TEXT: ®
  ™
  By Mike Shel
  a pathfinder rpg adventure for level 14
  Tomb of the
  Iron Medusa
  Tomb of the
  Iron Medusa
  
  1 square = 5 feet
  M6
  M4
  M2
  M1
  M3
  L4
  L4a
  L4b
  L3
  L1
  L2
  M5
  LeveL Three
  LeveL Four
  
  ®
  Paizo Publishing, LLC
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  Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content 
  may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
  Tomb of the Iron Medusa is published by Paizo Publishing, LLC under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Paizo Publishing, 
  LLC, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and GameMastery are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Campaign 
  Setting, Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Player Companion, and Pathfinder Society are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC.
  Printed in China.
  Author • Mike Shel
  Cover Artist • Craig J Spearing
  Cartography • Jared Blando
  Interior Artists • Jeff Himmelman and Ryan Portillo
  Creative Director • James Jacobs
  Senior Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson
  Managing Editor • F. Wesley Schneider
  Development Lead • Mark Moreland
  Editing and Development • Judy Bauer, Christopher Carey,
  James Jacobs, Rob McCreary, and James L. Sutter
  Editorial Assistance • Jason Bulmahn, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and Sean K Reynolds
  Graphic Designer • Andrew Vallas
  Production Specialist • Crystal Frasier
  Editorial Intern • Michael Kenway
  Publisher • Erik Mona
  Paizo CEO • Lisa Stevens
  Vice President of Operations • Jeffrey Alvarez
  Director of Sales • Pierce Watters
  Finance Manager • Christopher Self
  Staff Acc0untant • Kunji Sedo
  Technical Director • Vic Wertz
  Marketing Manager • Hyrum Savage
  Special Thanks
  The Paizo Customer Service, Warehouse, and Website Teams
  Tomb of the Iron Medusa is a Pathfinder Module designed for four 14th-level characters and uses the medium XP advancement track. 
  This module is designed for play in the Pathfinder campaign setting, but can easily be adapted for use with any world. This module is 
  compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the 3.5 edition of the 
  world’s oldest fantasy roleplaying game. The OGL can be found on page 32 of this product.
  This product makes use of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 2, and Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide. These rules can be found online as part of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference 
  Document at paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd.
  Credits
  Tomb of the
  Iron Medusa
  ™
  
  T
  he notorious Taldan aristocrats of House Adella died out nearly two hundred years ago. 
  After rising to prominence during the crusade against the Whispering Tyrant, the Adellas 
  were especially famous for their contributions to the Grand Campaign against despised Qadira. 
  Known to produce scions with extraordinary talent for swordplay and sorcery, the house grew in 
  influence, wealth, and notoriety before collapsing under the weight of its own arrogance in the 
  46th century ar. The Adellas were so despised by the time of their demise that all public record 
  of the family was stricken from imperial annals, and anyone tainted by its blood was stripped of 
  aristocratic status. All that now remains of the once-great house is the long-hidden tomb where 
  the Adellas’ greatest secrets have avoided plunder for generations.
  Tomb of the
  Iron Medusa
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  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  Adventure Background
  House Adella’s great patriarch was Marcus Junius 
  Adella, a common soldier who attained the estimable 
  post of legionary high captain during the legendary 
  campaign against the Whispering Tyrant. In 3758 ar, 
  at the Battle of Istavala Vale, Marcus Junius’s courage 
  and self-sacrifice saved an entire legion, the emperor’s 
  son among them. Marcus’s posthumous reward was the 
  elevation of his family to the nation’s aristocracy. Before 
  two generations had passed, it was impossible to think of 
  Taldan nobility without including the Adellas. As the clan 
  grew, its members prospered, excelling in the arenas of 
  entertainment, nautical skill, and tactics. 
  Unfortunately, this constant striving to enhance the 
  family legacy, combined with the egotism it engendered, 
  led the Adellas down a treacherous path. They increasingly 
  turned to infernal sources for advice and aid, the leaders 
  of the three Adella clans believing themselves the betters 
  of the devils and fiends they secretly commanded in a 
  display of hubris that would be repeated some years later 
  in modern Cheliax.
  Among the most talented of these infernal minions was 
  the half-fiend medusa Suasandra, known in some circles 
  as the Iron Medusa for her work in designing several 
  relatively recent and striking additions to the infernal 
  city of Dis. Said to be one of the archdevil Geryon’s 
  countless grandchildren, Suasandra herself was a priest 
  of Asmodeus, a treachery her grandfather never forgave 
  her for yet was never brazen enough to complain of openly. 
  Suasandra’s diabolical creativity shone through the most 
  in her architectural talents, and when word of her skills 
  at creating particularly secure structures and vaults came 
  to the Adellas, they made sure to add her to their stable of 
  infernal agents. The greatest of her works for the Adellas 
  was the family necropolis. Located in the foothills of the 
  World’s Edge Mountains at a site where, it was said, the 
  Adella dead could carry on the task of protecting Taldor 
  from the Qadiran menace, the necropolis was well hidden 
  from prying eyes, and well protected from greedy grave 
  robbers. The Adellas spared no expense in protecting 
  their dead, and in time, this necropolis would prove to 
  be the only thing to prevent their name from fading into 
  the gulf of history. For even as their fame grew, so did the 
  seeds of their fall.
  Within several generations, three distinct branches 
  had emerged among the Adellas—the Sardisi, the 
  Voxus, and the Daellum clans. But as the end drew 
  near, critics commented on what appeared to be a race 
  to self-destruction between the three clans. Certainly, 
  the cancer of pride had worked its way into the Adellan 
  psyche, polluting the noble house in ways both insidious 
  and dramatic, and finally spelling the end for each of the 
  three branches in succession.
  The Sardisi clan was the first to fall. The Sardisis became 
  preoccupied with pleasure and self-indulgence. The last of 
  the clan, Drusus Adella, was known more for the fanatical 
  devotion of his five daughters than for any significant 
  accomplishments. Indeed, his lack of achievement was so 
  profound he eventually retreated in shame to a self-imposed 
  exile. By this time his daughters had been married off to 
  important aristocrats, who were acutely sensitive to public 
  humiliation. Their husbands forbade them any contact or 
  correspondence with their disgraced father. Soon after the 
  lonely and destitute Drusus committed suicide, opening 
  his veins in the bath of a seedy Absalom brothel, his five 
  daughters became infamous for murdering their husbands 
  in 4222 and then vanishing from society.
  These five scandalous murders had no clear connection 
  to the other two clans, yet they triggered a cascade of 
  increasing bad luck and ill fortune upon the family 
  nevertheless. The Voxus branch was next to fall. Known 
  for their nautical prowess, members of the Voxus clan 
  traced their lineage back to Pasco Adella, admiral of the 
  Taldan Third Fleet during the 42nd century and veteran 
  of over a hundred sea battles. Later generations would 
  exploit their family’s seafaring renown to become great 
  import/export tycoons, controlling vast fleets of merchant 
  ships plying the oceans of Golarion. But this branch of the 
  Adella family withered during a literal civil war between 
  twin brothers Vespacio and Vincenzo, who went so far as to 
  WHere On GOlAriOn?
  Tomb of the Iron Medusa takes place in the nation of 
  Taldor, a once-mighty empire in decline after centuries of 
  decadence and complacency. The Tomb of the Iron Medusa 
  itself stands hidden in the foothills of the World's Edge 
  Mountains, northeast of the Taldan city of Zimar. For more 
  information on Taldor’s geography, history, and society, be 
  sure to check out the Inner Sea World Guide and Pathfinder 
  Player Companion: Taldor, Echoes of Glory, available at your 
  local hobby or book store, or online at paizo.com.
  3
  Taldor
  •Zimar
  Oppara
  •
  •
  Tomb of the Iron Medusa
  The Lion Sleeps Inn
  
  field armies against one another. The crimes of their five 
  murderous cousins may or may not have directly led to the 
  fratricidal feud that dealt utter ruin to the Voxus branch in 
  a single generation.
  The last surviving branch, the Daellum clan, at first 
  seemed likely to weather the ignominious end of their 
  cousins. The cunning and ruthless Bartolomae Adella, 
  who led the Daellums, was an exemplary and highly 
  successful commander in the Taldan military, and for 
  some months it seemed that what had come to be known 
  as the Adella curse had passed this final clan by. Yet 
  Bartolomae went on to suffer a crushing military defeat 
  on the fractious Qadiran frontier. Humiliated 
  to the point of blasphemy (although some 
  held that Bartolomae’s blasphemies were 
  nothing new), he fell on his powerful sword 
  Infensus Mucro in contrition, yet even this 
  act was hardly salve enough to atone for 
  the family’s military failure. Indeed, so 
  appalled was Grand Prince Beldam II by 
  the family’s impressive descent into murder, 
  hubris, and blasphemy that he proclaimed 
  the entire family damnatio—their memory 
  was to be wiped from every public record 
  and monument, and all members stripped 
  forever of noble status.
  In the end, only two Adellas survived 
  the shame and fall of the three 
  clans—Bartolomae’s younger brother 
  Cadimus and his beautiful sister 
  Lucretia, the secret mistress to a powerful 
  nobleman named Micheaux. Times were 
  hard upon the last Adellas, and while they 
  tried mightily to atone for their kin’s crimes, fate was not 
  done with the family.
  It was in Lucretia’s illicit affair with Micheaux that the 
  siblings saw a final chance at salvation, for just as the Adella 
  star was crashing and burning, Micheaux’s was on the rise.
  Rumors at court held that he was about to be named the 
  new Crown Prince, as the current ruler of Taldor, Beldam 
  II, was both childless and deathly ill. When Lucretia 
  became pregnant, the siblings confronted Micheaux and 
  threatened to go public with the affair unless he took in 
  the son as his own.
  Micheaux initially agreed to the bargain, but then 
  Lucretia died giving birth to her son at the Lion Sleeps Inn 
  in southern Taldor not 1 week before Micheaux gained the 
  Taldan crown. The nobleman took the child, Stavian I, and 
  informed Cadimus that if he was still in Taldor by dawn, he 
  would be executed as a traitor, the last treacherous scion of 
  a disgraced family. With no options remaining, Cadimus 
  loaded his sister in a coffin, and with his one remaining 
  servant, fled south.
  Even then, fickle fate had not finished with the family, 
  for as they fled east, Cadimus realized that they were being 
  pursued by assassins sent by Micheaux. In desperation, 
  Cadimus called out to Asmodeus for aid—an ill-advised 
  cry for help that resulted in the instantaneous transport of 
  the entire carriage and all its passengers, living and dead, 
  to the family necropolis.
  The last Adellas vanished into the hidden necropolis, 
  and in the decades to follow, their name would be all but 
  forgotten, save for vague memories of their disgrace. 
  Adventure Summary
  After meeting with a spurious merchant, the 
  PCs head to the secret necropolis of House 
  Adella in search of the Tomb of the Iron 
  Medusa, said to lie somewhere within, in 
  search of ancient secrets said to have been 
  buried with the last of that disgraced 
  family. Inside the necropolis, a number 
  of undead and extraplanar guardians, 
  curses, traps, and puzzles guard the 
  lost family’s immense wealth and most 
  highly guarded secrets. By prevailing 
  with both might and wit, the PCs may 
  discover not only the powerful heirloom 
  sword Infensus Mucro, but also the secret 
  truth of the family’s ignoble demise. 
  They might even uncover a scandal 
  that could rock the very foundation 
  of Taldan government.
  Introduction
  This adventure starts as the PCs’ reputation 
  in the Inner Sea catches the attention of a Taldan merchant 
  named Hanoris Dellum (CN male human expert 4/rogue 
  6); he contacts them with a proposition he promises will 
  make them incredibly wealthy and even more famous. 
  Dellum proposes to meet the party at a remote roadside inn 
  northeast of Zimar, called the Lion Sleeps Inn, insisting 
  on absolute discretion. The Lion Sleeps Inn is detailed 
  more thoroughly on pages 30–31.
  Once the PCs arrive, Hanoris meets with them in a private 
  meeting room (area N6 of the inn). He explains to the PCs 
  that he’s recently discovered that he might well be the last 
  living scion of a disgraced Taldan family—the Adellas. 
  His relation to the Adellas is minor, but when curiosity 
  about the disgrace the family suffered years ago drove him 
  to research his ancestry, he found that there really wasn’t 
  much to learn—the Adellas had been pronounced damnatio 
  by the government, after all, and as such, all public and even 
  most private records of the family had been destroyed.
  But Hanoris did find something—mention of the 
  family’s secure and remote boneyard. So secret and well 
  4
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  Hanoris Dellum
  
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  defended was this necropolis that it escaped the damnatio 
  purge. Known today as the Tomb of the Iron Medusa (so 
  named for its legendary architect, said to be a unique and 
  talented medusa who served the Adellas), the necropolis 
  has faded into relative obscurity.
  Hanoris gets to the point: he tells the PCs he suspects 
  that the Adellas were framed, that they were the victims 
  of a conspiracy by powerful enemies to ruin their 
  reputation. Yet proof of these suspicions has likely been 
  lost, due to the damnatio—with the possible exception 
  of whatever information might still lie in the old family 
  burial grounds. Hanoris asks the PCs to travel to this 
  necropolis and explore it—to seek out the secrets hidden 
  within the Tomb of the Iron Medusa, and to find proof 
  that the rumors about the Adellas’ evil and disgrace were 
  lies. In particular, he feels that the once-famous family 
  sword, Infensus Mucro (said to have been an intelligent 
  weapon), could be key in exonerating the family’s name. 
  Hanoris goes on to point out that the vast treasures no 
  doubt contained within the Tomb of the Iron Medusa 
  could make brave adventurers rich, and that aside from 
  the family sword and any proof the PCs can find of 
  falsehoods brought against the Adellas, he has no interest 
  in those treasures—the PCs can keep whatever else they 
  find in the ancient necropolis.
  When the PCs agree to the task, Hanoris retrieves a 
  white marble funerary baton from a pouch and places it 
  on the table. He explains that this baton, the only physical 
  object connected to the Adellas he managed to discover 
  in his research, is a key of some sort to entering the 
  necropolis. In fact, this very inn was once owned by the 
  Adellas, and it was in a hidden panel behind a plaque on a 
  wall here that he found the baton. Hanoris then twists the 
  top of the baton, causing the tip to pop open and reveal 
  a hollow inside containing a rolled parchment—the 
  contents of this parchment are reprinted in the Handout 
  above. He believes that in the Adellas’ last days, one of 
  their members wrote the lines on the parchment as a 
  sort of guide or map, in the hope that they could guide 
  future descendents through the wards and defenses of 
  the tomb so that proof of the falsehoods could be found. 
  He hasn’t been able to find more information about the 
  parchment, but he suspected that the “Slumbering Cat” 
  mentioned in the first line refers to the Lion Sleeps Inn. 
  Working from this assumption, Hanoris spent several 
  weeks exploring the lands northeast of the inn, and after 
  some time confirmed his hunch, finding the necropolis 
  in the foothills of the World’s Edge Mountains. He has 
  not had the courage to explore the necropolis itself, but he 
  suspects that both the poem and the baton itself are the 
  keys to entering the ruins.
  Hanoris says that he’ll be staying here at the Lion 
  Sleeps Inn, awaiting the PCs’ return from the Tomb of 
  the Iron Medusa, then wishes them luck on their coming 
  adventures. If the PCs have questions for him regarding 
  the Adellas, consult About the Adellas, below.
  Of course, as the PCs will soon learn, the situation is 
  more complex than they have been told. House Adella 
  was every bit as venal and corrupt as legend avers, but in 
  addition to the dangers these isolated sepulchers hold, 
  they also hide a scandalous secret that could rock the 
  pathologically prestige-conscious throne of Taldor: Grand 
  Prince Stavian I, scourge of the Dawnflower Cult and 
  ancestor of the present Taldan emperor, was born a bastard, 
  his mother not the wife of Grand Prince Micheaux as history 
  maintains, but the disgraced Lucretia Adella. Should proof 
  of this be made public, the impact on Stavian III’s prestige 
  is incalculable. See Concluding the Adventure for advice. 
  About the Adellas
  If the PCs wish to learn more about the Adellas, they can 
  make a Knowledge (history or nobility) check to determine 
  what they know about the disgraced family. Alternatively, 
  if they press Hanoris for more information, he can relate 
  all of the information below as well.
  DC 10: The Adellas were an old Taldan noble family who 
  disgraced themselves and were stripped of their title many 
  years ago.
  DC 20: The Adella house symbol was the medusa, said 
  to have been derived from the family’s patriarch, Marcus 
  Junius, who according to stories was so feared by his 
  military subordinates that a mere glance from him would 
  turn an unruly recruit to stone. The three branches of the 
  clan each developed their own variation of this emblem: 
  the howling medusa (Sardisi), the mocking medusa (Voxus), 
  and the cross-eyed medusa (Daellum).
  THe PArCHMenT
  Set thee off from Slumbering Cat
  Seeking where the Dead are at
  Journey north and east apace
  To find Medusa’s iron embrace,
  Follow now the Spider Star
  Behind the Wall that hides its Face
  To our Sad, Abandoned Place
  If visit ye the Long Deceased
  Find the Will to Feed the Beast
  Then Begin where all Men End
  Light go out and Breath Suspend
  Egress through the Stony Door
  After turning Face to Floor
  Each Adellan Branch has Room
  In its Silent, Musty Tomb
  For at least one Careless Soul
  Wouldst thou fill that Empty Hole?
  5
  Handout
  
