TEXT: The World of Aden originAlly creATed by ShAne lAcy henSley
  Credits
  Written by: Shawn Carman
  Editing: Shawn Carman
  Interior Artwork: Daniel Moenster
  For Kyoudai Games
  Shawn Carman, Creative Department
  Rich Wulf, Mechanical Design
  Ryan Carman, Logistics & Development
   
  Butch Carman, Chief Financial Officer
  Mike Brodu, Graphic Design & Branding
  Original Graphic Design: Robert Denton
  In a region of the southern seas far from the Known Lands, known 
  for being even more barren than usual for that part of the world, there is 
  a small oasis of civilization that is open to all ships who cross the area. 
  Situated in a small, crescent-shaped island with a particularly deep lagoon, 
  the Bear’s Den is an all-purpose outpost for travelers, much like might be 
  found in the wilderness in the Known Lands. Lodging for a small number 
  of guests is available, as well as food and drink and basic adventuring and 
  seagoing supplies, not limited to rations, small metal fixtures for use on a 
  ship, and various other items that are extremely difficult to come by.
  Because of the scarcity of materials in the region, the Bear’s Den is 
  considered “neutral ground” by those who frequent the waters in the 
  region. Anyone who causes a disturbance there will be banned, and the 
  value of the goods they offer there is too high to be lost on account of 
  minor disagreements with other captains and their crews. Some have 
  attempted to seize control of the area and its suspected stockpile of goods, 
  but other crews have always come to the Den’s defense. 
  The location of the Bear’s Den is well known to all crews who frequent 
  the southern seas, even those who do not generally travel in its general 
  location. There are few enough safe havens amid the scattered islands 
  that those that do exist are generally well documented to everyone with 
  any knowledge of the seas at all. The symbol of the Bear’s Den is a red 
  crescent flag with a black bear footprint on it, and the highest point on 
  the island his home to a tall metal pole that flies a large banner with this 
  symbol. Although it is hard to make out from any significant distance, 
  those who are on the lookout for it can find it easily with a spyglass once 
  they are in the appropriate region
  Because of its distance from the mainland, the Bear’s Den does a brisk 
  trade in barter as well as traditional coin. They cannot offer as much for 
  goods as merchants on the mainland, of course, but no one expects them 
  to because their rates are quite close. The Den stocks a surprisingly wide 
  variety of normal adventuring goods at only slightly more than mainland 
  prices. The items that Uros Cern and his partner, the crafter Abayomi, sell 
  1
  
