TEXT: A  GAMEMASTERY
  TM   ADVENTURE PATH
  Curse of the Crimson throne
  Curse of the Crimson throne
  Old Korvosa
  By Richard Pett
  from
  Escape
  
  Magistrates
  Arb iters
  Aristocracy
  Monarchy
  House 
  Arkona
  House 
  Leroung
  House 
  Ornelos
  House 
  Zenderhol m
  House 
  Jeggare
  Korvosan Hierarchy
  King Eodred
  Arabasti II
  Senrschal
  Neolandus Kalepo polis
  Queen Ileosa
  Arabasti
  Order of the Nail
  Sab ina 
  Merrin
  Lictor Severs 
  Diviri
  Mistress of Blades
  Maidrayne Vox
  Paravicar
  Acill mar
  Korvosan 
  Guard
  Sable 
  Company
  Field Marshall
  Cressida  Kroft
  Commandant
  Marcus T halassinus
  Commerce: Garrick Tann
  Expenditures: Syk Gar
  Regulation: Lolia Perenne
  T ourism: Mercer Cucuteni
  Senior Arb iter
  Zenob ia Zenderhol m
  Lesser Arb iters
  
  ADVENTURE PATH      PART 3 of 6
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  Escape from
  old Korvosa
  
  TM
  “Escape from Old Korvosa” is a Pathfinder Adventure Path scenario designed for four 7th-level characters. By the end of this adventure, characters should reach 10th level. This adventure is compliant with the Open 
  Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the world’s most popular fantasy roleplaying game. The OGL can be found on page 92 of this product.
  Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper 
  names (characters, deities, artifacts, places, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, language, concepts, incidents, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress.
  Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the contents of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming 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. To learn more about the Open Game License and the d20 
  System License, please visit wizards.com/d20.
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  All Rights Reserved. Printed in China.
  Credits
  Editor-in-Chief • James Jacobs
  Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson
  Managing Editor • F. Wesley Schneider
  Editors • Mike McArtor and James L. Sutter
  Editorial Assistance • Christopher Self, Jeremy Walker, and Vic Wertz
  Graphic Design Assistance • Drew Pocza
  Managing Art Director • James Davis
  Production Manager • Jeff Alvarez
  Brand Manager • Jason Bulmahn
  Director of Sales & Marketing • Joshua J. Frost
  Sales & Marketing Assistant • Carolyn Mull
  Publisher • Erik Mona
  Cover Artist
  Wayne Reynolds
  Cartographer
  Rob Lazzaretti
  Contributing Artists
  Julie Dillon, Andrew Hou, JZConcepts, Eva Widermann, Ben Wootten
  Contributing Authors
  Brian Cortijo, Joshua J. Frost, James Jacobs, Nicolas Logue, Richard Pett, Amber Scott, Owen K. C. Stephens
  Paizo CEO • Lisa Stevens
  Corporate Accountant • Dave Erickson
  Staff Accountant • Christopher Self
  Technical Director • Vic Wertz
  Vice President of Operations •  Jeff Alvarez
  Special Thanks
  The Paizo Customer Service and Warehouse Teams
  
  table of Contents
  Foreword	
  4
  Escape	From	Old	Korvosa	
  6
  by Richard Pett
   
  Faces	of	the	Earthbound	Evils	
  60
  by Owen K. C. Stephens
  The	Red	Mantis	
  66
  by Nicolas Logue and James Jacobs
  Pathfinder’s	Journal	
  72
  by Amber Scott
  Bestiary	
  78 
  by Brian Cortijo, Joshua J. Frost, James Jacobs, 
  and Richard Pett
  Pregenerated	Characters 
  90 
   
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  4
  M
  ike McArtor designed Korvosa. He built it up from 
  scratch in his Guide to Korvosa, and did a damn 
  fine job at it. Now and then during office chats 
  or meetings, he even slips into the Korvosan mindset 
  when we talk about Varisians or “those stinky hippies in 
  Abken.” It’s best not to mention Magnimar at all around 
  Mike unless you’re deriding its citizens in some way.
  So it’s natural that I’m taking great pleasure in 
  watching the authors of Curse of the Crimson Throne 
  tear the place apart.
  Every time a riot runs rampant through the streets, an 
  otyugh bursts up from a sewer, or any of the nobles get 
  badmouthed, I make sure to call out across the editorial 
  pit to keep Mike updated. But even though the previous 
  two adventures have featured riots and plagues, they 
  were nothing compared to what I wanted Rich Pett to 
  inflict upon Old Korvosa. This month, we’ve got burning 
  buildings, ruined bridges, frenzied mobs of criminals, 
  sinkholes and ruins, and even the opportunity to take 
  one of the city’s oldest noble families and crush them 
  underfoot, bringing hundreds of years of tradition to an 
  end. Mike won’t care that the “tradition” in question is 
  one based on cruelty and murder, of course. He’ll just be 
  sad to see the Arkonas go.
  But at the same point, if Mike did his job in Guide to 
  Korvosa (and I’m pretty confident he did), your players 
  should be feeling about the same by now. They’ve been 
  part of Korvosa for two adventures so far, and even 
  though what they’ve seen are primarily riots and plagues, 
  it’s still home for their PCs. What Queen Ileosa is doing 
  should enrage them, and by the end of this adventure, 
  they should finally have a plan for what to do with her. 
  Unfortunately for them—there’s an awful lot of rakshasas 
  in the way.
  Better than Devils!
  It’s no real secret that I’m a big fan of the game’s rich 
  tradition of demons—I’ve just always preferred the chaos 
  Tearing Down Korvosa
  
  Foreword
  5
  of the Abyss to the rigidity of Hell, I guess. That’s not to 
  say, of course, that I don’t appreciate the lawful evil end of 
  things, but when it comes to lawful evil outsiders, devils 
  aren’t my favorite. My favorite scheming, plotting, law-
  abiding fiends have long been the rakshasas. To a certain 
  extent, this was because they had a really interesting feel 
  of unexplored history to me, but also, two additional 
  sources served to up my rakshasa interest.
  First, we have issue #84 of Dragon magazine, which 
  had Scott Bennie’s absolutely fascinating article called 
  “Never the Same Thing Twice.” Not only did this article 
  reveal to me the fact that there was a lot more about 
  the monster beyond its brief quarter-page entry in the 
  Monster Manual, but it did something I hadn’t really seen 
  done yet. It provided an actual hierarchy of monsters 
  based on this single entry. All of a sudden, there were 
  rakshasa knights and lords where, a moment before, 
  there had been only one. Furthermore, the article gave 
  them some really intriguing flavor by embracing the 
  traditional Indian mythology. It also revealed that they 
  all have different animal heads, not just tiger heads. It 
  even gave the rakshasas a god: Ravanna, a murderous 
  immortal with multiple heads!
  Second, there was F. Paul Wilson’s excellent novel, 
  The Tomb. This novel not only became part of his six-
  book Adversary Cycle, but also gave us Repairman Jack, 
  a protagonist who’s become Wilson’s most popular 
  character and the focus of his own line of novels. In any 
  event, the creatures Jack faces in The Tomb are savage, 
  brutal, and almost-impossible-to-kill monsters from 
  India called (you guessed it) rakoshi. While the rakoshi 
  are certainly different than this game’s scheming animal-
  headed outsiders… they’re very clearly based on the same 
  myths as the rakshasas.