  DC 30: This allows the PCs to learn basic details of the 
  shame and disgrace of the Adellas, as summarized in the 
  Adventure Background—the Sardisi sisters’ murder of 
  their husbands, the brothers’ war between the Voxuses, 
  and the Daellums’ blasphemy against Aroden and the 
  failure against the Qadirans that followed.
  Two extra Wrinkles
  The following two elements add complexity to the 
  adventure—you can ignore them if you feel that they 
  overcomplicate things, but if you do decide to use them, 
  they can greatly enhance your players’ enjoyment of Tomb 
  of the Iron Medusa.
  A Qadiran Spy: Hanoris Dellum is far more than 
  a prominent merchant of Zimar. In truth, he is a 
  surreptitious Qadiran agent with no familial connection 
  to House Adella—he is coordinating this endeavor upon 
  the orders of his masters in Katheer in order to embarrass 
  the Taldan crown. After much research, he has come to 
  suspect that the mystery-shrouded Adellan crypts may hold 
  information that would prove useful in the ongoing cold 
  war against Taldor, and hopes to recover this information 
  for his own purposes. Keen to revive a smuggling operation 
  on the border, Dellum hopes that his involvement in this 
  dangerous information-gathering expedition may lead to 
  strengthened ties with Qadira and enormous profit.
  If you use this element, you should keep in mind that 
  the PCs might discover the truth about Hanoris early. 
  In this case, you’ll need to improvise a little. Perhaps 
  Hanoris escapes the PCs and decides to make his own way 
  to the necropolis, in which case the PCs could encounter 
  him again at a later point. Or even if the PCs find out 
  the truth and defeat him or have him arrested, the lure 
  of the Tomb’s riches and secrets remain—Taldan agents 
  might even contact the PCs with a request to explore the 
  necropolis just to make sure that nothing within its walls 
  could damage Taldor, should that information fall into 
  enemy hands.
  In any event, if you use this plot wrinkle, you’ll probably 
  need statistics for Hanoris Dellum. You can build his stats 
  to fit your campaign’s needs, or you can simply use the stats 
  for the Merchant Prince found on page 285 of the Pathfinder 
  RPG GameMastery Guide. 
  The Missing Daughters: With this wrinkle, have the 
  PCs encounter a trio of shepherds at the Lion Sleeps Inn 
  after their meeting with Hanoris. Two of these are Besco 
  and Fernus, and they regale the PCs with tall tales of their 
  exploits, doing their best to pull the party’s collective leg. 
  However, the third shepherd, Lucius Manvale, is distant 
  and morose. He quickly grows tired of Besco and Fernus 
  and interrupts their absurd banter. He gruffly reports 
  that his daughters Cinda and Genelle disappeared 2 
  months ago, like others have in these parts from time to 
  time. Muttering about something foul in the countryside, 
  Lucius’s gloomy talk takes the wind out of the shepherds’ 
  sails, and they withdraw from the interactions. Lucius 
  himself has little else to offer, other than the fact that his 
  daughters were good girls and would never run off with 
  travelers as some have suggested, casting an angry eye at 
  the innkeeper as he mentions this.
  The Adella Necropolis
  The old Adella Necropolis, known to scholars of obscure 
  history as the Tomb of the Iron Medusa (even though the 
  actual tomb exists under the necropolis itself), is located 
  roughly 35 miles to the northeast of the Lion Sleeps Inn. 
  THe AdellA Curse
  The instances where this curse is a danger are called out in 
  the adventure text as they occur.
  Adella Curse
  Type curse; Save Will DC 16
  Effect The Adella curse has variable effects—when it is 
  triggered occur, roll 1d20 on the table below. All effects 
  are permanent until removed via effects like remove 
  curse, but multiple effects do not stack—if a creature 
  rolls a duplicate effect, simply reroll.
  Roll (d20) 
  Curse Effect
  1 
  –2 penalty on Fort saves
  2 
  –2 penalty on Ref saves
  3 
  –2 penalty on Will saves
  4 
  –4 penalty on Fort saves
  5 
  –4 penalty on Ref saves
  6 
  –4 penalty on Will saves
  7 
  –6 penalty on Fort saves
  8 
  –6 penalty on Ref saves
  9 
  –6 penalty on Will saves
  10 
  –2 penalty on all skill/ability checks
  11 
  –4 penalty on all skill/ability checks
  12 
  –6 penalty on all skill/ability checks
  13 
  –4 Strength penalty
  14 
  –4 Dexterity penalty
  15 
  –4 Constitution penalty
  16 
  –4 Intelligence penalty
  17 
  –4 Wisdom penalty
  18 
  –4 Charisma penalty
  19 
  Madness: The curse imparts a random 
  insanity (see pages 250–251 of the 
  GameMastery Guide).
  20 
  Petrification: The victim turns to stone. A 
  victim restored to flesh remains cursed, 
  and must make a new saving throw every 
  24 hours to avoid becoming petrified 
  again until the curse is lifted.
  6
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  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
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  Powerful magic went into the site’s construction, both to 
  protect it from grave robbers and to hide it from the Adella’s 
  enemies—at the time, the war against the Whispering 
  Tyrant had many Taldan families investing fortunes in the 
  protection of their dead.
  The necropolis itself sits in a hidden dale in the 
  foothills of the World’s Edge Mountains, surrounded 
  by a 15-foot-high wall made of tightly fitted gray stone 
  blocks. Wider sections resembling castle 
  watchtowers are spaced along the wall. 
  Spaced equally around the wall 
  between these towers are 10-foot-
  diameter iron discs decorated 
  with the leering medusa face of 
  the Adella family crest. Sturdy 
  vines make for easy climbing 
  (DC 5 Climb check), but no 
  matter where the wall is 
  scaled, the interior appears 
  to be in ruins. Exploration of 
  the necropolis is possible, 
  but none of the buildings 
  shown on the map contain 
  any encounters, and there is 
  no entrance to their interiors 
  or the chambers below—for these 
  rooms do not actually exist.
  The actual necropolis and tomb exist 
  slightly out of time and space with the surrounding 
  area. As a result, the entire complex radiates strong 
  transmutation magic. Creatures and locations within 
  the necropolis are automatically warded from scrying 
  and magical observation effects as if via a screen (CL 20th) 
  effect that shows the target of the divination to be dead 
  or in ruins, sprawled amid the graves and trees of the 
  necropolis’s real-world analogue.
  The key to entering the necropolis lies in the iron 
  medusa decorations that appear on its outer walls—see 
  area A.
  necropolis standard Features
  Unless noted otherwise in the text, the following standard 
  features are true throughout the necropolis and the Tomb 
  of the Iron Medusa.
  Adella Curse: Most of the actual bodies, as well as several 
  other aspects of the necropolis (as indicated in the text) are 
  warded by a powerful curse—see the sidebar on page 6 for 
  details of this curse.
  Stone Doors: All doors in the necropolis consist of 
  large rectangular stones that bear no obvious method of 
  opening. Each side of the doors bears a carved medusa head 
  of varying design. If an open palm is placed against such 
  a carving, the stone block descends into the ground over 
  the course of a full round, after which passage through the 
  portal is possible. These doors remain open for 5 minutes, 
  after which the door slides shut in a single round. A 
  character who attempts to leap through a closing doorway 
  must make a DC 15 Reflex save to do so successfully as part of 
  a move action. A creature or object crushed by a door takes 
  10d6 points of bludgeoning damage—if this damage fails 
  to kill or destroy the blockage, the door is propped 
  open an appropriate amount. These 
  doors have hardness 8, 300 hp, and can 
  be broken down or forced open with a 
  DC 40 Strength check.
  Graves: Not all of the dead are 
  buried in vaults or urns—many 
  of the lesser servants or allies of 
  the Adellas were instead buried 
  in the hundreds of graves that 
  lie between the mausoleum 
  buildings themselves. Most 
  of these graves are marked 
  by crumbling limestone or 
  rotting wood—little can be 
  gleaned from them.
  The Dead: The bodies of the 
  Adellas and their servants fill the 
  hundreds of stone sarcophagi or 
  funeral urns found in the necropolis. 
  Unless otherwise indicated, tampering with any 
  of these bodies exposes the would-be grave-robber to 
  the Adella curse. Sarcophagus lids are mortared in place, 
  and must be chiseled open (this takes 2d6 rounds of work 
  with the proper tools). The sarcophagi contain skeletal 
  remains, with a 20% chance of 4d20 gp worth of jewelry or 
  other treasure. Funeral urns contain ashes and pulverized 
  bones, but do not contain any objects of value.
  Illumination: Inside the actual necropolis (not simply 
  the ruined echo of the site that exists in the real world), it is 
  eternally night; a full moon in a cloudless, star-flooded sky 
  provides the only illumination. Time still flows normally 
  inside the necropolis—the sun simply never rises over this 
  haunted realm.
  Exiting the Necropolis: While entry into the necropolis 
  is difficult, requiring interaction with one of the medusa 
  carvings at area A, exiting is a simple matter of either 
  climbing over the walls or otherwise physically leaving 
  the compound. Doing so during the day results in a 
  momentarily disorienting shift from nighttime to day, but 
  otherwise has no ill effects. Teleportation effects function 
  normally within the necropolis (unless otherwise stated 
  in certain encounter areas), but attempts to teleport into 
  the necropolis or the tomb from outside automatically 
  fail, placing the traveler in the real-world version of the 
  location (either among the ruins above or in solid rock 
  7
  
  When the PCs escape their sarcophagi, they can look 
  around the chamber they find themselves in.
  This octagonal chamber is made of fine, polished white 
  marble. The domed ceiling peaks twenty-five feet overhead, 
  decorated with frescoes of people in billowing robes, hands 
  joined, looking down with pity on those below. Braziers 
  along the base of the dome filled with flickering flames faintly 
  illuminate the chamber. Twelve carved stone sarcophagi lie 
  beneath the dome, surrounding a large carving on the floor of 
  a leering medusa’s face.
  If any trapped PCs are unable to free themselves or be 
  freed by peers within 10 minutes, consult the guidelines for 
  suffocation on page 445 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. 
  Freed PCs can hear trapped peers through the thick stone, 
  and the lid of each occupied sarcophagus is carved with the 
  enclosed PC’s name, year of birth, and the current year (as in 
  the year of “death”). At the foot of each occupied sarcophagus 
  is a 9-inch-long funerary baton, similar to that provided by 
  Hanoris, but made of polished brown stone.
  The recessed floor in the center of the mausoleum 
  is an earth-tone mosaic of complex geometric designs 
  reminiscent of Qadiran artwork, with a scowling medusa’s 
  head in relief at the hub, 15 feet wide and made of iron, a 
  larger version of the vertical head at the entry wall. On the 
  edges of the iron disc, at each of the four compass points, 
  is a circular hole. Funerary batons may be inserted in 
  these holes, fitting snuggly and clicking in place. Using 
  three or more batons as handholds, PCs must succeed on 
  simultaneous DC 12 Strength checks in order to rotate 
  the iron medusa 45 degrees clockwise. Doing so elicits a 
  loud bang from the hallway—this action releases the stone 
  block at the northern end of the hallway. Turning the 
  medusa crest back to its original position closes the crypt 
  entrance. If not using this method, the PCs must use force 
  or magic to exit the building.
  C. Crashed Hearse (CR 15)
  Several tombstones on the western side of the path here have 
  been crushed and shattered in a wide swath. The back of an 
  ancient carriage is visible through the overgrown weeds and 
  shrubs at the far end of the array of destruction.
  Even a cursory examination of this crashed carriage 
  makes it obvious that this open carriage hearse was once 
  a very fine conveyance. However, time and the elements 
  have taken their toll, and the once-rich wood is soft with 
  decay. A crumbling coffin lies in the bed of the carriage, 
  with the rotted leather straps that once held it fast lying 
  beside it. The driver’s bench has two arrows embedded 
  in its seatback.
  below, resulting in 1d10 points of damage and being 
  shunted upward to the surface). Teleportation out of the 
  necropolis functions as normal. A creature or effect already 
  inside the necropolis that serves to call, conjure, teleport, 
  or otherwise transport something to that location does 
  so normally as well, as long as the source of the magic is 
  inside of the necropolis itself.
  A. iron Medusa Head
  A masterfully wrought iron relief of a medusa’s head, ten feet 
  in diameter, decorates the stone wall between the two nearest 
  towers. A circular hole about an inch and a half in diameter 
  sits at the back of the sculpture’s open mouth.
  An examination of the hole in the medusa’s mouth 
  reveals that it seems to match the tip of the funerary 
  baton given to the PCs by Hanoris. The iron carving 
  radiates strong transmutation magic. If the PCs insert 
  the funerary baton into the hole, a loud metallic “click” 
  sounds and the metal covering the medusa’s eyes slides 
  back, exposing eyes made of polished white marble, with 
  painted black pupils glaring menacingly. By rotating 
  the funerary baton, the PCs turn the eyes in their metal 
  sockets. When the eyes are crossed (mimicking the 
  emblem of the Daellum branch), the medusa’s jaws gape 
  open and a cold blue light shines forth. The creature that 
  turned the baton and all other creatures within a 5-foot 
  spread are lifted off their feet and sucked into the yawning 
  mouth, shrinking and spiraling down to nothingness as 
  the iron face seems to swallow the targets whole. Despite 
  the dramatic appearance, this is a teleportation effect 
  that can be resisted with a DC 25 Will save. Those who 
  fail (or choose to make no save) are teleported into area B 
  of the actual necropolis.
  Without a funerary baton, a character can activate one of 
  these medusa heads with a DC 25 Use Magic Device check 
  made as a full-round action.
  B. Welcome Mausoleum
  When a creature is teleported to this room from area 
  A, it appears inside of one of the 12 sarcophagi arrayed 
  around this room. As long as a creature remains within 
  a sarcophagus, it seems to fit within the sarcophagus's 
  dimensions perfectly, regardless of the creature’s actual 
  size. There is no natural illumination inside the 
  sarcophagus, so if the creature wasn’t carrying a light 
  source when it teleported, it arrives in darkness. Opening 
  a sarcophagus requires a DC 15 Strength check, whether 
  lifting from outside or pushing the lid open from within. 
  As the creature within emerges into area B, it resumes its 
  normal size automatically if it was altered to fit within the 
  sarcophagus during teleportation.
  8
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  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  It was in this carriage that Cadimus Adella fled with 
  his sister’s still-warm corpse after the birth of Stavian I, 
  and from this carriage that his panicked plea to Asmodeus 
  sealed his fate. The site is infused with spiritual energies 
  as a result, and as soon as anyone approaches the hearse, 
  a sudden and eerie vision overwhelms all of the PCs in 
  the immediate area. When this vision occurs, read or 
  paraphrase the following to the PCs—they experience the 
  vision as if they were, in fact, Cadimus Adella, living out 
  his final few moments of life many years ago.
  The carriage hearse barrels along a hard dirt road, drawn by 
  four frothing, maddened horses driven forward by your frantic 
  whipping. A quick glance over your shoulder tells you that your 
  mounted pursuers are gaining ground in the hazy moonlight.
  “Aroden save us!” shouts a beardless old man sitting beside 
  you as he desperately clings to the wooden seat.
  “We no longer serve fools, Parsimus,” you growl with irritation. 
  “Best get that through your thick skull.”
  You glance behind again, this time to the bed of the hearse, 
  where the fine silver coffin lurches dangerously, despite the five 
  straps of stout leather securing it in place.
  “Forgive me, sister,” you think. “It was I who was the true fool.”
  You hear a dull thud as an arrow strikes the seatback. Another 
  arrow sinks into Parsimus’s shoulder, knocking him from his seat 
  to the hard ground below with a cry of pain. As a third projectile 
  thuds into the carriage, you cry out to the starlit sky.
  “Asmodeus! Have you abandoned me?”
  With the cry still in your throat, a strange shimmer 
  surrounds the hearse and the scene about you flickers 
  and fades. The dirt road is suddenly replaced by a paved 
  walkway, and the surrounding woodland by a graveyard. 
  Startled by the sudden change, the horses shriek and careen to 
  the left. As the carriage leaves the road, the shimmering bubble 
  of energy that encompasses it crushes the tombstones in its 
  path. Suddenly, the horses seem to smash into an invisible wall, 
  and their cries of terror abruptly cease. You are propelled from 
  your seat, hurtled through the air as you and the carriage crash 
  to the ground. You feel bones break, and as your neck snaps 
  with a nauseating crunch, you hear a sinister voice behind your 
  ear, whispering with an intimacy that terrifies.
  “No, my puppet. I never forget a bargain.”
  The vision itself seems to take at least a minute to play 
  out, when in fact only a few seconds pass.
  Northwest of the hearse, scattered along with rotted 
  harnesses and tack, are the shattered bones of four long-
  dead horses. Opening the coffin reveals an empty, richly 
  pillowed interior smelling vaguely of roses and decay; 
  the cushions bear the impression of a slight, frail 
  body. This box once housed Lucretia Adella’s body, 
  but as a final result of her brother’s desperate plea, 
  she exists as an undead monster (see area K5).
  Creature: Lying face down on the hillside near the tree 
  is the strangely mummified body of Cadimus Adella, 
  dressed in a carriage driver’s livery. His right index finger 
  bears a gold ring etched with the cross-eyed medusa 
  emblem. Clutched in the corpse’s left hand is a horsewhip. 
  When Asmodeus intervened to whisk him and his sister’s 
  body away to safety in the necropolis, Cadimus perished. 
  He now exists as a ghost. If the PCs remove any of the 
  items from his corpse or damage his remains in any way, 
  Cadimus appears and confronts them. He also rises from 
  his remains to seek out the PCs for a confrontation if they 
  attack or otherwise interact with his sister in area K5.
  Wherever he’s encountered, Cadimus doesn’t attack 
  immediately. Instead, he asks the party what business they 
  have here, giving them the opportunity to part with any 
  9
  Cadimus Adella
  
