1 Introductory Quest - Lair of the Ratmen This quest originally appeared in the first of the Fabled Lands game books cal...
Introductory Quest - Lair of the Ratmen This quest originally appeared in the first of the Fabled Lands game books called The War-Torn Kingdom. Everything that happens within this adventure is based on the original, but some parts have been embellished upon, while others have been further developed. This adventure is designed for four 1st level characters and uses the rules based in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. If you are not the Gamemaster, then STOP READING NOW. What follows is for the GM only!
INTRODUCTION At the start of a quest, you the Gamemaster have work to do. First off, read everything! That includes this appendix and all character sheets (once ready). Beyond that, this introduction is designed to be read to players starting their adventuring life in Yellowport; if the players undertake this quest, but either play seasoned adventurers or don’t live in Yellowport, then the Gamemaster will have to edit before beginning. Any passages written in bold italics, like this, are to be read aloud to the players. Yellowport has been your home for many years now. Having been born and raised here, the stench emanating from the Stinking River doesn’t really affect you; in fact you hardly notice it at all. At last you have come of age; a time when you can leave your family home and travel the world of Harkuna. Your first port-of-call will be the Merchant’s Guild bank close to your home. Here you can extract what little savings you have earned from delivery jobs and the washing down of the fish storage bins at the docks. Today life begins. The Merchant’s Guild bank is a very impressive building on the outskirts of the docks, and many ships and fishing boats come and go from the harbor on a daily basis. Only the other day, your last day working for Mr. Gillmore in those stinking fish bins, a magnificent war galleon bearing the flag of Ringhorn in Golnir sailed into the dock like a prince walking down a red carpet. Everyone watched in awe as the rich merchant trader, obviously the owner of the galleon, ordered his shipment of fine silks unloaded to the docks. The ship didn’t stay long in Yellowport, but you did manage to race around to the furthest jetty and watch the leviathan sail back out into the Violet Ocean. You push open the guild’s door with your deposit contract grasped firmly in your hand. Standing in a group near the desk are three portly gentlemen dressed in banking attire and a fourth man, larger around the waist than the others, dripping in lavish clothes and jewelry. You quickly recognize him as Guildmaster Vernon of Yellowport, one of the most powerful men in the city. The four men watch you approach one of the desks and hand over your contract. The clerk takes it and disappears downstairs, which you imagine is where the vault is located. The Guildmaster nods to his companions and approaches you. “Well, well; young adventurers about to take their first steps out into the wide world. It would seem that this is your lucky day indeed. We have a small problem that would be fitting for you brave young souls. Would you be interested in hearing a proposition?” The players have the option of declining the Guildmaster for whatever reason; maybe they are just passing through the City or maybe they are not quite up the challenge as yet, and would prefer to look around the parts of the city that they don’t get to see very often.
When the players are ready to listen to the Guildmaster, read them the following: “We have a problem with some ratmen that have set up a base in our city sewers. They come out at night and raid the merchant warehouses and homes. As you can imagine, this is not good for business. The merchant from Ringhorn that came into port a couple of days ago had heard of our problem and refused to come ashore and view our export cargos! This problem needs sorting very quickly. We have discovered that the ratmen are under the rule of their king. If he were to be destroyed, then the other ratmen wouldn’t be able to function and would disappear back where they came. The guild is willing to pay you 450 gold pieces in total on your return with proof of the king’s demise. We have been informed that he possesses a copper amulet as some sort of status symbol; bring us this amulet and the gold is yours.” If the players accept this quest they will be told that the entrance to the sewers can be found in the west of city in the poor quarter. He then turns and rejoin his fellow merchants. When the characters head to the old sewers, note the weather and mention it along with the following description: You cross the King’s Bridge that leads from the Plaza of the Gods across the Stinking River and into West Port, or the poor quarter as it has come to be known. This side of the river does have a bad reputation due to the seedy drinking pits and undesirables, but these are just a few bad apples that spoil the crop. Most of the people in West Port are just normal, hard-working folk, trying to go about their daily lives. After the new section of the city was complete, grants were offered to people in the crowded east side to move over the river and build new homes. Thousands of people jumped at the chance to live in the newest (and cleanest) part of the city; the cobblestoned King’s Road was extended all the way to the West Gate, and it was promised that every street created would undergo this improvement as well. The promise was never upheld, not due to King Corin VII unfulfilling his word, but due to the civil war and usurping of the throne by his bodyguard, the now Protector-General of all Sokara: Grieve Marlock. It is his brother, Marloes, who now runs the city from the converted council house in the Rich Quarter. His selfish ways and hoarding of taxes has stopped all city improvements, to concentrate on his own personal defenses, should another uprising occur. At last you reach the sewer entrance; a small stone construction similar to a well but without the bucket. As you approach you can see an old lady is emptying a bucket of rotten food and waste down the shaft. She nods at you and walks away in the direction of her home. The smell rising from the sewer is very different from the Stinking River, but just as bad. Looking over the edge of the entrance you can only see down into darkness. There is no ladder that descends into the depths, so you will have to climb down. Any PC that wishes to climb down the sewer must be successful at a DC 15 Climb check. Any character that fails will fall to the bottom, taking 2d6 points of falling damage.
1 - BOTTOM OF THE SEWER ENTRANCE (CR 3) When the players descend to the bottom of the sewer, read them the following: The bottom of the sewer pit is not a pleasant place at all. The stench is almost unbearable and you cannot help retching several times. There are four exits from the square-shaped room, but three of
them (south, east and west) are only small outlets for the sewage to drain out. The raised edges are for the sewer caretaker to stand on and brush any clogged sewage down the outlets, but since the ratmen have taken residence down here, the caretaker has dared not come down and has removed his ladder. The sewage is beginning to build up quite a bit now. The only exit big enough for you to walk down is the north exit. Light streaming down the sewer shaft illuminates this room only. Once the characters venture from here they will need a light source to be able to see. If the characters do not have a light source such as a torch, candle, lantern or magical means, then it will become impossible for them to get more than twenty or thirty feet along the northern passage without bashing body parts on the rough and sharp walls. If they are persistent, and continue without a light source, then have them start to take damage from hitting the walls (1d2 points of damage here and there). You can also have them hear strange scratching noises, but not allow them to pinpoint where it originates. This adventure is in two parts: the tunnels and the ruins. Random Encounters will occur in the tunnels from time to time. At intervals chosen by the Gamemaster, roll 2 dice and consult the following table: Roll 2d6 and consult the following table: 2 Cave-in 3-10 No encounter 11-12 Ratmen patrol It is suggested to roll for an encounter at intersections in the tunnels. This way, ratmen can hide down a side path of the GM’s choice, and if a path is blocked by a cave-in then there are alternate routes. If desired, the Gamemaster can force an encounter as well.
Cave-in Most of Yellowport on this side of the river was built on top of an ancient Utt akin city that sank into the ground as the result of an earthquake hundreds of years ago. Some of the tunnels are weak due to the stress and weight of the new city above, and cave-ins can happen. Any character caught under a the falling rocks must make a successful DC 15 Reflex save to dive out of the way in time, or suffer 2d6 points of bludgeoning damage from falling rock. If the Gamemaster chooses, a cave-in may be large enough to block a path. A character may unblock it with a successful DC 15 Strength check to clear the rock.
Ratmen Patrol (CR 3) Ratmen regularly patrol the tunnels south of their secret lair. Any ratmen encountered will not engage the characters unless absolutely necessary. They will instead try to spy on them and report back to King Skabb. Ratmen (2) CR 1 XP 400 Ratfolk rogue 2 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide) NE Small humanoid (ratfolk) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7 -----Defense----AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 size) hp 18 (2d8+6)
Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +0 Defensive Abilities evasion -----Offense----Speed 20 ft. Melee shortsword +5 (1d4/19-20) Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6, swarming -----Statistics----Str 11, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8 Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 13 Feats Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +8 (+4 to jump), Climb +5, Disable Device +9, Escape Artist +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +7, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +12, Swim +5; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, rodent empathy Languages Common, Goblin, Orc SQ rogue talent (fast stealth), trapfinding +1 Other Gear shortsword
The ratmen will easily spot the party due to any light source they need to be able to see down in the tunnels. The ratmen attempt to use Stealth skill to sneak up and spy on the player characters, if they are discovered, if discovered, the ratmen will run back to the large cavern in scene 7, and through the secret door to warn their king. If prevented from fleeing, perhaps by characters that cleverly split up, the ratmen will prefer to make a stand by the stagnant pool where they have an advantage (scene 4).
2 - DEMISE When the players reach this area, read them the following: Something catches your eye along the tunnel. As you get nearer, you can see that it is a human skeleton! These are the long-dead remains of an archaeologist who ventured into the sewers in search of Uttakin artifacts. The poor soul’s light source ran out and he perished in the darkness from lack of food and water. The ratmen picked the carcass clean long ago, and there is nothing left to be found, except his old bones of course. There is no risk or reward in this scene. If the characters feel like burying the deceased, that is their prerogative.
3 - MISTRESS SPIDER (CR 1) As the players venture into this tunnel, read them the following: There appears to quite a bit of moisture here, and the walls in this tunnel are becoming damp. Hanging from the walls and ceiling are wispy cobwebs that start to get much denser as the tunnel progresses. You stop when you find the husk of a ratman wrapped in web hanging from the roof of the tunnel. The tunnel is home to Escra the Giant Spider. She wanders the tunnels looking for stray ratmen or patrols that are off their guard. The ratmen know of Escra and avoid that end of the tunnels at all costs. If the characters proceed past the dead ratman, Escra will detect their movements through the web and move in to attack.
Escra the Giant Spider CR 1 XP 400 hp 16 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Spider, Giant”)
Web: While fighting the Escra, the characters will be surrounded by sticky webs. Before each round every player involved in the fight must make a DC 14 Reflex save. Anyone who fails the roll will suffer a –1 penalty to melee attack rolls for that round. These webs also provide partial cover from ranged attacks. Once the characters defeat Escra and search the area, on a successful DC 20 Perception check they find treasure, but do not tell the players exactly what the treasure is. Read the following: In the depths of the webbing, you find gold coins scattered about, as well as a shortsword and shield. The shortsword and shield appear better maintained than you would have expected from rubbish in a lair. Treasure: +1 short sword, a +1 heavy steel shield and 80 gp in scattered coins.
4 - PEST AND PLAGUE When the characters take the west route from the sewer entrance, read them the following: You did not realize it was possible, but the smell becomes even worse as you head in this direction. Then, if they catch sight of this room, read them the following: Your light strikes a reflective surface in the distance, and at last you have solved the mystery of the stench. Ahead of you is a wide opening in the tunnels where sewer water has clogged in a depression. It is beyond stagnant; it is rotting. Pestilential insects swarm here in great numbers. The warmth given off by the rot keeps insect pests active. They will bite and harass characters within this room, causing a –1 penalty to all combat rolls. All monsters in this adventure are immune to the effect. This would therefore be an excellent time to check for a random encounter.
5 - RATS, OR RATS? (CR 1) When the characters come to this intersection, read them the following: The smell weakens again in this direction. You must be getting beyond the reach of the garbage dumped by the citizens of Yellowport. Suddenly, from out of the shadows you spy the whiskered visage of a rat; and not just one, but three, scattered across the exits from this intersection. Have the ratmen set you a trap? These rodents may be large, but they do not stand upright. They are giant rats, not ratmen, and are placated by a recent meal. They will only attack characters that draw within striking distance (which could be immediately if the characters get here by chasing a ratmen patrol). A successful DC 12 Knowledge (nature) skill check will reveal all of the above. One rat is foraging in each exit (west, north, and east), so cautious characters only need to kill one to proceed.
Dire Rats (3) XP 135 hp 5 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Rat, Dire”)
CR 1/3
6 - HAUNTED CAVERN When the players enter this area, read them the following: You have entered a cavern. Your light source plays across scattered and broken wooden beams. A heap of old decayed cloth looks unnervingly like a body. The cavern is the home of Cyrano of Yellowport, who is now only a ghost. Dealing with him counts as a secondary quest when calculating the experience reward for this adventure. Forty years ago, when the sewer works were beginning in West Port and ruins were coming to light, the suspicious loner Cyrano heard of the discovery and decided to move in. He commenced squatting in a hut he built by hand in this secluded corner. His plan was to keep the filthy scum of the city at bay and uncover ancient riches to be kept to himself. Instead, the ratmen moved in before he could uncover a thing, destroyed his home, and killed him. Old Uttakin magic somehow immediately brought him back as a ghost, and his corpse has since lain undisturbed beneath the scrap fabric that was once his roof. If the corpse is touched then he will appear and shout “Hands off, greedy scum of the surface!” Cyrano of Yellowport CR 3 XP 800 Human ghost aristocrat 3 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Ghost”) NE Medium undead (humanoid, human, incorporeal) Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +15 -----Defense----AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+3 deflection, +2 Dex) hp 25 (3d8+12) Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +6; +4 bonus vs. channeled energy Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits -----Offense----Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect) Special Attacks corrupting touch -----Statistics----Str —, Dex 15, Con —, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 17 Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 17 Feats Hover, Improved Initiative, Iron Will Skills Bluff +9, Diplomacy +9, Fly +16, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (history) +9, Knowledge (nobility) +7, Knowledge (religion) +8, Perception +15, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +10; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +8 Stealth Languages Common, Draconic, Goblin, Orc -----Special Abilities----Corrupting Touch (DC 14) (Su): Touch does 3d6 damage from aging, ignoring most resistances (Fort half).
The characters would be wise to talk to Cyrano, as his years of lonely undeath have taught him that human contact might have merit. Characters must still make a successful Diplomacy check to convince him of anything, as his attitude towards them is unfriendly and will need to be lowered to indifferent to let the characters leave in peace, or a friendly to hand over his worldly possessions.
He can be bribed for a +4 bonus to Diplomacy checks by promising to show him Uttakin treasures, like objects from scenes 10, 11, or 12 (or the scroll from 16). If the characters actually give him a treasure, then he will willingly surrender the rest of his possessions, and slowly fade away in contentment. He will only return again if the gifted treasure is disturbed. If the characters fight, be warned: a ghost is a powerful enemy for 1st level characters. Fortunately, Cyrano cannot leave this cavern. Loot on his material body includes 33 gold pieces, a masterwork warhammer, and an ivory carving of the Three Fortunes. One could sell this for 100 gold pieces as-is or take it to a temple of the Three Fortunes and ask for it to be blessed. For a 100 gold fee, it would become a holy symbol, with a bonus to be determined by rolling 1 dice and consulting the following table: 1-3 4-5 6
+1 to DC’s for all divine spells cast through holy symbol. +2 to DC’s for all divine spells cast through holy symbol. +3 to DC’s for all divine spells cast through holy symbol.
Once blessed, the ivory carving has the same selling price as the equivalent a magical holy symbol.
7 – THE RUINS AWAIT (CR 3) When the players enter this area, read them the following: You have entered a large cavern. Your light source dances around the high ceiling casting eerie shadows all around. If the characters have chased some ratmen to this area, they will find that they seem to have disappeared! In the far north wall, the ratmen have constructed a very clever secret door that looks like it is part of the surrounding rocks. A player actively searching for a secret door must make a successful DC 20 Perception check to find it. If it is opened, 2 ratmen on the other side will attack the characters in an attempt to stop them from entering their lair. Ratmen (2) CR 1 XP 400 hp 18 (see scene 1) Gear: One of the ratmen on guard here has 15 gp and a note that reads: “Parti! Kitchuns. Tonite. Rank and file rats only—no off sirs and no king allowed!”
If the players enter the area beyond the secret door, read them the following: The tunnels change dramatically beyond the secret door; they are no longer rough-cut caverns, but shaped corridors adorned with etched hieroglyphics and ancient runes. Any character that makes a successful DC 20 Knowledge (history) or DC 20 Linguistics check will conclude that this section of the caverns must be part of the old Uttakin city that disappeared hundreds of years ago. A map to this area might be worth some money to the archaeologists of Yellowport, if they think of it of course.
Random encounters are different within the ruins. At intervals chosen by the Gamemaster, roll 2 dice and consult the following table: 2-3 Distraction 4-11 No encounter 12 Ratmen runners
Distraction Something happens to make the going just a little more difficult. The Gamemaster is invited to think up scenarios. Here are two options: As stated at the outset, this quest is intended for 1st level characters that are unused to the rigors of adventure. Have them make a successful DC 18 Will save. If any fail, read them the following: Which each step you’ve taken, these ruins have felt colder, darker, more dangerous. It feels as though the spirits of the dead and buried watch from the shadows. Soon you can’t stop yourself from fidgeting with your armament or starting at any sudden noise. These characters are affected by nervousness and suffer either a –2 penalty to their next Perception check or Reflex save, or –2 on their next roll for initiative order, whichever comes first. Only punish the characters with nervousness once; choose another distraction in the future, like this one: Trap: Pick a random character to make a successful DC 20 Reflex save. On failure, read the following: Something moves underfoot and a magical firework springs out of a trap. It explodes before you with a bright flash of light and releases an echoing bang. The blast only deals 1d4 points of fire damage but attracts attention. The ratmen at scene 14 may investigate if they are still alive. Further, add +2 to the next roll for a random encounter. If the character successfully saves, he or she notices that one old rune carved into the stone floor holds magical power, and avoids stepping on it. This rune is a trap laid by the Uttakin, and only triggers when a large enough individual (i.e., not ratmen) steps on it.
Ratmen Runners (CR 1) There are no patrols within the ruins; only poor saps kicked out from the ‘parti’ to run errands. In most circ*mstances, they will run into the midst of the characters and be equally surprised by the encounter. If the characters are within the secret section of the Uttakin ruins (scenes 10 through 13), then the ratmen will approach with caution and confusion, but still attack on sight. Ratmen (2) CR 1 XP 400 hp 18 (see scene 1) gear: all creatures carry a dagger by default and do not wear armor. If they arrive in or pass through the barracks (scene 9), the Gamemaster may have them pick up a shortsword and shield.
8 - INTO THE DARKNESS This corridor leads to a dead end that is the result of a cave-in, as with others like it on the map. There is nothing of any value or importance here, but you may wish to extend this quest and have the players venture further into the old Uttakin city at a later point. These would be the perfect places for you to extend the map.
9 - GUARD ROOM AND BARRACKS When the players reach this room, read them the following: This room has no doors, but seems to be a wide extension of the passage. Looking across the far side of the room you can see the passage progresses into the darkness. All through this area are sleeping mats and crude beds. There is stale smell to this room and you guess that it is a barracks of some description. There are 35 beds dotted around the room. Each bed contains the personal belongings of a ratman: old mouse skulls, crude dice and the odd Shard or two. On the walls hang the ratmen’s shortswords and small wooden shields, with perhaps 10 each being high enough quality to sell in town. They don’t need them at the moment, because they are almost all in a party in the kitchen (scene 17).
Anyone searching must make a successful DC 15 Perception check to uncover 2d6 gold pieces plus a small bottle of vintage wine that one of the ratmen found. If the characters try to drink some, it tastes like a very weak acid and is basically worthless. On a successful DC 20 Perception check, the searcher will uncover the secret door. The ratmen had hung shields on two hook-shaped protrusions on the north wall about a yard apart, which the thorough searcher lifts up. When pulled up at the same time, these cause a short section of wall to slide away below them. There are equivalent hooks on the other side. The ratmen have never been bright or coordinated enough to find this secret door.
10 - OLD WEAPONS ROOM If the players approach this room from the outside hall, read them the following: This room has a very old but sturdy looking door on it. It looks as though someone has tried to hack the door down judging by the scars in the wood. There are no scars when approaching from the other side. Both doors are locked. The ratmen have never managed to enter this area despite numerous attempts. These scenes (10 through 13) form a secret section of the Uttakin ruins, and exploring them counts as a secondary quest when calculating the experience reward for this adventure (see conclusion). Any player that can make a successful DC 25 disable device will manage to pick the lock. Breaking a door down is against wooden door (hardness 10, hp 60, break DC 30), but the ratmen at scene 14 may investigate if they are still alive. Once inside, the opposite door may be unlocked easily. The room inside is an old weapons locker belonging to the Uttakin warriors. Most of the weapons and armor have decayed and rusted, rendering them useless. Any player that wishes to search through the
room and makes a successful DC 20 Perception check discovers an ivory wand of burning hands (10 charges), and a suit of magical +1 chainmail.
11 - ALCHEMICAL MYSTERY When the players enter, read them the following: This room is in even worse condition than those the ratmen call home. There once had been stone furniture, but now it is strewn in pieces across the floor. A collapsed table in one corner is the most intact, but it is covered by a carpet of broken glass. A few lingering glass pipes and bottles jut out from the mess, along with what may be something metal. Characters may suffer minor injuries if they search the glass without some tool to brush it away. Within the ruins of this old alchemy lab are three stoppered potions that miraculously survived. They are supposed to be potions of healing, but they have sat around since the destruction of Uthwa, so roll 2 dice and consult the following table (once per each potion): 2-3 It has degraded into poison (DC 20 Fort save or 1d6 Constitution damage on drinking) 4 It tastes stale and has no effect anymore 5-10 It is a potion of cure moderate wounds 11-12 It has gained efficacy and become a potion of lesser restoration The metal object is a scroll case with an old Uttakin parchment. The parchment diagrams the human body and bloodstream, with mostly-illegible notes that seem to be about health. It is worth 50 gp to a historian or possibly to followers of Ebron in Uttaku.
12 - LONG-LOST SENTINEL When the players enter, read them the following: There is a stone dais in the center of the room with a statue on it, some ancient depiction of a person bent on one knee and saluting towards the west. Out of all the constructions you’ve seen in these ruins, this one is in surprisingly good repair. There are four stone poles around it that look like scepters with a carved sphere shape on top, one of which is sticking up from the western side of the dais while three are broken on the ground. Inspection will reveal that the statue’s eyes are large clear gems of some sort. The ‘statue’ is, however, a golem. The four stone poles are a control system, but unfortunately they are broken, and a successful DC 15 Knowledge (engineering) or Knowledge (arcana) will reveal that this system is not safe to use. If anyone touches the remaining standing pole (such as when searching the room or trying to pry out the gem eyes), the carved shape on top of the pole will begin to glow red, and the base of the other three broken poles will burst with sparks. The golem will activate and attack indiscriminately (including attacking ratmen). This is an altered stone golem. Golem, Altered Stone This towering stone automaton bears the likeness of an archaic, armored warrior. It moves with ponderous but inexorable steps.
Altered Stone Golem CR 5 XP 1,600 N Large construct Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +2 -----Defense----AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +7 natural, –1 size) hp 63 (6d10+30) Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4 DR 5/adamantine; Immune construct traits, magic -----Offense----Speed 20 ft. Melee 2 slams +11 (1d8+6) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks slow -----Statistics----Str 23, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 15, Cha 7 Base Atk +6; CMB +13; CMD 25 -----Special Abilities----Immunity to Magic (Ex): A stone golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below. A transmute rock to mud spell slows a stone golem (as the slow spell) for 2d6 rounds, with no saving throw, while transmute mud to rock heals all of its lost hit points. A stone to flesh spell does not actually change the golem's structure but negates its damage reduction and immunity to magic for 1 full round. Slow (Su): A stone golem can use a slow effect, as the spell, as a free action once every 2 rounds. The effect has a range of 10 feet in a burst centered on the golem and a duration of 4 rounds, requiring a DC 14 Will save to negate. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Special Rules Deactivation: A character can manipulate the standing pole with a move action, shutting down the system and making the golem halt in place until activated again. The golem will shut down anyway if it walks out of sight of the remaining pole (i.e., if it leaves the room). A character can shut it down forever by breaking the remaining pole with a successful DC 15 Strength check, but the golem will get one last attack if active and within reach. The characters may smash the golem to pieces when deactivated. The gems are only quartz, but they are masterpieces that look just like eyes, and are worth 25 gold each. The stone poles are very heavy, not magical by themselves, and not valuable.
13 - THE WALLS HAVE EYES When the players enter, read them the following: The passage broadens to the west a little, forming an alcove several feet in length. The far wall of this alcove is carved with stylized imagery. There are four human-like figures, each inlaid with polished stones, gazing across the hall with eyes that are sunken holes in the rock. They appear to be praying. Have the players make a successful DC 15 Perception check. Those that are successful will notice scorch marks in the walls directly opposite each carving. They can then make a successful DC 20 Spellcraft check to notice some magical force about the eyes of the carvings that grows hostile with proximity.
Trap: The carvings are of revered figures in Uttakin history and they double as a security device: each contains a weak lightning trap that fires from the eyes. They are triggered by stepping too close or by physically disturbing the carvings, but, as evidence shows, the lightning bolts have a long reach. The traps can be disabled with a prayer to Ebron (available in scene 16) or a successful DC 20 Disable Device check. The ‘polished stones’ are not valuable, and the best choice is just to avoid the carvings. Characters that deliberately keep to the far wall must make a successful DC 15 Reflex save, +2 to the DC if running) to stay safe, and failure means a single trap will fire. Characters (or ratmen) who pass through incautiously must roll for each and every trap passed. The same happens per round of combat held here. A PC being hit by a bolt results in 1d6 points of electricity damage. There are two hook-shaped protrusions above the secret door in the north wall, which, if pulled up at the same time, cause the door to slide away. The door is visible from this side.
14 – BICKERING (CR 1) If the two ratmen here were drawn away by noisy characters (e.g., scene 10) then this room is empty. Otherwise, when the players come to the intersection outside this area, you should read them the following: You see movement in the far room, silhouetted against weak light leaking around the rocks of a cavein. Two ratmen have their back to you, facing the cave-in, and are completely absorbed in bickering for some reason. One ratman argues that they should clear the cave-in because there is loot to be found. The other disagrees and wants to go to the party. Neither is paying attention, and the characters may take advantage of this. Ratmen (2) XP 400 hp 18 (see scene 1)
CR 1
There may be interesting things beyond the cave-in, or the light may merely be sunlight from a surface collapse somewhere unimportant. As with scene 8, you have discretion over any extension of this quest.
15 - DEAD END If the players approach this corner from the east, and are unaware of the secret door, read them the following: An unpleasant smell comes from the far end of this corridor. When you can see clearly, you observe a mess of old bloodstains, broken animal bones, and rocks of a suitable size for throwing. It appears that the ratmen used this dead end for their dark amusem*nt. Edit the above if the characters approach through the secret door. The ratmen do not know about this door and assume that the ‘dead end’ is useless space. Therefore, they have decided to use it for fun, and occasionally put animals down at the far end and throw rocks at them. Most of the victims are cats and dogs from the city streets.