  Both The Tomb and “Never the Same Thing Twice” were 
  published in 1984, as it turns out (although, like Stephen 
  King, Clive Barker, and Dean Koontz, my introduction 
  to F. Paul Wilson and The Tomb wouldn’t occur until 
  the next year, thanks to my wonderful Grandma, who’s 
  probably as big a fan of the horror genre as I am!). It 
  was the interaction of these two works that eventually 
  culminated in my third published adventure, “Twilight’s 
  Last Gleaming,” back in Dungeon #35, which featured a 
  rakshasa maharaja I named Loliadac (after a friend in 
  high school suddenly shrieked that name without cause 
  or reason after he fell asleep during one of our late-night 
  D&D games).
  e. Gary GyGax (1938–2008)
  I’m writing this foreword only four days after the death 
  of another author whose work has influenced my life—
  perhaps to a far greater extent than any other, in fact. I’m 
  talking, of course, about E. Gary Gygax, the co-creator of 
  Dungeons & Dragons.
  Gary was a guest at our booth at Gen Con 2007, but as 
  my schedule worked out, I was not at our booth either 
  time he was there signing books and talking to fans. 
  As I returned to the booth, he was leaving for his next 
  event. He seemed genuinely happy to be at Gen Con, to be 
  talking to his fans, and to be a part of the hobby he helped 
  invent and shape.
  My first exposure to D&D was in 5th grade. My teacher, 
  Spencer Brooks, divided the class up into groups and ran us 
  through a dungeon he designed during alternating lunch 
  breaks, and when a group finished an encounter, someone 
  had to write up that encounter as a short story. My first 
  actual D&D product was the red box, a reward I earned for 
  going door to door selling gift cards to my neighbors. And 
  the first time I realized Gygax was the type of guy I’d like to 
  meet someday was when I picked up my copy of Expedition to 
  the Barrier Peaks. Down there on the map of the second level 
  of the strange metal cave, the walls spelled out a word if you 
  looked at that section of the map upside down: EGG. I can’t 
  remember how long it took me to figure out it was a hidden 
  signature. That was when I realized the guy who invented 
  my favorite game was probably really cool in real life.
  Yet I never met him face to face. I exchanged a few 
  emails with him during the course of various Dungeon 
  projects, but that was about it. Nevertheless, his work has 
  probably been the single most important influence on my 
  life as a whole outside of my family. The majority of my 
  friends today I met through a shared love of D&D, and I 
  certainly owe my career to him. He seemed like a guy I 
  could listen to for as long as he’d be willing to put up with 
  me sitting there.
  I never met Gary Gygax. But I miss him like I had.
  James Jacobs
  Editor-in-Chief
  james.jacobs@paizo.com
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  6
  Escape from Old Korvosa
  T
  he queen’s madness grows. Her paranoia and anger blossom. Her newfound 
  powers quicken, unlocked by the merging of her soul with a fragment of the great 
  blue wyrm Kazavon. She sees Korvosa now as populated by two castes—slaves 
  and enemies. The city, already weakened by anarchy after her husband’s death, 
  now staggers in the aftershocks of the plague. Korvosa’s defenders have either shut 
  themselves away or are so exhausted from recent events that it is a simple matter 
  for Queen Ileosa’s new army—the Gray Maidens—to establish martial law. Old 
  Korvosa is the first of her victims, cut off and quarantined, left to die of its own 
  internal strife. Yet in this dying district languishes the city’s salvation—if only it 
  can escape from Old Korvosa in time.
  CURSE OF THE CRIMSON THRONE : CHAPTER THREE
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  7
  Adventure BAckground
  Korvosa was built over a foundation of evil. Although they 
  remained sealed away in a hidden vault below the Castle 
  until very recently, the Fangs of Kazavon have not lain quiet 
  over the centuries. The fragment of Kazavon’s spirit lodged 
  in these relics knew that someday they would be discovered 
  and released. Yet inside the hidden vault his spirit could 
  do little to influence the minds of the thousands that it 
  felt, so agonizingly close, in the growing city above. Now 
  and then, though, a particularly susceptible mind rose in 
  Korvosa, a mind whose thoughts and emotions were, for 
  whatever cruel twist of fate, more open to the lingering 
  presence of the ancient dragon. As these minds slept, 
  Kazavon could whisper to them, and in so doing he hoped 
  to lure one into the castle to release him, to become a vessel 
  for his building power.
  Yet time and again, Kazavon’s whispers to these tortured, 
  sensitive souls backfired. Instead of fostering a sense of 
  loyalty, he fostered only madness. Left to their own devices, 
  these impressionable victims would have developed in 
  their own rights as talented artists or poets, but with 
  Kazavon’s influence, they became murderers, rapists, or 
  suicides. Queen Illeosa’s discovery of the Fangs of Kazavon 
  was an unforeseen accident, one Kazavon took advantage 
  of immediately. He abandoned his current “projects” in 
  the city, seven sensitive men and women with whom he 
  had slowly been making strides. The loss of their muse 
  was a tragedy for these seven—living their lives at times 
  comforted and others horrified by Kazavon’s whispers, 
  they had grown accustomed to his faint voice in their 
  dreams. For six of the seven, the loss of that voice was too 
  much to bear—they quietly killed themselves, becoming 
  six more nameless victims in the wake of the anarchy 
  and the plague. Only one lives to this day—a moody but 
  talented painter named Salvator Scream.
  Born Salvator Bevery, this struggling young artist was 
  kicked out of his home by his father, a devout Abadarian 
  who found the gruesome paintings created by his son 
  sadistic and evil. Seeking shelter with several of his artist 
  friends who dwelt in a flat in Old Korvosa, Salvator swiftly 
  found regular work creating backdrops and other paintings 
  for Pilts Swastel, purveyor of all things grisly and vile for 
  the city’s most notorious playhouse, Exemplary Execrables. 
  It was at Pilts’s suggestion that Salvator changed his 
  surname to “Scream,” since that helped Pilts market the 
  man’s violent art even better.
  Salvator Scream’s work drew many eyes and admirers, 
  and not just among the regulars at Exemplary Execrables. 
  His work became a favorite of many noble families and other 
  prominent citizens, who found his subjects shocking and 
  safely scandalous—among them the seneschal of Castle 
  Korvosa, Neolandus Kalepopolis. Neolandus was more 
  interested in the artist than the art, and after attending a 
  showing of “Tears of Abendego” at Exemplary Execrables 
  (a performance he found distasteful at best), he met the 
  young artist. The two formed a fast friendship, one of the 
  few in Salvator’s life, and their meetings at various eateries 
  to discuss art, history, and religion became a weekly event 
  in both their lives—one that Kalepopolis, always a private 
  man, kept relatively secret.
   So when he survived an attempt on his life by the Red 
  Mantis and was forced to flee his home in the Castle, wounded 
  and poisoned, it was to Salvator’s doorstep Neolandus fled. 
  With the aid of Salvator and his network of contacts in the 
  Old Korvosan artistic underworld, Neolandus managed to 
  both recover from his wounds and avoid the Red Mantis. 
  Yet as things in Korvosa grew worse, and the Red Mantis 
  grew closer to discovering him, Neolandus realized that 
  he needed to find a new hiding place. Salvator had just the 
  patron in mind—the Arkonas. Long a fan of his grisly work, 
  Glorio Arkona (who was, in fact, actually a rakshasa named 
  Bahor) gracefully agreed to hide Neolandus in his estate as a 
  favor to Salvator. Of course, gaining control of the seneschal 
  played perfectly into the Arkonas’ plans to upset the queen, 
  for according to Korvosan law, only the seneschal can legally 
  depose a corrupt monarch. Neolandus has become little 
  more than a caged pet to the Arkonas, an insurance policy 
  they’re waiting patiently to cash in while Old Korvosa grows 
  more desperate.