  stolen treasure (any items taken from areas other than H 
  or J are not his concern) and leave in peace. If they refuse, 
  he informs the party that they must part with their lives 
  instead. If they do acquiesce to his demand, he inquires 
  about his sister, Lucretia, describing her if necessary. If 
  Cadimus discerns that the party has harmed her in any 
  way, he attacks ferociously. Should the PCs come upon 
  the undead Cadimus with Lucretia accompanying them, 
  Cadimus believes they have taken advantage of his sister 
  and attacks them immediately.
  Cadimus Daellum Adella 
  CR 15
  XP 51,200
  Male human ghost aristocrat 8/fighter 6 (Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 144)
  NE Medium undead (augmented humanoid, incorporeal)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +18
  DEfEnSE
  AC 24, touch 20, flat-footed 21 (+2 armor, +7 deflection, +2 Dex, 
  +1 dodge, +2 shield)
  hp 192 (6d10+8d8+120)
  fort +18, Ref +8, Will +13; +2 vs. fear
  Defensive Abilities bravery +2, channel resistance +4, fade, 
  incorporeal, rejuvenation; Immune undead traits
  OffEnSE
  Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)
  Melee corrupting touch +12 (14d6, Fort DC 22 half)
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (5 ft. if whip isn’t available)
  Special Attacks corrupting gaze (DC 22), hellfire burst (DC 24), 
  teleporting touch (DC 22), weapon training (light blades +1)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Cadimus begins combat by unleashing a 
  hellfire burst, then follows with corrupting touch attacks. As 
  long as his body hasn’t been looted of his whip, Cadimus can 
  make his corrupting touch attacks via this whip to a reach of 
  15 feet—this attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity 
  as a normal whip does. He pursues foes throughout the 
  necropolis, but cannot do so beyond its walls.
  Morale Cadimus fights until destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str —, Dex 14, Con —, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 24
  Base Atk +12; CMB +14; CMD 32
  feats Ability Focus (hellfire burst), Agile Maneuvers, Combat 
  Reflexes, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron 
  Will, Lunge, Skill Focus (Bluff), Toughness, Vital Strike, 
  Weapon Finesse
  Skills Bluff +21, Diplomacy +18, Fly +10, Intimidate +24, 
  Knowledge (history) +11, Knowledge (nobility) +12, 
  Perception +26, Ride +10, Sense Motive +12, Stealth +10
  Languages Common, Infernal, Kelish
  SQ armor training 1
  Gear whip, ghost touch bracers of armor +2, cloak of resistance +2, 
  ring of force shield
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  fade (Su) Cadimus irregularly fades in and out of existence—
  attacks against him take a 50% miss chance as a result, as if 
  he were under the effects of displacement.
  Hellfire Burst (Su) Cadimus may release a wave of brimstone-
  reeking hellfire in a 30-foot-radius burst five times per day 
  dealing 14d6 points of damage, half of which is fire and half 
  of which is raw unholy power (Reflex DC 24 half).
  Teleporting Touch (Su) Once every 1d4 rounds, as part of his 
  corrupting touch attack, Cadimus may teleport a creature 
  in a random direction (roll 1d8, with 1 indicating north and 
  the other numbers indicating compass directions going 
  clockwise) and to a random distance (1d10 × 100 feet). A 
  teleported creature arrives in the closest open space to the 
  determined destination. Creatures may not be teleported 
  in this way beyond the necropolis walls. A successful DC 22 
  Will save negates this effect.
  Treasure: Cadimus had little time to gather up his 
  possessions before fleeing his pursuers. In addition to the 
  items listed in his stats (which may be found on his corpse), 
  PCs may also locate a decomposing leather purse beneath his 
  body that contains 28 gp and two tourmalines worth 50 gp 
  each. Cadimus’s cross-eyed medusa ring is worth 125 gp.
  d1. Crematorium entry
  This dull gray granite building looms in the center of the 
  necropolis. Its entrance has a domed ceiling that rises to a height 
  of twenty feet, and is decorated with intricate geometric designs. 
  In the center of the chamber’s floor, a carved medusa crest stares 
  endlessly upward. To the north, a pair of stained-glass windows 
  depicting a handsome man and a beautiful woman look on.
  A motto engraved around the circumference of the 
  medusa engraving on the floor reads, “A Blade Answers 
  Even the Most Vexing Question.” The antechamber to the 
  north is empty—the stained-glass windows depict Aroden 
  and Arazni as they appeared while they were human.
  d2. Crematorium (Cr 15)
  The walls of this domed and oval-shaped formal chamber are 
  covered in complex geometric patterns of green and gold. It 
  appears to be used for funerary rites, with marble tables to the 
  north and south and two elaborate wheeled wooden biers at the 
  center. To the east, the wall is made up of a huge iron oven with a 
  closed door three feet square and two feet off the floor, with a shelf 
  sticking out beneath it like the tongue of a huge, taunting beast.
  This room was used to cremate the bodies of servants 
  and others destined for interment in urns within the walls 
  of a crypt. 
  10
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  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  Creatures: The Adellas imprisoned several elemental 
  creatures within the crematorium oven, partially out of 
  a desire for a perpetually burning flame, but in the case 
  of one of the imprisoned creatures, out of spite. After the 
  passage of so many years, the wards that once contained 
  these elemental creatures have weakened to the extent that 
  as soon as the beings imprisoned within notice movement 
  in area D2 (they can see through the slats of the oven’s door, 
  and can hear clearly), they smash against the door, roused 
  to anger by the arrival of the first visitors in ages. To the 
  elementals’ surprise, the door immediately gives way.
  Three of the creatures that have been imprisoned in here 
  are elder fire elementals, but the fourth is a noble efreeti 
  named Bebulec, who angered the Adellas long ago. Tired 
  of their centuries of imprisonment, the elementals fight 
  to the death unless they are permitted to freely exit the 
  claustrophobic structure, in which case they flee to freedom 
  instead of risking their lives needlessly. Bebulec, on the other 
  hand, has been driven mad by his long imprisonment—the 
  concept of escape never enters his mind as a result.
  Bebulec 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Male noble efreeti (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 140)
  LE Large outsider (extraplanar, fire)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect magic; 
  Perception +18
  DEfEnSE
  AC 28, touch 13, flat-footed 24 (+7 armor, +3 Dex, 
  +1 dodge, +8 natural, –1 size)
  hp 136 (13d10+65)
  fort +8, Ref +11, Will +10
  Immune fire
  Weaknesses vulnerability to cold
  OffEnSE
  Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft. (perfect)
  Melee 2 slams +18 (1d8+6 plus 1d6 fire)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks change size, heat
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; 
  concentration +17)
  Constant—detect magic
  At will—plane shift 
  (wills targets to elemental planes, 
  Astral Plane, or Material Plane only), 
  produce flame, pyrotechnics (DC 14), 
  scorching ray
  3/day—fireball (DC 15), heat metal, invisibility, 
  quickened scorching ray, wall of fire (DC 16) 
  1/day—grant up to 3 wishes (to non-genies only), 
  gaseous form, greater invisibility, permanent image 
  (DC 18), pyroclastic storm (as ice storm, with fire 
  instead of cold damage)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Bebulec casts greater invisibility on himself 
  on the first round of combat, then casts pyroclastic storm, 
  fireball, and wall of fire, along with quickened scorching rays 
  until he has exhausted their use. He only resorts to melee 
  attacks if it’s obvious his foes are resistant to fire attacks.
  Morale Bebulec fights to the death. If killed, he temporarily 
  becomes an undead spirit—see Development, below.
  STATISTICS
  Str 23, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15
  Base Atk +13; CMB +20; CMD 34
  feats Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Deceitful, Dodge, 
  Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability 
  (scorching ray), Toughness
  Skills Bluff +22, Craft (armor) +17, Disguise +13, Fly +10, Intimidate 
  +15, Perception +18, Sense Motive +18, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +8
  Languages Aquan, Auran, Common, Ignan, Terran; telepathy 
  100 ft.
  SQ change shape (humanoid or giant, alter self or giant form I)
  11
  Bebulec
  
  Gear +3 chain shirt, dimensional shackles, iron key radiating a 
  faint transmutation aura and engraved with a cross-eyed 
  medusa head (needed in area H1)
  Elder fire Elementals (3) 
  CR 11
  XP 12,800 each
  hp 200 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 125)
  Treasure: A hidden panel in the north wall (DC 30 
  Perception check to locate) contains a small locked chest  
  (DC 35 Disable Device to open) that holds a wand of fireball 
  (CL 10, 18 charges), a tome of clear thought +1, a silver 
  necklace worth 2,250 gp, and an iron key that radiates 
  faint transmutation. This key, which is engraved with a 
  cross-eyed medusa face, is one of the items needed to enter 
  Bartolomae’s crypt (area L) via the teleporter in area H1.
  Development: When the efreeti Bebulec is slain, his body 
  rots away with shocking speed, leaving behind a ghostly 
  duplicate. Yet though the living Bebulec was violently 
  insane, this spectral Bebulec is calm and serene. The efreeti 
  takes on an almost regretful appearance, thanking the PCs 
  for releasing him not only from the prison of iron that 
  held his body, but from the prison of madness that held 
  his mind. In thanks for this service, he tells the PCs about 
  the hidden panel in the north wall. He also tells them that 
  even greater treasures than those in the hidden panel await 
  them elsewhere in the Tomb of the Iron Medusa. While he 
  has never seen these vaults, he learned much listening to 
  the long-gone caretakers of the crematorium. He tells the 
  PCs that the inmost vault, the crypt of Bartolomae Adella, 
  the last head of the Daellum branch, can be reached by a 
  teleporter, and that four objects are needed to unlock that 
  teleporter. The key found in the hidden chest in this room is 
  one of those four objects. He only knows vague descriptions 
  of the other three objects—“a dagger befouled, Thrasillus’s 
  voice, and a sister’s keepsake,” but not where they may be 
  found (although he does know that all three are somewhere 
  in the necropolis or the tombs below). After imparting this 
  advice imparted, Bebulec’s spirit sighs in relief, then fades 
  away, finally at peace.
  d3. defiled shrine (Cr 14)
  Once an elegant domed shrine, this place of reverence has been 
  foully and thoroughly defiled: statues lie broken on the floor, and 
  the mosaic symbol of Aroden under the great dome is smeared 
  with all manner of filth. The walls, bearing once-beautiful frescoes 
  of deeds of the god, are soiled with ordure. Pools of red-tinged 
  water stand to the north and south, while a scorched curtain that 
  once sheltered the altar to the west hangs in tatters.
  A DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check correctly identifies 
  this shrine as having once been dedicated to Aroden. 
  Careful examination of the mosaic symbol in the center 
  of the floor reveals a single word written in dried blood: 
  “Abandoned.” The western curtain has been slashed and 
  partially burned; beyond it is a begrimed altar, the ritual 
  objects atop it shattered. The statue behind the altar has 
  also been smashed to pieces. 
  Trap: The blood-tinged waters of both fountains have 
  become corrupted over the years by the twisted magics 
  of the necropolis. They now pose a dire threat to anyone 
  who touches the water—those who succumb to the trap’s 
  effects immediately and horrifically melt away into foul 
  pools of blood.
  fouled font 
  CR 14
  Type magic; Perception DC 31; Disable Device DC 31
  EffECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset automatic
  Effect spell effect (harm, 130 damage, DC 19 Will save for half, 
  cannot be reduced to fewer than 1 hit point)
  Treasure: A +1 mithral dagger with bits of gore still 
  clinging to the blade sits in the pool of corrupted water in 
  the northern fountain; this is one of the items needed to 
  enter Bartolomae’s crypt. 
  Development: If the PCs make a substantial effort 
  to repair this defiled holy space (cleaning the altar or 
  mosaic, purifying the water in the fountain, and casting 
  consecrate or hallow, for example), Iomedae takes note of 
  their kindness and blesses every creature in the room—
  this blessing immediately affects everyone involved 
  in the clean-up effort with a heal spell (CL 20th) and 
  automatically removes any curse effects they may be 
  enduring. This boon is granted only once.
  e. small sepulchers
  These six structures are small mausoleums from an 
  earlier age, when House Adella was just establishing itself 
  in the aristocracy and the family was not yet divided into 
  branches. These sepulchers are identical save for their 
  orientation; the doorway to each always faces the center 
  of the necropolis. Rough, black iron gates bar the arched 
  entryways (hardness 10, hp 30, Break DC 30, Disable Device 
  DC 30 to unlock). 
  Each internal wall has nine stacked interment vaults, a 
  total of twenty-seven in all. The dates of death on these 
  vaults fall between 3754 and 4050. None bear full names, 
  only first initials (such as P. Adella, A.G. Adella, etc.).
  The limestone sarcophagus at the center of each crypt 
  bears an epitaph in its surface, but the effects of time have 
  rendered these illegible. Within each is a mummified 
  body wrapped in ancient linens, the stench of putrefaction 
  strangely powerful. All of these sarcophagi are protected 
  by the Adella curse, but in addition, the bodies within 
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  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  carry a virulent supernatural disease. Anyone who enters 
  one of these chambers is automatically exposed to this 
  malady—crypt fever.
  Crypt fever
  Type curse, disease, contact or inhaled; Save Fortitude DC 22
  Onset 1 minute; frequency 1/day
  Effect 1d6 Str damage, 1d6 Cha damage, and victim 
  is exhausted; Cure crypt fever can only be cured by 
  successfully casting remove curse and remove disease within 1 
  minute of each other.
  Treasure: Each sarcophagus opened contains various 
  items of jewelry (rings, amulets, earrings of precious metal, 
  etc.) valued at 1d10 × 100 gp as well as a broken, mundane 
  weapon of the GM’s choice, decayed with age.
  F. False sepulcher
  Apparently identical to the other small sepulchers (area E), 
  this structure’s entrance faces south. However, the epitaph 
  on the lid of its central sarcophagus reads: “Marcus Iulius 
  Adella, 3711–3758, Great Patriarch of Our Clan, Died Valiantly 
  at the Battle of Istavala Vale Saving Prince Abelard from the 
  Undead Hordes of the Whispering Tyrant, Earning the King’s 
  Gratitude. Herein Lies Our Claim to Nobility. May Great  
  Woe Befall Any Who Would Violate His Most Sacred Rest.”
  A DC 30 Knowledge (history or nobility) check recalls 
  that the person normally considered the “great patriarch” 
  was Marcus Junius Adella—this slightly differing name 
  serves as a clue that something is amiss. The sarcophagus 
  itself, if opened, is revealed to contain a flight of stairs 
  leading down to a long, winding tunnel that eventually 
  leads to area M1 of the Tomb of the Iron Medusa.
  G. Adellan Mausoleums
  The three branches of the Adella family are represented 
  by three similar mausoleums in the northern end of the 
  necropolis. Each of these buildings is similar, and each is 
  essentially empty, for they are but a doorway to the upper 
  level of the actual Tomb of the Iron Medusa. At the center 
  of each of these mausoleums is a 10-foot-dameter medusa’s 
  face, one of the three family seals. This carving is actually 
  a permanent teleportation circle that transports any creature 
  standing upon it to area H1 of the tomb itself. Specific details 
  concerning each of the three mausoleums appear below.
  G1. Mausoleum Sardisi: This building is crafted of 
  green marble, the entrance carved to mimic the maw of 
  a ravenous lion. Its teleportation circle depicts the howling 
  medusa crest of the Sardisi clan.
  G2. Mausoleum Voxus: This building is constructed 
  of pale granite and decorated with numerous bas-relief 
  carvings of nautical scenes from the Grand Campaign. 
  13
  H4b
  H4a
  H1
  H2
  H3
  Level One
  