  look a little rough around the edges, clearly having been crafted there 
  on the island, but are as sturdy as anything found in the finest shops in 
  places like Strangemont or Balaquim.
  Surprisingly, the Bear’s Den also purchases items from travelers. 
  Again, the prices they offer are not as good as the mainland, but there 
  are no other independent merchant outposts that will purchase things 
  outright. Cern, the proprietor, enjoys fishing and is quite good at it, 
  so there is always fresh food available for travelers to purchase. Some 
  days it is fried fish, some days it is stew, some days it might be some 
  game from elsewhere on the island, but there is always something there. 
  Abayomi periodically brews very large quantities of ale, which is also 
  available for purchase at any time. The Den itself has enough room to 
  lodge eight guests, but there are tents available at no charge for other 
  ship crew members who may want to sleep off of the ship while it is 
  moored in the harbor. There are a great many maritime stories that 
  involve a raucous party on the shore of the Bear’s Den. 
  The Secret  
  of the Bear’s Den
  Uros Cern and his partners are nowhere near as altruistic as they 
  would have their customers believe. They do find it a good and decent 
  thing to ensure that sailors in their desolate little corner of the sea have 
  everything that they need to survive, and they are willing to accept 
  either coin or barter, whatever a needy customer might have available, 
  but their motivations are far more mercenary than they appear, and their 
  prices are not a function of necessity, but rather avarice.
  Years ago, Uros was on the run from a party of adventurers who had 
  discovered he had not been taking only his fair share of their spoils. As 
  a result, he found himself alone on the southern seas with a small boat 
  to call his own and very little else. He made a meager living for himself 
  by forging out in the wake of storms and salvaging what he could 
  from larger ships that were destroyed by the elements, or by picking 
  over whatever might be left when a pirate battle took place. It wasn’t 
  anything extravagant, but it did let him survive without having to really 
  work, which was the one thing he hated above all else. In the wake of 
  one such scavenging outing, Uros noted that a particularly large ship 
  had been dashed on the rock by a storm near a small island. On a lark, 
  he went to see if anyone might be shipwrecked, reasoning that they 
  might be feeling quite generous to their rescuers.
  Uros’s gambit paid off far more than he could have imagined. There 
  was only a single survivor, an unconscious man who had washed up 
  on shore with a terrible head wound that would doubtless kill him 
  without attention. Uros realized from the man’s attire that he was in 
  fact a very powerful wizard, and further realized this was an incred-
  ible opportunity. To his meager credit, the thought of killing the man 
  while he remained unconscious to take his personal possessions, worth 
  more than Uros would make in six months of scavenging, did not even 
  occur to him. Instead, he spent the next six days on the small island, 
  using everything he knew from his time in the military and what he had 
  learned about herbalism and the local flora to keep the castaway alive 
  and recovering. Just when Uros feared his efforts might have been in 
  vain, the man finally awoke. 
  Jerrus Lefevre was a former citizen of Le’Ciel who had sought 
  adventure in virtually every corner of the Known Lands, but who had 
  unfortunately met his match on the deck of a sailing ship when, in a 
  drunken attempt to quell the fury of the storm, he was struck by light-
  ning before his protective spells had been completed. The strike was 
  truly spectacular, nearly killing Jerrus and ultimately causing the ship’s 
  demise as well, but fate had spared the adventurous spellcaster and 
  stranded him on a distant island. Lefevre was aware that his life was 
  only saved thanks to Uros and, in a somewhat uncharacteristic fit of 
  generosity, offered Uros three favors in gratitude for saving his life.
  For once, Cern thought very carefully about his answer before he 
  gave it, asking Lefevre several questions about his capabilities as 
  a spellcaster. His first request was for a sizeable sum of money that 
  he could use to begin a new life wherever he wished, which was well 
  within Lefevre’s means to provide. Moments before asking for his 
  second favor, transport back to the mainland, Uros had an idea. On a 
  whim, he instead asked for two permanent teleportation circles, one 
  on the island and one in Balaquim, allowing him to move back and 
  forth between the two as he wished. Obviously annoyed at such a costly 
  series of requests, Lefevre nevertheless kept his word and provided 
  them, then promptly went on his way, never to be seen by Cern again. 
  The ferran golemoid knew that his newfound fortune would allow 
  him to live the luxurious lifestyle he desired, but also that it would not 
  last indefinitely. For that, he would need additional income, and the tele-
  port circles were the key to how he would achieve that. Having spent 
  several years roaming the southern seas, Uros knew how difficult it was 
  to secure supplies in that area. Unfortunately, he also knew the value of 
  the circle and that there were plenty of individuals who would take it 
  from him if it was not kept secret. So over the next few months, even as 
  he enjoyed his newfound comfort in Balaquim, Uros transported mate-
  rials through the circles to the island where he found Lefevre, and used 
  them to construct a small, meager outpost. Less than a year after discov-
  ering the injured man, Uros was set to open for business. 
  Uros Cern
  Owner of the Bear’s Den * CR 7
  Male ferran brute (polar bear) golemoid (juggernaut) 8
  N medium humanoid (ferran)
  Init +4; Senses Low-Light Vision Perception +11
  Defense
  AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 19 (+9 armor, +0 deflection, +0 Dex)
  hp 76
  Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +2
  2
  