  Today, Old Korvosa is cut off. Quarantined and forgotten, 
  the island has been left to fend for itself. The Arkonas 
  have retained control over Fort Korvosa but the majority 
  of Endrin Isle has fallen to the mob—a mob increasingly 
  under the control of a man who calls himself the Emperor 
  of Old Korvosa, and who, in his previous life, was none 
  other than Pilts Swastel. His control over Old Korvosa 
  grows by the week, and one of his most recent acquisitions 
  is Salvator Scream, one of the only men in Korvosa who 
  knows that Neolandus has a secret that could tear the 
  city apart. That the seneschal suspects the truth behind 
  Queen Ileosa’s madness and what must be done to stop it 
  is the seneschal’s greatest secret—once this information 
  spreads, Queen Ileosa will spare nothing to see him dead, 
  and might well burn Old Korvosa to the ground to do it.
  Adventure Synopsis
  This adventure begins with the leader of the Sable Company 
  attempting an assassination of Queen Ileosa—an attempt 
  that backfires horribly as the queen reveals the extent of 
  her power granted by Kazavon and the Crown of Fangs. In 
  the aftermath of this event, the PCs receive word that, on 
  quarantined Old Korvosa, their old friend Vencarlo might 
  have discovered something of great import regarding the 
  queen. The PCs brave the anarchic streets of Old Korvosa 
  only to find Vencarlo missing and his home transformed 
  into a Red Mantis ambush. Following a trail of clues, the 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  8
  Harrow Point Uses
  In “Escape from Old Korvosa,” the PCs are faced with 
  numerous situations where reasoning, logic, and attention 
  to detail can save lives. Disabling deadly traps, discovering 
  hidden clues, and being able to recognize threats for what 
  they are (and to know about the key weaknesses of certain 
  monsters, like the rakshasas) can make all the difference. 
  During this adventure, a character can spend his Harrow 
  Points in the following ways.
  Intelligence Rerolls: Spend a Harrow Point to reroll any 
  one Intelligence-based skill check. You must abide by the 
  new result (although if you have additional Harrow Points 
  remaining, you can use them to attempt additional rerolls).
  Flash of Insight: Spend a Harrow Point to be able to 
  make a skill check in an untrained skill you don’t normally 
  have ranks in. You gain a one-time +5 insight bonus on 
  this skill check.
  Arcane Wrath: Spend a Harrow Point to increase the 
  strength of an arcane spell as it is cast. This spell gains a +2 
  bonus on its save DC, a +4 bonus on its caster level check 
  to overcome spell resistance, and a +2 bonus on any attack 
  rolls needed to strike the target.
  tHe CHosen
  In addition, the card a PC draws during the choosing has 
  special qualities during this adventure. Each of these cards 
  is tied to a specific encounter in “Escape from Old Korvosa,” 
  and when a PC who drew that card reaches that encounter, 
  he gains a +2 bonus on all rolls modified by Intelligence, 
  and all arcane spells cast by him manifest at +1 caster level. 
  These bonuses last for the encounter’s duration.
  The Hidden Truth: Combat with Vimanda
  The Wanderer: Combat with Sivit the darksphinx
  The Joke: Encounters involving Pilts Swastel
  The Inquisitor: Combat with Senshiir the beatific one
  The Foreign Trader: Encounters involving Laori Vaus
  The Vison: Encounters involving Salvator Scream
  The Rakshasa: Encounters involving Bahor/Glorio Arkona
  The Idiot: Games of Blood Pig
  The Snakebite: Combats against Red Mantis assassins
  PCs learn that a strange artist named Salvator Scream likely 
  knows where Vencarlo went, as well as what information sent 
  the teacher into such a state in the first place. Unfortunately, 
  Salvator is now securely in the hands of a petty warlord who 
  calls himself the Emperor of Old Korvosa.
  After dealing with the Emperor and interrogating 
  Salvator, the PCs learn the secret—the seneshal of Korvosa 
  still lives! He, and likely Vencarlo now, is in the clutches 
  of the notorious Arkona family, the self-styled rulers of 
  Old Korvosa. The PCs visit Palace Arkona only to learn 
  that its patriarch has secrets of his own. In order to rescue 
  Vencarlo and the seneschal and learn the awful truth 
  behind the queen’s mysterious power and rising cruelty, 
  the PCs must brave the infamous Vivified Labyrinth below 
  Palace Arkona and then escape from Old Korvosa alive.
  The Third Harrowing
  In “Edge of Anarchy,” the PCs gained a powerful magic 
  item—Zellara’s Harrow Deck. As indicated in the previous 
  adventure, this Harrow deck plays a recurring role 
  throughout Curse of the Crimson Throne. “Escape from 
  Old Korvosa” is tied to the suit of Books in a Harrow 
  deck—and by extension, to Intelligence.
  Zellara’s spirit haunts her Harrow deck, and at several 
  points during this Adventure Path, she can perform a 
  special Harrow reading to grant her chosen heroes, the 
  PCs, advantages over what is to come in the adventure. Not 
  long after the PCs defeat the cultists of Urgathoa and save 
  Korvosa from the plague, Zellara senses Ileosa’s growing 
  strength, but does not yet know what it signifies. She uses 
  her empathic link to instill an urge to perform a Harrow 
  reading in the mind of the PC who carries her deck. If that 
  PC doesn’t comply soon by using her cards to perform a 
  reading, she takes matters into her own hands once she sees 
  the PCs are alone by creating a major image of herself and 
  performing the reading. When you do this reading, take 
  pains to interpret the cards from the past to dwell upon 
  events (either of the campaign world or each PC’s life) that 
  involved despotic overlords and cruel dictators. When you 
  get to cards representing the present, focus on metaphors 
  that relate to Korvosa’s current woes, particularly the 
  growing sense of oppression, martial law, and the fact that 
  the queen herself might be seeking the PCs’ deaths. For 
  the cards representing the future, get grim—interpret the 
  cards as ghosts and demonic animals (particularly tigers 
  and mantises) who plague the living, metaphors that place 
  life as a cruel and vindictive play or other work of art, and 
  recurring themes of beautiful women with ashen skin and 
  blank faces (to symbolize the Gray Maidens). As a particular 
  note, if the Rakshasa card comes up in the reading, you 
  might want to give the role that card plays in the reading 
  particular attention—focusing on its interpretations of 
  dominance or freedom from enslavement, depending on 
  its alignment in the spread.
  PArt one:  
  Into the dyIng cIty
  With the end of the blood veil plague, Korvosa settles into 
  a wounded silence. At first, it seems as if the city is healing 
  and recovering from the tragedies she has suffered, but it 
  should soon become apparent that the damage done to 
  Korvosa during the riots after Eodred II’s death and the 
  plague itself might have been even greater than anyone 
  feared. The streets are dull and muted, strangely empty 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  9
  except for when markets quietly open. People seem 
  to be more interested in staying home than going out, 
  and when they do, they shamble quickly and quietly to 
  their destination and conduct their business swiftly. 
  The Order of the Nail has withdrawn from Korvosa, 
  retreating to Citadel Vraid for the first time in Korvosa’s 
  history—some whisper the Hellknights are planning a 
  full-scale invasion of Korvosa to seize control, but more 
  knowledgeable sources know that dozens of Hellknights 
  perished or failed to uphold their charges during the 
  recent events, and that Lictor Severs has recalled his 
  troops to punish them for these failures. City temples 
  have their hands full tracking down the last remaining 
  pockets of sick in the city or disposing of the dead, and the 
  Academae has kept its doors shut and resources ensconced 
  for the duration, apparently hoping to wait out these 
  troubled times. Both the Korvosan Guard and the Sable 
  Company took staggering hits to both their personnel 
  and morale. The commanders of both organizations talk 
  about recruitment drives to replenish their ranks, yet 
  helping Korvosa recover remains their primary goal—a 
  goal made difficult by Queen Ileosa’s reduced support. 
