And so it begins...
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Navigating This Book
Chapter 1: On the Mainland This chapter covers all the information the GM needs about the setting’s background—what the island’s origins are, who the Order of the Shadow Holdfast are, what people know about the Infinite Dungeon—as well as giving you some context for this campaign setting. You can use this material to feed your players information their characters might know (though judicious use of Knowledge skill checks or information passed on by NPCs). In addition, this chapter details how one gets to Zar Khelar, from being selected for voyage to the island, to the logistics of travel, to the island’s formidable defenses. Everything the GM needs prior to the group’s arrival on the Blighted Isle can be found here. <1>History Long ago, people largely ignored the island known as Zar Khelar. It was far from any established trade routes, and the few explorers who ventured here found little more than jungle and death. Even the nominal ruler, the king of the closest coastal monarchy, paid it little mind and never visited it. Then, that all changed with the discovery of the Infinite Dungeon. <2>A Meteor in the Sky Generations ago, according to the loremasters and astronomers, a great rock fell from the sky, a meteor that crashed into an island far across the sea. There was a great flash, and the seas boiled, and the land became scarred and twisted. Sailors who ventured to the island of Zar Khelar reported a blasted landscape of karst and blasted jungle. It was they who gave the island its other, better-known name – the Blighted Isle. There are those however, who tell a different tale, told around campfires late in the night. In hushed whispers they speak of a god and a battle in heaven. They call him the Nameless (Unnamed?) God, though none know over which realm he was patron. All that is known is that this god angered the others, and for his transgressions he was cast out, and he landed on Zar Khelar. To some then, the island is known as the Isle of Secrets. Few believe these wives’ tales, told to frighten the impious and small children. These are the tales of the superstitious, trying to make sense of a natural event – the falling of a meteor into the sea. <3>GM’s Note Despite whatever rumors the PCs hear (which is up to you), no one knows anything about a fallen god. There are no scrolls discussing the event, no legends in any pantheon. If the gods truly did cast out one of their own, they were very good at erasing all knowledge of the event. However, isolated folktales persist, especially along the coast. And anyone who becomes too curious about this legend while visiting the Blighted Isle may attract the attention of the Order. <2>The Arrival of the Order of the Shadow Holdfast Once upon a time, an order of aesthetics, dedicated to transcending the limits of the physical body, traveled the land. They adhered to a strict code: Never to use their abilities for offense, but rather to protect and guard. Through rigorous discipline, they honed their bodies into living weapons. They dedicated themselves as much to order as to their own obscure philosophy. They were known to be both reliable and honorable, and gained a reputation as bodyguards, sentries, and guardians of travelers on the road. They defended both king and pauper alike, protected both castles and caravans. They were not known as the Order of the Shadow Holdfast at this time, though none now recall their original name.
Soon after the meteor struck Zar Khelar, sometime within the subsequent ten years, an increasing number of these defendermonks traveled to the island. Back then, there was no strange fog cloaking the island, and it was easy to get to; heretofore, no one wanted to visit the island – it was believed there was nothing there. No one knows what drove the Order to the island; it’s as though they followed some mystical coercion or compulsion. More and more, the Order commissioned ships to transport members and materiel to the island, which attracted the notice of the lord who actually claimed sovereignty over Zar Khelar. The Order carved a habitable area out of the jungle, battling the creatures that called the island home, and establishing small settlements. They defended their homes from lizardfolk and gnolls, and a primitive human tribe known as Blighters, while they started work on a massive structure that would one day be named the Shadow Holdfast. They constructed defenses, and appeared determined to stay. Zar Khelar, is seemed, was to be the Order’s new center of operations. While they built what would become the headquarters of their order, the monks sent a delegation to the court of King Venik, the nominal lord over this barren and remote island. After several days of negotiation with lower court officials, the Order gained an audience with the King himself. What transpired at this meeting remains a secret between those who participated in the meeting, and the four walls in which it was held. The results, however, are well-known: King Venik gave the Order title to the island and complete sovereignty over it, so long as they agreed to build and maintain a prison where he could incarcerate his more troublesome prisoners. Thus, the island became the autonomous territory of the Order of the Shadow Holdfast. Ever afterward, the Order was associated with Zar Khelar, and vice versa, and they ceased their previous undertakings. Rarely were monks of the Order seen beyond the island’s shores ever again. <3>GM’s Notes We are being intentionally coy about this part of the background, so that you can insert this setting anywhere you like. Providing details about the kingdom that originally claimed dominion over the Blighted Isle is beyond the purview of this work. We suggest you choose a suitably powerful and influential kingdom along the coast to fill this background role. It doesn’t even have to be a kingdom in existence anymore, perhaps having collapsed to political turmoil, and thus not even a factor in the campaign setting any longer. Or, the kingdom might be very interested in getting its hands back on the island… Again, that aspect is up to you. Whatever kingdom once ruled this land, however, it is no longer a factor in Zar Khelar’s politics. Or is it? <2>Ashgarde Prison Almost immediately after the wax seals were affixed to the treaty granting the Order title to the island construction of the prison began. While work would continue for the next one hundred years (and the prison would be added to three times), prisoners started arriving a scant three years after construction began. It was around the time the first prisoners arrived that the mysterious protective fog cloaking Zar Khelar appeared, and the first of the Order’s spellships plied the waters. For the next three generations, Ashgarde Prison housed the worst of the worse – blood-drenched anti-paladins, corrupt clerics, even a barbarian warlord held as ransom to ensure his tribe’s good behavior. Those who could not be executed, for whatever reason, were sent to Ashgarde Prison. Towards the final years of the prison’s operation, a descendant of King Venik even accepted prisoners from other lands – common thieves, murderers, alleged traitors – in return for annual payment, in order to pay for a costly war. Wags at the time said he filled his coffers with prisoners.
<2>Discovery of the Infinite Dungeon The Blighted Isle soon became known for something other than a harsh, forbidding prison on an island in the middle of the ocean. The Order of the Shadow Holdfast had found a vast complex that they claimed spread far beneath the earth, an infinite dungeon filled with terrifying creatures, unusual artifacts, and evidence of an ancient civilization from before recorded time. The name stuck, and word eventually spread of something called The Infinite Dungeon. The Order themselves spread the story, as monks journeyed from town to town, seeking adventurers to help them contain the dangers. From there, the story took on a life of its own, passed on from adventurer to dungeon-delver around tavern tables and campfires. Adventurers made their way to Zar Khelar from across the known world. Some to see if the tales were true, others to test their mettle against whatever lay within. While many scoffed at the idea of an infinite dungeon, enough explorers arrived to swell the island’s inns and taverns. There, they would await the Order’s call to venture inside, to perform whatever quests they assigned. Those who ventured to the island on their own patiently waited for a mission. These adventurers needed places to stay, taverns and inns to feed them, and merchants to supply them. While they took away untold riches, the adventurers brought with them civilization. <2>Civilization Rises The combined forces of Ashgarde Prison and The Infinite Dungeon led to the growth of development on the island. The towns of Valek’s Landing and Wayside grew up in response to the needs of both the Order and visiting adventurers. The island had very little with which to support habitation. The terrain dense jungle and prevalent, aggressive fauna prevented farming; it was labor and time intensive to establish farming beyond the few patches meant to support the Order. The prison required the importation of food, blankets, clothing, and incidentals. This meant the construction of a rudimentary port. This brought merchants to receive the shipments of goods and supplies, who brought their families, as well as employees like clerks and teamsters. The sailors who crewed the supply ships needed places to stay, as well as other diversions. Add to this the introduction of adventurers, and their own specialized needs: Armorers to repair armor, blacksmiths to manufacture weapons, places for the adventurers to stay. And their attendant families and employees. These people needed homes and infrastructure, as well. Thus, the island attracted two kinds of people: Those who serviced the prison, and those who catered to adventurers. Both were supplied by the Black Star Consortium which quickly established a monopoly over trade with the island. Valek’s Landing operated as the island’s sole port and point-of-entry, while Wayside supported the prison, the dungeon, and the adventurers who came for the latter. <2>The Exodus For generations, everything was, by-and-large, serene. The Order supervised the most notorious prison in the world, and, with the help of adventurers, the world’s most notorious dungeon. All seemed routine. Then, something happened. The unimaginable. Reports, to this day, remain confused, as the Order focused on containing the chaos. The ground shook. Black smoke poured forth from the Pyrefaust. And the monsters escaped the Infinite Dungeon. They laid waste to all in their path. Wayside was quickly evacuated, members of the Order buying them time to flee alongside whatever adventurers could be mustered. Everyone fled for their lives in a tumult. As many died in the crush and confusion as they did to the monsters’ claws. They fled for Valek’s Landing, the ships, and safety.
In the resulting panic, townspeople and sailors looted whatever they could grab. They forced or bribed their way onto whatever ships they could find. Barques, coracles, even rowboats, were pressed into service. Others fled into the jungle, or forted up in whatever defensible position they could secure. Many were left behind. Some say the fortunate were those who died quickly that night, or soon after. The Order abandoned Ashgarde Prison as a result of what came to be called The Exodus. It, too, was caught up in the violence of that night. The walls breached. The citadel cracked. Did the monsters from the Infinite Dungeon descend on the prisoners in their cells? Did some of them survive? No one knows. The Order had their hands full elsewhere, and since then the prison is haunted and home to legions of undead. It has taken them almost fifty years to re-establish control over the Infinite Dungeon. Only recently have they allowed outsiders to return… <3>GM’s Notes Obviously, we have much more in store for Ashgarde Prison and its environs, which we’ll cover in a later product. We’re reserving this area for when the adventurers are higher level, so try to keep your players from becoming too interested in it; or if they do, dissuade them with high CR undead encounters until they get the message. Stay away. Trust us, this will build curiosity and anticipation for when Castle Nystul reveals what’s going on here. See page XX for more information. <2>The Island Today For fifty years, the island has been limping along. Reconstruction has only just begun, and only a few groups have started to arrive. The island today is sparsely populated and struggling, though there are signs of improvement. There is a lot happening on the Blighted Isle that could involve adventurers: Hunt Monsters: The Blighted Isle is rife with monsters. Some of these are indigenous to the environment; some of them escaped from the Infinite Dungeon long ago. Either way, they threaten the lives and livelihoods of the island’s inhabitants. Lizardmen plague the fishing village near Valek’s Landing. There are tales of serpentfolk stalking the jungles. And ettercaps, harpies, green hags infest the land (along with a lot of other nasty creatures). Explore Mysteries: Zar Khelar is also known as the Isle of Secrets, and for good reason. Not only is it home to the Infinite Dungeon, the landscape is rife with magical enigmas, strange zones where magic behaves differently, or the laws of nature reach the bounds of the supra-natural. Evidence of a long-lost culture, previously unknown to historians, can be found in the form of unusual, rune-covered ruins and bizarre artifacts. In fact, the Order itself is a mystery of perplexing rituals, secret beliefs, and inscrutable quests associated with the Infinite Dungeon. Enter the Infinite Dungeon: The main reason adventurers travel to the Blighted Isle, some might say the island’s main attraction, is the Infinite Dungeon. Back in the day, before the mass escape of the dungeon’s monsters, hundreds of adventurers plumbed deeper and deeper into this complex at the Order’s behest. For generations, the Wardens have guarded the Infinite Dungeon, to ensure that whatever horrors lurk deep in its bowels remain locked up, though some believe they have an even closer relationship with it. They frequently send adventurers on unusual missions that seem designed to ensure the Infinite Dungeon’s integrity. The Black Star Consortium: This merchant federation supplies the island, and they have a vested interest in seeing it viable again. Not only do they want to see Zar Khelar restored to its former profitability, supplying both a restored prison and the many visitors to the Infinite Dungeon, they believe there is more here than meets the eye. Rocks that fell from the heavens are frequently the source of adamantine and mithral, and the company intends to claim it for their own. Will the adventurers join in the conspiracy, or work to uncover the plot?
Live Life: Irrespective of the Dungeon, people live here. They have lives they lead, and conflicts to resolve. A merchant must get his goods safely from Valek’s Landing to Wayside. A settlement along the Eryx River needs a new barricade. The price of ale is going up. Two neighbors feud over something trivial that blows up beyond reason. Any of life’s little challenges can become an adventure on the Blighted Isle. <1>Getting There By Ship & Other Means Zar Khelar is a remote, tropical island in the middle of the ocean, far from other ports. Had it not been discovered by accident, by Valek, centuries before, no one would even know about it today. In fact, when Valek landed on the island, he pronounced it “both dangerous and useless, like a sword with no hilt” and sailed on his quest to find more profitable lands. It was not until the Wardens arrived, and the island gained notoriety as both a prison colony and home to the Infinite Dungeon, that anyone wanted to journey here. Travel to the Blighted Isle has some stiff obstacles to overcome, however. First, the Order of the Shadow Holdfast do not allow just anyone to visit their island. It was at one time the home to the world’s most notorious prison, as well as a dungeon said to be infinite in depth and complexity. In fact, fifty years ago, something allowed the dungeon’s monsters to escape en masse, irreparably damage Ashgarde Prison, and raze the island’s settlements. The Order barred anyone from arriving at or departing ever since, except for merchant ships bringing in supplies. They have only recently allowed outsiders to return to their shores, and they must be invited. For while the prison is no longer in operation, the Infinite Dungeon remains very much active. Second, the island is protected by some hefty defenses, the famous eldritch fog and the Order’s own fleet of spell-ships, which guard the coast. The former prevents the undesirable from arriving at the island’s shores, or sneaking on at some remote cove. The latter guards the sole approach to the island, warning off unwelcome ships and attacking those who mean to make landfall. Both are nearly impossible to overcome. <2>Receiving the Call Not just anyone can travel to Zar Khelar. In order to travel to the world’s most infamous dungeon, adventurers must receive permission from the Order of the Shadow Holdfast. Those who show up on her shores uninvited find themselves, at best, quickly turned around and sent back home. The Wardens restrict access to their island at this time, so as to avoid the events that led to the Exodus. It is not a matter of money or favors; you cannot buy a ticket to the Infinite Dungeon. They must select you. The Wardens need adventurers to assist them in their work in the Infinite Dungeon. To that end, agents of the Order, known as Emissaries, travel across the known world, seeking those who they believe are worthy of the challenge, as well as being suited to their needs. Emissaries possess great latitude in selecting adventurers to travel to Zar Khelar, They seek those traits that society considers noble or desirable, such as bravery, loyalty, and compassion; even people whom others consider “evil” have some redeeming qualities, after all. Most importantly, they look for people who can defend themselves and get the job done. In order to find these qualities, the Wardens test for them.
Their Emissaries hang out in tavern corners, listening to the usual boasting, trying to tell truth from fiction. They make inquiries around town, looking for people who can recommend good adventurers. But mostly, they rely on their claviculum decerno, magic items not unlike divining rods, to locate potential dungeon-delvers and signal the Order that potential candidates have been found. Once located, the Emissary ingratiates himself with an adventuring group, perhaps posing as someone in need of assistance or offering a job. They give potential candidates a mission, either a series of challenges the Emissary himself has set up or a problem that needs solving. They only test adventurers of good character, people neither overtly evil, nor overly chaotic. They do not bother testing those who subscribe to the two most extreme alignments - chaotic evil or lawful good. Chaotic evil adventurers are seen as too greedy, hateful and destructive to be allowed anywhere near the Infinite Dungeon, while lawful good characters are considered too zealous. The Order seeks to maintain balance and contain the Infinite Dungeon, not slay all its denizens or set them free. Emissaries typically have some method of divining alignment. (For more information on this process, see Chapter 6, page XX for more details). To those who pass the challenge, the Wardens offer safe passage to the Blighted Isle. This takes the form of a letter of introduction, bearing the adventurers’ names and the name of the Warden making the offer. This scroll is also magical, to prevent against forgery and misuse. When read by another Warden, the Order’s stamp at the bottom of the page glows (to ensure authenticity), and if presented by anyone other than those named in the document, the scroll turns black. The penalty ranges from deportation for simple forgery to arrest for presenting stolen documents. <2>Traveling to the Island The best way to travel to Zar Khelar is by ship. The island receives most of its supplies from the mainland in this way, with ships arriving several times a week. Once the adventurers have their letter of introduction in hand, they can book passage to the island on one of these transports. While not common, ships bound for the Blighted Isle can be found in most major ports. There are other means of travelling to the island, however, that are a bit more dubious. <3>By Ship Just as adventurers must receive permission to travel to Zar Khelar, ships must be granted clearance to approach and dock. In order to restrict access to the island, the Wardens issue a written document to specific sea captains, who are thoroughly vetted along with their crews. This process makes it easier for the Order to keep track of ships approaching the island. They must only deal with a select number of ships; all others can be considered hostile. To wit: They attack any ship whose captain does not have a currently valid permission. Thus, captains who know the route to the island cannot approach after their permission expires. Neither can they give it to anyone else; each document represents an agreement between the Wardens and a specific captain. The contract somehow creates a magical connection between the Order and the person named in it, allowing them safe conduct to the island. Finally, this is not a document that can be forged. Captains have their paperwork renewed every four years.
The process is similar to the one adventurers undergo - the Wardens check their alignment in order to prevent “unsavory types” from making landfall. They are not, however, subjected to any test since they need only transport goods and passengers, and aren’t staying on the island for long. Moreover, the Order’s alignment restrictions for seafarers are different - they weed out those whose philosophy tends towards the chaotic exclusively. Almost all of the captains who receive permission to sail to the island are members of the Black Star Consortium, or become members soon afterwards; it’s a well-known secret that the company offers large commissions to captains who possess this document, or uses other means to coerce membership. Thus, the company holds a virtual monopoly on trade with the island. Those seeking passage to Zar Khelar will most often find themselves aboard a Black Star ship. <3>Sneaking Ashore Let’s face it, some groups just aren’t going to be compatible with this setting, either because of temperament or alignment. The Wardens don’t want evil adventurers wreaking havoc in the Infinite Dungeon, nor are they particularly thrilled with Lawful Good types bent on slaying all the monsters within. Similarly, the GM might want to use the setting in his or her own way, perhaps even subverting the entire campaign. Contrarians and trouble-makers take heart; you can still use this setting despite the hefty safeguards the Wardens put in place to protect their island. You can sneak ashore. Although the merchant captains who supply the island are vetted by the Wardens, it may be possible to find one with loose enough morals who could be tempted to smuggle you ashore (with enough gold). Similarly, the Black Star Consortium seeks to place adventurers loyal to them on the island; they might be willing to help you in your efforts, if the right promises are made. Or, you can simply stow away aboard a ship bound for the island, and hope you’re not discovered. Similarly, the island is a giant magical conundrum to the wizards of the world. The eldritch fog, the spell-ships, the Infinite Dungeon itself, all have attracted the curiosity of less-than-reputable wizards and sorcerers (and at least one lich). You might find one of suitable power to magically transport you to the island in return for your service (see Travel By Other Means, page XX). Once on the island, things become easier. While the Wardens check a visitor’s credentials when they arrive at Valek’s Landing, they do not check them again. So long as you stay out of trouble in the towns, which eventually attracts the Wardens’ attention, you can adventure in Zar Khelar for as long as you want. <2>Island Defenses In addition to its remote position and the lengthy travel time to get there, two other things protect the island from unwanted visitors: The eldritch fog, and the Warden’s spell-ships. <3>The Eldritch Fog A short time after the Order of the Shadow Holdfast arrived on Zar Khelar, a mysterious fog obscured the island. Prior to their taking up residence, the fog did not exist, and anyone could sail to the island (though why anyone would want to was the question). Then, with the placement of Ashgarde Prison came the fog, which provided a perfect natural defense against escapes; there would be no ship moored in a secluded spot waiting to take a fugitive to safety. Moreover, with the discovery of the Infinite Dungeon (and the publicity surrounding it), the fog had the effect of keeping the curious, and unwelcome, at bay. The construction of the prison, uncovering of the dungeon, and the sudden appearance of the eldritch fog has led some to connect the three events. People, particularly those versed in the magical arts, believe the Wardens created and control the eldritch fog that shrouds their island and protects them from incursion. There are many wizards and arcane colleges that would love to learn the source of such power.
As a ship sails into the eldritch fog, it becomes increasingly thick, until you can barely see your hand in front of your face. Moreover, sound plays tricks on you, becoming amplified and misdirected; sailors tell of feeling the need to whisper, and being unable to tell the direction from whence sounds originate. Captains slow their vessels and try to discern the land that must loom ahead. Just as though it seems like you cannot sail any further without running aground, suddenly the mists lighten, and your ship passes into the clear, still on its original course. Ships’ captains find it endlessly frustrating to know there is an island lying somewhere inside that vast cloud bank, and be unable to reach it. Many have tried to circumvent it, approaching the island from every conceivable course heading. Always, the result is the same – sailing into, and out of, a massive fog bank, as though the island weren’t even there. This has led experts on the subject of magic to speculate that perhaps the island is surrounded by a massive teleportation spell, which transports ships from one side of the island to the other. Or maybe the island doesn’t even exist in this plane of reality at all… Only the Wardens know the secret, and that is a closely guarded one. The only way to successfully approach the Blighted Isle is to locate the two massive rock outcroppings called the Reckoners of the Dead. In order to pass through the narrow gap without smashing against the rocks requires a specific, narrow course heading. Once through the Reckoners, the way to the island becomes clear; indeed, you can see land through the gap just like looking through a doorway reveals the room beyond. To add to the fog’s oddity, once on the island you cannot see it from shore, as though it were never there (and neither, coincidentally, can you see approaching ships). All people ever see from land is ocean stretching to the horizon. <3>The Spell-Ships The second line of defense are the Wardens’ spell-ships. They are perhaps as famous as the eldritch fog and the Infinite Dungeon. Shaped like barges, these ships appear large and ungainly. They have no mast nor sail, no visible means of locomotion at all, yet seem to move under their own power. Neither are they particularly aerodynamic, with two watchtowers looming above the main deck, both fore and aft. In the right light, the spell-ships appear to give off an eldritch sheen, as though sheathed in some kind of ethereal energy. As a spell-ship approaches, it becomes clear they are lightly manned. At most, only five Wardens have ever been spotted crewing a spell-ship. Typically, one Warden stands on the main deck, with at least one Warden atop the strange watchtowers. One, sometimes two, Wardens can be seen scuttling to and fro between various sections. As to the crew below decks or in the towers, no one can speak. Some believe there are no Wardens below deck. The spell-ships protect the approach to the Reckoners of the Dead. One or two ships remain on station here at all times. Oddly, whenever they waylay a ship, they seem to have come out of nowhere; sailors on look-out duty usually admit the spell-ship should have been visible much sooner, though most people assume the fog somehow obscured their presence. No one knows where the Wardens dock their spell-ships; they are never seen moored at Valek’s Landing. And when additional ships are needed, they always seem to simply appear. Ships coming near the Reckoners without permission are attacked without question or quarter.
When the ships reach hailing distance, the spell-ship typically slows and the Warden in charge signals the captain. They exchange pleasantries, and the Wardens inquire as to the ship’s cargo. Then, the spell-ship comes along amid ship, matches course and speed, and escorts the new arrival to Valek’s Landing. Deviating away from this course, or coming ashore anywhere else, results in dire consequences. The spell-ship remains until the cargo vessel docks. Entering into battle with a spell-ship is, quite frankly, suicide. A point made clear the first time it launches a fireball across the bow. Somehow, the ship itself commands an impressive amount of magical firepower – fireballs, lightning bolts, gusts of wind, to name a few. The Wardens aboard do not appear to be the source of these spells; there are no Wardens wildly gesticulating on deck, no one uses magic items. It appears the ship itself is one giant, floating artifact. How the Wardens command these spells remains a mystery. <2>Travel By Other Means In a world where magic is possible, there are other means of traveling to Zar Khelar. Some of these are safe, some are flat-out impossible. Many of these are available only to higher level adventurers, which will be dealt with in a later product. Because of the distances involved, dimension door cannot be used to travel to the island. While it might be possible to sail a ship close enough for the spell to be effective, the island’s magical aura redirects its use. Similarly, the strong aura of magic, perhaps a result of the eldritch fog, hampers the use of teleport spells; spellcasters end up in a location similar to the intended destination. Greater teleport, however, cannot be blocked, nor can the teleport circle, as these spells innately prevent misdirection. A wish spell is the surest magical means of getting to the island, provided the wish is properly worded.