  Its teleportation circle depicts the mocking medusa, its 
  forked tongue extended.
  G3. Mausoleum Daellum: This building is of gray 
  basalt, and unlike its sister buildings is plain and 
  functional in design. Chiseled above the entry arch is the 
  phrase, “The Living Make Their Plans; the Dead Watch, 
  Amused.” This building’s teleportation circle depicts the 
  cross-eyed medusa.
  H1. Columbarium
  This great, domed chamber is home to hundreds of funerary 
  urns of every description, housed in niches along the walls. 
  The domed ceiling thirty feet above is decorated with images 
  of Taldan aristocrats engaged in passionate debate, locked 
  in duels, or poring over great tomes together. A carving of a 
  medusa’s face decorates the floor in the room’s center, flanked 
  to the sides by two trios of stone sarcophagi. An archway to the 
  north opens into a large pillared hall.
  The six sarcophagi in this room are ceremonial—they 
  aren’t even hollow. Such is not the case for the urns 
  displayed on the walls. These contain the cremated 
  remains of favorite servants, and all bear the Adella curse.
  Characters who appear in this room after teleporting 
  from one of the mausoleums at area G arrive on a medusa 
  carving in the center of the floor. In order to return to 
  the surface, one need only stand on the carving and 
  concentrate on the destination—simply walking onto the 
  carving is not enough to activate the teleporter.
  An examination of the medusa carving reveals the 
  following unusual aspects of the medusa seal: a keyhole 
  in its right eye (for the key from area D2); a starburst 
  indentation in the left eye (for the amulet found worn by 
  Lucretia in area K5); a thin slot in the mouth (for the dagger 
  found in area D3); and an oval indentation in the chin (for 
  the gem found in area K3). If all of these items are placed 
  in the proper positions, the crest instead automatically 
  teleports those who step onto it to the third level of the 
  tomb (area L1).
  H2. Grand Hall Of Pasco (Cr 14)
  This massive hall hosts a vaulted ceiling fifty feet above, 
  supported by huge pillars of marble running down its center. 
  The walls are lined with vaults, stacked in columns of eight, 
  twenty feet high. Lavish murals occupy the thirty-foot stretch 
  of wall above the vaults, depicting naval confrontations 
  between Taldan and Qadiran ships to the east, and Taldan 
  ships and what appear to be ghost ships to the west. The 
  dominant ship in the painting appears in both battle scenes, its 
  mainsail proudly flaunting the mocking medusa; a handsome 
  figure clad in archaic captain’s uniform grips the rigging in 
  one hand while he rallies his sailors by waving a falcata over 
  his head. The man has thick white hair and a long beard divided 
  into three braids.
  This chamber serves as the entrance for all three of the 
  separate crypts for the three Adella clans—the three crypts 
  are accessed by the stairs in the north wall (see area H3). 
  The decorations in this chamber are focused primarily 
  upon the Adellas’ naval roles in defending Taldor during 
  conflicts against Qadira (to the east) and the Whispering 
  Tyrant (to the west). 
  The ship so prominently depicted in the murals is the 
  Harlot, the ship captained by Pasco Voxus Adella (a DC 30 
  Knowledge [history or nobility] check reveals this).
  An inspection of the many interment vaults reveal that 
  the bodies buried in this hall consist of Adellas from all 
  three clans. The pillars themselves bear inscriptions as 
  well—memorials to Adellas whose bodies were lost at sea 
  or on the battlefield, or were otherwise unavailable for 
  burial here in the tomb.
  A round after the PCs enter this room, a shimmering, 
  ghostly figure drifts down from the western representation 
  of Pasco Adella. This figure is in fact Pasco’s restless spirit. 
  He drifts down to float just a few inches above the ground 
  before the stairs at H3, and addresses the PCs in a deep, 
  commanding voice.
  “It is apparent that none of your assembly is of the blood, 
  so I must conclude you are thieves. To avert my righteous 
  vengeance and leave in peace, answer me these three 
  questions. First, what was the name of my flagship? Second, 
  how did my first darling wife die? And third, why is my eldest 
  son’s body not here with us? All the information you need is 
  within this chamber. I give you ten minutes.”
  Pasco’s spirit is not quite a ghost, but it’s certainly 
  more than a harmless phantom. Although his remains 
  lie deeper in the Voxus crypt, his pride keeps his spirit 
  within this chamber, and the concept that those who enter 
  this most sacred place might not be true appreciators of 
  his legacy gnaw at his pride. If intruders can answer his 
  questions accurately, he sighs in delight and fades away—
  his spirit does not confront the PCs again. If, on the other 
  hand, they fail to answer correctly, he retaliates as detailed 
  below. Clever or observant players can glean answers from 
  the available information in the room.
  The Flagship: Pasco’s flagship was the Harlot, which the 
  PCs may discover by checking the name of the ship painted 
  on the mural (this requires a DC 30 Perception check if 
  attempted from the ground).
  Pasco’s Wife: Pasco’s first wife, Annavale, died in 
  childbirth, which PCs may deduce from the date of her 
  death and the date of her son’s birth (see Eldest Son, below). 
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  Her remains are in the easternmost side of the room, 
  along with those of Pasco himself. The inscriptions can 
  be found with a DC 30 Perception check (each attempt 
  takes 1 minute of searching names), and read as follows: 
  “Pasco Voxus Adella, 4112–4171” and “Annavale, Beloved 
  Wife, 4120–4138.” Pasco’s second wife is buried here as 
  well—“Eudocia, Beloved Wife, 4130–4192.”
  Eldest Son: Pasco’s eldest son died at sea—his name 
  is recorded on the westernmost pillar with the austere 
  words, “Pasco Voxus Adella II, 4138–4156, The Sea 
  Reclaims Its Own.” It’s a DC 30 Perception check to find 
  this inscription—each attempt takes 1 minute of searching 
  the names on the pillars.
  If the party successfully answers Pasco’s questions, the 
  spirit intones, “Good! One should know of those who came 
  before, and tread reverently. Disturb not these three tombs 
  before you and I shall not vex you further,” before fading 
  away into nothingness. 
  Creatures: If the PCs attack Pasco’s spirit or fail to 
  answer his questions correctly, he roars in rage and 
  raises his hands to the ceiling, bellowing, “Stupidity 
  is almost as vile a crime as grave robbing. May the sea 
  swallow you!”
  As he does so, his spirit rises up into the ceiling even as 
  the waters of the murals around the room suddenly seem to 
  pour into the room. Strange shapes splash in these waters, 
  and 1 round later, the room’s guardians—hideous fiends 
  that look like a vaguely humanoid mix of crustacean and 
  mollusk, with octopoid heads and crablike arms—move 
  to attack the PCs. These monsters are piscodaemons, but 
  they are not the only guardians—the waters themselves 
  rise up into an elder water elemental to attack as well. 
  These guardians fight to the death, but do not pursue foes 
  from this room. They do, on the other hand, remain in 
  this room from this point on until slain.
  Elder water elemental 
  CR 11
  XP 12,800
  hp 152 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 127)
  Piscodaemons (3) 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600 each
  hp 137 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 72)
  Treasure: The majority of the bodies buried 
  here are typical examples of the Adella dead (see 
  page 7), but Pasco himself was buried with more 
  treasures than most. His body is well preserved, and 
  his three beard braids are each secured 
  with a platinum ring set with a blue 
  sapphire (worth 1,500 gp each). He 
  still clutches his +3 mighty cleaving 
  falcata to his chest.
  H3. Crypt stairs
  A wide flight of stairs descends down into the earth here. 
  After a few steps, thick white mist fills the stairwell, obscuring 
  further vision. Three circular tiles are set into the floor inside 
  of the archway at the head of the stairs; each tile depicts a 
  different medusa’s face—one howling in rage, one mocking 
  with a forked tongue, and one with crossed eyes.
  Three separate crypts, one for each of the Adella clans, 
  exist on the second level of the Tomb of the Iron Medusa. 
  Entrance to these three crypts is controlled by this flight 
  of stairs. The three tiles at the head of the stairs are in 
  fact magical triggers—only one can be pressed at any one 
  time, and the one that’s pressed determines which crypt 
  the stairs lead to. Pressing the howling medusa leads to 
  the Sardisi crypt (area I—this is the destination to which 
  the stairs are currently set). The mocking medusa attunes 
  15
  Pasco Adella
  
  the stairs to the Voxus crypt (area J). And finally, the cross-
  eyed medusa tile sends the stairs down to the Daellum 
  crypt (area K). The transition between destinations does 
  not create any noticeable sensations apart from a sudden 
  but brief roiling of the mists that constantly fill the 
  stairs. Regardless of which crypt these stairs are attuned 
  to, climbing up from any of the three crypts returns the 
  character to this area.
  The first time the PCs approach these stairs, the 
  disembodied spirits of four of the last Sardisi daughters 
  materialize and swoop up from the mists, swirling about 
  the PCs, disconcertingly whispering a few repeated phrases 
  in their ears: “Are you of the blood?” “Have you come to pay 
  your respects, cousin?” “Is his name still spoken?”
  At this juncture, these bewitching, beautiful spirits are 
  a harmless but unnerving annoyance. They follow the PCs 
  about this floor of the tomb, continuing with their inane 
  chatter, oblivious to the PCs’ questions or any responses 
  to their own queries. They do not follow the PCs out of 
  the tomb unless the PCs descend to the Sardisi crypt, 
  in which case, they follow. The spirits can be dispelled 
  automatically via a channel positive energy use, or via a 
  dispel evil or dispel chaos spell, but manifest again the next 
  time anyone approaches these stairs. 
  H4. The Feuding Twins
  A marble fountain, the basin of which resembles a huge shell, 
  sits near the entrance to this room, its waters cascading from 
  between the fingers of reclining mermaids. The chamber 
  beyond is empty, save for a single sarcophagus at the far end 
  of the room.
  The feuding twins Vincenzo and Vespacio Voxus Adella 
  continued their antagonism even beyond death, making 
  the interment of their remains together in the Voxus crypt 
  a problem. In the end, these two smaller crypts were built to 
  house their remains on this level of the tomb. Both chambers 
  are almost identical, save for the inscriptions carved into 
  each fountain’s bowl and each sarcophagus. The fountain 
  in H4a bears the inscription “Brotherhood,” while the one 
  in H4b is marked “Fellowship.” The sarcophagus in area 
  H4a has an inscription that reads, “Commerce Is King and 
  Courage His Queen,” while the one in H4b reads, “Courage 
  Is King and Commerce His Queen.”
  Area H4a is Vespacio’s tomb, while area H4b is 
  Vincenzo’s tomb. Their final conflict destroyed much of 
  their bodies, so the contents of their respective sarcophagi 
  contain only a few grisly relics, not complete remains. It 
  is through these relics that their war continues even after 
  their death.
  Treasure: Both brothers’ remains reside in reliquaries 
  that are, in turn, kept in their respective sarcophagi. 
  Area H4a contains the reliquary of Vespacio, a necklace 
  of gold with a small globe of crystal suspended from it. 
  Within the crystal is a human finger bone. A bronze plaque 
  on the sarcophagus reads, “Vespacio Voxus Adella, 4349–
  4401.” Vespacio’s relic functions as a greater ring of energy 
  resistance (cold) that takes up the neck magic item slot.
  Area H4b contains the reliquary of Vincenzo, a necklace 
  of gold with a small globe of crystal suspended from 
  it. Within the crystal are three human teeth. A bronze 
  plaque on the sarcophagus reads, “Vincenzo Voxus 
  Adella, 4349–4401.” Vincenzo’s relic functions as a greater 
  ring of energy resistance (cold) that takes up the neck magic 
  item slot.
  Any PC who carries the reliquary of Vespacio becomes 
  nauseated as long as she is in area H4b. Likewise, a PC 
  who carries the reliquary of Vincenzo is nauseated as long 
  as she remains in area H4a. Drinking water from either 
  fountain suppresses this nausea for 15 minutes. Each round 
  a PC is nauseated in this fashion, a pulse of negative energy 
  originating from the reliquary she carries deals 3d6 points of 
  damage to her (DC 25 Fortitude save for half damage).
  Should the holder of a reliquary lay eyes on its opposite, 
  she fills with anger and revulsion, believing it to be evil 
  and cursed—the very idea of touching the other reliquary is 
  repulsive. Should a PC who carries one reliquary come into 
  contact with its opposite, she must make a DC 25 Fortitude 
  save to resist taking 2d6 points of Constitution damage (on 
  a successful save she merely takes 3d6 points of negative 
  energy damage).
  Once both items have left their respective chambers, the 
  possessors of the reliquaries must make DC 25 Will saves every 
  minute they possess the items. Failure on any save means that 
  the spirit of the respective twin has successfully possessed 
  the holder and immediately seeks to kill the carrier of the 
  opposite reliquary. Protection from evil or a similar spell effect 
  prevents this effect, but otherwise, there is no reasoning 
  with a person so possessed, and only after the holder of the 
  opposed item is dead or has the item taken from her will 
  the spirit leave. Unaffected PCs must subdue their deranged 
  colleagues and take the items from them, but whoever now 
  holds an item has but a single round to drop the reliquary 
  before being required to save against possession himself. 
  Washing a reliquary in the fountain of the opposed brother’s 
  tomb renders the item dormant for 15 minutes.
  A creature possessed by one of the reliquaries possesses, 
  upon liberation from mental bondage, the knowledge of 
  the inner workings of the reliquaries, their origins, and 
  the means of negating their effects.
  Note that these effects do not require that the PC actually 
  wear a reliquary—merely having it in her possession 
  (including storing it in a portable extradimensional space 
  such as a bag of holding) is enough to cause the above effects. 
  Though these effects may be avoided by leaving one of the 
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  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  reliquaries behind, both are helpful in opening the treasure 
  vault in area J2.
  i1. Burial Vault of drusus (Cr 15)
  Flickering light dances on the walls of this room, thrown from 
  fat, black candles in silver fixtures wrapped around supporting 
  pillars that rise twenty feet to the ceiling. Frescoes cover the 
  walls, all depicting a handsome, red-haired man of noble 
  mien engaged in acts of heroic prowess: single-handedly 
  dispatching a cohort of fearsome demons, speaking movingly 
  to an adoring throng, and leading a column of Taldan soldiers 
  toward an enormous mob of Qadiran infantry. On a raised 
  dais in an alcove on the northern wall, an elaborately carved 
  mahogany coffin, decorated with motifs of vines and eyes, sits 
  on a stone base.
  The vibrant images here reflect the delusional worship 
  showered upon Drusus by his five daughters. Truth be 
  told, he was a middling general and second-rate diplomat 
  until his disgrace and self-imposed exile.
  Sitting on a 3-foot-tall stone base in the northernmost 
  corner of the alcove is a sarcophagus of mahogany, carved 
  with intricate designs of intertwining vines and probing 
  eyes. The lid is hinged on the left, with three average 
  locks (hardness 5, hp 30, Break DC 23 or Disable Device 
  DC 25) built into the wood on the right. Within lie the 
  remains of Drusus Sardisi Adella.
  At the southern edge of the raised dais, a rough stone 
  pillar rises 10 feet, halfway to the ceiling. The pillar is 
  painted white, obscuring the carvings on its surface. 
  Carved at the base of its north face (found with a successful 
  a DC 24 Perception check) is “Ursula, 4191–4222.” Within 
  this hollow pillar is the corpse of Drusus’s eldest daughter, 
  encased in stone while still alive as part of the ritual to 
  make her an undead guardian known as a nemhain.
  Creature: Although their bodies are interred in area H2, 
  Drusus’s five loving daughters spend much of their time 
  here. Four of them may have already attached themselves to 
  the party at area H3, but while they are relatively harmless 
  on their own, the eldest daughter, Ursula, is anything 
  but. She now exists as a powerful undead guardian called 
  a nemhain, with the spirits of her four sisters bound to 
  her soul in the form of a vortex of ghosts that surrounds 
  her. Ursula emerges from her pillar as soon as anyone 
  touches or otherwise desecrates her father’s remains or his 
  sarcophagus, fighting to the death.
   The PCs must destroy the pillar (hardness 8, 120 hp) 
  and then destroy the corpse found within in order to 
  permanently destroy the nemhain. Otherwise, the undead 
  Ursula rejuvenates and seeks out the PCs again wherever 
  they may be in the Tomb of the Iron Medusa.
  Level Two
  sardisi Crypt
  Voxus
  Crypt
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  17
  I1
  I2
  J1
  J2
  K1
  K2a
  K2b
  K2c
  K3
  K4
  K5d
  K5c
  K5b
  K5a
  