  Yet the queen is not ignoring Korvosa. The energy and 
  support once lent to the Korvosan Guard is now funneled 
  into a new order of peacekeepers—the enigmatic Gray 
  Maidens. Even as the number of Korvosan Guards on the 
  streets seems to dwindle, the presence of these armored 
  warrior women increases. Regular patrols of Gray 
  Maidens march along the major streets, and rumors of 
  strike forces breaking into homes and buildings reputed 
  to house those who voiced dissenting opinions of the 
  monarchy are growing. Old Korvosa remains under tight 
  quarantine, with troops of Gray Maidens stationed along 
  the Narrows and patrolling the Jeggare in swift warships 
  to ensure that no one gets off Endrin Isle—the plumes 
  of smoke as buildings burn and the periodic roars of 
  riots that echo down from Old Korvosa alone are enough 
  to warn away the curious. No one mentions the words 
  “martial law” yet, but they hover on every tongue.
  Feel free to give the PCs as much time as they want to 
  recover from the events of “Seven Days to the Grave” before 
  starting this adventure. The Pathfinder Chronicles Guide to 
  Korvosa can help fill out any adventures the PCs might go on 
  during this time, but the atmosphere of oppression and fear 
  that fills Korvosa should continue, making the city a very 
  different place than the one presented in Guide to Korvosa. 
  Furthermore, depending on how the PCs dealt with the Gray 
  Maidens and the discovery of links between the plague and 
  Queen Ileosa, they might not even be able to openly walk 
  the streets of Korvosa. If they’ve publicly decried the queen 
  and tried to prove she was responsible for the plague, the 
  PCs quickly find that her hold over Korvosa is even stronger 
  than it appears. Even if they’ve kept their suspicions quiet 
  (which is what allies like Field Marshall Cressida Kroft, 
  Ishani, and Grau Soldado all suggest if consulted), the queen 
  knows of their involvement in the disruption of the Queen’s 
  Physicians and the cult of Urgathoa, and it isn’t long before 
  she sends Red Mantis assassins after them.
  The Crown of Fangs Revealed
  This event is best handled off-stage. The PCs should 
  certainly hear about the aftermath of this event soon 
  enough, though. There’s too much opportunity for PCs to 
  get in over their heads if they’re on site when Queen Ileosa 
  makes her first public appearance since the botched attempt 
  to execute Trina Sabor at the end of “Edge of Anarchy.”
  Since that time, Queen Ileosa has been busy. Not only has 
  she helped orchestrate the plague and establish a new order 
  of the city’s military, she collected the Fangs of Kazavon and, 
  using her influence with certain high-ranking individuals 
  in Korvosa’s Acadamae (namely a powerful bloatmage 
  wizard named Togomor: an obese and constantly sweating 
  man who hides the leeches he uses to control his blood 
  with voluminous red robes), and the fleeting memories of 
  Kazavon in her mind, she bound the Fangs of Kazavon into a 
  new badge of her office—the Crown of Fangs.
  Her new crown complete, Queen Ileosa announces a 
  public address when it becomes clear the plague is coming 
  to an end. In attendance at this address at the queen’s 
  side are her bodyguard and lover Sabina Merrin (clad in 
  her breathtaking and intimidating suit of Gray Maiden 
  armor), her new advisor and ally Togomor (whom she 
  announces has taken up the duties of castle seneschal), the 
  commander of the Korvosan Guard Cressida Kroft, and 
  the commandant of the Sable Company Marcus Endrin. 
  In the days to follow, many speak of how ill-at-ease Marcus 
  appeared, as if they knew at the time what the desperate 
  commandant had planned all along.
  Queen Ileosa announces triumphantly that the plague 
  has been defeated, although unfortunately at the cost of 
  Doctor Davalus’s life. The good doctor’s body, she goes on, 
  has already been shipped back to Cheliax for burial in his 
  family vault, and the order of the Queen’s Physicians has 
  been disbanded as well. Yet Korvosa remains wounded. She 
  goes on to report that the Order of the Nail has showed its 
  true colors and fled like cowards into Citadel Vraid. Worse, 
  both the Korvosan Guard and the Sable Company have 
  suffered terrible losses over the past weeks. Neither group 
  is fully capable of continuing as Korvosa’s protectors, and 
  thus, to shore up this fault, Queen Ileosa names her newly 
  created order of Gray Maidens as the new protectors of 
  Korvosa, appointing Sabina Merrin as the new General of 
  Korvosa. As a ripple of concerned whispers spreads, Queen 
  Ileosa continues her speech, saying that she has decided 
  to dissolve the Sable Company and that the remaining 
  marines will be folded into the Korvosan Guard. At this 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  10
  point, she asks Commandant Endrin to step forth to 
  surrender his badge of office.
  As Endrin does so, he trembles. He reaches for his 
  badge, but instead of handing it over, he throws it at the 
  queen, striking her in the cheek with it. Everyone (queen 
  included) is shocked into paralysis for a few moments, long 
  enough for Endrin to bellow out, “Your shameful reign 
  ends now! Korvosa will be free again!” An instant later, his 
  crossbow is in his hands, aimed at the still-shocked queen. 
  Endrin pulls the trigger. His aim is true. The crossbow 
  strikes Queen Ileosa in the temple.
  Yet she does not fall.
  With incredible speed, she regains her composure and 
  yanks the bolt from her skull. Before the blood from the 
  wound has time to run all the way down to her shoulder, 
  she’s standing before Endrin. Her free hand whips out 
  and seizes him by the throat, lifting him off the ground 
  as she holds him up for all to see. An instant later, she 
  buries Endrin’s own bolt between his eyes with a single 
  powerful blow.
  As Endrin’s lifeless body crumples to the ground and 
  Ileosa imperiously shakes his blood from her hand, she 
  cries out in a strong, clear voice—“This shall be the fate 
  of all enemies of Korvosa! Mark well his death! It is only 
  the first!” A moment later, Togomor steps forward, taking 
  Ileosa’s hand and teleporting her back into the Castle. The 
  resulting riot is quelled quickly and brutally by the Gray 
  Maidens. Shocked by the turn of events, Field Marshal 
  Cressida Kroft flees to Citadel Volshyenek, stunned 
  and horrified by what she witnessed, and knowing that 
  things have indeed taken a turn in her city—a turn for 
  the worse.
  Whispers from Old Korvosa
  Not long after the PCs hear about the failed assassination 
  attempt, they receive an urgent request to meet from 
  Cressida. If the PCs haven’t visited Citadel Volshyenek 
  since the introduction of Doctor Davaulus and the 
  Queen’s Physicians during “Seven Days to the Grave,” 
  they might be shocked to see the place so understaffed. 
  Only one guard stands at the Citadel entrance, and none 
  train in the large inner courtyard. The halls of the Citadel 
  are silent and empty, with refuse and trash scattered here 
  and there, dust gathering in empty barracks, and an 
  overall state of creeping neglect hanging like a pall over 
  the place.
  Cressida Kroft looks haggard and tired when the PCs 
  arrive; she ushers them into the central keep quickly, leading 
  them into a smaller meeting room in the depths of the keep, 
  a plain-looking chamber with a single long table (on which 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  11
  sits a small closed coffer) and enough chairs for the PCs and 
  herself—a chamber protected by a permanent private sanctum 
  spell. After everyone is seated, she speaks in a low voice.
   “Korvosa is dying. No, strike that. Korvosa is being murdered. 
  Killed by our queen. The evidence you’ve uncovered that links 
  her to the plague is damning enough, but this recent display 
  at her address… Endrin is dead. She’s more in control now 
  than ever. I dare not move against her—my Guard would be 
  executed to the last man by her Gray Maidens by sundown. 