The Trouble With Mites This is an adventure for four to six adventurers, designed for 1st level characters. With larger parties, increase the number of foes appropriately to add +2 CR to encounters. We designed Nystul Infinite Dungeon as a campaign setting for starting 1st level characters, and since all the action takes place on Zar Khelar, we provide this adventure to get your characters there as fast as possible. As such, it doesn't make much sense to worry too much about where it takes place; the PCs aren't going to be there for long. We provide a simple region to start you off: The story begins in a medium-sized town called Burketon Falls, on the road to Lacefield, the largest city in the region and a hub of trade and travel. [[NB: Can we insert a map?]] If you want to relocate this adventure to your own campaign setting, you should set it in a medium-sized town of your choosing; it should be far enough away from the nearest large metropolitan center so that it takes approximately 3-4 days to travel. Moreover, the road shouldn’t receive heavy traffic, and it should allow for the inclusion of a small town along the way— Mappin’s Dell. <1>Plot Overview Spero Lir, a Warden Emissary, travels through the countryside seeking out courageous and bold people to delve into the Infinite Dungeon. The Order of the Shadow Holdfast protects the world from the horrors that dwell inside by sending adventurers on quests to help maintain order. To that end, Warden Spero has come to the town of Burketon Falls searching for adventurers. As he made his way around town, he heard the gossip: something has taken to waylaying travelers on the road between Burketon Falls and Lacefield. The creatures are small and hideously ugly. And while people have been injured and harassed, nothing was taken. So far, the garrison in Burketon Falls hasn’t taken the threat seriously and, quite frankly, can’t be bothered to track down what amounts to a nuisance. The situation, however, suits the Warden’s needs perfectly, as a test of an adventuring group’s abilities. Using his claviculum decerno, he locates the PCs in a tavern. He poses as a courier in need of protection, and taps the PCs to guard him along the road. He figures they’ll be stopped along the way, and the group can dispense with a nuisance everyone else thinks is too unimportant to handle. To be honest, he suspects that something larger is going on. Indeed, there is. A band of mites lives near the route the road takes, and something has drawn them out of their subterranean home. They stop travelers on the road because they’re looking for something in particular. So far, they haven’t found it. While the PCs and Warden Spero make their way to Lacefield, the mites attack them. When they don’t find what they’re looking for, the mites retreat and let the PCs go. The group comes upon the village of Mappin’s Dell as they continue their journey onward. This is a natural place to stop and rest, and recover from the previous attack if need be. While overnighting at the village inn, the group learns that the mites bother them, as well. In fact, the mites attack while the adventurers still reside in Mappin’s Dell. Warden Spero urges the PCs to take action on the village’s behalf. They can fight off the attack or attempt to negotiate a cease-fire. The PCs must discover the root cause for the situation. Then they have to figure out a solution to the problem. <1>Background Several years ago, as a caravan of travelers made their way along the road to Lacefield, they stopped and rested at the village of Mappin’s Dell. One of the group’s children, restless from being cooped up in a cart for hours, jumped out and ran across the nearby fields. His parents thought little of it—better he tire himself out through play. The wild, overgrown fields held little danger being so close to a settlement. As the little boy played knight and gamboled, he found an outcropping of rock and climbed. Near the summit, he found a hole just barely wide enough to admit him, and in a fit of exploration he clamored inside. He explored the chambers, and suddenly found himself in the middle of a group of tiny, sleeping people. They were hugely ugly. Tiptoeing around, he found himself alone in a room full of junk. There, he spied a squeezebox (a type of small accordion). Thinking nothing of it, the boy took the squeezebox and beat a quiet, if hasty, retreat. As young boys do, when he returned to the village he was easily distracted by food and engrossed in the conversations of
grownups at the table. He forgot all about his own adventure, and quickly fell asleep at the table. The next morning, everyone piled back into their carts and was off. The mites woke up and quickly discovered the theft of their squeezebox. They searched the caves for it high and low, and eventually figured out that it had been taken. And they did not forget so easily. The mites first sulked. Then they brooded. After a few years, they became so angry and distressed at this affront to their dignity and the sanctity of their home that they formed a plan: They would search for the stolen musical instrument. Because mites love music, no matter how horrible it sounds. Obviously, whoever took their prize had traveled by road. Not too bright, the mites figured their search should start there. It never occurred to them that the thief was long gone; he had used the road, so the road is where it must be. They began to waylay travelers along the thoroughfare. Backed by swarms of rats and centipedes, they rode their spiders into battle. They searched the packs and saddlebags of everyone they could, but to no avail. That is when they turned their attention to the village. Perhaps the squeezebox was there. After all, the village doesn't move. For the past five days, Mappin’s Dell has suffered under the mites’ attention. Villagers find rats in their kitchens, and centipedes in their beds. At mealtime, their food suddenly tastes terrible, and plates never seem to get clean. When they leave a room, something comes in and opens everything up, tossing the contents everywhere, as if searching for something. It is at this point that the PCs become involved. <1>The Hook - The Golem The PCs find themselves in the town of Burketon Falls; a midsized town approximately three days travel to the nearest commercial hub, Lacefield. Burketon Falls has all the amenities a town could want, which is another way of saying you make it up. The adventure begins, as so many do, in a tavern. By asking around town for work, or for a place where adventurers congregate, each PC finds him- or herself at The Golem. It squats in the middle of the block, between a blacksmith on the corner and an herbalist on the opposite side. A sign juts over the street depicting a lumpy, Shadow man—the sign of the Golem. Men and women dressed in costumes and armor from around the world, rough characters who know how to carry themselves, come and go. Inside, the PCs find a chaotic scene of revelry. People cluster around the bar in the middle of the room, trying to catch the bartender’s eye. Others congregate at tables, swapping stories. Barmaids move about, carrying flagons of ale or platters of food. In the back, two men toss daggers at a target. From somewhere, someone laughs loudly at an unheard joke. The bragging is so thick, and the stories so fanciful, that the PCs should wonder what they’re even doing in such a place; this is a bar for experienced adventurers, not people just starting out. Warden Spero Lir sits in a corner, drinking fruit juice out of a flagon, so as to maintain his body purity while appearing to fit in. He keeps his eagle eye on the crowd from beneath his hood, listening to various conversations around the room. He laughs at the appropriate time, and “awes” when the story turns for the worse. As he moves about the room periodically, he surreptitiously checks a ring of keys, as though he wants to make sure they remain on his belt. If the PCs don't know each other, they soon will, as Lir moves between each individual and makes the same offer: He noticed they’re alone, and keep to themselves. He has a job that would likely not interest the other patrons in the bar, a small mission that could be accomplished in a few days. Something perfect for their “level” of experience. If the PCs already know each other, and form an adventuring group, then he notices their distinct lack of boasting (after all, what do they have to brag about, they 're 1st level and haven't done anything yet). He approaches the group and makes the same pitch: An adventure that wouldn't interest the worldlier, or more “experienced” in the room, but would be perfect for them. It is a simple bodyguard mission. Lir claims to be a courier for the Order of the Shadow Holdfast. He has an important message that must get to the next city. The road is dangerous, and he needs protection. See him safely to his destination, and he’ll pay them each 50 gold pieces. Anything they acquire along the way is theirs to keep. A Sense Motive DC 20 check gives characters a gut feeling that something is up, and there is more than meets the eye, but they cannot tell more. If they agree, the group is to meet him tomorrow morning at dawn, at the town square. If not, then he wishes them safe journeys, and no hard feelings. <2>The Warden Spero Lir is a Warden Emissary, sent out into the world to bring back adventurers suitable to the Order’s needs. To that end, he poses as a simple courier carrying a message to the next town. He is looking for a group of adventurers willing to protect
him on the road. He has done his homework, and heard about mites on the road waylaying travelers. So far, this has not risen to the level of a serious threat, as far as the local authorities and town garrison are concerned, and the more experienced adventurers in town couldn't be bothered since the problem is too small (literally). He expects to be attacked along the way, and wants to see how the PCs respond. In reality, Lir could accomplish his mission by himself; he is quite capable of defending himself against the typical brigands and monsters that accost travelers. Throughout the adventure, despite his incredible physical abilities, he will not fight, instead sticking to his cover as a simple courier. It is questionable he would even lift a finger to save one of the PCs, should the need arise, given his alignment. His quest is to evaluate the adventurers and uphold the Order’s goals, not get involved. As the situation evolves, however, he has no problem emphasizing that he is the group’s employer and expects them to follow his instructions. This is important later on, when the adventure goals shift. Warden Spero Lir dresses in Shadow robes and wears no armor. He stands at average height, but it’s clear that under his robes is a man of whipcord strength. His face is weather-beaten and lined, with a short-cropped, thick beard hugging his jaw. He carries a shortspear, which he uses as a walking staff, and two handaxes are stuck beneath his belt. A ring of unusual keys of various shapes and sizes hangs at his side. A Perception DC 20 check also reveals shuriken hidden about his person. For a simple courier, he seems very well armed. [BEGIN STATBLOCK] <3> Warden-Emissary Spero Lir (CR 4) Male Half-Elf Monk 4 Rogue (Investigator) 1 LG Medium Humanoid (elf, human) Init +2; Senses Low-Light Vision; Perception +8 Defense AC 19, touch 17, flat-footed 16 (+2 armor, +2 Dex, +1 deflection, +1 dodge, +3 Wis) Hp 35 (5d8) Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +7; +2 vs. enchantments Defensive Abilities Evasion; Immune Sleep; Resist Elven Immunities Offense Speed 20ft. Melee Handaxe (x3) +1 (1d6/x3) or Shortspear +3 (1d6/x2) or Unarmed Strike +3 (1d10/x2) or Flurry of Blows +2/+2 (1d10/x2) Ranged Shuriken +5 (1d2/x2) Special Attacks Flurry of Blows, Sneak Attack +1d6, Stunning Fist (5/day, dc 15) Statistics Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 12 Base Attack +3; CMB +4 (+6 Grapple); CMD 17 (19 vs. Grapple) Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Grapple, Improved Unarmed Strike, Knockout Artist (+1), Skill Focus (Perception), Stunning Fist Traits Sacred Touch, Suspicious Skills Acrobatics +3 (+7 jump), Appraise +10, Bluff +9, Climb +1, Diplomacy +9, Disguise +5, Escape Artist +4, Fly -1, Intimidate +6, Perception +18, Ride -1, Sense Motive +14, Sleight of Hand +3, Stealth +3 Survival +6, Swim +1, Use Magic Device +5 Languages Common, Elven, Dwarven, Gnome SQ Elf Blood, Follow Up (Advanced Player’s Guide), Ki Pool (5 points, Magic), Maneuver Training, Slow Fall 20ft., Vow of Peace (Ultimate Magic), Combat Gear Handaxe (3), Shortspear, Shuriken (10) Other Gear Amulet of Proof Against Detection And Location, Bracers of Armor +2, Campfire Bead, Catching Cape (1 use), Monk’s Kit, Monk’s Robe, Potion of Cure Light Wounds (4), Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds (2), Potion of Cure Serious Wounds, Ring of Protection +1, Claviculum Decerno
[END STATBLOCK] <1>The Trip The next morning, they meet Warden Spero at the foot of the typical heroic statue in the bustling town square. Soon after, the group passes through the town gates and makes for the open road. It will be, the Warden informs them, a three-day journey to Lacefield. Along the way, the adventurers meet fellow travelers coming the other way. It obvious they've been attacked, with each
person sporting cuts and bruises, their clothing torn, and their gear in a state of disarray. Each group of travelers tells a similar story: At some point during the night, swarms of vermin overwhelmed them; rats, spiders, and centipedes came out of nowhere. Then, these hideous, bluish creatures jumped them and beat them. They ransacked packs and saddlebags, dumping their contents on the ground and rifling through them. Then, they just left. So far as anyone can tell, the creatures didn't actually take anything. The rest of the trip is uneventful, and nothing happens for the rest of the day. If the GM wants to include a random encounter along the road, he should feel free to do so. This might be a good way to throw the adventurers off, since it won' be the attack they’re expecting. However, it may weaken them for the coming mite attack. <2>When Mites Attack As the sun goes down, the group faces a choice: to continue on to Mappin’s Dell, or rest on the road for the night. Warden Spero points out it is another four or five hours ride to the nearest town. No matter what they decide, however, the mites attack them during the night. Camping: If the PCs choose to make camp, they can find a suitable place by the side of the road. In fact, it is a spot that has often been used. There is a fire pit already dug, and signs that many people have camped here. They might decide not to use such an obvious site to make their camp, unfortunately other people have had the same idea. They can find signs of previous encampments all over the place. Sometime during the night, the mites attack. Because they're so small, they prefer to attack encampments. The attack begins with a swarm of rats that overwhelms the group. Meanwhile, a band of mites has snuck into position throughout the night, surrounding the camp using Stealth, and revealing itself now. The mites, however, deal non-lethal damage; their aim is to subdue, not kill. During the fight, in fact, the mites will rifle through the adventurers’ gear. A mite war-leader riding a spider circles the camp, and keeps ordering them to “finds it! Finds the Prized! Look over there!” Naturally, they don't find what they’re looking for, and withdraw. Continuing On: If the PCs choose to ride through the night to get to the nearest village, and a warm bed, then the mites have no other choice but to attack them while they travel. Because they’re too small to stop people on their own, they spring a trap. As the adventurers pass their position, the mites, carefully hidden by using Stealth, block the road with a falling log. Check for surprise, DC 16. The mites follow this up with the same tactics as above: rat swarm, non-lethal attacks, searching backpacks and sacks. Again, their leader makes it clear they’re looking for The Prized, and they withdraw when they don't find it. Lastly, a successful DC 15 Knowledge (nature) allows the PCs to identify their attackers: mites. Every +2 on the roll above DC 15 lets them know additional details: Mites rarely leave their underground lairs; they’re usually too timid. Typically, they only fight to defend their den, unless something has really angered them. For them, this is unusual behavior. <2>Mappin’s Dell Mappin’s Dell is a common stopping point on the road between Burketon Falls and Lacefield. It a small, pleasant village built around the town’s main attraction: The inn. In fact, most nights the inn’s public room brims over with local farmers sharing the day’s gossip over a mug of ale, and asking visitors for news of the world beyond. This might be a good place to rest and recover after the attack earlier in the day. There is a stable and blacksmith next door, where travelers can board their horses overnight and get them shoed, if needed. Across the street, PCs can find a dry goods store, which caters both to travelers and the local farmers. There is also a healer who tends to the community health, a grocer selling fresh vegetables and meat, and a carpenter. Several houses make up the rest of Mappin’s Dell. Noticeably, no wall surrounds the village. The Villagers: No matter to whom the party talks within the village, while the villagers try to appear happy and helpful, it is obvious they’re frustrated and exhausted with a successful DC 15 Perception check. Asking about it brings swift denials and a subject change (Sense Motive DC 17 to realize they don't want to talk about the cause). The Stables: This simple wooden barn stands next to the stately inn next door. A smithy shop, with small bellows and an anvil can be found in the attached shed. This is where the PCs can board their horses for the night. The prices are reasonable, the stables look clean, and the blacksmith, Goff the Tall, ‑ promises the feed will be fresh oats. While the PCs lead their horses inside, with a successful Perception DC 20 check, they notice a lean, Shadow rat perched on a bale of hay. A successful Sense Motive DC 20 gives the PCs the hunch that it seems to be watching them. The Healer: This neat little cottage is surrounded by a picket fence, with bundles of herbs hanging from the porch cover. Nita
Benn serves as the community healer. She brought all the babies in the community into the world, she patches up farmers injured while working, and tends to everyone’s aches, pains and illnesses. If the PCs were wounded in the previous night battle, Nita Benn can fix them up for a reasonable price. Although the inside of her cottage is spic-and-span, with a Perception DC 20 check the PCs notice several spiders scuttling about. The Dry Goods Store: Barrels of dried beans and fruit stand next to shelves laden with blankets and lanterns, and various farm tools hang from the ceiling. If the PCs need to replace any lost or damaged gear, like packs, blankets, rations and the like, this is where they can purchase it. Arsen Laar offers fair prices, and good quality equipment. While the PCs shop, he earnestly shoos out a rat with his broom when he thinks no one is watching (DC 15 Perception check to notice). The Grocer: The local farmers sell their produce here, so it is a good place to pick up some fresh vegetables or meat for the rest of party’s trip. The pleasant woman staffing the place, Lucia Will, welcomes them into a store stocked with bushels and baskets, sausage links and cuts of meat hanging overhead. Oddly, whenever a PC picks up a piece of fruit or a vegetable, it seems badly bruised or limp. Meat that looked fresh from afar appears green and smells like it turned when examined closely. (Perception DC 10 check to notice both). Should they sample anything, it tastes horrible, like a rotten egg wrapped in a smelly sock. A mite hides in the rear of the store, near a hole in the wall, and uses his unlimited prestidigitation to foul whatever the PCs touch. A successful Perception DC 25 check uncovers the tiny fey, who squeezes himself through a loose board and runs away if discovered The Carpenter: Timber of various shapes and sizes leans against the walls outside this solid wooden building. A plump man, Iain Higg, sits outside under an awning, working on a shutter. While the PCs likely don't require his services when they arrive, they may call on him to help build makeshift defenses later on. If they do stop by, the PCs notice a fat, greasy rat hiding in a woodpile with a Perception DC 20 check; a Sense Motive DC 20 check gives them the feeling it is watching the party. Wandering Around Town: The PCs can wander around the little community. There are six other houses in town, all neat and orderly. Really, nothing seems amiss in this quiet, pleasant village. As they move about, with a successful DC 20 Perception check, they notice that rats seem to follow them everywhere. Always watching (Sense Motive DC 20). The rats scurry off when noticed. The Hendricks Inn: By far the largest, and nicest, building in Mappin’s Dell is Hendricks Inn. Set back from the main road by the town well, it is solid stone construction on the first floor, with a wooden second story. It looks large enough to hold twenty guests at a time (and can, in fact house up to forty if people double-up). The Hendricks family lives on the first floor, behind the tap room. The rates are standard for an inn, as is the cost of food and drink. The innkeeper, Marl Hendricks, even gives them a discount if the group agrees to stay in one, large room. As is typical for this sort of establishment, mom cooks in the kitchen, while the many children act as porters, bussers, and servers. Marl stands behind the bar, pouring mugs of the local brew or something harder imported from abroad. The tap room is small and intimate, with a cheerful little fire in the small fireplace. Four tables and chairs furnish the room, a bench lines the wall, and five stools stand in front of the bar. Platters of simple, country food come out of a door leading to the kitchen. Many of the patrons are local farmers and townsfolk, who gossip about the weather and family and events of the day. They’re a friendly lot, and welcoming to visitors since they see a lot of them. They take an interest in the PCs, and ask a lot of questions about where they’re from, and what news they might have. Should the PCs mention their recent experience on the road (the mite attack), the room becomes noticeably more attentive (Sense Motive, DC 10). They want to know more about the attack. If the PCs mention the preponderance of the vermin in town—the watchful rats, the spiders—the room becomes quiet; with a Sense Motive DC 10, the PCs realize the villagers are troubled; two consecutive Diplomacy DC 15 checks gets them to talk, though mentioning the mite discovered in the grocer shop makes this unnecessary. Marl Hendricks, the unofficial town leader, tells the tale: Five days ago, the village started having a problem with vermin. First, rats turned up in the town, and it seems every building has at least one. Then, they started finding centipedes crawling in their beds, and spiders dropping down on them at night. Next, when they try to eat, their food suddenly tastes horrible. Dishes and clothes take longer to clean; they scrub and scrub for hours, it seems. Even worse, if they leave a room untended for long, something opens drawers, chests, boxes, and barrels and tosses everything about. They've spotted a few hideously ugly, tiny creatures hiding in the village, but have no idea what they are or what they want.
Without consulting the rest of the adventurers, Warden Spero pledges the group’s assistance with this problem. If they protest, he reminds them that he is their employer, and he just altered the terms of their agreement. He is not offering additional money, either. The village needs their help. Marl jumps in with an offer of free room and board for as long as they stay in Mappin’s Dell, and an additional sum of 20 gp if they take care of the problem. <3>The Siege of Mappin’s Dell Eventually, the locals begin to file out of the inn. Farm life starts early, and the tap room clears out. Suddenly, a group of farmers comes running back in, and bars the door with whatever they can find. Their eyes are wild with fright, and it is obvious they’re panicking. A swarm of rats attacks the town. The mites have become impatient with their search for the prize. No amount of spying and intimidation seems to have worked. And the PCs’ arrival, which they've seen through their rat agents, has tipped their hand. They've decided on the direct approach: Attack. They besiege Mappin’s Dell with swarms of rats and centipedes. Using handheld flingers similar to a spear-thrower, they fling poisonous spiders into the village. Mixed in with their vermin cannon-fodder, they ride into town astride spider mounts, and charge in afoot. With no defensive wall, the village is soon overwhelmed. The entire tribe participates in the battle, which includes their chieftain and two giant spiders. Croto, the mite chieftain, leads the battle personally. Throughout the fight the PCs can hear his voice, bellowing about finding The Prized. Tactically, unlike the PCs’ previous experience with them, this time the mites seem intent on killing or driving off the village inhabitants. Mites force their way into the houses, and begin turning them upside down. The mites continue their attack on the village until the PCs defeat 50% percent of the vermin swarms, or 25% percent of the raiding mites. After the battle, the adventurers have a decision to make. They can remain in Mappin’s Dell and try to continue defending the village. Or, somehow the adventurers have to find out what the mites want and negotiate a settlement. It may, in fact, take several nights of repelling mite attacks for the PCs to happen on this solution. <3>Negotiating with Mites The next night, the adventurers can expect more of the same. The mites continue to attack every night until they get what they’re after; they’re willing to keep it up until they lose 15 of their number (or three-quarters of the total tribe number). The GM could decide to give the adventurers a few days respite in between attacks, to allow them time to recover lost hit points. They may even try, during this time, to construct some kind of defenses for the town, with the help of Iain Higg, the carpenter. Eventually, talking to the mites might be the easier way to go. The best way to get the mites attention is to surrender. This appeals to their sense of insecurity, and makes them feel superior (not a familiar emotion for a mite); add +2 to Diplomacy skill checks to convince them to stop attacking by surrendering to them; simply offering to talk, while less appealing to the mites’ egos, succeeds with a Diplomacy DC 15 check. If successful, Croto, the mite chieftain rides into Mappin’s Dell to talk. The mites will not, under any circumstances, negotiate with gnomes and dwarves. If either of these races make up the group, add +5 to the DC for any Diplomacy skill checks while they remain present in the negotiations. Croto isn't very bright, and he is particularly single-minded; the GM should play this up for all the comedy he can. During the negotiations, the PCs learn the mites’ motivation: They want The Prized back. Croto describes it in simple terms – two pieces of wood with a handle on each side, buttons on one side, and a bellows in between – because he doesn’t know the name for it. They loved The Prized for the sweet music it made. The PCs should recognize it instantly (and instantly question the mites’ taste in music). Since the original squeezebox is long gone (remember, it’s been years since that kid stole it), the PCs must convince the mite chieftain to accept a substitute. The squeezebox should be easy to replace; there could either be one buried in the bottom of someone’s chest, or the PCs might have to travel back to Burketon Falls to buy a replacement (at the GM’s discretion). Alternatively, the mites might accept a different musical instrument, such as a harmonica or out-of-tune mandolin. Getting the mites to accept a substitute might require some convincing on the adventurers’ part. <1>Conclusion
Either the PCs resolve the situation by exterminating the mites, or convincing them to return to their lair. Either way, the main part of the adventure is over. The rest of the trip to Lacefield is really a formality. The GM can throw in some random encounters, if he wants, as they make their way to Lacefield After another day’s travel, the group arrives at Lacefield. Warden Spero leads the group to an inn he knows in the city and pays them the money he owes them. In addition, he presents them with a scroll, a letter of introduction and safe conduct to Zar Khelar (see page XX for more information). Spero Lir explains that the group was being tested for their skill and bravery. He describes for them the wonders and challenges of the Infinite Dungeon, and explains the Order’s sacred duty to safeguard it. Finally, he offers them passage to the Blighted Isle; there is a ship moored and waiting at the Lacefield docks. Are the adventurers ready for the challenge of the Infinite Dungeon?
Chapter 2: The Ecology of the Blighted Isle Once, Zar Khelar was a pleasant, temperate island covered with lush jungle, rivers, tributaries and wetlands leading into the rugged foothills of the Pyrefaust. According to the loremasters, a great meteor crashed into the island, boiling the seas, and scarring and twisting the land. Sailors exploring the island afterwards reported a landscape of karst and blasted jungle, and gave the island its current name: The Blighted Isle. Despite a long history of habitation, the island remains largely unexplored beyond the reach of the settlements, Holdfast Citadel, and Ashgarde Prison; the Wardens of the Order seem to have little interest in the surface proper, and no one has ever commissioned a proper survey of the landscape. The inhabitants know that several tribes of lizardfolk make their home deep within the mangrove swamps and bogs fed by the Eryx River, but rarely venture there. Strange creatures often wander out of the jungle; such encounters end in bloodshed. The Order's garrison and the island's inhabitants live in a state of perpetual siege and scarcity. As the Holdfast dedicates their resources to overseeing the Infinite Dungeon, it falls to adventurers to tame the strange wilderness. <1> The Eryx River and Ceres Swamps The few inhabitants along the river use the Eryx as a lifeline to Valek’s Landing and the world beyond. It is the largest river in the island’s southern portion, and empties out into the Gravestone Bay. Adventurers seeking passage along the river should look for the Rivermen, an informal guild of experienced guides, to secure a safe journey. [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3>The Rivermen The people known as the Rivermen are a common sight on the Eryx and Dhoog rivers. There are many small settlements along the rivers, farmers and shepherds trying to eke out a living in a harsh, unforgiving environment. The Rivermen travel up and down the rivers’ length, ferrying passengers and cargo. They know the rivers well and it’s said they even live on their boats. They practice a form of strict neutrality, and offer passage to anyone so long as they have the coin to pay, be they human or serpent man. They never involve themselves in a conflict between groups, though they sometimes find themselves engaged as diplomats. Adventurers wishing to explore the rivers would do well to hire a Riverman guide. They can often be found at the mouth of the rivers bounding Valek’s Landing. [[END SIDEBAR]] The river's depth ranges from 5'-10' deep at the banks to nearly 150' at its center. The Eryx contains many mundane hazards: Rotted trees in the waterway, temporary sandbars and deltas, small islands formed of ancient lava flows. The river is notorious for its strong currents, which can dash a vessel to pieces on hazards or drag a living being to their death. Anything floating in the Eryx moves downstream at a speed of 15 to 50 feet per round. Rapids send swimmers bobbing downstream at 60 to 100 feet per round; move a character in flowing water the appropriate distance downstream at the end of her turn. A character can spend some or all of her turn swimming upstream to maintain her position relative to the riverbank, provided she succeeds in a Swim check. Braving the strong currents in the Eryx requires a higher than average Swim DC, while climbing the muddy banks of the Eryx requires a DC 20 Climb check. [[BEGIN TABLE]] Current Strength Swim DC Average Current 18 Rapids [[END TABLE]]
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Within the Ceres Swamps, potential dangers grow more numerous. The Swamps are a confusing maze of tributaries, still water, mangrove trees, bogs, and strange mists, all of which might collude to send an explorer to their doom. When rolling for terrain type, see “Marshes” in Chapter 12 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Book. <2>River and Swamp Encounters The Eryx River and Ceres Swamps are deadly places for the ill-prepared. Those that venture within discover exactly how deadly they can be. <3>Wetlands Fauna The unintelligent wildlife found in the Eryx are the most common threat adventurer’s face. They are well-adapted to their environment, exploiting terrain and unfavorable conditions like darkness and difficult terrain to their advantage. Amphibious predators, like giant frogs and ahuizotl, attack their prey from ambush, using their ability to grapple to drag prey into deep bogs and river currents. Hydra are a serious threat to adventuring parties, and attack Rivermen boats. Rumors persist that a pyrohydra hides in the depths of the swamps; if they are true, none have lived to speak of it. Goblin dogs and toadlike slurks, favored mounts of kobolds, dominate the shallow bogs, sandbars, and rocky islands near the swamp and river. The goblin dogs have learned that the slurks leave behind carrion, and drive creatures into ambushes so they can feast on the remains. The slurks enjoy the food, and leave the goblin dogs alone. Ambush predators in their native environments have learned to fully exploit their surroundings; if rolled as a random encounter, there is a 30% chance that ambush predators are lying in wait and act during a surprise round. Detecting the ambush requires a Perception check at a DC of the creature’s Stealth check +5. <3>The Bizarre The Ceres Swamps and the Eryx River are also home to far more bizarre creatures - the river-dwelling crystal ooze, the ochre jelly (and its symbiosis with the undead skeletons infesting the bogs), and the bizarre tentamort. The crystal ooze is mostly aquatic, seeking out its prey on the Eryx or its tributaries, exploiting its near invisibility. Crystal oozes are difficult to detect in the water. When near the surface (and about to attack), the Perception check to spot a crystal ooze is DC 20; if it is more than 5' beneath the surface, it is effectively invisible, increasing the Perception DC to 35. The ooze’s land-bound counterpart, the ochre jelly, is not only a source of danger by itself, but is often encountered with reanimated humanoid skeletons. The latter rely on the jelly’s flesh-dissolving secretions to increase their numbers. The ochre jelly hides beneath shallow bogs and rotting vegetation until flesh comes near, then strikes. There is a 50% chance that any encounter with an ochre jelly will also include 2d6 humanoid skeletons (1 HD). Tentamorts lurk in the branches of mangrove trees, waiting for suitable prey, then striking using the concealment provided by the trees to protect itself; they also ambush rafts and boats traveling the Eryx, their constricting tentacles hanging from the low-lying branches that overhanging the river. Tentamorts possess an effective Stealth skill of +10, and use their Blindsense ability to remain in total concealment (50% miss chance). When possible, the tentamort attempts to grapple its foe, and drag them into water or shallow bogs before using its paralytic sting. <3>The People of the Wetlands The wetlands of the Blighted Isle are home to a number of intelligent beings, whose attitudes toward the Order and other inhabitants range from warily neutral to actively malign. Many of them occupied the island long before other humanoid races appeared; others migrated to the island by chance, mistake, or coercion.
A few farms and villages too small to be named line the eastern bank of the Eryx. Elves shun the wetlands as a rule, and dwarves find solid land too infrequent to settle here. However, gnomes and halflings have found ways to adapt. The former build their homes on stilts, while the latter construct mud huts in which to live. A few human settlements can be found, as well as those of the degenerate people known as the Blighters. While there are human and demi-human villages that can be found in the Ceres Swamplands, they are usually within half an hour's travel from the Eryx. These are almost exclusively Blighter camps. Everyone in the wetlands fortifies their settlements, no matter how small. In addition to a few common humanoid settlements, tribes of lizardfolk are common to the swamps, hunting and fishing where they will. The lizardfolk shun others along the river as a rule, though whispered rumors tell of some villagers trading goods with them. The default attitude for lizardfolk communities is considered to be Unfriendly. Should PCs anger the swampdwellers, they find themselves at the mercy of numerous primitive traps and hunted through terrain they are likely illequipped to handle; they should consider themselves lucky when they are beaten senseless and robbed, instead of killed. Chuul, massive crab-like beings, execute skillful ambushes and coordinated raids. They are voracious predators, possessing enough intelligence to execute skillful ambushes and coordinated raids. They are fond of “trapping” an area using their paralytic secretions to booby-trap the jungle, where they lie in wait. Lizardfolk despise the chuul, and often warn other races away from areas where they lurk, or offer to join in hunting down the creatures. The harpy population of the wetlands is distinguished by their bright, tropical plumage. They are surprisingly friendly, perhaps choosing to live in relative peace with their neighbors given the other dangers present along the river. They often provide invaluable reconnaissance for other settlements, so long as they are plied with flattery and fresh meat. Harpies are only 10% likely to attack; their attitude is neutral trending to Friendly, regardless of alignment. PCs with high Charisma scores have a 30% chance of a particular harpy taking a liking to them, which shifts the harpy's attitude to Helpful. PCs who attract the harpy’s interest may find themselves subject to its captivating song, which functions as suggestion 3/day, in addition to its normal effect. Murderous faceless stalkers pose as lost humans or half-elves, feasting on the blood of their prey. They often pose as travelers who have lost their way and are in need of help. Or, they have already infiltrated a settlement and quietly murder their neighbors; often, this goes on for years, slowly eroding the community’s trust. Deeper in the swamps, green hags devour man-flesh and practice corrupted magics. No one knows exactly how many of the hags live in the bogs and mires of the Ceres - it could be a single hag, or an entire coven. Those who have ventured to find out have never returned. Will-o'-wisps lead their victims to death in a thousand different ways, but are fond of assisting the hags, enjoying the tortures they inflict on their victims. The fungus leshy move unseen through the rotting undergrowth, distributing the hidden nutrients of the swamp among bog, field and river alike. They are accompanied by shambling mounds, which act as their guardians. Adventurers encountering them together are unlikely to face trouble unless they attack without provocation.
Fungus leshy or shambling mounds start with an Indifferent attitude; they cannot be shifted past Friendly or Unfriendly. Fungus leshy and shambling mounds will fight until they have lost 75% of their hit points, then flee; they never fight to the death.
<3>The Wetlands Undead They do not sleep. They require no respite. They wait for the opportunity to slaughter, terrify, and consume their living victims, spreading chaos and disease, leaving more of their growing numbers in their wake. They are the undead. Intelligent undead in the wetlands are not confined to any single area; attacks can occur anywhere, at any time. No one is sure why the undead are so heavily concentrated there, but one thing is certain - their hatred of all that lives drives them to depravity and murder to chill even the stout-hearted. The undead are a scourge upon the wetlands. Festrogs shamble through the marshes, laden with disease and eager to feast on the living. Skavelings attack from the night skies, spreading ghoul fever to their victims; their victims rise as ghouls the next midnight to prey on the living. Deathwebs erupt from nests in dried mud and from web-shrouded treetops. In the mangroves, shadows rule. The common skeleton does not conform to the twisted 'rules' that its kin follow. Skeletons in the Ceres Swamps are created when a living creature falls prey to an ochre jelly. A creature consumed by a jelly inevitably rises within a day as a skeleton, joining its fleshless comrades. <1>The Ymirian Jungle The jungles of the Blighted Isle have changed more than any other area, twisted into bizarre and deadly forms by magical forces and the pressures of survival. They are lushly beautiful places, but here is no peace in the jungles, only endless, brutal battle. Venturing more than a few days' travel into the jungle and surviving what lurks there is nigh-impossible. Fierce tropical storms lash those who venture forth with every appearance of conscious malice. No expedition has successfully penetrated the jungles in a century. Survival of the fittest is the rule; those who ignore it perish. The three largest jungles, the Ymirian, the Perlandran, and the Sivanan, all present lethal perils and incredible discoveries for those brave or foolish enough to explore them. Of the three, the Ymirian, near Wayside, is most easily traveled to. Some mistake the Ymirian's proximity to civilization as a sign of its relative tameness; nothing is further from the truth. The Ymirian jungle is treated as dense forest with heavy undergrowth. Parts of the Ymirian have a 20% chance of being treated as shallow bogs or quicksand. (See the "Wilderness" section in Chapter 12 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook.) The jungles themselves hamper survival checks to navigate, which twists and shifts constantly, imposing a -4 penalty on such checks, as per poor visibility. Tools like sextants are of no use in the jungle. Survival checks to avoid becoming lost begin 1 mi. into the Ymirian Jungle, and are complicated by the jungle. Such checks are made at DC 20. Moreover, weather in the Ymirian Jungle is unstable. Those who become lost in the jungle are 60% likely to be caught in the Ymirian's sudden rainstorms. These flash storms are treated as Thunderstorms (see the "Weather" section in Chapter 12 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook.) Venturing further than 10 mi. into the Ymirian is something best left to the Gamemaster's imagination. Whatever exists that deep within the Ymirian is considered, at a minimum, a CR 10-12 encounter, and can be populated accordingly. The Ymirian Jungle is not ready to be explored. Yet. <2>Ymirian Jungle Encounters The Ymirian Jungle is home to an unnatural diversity of life. The creatures that inhabit the Ymirian are evolution gone horribly awry, locked in a never-ending struggle against the weather, warped jungle, and each other. The jungle hides many secrets, and punishes all mistakes with a single sentence: death.
<3>Jungle Flora The Ymirian Jungle’s the 'normal' vegetation and undergrowth already exhibits a malign animation, misleading explorers, reshaping itself to trap travelers within, every tree likely hiding a new enemy for adventurers, where no rustling among the leaves can be ignored. But there is vegetable life within the Ymirian that is deadlier than the jungle. Slime molds are an omnipresent danger in the Ymirian Jungle, especially replicating in the wake of tropical storms. The jungle's inhabitants know to steer clear of infested areas until the spawn die off. Following a rainstorm or thunderstorm, there is a 50% chance that an area will be infested with 1d4 slime molds and 1d8 recently-spawned slime molds (use the young creature simple template for immature slime molds). The assassin vine, hangman's tree, and yellow musk creeper are found in deceptively pleasant-looking glades, luring in the unwary. Encounters in areas containing assassin vines and hangman trees are deadly - PCs successfully grappled by one plant are subject to an attack of opportunity by the other. Characters unfortunate enough to be caught by both are subject to damage from both. In addition, adventurers encountering a glade of yellow musk creeper will be attacked by 1d6 yellow musk creeper zombies. The creatures' sole tactic involves attempts to drive opponents either toward the yellow musk creeper or into the tendrils of a nearby assassin vine. Ymirian shambling mounds are violent predators, especially when encountered during one of the Ymirian's thunderstorms. Many adventurers' last sight in the Ymirian has been of a lightning-struck shambling mound. Shambling mounds encountered during or immediately after thunderstorms have a 60% chance of having recently been stuck by 1d4 lightning bolts. The tendriculos might be mistaken for an exceptionally-large shambling mound, at least until one draws closer; then the massive plant monster attacks, and any similarities end in a sudden life-or-death battle. A rare threat is the intelligent and malevolent mandragora. The mandragora disorients opponents with its hell-born scream before attacking with its tendrils, which are coated with a poison that provokes madness. <3>Insects and Arachnids The Ymirian jungle is unforgiving. The insect and arachnid life of the jungle has grown larger, more venomous, vicious, and aggressive than their off-island cousins. Greensting scorpions are not to be underestimated; their venom can leave even the largest of creature’s ill, unable to defend themselves. Greensting scorpions seek out dark hiding places near warm prey. Boots, bedrolls, containers of any kind, even quivers for arrows and bolts can contain several of the vermin, who will attack at the slightest provocation. Detecting a hidden greensting scorpion is a DC 25 Perception check. Abnormally-large versions of common insects and spiders infest the Ymirian jungle, preying on each other and any creature they encounter. Giant wasps and mantises attack with claws and poisonous stings, pursuing prey relentlessly unless killed. Giant stag and slicer beetles can devastate an adventuring party. Wise explorers should leave rotting food and offal well away from their camps to distract the giant beetles. Ettercaps and giant spiders form strange collectives. Ettercaps build their temporary homes high in the jungle trees, well out of the reach of ground-dwelling life or murderous plants. Such homes are well-concealed, requiring a DC 19 Perception check to detect. The trained spiders work as guardian, and combined with the ettercaps' traps, spell a death sentence for explorers. The spider eater preys on these predators, using its sting and claws to incapacitate them before injecting its eggs. The spider eater prefers arachnid prey, but will attack any creature.
<3>Beasts of the Jungle Like the vermin and plant life, animals living in the Ymirian have grown bigger, meaner, and stranger than they otherwise might, and not only compete but thrive. Most animal life in the Ymirian lives within 5 miles of the jungle's edge, ceding the depths to stranger things. Some of the creatures of the Ymirian may seem familiar, if twisted out of true, to those that know the wilderness. Giant skunks and owls are common, while massive grizzly bears haunt the edges of the jungle. Dire wolverines and dire wolves attack any humanoids they encounter in a carnivorous frenzy. Mobats, degenerate survivors of some long-forgotten age, lurk above the jungle floor or in deep caves. The primates of the Ymirian jungle are a diverse and dangerous lot. The baboons have developed their natural viciousness into killing perfection, protecting their territory with bloodthirsty eagerness. Monkeys exist in enormous numbers as deep as 2 miles beyond the borders of the Ymirian, and attack anything entering their territory as a single unit, employing primitive swarm tactics and sheer numbers to overwhelm prey. The largest primate in the Ymirian is the fearsome girallon. A single girallon is dangerous; a troop is best avoided. They drive any creature intruding on their chosen territory toward the deeper jungle, into mires, clusters of lethal vegetation, or into the domains of other predators. Stranger creatures make their home in the Ymirian. Owlbears on the Blighted Isle have established a niche for themselves, attacking any living creature they encounter. Given their origins, it is a mystery how they arrived on the island. They fight to the death when encountered, and mature specimens are always found in mated pairs. The gryph possesses half a dozen legs and has the insect-like ability to implant its parasitic eggs in the flesh of warm-blooded creatures. Gryphs attack in flocks, seeking bare flesh to stab with the ovipositor hidden in their abdomen, and continue to attack until killed or the victim carries a live egg. Those brave or foolhardy enough to approach the deeper Ymirian Jungle may regret their decision in the form of creatures like the giant frilled lizard, a massive reptile carving out its niche through intimidation. Few creatures can withstand the terror evoked by the giant frilled lizard's charge. Or the jungle grick, which lurks near habitable areas, waiting for its next meal, attacking from ambush and using the jungle trees as concealment. Finally, hodags stalk their victims for days before attacking, charging to throw them a dozen feet before diving beneath the ground for protection. <3>The People of the Jungle Despite being hostile to humanoid life, with its treacherous landscape and murderous flora and fauna, intelligent creatures do make their homes in the Ymirian Jungle. Unlike the island more ordinary settlements, however, visitors to the jungle would be well advised to avoid these non-human communities. Occasionally, people emerge from the jungle telling wild stories, of serpentfolk lurking in the deep jungle and strange, prehistoric ruins glimpsed from afar. While people on the island routinely laugh at the tale’s teller (perhaps a bit nervously), serpentfolk and aranea plot and work in secret to search for these primordial ruins (if they exist) and uncover their arcane mysteries. The two have brokered an uneasy peace, though both sides expect betrayal. The serpentfolk understand the minds of talking mammals better, and advise the aranea on their behavior; meanwhile, the aranea exchange their arcane knowledge with their scaly associates.