  Offense
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee Unarmed slam attack +13/+8 (1d10+6)
  Ranged +1 pistol +9/+4 (damage)
  Statistics
  Str 18, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 12
  Base Atk +8/+3, CMB +12; CMD 22
  Feats Improved Initiative, Juggernaut Punch, Manite Blood, 
  Toughness, Weapon Focus (slam attack)
  Skills Disable Device +12, Intimidate +15, Perception +11, Profession 
  (Merchant) +11, Survival +11
  Languages Eastern Common, Western Common
  SQ Interchangeable Parts, Manite Implants (minor (body 
  compartment, internal toolkit, minor luminescent implants, minor 
  resistance generator, momentum manipulator, nocturnal vision 
  enhancement), basic (combat precognition, fist cannon, integrated 
  armor, steam breath, utility arm), advanced (combustion breath, 
  greater empowered strikes)), Steam Mastery, Steam Reserve (11), True 
  Golemoid
  Combat Gear +1 pistol, integrated full plate armor, 3 points of cure 
  moderate wounds
  Uros Cern is not an evil being. He is, however, remarkably concerned 
  with his own comfort and well-being. His departure from Ionara, while 
  clouded in mystery to those who have known him since that time, was 
  for running a black market goods scheme in the barracks where he was 
  stationed. No one was harmed because of his efforts, but the Ionaran 
  government nevertheless was prepared to place him in prison before he 
  slipped out of the country, forewarned by a sympathetic insider. After 
  making his way far enough south to ensure he would not be pursued, 
  Cern fell in with an adventuring group that explored the uninhabited 
  islands of the southern seas and seeking out whatever wealth could be 
  found there. For some time, he was able to control his avarice, but even-
  tually, Cern began concealing items he discovered rather than placing 
  them in the communal pile to be sold and divided among the group. 
  When his actions were discovered, he was ousted from the group, 
  leading to his discovery of the wizard Lefevre and his eventual creation 
  of the Bear’s Den as described above.
  The Bear’s Den is a profitable enterprise, and Cern has discovered 
  that he enjoys it. His lifestyle in Balaquim is quite comfortable, and 
  the money that the Den brings in is enough to maintain it. With his 
  greed slaked, Cern’s attitude has become more altruistic than ever 
  before. When travelers he knows well fall on hard times, Cern is happy 
  to extend them an open line of credit or even quietly give them aid 
  without expectation of repayment. These are behaviors that would be 
  completely alien to anyone who knew Cern in Ionara or in the years 
  immediately thereafter. 
  “Abayomi”
  Triplet Crafter * CR 4
  Male human expert 5
  CN medium humanoid (human)
  Init +1; Senses - Perception +1
  Defense
  AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +0 Dex)
  hp 26
  Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5
  Offense
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee hammer +3 (damage)
  Ranged sling +4 (damage)
  Statistics
  Str 10, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 10
  Base Atk +3, CMB +3; CMD 14
  Feats Skill Focus (Hamadi has it for Craft (Armor), Manu for Craft 
  (Alchemy), and Sabah for Craft (Weapons))
  Skills Craft (Alchemy) +11 (+14 for Manu), Craft (Armor) +11 
  (+14 for Hamadi), Craft (Bows) +11, Craft (Machinery) +11, Craft 
  (Weapons) +11 (+14 for Sabah), Profession (Merchant) +9
  Languages Eastern Common, Western Common (Manu also speaks 
  Sylvan but pretends not to because his brothers would not be able to 
  replicate the fact when they are playing the role of Abayomi)
  Combat Gear Leather crafter’s apron (counts as leather armor)
  Other Gear Masterwork crafting tools (variety of disciplines)
  “Abayomi” is the craftsman who makes the majority of goods avail-
  able at the Bear’s Den, or so most people believe (because they are told 
  so by Cern or by Abayomi himself). While there is a shade of truth to 
  the statement, the majority of it is a grotesque falsehood. To begin with, 
  “Abayomi” is not his real name, and he is not even a he; he is a they.
  Hamadi, Manu, and Sabah are triplets born in a small village in the 
  outskirts of Balaquim. Although Yzeem is a nation with comparatively 
  little hunger or poverty, the triplets had several older siblings and their 
  parents struggled to feed everyone. When they reached adolescence, 
  the triplets decided to ease the burden and made their way to the port 
  city looking for a life of adventure. Obviously, at their age, that was not 
  something that they found easily.
  Despite the odds, however, the triplets managed to survive. They 
  were cunning and lucky, and had a lot of experience making and 
  repairing basic items from around their home and village. By the time 
  they had reached their late teens, the triplets had gotten good enough 
  that various ship crews used them to help resupply, and they had saved 
  enough to buy a dingy little two-room apartment near the docks. It was 
  a meager existence, one half-step above poverty, but the triplets were 
  independent and felt as if they had succeeded in their goal.
  That was roughly the time that they met Uros Cern.
  Cern recognized the ability of the triplets to craft a wide variety of 
  items from secondary materials for minimal cost, a process that resulted 
  in sturdy items that had a very primitive look to them. Their goods 
  were ideal for his burgeoning idea concerning the Bear’s Den, and he 
  approached them with a deal. Every day, one triplet would come with 
  Cern through the circle to a distant island and help him run a shop for 
  pirates, explorers, and merchants, while the other two would remain 
  home and craft items to be sold in the shop. The items would be sold 
  at a reasonable mark-up from typical prices in Balaquim, and the trip-
  lets would earn a small commission on every item they sold. It was 
  perhaps a few pennies less than what they might earn selling their goods 
  in Balaquim, but the location was exotic and exciting, and they would 
  be selling a much larger volume of goods. They talked about it amongst 
  themselves briefly, but there was no real doubt: the triplets were ready 
  to commit to the project.
  Each of the triplets spends every third day on the island, and while 
  they are there, they take on the role of Abayomi. Abayomi brags that he 
  can craft almost anything in three days’ time, and makes a careful list of 
  any non-standard items ordered by the Den’s customers on the day he is 
  there. Then, upon returning to Balaquim, the triplet in question spends 
  the next two days creating anything needed on the list before returning 
  with a fulfilled order on his next island day.
  3
  
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  System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by  
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  Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Inc.; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
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  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide. © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, 
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  Jason Nelson, Tork Shaw, Owen KC Stephens, and Russ Taylor.
  Thunderscape: The World of Aden. © 2013 Kyoudai Games, LLC; Authors: Shawn Carman and Rich Wulf.
  Thunderscape The Aden Gazette #2, The Bear’s Den. © 2018 Kyoudai Games, LLC; Author: Shawn Carman.
  4
  
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