoasmallbuildingthatappearedtobeastorageshedorsmokehouse.
“There-there,now,”saidDalia.“There’snoreasontobeafraid. I’mnotgoing tohurtyou.Let’s go findyourmommyanddaddy.”ThegirljustignoredDaliaandkepthowlingandbarkingwiththebaboons.
She began to rummage through her pockets lookingfor some colorful candied meats she had purchased atthemarket inOsirion.Every child likes candiedmeats.Perhapssweetswouldcoaxherout,orat leastcalmherdown.
Shegrinnedassheturnedtorespond.Hergrinfaded.They were surrounded by a large troop of agitatedbaboons.Interspersedamongthemwerenumerousfilthy,naked,children.Howlingferociously,theseferalchildrenwerenearlyindistinguishablefromthebaboons.
N Small monstrous humanoidInit +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Perception +10DEFENSEAC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +3 natural, +1 size)hp 22 (3d10+6)Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +4OFFENSESpeed 30 ft., climb 40 ft.Melee bite +5 (1d3+1), 2 slams +5 (1d2+1)TACTICSMorale Agogwe don’t enjoy fighting and tend to attempt to
escape when given the chance. The only time an agogwe will remain in a fight when the chance to escape is presented, is if it’s mate or children are in danger.
STATISTICSStr 13, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 8Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 17Feats Run, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon FinesseB
Skills Acrobatics +13, Climb +9, Perception +10, Sleight of Hand +12, Stealth +16; Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics, +4 Sleight of Hand, +4 Stealth
Languages AgogweSQ filcherSPECIAL ABILITIESFilcher (Ex) All agogwe are adept at stealing things. Sleight
of Hand is always a class skill for an agogwe.
Agogwearecapriciouslittlehominids.Notparticularlyintelligent,butwellaboveanimalintellect.Theytendto live in nomadic family oriented tribes. They arecapableofusingsimpletools,butnotmakingmuchmorethancrude,stoneclubs,generally.
Funtum-Denk yem
This creature appears to be two crocodiles joinedcrosswise:ithastwosnappingmouthsandtwolashingtails.Despiteitsungainlyappearancethereptilemovesforwardonitseightlegswithpredatoryswiftness.
fuNtum-deNkyem cr 8XP 4,800
N Large magical beastInit +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception
+11DEFENSEAC 20, touch 10, flat-footed 19 (+1 Dex, +10 natural, –1 size)hp 102 (12d10+36)Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +7Defensive Abilities of two mindsOFFENSESpeed 20 ft., swim 30 ft.; sprintMelee 2 bites +15 (1d8+4/19-20) and 2 tail slap +10 (1d12+2)Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.Special Attacks double slap, rend (2 bites, 1d8+6)STATISTICSStr 19, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2Base Atk +12; CMB +17; CMD 28 (can’t be tripped)Feats Bleeding Critical, Critical Focus, Iron WillB, Improved
Skills Perception +11, Stealth +11 (+19 in water), Swim +12; Racial Modifiers +8 on Stealth in water
SQ hold breathECOLOGYEnvironment warm rivers and marshesOrganization solitaryTreasure noneSPECIAL ABILITIESDouble Slap (Ex) If a funtum-denkyem hits a creature with
both its tail slaps in a single round, that creature must make DC 19 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round. The saving throw is Constitution based.
Hold Breath (Ex) A funtum-denkyem can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
Of Two Minds (Ex) The two minds of a funtum-denkyem are disagreeable, even at times to each other. It gains Iron Will as a bonus feat.
Sprint (Ex) Once per minute a funtum-denkyem may sprint, increasing its land speed to 40 feet for 1 round.
InMwangilegendthereisnotonespiritualancestorofcrocodiles,buttwo:FuntumandDenkyem.Everenvious of eachother, the twour-crocodileswouldratherstealakillfromtheother’smouththantohunttheirownprey.Itmattersnot,however,whichofthetwo eats the food as Funtum and Denkyem share
the same stomach. In Mwangi iconography twocrocodilesjoinedcrosswiseinthemiddlesymbolizesunitydespitediversity.
New Spells
These spells, based on the myth of Funtum andDenkyem,arepopularamongthefaithfulofGozreh,god of duality and unity. Such priests often sharethesespellswiththeiranimalcompanions.
Shared StomachSchool conjuration (creation); Level cleric 4, druid 4Casting Time 1 standard actionComponents V, S, M (crocodile tooth)Range touchTargets two living creaturesDuration 1 hour/2 levelsSaving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless); Spell
Resistance yes (harmless)For the duration of this spell, the two targets effectively share
a single stomach. As long as they remain on the same plane, both targets are satisfied by any food consumed by either, and any potion consumed by one affects the other as well. In addition, any disease or poison ingested by one affects both targets, though they roll individually to resist the effects. The effects of anything consumed can continue
after this spell ends.
twiNNiNgSchool transmutation (polymorph); Level cleric 4, druid 4Casting Time 1 standard actionComponents V, S, M (crocodile scale)Range personalTargets youDuration 1 round/levelSaving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless); Spell
Resistance yes (harmless)You grow a second set of limbs (heads, arms, legs, tails, wings,
etc.), though you retain only a single body. Any weapons you hold are also reproduced, though not ammunition or limited use items.
When making a full attack action, you may make one extra attack with each natural attack or weapon you are holding. The attacks are made using your full base attack bonus, plus any modifiers appropriate to the situation. (This effect is not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided by haste or a speed weapon, nor does it actually grant an extra action, so you can’t use it to cast a second spell or otherwise take an extra action in the round.)
Additional motive limbs do not improve your speed, but each additional leg provides a +2 bonus to CMD vs. trip, as normal.
Before you stands a bare-chested male of clearlycelestial origin withglistening ebony skin.The long, curly locksof his dark hair fall incascades down hisbroad shoulders froma head crowned by adiadem of green laurelintertwinedbybrightlyorange roses. Hismajestic wings shinewith the deep orangehueofasunset,andineach hand he carriesan exquisitely forgedmorningstar. On hisfacehehasamienthatcan only be interpretedasrighteousholywrath.
guriBaSt, herald of milaNi cr 15XP 51,200
CG Medium outsider (azata, chaotic, extraplanar, good, shapechanger)
SPECIAL ABILITIESEntangling Crown (Sp) Guribast’s rose and laurel crown is his symbol as Milani’s herald. The crown grants Guribast the ability
to entangle his foes as the entangle (DC 29) spell. This
functions with a caster level of 20th and is heightened to 9th level.
Freedom and Liberty These twin morningstars are gifts from Milani to her
herald. When used together, the wielder can make full attacks with both of them at no
penalty, and the wielder cannot be disarmed. They are effectively +6 morningstars and grant the wielder a +6 sacred bonus to all ability scores.
WhatmadeMilanileavethepathofherlordArodenandblazea trail into themindsofGolarion’sworshippers isnowmostly forgottenandhiddeninmanycontradictingmyths.Of thosemyths,oneof thebetterknown tell thetaleofhow,agesago,whenMilaniwasstillmerelyasaintofAroden,shemetthevivaciousandvibrantlyrebelliousazataGuribast.Accordingtothosesamestories,thetwocelestialsfell inlovewitheachother,andthepassionateromance led to Milani developing a gradually moreindependentspiritandmindset,leadingtohersubsequentchangeofdogmaoncesherosetogodhood.
If the two were indeed lovers once, today they arenot,althoughGuribastcertainlyholdsthepositionofhismistress’smost trusted confidante and righthand.Usedlessasamessengertotheothergods–Milanirealizesthatsheisafairlyminordeityandvisitsherfellowdeitiesinpersonunlessthemattertobediscussedisatrivialone–
Guribast isacreatureofmercurialpassionswhocanaclosefriend,orabitterandpersistentenemy,shouldhetakeadisliking.Headoreschildrenandtheyoung,andhasbeenknowntodisguisehimselfasayouthfulhumanorhalf-elfyouthsimplytotakepartintheirfrolickingandgames.Coupledwithhispassionatenature,itisfarfromsurprising thatmany sorcerers with celestial bloodlinesand aasimar claim to trace their lineage back to him.Consideringthegoddessheserves, it isnosurprisethatthethingthatangershimmorethananythingelseistheoppressive ways of tyrants everywhere, and when heencounters such behavior, he needs little provocationbefore he starts whirling his twomorningstars, smitingthewickedandliberatingthesubjugated.
Ollo: In the decades following the death of Aroden, thepirate outpost Ollo in the Shackles was ruled by the pirateCaptainRasantedaren,aworshiperofZon-Kuthonwhosemostparticularwickednesswasthepracticeofhavingprisonersfedlimbbylimbtohungrysharks,allthewhileusinghishealingspells to keep the victim at full consciousness. After twelveor fourteen years of Rasantedaren’s misrule, Milani’s heraldappeared with a message to the previously mercenary piratecaptainHooksloughHaenrol.Thecontentsofthemessagearelosttohistory,butHooksloughmanagedtogatheranallianceof townsfolk and locally-based pirate crews, and toppled thetyrant, replacinghimbya councilofpirate captainand townguildmastersunder the leadershipof the town’snewhero.Aswith many Milanaran heroes, however, he met an untimelydeath, as the pirates who had supported him quickly turnedwhentheydiscoveredthattheirformercomradehaddesignsonmakingOlloapeaceful,law-abidinghavenforthecommonfolkoftheShackles.