  Ursula Sardisi Adella 
  CR 15
  XP 51,200
  Nemhain (see page 29)
  hp 222
  Treasure: Inside the coffin lie the mummified remains 
  of Drusus Sardisi Adella, clad in fancy masterwork plate 
  armor with the howling medusa etched on the chest. His 
  hands grip the hilt of a flamboyant +2 cold iron greatsword 
  with a large ruby set in the pommel (worth 3,800 gp intact; 
  the ruby is worth 1,000 gp on its own). His once-handsome 
  beard is ragged, but still shows its red coloring; his teeth 
  are clenched in an uneven rictus mocking the opulence of 
  his burial. On his right hand is a ring of evasion that bears 
  the sigil of the howling medusa.
  Development: A PC may discover the descending secret 
  door to I2 with a DC 24 Perception check.
  i2. Hidden sardisi Vault (Cr 16)
  Beyond the secret door is an octagonal chamber. Five 
  white marble pedestals, each four feet high, line the walls. 
  A single mundane item sits atop each pedestal, identified 
  by bronze plaques that read (north to south), “His Shaving 
  Razor,” “His Comb,” “His Favorite Goblet,” “His Pipe,” and 
  “His Gaming Dice.” 
  Trap: A 3-foot-square metallic plate occupies the center 
  of the chamber floor. Four locking devices of particularly 
  cunning design (hardness 10, hp 25, Disable Device DC 30) 
  secure the plate along its four edges. Only after all four locks 
  are open can the panel be removed, but doing so triggers a 
  deadly trap.
  Chain Lightning Trap  
   CR 16 
  Type magic; Perception DC 28 (possible only after all four 
  locks are disabled); Disable Device DC 28
  EffECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset none
  Effect Spell effect (chain lightning, 15d6 electricity damage, 
  Reflex DC 24 save for half; up to three secondary targets, 
  must be standing within 30 ft., same damage, Reflex DC 22 
  save for half)
  Treasure: The five items on the pedestals are all of 
  exquisite manufacture—each is worth 100 gp. The true 
  treasure in the room, however, is found in the 2-foot-
  deep compartment below the metal plate. Within are 12 
  ingots of platinum (worth 800 gp each) covered by a folded 
  tapestry depicting a woodland scene of satyrs and nymphs 
  (8 feet by 12 feet when unfurled, worth 1,200 gp). Beneath 
  the ingots is a thin, unlocked wooden box containing a 
  portable hole, folded into quarters and wrapped in a blue 
  silk kerchief. The chamber inside the portable hole is 
  furnished as a cozy study, complete with large overstuffed 
  chair, a lantern containing a continual flame, and shelves of 
  trashy, relatively worthless books of poetry. A bottle of air 
  sits on the arm of the chair.
  J1. sarcophagus Alcoves (Cr 15)
  The corridor splits into forks heading east and west. Broken 
  marble fragments lie strewn across the east and west alcoves. 
  The fragments suggest rather beautiful sarcophagi once 
  stood in these areas, apparently obliterated by a powerful and 
  malignant force. A magnificent marble sarcophagus, carved 
  with all manner of sea creatures—dolphins, squid, sharks, 
  shellfish, and merfolk—remains in the northern alcove.
   Chiseled in delicate script on the lid of the one 
  remaining sarcophagi are three names and sets of dates: 
  “Malachi Voxus Adella, 4372–4422,” “Trepso Voxus Adella, 
  4374–4438,” and “Lexana Voxus Adella, 4378–4449,” along 
  with the phrase, “We Shall Not Be Mocked.”
  Trap: Opposite the northern alcove stands the Voxus 
  mocking medusa in bas-relief on a massive stone block that 
  fills the entire wall—a door to the family’s vault. Opening 
  the door normally triggers the trap. By simultaneously 
  placing the crystal globes of the reliquaries (located in areas 
  H4a and H4b) in the hollow, spherical indentations where 
  the medusa’s eyes should be, the trap can be bypassed.
  negative Energy Trap  
   CR 15
  Type magic; Perception 35; Disable Device 35
  EffECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset automatic
  Effect 30-foot spread of negative energy emanates from the 
  center of the door (14d8 damage, DC 25 Will save for half)
  Treasure: Within the remaining sarcophagus are three 
  mummified corpses—two men and one woman—stacked 
  one atop another, as the interior was designed for a single 
  occupant. The only items of value are platinum rings 
  bearing the mocking medusa crest on each body’s left 
  hand (worth 350 gp each).
  J2. Treasure Vault
  Lining the walls of this vault are six large, padlocked iron 
  chests, each securely fastened to the floor.
  Treasure: The six chests are all securely locked (hardness 
  10, hp 60, Disable Device DC 28). Within the chests are a 
  total of eight platinum ingots (8,000 gp each); 24 gold ingots 
  (1,000 gp each); three bags each containing an assortment 
  of 150 medium-quality gemstones worth 15,000 gp in total 
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  and a fourth bag with 50 high-quality gemstones worth 
  25,000 gp in total; a leather sack containing a periapt of 
  wound closure, six potions of cure serious wounds, and three 
  potions of water breathing; a leather bucket containing four 
  scrolls of cure serious wounds (CL 12th), a scroll of irresistible 
  dance, a scroll of transformation (CL 15th), and three centuries-
  old maps of the Taldor/Qadira frontier (worth 200 gp 
  each to a collector); bracers of armor +4; a luck blade with 
  one wish (longsword rather than short); a gem of brightness  
  (38 charges); gloves of dueling (Advanced Player’s Guide 305); 
  and six worthless marble figurines of merfolk with magic 
  aura cast on them.
  K1. Children’s Vault
  This sad vault stands as testimony to the alarming mortality 
  of Adellan offspring during the last thirty years of the House’s 
  existence. A flight of stairs shrouded in fog leads up to the 
  south, while opposite these stairs is a large stone door.
  While there are over two dozen small sarcophagi in this 
  room, some hold more than a single occupant, as indicated 
  on the lids. From the carved dates, it is obvious no occupant 
  made it past the age of six—many were actually infants. 
  They contain nothing of value, so these mortared lids are 
  easier to lift than the standard variety (DC 18 Strength 
  check). However, disturbing any of these sarcophagi 
  causes a silent spiritual alarm that alerts the two ice devils 
  in areas K2b and K2c, allowing them to set an ambush for 
  the party when they enter the next chamber. 
  The door to the north is a descending stone block that 
  remains open permanently once lowered.
  K2. Guardian Chamber (Cr 15)
  A large rug of Qadiran design features prominently in the 
  center of this room. The chamber’s ceiling rises to a height 
  of twenty-five feet. Ice cakes the stone doors to the east and 
  west, unlike the doors to the north and south.
  Creatures: The temperature in this room is cool, but 
  not cold enough to cause any damage. The ice-caked doors 
  open into smaller guard chambers—bound in each of 
  these chambers is an ice devil guardian. Normally, the ice 
  devils don’t react to intruders until they enter K2, but if 
  they’ve been alerted by the PCs’ actions in area K1, they 
  immediately try to summon bone devils to augment their 
  numbers. Any bone devils they successfully summon 
  become invisible before teleporting into area K2 to wait 
  for the chance to attack.
  The ice devils can cause the doors to their chambers to 
  lower instantly as a swift action by merely touching the 
  door. Their chambers are filled with incredibly cold air—
  when the doors open, this air fills all of K2, causing 1d10 
  points of cold damage per round to all creatures within 
  this area for 1 minute, after which the supernatural cold 
  dissipates forever. The ice devils begin combat by using 
  persistent image to apparently summon a pair of bone devils 
  each, hoping that the PCs will be distracted by these four 
  illusions while any actual bone devils they’ve summoned 
  move into position to surround the PCs. The devils are 
  fond of using walls of ice to separate the PCs from each 
  other. The devils fight to the death, but do not pursue foes 
  out of this crypt.
  Ice Devils (2) 
  CR 13
  XP 25,600 each
  hp 161 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 77)
  K3. Charnel House
  The ceiling of this room is fifteen feet high. Large arched 
  niches fill the east and west walls; various bones are mortared 
  into the niches in artfully arranged patterns, and each is 
  packed with the jawless skulls of countless humans. Each skull 
  has a name painted on its surface, along with dates of birth 
  and death. A ragged hole in the ground to the northeast drops 
  into what appears to be an even deeper cavern.
  The hole in the floor drops 10 feet to area K4.
  Removing a skull from its niche requires a DC 18 Dexterity 
  check, or the whole stack tumbles to the floor in a ghastly 
  cascade. Anyone causing such a desecration is subject to the 
  Adellan curse and takes a –2 penalty on his save (see page 6).
  In the northwest corner of the room, a skull bearing the 
  words “Thrasillus Daellum Adella, 4321–4418” still has 
  its jawbone attached, noticeable with a DC 24 Perception 
  check. Removing the skull from its niche reveals that it 
  has an exquisite oval ruby etched with the symbol of the 
  cross-eyed medusa clenched between its teeth, radiating 
  transmutation magic. This ruby is one of the items needed 
  to activate the entrance to the third level of the Tomb of the 
  Iron Medusa (see area H1).
  K4. rough-Hewn Chamber
  The ceiling of this crudely formed chamber stands only eight 
  feet above the floor. The floor here is strewn with dust and 
  gravel, and a hole in the ceiling leads up to another chamber.
  The hole in the ceiling leads up to area K3.
  K5. lucretia’s Cave (Cr 15)
  This series of low-ceilinged caves were dug in preparation 
  for an expansion to the Daellum crypt, but the family fell 
  to ruin before the expansion could be completed.
  19
  
  Creature: Today, the chambers serve as the den of the 
  infernal vampire Lucretia Adella. The central cavern (area 
  K5a) is generally empty, while the cavern farthest from 
  the entrance to this sub-level (area K5b) is where Lucretia 
  keeps her current victims. Area K5c is used to store 
  the bloodless bodies of other shepherds, travelers, and 
  unfortunates she’s abducted, brought back here (using 
  her funerary baton to reenter the tomb), and eventually 
  killed—there’s a mound of nearly four dozen bodies in 
  here, filling most of the room. The final chamber (area 
  K5d) is where Lucretia herself spends most of her time, 
  bemoaning her fate and the death of her son.
  When the PCs first arrive in this area, Lucretia approaches 
  them as soon as she notices them. She appears as a 
  frightfully pale, dark-haired woman, wearing a soiled, old-
  fashioned gown and with what look like tears of dried blood 
  caked on her cheeks. She does not immediately attack the 
  PCs, instead asking them in a tremulous voice, “Are my 
  daughters unharmed? Have you come to rescue us?”
  Lucretia Daellum Adella was given new “life” by 
  Asmodeus upon her corpse’s arrival in the necropolis. 
  Her years of isolation have left her quite mad, 
  though, and she believes she is the mother of Cinda 
  and Genelle (see Development, below). If those 
  women are not already in the party’s company, 
  Lucretia insists they proceed to area K5b 
  to gather her children. Lucretia has an 
  absent, otherworldly manner, speaking 
  in hushed tones, asserting that she 
  has been here for “what seems like 
  months,” though her daughters “only 
  recently arrived.” She expresses 
  gratitude for the party’s rescue 
  and asks that they escort her 
  and her children “out of this 
  place of death.” She asks 
  the PCs to lead the three of 
  them out of the tomb, up 
  into the necropolis above.
  Note that Lucretia is 
  not lying, per se, and doesn’t 
  need to make Bluff checks when 
  interacting with the PCs. She 
  seems not to hear questions 
  she does not wish to answer 
  (this includes most questions, 
  especially any inquiries about 
  her name), responding with 
  various nonsequiturs (“I have had 
  children taken from me before,” or 
  “I was all but betrothed to a king,” for 
  example) or unimportant questions 
  about the PCs’ appearance or attire, 
  or by pressing the party to get her and her “daughters” 
  out of the necropolis.
  If the PCs follow her route, she and the PCs eventually 
  arrive at area C, where she says her brother might be found. 
  But if she is reunited with Cadimus, the undead siblings 
  suddenly realize that the PCs are intruders—they shriek, 
  then attack the party in earnest. Likewise, if the PCs refuse 
  to lead her and her “daughters” out of this crypt (or if they 
  simply attack her or try to rescue her “daughters” without 
  allowing her to accompany them), she attacks at once.
  Lucretia Daellum Adella 
  CR 15
  XP 51,200
  Female variant vampire human aristocrat 15 (Bestiary 270)
  LE Medium undead (augmented humanoid)
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +28
  DEfEnSE
  AC 25, touch 18, flat-footed 20 (+3 deflection, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, 
  +7 natural)
  hp 191 (15d8+120); fast healing 5
  fort +15, Ref +15, Will +17
  Defensive Abilities 
  channel resistance +4, 
  DR 10/magic and 
  silver; Immune fire, 
  undead traits; Resist 
  cold 10, electricity 10
  Weaknesses vampire 
  weaknesses
  OffEnSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee slam +15 (1d4+6 plus energy drain)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +21)
  3/day—slay living (DC 21)
  1/day—summon (level 7, 2 barbed 
  devils)
  Special Attacks blood drain, dominate 
  (DC 25), energy drain (2 levels, DC 23)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Once she attacks, 
  Lucretia uses her infernally 
  granted spell-like abilities, 
  first attempting to 
  summon devils and then 
  using slay living on any 
  targets that don’t look 
  hearty. She attempts to 
  dominate healers, resorting to 
  her melee attacks only once these other 
  options are exhausted.
  Morale Lucretia fights until 
  destroyed, at which point she 
  becomes gaseous and 
  20
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  Lucretia Adella
  