The characters will not find anything valuable by searching, but if they actively search for a secret door and succeed at a DC 20 Perception check, they will uncover the catches on the south wall. There are two hook-shaped protrusions at about head-height, which, if pulled up at the same time, cause a short section of wall to slide away below them.
16 – “THROWN RUM” (CR 6) When the players reach this door, read the following: The door in front of you is old and rotten in places. Etched on it in crude common tongue are the words thrown rum. If the players open the door, read the following: Before you, a low hall stretches out. It appears to be some kind of very ancient temple, but now the beautiful painted walls and roof are crumbling or collapsed. At the far end of the room you can see that a very crude chair has been placed on the old alter to act as a throne. On the makeshift throne sits a large and extremely ugly ratman. He has a tacky amulet around his neck and a rusty iron hoop for a crown. About four ratmen are kneeling before him, engaged in conversation. “But, Skabb…” one of the rat men is saying. “That’s Great King Skabb to you, dungbreath!” bellows the rat on the throne. This is the throne room of King Skabb of the ratmen. This room was once an ancient Uttakin temple dedicated to Ebron and his 14 angels but it is now, sadly, in ruins. If the characters let any ratmen patrols escape in the sewers, then that is the topic of conversation. Otherwise, Skabb is arguing with his ‘offsirs’ about where to raid: he believes they should move into the sewers in the older sections of Yellowport, while his officers are arguing, correctly, that the sewers across the Stinking River are actual functioning sewers and would be less cushy than the ruins. King Skabb will not respond well to character diplomacy. If Skabb sees the players he will scream “Humans! Get them!” and order the four ratmen to attack. He will follow from the rear. Ratmen (4) XP 400 hp 18 (see scene 1)
CR 1
King Skabb CR 3 XP 800 Ratfolk ranger 2/rogue 2 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide) N Small humanoid (ratfolk) Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +8 -----Defense----AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 size) hp 33 (4 HD; 2d8+2d10+10) Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +1 Defensive Abilities evasion -----Offense----Speed 20 ft. Melee +1 shortsword +6 (1d4+2/19-20) or sickle +5 (1d4) Special Attacks combat style (two-weapon combat), favored enemy (humans +2), sneak attack +1d6, swarming -----Statistics-----
Str 13, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 14 Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 17 Feats Dodge, Two-weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +8 (+4 to jump), Appraise +8, Bluff +9, Climb +6, Diplomacy +9, Disable Device +9, Escape Artist +7, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7, Knowledge (local) +7, Perception +8, Sense Motive +6, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +12, Swim +6; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, rodent empathy Languages Common, Goblin, Orc SQ rogue talent (fast stealth), track +1, trapfinding +1, wild empathy +4 Other Gear +1 leather armor, +1 shortsword, sickle, copper amulet
If Skabb is killed, his rusty iron hoop for a crown will drop to the floor and shatter. He still has the copper amulet around his neck that can be used to prove to Guildmaster Vernon that Skabb is dead. In the corner of the room is a small wooden chest that contains Skabb’s most treasured possessions. The chest is trapped and will explode if not disarmed before it is opened. Exploding Chest Trap CR 3 XP 800 Type magic; Perception DC 26; Disable Device DC 26 -----Effects----Trigger touch; Reset automatic Effect spell effect (burning hands, 3d4 fire damage; DC 11 Reflex save for half damage); multiple targets (all targets in a 15-ft. cone)
Everything inside will be destroyed, except the metal scroll case (see below). Treasure: If the characters successfully disable the trap and open the chest they will find 60 gp, a mandolin of luck which will allow a +1 luck bonus to all Reflex saves when in a player’s possession, and 2 potions of cure light wounds. There is also a sturdy metal scroll case that contains a parchment of paper containing religious text (DC 20 Knowledge [religion]) about the Uttakin and their god Ebron and his 14 angles. The parchment will be worth 75 gp if sold to a temple of Ebron in Uttaku. GM’s Note: You may rule that the commotion caused from the fight in the throne room will attract the ratmen having a party in the kitchen just down the hall.
17 – “KITCHUNS” (CR 11) The door to this room is in similar disrepair to the one at the throne room. This one has the word “kitchuns” etched on it. If the players listen at the door they will hear a commotion coming from the other side. There are multiple ratmen voices, and if a player is successful at a DC15 Perception, will determine that they number at least 20! Any player that foolishly opens the door will attract the attention of at least one of the ratmen. If they peek through they must make a successful DC 15 Stealth check to avoid being seen. Inside there are 30 ratmen having a party in what appears to be a crude kitchen and dining hall. Ratmen (30) XP 400 hp 18 (see scene 1)
CR 1
The ratmen will immediately give chase. Characters can try to lead them through the traps in the secret section of the Uttakin ruins (scenes 13 and possibly 12), which will grant some time, but not stop them completely. If the ratmen pursue the characters back past the guard room (scene 9), 10 of them will pick up their shortswords and shields and continue to chase right back to the sewer entrance (scene 1).
Climbing out of the sewers may prove a problem if a hoard of angry ratmen chasing the characters, so there may very well be a last stand at this point. If there is enough time for everyone to attempt to climb out, then they must make a successful DC 10 Climb check to do so. Anyone that fails will be left with the ratmen!
CONCLUSION If the characters succeed, survive, and return to the Merchant’s Guild bank with the copper amulet, read them the following: Guildmaster Vernon is pleased to see you. You hand him the copper amulet and he exclaims joyfully, ‘The amulet of King Skabb! Well done, indeed!’ He leads you to a desk where he needs only snap his fingers and a clerk runs off to the vault. Soon the clerk returns with a money bag, containing no more nor less than the promised 450 gold pieces, which the Guildmaster rewards to you to be divided as you see fit. Then, just as quickly, he takes his leave. It would seem that you are of less importance now that he doesn’t need you anymore, and you watch the Guildmaster stride away without a glance back. Though you may be crestfallen by his response, or perhaps irritated, you at least make a note with the clerk that you are interested in future employment. This is the career of an adventurer, after all.
This campaign is based on quests from the first of the Fabled Lands game books called The War-Torn Kingdom. Liberties have been taken to extend the material, conversion into Pathfinder rules and form a coherent story. It was balanced for play with a party of around four characters, all at 2nd level, who have completed the Lair of the Ratmen introductory quest. It can be enjoyed with a smaller or larger party, but it is best with characters that have at least a little experience adventuring. If you are not the Gamemaster, then STOP READING NOW. What follows is for the GM only!
The characters have already performed a quest for Guildmaster Vernon in Yellowport, killing King Skabb of the ratmen. They should now be at 2nd level. Quest 1 - The Cannibals. Just as with the ratmen, a group of cannibal cultists from Ankon-Konu is interfering with business. Guildmaster Vernon wants them removed from a series of disused warehouses. This is relatively straightforward, but, along the way, the characters are visited by a sneaky thief named Lauria. After trying to rob them, she offers them a chance at making some “real money” by her side.
Quest 2 - Stealing from the Fire. This quest is optional because the characters could refuse to work with Lauria. If the characters refuse, other quests will be slightly lengthened to provide the missed experience points. Lauria wants to rob a town house owned by Talanexor the Fireweaver. She says the characters are to be her “muscle,” but the truth is closer to patsies. Quest 3 - A Long Sea Voyage. Guildmaster Vernon offers the characters a cut of whatever profit they make from the transit of a barque and its cargo. Delivery is to Aspen, the Trading Post. Along the way, the characters fend off pirates to rescue an Ankon-Konu ship, befriending its captain, Moon of Evening. The characters also dream of visiting the court of the gods Alvir and Valmir, where they receive an unidentified blessing. Vernon directs the characters to inquire about the blessing at the House of Priests in Marlock City. Quest 4 - The Ghouls. No longer working for Vernon, the characters learn about their blessing at the House of Priests. It is a very old and vague one: some nonsense about ‘changing the world.’ The warden of the temple of Nagil offers a topic of more specific interest: a necromantic experiment has recently gone awry. It would be nice to handle the resultant ghoul before the city militia got to hear of it. A party of four should end this quest at 3rd level. Quest 5 - Slaves of the Faeries. A half-dead mining slave, escaped from the Bronze Hills, comes into the House of Priests. A terrible power of faerie origin was unleashed from the bottom of a mining operation. Faerie powers are opposite godly ones, and so the escaped slave sought the house of the holiest for aid. The characters find that an elf lord, Ilundial, is mind-controlling the slavers with magic. Lauria is also in the mine, serving out a prison sentence. She is not particularly nice to them this time, either. Quest 6 - A Test of Loyalty. The Bronze Hills are one of Marloes Marlock’s places of choice to put criminals, so he notices the good work of the characters. He summons them, them to seek Nergan Corin and retrieve evidence on rebel groups within Sokara. They find Corin in the Coldbleak Mountains and learn that half of the soldiers in Fort Brilon are loyal to him. Corin wants to help these soldiers seize control. The characters can choose to help either Captain Forin Hale (loyal to Marlock) or Sergeant Taun Jacobs (loyal to Corin) in a coup. The coup happens during a man-beast attack on Fort Brilon. Quest 7 - To Serve a King. This is optional, in that the characters either do this quest or quest 8, based on their choice in quest 6. Nergan Corin tasks the characters with killing Marloes Marlock. Quest 8 - To Serve a General. This is optional, in that the characters either do this quest or quest 7, based on their choice in quest 6. Marloes Marlock (and, by extension, Grieve Marlock) tasks the characters with killing Nergan Corin. This is the conclusion of the Fabled Lands: Sokara Pathfinder campaign. A party of four should now be at around 4th level. The chosen patron, Nergan Corin or Grieve Marlock, rewards them with a title and powerful connections: namely, with the Ravayne clan of Golnir. He sends them to serve Baroness Ravayne in the name of Sokara. To continue into this new campaign, refer to our upcoming Fabled Lands: Golnir Pathfinder campaign.
As always, you as the GM have work to do before play. Be sure to read this entire quest before beginning, if not the whole campaign. The opening quest is particularly tricky because of Lauria’s interference, which has implications in Stealing from the Fire (quest 2) and elsewhere. Before the quest begins, characters that completed the Lair of the Ratmen should be given time to rest at home and heal themselves. Having lived in Yellowport for years, the characters have a house in the southern parts of the city, east of the Stinking River and west of the main harbor. If the players are using new characters, and/or have not worked for Guildmaster Vernon before, then the GM will have to edit this introduction before beginning. Any passages written in bold italics, like this, are to be read aloud to the players. Life since your expedition beneath Yellowport has changed palpably. Once you had thought that excitement came only from tales told by troubadours of foreign lands, you now see that a chance meeting can lead to adventure even in your home. This was truly what you had wanted: the danger and the reward. Now every familiar sight in the streets, from the majestic buildings of the Plaza of the Gods to the scummy side roads of the Poor Quarter, is a nest of mysterious possibility. The only shortcoming is that your ‘next great adventure’ has not quite happened yet. What seems like quite awhile ago, you left word with the Merchant’s Guild that you were interested in further employment. In the passing time, you have rested injuries, spent earnings in what you hope to be a wise manner, and eaten good meals. It is after one such meal in the early evening that a messenger arrives. The man’s tunic bears the insignia of TIH, The Iron Horn; the parent guild that oversees almost all guild activity in Yellowport. He informs you that Guildmaster Vernon, the powerful man who had given you your first taste of adventure, wishes you to come speak with him. Now, if at all possible. The players could delay at this point; perhaps they do not want to be out in the evening. When the players are ready to answer the summons, mention the following: Previously, you had met with Vernon where you did your banking, at the Kalesk guild building near to home by the docks. This meeting is to be held in The Prancing Horse, the main Iron Horn building, nestled among the wealthy of Castle View close to the East Gate. The walk from your home takes some time, but soon you arrive and push open the door. The guild house is as impressive inside as you’d imagined. You present at the front desk and are shown down a long hall to the Guildmaster’s office, which you enter alone. Guildmaster Vernon is delighted to see you; which, of course, is a marked lift in attitude from the apathy with which he took leave of you before. “My favorite adventurers!” he declares. “I trust you have been well. We have not forgotten the service you did in scattering the ratmen of the sewers, that plague which had spoiled our business. Your minds and blades seem sharp.” His expression becomes darker. “And if there’s one thing I comprehend from hard work, it’s to match the tools to the task. As you know, or should know, we rent warehouses around the docklands to all manner of clients. The past few years have seen slow business, I'm afraid, and a number of buildings have fallen to disuse. Therein lies the problem. All manner of people come to Yellowport, where there is room for the amoral to slip through the cracks. Sometime, we know not when, a cult of unsavory scum has taken residence in our property. They are . . . cannibal cultists, by the reports of the survivors. Just as the ratmen before, they raid from the merchants of our guild; and should word get out about our problem, the impact on business would be just as great.
“They prowl somewhere in the warehouses far east of the port near the ship yards. If you can find and eliminate them, the guild will pay you another 450 gold pieces. Return when the task is complete, and direct us to what remains of their lair, and that will be clear proof of success. Do you agree to the proposition?” If the players accept, they are be advised that the cannibals seem active both day and night, but surely would be most daring at night. Vernon has no other information and urges the characters to make this quest their top priority. Once the characters agree to the task, they may wish to prepare further; but first go directly to scene 1.
1 - A CHANCE MEETING Select a character at random and do not explain this to the players. The GM may do this by assigning a number to each character (1, 2, 3 and 4) and rolling a d4. When done, read the players the following: You are seen to the door of the guild house and step out again onto the King’s Way, the main street through Yellowport. As you do, you very nearly collide with a pale woman in black leather. She brushes past you, casting you an enigmatic look. Have the selected character make a DC 15 Perception check. If the PC fails, the woman passes out of sight down the street without incident. Only later, when this character has some in-game reason to check his or her money, should the GM reveal that all the PC’s gold has been stolen (or some other random valuable if the character is broke). It is too late to find the thief on the street and the characters would be advised to remember the cannibal quest is their ‘top priority.’ Continue to scene 2. If the PC’s insist on catching the thief and have a valid way to do this, such as tracking or divination magic, the thief gives a similar offer (see below) if caught. If the PC is successful on the Perception check, read the following: She is trying to pick your pocket. You grab the woman’s wrist a split-second before she can take your money. You drag her around to face you, but she meets your outraged scowl with a swashbuckling grin. “You’ve got good reflexes,” she says. “Most of the people around here are too drink-sodden or dimwitted to notice the loss of a few gold pieces. Want to earn some real money?” This is Lauria. A full description of this encounter and its implications is in scene 10. Once the characters have settled the matter, for good or for ill, continue to scene 2.
2 - HUNTERS AND HUNTED (CR 5) Unless the characters deliberately delay, their search begins at night. They may develop a search plan. If they interview people working at the ship yards (DC 15 Diplomacy check), they find the warehouses nearby have all been deserted and no one can pin down a trouble area. If they scout around the buildings, nothing happens until they start wandering among the smaller warehouses (see below). If the characters just head to the area directly, read the following: Night has fallen. Yellowport isn’t much quieter at night unless one is walking down the right streets, but one might argue those are the wrong streets, too. You stick to main roads, passing by well-known
places like the Sea Horse Tavern on the southeast side. Over here, the rotten egg smell of the Stinking River has nearly all faded, to be replaced with the scent of the sea. Soon you walk among the first of the warehouses: smaller ones, with the more mammoth assortment closer to the ship yards. There is hardly a soul out anymore. Then you hear a muffled cry of distress from a dark alley. See the alley ambush map. There is a huddled, moaning figure on the ground at the location marked with the scene number. This is an Unspeakable Cultist in disguise requiring a successful DC 20 Perception check to spot. There are other four are hiding in rubbish at the mouth of the alleys north and south; men and women dressed in clothes lined with fur - or possibly hair - and with all-too-sharp teeth. If the characters enter this alley, the others approach and initiate combat from behind and if the PCs do not notice them sneaking up behind (DC 20 Perception) they gain surprise. If the characters listen for anything suspicious, let them do a ranged Perception check; but they hear nothing. They must physically search the nearby alleys to find the enemies. Unspeakable Cultists (5) CR 1 XP 400 Human rogue 2 CE Medium humanoid (human) Init +3; Senses Perception +5 -----Defense----AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+3 Dex) hp 18 (2d8+6) Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +0 Defensive Abilities evasion -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee club +2 (1d6+1) or net +4 Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6 -----Statistics-----Str 13, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8 Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 15 Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (net), Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +8, Appraise +6, Climb +6, Disable Device +9, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +5, Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +8 Languages Common, Goblin SQ rogue talent (fast stealth), trapfinding +1 Combat Gear caltrops; Other Gear club, net, backpack, thieves' tools, 37 gp
Special Rules Net: see “Weapons” in Chapter 6 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Development: These cultists are not attempting to kill the characters. If the cultists are victorious, then they drag unconscious characters to scene 9. . The characters may kill the cultists or try to subdue some and interrogate them. The cultists are from the jungles of distant Ankon-Konu, the Feathered Lands, and they have come here to find new sacrifices for their god. They are considered hostile for the purpose of Diplomacy checks to uncover the location of the nearby lair. Captured cannibals may be turned over to the guild for deportation at the end of the quest.
If the characters search for the lair themselves, e.g., by retracing the cultists’ steps, they must make a successful DC 20 Survival check. There is no adjustment for lighting in this case because the key feature is about to be silhouetted against the sky (see scene 3).
3 - ARRIVAL AT THE LAIR (CR 3) When the characters find the lair, read the following: This area is supposed to be deserted, so you may spot the lair by anything unusual. You come to a pair of two-storey warehouses a little larger than those you passed earlier. They both are disused, and the eastern one looks to be so neglected that its doors are rusted shut. Overhead, connecting the two rooftops, someone has laid planks to make a flimsy footbridge. The Merchant’s Guild would have no need for such a thing in their own buildings, and so this can only be the handiwork of people who do not belong. See the lair of the cannibals map. The buildings are windowless and have iron doors. The western building may be entered with ease. The doors on the eastern building may only be opened by force: anybody foolish enough to break one down (hardness 10, hp 60, break DC 30), and either success or failure alerts all remaining cultists (scenes 4 through 8) to come running. The GM may judge that other disruptive acts (combat, explosions) prompt a random encounter. At such times roll 2d6 and consult the following table: 2-3 wrath of the god 4-10 No encounter 11-12 Cultist investigation
Wrath of the God Badogor the Unspoken, the god of the Unspeakable Ones, may interfere. Maintain a counter starting at 0: each time wrath of the god is invoked, add +1 to the wrath counter and roll 1d6. On a roll equal to or less than the counter total, the eyes on any nearby idol of Badogor flashes with light, and each character must make a successful DC 14 Will save or receive a Strength curse, as the spell bestow curse. Victims receive –6 penalty to Strength for the next 24 hours. Badogor only inflicts the curse once, so ignore the wrath counter afterward.
Cultist Investigation (CR 3) Cultists arrive by crossing the rooftop bridge (scene 6). This takes enough time that the characters may perform a few other actions before the incident. For simplicity, do not roll yet again for investigation of noise from a previous investigation. Unlike the cultists from scene 2, all cultists from here on out fight to kill. Unspeakable Cultists (2) XP 400 hp 18 (see scene 2) Gear: Both carry shortswords.
4 - CEREMONY HALL (CR 7)
CR 1
These next several scenes correspond to specific locations marked on the map. The descriptions assume that the players explore in numeric order. The GM may shift and edit pieces like this depending on the actual order: The warehouse is filled with flickering light and a chanting voice. Nailed to the walls are sconces with burning oil, casting light over a space clear open to the ceiling. In the northeast corner is a walled room, presumably an office, atop which is a second-storey observation platform with a ladder to the roof. Against the south wall a table has been set, covered with a terrifying cult display of feathers, skins, and bones. The centerpiece is a squat wooden idol of a grossly fat half-man, half-ape with ivory needles for teeth. There seems to be a plaque at the base of the idol, but your view is obscured by the dancing forms of a cannibal congregation, holding some sort of ceremony as lead by a cantor. The chants wish good fortune to the hunting team and last for half an hour, after which the congregation stands around talking idly. The characters may use stealth here, especially if it is nighttime and so no light marked their entry. The plaque reads “Badogor the Unspoken,” though no cannibal states this out-loud: see scene 9 for the effect if the characters say the name. Unspeakable Cultists (5) XP 400 hp 18 (see scene 2) Gear: All carry spears and do not wear armor.
CR 1
Cultist Cantor CR 4 XP 1,200 Human rogue 5 CE Medium humanoid (human) Init +3; Senses Perception +8 -----Defense----AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 10 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 46 (5d8+20) Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +1 Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee net +6 or shortsword +7 (1d6+1/19-20) Special Attacks sneak attack +3d6 -----Statistics----Str 13, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8 Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 18 Feats Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (net), Toughness, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (shortsword) Skills Acrobatics +10, Appraise +9, Bluff +6, Climb +8, Disable Device +10, Escape Artist +8, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Knowledge (local) +9, Perception +8, Sense Motive +6, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +11, Swim +8 Languages Common, Goblin SQ rogue talents (fast stealth, weapon training), trapfinding +2 Combat Gear caltrops; Other Gear net, shortsword, backpack, thieves' tools, 85 gp
Treasure: There is no loot on the table which any sane Sokaran would buy. If the characters disrespect the idol, such as by smashing it, they tempt the wrath of the god (scene 3).
5 - PRAYER SPACE
When the players reach this area, read them the following: Every wall is hung with grisly skins, chains of animal skulls, and objects taken from the dead. The floor is strewn with hay that has visible depressions in several places, possibly from figures kneeling in prayer. There is a ladder against one wall that goes to an observation platform overhead and then an open hatch in the roof above that. On a successful DC 20 Perception check the characters they notice runes painted on some of the skulls. Once warned, anyone may search the room while avoiding these skulls: a successful DC 15 Perception check uncovers jewelry pieces (total worth 100 gp) hung on the walls plus 2d6 loose gold pieces in the hay. Incautious search triggers a trap and tempts the wrath of the god (scene 3). The painted skulls crack and the victim feels as though he or she were being bitten all over. Unless those searching makes a successful DC 14 Will save, he or she loses 1 Strength point and screams in pain for one round. Screaming alerts the congregation (scene 4), if still alive. The observation platform has only a railing, so characters need to use Stealth to avoid being heard by a still-living congregation.
6 - ROOFTOP CROSSING This is an excellent place to meet onrushing cultists investigating a noise. When the players reach this area, read them the following: From here you can see the wooden footbridge you noticed earlier. It really looks rickety. Only one person may safely cross the bridge at once, which is difficult to do if, say, the characters are being chased. If more than one tries, roll 1d6: a roll equal to or less than the number of characters means the bridge breaks and they fall, taking 2d6 falling damage. With no bridge, characters may try climbing walls with a successful DC15 Climb check. Check the weather to see if the surface is slippery.
7 - SLEEPING QUARTERS (CR 5) This area mirrors scene 5, complete with the observation platform which is open to the warehouse space. It may be necessary to read the description for scene 8 before entering the sleeping quarters. When the players enter the first-storey room, read them the following: Looking about in the gloom, you see you are not alone. This space is filled with crude cots, maybe fifteen or twenty, and scattered with personal possessions. Two cots are occupied. Two cultists, an ordinary one and the head chef, are sleeping here. Characters could sneak by with a successful Stealth check. Unspeakable Cultists (2) CR 1 XP 400 hp 18 (see scene 2) Gear: Both are unarmed and unarmored, with one shortsword and one knife nearby.
Treasure: Finding loot in the rubbish takes a successful DC 15 Perception check with the PCs using Stealth to be silent or risk wakes the sleepers. There are 70 gold pieces, the above weapons, and a small chest hiding in a corner under rags. The chest holds 25 gold pieces, a potion of cure moderate wounds, and a potion of bull strength. The chest is not technically locked, but a trap goes off if opened without the cultist leader’s key (scene 8). Alarm Sound Burst CR 3 XP 800 Type magic; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 25 -----Effects----Trigger location; Reset none Effect spell effect (sound burst, 1d8 sonic damage plus stunned for 1 round, DC 13 Fortitude save negates stun); multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft. spread). When triggered, the trap makes a shrill whistle that alerts all remaining cultists in the building.
8 - FEAST HALL (CR 6) This area mirrors scene 4. When the characters see it, read the following: Wall sconces shine on the heart of the cannibal lair: their feast hall. To the northwest is a large cauldron with firewood ready. Before it rests another grotesque idol to their god, one carved of wood with a plaque at its base. In the main space stands a dining table where several cultists are in quiet conversation with a man who must be their leader. The leader’s appearance is unsettling. He is bare except for a few feathered garments, showing his personal strength but also the toll exacted by the lifestyle of his cult. The skin on his face looks almost cracked and his eyes are a strange pale yellow. The leader, Song of Entrails, is talking politely about cult policy: he says they cannot eat their own people no matter how lean the times. The plaque reads “Badogor the Unspoken,” though no cannibal states this out loud: see scene 9 for the effect if the characters say the name. All loot is in their quarters (scene 7). The cauldron is filled with dark water, but fortunately no “food.” If the characters disrespect the idol, such as by smashing it, they tempt the wrath of the god (scene 3). Unspeakable Cultists (4) XP 400 hp 18 (see scene 2) Gear: Each carries a shortsword.
CR 1
Song of Entrails XP 800 Human barbarian 4 CE Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +5 -----Defense----AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex) hp 51 (4d12+20) Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +1 Defensive Abilities trap sense +1, uncanny dodge
CR 3
-----Offense----Speed 40 ft. Melee +1 spear +9 (1d8+5/×3) Special Attacks rage (13 rounds/day), rage powers (animal fury, quick reflexes) -----Rage----[While raging: AC 9, touch 9, flat-footed 8; hp 59 (4d12+28); Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +3; Melee +1 spear +11 (1d8+8/×3) or bite +4 (1d4+2); Ranged +1 spear +7 (1d8+8/x3) or bottle of spores +5] -----Statistics----Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8 Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 18 Feats Persuasive, Toughness, Weapon Focus (spear) Skills Acrobatics +1 (+5 to jump), Appraise +2, Bluff +0, Climb +7, Diplomacy +5, Heal +1, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (geography) +3, Knowledge (local) +2, Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +5, Sense Motive +2, Stealth +5, Survival +4 Languages Common, Goblin SQ fast movement Other Gear +1 spear, the key for scene 7, and a glass bottle containing plague spores.
Special Rules Plague Spores: The leader may throw the bottle as a splash weapon, causing a cloud of spores 15 feet wide. -----Effects----Type poison (inhaled); Save Fortitude DC 14 Frequency 1/round for 3 rounds Effect 1d3 Con damage; Cure 1 save
Development: If the characters are spotted on the observation platform, the leader throws the bottle to flush them out. Then they all rush for the ladder, waking anyone in scene 7. The spores dissipate after 3 rounds.