Ostenso: In 4254 AR, Cheliax attempted to expand itsholdings on the Inner Sea’s southern coast by invading itsneighborsRahadoumandThuvia.Theconflictdraggedonforfifteenyearswithouteithersidegainingtheupperhand.Aftersomeearlygains,Chelaxiantroopsdidmanage tomaintaina
holdof some territoriesoutside thecountry’sborders,but thecostofwar faroutweighed thegains. In4259, thecrownwasnolongerabletopayfullwagestothesailorsofthefleetbasedinthenavalbaseatOstenso.Inresponsetothis,thesailorsroseupinrevolt,andwhenthekingatthetime,BedittiII,attemptedtosquashtherebellionbyforce,Guribastappeared in theskyabove the harbour, entangled the monarch, and smote himwithhistwomorningstars.Thesailorspressedonintothecityproper,gatheringthepopulacewiththemastheythenmarchedonWestcrown,wheretheygainedentrytothepalacecomplex.Thecohortofsailorswasthenabletoconvincetheassemblednoblesandgeneralsofthecourtthatitwastimeforanewroyaldynasty. The choice fell on one Admiral Antonius, a minorcountfromtheSallowCoast,butadirectdescendantofAspextheEven-Tongued.
Taldor: In 2500 or thereabout, the Taldan Grand Princeinstitutedataxonthepurchaseofsalt.Sincethepeasantsand
Dear Ask a ShoantiTomorrow night I will be taking the Test of the Starstone. While my cultist are preparing for my inevitable rise to godhood, just between you and I, I am secretly a bit nervous about the test. Got any tips for me?
Sincere Regards,Anxiously Ascending in Absalom
dear Triple-aTomorrow eh? It’s probably too late to take the prep course. However, I do have some tried and true methods to get you through this. First, studies have shown that the answer “C” appears a disproportionately large number of times in standardized multiple choice questions – when in doubt the answer will be “C”. Secondly, when you’re stumped go with “all of the above”. Let’s face it, when that option appears, it’s usually the answer. Is it too late to get a hold of some sample tests? Maybe see how you’d fare with the Pop Quiz of the Moonstone or a series of True and False questions from the Sunrock? If so, your best bet might be to sneak a peak off a colleague who has done their homework. I hear that Norgorber guy knows what he’s doing.
farm-slaves of Taldor worked in very warm conditions, theyneeded large amounts of the mineral, making the tax a safesourceof income for thenobility.Thepeasants, their alreadymeagerearningscutnearly inhalf,were lesshappyabout thetax,andin2534, ledbyahalf-celestialcalledSonahadmwhoclaimedtobethesonofGuribast,agroupofmorethan10,000ofthemmarchedtowardtheseawheretheyintendedtogatherenoughsalttofeedtheirrespectivevillagesforayear.WhentheGrandPrince’stroopscameatthemwithswords,theyheldtheirground,allowingthemselvestobecutdownwheretheystood.Thesoldiers,manyofpeasantstockthemselves,soonrefusedtocontinuetheslaughter,aseventheveteransamongthemfoundthemselves horrified.When a contingent of noble knights felluponthem,thesoldiersmadetodefendtheunarmedpeasants.Sonahadm placed himself between the two groups, declaringthathewouldtakehisownlifeifanyonedidharminhisname.This impressed even the haughty noble cataphroi, and, oncehehadheardofit,theGrandPrince.Aweekafterthesecondencounterthepeasantsreachedthesea,andamonthlater,thetaxwasrepealed.
Nandi Bear
Hunch-backedwith dark brown fur and lighter spots,thiscreatureblendsthefeaturesofabearandahyena.Itsforelimbsarepowerfulwiththick,jaggedclaws.
NaNdi Bear cr 6XP 2,400
N Large animalInit +5; Senses low-light vision; Perception +10DEFENSEAC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +8 natural, -1 size)hp 76 (8d8+40)Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +4OFFENSESpeed 40 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.Melee bite +7 (3d6+16 plus trip), 2 claws +7 (1d8+11 plus
grab)Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 1d8+16)TACTICSDuring Combat A nandi bear always attacks using its Power
Attack feat.Morale A nandi bear fights until it has 15 or fewer hit points
remaining.STATISTICSStr 21, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 10Base Atk +6; CMB +12 (+16 grapple); CMD 23 (27 vs. trip)Feats Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Skill Focus
SQ powerful biteECOLOGYEnvironment warm forests and plainsOrganization solitary, pair, or pack (3-8)Treasure noneSPECIAL ABILITIES
Powerful Bite (Ex) A nandi bear’s jaws are more powerful than they appear. Add 1-1/2 times its Strength bonus to damage. When used with Power Attack, a nandi bear’s bite is effectively a two-handed weapon.
The nandi bear is a carnivorous creature thatsupposedlyfeedsoffhumanoidbrains,sneakingintovillages and enter huts to claim its victims. Oftenmistaken for a hyena, it favors traveling in packs,buthuntingalone. It is ferocious,andoftenattackswithoutprovocation.
Rompo
The sick amalgamation of a badger, bear, and rabbitwith human-like ears, the thick stenchof rotting fleshsurroundsthisanimal.
romPo cr 7XP 3,200
N Medium magical beastInit +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent;
+12; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 PerceptionSQ leapECOLOGYEnvironment warm forests and swampsOrganization solitary, pair, or throng (3-6)Treasure incidentalSPECIAL ABILITIESGnaw (Ex) Once a rompo has successfully grappled an
opponent, it begins to ravage the opponents body, dealing damage as if a critical hit with it’s bite as a free action each round the grapple is maintained. A rompo must succeed on a melee touch attack against the grappled opponent to do this. A creature immune to critical hits takes only normal damage while being gnawed on.
Leap (Ex) A rompo is an amazing jumper. When jumping, a rompo can take 20.
Rage (Ex) A rompo that takes damage in combat flies into a rage as an immediate action. It gains a +4 rage bonus to Strength and Constitution, and a -2 rage penalty to AC. This rage lasts until either the rompo, or its opponent, are dead.
Rompos are roamers and scavengers, following thesmellof thedyingandweak to feaston their flesh.Theyconsumeallpartsoftheircorpsestheyconsume,storingindigestibleitemsintheirgizzards.
TACTICSBefore Combat Anufat uses his empowering malevolence
ability on his strongest kinsman.During Combat Anufat targets whomever he perceives as the
strongest foes, using STATISTICSStr —, Dex 16, Con —, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 14Base Atk +9; CMB +9; CMD 27Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack,
Languages PolyglotSQ fast movement, rage powers (disruptive, lesser spirit
totem, superstition, witch hunter)Gear +1 ghost touch heavy wooden shield
Anufatwas amightywarrior in his tribe, surviving countlessbattles,evenaspearblowthroughhishead.Eventually,hedidfall in combat, the lastwarrior standing against an attack bya rival tribe.Thoughhisbodyhad failedhim,his spirit lifteditselffromhiscorpseandcontinuedtofighton.Thesightofhisetherealformwasenoughtoturnbacktheattackers,savinghisvillagefromslaughterandslavery.Sincethedayofhisrebirth,Anufat has watched over his people, and his people haveguardedhisremains,veneratinghimwithaneargod-likefervor.
“Taotaomona” is an acquired template that isaddedtoanylivingcreaturethatdieddefendingtheircommunities or family and has a Charisma scoreofatleast6.Ataotaomonacreaturegainsthesameabilitiesasaghost,withthefollowingexceptions.
Special attacks: The taotaomona gains thefollowingspecialattacks,butotherwiseusestherulesforaghost’sspecialattacks.
Draining Touch (Su): A taotatomona’s drainingtouchmanifestsintheformofwhateverweapontheypreferredtowieldwhilealive.Iftheweaponcanbeusedinbothmeleeandrangedcombat,thensocanataotaomona’sdrainingtouch.
Empowering Malevolence (Su):Insteadofthestandardmalevolenceability,ataotaomonacanonlypossessmembersofitsbloodlineforanumberofroundsequaltothetaotaomona’shitdiceplusCharismamodifier(minimum 1 round). After possessing its kinsman,a taotaomonacannotpossesanother relative for60minutes minus 10 minutes per point of Charismabonus. The taotaomona empowers its physicalhost, granting a +4 bonus to Dexterity, Strength,andWisdom.Apossessedcreaturecanstill controltheirownbody,butrarelydosoiftheyrespecttheirancestor’s spirit. The possessed creature can resistthiseffectwithasuccessfulWillsave(DC10+½thetaotaomona’sHitDice+thetaotaomona’sCharismamodifier).❂
• AdruidknownonlyasTheWalkingManhires thePCs to stop a logging operation that has begun totargetisolateddryadtreesdeepinthejungle.
• Awealthy logging rivalofKolorpueKlinkhires thePCstouncoverthenewandnodoubtillicitsourceofrevenue thathas savedKlink’s company frombeingboughtoutandtakenover.
Backstory
KolorpueKlinkissolelyresponsibleforreducinghisfather’sloggingempiretoasmall,third-rateoutfit.Cowardly,self-pityingandwithoutbackbone,hehasallowedhisfortunestodwindleuntilclosingandsellingoutseemedinevitable.ThatiswhenHrushkar,acallowsatyrwhoseadvancesonadryadwerespurnedapproachedKolorpueandinformedthedwarfofthedryadtree’s location.Spurredbygreed,Kolorpue led his team deep into the jungle, leveled thetreeandthesurroundinggroveandsoldthetimberforafortuneontheblackmarket.
ToHrushkar’sdismay,Kolorpuefoundthissourceofrevenuemuchtohisliking,andinafitofdeterminationforced the satyr to reveal where other dryad trees werelocatedorhavehisinvolvementinthefirstdryad’smurderrevealed to the other creatures of the jungle. To date,Hrushkarhasrevealedafurthersixtrees,eachincreasinglyremoteandhardtoreach,butgivingincreasingwealthtoKolorpuewithdeliveriestodiscerningbuyers.