Better known are the band of gnolls, known as the Gut Gnawers, who established themselves in the jungle after escaping the Infinite Dungeon on Exodus night. While they do not venture far from the safety of the jungle on their raids, they have no problem descending on anyone who strays nearby (including the serpentpeople). Sometimes, the leucrotta who lead the band order a raid on nearby settlements to bring back slaves, and have even trekked as far as Valek’s Landing. Lastly, the jungle is home to various intelligent predators. The tiny twigjack, the flying derhii, and moss trolls waylay whomever they come across. Twigjacks make it their goal to torment anyone they see as threatening the sanctity of their jungle; bowstrings snap, venomous spiders find their way into packs, and rations are poisoned with sickening molds. Moss trolls lurk far above the ground in the thick jungle canopy. They taunt potential victims by laughing, singing obscene songs, and describing torture techniques, leaping from tree-to-tree all the while. Deeper in the Ymirian, lurking in the moss-choked jungle canopy, are the decapus, always hunting for fresh humanoid flesh to feast upon. <3>The Jungle Undead The abundance of life within the Ymirian Jungle has a beneficial side-effect for intelligent inhabitants - it is inimical to the living dead. Those few undead able to survive are boundlessly wicked, preying in secret on the scattered settlements near the Ymirian Jungle. Often, the undead infiltrate Wayside, afflicting the already beleaguered population with unimaginable horrors. The two most note-worthy undead found here are the berbalang and the pennaggalen. Berbalang plague the living venturing near the Ymirian, impersonating humanoids that they prey upon and insinuating themselves into a community. They seek to wage a campaign of corruption, paranoia and murder, all while attempting to terrify their victims to death. Penanggalen are skilled witches, using fell powers to augment their vampiric abilities. They prefer to select a young woman, gain her confidence, and separate her from family and friends, then lure her into its jungle lair. Berbalang possess several peculiar weaknesses that can be exploited by canny adventurers. Discovering these weaknesses is a DC 18 Knowledge (Religion) check. Limes and lime juice function similarly to garlic and vampire, and weapons treated with lime juice act as a ghost touch weapon against their incorporeal form for a single hit. Penanggalen likewise have specific weaknesses that can be used against them. Discovering these weaknesses is a DC 17 Knowledge (Religion) check. According to island folklore, a home can be protected from a pennaggalen with thorny plants (which imposes the entangled condition on them and acts as difficult terrain). <1> The Haugr Piedmonts The Blighted Isle’s rugged hills present challenging terrain. The sharp, volcanic rock, while softened over time, remains rife with small canyons, ankle-snapping cracks, and strange veins of magnetic or magically-charged ore. All but the most wellworn, lowest areas are considered Rugged Hills for purposes of determining terrain, as per “Hills Terrain” in Chapter 12 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Book. Traveling in the foothills risks a 10% chance of encountering magnetized ore or mnemonic crystals as hazards.
[[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3> Hazards Magnetized Ore
CR 2
XP 600 The strange energies of the Blighted Isle can charge rocks and veins of ore with powerful magnetic fields, creating a hazard for anyone carrying or wearing ferrous metals. Any steel or iron brought within 20 feet of the ore is drawn toward it. Mediumsized creatures carrying 30 or more pounds of ferrous metal are pulled toward the ore as if by the pull special ability. The ore has an effective CMB of +7 and CMD 17. Small creatures are pulled if they have 15 pounds of metal, Large if they have at least 60 pounds. For creatures of other sizes, modify the weight required as per the rules for carrying capacity. Creatures wearing metallic armor suffer a penalty to their CMD to resist the pull (–2 for medium armor, –4 for heavy armor). Affected creatures are pulled up to 20 feet and slammed against the rock for 2d6 points of damage and gain the grappled condition. Creatures not carrying large amounts of metal but holding metal items in their hands are affected by a disarm maneuver as the items are ripped free. Freeing a stuck item requires a successful grapple check against the ore’s CMD. Mnemonic Crystals
CR 3
XP 800 Mnemonic crystals are large (2–4 feet tall) clusters of violet quartz crystals that radiate a strong abjuration aura. They can be identified with a DC 25 Knowledge (arcana) check. Attuned to the unique energies of spellcraft, mnemonic crystals harvest magical energy for growth and defense. The crystals drain prepared spells from spellcasters within 30 feet, who must make DC 22 Will saves each round while in the crystals’ area. Failure results in the loss of one prepared spell, chosen randomly. Spontaneous spellcasters such as sorcerers are unaffected. Damaging or breaking the crystals causes them to release their absorbed spells in a burst of mental energy that does 1d6 points of Wisdom damage to all creatures in a 10-foot radius. Mnemonic crystals are exceedingly fragile (hardness 0, 1 hit point). In areas thick with the crystals, creatures passing through must make DC 10 Acrobatics checks to avoid stepping on or brushing against the crystals and breaking them. [[END SIDEBAR]] <2>Hill Country Encounters The Haugr Piedmonts are representative of the foothills encountered across the Blighted Isle. The Order warns most adventurers away from the Haugr, and with good reason – aside from the dangers presented by the terrain and living creatures there, undead infest the foothills. The conflict between the beasts, hostile living creatures, and the remnants of the Ashegarde Prison breakout is vicious and ongoing, and few adventurers that involve themselves in it survive to tell their tale. The rule of the Haugr Piedmonts is 'trust nothing'; its only constant is danger. <3> Beasts, Mundane and Magical The unintelligent beasts of the Haugr Piedmonts are surprisingly numerous, rivaling their cousins in the Ymirian Jungle for sheer viciousness. Food and territory is scarce in the hills, and competition is fierce, leading to ever-shifting territories that are taken and lost. Dire apes and dire lions are commonly encountered in the lower parts of the hills, hunting for prey or defending their domains against all comers. Amphisbaena lurk in the cracks and crevices, hidden in the underbrush and wait to strike. Mundane wolves roam in large packs, fending surprisingly well, relying on numbers to battle other creatures. Conquering the hilly terrain on far too many legs, massive ogre spiders weave webs between the low, stunted trees, trapping victims in their sticky, unbreakable strands. Their cousins, giant spiders, abound in great numbers, draining the lifeblood from prey. Canny adventurers bring alchemical fire or spells to battle against these lethal arachnids, burning away their webs to clear a path. The cliff faces, and the hill country’s sharpest, highest ridges, hide the nests of airborne creatures as comfortable in the sky as they are on the ground. Proud griffons swoop down from the skies to rend their prey, and their nests are often found near those of the giant eagles that hunt alongside them. Manticores are the griffons' primary competitors, loosing volleys of poisonous spikes before tearing their victims to shreds. Mobats that have strayed from the ruins in the Ymirian Jungle present a significant danger, as well, picking off stragglers or swooping down during the night to carry off the unwary.
The rocky terrains of the hills offer no protection at all to adventuring parties. Burrowing through the volcanic stone, bulettes emerge from their burrows in a spray of rock shards, rampaging through intruders on their territory with incredible ferocity. Smaller tunnels in the rock provide lairs for vicious death worms, waylaying their prey with streams of boiling acid. Some sages have speculated that the death worms may be the larval form of the bulettes, but such speculation has so far proven unfounded. <3> Humanoids and Giants The hills are home to a number of intelligent species, eking out an existence based on flesh-eating, banditry, and mayhem. The intelligent humanoids of the Haugr Piedmonts avoid the wandering undead and beasts, preying upon Order patrols, each other, or the occasional unlucky adventurer. Unlike the creatures they avoid, the humanoids can be bargained with, sometimes, though betrayal is nearly inevitable, and any alliances temporary. Common, barbaric orcs and hobgoblins roam the hills, vying for treasure and territory. Their methods, if not their ends, differ – the orcs prefer the straightforward approach, attacking in force from simple ambushes, while the hobgoblins use poisoned crossbow bolts and attacks by night to waylay victims. Both species despise each other, and adventurers wishing a quick escape from attacks can always attempt to turn their attackers away with the prospect of killing their hated rivals. Not every ambush and bandit attack can be attributed to hobgoblins and orcs. Vicious spriggans fool their targets into thinking one of the other species might be responsible for such an attack, lying in wait and exploiting whichever side of a battle is most weakened. Mirroring the conflicts of the smaller humanoids, ogres and hill giants engage in pointless, brutal battles over territory, food, or for the simple, blood hatred of doing so. The thunderous cacophony of their conflicts can be heard for miles, warning away interlopers. When encountered alone, the giants engage in their typical behavior, wading into patrols and adventuring parties with man-eating abandon, smashing smaller opponents to paste. <3>Hill Country Undead Remnants of the half-century old breakout from Ashegarde Prison, the undead have made steady, unstoppable progress in laying waste to the living creatures of the Haugr Piedmonts. Freed of the constraints of needing food, sleep, or shelter, the undead are relentless, slaying all that draws breath. Worse, they are growing in number, and as their victims join their ranks an undead apocalypse may well be at hand. Mindless undead, such as deathwebs, skeletons, festrogs, plague zombies, and juju zombies represent the majority of the undead encountered in the hills, indiscriminately attacking the living, heedless of casualties in their ranks. These undead exhibit only the most crude of tactics under the best of circumstances, but their numbers and special abilities (such as the diseases carried by plague zombies and festrogs) make them a potent threat, not to be underestimated. Sometimes, these groups of undead are led by a huecuva, skeletal champion or zuvembie, who use them as shock troops. Bizarre even among the undead, crawling hands and their giant kin scrabble and scramble among the rocks, waylaying the living. The disembodied hands seem to have no true purpose beyond murder, though some whisper that there is a sinister purpose to them, some hidden master directing their actions. Many of the undead habitually sever the hands of fallen enemies; inevitably, these become crawling hands. Flesh-eating ghouls lurk in the Haugr, led by wights. These foul creatures want only to strip the meat from their living prey, glutting themselves on those that fall. Once, they haunted the corpse-littered battlefields of the Ashegarde breakout; these undead are spreading ever closer to civilization.
Intelligent undead, while rare, are a serious threat to explorers in the hills. Ghuls organize lesser undead for raids, striking against the living for the sake of terror. Crypt things wander the hills, scattering the living with their teleport burst ability. Totenmaskes attack helpless or sleeping victims, using shape flesh to torture and torment. These vile undead lair near settlements and outposts, even daring to threaten the Holdfast Citadel and Wayside. Incorporeal shadows, allip, and ghosts literally haunt the hills, draining the life from their foes. With little to fear from the fleshy living, these undead prey with impunity, driven away only briefly by the light of the sun. Like the mindless, lesser undead, many slain by these creatures rise as undead themselves. <3> Outsiders Few in number, creatures from beyond the mortal planes appearing on the Blighted Isle gleefully exercise their wrath and terrifying power on its inhabitants. Among the most powerful creatures in the Haugr Piedmonts, these beings' motives are as strange and cryptic as their points of origin. One thing unifies them – otherworldly evil. Bearded devils and shadow demons in the hills might seem utterly opposed, given their alignments, but ally frequently, all the better to spread pain, misery, and horror. Their alignments mean the creatures are rarely seen together, but an uneasy alliance has formed between them – bearded devils rule the daytime, and withdraw as the sun sets to allow the shadow demons to reign. Neither take sides in the growing conflict between the living and the undead. Hounds of Tindalos are believed to be myths; surely such creatures cannot exist in a sane universe. Found among the maddened ravings of the survivors of such encounters, truth can be gleaned – the Hounds are very real, drawn to the Blighted Isle for some unknown and sinister purpose. To divine the truth behind their visitation is to court madness. <1> Civilization and Beyond The dangers of the Blighted Isle demand that the vicious wilderness and its denizens be beaten back by force of arms, magic, architecture, and oft-times sheer dedication and will. One of the greatest testaments to civilization on the Isle has withstood attacks by fiends and monsters, the Exodus, riots, floods, plagues, and is a steadfast reminder that the horrors may yet be subdued. It is called the Road of Champions. Beyond the Road, deep in the wilderness, lie dangers to give even the most canny adventurers pause. <2>”Other” Encounters In addition to wetlands, jungle, and hill country, people on the Blighted Isle have two other types of terrain with which to contend. Just because the road between Valek’s Landing and Wayside is regularly traveled does not mean it is necessarily safe. Often, because of its use, it attracts creatures in search of an easy meal where prey is sure to be found. Far beyond civilization’s reach, stranger, and more deadly creatures, lurk. It is well that townspeople warn newcomers not to venture too far beyond the Order’s reach, and certain death. <3> The Road of Champions The Road begins at Valek’s Landing, maintained by a small garrison of militia personnel, and serves as a vital link between the coast, Wayside, and the Holdfast Citadel. As such, the Road is also under frequent attack by the evils that make the Blighted Isle their home, and requires constant patrols to maintain. Island laborers work constantly to repair damage caused by weather, wilderness, and deliberate sabotage. Thus far, they have been successful, and the Road of Champions remains passable.
Even in patrolled areas of the Road, dangers remain. Aggressive vermin like rot grubs, giant army ants and giant scorpions, botflies, and mosquito swarms pose a constant threat. Packs of dire hyenas and giant vultures harass travelers and feast on carrion. Larger creatures, like giant frilled lizards, wooly rhinoceros, bison, and axe beaks can also be found on the Road, serving as hazards or, occasionally, food. Bison and frilled lizard meat provides a great deal of the nutrition for weary adventurers and settlements. The wooly rhinoceros and axes beak are also edible, but present daunting prey. Aside from militia patrols, adventurers can encounter intelligent creatures. Minotaurs are drawn to the Road, and are surprisingly amiable to travelers, though quick to anger. Gnolls are a persistent hazard for even well-armed adventurers, ever eager to engage in bloody combat. A few residents Wayside and Valek’s Landing speak of a marai rakshasha who travels the Road of Champions, offering cryptic advice in exchange for strange bargains. <3> The Wild Lands Beyond the reach of the Order and town garrisons, the Blighted Isle's full fury takes hold. As if civilization were an affront, the Wild Lands, which hold to no single form of terrain, rebel against the very idea of order and settlement. They are an unending menace, threatening to swallow civilization whole, unless they are kept at bay. Menaces from every corner of the Isle can be found in the Wild Lands. Vampiric mists compete with mosquito swarms and storms of stirges for a sip of living blood. The girallon, forest drakes, and giant frilled lizards are voracious meat-eaters, and when encountered beyond the reaches of even marginally-civilized areas, show no fear of even well-armed adventuring parties. Goblin dogs and gryphs attack in numbers to tear down their prey, or feed upon the offal left behind by vermin such as giant centipedes. In the foliage, creeping zoogs swarm their prey; victims are consumed on the spot. Some less fortunate few are dragged back to the mystical, strangely carved stones that mark the center of zoog communities to serve as sacrifices to strange gods. The vegetation of the Wild Lands is bizarre. Yellow musk creepers and their attendant zombies are omnipresent, along with assassin vines, tendriculous, and quickwood. Wise adventurers take heed of the leaf leshy and their companions, the shambling mounds, some of the few creatures that hold no animosity toward the warm-blooded. Surprisingly, intelligent creatures, adapted to the harsh environment, abound in the Wild Lands. Serpentfolk ranging out from their swamp homeland are quick to attack those not of their kind, and show little mercy in the wild. Goblins are found in significant numbers, cruelly waylaying adventurers and explorers, leading them into viciously clever deadfalls and other traps. Moss trolls leap from the trees to rend and tear, kidnapping succulent humanoids for later feasting. Derhii can command the loyalty of their primate cousins, the girallon, and tales exist indicating that the flying apes have established a kingdom deep in the Wild Lands. While not hostile, nymphs can provide a beautifully lethal distraction, and given their isolation from civilization, are reluctant to allow handsome visitors to depart their domains.
Island Surface Random Encounter Tables Swamps (Day) d% 1-10
Avg. CR 2
11-18 19-26 27-38 39-52 53-64 65-74 75-80 81-84 85-90 91-96 97-100
Encounter 1 Riverman (War 1/Exp3), and 3 crewmen (War 1) 1 mosquito swarm 1d6 human zombies 1 crystal ooze 1 leech swarm 1 ochre jelly 1d6 crocodiles 1 shambling mound 2d6 giant frogs 6 1 giant mosquito 6 1d6 tentamorts 2d6 giant leeches 7
Swamps (Night) d% 1-10 11-18 19-26 27-38 39-52 53-64 65-74 75-80 81-84 85-90 91-96 97-100
Encounter 1 fungus leshy 1 shadow 1d6 ghouls 1 crystal ooze 1 leech swarm 1 ochre jelly 1d6 crocodiles 1 ahuizotl 2d6 giant toads 2d6 human skeletons 1d6 tentamorts 2d6 giant leeches
Avg. CR 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6
Jungles (Day) d% 1-10 11-18 19-26 27-38 39-52
3 3 4 4 5 5 6
7
6 6 7 7
Avg. CR 2 3 3 4
53-64 65-74 75-80 81-84 85-90 91-96 97-100
Encounter 1 slime mold 1 assassin vine 1 giant wasp 1 grizzly bear 1 yellow musk creeper and 1d6 yellow musk zombies 4 1 giant frilled lizard 2 araneas 1 girallon 1 tendriculos 1d6 giant mantises 1 hangman tree 7 1d4 serpentfolk 7
Jungles (Night) d% 1–6 7–10 11–14 15–18
Encounter 1 monkey swarm 2 1 slime mold 2d4 greensting scorpions 2 1 mobat 3
Avg. CR
5 5 6 6 6
2
19–22 23–26 27–32 33–38 39–46 47–52 53–56 57–64 65–72 73–74 75–76 77–80 81–82 83–84 85–88 89–90 91–94 95–96 97–98 99–100
Hills (Day) d% 1–6 7–10 11–14 15–18 19–22 23–26 27–32 33–38 39–46 47–52 53–56 57–64 65–72 73–74 75–76 77–80 81–82 83–84 85–88 89–90 91–94 95–96 97–98 99–100
1 moss troll 1 jungle grick 1 decapus 1 dire wolverine 4 1 giant stag beetle 1 yellow musk creeper and 1d6 yellow musk zombies 4 1 giant owl 1 gryph and 1 centipede swarm 1 leucrotta 1 penanggalen witch 1 spider eater and 1 giant spider 2 owlbears 1 berbalang 1 girallon 1 shambling mound 1d6 dire wolves 6 1 hangman tree 7 1 hodag 7 1 pukwudgie 1 tendriculos and 1 twigjack
3 3 4
Encounter Huecuva 1d4 Orc Barbarians 1d4 Humanoid Skeletons and 1 Skeletal Champion Ogre 2 Spriggans 1d4 Amphisbaena Griffon 1d6+2 Plague Zombies Zuvembe 1d6+2 Crawling Hands 1d2 Dire Lions Manticore 1d4 Giant Eagles Bearded Devil Ettercap and 1d6 Giant Spiders 1d6 Ogres 2d6 Wolves 1d6 Dire Apes 1d8 Skeletal Champions Deathweb 5 JuJu Zombies Bulette Hill Giant Dullahan
Avg. CR 2 2
4
5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6
7 7
2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7
Hills (Night) d% 1–6 7–10 11–14 15–18 19–22 23–26 27–32 33–38 39–46 47–52 53–56 57–64 65–72 73–74 75–76 77–80 81–82 83–84 85–88 89–90 91–94 95–96 97–98 99–100
Encounter 1 Mobat 1d4+2 Plague Zombies 1d8+2 Skeletons 1d4+2 Ghouls 4 festrogs 4 Hobgoblin Rogues 2 Juju Zombies 1d4 huecuvas 1 Crypt Thing 1 Giant Crawling Hand and 1d4 Zombies 1 Ogre Spider 1d4 Festrogs and 1d4+2 Plague Zombies 1 Manticore 1 Wight and 1d4 Ghouls 1d4 Allips 1d4 Mobats 1 Death Worm 1d6 Shadows 1 Totenmaske 1d2 Ghosts 1d4 Ghuls 1d8 Shadows 1 Shadow Demon 1d2 Hounds of Tindalos
Avg. CR 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7
Patrolled Areas – The Road of Champions d% Encounter Avg. CR 1–6 1d4 Catfolk 2 7–10 1d6 Mongrelmen 2 11–14 1 Wereboar 2 15–18 1d6 Gnolls fighting 4 2nd lvl. Human Warriors 3 19–22 1 Axe Beak 3 23–26 Patrol of 4 Militia (Human War 3) 3 27–32 Patrol of 1d6 Order Guards (War 2) w/ 1 Order Officer (War 4) 4 33–38 1 Bison 4 39–46 1 Giant Vulture 4 47–52 1 Minotaur 4 1d6 Dire Hyenas 5 53–56 57–64 2d6 Militia (War 2), escorting 1 Sage (Exp 3) 5 65–72 1 Army Ant Swarm 5 73–74 1d4 Giant Frilled Lizards 5 75–76 3 Giant Scorpions, fighting 2 Order Officers (War 4) 5 77–80 1 Wooly Rhinoceros 6 81–82 8 Gnolls, fighting
83–84 85–88 89–90 91–94 95–96 97–98 99–100
4 Milita (War 3) 6 1 Botfly Swarm and 2d10 Giant Botflies 1 Giant Bumblebee and 1d10 Giant Bees 6 3 Giant Rotgrubs 6 1 Rotgrub Swarm 7 1d6 Mosquito Swarms 7 1 Rakshasa, Marai (Neutral) 3d6 Order Guards (War 3), accompanied by 1d4 Mages (Adp 3)
The Wild Lands d% Encounter 1–6 1 Moss Troll 7–10 1d4 Vampiric Mists 11–14 1 Mosquito Swarm 15–18 2d4 Goblin Dogs 4 19–22 2d4+2 Zoogs 23–26 4 Gryphs 27–32 1 Giant Frilled Lizard 33–38 1d4 Serpentfolk 5 39–46 2d10 Giant Centipedes 5 47–52 1d12 Goblin Warriors (War 2) 5 53–56 1d6 Assassin Vines 57–64 1 Derhii 6 65–72 2 Yellow Musk Creepers and 1d6 Yellow Musk Zombies 73–74 2 Common Girillons 75–76 1 Tendriculous 77–80 1 Shambling Mound and 1d12 Leaf Leshy 7 81–82 2d8 Stirges and 1d6 Vampiric Mists 7 83–84 1 Spectre 85–88 1d6 Faceless Stalkers 89–90 1 Nymph 91–94 1 Kobold Leader (Rgr 4), 4 Kobold Thieves (Rog 2), riding 4 Slurks 1 Quickwood 95–96 97–98 4 Forest Drakes 8 99–100 1 Tyrannosaurus 8
6
7 7
Avg. CR 3 3 3 4 4 5
6
6 6 6
7 7 7
8 8
Chapter 3: Valek’s Landing The first place with which the adventurers become acquainted is Valek’s Landing. This is the island’s only port, through which all trade and travel flows (such as it is). The Wardens guard access to the port town faithfully, through the use of their spellships, though they do not seem overly concerned with the town’s security proper. Valek’s Landing has seen better days, as the island just begins to emerge from fifty years of isolation and decline. While there is a lot for adventurers to do here - exploring the town’s abandoned neighborhood, solving the lizardman problem, and getting involved in the town’s various intrigues - Valek’s Landing is really just a waypoint on the road to Wayside and the Infinite Dungeon. <1>History For hundreds of years, Valek's Landing was the gateway to the riches of Zar Khelar. Merchants from the far cities of the world made it their home, opening shops to lure gold from the pockets of the adventurers who passed through the port. On their way to the dungeons, they spent gold on supplies and information; on their way home, they sold the acquisitions that were too large or too strange to carry with them. The Order of the Holdfast exacted a tax for their upkeep that, in light of the riches pouring out of the dungeon, was hardly onerous. In return, they ensured that none of the boggles and beasts that surrounded the area threatened the port; their spellships kept pirates well away from the island, allowing marine traffic to come and go in peace. No one in Valek's Landing or Wayside knows what happened in the depths of the dungeon half a century ago; only that it must have been terrible. The very ground shook; black smoke belched forth from the great fissures of the volcano, and from a far distance was heard a great roar, as if the gods themselves howled in protest. An army of monsters swarmed forth from the Dungeon, laying waste to everything in their path. Shoulder-to-shoulder, the Order and the several adventurers lodging in Wayside spent their lives to buy time for the city's people to retreat to Valek's Landing. Although many fell to the creatures that finally overran the defenders' stand, many more survived to reach Valek's Landing and the ships docked there. In the panic of the evacuation, merchants and sailors looted whatever wealth they could carry, then forced or bribed their way onto the ships. Despite the best efforts of the Harbormaster, many were left behind — most, native Khelarians, though a few of the merchant families also remained. Those unfortunate souls — some three hundred people — took refuge in the Pearl Caves for several months, until the monsters turned upon each other and, eventually, withdrew into the island’s wilder areas. The islanders' troubles did not end with the Exodus, however. The skies turned blood-red with every sunset, an ill omen that was proven accurate. An early autumn ruined the remains of the harvest; the winter was too cold to nurture the usual second crop. Unseasonable cold stunted the next summer's harvest, and without the usual influx of ships, the Khelarians could neither send for help, nor purchase sufficient supplies to see them through. That was the Fell Winter, when the snows that cap the great volcanic mount stretched down almost to the coastline, and full half the surviving population of the diminished Valek's Landing died of sickness or malnutrition. The Khelarians' only consolation was that the remnants of the monstrous outbreak suffered a similar fate. <2>Today Valek's Landing has dwindled from its days as the gateway to Zar Khelar. Once a prosperous small town, now it has all but split into two settlements, locally referred to as Harbor-Town and Fisher’s Cove. Harbor-Town consists of the much-reduced harbor, docks and mercantile area; about an hour’s walk up the shore, Fisher’s Cove appears to be a small cluster of ramshackle buildings thrown together from scavenged materials.
Buildings line the harbor and march back in uneven rows to a sheer cliff-face; decaying shells of shops and homes perch at the top of the cliff. Most of the buildings along the waterfront are at least usable, though somewhat underused, as only a single wharf is in good repair. Convict workers in garish workman's garb unload crates and bales from a shabby cargo ship docked to that single wharf; others slowly rebuild a second dock. Several rutted paths lead past storefronts and homes into an open square. The building closest to the working pier has been restored, although the ‘Harbormaster’ sign tacked above the door seems grandiose compared to its surroundings. At the opposite end of the docks, the pole outside a half-collapsed building holds a stuffed rat with a (false) gold coin in its mouth, sitting in a dried bird's nest. <1>Harbor-Town There is a distinct difference between the inhabitants of the Town and the Cove. The people of Harbor-town are the descendants of the merchants and adventurers who remained stranded on the island after the Exodus, and as such vary significantly in dress and appearance. They turned their hands to whatever they could to survive, and tried to rebuild some semblance of their prior society. For fifty years, they’ve eked out a living trading with other survivor communities and the Wardens at the Holdfast, and oftentimes just doing without. Despite their need to trade with the people of Fisher’s Cove, the townsfolk consider them to be rather primitive. The Holdfast doesn’t concern itself with the village’s safety or administration, and so the task has fallen to the locals. The village has what could charitably be called a constabulary, but it’s made up of a half-a-dozen adolescents from Harbor-Town, and an equal number of elders from Fisher’s Cove who are too old (or, in some cases, missing too many limbs) to haul a line or net. Recently, two of the younger members of the town guard suffered accidents, one fatal, one merely disfiguring, and interest in joining the force has dwindled. Harbormaster Cabot is, effectively, the mayor of Valek’s Landing. The Cabot family is the pre-eminent family of Harbor-Town. By tradition, the position of Harbormaster is hereditary; Lucius Cabot, the current Harbormaster, is the seventh of his family to hold the position. The Cabots have been a fixture in Valek’s Landing since well before the Exodus, and many consider the Cabot name to be synonymous with Valek’s Landing. <2>The Robber's Nest This grubby dockside tavern is set up in a half-collapsed building at the far end of the waterfront. By day, the place looks abandoned, like the surrounding warehouse district. At night, the sounds of music and revelry drift down the block, and sailors can be seen carousing through the open windows or drunkenly singing sea-shanties while loitering outside. Inside, the furniture has either been scavenged from the ruins or knocked together from old crates. The bar consists of a plank of wood resting on two barrels. The Robber’s Nest has a nefarious reputation around Valek’s Landing. Neither food (a vile-smelling stew of half-rotten fish and vegetable ends) nor drink (the dregs of the Twelve Bells' barrels mixed with rivershine) are of any quality; however, the gambling is cutthroat and the drink, while awful, is cheap and inebriating. Visitors to the Nest should take care not to fall unconscious while there; they're likely to wake up stripped down to their smallclothes. The only reason Dumisani Wekesa hasn’t shut it down yet is that it largely caters to sailors in port for a short time, and is on the wrong side of town (literally).