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  retreats to her coffin at area C. If her coffin has been 
  destroyed, she perishes soon thereafter.
  STATISTICS
  Str 18, Dex 18, Con —, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 22
  Base Atk +11; CMB +15; CMD 33
  feats Ability Focus (dominate), Alertness, Combat Reflexes, 
  Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Greater Grapple, Improved 
  Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Armor, 
  Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, 
  Power Attack, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Toughness
  Skills Acrobatics +19, Bluff +32, Diplomacy +30, Intimidate +24, 
  Knowledge (nobility) +20, Perception +32, Sense Motive +12, 
  Stealth +27
  Languages Common, Infernal
  SQ gaseous form, infernal origin, shadowless, spider climb
  Gear gown of resistance +4 (functions as a cloak of resistance 
  +4 that takes the body item slot), ring of protection +3, 
  medusa head amulet (this amulet is one of the items 
  needed to attune the teleporter at area H1), funerary baton
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Infernal Origin (Ex) Lucretia was given unlife by Asmodeus 
  himself as part of Cadimus’s desperate plea to “save his 
  sister.” She is not required to return to her coffin unless 
  she’s reduced to 0 hit points. She loses the children of the 
  night, change self, and create spawn abilities, but gains 
  slay living as a spell-like ability and the ability to summon 
  barbed devils to aid her, along with immunity to fire.
  Development: Cowering in area K5b, too frightened to 
  make a sound, are two brown-haired women in their early 
  twenties. They wear filthy peasant dresses and clutch one 
  another in terror. Beside them is a pallet of soiled blankets, 
  chunks of doubtful-looking meat, and a plain clay jug. A 
  lone candle sputters fitfully next to them.
  These women are Cinda and Genelle Manvale (both 
  NG human female commoners 2), the daughters of the 
  shepherd Lucius Manvale, kidnapped 2 months ago 
  and held against their will in this horrible place under 
  Lucretia’s domination. Their necks bear fang wounds, as 
  Lucretia has fed on them periodically, though with enough 
  caution to preserve their lives—although only just.
  If the PCs approach without Lucretia present, the 
  Manvale sisters are mute and uncommunicative at first, 
  traumatized by their ordeal and frightened of the party. 
  If the PCs minister to their wounds and weakness, the 
  women initially shy away, but slowly acquiesce as the party’s 
  intentions become clearer. They offer no guidance, chewing 
  on fingernails or the ragged end of a sleeve, unresponsive to 
  the PCs’ queries. If Lucretia is present (or when she arrives), 
  the women run to her and cling to her dress, muttering 
  words of endearment (“momma” being the most common). 
  Lucretia gently comforts the traumatized women, speaking 
  to them as though they were her children.
  Story Award: If the PCs successfully rescue the Manvale 
  sisters and escort them safely back to their father at the Lion 
  Sleeps Inn, award them the XP for a CR 14 encounter.
  l1. Aroden’s shame
  This chamber, the entrance to the third level of the Tomb of 
  the Iron Medusa, lies over a hundred feet below the surface 
  of the necropolis above. It can be reached most easily via 
  H1 once it’s correctly attuned. Teleported PCs arrive in 
  this great, domed chamber standing atop a mosaic of the 
  cross-eyed medusa in the center of the floor.
  The ceiling of this grand chamber peaks forty feet overhead, 
  and is covered with frescoes depicting the prophecy of Aroden’s 
  return. In mockery of this, however, a massive fresco on the 
  northeast wall depicts an infernal figure, black as soot, with the 
  head of a goat and hairy bat wings. The devil holds a wicked-
  looking scythe in one hand and with the other feeds a brazier 
  fire with pages from a book entitled The Prophecies of Aroden. 
  A huge, defiled symbol of Aroden, its wings clipped bloodily, 
  occupies the southeastern wall.
  A 25-foot-tall iron statue of the Medusa Triumphant 
  dominates the west end of the chamber. It depicts a naked 
  medusa standing over a decapitated corpse, holding a 
  sword in her right hand, blade parallel to the ground. The 
  other arm is extended, grasping her grisly trophy by the 
  curls, gore dripping from where the head was severed from 
  its body.
  The medusa carving on the floor is a teleportation circle 
  that sends those who step on it back to area H1.
  l2. Pools and statues (Cr 14)
  Four shimmering pools occupy this barrel-vaulted chamber, 
  each about a foot deep and displaying a highly detailed mosaic 
  of a cockatrice at its center, composed of fake precious stones. 
  False descending doors to the north and south resemble 
  their ordinary counterparts but remain fast no matter 
  what methods are employed. The secret door in the east 
  wall may be located with a DC 35 Perception check.
  Traps: Examining any of the cockatrice mosaics more 
  closely or touching them triggers a flesh to stone trap 
  targeting that PC. Disabling any of the mosaics neutralizes 
  the threat of all four.
  flesh to Stone Trap  
   CR 14 
  Type spell; Perception DC 31; Disable Device 31
  EffECTS
  Trigger visual (direct eye contact with mosaic) or touch; Reset 
  automatic
  Effect spell effect (flesh to stone, Fortitude DC 22 negates)
  21
  
  history worth 400 gp apiece; and a lord’s banner (terror)* 
  bearing the cross-eyed medusa. Items marked with an 
  asterisk (*) are from the Advanced Player’s Guide.
  The sword in Bartolomae’s corpse is Infensus Mucro, the 
  ancestral blade the PCs have been tasked with retrieving. 
  The sword is currently dormant. The pommel of the blade 
  bears its name, and the blade itself is engraved along its 
  length with a phrase in Azlanti: “This Is Our Answer.” The 
  armor on Bartolomae’s corpse functions as a +1 breastplate, 
  but otherwise acts as armor of rage.
  l4. The Vault of Memory (Cr 10)
  This massive domed chamber, peaking at seventy feet above, is 
  painted with knotted geometric designs in muted reds and golds. 
  Another Medusa Triumphant statue dominates the alcove at the 
  room’s western end. An inscription decorates the statue’s base.
  The inscription at the statue’s base reads as follows:
   “Come out further on our Ledge
  Sheathe in me the Family’s Edge
  Take the Soot inside my Core
  Scatter Ash past Stony Door
  Walk into the Scarlet Light
  Witness when the Dead had Sight
  Two Sad Tales are both revealed
  Truth and Fraud, No more concealed
  Newfound Wisdom tastes of Bile
  And never shall We reconcile”
  Further investigation of the iron medusa statue reveals 
  a narrow slot in its chest—the slot is wide enough to 
  accept a longsword blade. 
  Creatures: If a PC inserts Infensus Mucro into the statue’s 
  chest, it slides in easily, a sharp click reverberating about 
  the chamber as it locks in place. At this time, the stone 
  block at the chamber’s eastern end descends to reveal an 
  alcove wherein stands a second medusa statue. An instant 
  later, the first medusa statue animates and attacks.
  The animated statue should present little challenge 
  to the party, even if their resources are already depleted, 
  but the players don’t need to know this. You should play 
  the scene as a potentially deadly encounter that goes 
  pathetically in the PCs’ favor, as though the statue should 
  be more of a threat to them than it is. After the statue’s 
  defeat, the PCs find among the debris the now-awakened 
  Infensus Mucro, as well as a fair amount of sooty ash that 
  radiates strong transmutation magic.
  Medusa Triumphant 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Animated object (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 14)
  N Huge construct 
  l3. Bartolomae’s Burial Chamber 
  (Cr 15)
  This chamber’s twenty-foot-high ceiling is held aloft by pristine 
  granite pillars. The walls are covered in murals depicting battle 
  scenes, while a twelve-foot-tall aquarium occupies the west end 
  of the room, framed in iron and with thick glass. Four elaborate 
  chairs of carved mahogany sit before this water-filled tank. A great 
  Qadiran rug of intricate geometric designs covers the floor. 
  This strange chamber serves as the burial crypt of the 
  Adella who brought final ruin on the entire House. The 
  only ingress into the tank is a 3-foot-diameter iron entry 
  hatch atop its northeast corner. Turning the locking wheel 
  to open the hatch, hinged on its west side, requires a DC 
  18 Strength check.
  Front and center in the aquarium floats a bloated, 
  unusually preserved corpse, its arms and legs shackled 
  with chains attached to floor and ceiling, clad in an 
  extraordinarily wrought breastplate emblazoned with the 
  cross-eyed medusa, and bobbing in the green-hued water. 
  The pommel of a sword protrudes from the body’s belly. 
  The floating cadaver’s dead eyes are wide open, and its 
  black hair wafts back and forth, as though cast about by a 
  gentle breeze. A bronze plaque, green with age, mounted 
  on the glass above, reads: “‘Then Let Them Drink’—
  Bartolomae Adella, 4496–4542.” A gilded bathtub stands 
  to the corpse’s left, its legs great lion’s paws. Thick seaweed 
  grows at the back of the tank, obscuring whatever might lie 
  at the rear of this grisly aquatic display.
  Creatures: The blade protruding from the corpse’s 
  abdomen can be easily drawn from the ancient wound, but 
  when this is done, the northern pillars instantly melt into 
  foul-smelling filth, transforming into slithering, semi-
  humanoid forms made of sludge and ooze, but with hideous 
  gaping mouths—omox demons. If one of the PCs is in the 
  tank, the westernmost omox focuses its attacks on the PC in 
  the tank, while the others engage PCs outside the water.
  Omox Demons (3) 
  CR 12
  XP 19,200 each
  hp 162 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 79)
  Treasure: A sealed, water-tight chest of iron sits at the 
  back of the aquarium, hidden by seaweed. The chest is 
  locked (hardness 10, hp 25, Break DC 23, Disable Device 
  DC 28) and contains the following: eight pieces of jewelry 
  (6,500 gp each); a small locked jewelry box (hardness 5, hp 
  20, Break DC 18, Disable Device DC 22) containing two 
  dozen black pearls (500 gp each) and a 4th-level pearl of 
  power, indistinguishable from the others until detect magic 
  is employed; a staff of souls*; four candles of invocation (LN); a 
  manual of gainful exercise +3 and six other tomes on Taldan 
  22
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  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  Init –2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception –5
  DEfEnSE
  AC 12, touch 6, flat-footed 12 (–2 Dex, +6 natural, –2 size)
  hp 78 (7d10+40)
  fort +2, Ref +0, Will –3
  Defensive Abilities hardness 10; Immune construct traits
  OffEnSE
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee 2 slams +15 (2d6+10)
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
  Special Attacks eye ray, gaze
  TACTICS
  During Combat The Medusa Triumphant focuses 
  its wrath upon the character who placed the sword in its 
  chest, moving on to other targets at random only once this 
  character is either slain or beyond the statue’s ability to attack.
  Morale The Medusa Triumphant fights until destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 30, Dex 6, Con —, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
  Base Atk +7; CMB +19; CMD 27
  SQ construction points (additional attack, eye ray, faster, 
  metal, self destruct)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Eye Ray (Ex) Once per round, as a swift action, the Medusa 
  Triumphant may shoot a ray of fire from its eyes at a target 
  within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack that deals 4d6 
  points of fire damage on a successful hit. This ability costs 
  2 Construction Points.
  Self Destruct (Ex) When reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, 
  the Medusa Triumphant explodes in a rain of adamantine 
  shrapnel, dealing 4d8 slashing damage to all within a 20-
  foot radius (DC 13 Reflex save for half). This ability costs  
  2 Construction Points.
  Development: If a handful of the strange ash from the 
  destroyed statue is scattered onto the floor of the alcove, 
  the air in that area shimmers and glows with a crimson 
  radiance. One round later, blasts of light radiate outward, 
  striking every creature in the chamber.
  Creatures struck by this light experience two incredibly 
  realistic visions—while the events of these visions may 
  seem like they take quite some time to play out, they, in 
  fact, take less than a second of real time to resolve. You 
  should present the two visions caused by this light as 
  full-fledged encounters, not revealing to the PCs that no 
  time actually passed until the end of the second vision.
  As the PCs experience these visions, present the players 
  with the appropriate maps, indicating where items are 
  and actions occur. The PCs can see each other as ghostly 
  forms, but the people in the visions themselves cannot—
  nor can the PCs do anything to interact with the vision. As 
  the visions progress, the PCs periodically have the chance 
  to make skill checks to interpret what they’re seeing, as 
  indicated in the visions themselves. These visions 
  each provide context for many elements of the necropolis 
  PCs may have already encountered, but full understanding 
  is not necessary for PCs to complete the adventure.
  l4a. Vision: sacrilege and suicide
  This vision takes place in area L4a.
  Braziers light a general’s command tent. The general himself—a 
  towering man with handsome features, clad in elaborate 
  breastplate armor—stands on the edge of an elegant Qadiran 
  rug. A gaggle of junior officers, priests, and aristocrats stand 
  before the tent flap and an armor mannequin.
  DC 20 Knowledge (history): Judging by the attire 
  and furnishings of the chamber, this vision is of a time 
  during Taldor’s campaign against Qadira.
  DC 30 Knowledge (nobility): The general is the head of the 
  Daellum line, Bartolomae Adella. Characters who correctly 
  identified his body in area L3 automatically make this check.
  “Well, let’s get it over with,” the general intones haughtily, 
  gesturing to an Arodenite priest carrying a fancy cage containing 
  Infensus Mucro (Major Artifact)
  Aura moderate transmutation; CL 20th
  COnSTRUCTIOn
  Alignment LE; Ego 33
  Int 18, Wis 19, Cha 20
  Communication empathy
  Lesser Powers bestow curse 3/day (DC 19), spell immunity 
  1/day (CL 17th)
  Special Purpose defend the servants and 
  interests of Asmodeus; Dedicated Power 
  wielder gains fire immunity and the ability to 
  cast repulsion 1/day (CL 17th)
  DESCRIPTIOn
  This elegantly wrought +3 speed longsword remains 
  pristine despite having been sheathed in a submerged 
  corpse’s chest cavity for over 200 years. Given to 
  Bartolomae by an agent of Asmodeus in return for 
  the warlord’s (initially) secret allegiance to the arch 
  fiend, this weapon carries within it the cruel soul of 
  a long-dead high priest of Asmodeus. The weapon 
  begins in a state of dormancy, at which point all 
  of its intelligent weapon powers are unavailable, 
  and it functions as nothing more than a +3 speed 
  longsword. See the description of area L4 for details 
  on how the sword can be awakened.
  DESTRUCTIOn
  To destroy the weapon, you must immerse it in a 
  bath of Asmodeus’s tears.
  23
  