Kolorpue’s logging team is composed of two trainedogreswhotraditionallydragaheavychainbetweenthemtoknockdowntheshallowrootedtreesoftherainforest,alongwithamixedcompanyofsomefiftydwarvesandhumanswholoadthelogsoncartstobringbacktocamp.Theyare indifferent to thenatureof theirworkandwillgrimly lightentire swathesof the jungleon fire inordertoburnawaythefoliageandleaveonlythegreattrunksbehindforcollection.OnceeverymonthKolorpue,leadshisogresandbestmenout inthemiddleofthenighttocollect a dryad’s tree, leavingwithmaximumdiscretionanddeliveringthetreetoaspecialwarehouseunconnected
The PCs can work on Hrushkar’s guilt if they catch himslippinginandoutoftheloggingyard,convincinghimtorevealthe truth, the location of the secret warehouse and to testifyagainstKolorpueiftheytakethemattertoauthorities.
AnNPCfriendofthePCsinKibwehasbeentransformedintoamonkeythroughapotentcurse.ThePCslearnaboutapowerfulaltardevotedtoanancientbenevolentprimatedemi-god,whichmay remove the curse. The Monkey Prince, a mysteriouscreaturewhohasbeenthwartingtheGorillaKing’splansandundermininghispowerwiththealtar’sassistance,willdivulgeitslocation.
Back ground
TheMonkey Prince claims to be an avatar of the demigod,supposedlyempoweringonlyhimtocommandthealtar.Aswasthemischievouswayoftheancientbeing,itsmagictransformsacreatureintoamonkeyandbacktoitsoriginalform,inordertoteachhumanshumilityandrespectfortheirfellowprimates.
Whiletransformed,PCsreducetheirStrengthby4,increasetheirDexterityby4,butcanstillcastspellsanduseclassabilities,subjecttotheirchangedstats.Thecharactersmaydecidetoretaintheirhumanoidforms,whichmakesthetaskmuchmoredifficult.Ifthepartysucceedsintheraid,theyandtherescuedslavesareteleportedbacktothealtarwheretheMonkeyPrincemakesgoodonhispromisetorestore their friend. Additionally, he gifts the PCs withmagicitems,appropriatetohisnature.ThecharacterswillhavemadeanenemyoftheGorillaKing,whofortunatelywillnotgotoofartoseekrevenge.❂
Drain the beans and place them in a mediumsaucepan,coveringwithwater.Bringtoaboil,thenreducetheheattolowandsimmer,partiallycovered,until the beans are tender but still hold their shape(about45minutes).
Meanwhile,heat theoliveoil ina largepotovermedium heat until it shimmers. Toss in the slicedsausage and cook until browned, 7–10 minutes.
Remove the meat slices with a slotted spoon anddrainonpapertowels.Pouroffallbut3tbspofthefatfromthepot(oraddmoreifneeded).Reducetheheat to low, then add the onions and bay leaf andcook,stirringoften,untiltheonionsareadeepgoldenbrown,20to25minutes.
While the soup is simmering, mash 1/3 of thebeansandabitofthebrothtomakeapasteandsetaside.
Whenthepotatoesarecooked,stirinthegreens,meat slices, bean paste and the beans.Mix lightly,cover tightly and turnoff theheat, letting the soupingredients get to know each other and becomehappy.Removethebayleaf.
Youcanreplacethewaterwithmorebeefbroth–whatever liquidyoubring to thedancechanges themusicattheend.
A cup of the soup, drained and warmed, is anexcellentomeletfilling.
Mwangi Spit!
MwangispitisatartbeerbrewedregionallyinKibwe.The recipe was taken from a Karlsjford, a brewerthat hailed from the Lands of the LinnormKings.He ran this Kibwe brewery usingMwangi natives
withanairtightsupervisionoveralloperations. Covetously, he neversharedhisrecipesandwassecretivewith all his yeasts. One day, Karlsjfordcontracted a terrible illness, but before hisdeathheburnedhisrecipesandexposedallhis yeasts to contamination. His foreman,Tutwe, took over the brewery and tried toreplicateKarlsjford’srecipes.Withnochoice,Tutwewas forced to use the contaminatedyeast,whichfailedinsomeaspecttorecreatethebrew.Nonetheless,thisistheonlybeeronecan find in theMwangiExpanse, far fromthemorecivilizedworld.Peoplefromoutoftownthat visit the local bars call it, “Mwangi spit!”foritseemedtooffendtheirbeersensibilitiessomuchthattheyspititout!
Pathfinder’s Stew
Good tidings Raoul,
I hope my letter finds you well. My chronicles are enclosed, brother; please make sure they find their way to the venture captain. I’ve had some amazing adventures in the last few months, sometimes my life is amazing. How is mother? Is she still asking for father? I hope the healers can find a way to bring her back to herself soon, I miss exchanging letters with her. While I’m writing I wanted to share with you the most fantastic recipe I was able to charm out of a fellow traveler on the road. He calls it pathfinder’s stew. It’s one of the heartiest and most savory things I’ve had the pleasure of eating since mother’s pasta. Don’t tell her, but I think it may be my new favorite. Here is the recipe should you wish to attempt it yourself.
I’m telling you now brother, it’s powerfully good. Perhaps you could get the cook to make some one night for you and mother? I think it would do her well to try something from other parts of the Inner Sea than her normal Westcrown fare. This is what most of the chroniclers are eating I hear, she should like that. She always did like the idea of the Pathfinders, even if father did not. I hope you enjoy the stew Raoul, I will be in touch again soon.
My best,
Sir Guido Santucci Grulios, Order of the Dragon
Ingredients
4lbs.ofgame,cutin1-inchchunks
2smallonions,sliced
1bottleofbeer
2 cups of beef stock (or water should you betravelinglight)
ThoseofyounottravelingthroughtheInnerSeamay choose tousebeef chuck roast inplaceof thegame,Worcestershire for the seasoning sauce, andforthevegetableshalfapoundofcarrotscutinoneinchpiecesalongwithfourmediumpotatoespeeledand diced and half a pound of white mushroomsquartered.
A favorite in coastal communities of halflings, thiseasilypreparedtreatmakesasuitable,thoughgreasy,traveling snack. Regularly served with cheese andcrackers as an appetizer to a largermeal and is onoccasionusedasanaccompanimenttoplainrice.
Separate the mushroom caps from the stems.Prepare the squid by slicing each tube in halflengthwiseandtheneachpiece lengthwiseagainsothatyouhavefourstripsofmeat.Slicethetentaclessothattheyareseparatedfromoneanother.
Bring a gallon of water to a rapid boil and addthe mushrooms, both caps and stems. Blanch themushrooms for 2 minutes and then remove themfromthewaterintoacolander.Asthewaterreturnstoaboil,patthemushroomsdrywithpapertowelsandaddthemushrooms,stillhot,tothemarinade.
Add the squid to the rapidly boiling water andcook for approximately 5 seconds. Pour the squidandwater through your colander and, using papertowels,patthesquiddryandaddittothemarinadewhilestillhot.
Allow themarinade to sit forabout4hoursandthenserveatroomtemperature.Themixturecanberefrigerated,andthelongertheingredientssoakthebettertheytaste,buttheoilwilleventuallycongealinthefridgemakingitunappealing.Thawingittoroomtemperaturewillquicklyrightthathowever.
Tips
You should probably try to purchase pre-cleanedsquidifyoucan.Cleaningsquidiseasy,butitisnotforthesqueamish(especiallyforthosethatdon’tlikecleaningfish)anditisaverysmellyendeavor.Ifyoupurchasesquidyouhavetocleanyourself,remembertodoubleortripletheweightasyouwillbethrowingagoodportionofyourpurchaseaway.❂
Dear Ask a
ShoantiThese are important times. Can we count on you to get behind Proposition 19?
Sincere Regards,Power Attack Politics
dear power aTTaCk poliTiCs
Regrettably, I’m not much of a flanker. I’m more of a charge-right–at-the-enemy type of guy. I’ll more typically follow-up that up with a full attack or flex my stratospheric CMB. Sorry I could not have been of more help.
Yours very truly,Ask a Shoantipaizo.com, lycanprime Ashley <[email protected]>, Apr 8, 2015
Alchemistsareaswillingasanyotherclasstoheadintothewildlookingforadventure,discovery,andfortune, but every day’s travel they get from the
nearestfullystockedlaboratoryleavesthemfeelingmorevulnerable.Thealchemist’snaturalhabitatisindubitablyurban.Thereexistsavagepseudoscientistswho,withaccessto nothing but the chemicals of the natural world, canbrewaswellasanyalchemist.“Herbalist”isanalchemistarchetype. For more information on how archetypeswork,seeChapter2ofthePathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player’s GuideTM.
Herbalist
Someofthemostpotentbrewsoccurnaturally.Althoughtheir methodology and ingredients vary, alchemy andherbalismfunctionsimilarlyinmanyways.Anherbalisthasthefollowingclassfeatures.
Herbalism (Ex):Herbalists can forageanypatchof desert, grass, or swamp for components. Theirintuitive understanding of the concoctions that canbe created using naturally occurring ingredientscompares to the laborious study of their urbancounterparts.Inadditiontocreatingalchemicalitemsfrombiologicalcomponents,anherbalistcanfashionmagicpotion-likeextractsfromnatureitself.Atworst,anextractwillstainclothorirritateskin,butmultipleextractscombinedcanbeaspotentasspells.
AnherbalistappliesherWisdommodifiertoCraft(alchemy) skill checks in place of her Intelligencemodifier.When usingCraft (alchemy) to create analchemical item, an herbalist gains a competencebonusequaltoherclasslevelontheCraft(alchemy)check. In addition, an herbalist can use Craft(alchemy)toidentifypotionsasifusingdetect magic.Shemustholdthepotionfor1roundtomakesuchacheck.
10 + the extract’s level. The Difficulty Class for asavingthrowagainstanherbalist’sextractis10+theextractlevel+thealchemist’sWisdommodifier.
Thisreplacesthealchemyability.