The proprietors of the Nest, Coram Harriman and Ethlan Karm, couldn’t be more different. Harriman, a reedy half-elf with iceblue eyes, takes pride in his appearance, and considers himself a “gentleman thief” engaging in cons, information trading, and subtle crimes. He prefers to escape trouble through skill and wit. Ethlan Karm, however, would be utterly bland – average height, average weight, average looks – were it not for his meaty paws and superior strength. He prefers the easy path: smashand-grabs, alley-coshes, and a good old-fashioned protection racket. When trouble comes, he uses his bland appearance to don a quick disguise or blend into the crowd. Unbeknownst to the rest of the town, Harriman and Karm's dreams are more grandiose than running a simple waterfront dive — they plan to build a true Thieves' Guild in Valek's Landing and Wayside. To that end, they have a certain interest in any rogues who pass through either the Robber’s Nest proper or Valek’s Landing in general. Generally, Harriman offers to “get them in on the ground floor” of their new guild, while Karm makes them offers “they can’t refuse.” In addition, they have found a way to facilitate a certain amount of smuggling: a secret tunnel runs from the back of the Robber's Nest to a false grave in the old graveyard. Already, Cullen Creeg makes use of it to smuggle out some of the more interesting artifacts to emerge from the Infinite Dungeon. [[NB: This might change.]] Meanwhile, Amber Kotu has quietly engaged Harriman and Karm to sneak in a handful of individuals who would prefer to avoid Warden entanglements; from here, infiltrators make their way to Kray and Sons Dry Goods (in Wayside). <3>Coram Harriman CR 2 Coram Harriman
CR 2
XP 600 Male Half-Elf Rogue 3 NN Medium Humanoid (elf, human) Init +3; Senses Low-Light Vision; Perception +11 -------------------Defense -------------------AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +3 Dex) hp 20 (3d8+3) Fort +2, Ref +6 (+1 vs. traps), Will +1; +2 vs. enchantments Defensive Abilities Evasion, Trap Sense; Immune sleep; Resist Elven Immunities -------------------Offense -------------------Speed 30 ft. Melee Dagger +3 (1d4+1/19-20/x2) and Sap +3 (1d6+1/x2) Ranged Masterwork Composite shortbow (Str +1) +6 (1d6+1/x3) Special Attacks Sneak Attack +2d6
-------------------Statistics -------------------Str 13, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8 Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 16 Feats Deft Hands, Rogue Weapon Proficiencies, Skill Focus (Perception) (Adaptability), Stealthy Skills Appraise +8, Bluff +5, Climb +7, Diplomacy +5, Disable Device +14, Disguise +4, Escape Artist +10, Knowledge (local) +8, Perception +11 (+12 to locate traps), Sense Motive +6, Sleight of Hand +11, Stealth +11, Swim +5 Modifiers Coax information Languages Common, Elven, Elven, Halfling SQ Elf Blood, Ring of invisibility, Trapfinding +1 Combat Gear Dagger, Leather armor, Masterwork Composite shortbow (Str +1), Sap; Other Gear Climber's kit, Courtier's outfit, Grappling hook, Potion of Expeditious Retreat, Potion of Feather Fall, Ring of invisibility, Silk rope, Tanglefoot bag, Tasteful jewelry, Thieves' tools, masterwork, Universal solvent, Wax key blank -------------------Special Abilities -------------------Coax information (Ex) A rogue with this talent can use Bluff or Diplomacy in place of Intimidate to force an opponent to act friendly toward her. Elf Blood You are counted as both elven and human for any effect relating to race. Elven Immunities +2 save bonus vs Enchantments. Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects. Evasion (Ex) If you succeed at a Reflex save for half damage, you take none instead. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail. Ring of invisibility By activating this simple silver ring, the wearer can benefit from invisibility, as the spell. Construction Requirements: Forge Ring, invisibility; Cost 10,000 gp Sneak Attack +2d6 +2d6 damage if you flank your target or your target is flat-footed. Trap Sense +1 (Ex) +1 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps. Trapfinding +1 +1 to find or disable traps. -------------------BASIC DETAILS --------------------
Boon A burglar can open a trapped item for PCs or search a building for traps. She might break into a house to recover an item for the PCs or break a PC out of jail. <3>Ethlan Karm CR 3 XP 800 Male Human Fighter 1 Rogue 3 NE Medium Humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Perception +7 -------------------Defense -------------------AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 Dex) hp 30 (1d10+3d8+8) Fort +4, Ref +5 (+1 vs. traps), Will +1 Defensive Abilities Evasion, Trap Sense -------------------Offense -------------------Speed 30 ft. Melee Dagger +6 (1d4+3/19-20/x2) and Dagger +6 (1d4+3/19-20/x2) and Quarterstaff +4 (1d6+3/1d6+1/x2) and Sap +6 (1d6+3/x2) Special Attacks Sneak Attack +2d6 -------------------Statistics -------------------Str 17, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 12 Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 18 Feats Catch Off-Guard, Rogue Weapon Proficiencies, Skill Focus (Intimidate), Toughness +4, Two-weapon Fighting Skills Climb +8, Disguise +8, Handle Animal +5, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +7 (+8 to locate traps), Sense Motive +5, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +9, Swim +7
Languages Common SQ Surprise Attacks, Trapfinding +1 Combat Gear Dagger, Dagger, Masterwork Studded leather armor, Quarterstaff, Sap; Other Gear Manacles (2) -------------------Special Abilities -------------------Catch Off-Guard Proficient with improvised melee weapons. Unarmed foe is flat-footed against your improvised weapons. Evasion (Ex) If you succeed at a Reflex save for half damage, you take none instead. Sneak Attack +2d6 +2d6 damage if you flank your target or your target is flat-footed. Surprise Attacks (Ex) Opponents are always flat-footed against you in the surprise round. Trap Sense +1 (Ex) +1 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps. Trapfinding +1 +1 to find or disable traps. -------------------BASIC DETAILS -------------------Boon A street thug could attempt to kidnap or threaten a particular NPC, deliver a message, or create a disturbance with a street brawl whose distraction causes a ñ2 penalty on opposed Perception checks for 1 minute. <2>Harbormaster’s Office The ancient, gilded sign that marks the Harbormaster's office is far more pretentious than the simple building deserves. A battered desk and equally battered, though comfortable-looking, chair are wedged into a corner of a large office. Occupying pride of place in the center of the room is a large, sturdy, wooden table; stretched out upon its surface is a detailed map of the area around Valek's Landing and the surrounding waters, and a smooth pane of glass protects the map from damage. Ship and supply manifests hang somewhat haphazardly on the walls. Lucius Cabot, the current Harbormaster, is likely the first person adventurers meet upon their arrival to Valek’s Landing, as captains must sign his register and declare their cargo. He is of average height and weight, though the roundness of his cheeks suggests that he might run to fat given the opportunity. Mild features conceal a razor wit and keen eye, attributes which he applies to serve the town's best interests. Cabot dresses smartly, though conservatively; as the Harbormaster, he represents Valek's Landing, and he wishes to present the town in its best light. Cabot would like to see Valek's Landing regain its former prominence, as much for the welfare of its citizens as for his own legacy. He is a skilled negotiator, having honed his skills settling disputes between Harbor-Town and Fisher's Cove. However, he’s not sure about the recent influx of adventurers the Wardens have allowed. On the one hand, this means that perhaps they’re ready to open up Zar Khelar even further, which would improve the town’s fortunes. On the other hand, more outsiders mean potentially more headaches, especially large groups of armed “rowdies”. He is cautiously receptive to adventurer inquiries, and has several tasks that would be perfect for their brand of “problem solving.” The abandoned part of town on the cliffs above could use exploration, with any creatures squatting there driven out. Fisher's Cove could use some assistance with a small lizardfolk problem. And the town’s constabulary is woefully undermanned. Assisting Cabot would go a long way towards helping him make up his mind about adventurers. <3>Harbormaster Lucius Cabot CR 2
XP 600 Male Human Aristocrat 4 NG Medium Humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +11 -------------------Defense -------------------AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex) hp 20 (4d8) Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +6 -------------------Offense -------------------Speed 30 ft. -------------------Statistics -------------------Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 13 Base Atk +3; CMB +2; CMD 13 Feats Alertness, Persuasive, Prodigy (Craft [ships], Profession [Harbormaster]) Skills Appraise +10, Bluff +8, Craft (ships) +8, Diplomacy +10, Handle Animal +5, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (history) +9, Knowledge (local) +10, Perception +11, Sense Motive +11, Survival +6, Swim +4 Languages as campaign appropriate, as campaign appropriate, as campaign appropriate, Common Other Gear Courtier's outfit, Ink, black, Ink, colored, Inkpen, Journal, Sealing wax, Signet ring -------------------Special Abilities -------------------Prodigy (Craft [ships], Profession [Harbormaster]) Gain a +2 bonus on two Craft, Perform, or Profession skills. <2>The Town Constable The constable’s office and gaol, close to the Harbormaster’s Office, makes up part of the town’s administrative center. The simple blockhouse has bars on all the windows, with heavy wooden shutters and a good, stout door. While there’s
usually someone sleeping off a hard night of drinking in one of the gaol cells, the stocks outside the constable’s office haven’t been used in decades. The constable of Valek's Landing is a tall, lean, and muscular man with skin the color of mahogany and dark hair that glints ginger in the sunlight. Dumisani's grandfather was an adventurer who died during the Exodus, buying time for the civilian population to flee. Wekesa's early dreams were to become an adventurer himself, but his duty to his home took precedence. Constable Wekesa prefers to set minor criminals to work that benefits the community, such as road repair or shoring up dilapidated buildings in lower Valek’s Landing. Wekesa's responsibilities weigh heavily upon him; recently, two of his deputies have been killed or crippled by strange accidents, lizardfolk harass the people of Fisher's Cove, the Robber’s Nest situation eventually needs to be addressed, and he doesn't have the resources to respond to either problem on his own. Moreover, the lost guardsmen have forced Constable Wekesa to restrict his patrols to the market square and the waterfront. He needs more men, but few townspeople are willing to take up the call. As his problems multiply, he might be forced to make a decision he knows he'll regret — deputizing adventurers —outsiders — to take some of the pressure off. He has only one desire, beyond protecting his town: recovering his grandfather's spear, believed lost in the ruins in Wayside. If someone were to recover it for him, they would have a friend forever. <3>Dumisani Wekesa CR 1 XP 400 Male Human Warrior 3 LG Medium Humanoid (human) Init +3; Senses Perception +1 -------------------Defense -------------------AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +3 Dex) hp 21 (3d10+3) Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +2 -------------------Offense -------------------Speed 30 ft. Melee Dagger +5 (1d4+2/19-20/x2) and Darkwood Longspear +6 (1d8+3/x3) -------------------Statistics -------------------Str 14, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 18 Feats Bludgeoner, Combat Reflexes (4 AoO/round), Enforcer Skills Acrobatics +2, Climb +7, Escape Artist +2, Fly +2, Handle Animal +3, Intimidate +5, Profession (law enforcement) +6, Ride +2, Stealth +2, Swim +7 Languages Common Combat Gear Dagger, Darkwood Longspear, Studded leather armor; Other Gear Fetters, Manacles (2) -------------------Special Abilities -------------------Bludgeoner Inflict nonlethal damage with bludgeoning weapons Combat Reflexes (4 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed. Enforcer If you deal nonlethal damage with a melee weapon, make a free Intimidate check to demoralize. <2>The Black Star Consortium On the other side of the Harbormaster's office is the warehouse and storefront of the Black Star Consortium. This twostory structure dominates the neighborhood, as all the island’s trade moves through here. Carts make their way to and from the warehouse, moving goods between the docks, Wayside, and the Order’s headquarters. Teamsters tote heavy crates and barrels. Clerks record inventory and check bills of lading. Inside is a maze of containers of all shapes and sizes, all overseen from a desk near the warehouse doors. Behind it, a bookcase contains all the island’s shipping records. Black Star controls a large proportion of the supplies coming into Valek's Landing. The island produces very little food for itself, and has no other industry of which to speak. The inhabitants rely on imports for almost everything they cannot produce for themselves or require in bulk. The taverns need ale, the shoemakers need leather, the blacksmiths need ore… and Black Star merchant captains transport the bulk of it. Amber Kotu, the public face of the Black Star Consortium in Valek's Landing, is a blonde, slightly plump young woman with an honest, open face and guileless green eyes. With an easy smile and a warm personality, she's everyone's friend — or so she appears. In truth, it's all a facade. Amber is shrewd, calculating, and manipulative, and she intends to be the sole authority on Zar Khelar (on the company’s behalf). Unknown to almost everyone, there are those in the consortium who believe the island is home to sky-metal, the byproduct of meteor strikes, and that it is the true source of the Warden’s power. To that end, the Black Star Consortium has smuggled in a handful of adventurers loyal to them, with the intention of their gaining the Warden’s trust, entering the Infinite Dungeon, and coming out with definitive proof. She keeps close ties with Gunther Kray in Wayside, and uses Harriman and Karm to bring people ashore. Kotu realizes this opens the company up to potential blackmail by those two rogues, and she may have to eliminate them eventually. <3>Amber Kotu CR2 Human Bard 4 XP 600 Female Human Aristocrat 1 Bard 3 NN Medium Humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +11
-------------------Defense -------------------AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex) hp 12 (4d8-4) Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +7; +4 vs. bardic performance, sonic, and language-dependant effects -------------------Offense -------------------Speed 30 ft. Melee Masterwork Dagger +3 (1d4/19-20/x2) and Masterwork Dagger +3 (1d4/19-20/x2) Special Attacks Bardic Performance (standard action) (11 rounds/da, Bardic Performance: Countersong, Bardic Performance: Distraction, Bardic Performance: Fascinate (1 targets) (DC 14), Bardic Performance: Inspire Competence +2, Bardic Performance: Inspire Courage +1 Bard Spells Known (CL 3, +2 melee touch, +3 ranged touch): 1 (4/day) Expeditious Retreat, Cure Light Wounds (DC 14), Disguise Self, Charm Person (DC 14) 0 (at will) Lullaby (DC 13), Read Magic, Light, Ghost Sound (DC 13), Detect Magic, Prestidigitation (DC 13) -------------------Statistics -------------------Str 10, Dex 13, Con 9, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 17 Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 13 Feats Alertness, Bard Weapon Proficiencies, Careful Speaker, Persuasive Skills Appraise +8, Bluff +10, Diplomacy +10, Disguise +20, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nobility) +7, Perception +11, Perform (oratory) +10, Sense Motive +10, Sleight of Hand +6, Stealth +8 Languages as campaign appropriate, Common SQ Bardic Knowledge +1, Versatile Oratory +10, Well Versed Combat Gear Masterwork Dagger, Masterwork Dagger; Other Gear courtierís outfit with hidden pockets, Hat of disguise, Oil of taggit, Smoke Bomb, Thieves' tools -------------------Special Abilities
-------------------Bardic Knowledge +1 (Ex) Add + 1 to all knowledge skill checks. Bardic Performance (standard action) (11 rounds/day) Your performances can create magical effects. Bardic Performance: Countersong (Su) Counter magical effects that depend on sound. Bardic Performance: Distraction (Su) Counter magical effects that depend on sight. Bardic Performance: Fascinate (1 targets) (DC 14) (Su) One or more creatures becomes fascinated with you. Bardic Performance: Inspire Competence +2 (Su) +2 competence bonus for one ally on a skill check. Bardic Performance: Inspire Courage +1 (Su) Morale bonus on some saving throws, attack and damage rolls. Careful Speaker +2 bonus on some Bluff checks and some Will saves Versatile Oratory +10 (Ex) You may substitute the final value of your Perform: Oratory skill for Diplomacy or Sense Motive checks Well Versed (Ex) +4 save vs. bardic performance, sonic, and language-dependent effects. <2>The Market Square A statue of a handsome, foppish young man, covered with greenery, surmounts a long-dry fountain in the center of the square. The small garden surrounding the statue is now a vegetable garden; while not large, careful cultivation allows it to supplement the town's supplies during summer and fall. Some plants use the fence as a trellis, and others are cleverly planted in every nook and cranny of garden, fountain, and statue. The Market Square is home to three major establishments: the Twelve Bells Tavern, Marchant’s Dungeoneering Emporium, and Nidd’s Fish. <2>The Twelve Bells The Twelve Bells is the most prosperous tavern in Valek's Landing. The large, comfortable taproom is paneled in wood; the slightly old-fashioned furniture is likewise wood, and sturdy. Most nights, the room is filled with townies and fisherfolk alike. The Bells is the type of tavern where people come to drink and talk — especially drink; the ale is very good — and where the barmaids aren't for sale. A dwarf, Rus Ironthew is the sole non-human, long-term resident of Valek’s Landing. He is both the innkeeper of the Twelve Bells and its brewmaster. Rus is built like an ale barrel, with a shock of black hair pulled into a shaggy braid and a beard neatly trimmed to the contours of his chin. He can throw a barrel of ale across his taproom (and did once, to settle a challenge, followed by the unfortunate who made him waste a barrel of ale). Rus is gruff and straightforward; if he doesn't want to discuss a subject, he says so. He just wants to run his inn and live his life. Rus was present during the Exodus, but he won't discuss it, beyond a curt statement that "it was bad; life went on". Rus was living in Valek’s Landing on the night of the Exodus, and his wife and children successfully escaped the horror of that night. He bought them critical time to escape by joining in the island’s defense. He wants his family to return, but so far the Wardens keep a strict limit on immigration to the island, favoring adventurers to venture into the Infinite Dungeon, and will not allow them passage. Perhaps if someone could convince the Wardens to make an exception, Ironthew would be eternally grateful (and dwarves have a long memory). <2>Marchant’s Dungeoneering Emporium Across the square from the Twelve Bells stands a large building that has seen better days. The siding is weathered and splintered, the windows are boarded up, and glimpsing through the cracks shows that most of the interior is empty. Inside, sturdy shelves that bear the scars of heavy use hold a bare fraction of their intended freight. The majority of the merchandise available is basic adventuring gear of low-to-average quality, and uniformly from the Black Star Company — but at twice the price.
Once upon a time, long ago, the Dungeoneering Emporium catered to recently-arrived adventurers in search of gear. The business has scraped by ever since the Exodus, the number of adventurers being close to nil until recently. Through the decades, the business changed hands many times, eventually falling into the hands of Olviria Marchant, who inherited it from her second husband. The general store has a reasonable selection of ordinary items, but its prices are high (almost twice those as anywhere else on the island). The proprietress, Olviria Marchant, is painfully thin, with harsh lines carved into her face and hair pulled back into a severe knot. Childless and twice widowed, she conceals a core of insecurity beneath a bitter, cynical shell. Although she doesn't like mercantile work, she's not so proud as to abandon a steady living. Many of the town's citizens wonder how she's still managing to get by; business has been slow, and her high prices don't appear to be helping. She is remarkably indifferent to complaints about price, pointing out when challenged that Zar Khelar is an island, and transport is expensive. Marchant’s prices are high because the Black Star Consortium charges her double their normal shipping and warehousing fees. She doesn’t know why they appear to want her out of business, and suspects Amber Kotu does. The two avoid each other outside of business dealings. Perhaps the reason can be found somewhere in the records at Kotu’s warehouse. <2>Nidd’s Fish The smell of fish permeates the marketplace. On three sides of the stall, raised shutters reveal fish of all shapes and sizes lying on tables in bins of ice, and hanging from posts. In front, several barrels line the front of the stall containing salted, dried and smoked fish, as well as various varieties of shellfish. The air is thick with flies. Much of the bounty of Fisher's Cove is sold through the fishmonger's, run by Khadia Nidd. Fish of all sorts, fresh, dried and smoked, are available on a daily basis. Lately, though, the prices have been going up and the supply of fish has been going down; rumor has it that lizardfolk are responsible for the shortfall. Khadia Nidd is young to be the head of her clan; barely out of her teens, she inherited the position when her father died in a boating accident. Thus far, Khadia has risen to the challenge. She is charming and outgoing, and loves to talk about life on the island, fishing, her fellow fisherfolk, and the inhabitants of Harbor-Town. She usually mans the fishmonger's stall in the Valek's Landing market square, where she combines cheerful gossip with good, but not cutthroat, deals. The supply of fish is indeed going down, as competition with the lizardfolk increases. Khadia Nidd is looking for adventurers to solve her clan’s problems, either through talk or by the sword. If Carlo Horgreb can’t convince them, perhaps Khadia can persuade them get involved. She can take them on a tour of the village, show them the evidence, and convince witnesses to talk. <2>The Heights What was once a prosperous residential area now lies in ruins; empty windows stare darkly at trespassers and doors yawn wide not in invitation, but in hunger. Soft rustlings, heard from the shadowed interiors, are punctuated by wet crunches. The air smells of decay both old and new, and even the frequent sea breezes fail to cleanse the air. Sited atop the bluff above the harbor, the former residential area of Valek’s Landing was largely abandoned after the Exodus. Several attempts have been made to reclaim it, but all have resulted in failure. Those who venture “up the bluff” often do not return. Their bodies, however, occasionally turn up the bottom of the cliff, their bodies (and especially their skulls) smashed. The villagers strictly forbid any to venture into the area — they believe it to be accursed by the dead of the Exodus. Nonetheless, with the influx of adventurers, the smashed and mutilated bodies are re-appearing at the bottom of the cliffs; even one of Dumisani’s deputies has fallen to whatever lurks above. A strange nautiloid creature known in antiquity as the utak-manj has infested the abandoned area. On its own, it poses little threat to the wary adventurer; approximately a foot long at its full growth, it moves slowly while in the open. In its favored environments — caves, ruins, and dense overgrowth — it squeezes through surprisingly small areas and scuttles quickly up walls and along ceilings on sharp, hooked feet. The utak-manj is an ambush predator that falls upon its prey from above and drills a needle-like proboscis into its victim’s brain. The utak-manj then injects a fluid that paralyzes the victims’ higher thought processes but leaves motor skills intact. At this stage, the victim undergoes one of two fates: either the adult utakmanj eats its brain over several weeks, or it becomes an incubator for a hatchling. The utak-manj use the body’s physical abilities to tend the sticky, gelid egg-cases and to forage for other sources of food. The unintelligent hatchlings occasionally fall off the cliffs; the adult, of animal intelligence, generally avoids that fate. [[NB (Jen): Will need stats for the adult, hatchling, and “utak-walker” zombie.]]
<1>Fisher’s Cove After the Exodus, those who considered themselves native islanders retreated to Fisher’s Cove, and quietly returned to more traditional ways – fishing and living off the land. The fisherfolk, by and large, all share a common ‘look’ — blond hair, greenish eyes, and skin that is naturally somewhat pale, but tans to a nut-brown. Their lives are tied to the sea’s currents and weather, and for the past fifty years they’ve gotten by through the simple life; this likely won’t change in the next fifty years, no matter if the Wardens’ bring in more adventurers. Although they must trade with the townspeople for goods they cannot supply themselves, the fisherfolk resent the townies’ snobbery. The families of Fisher’s Cove resent the town’s recent patrol restrictions, and consider the change in policy to be responsible for the recent problems they’ve had with the lizardfolk. While they try to see to their own safety and security, this has meant fewer people working on the catch. The clans that make up Fisher’s Cove ensure that they are fed first, leaving fewer fish to sell to the townies; this has led to an increase in prices and a shortage of fresh fish in the town (a situation some in Harbor Town believe is either unfair or artificial). The folk of the Cove tend to follow Harbormaster Cabot’s lead only as far as it suits them. Otherwise, they rely on the judgment of their clan leaders. Three clans dominate Fisher’s Cove: the Gudda clan, who specialize in cleaning and curing the day’s catch; the Horgerb clan, who are the Cove’s primary deep-sea fishermen, and the Nidd clan, shallow net-fishers. A fourth clan, the Skiven, lurk around the periphery of both the Cove and Harbor-Town. The Skiven are considered odd, even by their fellow fisherfolk. [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3>Carlo Horgerb Carlo Horgerb leads Clan Horgerb. He is thoroughly fed up with the town’s inability or unwillingness to drive out the lizardfolk who raid their village. The final straw for him was the murder of his brother during a recent raid. When a new ship arrives, he makes his way to The Twelve Bells searching for adventurers willing to take on the lizardfolk. The Order sees their primary responsibility as the security of the Infinite Dungeon; they don’t get involved in the affairs of the island’s communities, unless it impacts the dungeon. So far, they’ve left it up to the town’s militia, which they claim is horribly undermanned. The fisher clans have tried to defend themselves, but they’re not really up to the task. If something isn’t done, the three clans will be forced to abandon their trade and move into the Harbor-town section of Valek’s Landing. Horgerb cannot hide his disdain for this idea. [[END SIDEBAR]] Fisher’s Cove is a collection of longhouses in which the various clans of the village live communally. Their wooden frames are built from driftwood and scavenged materials, roofs thatched with straw, and their woven-grass walls can be pulled up during the day to take advantage of the cooling sea breezes. The village is redolent with the smells of smoke, fish, and tar. During the day, most of the able-bodied men and many of the women put out to sea. Some fish the protected waters of the reefs, while others venture beyond into deeper waters, and still others tend beds of shellfish. Those who remain on the land spend their time in tasks ranging from net and line repair to the gutting and curing of the day’s haul. <2>Gudda Longhouse This longhouse is set slightly apart from the others — much closer to the shore, it catches the best sea breezes. It is also noticeably larger than the others — one half is a communal living and sleeping area, the other half holds the smokehouse. The entire longhouse smells of fish and woodsmoke, and dried and smoked fish hang from poles and roof supports. The Gudda clan is in charge of slaughtering, smoking, drying, and otherwise preparing the part of the day’s catch that doesn’t go straight to the market for sale. During the day, Guddas are hard at work, cleaning fish, mending nets, repairing boats, and hauling in the day’s catch; it’s a hive of activity. At night, they gather in the longhouse to eat, and entertain each other with songs and stories, then go to sleep. Guards patrol the area around the Gudda Longhouse ‘til dawn. Nearby, exposed to sun and air, is the fish-flake: numerous thin poles placed vertically support a horizontal platform at kneeheight, the whole overtopped with dried mosses. During sunlight hours, the flake is covered in fish in various stages of drying. Close inspection of the area (a Perception DC XX check) reveals the effects of recent lizardfolk raids. The fish-flake shows
evidence of recent hard use — several of the vertical supporters have snapped, and claw and bite marks are pale against the aged wood. The smokehouse is also in a state of disarray — several of the storage chests have been torn apart, and the roof is partially collapsed. If there is a way to prepare fish, Timadi Gudda knows it. She's a stout woman in her mid-40s, blond hair starting to gray, but she's still quick with a filleting blade. Timadi knows everyone, because Clan Gudda feeds everyone. Timadi doesn't gossip herself, but she's very good at listening to others talk while she quietly goes about her business. She rarely speaks of what she knows, however. Moreso than the lizardfolk harassing Fisher’s Cove, she’s worried about the sea hag that lurks near the mouth of the river; she’s spotted it twice, and thinks that’s what may have happened to one of the town’s two missing guards. <3>Timadi Gudda CR 1 XP 400 Female Human Expert 3 NN Medium Humanoid (human) Init +0; Senses Perception +9 -------------------Defense -------------------AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10 hp 13 (3d8) Fort +1 (+4 vs. suffocation or hot or cold environments), Ref +1, Will +4 -------------------Offense -------------------Speed 30 ft. Melee Dagger +1 (1d4-1/19-20/x2) -------------------Statistics -------------------Str 9, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 12 Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 11 Feats Alertness, Endurance, Skill Focus (Profession [cook]) Skills Appraise +5, Diplomacy +7, Knowledge (local) +6, Perception +9, Profession (cook) +10, Profession (fisherman) +6, Sense Motive +9, Survival +7, Swim +4 (+8 vs. exhaustion) Languages Common Combat Gear Dagger; Other Gear Artisan's outfit
-------------------Special Abilities -------------------Endurance +4 to a variety of skill checks. Sleep in L/M armor with no fatigue. -------------------BASIC DETAILS -------------------Boon A shopkeep can give a 10% discount on any item of equipment less than 400 gp. <2>Wise-woman’s Cottage The Wise-woman’s cottage sits at the border of swamp and sea, equally distant from town and village. Unlike other buildings in the settlement, the cottage is made of stone, with a roof made from dried reeds. It lists badly to one side, as though drifting off to sleep. Herb and vegetable gardens surround the cottage, and a cooking enclosure holds a large cauldron, which usually has something on the boil. The inside is as neat as the outside; the somewhat-humid air is redolent of the herbs that hang in bundles on the wall. No one’s quite sure how long the cottage has stood, but in living memory, there has always been a Wise-woman in the cottage. Now, it is the home of Malit, the village healer, herbalist, and hedge-witch. As is tradition, she renounced her family name and ties when she apprenticed to the former wise-woman. While she showed early promise, and was to travel across the seas for formal instruction, she fell deathly ill before she could depart. Malit lends her knowledge and skills to all who ask. Malit is in her early 30s, but due to her general frailty she looks much older. She walks with the aid of a cane and her hair is prematurely gray, which she thinks adds to the appearance of respectability her status requires. Her compassionate nature hides beneath a brusque, no-nonsense demeanor. Her familiar, a ragged-looking raven, likewise hides his true cleverness behind a clownish, lazy exterior. Although she has learned enough magic to be a competent healer and hedge-witch, she yearns for more. A magic-using character that manages to befriend her and share arcane secrets with her will find her a loyal and powerful ally. <3>Malit CR 3 XP 800 Female Human Witch (Hedge Witch) 4 NG Medium Humanoid (human) Init +1; Senses Perception +8 -------------------Defense -------------------AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex) hp 14 (4d6-4) Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +6 --------------------
Offense -------------------Speed 30 ft. Spell-Like Abilities Swamp Hag Witch (Hedge Witch) Spells Prepared (CL 4, 2 melee touch, 3 ranged touch): 2 (3/day) Restoration, Lesser (DC 16), Delay Poison (DC 16), Cure Moderate Wounds (DC 16) 1 (4/day) Summon Monster I, Unseen Servant, Diagnose Disease, Strong Wings 0 (at will) Bleed (DC 14), Detect Poison, Stabilize, Light, Mending, Detect Magic -------------------Statistics -------------------Str 10, Dex 13, Con 8, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 12 Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 13 Feats Alertness, Brew Potion, Extra Hex, Skill Focus (Heal) Skills Diplomacy +3, Heal +12, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (history) +9, Knowledge (nature) +10, Perception +8, Profession (herbalist) +8, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft +11, Survival +6, Swim +2 Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Lizardfolk, Sylvan SQ +3 to Appraise checks, Deliver Touch Spells Through Familiar, Empathic Link with Familiar, Healing (1d8+4), Share Spells with Familiar, Spontaneous Healing Other Gear Cauldron, Healer's kit (10 uses), Witch's kit -------------------Special Abilities -------------------+3 to Appraise checks You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach. Deliver Touch Spells Through Familiar (Su) Your familiar can deliver touch spells for you. Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar. Healing (1d8+4) (Su) Cure Light wounds at will (1/day/person). Share Spells with Familiar The wizard may cast a spell with a target of "You" on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast). Spontaneous Healing (Su) A hedge witch can channel stored spell energy into healing spells that she did not prepare ahead of time. The witch can "lose" any prepared spell that is not an orison in order to cast any cure spell of the same spell level or lower, even if s
Swamp Hag (Sp) While traveling through swamps, mires, bogs, and similar terrain, the witch leaves no trail and cannot be tracked, as the trackless step druid ability. The witch can walk through mud and even quicksand as if it were normal ground. -------------------Bran Male Raven NN Tiny Magical Beast ((animal)) Init +2; Senses Low-Light Vision; Perception +12 -------------------Defense -------------------AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+2 Dex, +2 size, +2 natural) hp 7 (1d8-1) Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +6 -------------------Offense -------------------Speed 10 ft., Flight (40 feet, Average) Melee Bite (Raven) +6 (1d3-4/x2) Space 2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. -------------------Statistics -------------------Str 2, Dex 15, Con 8 , Int 7, Wis 15, Cha 7 Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 8 Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +2 (-6 jump), Climb +2, Diplomacy +0, Fly +6, Heal +6, Intimidate +0, Perception +12, Spellcraft +2, Stealth +10, Survival +6, Swim +7 Languages Common SQ Improved Evasion -------------------Special Abilities
-------------------Flight (40 feet, Average) You can fly! Improved Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save; half on failed save. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail. <2>Skiven Hovels A group of sad little shacks huddles in a small clearing on the edge of the swamp. Animal skins stretch over gaps, cover holes in the roofs, and hang from corners, poles, and haphazard lines. The stench of rotting meat, cheap alcohol, and unwashed bodies make the nearby swamp smell fresh by comparison. A metal bucket filled with some fetid slop sits on a bed of coals. A few spears of lizardfolk make lean against one of the hovels; there’s a pile of dried fish on another porch. One of the buildings is better-constructed than the others: its roof is entirely covered in a mangy leather speckled with a greenish dandruff. The same greenish flecks are scattered on the ground within several paces of the building; those who venture too close begin to sneeze and develop a nasty, itching rash (see below). This is the home of Narcis Skivens. Narcis Skivens is the head of the strange, swamp-dwelling Skivens clan. He has led the clan for almost fifty years with a grip of iron. He's all whipcord-and-leather, with pallid green eyes that give his face a cold, strange look. Skivens don’t like outsiders as a rule, and Narcis in particular blames them for the Exodus. As a youth, during the Exodus, he helped an aboleth escape from the Infinite Dungeon. He found it injured and wallowing in the river, and led it to safety in a massive sinkhole near the coast. However, Narcis had no intention of helping it to freedom — the sea cave had no means of egress as far as Narcis knew. Aboleth are not generally grateful, but are willing to make deals when necessary; it helped Narcis gain leadership of his clan, mostly by devouring his rivals, which Narcis claimed was needed to free the aboleth. After fifty years, however, the aboleth has become impatient and taken matters into its own tentacles. It has captured several lizardfolk warriors and set them to exploring the sea-cave’s tunnels, looking for a way to the sea. Meanwhile, should anyone become a thorn in Narcis’ side, he lures them to the aboleth’s cave. [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3>Muckroot An herb that grows in the swamp, locally known as muckroot, provides temporary immunity to goblin dog dander. Narcis covers his shack in goblin dog hides, as a deterrent for any outsiders who might stumble upon the area. He doesn’t know that muckroot carries a fungus which infects anyone who touches the root, then, over a period of months, replaces the victim’s skin with a yellow barklike integument. Ultimately, the fungus wraps around joints and hardens, rendering the victim immobile; at that point, muckroot spores carried in the fungal mass sprout, feeding off the still-living creature within. None of Clan Skivens have succumbed to the disease yet, but several members of the clan sport sickeningly-yellow patches along arms and legs. Muckroot provides an immunity to goblin dog dander; 10sp/dose. Muckroot Fungus Type Disease (inhaled); Save Fortitude DC 12 (1/day) Onset 1 week; Frequency 1/day Effect: 1d4 Charisma damage, 1d4 Dexterity damage. If the victim reaches either 0 Dexterity or Charisma, they are considered paralyzed and begin to take 1d4 Constitution damage per day; if a victim reaches 0 Constitution, the flesh becomes entirely comprised of the fungus and they are slain. Cure: 3 consecutive Fortitude saves [[END SIDEBAR]] <3>Narcis Skivens CR 3
XP 800 Male Human Ranger 4 NE Medium Humanoid (human) Init +2; Senses Perception +8 -------------------Defense -------------------AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge) hp 30 (4d10+4) Fort +5 (+4 vs. suffocation or hot or cold environments), Ref +6, Will +3 -------------------Offense -------------------Speed 30 ft. Melee Shortspear +6 (1d6+2/x2) and Shortspear +6 (1d6+2/x2) and Shortspear +6 (1d6+2/x2) and Shortsword +2 (1d6+2/19-20/x2) and Shortsword -2 (1d6+1/19-20/x2) Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 1, 6 melee touch, 6 ranged touch): 1 (1/day) Pass without Trace (DC 13) -------------------Statistics -------------------Str 14, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10 Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 19 Feats Deadly Aim -2/+4, Dodge, Endurance, Mobility, Point Blank Shot Skills Bluff +0 (+2 vs. Reptilian Humanoids), Climb +10, Craft (traps) +9, Handle Animal +6, Heal +9, Intimidate +5, Perception +8 (+10 vs. Reptilian Humanoids, +10 while in Swamp terrain), Profession (trapper) +9, Ride +6, Sense Motive +3 (+5 vs. Reptilian Humanoids), Stealth +8 (+10 while in Swamp terrain), Survival +9 (+11 vs. Reptilian Humanoids, +11 while in Swamp terrain, +11 to track), Swim +7 (+11 vs. exhaustion) Languages Common
SQ Animal Companion Link, Favored Enemy (Reptilian Humanoids +2), Favored Terrain (Swamp +2), Share Spells with Companion, Track +2, Wild Empathy +4 Combat Gear Leather armor, Shortspear, Shortspear, Shortspear, Shortsword, Shortsword; Other Gear Artisan's tools, masterwork (Craft [traps]), Climber's kit, Healer's kit (10 uses) -------------------Special Abilities -------------------Animal Companion Link (Ex) You have a link with your Animal Companion. Deadly Aim -2/+4 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage. Endurance +4 to a variety of skill checks. Sleep in L/M armor with no fatigue. Favored Enemy (Reptilian Humanoids +2) (Ex) +2 to rolls vs Favored Enemy (Reptilian Humanoids). Favored Terrain (Swamp +2) (Ex) +2 to rolls vs Favored Terrain (Swamp). Mobility +4 to AC against some attacks of opportunity. Point Blank Shot +1 to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at up to 30 feet. Share Spells with Companion (Ex) Spells cast on you can also affect your Companion, if it's within 5 feet. Track +2 +2 to survival checks to track. Wild Empathy +4 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy. -------------------Trappers are roving hunters who wander the woods. They take any animal they can safely hunt or trap, but they are best known as the heart of the fur trade, making a variety of handcrafted but deadly effective traps to catch the unwary beasts of the forest. Trappers could be used as royal game wardens, as scouts, or as hunters for a nomadic tribe. Trappers are typically loners but will sometimes pair up with another trapper (CR 5), a monster hunter (CR 6), or a beast master (CR 7) for companionship. -------------------BASIC DETAILS -------------------Boon Trappers can provide food for the PCs for 1 week and can tell them secrets of the wild lands where they live, granting a +2 circumstance bonus on Survival checks within a 20-mile radius. -------------------Dog NN Small Animal Init +3; Senses Low-Light Vision, Scent; Perception +5 --------------------
Defense -------------------AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +1 size, +3 natural) hp 12 (+4) Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +1 -------------------Offense -------------------Speed 40 ft. Melee Bite (Dog) +3 (1d4+1/x2) -------------------Statistics -------------------Str 13, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6 Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 14 (18 vs. Trip) Feats Improved Natural Armor Tricks Attack [Trick], Down [Trick], Fetch [Trick], Guard [Trick], Heel [Trick], Hunting [Trick], Seek [Trick], Track [Trick] Skills Acrobatics +3 (+7 jump), Fly +5, Perception +5, Stealth +7, Survival +2 Modifiers +4 to Survival when tracking by Scent, Acrobatics (Jump) +4 Languages SQ Guard [Trick], Hunting [Trick] -------------------Special Abilities -------------------+4 to Survival when tracking by Scent +4 to Survival when tracking by Scent. Acrobatics (Jump) +4 (Ex) You gain the specified bonus to acrobatics checks made to jump. Guard [Trick] The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching. Hunting [Trick] The animal has been trained for hunting. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail. Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell. <2>Lizardfolk Village
The approach to a lizardfolk village is usually fraught with hazards; the reclusive lizardfolk use the properties of the swamp to protect their homes. Here, the path to the village is clearly-marked and free from traps; it leads around a small copse of mangroves to a packed-mud hillock. Peat smoke hangs in the air, providing blessed relief from the incessant buzzing of flies. The settlement here can barely be called a village — instead of well-concealed mound-dwellings, the folk here inhabit half-dug pits barely large enough for a few individuals. The inhabitants here are mostly women and whelps; a few bear the scars of a warrior, but they are all aged, and many of them are missing limbs. All the lizardfolk show the signs of hunger: thin, almost emaciated tails and dry, flaking skin. Weapons and tools are few and far between; a battered bucket is carefully shared among several women, while one of the old warriors tries to salvage a blade from a shattered spear. One of the lizardfolk bears a spear with a blade that shines like moonlight, its shaft decorated with intricate carvings and shell-work; next to him sits a crude wooden rack holding several fish in various states of drying. With a gesture, he summons one of the hungrier-looking whelps, and passes it a small piece, which disappears as if by magic. The Spears-Strike-True tribe has suffered greatly in the past several months — first, they were driven out of their traditional lands by a group of adventurers hired by Lord Mayor Drusus Durio to pacify the area around Wayside; no sooner had they found refuge in the depths of the swamp, than their warriors began to disappear. Their First Spear led the remnants of the tribe here, but they can go no further. To the west is the river and the human habitations along its length; to the south is Valek's Landing, and to the east is the unforgiving sea. The warriors have fallen prey to the aboleth currently trapped in a sea-cave somewhat north of the Skiven camp; the aboleth is using them to find and enlarge an outlet into the sea. Whelps near the age of their adulthood rituals have been made responsible for foraging and scavenging. A proud people, their pride is in their capacity to survive, come what may, and if raiding the catch of Fisher’s Cove keeps them alive one more day, then they shall do so. <3>The First Spear CR 4 XP 1200 Lizardfolk Barbarian 3 Witch 2 LN Medium Humanoid (reptilian) Init +2; Senses Perception +10 -------------------Defense -------------------AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +5 natural) hp 77 (3d12+2d8+2d6+35) Fort +13 (+4 vs. suffocation or hot or cold environments), Ref +3 (+1 vs. traps), Will +6 Defensive Abilities Guarded Life, Trap Sense, Uncanny Dodge -------------------Offense -------------------Speed 40 ft., Swimming (15 feet) Melee Bite (Lizardfolk) +8 (1d4+3/x2) and Claw x2 (Lizardfolk) +8 x2 (1d4+3/x2)
Special Attacks Beast Totem, Lesser Spell-Like Abilities Swamp Hag Witch Spells Prepared (CL 2, 8 melee touch, 7 ranged touch): 1 (3/day) Ear-Piercing Scream (DC 13), Mud Ball (DC 13), Whispering Lore 0 (at will) Resistance (DC 12), Guidance, Bleed (DC 12), Detect Poison, Mending -------------------Statistics -------------------Str 16, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 9 Base Atk +5; CMB +8; CMD 20 Feats Combat Reflexes (3 AoO/round), Endurance, Extra Rage Power, Great Fortitude Skills Acrobatics +14 (+18 jump), Climb +8, Diplomacy +2, Handle Animal +4, Heal +6, Intimidate +7, Perception +10, Profession (Shaman) +10, Sense Motive +3, Survival +10, Swim +11 (+15 vs. exhaustion) Languages Boggard, Common, Draconic SQ +3 to Climb checks, Empathic Link with Familiar, Fast Movement +10, Feral Speech, Hold Breath (x4), Share Spells with Familiar -------------------Special Abilities -------------------+3 to Climb checks You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach. Beast Totem, Lesser (Su) Gain 2 d6 claw attacks while raging Combat Reflexes (3 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed. Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar. Endurance +4 to a variety of skill checks. Sleep in L/M armor with no fatigue. Fast Movement +10 (Ex) +10 feet to speed, unless heavily loaded. Feral Speech (Su) This hex grants the witch the ability to speak with and understand the response of any animal as if using speak with animals, though each time she uses the hex, she must decide to communicate with either amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, or re Guarded Life (3 HP) (Ex) If reduced below 0HP, convert some damage to non-lethal. Auto-stabilize below 0HP. Hold Breath (x4) (Ex) You can stay under water longer than normal. Share Spells with Familiar The wizard may cast a spell with a target of "You" on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).