9 - PRISONERS OF THE CULTISTS This is an alternate version of scene 8 that occurs if the characters are defeated in scene 2. They wake at full hit points in the location marked with the scene number. Any druid animal companions struggle in nets in the corner. The hunting team (with cudgels) is not present in the lair; but the cultists from scene 7 are awake, armed (the chef has the shortsword), and in this room. Read the players the following: You awaken inside a disused warehouse, enmeshed in nets. You have been stripped of all your possessions—they are in a tidy pile nearby. Several of the cultists surround you. Describe the warehouse and leader as in earlier scenes, and then continue: “Hello,” the apparent leader says. “We are the Unspeakable Ones—it is our way to eat people in sacrifice of our god.” He points to the idol, where you see the name Badogor the Unspoken inscribed on the plaque at the base. You also see another cultist tossing herbs and garlic into the cauldron beyond. He stares at you and licks his lips. The chef works for several minutes then pronounces the cauldron ready. All present cultists cluster around the characters, remove the nets and attempt to grapple the PCs and put them into the cauldron. If they do nothing, they die in the boiling water.
Until then, the leader cheerfully discusses their homeland and mission (scene 2). Players who have read the original game book may try to join the cult: the cultists refuse. If the characters say “Badogor” out loud, read the following: “Do not speak his name!” shouts the leader, “Or you will be forever cursed!” This tempts the wrath of the god (scene 3), once for each character who blasphemes. If a character takes a standard action to doing nothing but shouting “Badogor,” the cultists clap their hands over their ears, hopping about in horror for an entire round before coming to their senses. Meanwhile, they do not make attacks.
10 - A CALCULATED MEETING If the players succeed and return to The Prancing Horse, read them the following: Guildmaster Vernon is waiting for you and reaction is swift. Upon your instruction, a contingent of guild police heads out with a record keeper to inspect the location. When a runner comes back to report the lair secured, Vernon is again pleased. “Fine work! We can see to it that lingering members of that unspeakable cult are deported, and none too soon for the sake of our business.” A clerk presents another 450 gp which the Guildmaster rewards to you to be divided as you see fit. “I don’t foresee much need for similar services in the days to come,” he says as you accept the money. “Perhaps you could take the time for yourselves.” With that he is finished and he walks away. This may not be the end. If the characters have already dealt with Lauria (scene 1), for good or for ill, then go to the conclusion. If not, then determine what the characters would like to do next, and interrupt with the following: You’ve not taken ten steps from the guild building before you are brought up short. A pale woman in black leather stands in the middle of the road, hands folded. This is none other than she who robbed you earlier. The woman grins a mischievous smile and speaks, “Good day. Would you care to earn back your purse?” She introduces herself as Lauria: an independent thief, but a proper dues-payer to the Black Hood Thieves’ Guild. Whether they speak now or in scene 1, she has the same offer: join her on a housebreak at a town house and get all the loot they can carry. The characters cannot get any stolen money back (she has spent it), but the burglary will pay dividends. If the characters have moral objections, she petulantly protests that the head of the house, one Talanexor, is a criminal under investigation by the Marlocks: his goods will be seized by a corrupt government anyway (she is making this up). If the characters accept, she tells them to contact her when they want to begin. They may leave a note with the owner of the Sulphur Inn in the Poor Quarter. Having handled the cannibals and Lauria, this is the end of the quest, and the players may continue with Stealing from the Fire (quest 2) after the conclusion. If the players still refuse, and especially if they want to turn her in to the city militia, go to scene 11.
11 - TO CATCH A THIEF (CR 3)
This section only happens if the players refuse Lauria. Read them the following: Lauria seems to pout and says no more. Then she picks up her feet and walks briskly, brushing by you as she passes down the street. Select a PC at random and have him or her do a DC 20 Perception check. On failure, Lauria steals all the character’s gold pieces. If the players are not fools, and happen check their possessions, they find what happened immediately. If the check succeeds, the character prevents the theft; but either way, Lauria dodges and starts running. PCs that chase must make a DC 15 Survival check to keep on her trail. The chase first goes southwest through the centre of Yellowport, requiring one DC 10 Strength check or DC 10 Escape Artist check to move through the crowds. Then it crosses the Stinking River at the Port Bridge, and Lauria takes it into the unpaved side streets of the Poor Quarter heading north. The characters may attempt other tactics. Her character sheet is in Stealing from the Fire (quest 2), but she does not physically fight even if attacked, preferring not to tempt a killing blow. If the players pursue and succeed in their rolls, read the following: Lauria doesn’t appear winded in the slightest, but perhaps a little worried that you have not given up the chase. Soon you come to the front of the Sulphur Inn, where Lauria attracts the attention of two burly men. “Henri! Rickart! Some help here!” They draw blades on you without question as she vanishes down an alley. Henri and Rickart CR 1 XP 400 Human warrior 3 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +3 -----Defense----AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +1 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 28 (3d10+12) Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +1 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee longsword +7 (1d8+3/19-20) -----Statistics----Str 17, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8 Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 18 Feats Dodge, Toughness, Weapon Focus (longsword) Skills Climb +6, Diplomacy +1, Intimidate +5, Perception +3, Stealth +3 Languages Common, Orc Other Gear studded leather, longsword, 50 gp.
Lauria is out of sight after the interruption. The characters could subdue these amateur and interrogate them to find Lauria’s hiding place (no-one in the Inn helps). They may track her through the mud with a successful DC 15 Survival check, or use the Divination lore of magic as appropriate. She lives alone in a small one-room shack near the river gates. Not expecting the PCs to find her, she is inside behind a locked door. The characters may pick the lock with a successful DC 20 Disable Device
check, or just smash it (hardness 5, hp 15, break DC 18). She surrenders and allows herself to be taken to the city militia for a 100 gp reward. Her only valuable possessions are the equipment listed in Stealing from the Fire (quest 2), and she has no additional gold, unless she just stole some. Having handled the cannibals and Lauria, this is the end of the quest, and the PCs may continue with A Long Sea Voyage (quest 3) after the conclusion.
This quest is optional. It only happens if the characters agreed to work with Lauria in The Cannibals (quest 1). Lauria has established a drop point for the characters to contact her with Brun Thargoes at the Sulphur Inn, whom the characters do not know is Brun Lightfingers, the leader of the Black Hood Thieves’ Guild. She expects a job at night. The characters should recuperate, choose a meet-up location, and choose a date. The weather in this quest is predetermined (see below). When ready, read the following: Guildmaster Vernon doesn’t need you, so you’re on your own for finding adventure. To be honest, though, the Sulphur Inn looks like more adventure than you want. The drunks, bullies, and cheats give you death glares when you enter. The man behind the bar, Brun apparently, nonetheless accepts your note without comment and you leave to meet Lauria that evening. She arrives at your meet-up location without fail and without sound. “Good,” she says, not smiling this time, “the house is empty tonight. Now let’s be clear before taking another step. I am the thief. You are the muscle. When we enter, I will ascend to the second storey while you sweep the first. The second storey is one room: it’s the master’s chambers, and that means it’s trapped. I don’t know how good you think you are, but I will not work with you bumping my elbows in a trapped room. You will loot what you can, keep watch, and deal with anyone who comes home. We will not speak while inside. Understood?” The players may ask questions. What should the characters do when they are done? “Wait for me to come down.” What about fencing any goods, and/or will the Thieves’ Guild take a cut? “That is my concern and I will handle it afterward.” When they agree, read the following: And now her grin is back. “The evening only gets better,” she says. “Come along now, and try not to get lost in the fog.” Lauria XP 800 Human rogue 4 CN Medium humanoid (human)
CR 3
Init +3; Senses Perception +6 -----Defense----AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +3 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 25 (4d8+4) Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +2 Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 rapier +7 (1d6+1/18-20) or dagger +6 (1d4/19-20) Special Attacks sneak attack +2d6 -----Statistics----Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 13 Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 17 Feats Dodge, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +10, Appraise +10, Bluff +8, Climb +6, Craft (traps) +8, Diplomacy +8, Disable Device +10, Escape Artist +10, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +10, Knowledge (local) +10, Perception +6, Sense Motive +6, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +10, Swim +4 Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin SQ rogue talents (fast stealth, surprise attacks), trapfinding +2 Other Gear leather armor, +1 rapier, dagger, masterwork thieves' tools
Additional Notes: Lauria is coy, selfish, and methodical. She makes “friends” within the criminal underworld of Yellowport and then uses them to keep herself in money and out of law’s reach. Once she has money, though, it passes through her hands like water. She may not use her talents visibly in this quest, but this sheet will also be referenced in The Cannibals (quest 1) and Slaves of the Faeries (quest 5).
1 - BREAK AND ENTER Read the players the following: A yellowish fog is descending with the coming of night. She leads you stealthily through winding cobblestoned streets to a town house standing at the back of a small tree-lined square. Soon the haze is thick enough to shroud your activities from any stray passersby, and Lauria jimmies a downstairs window. Within seconds you are inside, and she bounds silently up to the next floor. Continue reading at scene 2. During the adventure, PCs who spy on Lauria find she is combing every object in the upper floor for traps, proceeding very slowly. If they do so unstealthily, she will halt and glare at them until they leave. There are few real “random encounters” in this quest. When the GM feels it is appropriate (e.g., the characters make noise), roll 2d6 and consult the following table: 2-3 Odd sounds 4-10 No encounter 11-12 A curious boy
Odd Sounds The PCs need to make a DC 10 Perception check to overhear something that does not otherwise affect play. Options include: voices outside, but it’s no one important; a bang from somewhere, possibly
upstairs, but nothing really happened upstairs; a creaking sound like a door opening, but it’s just the house settling.
A Curious Boy Any character that makes a successful DC 15 Perception check will notice an incoming candlelight within the house, a few moments before Tomas arrives (scene 3). A DC 20 Diplomacy check will be necessary to convince him to return to the kitchen.
2 - SITTING ROOM (CR 1) Read the players the following: Lauria has left you in a sitting room. There are several comfortable chairs around low tables, probably well-used by stuffy guests, and a closed ornate trunk against the east wall. There is no door in the east, just an open space clear through an entry hall and into some farther room. If the PCs search with a successful DC 15 Perception check they find: parchments with unimportant writings (such as government proclamations or business solicitations), and many small artistic portraits on the walls which look cheap but of some value. Characters may steal up to 1d6 portraits (each 10 gp value). The trunk is locked (DC 20 Disable Device) and has a poison needle trap. Poison Needle Trap CR 1 XP 400 Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20 -----Effects----Trigger touch; Reset none Effect Atk +10 ranged (poison dart; 1d3 plus greenblood oil)
Treasure: Inside are 55 gp, a flute of perfect pitch [gives a +1 competence bonus to Perform (musical instrument)], 1d6 rolled-up tapestries (30 gp value each), and 2d6 wooden children’s toys (5 gp value each).
3 – KITCHEN (CR 1/4) If the characters have already met Tomas, then the GM might edit the following before reading it: This is the kitchen, at the far back of the town house. You won’t want to carry pots and pans; too heavy, too noisy. However, you are distracted from this thought by a faint flickering light at floor-level, seeping from a mostly-closed cupboard on the south wall. Searching everywhere but that one cupboard requires a successful DC 15 Perception check. There are 3 masterwork daggers, 10 candles, and a lot of cutlery that look not to be worth it. If the characters open the cupboard, read the following: There’s a little boy inside! Small snacks are scattered around him in his hidey-hole. Instead of screaming, mercifully, he blinks at these strangers in the light of his candle. “Hullo?”
This is Tomas. He is curious and trusting, and assumes the characters are just odd visitors. He is old enough to understand crime, though, and will run screaming out of the house if he sees theft or violence. Otherwise, he will remain here except as noted in scene 1. In conversation he reveals the following: Tomas just lives here and helps out for food, and doesn’t know his parents. The master plays with him sometimes, and says Tomas is smart and pays good attention, and shouldn’t let nasty thieves take anything behind his back. He doesn’t mind staying alone in the house like this. The only other person usually in the house is the cook: a nice lady who has the night off. If the characters press for more information on “the master,” they must make a successful Diplomacy check to make Tomas friendly from indifferent. The wooden children’s toys from scene 2 are an adequate bribe to gain a +4 to Diplomacy roll. First, he reports that the master is “Talanexor the Fireweaver,” and Tomas has watched him do amazing things. Next, that Talanexor often goes to the study and stays there all day and sometimes isn’t even there anymore when Tomas looks again; the boy doesn’t know where he goes. If Lauria called Talanexor “a criminal under investigation by the Marlocks” in The Cannibals (quest 1), and the characters ask, Tomas will be confused and deny it. You can’t just break the law! Tomas CR 1/4 XP 100 Young human commoner 1 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Young Template”) N Small humanoid (human) Init +3; Senses Perception +3 -----Defense----AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 11 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 size) hp 4 (1d6+1) Fort +0, Ref +3, Will -1 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee club +0 (1d4-1) -----Statistics----Str 8, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 15 Base Atk +0; CMB -2; CMD 12 Feats Athletic, Dodge, Simple Weapon Proficiency - One Skills Acrobatics +4, Climb +5, Diplomacy +3, Perception +3, Swim +1 Languages Common, Orc Other Gear club
4 - DINING ROOM When the players enter this room, read them the following: The dining room is immaculate and mostly empty; objects must be stored in the kitchen. The table does have candlesticks on it, though. A successful DC 15 Perception turns up only candlesticks, which are silver-plated. Characters may steal up to 1d6 (20 gp value each).
5 – STUDY (CR 2)
When the players enter this room, read them the following: Here, on the other side of the open entry hall, is either a study or a private library. There are bookshelves that reach overhead along the walls in the northern half of the room and a big desk with a drawer against the southern wall. There are too many books to carry. A successful DC 15 Perception check reveals which ones are of value. There are 1d10 books of quality (each worth 30 gp). The drawer in the desk is trapped. Shutting Drawer Trap CR 2 XP 800 Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 25 -----Effects----Trigger touch; Reset manual Effect Atk +12 melee (drawer; 1d4+8)
Treasure: Inside are 90 gp, a compass, 15 pieces of blank parchment, and countless other parchments with uninteresting writings. A character who searches for a secret door finds one on a successful DC 20 Perception check.
6 - HIDDEN ROOM (CR 3) If the players find the secret door, read them the following: Your deft fingers find a false spine of carved wood among the titles in the bookcase on the northwest wall. Pressing it, you hear a click and the bookcase swings out, releasing a gust of hot air. Beyond lies a hidden room with a single desk, placed underneath a small vent in the ceiling and in the centre of a carved floor pattern. The carvings glow white, lighting the room.
This desk has a heat trap to minimize damage to contents if it is set off. Desk Heat Trap CR 3 XP 800 Type magic; Perception DC 26; Disable Device DC 26 -----Effects----Trigger touch; Reset automatic Effect spell effect (burning hands, 5d4 fire damage; DC 11 Reflex save for half damage); multiple targets (all targets in a 15-ft. cone). This trap uses a blast of heat to minimize harm to the contents.
Treasure: Inside are several spell components (including local sulphur), a potion of enlarge person, and a scroll of lesser restoration
7 - ABANDONED TO THE FIRE (CR 3 or CR 3+) The quest ends with this scene. It can be precipitated in many ways. If Tomas runs from the house (scene 3), the characters may try to contact Lauria and escape. If the characters loot the whole house and finish
in the hidden room (scene 6), the GM may decide Tomas appears behind them, screams, and then runs. The players may fail to find the secret, decide that they are done, and get impatient. Players who have read the original game book may try to abandon Lauria before she can betray them. The fact is that Lauria is already gone by the time the characters finish: she has knotted a rope and descended from a window. She cannot be found anymore: among other things, she looted a wondrous item called the Medallion of Secrecy which forces divination spells to fail against her. Medallion of Secrecy Aura moderate abjuration; CL 9th Slot neck; Price 28,850 gp; Weight — -----Description----This silver pendant disk is rimmed in black, hung from a neck chain. This medallion allows the wearer protection from divination spells and acts as the spell nondetection continually. -----Construction----Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, nondetection, permanency; Cost 14,450 gp
The following assumes the characters remain near the staircase while planning what to do, and the GM should edit as appropriate: You hear nothing from upstairs, but that is no shock, given Lauria. What does shock is a sound that drifts through the opened window: Lauria’s voice echoing leadenly from far off in the fog. “There are thieves at Master Talanexor’s house! Quick!” There is no time to react, as she must have calling for some time already: pounding footsteps on the front path are followed an instant later by a smash at the door, and three militiamen armed with swords burst in. Behind them stands a tall gentleman. There is something clearly unnatural about him. He is dressed not too unlike normal nobility, but he crackles with magical power barely contained in his fury. “Thieves in my house!” he rages. “Do your duty!” Caring players won’t want to kill anyone in front of Tomas, if present. Characters could escape out the second-storey window with the rope: they must succeed at a DC 10 Climb check or fall and suffer 2d6 points of damage. They could go out a nearby window, jumping through an intact window causes 1d3 points of slashing damage to the first person through. They may easily lose pursuers in fog this thick. If they fight, more soldiers will be heard shouting outside after a few rounds, so the characters must flee or risk defeat. They have no time to loot corpses (except possibly to pick up dropped swords). For purposes of this scene, soldiers reinforce without end. Militiamen (3, plus unlimited reinforcements) CR 1/3 XP 135 Human warrior 1 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +2 -----Defense----AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +1 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 8 (1d10+3) Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor) Melee longsword +5 (1d8+3/19-20) -----Statistics----Str 16, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8 Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 16 Feats Dodge, Weapon Focus (longsword)
Skills Acrobatics -4 (-8 to jump), Knowledge (local) +1, Perception +2, Sense Motive +2 Languages Common Other Gear chainmail, longsword
Talanexor is self-important and vindictive. He has completely forgotten about the stranger who directed him here, and is focused only on destroying the characters. He nonetheless is secretly a coward and will attack with magic from the rear in a fight, staying behind soldiers and their reinforcements if he can. Talanexor the Fireweaver CR 3 XP 800 Human evoker 4 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Perception +4 -----Defense----AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 24 (4d6+8) Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +5 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee dagger +2 (1d4/19-20) Special Attacks intense spells (+2 damage) Arcane School Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +8) 7/day—force missile (1d4+2) Evoker Spells Prepared (CL 4th; concentration +8) 2nd—blur, flaming sphere (DC 16), scorching ray, scorching ray 1st—burning hands (DC 15), burning hands (DC 15), color spray (DC 15), mage armor, shield 0 (at will)—detect magic, ray of frost, read magic, resistance Opposition Schools Enchantment, Necromancy -----Statistics----Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8 Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 15 Feats Combat Casting, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Scribe Scroll Skills Appraise +8, Climb +2, Escape Artist +3, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (planes) +11, Knowledge (religion) +8, Perception +4, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft +11, Stealth +4, Swim +2 Languages Abyssal, Common, Elven, Goblin, Orc SQ arcane bond (wand of burning hands) Combat Gear wand of burning hands; Other Gear dagger
When the players escape, read them the following: The fog covers your flight from the scene. You wind around Yellowport for awhile, just to be safe. This gives you plenty of time to think. Lauria intended to play you for patsies; this much is sure. She carried off the lion’s share of the treasure, leaving you behind to face the music. You can only hope that the local Thieves’ Guild expects a cut from her instead of you, because you no longer want anything to do with her. Except possibly revenge. Eventually you return home. Now, however bitter you may be, you have a second concern: selling stolen loot without whatever fence Lauria may have had. The process is to take days as you scatter goods across the city, surely getting worse deals than you would have otherwise. In the end, you find
yourself wondering whether Guildmaster Vernon will have more employment soon: at least his pay is reliable. Attempts to find Lauria will fail, including magical ones thanks to her new artifact (scene 7). Notes may be left with Brun Thargoes, but she will not respond. If the characters attempt to force information out of the regulars at the Sulphur Inn, dozens of rough thugs will beat them, rob them, and throw them into the river.
This quest is somewhat tricky because it is linear and focused on story. Most scenes in previous quests were attached to specific locations, and exploration could vary with no harm done. Creative thinking is to be rewarded in any quest, and the GM should adjust to accommodate. Here, however, the GM may need to ensure certain story elements occur as listed: namely, the conclusion of the engagement at sea in scene 6, and the strange dream in scene 10. Before the quest begins, the GM might do some dice rolls. Rolls for sea travel (primarily scenes 1 and 8) do not require much player input, so they could be prepared early. The characters should be given time to rest at home and heal themselves. Their last outing may have been either The Cannibals (quest 1) or Stealing from the Fire (quest 2), but that does not impact anything. When ready, read the players the following: As time goes on, you take to exploring the docks again. You are very familiar with the docks in this city, but the appeal never dies. From east to west, the scent of the sulphur-laden river and the salty sea rise and sink in a pungent clash, calling to something you have long held in mind: you may have had days of danger and excitement within the walls of Yellowport, but you still desire to sail off into the world of adventure beyond the horizon. As you pass sailors moving their cargo and snacking on trifles from vendors, you wonder when you will have that opportunity. Early one morning, you are greeting by the messenger in the TIH tunic whom you had met once before. Guildmaster Vernon again wishes you to come speak with him, though this time back at the Kalesk guild building by the sea. When the players are ready to answer the summons, mention the following: Of course, the walk is brief and familiar, as you had always done your banking at this establishment. When you arrive, you nod to the clerk at the desk, and look around for the Guildmaster. He stands to one side with many other individuals, some of wealthy and some of working classes, deeply engrossed in business dealings. People come and go from the group at a quick walk, and the minutes pass. The Guildmaster does not seem to notice you.
Eventually you approach of your own accord. You open your mouth only to have the Guildmaster pull you into the flow of conversation without a break in stride. “This is where we need you,” he says. “My adventurers meet Captain Tellon.” Across from you, a man with parched skin and a well-worn captain’s uniform nods but does not speak. “We have a barque with a shipment of grain we acquired for cheap,” the Guildmaster continues, “and everyone knows that grain in the northern continent moves east. The issue is that we always send ships out with a contingent of marines, and our most trained people are otherwise engaged. I say we make a special sort of arrangement. “Join this crew,” he tells you. “See them to Aspen, the Trading Post on the Isle of Druids, where the price on grain is high. Use your shrewdest business skills to manage the cargo and bring goods back to Yellowport for another profitable sale. And, most importantly, keep the vessel safe. Do this, and the guild will let you keep a cut of the profit you make on the cargo. It will depend on you,” he says, somewhat sternly. “Upon your return, we can negotiate exactly what you take from the deal. What say you to the proposition?” The players may ask for more information, but the exact profit cannot be known due to fluctuation in cargo prices. Guildmaster Vernon recognizes that this is a very different deal from previous times. If the players accept the quest, read the following: “Good,” the Guildmaster says, and turns to rejoin his fellow merchants. Captain Tellon steps out of the group with wide strides and gestures for you to come with him. You walk out of the building and down the docks toward where the barque in question must be waiting. On the way, he speaks at last. “Let me show you the ship. You’ll be welcome to board whenever you are set to sail. It’s not the most efficient hauling run, being on a little ship with a long distance to go, but between the lot of us I expect we will see a successful voyage. I’ve sailed everything the guild puts to sea. I’ll get us all to the Isle of Druids in one piece. Just pay no mind to the name on the thing.” You stand before the vessel. As the captain boards, you can read the name: “The Corkwood.” The captain is a practical, hard-working fellow with a bit of a romantic streak. He is very aware of his limitations and those of this vessel, but strives to do his best work and keep those who employ him satisfied. Captain Tellon CR 4 XP 1,200 Human bard 1/fighter 4 N Medium humanoid (human) Init +5; Senses Perception +7 -----Defense----AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +1 Dex) hp 46 (5 HD; 1d8+4d10+15) Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +4 (+1 vs. fear) -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 longsword +8 (1d8+5/19-20) Special Attacks bardic performance 6 rounds/day (countersong, distraction, fascinate [DC 12], inspire courage +1) Spells Known (CL 1st; concentration +3) 1st (2/day)—charm person (DC 13), expeditious retreat 0 (at will)—know direction, open/close (DC 12), read magic, resistance -----Statistics----Str 14, Dex 12, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 14 Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 17
Feats Alertness, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Persuasive, Toughness, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword) Skills Climb +8, Diplomacy +10, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (geography) +8, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +7, Perform (oratory) +7, Profession (sailor) +7, Sense Motive +5, Spellcraft +5, Stealth +5, Survival +3, Swim +6 Languages Aquan, Common SQ armor training 1, bardic knowledge +1 Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of lesser restoration, Other Gear masterwork studded leather, +1 longsword Corkwood Sailor (25) CR 1/3 XP 135 Human warrior 1 N Medium humanoid (human) Init +0; Senses Perception +1 -----Defense----AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 hp 9 (1d10+4) Fort +3, Ref +0, Will -1 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee shortsword +3 (1d6+2/19-20) -----Statistics----Str 15, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8 Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 13 Feats Alertness, Toughness Skills Climb +6, Perception +1, Profession (sailor) +3, Sense Motive +1, Stealth +1, Swim +6 Languages Common Other Gear shortsword
The Corkwood A barque is a small cargo ship with a main mast and a smaller one to the aft. This ship has plenty of room below decks to safely store its cargo and house its crew. Although this ship has the capacity to house a crew of 30, it can be run with a minimum crew of 20. -----Description----Barque (sailing ship) Colossal ship Squares 3 (30 ft. by 90 ft.); Cost 10,000 gp Init +6 -----Defense----AC 16; Hardness 5 hp 920 (sails 180) Base Save +10 -----Offense----Maximum Speed 90 ft. (wind); Acceleration 30 ft. Ranged 1 light ballistae +10 (3d8) CMB 18; CMD 28 Ramming Damage 6d8 -----Statistics----Propulsion wind or current Sailing Check Profession (sailor) Control Device steering wheel Means of Propulsion 60 squares of sails (two masts) Decks 2 Cargo/Passengers 50 tons/10 passengers
-----Crew----Crew 20 Captain Tellon (see stat block) Other Crew CN female human bard [sea singer] 3 First Mate CN male human fighter 2 25 seaman (CE human fighter 1) -----Equipment----Armaments 1 light ballistae (starboard) with 20 light ballista bolts
1 - TO THE ISLE OF DRUIDS The journey averages 5 days each way. As Captain Tellon said, the players may prepare first. The captain will handle all Navigation and Piloting so the players do not need to prepare for that. When ready, read them the following: All hands are aboard and the crew springs into action. The Corkwood gently pulls away from the dock, marking the beginning of your first sea voyage. Soon the ship is sailing in the coastal waters beside Yellowport. There are a number of other ships, mostly merchantmen, but there are also a few warships of the Sokaran Imperial Navy. “At least we won’t be plagued by pirates with the navy around,” says Captain Tellon. With everything firmly underway, the captain shows you below deck, where you will be able to rest in reasonable comfort as the days pass. Now you need only wait and see what those days bring. It is 150 miles from Yellowport to the Isle of Druids. The first 90 miles are in the Violet Ocean. The first 40 of those are open ocean, then the next 50 miles are along the coast south of Scorpion Bight. The subsequent 60 miles are in the open waters of the Sea of Whispers. The smell of sulphur fades very quickly on the first day of travel. No other ships will be spotted until the players reach scene 2. As stated, Tellon’s statistics are the ones to use for rolls. If the characters lose faith in him during a storm, those with Profession (sailor) they can try and convince him to let them pilot instead. Don't forget that having a priest of Alvir and Valmir in the party will prevent any storms. However, unknown to all involved, this sea voyage is blessed and would not be stopped by the forces of nature anyway (scene 10). The captain will succeed in all Knowledge (geography) for navigation, so the vessel will never get lost and will never suffer a distance penalty when sailing in a storm. As soon as the rolls indicate the players will reach the 90-mile mark, go to scene 2.