Noxious Bomb (Ex): Created by mixing reactivegases within the sealed shell of a nut or a turtle,noxiousbombsareusefulforknockingoutlivingpreyorscatteringpredators.Anherbalistcanuseanumberofnoxiousbombseachdayequal toherclass level+herWisdommodifier. If not used in the round theyarecreated,noxiousbombsdegradeandbecomeinert.Inorder tocreateanoxiousbomb, theherbalistmustburn a mix of wild ingredients in a container thatcan be quickly but temporarily sealed airtight. Theseingredientsarecommonlyavailabletothosewhoknowwhattolookforandaretypicallyreplenishedwhentheherbalistcreatesherextracts in themorning.Creatingand throwing a noxious bomb requires a standardactionthatprovokesanattackofopportunity.Throwinga noxious bomb is a touch attackwith a range of 20feet.Noxiousbombsareconsideredweaponsandcanbe selected using feats such as Point-Blank Shot andWeaponFocus.On a hit, a noxious bomb deals 1d6points of nonlethal damage + additional nonlethaldamageequaltotheherbalist’sWisdommodifier.Thedamageofanoxiousbombincreasesby1d6pointsatevery odd-numbered alchemist level. This damage isnotmultiplied on a critical hit or by using feats suchasVital Strike.Additionally, the herbalist chooses aneffectthatthenoxiousbombinflictsuponthetargetfor1round.AsuccessfulFortitudesavenegatestheeffect(theDCofthissaveisequalto10+1/2theherbalist’slevel+theherbalist’sWisdommodifier).Theherbalistchoosesoneofthefollowingconditions,chosenatthetimeofcreation:blinded;deafened;fatigued;orshaken.At11thlevel,theherbalistaddsthefollowingconditionsto the list she can choose from: confused, exhausted;sickened;staggered.Discoveriesthatanalchemistcanapply to bombs cannot be applies to noxious bombs.Thisabilityreplacesbomb.
Balm functions like the alchemist’s mutagen ability,withoneexception.Abalm,madewiththehairsandskinoftheherbalist’sallies,onlyaffectstheallyitwascreatedfor.A balm is inert in the hands of any other creature,includingtheherbalist.Discoveriesthatapplytomutagenapplytobalminstead.At14thlevel,theeffectsofabalmlastfor1hourperlevel.Thisabilityreplacesmutagenandpersistentmutagen.❂
66Open Design and Midgard are trademarks of Open Design LLC.
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Seven Cities Aflame!
Patrons of Open Design’s Midgard Campaign Setting have chosen the first of its seven regions
to design. The Seven Cities of the South are legendary for their deep feuds, ancient hatreds, provincial strife, power-mongering, betrayal, and frequent murder. The land may be settled, but it’s not especially peaceful. Claims and counterclaims, raids and robbery, exiles and murder are all common.
In this region of perpetual war, mercenaries march continually from siege to siege and raid to raid.
The minotaur corsairs of Triolo protect the coasts and take the battle to the sultan of the Dragon Empire. The dwarven workshops of Melana provide the finest steel outside the Ironcrags. The god-slavers of Kammae Straboli draw power from their prophets of wind and wave—enough power to raise and lower the sea itself.
Become a patron of the Midgard worldbuilding project today and work with Wolfgang Baur,
Jeff Grubb, Brandon Hodge, and the Open Design community to bring the other six regions of the world to life.
The Open Design community is building Midgard’s Seven Cities. Join today and create the rest of the world!
Open Design and Midgard are trademarks of Open Design LLC.
TM
p r e s e n T s
Join us today at koboldquarterly.com
Seven Cities Aflame!
Patrons of Open Design’s Midgard Campaign Setting have chosen the first of its seven regions
to design. The Seven Cities of the South are legendary for their deep feuds, ancient hatreds, provincial strife, power-mongering, betrayal, and frequent murder. The land may be settled, but it’s not especially peaceful. Claims and counterclaims, raids and robbery, exiles and murder are all common.
In this region of perpetual war, mercenaries march continually from siege to siege and raid to raid.
The minotaur corsairs of Triolo protect the coasts and take the battle to the sultan of the Dragon Empire. The dwarven workshops of Melana provide the finest steel outside the Ironcrags. The god-slavers of Kammae Straboli draw power from their prophets of wind and wave—enough power to raise and lower the sea itself.
Become a patron of the Midgard worldbuilding project today and work with Wolfgang Baur,
Jeff Grubb, Brandon Hodge, and the Open Design community to bring the other six regions of the world to life.
The Open Design community is building Midgard’s Seven Cities. Join today and create the rest of the world!
Hazel is a tall, bronze-skinned womanoffivefeetandnineincheswithaverymuscular physique. Her hair falls all
around her shoulders in tight curls lookingsomewhat messy with many unintendeddreadlocks.Payingcloseattentiontoherface,agreyscarthatstartsatherforehead,runsdowntherightsideofhereye,andendsattherightsideofhermouth.Herfaceisnottheonlyplacescarsarenoticeable,butthemostvisiblescaristheone that runs the entire lengthofher leftarm–allproofofanintenseconflict,whichshecannotrecall.Whenapproached,sheseemsvery confident without any appearanceof arrogance, but always stands with her
hands on the hilts of themaces attached toherhips.
Hazel’spast issomewhatfoggytoher.Shecanrecollectonlyhertraining,disapprovingparents and then waking up in blindingpain soaked with blood in unfamiliarsurroundings. The scars on her body are
the only part of her past she cannotunderstand. Hazel continues towonder, “Who made these scars?”
It was near Magnimar thatshe was found by paladin
of Abadar, Howell B.Talbot III, and takentothelocaltempleforhealing. They helpedtorecoverherfromherinjuries and guidedhertohelpthetownofSandpointuntilshe felt the needtomoveon.
She livesand works asa mercenaryin Sandpointhelping thelocals with anyextra force they
mayneed.Bearingnoofficialtitle,sheiswell-knownforbeingveryhelpful.Thename“Hazel”comesfromthenamethatwascarvedonbothofherweapons.That iswhatHowelldecidedto call her after finding her severely injuredand unable to speak or remember anything.Even from her persistence and curiosity, shehas foundout little abouther past.What shedoesknowisthatcorruptpeople,inwhatshethinksisherformervillage,willburnormarkoutcastsandleavethemfordead.TherearealsomysteriesaroundSandpointaboutasubstancecalled “midnight milk” that can wipe one’smemory.Thereseemstobenoproofofalinktoheramnesia,however.While shedoesnotknowwhattothinkofhervillageorfamily,andthese findingsmadeherdecide togiveup theultimatequestoflocatingthem.
Hazel may not remember much about herrecentpastbutwhatsheneverwillforgetisherfighting style, as if it was inborn. She recallstrainingwiththeboysinweaponryasachild,butnotentirelyenjoyingthesomewhatforcedand typical fighting techniques. She despisedusingshieldsorswordsthatwereastallassheanddidnotlikethebulkofmostotherweapons.Afteragruelingday’straining,shewasclearingthetrainingroomofdiscardedweaponswhenshe picked up two lightmaces – one in eachhand–andasshewalkedtotheweaponrack,realizedhowgooditfelttoholdbothofthese.She noticed her shadow and began whirlingthemacesaroundasiffightingoffanintruder– Itwasalmostas if sheweredancing. It feltamazingtohersomuchthatatthenextchancetochooseherpermanentweaponsshewantedto focusonherpaired lightmaces.Hazel feltbalanced fighting with two maces. The twomacesshecarriesaroundtodayhavehername,“Hazel”carvedintoeachhilt,butthatisallthatshe recalls calling herself. Perhaps it was hergivenname,orperhapsachosenname.
in a party with the PCs (such as part of acaravan), she grants a +2 bonus to Initiativeagainstsurpriseattackstoherallies.
haZel cr 5XP 1,600
Female human fighter 6 (two-weapon warrior, Advanced Player’s Guide 109)
CN Medium humanoid (human)Init +6; Senses Perception +7DEFENSE
AC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 20 (+8 armor, +1 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 shield) (+1 dodge when making a full attack with both weapons) (+1 dodge when adjacent to two allies)
hp 56 (6d10+15)Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +3; +2 vs. fear; +1 Reflex
when adjacent to at least 2 allies Defensive Abilities bravery +2, defensive flurryOFFENSE
I remember,Nellatantha,when I stoodbeforeyou,headbowedandblindfolded,asleaderofyourarmies,lover, and slave.As your tongue probedmine, thesnakesinyourhairbitatmyneck.Theirvenomleftme fatigued. Weakened, I crumpled to your bed,unabletostand.
I feel that way now, Nellatantha. This damnedtomb exhaustsme. Iwill find you and kill you forbringingmebackhere. Iwillkillyou forwhatyoudidtomyarmies.IwillkillyouforwhatyoudidtoOsirion.Iwillkillyoufortheloveyouneverpromisedandnevergave.
We fought your guardian again in the halls.Hesteppedfromthewallbeforewefinishedresting.Hefought like I would—stepping close and swingingin wide arcs, threatening all around him.My newcompanionsprovedtheirworthinthesenarrowhalls.Theymayhavebeenasuselessasteatsonabullinthedesert,buthere in theunderground, theyknowtheirjobsanddothemwell.
Thedwarf,thoughstanding,movedbackfromthefight.IthoughthimcowardlyuntilIheardhishorn…untilIfeltitssonorouspealstrengtheningme,pullingthebest fromme.Weneededmoreof these inourarmies—thesoundofahorncarriesfarinthedesert.
As the axe swung around again, it would havefoundme ifTangleheadhadn’t surprised theyokedminotaur by leaping on his back. It seemed like adesperateandfoolishmove,butthenhewhippedthe
spiked garrote around the bull soldier’s neck. Theminotaurhesitatedforamoment.AmomentwasallIneeded.MyhandfoundmyaxerestingagainstthewallandIbroughtituptomatchhis.Weexchangedswings,buthewasdistractedbythetighteningchainandthrownoffbalancebytheweightofthegnome.Thedesperatelookinhiseyestoldmetheguardianwasabouttofleeintothewallagain.HewouldhavetakenmadTangleheadwithhim.