  She must be stopped. And I know of no one else but yourselves 
  to do this deed.
  “Whatever foul magic the queen has wrapped herself in 
  is obviously of the highest order. Endrin’s aim was true—his 
  shot should have dropped her. I had feared he was going to 
  take matters into his own hands like this, but I had hoped he 
  would find it within himself to find a better route. If only he 
  could have waited.
  “You see, just this morning, new information came to me. 
  I have received a missive from my friend Vencarlo Orisini, 
  the first I’ve heard from him since Queen Ileosa cut off Old 
  Korvosa and put it in quarantine. A message that gives me 
  hope. Vencarlo speaks of discovering something of vital 
  importance regarding the queen—he mentions something 
  about dark magic and a pact with a devil, but until the events 
  of this morning, I found his claims difficult to believe. Yet 
  now… if Queen Ileosa has entered an infernal pact of some 
  sort, we must tread carefully indeed.
  “Vencarlo asked for you in the missive. You’ve made quite 
  the impression on him, it appears. He remains in Old Korvosa 
  now, but has asked that I send you to him, to his home, to 
  hear what he has discovered. Ironically, you should be safe in 
  Old Korvosa—the queen’s quarantine has cut off the island 
  entirely, and word on the street is that she plans on leaving it 
  to rot. She won’t think to look for you there if you maintain a 
  low profile and avoid confrontations with the Gray Maidens.
  “Once you find him, you’ll need to escape Korvosa, I fear. 
  This city is no longer safe for you, or for those associated 
  with you. As Field Marshal, I suspect that as long as I comply 
  with the Queen, I shall be safe—and I will do what I can to 
  ensure those friends and family you might leave behind are 
  protected. By remaining in this city, I fear that you put them 
  into more peril. Go to Old Korvosa, find Vencarlo and hear 
  what he has to say. He has contacts in Harse—he’ll be able to 
  help you lay low. I shall be in contact with you when I can, at 
  which point our plan, I hope, shall be clear.
  The Citadel treasury is nearly empty, but Cressida does 
  have a small cache of potions and a few wands that she wants 
  to give the PCs to aid them in their mission into Old Korvosa; 
  they’re contained in the wood coffer on the table. The cache 
  consists of four potions of cure serious wounds, three potions of 
  lesser restoration, two potions of remove disease, a wand of invisibility 
  (10 charges), and a wand of cure moderate wounds (30 charges). 
  After handing them the gear, though, she urges the PCs to 
  make haste to Old Korvosa and track down Vencarlo—the 
  queen won’t take long to recover from the indignation of the 
  failed assassination, and once she does, Cressida fears that 
  martial law might make things very difficult for those who 
  remain within the city walls. If asked how to infiltrate the 
  quarantined island, Cressida suggests swimming or taking 
  a skiff from the northern banks of the Jeggare, optimally 
  under the cover of darkness to avoid notice.
  Old Korvosa Today
  The last few weeks have been the most terrifying the 
  good people of Old Korvosa have known. The king’s death 
  and the plague were bad enough, but it was the sudden 
  destruction of the bridges linking the old city to the new 
  that heralded the final breakdown in law and order in 
  Old Korvosa. Abandoned by the government, Old Korvosa 
  descended into anarchy. Where honest laborers once toiled 
  in the streets, a mob now rules—a mob falling increasingly 
  under the sway of the self-styled Emperor of Old Korvosa, 
  Pilts Swastel. Yet in truth, even the Emperor of Old Korvosa 
  is more of a symptom than a cause. The true architects of 
  Old Korvosa’s rapid descent into madness are its supposed 
  representatives to the city—the Arkona family.
  In the eyes of many of Old Korvosa’s citizens, the Arkona 
  family has acted as champions for the district, protecting as 
  many good citizens as they can with their own house guards 
  or representing the district in government gatherings. Yet 
  no one openly discusses the fact that the Arkonas fund 
  and support the vast majority of the criminal dealings in 
  Old Korvosa. When the district was cut off from the rest of 
  Korvosa and put into quarantine, the Arkonas withdrew 
  their influence to the highest part of Old Korvosa, the 
  ward known as Fort Korvosa, and abandoned the rest of 
  the district to anarchy. Pilts Swastel used this as a major 
  proponent to his platform, promising that eventually, the 
  treacherous Arkonas will be ousted from Old Korvosa and 
  the entire place will revert to the people. Of course, the 
  Arkonas are wise—they know that Pilts is a momentary 
  distraction. Once the mob has burnt itself out, it will be an 
  easy matter for them to reclaim even greater control over 
  Old Korvosa than before, giving the Arkonas a perfect place 
  to make their next move—wrestling control of the entire 
  city from the queen. Many of Old Korvosa’s inhabitants 
  suspect the Arkonas of such plots and machinations, yet 
  what none suspect is the family’s greatest secret—they are, 
  and have been for hundreds of years, rakshasas.
  Among the four wards of Old Korvosa, it is Fort 
  Korvosa, the highest point of the district, that weathered 
  the quarantine the best, in large part due to the Arkonas’ 
  continued presence here. In the shadow of Fort Korvosa’s 
  relative order, Garrison Hill has not had the benefit of the 
  
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  12
  Arkonas’ protection. Several fires have destroyed buildings 
  in this district, and the citizens here venture out only as 
  necessary to scavenge for supplies. Bridgefront has suffered 
  the most under the quarantine; the destruction of the bridges 
  over the Narrows having a similar destructive influence on 
  the morale and sanity of those living in this neighborhood. 
  Yet Bridgefront is not the most dangerous place today in 
  Old Korvosa—that honor falls upon Old Dock, for it is here 
  that the mob rules; a mob ruled in turn by a lunatic who 
  calls himself the Emperor of Old Korvosa.
  Local Korvosans
  As the PCs explore Old Korvosa, you should mention the 
  hapless and forlorn and desperate who now live in this 
  dying town. The following sample NPCs can help you get 
  started if a PC stops to talk to someone on the street.
  Children: A flock of incongruously happy children sing 
  a rhyme as they gather around something in the middle 
  of the street “Headless, headless, that’s what you’ll be, 
  brand new dolls in the Emp’rer’s ceme’try! Choppy, 
  choppy, chop, the tall knife calls, waitin’ for the day for 
  Korvosa to fall.” One of the children has fashioned an 
  odd object from sticks and pegs—a crude guillotine 
  that the children are using to behead a collection of 
  dolls. If the PCs can gain the children’s confidence (by 
  a changing their initial unfriendly attitude to friendly) 
  the children brag that they’ve been to see the Emperor’s 
  real “tall knife” at his palace, when in fact this is just 
  false bravado. 
  Foolhardy Hero: Tesh Zobberdin, a wild-eyed human 
  wearing an ill-fitting suit of leather armor, strides 
  purposefully down the street toward Old Dock, axe in 
  hand. The last surviving member of a family executed by 
  the Emperor for refusing to turn out their food stores and 
  life savings, Tesh has murder on his mind. Unfortunately, 
  he’s only a 1st level warrior, and thus no match for the 
  Emperor or his goons. Tesh nonetheless could aid the 
  PCs in navigating Old Korvosa if you wish.
  Ranting Local: Olmere Bliversin addresses the 
  mostly empty street from a balcony above his bakery—
  demanding to know what the queen’s going to do about 
  the mob, when she is going to repair the bridges, and how 
  long the quarantine will persist. The fact that Olmere 
  does much of his ranting wearing his nightclothes and 
  punctuates his rants with high-pitched giggles certainly 
  undermines his arguments.