2 - ENGAGEMENT AT SEA: APPROACH After dealing with any storm, read the players the following: So far, you find you adjust well to travel by sea. You have become accustomed to a diet of fish as provided by a rather abundant catch from the sailors. Spirits seem high, which you gauge as you get to know the people onboard. Captain Tellon keeps everyone working hard to maintain good time. But today, as you begin to sail beyond the limits of the Violet Ocean and into what is known as the Sea of Whispers, the voyage is interrupted. You notice a commotion and head out on deck to see the captain and crew peering off to starboard. The captain spots you and points with one hand. Out in the distant waves you spy what looks like a huge ship with far too many masts. Then you realize your mistake: it is actually two ships, each a brigantine, drifting together side-by-side.
“They’re lashed together with rope,” says Tellon. “No one stands on deck. Any flags have been taken down. I feared we would see the red pennant of the Kingdom of the Reavers, but there is no sign. If this were a pirate attack, where are the pirates now?” The crew seems disquieted. No one like a ghost ship. The captain turns to you and speaks. “It’s worth the risk, I say. We make this voyage for the money, and goods on a lost vessel are ours by law of salvage. There are enough hands we could take a whole ship; leave our barque, claim a brigantine, and return to Yellowport with more cargo than when we left. Come back later with more crew and try to rescue the rest. What say you?” The PCs may wish to investigate more before boarding. Each brigantine sails higher in the water than the barque does, so one cannot easily see above the bulwark. If the characters send people up a mast, they will observe the decks are almost completely clear, except for heaps of canvas around the outer sides of each vessel (just within the port bulwark on the port vessel, starboard on the starboard). Those who listen for unusual sounds will hear nothing, but the GM should note the Perception checks that the characters make. Captain Tellon intends to pull the Corkwood alongside the mystery vessels. At the last moment, characters who are listening and made a successful DC 20 Perception check will hear voices coming from the farther ship: “Stay away! Stay away!”
3 - ENGAGEMENT AT SEA: OVERRUN (CR 9) See the engagement at sea map. It assumes the players pull up to port; but since the ships are symmetric, either way will do. Whichever brigantine is immediately next to the Corkwood turns out to be the Scarred Skull, a pirate ship sailed by Reavers from the Unnumbered Isles in the Violet Ocean. Read the players the following: Suddenly battle cries resound from bow to stern of the nearby brigantine, and an armed horde rises from beyond the bulwark, tossing aside canvas that had kept them hidden from view. “Reavers!” the shout goes up among the sailors of the Corkwood. “To arms!” bellows the captain. The pirates heft crossbows that launch grappling hooks at your vessel, catching on the railing at the edge and in the rigging overhead. They pull on the ropes in unison and the lurch almost takes you off your feet. Behind them, more pirates emerge from hatches and still more cross over from the deck on the far ship. In seconds, your vessel is lashed to theirs, and pirates start leaping down into your ranks. Reavers (45) CR 1/2 XP 200 Human rogue 1 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Perception +5 -----Defense----AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 11 (1d8+3) Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee shortsword +2 (1d6+2/19-20) Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6 -----Statistics-----
Str 15, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8 Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 15 Feats Dodge, Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +5, Climb +5, Knowledge (local) +4, Perception +5, Profession (sailor) +5, Sense Motive +5, Stealth +5, Survival +2, Swim +5 Languages Common SQ trapfinding +1 Other Gear studded leather, shortsword, crossbows have only grappling hooks, no quarrels, and are left behind.
Combat is simplified: pirates stream onto the ship and engage at random, and the GM need only run full combat for the characters and Captain Tellon. They are clustered near the bow with the captain, but maneuvering does not actually matter. Each combat round, roll 1d6 for each person and consult the following table: 1-3 No new assailant 4-5 One new pirate approaches with an engage combat action 6 Two new pirates approach the character. When not engaged, characters may help friends with their own engagement or do other actions like pick a target on the enemy ship to attack at range. If any characters made a DC 20 Perception check and heard the cries (scene 2), the group will have a full combat round for this before the first roll. An enemy attacked at range will go into a “queue,” as it were, and will be next in line to engage the next round. Flanking is assumed to happen whenever one side of an engagement outnumbers the other. Total up enemies defeated by characters for loot purposes (scene 6). The crew fights with shortswords, and bare hands. Each combat round, roll an additional 1d6: on a roll of 1 or 2, inform the players that a crewmember has fallen. Crew will not kill many pirates. If Captain Tellon falls, a crewmember will drag him away to administer one of his potions of restoration before he can die. If a character falls, and Tellon is not engaged, he may use his other potion on that character. It should be obvious the characters will soon be overrun. When the crew threatens to drop below 20 alive, or the engagements on the characters become absurd, go to scene 4.
4 - ENGAGEMENT AT SEA: DESTRUCTION Read the players the following: The pirate numbers seem to replenish without end. You can see them lining up along the edge of their vessel, snarling as they jockey for position. Then there is a flash of light. Eyes on both sides turn to the main-mast of the Reaver vessel as fire races up into the sails. Combat falters. Then you see a burning object arc through the air in the distance. It lands on the enemy deck and bursts into flame, igniting the canvas they had used to conceal themselves. Somebody is throwing firebombs from the farther vessel! The Reavers shout in rage and set about fighting the fire, and many on the Corkwood turn around and leap back to their ship. Combat nonetheless continues. Each combat round, roll 1d6 for each pirate in an engagement and consult the following table: 1-3 Remain in combat
4-6 Make a defensive withdraw, incurring an opportunity attack No more crew on the Corkwood will die. After one round, read the players the following: Yet another firebomb is let fly, headed to the deck between two masts, but then you don’t see it land. It has gone down a hatch left open by the pirates. Wait for players to start freeing themselves from engagement. Then, go to scene 5
5 - ENGAGEMENT AT SEA: RESCUE (CR 4) Read the players the following: The blaze is only spreading, but some Reavers are giving up on fighting it and heading straight to the far vessel. Distant cries go up: “Help! Help!” The edge of the enemy ship is clearing of pirates and you can see places you might leap through. If the PCs truly need a push, Captain Tellon can order them to help whoever is throwing the bombs. With a run up start, characters must make an Acrobatics check to ascend to the Scarred Skull. If they fail, they must make a successful DC15 Reflex check to catch the edge and climb up. Success in climbing means a delay of one combat round; failure means tests for Swimming until the entire battle is over. Read the following to the first person on the Reaver ship: You ascend as far from the conflagration as you can. Most of the pirates are engaged in beating out the flames, and from somewhere you hear a man’s voice barking commands. The voice breaks off when you come face to face with a man wielding a shining rapier, his face a mix of anger and disbelief. “Get off of my ship!” screams the captain. Others characters who land on deck may help in the fight. No other pirates will engage them. Running and jumping to the farther vessel takes a successful Acrobatics check; a successful DC 15 Reflex save to check the railing if failure. The jump is easier because this vessel, the Enchanted Sky, is at an even height. Upon success, read the players the following: Captain Jorreye CR 4 XP 1,200 Human fighter 5 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +7; Senses Perception +1 ------Defense-----AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +3 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 42 (5d10+10) Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +2 (+1 vs. fear) ------Offense-----Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 rapier +11 (1d6+5/18-20) Special Attacks weapon training (light blades +1) ------Statistics-----Str 13, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 11 Base Atk +5; CMB +6; CMD 20 Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Persuasive, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (rapier), Weapon Specialization (rapier)
Skills Acrobatics +4, Climb +5, Diplomacy +3, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (engineering) +6, Knowledge (geography) +4, Perception +1, Profession (sailor) +7, Sense Motive +2,Stealth +5, Swim +5 Languages Common, Goblin SQ armor training 1 Other Gear mwk studded leather, +1 rapier
The deck on the far ship is almost empty. There is a woman with skin shades darker than that of the Sokarans who generally sail here, dressed in fancy clothes. One pirate’s body lies burning on the deck, and two others are confounded as they try to lay blows on her, their would-be victim squirming away at every turn. This is Moon of Evening. Careful characters may win the fight with ease: the Reavers have not noticed them and each only have 4 hp left. Afterward, read the following: The Reaver vessel is afire clear through. The woman makes a single glance between you and it, and speaks plainly: “Separate the ships.” Back on the Corkwood, it seems the crew has the same idea, and they bring blades to bear on the ropes that hold them. The defeated pirates had bladed weapons if the characters need them. Characters still on the pirate vessel had better choose some other place to stand. Proceed to scene 6.
6 - ENGAGEMENT AT SEA: REWARDS Read the players the following: With new purpose, all hands start hacking at the ropes. Pirates still remaining on the Corkwood are overpowered, but they fight to the last, preferring death to enslavement or execution. This is what the rest of their crew receives as the ship becomes a funeral pyre. Your barque and this mysterious brigantine slowly separate and you watch the Reavers sink beneath the waves. Note that any characters that fell overboard are rescued and proceed with the following: Tellon brings the Corkwood over as the crew begins tending to the wounded. The woman, apparently the captain, directs you below deck where her own crew waits in bonds. With them rescued, you all assemble on the brigantine, where the woman finally makes introductions and expresses her thanks. She tells you her name is Moon of Evening and that she comes from Smogmaw, the city at the Misty Estuary, in far-off Ankon-Konu. She tells you to visit her, if you are ever in Smogmaw, so that she can repay the debt. For now, she is not sure how to begin repaying. The Reavers had already taken her cargo of textiles, and it would seem that firebombing made short work of it. All she has left is a cargo of spices. Trading the grain for the spices is simple, given that all involved want to go to Aspen. Tellon will gladly explain to uncertain characters how profitable this is. He will also explain that the deal with Guildmaster Vernon was for cargo profit: all loot from pirates defeated by the characters is theirs to keep. A good target is 10 sets of masterwork shortswords and chainmail. The ships sail together the remaining distance to the Isle of Druids. Resume rolls and narration, assuming that Moon of Evening succeeds in all checks.
7 - ASPEN AND THE DRUID’S ISLE When the players reach their destination, describe it using the Sokara Companion (in the Appendix). The characters may sell their grain cargo on behalf of Guildmaster Vernon at the Trading Post. Once business is done, Moon of Evening will thank the characters again and depart to fill a hold with furs. Read the following: Captain Tellon, looking rather relaxed, approaches you as you finish. “Not been to the Druid’s Isle, have you? Will we be heading back with the Guildmaster’s cargo as soon as it’s onboard, or will you call for a day to see the land?” Describe the island’s locations as directed by the players. If the party goes exploring in the old forest, the GM should check for encounters. Ideally, even players who are the most eager for adventure should be prevented from using the Gates of the World and messing up the quest. If the characters spend any time at all on the island, go to scene 8. Otherwise, skip to scene 9.
8 - DEEP WOODS Eva at the shrine to Lacuna has a request. Either she will speak when the characters visit the shrine, or she will hear about them during their visit on the island and seek them out at the dock. Read the players the following: You are met by Eva, the young woman who tends to Lacuna’s tasks at the shrine. She inquires whether you would make a delivery for her to the City of Trees, hiding within the Old Forest on this island. It might be tricky finding the place, but you look adventurous enough to manage. She would like somebody to deliver a sealed envelope to the Oak Druid. The druids let people barter for cheaper goods at their market in return for this service. If the characters accept, but then snoop into the envelope, they will find it contains a request for assistance with initiation ceremonies at the shrine. Whoever opens the envelope suffers the curse of Lacuna. Curse of Lacurna Type curse; Save Will DC 15 negates; Onset 1 minute; Frequency 1/day ------Effect----1d4 Wis drain. ------Cure-----Curse of Lacurna can be cured by successfully casting remove curse. Castings of restoration are required to restore the drained ability scores.
Reaching the City of Trees is an hour’s trek. Whoever leads the journey must make a successful DC 15 Survival check to reach the destination. Describe the thorn wall of the city per the Sokara Companion (in the Appendix), and then add: Circling it, you find there is a break in the hedge, but it is filled by a large tree. To your surprise, a face forms in the trunk and speaks. “None can pass; be gone, humans!”
Broosh the Spirit Tree is also described in the Sokara Companion (in the Appendix). Persuading it to allow entry takes a successful DC 20 Diplomacy check, where showing it the sealed envelope counts as an “adequate bribe.” Describe the city inside and the Oak Druid per the Appendix. The Oak Druid graciously accepts the message; and, if it is still sealed, allows each character a 20% discount on one item at the market. Returning to Aspen is another hour’s trek. Eva will have more to say so long as either the envelope was not opened or the characters do not tell her they opened it. Read the players the following: Eva expresses her gratitude, then immediately comes back to you with another sealed envelope. It seems she has decided you are her couriers today. In this case, she would like delivery to her contingent at the House of Priests in Marlock City. The contents are not urgent. Eva believes that the priesthood has paid couriers 75 gp for past deliveries. Anyone who snoops will find it is a basic report on activities on the island, both at the shrine and the City of Trees, and then suffer the curse of Lacuna. The characters will have a natural opportunity to earn the 75 gp in The Ghouls (quest 4).
9 - RETURN TO YELLOWPORT When the players depart Aspen, the Enchanted Sky will already be gone. Read them the following: You set sail again. You are only halfway on the sea voyage, and already it has seemed long. Captain Tellon leads the crew in their familiar tasks and soon you see Aspen fade in the distance behind you. See scene 1 and narrate as before. Again, this sea voyage is blessed; and as soon as the Corkwood reaches the 90-mile mark (that is, once they have mostly passed Scorpion Bight and are almost to Yellowport), the players will discover how. Proceed to scene 10.
10 - A STRANGE DREAM This scene holds a sequence of events. After dealing with any storm, read the players the following: That night, your sleep is restless. You dream a most vivid dream. You are attacked by a gigantic sea monster, a mighty octopod thing that encircles the ship with tree-like tentacles and pulls it under the waves. The characters must make a DC 16 Will save. If they all fail, the dream remains terrifying, and they all must roll again. As soon as one succeeds, read the following to that player (or those players):
You realize that it is a dream and the monster cannot harm you. You still experience a world undersea, but the fear has passed. Keep doing rolls if needed. As soon as more than one player succeeds, continue with the following: Now you see each other and know that this is not an ordinary dream at all. Together you sink into the bottle-green depths. Then you are caught in a glowing golden net, and the dream becomes a blur. You seem to “wake” in an undersea palace of multi-colored coral, with mermaids to attend you; they lead you past trident-armed merman guards into a great hall. Seated upon two giant shells, like thrones, are the king and queen of the deep, with scales and skin the richest sea blue. Shoals of iridescent angel fish dart about in an intricate flashing dance of color, dancing for the rulers of the land beneath the waves. If there is a priest of Alvir and Valmir in the party, read the following: In awe, you recognize your own gods. Give anyone who keeps failing one more chance to pass the Will save. Read the following to anyone who succeeds at this time: You find yourself whisked through the water to the side of your comrades, where you view the same scene. Those who still fail remain in the nightmare until the morning. For the others, continue reading: A silver flute appears suspended in the water before you. The queen indicates that you should entertain them! All present wait for the characters to accept the challenge and will give no other instruction. Whoever plays the flute must make a DC 15 Perform (musical instrument) check. On failure, read the following, and then continue at the final paragraph at the end of this scene: Your music seems weak, and the king cuts you short. “We have heard enough,” he says in a voice that booms through the great flooded hall. The king turns to the queen. “These mortals can accomplish much,” he says, “but not in matters of the heart.” “They may struggle with our gift,” she answers him, “yet perhaps they are of the greatest need.” “We agree,” he replies. “Let it be so.” He looks out across you again. On success, however, read the following: You play like never before. The king and the queen are enchanted by the haunting melodies you are able to coax from the silver flute. Unfortunately, you have played too well. The king looks into your eyes and you find you cannot stop.
The character must make a successful DC 20 Will save. On failure, read the following, then continue at the final paragraph at the end of this scene: It feels like you are playing the flute for an eternity. Your comrades see you lose track of yourself, to collapse after great exertion and drop into silence. In the pained quiet, the queen turns to the king and speaks with a voice that rings clear beneath the waves. “These are not the most devout servants,” she says. “They may struggle with our gift; yet perhaps they are of the greatest need.” “We agree,” he replies. “Let it be so.” He looks out across you again. On success, however, read the following: You are so devout that the king’s spell cannot affect you for more than a few seconds. You complete the tune and willingly go silent, allowing the gentle echoes of your music to fade in the underwater palace. The queen, recognizing your faith in the gods, thanks you for entertaining them. She looks to the king. All scenarios end with this paragraph: “You have already known our favor,” says the king, “for your little ship will not fail you on this voyage. Such is the blessing of Alvir and Valmir.” Then the queen speaks. “But there is another blessing the gods may give. One which only the strongest of mortal souls can bear. One which will guide you and your companions in the greater voyage; the voyage of your lifetime. We give now this blessing unto you.” You see nothing else occur; at that moment, you awake onboard the ship. If the character succeeded in both the Perform skill check and the Will save, add that he or she awakes holding the silver flute of perfect pitch (+2 Charisma when played). The characters may speak with Captain Tellon and the crew: their reaction is amazement, of course, because their livelihood depends on the favor of these gods. They know nothing about the mystery blessing. The GM should conclude narrating the return to Yellowport.
Upon return, read the players the following: You may find it anticlimactic, or perhaps just relieving, to see the plain sight of the Yellowport docks after so many days of adventure. Once ashore, Captain Tellon immediately sets the crew to handling cargo. The Corkwood will also go under repairs, if necessary, which the players do not handle. Continue with the following : Together you head to the guild building to make your report. Guildmaster Vernon is less busy this time. Upon your arrival, he snaps his fingers and an employee runs up with a ledger. The Guildmaster listens intently to the tale of just how strange the run was. When you explain the unusual cargos, he
snatches the ledger out of the clerk’s hands and sets to scrawling down sums himself. Then he holds a private conversation with the captain. “I can see this was a profitable venture,” he says, turning to you again. “I also see you have made a relationship with a crew that respects you. I think it best to call this the last of our business dealings, and I know just the parting gift: what say you to 300 gold pieces plus the very sailing vessel you brought back intact?” Captain Tellon leans in and adds “You can change the name if you like.” Captain Tellon himself will not come along, as he has other work to do, but the crew will remain for the characters’ employ if they are interested. The crew has already been paid for one week starting now. If this were turned down, Vernon could just give another plain 450 gp. Read the following: You are not done with the story, though. You relate the experience under the waves and ask about the peculiar blessing you received. “I have no idea,” Vernon answers. “Go ask at the House of Priests.” With that, money changes hands, and Guildmaster Vernon turns his back on you one last time. Captain Tellon lingers a bit longer and gives you a nod. “Hope to see you on the seas.” He then excuses himself as well. Captain Tellon also mentions that the House of Priests is in Marlock City if the characters do not know. Reward the players 500 XP if the characters did the secondary quest: that is, they helped Eva in scene 8 and are carrying away a second envelope. If they accept the ship, but have not yet trained in Profession (sailor), they would be wise to do so.
The actual beginning is whenever the players wish. They do not know what the next job is: only that the House of Priests in Marlock City might have information on this ‘other blessing’ from Alvir and Valmir. Yellowport has its own temple to Alvir and Valmir, but the priests there are baffled. If the characters have a ship, they must pay their crew weekly and deal with weather as per normal rules; they are only immune to storms if they have a priest of Alvir and Valmir in the party. When the players are ready: The introduction is really in scene 2, but here the GM should read something like the following: Guildmaster Vernon has no more ratmen or cannibal cultists who could use evicting, and all he needs for protecting his ships are the guild’s own marines (hired at a lower price than you). It seems you are
on your own to find your next adventure. Thus it is that you depart Yellowport once again, this time destined for the House of Priests in Marlock City. The first task is getting there.
1 - TO MARLOCK CITY It is 60 miles from Yellowport to Marlock City by sea. It is 20 miles from Yellowport to Trefoille, then another 20 miles from Trefoille to Marlock City, both by road. It is also 20 miles to the Shadar Tor then 20 miles to Marlock City, all off-road in easy terrain. If the characters go by sea, they need only worry about storms. There will be no encounters except merchant or military vessels that ignore them. If the characters go overland, describe locations per the Appendix. Random encounters will occur from time to time. For every day spent in southwest Sokara (except special regions like the Curstmoor), the GM should roll 2d6 and consult one of the following tables. The first is when on a road: 2-3 Bandits 4-6 Travelers 7-10 No encounter 11 Military patrol 12 Wild animals The second is when off-road: 2 Bandits 3-9 No encounter 10-12 Wild animals
Bandits (CR 2 to CR 5) A group of 1d6+2 bandits are hiding nearby. The characters must make a successful DC 20 Perception check to see them; otherwise, the bandits gain surprise attack on the PCs. Bandits (3-8) CR 1/2 XP 200 Human warrior 2 CN Medium humanoid Init +2; Senses Perception –1 -----Defense----AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 armor, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 shield) hp 17 (2d10) Fort +3, Ref +2, Will –1 -----Offesnse----Speed 30 ft. Melee rapier +3 (1d6+1/18–20) or sap +3 (1d6+1 nonlethal) Ranged longbow +4 (1d8/x3) -----Statistics----Str 13, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 9 Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 16 Feats Dodge, Point Blank Shot
Skills Climb +4, Handle Animal +3, Intimidate +3, Ride +5, Stealth +2 Languages Common Gear studded leather, buckler, longbow with 20 arrows, rapier, sap
Travelers (CR 1/2) The characters pass a group of 2d6 ordinary citizens. Possibilities include merchants heading to any big city, pilgrims heading to Blessed Springs, masons and carpenters heading for Trefoille, and so on. 1 in 6 of these groups includes 1 pickpocket. Pickpocket CR 1/2 XP 200 Human Rogue 1 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +7; Senses Perception +3 -----Defense----AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +3 Dex) hp 10 (1d8+2) Fort +1, Ref +5, Will –1 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee short sword +3 (1d6+2/19–20) Ranged dagger +3 (1d4+2/19–20) Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6 -----Statistics----Str 14, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12 Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 15 Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +7, Climb +6, Disable Device +7, Escape Artist +7, Knowledge (local) +4, Perception +3, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7, Swim +6 Languages Common SQ trapfinding +1 Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, acid (2), smokestick, tanglefoot bag; Other Gear masterwork studded leather, daggers (5), short sword, thieves' tools, 25 gp
Military Patrol (CR 1 to CR 3) The cobbled road between Yellowport and Marlock City is well-kept by the Sokaran military and has regular guard posts. This is a group of 1d6+2 typical soldiers from Yellowport heading somewhere for a shift change. Yellowport Soldier (3-8) CR 1/3 XP 135 Human warrior 1 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +2 -----Defense----AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +1 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 8 (1d10+3) Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor) Melee longsword +5 (1d8+3/19-20) -----Statistics-----
Str 16, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8 Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 16 Feats Dodge, Weapon Focus (longsword) Skills Acrobatics –4 (–8 to jump), Knowledge (local) +1, Perception +2, Sense Motive +2 Languages Common Other Gear chainmail, longsword
Wild Animals (CR variable) This region is not as wild as some. It nonetheless has wild dogs (1d6+3), hawks (1d3), and horses (1d6), which are usually not hostile. There are also dire rats (1d6) and wolves (1d6+3), which might attack in hunger. Dire Rats (1-6) XP 135 hp 5 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Rat, Dire”)
CR 1/3
Hawks (1-3) XP 135 hp 4 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Hawk”)
CR 1/3
Horses (1-6) XP 400 hp 15 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Horse”)
CR 1
Wild Dogs (4-9) XP 135 hp 6 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Dog”)
CR 1/3
Wolves (4-9) XP 400 hp 13 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Wolf”)
CR 1
2 - THE HOUSE OF PRIESTS When the characters reach Marlock City, describe it per the Sokara Companion in the Appendix. They may wish to rest and heal if they had a fight on the way over. They may also sightsee. Note that random encounters in the Poor Quarter can include a helpful beggar: such a beggar gives directions to the House of Priests. Further, the beggar says “Oh, you got one of them funny blessings? Lots of folks go in there with funny blessings.” As stated in the Sokara Companion, the characters must pay 10 gp at the House of Priests to go see the High Priest Clerk for Alvir and Valmir. However, if they are delivering a message for Eva from A Long Sea Voyage (quest 3), the GM should read the following: The reception staff sees your envelope and waives the entrance fee. In short order, you are brought to the offices for the followers of Lacuna, where you deliver the message and are paid 75 gold pieces. As long as you’re in here, your escort doesn’t seem to mind if you step over to the Alvir and Valmir people for a bit. This delivery does not affect experience rewards as the scene was considered in the reward for A Long Sea Voyage (quest 3). Whichever way the players get to their goal, read them the following:
You are led through the House of Priests to a large room, where several groups are gathered at tables. Your escort points to one table where the High Priest Clerk for Alvir and Valmir is working. You notice some heated discussion off at a nearby table in a group bearing somber clothes. If there is a priest of Nagil in the party, identify these as priests of Nagil. Continue with the following: You present yourselves and relate the situation. The High Priest Clerk finds himself hemming and hawing, not quite able to answer your questions. Shortly, a grey-whiskered priest of Elnir appears behind you and exclaims with displeasure, “Another one?!” He is apparently Altun, the Chief Administrator, and he berates the sheepish Clerk as though he were a failing schoolchild. Eventually he speaks to you. “Every year, adventurers come by with ‘the other blessing the gods may give.’ It’s always the same: some nonsense about being ‘destined to change the world.’ And then we never see them again! You’d do yourselves well to forget about it and find something less vague to occupy you.” “I might have a suggestion,” comes a stammering voice. All present turn to face a man in black robes, stepping away from the nearby table. “We could use the services of an adventuring party.” “What have you done this time, Smuggs?” groans the Chief Administrator. “Well, we have had an unfortunate, umm . . . accident, at the temple of Nagil. In the crypt below the temple we sometimes experiment with the corpses of the dead; you know, the occasional zombie, part of the rituals in honor of the aspect of Nagil we revere here. It seems a ghoul has escaped from these pits, and is terrorizing the city at night. We’d rather someone like you sorted the problem out before the city militia got to hear of it.” Dirklore Smuggs is described in the Sokara Companion in the Appendix. It is up to the players to notice he gave neither directions nor reward. If they agree with no questions asked, read the following: “Are you joking me, Smuggs?!” Altun interrupts. “You send people off to do your dirty work, and that’s all you give them?” “Oh,” he replies. He faces you blankly. “What would you like to know?” For reward, see the conclusion. For information, he knows everything about ghouls from Chapter 10, core rules, and knows that pouchfuls of salt and iron filings can be purchased in the market for 15 gp each. Despite the title of this quest, he does not know anything about there being more than one ghoul. If the players accept, read them the following: “Splendid, splendid!” Smuggs exclaims. “Now, I hate to think there will be any complications, but you must investigate thoroughly to ensure the ghoul’s release won’t mean lasting repercussions for the city. Please retrieve proof that the danger has passed.” Altun, ever displeased, adds the last word: “And return to the House of Priests when you are finished with this man’s grisly task. We will make an official record of the incident.” Your escort leads you out of the building.