Swamp Hag (Sp) While traveling through swamps, mires, bogs, and similar terrain, the witch leaves no trail and cannot be tracked, as the trackless step druid ability. The witch can walk through mud and even quicksand as if it were normal ground. Swimming (15 feet) You have a Swim speed. Trap Sense +1 (Ex) +1 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps. Uncanny Dodge (Ex) Retain Dex bonus to AC when flat-footed. -------------------Lizard Lizard NN Tiny Magical Beast ((animal)) Init +2; Senses Low-Light Vision; Perception +9 -------------------Defense -------------------AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 size, +1 natural) hp 38 (1d8-1) Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +5 -------------------Offense -------------------Speed 20 ft., Climbing (20 feet) Melee Bite (Lizard) +9 (1d4-4/x2) Space 2 ft.; Reach 0 ft. -------------------Statistics -------------------Str 3, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 2 Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 11 (15 vs. Trip) Feats Weapon Finesse Skills Acrobatics +18 (+14 jump), Climb +15, Diplomacy -1, Fly +6, Handle Animal -2, Heal +2, Intimidate +1, Perception +9, Sense Motive +2, Stealth +14, Survival +6, Swim +2 Languages
SQ Improved Evasion -------------------Special Abilities -------------------Climbing (20 feet) You have a Climb speed. Improved Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save; half on failed save. Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail. The First Spear stands a full seven and a half feet tall, with a tail roughly half that length. His greenish hide is webbed with scars; despite recent privations, his physique still retains the power of his youth. He wears a necklace of chuul claws across his chest, but little else. He speaks Common with only the hint of a reptilian accent; usually, the startled reactions of outsiders amuse him no end. He is past amusement now, however, and seeks only the welfare of his tribe. The Hunter-In-Mist, the protective spirit of the Spears-Strike-True, appeared to him in a dream, guiding his steps to this place where the tribe now waits for another sign. The First Spear initially thought to enlist the help of the human outcasts (the Skivens), but he scented the taint of the aboleth upon Narcis and withdrew. He hopes to find other allies among the smoothskins, despite the raids on Fisher’s Cove. If pressed, he comments, “Our whelps starve; the smoothskin fishers have much. They still eat well, and now we eat, too.” The First Spear offers a gift no other lizardfolk tribe on Zar Khelar has offered in living memory: blood-kinship to those who slay the aboleth and restore the warriors of the tribe. (This has the potential to be of great benefit to the player characters — the restored Spears-Strike-True are skilled hunters familiar with the Ceres Swamps, and will accompany their blood-kin into areas of the swamps that no other guides dare.) He is also willing to make trade-bonds with Fisher’s Cove, trading delicate carvings and oddities from the swamp for food and shells.
Chapter 4: Wayside Wayside is by far the larger of the two settlements on Zar Khelar, and the second location adventurers encounter. It’s also where they will spend the majority of their time when not adventuring across the island or venturing into the Infinite Dungeon. While the shadowed don’t concern themselves much with Wayside’s administration, instead focusing their attention on the dungeon, they maintain a presence here; this is where adventurers wait to get a mission from the Order. In the meantime, there is a lot to occupy an adventurer’s time, such as the usual resting up, resupplying, drinking and carousing, or investigating one of the many adventure hooks supplied throughout. <1>History Originally founded as a refuge from the treacherous route to the Infinite Dungeon, Wayside began as simple wooden fort named Fort Respite. Over time the inhabitants expanded its wooden palisade to contain a cramped collection of wooden buildings, sweltering in the heat and humidity. Eventually, the palisade proved inadequate, both in containing the growing town and discouraging the hungry denizens of the jungle. It was replaced, first with an earthen berm topped by a taller wooden wall, then, in turn, by the current inner wall of stone. Later, the town’s growth required yet another wall, enclosing an area which more than doubled the town’s size. Wayside overtook Valek’s Landing as the largest settlement on the island, existing to serve one purpose - dungeon delving. Then, disaster struck. With scant warning, a great wave of monstrous beings of nearly every description overran the gates of the Infinite Dungeon. The next two days were a mad, panic-stricken rush, as the people of Wayside fled for the ships at anchor in Valek’s Landing, with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some remained in the city, to buy the fleeing refugee’s additional time, or out of stubbornness, with one and all hoping that the walls would protect them. When that hope died, most who stayed behind died as well. Those who didn’t managed to survive behind the walls of the inner bailey, and spent the next fifty years huddled together, constantly wary as they eked out the barest of livings in the corpse of their city. Recently, that has begun to change. The shadowed have eased some restrictions on travel between the mainland and the island, ending their self-imposed quarantine. Every ship that anchors in Valek’s Landing seems to bring in new arrivals, eager to plumb the depths of the Infinite Dungeon. <1>The Town of Wayside At first sighting, the walled town of Wayside sits atop the high hill like a slate-colored crown, dominating the surrounding landscape. Approaching the top of the rise, however, the impression changes. The town's location at the boundary of grassy hillside and encroaching jungle begins to more closely resemble a raft on a becalmed sea, about to be capsized by an onrushing wave of green. As the first of the temporary wooden structures that line the road draw near, the breeze tainted by the nauseating scent of a nearby tannery, the signs become apparent of a constant and aggressive campaign being waged against the advancing wall of flora. Approaching the southern gatehouse, one is struck by the silence, the profound lack of the usual din one expects from a town of this size. The gatehouse guards look over new arrivals with an air of genuine wariness, though their attentions often forgo the usual, focusing instead on things like one's footprints, skin, or simply a long, hard stare in the eyes.
Once waved through the gates, a strange sight greets new arrivals: Along the road stretching from the outer gate to the gate in the inner wall, the buildings are in various stages ranging from complete collapse, to ramshackle, to under construction. Rickety scaffolding crowds its way onto the road in some places, particularly near the inner wall. Children jog along the road, attempting to pace carts and wagons, or falling in step with travelers on foot, hawking for taverns, inns, and other businesses within the inner wall. They are quick with directions, or offers to guide travelers themselves. <1>Districts of Wayside Wayside was originally divided into several neighborhoods or districts. Although the current population isn’t large enough to consider itself in this way, the names of these neighborhoods persist. Often, one hears long-time residents saying things like “did you hear about the kobolds skulking around The Slope?” and “another building collapsed in Hillside.” <2>The Crescent The blocks in the ward referred to as ‘The Crescent’ were once home to an assortment of businesses catering to weary travelers. A variety of healers, potion-sellers, and outright charlatans once had shops here, catering to those without the coin for the more expensive healing. A successful tavern and eatery operated here for decades, and its new owners recently began renovations on the abandoned, crumbling structure. Further ‘up the Crescent,’ as the locals used to say, the shops gave way to the former homes of workmen and laborers; large buildings divided by floor into multiple dwellings, all now as silent as tombs. Several old stew shops occupy this section, their tiled counters covered in dust, the huge built-in pots filled with leaves and debris. A deserted temple stands silent near the outer wall here, as well, situated to face the setting sun. For all of the renovation in evidence near the main road, there is none in evidence west of the creek. <2>Gateside The Gateside was a bustling area of mixed businesses and residences, and apparently hopes to be again. It includes some of the more impressive homes in Wayside atop the hill. A far greater pace of reconstruction and renovation occurs here than in any other part of the town. From scaffolding, to additions, to fresh coats of paint, it won’t be long until the area looks as though it had never been abandoned. Here and there one can see what can only be hired muscle, guarding a building or block on the new owners’ behalf. Presumably, most go back to Old Town at dusk, but their presence nevertheless creates the impression that troublemakers looking for mischief in the vacant parts of town should look elsewhere. <2>The Slope Currently the area known as the Slope looks rather shabby – daub falls in large slabs from the walls, roofs collapse in on themselves, windows stare out blankly. Long years of neglect, as well as a lengthy occupation by a band of recently run-out kobolds, have left their marks on the neighborhood. At one point in Wayside’s history, someone attempted to secure the empty buildings by boarding up the windows and doors; this civic program didn’t get very far, nor was it particularly successful (as the squatting kobold band proves). <2>Hillside The Hillside was once a warren of buildings and narrow streets crammed with people. Expensive-looking, if small, homes crowd against one another, alongside abandoned shops on the main avenues that once supplied most of the residents’ daily needs. While the Watch hasn’t had any trouble here in months, apart from the occasional drunkard or squatter wandering out from Old Town, they tell visitors to Hillside to remain cautious. Not every building has been searched.
<2>Little Gate Snug against the outside of Old Town's wall, close to the main gatehouse, Little Gate is the one district where Wayside’s citizens have chosen to focus their development. The Watch stations men on the wall above, and patrols the boundaries of the area during the night, though they do so in pairs. Throughout the night, lanterns light the street corners, and the proximity of the inner gatehouse does its part to lend confidence to those living nearby. While repairs are piecemeal, limited to the homes of those who have acquired deeds and taken up residence, the signs of renovation can be found all over the neighborhood. <2>Hilltop Most days go by without an incident for the Watch in Hilltop, but enough trouble seems to find its way into the district that the area opposite the outer wall has been inspected for tunneling on three separate occasions. The threats have been varied, from the usual suspects, ranging from the creatures found in the nearby jungle, to previously unknown horrors, and an assortment of undead. No one ventures into the district alone. The Watch has nicknamed the stretch of wall surrounding Hilltop and the Shoulder the ‘Quickstep,’ for their increased pace when passing above on patrol. <2>The Shoulder Two years ago, a group of the island’s residents who lived along the Eryx River, tired of cowering in their small, isolated communities, decided to take up residence in the Shoulder. They acquired the deeds to several lots and began repairs, calling themselves the “Shoulder Renewal Society”. The neighborhood consisted of tightly-packed, claustrophobic slums, and a temple that never seemed well-attended before the Exodus. Their communal nature raised eyebrows in Wayside, and they kept to themselves. The town’s citizens came to see them as insular and harmless, perhaps some oddball religious sect. No one wanted to cause trouble, and they were left to their own devices. The Watch warned the settlers that patrols would be infrequent, due to the lack of guards, but that did not dissuade them. Their efforts quickly underway, what was once a slum soon became truly desirable real estate. Their work was thorough and showed real skill. One day, townspeople noticed the streets of the Shoulder were empty. No one had seen any of the settlers for days. The Watch entered the neighborhood and searched the streets, buildings and sewers, and found neither hide nor hair of the little community. Nor were there signs that they had left, their supplies, tools, and belongings remained untouched. Then, they entered the old, abandoned temple… None who visited the building that day will speak of what was found inside, other than to say the residents of the Shoulder are gone and won’t be coming back. The Lord Mayor ordered the temple doors chained, and the shadowed magically sealed them, as well. The surrounding buildings have been roped off, with signs posted to warn off the careless. <2>Old Town The residents of Wayside call the district inside the inner wall Old Town. Fort Respite and its garrison dominate the neighborhood, and this is where the majority of survivors huddled for fifty years. Along the main road the hustle and bustle of a busy city street can easily make one forget they stand in the heart of a mostly empty town. The shops have all gone to great lengths to make it plain that they are, in fact, open for business; fresh paint, signs along the roadside, open doors, and youth hired as hawkers all compete for a newcomers' attention. The overall impression is of a town in the process of tearing its way out of a cocoon.
<1>Places of Note in Old Town Upon arrival, most adventurers quickly leave Valek’s Landing and journey to Wayside. The town is closer and more convenient to the Infinite Dungeon. It’s also the best place to conduct business with the Order of the Gray Holdfast, who maintain a large contingent here. Adventurers will be spending a majority of their time outside the Infinite Dungeon in Wayside, where they can spend hard-earned treasure, rest up, and wait for a mission from the shadowed. <2>Fort Respite The oldest structure in evidence, this imposing old fortress commands the view of Old Town. An abundance of ivy covers the keep’s walls and the outer garrison, but obvious signs point to a recent effort toward removing it. Fort Respite serves as the town’s garrison, the home to its Lord Mayor, and the administrative hub of Wayside. The Town Council meets here weekly, as does the Merchants’ Guild. Anyone who wishes permanent settlement in the town must first come here, especially if they want one of the town’s many available lots. After fifty years, the Town Council declared much of the property abandoned and seized ownership. They offer the title to these buildings to both merchants and settlers alike, though the former must also get permission from the Merchants’ Guild. The garrison stationed here rarely goes beyond the inner wall, being reserved as a defensive measure against external threats and thus not considered part of the Wayside Watch. Unlike prospective citizens, the Lord Mayor and Town Council don’t concern themselves with the comings and goings of people just passing through. No one checks to see whether or not a visitor has the shadowed’ permission to be on the island; they assume that’s been done by the Harbormaster in Valek’s Landing. In fact, no one asks questions unless a visitor causes trouble (and a lot of it). Besides, adventurers are good for business. The current Lord Mayor is Drusus Durio, a spare-looking, abstemious man of late-middle years. Shrewd in business, he takes a great personal interest in the placement of merchants in Wayside, and their success or failure. He shepherds all property deed petitions for merchants himself, leading some to believe he receives bribes and kickbacks for the more choice lots. Durio is also the main point of contact between civil authority and the Order of the Gray Holdfast; traditionally, he reports to Warden [[NB: name]] once per year at their agency in town. He sees to it that their will is done. <2>Kray & Sons Dry Goods Barrels and crates line the walls of this shop in neat stacks that almost reach the ceiling. Open barrels, offering various grains and dry goods, crowd the center of the room. At the shop’s rear, a polished wooden counter runs the width of the space. Gunther Kray, a tall and broad-shouldered man of late middle-age, is perhaps the best liked businessman in Wayside. He never forgets a name, goes out of his way to personally assist his clientele, and frequently sends one of his two sons out to deliver large orders to homes, free of charge. He is also the man in Wayside responsible for assisting agents visiting the island on behalf of the Black Star Consortium. These adventurers surreptitiously disembark from a ship under cover of night; they pass through The Robber’s Mug in Valek’s Landing; then they make their way to Wayside, often hidden in the back of a cart. After this long, arduous trip, Kray & Sons is their final destination. Gunther keeps in close contact with Amber Kotu through coded messages made to look like business documents.
A hollow barrel at the rear of the shop conceals a ladder leading down to a subterranean bunkhouse, well-stocked with supplies and gear for navigating through the jungle. It is here that adventurers on the island “illegally” hide until other living arrangements can be made, and wait for an assignment to be passed along by Gunther. A narrow, spiraling tunnel descends to the bottom of the hill and underneath the surface below, before emerging beyond the jungle's edge. <2>The Old Drum This stone tower is undergoing reconstruction, by the looks of it. Scorch marks can be seen above windows and doors, and unfilled holes in the wall reveal new wooden supports within. This is the 'Old Drum', the largest and first of Wayside’s watchtowers. Currently undergoing extensive reconstruction, it will be some time before the tower is fit for service again. The effort has been delayed in no small part by reports of frightening noises heard within, and a recent suicide that occurred from atop the wall nearby. Unbeknownst to all but a few of Wayside's residents, the Old Drum was the scene of horrific mayhem five decades ago. Fleeing the depredations of the horde of malevolent creatures that overran the town, a handful of townsfolk sought refuge in the tower, only to be burned alive or devoured when the beasts forced their way in. Now the tower is home to one of their shades, in the form of a murder-born (Tome of Horrors Complete) Appearing from nowhere arises a ghostly image with translucent, yet delicate features. Its unholy eyes rage with absolute and thorough evil that reflects its hatred for the living. [INSERT MURDER BORN STATBLOCK] <2>The Old Wayside Butcher Shop Large raised shutters reveal a storefront window of a size and quality not often seen. Within, all manner and cuts of meat are on display in beds of melting ice. Several barrels line one wall, each bearing labels indicating their contents - salt beef and pork. A curtained doorway separates the main floor from a back room. A brass plaque on one wall explains that the original proprietor, a Mr. Hulon Vyne, opened the shop in XXXX, and ran the business until the Exodus, in which he was killed. However, two years ago when the doors were reopened, it was his grandson, Hulon Vyne III, who reestablished business. In actuality, the sign has become a rather dark twist on the truth. The original Hulon Vyne did die when the town was sacked five decades ago. A doppelganger escapee from the island’s prison murdered him. The creature spent the next five decades killing people every few years and assuming their identities, reveling in the deception, and storing the bodies of his victims in a catacomb of his own design below the ruins of Wayside. Then, one day he was making his way back from Valek's Landing in the guise of a cart driver when his passenger, Hulon III, told the creature his story. The doppelganger, remembering killing the original butcher, was shocked and thrilled, and could not pass up such a ‘lucky’ turn of events. He killed Hulon III on the road, assumed his identity, and has been living as his latest victim for the past two years. When not engaged in running the Vyne family business, the creature spends its time concocting new ways to fill his young apprentice butcher with a vague but growing sense of unease, and relocating his ‘trophies’ to the new chambers he has been digging beneath his this shop.
<2>Dauntless Armorer This small storefront is attached to a large outdoor area, shaded by wooden awning. A massive forge and bellows attachment dominates the central area. All of the trappings of a working armorer are on display, from a large cooling trough, to a pair of anvils, to hooked chains with tools dangling from them like grape clusters, and molds and shapers of varying size and form. Inside, the shop itself consists of little more than a pair of wooden chairs facing a low counter. A wooden cubby attached to the wall contains an assortment of rolled pieces of paper. The Dauntless Armorer's proprietor is a highly-skilled dwarf by the name of Herugrim Fulgroff. He keeps a trio of apprentices busy throughout the working day, all talented and hardworking lads themselves, and they never want for business. All would seem to be looking up for Dauntless, but for one thing: Herugrim's debts. The Black Star Consortium, his supplier of raw materials, has owned most of his business for a decade, and provided nothing but a beneficial relationship to the dwarf. However, Herugrim was an adventurer as well as an armorer, and staying at the forge for long was never easy for him. Whenever he left, business would slump considerably, affecting his ability to pay his bills and forcing him to sell yet more to Black Star. Eventually he turned himself from proprietor to employee, a fact that chafes at his pride. His greatest wish is to be free of debt and buy his business back, and to that end he has formed a plan. He’s heard the rumors that the Consortium believes there is some sort of sky-metal to be found on the island, and that they are desperate to locate it. He imagines that if he discovers the site on his own and sells it to them, then he could clear his debt in one fell swoop, freeing him from the humiliation of being a mere laborer in his own shop. He has gone so far as to assemble a competent and capable party to assist him when he decides to head out exploring, though he has also used petty cash to hire others to do the same. So far, one group has returned empty handed, and two haven't reported back at all, which only serves to make the impatient dwarf more firm in his belief that he'll have to do it himself. [INSERT Herugrim Fulgroff HERE] <2>The Gray House An imposing and peculiar structure stands here, rising behind a high wall of stone block, topped with iron spikes. The black gate, sheathed in iron, bars any view of the building's ground floor from the street. An image of a large padlock with a pair of outstretched wings is the only nod to decoration, though the keyhole in the padlock looks to be functional. What can be seen of the building itself is a four-sided tower with a peaked tile roof, perhaps four stories tall, windowless but for the top where the walls curve sharply outward before meeting the rooftop above. Set into these exaggerated eaves are a series of round, opaque glass windows, allowing a view of the streets and buildings below, as well as Fort Respite nearby. This building, known simply as the Gray House, is the Wayside place of lodging for any Wardens who must overnight here. It also acts as a home and chapterhouse for those Wardens who are in the area regularly. The gate is secured via a permanent arcane lock, though any possessing a Warden's Key can bypass it. The door to the building itself is sheathed in iron, and protected by explosive runes etched into it. Few outsiders have seen the building’s interior, beyond the Lord Mayor and Captain of the Watch; the shadowed conduct whatever business they have in town; in short, they find you.
The uppermost floor is under a permanent mage's private sanctum spell, preventing any magical eavesdropping, and is where all matters of any import are discussed. All Wardens know to keep important matters to themselves unless they are within the spell's area. [[NB: Mike: Insert named Warden NPC here]] <2>The Open Arms The exterior of this large two-story building is fairly nondescript, and could almost pass for a warehouse, but for its doors and a sign reading 'Quiet, Please' hanging above the door. The Open Arms is, put plainly, a flophouse. Sleeping arrangements are in the form of hammocks, and it is first come, first served. The spaces near the back go first, being farthest from the door and the sound of people negotiating with the proprietor. Blankets are included, though rarely used due to the heat. A man with more scars than unmarked skin named Lucky (warrior 6) keeps the peace; he walks about soundlessly, twirling his leather sap and looking for trouble. The place is relatively clean, as far as flophouses go (15% chance of infestation by parasites, 5% of disease), and the old woman at the door can be talked down to 5 coppers with little trouble, knowing as she does that the scant operating costs are subsidized by the Lord Mayor, who would prefer the destitute stay here rather than squat somewhere in an abandoned building. <2>Office of the Watch and Wayside Jail Most who see this building mistake it for a home. The rose-colored stone used to build it looks to have been quarried from some source other than that of most other stone buildings in Wayside. The care taken in its construction is clearly superior. Only a small sign near the door, bearing the image of scales suspended from a sword, indicate that this is, in fact, the office of the Wayside Watch. Just inside the door, an office takes up much of the ground floor, along with a room to the rear furnished with a simple bed. Stairs lead up to four small cells, which the Watch uses for those prisoners on whom they wish to keep a close eye. The Captain of the Watch is a man named Lucian Buca, and he is rapidly becoming disenchanted with his new authority. Hired for good pay, but provided scant information and denied the option of bringing his own men along, he had a very different idea of how the town would operate. His illusions were soon tarnished. While all cities, in his experience, have their ‘untouchables,’ Wayside seems to have them in abundance. The steady stream of new arrivals are seen by the town as a valuable resource, not to be treated too harshly except for the worst crimes. After all, these are the people who recover wealth from the Infinite Dungeon, and the town's economic lifeblood. His only real recourse is to hand over repeat offenders to the Order for deportation, an option the Lord Mayor is loathe to exercise. To keep order, Buca has been forced to come up with what he calls ‘diversions of justice.’ The most successful of these has been the way in which the Watch deals with fights: the combatants, no matter how drunk, are hauled down to the Sand Pit and offered the chance to fight it out in one of the fighting pits, like civilized people, or spend two nights in a hot, uncomfortable jail cell. These fights are refereed, and no one is allowed to become too injured. An eager crowd from whichever tavern was involved usually watches these “trips to the Sand Pit”, and the betting comes fast and heavy. This method of dealing with trouble has filled many a coin-purse, and is now so popular that ruffians and bettors often warmly greet Lucian on the streets.
Several of these fights have led Buca to believe that someone has smuggled the worst offenders into the town. These adventurers seem to get into trouble repeatedly, and sometimes purposefully. He finds it hard to believe the shadowed would invite people with obviously questionable morals onto the island. He would look into it further, but he has learned to tread carefully. He needs someone to shadow the group in question, and gather information before he can take his suspicions to the Order of the Gray Holdfast. These worries, along with the daily reports of terrifying noises heard just inside the jungle, and the news that Old Drum tower may be haunted, has made an otherwise personable man harsh and unpleasant. [INSERT Captain Lucian Buca HERE]
[INSERT Wayside Watch HERE] <2>The Big Jail This gray stone warehouse has recently had its windows bricked over. A covered porch shelters a thick-looking wooden door with an iron grill set in it. The inside of this building swelters during the day, though in the evening it becomes much more tolerable. After discovering the mischief that can come from jail windows that open onto the street, the Wayside Watch bricked them up, only to discover they had created an oven. Not wishing a short detention to become a death sentence, the town was forced to install grates in the roof, and then awnings to cover them during the rains. The guards often leave the front door open during the day, in order to create a better draft. There are usually five jailers on duty here at any time, maintaining order in the four-man cells, serving meals carted from whichever food-seller is the cheapest that day, and keeping an eye on the street. <2>Madame Murat's This brick building is the size of a small block, and resembles the kind of expensive residential buildings one might find in the wealthiest and busiest cities. Only the surrounding disorder of an area undergoing renovation cheapens the effect. A short flight of stone steps leads up to a door flanked by two formidable looking, well-dressed men who only seem to move to open the door or close it. Madame Murat's is a clean, reputable brothel, kept so by the madam’s strict, no-nonsense policies concerning her employees and alcohol consumption, and her goons’ swift intervention the moment a client causes some trouble. This doesn’t happen frequently, since no one wishes to be permanently banned from the place and left with only the Wayside Wanton in which to pass their personal time. Likewise, Murat does not tolerate the kind of trouble-making employee that acts up with clients. In the year she’s been in business in Wayside, she’s sent two female and one male entertainer back to the mainland and replaced them, at what must have been great expense. After all, this is the downtown business that receives the greatest amount of steady uptown clientele, and standards must be upheld. Accordingly, services at Madame Murat's are not at all cheap. [INSERT Madame Murat's Doormen HERE]
<2>The Silver Shell This firm does such a brisk business that its silver-painted doors never stand closed for long. Inside, patrons find a central bar, well-stocked and brightly lit, surrounded by gaming tables of every kind, and a complete absence of windows. A money changer's window can be found at the back wall of the room. Stairs lead upward, presumably to offices. The men and women operating the tables dress well, but not in any sort of uniform. Private guards walk the floor. The Silver Shell does a brisk business, employs many residents in need of a second job, and parts fools from their money with grace and ease. Currently the most profitable business in the town, the Shell pays the Black Star Consortium a premium for the timely delivery of the best spirits and other goods. The manager, Elias Brune, is rarely on the floor himself, but watches from above, as slanted mirrors ring the ceiling, affording a bird's eye view of the action at the tables. He spends the rest of his time going over the books, since he knows his business partners on the mainland check them closely. Brune is quick, however, to donate the Silver Shell's abundant petty cash to whatever civic projects most require it, and the Lord Mayor personally makes sure that they receive a great deal of courtesy in return as far as the law is concerned. Brune has already capitalized on the leeway earned by the Silver Shell's generosity with regards to the disappearance of three patrons. The first two were last seen being escorted to the door after disputing their losses at the tables, and their friends went to the town watch when they failed to arrive at their lodgings. Lucien Buca undertook a thorough inquiry, but to no result. The third missing person, however, was a ship's captain, whose disappearance was not as easily dismissed. Among those in the know, this has left an uncertain air about the place. Were the captain's body to turn up in a way that connected it to the Shell, a lot of uncomfortable questions would be raised. Thus far, the Watch has made a show of looking without really doing so, though few are fooled. <2>The Wayside Wanton Tavern This structure is an odd- looking one. Someone seems to have taken a sturdy, well-constructed stone building and built a shabby, ramshackle wooden extension onto it, adding about a third onto its footprint. Above the awning over the front deck hangs a painted sign depicting a scantily clad woman holding a brown bottle aloft. The Wayside Wanton is the most affordable, and darkest, drinking establishment in Wayside. It also boasts the nastiest clientele, most malevolent barkeep, and the most desperate-looking prostitutes in the rooms upstairs. Much blood has been spilled here, and for the least of offenses given. Bau, the proprietor, also known as ‘Bau the Unkind,’ is a red-skinned and scaled tiefling who lives up to every negative rumor about her kind. The hunted looks on the faces of ‘her girls’ attest to the unpleasantness that results from crossing her. Although never needlessly vicious to the clientele, the slightest provocation can get a visitor on her bad side for weeks at a time. This mostly takes the form of verbal abuse and scathing sarcasm. However, if the offense is great enough, the offender might be lucky to make it to the door without her blade in their back, and the patrons tell no tales. After all, no other place in town will have them. [INSERT Bau the Unkind HERE]
<2>The Duelist's Daughter Saloon The outer wall of this corner tavern is in the process of having a tile mosaic installed, though at the moment all that can be discerned of the image is a pale blue sky, and the lower half of a barefoot woman in a flaring white dress, dancing in front of what appears to be a great yellow sun. The patron and primary barkeep of the Duelist's Daughter, Varro Aquila, would be a handsome elderly man, were it not for the wide and ugly scar extending from the edge of his slicked gray hair straight down through his patched left eye, parting the edge of his thick mustache and pulling the corner of his mouth down with it. A similar scar crosses his throat at the collarbone, and his right sleeve ends in a wooden hand, carved with thumb and forefinger extended, with which he hooks bottles off of the shelves behind him with practiced ease. For all of his wounds, Varro is a pleasant and jovial host, dedicated to keeping the mood light and high, but not averse to playing the role of confessor or adviser to despondent patrons. The Duelist's Daughter frequently books whatever musicians it can find, and pays them well. There is no kitchen, but Varro allows food vendors to come through whenever they like, which they do throughout the evening. For such a popular place there is very little trouble here, as the patrons themselves are quick to intervene on Varro's behalf. <2>The Sand Pit The Sand Pit is truly unique. Once an immense warehouse, an entire half of the building along the main road has been removed save for the structural supports, leaving a large open-air space, shaded by retracting awnings strung from the remaining frame overhead. The building’s interior portion can be closed in with thick canvas sheets, secured overhead as well. The Sand Pit was designed as a sort of public gymnasium. A raised platform ringed with rope, common to pugilistic bouts, partly takes up the Sand Pit’s large, open area. The remaining space is covered in fine sand, and is used to host other forms of melee training. Inside, a wide variety of equipment is on display, neatly grouped and ready for use. Large sections of the wall and ceiling are lined with rope, and other areas with rope netting. Wooden planking covers other areas, spiked with the odd piton. On the floor there are stacks of weights of varying sizes, large and heavy looking objects connected by rope to harnesses, and a series of obstacles designed to put test one's agility and speed. Whether day or night, the Sand Pit is always open for business, and bouts may occur in the outdoor ring at almost any time. Adventurers can pay the attendant a modest daily fee in order to work out, though weekly and annual members are available, as well.