Tanglehead heard and understood but the bullsoldierguessedmy intent.Hemoved tohis leftbutI swungmyaxe towardhim, forcinghimback.Hemoved then to his right, but instead of swingingbetweenhimand thewall, I punchedoutwithmyaxe, striking his chestwith bludgeoning force. Thegnome,meanwhile, left the garrote twisted aroundthe bull soldier’s neck and reached around for thenose ring—the yoke of eternal servitude your arcanecraftersnamedit.Ourvowswerenotenoughforyou.
Theringslippedout,buttheminotaurwasalreadymoving.Ilethimcompletehismovement.Hisabilitytoslipthroughstonelostwiththeyokeremoved,yourguardian slammed hard into thewall. The gnome,shaken, leapt off andpulledouthis blades. I knewthe look in theminotaur’s eyes—oneofdefeat andresignation;I’dseenitonthefacesofmanyI’dkilled.
Observing the flow of the energies through thewalls of the tombs, I could not help but recall anamusinganecdotetoday.YoumayrememberChattyFingletouch,whowasratherchummywithmebeforethatwholeaffairwithhissister,Florigold.Chattywasstudying to be a “greatwizard,”mostly to impress
The greenhorns, parT iv
By Trevor “Tarren Dei” Gulliver, Johnathan
“Wicht” McAnulty, and Neil SpicerArt by Liz “Lilith” Courts
hisgirl,BerbyHafflehouse,whohadathingformenwho could blow up buildings and whatnot with awordandawave.SoChattywastakinglessonsfromOldManBluebottomandeveryday,whenhewenttoclasseshisspellswentofflikeabolt,butthenwhenhewouldgethomeandtrytodothemtoimpressBerby,theywouldallfizzle.Sothiswenton,dayin,dayout,untilfinallyChattygetsupthenervetoconfesstohisteacherthathe’shavingtheseissuesinconjuringforhis girl. Bluebottom agrees to help and they go offtogethertoseewhat’supandallthat.Butyouknow,beforeChatty can visit Berby, he has to get ready.Andsoheheadshome,getshishaircombed,putsonhisbestpants—thatsortofthing.Inthemiddleofhispreparatoryprocedures,uppopsBluebottomandhepointsatChatty’sbeltwhereChattyhasthebiggestbelt buckle ever: solid steel and built like a brick.“What’s that?” snaps Bluebottom in consternation.“What’s what?” asks Chatty. “That abominablemetalthingatyourwaist,youconfoundedimbecile,”saysBluebottom.TurnsoutthebucklewasagiftfromBerbyandChattymadesuretowearitwheneverhewent to court her. But the thingwas so big that itactuallyinterferedwithhisarcaneenergies,stoppingthefloworwhat-have-you.WeallhadagoodlaughatChattyoveritandheendsupchuckingthebuckle,whichbrokeBerby’sheartand,asheroldmanwassecond head elder, forced Chatty to flee to SouthWampi-gappi,orsomegodsforsakenplacelikeit,fortwoyearswhereheendedupgettinghitchedtosometribalgirlwhofanciedhishair.
Anyway,asIwasstaringatthewallstoday,thatwholeaffairpoppedintomyheadbecauseitseemedtomethatsomethingwasactuallyslowingdowntheflowsof theenergy through the sub-runicconduits.Therewerenot,ofcourse,anygiantbeltbucklestobefoundsoIhadtodosomeprettyheavycalculationsto figure it all out. I started out by calculating thefluctuationsofthewavesusingthetheoremofsonicinverse audibles. Turns out that the whole thingpulses according to a set rhythm, suggesting someinhibition to the flow.That is to say, it’s likeabigpipeandsomewherealongthewaythere’satrapanditallflowsalongsmoothtillithitsthetrap.Thenitjustsitsthereuntilitbuildsupenoughpressureandthenitreleases.Whichallseemsterriblyinefficient.Iamconvinced that if I canspot the sourceof thisresistance, itwould be a fairly simple procedure touncapthewholemessandlettheenergyflowwithout
restriction. While it may not actually be a steelinhibitor,ifit’sallbuiltlikeIthinkit’sbuilt,IexpectI’llknowitwhenIseeit.Possiblysomesortofarcanegem-arrangement-thingyorasetofrunicsymbolssetslightlyaskew.
In themeantime,youwouldnotbelieve thedaywe’vebeenhaving.We finallybeat thatovergrownbully,youknowtheone:looksjustlikeAkkhunis,butcanwalkthroughwalls.Thankstoclevercalculationsand the application of inspired maneuvers, I wasrather helpful in finally taking him out today. Idon’t like tobrag,but I figure I’ve finallymadeanimpression on the minotaur. Of course, after wewere done, Akkhunis was very close-lipped aboutthenose-ringthattheotherbull-manwore.Hepulledoutofmyhandsandwouldn’tletmetouchit.Saiditwastooimportantorsomething.Frankly,Ibelievehewasactingverysuspiciousandungrateful,seeinghowIwastheonethatgotitfromtherivalminotaur’snose.Still,Ashallahwasevenworse.Shehasbeenhoveringaroundeachofuslikeamotherhenallday,afraidwe’regoingtobreak.Ilikethefairersortwellenoughmyself,butagnomecanonlytakesomuchofthematernalaffections.Still,shecontinuestopatchusup,soI’llnotcomplaintoomuch.
Spite. I feel it for thosewho sentme here.SpyingforAbsalomhasleftmeunfulfilled.TheRabbit Prince has never seenme as anythingmore than a dalliance.Orworse…a resource.Someone upon whom he can draw, wieldingmewithwhip-likeprecisionagainsttheenemiesof our country. Absconding with whatevertreasures or secrets I can pry from the handsofourrivals. I tireof thatgame.AndI resentwhatit’sdonetome.ToolongIwaitedtotrustinanyonebutmyself.AndnowthatIdo,I’mabout to lose them.Andmy life’sworkmademethisway.Ihate it.And,becauseof that,Ihatemyself.
Rage. A familiar emotion. One I’ve knowmanytimesovertheyears.Iwrapmyselfinitnowlikeawarmblanket…comforting,eveninthe fiercestOsirion sun. I feel it now towardsAkkhunis. For leaving us behind. I knew itwouldhappen.Ireadhis thoughts,nightafternight.Heonlyusedustogethimtothispoint,sohecouldfacethequeenalone.Howdarehe!Hethinkswe’retooweaktofaceher.Hethinkshe’sstrongenoughbyhimself.He’swrong.Andmyrageburnsnow,hotterthananyhell…andreadytoscourapaththroughthisancientstone.
Akkhunistooktheguardian’snose-ring.Theyoke of eternal servitude,hecalledit.AgiftfromNellatantha so her loyal servants could easetheirway throughany element, be it fire, ice,cloud…orstone.Hepassedthroughthewallaseasilyastheguardian.Andnowhe’slosttous.Andustohim.
24 Sarenith, 4707 AR
It took me awhile to prepare the right spell.Shaping stone is an arduous task.And first Ihadtostripawaytherunesofpowermarkingthe wall. But we broke through. Akkhunisunderestimated our determination. Mydetermination. He’s such a fool sometimes,madenolessevidentbythefactthathisyoke of eternal servitude carries thatname fora reason.Yes,itspowermayhavelethimstepfromonechambertoanotherahundredtimesfasterthantherestofourteam.ButitalsogaveNellatanthacontrolofhimagain.
Stupidminotaur!Bull-headed freak! I hadhalf amindtolashyouwithmywhipiftheRavenousQueenhadn’t presented a more tempting target. Bloatedbeyondbelief, themedusacould scarcelyavoidmysting.Butherhair.Thatdamnablehair.GrownlongerandmoresinuousthanthetentaclesoftheGreatOldOnes.Snakes,everylaststrand,slitheringoutofherbloatedheadandspittingpoisonuponourentry.
Each one appeared tied to a different element.Serpents of flame, water, poisoned air, and acidicmud or hardened stone, cracking and snapping allaroundus. I’veneverwieldedCalistria’swhipwithmore fury, trimming the queen’s hair with everystrike.But for every fanged head I cut away, threemore found my flesh. I’d prepared myself for thepoisonandconjuredthegoddess’protectionfromtheelements.Butwhentheywrappedtheircoilsaroundme,Ithoughtallwouldbelost.
Thankfully,Tangleheadandthedwarfknewwhatto do. I’d told them the plan…leavingout the partwhereI’dlikelyhavetosacrificemyself.TheysoughtoutAkkhunis, battling the charmedminotaur untilthe gnome could execute the samemaneuver he’dused on the guardian.Once he’d twisted the nose-ringfree,wehadamuchstrongerarmonourside.Before I blacked out inNellatantha’s grasp, I gaveAkkhunisagloatingsmile…nomatterhowfleeting...toshowhimhewaswrong.Wewerejustascapableashim.Infact,withoutme,he’dhavespentanothertenthousandyearsservinghismistress.
You made me bow before you, once again,Nellatantha. I never sought to betray you when Iwas yoked before; I did not realize the strength ofthecharmsplaceduponthesedamnablerings.Youmademe lowermyheadandacceptyour caresses.Youmademeallowyourserpentstonipatmyneck.Youmademekneel.
Fromthecornersofmyeyes—eyesstingingwithsweat as I tried to resist your intrusion into mymind—Icouldsee theeggshalf-buried in thesandsonthefloorofyourchamber.Itookthemforstonesatfirst,hundredsofthem,eachaslargeasajackal,ofdifferentcolorsandtextures.Whathaveyouturnedyourselfinto,myqueen?
I was lost as your mind probed mine like aflickeringtongue.WhenTangleheadpulledtheringfree and I shook off the searing pain of your pets’venom,itwasalreadyalmostover.Whatdidwedotocausethisdisturbanceinyourchamber?Wasitourpresencethatcausedtheelementalenergiestostreaminunfiltered?Were theenergy flows linked toyourmoods?Didthegnometouchsomething?Whateverwedid,itwonustheday.MyonlyregretisthatIdidnotgetthechancetobringmyaxedownuponyourneck–slayingyouwith thesameaxe thatyouhadmeuse to execute eachof your husbands, the fourelementalprinces.