3 - SEEKING A GHOUL If the characters search by day, they find nothing whatsoever. If by night, they have two challenges: first, to find the ghoul’s trail in general; second, to find the exact hiding place. They have 8 hours to do so. It is logical to start around the temple of Nagil in the south. Characters may interview and/or interrogate passersby with a successful DC 20 Diplomacy check reveals many people saw a frightful character heading northeast, leading the characters through the middle of
town, past the market and the Three Rings Tavern, before they need more information. Alternately, characters may attempt to track the ghoul with a successful DC 20 Survival check. Success reveals the chewed corpses of stray animals and odd spatters of blood on walls, leading across town as above. Having succeeded once, the characters approach the Poor Quarter. A helpful beggar would report “Something bad’s been out at night, for sure. No one on the street wants to go near the east gate cemetery.” If not tipped off like this, the same rules Diplomacy of gathering information and tracking apply. Success reveals gruesome murders and tales of terror that lead to the east gate cemetery. Failure to reach the goal within 8 hours means the PCs must start another two-step process tomorrow. Characters who just try to search every cemetery in Marlock City find there are more places than can fit in a night.
4 - LITTLE WAIF The east gate cemetery is south of the eastern entrance to Marlock City. When the players reach this area, read them the following: At the gates of the cemetery, you find a small girl sitting on a rock. She seems a bit flushed, as if she had just been running, and she looks like she might be about to run from you as well. This is Elsie. A successful Diplomacy check to make her indifferent from hostile (frightened) is needed to keep her from fleeing. She can tell the characters that she was placing flowers at the grave of her father when a horrible monster came for her. Fortunately, she was able to run away. She points out a tall mausoleum, easily visible against the sky, in the general location the thing was hiding. If the characters somehow went out at night without a light source, Elsie will also give them a lantern; she intends to head home by the best-lit streets. This child should not require stats.
5 - GHASTLY CONFRONTATION (CR 2) The mausoleum is an obvious landmark, so the characters will pass it one way or another. When the players approach, read them the following: You thread your way through the pitted tombstones and brooding crypts of the cemetery under a grey night sky. Suddenly, a foul stench fills your nostrils, and a figure rises up out of the shadows! Yellow eyes glow with feral bloodlust, and the creature’s talons reach for you hungrily. You’ve found the ghoul! Ghoul (Ghast)
CR 2 XP 600 hp 17 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Ghoul, Ghast”)
Gear: A ruined funerary wrap. Special Rules Salt and Iron Filings: When a ghoul is in the open, a character empty a pouchful of salt and iron filings to fill a 5 foot area per pouch. If a ghoul is in an enclosed by these filings the ghoul may not cross the barrier. The creature may then be attacked with projectiles, or, at the GM’s discretion, melee attacks with a –4 penalty.
See the mausoleum map. The ghoul starts at the location marked with the scene number. If the characters were not warned by Elsie (scene 4), the ghoul may gain surprise on the PCs. After defeating the ghoul read the following: The rogue ghoul ceases its struggle and collapses in on itself, leaving only a mound of putrescent matter, atop of which rests its head. In the ensuing silence, you wave away the stench and contemplate heading back. You also take a closer look at the mausoleum. It says “Feldeston” on a plaque over the door. The door is open. There is no light in the mausoleum. Those who listen right now must make a successful DC 15 Perception check to hear moaning noises from within. Characters that don’t listen and just want to leave should be treated to a particularly loud moan. Smart characters will block the door with salt and iron filings, but they must still bring back “proof that the danger has passed,” and to be honest they have no idea what is going on. If they take the ghoul’s head and leave anyway, Dirklore Smuggs will point out (in horror) that this ghoul is not the one they released, and require that the characters return immediately.
6 - THE DEPTHS OF THE PROBLEM (CR variable) Night and day do not matter inside: the characters must have a light source to be able to see and avoid death. The immediate mausoleum entry is a simple place with religious statuary. When the characters can see the level at the bottom of the stairs, read the following: You enter the Feldeston family tomb. Decaying filth clogs every corner, but these crypts are not dead; not anymore. The doors of the individual chambers are all ajar and you can hear echoes of shuffling, scraping, and moaning. You cannot pinpoint the sounds, but surely the single ghoul released by the priesthood does not represent the full depths of the problem. The contents of this floor are determined at random. For every chamber, roll 2d6 and consult the following table: 2-4 Two ghouls 5-7 Ghoul (Ghast) 8-9 Trap 10-12 Unguarded treasure
Ghouls Ghouls are as described in scene 5. Note that loud sounds (combat, traps) will not attract ghouls from other chambers because of the confusing acoustics. The GM may rule some ghouls still go wandering because of the characters’ light. They have loot similar to “unguarded treasure,” below. Ghouls (2)
CR 1
XP 400 hp 13 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Ghoul”)
Ghoul (Ghast)
CR 2 XP 600 hp 17 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Ghoul, Ghast”)
Trap select from these three options: Arrow Trap CR 1 XP 400 Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20 -----Effects----Trigger touch; Reset none Effect Atk +15 ranged (arrow; 1d8+1/×3) Gas Trap in Wall Carvings CR 2 XP 600 Type mechanical; Perception DC 15; Disable Device DC 15 -----Effects----Trigger location; Reset repair Effect poison gas (insanity mist); never miss; onset delay (1 round); multiple targets (persists for 1 round) Insanity Mist Type poison (inhaled); Save Fortitude DC 15 Frequency 1/rounds for 6 rounds Effect 1d3 Wis damage; Cure 1 save
Coffin Trap CR 1 XP 400 Type magical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 25 -----Effects----Trigger proximity (searching the coffin); Reset automatic Effect spell effect (cause fear, frightened for 1d4 rounds, Will DC 11 negates) Those who gaze into the pool see a horrid, rotting reflection that slowly turns to murder the others in the room. Those who make their save against this trap are immune to its effects for 24 hours. Those who fail their save flee, screaming.
These rooms have loot similar to “unguarded treasure,” below.
Unguarded Treasure Searching the filth takes a successful DC 20 Perception check. Select from these six options: 100 gp in jewelry pieces, 2 random potions, a silver holy symbol, a masterwork scimitar, a masterwork shield, or masterwork chainmail.
7 - STILL AS THE TOMB As the players descend to the second level, read them the following: Descending the spiral staircase, you see a large and open crypt. Alcoves along the north, east, and south walls contain coffins, and one ornate sarcophagus is presented as a centerpiece in the west. Before it stands a ghoul surrounded with a sort of dark halo, twitching as though struggling against invisible bonds. Unfortunately, it is the only ghoul so restrained. Roll for contents of the three alcoves just like the chambers in scene 6, but re-roll if the dice happen not to indicate any ghouls. The trapped ghoul is the one created by the priests of Nagil and it may be destroyed easily. It is bound by the first of the defenses on the sarcophagus.
The sarcophagus is powerfully enchanted and Disabling Device does not work. The first person to inspect it, or even stand near it in combat, will trigger two defenses in sequence. The first defense attempts to paralyze the character. The PC must make a successful DC 15 Will save or become paralyzed and suffer a steadily-growing curse. The PC may make an additional Will save each round to try to break free of the paralysis. Each failure increases the DC by 1. Additionally, each round the PC is paralyzed she also suffers –1 temporary Constitution ability damage. Once the character succeeds, or is physically dragged out of this room (taking three rounds), the paralysis ends and the curse (ability reductions). The second defense creates a fire blast as a low level fireball spell. The party feels the room get hotter and sees orange magical energy gather over the sarcophagus. A successful DC 22 Spellcraft check is needed to interact with the trap and disperse the energy. On total failure, the room will explode in fire, dealing 2d6 points of fire damage to everyone, but leaving the sarcophagus untouched. Afterward, the defenses run out of power forever. Inside are the remains of the necromancer Nevick Feldeston, along with an ebony wand (acts as a wand of speak with dead, 14 charges remaining) and an artifact: the Necromantic Focus. It is a piece of obsidian shaped like a raven’s feather that appears to have a dark halo. Removing it from Nevick’s touch makes the halo vanish, and those who die will no longer come back as a ghoul (scene 5). Necromantic Focus Aura overwhelming necromantic; CL 21st Slot none; Price 132,400 gp; Weight 1 lbs. -----Description----This obsidian shard is shaped like a raven’s feather and is surrounded by a soft dark halo when activated. Once activated the object continues to emit its abilities until the command word to deactivate. This object, once per day emits create undead as the spell with its range altered to any corpse within 200 ft and creates a ghoul. If the user does not direct the undead created, the undead is considered to have free will and is able go about what it would normally do. If the user wishes to regain control over the undead it must have the creature in line of sight. In addition the item grants the user a +4 competence bonus on all Spellcraft checks, Knowledge (arcana) in reference to necromantic spells. And lastly, the feather may be used as a touch attack 3/day that bestows ghoul fever to the target. Ghoul Fever: save Fort DC 15; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. -----Construction----Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, create undead, animate undead; Cost 66,200 gp If the PCs use magic like speak with dead, they find that Nevick is annoyed that the fools who buried him failed to deactivate the artifact. PCs should return this artifact, if they should decide to keep the item; the House of Priests will eventually piece together events and hunt them down for the safety of all Sokara.
Upon return to the House of Priests with the artifact, read the players the following:
The reception staff knows you have important business and escorts you directly to the offices of Chief Administrator Altun, where Dirklore Smuggs also waits. They listen to your story: Altun, gravely; Smuggs, nervously. “Feldeston?!” Smuggs eventually exclaims. “We know old Nevick, of course! He was one of our necromancers and a very religious fellow. His whole family was like that. His studies meant that he was the last to pass away of the lot, and we buried him ourselves. This was, oh, less than a year gone.” Smuggs deduces what you may have suspected: the ghoul they created broke into this mausoleum and stumbled upon a situation brewing within. You present the artifact and the both of them handle it gingerly. “Smuggs,” asks Altun, “what does this do?” Smuggs shuffles his feet. “Nevick invented it; called it a Necromantic Focus. We, umm, might not have known how to turn it off.” Altun harrumphs and puts the object in an engraved box. He speaks to you. “We can handle matters from here, including clean-up at the east gate cemetery. You are to be commended for your hard work. In fact, if you remain in Marlock City, we would like to maintain contact: should other situations come up, having competent adventurers on-call can save lives. Think it over. For now, this fool owes you a reward.” The characters get a choice: either 600 gp or a free resurrection deal. The deal is for the temple of Nagil in this city to resurrect the next slain character brought in, free of charge. At the GM’s discretion, this can save a defeated party: if all characters die within a reasonable distance of Marlock City, one of them wakes up at the temple of Nagil to find that kind strangers brought in the bodies. In a party of four, all characters who began this campaign at 2nd level should achieve 3rd level by now.
This quest requires some advance preparation. The GM should also be aware of Lauria’s return. Note whether the players accepted her offer in The Cannibals (quest 1) and so worked with her in Stealing from the Fire (quest 2): if they refused to work with her, then Lauria will be vindictive, and ‘vindictive Lauria’ will act differently from ‘normal Lauria’ in certain scenes. The characters were offered work at the House of Priests at the end of The Ghouls (quest 4), and are likely interested in this, so the adventure will resume sometime when they are in Marlock City. When ready, read the players the following: Marlock City, you have to admit, has its own allure. You never saw it when it was still called Sokar, even though the violent uprising that put Grieve Marlock in the place of old King Corin was little more than a year ago. No, you spent your youth in Yellowport and the environs. Thus you find yourself drawn to the unique attractions of the capital city. The Poor Quarter holds a temple to Sig, god of troubadours, lovers, and rogues; it reminds you of the unpleasant run-in with that
thief Lauria, but there had not been such a temple in Yellowport, so at least you observe it. The House of Priests, on the opposite side of town, is a structure unique in all of Sokara; each time you pass its bizarre multi-colored walls, you wonder if the folk there will strike upon more “work” for you sometime soon. The answer is “yes,” for early this morning a runner comes and urges you to report to the House of Priests. You are encouraged to come prepared. When the players are ready to answer the summons, read on. You arrive, enter, and present yourselves to the reception staff. In moments you are brought to the offices of Chief Administrator Altun, where this time you see both Altun and an aging man who wears an old pair of spectacles and long flowing ornate robes. “Greetings, young adventurers” Altun says, briefly rising. “Your punctuality is appreciated. Between this and the efforts of my associate here, we should be able to address a grave problem that has days in lead of us.” He introduces Oliphard the Wizardly, a mage come from Trefoille on short notice. Oliphard quietly nods to you. “The issue,” continues Altun, “is in the Bronze Hills, miles north of here. Just yesterday, a slave working the silver mines collapsed on our doorstep. He had drifted down the River Grimm from a mine in the southwest regions of the hills, near the Forest of Larun. Though he could not explain everything before he . . . passed on, he described a terrible power that had been unleashed from the depths. Some force of faerie origin seized control of the mine, killing the head slaver Dunwick who owned the operation. Faerie powers are opposite godly ones, and so the slave came here, to the house of the holiest, for aid.” The Chief Administrator gently clears his throat. “We do not fully understand the situation. We believe that time is of the essence to save those still trapped within the mine. As such, we called for the renowned Oliphard to teleport aid to Caran Baru, from which it is a journey of one or two days to Dunwick’s mine.” “They are, of course, funding the effort,” interjects Oliphard in a dry tone. “Yes, yes,” continues Altun. “We understand that risk brings expense. We could offer you 600 gold pieces, payable if and when you return. Notice from the merchant’s guild, which oversees all mining claims, will do for proof. Can we count on you to face the perils of the mine?” If the characters accept, Altun wishes them luck. Oliphard comments how he enjoys seeing adventurers off to do good in the world, then commences the spell.
1 - CARAN BARU TO THE BRONZE HILLS Note the weather and mention it along with the following: The House of Priests appears to vanish from around you in a flash of red, and the next thing you see is the outer wall of Caran Baru. You stand by the well-defended western gate, with the Bronze Hills at your back. If the characters enter town, describe locations per the Sokara Companion in the Appendix. They may seek information at the merchant’s guild. A successful DC 15 Diplomacy check finds a clerk willingly confirms that, yes, Dunwick’s mine is in the southwest of the hills near the Forest of Larun, about 30 miles away. The claim was catalogued just a few months ago and so the operation is probably small. However, notes indicate that caverns were discovered underground during prospecting, so who knows?
If the characters suggest that the guild get involved with this ill-defined emergency, the clerk will dismiss it as an “occupational hazard.” If the characters seek help from the army, Captain Ashton (see the Sokara Companion in the Appendix) will refuse: his priority is to defend the city, and one does this best while still inside the city. It is 30 miles in a straight line to the mine, skirting the north edge of the forest.
2 - WORK CREW (CR 3) Once the characters have travelled the distance, read the following: A number of silver mines have been visible in the distance, active to varying degrees. You should arrive at Dunwick’s mine soon. But first, you spot activity at the forest’s edge just ahead. A line of ten poor souls, dressed in rags and chained to the person in front and behind, works under the whip of a huge man. They are uprooting shrubs for some reason. Characters that make a successful DC 25 Sense Motive to detect the slaver is under the effects of dominate person spell. The slavers find it ‘natural’ to push around slaves and fight off anyone who interferes, they are under complete control and will attack on sight. When this one attacks, some slaves cheer on the characters while others simply collapse. Slaver Boss CR 3 XP 800 Human ranger 4 CE Medium humanoid (human) Init +4; Senses Perception +9 -----Defense----AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +4 Dex) hp 32 (4d10+6) Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +3 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 shortsword +7 (1d6+2/19-20) and whip +6 (1d3+1 nonlethal) Special Attacks combat style (two-weapon combat), favored enemy (humans +2) Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +3) 1st—entangle (DC 13) -----Statistics----Str 13, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8 Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 19 Feats Double Slice, Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip), Two-weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse Skills Climb +5, Handle Animal +4, Heal +6, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (nature) +5, Perception +9, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +11, Survival +9 Languages Common SQ favored terrain (forest +2), hunter's bond (dog named animal companion), track +2, wild empathy +3 Other Gear masterwork studded leather, +1 shortsword, whip Dog N Small animal Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +5 -----Defense----AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size) hp 13 (+4)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +1 -----Offense----Speed 40 ft. Melee bite +4 (1d4+1) -----Statistics----Str 13, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6 Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 14 (18 vs. trip) Feats Weapon Focus (bite) Tricks Attack, Come, Down, Fetch, Fetch, Heel, Hunting, Seek, Track Skills Acrobatics +3 (+11 to jump), Climb +5, Perception +5; Racial Modifiers +4 to survival when tracking by scent SQ come, fetch, hunting
The slaves want to run west into Golnir and they will snatch the key from the slaver’s corpse as soon as he is dead. They may be persuaded to talk with a Diplomacy check as they are currently indifferent to the PCs or become friendly with food and water as an adequate bribe. They report dozens of slaves still labor in the mine. This group doesn’t understand what happened, but the place is overrun with a horde of chalkwhite goblins, and the slavers are commanding the slaves to do new and bizarre things. Some carve designs in the stone; groups like this one collect vegetation which apparently is used to decorate. Either the characters get directed to the mine by the slaves, or they find a footpath to it with a successful DC 20 Survival check, or they just stumble on it eventually.
3 - GUARDS AT THE GATE (CR 3) Read the players the following: Circling a low hill, you spy metal tracks for a mine cart coming to the surface on the north side. The noise of heavy labor echoes from within. Unusual for a mining operation, there appear to be healthy plants growing in the entry. Just down the tunnel are six goblins that have spotted the characters and gotten ready. This encounter requires the Transmutation preparation mentioned in the introduction: the GM should require at least one spell (as detailed below) to succeed, then describe the attack as though it were a group of goblins plus whatever comes from the spellcasting. Goblins (6) XP 135 hp 6 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Goblin”)
CR 1/3
Once inside, random encounters will occur from time to time. It is suggested that the GM check for an encounter in empty chambers and dead ends. Roll 2d6 and consult the following table: 2 Cave-in 3-9 No encounter 10 Slave group 11-12 Goblin patrol
Cave-in
These caves have been destabilized by the mining. The GM may pick one or more PCs at random to be caught under falling rocks, and victims must make a successful DC 15 Reflex save to dive out of the way in time or suffer 2d6 points of bludgeoning damage. If the GM chooses, a cave-in may be large enough to block a path. A character may unblock it with a successful DC 15 Strength check and 20 minutes of digging.
Slave Group (CR 2) A slaver brings a group of ten chained slaves into this area to distribute more collected vegetation. There is exactly one group like this in the mines; any subsequent rolls of slave group should be treated as no encounter. Slaver CR 2 XP 600 Human ranger 3 CE Medium humanoid (human) Init +3; Senses Perception +8 -----Defense----AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +3 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 25 (3d10+4) Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +3 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee shortsword +4 (1d6/19-20) and whip +4 (1d3+1 nonlethal) Special Attacks combat style (two-weapon combat), favored enemy (humans +2) -----Statistics----Str 13, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8 Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 18 Feats Dodge, Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip), Two-weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse Skills Climb +5, Handle Animal +4, Heal +6, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Perception +8, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +8, Survival +8 Languages Common SQ favored terrain (forest +2), track +1, wild empathy +2 Other Gear leather armor, shortsword, whip
Goblin Patrol (CR 1) Goblins wander the caves in small groups. They have been driven to be even more aggressive than usual and attack immediately. Goblins (4) XP 135 hp 6 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Goblin”) Spell-like Ability 1/day—beast shape I
CR 1/3
Special Rules Transmutation: The goblins have a special ability breed directly into these particular goblins that allows them a spell-like ability once per day. Half of the goblins charge into combat to give cover to the other half which cast their spell-like ability beast shape I. They do this to frighten and confuse their foes.
Beast Shape: These particular goblins may cast a spell-like ability 1/day—beast shape I, select a shape from these six options: boar, dire rat, goblin dog, giant spider, rat, snake.
4 - MAIN PASSAGE (CR 3) When the characters descend into the mine entrance, read the following: You follow the metal rails into the depths. There must be magic at work inside, as it is lit with a steady glow. Characters that make a successful DC 20 Perception check or DC 15 Knowledge (engineering) check will notice that not all the stone has been worked by tools: much of the area is natural cavern. Continue with the following: The mining noises get louder and the tunnel opens into a wide room. It’s a startling sight: a human slaver works alongside a pack of goblins, keeping perhaps twenty slaves at task. They are not hacking away at silver veins: instead, the goblins direct them to carve lines, swirls, and odd shapes into the rock. Further, a scattering of plants grows here too: shrubs and trees stick straight out of the floor, walls, and ceiling as though it were natural to grow there. The tunnel exit in the southeast is obscured by the illusion spell: permanent image to look like a solid wall. A PC interacting with the wall or inspecting it may attempt a DC 15 Will save to see through this illusion. The tunnel exit in the west is clogged with an overgrown shrub created by the entangle spell, but have had an unusual tendency to remain permanent, although they have lost their ability to entangle and so no save is needed. Characters may force their way through with a successful DC 10 Strength check or destroy the blockage outright by doing melee slashing damage of at least 10 hp per five feet of coverage. Slaver XP 600 hp 25 (see scene 3)
CR 2
Goblins (4) XP 135 hp 6 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Goblin”) Spell-like Ability 1/day—beast shape I
CR 1/3
See special rules in scene 3. After combat, go immediately to scene 5.
5 - VOICES OF TODAY AND YESTERDAY Read the players the following:
The slaves immediately scramble to free themselves; but within the crowd you notice one person watching you instead of the key. When she undoes her own chains, you realize it is Lauria, the thief who gave you trouble in Yellowport. She calmly approaches you through the chaos. The characters might give her a harsh “greeting.” Continue as appropriate: “Sorry about the last time,” she says. “Business, you know. But it looks like we’re on a common cause now, so now’s my chance to make it up to you.” If the players turned her in to the city militia in The Cannibals (quest 1), her presence is easy to explain. If they didn’t, she was recently captured while on another robbery and sentenced to punishment here. In conversation, she explains she arrived just a few days before disaster struck: an elf appeared from somewhere in the depths, leading the faerie horde, and seized control of the mind of the slavers. He’s commanded the slaves to “beautify” the caverns “in preparation” for something, carving strange art into the walls and bringing in plant cuttings which then grow by magic. He also has cast illusions everywhere; Lauria argues that the characters should bring her with them as a guide. Read them the following: “Look, I’m in better fighting condition than anyone here; and believe me, I’ve committed the entire mine to memory. Just give me a weapon and I’ll keep you from being broadsided by an ambush. Let me pay you back, alright?” Her character sheet is in Stealing from the Fire (quest 2), minus all equipment. The GM should play her as a normal character in combat and try to avoid lethal injury. If they accept her, she will report the illusory wall to the southeast, saying the slaver resting area is on the other side. If they refuse her, normal Lauria (see introduction) will just sneak out of the mine when they aren’t looking. Vindictive Lauria, though, will still reappear at scene 13. All other slaves just want to flee to Golnir, taking their pickaxes to sell. They know nothing that Lauria doesn’t.
6 - WRONG WAY (CR 4) When the players reach this area, read them the following: You have come to a natural cave with sloping floors and dripping stalactites. There are no lights, no carvings, no plants, and no slaves. If Lauria is present: Lauria seems confused. “This is the wrong way,” she says. “The slavers never let us go into these caves. It was forbidden.” The characters must have a light source to proceed safely. Giant spiders have woven webs in the depths: two in the far cave to the east, one in the passage between the two caves. Giant Spiders (3) CR 1 XP 400 hp 16 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Spider, Giant”)
Web: While fighting the giant spiders, the characters will be near sticky webs. Before each round every player involved in the fight must make a DC 14 Reflex save. Anyone who fails the roll will suffer a –1 penalty to melee attack rolls for that round. These webs also provide partial cover from ranged attacks. Some months-old corpses are scattered on the far side. They carry two pickaxes, a potion of cat’s grace, and 75 gp in total.