Chapter 5: Other Locations In addition to Valek’s Landing and Wayside, there are two other prominent locations on Zar Khelar. One is the Shadow Holdfast, the Order’s main headquarters and center of their activities. The other is Ashegarde Prison, once the most notorious gaols in the world. Severely damaged during the night of the Exodus, it was abandoned by the Wardens. While there isn’t much for adventurers to do at either location, they are included because they are important landmarks. Lastly, there are several “other” island locations at the end of the chapter to provide GMs and players with additional adventure hooks and places to explore. <1>The Citadel of the Shadow Holdfast The Shadow Holdfast is the Order’s headquarters on the island, and the center of their organization. No one outside the Order knows what occurs behind the Citadel’s walls. How many Wardens can it house? How many Wardens currently reside here? How are Wardens trained? When they have to interact with the outside world, they come to you. The few rogues who have attempted to penetrate the Holdfast’s defenses, and perhaps return with information, have never been seen again. [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3>Including the Citadel As with Ashegarde Prison, below, the adventurers aren’t expected to interact much with this location, other than to pass by it on their way to the Infinite Dungeon. We include it because it is an important landmark. Eventually, we intend to fully detail the Citadel and reveal the secrets it holds, when the PCs are higher level. Those adventurers who cannot wait, however, you should confront with hefty magical defenses and dozens of angry monks. [[END SIDEBAR]] <2>History Outsiders know little about the history of the Citadel of the Shadow Holdfast. When construction started, how long it took, indeed even its construction methods, remain a mystery. It is believed this is the first structure the Wardens erected even before they secured their possession over the island. While it would have taken years to build, even the accounts from the island’s earliest arrivals describe the Citadel in its present form. Likely, the Wardens built over their earliest, simple defenses and added to it over the years, though no records of this remain. Historians and loremasters believe the prospect of rooting the Order from their stronghold factored into King Venik’s decision to cede the island to them. Similarly, few alive know what transpired here on the night of the Exodus; was the Citadel attacked? Why didn’t the Order take in refugees? How many of their number died to defend the island? As with most things related to the Order, there are only questions. <2>The Citadel The north road out of Wayside takes travelers to the entrance to the Infinite Dungeon and past the Citadel of the Shadow Holdfast. It guards the pass bounded by jungle on either side of the road, and is a sight with which adventurers become well acquainted as they make their way to and from the dungeon. The impossibly tall tower easily serves as a marker for travelers as it pierces the sky like a compass needle. The Wardens situated the Citadel so that it overlooks both the dungeon and Ashegarde Prison further up the road; both can be seen from the tower’s top floors. Some believe it telling that the Shadow Holdfast lies closer to the dungeon’s entrance, itself guarded by a contingent of Wardens, than to their vaunted prison. From afar, the Shadow Holdfast looks rectangular in shape, the height greater than the tower’s width, though as one gets closer it’s evident the base is thicker than the upper stories and tapers subtly to the top. The building’s front and rear are longer than the sides, as well. Shuttered windows are spaced evenly on the building’s face, giving it a rigid, geometric appearance. There are no other adornments or architectural features to distinguish its façade. The only concession to decoration is the three-story high, magenta banner hanging down the center of the building’s front, depicting a stylized winged lock. Otherwise, it looks, for all intents and purposes, like a great Shadow monolith dropped from space.
A thick wall, some two stories high, surrounds the compound entirely. Unlike the building itself, the Wardens have heavily adorned the lintel and gateposts with sculptures; above the gates one finds the Order’s symbol, a winged lock, flanked on one side by a unicorn rampant, and a sphinx rampant on the other. Only members of the Order may pass beyond its ornate, ironclad gates. Like the lintel above, the gates are decorated with the Order’s iconography. No one knows for certain what lays behind the Citadel’s walls, some say training grounds and courtyards, others believe stables, store-houses and workshops. A small, stone bunker stands outside the gates, housing a contingent of Warden guards. If anyone has business with the Order, they are sent to the Shadow House in Wayside. Whatever secrets the Citadel holds remain those of the Order. <3>Iconography The Order of the Shadow Holdfast employs specific symbols to represent itself and its beliefs, whether it be the titles used in their hierarchy, the allegories they use in their teachings, or their infrequent use of artwork. For some unknown reason, the Order eschews the heavy use of pictures, illustrations, or sculptures, instead preferring simple decorations if they use any at all. Some believe this is a facet of their philosophy, a rigid aestheticism, while others suggest the Order preserves its secrecy in this way. When the Wardens do use symbols, such as on the doors to their dugouts (see page XX) or badges of office, their iconography centers around the theme of locks, chains, and manacles. These are often stylized with wings, lightning bolts, or bones. The Order tends towards certain animals and monsters in their infrequent artwork – unicorns, sphinxes, snakes, and, oddly, perytons. When they employ the humanoid form, as they do on their massive iron gates, they are often depicted with an outstretched arm as though barring entry, or upholding a shield (itself odd, since the Order does not commonly use them). Lastly, Wardens typically depict themselves holding cubes, sometimes plain, sometimes ornate. Though no one has ever seen one of these boxes, scholars believe they represent something, much as a king might be shown holding an orb. <1>Ashegarde Prison As much as the Blighted Isle is known as the home of the Infinite Dungeon, it is equally famous for Ashegarde Prison. For a little more than 300 years, this prison held some of the world’s most notorious prisoners. They were criminals who were too dangerous, or politically disadvantageous, to execute. The prison held a barbarian warlord to guarantee the collaboration of the clans he ruled. A cleric of the god Zon-Kuthon was imprisoned here out of fear that he would use his necromantic powers to come back after execution. It was even said the evil, and clearly insane, brother of a king resided here after a failed coup attempt. It was thought that each, particularly the magically endowed, inhabited a cell specially constructed to hold them, though this was never proved. [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3>Including the Prison We’re reserving Ashegarde Prison and its environs for something special, for when the adventurers are higher in level. Because the Prison is a central landmark, however, we had to include it in a description of the island’s geography. Your adventuring group can ride out to it, brood on its depressing atmosphere, and wax philosophic about the nature of life. Anything more than that, however, like getting closer for a bit of exploring, and you should hit them with high CR undead encounters to keep them away. Ghosts, wraiths, and packs of wights… calculate the normal CR appropriate to the group, then double it, at least. [[END SIDEBAR]] <2>History The prison was the result of a deal made between the Order of the Shadow Holdfast and the nobleman who claimed titular sovereignty over it. For reasons known only to them, the Wardens wanted complete control over the island, in a sense declaring their own, independent kingdom. In return, King Venik requested some manner of tithe, to acknowledge his former authority and as a sign of respect, in the form of a prison. This would give him a remote, isolated place to stick his more troublesome prisoners. So long as the Order supervised Ashegarde Prison, Zar Khelar belonged to them.
It took 100 years to complete construction on the prison. The Wardens imported the stone blocks, as well as the workmen. Prisoners, however, began arriving a scant three years after the foundation had been laid. For a time, they resided in cells underground, or in temporary blockhouses built to hold them. From then on, the prison remained in operation for three generations. There was never an incident in all this time, the prisoners coming and going, and sometimes dying, with little fanfare. Ashegarde Prison was thought to be escape-proof. That changed on the night of what came to be called the Exodus. Far from what people had always expected, however, the escape did not originate from the prison itself. It came from within the Infinite Dungeon. For reasons still unknown or unexplained, something happened far beneath the island’s surface. The island shook, the volcano smoked, the very sky seemed to shriek. The tidal wave of monstrosities pouring forth sacked everything in their path, including Ashegarde Prison. What happened in the ensuing chaos? How were the prison walls breached? Did any of the prisoners escape, or survive? No one knows for certain. The Wardens’ answers to those questions have been confusing, with different versions of the night’s events being reported. No, no prisoners survived; yes, some survived and helped restore order. Strange, winged creatures were seen that night circling above the prison; there were no winged creatures. If the Order does know, it isn’t saying. Afterwards, the Wardens abandoned Ashegarde Prison. The walls breached, the citadel cracked, the condemned the prison and claimed it was unsafe to shore up or repair. They stopped accepting new prisoners. They sealed off the island completely for fifty years, only allowing supplies to reach the inhabitants. While the descendant of King Venik protested, citing the original bargain, the Order practically dared him to try and reassert his claim. And that is how the prison remains to this day. Empty, abandoned, and haunted by legions of undead call the prison home. <2>The Prison Proper Approaching the barren stretch of earth along the western cliffs of Zar Khelar one first notices the silence, and it is arguably the most unsettling thing about the surrounding flatland to most who pass by, providing they travel no further. No birds sing and no beasts call. Only the wind stirs any sound at all, hissing through the scant, dried grass of the plain. All around is desolation. Even the soil seems leached of life. Dominating this barren stretch of land stands a strange formation. A plateau of strange basalt columns juts up from the edge of the seaside cliffs. The foot of the formation seethes with a roiling purple-black cloud of smoke, from some underground blaze, perhaps, though patches of it seem to break off and wander the plain without dissipating as they should. Atop this plateau, its cracked black walls crowding the very edge in places, looms the ruin of Ashegarde Prison. Besieged and overrun five decades ago, Ashegarde has never been reoccupied. The low cloud surrounding the foot of the plateau is a hazard called carrion fog, and it is currently inhabited by a string of dark sparks who find the atmosphere within to be a near-perfect environment for their kind (see page XXXX). [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3>Carrion Fog (CR 6) A rare hazard which can quickly turn deadly, carrion fog is not affected by wind or any spell effects that produce it. Where it exists, it will remain until the taint of undeath that brought it into being is destroyed. It is neither sentient nor alive, but it can sense life within 40 ft., and it will stretch out toward it at a speed of 10 ft. per round until it envelops the target, or the target withdraws. Those coming within 20 ft. of a carrion fog are suddenly assaulted by an overpowering stench of rot and corruption. And must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or be sickened until they move out of the effect's range. Envelopment in carrion fog inflicts 1d8 negative energy damage per round, Will save (DC 18) for half damage. The dark sparks dwelling within the carrion fog use their natural invisibility to stay concealed as the fog stretches out toward a living being. Once the carrion fog is within 20 ft. of its target (concurrent with the sickening effect of the fog) they dart out of the cloud and attack, focusing first on any who are visibly sickened, though any successful attacks against them redirects their attention on the attacker. If the targets move 60 feet beyond the edge of the cloud the dark sparks will break off their attack and withdraw, invisibly, into the cloud again. [[END SIDEBAR]]
The ruins of Ashegarde Prison are a haunted place, and not to be approached lightly. Come nightfall, the land surrounding Ashegarde for miles around becomes a mist-covered stalking ground for all manner of horrors. Should the PCs ask a Warden about the place they cannot fail to notice the atmosphere thicken as they are admonished in no uncertain terms that they are not to approach the prison, and that nothing awaits them there but death. They are also informed that it is death to be seen too near the place in any event, should they be spotted by a Warden patrol. Beyond the Wardens, the residents of Wayside and Valek's Landing have little insight to offer about Ashegarde Prison. As far as anyone knows, everyone has heeded the Wardens’ dire warnings concerning the place, and none can think of a compelling reason to do otherwise. There is a good chance that any who are asked about the place may pass along to a Warden the identity of those doing the asking, so that they will be warned as well. The general consensus is that the Wardens keep people away from Ashegarde in order to protect the island from some great evil that resides therein. <1>Side Stories Below, the GM will find several “side stories” to include in the campaign, just to change things up a bit. Not quite quests, side stories are intended to be more like diversions, complications, or twists. Some of them have nothing to do with larger events on the island; they’re your typical “special encounter.” Some of them hint at stranger and more profound things occurring on the Blighted Isle. It’s up to the GM whether or not to include these in the setting. Each is grouped together by theme. Side stories follow a particular format. Each begins with a brief description of the location or situation, followed by the encounter’s details. Each finishes with a description of the possible implications resulting from the adventurers’ actions (or inaction), so that each feels as though it has an impact on the overall setting. <1>Magical Weirdness Zar Khelar manifests some inexplicable magical effects - areas where the laws of nature work differently, where the barriers between dimensions become thin, where reality has been altered. These enigmas emerge for no apparent reason, with some lasting only a short time, while some are a permanent part of the landscape. Whenever questioned about the subject, the Order claims to have no knowledge about the anomalies (Sense Motive DC 20 to determine they’re lying). Future Infinite Dungeon products will go into greater detail on the island’s magical weirdness. <2>The Stones of Malevolence A circle of five menhir tower over the rolling hills, standing like stone sentinels guarding nothing. They measure between seven to ten feet in height. Although they appear to be natural rock formations from afar, upon close inspection the stones are clearly rough-hewn, though weathered, and covered in strange runic inscriptions. <3>The Details For generations, Blighters have practiced the blasphemous worship of some unnamed god in this location. Here, they offer sacrifices according to an ancient, debauched tradition, the origins of which even they don’t know. Inspecting the standing stones, with a successful DC 15 Perception check, the PCs discover them stained with a dried blood, which is caked in the carved runes. While a Linguistics DC 15 skill check reveals the runes to be the same as those found in the Infinite Dungeon, and upon other prehistoric ruins across the island, they cannot be deciphered. A DC 15 Perception skill check while examining the area uncovers humanoid bones - ribs, femurs, fingers, and skulls - half-buried in the turf and overgrown with grass. Finally, they find a pile of tongues laid out on a simple wooden plate; Knowledge (religion) or (arcana) skill checks (both DC 20) reveal it to be a primitive, ritual sacrifice, but no further information can be had.
The rituals have, over the generations, created an enigma, a gateway between the Material Plane and the Dimension of Leng. Attracted by the Blighters’ debauched worship, a Denizen of Leng has finally stepped through. The Blighters believe it to be an emissary of their profane deity, and make offerings to it. The Denizen watches the stone circle from Leng through the doorway the Blighters have opened; it assumes the PCs have arrived to offer it additional, ridiculous alms. It, in fact, approaches them as though they were worshipers, not adversaries (and perhaps their only means of survival is bluffing their way out of the encounter). For its purposes, it plans to encourage the Blighter’s continued veneration, until it can make them its slaves. <3>The Upshot Worship at the menhir circle will continue, no matter what the PCs do, unless they somehow disrupt the magical energies present. Leaving the stone circle as it is eventually attracts additional Denizens of Leng to the Material Plane, seeking to make slaves of the island’s inhabitants. In order to prevent a catastrophe, the PCs must locate and remove the central focus for the circle’s power – the skull of one of the earliest sacrifices. This skull has, over the decades, absorbed the malevolent energies of this place, and serves as a key that opens the door to Leng. The skull appears ordinary, though brown with age and caked in the mud and grass in which it is halfburied. Detect Magic uncovers the skull’s location, and reveals it as having a strong aura of conjuration magic. Detect Evil reveals a strong magic aura. Removing the magic skull from the stone circle has the same effect as removing a key from a lock – it dissipates the stored up eldritch energy found here, and thus closes the door to the Dimension of Leng. <2>The Jewel-Fruit Tree As the PCs make their way through the jungle, they stumble upon a clearing. In the center of this clearing stands a tall, thin tree with large, bushy crown. It is sheathed in obsidian bark with leaves the color of fresh-spilled blood. Fat, purple fruit hangs from the branches, and over-ripe fruit lies rotting on the ground. Although surrounding trees appear normal, their leaves have taken on the same bright red tinge. <3>The Details The tree grows in the midst of an enigma of strange magical energy, the source of which appears to be a naturally occurring. Casting detect magic reveals the tree to have an aura of moderate conjuration magic. Upon closer inspection, the tree’s bark really is razor-sharp obsidian, making it difficult to climb. The purple fruit looks like large, fist-sized gems; faceted, they refract light just like a cut jewel. However, they are soft, just like fruit, and can be eaten. Jewel-fruit imparts magical, spell-like abilities to those who eat of this tree. A jewel-fruit might give an adventurer the ability to detect magic or comprehend languages, for example. The spell-like ability is completely random, and lasts for three hours after consuming the fruit in its entirety. Only one, spell-like ability can be active at a time, so eating multiple jewel-fruit has no additional effect. Jewel-fruit remains ripe, and edible, for a week after picking. Brave individuals could eat the fruit at an opportune time in hopes of gaining a useful magical boon. When a character eats a jewel-fruit, roll on the accompanying table. Finally, eating over or under-ripe jewel-fruit has no effect. [[BEGIN TABLE]] <3>Jewel-Fruit Table of Effects Roll
Effect
1
comprehend languages
2
detect undead
3
endure elements
4
feather fall
5
identify
6
mage armor
7
protection from chaos/evil/good/law
8
shield
[[END TABLE]] Similarly, it’s possible to ferment and distill jewel-fruit into a magically potent wine. This requires a Profession (brewer) check at DC 18, with failure producing jewel-fruit poison. Consuming jewel-fruit wine has the same effects as eating the fruit itself: the spell-like ability is completely random, determined at the time of consumption, and an entire glass must be drunk in order for the wine to have effect. The ability is different for each glass consumed, even if the wine is from the same bottle, and imbibing multiple glasses has no effect. [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] Jewel-Fruit Poison Type poison (ingested); Save Fortitude DC 15 Onset 10 minutes Effect unconsciousness for 1-3 hours; Cure 2 saves [[END SIDEBAR]]
Unfortunately, the clearing’s magical energy has attracted a colony of pixies, and they do not take kindly to intruders eating their fruit. They live high in the red-leafed trees surrounding the clearing. They consider themselves guardians of the sacred tree and its fruit. Anyone picking fruit from the tree, or gathering it from the ground, is subject to an immediate attack. The pixies will not pursue intruders, even if they’ve successfully managed to steal jewel-fruit. <3>The Upshot While the PCs might be content to keep their magical fruit tree a secret, others might decide to profit from it. Selling information as to the tree’s location brings a handsome price from the right kind of merchant; the Evett & Montaigne Wineries would certainly see it as a source of profitability, and seek not only to control it but also grow additional jewel-fruit trees. Attempting to control the tree, however, leads to a prolonged guerilla war with the pixies. <2>The Never-ending Swamp While the PCs make their way through the Blackroot Swamp, the area becomes increasingly primordial. The swamp gets its name from the snakelike tangles of black roots of a type of cypress that grows here. They eventually notice that the landscape becomes more and more extreme, with everything becoming more exaggerated. The trees become larger, taller and more menacing. The mud through which they slog sucks at their boots and makes travel slower. The insects biting them become larger (though not giant-sized) and more persistent. <3>The Details The PCs have entered an area of the landscape horribly mutated by the island’s unusual magical nature. The environment becomes not only more primordial, but also more nightmarish. The PCs seems to be forever climbing over impossibly large roots and slogging through knee-deep mud while being stung by insects the size of hummingbirds. The sun never seems to move in the sky, and beats down with tremendous heat. When it suddenly drops out of the sky and night falls, the moon never rises, plunging them into velvet darkness. A trip that should take hours seems to take days, and, in fact it does. No matter how long or how far they travel, the PCs cannot seem to leave this section of the swamp. They have, basically, walked into a magical zone that twists the landscape. If they are not careful, the PCs will eventually run out of food and water (unless they have the Survival skill), or die by succumbing to the swamp’s treacherous landscape. The only way out for them is to confront their own selves. After several “days” of slogging through the swamp, preferably soon after they’ve noticed the swamp’s enigmatic nature, they come upon another group of adventurers. They are the same number as the PCs’ group. They are comparably dressed, armed, and armored, though more “evil” (armor might have spikes, swords might be serrated, and clothing might be darker or more garish). In fact, upon closer look, their physical appearance is even similar (though with a facial scar here and a goatee there). These adventurers are, in fact, the players’ own characters, seen through a fun-house mirror. This encounter requires preparation from you. Not only are they simply the opposite alignment versions of the PCs’, they swap race and class. For example, a dwarf fighter and an elf cleric would become a dwarf cleric and an elf fighter. You should feel free to mix up the PCs’ races and classes as you see fit. These “doppelgangers” attack the PCs.
<3>The Upshot Unless they defeat themselves, the PCs will continue to march through never-ending swamp. Moreover, unless all members of the mirror-group are slain, the survivors continue to attack at opportune times. Note that an individual PC is not required to defeat himself specifically; Dorgo the dwarf does not have to slay Mirror-Dorgo, for example. However, as attrition takes its toll on the mirror-group, the GM should have the mirror NPCs use terrain to their advantage to adjust the CR of the encounter. Luring charging melee fighters into a quicksand hazard, into previously set traps, or into encounters with other swamp denizens and their traps, for example. This can also include simply taking advantage of a higher elevations for bonuses to hit, lurking in a tree that’s difficult to climb, and so on. Once the PCs have defeated their mirror selves, they pass beyond the borders of the enigma; it closes behind them and they cannot re-enter the area from any direction. <1>The Wardens These side stories involve the Order of the Shadow Holdfast. They provide a more detailed look at the kinds of things the Wardens do on the Isle of Secrets, and only deepen the mystery surrounding the group. They are a good way to gain the Wardens’ trust and acceptance, which goes a long way to receiving a quest to venture into the Infinite Dungeon. <2>The Mysterious Chime Six members of the Order of the Shadow Holdfast make their way around Shed-Skin Hill, so named for a gargantuan coil of discarded skin from a three-headed serpent, circumnavigating an area some ten miles outside of Wayside. Two Wardens carry a pole between them on their shoulders, from which hangs a large, copper chime. The other three appear to be guards. The leader carries a small wooden box, which he consults from time-to-time, like a compass. As the PCs watch, he halts the group, and one of the Order rings the chime; then, the procession resumes its travels. <3>The Details When encountered, the Wardens are initially wary; they’re out in the wilderness and far from assistance, and generally expect to run into creatures. It requires a successful Diplomacy DC 20 check to convince them to be cordial. If asked about the purpose of their task, the leader answers that they’re adjusting the area’s harmonic convergences, as though that should explain everything. In fact, a Sense Motive DC 15 check shows that he has no idea of the meaning behind what he’s doing, but doesn’t want to demonstrate his ignorance in front of his men; further questions only annoy him. The adventurers can join the group of Wardens, who would welcome the company and assistance. In fact, helping the group leads to an invitation to enter the Infinite Dungeon soon after their successful return to Wayside. Otherwise, the PCs could choose to simply move on, shaking their heads at the odd, gong-ringing procession. If the PCs decide the tag along, the entire trip around the region lasts seven days. During this time, the Wardens seem to follow an old, narrow goat path through the countryside surrounding Wayside. Periodically, the leader consults his box and stops the group, whereupon they ring their mysterious chime. Sometimes, they travel miles between stops; sometimes, they stop after only a few feet. The box contains a brass ring with three independently-swinging needles nestled in velvet cloth. Should the PCs get a close look at it, the dial is engraved with odd symbols they cannot decipher. The chime is three feet long, made of copper, and tarnished with age. The same mysterious symbols found in the Infinite Dungeon, and upon the island’s prehistoric ruins, cover the chime. When rung, it produces a deep, sonorous tone that reverberates deep in the PCs’ chests; they can feel the note in their hearts. Each ringing of the chime increases the chance of a random encounter to 50% (see Table XX). In fact, it seems the Wardens draw creatures out into the open, making them easier to attack. Though they scoff at this idea, this may be the practice’s original purpose.
<3>The Upshot Should the Order fail in its ritual, and not complete the circuit around the area, double the frequency of random encounter checks in the area. This situation persists until the chime makes a successful circuit around the region; note this may require discovering the chime’s current location should it be lost in the wilderness, which could be a quest in itself. The PCs cannot hope to complete this mission on their own, since they cannot read the mysterious compass that guides the Wardens’ actions. Of course, the PCs could choose to attack this isolated band of Wardens, take their chime and the unusual compass, and sell them. In addition to the above effect, this increases the Warden’s wariness throughout the region, resulting in increased patrols both in Wayside and the surrounding countryside; any Diplomacy checks to convince them you are non-hostile are made at DC 25, and they attack if the check is failed. <2>The Forlorn Shelter On the far side of the jungle, roughly North West of Wayside, stands a basic stone house with a wooden roof. There is a place to stable horses, basically a hitching post covered by a wooden roof a few feet away. Travelers can draw water from a stone well located to the side of the house. This is a “dugout”, a place where members of the Order can stay when they travel across the island. There are actually many of these dugouts across Zar Khelar. The wooden door bears the Warden’s symbol on it, and is locked, though there appears to be no lock on the door. This is a spell like effect the same as Arcane Lock; DC 20 Disable Device skill check to open, although anyone bearing a Warden symbol may freely enter. Passing through the door in this way does not remove or affect the spell effect. <3>The Details The Wardens built these buildings to give members a place to stay while they patrol the island’s remote areas. Inside, the amenities are simple, as befitting monks - wooden bunk beds, straw mattresses, a trestle table and benches. They also keep supplies here, such as travel rations, rough blankets, candles, and the like. The GM can include whatever ordinary (though lowquality) gear you feel like supplying. In fact, the Wardens often hire adventurers to restock these dugouts (which may be what brought the PCs here in the first place). Knowing that these places are typically a source of free, and much-needed provisions, the PCs may decide to attempt to break in, particularly if their need is great. Alternatively, they may be on some other mission on the Warden’s behalf, and thus have a key. Inside, from the dust covering everything, it appears that no one has used this shelter in at least a year. There’s even a puddle of stagnant water in the room’s far corner, perhaps the result of a leaky roof. Naturally, the PCs expect to be attacked while they stay here. You should try to stretch out the suspense for as long as possible; allow them to think they’ve found a safe place to stay the night. The shack is, however, now the lair of a Shadow Ooze. Over the course of their time here, the puddle in the corner slowly moves to attack; this movement is so slow, in fact, that the PCs might not even notice it. It attacks the PCs sometime in the night.
<3>The Upshot Hidden under the building’s flagstone floor (which requires a DC 15 Perception check to locate), is a small, locked chest. This chest is secured by a heavy iron lock, which requires a Disable Device skill check against a DC 20 to open. Inside rest four bullroarers, hollowed-out tubes secured to leather thongs. When the bullroarers are swung in a circle around the head, they produce a roaring sound. These bullroarers appear to be fashioned from human bones, and when swung they produce a highpitched ululation. In addition, at the bottom of the chest lies a small journal; it describes the precise details, though not the purpose, of an odd ritual. Should the Shadow Ooze be left undisturbed, it later attacks a group a Wardens who come to perform the ritual. If they are unable to complete the Ceremony of Redress, either because they’re dead or unable to get to the equipment, a wild magic area comes into being that encompasses both the Warden’s citadel and Wayside. Furthermore, recovering the ritual gear gains the PCs additional favor in the Wardens’ eyes, although they could always take and sell the objects on the black market. This increases the Warden’s wariness, resulting in increased patrols throughout the island; any Diplomacy checks to convince them you are non-hostile are made at DC 25, and they attack if the check is failed. [[BEGIN TABLE]] <3> Table: Wild Magic Effects 01–19 The spell rebounds on its caster with normal effect. If the spell cannot affect the caster, it simply fails. 20–23 A circular pit 15 feet wide opens under the caster's feet; it is 10 feet deep per level of the caster. 24–27 The spell fails, but the target or targets of the spell are pelted with a rain of small objects (anything from flowers to rotten fruit), which disappear upon striking. The barrage continues for 1 round. During this time the targets are blinded and must make concentration checks (DC 15 + spell level) to cast spells. 28–31 The spell affects a random target or area. Randomly choose a different target from among those in range of the spell or center the spell at a random place within range of the spell. To generate direction randomly, roll 1d8 and count clockwise around the compass, starting with south. To generate range randomly, roll 3d6. Multiply the result by 5 feet for close-range spells, 20 feet for medium-range spells, or 80 feet for long-range spells. 32–35 The spell functions normally, but any material components are not consumed. The spell is not expended from the caster's mind (the spell slot or prepared spell can be used again). Similarly, an item does not lose charges, and the effect does not count against an item's or spell-like ability's use limit. 36–39 The spell does not function. Instead, everyone (friend or foe) within 30 feet of the caster receives the effect of a heal spell. 40–43 The spell does not function. Instead, a deeper darkness effect and a silence effect cover a 30-foot radius around the caster for 2d4 rounds. 44–47 The spell does not function. Instead, a reverse gravity effect covers a 30-foot radius around the caster for 1 round. 48–51 The spell functions, but shimmering colors swirl around the caster for 1d4 rounds. Treat this as a glitterdust effect with a save DC of 10 + the level of the spell that generated this result. 52–59 Nothing happens. The spell does not function. Any material components are used up. The spell or spell slot is used up, an item loses charges, and the effect counts against an item's or spell-like ability's use limit. 60–71 Nothing happens. The spell does not function. Any material components are not consumed. The spell is not expended from the caster's mind (a spell slot or prepared spell can be used again). An item does not lose charges, and the effect does not count against an item's or spell-like ability's use limit. 72–98 The spell functions normally. 99–100 The spell functions strongly. Saving throws against the spell incur a –2 penalty. The spell has the maximum possible effect, as if it were cast with the Maximize Spell feat. If the spell is already maximized with the feat, there is no further effect.
[[END TABLE]]
<2>The Shrine of Sorrows Everlasting To the south-east of Ashegarde Prison, within its shadow, the PCs find a lonely statue standing sentinel over the scrub grass. It is granite, fashioned to look like a man wearing monk’s robes and cowl; he stands at attention, looking mournfully downward, a staff clutched in both hands in front of him. They have discovered the Shrine of Sorrows Everlasting. <3>The Details On the night of the Exodus, a squad of Wardens made their last stand at this location. Over-whelmed by superior numbers, they fell, dying to a man. After they contained the chaos of that night, the Wardens found the bodies of their fallen brothers, buried their bodies where they lay, and erected this statue as a monument to their heroic sacrifice. For a few years afterwards, members of the Order made pilgrimage here, laying offerings to the memories of their slain brothers. Then, over time, the shrine was forgotten. The statue towers over the hill scrub and lists to one side a bit. At the base of the shrine is a small plaque, bearing the names of the seven Warders who gave their lives in the island’s defense. While the PCs explore it, seven skeletons rise out of their graves and attack. They are dressed in tattered Warden robes and some still carry their monk weapons. These are the bodies of the Wardens who died here, still protecting the island as though locked in an endless loop. The attackers consist of a skeleton champion, the remains of the squad’s leader, and six bloody skeletons. Rather than being animated by a necromancer, the bodies have been revived by their proximity to Ashegarde Prison, as well as their burning anger at having been forgotten. They are now thoroughly evil, their original vows long unremembered. Even if the PCs defeat the skeletal Wardens, the bodies return to their graves, where they regenerate, and “live on” to attack other unwary travelers. The only way to thoroughly defeat the skeletons is either through the bless or hallow spell, or by simply tending the shrine; clearing it of underbrush, cleaning the statue, and making offerings to the Wardens’ departed souls (Religion check DC 20 to figure out how to keep them from rising again). This negates their anger, and they remain quietly in their graves. <3>The Upshot The Warden skeletal squad has lain here for fifty years, since the night of the Exodus. For most of that time, their unquiet souls have watched and waited for someone to honor them, and the area around the Shrine became tainted with their rage. Should the PCs fail to put their spirits at peace, the area around the Shrine of Sorrows Everlasting merges with the unholy aura surrounding Ashegarde Prison, thus expanding the area in which undead encounters occur. For five miles around the shrine, change all [[NB: insert rule. Roll on the Undead Random Encounter Table?]]. Moreover, while the PCs tend to the restoration of the Shrine, they uncover a barrier key laying in the underbrush, perhaps dropped and forgotten during the night of the Exodus. The key should open some previously inaccessible part of the First Ward (a secret room where the PCs could hide, if necessary, for example). Alternately, the PCs can return the barrier key to the Wardens for a reward (increased favor with them, for example), or sell it. <1>The Countryside In addition to perplexing enigmas and possible encounters with the Order, the GM can include more mundane side quests. These often involve the island’s politics or the machinations of its denizens. They are intended to be relatively mundane adventures the PCs can have as they march across the countryside.