As the ceiling cracked and pieces began to fallupon the sand, splitting and cracking a few of theeggs,youshrieked,Nellatantha.Ithoughtitwaswithragebut thenIsawyourchildrenbeingborn.Theyslid from the eggs slowly, after thousands of yearsofincubation,theirlongsnakelikebodiesuncoilingonto the sand. They turned towardme, and I sawtheyhadtheirmother’sface.Yourfinalscreamswerethoseoftriumph.
AndLo,Isee,stretchedoutbehindmethefallen,thefathersofmyfathersandtheheroesofthedeepplaces.They stretch out as a line, unbroken by weakness,untaintedbyfear,unswervingintheirloyalty.Anewcomrade has joined their number.And though ourheartsdespair,weknowhiscourage.Andwehonorhisstrength.
With the power of her goddess, the priestessmanagedtocreateanentrythroughthestonedoorsof thechamber, reshaping thevery rocks.Wewerescarce prepared for what we found within. Themonstrosity thatwas theRavenousQueen toweredover the submissive form of Akkhunis. She was athing of snakes and death, a foul sight not meantfor mortal eyes.Were I the son of a lesser race Imighthavequaked,butthebloodofmyforefathersstrengthenedmeandIdidrushin.
According to theplanshehaddevised,Ashallahmoved to confront the ancient fiend even asTanglehead and I strode to face theminotaurwhohadbeenourcompanion.Hadhebeenmorehimself,wemighthavehadmoredifficulty.Wemanagedtosubduehimlongenoughforourpurpose.Tanglehead,remembering the lessons of our previous battlespulledthecursedyokefromtheAkkhunis’noseandthebeast-manwasfreedfromhismentaldomination.ItwasthenthatInoticedthelosingbattlethepriestesswasfighting.PullingAkkhunistohisfeet,Imotionedandhenoddedstalwartly.Withtherighteousnessofourcauseandtheblessingofourforefathers,wedidchargeintodobattle,theminotaurandmyself,sidebyside.Webattledsnakesandtheelementsasfrost,fireandacidallcrackledintheairaroundus.
We did not, in our lust for battle, considerTangleheadorhisactions.
Lookingback,Ithinkitwasthecoloredstonesonthefurthestwallthatdrewhisattention.Havingfreedhiscomrade,heturnedhiskeenmindtotheproblemat hand.Whilewe cleaved through amultitude ofsnake-things,he soughta speedier solution. Iknownothowheaccomplishedhistask,butaswefought,it soon became apparent that theRavenousQueenwas growing distracted from the battle. Her verylimbsbegantopulseandthechamberbegantoquake.Themonstrosityturnedherattentionsawayfromourbladesandlookedwithfurytowardthesmallgnomeonthefarsideoftheroom.Withacryofarcanerage
she flunga spell at his small frameand the gnomevanished.Stiflingmyshock,Itookadvantageofthesituation and pulled Ashallah’s unconscious formfromwhereshehad fallen.Wecouldnotverywellfightabeingcapableofdisintegratinguswithatouch.
“Come!”IshoutedtoAkkhunis,whostoodasonestunned.Foramomenthewavered,desiringaboveallthingstocleaveasunderhishatedfoe.Itwasthenthat a beam fell from the ceiling, crashing into thefloorbeforehimwitharoarlikethunder.Heturnedandfledwithme,helpingmecarryAshallahbetweenus.
Aswefled,weheardtheroarof theceilingas itcrashed down upon the Ravenous Queen, buryingherinherowntomb.
Restwell, noble TangleheadMortarmason.Youhaveearnedyourlongrestinthehallsofyourfathers.We shall toast your victory and sing songs in yourhonor.When thehammers fall upon the anvilswewillhear thebeatingofyourbraveheartandknowthatitwasyou,inyourwisdom,whosavedusanddestroyedanancientevil.
Tanglehead’s Diary
???, 4707
Well,mydarlingDiary,
Thisisquiteapicklewefindourselvesin.IthoughtI was done for when that hideous witchymonsterturnedherspellsonus,followingtheremovalofthearcane-resistors.Istillhavelittleideaofwhereweare,butitappearstobemostlyaplaceofrocks.Ihaveseen,in the lasthour, somewonderfulquartz formationsunlikeanyIhaveencounteredinmytravelsandthemagnemitepebblesthatlittlerockmonsterwaseatingwereincredibleintheirperfection.Fortunatelythereseems to be enough air in these seemingly endlesstunnels, and I must confess the lichen was prettytasty.Unfortunately,myfavoritepurplesocksseemfartherawaythaneverandIdespairofeverseeingtheinteriorofMilmoth’sPubagain.NeverthelessIshallcontinue stalwartly on in my quest for the perfectflavorofmasonry.
Generally feared and loathed, the Guild ofQuerying Physicks, or pain merchants astheyaremorecommonlycalled,areamong
the strangest and most obscure guilds in Avistanand northernGarund.No pain is foreign to them:they are assassins, drug dealers, healers, soothers,and torturers all in one, their acts lost behind theirdistinctivemirroredfacemasks.
Membersofthisguilddevotevastenergiestothestudyof pain and its uses on living victims. Particularlyskilledmembershavelearnedtosublimatetheirownnatural responses to pain, achieving mastery overtheirownbodies.Lessoften,guildmembersusetheirknowledge to lessen the sufferingofothers, thoughtherearea fewaltruisticmemberswithin theGuildforwhomthatistheirmaingoal.
Alignment: NE
Overwhelmingly,theGuildconsistsofmembersforwhom pain is pleasure. Followers of Calistria andZon-Kuthon are very common, though the Guilditselfisnotareligiousorganization.LesscommonarefollowersofNethys,whoembracetheirgod’sdualitybybothharmingandhealing.Kuthitesarestartingtojointheguildinoverwhelmingnumbers,usingsomeofitsbenefitsfortheirdarkgod’stwistedends.
Leader
Founded80yearsago,theGuildofQueryingPhysicksuses theCodices of Agony as its guide to pricing its
services,aswellascontainingtheguild’sphilosophyandreligiousverses.Theauthor,theheadoftheguildand inchargeofeverymajordecisionandwith thefinal word is Grand Master Edavous Visicum (NmaleelfclericofNethys15).BeneathhimaresixteenMasters,eachquarteredinmajorcountriesthroughouttheInnerSea.Mastersoverseeeverypracticingpainmerchantfoundintheircountry.BelowtheMastersare the House Masters, individuals who ruin theGuildHouses.Eachguildhouseisautonomousfromeachother–nonearereliantuponeachother.Atthebottomof thehierarchyarepainmerchants.By farthe most numerous members of the guild, despitetheirranktheyarerespectedbyalltheupperechelonsasfellowmembers.Twodifferentkindsofspecializedpainmerchantsexist:thosethatdealsolelywiththepaincreatedfromfear,andthose thatspecializeonthepaincausedbydeath.
Acharacterwishing to join theGuildmustpayanentry fee of 125 gp. Suitable candidatesmust haveatleast5ranksinfourofthefollowingskills:Bluff,Craft (alchemy), Diplomacy, Heal, Intimidate,Knowledge (local), Profession (torturer), SenseMotive.Inaddition,acharactermustbeofaneutralalignmenttobecomeapainmerchant.WiseHouseMastersinsistonademonstrationoftheapplicant’sinterestandproofoftheirskills–whatthisconsistsofcanvarywildlyfromhousetohouse.
Once amember is inducted into the guild, theyare required topayamonthlydueof25gpaswellaspay15%oftheirprofitsfromguildwork.Apainmerchant can get free accommodation and food in
TheGuild ofQueryingPhysicks have an immensevariety of curative magic at their disposal, as wellasavarietyofcurses,drugs,andpoisons.Anyguildmember canmakepurchases at a guildhousewitha 15% discount from the prices listed in the CoreRulebook.
Those looking for knowledge about obscurediseaseswoulddowell to inquireataGuildhouse–theGuildkeepsextensiverecordsonthetreatment(andapplication)ofmanyexoticailments.
A pain merchants as presented here the standardof theguild, thoughtheyvaryhugely inabilityandprowess. Although they tend to work alone, somecanbefoundaspartofanassassinationteam,adrugcartel,ahuntingparty,jailstaff,oraspartoftheroyaltorturers.
Combat Gear alchemist’s fire (5), drow poison (5), wand of fear (15 charges), wand of fog cloud (22 charges), wand of pox pustulesAPG (43 charges); Gear +1 adamantine scythe, +1 composite (+1 Str) longbow with 10 adamantine arrows and 20 arrows, bracers of armor +4, cloak of resistance +2, mirror mask, ring of protection +1, mwk torturer’s tools, portable alchemist’s lab, spell component pouch
SPECIAL ABILITIESCauldron (Ex) The witch
receives Brew Potion as a bonus feat and a +4 insight bonus on Craft (alchemy) skill checks.