7 - SLEEPING SLAVER (CR 2) When the players enter, from either direction, read them the following: This dirty area is not terribly “decorated” yet, and is still just a cooking and sleeping chamber for the slavers. You can tell because one of them is snoring loudly on a straw mat. The far exit is obscured by another permanent image to look like a solid wall. If Lauria is present, allow the PCs to make a Will save and note the character with the lowest save and address that player with the following: Lauria is standing next to you, so you hear the most clearly when she speaks in a quiet but urgent voice. “You can sleep and wake and still be under the faerie’s sway! Just cut his throat and be done with it!” She has already stolen the coin purse or gold from this character. He or she should only notice when there is some in-game reason to check. If caught, Lauria will sheepishly explain that she needed more funding. Characters could sneak by the slaver with a successful DC 20 Stealth check. Searching the cluttered floor takes a successful DC 20 Perception check and the Stealth check to be silent (failure wakes the slaver). Treasure: There is a stockpile of 20 torches (not in use due to magical lighting), a potion of cure moderate wounds, a potion of bull’s strength, and the slaver’s equipment. Slaver XP 600 hp 25 (see scene 3)
CR 2
8 – BOOBYTRAP When the players reach this area, read them the following: The noise of mine work echoes from the distance, but this room is empty of people. It is heavily carved, mostly along the walls, and the patterns seem to twine like the branches of the plants. If Lauria is present: Lauria points sharply to the floor in the middle of the room. “Right there! That’s an illusion. There’s a pit trap all the way across the middle of the chamber, made to look like normal floor. It’s only safe to pass near the walls.” This is true, as a successful DC 25 Perception check and a DC 15 Will save reveals. Lauria also points out the illusion concealing the tunnel to scene 7 if the characters do not know already. Anyone who crosses
the room without knowing about the pit will fall in and suffer 2d6 points of falling damage, dispelling the illusion. It is easy to climb out of a DC 10 Climb check.
9 - QUIET BEAUTY When the players reach this area, read them the following: As you enter, you are startled to see the sky. This space is an arboretum: there is a hole in the ceiling in the middle of the chamber and silent sunshowers fall upon the lush plants growing below. The hole, sunlight (even at night), and rainfall are another permanent image, but do not say so unless a character interacts with the wall and makes a successful DC 15 Will save. Lauria does not explain this. If questioned, she smiles and says “I was going to let you figure that one out for yourself.” For normal Lauria (see introduction), the truth is she was going silent so it would be easier to escape from the characters before scene 10.
10 – AMBUSH (CR 3) When the players reach this area, read them the following: The carvings increase until nearly every surface has been touched. The patterns begin to bother your eyes. Much is concealed by plant matter, though, and here and there flowers bloom on small trees. Normal Lauria (see introduction) has turned and fled. The GM should enforce this no matter the results of other scenes, and let the characters discover it too late. She does a force march for Caran Baru, then makes her way to Yellowport, where she eventually retrieves the Medallion of Secrecy. It works as described in Stealing from the Fire (quest 2), so the characters cannot find her again. Vindictive Lauria remains. She informs the characters that the wall in the northeast is an illusion covering a tunnel and there is a team of goblins getting their weapons ready on the other side. If the characters are not informed, and do not happen to interact with the wall and make a successful DC 15 Will save to detect the permanent image, the goblins gain surprise on the party. Goblins (8) XP 135 hp 6 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Goblin”) Spell-like Ability 1/day—beast shape I
CR 1/3
11 - MANY WAYS When the players reach this area, read them the following: Now you come to a four-way intersection. The sounds of dozens of people pounding on rock are very loud nearby. If vindictive Lauria (see introduction) is present:
Lauria glances around. “I do not recall this,” she says. “I did not often work this deep, and I do not remember these routes.” Both the south and east tunnels are illusory. Have all characters and Lauria make a DC 20 Will save to detect the permanent image. Anyone who walks into a solid wall by mistake receives 1 point of damage. Characters may listen to the noise and determine it comes from the north with a successful DC 20 Perception check.
12 - TOMB OF THE FAERIES (CR 7) When the players reach this area, read them the following: You come to the tallest cavern yet, one that looks like a natural cathedral. A night sky appears overhead, the drifting stars streaming light down on a carpet of flowering plants. Near the south stands a low stone structure, rather like a set of sealed double-doors laying flat on the earth. Thirty slaves toil under the whip of two slavers around the stone object, carving a massive spiral shape in the floor and lining it with silver nuggets from the mine. If anybody succeeds DC 20 Sense Motive check, explain the slavers are under magical control. The night sky is a permanent image. If anybody succeeds at DC 15 Will save they detect that the sky is an illusion. If someone succeeds at DC 20 Will save they also detect that the northern wall is under an illusion to make it appear closer than it really is. Resting on a stone throne behind the illusion is Ilundial the elf lord, surrounded by goblins. If he is not spotted, he will wait and watch the characters fight. Slaver (2) XP 600 hp 25 (see scene 3)
CR 2
If the illusion is kept up and the characters win, the slaves will insist on distributing the silver nuggets amongst themselves. If asked, the slaves report that none of them have been in the tunnel to the north, but they’ve seen the elf and his other faeries come and go that way. They’ve been instructed not to touch the stone object itself; “not yet.” If vindictive Lauria (see introduction) is present, she notes she has never been in this room. As soon as the characters step north of the stone structure, or move to touch it, Ilundial drops the illusion on the north wall. Read the players the following: An illusion on the northern wall melts away and you see that the chamber extends even farther in that direction. The slaves freeze in shock and fear as a stone throne surrounded by goblins comes into view. Seated on it is a tall man with wolfish features and pointed ears. He smiles and greets you grandly. “Welcome, mortals,” says the elf. “I am Lord Ilundial. I have been waiting to meet you since you began interfering with the weak-minded ones who released me. Those slovenly minions are needed no longer: you are clearly more magnificent, and with your help we will see the undoing of bonds set before your maps were their modern shape. “Larun, our forest, once reached beyond its present borders, swathing this earth in green. It was in those days that I, and my Lady, and our favorites, were bound in tombs. The tombs were only to be opened by willing human hands. The ravages of time and humanity have pushed the forest back, and now human hands have brought me free; free to prepare the earth for the day my Lady joins me.
“I had thought to wait longer, to make her first steps be into true beauty, but enough is enough. You will open the seal for me, and pledge yourselves as the finest servants to Lady Aelferryn. You will do this with a free mind. You will do it now.” Even if the characters agree (with no promise of reward) to open the stone seal, the slaves will form a human wall around it to stop them. In the end, Ilundial and his goblins (and the slavers, if appropriate) attack in frustration. Goblins (6) XP 135 hp 6 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Goblin”) Spell-like Ability 1/day—beast shape I
CR 1/3
Lord Ilundial CR 4 XP 1,200 Elf illusionist 5 CE Medium humanoid (elf) Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +8 -----Defense----AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +2 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 30 (5d6+10) Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +5; +2 vs. enchantments Immune sleep -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Arcane School Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +9) 7/day—blinding ray Spells Prepared (CL 5th; concentration +9) 3rd—displacement, fireball (DC 17), hold person (DC 17) 2nd—flaming sphere (DC 16), hideous laughter (DC 16), invisibility, scorching ray 1st—charm person (DC 15), color spray (DC 15), color spray (DC 15), mage armor, shield 0 (at will)—light, message, open/close (DC 14), resistance Opposition Schools Divination, Necromancy -----Statistics----Str 8, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10 Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 14 Feats Combat Casting, Dodge, Extend Spell, Scribe Scroll, Weapon Finesse Skills Appraise +8, Diplomacy +2, Escape Artist +3, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +9, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge (planes) +9, Knowledge (religion) +8, Perception +8, Sense Motive +6, Spellcraft +12 (+14 to identify magic item properties), Stealth +3; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +2 Spellcraft to identify magic item properties Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Goblin, Orc SQ arcane bond (staff of illusion), elven magic, extended illusions (2 rounds) Combat Gear staff of illusion, wand of dominate person (2 charges); Other Gear bracers of armor +2, and a jug of faerie mead
When he dies, any remaining slavers are freed of dominate person. If vindictive Lauria (see introduction) is present, the GM should keep her toward the back in combat. At a good point during the fight, such as when Ilundial is about to fall, go to scene 13. Normal Lauria would be gone already. After the fight, the slaves insist on distributing the silver nuggets amongst themselves, and prevent anyone from opening the seal until the merchant’s guild can be
contacted (see conclusion). If the characters explore the far north area, they find a second stone tomb which has been opened in an undecorated cave. Inside is just a stone floor a foot or so down, so nothing could fit inside except by magic.
13 - THE LORD’S LADY (CR 5) This section only happens if the players made Lauria vindictive (see introduction). Read them the following: You hear a shout above the din of battle. Risking a sideways glance, you feel a chill to see Lauria standing at the far side of the sealed tomb doors. The look in her eyes is unkind. “I promised you payback!” she screams, and throws open the doors. She then runs full speed for the exit and proceeds out as described in scene 10. New enemies unfold from within the tomb: the elf lady Aelferryn and another contingent of goblins. They appear confused for an instant, but then Aelferryn shrieks in rage at the threat to the faeries and attacks immediately. The slaves find strength from fear and all flee, even if still chained. Goblins (6) XP 135 hp 6 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Goblin”) Spell-like Ability 1/day—beast shape I
CR 1/3
Aelferryn CR 4 XP 1,200 Elf sorcerer 5 NE Medium humanoid (elf) Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +7 -----Defense----AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 natural) hp 20 (5d6) Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +4; +2 vs. enchantments Immune sleep ------Offense-----Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 quarterstaff +2 (1d6) Bloodline Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +8) 6/day—laughing touch Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +8) 2nd (5/day)—blindness/deafness (DC 15), blur, hideous laughter (DC 17) 1st (7/day)—burning hands (DC 14), entangle (DC 14), mage armor, magic missile, shield 0 (at will)—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 13), light, mage hand, mending, open/close (DC 13) Bloodline Fey -----Statistics----Str 8, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 16 Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 15 Feats Combat Casting, Dodge, Eschew Materials, Weapon Finesse Skills Appraise +7, Bluff +8, Craft (alchemy) +7, Diplomacy +5, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Knowledge (nature) +6, Perception +7, Spellcraft +10 (+12 to identify magic item properties), Stealth +4, Survival +2; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +2 Spellcraft to identify magic item properties Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan
SQ elven magic, woodland stride Combat Gear wand of magic missile; Other Gear +1 quarterstaff, amulet of natural armor +2, ring of feather falling
After the fight, the characters are free to collect the silver nuggets: they sell for 700 gp total.
It is clear that Dunwick is dead (and his body is fertilizer), so ownership of the mine falls to any surviving slavers. If the second seal is unopened, the slavers (or slaves themselves) contact the merchant’s guild to use Dunwick’s remaining assets to hire scholars and/or mercenaries. They thank the characters for tipping the scales, but dealing with the valuable mine is now a private concern, and the characters are not invited to help. The slavers/slaves are happy to get a parchment from the guild acknowledging the party’s involvement in Dunwick’s claim (e.g., as ‘outside contractors’) so they can get paid. If the mines are empty, the characters can report this fact and get written documentation anyway. Then they must walk back to Marlock City. It is 75 miles from Caran Baru to Trefoille. The Weary Pilgrim Tavern is exactly halfway, and has the same rates as the Gold Dust Tavern in Yellowport. It is 20 miles from Trefoille to Marlock City. The return is uneventful. When the characters bring their guild documentation to the House of Priests, read the following: Shortly after arrival, you again see the inside of Chief Administrator Altun’s offices. He glances at your parchment, but is more interested in the tale of events at Dunwick’s mine. “I had not heard of these tombs,” he says at the end, “but the Forest of Larun is known for its secrets. It seems the world was well-off over the years these malevolent faeries were sealed away.” He arranges for you to be paid your 600 gold pieces, and thanks you. That is, he thanks you on behalf of the souls who suffered and died in this most recent crisis. Hopefully, nothing else dreadful will surface anytime soon. If the characters inquire about the jug of faerie mead found on Ilundial, Altun advises them not to drink it, but to keep it safe: should they meet faeries in more wholesome circ*mstances, it may prove useful for negotiation. Faerie mead will become relevant in the upcoming Fabled Lands: Golnir Pathfinder campaign.
This quest is another like A Long Sea Voyage (quest 3) that is linear and focused on story. It is particularly tricky because the players must choose a side in Sokara’s civil war; a decision with lasting effects. The choice develops over scene 3, scene 4, and scene 6. The remaining scenes (7 through 10) are set up to be ‘reversible,’ meaning that the players will face the same challenges no matter what, but the GM can swap names and allegiances based on the final decision. This choice then determines events after
the conclusion of this quest: if the players support Nergan Corin, they may continue with To Serve a King (quest 7); if the players support Marloes Marlock, they may continue with To Serve a General (quest 8). The quest begins whenever the GM wishes. Characters should be allowed time to heal. The House of Priests in Marlock City has no more work for the characters; instead, they will be contacted anywhere in Sokara as detailed below: This morning, you find yourself contemplative. Your life has brought you a number of remarkable adventures. To date, you have been on land, in the underground, and on the high seas; you have faced animals, people, faerie folk, and the undead. The consequence has been that your purse repeatedly bulges with Gold pieces. Yes, by adventure you make money; but what of making history? Today a messenger finds you. He is not from the House of Priests in Marlock City; instead, he is a soldier in service to Grieve Marlock, Protector-General of all Sokara. He delivers a summons to present yourselves to Marloes Marlock, Provost Marshal of Yellowport. That is all. The characters probably should not refuse a summons from such a powerful figure. When they arrive at their destination, note the weather and mention it along with the following: You have technically seen the Marshal Citadel and Courthouse before; at a distance, atop a small hillock, and beyond a fortified wall, the dense Citadel Grove, and two large barracks. Now you walk through its front doors. In the marble-floored reception area you wait a spell, then are met by Captain Royzer, an aide to the provost marshal who is by all accounts the more competent of the two. After being thoroughly convinced of your identity, he escorts you through halls of lavish decoration and up to the second floor where you enter a war office. Marloes Marlock does not have a public face: since he was installed in power, he made no habit of marching at the head of parades, nor of delivering grand speeches. In truth, the paranoid man has not been seen outside the citadel in months. Yet here, in an office with no audience but his guards and advisors, he sits on an extravagant throne and enjoys all the trappings of wealth. Captain Royzer goes to his side, whispers a few words, and is dismissed vaguely. As the captain leaves the room, the provost marshal waves you over. “I get a lot of use out of the Bronze Hills,” he declares without preamble. “The silver mines are a place of choice to put criminals and those who resist our new order. Reports are that the area would have been destabilized had you not come along to clear out a problem. For able adventurers like yourselves, I can think of other productive tasks. Conveniently, ones that also let you show your loyalty to my brother, the Protector-General.” He snaps a finger. An aide hesitates for a moment, then brings him a whole stack of parchment from a nearby table. Marloes Marlock snarls and pulls a map of Sokara out of the heap. Jabbing a finger at it, he continues. “A group of rebels, loyal to the old king, are hiding out in the Coldbleak Mountains. Their leader, Nergan Corin, is dangerous to us, as he is heir to the old throne and a rallying point for the rebels. “We fear that he is cultivating royalist cells in Sokara, preparing traitors to rise up and seize local control. Skilled individuals such as you may be able to get into his confidence and disrupt the process. I task you to penetrate his stronghold and find evidence of where rebels intend to strike next. Then, travel to the location and terminate the insurrection. Do this and you will be richly rewarded: I can promise you 1000 gold pieces if you succeed and bring back word that justice has been done. And, perhaps, once your loyalty is known, there may be other uses for you.”
If the players accept, Marloes Marlock will advise starting their ascent from near Blessed Springs to have a safe base camp. He emphasizes using diplomacy once at the mountain hideout, as a light touch will be essential to keep the rebels in the dark. Then, once they know more about imminent rebel activity, how they deal with it will demonstrate their worth to the Protector-General. The provost marshal dismisses them brusquely, and they are left to their own devices in Yellowport to prepare.
1 - TO THE COLDBLEAK MOUNTAINS Hopefully the players will think to prepare for a mountain climb, as well as overland travel as there is no safe place to dock a ship east of Yellowport. When they are ready, read them the following: So the journey is underway. Of all the ‘patrons’ you have had so far, Provost Marshal Marloes Marlock is the most unsettling. This promises to be an interesting excursion. It is 40 miles from Yellowport to Venefax, then 25 miles from Venefax to Blessed Springs, both by road. Describe locations per the Sokara Companion in the Appendix. For every day spent in southeast Sokara, the GM should roll 2d6 and consult one of the following random encounter tables. The first is when on a road: 2-3 Scorpion men 4-6 Travelers 7-10 No encounter 11 Military patrol 12 Wild animals The second is if the characters find some reason to go off-road: 2-3 Scorpion men 4-9 No encounter 10-12 Wild animals The characters meet 1d3 scorpion men out from Scorpion Bight on a hunting excursion. They must fight or flee. Scorpion Men CR 3 XP 800 N Large monstrous humanoid Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft.; Perception +6 -----Defense----AC 15, touch 8, flat-footed 15 (–1 Dex, +7 natural, –1 size) hp 30 (4d10+8) Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +4 -----Offense----Speed 50 ft. Melee longsword +7 (1d8+4/19-20), 2 claws +2 (1d6+2 plus grab), sting +2 (1d6+2 plus poison) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. -----Statistics----Str 18, Dex 9, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 11 Base Atk +4; CMB +9 (+13 grapple); CMD 18 (26 vs. trip) Feats Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
Skills Climb +14, Knowledge (history) +2, Perception +6, Sense Motive +2, Stealth +6, Survival +5; Racial Modifiers +4 Climb, +4 Stealth Languages Common SQ scorpion empathy +4, undersized weapons Other Gear longsword -----Special Abilities----Poison (Ex) Sting—injury; save Fort DC 17; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Strength damage; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus Scorpion Empathy (Ex) This ability functions as a druid's wild empathy ability, save that it works only on scorpions. A scorpion man uses its Hit Dice (normally 4) as its effective druid level. Scorpions are normally mindless, but this empathic communication imparts upon them a modicum of implanted intelligence, allowing scorpion men to train scorpions and use them as guardians (though it does not grant them skills or feats).
All other encounters are similar to those described in The Ghouls (quest 4), except for one distinction with military patrols: there are no regular guard posts on the roads, and any soldiers met will have horses, likely in transit to or from the Forts of the Eastern Marches.
2 -WOLF PACK (CR 6) When the characters approach the Coldbleak Mountains, read the following: The Coldbleak Mountains look as inhospitable and forbidding as their name implies, their frozen flanks climbing high into the icy clouds. A heavy snow falls even at the lower reaches and it is dangerously cold. It is uncertain how you are supposed to find anyone in these conditions. The characters may seek to search in some pattern, but there are literally no signs or tracks to be found in the storm. Assuming the characters have adequate gear to survive the cold (e.g., cold weather gear), they must simply begin climbing and make a DC 15 Climb check. After two Climb checks (and regrouping if it so happens that some characters fall), read the following: You stumble upon an open plateau where the snow in the air dances weightlessly about you but the snow underfoot seems compacted. You barely spot a cave nearby. Any character that makes a successful DC 20 Perception checks will deduce the cave is occupied, but not by rebels; rather, by a pack of snow wolves. If the characters do not flee, the wolves come out from the cave and attack. Remember that ranged combat is near impossible due to the weather and receive –8 penalty. Snow Wolves (6) XP 400 hp 13 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Wolf”)
CR 1
See the snow wolf den map. Their lair contains a smattering of animal and human bones, a hunting spear, flint and steel, and 40 gp.
3 - WHO IS THE RIGHTFUL RULER? (CR 8) After passing the snow wolf cave, have the characters do one more DC 15 Climb check for in the Coldbleak Mountains. After succeeding (or failing and regrouping), read the players the following:
You clamber up until you come to a mountain track. It passes through a deep rocky cleft where you get relief from the strong winds. From somewhere ahead, a man steps out in front of you. He is clearly a soldier, but his clothes are rough and ready, as if he had been living in the wild for some time. The soldier looks you over critically. This is a royalist soldier, and there are several others positioned among the jagged rocks along this cleft, all about 20 feet overhead. If the characters behave aggressively, they will stand and fire arrows until the characters retreat (and with the wind weakened there is no penalty to ranged combat). If the characters do nothing contrary, this one soldier parleys with them. Read the following: “Who is the rightful ruler of Sokara - General Grieve Marlock, or the son of the old king, Nergan Corin?” asks the soldier. Answering “Grieve Marlock” prompts an archery attack. The characters would be advised to leave and try again later. They could camp in the snow wolf cave (scene 2), or, because they know the route now, they need only make one test for climbing to leave the mountain then one more to return. The next day, they could disguise themselves to seem like a new group: this takes Disguise check per person and at least half the characters must succeed. If they answer “Nergan Corin,” read the following: “That is fortunate - for you,” says the soldier. Several archers stand up from their hiding places behind rocks overhead. Another soldier, a captain, approaches from the far end of this track and introduces himself as Captain Vorkung. He is clearly one of the old aristocracy, the nobles loyal to the king and the old regime, before General Marlock and the army seized power, and executed the old corrupt king. Vorkung tells you to leave the mountains. He advises leaving the mountains because it is dangerous for the average citizen even to know that rebels are here. Characters may try to convince him they support the cause, have come to swear allegiance to the rightful king, and would fight for Nergan Corin, et cetera, with a successful Diplomacy check. On failure, they are deemed possible spies and the archers fire warning shots into the earth to drive them off. They can try another Diplomacy check, getting attacked outright if they fail, or just leave and try again the next day as above. On success, Captain Vorkung decides they might be useful, and offers to lead them blindfolded the rest of the way to camp. If the characters agree, go to scene 4. Captain Vorkung CR 5 XP 1,600 Human fighter 6 N Medium humanoid (human) Init +5; Senses Perception +3 -----Defense----AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+6 armor, +1 Dex, +2 shield) hp 59 (6d10+22) Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +3 (+2 vs. fear) -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 longsword +12/+7 (1d8+7/19-20) Special Attacks weapon training (heavy blades +1) -----Statistics----Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 12 Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 20
Feats Blind-fight, Cleave, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Toughness, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword) Skills Appraise +3, Climb +1, Diplomacy +4, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Knowledge (engineering) +5, Knowledge (local) +2, Knowledge (nobility) +2, Perception +3, Profession (soldier) +4, Ride -1, Sense Motive +3, Stealth -2, Survival +3 Languages Common, Orc SQ armor training 1 Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds; Other Gear chainmail, heavy steel shield, +1 longsword Royalist Archers (7) CR 2 XP 600 Human warrior 4 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +3; Senses Perception +3 -----Defense----AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +2 Dex) hp 36 (4d10+14) Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +0 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor) Melee shortsword +5 (1d6+1/19-20) Ranged longbow +7 (1d8/×3) -----Statistics----Str 13, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12 Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 18 Feats Point-blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot Skills Appraise +1, Diplomacy +2, Perception +3, Sense Motive +2, Stealth +2 Languages Common Other Gear chainmail, longbow, shortsword
4 - THE KING’S CAMP (CR 6) If a druid character has Animal Friendship, the GM will have to edit the following to accommodate animal companions before reading: You are blindfolded and led through a confusing route; some secret pass in the rock. Then the wind picks up as you come out in the open again, and the blindfolds are removed. You stand in a mountain stockade surrounded by royalist soldiers. Captain Vorkung leads you into an enclosed building. Inside King Nergan gives you an audience in a makeshift throne room. The son of the old king of Sokara is a young man buried in thick furs, surrounded by aides just as the provost marshal was. Two long tables nearby are covered in maps and documents, and toward the back are shelves of strange objects tended by some middle-aged woman. Vorkung tells his liege that he will be out with the patrol and you are left to present your business to Nergan Corin. The stockade map is in To Serve a General (quest 8). Nergan Corin XP 800 Human fighter 4 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +0; Senses Perception +2 -----Defense----AC 20, touch 10, flat-footed 20 (+7 armor, +3 shield)
CR 3
hp 44 (4d10+18) Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +3 (+1 vs. fear) -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 longsword +9 (1d8+6/19-20) -----Statistics----Str 16, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 13 Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 17 Feats Iron Will, Power Attack, Shield Focus, Toughness, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword) Skills Appraise +2, Bluff +2, Climb +4, Diplomacy +2, Handle Animal +5, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Knowledge (engineering) +5, Knowledge (history) +2, Knowledge (nobility) +3, Perception +2, Sense Motive +2, Survival +4, Swim +4 Languages Common, Goblin SQ armor training 1 Other Gear +1 chainmail, +1 light steel shield, +1 longsword
Description: The rightful heir to the throne of Sokara is hiding in the Coldbleak Mountains. His aids advise him to wear armor at all times, over which he wears furs to keep him warm. The woman is Tilonen, Nergan’s court magician. For purposes of this scene, there are an unlimited number of royalist soldiers. Tilonen XP 1,600 hp 47 (see quest 8)
CR 5
The characters may approach this multiple ways. Characters loyal to Marlock may, under direct view, steal documents with a successful DC 15 Sleight of Hand check. A different character may draw attention and provide cover with a successful DC 15 Bluff check: for every point by which he or she beats the difficulty, the Sleight of Hand check’s difficulty goes down by one. Failure in the Sleight of Hand check means someone must make a successful DC 20 Bluff check to explain the odd behavior or the whole group is executed. Characters may simply offer to serve Nergan. He will ask what good they have done for the kingdom. A successful DC 20 Bluff check convinces him to speak with them in private. He is immediately convinced if they mention what they did in Slaves of the Faeries (quest 5), as seen below. If the characters seem to be accomplishing nothing, move the scene along by reading the following: The middle-aged woman gives a polite cough, and then whispers in the young king’s ears. His eyes light up. “That was you, then!” he proclaims. “You were those who rescued the downtrodden in the Bronze Hills! Many who resist the so-called “Protector-General” are sent to those mines. Let us speak in private.” Unless the characters excuse themselves early, proceed with the following: He leads you aside into a private chamber. There are more parchments marked with recent notations alongside various supplies. “I have need of ones such as you,” he says. “Sokara groans under the yoke of the Marlocks. Those loyal to the crown are in danger everywhere, but with powerful aid they may tilt the balance against the regime. What say you?”
Now, characters may steal documents with a successful DC 20 Stealth check, and the same Bluff check apply as above. Players who have read the original game book may try to kill Nergan; unlike in To Serve a General (quest 8), there are so many guards nearby now that the attempt will be overheard. If the players seek to work with Nergan, read them the following: “Royalist support within the military is rare, but essential. We stand in position to take Fort Brilon of the Forts of the Eastern Marches and commence building a base of force from a direction the Marlocks will never expect. It so happens that half of the soldiers in Fort Brilon are loyal to the crown. I task you to make contact with the sympathizers there and aid them in seizing control. Do this and you will be richly rewarded: I can promise you 1000 Gold pieces if you succeed and bring back word that right has prevailed. And, perhaps, once your loyalty is proven, there may be other uses for you.” If the players accept, Nergan Corin will tell them to contact Sergeant Taun Jacobs with the password “ambuscade.” They must avoid Captain Forin Hale, who is loyal to Marlock. Any documents the characters steal describe all of this. He also supplies them with their pick of 6 potions; they may select any combination from potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of bull’s strength, potion of cat’s grace, potion of lesser restoration, potion of enlarge. Whether the players promise support or not, the king wishes them well and has them led out of the stockade and back down to the foothills of the Coldbleak Mountains.