  two fine roosters. The general casts several types of honeyed 
  grain on the ground to the waiting fowl, but to everyone’s 
  chagrin, and the general’s fury, the sacred birds do nothing. After 
  an impossible silence, one of the nobles mutters in an awkward 
  tone, “They… do not eat.”
  To everyone’s horror, the general grabs the sacred animals 
  by their feathered necks, storms over to an elegant bathtub and 
  holds them under the soapy water, hissing, “Then by Aroden’s 
  damned eyes, let them drink!”
  The shocked gathering is paralyzed by the general’s hideous 
  blasphemy. He stands seething at the edge of his tub, the limp, 
  dripping carcasses gripped tightly in either hand, glowering 
  at the witnesses to his monstrous sacrilege. Finally, a junior 
  tribune blurts out, “Brother, I will fetch your warhorse!”
  DC 25 Knowledge (history or religion): Using fowl to 
  seek good omens by observing what types of grain they 
  eat was a Taldan tradition until General Bartolomae’s 
  outburst saw the practice fall from favor.
  DC 30 Knowledge (nobility): The junior tribune is 
  recognizable as Cadimus Adella—if the PCs have already 
  encountered Cadimus’s ghost or body at area C, they 
  recognize him as the same person here, even if they don’t 
  remember his name.
  The general rouses from his rage and drops the ruined birds 
  on the rug, striding to the tent’s entrance.
  “Tribune!” he shouts to the nearest lieutenant, indicating 
  the long map-covered table. “Gather my battle plans! We 
  march on this Qadiran rabble at once!”
  The military tribunes scatter to their duties. When the 
  general attempts to plow past the collection of onlookers at 
  the tent entrance, a red-haired prelate grabs him by his rich 
  cape and speaks in a cold, furious tone:
  “I know not what will happen this day, Bartolomae, but be 
  assured of this: the tree of thy family shall wither and bear fruit 
  no more. This is the last of your blasphemies in Taldor’s name. 
  From this day forward your name will be cursed along with 
  that of your whole arrogant brood!”
  The general shoves the indignant cleric to the ground, 
  and shaking his blade hisses, “You may thank your damnable 
  Aroden that I have other blood to spill today, lackey; otherwise 
  I would take Infensus Mucro and run you through!”
  At this point, if the PCs have not already made the 
  connection, they should realize the sword the general 
  wields and the sword they found in area L3 are the same. 
  The vision itself blurs, as if several hours of time pass in 
  the span of a few seconds, before resuming. 
  The general’s tent is now empty. The mannequin lies on its side, 
  the dead birds still heaped on the floor. The brutal cacophony of 
  battle can be heard in the distance. Suddenly, the general bursts 
  through the tent flap, gore-caked sword in hand, face smeared 
  with dirt, blood spattered over his flamboyant breastplate. The 
  military tribune who broke the silence earlier follows him, also 
  splashed with the filth of battle.
  “All is lost, Cadimus,” he pants to the younger man. “Those 
  damned dervishes rolled up my left flank as though it were 
  made of paper!” Cadimus’s silence is his assent.
  The general shakes his sword before his own face, cursing, “You! 
  You have done this to me! All of it! You have murdered us all!”
  He turns to Cadimus, nodding as though finishing a 
  conversation. “‘Sheathe me in my master’s blood’ was the line, 
  no? To put the damned thing back to sleep?”
  Cadimus nods back, still speechless. Staring into space, 
  trancelike, the general whispers hoarsely to him.
  “Do what you can to salvage this, my brother. Beldam would 
  have our heads. Pressure Micheaux to aid us—he will be king 
  before long and we must use what leverage we have. Perhaps you 
  could prevail upon our dear sister to utilize her... relationship, 
  with him? If not... ha! Maybe Asmodeus will assist. I go to face 
  the gods’ wrath. You are the head of our House now, brother. 
  Bury me with sufficient irony.”
  A strange look of calm comes over the general’s face as he gets 
  to his knees at the corner of the rug. He plants the pommel of 
  Infensus Mucro and lifts his armor at the waist, allowing the blade’s 
  point to taste his bare abdomen. With a suddenness that makes 
  Cadimus gasp, Bartolomae springs forward, forcing the blade up 
  into his chest—a torrent of blood splashes out onto the Qadiran 
  rug, the florid stain spreading as he collapses to the ground. A 
  moment later, a vertiginous blackness sweeps everything away.
  l4b. Vision: Birth and a Bargain (Cr 17)
  This vision takes place in area L4b after a momentary 
  period of vertigo following the end of the previous vision.
  A fire burns in the hearth of this well-appointed room. Three 
  men stand about a bed—a handsome man with rolled-up 
  sleeves holding a crying newborn, and two others. In the bed 
  lies a frightfully pale, sweat-drenched woman, her dark hair 
  cascading over damp pillows. Her bedclothes are soaked with 
  blood, and her eyes stare into space; she is not breathing.
  The PCs should recognize one of the men as Cadimus 
  from the first vision. Characters who experienced the 
  vision at area C recognize the third man as the same man 
  who Cadimus called Parsimus in that vision.
  DC 15 Knowledge (nobility): The man holding the 
  newborn child is a relatively famous person—none other 
  than Grand Prince Micheaux, one of Taldor’s former 
  rulers and the father of Stavian I. He appears much 
  younger in this vision than he does in the majority of the 
  art that depicts him in the modern day.
  DC 30 Knowledge (nobility): The woman on the bed is 
  recognizable as Lucretia Adella—if the PCs have already 
  24
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  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  encountered her as a vampire, they recognize her as the 
  same person here, even if they don’t recall her name.
  “Just as well,” the handsome man says, a single tear running 
  down a cheek, “with all her ranting about seeing the boy grow 
  up. She knew she could never have been a part of his life.”
  His attention turns to the child he holds. He nods approvingly, 
  wipes the tear from his cheek, then lays three fingers on the 
  squealing infant’s forehead.
  “Stavian,” he croons. “You, too, shall be king in your turn.”
  “Our bargain, Micheaux,” stammers Cadimus, almost absently.
  The other man’s eyes flash with grief, and then fill with anger 
  as he whirls upon Cadimus. When he speaks, his voice is cold 
  and grim. 
  “Our ‘bargain’ died with your sister, Cadimus. You are the last 
  of your damned line, and even that is too much. But I shall grant 
  you one last mercy nonetheless—leave Taldor by dawn, and I’ll 
  not send my army after you. The next time I see an Adella face in 
  my empire, it had best be in a grave.”
  He turns with the baby in his arm, walking regally for the 
  door, oblivious to Cadimus’s trembling fury.
  “We go to meet our destiny,” he coos to the squealing infant.
  DC 20 Sense Motive: Micheaux’s assurance to Cadimus 
  seems very insincere, and judging from Cadimus’s 
  expression, he noticed this insincerity as well.
  In the same bedchamber, now oppressively hot, the same 
  woman lies lifeless in the bed, though someone has mercifully 
  closed her eyes. Micheaux and the infant are gone and Cadimus 
  hands a baton to the apron-clad man.
  “Hide this downstairs before we leave, Parsimus. I know you 
  saw it in the bastard’s eyes. He has no intention of honoring even 
  his last promise—he’ll have his thugs on us within the hour. We 
  must seek the only safe place left to us—the Tomb of the Iron 
  Medusa. There we can rest and regroup and make plans for the 
  future. The baton contains the key to finding the tomb—if I die 
  before you, ensure that someone you trust knows where you’ve 
  hidden it. Someday, someone will need to know the truth.”
  He looks over at his sister’s dead body. “And secure a coffin for 
  my sister. I am not going to leave her here. She comes with us.” 
  He turns to face the other man, who still seems frozen in shock.
  “Go, damn you!” Cadimus spits, and finally the other man 
  turns and leaves the room.
  DC 35 Knowledge (engineering): At this point, the PCs 
  have had enough time to study the room’s architecture to 
  note how very similar it is to that of the Lion Sleeps Inn. 
  If the PCs have visited one of that inn’s private bedrooms, 
  they gain a +15 bonus on this check.
  “The Adellas are truly abandoned by Aroden,” Cadimus says 
  with dismal certitude to an empty room. “The gods laugh 
  at us... but perhaps my brother was right after all... perhaps 
  there is one left who might listen...”
  He pauses, a look of dread and determination washing over 
  his countenance. He takes up his dead sister’s hand in his own, 
  holds it to his brow, and then utters a prayer of blasphemy.
  “Asmodeus! Asmodeus, I call on thee! Blood and my everlasting 
  soul if you would but allow me to protect my family and bring my 
  dear sister back to me!”
  A sudden light flickers in air, shimmering as if heated by fire. Then 
  the shimmer grows more substantial, becoming a shapeless mass 
  of tangible evil and immense power. A voice sweet as honey and 
  sharper than any razor emanates from the malevolent presence.
  “A bargain? You would seek to bargain with me, mortal?”
  With this final development, the vision suddenly ends 
  and the PCs return to area L4, whereupon each PC must 
  make a DC 20 Fortitude save to avoid being staggered for 
  1d4 rounds. At the same moment, the conviction that, 
  somehow, Asmodeus noticed the PCs observing these 
  secret events fills each character’s mind. With a flash of 
  noxious smoke, four vile shapes manifest in the room. 
  These are vengeful ashmede devils tasked with preventing 
  the secret of Stavian I’s illegitimate birth from escaping 
  the necropolis. These devils vaguely resemble 12-foot-tall 
  human women with large clawed wings, hideous fanged 
  faces, and bodies clad in strips of metal and leather that 
  seem almost to be growing from angry wounds in their 
  flesh, and each wields a grisly metal scythe that seems 
  almost to have grown from its arms.
  Ashmede Devils (4) 
  CR 13
  XP 25,600 each
  Book of Fiends 146
  LE Large outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect alignment spells, detect 
  magic, see in darkness; Perception +18
  Aura fear aura (20 ft., DC 19)
  DEfEnSE
  AC 28, touch 12, flat-footed 25 (+3 Dex, +16 natural, –1 size)
  hp 126 each (12d10+60); fast healing 3
  fort +13, Ref +11, Will +9
  DR 10/good; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10; SR 24
  OffEnSE
  Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
  Melee +1 unholy scythe +20/+15/+10 (2d6+11/19–20/×4), 2 wings 
  +13 (1d6+3)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th; concentration +19)
  Constant—detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, 
  detect magic
  At will—charm person (DC 14), greater invisibility, greater 
  teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), polymorph 
  (self only), prying eyes
  25
  
  1/day—chain lightning (DC 19), discern location, forcecage, 
  horrid wilting (DC 21)
  TACTICS
  During Combat As the devils move to attack, they speak in 
  unison: “Some secrets are not yet ready for the world. And 
  thus, you must die!” They work together to defeat the PCs, 
  focusing on one character at a time with two of their number 
  flanking and the other two using their spell-like abilities against 
  that target, using forcecage against other targets to help 
  them focus on one foe at a time. These devils are themselves 
  summoned, and thus cannot use their own summon power.
  Morale The ashmede devils fight to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 24, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 17
  Base Atk +12; CMB +20; CMD 33
  feats Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Flyby Attack, Improved 
  Critical (scythe), Iron Will, Weapon Focus (scythe)
  Skills Acrobatics +18 (+22 jump), Bluff +18, Diplomacy +18, 
  Intimidate +18, Knowledge (planes) +17, Perception +18, 
  Stealth +14, Survival +18
  Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 
  100 ft.
  Gear +1 unholy scythe
  M1. Catacomb entrance
  The lowest level of the Tomb of the Iron Medusa cannot 
  be directly accessed by the upper levels—its entrance is 
  hidden in the false sepulcher at area F. That entrance leads 
  to this chamber, nearly a hundred feet below the rest of the 
  necropolis but still within the area whose time is offset 
  from the rest of reality.
  This level of the necropolis was the first designed by 
  the entire location’s fiendish architect, and thus the first 
  built by Adella laborers. These catacombs are composed 
  primarily of narrow, low-ceilinged (8 feet) corridors riddled 
  with burial niches. Some host one or two full skeletons 
  in tattered rags; others are packed with bones stacked in 
  an artful, if grisly, manner—one niche may hold nothing 
  but thigh bones, another jawbones, another an array of 
  vertebrae. Some of the walls feature decorative brickwork, 
  others are adorned with frescoes, and still others have 
  bones and skulls mortared into place as though they were 
  the most convenient and mundane building materials. 
  The air is stale, and all areas are lit as though by flickering 
  torchlight, though no such illumination can be found.
  M2. Crypt of Marcus Junius
  The walls of this room are brick. The ceiling is twenty-five feet 
  above, and from its center hangs a ghastly chandelier, made 
  entirely of skulls and bones. A pair of tapestries flanks a corridor 
  that exits to the east, so ancient that the fabric retains only hints 
  of the original color and the scenes they depict are insubstantial. 
  Written on the stone above the archway seems to be some sort of 
  phrase, although letters seem to be all strung together.
  The phrase written above the exit from this room reads: 
  “SOONENOUGHYETOOSHALLSLEEP.” The room’s lone 
  sarcophagus is made of plain limestone and the fitted lid is 
  without mortar and somewhat askew, as though replaced 
  in haste. Carved in its surface is: “Marcus Junius Adella, 
  3711–3758, Hero of Taldor, Patriarch.” Along the lid’s edge 
  are the words, “While my bones rest peacefully here, the 
  guardians need not protect me.” Within is an empty burial 
  shroud—the body is missing.
  M3. Builders’ Catacombs (Cr 14)
  Arranged in various raised niches in the ornately-bricked walls are 
  several dozen mummified corpses, attired in clothing of bygone 
  eras, standing in lifelike poses as though engaged in conversation. 
  Four oval niches in the north wall are obvious places of honor, 
  as each holds but a single mummy bearing valuable-looking 
  treasures. The room itself is lit brilliantly by two spheres of bright 
  light floating near the center of the thirty-foot-high ceiling above.
  The honored dead here were the talented carpenters, 
  stonemasons, sculptors, and spellcasters who worked 
  under the Iron Medusa’s direction to build the necropolis 
  and the tomb itself—their reward for this service was the 
  guarantee of being put to rest here in one of the first rooms 
  constructed in the tomb.
  Creatures: Although the numerous mummified corpses 
  in this room might look like an obvious threat, the true 
  guardians of this room are not undead, but rather bound 
  outsiders that wait patiently in the spheres of light above. 
  Each of these spheres contains a single shining child—a 
  humanoid entity with an emaciated body, four-taloned 
  hands, and an almost rudimentary face consisting of two 
  eyes and a single gaping mouth, all three of which seem 
  to spew light from within. The shining children swiftly 
  move to attack any who enter the room, shedding blinding 
  light and using their searing ray attacks from a point near 
  the ceiling above. They fight to the death.
  Shining Children (2) 
   CR 12
  XP 19,200 each
  hp 152 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 245)
   
  Treasure: The four mummies seated on the northern 
  wall were the leaders of the builders, and they have been 
  buried with several significant treasures, including a +2 
  axiomatic short bow, a scroll of forcecage and a scroll of mage’s 
  sword (both CL 18), a lyre of building, and a violin of blasting 
  (functions as horn of blasting; the wielder must be adept at 
  stringed instruments and use requires both hands).
  26
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  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  M4. Treasure Vault
  The secret door to this vault was once hidden by a painted 
  fresco, but much of the plaster has crumbled and only 
  fragments of the original pigmented artwork cling to the 
  underlying brick surface. As a result, the secret door is 
  relatively easy to spot (DC 20 Perception check).
  Treasure: Raided long ago by the Adellas themselves, 
  desperate for cash after their family had fallen from grace, 
  this vault is relatively empty save for numerous empty 
  treasure chests, barren weapons racks, and unadorned 
  armor stands. Three squat urns of fired clay painted with 
  funeral scenes sit on the floor against the southern wall. 
  The original ransackers overlooked these containers, 
  thinking they were funerary urns that held nothing but 
  ashes. However, each contains 3,500 gp. In addition, the jar 
  on the left contains incandescent blue, iridescent and orange 
  ioun stones; the middle jar contains five 1,000 gp fire opals; 
  and the jar on the right contains an amulet of mighty fists +2.
  M5. Misplaced Corpse
  The secret door to this chamber can be found with a DC 
  25 Perception check. Lying on the floor of this otherwise 
  empty chamber is the mummified corpse of Marcus 
  Junius, moved from his proper burial place long ago by 
  unknown miscreants. 
  Development: If the PCs return Marcus Junius 
  to his rightful place in area M2, his grateful spirit 
  appears before them and thanks them for 
  the kindness. Although he died long before 
  his family fell from grace, he has learned 
  much of their tragic fall by listening to the 
  spirits here in the tomb. You can use Marcus’s 
  spirit to answer any final questions the PCs may 
  have about the family, to provide advice, or otherwise aid 
  the PCs as you wish if they’re having trouble with some 
  part of this complex. 
  M6. suasandra’s Prison (Cr 17)
  This room appears to be a beautifully decorated bathhouse, 
  complete with a large pool of crystal-clear water that dominates 
  the center of the room. A pair of stone statues depicting 
  reclining medusas decorate niches to the east and the west, 
  while a large caption along the southern wall reads, in the 
  common tongue, “Have you ever beheld a smiling face and 
  not named it beautiful?”
  Creature: The medusa Suasandra, the architect of 
  this entire complex and one of the most powerful of the 
  Adellas’ infernal allies, languishes in this chamber. 
  Despite its beauty, it is little more than a prison, 
  for when the primary construction of the tomb 
  was completed, the Adellas used a binding spell 
  to trap the tomb’s architect within its walls in order to 
  prevent word of the site’s layout from spreading. Suasandra 
  has long raged at and cursed her onetime allies for this 
  treachery, but has remained faithful to Asmodeus over 
  the years, knowing that, someday, she would be delivered 
  from this prison. For as part of the binding spell, there is an 
  escape clause—once the Adella family name has ended, all 
  she needs to do is offer a single good creature to Asmodeus 
  in sacrifice in order to escape. She knows that the Adella 
  family name essentially ended with Cadimus’s death, but 
  she has yet to have the fortune of meeting a good-aligned 
  creature to sacrifice. In all likelihood, the PCs represent 
  her first chance to escape in many years. Even if none of 
  the PCs are good-aligned, she sees them as a convenient 
  target to vent her rage upon.
  As the granddaughter of the arch-devil Geryon, 
  Suasandra is far more than a mere medusa—she’s a half-
  fiend. Unlike most half-fiends, though, she lacks wings—
  27
  Suasandra
  