Disguise (Su) As a standard action that does not
provoke an attack of opportunity, a witch can change her appearance for 8 hours, as if using disguise self. These hours do not need to be consecutive, but they must be spent in 1-hour increments.Evil Eye (Su) As a standard action that does not provoke
an attack of opportunity, a witch can use the evil eye to cause a visible foe within 30 ft. to take
a -2 penalty on one of the following (witch’s choice): AC, ability checks, attack rolls,
saving throws, or skill checks. This effect lasts for 7 rounds. A DC 18 Will
save reduces this duration to 1 round. This is a mind-affecting effect.Healing (Su) As a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, a witch can soothe the wounds of those she touches. This acts as a cure moderate wounds spell, healing 2d8+8 points of damage. Once a creature has benefited from the healing hex, it cannot benefit from it again for 24 hours.Misfortune (Su) As a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, a witch can cause a creature within 30 ft. to suffer grave misfortune for 1 round. Anytime the creature makes an ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, it must roll twice and take the worse result. A DC 18 Will save negates this effect. A single creature cannot be targeted by this ability more than once per day.Witch’s Familiar A witch forms a close bond with a familiar, a creature that teaches her magic and helps to guide her along her path. Instead of a spellbook, a witch must commune with her familiar each day to prepare her spells. A witches familiar otherwise functions like
stabilize D domain spell; Domains death, healing.STATISTICSStr 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 12Base Atk +9; CMB +9; CMD 21Feats Brew PotionB, EclecticAPG, Elemental Channel, Martial
Worn by the pain merchants as a way to identify each other, the mask is a symbol of the oath to be the reflection of their employer. More than just a symbol it is an iconic tool of the Pain Merchants, synonymous with this organization.
Aura faint abjuration and illusion; CL 7thSlot head; Price 3,000 gp; Weight 3 lbs.DESCRIPTIONConstructed of a molded two-way mirror, this mask grants
the wearer a +2 bonus on Disguise, Intimidate, and Sense Motive skill checks. Due to its reflective surface, the wearer gains a +8 bonus on all saving throws against effects that require sight, such as gazes. Finally, there is a 10% chance that any gaze attack directed against the wearer is reflected back upon the attacking creature.
“But...you knowhe cares about us,Rhevan.Healwayshas…”Shehadprotested,buttonoavail.Thestatementhadmerelyangeredthemanmore,andheraisedahandasiftolashoutather,barelymanagingtorestrainhimself.
“You! He cares about you and the elven harlotthat birthed you!” He growled in reply, seethingas he turned back toward the fire. “No…Iwas anafterthought.Worse–adisappointment.Nomatterwhat I did, it was never enough for that witheredhuskofaman.ThatiswhyIleft.”
Unabletomakehimseereason,Ailynquicklyfledfromtheroom,returningtoherchambers.Inthedaysafter,shebarelysawherbrother,andeveninpassing,hewas silent andgrim.She then chose to takehermealsinherroom;awayfromherhatefulsiblingandtheroughmenhe’dhiredtoguardhishome.Outsideofherroom,shecouldfeeltheireyesonher,andshedidnotdaretoconsiderwhatthosemenmighthavebeenthinkingabouther.
“Iwould like to take awalk in the garden,” shesaid,tryingtokeepthenervousnessfromhervoice.Oneofthemnodded,steppingasideandallowingher
tostepintothehall.Theothermerelyleeredather,grinningasshe turnedherback tohim, thoughshecaught the expression out of the corner of her eye.Foronce,shewasgladherfatherhadinsistedthatshenotwearthelow-cutgownsfavoredbysomedaringyoungnoblewomen.Mostofherdresses,whilemadefromrichsilksintheblacksandredsfavoredbytheEgoriannoblehouses,weremorereservedindesign.Her current dress was of crimson silk with a highcollar that encircled her throat, the fabric workedwith black and gold embroidery along the sleeves,hem, and bodice in patterns reminiscent of flames.Still, themaneyedher,anditmadehershudderindisgust.
Thankfully,herwalktothegardenwassilent,andthemenremainedbytheentrywayintothehouseasshe walked among the beautifully flowering plantsthatherbrother,ormorelikelyhisgroundskeeper,hadchosen.Itwaswhileshepausedtosniffaparticularlyvibrantrosethatashadowfelloverher,blottingouttheafternoonsun.
“Good day to you, sister,” Rhevan said coldly,not even bothering to smile as she turned to facehimas calmlyas she could. “Forgiveme formy…brusqueness,whenlastwespoke.Myfeelingsaboutour father are strong, as youcanplainly see, and Ilostmyhead.”Heofferedherhisarm,andshetookit,tryingnottolookupathimastheybegantowalkcasuallyalongthepathbetweentheplants.
“I should have been more…sensitive, Rhevan.”Ailynreplied,pointedlyexaminingtheirsurroundings.Shedidnotwanttoseethosecold,emptyeyesagain.Notifshecouldhelpit.
“Still, itwas inpoor taste to lashout at you so.I asked you here because I do care, sweet Ailyn,andIwishedtoofferyouachancetoseesomethingspectacular.”
Ailyn paused, finally facing him, a dark browarchedcuriously.
Rhevan seemed to return to the cold demeanorthat had becomehis norm as theymade theirwayback inside, the older man leading Ailyn down aspiraling stair into the home’s basement. It was ina large chamber that they finally stopped, an oldermanwith grayinghair onhands andknees,hastilyinscribing the lastofamassiveandornatediagramontothestonefloor.
“Excellent, Master Toloth. We will proceed assoonasyoucanfinish.”
Itdidnottakelong,andasthemaddenedoldmanrose,hebeckonedRhevanover.Ailyn tried to stayback, but her brother grabbed her hand tightly, hisgripalmostcrushing,anddraggedheralongbehindhim.
“Now,sister.Thisisjustthebeginning,”hesaid,pulling her into the circle asmore of hismenwhohad been waiting nearby stepped inside of it withhim.Ailyn struggled, her fear rapidly rising as theoldmanbegantochantinaharshtongueshedidn’tunderstand,andshefelttheairaroundthembecomeenergized,withlightcracklingaroundthem.
“No!Brother,stopthis!Letmego!”Sheprotested,but he just held her tighter. A high-pitched whinefilled Ailyn’s ears, and she screamed, pressing herfree hand to her head tomuffle the sound. Tolothraisedhishands,shoutedafinalword,andsuddenlytheworldturnedupsidedownandAilynfeltherselffallintodarkness.
***
Theworldspunasitresolveditselfoncemore,andAilyn collapsed toher knees, retchingon the stonefloor.
“And so my dignified sister is reduced to beingsickuponthefloor.IneverthoughtI’dseetheday,”Rhevan said coldly, as he grasped her roughly bythe arm and pulled her to her feet. She staggered,still gripped by a sense of vertigo, but before shecouldpullherself together, shewas forced forward.They had appeared in a familiar room, almost aslargeasthechambertheyhadbeenin,butforafew
“B-brother, what...what are we doing here? Ithoughtyouhatedfather!Whyhavewecomeback?”
Shetwisted,tryingtolookatthemanbehindher,but thewayhegrippedherarmmade itdifficult toturnwithout causing pain to shoot up through hershoulder. As they marched into the hall, Rhevanstopped,pushinghertothefloorwithsurprisingforce.
“You truly want to know? And spoil the bigsurprise?”Anyshredofwarmththathadremainedinhisvoicesinceshehadfirstarrivedathisestatewasgone,andhelookedatherwithdisgustasshetriedtopickherselfup.“Fine,sister.”Hespatthewordsout,sneering.“Daddy’slittlepet.I’mherebecauseIdeservedmore.Ideservedbetterthantobecastasidefor some bastard half-breed daughter who is littlebetterthanherwhoreofamother!”
Ailyn gazed at him, speechless, as he steppedtowardherandleanedclose,hissmilemaliciousandwicked.
A select few possess such a deep belief in thiskind of sympathetic magic, undergoing rituals tobindmagics to theirbody.With theassistanceofavillage shamanorwitch doctorwho empowers thefetishworn by the defender, thewarrior finds theycanshrugoffthedamagecausedbyaparticulartypeofweapon.
As dawa defenders grow in power and prowess,they become accustomed to magic, and find theybecomeresistanttotheeffectsofmagicalspells,andeventually,somemagicalspells.
Role: Dawa defenders put trust to the magicalfetishes for protection and can enhance charactersthatoptnottowearheavierarmor,suchasbarbarians,druids,andrangers.
Hit Die:d10.
Requirements
To qualify for a dawa defender, a character mustfulfillallofthefollowingcriteria.
Armor:Dawa defenders canwear only padded,leather,hidearmorornoarmoratall.
Weapon and Armor proficiency:Thedawadefenderis proficient with all simple and martial weapons.Dawadefendersareproficientwithlightandmediumarmor,butareprohibitedfromwearingmetalarmor(asadruid).Dawadefendersareproficientwithallshieldsbutmustusethoseonlycraftedfromwood.Adawadefenderwhowearsprohibitedarmorlosesanydawaorjujubenefitswhiledoingsoandfor24hoursafterward.
Dawa (Su):Beginningat1stlevelandeverylevelthereafter, the dawadefender has the choice of thetypedamagereductionitbenefitsfrom,bychoosingtheassociatedfetish.Asthedawadefenderprogressesinlevels,hecanincreasethedamagereductioninagiventypeby1orchooseanother.
• Points. The dawa defender decorates himselfwith pointed objects such as arrowheads, nailsandneedles.Thisgrantsa+1damagereductiontopiercingdamage.
• Razors. Thin slivers of metal, bone fragmentsorobsidianflakesgrant thedawadefendera+1damagereductiontoslashingdamage.
At each level, the dawa defender has the choiceofselectinganewtypeoffetish,orbyselectingoneit already wears, and increasing the correspondingdamagereductionby+1.
Juju (Su):Beginningat 3rd level, a dawadefender gains a +2 bonusto their saving throws againstmagic. At 6th level, this bonusincreases to +3, and at 9th level thisincreasesto+4.Thefetishassociatedwiththisisastar.
Greater juju (Su): Beginning at 5th level, thedamagereductiongrantedfromthedawaclassabilitybecomes“andmagic”(ex.DR5/magicandslashing).At 10th level, the dawa defender gains SR 18. Thefetishassociatedwiththisisacollectionofstars.❂
Avineyard isa specialized farm that isbuilt inhillhexes.Avineyardhexreducesconsumptionby1BP.Ifavineyardisadjacenttoacity,aBrewerycanbebuiltinthatcityforonelessBP(minimum1BP).