5 - TO FORT BRILON Read the players the following: The plot thickens. Upon reflection, you see it is a matter of trust: both Marloes Marlock and Nergan Corin hold you as harmless, at least so far as you know. When you arrive in Fort Brilon, you will decide which way this small piece of civil war turns. They may take time to prepare in Blessed Springs or elsewhere if desired; but note that Marloes Marlock wants the characters to handle the threat, and will insist on this even if they bring stolen documents all the way back to Yellowport. It is 40 miles from Blessed Springs to Fort Brilon by road. The road is patrolled by troopers of the Sokaran army so there will be no hostile random encounters.
6 - THE COUP: INTRIGUE (CR 7) When the players arrive at Fort Brilon, first describe the Forts of the Eastern Marches per the Sokara Companion in the Appendix. Then read them the following: You now stand as far as can be from the seat of Marlock’s power in the southwest. You enter the Sokara-side gates of Fort Brilon and are greeted by a royal crest on the inner wall: that of King Brilon Corin, a man many generations removed from the now-deposed Corin VII and his son, Nergan. Here, around two dozen soldiers perform various duties under the leadership of Sergeant Seeva Shain, Sergeant Taun Jacobs, and Captain Forin Hale. You learn that Commander Miles Torgan of the Marlock City war council, who oversees the entire operation, is back in Marlock City at this time. See the Fort Brilon map. The players may first contact whomever they wish, so see below for personality notes on the officers. Sergeant Jacobs expects to hear the password “ambuscade,” upon which he will immediately take the characters into one of the small offices. Read the players the following:
The sergeant is thrilled to receive word from his liege. He explains he has united soldiers still loyal to the crown right under the nose of Captain Hale. Jacobs has been preparing to seize control in a coup, but the problem in pitting soldiers against soldiers is knowing who is whom. Captain Hale will do likewise if the characters bring him documents proving insurrection; otherwise, he can be convinced to meet in private through conversation, as he already knows of the problem anyway: The captain grimly receives your word. He explains he has been aware of treasonous activity within the ranks; your report merely confirms what he suspected of Sergeant Jacobs for some time. Hale has been preparing for a coup, but the problem in routing the traitors is knowing who is whom. Whether the characters choose Jacobs or Hale, the mechanics of the coup are the same. The remainder of this quest is written assuming they continue to support Marlock and choose Hale; if otherwise, the GM must swap all names and allegiances as mentioned in the introduction. Below, this would be Jacobs for Hale, Marlock for Nergan Corin, “the coup is a success” for “the coup is prevented” and so on: Now, it appears all is falling into place. Hale has identified more than a dozen enlisted men as loyal to Nergan Corin. A short while ago, a group on death duty scouting in Nerech returned with news: the manbeasts are preparing to attack. The attack should be small, and Hale has a plan. He will alert everyone he can trust that the true target during the attack is the opposition soldiers. Supporters of Nergan will be preoccupied fighting off the manbeasts and so they can be captured one by one. Only the sergeant himself will likely need to be killed; the others may yet be convinced to change their ways. The captain, after all, cares for those under his command. Once the coup is prevented, the victors can finish repelling any manbeast stragglers. When it seems the players understand, explain the plan. First, all will wait for the alarm horn. Some soldiers will respond by going to the walls or towers with bows ready, and others by going to the courtyard with swords ready. The characters are to position themselves near the bottom of the stairwell in the main building, perhaps in the west equipment storage or the north office room, below the barracks on the second floor. They will use nets to capture and subdue opposition soldiers coming down. Allied soldiers will man other locations from the courtyard to the archer towers and proceed likewise. In all this, Sergeant Shain is a wildcard. Her priority is defending Sokara and she could be convinced to join either side; if the characters do nothing, she will not help during the coup, but will serve with whichever officer comes out on top in the end. If the characters make a compelling argument, they may enlist her with a successful Diplomacy check. Sergeant Seeva Shain CR 3 XP 800 Female human ranger 4 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +3; Senses Perception +9 -----Defense----AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +3 Dex) hp 34 (4d10+8) Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +3 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 rapier +8 (1d6+1/18-20) Ranged longbow +7 (1d8/×3) Special Attacks combat style (archery), favored enemy (humans +2) Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +3) 1st—entangle (DC 13)
-----Statistics----Str 10, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 8 Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 17 Feats Endurance, Point-blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +4, Climb +5, Diplomacy +3, Escape Artist +5, Handle Animal +3, Heal +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge (nature) +8, Perception +9, Sense Motive +3, Stealth +10, Survival +6, Swim +7 Languages Common, Sylvan SQ favored terrain (forest +2), hunter's bond (companions), track +2, wild empathy +3 Other Gear +1 studded leather, +1 rapier, longbow
Sergeant Shain is pragmatic and disinterested. She will fight to do her duty to Sokara, defined as protecting the citizens, not as serving a ruler. Sergeant Taun Jacobs CR 4 XP 1,200 Human fighter 5 CN Medium humanoid (human) Init +5; Senses Perception +4 -----Defense----AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17 (+7 armor, +1 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 52 (5d10+20) Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +2 (+1 vs. fear) ------Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee mwk greatsword +12 (2d6+9/19-20) Special Attacks weapon training (heavy blades +1) -----Statistics----Str 18, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12 Base Atk +5; CMB +9; CMD 21 Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Toughness, Weapon Focus (greatsword), Weapon Specialization (greatsword) Skills Intimidate +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7, Knowledge (engineering) +4, Perception +4 Languages Common SQ armor training 1 Other Gear +1 chainmail, mwk greatsword
Sergeant Jacobs has barely-controlled eagerness, but is intelligent. He planned this coup for some time, and will be very grateful to the characters for providing the push to make it happen. Captain Forin Hale CR 4 XP 1,200 Human fighter 5 N Medium humanoid (human) Init +3; Senses Perception +5 -----Defense----AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 shield) hp 55 (5d10+23) Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +3 (+1 vs. fear) -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 shortsword +7 (1d6+4/19-20) or shortsword +6 (1d6+3/19-20) Special Attacks weapon training (light blades +1) -----Statistics----Str 15, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +5; CMB +7; CMD 21 Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Double Slice, Iron Will, Toughness, Two-weapon Defense, Two-weapon Fighting Skills Bluff +1, Climb +6, Diplomacy +4, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (engineering) +6, Perception +5, Stealth +7, Survival +5 Languages Common, Orc SQ armor training 1 Other Gear mwk chain shirt, +1 shortsword, shortsword
Captain Hale is righteous and duty-bound. He views the entire royalist insurrection as other people view weeds, and understands the cost when a nation fights itself.
7 - THE COUP: WARNING AND AMBUSH (CR 1 or variable) The captain (or sergeant) instructs the characters in identifying opposition soldiers to capture, because he cannot guarantee he will be around to assist in the fight. He tells them to stock up on nets from the firstfloor weapons and equipment storage. He also gives them food and lodges them in the barracks until the next day. The characters have a few hours to themselves if they come up with their own plans, e.g., to betray the very officer they’ve contacted. Then read (and/or edit) the following: Under the captain’s instruction, you’ve studied the faces around you as well as you can. The only thing left to do is wait. One need not wait long; shortly after sunrise, a lookout blows the alarm horn. The cry goes up: “The manbeasts! To your stations!” The soldiers hurry to organize. The characters start in the barracks, conveniently near the stairwell, and so may set themselves in position on the first floor in a single combat round. Roll 1d3+1: this is the number of combat rounds until a group of soldiers runs by the door of their hiding place. The soldiers are a mix of opposition soldiers trying to repel the assault and ally soldiers hurrying to position in the courtyard (that is, they are not fighting each other yet). The GM must determine the mix randomly for each group. Roll 1d6 and consult the following table: 1 One opposition soldier, one ally 2 Two opposition soldiers 3 Two opposition soldiers, one ally 4 Three opposition soldiers 5 Three opposition soldiers, one ally 6 Two opposition soldiers, two allies Characters need to make a successful DC 15 Perception check to identify who is whom. If half or more succeed, all the players may choose the correct targets; otherwise, the GM should decide at random. Of course, the players could decide to just net everybody in order to be safe. Ally soldiers will all fight nonlethal if forced, but prefer to reach their station in the courtyard first. Opposition soldiers will all respond lethally. Ally soldiers may be netted accidentally. The first time this happens, the GM can have Sergeant Shain correct them if she is allied with the players (scene 6): she comes in from the courtyard, shouts orders, and then runs upstairs. If she isn’t an ally, or has already gone by, the netted allies (who all know about the plot) can protest.
The GM must judge the evolving logistics over the course of the battle. In another 1d3+1 combat rounds, a second group comes by whether the players are ready or not. Then in another 1d3+1 combat rounds, a third group will. Then, wait a final 1d3+1 combat rounds and go to scene 8. Soldiers CR 1/2 XP 200 Human warrior 2 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +0; Senses Perception +1 -----Defense----AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor) hp 15 (2d10+4) Fort +4, Ref +0, Will -1 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor) Melee longsword +5 (1d8+2/19-20) Ranged longbow +2 (1d8/×3) -----Statistics----Str 15, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8 Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 14 Feats Point-blank Shot, Weapon Focus (longsword) Skills Perception +1, Profession (soldier) +4, Sense Motive +1 Languages Common Other Gear chainmail, longbow, longsword, a quiver, and 10 arrows.
8 - THE COUP: BLOODSHED (CR 3) Read the players the following (edited as required): The din of nearby battle has been audible this whole while, as the clueless followers of Nergan Corin attempt to repel the manbeasts at the gate. Loud bangs imply the foes are battering at it even now. The noise has increased as those loyal to Marlock spring their own traps overhead and in the courtyard. The last few moments, though, have brought screams from somewhere in the yard. Through an open window, you hear Captain Hale bellowing your names. “They’ve seized the archer towers! They no longer fire on the manbeasts; they fire on us! Engage them with force!” No more soldiers come down the stairs. In the barracks on the second floor, the players find a chaotic mix of netted and struggling soldiers of varying allegiances. Some allied soldiers lie dead from arrows near the exterior door. (If they go to the courtyard, they find similar, but also spy Captain Hale and Sergeant Jacobs dueling.) Sergeant Shain is also here. If she is not allied with the players (scene 6), she will be confused and furious: she wishes to combat the manbeasts, but has nowhere to go where she may do any good. She can be convinced to ally if someone spends time to use Diplomacy skill to change her attitude from indifferent to friendly. If she is allied, she will join the characters in a rush up the stairs to the towers. All soldiers now fight to the death. Three of the opposition soldiers in the towers fire on the party once while they ascend. Anyone staying below and using ranged attacks back up toward the towers must suffer a –2 penalty in addition to any penalty for range. Magic is not affected, and in fact a successful magic attack will make the archers take cover and let the characters climb the stairs.
When the soldiers are defeated, go to scene 9. If the characters look down while in the towers, describe the basics from the first paragraph of that scene. Soldiers (5) XP 200 hp 15 (see scene 7)
CR 1/2
9 - THE COUP: DEFENSES BREACHED (CR 8) Read the players the following: The archer towers are secure, but the battle rages on beneath you. You look to the courtyard to see Captain Hale and Sergeant Jacobs in a duel amid netted or dying soldiers. Neither seems to give an inch. Then you look to the other side of the gate house. Outside you see the manbeast force, most of it dead, but with a few creatures still living to pound at the outer gate. They look like people but their limbs are strangely twisted, their hands ending in long black talons. They are covered in matted grey fur, and wear little except an ornate iron helm, each sculpted to look like some ferocious animal. They barrel toward the door again and again, using themselves as battering rams. Suddenly they strike in unison - and with a shudder felt throughout the building, the outer gate caves in. The manbeasts are at the inner gate in a flash. Tragically, it would seem the inner gate was not properly sealed when the recent scouting expedition returned to the fort. Scrabbling talons find purchase and the manbeasts pull the gate open with ease. Soon they will be upon the officers below. Sergeant Shain will fire arrows down on the manbeasts. Captain Hale and Sergeant Jacobs will of course fight the manbeasts, but take any opportunity to kill each other; the coup will not end in any heartwarming revelation that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” When all enemies are dead, go to scene 10. Manbeasts These humanoid figures are covered in shaggy hair of varied grey and brown. Their hands end in long claws instead of nails and have sharp teeth like fangs. On their heads they wear great iron helms sculpted like faces of lions, bears and birds of prey. Manbeasts (3) CR 5 XP 1,600 N Medium humanoid Init +2; Senses blood scent; Perception +6 -----Defense----AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 natural) hp 45 (7d8+14) Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +4 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee bite +7 (2d6+2), 2 claws +7 (1d6+2) -----Statistics----Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 9 Base Atk +5; CMB +7; CMD 19 Feats Alertness, Great Fortitude, Surprise Attack, Toughness Skills Climb +6, Perception +6, Sense Motive +4, Stealth +4, Survival +7 -----Special Abilities-----
Blood Scent (Ex) A manbeast can detect any creature at less than maximum hit points as if it had scent. Those at full hit points cannot be detected by the blood scent ability. The manbeasts are aggressive and often form large raiding packs, where they will attack travelers or attempt to breach the wall into Sokara. The origin of the manbeasts is shrouded in mystery, but the truth is that they are magically altered to their animalistic form. For what purpose and by whom this was done is unclear.
10 - THE COUP: REWARDS If Captain Hale was defeated, he will be healed with a potion of cure serious wounds. If Sergeant Jacobs somehow survived, such as by the characters using nonlethal combat, then Hale will execute him immediately before proceeding as described below (or the reverse for allies of Jacobs). Read the players the following (edited as required): Captain Forin Hale takes control of the situation. Soldiers are organized to seal the gate properly and tend to the injured. Captured loyalists to the king are pressed back into grudging service. Sergeant Seeva Shain is livid that the inner gate failed by an error, but she keeps it within herself for the most part as she works with Hale. In short order, Fort Brilon is at peace, the coup is done, and able souls are already at work to repair the damaged outer gate. When the characters are ready, i.e., any injured ones are healed, the captain thanks them for their loyal service to the Protector-General. Treasure: He presents them with two old pieces of equipment, a +1 keen battle axe and a set of +1 chainmail, which he jokingly gives up because they “don’t fit with the uniform.” He also offers each character one manbeast’s helmet. They are no good as actual armor due to their awkward shape, but may be kept as heirlooms or sold for 75 gp each. Lastly, he hands over the dead sergeant’s officer’s pass to deliver to Provost Marshal Marloes Marlock.
The players must return to their chosen patron, Nergan Corin in the Coldbleak Mountains or Marloes Marlock in Yellowport. Normally, retracing the route in the mountains requires one successful DC 15 Climb check; and there could be random encounters on the road to Yellowport as detailed in scene 1; but the GM should let the return be uneventful. Read the following to players loyal to Nergan Corin: The weather in the mountains shows mercy and clears for your return. You are recognized by the soldiers on guard and again enter the mountain stockade. The king receives the officer’s pass and those assembled listen intently to your tale. The royalist guards seem thrilled, but Nergan seems quiet. “A good service has been done,” the young king eventually proclaims. “I see that my trust was not misplaced. Come; receive your disbursem*nt. Spend it wisely, and return here when you are ready to further serve your king. I will say no more until then.” You are brought the promised 1000 gold pieces and an escort is arranged back down to the foothills. Read the following to players loyal to Marloes Marlock:
At the Marshal Citadel and Courthouse once again, Captain Royzer meets you and brings you to another war office on the second floor. Marloes Marlock receives the officer’s pass and those assembled listen intently to your tale. An aide begins furiously scribbling upon a parchment, but Marlock seems quiet. “You will be paid as you are worth,” he eventually states. “It is difficult to move against Nergan Corin, for his followers are skilled in identifying spies. So 1000 gold pieces it is; and if you return again, you may find more opportunities for pay. Do so when you are prepared to further serve your country.” You are brought the promised money and led out of the building.
This quest is ‘optional’ in that the characters either do this quest or To Serve a General (quest 8), but not both. Whichever they do becomes the conclusion of the campaign. This is intended to be a brief and intense experience, and the players should be warned to prepare. The characters take quest 7 if they supported Nergan Corin in A Test of Loyalty (quest 6). It begins when the characters choose to return to the Coldbleak Mountains for further work from Corin. Read the players the following: You ascend into the mountains and find the now-familiar mountain track. Captain Vorkung sees you in to the mountain stockade of the royalists where King Nergan Corin awaits. The atmosphere is tense in the makeshift throne room, and the young king greets you with formality before ushering you into a private chamber. “Thanks to you, we have military support within the Forts of the Eastern Marches,” he tells you. “But cities are where the people live, and their heart must be with us as well. By the lesson of Yellowport we have learned that popular revolt leads to disaster: Provost Marshal Marloes Marlock, the brother of General Grieve Marlock, is a ruthless and paranoid man, and his response to the last revolt in Yellowport was bloody indeed. “However, his brutality may be his undoing, for the people come to detest the regime and will be grateful to anyone who can spare them it. If you can get into the citadel at Yellowport and assassinate Marloes, we may begin to liberate the city. I myself will be eternally grateful - I can give you remuneration, namely another 1000 gold pieces, but I also offer what money cannot buy: connections. I will explain more upon completion of this mission. What say you?” If the characters ever told Corin that they were offered work by Marlock himself, then Corin will advise them to take advantage of this: they should be able to enter the Marshal Citadel and Courthouse without challenge and trick the provost marshal into letting down his guard. If they ask what proof Corin would accept for task completion, he responds that his court magician will verify Marlock’s death through magical means. Her divinations cannot spy Marloes himself, as the citadel is too far distant, but she can piece together the proof in other ways.
If they accept the quest, read the paragraph below. If instead the characters demand more help or pay before accepting, the GM can modify this text. The young king nods and takes you out to the throne room again. He glances toward the back of the room, whence a middle-aged woman is approaching with something in her hands. Corin introduces her as Tilonen, his court magician, and she presents you with a sword. “This is an Assassin’s Sword,” she explains. “It is doubly-enchanted: it will aid in combat, but it also has a magical shroud to prevent onlookers from realizing you have it drawn. May it help you in your quest.” Treasure: Tilonen says, this is the Assassin’s Sword and no one notices if the wielder has it drawn. Assassin’s Sword Aura moderate abjuration and illusion; CL 9th Slot none; Price 32,315 gp; Weight 4 lbs. -----Description----This +1 keen longsword has a serrated edge and its crossbar wrapped in black leather. This longsword grants a +2 luck initiative modifier. Additionally, it creates an illusion that obscures it when it is drawn. This ability acts as the spell invisibility, except that the wielder’s arm does not appear to be holding the sword. This obscurement acts until the weapon is used to attack and then it becomes visible to all. Those who can see invisibility can notice the blade at all times and are not subject to its effects, those who cannot see the blade are affected as if they are flat-footed, even if they have acted in the round. -----Construction----Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, invisibility, nondetection; Cost 16,315 gp
When the characters leave for Yellowport, go to scene 1.
1 - TO YELLOWPORT Read the following: It occurs to you that once you return to Yellowport, the place will never be the same: you have agreed to bring upheaval to the city you knew from your youth. You can hope that service to the king will bring you a better life than subservience to the military regime. You can also hope that you will live long enough to see that life. The trek from the Coldbleak Mountains to Yellowport (via Venefax) is detailed in scene 1 of A Test of Loyalty (quest 6). When the characters arrive at the Marshal Citadel and Courthouse, go to scene 2.
2 - INFILTRATION Entry is simple, but the players may choose to overcomplicate it. If they enter during the day and ask to see Marloes Marlock, read them the following: Just as when you first came here, Captain Royzer sees you up to the second floor where the provost marshal works on papers. The captain is dismissed, leaving you in a war office with Marloes Marlock, six of his guards, and another door nearby that leads to a side chamber. See the marshal citadel map. The room in question is marked for scene 3. Go to scene 3 and read on.
However, the players may instead sneak in, or scale the walls, or try other approaches such as direct assault. Direct assault is repelled by an effectively unlimited number of guards from the citadel and the barracks, plus the army wizard Loron from scene 5. Sneaking brings its own problems. Anyone bypassing the barracks by entering Citadel Grove will face a bramble wall, an unpleasant curse should they attempt to burn the brambles, and a deep trench just inside the innermost edge. Anyone who enters the citadel and then tries to sneak around must make rolls like those in scene 4 to dodge regular patrols. Anyone arriving at night will find the main doors sealed with high-quality locks (DC 28 Disable Device) and iron doors (hardness 10, hp 60, break DC 30), and inside all the halls are lit and patrolled like daytime. Anyone who climbs the walls and tries to open the barred windows must make rolls as described in scene 4.
3 - ASSASSINATION OF MARLOES MARLOCK (CR 6) If the characters hold conversation with Marloes Marlock, note his most recent memory is that they agreed to work for him. With a successful 25 Bluff check, they can convince him they have important news, best heard by him alone. He will take the characters to the side chamber without his guards. If they fail, they could roll again if they mention specifics (real or made up) from their ‘work.’ Marloes Marlock CR 4 XP 1,200 Human bard 2/fighter 3 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +7; Senses Perception +8 -----Defense----AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+7 armor, +3 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 35 (5 HD; 2d8+3d10+5) Fort +4, Ref +7, Will +5 (+1 vs. fear); +4 vs. bardic performance, language-dependent, and sonic -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 greatsword +8 (2d6+4/19-20) Special Attacks bardic performance 9 rounds/day (countersong, distraction, fascinate [DC 14], inspire courage +1) Bard Spells Known (CL 2nd; concentration +5) 1st (3/day)—cause fear (DC 14), charm person (DC 14), comprehend languages 0 (at will)—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 13), know direction, message, read magic -----Statistics----Str 15, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 16 Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 20 Feats Blind-fight, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Persuasive, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greatsword) Skills Appraise +8, Bluff +10, Climb +4, Diplomacy +10, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (nobility) +7, Knowledge (planes) +7, Knowledge (religion) +7, Perception +8, Perform (oratory) +9, Profession (soldier) +5, Ride +5, Sense Motive +9, Spellcraft +7 Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common SQ armor training 1, bardic knowledge +1, versatile performance (oratory) Other Gear +1 breastplate, +1 greatsword
Additional Notes: Marloes Marlock stands 6 feet tall with a pale complexion and a thin, muscle-less torso. He craves wealth and power, and uses his position to intimidate everyone around him. (period) However Marloes, like most bullies, is nothing more than a coward. None of his aides are present. If the characters can kill Marlock in the side chamber within one combat round (give him the lowest position in the strike order), the guards will not hear. Then read the following: Long live the rightful king.
They may loot the room and/or search for the secret door as described in scene 4. If they leave through the main door, roll 1d3: this is the number of combat rounds until the guards investigate (either these six or some other group) and the escape begins. If they leave through the secret door, it is 1d6 rounds. Then go to scene 4. If they do not kill him within one round, he will call for the guards and they will approach on the second round. After a fight this large, other people in the citadel are sure to have heard (such as clerks walking by the room), so go to scene 4. Yellow Soldiers (6) XP 135 Human warrior 1 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +0; Senses Perception +0 -----Defense----AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor) hp 12 (1d10+2) Fort +4, Ref +0, Will -1 ------Offense----Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor) Melee longsword +4 (1d8+2/19-20) Ranged longbow +1 (1d8/×3) ------Statistics----Str 14, Dex 11, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 8 Base Atk +1; CMB +3; CMD 13 Feats Point-blank Shot, Weapon Focus (longsword) Skills Appraise +1, Profession (soldier) +3 Languages Common Other Gear chainmail, longbow, longsword
CR 1/3
4 - ESCAPE FROM THE MARSHAL CITADEL (CR 7 or variable) Read the players the following: The cry goes up throughout the citadel, “Murder! Assassins!” and the hunt is on - for you. Escape is possible out the front door or out a window. All windows are barred, meaning that opening them is akin to forcing open a portcullis (needs successful DC 25 Strength check to lift). Then, the climb is either 10 feet from the second floor or 20 feet from the third floor on a vertical slope with plenty of handholds. Whichever way they precede, go to scene 5 when they get out to the citadel grounds. Until then, the GM will have to react to whatever the players do. The following are several rules that may be useful. Encounters with guards are prevalent (see random encounter table below). Characters listening for guards must make a successful DC 20 Perception check. Characters may try and hide as the guards enter and have a look around. In rooms without windows (or at night), they can take some time (one round) to douse oil lights and get the bonus for low-light or no-light conditions.
Characters may sneak by a patrol using Stealth, also modified based on how many guards are present. It is suggested that the GM roll for a random encounter when the characters enter new rooms or corridors, but roll less often if they are already in (or fleeing from) an encounter. Roll 2d6, apply modifiers as indicated below, and consult the following table: 2-8 (or below) No encounter 9-11 Three soldiers approach 12 (or above) Six soldiers approach Yellowport Soldiers (3 or 6) XP 135 hp 12 (see scene 3)
CR 1/3
Every room is filled with riches, and the character may feel like looting, but there are only so many objects small enough for them to haul away (i.e., expensive drapes are too big). Searching for loot takes a full-round and a successful DC 20 Perception check to find anything of value in desks, behind curtains, and so on. Add 1 to the next roll for random encounters if the characters spend time looting, successful or not. If they trigger any trap, add another 1 to the next roll for random encounters. Actual treasure and traps are determined at random. If characters want to search, roll 2d6 and consult the following table: 2-3 Trap 4-6 Trap plus minor loot 7-9 Minor loot 10-11 Major loot 12 Trap plus major loot
Trap Select from these 3 options: 1. Arrow Trap CR 1 XP 400 Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20 -----Effects----Trigger touch; Reset none Effect Atk +15 ranged (arrow; 1d8+1/x3) 2. Acid Arrow Trap CR 3 XP 800 Type magic; Perception DC 27; Disable Device DC 27 -----Effects----Trigger proximity (alarm); Reset none Effect spell effect (acid arrow, Atk +2 ranged touch, 2d4 acid for 4 rounds) 3. Wyvern Poison Arrow Trap
CR 6
XP 2,400 Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 20 -----Effects----Trigger touch; Reset none Effect Atk +15 (1d6/x3 plus wyvern poison–injury; save Fort DC 17; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect Con damage; cure 2 consecutive saves)
Minor Loot Select from these six options: 100 Gold pieces in trinkets like statuettes and small portraits, 2 random potions, masterwork lock picks, lantern, +1 chainmail, +1 alchemical silver dagger.