<2>The Abandoned Shack To the south west of Ashegarde Prison, approximately half a day’s journey away, a simple stone house stands at the edge of the jungle. It is built from the local rocks found on the island, crudely placed, and has a simple wooden roof. A stable is attached to the building, though the wooden structure appears to list to one side. There is a well approximately six feet from the building proper, from which fresh water can be drawn. This is a “dugout”, where members of the Order rest when on business on the island, and there are actually many of these “dugouts” across the Blighted Isle. (See page XX for more details). <3>The Details The Wardens use these dugouts to provide shelter while they travel across the island. They are furnished simply, with wooden bunk beds, straw mattresses, table and benches. In addition, they keep well-maintained dugouts (e.g., those used regularly) stocked with simple provisions. You should feel free to include whatever ordinary (though low-quality) gear you feels like supplying. The Wardens often hire adventurers to restock frequently-used dugouts (which may be what brought the PCs here in the first place). As the PCs near the dugout, something immediately unusual becomes apparent: Three people emerge from the building, and they’re not Wardens. It is common knowledge that the Wardens secure their shelters with a form of Arcane Lock; the door opens only for those carrying a symbol of the Order (or a successful DC 20 Disable Device skill check). These intruders are shabbily dressed and carry primitive gear; a Perception DC 10 check determines that these people dress in shabby homespun and very little appears professionally made (boiled leather armor, simple hacking weapons, and so on). The closer they get to the dugout, the more likely the PCs notice that these occupants appear gaunt, wretched, and noisome. Blighters have managed to break into the dugout. With a successful Sense Motive DC 10 check, the PCs determine that the Blighters aren’t happy to see the PCs, but they aren’t looking for a fight. They’re suspicious of outsiders, as they usually are, and watchful. As far as the group’s leader is concerned, they’re staying the night and the PCs will just have to move on. Emphasis on the “move on.” It becomes obvious, through a Sense Motive DC 20 skill check, that the Blighters don’t want the PCs to enter the dugout. If the PCs are here to resupply the dugout, for example, the Blighters tell them to leave the supplies outside; they could choose to evict the Blighters, if they’re here on Warden business. Acting on their own, the PCs may become suspicious of the Blighter’s behavior and try to force or sneak their way inside, which provokes an attack, or, they could to do nothing and be on their way. Either way, the Blighters have a very good reason for wanting to keep the PCs out: They have a pot of “Halfling stew” bubbling in the fireplace in a big, iron cauldron. [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3>The Blighters No one knows the origins of the tribe known as the Blighters. It is said they were here before the arrival of the Wardens, who had to fight off several Blighter attacks as they established themselves on Zar Khelar. Despite the Wardens’ efforts, they cannot seem to eliminate the Blighters, though to be honest their primary concern has been the Infinite Dungeon. A few people believe the Order hasn’t been over-zealous because of the Blighters’ connection to the past. Blighter society is tribal. Small groups live in the island’s swamps and jungles, where they can use the terrain to their advantage. Culturally, they are wary of outsiders and suspicious by nature; they keep to themselves. Moreover, there appears to be no inter-tribal rivalry and they do not fight among themselves. Given the artifacts and ancient ruins that point to a sophisticated society, if the Blighters are indigenous, then they are severely degenerate descendants of a once-proud culture. Rumors say they practice abominable rituals by the dark of the moon, that they eat humanoid flesh, and willfully lead outsiders to their deaths in the jungles and swamps. The island’s inhabitants warn outsiders to avoid Blighters at all costs. Unfortunately, many take these as wives’ tales meant to scare around a warm fire. [[END SIDEBAR]]
<3>The Upshot The Blighters have no intention of leaving the dugout, which becomes apparent if the PCs watch the dugout for a few days or if they return later. Over the next few weeks, more Blighters show up and set up camp. Tents become huts. Simple barricades become walls. And the Warden dugout becomes the center of a Blighter colony. From here, the Blighters waylay travelers and conduct their unwholesome practices. In fact, you may have the Wardens send the PCs to this dugout to evict the Blighters before they get a foothold. <2>The Busted Cart On the road between Valek’s Landing and Wayside, the PCs come upon a disabled cart blocking the way. One of the rear wheels has splintered, rendering it useless, and the wagon lies listing in the road. Four hired guards watch over the wreckage. <3>The Details The guards are unsure what to expect as the PCs approach - will they offer to help, simply move on, or try to steal the cart’s contents? The guards are ready for anything. There are six of them, all well armed. A successful Sense Motive DC 10 check shows the guard’s wariness; they’re ready for a fight if necessary. Diplomacy checks DC 15 can diffuse the situation (if that’s the route the PCs want to take). Should the PCs decide to take the non-violent route, the guards relax and become chattier. The guards work for Cullen Creeg, of Evett & Montaigne Wineries, who is based in Wayside. They’ve all been in his employ for a long time, since he’s a good boss and pays well. They were on their way to Valek’s Landing to deliver casks and bottles to the port when the wheel struck a rock, snapped, and stranded them there. Creeg went back to Wayside to get help, and they remained behind to guard the cart. The wagon itself is laden with barrels and crates, which are covered by a tarp. Indeed, it seems the wagon has been overloaded, which may have contributed to their present troubles. And may make the PCs suspicious The longer the PCs hang around, however, the more nervous the guard leader becomes (again, a Sense Motive DC 15 check). He’s been polite, but would like the group to move along. Should the PCs offer to stick around and help guard the cart, the guard leader responds by saying “That’s okay. We have enough people here. You guys can go about your business.” He becomes increasingly belligerent, until he starts to manhandle the PCs to get them to move. Why is the guard leader suddenly so nervous? At first, he assumes that it’s better to be good-natured and easy-going. The longer they hang around, the more nervous he becomes; his boss, Cullen Creeg should be returning at any time and wouldn’t like it if his guards were seen paling around with strangers. Moreover, the longer they stay, the more suspicious the guard leader becomes of their motives, especially if they ask about the wagon’s contents.
<3>The Upshot Inside one of the wine barrels is a veritable treasure trove of magic items from The Infinite Dungeon. Cullen Creeg works for the Black Star Consortium, and they’re attempting to smuggle these items off the island without the Wardens’ knowing. As the PCs stay longer, the guard leader begins to fear that they’ll notice something odd, or that a slip of the tongue might give them away. The implications of this encounter depends on the PCs’ actions. Successfully defeating, and thus uncovering, the smuggling ring earns them favor with the Wardens (if they tell the Order about it). When Creeg arrives to find his guards defeated and his cart looted, he makes it his mission to find the perpetrators; agents of Black Star do the same (which makes using any magic items from the cart dangerous in town). If the PCs don’t do anything about the smugglers, simply by walking away, the latter continue to smuggle objects off the island. However, once back in Wayside the guard captain remembers the PCs, feels bad about the way he treated them, and offers to make amends; they thus gain a contact with the smugglers on Zar Khelar. <1>The Townies Although both Valek’s Landing and Wayside include a large number of adventure hooks, the assumption is that these are largely unchanging. Kray & Sons or The Robber’s Mug are part of the setting, and offer specific adventuring opportunities; they are places on the map, with particular NPCs, offering distinct activities. Of course, it’s up to the individual GM whether to include them, or not; it’s your game. However, this diverges from the established setting. These two encounters provide the adventurers with unusual or worth-while contacts, but their inclusion in your campaigns is entirely optional. <2>Jethra the Merchant The PCs may be curious about the Wardens, and ask around for more information about them. This eventually leads them to Jethra, a merchant who imports wine and supplies several taverns on the island. A few barkeepers and tavern regulars know he has an interest in the Order; they’re a frequent topic of late-night conversation for him. Jethra is based in Valek’s Landing. <3>The Details Most days, Jethra can be found working in his shop, surrounded by casks of wine. Like any merchant, he takes inventory, supervises the loading and unloading of his wares, and negotiates prices. If not in his store, he’s down by the docks accepting a shipment or otherwise engaged in business. At night, you can find him in one of the local taverns, enjoying his own wares, and turning the gossip to the subject of the Order. At first, Jethra just spins tales and wild gossip about the Wardens, the same sort of nonsense and wives’ tales just about everyone knows about them. By making a successful Sense Motive DC 20 check, the PCs can tell Jethra knows more than he’s saying. It takes two consecutive Diplomacy DC 15 checks, however, to gain his trust and get him to open up. Being persistent and assuring him that they’re not working for the Wardens helps. Whenever he’s asked about his interest, he passes it off as a hobby (a Sense Motive DC 20 check uncovers this lie).
You can use Jethra as a way to provide the PCs with whatever information or disinformation about the Wardens that you see fit. Jethra can also be a source of missions, sending PCs out to The Shrine of Sorrows Everlasting or to seek out The Mysterious Chime (as well as any other adventures you care to include). Finally, Jethra is willing to pay for information about the Wardens and their activities – where they go, what they do, how they do it - as well as any Warden-related memorabilia the PCs “acquire,” such as tunics, symbols of office, weapons and gear, or magic items. In addition, should the PCs need, he can provide them with credible Warden costumes (particularly if they accept some of his more “nefarious” missions). Unfortunately, the Wardens aren’t particularly happy with Jethra’s activities. While they do not yet know his identity, they’ve certainly heard that someone trades in Warden information and equipment. Eventually, they’ll start looking for him, and it’s only a matter of time before someone sells Jethra out to save their own skin. <3>The Upshot Simply put, Jethra is a spy. His real name is Elleon Taymon. The patron for whom Jethra conducts his espionage is largely left to you, as it fits into your larger campaign setting. He might spy on behalf of a nobleman who seeks to claim Zar Khelar for himself, and plots an invasion. Or it could be an especially powerful wizard who is curious about the source of the Warden’s magical might (the mysterious fog, the spellships, and so on). Jethra keeps all of his collected information in a journal, which he hides in a small, empty wine cask. If the PCs become too closely associated with Jethra, they’re implicated in his plot when it finally comes out; the Wardens assume they’re part of his spy ring. They could, however, turn Jethra in to the Wardens, and earn a great deal of their favor (while gaining a powerful enemy in the form of his patron). Finally, if they do nothing, eventually Jethra orchestrates a covert attack on the Warden’s headquarters. <2>Serafin Bakae As the PCs make their way around Wayside, a beautiful young woman appears to follow them (a Perception DC 15 check). She’s tiny, and appears young, but has the kind of big brown eyes that could start a tavern brawl, and a shy little smile that could melt an orcs heart. She looks at the PCs strangely, as though she recognizes them and tries to place them in her memory. Finally, she works up the courage to approach the group. She introduces herself as Serafin Bakae. <3>The Details Serafin Bakae is a sorceress of the celestial bloodline. She has been tasked, through heavenly visions, to investigate and monitor the island’s magical enigmas. Unlike many adventurers on the island, she has no interest in the Infinite Dungeon. After a few forays underground, she bought a house and moved to Wayside in order to conduct her studies. The PCs may encounter Serafin in one of the many taverns in Wayside, or on the street while they conduct their errands. When the PCs first meet Serafin, they may assume she’s going to con them or try to sell them something. She’s convinced she knows them from someplace, though they’ve never met before. She explains that she’s seen their faces before, in her dreams, which she knows sounds crazy. In fact, the PCs may indeed think she’s irrational, though a successful Sense Motive DC 15 check suggests she’s not. She patiently explains that she’s in touch with the gods, through her dreams, and they told her to seek the PCs out to offer them work. Ask for Sense Motive DC 20 checks to tell that she thinks she’s telling the truth.
If the PCs decide that she’s not touched in the head, and believe her, then you can use Serafin as a source of quests (specifically those focusing on the island’s enigmas). The Gods communicate to Bakae through her dreams. They show her a location, along with images of what takes place there, and compel her to explore there. Typically, these visions are imprecise and symbolic in nature, as half-remembered dreams often are. However, she cannot monitor all the island’s magical locations on her own; she needs adventurers to explore and report back; it would be even better if they returned with some kind of evidence. In this way, the GM could send the group to The Jewel-fruit Tree encounter, for example. In return for their efforts, Serafin offers to provide the PCs with whatever magical assistance they need (short of adventuring with them; she has no time). If necessary, Serafin can pay in gold, though she always offers more for physical samples rather than word-of-mouth reports. <3>The Upshot The celestial powers that guide Serafin Bakae keep track of her research through her dreams, so they are aware not only of what the PCs uncover but also their reaction to the island’s magical weirdness. Thus, as the PCs explore the island’s magical mysteries, they may themselves come to the attention of these powers, depending on what they do with the knowledge they uncover. The more secrets the PCs learn about, the more danger they could be in; Serafin could easily go from friend to enemy should they start asking the wrong questions.
Chapter 6: The Order of the Shadowed Holdfast This chapter briefly covers the Order of the Shadowed Holdfast, some of its history, its organization, and how it operates. This gives the GM enough information to use the Wardens in their campaigns, and credibly portray characters during play. There is a lot more to the Order than meets the eye, and later Infinite Dungeon products will add to this information at a future date. <1>The Wardens of the Infinite Dungeon Sages know that the Order of the Shadowed Holdfast existed as an organization long before the discovery of the Infinite Dungeon, though the Order speaks little of their history prior to that discovery. Records still exist in forgotten corners of ancient libraries that contain details about the Order (Knowledge: history check, DC 25); whether these are true has never been confirmed by any high-ranking member of the Order of the Shadowed Holdfast. They were an order of aesthetics dedicated to transcending the limits of the body. Their ethos demanded that they act as a shield to protect others. The Order protected travelers on the road, regardless of their charges' particular alignment or religion. These accounts speak of a commandment to never use their abilities offensively, and a peculiar ability to render themselves invisible to perception; of the latter, the method is unclear. [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3>Classes and the Order Most members of the Order, at least until fifty years ago, possessed levels in the Monk class, preferring empty-hand or minimal weapon techniques to subdue or kill opponents. In particular, monks of the Order focus on grappling techniques, or weapons that can bind or trip their foes. As they recruit new members, they receive training in the Order's fighting style. That is not to say that the Order disdains most other professions. Fighters, rogues, bards, sorcerers, wizards, and inquisitors can all be found among the ranks. Strangely, they do not allow clerics and oracles to join the order, nor are witches, barbarians, summoners, or paladins. The lack of divine classes, or classes that deal with outsiders in any fashion, has raised questions regarding the Order’s doctrine; the Order itself says nothing on the matter. [[END SIDEBAR]] Sometime before the Infinite Dungeon’s initial discovery, the Order underwent a schism, fragmenting into various factions, scattering, with most factions fading into obscurity. The 'surviving' faction, led by the most lawful members of the original Order named themselves the Order of the Shadowed Holdfast. The newly-christened Order began actively recruiting members, and in the ten years following the meteor strike on Zar Khelar, an increasing number of members then traveled to the island. Few wished to visit the island - there was nothing there, and the strange wildlife made such a venture impractical. No one knows what drove the Order to Zar Khelar; rumors persist of a magical or divine compulsion. The Order commissioned ships to transport members and materiel to the island, and attracted the notice of the lord who actually claimed sovereignty over Zar Khelar. The Order carved out a habitable area, hunting down the creatures that called the island home, and establishing farms to provide food. They battled lizardfolk, kobolds, and a primitive, barbaric tribe known as the Blighters while they constructed their dwellings, beginning work on a massive structure that became the Grey Holdfast. They started work on defenses around certain areas on the island, and appeared determined to stay. While they built their citadel, the Order sent a delegation to the court of King Venik, the nominal lord over Zar Khelar. What transpired at this meeting remains a secret. The results, however, are well-known: King Venik gave the Order title to the island and complete sovereignty over it, so long as they agreed to build and maintain a prison where he could incarcerate his more troublesome prisoners. Construction of the prison began a few months afterward, and construction continued for the next century. Shortly after the first prisoners arrived, a mysterious protective fog cloaked Zar Khelar, and the first of the Order’s spell-ships plied the waters.
Once established on Zar Khelar, the Blighted Isle, the Order sent emissaries out into the wider world, bearing curious artifacts - the claviculum decerno, strange keys that led these ambassadors and recruiters to adventurers. These Emissaries were given a loose set of criteria for selecting those who would delve the Infinite Dungeon. Soon, tempted by the challenge and rewards of the Dungeon, the brave and foolhardy, noble and common, barbaric warriors to ascetic monks, all traveled to Zar Khelar to seek their fortune. For decades, word spread about the incredible treasures and dangers buried within the ever-shifting Wards of the Infinite Dungeon. Between delves, adventurers spent their gains in the towns of Wayside and Valek's Landing, and helped to tame the Isle's native threats. Life on the Blighted Isle, at least for the Order, adventurers, and the civilians that called the island home, was as good as it could get. But nothing lasts forever. [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3>The Emissaries Emissaries of the Order travel the world, seeking out adventurers willing to delve the Infinite Dungeon, guided to candidates by their claviculum decerno. These magic items serve two purposes - to locate potential delvers, and to signal the Order that a new group of willing adventurers has been found. Once located, the Emissary concocts a series of challenges to test the adventurers, suitable to their skills and natures. If the adventurers pass the challenges, they extend an invitation to travel to the Blighted Isle; adventurers that fail may never know they were tested and found wanting. Emissaries usually possess at least 4 levels in Rogue (Investigator), though Bard or Inquisitor Emissaries are not uncommon. If an Emissary is killed, the claviculum decerno continues to function, inevitably finding its way into the hands of potential delvers and guiding them to the Dungeon. At least one claviculum decerno is known to be in the hands of a former Infinite Dungeon delver; if he could be located, the claviculum would undoubtedly be passed to worthy adventurers. Emissaries favor appearances suitable to the areas in which they travel. Emissaries always possess an amulet of non-detection, and are Lawful Neutral in alignment. They also undertake the Vow of Peace; see the "Monk Vows" section in Chapter 1 of Ultimate Combat for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game for details. [[END SIDEBAR]] [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3>Candidacy The Order does not speak of the specific criteria used for selecting adventurers to delve the Infinite Dungeon, but the criteria do exist. The Emissaries possess great latitude in selecting adventurers for the Infinite Dungeon, but the following general rules apply: 1. Candidates for the Dungeon may not have committed any major crime against the society in which they live. While Emissaries will not usually select known criminals, there are exceptions, especially in the cases of chaotic societies, or in cases where the crime was committed to serve a greater cause. 2. Candidates must be of 'good character'. 'Good character' being defined as 'not overtly evil, nor overly chaotic.' Adventurers with chaotic alignments are always given challenges that determine their ability to work within a group; those that cannot are never selected. 3. Capability - those who are weak will not survive the rigors of the Infinite Dungeon. The Emissaries search for those who can serve the Order best in the Dungeon's depths, and abilities that help in that regard are always foremost in consideration. [[END SIDEBAR]] <2>The Exodus War Fifty years ago, an army of monsters swarmed forth from the Dungeon, laying waste to everything in their path. Shoulder-toshoulder, the Order, the town’s militia, and several adventurers in Wayside spent their lives to buy time for the city's people to retreat. Although many fell to the creatures, more survived to reach Valek's Landing and the ships docked there.
Despite the best efforts of the Harbormaster, many were left behind. Those unfortunate souls took refuge in the Pearl Caves for months, until the monsters turned upon each other and withdrew into the wilder areas of the island, or were forced back into the Dungeon. For fifty years, the island has been limping along. Its once great numbers depleted, the Order now barely numbers 150 souls, bolstered by the militias of Wayside and Valek's Landing. Recently, they have sent forth the Emissaries to recruit a new generation of adventurers to brave the perils of the Infinite Dungeon. <2>Gray Ranks: The Philosophy and Structure At the very heart of the Order are two principles - Law and Perfection. They are the Sapentia de Vinculum; the Philosophy of the Chain. The tenets state that existence is a linked series of events, and that the utmost achievement is to form bonds with orderly philosophy, physical perfection, and clear thought, passing them on to others in an endless cycle. Such a 'chain' is stronger the more links it holds. Members follow the commands of senior members on the assumption that they are lawful and justified; disobedience is punishable by reduction in stature, expulsion, or in a very few cases, death. Adherents carry a responsibility to study the Order and understand its underlying structure, to conduct themselves in a lawful fashion, and act impartially to preserve the balance of the universe… so long as that balance remains firmly Lawful. In theory, their actions would be offset by chaotic forces; in practice, the Order brooks no dissent. As members of the Order exhibit greater adherence to and understanding of the Philosophy of the Chain, they advance, gaining rank, prestige, and power. Advancement is based on merit - some advance rapidly, should they exhibit the qualities the Lord Wardens and Overlords seek. Those falling behind are encouraged to strengthen themselves; with the Order reduced in numbers, only those that actively resist the Philosophy of the Chain are removed. [[BEGIN SIDEBAR]] <3>Order Ranks As a member advances, they are given a title, following the Order's role on the Blighted Isle as gatekeepers and jailers for the Infinite Dungeon. Some members of the organization have suggested that the Order should consider changing the rankings; the Lord Wardens and Overlords have dismissed these proposals. Ranking in the Order as follows: Level 1-3: Guard (60%) Level 4-6: Officer (30%) Level 7-10: Warden* (0%) Level 11-14: High Warden (5%) Level 15-18: Lord Warden (3%) Level 19-20: Overlord (2%) *Currently, the rank of Warden is unoccupied by any standing members of the Order. Lower ranks have been primarily recruited from local militias and a few highly-Lawful adventuring groups. [[END SIDEBAR]] <2>Magic and Rituals Along with protecting the Blighted Isle and acting as protectors for the Dungeon, the Order is also the guardian of arcane rituals and items found nowhere else in the world. To outsiders, these acts and objects seem peculiar, even nonsensical at times. The Rotation of the Mirrored Cube, the Positioning of the Jade Wheel, the Procession of Bullroarers, and others all serve a vital purpose, even if they make little sense to outsiders. The Wards of the Dungeon and the magically-charged lands of the Isle interact in unpredictable ways, and it falls to the Order to impose stability where they may. Those who interrupt the rituals
face reprisals from the Order, the island's inhabitants, and likely will find themselves in the middle of a situation difficult, if not impossible, to survive. The Order’s magic items center on the theme of chains, locks, and bindings. Carcanets of detention are common, and shackles of compliance, shackles of durance vile, summoning shackles, and dimensional shackles are employed to hold the most dangerous of prisoners. Manacles of cooperation are used, either in their original form, or as a torc around a convict's neck, to keep them in line. Other items used by the Order follow the theme of boundaries, restrictions, and binding — a few sticks of precious boundary chalk are in the hands of the High Wardens and Overlords, as are a few iron bands of binding. Ropes of entanglement are not uncommon, and issued to patrol leaders. Whispered rumors of a room containing a dozen mirrors of life trapping within the Shadowed Holdfast persist; if true, the Order would likely keep only the most dangerous of creatures trapped within. The magical weaponry preferred by ranking members typically possess the following enchantments — anchoring, axiomatic, bane, ki focus, and ki intensifying. While these are the preferred enchantments, they are by no means the only ones. Armor, when used by Order members, is often enchanted with balanced, warding, spell resistance, fortification, harmonizing, and vigilant. The resources of the Order are magically vast, thanks to expeditions returning from the Infinite Dungeon.
Chapter 7: Pathfinder Rules The Blighted Isle is home to a lush jungle, a horrific prison, ancient ruins, and a sliver of civilization (itself filled with many sinners, a few pirates, and slew of adventurers, and possibly even the occasional paragon of virtue). It is a place where many different cultures mix as explorers and adventures come to seek the truth behind Zar Khelar’s many legends and rumors. As one might expect from an island full of immigrants, adventurers, and secrets, there are characters on Zar Khelar who are just a little different from those found elsewhere. This is especially true of classes not normally associated with spending long periods of time underground (barbarians, cavaliers, and druids in particular), with the Zar Khelar members of these groups leaning toward more urban and subterranean expeditions. Class Archetypes The following archetypes are options players may take to represent a character being specialized, trained, or adapted to life on an island with an Infinite Dungeon. Each archetype is designed to be used to modify a specific character class or classes, and only the listed classes may take each archetype. Each alternate class feature presented in an archetype replaces a specific class feature from its parent class. When an archetype includes multiple alternate class features, a character must take them all— often blocking the character from ever gaining certain standard class features, but replacing them with other options. All other class features of the base class that aren't mentioned among the alternate class features remain unchanged and are acquired normally when the character reaches the appropriate level, unless noted otherwise. A character who takes an alternate class feature does not count as having the class feature that was replaced for the purposes of meeting any requirements or prerequisites unless one of the alternate features says otherwise. Barbarian Archetype: Outcast An outcast has been banished from his home, and learned to survive without the support of society or allies. Many outcasts are savages who were cast out of a tribe, perhaps because they remained loyal to an overthrown chieftain, or made a play for control of the tribe and failed. Others were once civilized folk, men and women of advanced societies who were denied the benefits of their homelands and kept prisoner in harsh conditions, be it as punishment for a real or imagined crime, or as a result of their homes being conquered or even destroyed, These outcasts have become savages as a result of the harsh conditions of their imprisonment, in vile dungeons or forced labor camps in dangerous regions of the world. More than one innocent merchant went into Ashgarde Prison as a stable member of society, but came out as a near-savage who trusted no one but himself. Regardless of an outcast’s background, he has become someone has learned to operate outside of civilization, able to work with others when it is in his best interest, but always standing slightly apart from any group. As a result, an outcast becomes a self-reliant survivor, secure in the knowledge that he can weather whatever horrors the world is going to throw at him. Outcast Archetype Features Stand Alone (Ex): An outcast cannot grant an ally any benefit with the aid another action, and gains no benefit when others aid another for the outcast. Additionally as the outcast it used to sleeping in dangerous territory without the benefit of guards or walls, an outcast who is normally sleeping (rather than unconscious or magically slept) takes no penalties to sound-based Perception checks, and can immediately awaken and react to any threat such a check reveals. This archetype feature replaces fast movement.
Perseverance (Ex): An outcast can draw upon a great wellspring of determination to survive any hardship, without the need for support from allies or friends. Starting at 1st level, an outcast can persevere for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + her Wisdom modifier. At each level after 1st, she can persevere for 2 additional rounds. An outcast can enter perseverance as a free action. The total number of rounds of perseverance per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although these hours do not need to be consecutive. While in perseverance, an outcast gains a +4 morale bonus to his Dexterity, as well as a +2 morale bonus on Perception checks and a number of temporary hit points equal to his level. An outcast can end his perseverance as a free action. Drawing on such deep reserves of will to live is tiring, and an outcast is fatigued after perseverance for a number of rounds equal to 2 times the number of rounds spent persevering. An outcast cannot enter a new perseverance while fatigued or exhausted but can otherwise enter perseverance multiple times during a single encounter or combat. If an outcast falls unconscious, his perseverance immediately ends. The temporary hit points an outcast gains from perseverance do not automatically restore themselves when the outcast enters a new perseverance. Each time the outcast enters a new perseverance his gains temporary hit points equal to how many he had at the end of his last perseverance, or a number equal to his constitution bonus, whichever is greater. Temporary hit points gained from a source other than perseverance have no impact on this calculation. An outcast’s full pool of temporary hit points for perseverance is restored when the outcast regains his rounds of perseverance for the day. This archetype feature replaces rage, and counts as rage for prerequisites and other abilities. An outcast can use rage powers while using perseverance as if the outcast was in rage. Feats or abilities that would affect a barbarian’s rage affect the outcast’s perseverance in the same way (although increases to Strength and Constitution bonuses instead apply to the perseverance’s bonus to Dexterity, and increases to morale bonuses to will saves instead apply to the bonus to perception checks). Greater Perseverance (Ex): At 11th level, when an outcast enters perseverance, the morale bonus to his Dexterity increases to +6 and the morale bonus on Perception checks increases to +3. This archetype feature replaces the greater rage barbarian class feature. Will to Survive (Ex): While in perseverance, an outcast of 14th level or higher gains a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves. This bonus stacks with all other modifiers. This archetype feature replaces the indomitable will barbarian class feature. Tireless Perseverance (Ex): Starting at 17th level, an outcast no longer becomes fatigued at the end of his perseverance. This archetype feature replaces the tireless rage barbarian class feature. Mighty Rage (Ex): At 20th level, when an outcast enters perseverance, the morale bonus to his Dexterity increases to +8 and the morale bonus to Perception checks increases to +4. This archetype feature replaces the mighty rage barbarian class feature. Bard/Oracle/Sorcerer/Summoner Archetype: Balain A balain is a spellcaster aware of, and able to manipulate, the mystic energy that exists in all living things and natural materials. Balain attune themselves to one or more specific terrains (see attunement, below), and learn to manipulate the mystic energy native to those terrains. Though this mystic energy is not itself the stuff of spells and enchantments, can be used to fuel such powers. To differentiate between this “natural energy” and true magic, the potential mystic energy is called orgone. Balain believe orgone is the basis for all life, energy and movement, and that with practice it can be used to power and alter true magic.
Balains are more common among tribal cultures, and are often called hougans, shamans, or will-workers, and are seen as direct agents of the terrains to which they are attuned. Balain are often secretive of the things they know, sometimes suggesting theirs is a secret understanding of the “true” source of magic and its powers. There is also some historic evidence to suggest many ancient cultures had a much higher concentration of balain than exist in the modern era, though this is again often dismissed as myth or a misunderstanding of ancient, often partial texts. Only spontaneous spellcasters (bards, oracles, sorcerers and summoners) can be balain. Other spellcasters believe this is because more educated magic users know better than to believe there is a form of mystic energy that exists everywhere, but that most people cannot see or manipulate. Balain claim their innate magic abilities brings them a step closer to raw orgone, and that the focus of their magic (music in the case of bards, their mystery for oracles, their bloodline for sorcerers, or their link to an eidolon for summoners) serves as a “lens” to focus their own orgone into true magic. What sets balain apart from other spontaneous spellcasters is the ability to draw on orgone from origins other than their own source of magic. Unlike more archetypes, a character does not have to decide to be a balain when a character is first created. Each time a character gains a new spontaneous spellcaster level he may select one balain archetype feature. However, characters must be exposed to the philosophy of a balain before they may begin taking such features. With GM permission, a starting character may simply be assumed to come from a culture that supports balain. Other characters may learn what they need to know from an existing balain, or may learn it from ancient texts. Whenever a scroll is found in a treasure trove on Zar Khalar, there is a 10% chance it holds clues to the existence of balain and orgone. A DC 20 Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history), or Knowledge (religion) check allows a character studying such a scroll to gain the ability to select a single balain archetype feature when they gain their next spontaneous spellcaster class level. Balain Archetype Features Each time a spontaneous spellcaster familiar with the philosophy of the balain gains a level, he may choose to take one of the following class features. Archetype features may only be taken more than once if they specifically say so, and a character may not take more than one balain archetype feature at each level. Attunement (Ex): The core ability of the balain is the power to recognize and access the orgone of one specific kind of environment. The balain selects on terrain type from the ranger’s list of favorite terrains: Cold (ice, glaciers, snow, and tundra), Desert (sand and wastelands), Forest (coniferous and deciduous)’ Jungle, Mountain (including hills), Plains, Swamp, Underground (caves and dungeons), Urban (buildings, streets, and sewers)’ or Water (above and below the surface). Once this decision has been made it cannot be changed. When in his attuned terrain, the balain treats his caster level as one higher for all variable level-based calculations when he casts a spell (range, duration, number of targets, damage dealt, and so on), as well as for concentration checks and caster-level checks. This has no impact on the balain’s spells known or spells per day, only on the effectiveness of spells he casts within the selected terrain. A balain may select this archetype feature more than once. Each time it adds one to the number of terrains in which the balain receives this bonus. Selecting this feature more than once does not increase the caster level bonus the balain receives in his attuned terrains.
Each time a balain takes this archetype feature, he must reduce the number of spells known he receives for a spell level of 1 or higher. Once this decision has been made, it cannot be changed. For example, Wren is a 6th level sorcerer, who decides to become a balain and take the attunement archetype feature. Wren must reduce his number of spells known for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level spells by 1. Because he uses all his known 1 st and 3rd level spells regularly, Wren decided to reduce his 2nd level spells known from 2 to 1. Wren then attunes to jungle terrain, giving him +1 to caster level when in jungles. At 7th level Wren can decide to take this archetype feature again, reducing his number of 2 nd level spells known by 1 more (now from 3 to 2) to attune to a second terrain (in his case underground). In either jungle or underground terrain, Wren gains a +1 bonus to his caster level. Twist Orgone (Su): As a result of understanding the connection all creatures have to the orgone of their environment, the balain can use the orgone within some creatures to make them more vulnerable to the balain’s spells. Creature with environment entries that list a terrain the balain has selected with the attunement archetype feature suffer a -1 penalty to saving throws against spells the balain casts, and the balain gains a +1 bonus to caster level checks made to overcome such creature’s spell resistance. A balain must select the attunement archetype feature before he can select this class feature. When a balain takes this archetype feature, he must reduce the number of spells known he receives for a spell level of 1 or higher. Once this decision has been made, it cannot be changed. Weave Orgone (Su): When within a terrain the balain has attuned with (see attunement, above) he may blend his own spell energy with the orgone in the environment to restores expended higher-level spell slots with lower-level spell slots. The balain must mediate for 15 minutes, during which time he sacrifices a single spell slot one level below the slot he wishes to restore, and any other spell slot of 1st level or higher. He then regains a single spell slot of the desired level. He may never exceed his maximum spell slots for a specific level. A balain may do this once a day, plus one additional time at 5 th level and ever four levels thereafter (9th, 13th, and so on). For example, Wren is a 7th level balain sorcerer attuned to jungle and underground terrain, who has expended all his 3 rd level spell slots while within a dungeon. As the dungeon counts as underground terrain, he may take 15 minutes to expend a 2nd level spell slot, and a second spell slot of 1st or 2nd level, to regain one third level spell slot. A balain must select the attunement archetype feature before he can select this class feature. When a balain takes this archetype feature, he must reduce the number of spells known he receives for a spell level of 1 or higher. Once this decision has been made, it cannot be changed.
Cleric/Druid/Wizard Archetype: Wose Wose are spellcasters who have learned to master specific aspects of the wild forces of the world, and are often referred to as wise women, witch doctors, or will workers. Unlike traditional druids who are servants of nature as a whole, a wose is much more focused on a single aspect of the forces of the wild. Most wose see themselves as part of the aspect they control, often believing they existed as a spirit of that force in a previous life. Wose often develop in cultures with a strong connection to a single natural aspect, such as sea wose developing in societies that depend on sea travel, while earth wose are most common in areas with extensive mountains or caves. While traditional druids are often defenders of the wilds, wose are much more likely to see their aspect as a force to be controlled and used as they fit. Wose and druids often come to cross purposes as a result of this attitude, but it’s not significantly different than how most traditional wizards view arcane magic. While many wose are mindful of the need to shepherd their resources, to the wose their control of specific aspects of the world around them is a tool to be used for their own advancement and sacrificing their own comfort and safety for the good of abstract natural concepts is as foolish as not sleeping under a blanket for fear the blanket will become worn. There are five types of wose – earth, fire, sea, storm, and wood. Each follows the same general rules for wose aspect, and gains special abilities tied to their aspect. Wose Classes Clerics, druids, and wizards can all be wose, each giving up a different set of class features in return for the abilities of a single wose aspect (or in the case of druids, potentially two aspects), as detailed below. Cleric Wose: A cleric may select one wose aspect at 1 st level in place of one domain and the ability to channel energy. Druid Wose: A druid may select one of the wose aspects listed below at 1st level, replacing the druid’s normal nature’s bond and spontaneous spellcasting class features. A druid may select a wose aspect at 4 th level, in place of the druid’s wild shape ability (in which case the druid never gains any wild shape ability). A druid may select a wose aspect at both of these opportunities if he wishes, in which case he is often known as a grand wose (for example a grand wose of fire and storms). Wizard Wose: A wizard may select one wose aspect at 1st level in place of his arcane bond and arcane school. A wizard that makes this decision does not receive any school benefits, not even the universal school. Wose Aspects A wose can channel stored spell energy into spells related to his wose aspect that he hasn't prepared ahead of time. He can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast spell of the same level or lower listed as a spontaneous spell in the appropriate wose entry, below. The wose also adds all the listed spontaneous spells to his spellcasting class list, if they are not already available to his class at the listed spell level. Other wose abilities are detailed in their aspect entries, below. Earth Wose Most earth wose are calm, loyal, and contemplative. Earth wose often enjoy time spent alone in areas rich in different types of rock or noteworthy stone formations, but are also happy as part of a stable, supportive community. Earth wose enjoy spending time underground and exploring caves, grottos, and even man-made dungeons.