  During Combat Suasandra casts unholy aura on herself on 
  the first round of combat, then uses summon monster IX to 
  summon 1d3 barbed devils to attack the PCs. After this, she 
  uses air walk or her swim speed to stay out of melee while 
  she uses her spells and arrows.
  Morale Suasandra fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 22, Con 24, Int 12, Wis 22, Cha 21
  Base Atk +16; CMB +17; CMD 38 (can’t be tripped)
  feats Combat Casting, Deadly Aim, Dodge, Improved Critical 
  (longbow), Improved Initiative, Mobility, Point-Blank Shot, 
  Precise Shot, Toughness, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Knowledge (engineering) +20, Knowledge (religion) +15, 
  Perception +32, Profession (architect) +28, Spellcraft +17, 
  Swim +20
  Languages Common, Infernal
  Gear +5 leather armor, +3 axiomatic longbow with 20 arrows, 
  ring of protection +4 
  Treasure: A secret door to the northwest (DC 30 
  Perception check to discover) hides a small room that 
  contains a large circular bed, five fine silk dresses (worth 
  200 gp each), and six potions of cure critical wounds. A small 
  shrine to Asmodeus sits in the northeast corner, on top 
  of the shrine lies a single piece of parchment upon which 
  is inscribed Stavian I’s record of birth—a simple but 
  powerful document that Asmodeus saw was delivered to 
  Suasandra not long after Cadimus’s final ride.
  Concluding the Adventure
  Because of the structure of the necropolis, there may not 
  be an obvious climax to the adventure, though L3 serves 
  as the culmination of the PCs’ initial mission. Hanoris 
  Dellum wants Infensus Mucro, but while the information 
  regarding Stavian’s pedigree is tantalizing, without proof, 
  it is of questionable propaganda value.
  How Dellum and the Qadirans employ this scandalous 
  information depends upon the direction in which you wish 
  your campaign to develop, but the response of the Taldan 
  crown is predictable: Stavian III calls the story a malicious 
  falsehood and any offered “proof” clever forgeries, and 
  brings the power of the throne down on the heads of any 
  implicated in its dissemination. This could include the 
  PCs, who may discover themselves declared damnatio like 
  the Adellas before them, having raised the ire of a vast host 
  of very powerful enemies.
  Should the party renege on their contract and fail to 
  turn Infensus Mucro over to Dellum, or if they withhold 
  their knowledge of Stavian’s bloodline, Dellum may serve 
  as a recurring villain. His revenge might set the stage 
  for the PCs’ next adventure—he has influential contacts 
  in Katheer from whom he may elicit aid before pursuing 
  any vendetta.
  instead, she inherited her grandfather’s serpentine lower 
  body and a swim speed, in addition to a slightly different 
  set of spell-like abilities than most half-fiends gain. When 
  the PCs arrive, Suasandra is relaxing in the waters of her 
  pool, as she does much of the time. She reacts to the arrival 
  of “visitors” with delight, attacking at once.
  Suasandra 
  CR 17
  XP 102,400
  Female half-fiend medusa cleric of Asmodeus 11 (Pathfinder 
  RPG Bestiary 171, 201)
  LE Medium monstrous humanoid 
  Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +28
  DEfEnSE
  AC 33 touch 22, flat-footed 25 (+7 armor, +4 deflection, +6 Dex, 
  +2 dodge, +4 natural)
  hp 256 (19 HD; 8d10+11d8+163)
  fort +16, Ref +15, Will +19
  DR 10/magic; Immune poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, 
  electricity 10, fire 10; SR 28
  OffEnSE
  Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
  Melee bite +22 (1d6+1), claws +22 (1d4+1), snake bite +22 (1d4+1 
  plus poison)
  Ranged +3 axiomatic longbow +25/+20/+15/+10 (1d8+3/19–20/×3)
  Special Attacks channel negative energy 8/day (DC 20, 6d6), 
  petrifying gaze (DC 21), smite good 1/day (as 19th level 
  paladin, but vs. good targets)
  Half-fiend Spell-Like Abilities (CL 19th; concentration +24)
  3/day—darkness, poison (DC 19), unholy aura (DC 21)
  1/day—desecrate, destruction (DC 22), displacement (DC 19), 
  horrid wilting (DC 23), phantasmal killer (DC 19), scintillating 
  pattern (DC 23), summon monster IX (fiends only), unhallow
  Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th; concentration +20)
  At will—master’s illusion (11 rounds/day)
  9/day— copycat, touch of evil
  1/day—scythe of evil
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 14th; concentration +20)
  6th—blade barrier (DC 22), heal, misleadD
  5th—dispel goodD, flame strike (2, DC 21), slay living (DC 21)
  4th—air walk, cure serious wounds (2), spell immunity, unholy 
  blightD (DC 20)
  3rd—bestow curse (DC 19), create food and water, cure serious 
  wounds, nondetectionD, stone shape, water breathing
  2nd—cure moderate wounds (5), darkness, invisibilityD
  1st—bane, cure light wounds (3), divine favor, protection from 
  goodD, sanctuary (DC 17)
  0 (at will)—bleed (DC 16), guidance, read magic, resistance
  D Domain spell; Domains Evil, Trickery
  TACTICS
  Before Combat If she has time to prepare, Suasandra casts 
  air walk, spell immunity (confusion and charm monster), and 
  invisibility on herself.
  28
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  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  Appendix I: New Monster
  This floating, ghostly figure’s visage constantly shifts between 
  that of a comely, smiling human and a desiccated corpse. 
  Around it swirl less substantial humanoid forms.
  nemhain  
  CR 15
  XP 51,200
  NE Medium undead (incorporeal)
  Init +12; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +7
  DEfEnSE
  AC 26, touch 26, flat-footed 17 (+7 deflection, +8 Dex, +1 dodge)
  hp 225 (18d8+144); regeneration 5 (electricity or good)
  fort +13, Ref +14, Will +20
  Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal; 
  Immune cold, undead traits, Resist acid 10, fire 10
  OffEnSE
  Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)
  Melee incorporeal touch +21 (3d8 plus 1d6 Con drain)
  Special Attack bound spirits
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +22)
  3/day—harm (DC 23), slay living (DC 22), telekinesis
  1/day—antilife shell (DC 23), wall of force
  STATISTICS
  Str —, Dex 26, Con —, Int 21, Wis 25, Cha 25
  Base Atk +13; CMB +21; CMD 39
  feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, 
  Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lunge, Mobility, Toughness
  Skills Bluff +25, Diplomacy +25, Fly +37, Intimidate +28, 
  Knowledge (arcana) +26, Knowledge (religion) +26, Sense 
  Motive +28, Spellcraft +26, Stealth +29
  Languages Common; telepathy 100 ft.
  SQ rejuvenation
  ECOLOGy
  Environment any
  Organization solitary (+1d4 bound spirits)
  Treasure standard
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Bound Spirits (Su) A nemhain is surrounded by a whirling 
  cloud of spirits bound to her—often, these are the spirits 
  of close relatives or friends she had in life. As a swift action, 
  she can direct these bound spirits to strike at any creature 
  within 30 feet as a +21 ranged touch attack. These spirits 
  may be used to cause damage as if she had touched the 
  target with her incorporeal touch, or they can be used 
  to deliver a harm or slay living effect—if used to deliver 
  one of these spell-like abilities as a swift action, that use 
  counts against the number of times per day she can use 
  that spell-like ability. The nemhain can also send these 
  spirits up to 1 mile away to act as scouts at a fly speed of 
  60 feet (perfect)—she can observe and listen through 
  them, but as long as they do not share her space, she 
  cannot use them to deliver ranged touch attacks. These 
  spirits are impervious to almost all attacks and magic, save 
  the following: protection from evil prevents bound spirits 
  from harming persons so protected; dispel evil, raise dead, 
  or resurrection causes the spirits to vanish and be useless 
  to the nemhain for 1 hour; true resurrection makes them 
  useless for 24 hours.
  Rejuvenation (Su) All nemhains are tied to a ritual object 
  used in their creation. This object is typically a Large 
  statue, pillar, or monolith. Until this object is destroyed, a 
  destroyed nemhain automatically rejuvenates back to full 
  health 1d4 days after it is destroyed. 
  A nemhain is formed when a soul deliberately assumes 
  undead status as a means of protecting a person, object, 
  place, or ideal. Often, a devoted priest or ally volunteers 
  for transformation into a nemhain in order to continue 
  protecting her master even beyond her death. The 
  blasphemous rituals used to create nemhains are believed 
  to have been lost.
  29
  
  Appendix II: The Lion Sleeps Inn
  This roadside inn lies 35 miles northeast of Zimar. The 
  300 year-old, two-story structure was once a far more 
  elaborate affair, back when mining was a going concern 
  in the rocky foothills of the region. The once-rich veins 
  of copper, iron, and silver played themselves out nearly 
  30 years ago, causing the hill settlements to shrink so 
  that today they are mere shadows of their former selves, 
  and traffic has been reduced to an anemic trickle. In 
  addition to its obvious role, the Lion Sleeps also served 
  as a hiding place for priests of Sarenrae during the 
  Great Purge, and finally as a clandestine rallying point 
  for smugglers moving goods to and from Qadira. The 
  latter was abruptly ended 4 years ago by an earthquake 
  and subsequent fire, which destroyed the great lodge 
  behind the main building and collapsed secret tunnels 
  and storage chambers beneath the stony soil. Were it not 
  for Hanoris Dellum, a prominent merchant of Zimar, the 
  Lion Sleeps would have long ago closed its doors. Dellum 
  has bankrolled the inn for the past several years, wishing 
  to revive its role as a smuggler’s hideaway.
  The inn’s current owner and proprietor is Vadim 
  Fraterni (N male human expert 6), a surly widower of 
  42 and furtive devotee to Sarenrae, who is but the most 
  recent in a long line of Fraternis to inherit the business. 
  The irascible Vadim and assorted relations keep the inn 
  running, including his mentally challenged son Oleppo 
  (NG male human commoner 3) and adolescent nieces Mag 
  and Corrine (NG female human commoners 1). The girls’ 
  mother, Vadim’s sister-in-law Bella (NG female human 
  commoner 4), who lives 40 miles away in Vellum, helps 
  out during particularly busy seasons.
  The most frequent customers of the inn are local herders 
  who graze their flocks on the grassy hills to the north and 
  west. These rough and largely amiable men pop into the 
  common room in the evenings to exchange tall tales and 
  consume a pint or two of ale supplied by the gruff Vadim. 
  Two of these customers, shepherds Besco Drummon and 
  Fernus Alanders (both N male human expert 3), are rowdy 
  and affable, and delight in plying outsiders with outrageous 
  and utterly false stories of the region, speaking loudly to 
  any who will listen. Most of their wild yarns involve the 
  seemingly endless variety of lycanthropes that allegedly 
  prowl the countryside. Eventually, after regaling listeners 
  with stories of werewolves and the like, their absurd 
  reports of “werebadgers” and “weresquirrels” demonstrate 
  to even the most credulous that the herdsmen are having 
  fun at the outsiders’ expense.
  n1. The Common room
  This large, open room has a 25-foot-high ceiling, with a 
  wooden balcony above the west, north, and east walls. A 
  30
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  The
  Lion Sleeps Inn
  N11
  N1
  N6
  N5
  N3
  N2
  N4
  N7
  N8
  N8
  N10
  N8
  N8
  N8
  N9
  
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  ToMb of The Iron Medusa
  large central fireplace is at the center of the room, and 
  a second hearth is shared with the kitchen. However, 
  unless it is especially cold or business is unusually good, 
  only the shared hearth is lit. Heavy oaken tables with 
  sturdy benches are arranged about the room, and the 
  walls boast the trophies of successful hunters of years 
  gone by: taxidermied heads of various animals—elk, 
  deer, lions, wolverines, etc. Over the kitchen hearth 
  hangs the stuffed head of a manticore. Wooden stairs 
  lead up to the balcony.
  Just to the west of the entry door, firmly affixed to the wall, 
  is a fancy bronze plaque of a sort not uncommon in various 
  Taldan establishments—a marker that commemorates the 
  visit of some historical notable. This one reads: “Micheaux 
  the Magnificent, Future Grand Prince of Taldor, Father of 
  Stavian, Slept on these Premises on 5 Lamashan in the Year 4497. 
  May Divine Providence Reward Him as He Deserves.” The 
  date embossed on the plaque at the bottom is only 2 weeks 
  after the commemoration date—19 Lamashan 4497. Astute 
  players will find that in light of the claims of this plaque, 
  various Knowledge (history, local, or nobility) checks may 
  produce some puzzlement.
  DC 10: Stavian I was the Taldan monarch who 
  infamously outlawed the Dawnflower Cult in 4528 ar. The 
  current monarch of Taldor, Stavian III, traces his lineage 
  all the way back to Micheaux the Magnificent, a point of 
  especial pride for the Grand Prince.
  DC 15: Micheaux succeeded the childless Beldam II to 
  the throne of Taldor upon Beldam’s death in 4499, only a 
  year after Micheaux was formally adopted and made heir 
  to the throne.
  DC 20: Micheaux was given the moniker of “the 
  Magnificent” by his son Stavian I, soon after his own 
  elevation to the throne in 4526.
  DC 25: 5 Lamashan 4497 is also the birth date of 
  Micheaux’s son and heir Stavian I, born that night in 
  Oppara to Micheaux’s wife and Stavian’s “sainted mother,” 
  Euphemi Finara.
  n2. The Bar
  Made of sturdy oak, the bar is surrounded by tall stools 
  and has leaves that fold up at either end so that the 
  barkeep may enter the common room. Below the bar 
  are two washbasins and an array of goblets, mugs and 
  tankards, as well as some tableware and a large cudgel, 
  which Vadim judiciously applies to the heads of patrons 
  who have forgotten themselves.
  n3. The Kitchen
  The impressive full kitchen here once serviced both the 
  inn and lodge to the rear of the main building, but now 
  is used for preparing relatively modest meals for those 
  patrons who do show up.
  n4. Pantry/larder
  Dry goods are stored here, and a trap door in the floor 
  conceals a small area kept cold by a permanent wall of ice, 
  used to store perishable items.
  n5. Vadim’s room
  Vadim’s private bedchamber still bears the feminine touch 
  of his wife, Marla, who passed away from fever 6 years 
  ago—most credit her death with transforming Vadim into 
  his present taciturn self. A large four-poster bed dominates 
  the room, and beneath it is a locked chest containing 594 gp 
  worth of coins, as well as a few items common to worshipers 
  of Sarenrae, including a small silver holy symbol worth 35 
  gp. A wardrobe and dresser contain Vadim’s few clothes, as 
  well as those of his departed wife. A door on the north wall 
  offers egress to the back yard.
  n6. Private Meeting room
  This room can be rented for an evening for 4 gp, and 
  boasts a warm fireplace, table and benches and windows 
  with a less than impressive view of the barn and ruined 
  lodge. The stuffed head of an elk hangs on the west wall. 
  n7. linen Closet
  Mag and Corrine sometimes sleep in this small room 
  where all the bed linens are stored, but only when their 
  uncle isn’t watching.
  n8. Private rooms
  These rooms rent for anywhere from 3 sp to 3 gp per 
  night and contain two single-person beds each, save the 
  easternmost, which houses a large four-poster, and the 
  southernmost, which has a more modest two-person bed. 
  The northern two rooms have private access to the inn’s 
  scenic balcony. 
  n9. Balcony Fireside
  Use of this common area is restricted to overnight guests 
  who wish to avoid the locals in the common room below, 
  and provides access to the outdoor balcony.
  n10. Bunk room
  This room is cramped and outfitted with four bunk beds; 
  an individual patron can room here for 1 sp per night.
  n11. The Cellar
  The floor of this large chamber is a combination of ill-
  fitting bricks and hard-packed dirt. Stout oaken beams 
  and posts serve as supports for the ceiling. Stored here 
  are bits of furniture, extra kegs of brew, and various other 
  items needed to run a roadside inn. The stairs lead up to 
  the back yard, and the northeast wall holds a large wine 
  rack, though only a third of its slots are occupied.
  31
  
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  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document. © 2000. Wizards of the Coast, Inc; Authors: Jonathan 
  Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave 
  Arneson.
  Daemon, Piscodaemon from the Tome of Horrors, Revised. © 2002, Necromancer 
  Games, Inc.; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material by Gary Gygax.
  The Book of Fiends. © 2003, Green Ronin Publishing; Authors: Aaron Loeb, Erik 
  Mona, Chris Pramas, and Robert J. Schwalb.
  Pathfinder Module: Tomb of the Iron Medusa. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: 
  Mike Shel.
  32
  ®
  ™
  
  Printed in China
  PZO9530
  Pathfinder Module 
  Tomb of the Iron Medusa
  Hidden in the remote southern range of the World’s Edge 
  Mountains lies a mysterious necropolis known in legend as 
  the Tomb of the Iron Medusa. When the last heir of the 
  dungeon’s long-dead noble builders hires the PCs 
  to explore the forlorn and deadly site in search 
  of evidence that may clear his family name, the 
  intrepid heroes soon find themselves in over their 
  heads. For the Tomb of the Iron Medusa does not give up 
  its secrets lightly, and the dangerous truths that lie within 
  its ancient, trap-laden crypts may have been hidden for very 
  good reasons indeed.
  Written by fan-favorite author Mike Shel, Tomb of the 
  Iron Medusa features an expansive necropolis of crypts and 
  tombs, all guarded by devious traps, strange puzzles, fiendish 
  monsters, bizarre creatures, and the undead remnants of a 
  once-powerful aristocracy.
  Tomb of the Iron Medusa is an adventure for 14th-level 
  characters, written for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and 
  compatible with the 3.5 edition of the world’s oldest RPG. 
  In addition to the adventure, this volume also features 
  a brand-new monster and a fully detailed borderland 
  inn that can serve as a place to begin the adventure, 
  or as a roadside tavern in any fantasy world. 
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  ™
  ®
  A Fallen Family, 
  An Ancient Curse
  
  F
  E
  B
  D3
  D1
  D2
  1 square = 5 feet
  1 square = 10 feet
  1 square = 50 feet
  1 square = 10 feet
  B
  C
  D
  F
  G2
  E
  E
  E
  G1
  E
  G3
  E
  E
  A
  A
  A
  A
  A
  A
  A
  A
  A
  A
  A
  A
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/Modules/Tomb of the Iron Medusa.pdf