Major Loot Select from these six options: 200 Gold pieces in trinkets like statuettes and small portraits, silver flute, +1 splintmail, +1 shield, +1 longbow, +1 flaming battle axe. The following are notes for areas the characters may visit on their way out. A: Main reception area. During the day, clerks and civilians here are panicking and raising alarm, so the GM may add 1 to rolls for random encounters. B: Main hall and stairs. During the day, there are clerks and civilians as in A. C: Courthouse. The side chambers are preparatory rooms and libraries. Subtract 1 from rolls for random encounters while in a side chamber. Each secret door can be uncovered with a successful DC 20 Perception check. The characters can use these doors to throw off searching guards: the first time they use a secret door, subtract 1 from the next roll for random encounters. D: Dining hall. The secret door is as in C. E: Kitchen. The secret door is as in C. The side chambers are for pantries, linens, and laundry, which help with avoiding random encounters as in C. Additionally, the characters may use spare clothes to disguise themselves as kitchen scullions. They may then walk past a group of guards with one successful DC 10 Disguise check each. F: These four rooms across the north end (aside from the space for the stairwell) are living quarters for aides Captain Royzer, Lieutenant Jenas, Lieutenant Tarrack, and Lieutenant Crom. Captain Royzer XP 800 Human fighter 4 NG Medium humanoid (human) Init +0; Senses Perception +5 -----Defense----AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 19 (+6 armor, +3 shield) hp 46 (4d10+20) Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +4 (+1 vs. fear) -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee +1 warhammer +8 (1d8+5/×3) -----Statistics-----
CR 3
Str 15, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 8 Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 16 Feats Iron Will, Power Attack, Shield Focus, Toughness, Weapon Focus (warhammer), Weapon Specialization (warhammer) Skills Appraise +4, Climb +1, Diplomacy +1, Intimidate +4, Perception +5, Profession (soldier) +5, Sense Motive +2 Languages Common, Dwarven SQ armor training 1 Other Gear mwk chainmail, heavy steel shield, +1 warhammer
Additional Notes: Royzer is an experienced soldier and military commander. He was assigned to Yellowport by Grieve Marlock to aid his rather inexperienced brother in military matters. If the truth be known, Royzer has little respect for Marloes lack of rulership and detests both his lust for money and lavish lifestyle. Lieutenant Jenas CR 2 XP 600 Human warrior 4 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +7; Senses Perception +2 -----Defense----AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+6 armor, +3 Dex, +1 shield) hp 35 (4d10+8) Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +0 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor) Melee +1 shortsword +8 (1d6+1/19-20) -----Statistics----Str 10, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 9, Cha 8 Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 17 Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (shortsword) Skills Intimidate +5, Perception +2, Profession (soldier) +4, Ride +2, Sense Motive +1 Languages Common Other Gear breastplate, light steel shield, +1 shortsword
Additional Notes: To look at her, you would not associate Jenas with her position within the military. She stands little over 5 feet tall, with a pretty face and shapely body to match. But underneath her comely exterior resides the personality of a cold, hard, slave-driver, possessing skill with a blade almost outmatched in the whole city. Jenas is in charge of the wall guards, and expects every single person to pull their weight and perform to the best of their ability. Those that do not are lashed as an example to others. Lieutenant Tarrack CR 2 XP 600 Human fighter 3 N Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +2 -----Defense----AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (+7 armor, +1 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 shield) hp 33 (3d10+12) Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +1 (+1 vs. fear) -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor) Melee bastard sword +7 (1d10+3/19-20)
-----Statistics----Str 17, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8 Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 18 Feats Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Power Attack, Toughness, Weapon Focus (bastard sword) Skills Perception +2, Profession (soldier) +5, Sense Motive +2, Survival +5 Languages Common SQ armor training 1 Other Gear banded mail, heavy steel shield, bastard sword
Additional Notes: Tarrack is a tall man with a heavy frame and muscles to match. He has been in charge of training the soldiers and militia in the city for a very long time, and does the job well. Lieutenant Crom CR 2 XP 600 Human fighter 3 N Medium humanoid (human) Init +5; Senses Perception +4 -----Defense----AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (+7 armor, +1 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 shield) hp 33 (3d10+12) Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +2 (+1 vs. fear) -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor) Melee longsword +6 (1d8+2/19-20) -----Statistics----Str 15, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 10 Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 17 Feats Alertness, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (longsword) Skills Diplomacy +3, Perception +4, Profession (soldier) +5, Sense Motive +1 Languages Common, Orc SQ armor training 1 Other Gear banded mail, heavy steel shield, longsword
Secret doors are as in C. Note that the characters do not meet any of the aides during their escape, as the plot requires them to survive and maintain order in Yellowport. If characters attempt to find Captain Royzer anyway, he will be at some safe distance. G: All these remaining rooms on the second floor are war offices, including the one marked for scene 3. Side chambers and secret doors are as in C. H: Clockwise from northwest: Marloes Marlock’s bedroom, the stairwell, Marlock’s bath, library, dining room, and study. The central space is a reception hall. The characters may use spare clothes to disguise themselves as officials using the same rolls as in E.
5 – AMBUSHED (CR 6 or variable) The layout of the grounds is shown in Chapter 9, core rules. Unless the characters were followed out the front door, there are no soldiers out here. If they try to leave through the Citadel Grove, they will find it nigh-impassable. When they walk (or run) down the path between the barracks, read the following: You approach the two large barracks. At this distance, you cannot hear the noise you left behind at the citadel. It seems the soldiers cannot either, and you do not see any activity in the area. However, as you
pass between the buildings, you spy a flash of grey magical energy in the open door to the west. You hear a shout, “It’s them! It’s them!” Some sort of army wizard gestures at you from the doorway and a group of soldiers pours out around her. See the barracks ambush map. The enemies approach from the door marked with the scene number. If the characters fight, soldiers will be heard shouting from windows in the eastern barracks after a few rounds. When they win, yet more soldiers will be heard in the western barracks: these soldiers had been off-shift and sleeping. The characters have no time to loot corpses (except possibly to pick up dropped weapons and the cobalt wand) as reinforcements will arrive soon from both sides. If the characters are foolish enough to enter either building, or just stand around and wait for more combat, then they find soldiers effectively reinforce without end. When they escape to the streets of Yellowport, go to the conclusion. Yellowport Soldiers (8, plus unlimited reinforcements) XP 135 hp 12 (see scene 3)
CR 1/3
Loron CR 4 XP 1,200 Half-elf sorcerer 5 LN Medium humanoid (elf, human) Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +5 -----Defense----AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +1 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural) hp 35 (5d6+15) Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3; +2 vs. enchantments Immune sleep; Resist fire 5 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Melee 2 claws +2 (1d4) Special Attacks claws (2, 1d4, treated as magic weapons, 6 rounds/day) Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +8) 2nd (5/day)—detect thoughts (DC 15), invisibility, resist energy 1st (7/day)—burning hands (DC 14), 2x color spray (DC 14), mage armor, shield 0 (at will)—acid splash, arcane mark, detect poison, light, read magic, resistance Bloodline Draconic -----Statistics----Str 10, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 17 Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 16 Feats Dodge, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Knowledge [planes]), Toughness Skills Appraise +5, Craft (alchemy) +6, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (planes) +5, Perception +5, Spellcraft +9, Stealth +3; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception Languages Common, Draconic, Elven SQ bloodline arcana (energy spells that match bloodline energy deal +1 damage per die), elf blood Combat Gear wand of magic missile (15 charges); Other Gear ring of protection +1
Additional Notes: Loron is dedicated but subtle. She followed the characters via Divination and prepared this ambush. In combat, she prefers to start with her wand and ranged spells. She has mage armor already cast and will cast shield before combat. She will then fight to the death for her fallen marshal.
Once beyond the barracks, the characters face no more soldiers. There could be random patrols in Yellowport, but this is left to the GM’s judgment. It only really matters if the characters (unwisely) sell stolen goods in town: with Loron dead, reports of stolen goods are the best way the government has of tracking the characters. (For reference, Captain Royzer will take over as provost marshal in the coming days.) The immediate task is to return to Nergan Corin in the Coldbleak Mountains. For this, too, there could be random encounters, but the trek should be left uneventful. When the players approach the mountain stockade, read them the following: By now, you know your way into the Coldbleak Mountains. The climb is nothing compared to what you just accomplished. The soldier at the mountain track recognizes you and leads you to the king. Nergan is pleased to see you. “Have you succeeded in ridding us of Marloes?” he asks eagerly. The players may explain themselves as they wish, then the GM should continue: Those assembled can scarce believe it. The king turns to his court magician, Tilonen. She reports that her divinations are consistent with his death. The military regime seems to be in upheaval: officers and troops are being called back to Yellowport from surrounding areas, including sympathetic forces from the Forts of the Eastern Marches. Nergan Corin is overjoyed with the news. “Excellent! At this rate I will be able to take my rightful place in the throne room of Old Sokar. Such work deserves reward.” He beckons and a guard brings forth 1000 Gold pieces. “Of course, your service is worth more than silver. I dub thee King’s Champions. You may bear the title as an honorific among the loyal of Sokara.” Then, after a brief pause, he leans forward. “Should you wish to live up to the mantle, though, you may accept the offer I made when you saw me last: the promise of “connections.” I speak of serving your liege in lands beyond the borders of Sokara. By your hand, we have gathered strength both military and social; now we must become political. I wish to send you west, into Golnir, where the Ravayne clan holds sway. If you agree, you shall become ambassadors as well as adventurers: you shall serve Baroness Ravayne in the name of Sokara, strengthening ties between us, and assuring that Golnir acknowledges my claim to my throne. “It will doubtless be a challenge; the demands will be many, and I can only support you so far. But if you feel ready and able, come speak to me again; adventure and reward surely await.” In a party of four, all characters who began this campaign at 2nd level should achieve 4th level by now. This is the conclusion of the campaign (quest 8 is only for people in service to Marloes Marlock). Therefore, the characters do not have to decide yet whether to accept Nergan Corin’s offer. Meanwhile, the characters may call themselves ‘King’s Champions’ in any interim quests the GM runs. This title grants preferred treatment among royalist groups. If they do accept the new mission, the players and the GM should refer to the upcoming Fabled Lands: Golnir Pathfinder Campaign.
This quest is ‘optional’ in that the characters either do this quest or To Serve a King (quest 7), but not both. Whichever they do becomes the conclusion of the campaign. This is intended to be a brief and intense experience, and the players should be warned to prepare. The characters take quest 8 if they supported Marloes Marlock in A Test of Loyalty (quest 6). It begins when the characters choose to return to the Marshal Citadel and Courthouse in Yellowport for further work from Marlock. Read the players the following: You have seen much of the inside of the Marshal Citadel and Courthouse; far more than you had expected during the years of your youth, working manual labor in Yellowport. Today you are brought by Captain Royzer to yet another war office on the second floor where Provost Marshal Marloes Marlock is receiving reports from members of the army. All these individuals are dismissed when you appear; all but one woman, who looks to be a wizard. The provost marshal sits thin-lipped as the Captain sees the others out. “That young upstart of a king has made his last mistake.” he declares as soon as they are gone. “The work you did in infiltrating and disrupting the royalist sympathizers would be good any day, but rarely have agents managed it under the gaze of Nergan Corin himself. This shows a weakness in his armor: you, personally, can get close to him. “Rebellious groups throughout Sokara depend on him to unify their cause: penetrate his stronghold and slay Nergan Corin, and all will begin to fall apart. To prove his death to the masses, I must have the Royal Ring of the House of Corin; therefore, I offer you 1000 Gold pieces in reward if you bring me the ring from his hand. I also offer what money cannot buy: connections. That is something I will explain if you return alive.” Marlock will advise the characters to take advantage of their ‘diplomatic’ work from last time. They should be able to enter the mountain stockade without challenge and trick the king into letting down his guard. If they accept the quest, read the paragraph below. If instead the characters demand more help or pay before accepting, the GM can modify this text. The provost marshal nods, and then snaps his fingers. The woman who had been waiting nearby produces a sheathed sword from her robes. Marlock introduces her as Loron, a military wizard trusted by his aides, and she hands the weapon to you. “This is an Assassin’s Sword,” she explains. “It is doubly-enchanted: it will aid in combat, but it also has a magical shroud to prevent onlookers from realizing you have it drawn. May it help you in your quest.” Assassin’s Sword Aura moderate abjuration and illusion; CL 9th Slot none; Price 32,315 gp; Weight 4 lbs. -----Description-----
This +1 keen longsword has a serrated edge and its crossbar wrapped in black leather. This longsword grants a +2 luck initiative modifier. Additionally, it creates an illusion that obscures it when it is drawn. This ability acts as the spell invisibility, except that the wielder’s arm does not appear to be holding the sword. This obscurement acts until the weapon is used to attack and then it becomes visible to all. Those who can see invisibility can notice the blade at all times and are not subject to its effects, those who cannot see the blade are affected as if they are flat-footed, even if they have acted in the round. -----Construction----Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, invisibility, nondetection; Cost 16,315 gp
When the characters leave for the Coldbleak Mountains, go to scene 1.
1 - TO THE COLDBLEAK MOUNTAINS Mention the following: It occurs to you that once you complete this journey, you will have wiped away the last vestiges of the monarchy that ruled during your youth. The late King Corin VII was corrupt and you saw the people of Yellowport struggle under his edicts. You can hope that the regime of the Marlocks will bring you a better life than this replacement king would. You can also hope that you will live long enough to see that life. The trek from Yellowport to the Coldbleak Mountains (via Venefax) is detailed in scene 1 of A Test of Loyalty (quest 6). When the characters reach the mountains they must make a successful DC 20 Climb check, if they survive the climb and complete any random encounters, go to scene 2.
2 – INFILTRATION The procession into the mountain stockade is simple, but the players may choose to overcomplicate it. If they plan to arrive as normal and ask to be shown in to see Nergan Corin, read them the following: You eventually find the mountain track where the winds die down and royalist soldiers wait in hiding. They recognize you and Captain Vorkung has you blindfolded to go through their secret pass into the mountain stockade. The blindfolds are then removed as you walk through the stockade, and the storm resumes with remarkable strength: in these conditions, you can hardly see ten feet before you. The captain shows you out of the snows and into their makeshift throne room before excusing himself, leaving you with Nergan Corin and three of his guards. See the mountain stockade map. Go to scene 3 and read on. However, the players may try other approaches such as direct assault back at the mountain track or blindfold removal partway through the secret pass escort. Direct assault is repelled by an effectively unlimited number of archers, many of whom are 20 feet overhead. If the characters remove their blindfolds, they must fight three soldiers somewhere within the secret pass (in this case, Captain Vorkung is assumed to have gone back to his patrol and the characters will not face
him). See the secret pass map. The north end of the pass connects to the south end of the stockade map. Anyone who tries to sneak in must make rolls like those in scene 4.
3 - ASSASSINATION OF NERGAN CORIN (CR 6) If the characters hold conversation with Nergan Corin, keep in mind whatever happened during their first visit. Under most circ*mstances, a character can make a successful DC 20 Bluff check to convince him they have important news, best heard by him alone. He will take the characters to the office in the southeast corner without his guards. If they fail the Bluff check, they could roll again if they mention specifics (real or made up) from their ‘work for him.’ In addition, he wears the Royal Ring of the House of Corin on his hand. If the characters can kill Corin in the office within one combat round (give him the lowest position in the strike order), the guards will not hear. Nergan Corin XP 800 hp 44 (see quest 6, scene 4)
CR 3
Long live General Marlock. When the characters leave this room without Corin, the guards will become suspicious. Roll 1d3: this is the number of combat rounds before the guards investigate and the real escape begins. When this occurs, go to scene 4. Of course, the players might want to fight these guards on purpose, in which case, see below. If the characters try to kill Corin in the office but fail to commit regicide within one round, Corin will call for the guards and they will approach on the second round. Once the king and all his guards are dead, roll 1d6: this is the number of rounds until somebody else investigates the goings-on in the building, prompting the escape in scene 4. A character who uses successfully identifies the royal ring will find that it holds a connection to ancestral spirits of the Corin family. This connection cannot be broken by magic of any type. Royalist Soldiers (3) CR 2 XP 600 Human warrior 4 LN Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +4 -----Defense----AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+6 armor, +1 Dex, +1 shield) hp 42 (4d10+20) Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +1 -----Offense-----Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor) Melee longsword +8 (1d8+3/19-20) Ranged longbow +5 (1d8/×3) -----Statistics----Str 16, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8 Base Atk +4; CMB +7; CMD 18 Feats Point-blank Shot, Toughness, Weapon Focus (longsword) Skills Acrobatics -4 (-8 to jump), Climb +2, Handle Animal +3, Perception +4, Profession (soldier) +5,
Ride +0, Sense Motive +2, Stealth -2, Survival +2, Swim +2 Languages Common, Goblin Other Gear mwk chainmail, light steel shield, longbow, longsword, lantern, bedroll, and 75 gp in addition to their normal equipment.
Before they leave, the characters can try to loot the building. Though there are plenty of maps and documents, none seem as useful as those back in A Test of Loyalty (quest 6), so finding valuables takes time (and the characters may not have much of that). Each of the four rooms may be looted once. Searching takes a combat round and a successful DC 20 Perception check. There are no traps. For each room, select from these six options: 300 gold pieces in wine and valuable furs, 4 random potions, two +1 daggers, silver holy symbols, silver flute.
4 - ESCAPE FROM THE COLDBLEAK MOUNTAINS (CR 7 or variable) If the characters are outside the building with the makeshift throne room when the assassination is detected, read the following: From somewhere behind you, a voice cuts through the snow with the strength born of panic, “Murder! Assassins!” and the hunt is on - for you. If they are still inside the building when somebody comes to investigate, read the following: From the exterior door of the throne room, you suddenly hear the cry, “Murder! Assassins!” followed by a slam before you can respond. The hunt is on - for you. If the characters refuse to leave the throne room, they will be swamped with an effectively unlimited number of royalists, 1d3 at a time. Note that they will not face either Captain Vorkung or the court magician Tilonen at any point during this scene, as the plot requires Tilonen to survive until scene 5, and Vorkung to survive in general. Escape requires leaving the stockade (by the south path), navigating the secret pass (which connects to the stockade map north-to-south), and leaving the Coldbleak Mountains. As soon as they accomplish this, but before they reach Blessed Springs, go to scene 5. Until then, the GM will have to react to whatever the players do. The following are several rules that apply along the way. In the heavy snow in exterior areas of the stockade making it difficult terrain and half movement speed, ranged combat is difficult as the snow provides complete concealment after 10 feet. There nonetheless are soldiers going between the buildings and the secret pass. For every round of the trek, the GM should roll 1d6: on a 1, 1d3 royalist soldiers draw near. Characters may fight, flee, or try to escape detection. They can sneak by with successful Stealth check; or, if they plan ahead and take clothes from dead royalists, they can disguise themselves as soldiers. The northwest stockade building is the barracks, where there are simply too many soldiers. The main stockade doors are wedged open by snow, but the characters may choose to avoid the area in case of guards. Climbing the mountain walls is suicide in this weather, but characters can climb the stockade walls with a successful DC 30 Climb check, modified as needed by equipment. If they all succeed, they can circle around the doors and proceed to the secret pass without challenge. Royalist Soldiers (1d3, plus unlimited reinforcements) XP 600
CR 2
hp 42 (see scene 3)
When the characters enter the secret pass, the winds die down but the danger increases. They most likely have never been in this area without a blindfold (barring animal companions, familiars or eidolons), but they can guess that they are headed generally south. Characters may now climb the mountain walls. This requires a successful DC 20 Climb check. Success means bypassing walls on this map, getting a height advantage on approaching soldiers, and/or escaping out of the pass completely if trapped in one of the dead ends to the south. Random encounters are prevalent. It is suggested that the GM roll for an encounter at intersections and dead ends, but roll less often if the characters are already in (or fleeing from) an encounter. Roll 2d6 and consult the following table: 2-8 No encounter 9 Royalist soldiers 10-12 Ancestral Spectre
Royalist Soldiers Another 1d3 royalists catch up with the characters. Characters listening for pursuers must make a successful DC 15 Perception check. They may attempt to use Stealth skill to hide from the guards trying to find them or sneak by a patrol. Ancestral Spectre The stolen ring crackles with power and a terrifying humanlike figure appears before the characters. The first time this occurs, it screams “Usurpers of the throne! You will pay for your crimes against the family of Corin!” Each spectre represents a different family member of Nergan Corin.
Spectre
CR 7
XP 3,200 hp 52 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Spectre”)
Corporeality: This being is bound to a physical object it used in life, which has two effects: first, it can be harmed by non-magical means, unlike other spectre; second, it leaves behind an heirloom upon defeat. Treasure: Select from these three options for the spectre’s heirloom treasure: +2 splintmail, +1 heavy steel shield, or a +1 keen battle axe. The spectre can be seen to use the object in the fight, but for simplicity do not recalculate its stats. When the characters get to the south end of the secret pass, the GM may make up more twists and turns below the bottom of the map to extend the chase if desired. The GM should force one encounter with an ancestral specter if there have not been any. When beyond the pass, the weather resumes, though it is not as blinding as it had been within the stockade. Characters must begin climbing and make one DC 20 Climb check. The ring will give them no more trouble.
5 - FOLLOWED (CR 8)
When the players reach the bottom of the mountains, read them the following: At long last, the mountain storm begins to fade away behind you, and you set foot upon flat earth on the way to Blessed Springs. Trees rise up on either side of you. From here, you cannot see any pursuit from the royalists. The characters should head back to Yellowport. Wise players might heal first in Blessed Springs, as there could be random encounters on the road. However, when they travel for this scene, there is one encounter: an ambush. The only way to change this is if a character with the Divination magic spies on Tilonen, thus realizing that she is on the road behind them. Barring that unlikely event, wait until the characters have begun travel and are resting on the road for the first time. Read the players the following: You begin to settle down for the night. Soon, you will be back at Yellowport, and will be quit of that ring. However, as you take stock of your surroundings, you spy people on horseback approaching from the north. A flash of grey magical energy appears before the leader and you hear a shout, “Traitorous vipers! We have you now!” The leader is a middle-aged woman, some sort of magician; you realize you saw her before serving as an aide to the young king when you first infiltrated his court. Three royalist soldiers ride alongside her, bows at the ready to cut you down. The ambush is in completely open space around their camp, with the enemies starting 100 feet to the north. If the characters win, go to the conclusion. Royalist Soldiers (4) XP 600 hp 42 (see scene 4)
CR 2
Horses (4) XP 400 hp 15 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary “Horse”)
CR 1
The soldiers will have their horses walk toward the characters for the first combat round, while they fire one volley of arrows and then ready swords. Then they will charge to melee on the second round. Tilonen CR 5 XP 1,600 Human evoker 6 NE Medium humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +7 -----Defense----AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+1 deflection, +1 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural) hp 47 (6d6+24) Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +7 -----Offense----Speed 30 ft. Special Attacks intense spells (+3 damage) Arcane School Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th; concentration +9) 6/day—force missile (1d4+3) Spells Prepared (CL 6th; concentration +9) 3rd—fireball (DC 16), fireball (DC 16), hold person (DC 16), lightning bolt (DC 16) 2nd—acid arrow, detect thoughts (DC 15), hideous laughter (DC 15), levitate, scorching ray
1st—burning hands (DC 14), charm person (DC 14), mage armor, magic missile, shield 0 (at will)—daze (DC 13), detect magic, ray of frost, resistance Opposition Schools Illusion, Necromancy -----Statistics----Str 10, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 17, Wis 12, Cha 8 Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 16 Feats Combat Casting, Craft Wand, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Scribe Scroll, Toughness Skills Appraise +7, Bluff +0, Craft (alchemy) +7, Fly +5, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7, Knowledge (history) +7, Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (nature) +7, Knowledge (planes) +9, Knowledge (religion) +7, Perception +7, Sense Motive +6, Spellcraft +12, Stealth +2 Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal, Orc SQ arcane bond (wand of magic missile) Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds (2), wand of magic missile; Other Gear amulet of natural armor +1, cloak of resistance +1, ring of protection +1, spell component pouch, lantern, bedroll, and 375 gp.
Additional Notes: Tilonen is dedicated but subtle. She followed the characters via Divination and prepared this ambush and will have the spells shield and mage armor cast. In combat, she prefers to start with the ranged spells before engaging. She will then fight to the death for her fallen king.
Once Tilonen is dead, no one is left to track the characters and they will face no more attacks. (For reference, Captain Vorkung will run royalist activities from the Coldbleak Mountains in the future.) When the players return to the marshal citadel with the Royal Ring of the House of Corin, read them the following: Once, the Marshal Citadel and Courthouse had seemed imposing. Today, the walk to its front doors is almost a relief. You are ushered through quickly and led to the provost marshal. A number of his advisors stand nearby. Over glasses of fine wine, Marloes asks you to tell of your adventures in the Coldbleak Mountains. The players may explain themselves as they wish, then the GM should continue: When you give him the Royal Ring of the House of Corin, he knows that Nergan is dead. His aides talk amongst themselves excitedly. Marloes Marlock is pleased indeed and seems relaxed for the first time that you have seen. “This is better news than I could have expected,” he says. “You have done me a great service by getting rid of that pompous fool, Nergan. With their plots disrupted and morale broken, we should someday be able to wipe out this rebellion.” He beckons and a guard brings you 1000 Gold pieces. “Here is your pay, of course. And yet, your service is worth more than silver. I grant you the title Protectors of Sokara. This title will give you instant respect and command obedience in Sokara.” Then, after a brief pause, he leans forward. “Should you wish to live up to the title, though, you may accept the offer I made days ago when I mentioned “connections.” I speak of serving your country and General in lands beyond our borders. It is essential that our rule be viewed as legitimate, both by our own people and by other nations. I wish to send you west, into Golnir, where the Ravayne clan holds sway. If you agree, you shall become ambassadors as well as adventurers: you shall serve Baroness Ravayne in the name of Sokara, strengthening ties between us, and assuring that Golnir acknowledges my brother’s claim to rulership.
“It will doubtless be a challenge; the demands will be many, and you will no longer be in my pay. But if you feel ready and able, come speak to me again; adventure and reward surely await.” In a party of four, all characters who began this campaign at 2nd level should achieve 4th level by now.
This is the conclusion of the campaign. Therefore, the characters do not have to decide yet whether to accept Marloes Marlock’s offer. Meanwhile, the characters may call themselves “Protectors of Sokara” in any interim quests the GM runs. This title grants preferred treatment among the Sokaran military and allows the characters to enter the General’s Palace in Marlock City, where Protector-General Grieve Marlock and the war council meet. If they do accept the new mission, the players and the GM should refer to the upcoming Fabled Lands: Golnir Pathfinder campaign to be published in the future by Megara Entertainment.
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