Earth Lord (Su): An earth wose has significant control over earth, rock, and the creatures associated with elemental earth. Earth wose add Knowledge (dungeoneering) to their list of class skills. An earth wose can cast any spell that normally requires plant material be present (such as entangle) without plants if there is earth, rock, sand, or stone present. Additionally, the earth wose may target creatures with the earth subtype with spells that normally target animals or plants. Spontaneous Spells 1st—lead blades, 2nd—create pit, 3rd—stone shape, 4th—spike stones, 5th—wall of stone, 6th—stoneskin, 7th—elemental body IV (earth only), 8th—earthquake, 9th—iron body. Fire Wose Fire wose are famous for being hot headed, short tempered, and violent, though these characterizations are not entirely fair. What fire wose are is active, wishing to be constantly in motion and moving forward, either literally or toward some major goal. Fire wose are also strong proponents of useful destruction -- embracing the idea of forests being renewed after wildfires burn away old undergrowth, or cauterization to prevent bleeding. Even so, fire wose make most traditional druids nervous. Fire Lord: A fire wose is a master of flames and burning. When a fire wose deals damage with spells with the fire descriptor, he deals additional damage equal to the spell’s level. Additionally, the fire wose may target creatures with the fire subtype with spells that normally target animals or plants. Spontaneous Spells 1st—burning hands, 2nd—resist energy, 3rd—fireball, 4th—wall of fire, 5th—fire shield, 6th—fire seeds, 7th—fire storm, 8th— sunburst, 9th— fiery body. Sea Wose Sea wose are famously chaotic and unpredictable, often changing from calm and friendly to violent rage with little warning. Sea wose tend to concern themselves only with the immediate present, doing whatever makes the most sense right now and reacting to their present circumstances with little regard for what has happened before or what may come next. While this makes them capricious and difficult to befriend, it also allows sea wose to address the reality of each day without wasting time bemoaning lost opportunities or worrying about the uncontrollable consequences of the decisions they make. Sea Lord: Sea wose may always take 10 on Swim checks, even when stress or distractions would normally prevent them from doing so, and may breath water as freely as they breath air. Additionally, the sea wose may target creatures with the aquatic or water subtypes with spells that normally target animals or plants. Spontaneous Spells 1st—obscuring mist, 2nd—water breathing, 3rd—water walk, 5th—geyser, 6th—fluid form, 7th—vortex, 8th—seamantle, 9th— tsunami (18th). Storm Wose Storm wose are the enigmatic keepers of deeply felt passions that seem to smolder and build when they are not on full display. Often slow to anger, storm wose are also slow to friendship, forgiveness, or action. However once a storm wose has decided to declare an enemy, support a cause, fight a battle or make a friend, those decisions and unwavering and the focus of every bit of the storm wose’s focus. Wind Caller (Su): Flying creatures suffer a -1 penalty to attacks made against a storm wose and to saving throws against his spells and effects. A storm wose doubles all his jump distances when making an Acrobatics check to jump, and treats all such checks as if they were running jumps. Stormfront (Su): As a move action a storm wose can summon a strong storm breeze, causing an area around him in a 30-footradius to be considered outside, under the open sky, during a storm for purposes of spell effects (such as call lighting). Spells affected by strong winds cannot enter this area unless the storm wose allows it. This area lasts for 1 minute per level and a storm wose may do this a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Wisdom bonus.
Spontaneous Spells 1st—alter winds, 2nd—wind wall, 3rd—call lightning, 4th—air walk, 5th—control winds, 6th—sirocco, 7th—control weather, 8th—whirlwind, 9th—storm of vengeance.
Wood Wose Wood wose are often mistaken for traditional druids, as they focus on nurturing and preserving wood in all its forms, including all types of plant life. Unlike traditional druids however wood wose have little special feeling toward other elements of nature, such as animals, and often see wood primarily as a resource to be used in the construction of wooden tools and structures. Wood wose are pragmatic and creative, often seeking clever ways to trick or avoid enemies rather than directly oppose them. Woodworker (Ex): A wood wose is considered to have Craft (woodworking) and Knowledge (engineer) as class skills with ranks equal to his level, but only in regards to wooden structures and devices. Glade (Su): As a standard action, a wood wose can create a patch of light vegetation in a radius equal to five feet per caster level. This area stops being difficult terrain if it initially wose, has sufficient plant life for entangle and similar spells, and counts as one of the following terrains for purposes of favored terrain abilities – forest, jungle, or plains. This area lasts for 10 minutes per level if the environment could naturally support light vegetation, or one round per level if it cannot. A wood wose may only have one glade in effect at a time – if a second glade is created, the first immediately ends. A wood wose may do this a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Wisdom bonus. Spontaneous Spells 1st—entangle, 2nd—barkskin, 3rd—minor creation (wood items only), 4th—thorn body, 5th—wall of thorns, 6th— ironwood, 7th—animate plants, 8th—control plants, 9th—shambler. Cavalier Archetype: Hobelar A hobelar is a form of “mounted infantry,” combatants who are masters of horsemanship and ride into battle, but who specialize in fighting on foot rather than in the saddle. Hobelars are common in areas where riding a horse may be a particularly bad way to fight (including on sailing ships, in dense forests or jungles, in rough mountains, and in tight underground passages) but heavy armor and equipment is still useful enough to make a mount an attractive e way to carry the additional weight. Though still generally members of the upper caste of their societies, hobelars are not held in as high regard as cavaliers. While many hobelars are annoyed by this reduction in prestige, most see it as being freed of the expectations of their peers. A hobelar learns to embrace unusual tactics more traditional cavaliers would be unlikely to consider, and has no compunctions against selling his skills as an escort, guard, or soldier (as long as his employer’s goals don’t conflict with those of the hobelar’s order). A Different Standard (Ex): Hobelars are no less skilled warriors than cavaliers, but they are more pragmatic and less dedicated to doing things one specific way. As a result of this moral flexibility a hobelar that violates the edicts of his order loses the benefits from his order’s challenge ability for only 1 hour (as opposed to the normal 24 hours). However, it also reduces the total impact of the hobelar’s force of determination, causing his challenge ability to only grant +1 damage per 2 cavalier levels (minimum +1). A hobelar’s order and challenge class features otherwise work normally.
Light Mount (Ex): A hobelar’s mount is not as hardy as a cavalier’s, as it is not expected to accompany him into battle. For purposes of calculating his mount as an animal companion, a hobelar treats his effective druid level as being equal to his cavalier level -4, to a minimum of 1st level. Thus at cavalier levels 1-5 the hobelar calculates his mount as the animal companion of a 1st level druid, and only starting at 6th level does his effective druid level increase. Additionally, a hobelar’s mount does not receive Light Armor Proficiency as a bonus feat. This ability otherwise works as the cavalier’s mount class feature. Stratagems (Ex): At 1st level, a hobelar receives a teamwork feat as a bonus feat. He must meet the prerequisites for this feat. As a move action, the hobelar can grant any teamwork feat he has to all allies within 30 feet who can see and hear him. Allies retain the use of this bonus feat for 3 rounds plus 1 round for every level the hobelar possesses. Allies do not need to meet the prerequisites of these bonus feats. The hobelar can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day at 5th level and for every 5 levels thereafter. A hobelar may also choose to receive an additional bonus teamwork feat at 4 th level, in place of the cavalier expert trainer class feature. This decision must be made immediately when the hobelar reaches 4 th level, and cannot be changed. Other than as detailed above, this ability works as the cavalier tactics class feature, and counts as that feature for prerequisites and other abilities. Advance! (Ex): At 3rd level, a hobelar learns to make more accurate and swift charge attacks when not mounted. The hobelar receives a +4 bonus on melee attack rolls on a charge when not mounted (instead of the normal +2). In addition, the hobelar ignores any reduction in his move rate from armor or encumbrance when making an unmounted charge. Any abilities the hobelar gains from his class or order that apply when he makes a mounted charge instead apply to his unmounted charges. Other than as detailed above, this ability works as the cavalier charge class feature, and counts as that feature for prerequisites and other abilities. Battle Cry (Ex): At 5th level as a swift action a hobelar can give a resounding battle cry that inspires and encourages his allies. All allies within 60 feet able to hear him gain the benefits of the banner cavalier class feature for 1 round per hobelar level. This ability replaces the banner class feature, and the hobelar is considered to have that class feature for purposes of any prerequisites. Any increase the character would normally receive to his banner ability (such as greater banner at 14th level) instead apply to the bonuses he grants with the battle cry archetype feature. Fighter Archetype: Vanguard The vanguard is trained and prepared to be in front. In a caravan he’s the lead of the wagons, in an assault he’s first into a breach, and in a dungeon it’s the vanguard that leads the way and puts himself at risk before anyone else. Vanguards are often highly sought-out as mercenaries and hired experts, and the most successful can name their price to join an expedition. But just as many vanguards have no interest in being paid for their skills, and take the risks they do only because they are dedicated to finding threats before their friends are put in danger, and keeping their allies from harm. Trained Caution (Ex): The vanguard adds Disable, Perception, and Stealth to his list of class skills, and receives 4 skill points per level. He does not receive Handle Animal, Intimidate, or Knowledge (engineering) as class skills. This ability replaces the bonus feat a fighter receives at 1st level.
Sudden Violence (Ex): A vanguard knows he will not always spot danger before it strikes, and trains himself to act quickly once a threat appears. At 2nd level an outcast gains a +1 insight bonus to AC in any surprise round (even if he does not act during that round) and to initiative checks made in a surprise round. These bonuses increase by +1 at 6th level, and every four levels thereafter (10th, 14th, 18th, and so on).This archetype feature replaces the bravery fighter class feature. New Feats The following feats are fairly common on Zar Khelar, and appropriate for characters with a history on the island. A GM may decide to allow characters from other backgrounds begin with such feats, or may choose to require characters to find a trainer on Zar Khelar before selecting such feats. [[[Layout Note; Begin Table]]] Name Prerequisites Benefit Ambush Dex 13 Use Stealth for initiative when you surprise foes. Crypt Kicker
Str 13, Power Attack
Dive For Cover Dex 13, Dodge
You are good at breaking things.
Go prone to gain benefits against ranged attacks and reflex saves.
Hold the Breech Combat Reflexes Increase your space for 1 round. Improved Stand Still
Str 13, Combat Reflexes, Stand Still
Your attacks of opportunity can immobilize foes.
Packmule
Str 13, Con 13 or dwarf Your carrying capacity is increased.
Redirect
Dex 13, Lighting Reflexes.
Secret Spotter
Alertness or elf.
Serpentine Spell Enlarge Spell Sherpa
You gain a free Perception check to spot secret doors. An area spells becomes a shapeable line.
Knowledge (dungeoneering, geography, nature) 1 rank each
Grant bonuses to a group’s movement.
[[[Layout Note; End Table]]] Ambush (Combat) You almost always move before foes if you get the drop on them. Prerequisites: Dex 13. Benefit: If you initiate combat against foes in a surprise round, and all foes are unaware of your presence and do not get to move in the surprise round, you may make a Stealth check to determine your initiative. Crypt Kicker You are skilled as breaking down doors, smashing idols, and kicking in the lids of crypts. Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack. Benefit: You double the bonus damage from Power attack when you hit inanimate objects. You also gain a +1 bonus to Strength checks made to break objects or force open doors or chest. This bonus increases by +1 for every four points of your base attack bonus. Dive For Cover (Combat) You can leap away from harmful effects.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge. Benefit: When you are hit by a ranged attack or fail a Reflex saving throw, as an immediate action you may dive for cover. You must move at least 5 feet, and may move up to half your move rate. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity if you leave a threatened space, and you end your movement prone. If you were hit by a ranged attack, you force the attack roll to be rerolled at a -4 penalty. If you failed a Reflex save you may make a new save with a +4 bonus. You only receive a partial action on the round after you dive for cover. Hold the Breech (Combat) You can control a larger area of the battlefield, making it difficult for foes to run past you. Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes. Benefit: As a move action you can change your space so you take up the area of a creature one size larger than you until the beginning of your next turn. This has no effect on your reach. For example, a Medium creature normally has a space that takes up a single 5-foot square, and can reach into the 8 adjacent spaces. If that creatures uses Hold the Breech its space becomes a 5-foot radius (four 5-foot squares), and it can reach into the 12 adjacent spaces.
Improved Stand Still (Combat) You can strike foes that try to rush past you hard enough to stop them in their tracks. Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, Stand Still. Benefit: When a creature provokes an attack of opportunity from you, if you successfully strike it with a melee attack you may also make a CMB check. If successful, the enemy cannot move for the rest of his turn. An enemy can still take the rest of his action, but cannot move. Packmule You can carry much more than your build would suggest. Prerequisites: Str 13 and Con 13, or dwarf. Benefit: When calculating your carrying capacity, treat your Strength score as if it was 4 higher. Additionally when lifting up to double your maximum load you do not lose your Dex bonus to AC, and can move at up to half your move rate. Normal: A character can lift as much as double his maximum load off the ground, but he or she can only stagger around with it. While overloaded in this way, the character loses any Dexterity bonus to AC and can move only 5 feet per round (as a fullround action). Redirect (Combat) You can draw your foes into the line of fire of attacks aimed at you. Prerequisites: Dex 13, Lighting Reflexes. Benefit: As a move action at the beginning of your turn you can choose a single adjacent foe to be the focus of a redirect. Because of the concentration needed to attempt this you suffer a -4 penalty to all attack rolls and skill checks until the beginning of your nest turn. Once before the beginning of your next turn if an attack is directed against you (any effect that involves an attack roll), and the attack could reach the focus of your redirect, you may make a Bluff of Sleight of Hand check. This decision must be made before the result of the attack roll against you is known. If your Bluff or Sleight of hand check exceeds the attack roll, the attack instead targets the focus of your redirect. Use the same attack roll result that was applied to you, and apply it to the defenses of your focus. Using this feat counts against the maximum number of attacks of opportunity you may make in a round. Secret Spotter You are particularly skilled at spotting concealed, hidden, and secret doors. Prerequisites: Alertness or elf. Benefit: Whenever you come within 10 feet of a concealed, hidden, or secret door (or similar passage such as a trap door or corridor), you receive an immediate Perception skill check to notice it. You gain a bonus to this check equal to 1/3 your character level. This check should be made in secret by the GM. Serpentine Spell (Metamagic) Your spells twist and turn as you instruct to bend around obstacles and avoid allies. Prerequisites: Enlarge Spell. Benefit: You can change a spell’s area so that it affects one 5-foot square per caster level. Each square must be adjacent to the previous square, starting with you. The spell may not extend beyond its maximum range. Only spells with a defined area that covers at least 12 5-foot squares may be cast as a serpentine spell. A serpentine spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s level. Sherpa
You are skilled at leading others through dangerous and difficult regions. Prerequisites: Knowledge (dungeoneering, geography, and nature) 1 rank each. Benefit: When you travel with a group, you can increase their effective movement rate by 5 feet for purposes of determining overland travel speed. Additionally, as a move action you may make an aid another check to grant a +2 bonus to the Climb and Swim checks of any creature able to see and hear you, as well as to their Acrobatics checks to jump. At 8th level these bonus increase to +10 feet for overland travel and +3 to skill checks for aid another, and at 16 th level to +15 feet for overland travel and +4 to skill checks for aid another.
New Spells Necessity is the mother of invention, and on Zar Khelar spellcasters can run into a great deal of necessity. Two driving forces fuel most spell research on the island – efforts to survive and profit from exploring the Infinite Dungeon, and the need to deal with the escaped convicts of Ashgarde prison. As a result there are spells in common circulation on the island (often in the form of scrolls) that are much less common elsewhere. [[[Layout Note; Begin Table]]] <3>Alchemist Spells 1st Level Spells Protection From Traps. Grant target +2 to AC and saving throws against traps. 3rd Level Spells Protection From Traps, Communal. Grant targets +2 to AC and saving throws against traps. Bard spells 2nd Level Spells Curse Like a Sailor. Cause target to spend its time swearing, potentially annoying its allies. Locate Hoard. Create a map to find the hoard a treasure came from. Cleric /Oracle Spells 1st Level Spells Protection From Traps. Grant target +2 to AC and saving throws against traps. 2nd Level Spells Eldritch Might. Your next spell cast gains +5 caster levels and +10 to spell penetration. 3rd Level Spells Locate Hoard. Create a map to find the hoard a treasure came from. Protection From Traps, Communal. Grant targets +2 to AC and saving throws against traps. Safe Room. Use an existing door to create a temporary refuge. Inquisitor Spells 1st Level Spells Find Foe. Locates creatures of the same type as your current bane target. Ranger Spells 1st Level Spells Find Foe. Locates creatures of the same type as one of your favored enemies. Sorcerer/Wizard Spells 1st Level Spells
Protection From Traps. Grant target +2 to AC and saving throws against traps. 2nd Level Spells Eldritch Might. Your next spell cast gains +5 caster levels and +10 to spell penetration. 3rd Level Spells Locate Hoard. Create a map to find the hoard a treasure came from. Protection From Traps, Communal. Grant targets +2 to AC and saving throws against traps. Safe Room. Use an existing door to create a temporary refuge. Witch Spells 2nd Level Spells Curse Like a Sailor. Cause target to spend its time swearing, potentially annoying its allies. Locate Hoard. Create a map to find the hoard a treasure came from. [[[Layout Note; End Table]]]
Spell Descriptions Curse Like a Sailor School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level bard 2, witch 2 Casting Time 1 standard action Components S Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target one creature; see text Duration 1 round/level Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes This spell causes the subject to be strongly offended, resulting in the subject shouting a string of harsh and rude invectives in its native tongue. The subject is so absorbed in loudly swearing it can take only a single move action each round. On the creature's next turn, it may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect. This is a full round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If this save is successful, the effect ends. If not, the creature continues cursing for the entire duration. A creature with an Intelligence score of 2 or lower, or one that does not speak a language, is not affected. Any creature within 30 feet of the subject that speaks the same language as the subject’s native tongue must make a Will save (at the same DC as this spell’s initial save) if they are able to hear the subject’s cursing. On a failed check the creatures are annoyed by the subject’s cursing, and for the duration of the spell if the subject provokes an attack of opportunity from these creatures they will attack it with whatever melee attack is most convenient. Eldritch Might School evocation; Level cleric/oracle 2, sorcerer/wizard 2 Casting Time 1 standard action Components V, F (staff or wand) Range personal Target you Duration see text You gain temporary additional mystic power. The next single spell you cast (if you cast it before the end of the next round) gains a +5 bonus to caster level, and a +10 insight bonus to spell penetration checks (to bypass spell resistance). Find Foe School divination; Level inquisitor 2, ranger 1 Casting Time 1 standard action Components V, S Range 60 ft. Area cone-shaped emanation Duration 1 minute/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no You can detect the aura that surrounds creatures you hold particular enmity towards. If you are a ranger, you can find creatures of one type of favored enemy. If you are an inquisitor, you can find foes of the same type as you are currently using your bane class feature against. You can study an area with this spell as a swift action. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area. 1st Round: Presence or absence of auras belong to creatures of the specified type. 2nd Round: Number of creature auras of the specified type in the area and the strength of the strongest such aura present. If the strongest aura's strength is overwhelming (see below), and the creature has HD of at least twice your character level, you are stunned for 1 round and the spell ends. 3rd Round: The strength and location of each detected aura. If an aura is outside your line of sight, then you discern its direction but not its exact location. Aura Strength: The strength of a creature’s aura is determined by the HD of the creature, as given on the table below. Lingering Aura: A creature’s aura lingers after its original source is destroyed. If find foe is cast and directed at such a location, the spell indicates an aura strength of dim (even weaker than a faint aura). How long the aura lingers at this dim level depends on its original power, as given on the table below. [[[Layout Note; Begin Table]]] HD
Strength
1 or lower
Faint
Lingering Aura Duration 1d6 rounds
2-4
Moderate
5-10
Strong 1d6 x 10 minutes
11 or higher
1d6 minutes
Overwhelming 1d6 days
[[[Layout Note; End Table]]] Each round, you can turn to find foes in a new area. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Locate Hoard School divination; Level bard 2, cleric/oracle 3, sorcerer/wizard 3, witch 2 Casting Time 1 hour Components V, S, M (masterwork vellum and rare inks worth 100 gp) Range touch Targets one item worth 100 gp or more Duration instantaneous Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no You can take an object of value that has spent time in a treasure hoard. (To qualify the item must have spent at least 75% of the past year in a single location with items totally x10 its value) and use it to create a map that reveals the location of the hoard. The map shows how to reach the hoard by the most direct and accessible route(distances and turns) using the fewest secret doors and concealed passages. (The map will show a walk of 20 miles spiraling through a maze rather than a shortcut through a hidden entrance). The map does not reveal traps, doors, guardians, or the nature of any encounters or terrain along the path. Any hoard that could not be located with find item or scrying also cannot be located with locate hoard. Protection from Traps School abjuration; Level alchemist 1, cleric/oracle 1, sorcerer/wizard 1 Casting Time 1 standard action Components V, S Range touch Target creature touched Duration 10 min./level Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance no You ward the protected creature against traps, granting a +2 bonus to armor class against attacks made by traps, and +2 to saving throws against the effect of traps. These bonuses increase by +1 for every 5 caster level, to a maximum of +5 total bonus at 15th level. Protection from Traps, Communal Level alchemist 3, cleric/oracle 3, sorcerer/wizard 3 Target creatures touched Duration 1 hour/level This spell functions like protection from traps, except you divide the duration in 1-hour intervals among the creatures touched. Safe Room School transmutation; Level cleric 3, sorcerer/wizard 3 Casting Time 1 standard action Components V, S, M (powdered corn and a twisted loop of parchment)
Range touch Target one touched door or hatch from 2 ft. to 20 ft. square Duration 1 hour/level (D) Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no When this spell is cast upon a door (which must be no smaller than 2 ft. x 2 ft., and no larger than 2o ft. x 20 ft.), it causes the door to open onto a room within an extra-dimensional space that is outside the usual multiverse of extra-dimensional spaces. Only the caster and up to one creature/level he names at casting may open the door onto the extra-dimensional room (though any creature may enter the room when the door is open). For all other creatures, the door opens into whatever normally lays beyond it. The extra-dimensional room is a square room similar to the common room of an inn or tavern. It is 10 feet to a side, +1 ft./caster level, and has a ten foot ceiling. There is a fireplace with stone chimney in the center of the room. (with smoke exiting through a one-way chute into the astral plane), four bunk beds +1 bed/2 caster levels, and long trestle tables. The room is the same temperature at the area around the door used to access it, but can be heated or cooled as a normal stone room. When the door is open, spells and creatures can pass through the doorway normally. When the door is closed creatures in the extra-dimensional space are hidden, beyond the reach of spells (including divinations), unless those spells work across planes. The space holds as many as eight creatures (of any size). Spells cannot be cast across the extra-dimensional interface, nor can area effects cross it. Anything inside the extra-dimensional room is forced outside of it (thought the door) when the spell ends.
New Magic Items As is to be expected on an island with an infinite dungeon (as well as a thriving business in adventurers, a massive monster population, and a major prison), there are magic items found on Zar Khelar that are rare or unknown anywhere else. Brass Lantern Aura minor evocation; CL 3rd Slot —; Price 3,000 gp; Weight 3 lbs. Description A brass lantern is an ornate, old-fashioned brass hooded lantern covered in pictograms of adventurers walking along a corridor. On command the lantern floats at shoulder height and remains within 5 feet the character that activates it, no matter how fast that character moves. The lantern cannot support any additional weight. The lantern illuminates its normal area (shedding normal light in a 30-foot radius and increasing the light level by one step for an additional 30 feet beyond that area), even if it does not have any oil in it. If the brass lantern does have oil in it and is lit, it also grants all characters a +4 bonus on Perception checks made to notice a trap or secret door within 30 feet of the lantern. For the purposes of spells or effects targeting it the lantern always acts as if in the possession of the character that activates it. Craft Wondrous Item, dancing lantern; Cost 1,500 gp Endless Rope Aura minor transmutation; CL 3rd Slot —; Price 1,200 gp; Weight 5 lbs. Description Endless rope appears to be a mundane 50-foot length of silk rope. However it can be played out to a total length of 200 feet, without increasing in weight. If a section of endless rope is cut off, the removed section acts as mundane rope for 24 hours, after which is dissolves. The endless rope repairs itself after being cut, growing back to its full 200-foot length after 24 hours. Craft Wondrous Item, rope trick; Cost 600 gp Instant Piton Aura minor transmutation; CL 1st Slot —; Price 50 gp; Weight — Description An instant piton appears to be a long quarrel or short arrow made entirely or iron, and can be used as a masterwork arrow or bolt. However if an instant piton is fired at a solid surface (such as a wall, ceiling, or door) it slams into the surface and becomes a full piton (as if a mundane piton had been hammered into the wall with a hammer over the course of 1 minute – see the Climb skill for the advantages of having pitons in a wall). Once used in this way the instant piton becomes a mundane iron piton. Craft Wondrous Item, magic stone; Cost 25 gp Pocket Sage Aura moderate divination; CL 9th Slot neck; Price 4,500 gp; Weight — Description
A pocket sage is a silver amulet that takes the shape of a wizened, bearded face. Twice per day when the wearer faces a creature he does not recognize, he may activate the amulet, which begins to audible discuss the creature in common. The amulet makes a Knowledge check as if it had a +15 bonus in the appropriate Knowledge check for the creature in question. It always relates any known special attacks, then special weaknesses, and then general information. The pocket sage may be used twice per day. Craft Wondrous Item, augury; Cost 2,250 gp
Portable Cell Aura strong conjuration; CL 12th Slot —; Price 30,000 gp; Weight — Description A portable cell is a square cloth spun from the hair of erinyes and fur of blink dogs interwoven with strands of cold iron wire, resulting in a portable extradimensional prison. When opened fully, a portable cell is 5 feet square, but it can be folded up to be as small as a pocket handkerchief. When spread upon any surface, it causes an extradimensional space 10 feet deep to come into being with steel bars across the opening, a locked gate, and a small key attached to the gate by a single long hair. This cell can be picked up from the outside by simply taking hold of the edges of the cloth and folding it up. This may be done only when there are no living creatures within the cell. When folded the entrance disappears, but any inanimate material inside the hole remains, traveling with the item. As an extradimensional space the interior of the cell cannot be accessed through planar travel, including teleportation and ethereal jaunt. Each time it is opened a new key is produced to open the locked gate (and the old key disappears), and each key is different (copies of an old key can’t open a portable cell once it has been closed and reopened). The gate’s lock is of superior quality (DC 40 to pick with Disable Device), and the gate itself is stronger than an iron portcullis (hardness 10, 120 hp, Str DC 28). If the lock or gate are damaged, they repair themselves after the item is folded up for at least 24 hours. Each time a portable cell is opened, the character opening it is linked to by means of an alarm spell, as if the character had cast the spell (using his HD as the caster level). When folded the cloth does not accumulate weight even if the cell has been filled with inanimate material. A magic barrier prevents a bag of holding or portable hole from entering a portable cell, but if such an item is forced into the cell (Str DC 28) or the barrier is dispelled, a rift to the Astral Plane is torn in that place. Both the bag and the cloth are sucked into the void and forever lost. If a portable cell is placed within a bag of holding or portable hole, it opens a gate to the Astral Plane. The hole, the bag, and any creatures within a 10-foot radius are to that plane. Craft Wondrous Item, alarm, plane shift, secure mansion; Cost 15,000 gp Telescoping Ram Aura minor transmutation; CL 2nd Slot —; Price 1,000 gp; Weight 20 lbs. Description A telescoping ram is a portable ram that gives you a +2 enhancement bonus on Strength checks made to break open a door (in addition to the normal +2 circumstance bonus granted by a portable ram and the ability to allow a second person to help, increasing your bonus by another +2). As a full round action the telescoping ram can be pressed down until it is a disc of ironreinforced wood one inch thick and one foot in diameter, weighing only 2 lbs. Another full-round action can pull the ram out to its full 3-foot length so it may be used. Craft Wondrous Item, bull’s strength; Cost 500 gp
Tracker Orb Aura moderate divination; CL 9th Slot —; Price 10,500 gp; Weight 1 lb. Description Tracker orbs are smoky quartz crystals roughly one inch in diameter. If a tracker orb is placed on an article of clothing or similar item that has been in close contact with a specific individual and a command word spoken, it attempts to find the owner of the item. The tracker orb can move with a 20 ft. move rate, fly up to 5 feet off the ground, and always stays within 5 feet of the creature that activates it. In general it has the same limitations and range of movement as an unseen servant , except it also acts as if it has scent (only to track the owner of an item in contact with it when the command word is spoken) and a Survival bonus of +10. A tracker orb can be activated once per day, and tracks until it comes within 5 feet of its prey or 24 hours, whichever comes first. Craft Wondrous Item, summon nature’s ally II; Cost 5,250 gp Universal Garb Aura moderate transmutation; CL 9th Slot hands; Price 500 gp; Weight 500 These finely crafted clothes can change their style, coloration, thickness, warmth, and accessories to serve in a variety of situations and environments. On command universal garb can function as a cold weather outfit, courtier’s outfit, adventurer’s outfit, hot-weather outfit, or a traveler’s outfit. Changing elements of universal garb to match a specific culture or social rank grants you a +2 circumstance bonus to Disguise checks to appear to be a member of the appropriate culture or rank. Craft Wondrous Item, minor creation; Cost 5,250 gp Warder’s Gauntlet Aura strong transmutation; CL 13th Slot hands; Price 20,000 gp; Weight — Description A warder’s gauntlet is a finely crafted steel gauntlet, normally for the right hand. It has fine scrollwork in silver and cold iron, and adamantine rivets. As a standard action the wearer may use the gauntlet to imbue any single weapon held by it with the power to damage targets as if the weapon (or its ammunition in the case of ranged weapons) was made of adamantine, cold iron, or silver. The weapon loses the benefit of any special material it is actually made of while it is so imbued, and this effect lasts for 10 rounds or until the weapon is not held in the gauntlet. The gauntlet may be used twice per day. Each warder’s gauntlet also has a series of silk cords running from the wrist to the elbow. If a small piece of material is lashed to the gauntlet using these cords, the gauntlet may be used to imbue the ability to bypass DR as if a weapon was made of the attached material. For example, if a piece of jade was attached to the gauntlet, the wearer could cause a weapon to bypass DR as if made of jade, rather than strike as adamantine, cold iron, or silver. This affect also lasts 10 rounds, after which the material lashed to the gauntlet is destroyed. Lashing a bit of material to the gauntlet takes a full round action and provokes attacks of opportunity, A warder’s gauntlet uses up the wearer’s entire hands slot. The wearer may not use another item (even another warder’s gauntlet) that also uses the hands slot. Craft Wondrous Item, greater magic weapon, minor creation; Cost 10,000 gp
<3>MURDER-BORN
CR 6
XP 2,400 CE Tiny undead (incorporeal) Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., sense living; Perception +11 Aura unnatural aura (30 ft.) DEFENSE AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 15 (+3 deflection, +2 Dex, +2 size, +0 natural) hp 51 (6d8+24) Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +7 Defensive Abilites channel resistance +2; Immune undead traits OFFENSE Speed fly 40 ft. (good) Melee incorporeal touch +9 (1d6 Cha) Special Attacks despondent wail STATISTICS Str -, Dex 15, Con -, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 16 Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 15 Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Toughness Skills Bluff +9, Fly +17, Intimidate +12, Perception +11, Sense Motive +11, Stealth +19 Languages Common, any two other languages (cannot speak) SPECIAL ABILITIES Despondent Wail (Su) As a standard action, a murder-born can unleash a child-like wail. Any living creature within 60 feet that hears the wail must make a successful DC 16 Will save or be overcome with supernatural feelings of hopelessness. A powerful curse falls upon the victim and they become so despondent that they need to make a successful DC 16 Concentration check in order to motivate themselves enough to make an attack or cast spell. The curse is permanent, though a remove curse or break enchantment (both requiring a successful caster level check against DC 18) or a limited wish, wish, or miracle can remove the effects of curse. The save DC is Charisma-based. Whether or not the save is successful, an individual cannot be affected by a murder-born's despondent wail for the next 24 hours. Sense Living (Su) A murder-born can detect living creatures to a range of 100 feet. This functions as a detect evil spell (caster level 8th) except it detects the presence of life rather than a particular alignment. There is no chance the murder-born to be stunned and it is not blocked by stone, wood, or any other material.
ECOLOGY Environment any Organization solitary or pair Treasure none Spawned of hatred when both mother and child are murdered, the rapacious soul of the unborn sometimes rises as a foul and corrupt spirit. It is bent on exacting revenge against its killers and against all living creatures it crosses. Driven mad by its unliving existence, the murder-born has blurred its senses into believing that every living creature is responsible for its current state and it never hesitates to attack any that come within range of it. A murder-born is always encountered within 500 feet of the place it was killed, and can never move further away than that. It is a solitary creature, though very rarely, when twins are involved, two of these cursed creatures may be encountered together. Neither is aware of the other's presence; they do not communicate, interact, or even see each other. They are oblivious to the other's existence. Whether this is because the creatures are so driven with rage it blinds them, or because some magical and mystical force prevents them from interacting is unknown. Murder-borns do not speak or communicate but seem to understand a variety of languages. A murder-born closes quickly when it detects living creatures in its realm. Once it and at least one opponent are within 60 feet of one another, it unleashes its despondent wail. It then moves to melee range and uses its incorporeal touch to destroy its enemies. Unless driven away or its opponents flee, a murder-born attacks relentlessly until it is destroyed.