  Sad Old Woman: Old Mother Mifeg shambles along 
  the edges of the streets, doing her best to continue her 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
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  13
  living selling not-so-brightly colored fungi for pigments. 
  She mutters and sobs periodically, worrying that she 
  might not make enough coppers to support her six 
  children—the truth is even more depressing, for Mifeg is 
  the last survivor of her family’s brush with blood veil, and 
  the old woman simply hasn’t admitted to herself that the 
  rotting bodies she keeps so lovingly sheltered back home 
  are anything but “sleeping off the sick.”
  Vencarlo’s Home (EL 10)
  Vencarlo lives in a small building just east of his Academy—
  or at least, where his Academy once stood, for the once-
  proud structure itself is no more, burned to the ground 
  in a recent fire set by the Red Mantis as a warning to those 
  who defy them. The fire aroused the Arkonas’ wrath since 
  the Academy was located in their territory, and the family’s 
  resulting hostility toward the Red Mantis and suspected 
  Red Mantis agents has forced the assassins to continue 
  their work here in a more subtle manner. Vencarlo’s 
  home still stands, nestled in the southern section of Fort 
  Korvosa, although Vencarlo himself is not at home by the 
  time the PCs arrive.
  The only door into Vencarlo’s home is closed but not 
  locked. The interior of the building is warm but quiet. 
  Announcements of arrival, be they knocks on the door or 
  calls out for Vencarlo, go unanswered. The contents of the 
  house itself (with the exception of the hidden cache in area 
  A8) speak of a man who lives a simple life despite his success 
  as an instructor at an esteemed academy. As the PCs move 
  from room to room, they may find hints here and there that 
  something is amiss before things suddenly and swiftly get 
  out of hand.
  Once the PCs reach area A7 or A8, allow them a DC 
  20 Wisdom check to notice a strange tang to the scent of 
  smoke in the air; characters with the scent ability gain a 
  +10 circumstance bonus on this check. Those who smell 
  the odor can identify it with a DC 15 Craft (alchemy) check 
  as dried alchemist’s fire—a DC 25 Spot check reveals that 
  the walls, floor, and even the furniture are faintly stained 
  in multiple places with the stuff.
  A1. Entrance: An elegant Vudran throw rug covers much 
  of the floor of this otherwise empty room.
  A2. Workshop: This is a well-stocked workshop for 
  decorating and repairing bladed weapons. Several partially 
  repaired daggers and rapiers lie on the table—none are 
  particularly valuable.
  A3. Bathroom: This room contains a free-standing 
  bathtub and a toilet.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  14
  A4. Study: A single leather chair sits at a desk, while two 
  tall cabinets filled with books about sword fighting and 
  philosophy stand to the east. The papers on the desk are 
  mostly accounting documents and ledgers for Vencarlo’s 
  Academy. It appears that up until the death of King 
  Eodred II, Vencarlo’s Academy was doing rather well, but 
  then things turned bad as students failed to show and 
  Vencarlo himself took an increasing number of breaks 
  from teaching.
  A5. Pantry: Food and water are stored here, although the 
  majority of the perishable food has gone bad. Vencarlo had 
  no kitchen to speak of—he generally made and took his 
  meals in the living room or in his workshop.
  A6. Living Room: Two large sofas face a brick fireplace; 
  a fire burns brightly inside the hearth, despite the fact that 
  the building seems to be abandoned.
  A7. Training Room: This is an open room used to train 
  and practice sword fighting. Practice dummies stand in 
  the western corners, to either side of a brick fireplace. A 
  fire burns inside, as down below. The ceiling is 14 feet 
  high, with exposed rafters giving the room an open feel.
  A8. Bedroom: Vencarlo’s bedroom appears well lived in, 
  but the bed is made and unslept in. A desk and chair sit 
  next to the bed, and a small clothes closet is to the north 
  behind a narrow door.
  Creatures: In truth, while Vencarlo hasn’t been here 
  since he fled the burning of his Academy (and shortly 
  thereafter was captured by the Arkonas), someone else has 
  been living in secret here—a pair of Red Mantis assassins. 
  Stationed here in case Vencarlo should attempt to return, 
  the assassins have waited patiently in hiding, eager to 
  ambush anyone who enters the home.
  Patient and professional, these red mantis assassins 
  serve 8-hour shifts here before they are replaced by two 
  others sent from their hidden headquarters elsewhere in 
  the city. One Red Mantis hides in the nook behind the 
  northern sofa in area A6 (just under the rising stairs) while 
  the second assassin lurks in the rafters above area A7. As 
  soon as they hear anyone enter the building, they activate 
  the +5 bonus on Spot checks, see invisibility, and deathwatch 
  (or darkvision, if it’s night) abilities of their masks, followed 
  by their preparatory spells as they ready their ambush.
  The Red Mantis is concerned with finding and finishing 
  the job it started—it seeks Neolandus Kalepopolis, but 
  since he’s currently being held in secrecy by the Arkonas, 
  and since Queen Ileosa has the Mantis’s resources spread 
  so thin, it’s been slow going for the assassins. The lead the 
  PCs receive that Vencarlo might know something about the 
  seneschal’s location took the Mantis weeks, if not months, 
  to acquire, and when the PCs (and as a result, the Gray 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  15
  Maidens) arrive at Vencarlo’s Home, the delicate operation 
  set into motion by the Mantis becomes threatened. Despite 
  the fact that the PCs don’t officially become targets of the 
  Red Mantis until the next adventure, their involvement 
  in Kalepopolis’s fate quickly puts them at odds with the 
  infamous assassin’s guild.
  Red Mantis Assassins (2) 
  CR 8
  Human rogue 3/fighter 2/red mantis assassin 3
  LE Medium humanoid
  Init +5; Senses Listen +11, Spot +11
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 14
  (+3 armor, +5 Dex, +1 Dodge, +1 shield)
  hp 50 (6d6+2d10+16); fast healing 2
  Fort +8, Ref +12, Will +5
  Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1; Resist fire 10
  OFFENSE
  Spd 60 ft.
  Melee mwk sawtooth sabre +11/+6 (1d8+1/19–20) and
  mwk sawtooth sabre +11/+6 (1d8/19–20)
  Ranged dagger +11 (1d4+2/19–20)
  Special Attacks prayer attack (DC 15, see page 70), sneak 
  attack +3d6
  Spells Known (CL 3rd)
  2nd (1/day)—cat’s grace, hold person (DC 14)
  1st (3/day)—expeditious retreat, feather fall, spider climb
  TACTICS
  Before Combat As soon as the assassins realize someone’s 
  entering the house, they drink their potions of resist fire; 
  cast cat’s grace, spider climb, and expeditious retreat; then 
  fully activate their masks (deathwatch at day or darkvision 
  at night). They activate their red shrouds just before they 
  begin combat, remaining hidden until they are spotted or 
  until at least one PC climbs the stairs up to area A7.
  During Combat The assassins are outnumbered, but they’ve 
  got a deadly advantage: just as in their previous attempt 
  to slay Vencarlo, they snuck into the ambush site early and 
  prepared the place with distilled alchemist’s fire. On the first 
  round of combat, the assassins throw a vial of alchemist’s 
  fire at the fireplace, causing the fire to burst out and quickly 
  light the room itself on fire. Note the 3 squares the fireplace 
  takes up with bits of red paper or a red marker to indicate 
  that those squares are burning—each round, the fire spreads 
  quickly to 1d4 adjacent squares. Characters in a square that 
  is on fire take 1d6 points of fire damage and must make a 
  DC 15 Reflex save to avoid catching on fire. The Red Mantis 
  assassins need not fear the fire as long as their potions last, 
  and use the fire to their advantage as they are able. Once 
  the battle begins, the assassins make an effort to reach each 
  other so they can team up and flank foes, but if they begin 
  combat with only one PC in sight, an assassin attempts to 
  use his prayer attack on that PC before starting his fire. If a 
  PC ends his turn in a burning square, a Red Mantis casts hold 
  person on that PC to keep him from escaping the fire.