New Building Types
Foreign Quarter (94 BP)
An area of the city for ambassadors, entertainers,entrepreneurs and merchants from far lands, theseareasaredesignedtobringforeignintereststoacity.AForeignQuarterreducesthebuildcostofMarketsandTheaters in thesamecity.PayingtheConsumptioncost introduces the new Kingdom Events below,whichcanbeselectedatthebeginningoftheEventphase(withtheexceptionoftheForeignSpyevent).AdemolishedForeignQuartercanbeusedtobuildanewMarketorTheaterforhalfofitsbuildcost.
City base value +3,000 gp; Halves cost of Market and Theaters in the same city; Consumption +1, Economy +3, Stability +3; limit one per city.
Fortress of the Faith (80 BP)
Citadels built by belief asmuch as themortar thatbinds them, these edifices educate and train fellowfollowers.PayinganadditionalpointofConsumptioncost grants kingdom armies with the Crusader
special ability (detailed in Pathfinder Adventure Path #36 “Sound of a Thousand Screams”) aredoubled. Inaddition, paying this Consumption cost reducesUnrest by one point.A demolishedFortress of theFaithcanbeusedtobuildanewGarrisonorTempleforhalfofitsbuildcost.
Halves cost of Garrison or Temples within 6 hexes; Consumption +1, Loyalty +3, Stability +3; Defense Modifier +8.
Millpond (3 BP; must be in a hex with a river)
Amillpondisabodyofwater formedbydammingasmallriverorstream,whichprovidespowerforamill. It oftendoubles as a fishing lake.Amillpondfunctionsasawaterborderformills.
Loyalty +1.
University (110 BP)
Acenterofintellectualexcellencewhereallmannerof architects, engineers, inventors, and sagesgathertoexperiment,philosophizeandotherwiseinnovate.PayinganadditionalpointofConsumptionopensupseveraloptionstokingdombuilders:
• The BP cost of one new building that occupiesnomorethanafour-blockareaisreducedbyhalf(minimum1BP).
A demolishedUniversity can be used to build anewAcademyorGuildhallforhalfofitsbuildcost.
City base value +1,000 gp; halves cost of Academy or Guildhalls in the same city; Consumption +1, Economy +3, Loyalty +3; Defense Modifier +4.
New Kingdom E vents
E ntertainers’ Troupe
A travelling circus or entertainers’ troupe from aneighboringkingdomvisitsyourrealm.Yougain1d4BPanda+4bonusonStabilitychecksuntilyournextEventphase.ReduceyourUnrestby2.
Youcanattempttousemerchantcontactstofindaspecificmagic item,makinganEconomycheck foreach item. If successful,amerchant finds the itemsanddeliversthematthebeginningofthenextbuildphase.Theseitemsareavailableforpurchaseatthemarketpriceandareonlyavailableuntil theendofthemonth.Artifactsarenotablethroughmercantilecontacts.
Kingdom
Size
Minor
Magic
Items
Medium
Magic
Items
Major
Magic
Items
1–10 1 – –
11–25 2 – –
26–50 3 1 –
51–100 4 2 –
101–200 5 3 1
201+ +1forevery100
Visiting Diplomats
Diplomats from neighboring kingdoms arrive toparticipateinafeteheldintheirhonor.Ifthekingdomsizeisbetween3and25hexes,thekingdomrulerscaninviteonediplomat;between26and50hexes, twodiplomats;51and100threediplomats;andover100hexes, an additional diplomat for every 100 hexes.Whetherornot thediplomats showupdependsonthe relationshipsbetween thekingdoms (theGMisencouragedtoroleplaythisout).Yougaina+2bonusonEconomychecksforeverydiplomatthatshowsuptothefeteuntilyournexteventphase.❂
I joined theArmywhen I was 28.Going throughbasic training with a bunch of people 10 yearsyoungerthanmemademefeelundulyold.Them
callingme“Gramps”didn’thelpeither.Afterabitofahiatus fromthegamingworldoutsidemyowngroups, I’ve recently returned to find that I’m notimmune to having the same feeling around fellowgamers.
It’snottheagedifferencethat’sdoingittomethistime. There’s plenty of people in my age categoryand older that are still gaming. What ages me ishavingtoconstantlystopmyselffromsayingthingslike, “When I first started gaming…” or “Back inFirstEdition,theydiditthisway—andwelikedit.”ormore telling,“Iwalkedbackand forth toallmygamesinthreefootsnowdrifts.Uphill.Bothways.”Oldcrankymansyndrome.
TherearelotsofdifferencesbetweenRPGswhenIstartedgaminginthemid-seventies,andhowthingswork today.But the same really can be said aboutcars,music,telephones,computers,architecture,andevenart.Despitethosechanges,peoplearethesame,andwhenIlistentothethingsthatgamerstalk/argueabout or the things that they like and don’t like, Irealize thatmostlywhathaschanged ismyview—notthewaypeopleare.
Isaymostlybecausewhilepeoplearestillthesame,the environment around them isn’t. This becomesreally apparent when you look at the amount ofprintedmaterialavailableforthePathfindersetting,less than a year after its official release as a stand-aloneRPG,andcompareittowhatwasavailableforFirstEditionbytheearlyeighties.Asamazingasitis,Pathfinderalreadyhasatleastasmuchmaterialforitastheoriginalgamehadafterfivetosevenyears.Andthatdoesn’tcounttheavailable3.5materialthatcanbeeasilyadapted.
Has that wealth of information changed things?
I think it has, and I’ve noticed it rather sharplyrecently. Limited amounts of information requireda higher emphasis on house rules, since no officialpost on the internet was ever going to come outadjudicatingaruleanytimesoon.Itmeantthatmostofthecontentinyouradventureshadtobemadeup,because playing by the sourcebooks only could getreallyrepetitivereallyfast.
SowhileGMsthathavestartedlaterinthegaminghistory seem able to hold quite a bit more factsand figures in their heads than I ever could,many(ofcourse,notall) seemtohavedifficultyadaptingthingsontherun.
Since I can take memory classes or herbalsupplementswill help improvemy ability to digestthelargecanonofrulesavailable,Ithoughtitmightbe a good idea to share with fellow gamers somethings thatmightproveuseful toGMsthatneed tomakequickadaptationstotheirgames.Thinkofitasasortofanextratoolboxoutsidetheusualcanonthatyoucandigthroughwhenyouneedit.
Have you ever lost a player because they feltlike theydidn’taddanythingtotheadventure?I’vebeenwithgroups thatwouldcallout theplayeronthis forbuildingacharacter thathadhighpoints inKnowledge (geography) andnothingonPerception
ThefirstthingthatshouldgoinyourtoolboxiswhatIliketothinkofasacharactertemplate.Itdoesn’thavetobewrittendown,butithelps—especiallyovertime.Thistemplateshowswhatthingsareofparticularuseinyourcampaign.Isalowperceptiongoingtocauseproblems?Istheworldtoolawfultosupportrogues?Istheworldtoochaotictosupportpaladins?Recordthesethingsasyounoticethemhappeningamesoras you realize them without prompting and makesure you cover these thingswith the player duringcharactercreation.
As a general rule, I don’t relymuchon skills tomove the storyalong, soaspartofwhat I tellnewplayersinmygroup,ImentionthatIuseskillsmostlyforwhenroleplayingfails.Onmysystem,thatroguewiththenegativeCharismamodifiermightstillhavea totally strange moment where he finds himselfsuddenlydiplomatic.Ifit’sroleplayedasanoddthing,butpresentedbelievablyenough,I’llletitpass.OneofmyfriendsthatGMsforme,realizesthatIpersonallyhavetroublewordingthingsverydiplomatically,soifI’mplayingacharacterwhoissupposedtobeabletobeverydiplomatic,he’llgivemethechancetosimplyrollthedice,insteadofforcingmetothinkinanodddirection.
Disclosingthisinformationinadvance(andforcingyourself to think about it in advance) can make ahugedifferenceonplayerdecisionsduringcharactercreation. If a player reallywants to go against thiswellintentionedadvice,youshouldstillletthem.Allitwill take is a fewmore tools togoyour toolbox.Andsinceithappenedatthestart,youcanpickandchoosewhatthecampaignwillneedlater.
We Really Needed a Cleric, but the New Guy Made
a Dwarf Wizard
Alchemyisyourfriend.Beforethegame,gothroughanddoaroughguessofhowhurtpeoplearegoingtogetinthefights.Addalotofpotionstothetreasure.I’ve found that formygroup, I tend toneedabout
Dropping more potions isn’t your only optioneither. You can reduce themonster’s hit points sothatthecombatdoesn’tlastaslong.Aslittleas10%canreducetheamountofhealingthepartyneedsbyhalf (dependingof course,on the luckof thedice.)A reduction of about 20% can usually see a partythroughwiththenormalamountofpotionsfoundinanadventure.Reducinghitpointsmuchmore thanthatwillmaketheencountersfartooeasyandremovetherisksthatmakeitfunandexciting.
Somegroupsmightknowtheexactnumberofhitpoints your creatures should have and try and tellyouthatyou’redoingitwrong.Inthiscase,IfinditeasiesttosimplyadjusttheACofthecharactersupbyoneortwo.SinceIdoallofmyrollsbehindthescreen,thisisagreatwaytomakechangeswithout(hardlyever)gettingcaught.
My <insert class name here> is Bored
I’mamazed(andhavebeenfromthestart tobehonest)with the number of GMs that don’t realize that it’stheir job to entertain their players. Iwas gladwhen theGameMastery Guide includedthatinitspages.Ifaplayerisboredyouhavetwochoices:losetheplayerorentertainthem.
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The perfect world guide for Pathfi nder RPG players and Game Masters alike, this defi nitive 320-page full-color hardcover volume contains expanded coverage of more than 40 nations, details on gods, religions, and factions, new character options, monsters, and more. Chart the events of your Pathfi nder campaign with a beautiful poster map that reveals the lands of the Inner Sea region in all their treacherous glory!
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