  Morale The assassins are fanatics, and fight to the death.
  Base Statistics Init +3; AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14; Ref +10; 
  Spd 30 ft.; Melee mwk sawtooth sabre +9/+4 (1d8+1/19–20) 
  and mwk sawtooth sabre +9/+4 (1d8/19–20); Ranged dagger 
  +9 (1d4+2/19–20); Dex 16; Skills Hide +14, Jump +12, Move 
  Silently +14, Tumble +11
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 14
  Base Atk +6; Grp +7
  Feats Alertness, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (sawtooth sabre), 
  Stealthy, Two-Weapon Defense, Two-Weapon Fighting, 
  Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (sawtooth sabre)
  Skills Bluff +11, Climb +7, Hide +16, Intimidate +8, Jump +24, 
  Listen +11, Move Silently +16, Spot +11, Tumble +13
  Languages Common, Infernal, Varisian
  SQ trapfinding
  Combat Gear potion of resist fire, alchemist’s fire; Other Gear 
  +1 leather armor, 2 masterwork sawtooth sabres, 4 daggers, 
  mantis mask, cloak of resistance +1
  Treasure: A DC 30 Search check made in Vencarlo’s 
  closet reveals a hidden panel in the east wall. Opening 
  it reveals a tiny compartment containing a metal iron 
  lockbox. The box can be opened with a DC 40 Open Lock 
  check (the key is now in the possession of Bahor), or bashed 
  open (Hardness 10; hp 40). Inside is a bag of holding (type I) 
  that contains a black hooded cloak of elvenkind, several black 
  masks, a dozen masterwork daggers with a stylized “B” 
  engraved in their pommels, a black leather suit of +2 slick 
  leather armor, a pair of black leather boots of elvenkind, an 
  amulet of proof against detection and location, a pair of black 
  leather gloves of Dexterity +2 (with two fingers in the right 
  BeComing BlaCkjaCk
  With the gear hidden in Vencarlo’s closet, a PC could 
  effectively become the next Blackjack. An infamous folk 
  hero of Korvosa, Blackjack’s identity has passed down from 
  hero to hero over the course of generations—Vencarlo is 
  the latest Blackjack, although with his imprisonment in 
  the Arkona Dungeons and the discovery of these clothes 
  by the PCs, that mantle may shift.
  As long as a PC wears Blackjack’s cloak, mask, daggers, 
  armor, boots, gloves, and rapier, he gains the Blackjack 
  persona. With this persona comes the expectation 
  of not only skill at wielding the weapons, but a fierce 
  devotion to Korvosa’s citizens. As long as a character does 
  nothing to compromise these expectations, he gains a 
  +10 circumstance bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather 
  Information, and Intimidate checks made against Korvosan 
  citizens of non-noble status (this includes Pilts Swastel).
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  16
  hand containing fake, posable wooden fingers), and an 
  exquisite mithral +2 keen rapier. Characters who attended 
  Trinia’s execution attempt at the end of “Edge of Anarchy” 
  recognize the clothes immediately—otherwise it’s a DC 15 
  Knowledge (local) check to recognize Blackjack’s 
  signature armor and weaponry.
  Development: If the PCs don’t put out 
  the fire, Vencarlo’s home goes up in 
  flames. Fire is one of the few things that 
  draws Old Korvosa’s citizens out, and 
  they and brigades of Arkona agents do 
  their best to contain the fire—without 
  aid, they do, but they are unable to save the 
  house. If the house burns, Vencarlo’s iron 
  coffer can be found in the rubble with a DC 
  25 Search check.
  The Concerned Student
  Hitting a dead end this early in the 
  adventure might stump the PCs at first, 
  but fortunately an ally with more clues 
  approaches them shortly after the PCs 
  visit Vencarlo’s home. Drawn by the 
  flames as Vencarlo’s house burns, or 
  perhaps by the sounds of combat or the 
  sight of the PCs entering his teacher’s home, a 
  desperate and worried student named Amin Jalento 
  approaches them not long after things in Vencarlo’s 
  home come to an end. This might not be the first time 
  the PCs have met young Amin—they might have saved 
  him from the mob back in “Edge of Anarchy,” in which 
  case his delight upon recognizing the PCs is apparent in 
  his expression.
  Once he has the PCs in a place where they can talk quietly 
  (likely in the partially collapsed building across the street 
  from the Academy where he’s been squatting for the past 
  several days), Amin tells the PCs his story. He was attending 
  classes at Vencarlo’s Academy when the quarantine hit, and 
  after he was unable to escape back to the mainland and his 
  home, Vencarlo was gracious enough to allow Amin to stay 
  at the Academy as a guest. That stay ended not long after, 
  when several Red Mantis assassins invaded the building. 
  Vencarlo confronted them and took one of them down, but 
  there were too many. The master was forced to flee, and 
  Amin assumes that the assassins burnt down the academy 
  as a warning as much as anything else. 
  Amin doesn’t know where Vencarlo has gone, but he 
  does suspect who might. In the days after the quarantine, 
  while Amin was Vencarlo’s houseguest, he noticed that his 
  teacher seemed restless and distracted. Vencarlo regularly 
  left his house at odd hours in the night, sometimes not 
  returning until the morning. After one such return, 
  Vencarlo’s clothes were bloody—he said he had to fight off 
  a thief, but Amin is sure there was more to it than that. 
  Furthermore, in the days before the Red Mantis attacked, 
  Vencarlo had a singularly strange houseguest visit several 
  times—a man with paint-stained hands, wild hair, and a 
  jittery habit of looking about. Vencarlo introduced 
  him as a friend, but Amin recognized him as 
  a somewhat notorious local artist named 
  Salvator Scream. Vencarlo and Salvator 
  always met behind closed doors, three 
  times in all, and on that last meeting Amin 
  swore he heard Vencarlo’s voice raised in 
  anger. Unfortunately, he has little more 
  information than that—he’s been meaning 
  to try to track down Salvator to ask him if 
  he knows what happened to Vencarlo, but 
  has not, of yet, worked up the courage to 
  brave Old Dock, the place where Salvator’s 
  home is located.
  Ad Hoc Experience Award: Grant the 
  PCs experience as if they’d defeated a CR 8 
  creature if they escort Amin to safety.
  Seeking Salvator
  Amin knows that Salvator lives in 
  Old Dock—he did enough asking around to 
  confirm that the artist lived in a building located 
  at 140 Wave Street. He also knows that Old Dock is under 
  the control of the Emperor of Old Korvosa. Amin’s heard 
  plenty of rumors about the Emperor—that he’s a cannibal, 
  that he’s beheaded more folk than have died to blood veil, 
  that he’s a devil hiding in the flesh of a man, and that his 
  minions are almost as bad as him. Although Amin doesn’t 
  believe the rumors, he does believe that the Emperor 
  deserves them, and wants nothing to do with Old Dock 
  as a result.
  A DC 15 Knowledge (local) or Gather Information check 
  is enough to know that Salvator Scream is a notorious 
  artist whose gruesome and often scandalous art was held 
  in relatively high esteem by several of Korvosa’s nobles. 
  Certainly, his popularity could not be denied among the 
  lower classes, who were most familiar with his work at 
  the Old Dock playhouse known as Exemplary Execrables, 
  where his paintings served as grisly backdrops to that 
  venue’s notoriously violent entertainments. Salvator 
  himself wasn’t a public figure, though, and beyond 
  his name, few folk could say they knew him before the 
  quarantine went up.
  Of course, Salvator Scream hasn’t been at home for 
  some time now. Not long after his last meeting with 
  Vencarlo, agents of the Emperor of Old Korvosa broke 
  into his home, killed his fellow artists, and abducted 
  him. The Emperor is eager to rebuild his collection of 
  violence and mayhem after Exemplary Execrables burnt 
  amin  jalento
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  17
  to the ground—he’s managed to reacquire or salvage a 
  lot from the ruined playhouse, and Salvator Scream is 
  merely the latest of his acquisitions. The Emperor has 
  kept Salvator’s capture relatively quiet, but locate creature 
  could lead the PCs directly to Salvator.
  Salvator’s home is a leaning, decrepit building located 
  on the Narrows, not far from one of the many now-ruined 
  bridges that once connected Old Korvosa to the mainland. 
  Salavator continued to live in this home for some time 
  after the quarantine, but after his last visit to Vencarlo 
  (and well after he’d turned over Neolandus to the Arkonas 
  for safekeeping), the Emperor of Old Korvosa sent a group 
  of thugs out here to “collect” the artist. Yet the house is not 
  abandoned. Its current inhabitant is Laori, a Forlorn elf 
  and worshiper of Zon-Kuthon, a member of the secretive 
  society known as the Brotherhood of Bones. Although she 
  worships the same patron as legendary Kazavon himself, 
  she might be one of the more useful allies the PCs meet.
  B1. Front Room
  The smell in this entry is of must and mildew, much of it coming 
  from the mud tracked over the floorboards, as if a small army 
  had marched through the room. To the south stands a single 
  empty set of shelves.
  The muddy prints on the floor were left by the Emperor’s 
  thugs when they invaded the building several days ago. A 
  DC 20 Survival check is enough to confirm not only that 
  a half-dozen humans were involved, but that a seventh 
  person was likely dragged back out of the building, the 
  thin trails and scuff marks of his dangling feet hinting at 
  the abduction’s tale.
  B2. Bedroom
  A single bed, the blankets and pillows atop it scattered and 
  in disarray, sits to the south in this room. More mudstained 
  bootprints mar the wooden floor here and a splash of dried 
  blood decorates one pillow.
  When they invaded, the Emperor’s thugs found Salvator 
  sleeping here. One of them knocked him out with a blow 
  to the head, and the others helped in dragging him back 
  to Pilts’s Palace. A DC 20 Survival check confirms that the 
  prints lead up to the bed and that the victim was likely 
  abducted as he slept.
  B3. Salvator’s Studio (EL 10)
  Both of this room’s windows are tightly shuttered, yet the air 
  inside seems strangely fresh and scented, no doubt from the 
  six large candles that burn within. Each candle has been affixed 
  by a glob of melted wax to the crown of a gleaming, polished 
  skull, and each of these impromptu and grisly candleholders has 
  been placed atop an otherwise clear desk to the west, arrayed 
  in a gentle arc. A chair sits before the desk, and a careful stack 
  of papers and scrolls sits inside the arc of skulls. To the south 
  stands a nearly empty cabinet, its shelves barren save for a few 
  paintbrushes and a cracked pottery urn.
  This chamber served Salvator as his studio, and it was 
  here that he spent the majority of his time, committing 
  the visions of violence in his head to canvas. His painting 
  supplies, finished art, and easel were taken from here soon 
  after he was abducted, leaving behind only the room’s few 
  furnishings.
  Creature: This room’s current occupant is an elven 
  woman named Laori Vaus, a priestess of the god of 
  darkness and pain, a member of a sinister cult called the 
  Brotherhood of Bones, and possibly one of the party’s 
  greatest allies in “Escape from Old Korvosa.”
  The Brotherhood of Bones consists of a group of Zon-
  Kuthonites from across Avistan—fanatics who seek a 
  singular goal: the gathering of the relics of Kazavon so 
  that the ancient warlord can be reborn. The Brotherhood 
  of Bones has long suspected that one of these relics was 
  located in Varisia, and with Kazavon’s recent awakening 
  VenCarlo’s story
  Vencarlo might hate the queen, but his personal code 
  prevents him from even contemplating assassination as 
  a way to get Korvosa’s government back on track. This 
  leaves him with few options. When he first heard rumors 
  that seneschal Neolandus Kalepopolis might still be alive, 
  and furthermore, might be hiding out in Old Korvosa, 
  Vencarlo grew more and more obsessed with finding the 
  man. His investigations led him eventually to Salvator 
  Scream, but the artist was particularly close-lipped in 
  revealing anything; it took several meetings and bribes 
  and reassurances on Vencarlo’s part to prove to Salvator 
  that he wanted to help his friend Neolandus, but when 
  the artist revealed to Vencarlo that he’d given Neolandus 
  to the Arkonas for safe-keeping, Vencarlo nearly lost it. 
  His rage frightened Salvator into fleeing, and not long 
  thereafter, the Red Mantis attacked Vencarlo’s Academy as 
  they themselves continued to search for Neolandus (their 
  leads having led them along parallel lines of investigation 
  that pointed to Vencarlo as being Blackjack and therefore 
  the agent most likely to be hiding the seneschal). Vencarlo 
  survived the ambush, but when he attempted to infiltrate 
  the Arkona palace a day later, the rakshasas captured 
  him. Vencarlo thus had found Neolandus—both were 
  imprisoned in the same dungeon—but he is now as much 
  a prisoner as his quarry.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  18
  here in Korvosa, the closest Brotherhood agent, Laori, 
  came to investigate the signs and portents. What she found 
  was the proof she sought—over half a dozen artists whose 
  work incorporated Kazavon’s unmistakable influence. Yet 
  even more incredible, his influence was the most potent 
  in the city’s new queen. Laori contacted her allies and was 
  ordered to remain in Korvosa to watch and observe, while 
  the Brotherhood determined how to act. And ever since, 
  those have been Laori’s standing orders.
  As she waited and watched the queen, Laori tracked 
  down the seven artists. Unfortunately, one after the other, 
  they proved to be dead by their own hands, so Laori did 
  the next best thing. She tracked down their bodies and 
  collected their skulls—these six now sit on the table in 
  this room. Periodically, Laori uses speak with dead to try 
  to communicate with the skulls, but the results of these 
  castings are generally too garbled to make much sense. 
  From left to right, the skulls belonged to the following 
  artists: Jeonia Chirco (a seamstress), Boathar Kaay (a 
  toymaker), Velaka Hoon (a writer), Maxtel Erns (a sculptor), 
  Yvos Tanguany (a tattooist), and Imon Vernell (a poet).
  Laori saved Salvator for last in her search because she 
  suspected the whisperings of Kazavon were strongest 
  in this artist, judging by his work. Although she was 
  disappointed to find that Salvator had gone missing by 
  the time she tracked down his address, she tempered 
  that disappointment with the discovery that the artist, 
  unlike the other six, remained alive and was the captive 
  of the Emperor of Old Korvosa. Laori has been trying to 
  decide on the best route to confront the Emperor and gain 
  access to Salvator to interrogate him, spending the last few 
  nights here at Salvator’s home meditating and attempting 
  to discover any remaining shadows of Kazavon’s influence 
  in the area. She’s found none, but hopes to learn more by 
  speaking with Salvator in person.
  Although she’s a sadist and something of a lunatic, 
  Laori is not the enemy. To a certain extent, the PCs and 
  the Brotherhood of Bones will eventually share the same 
  goals—they both want to remove Kazavon’s influence from 
  Queen Ileosa and the city of Korvosa, after all. For now, 
  Laori views the arrival of a group of adventurers as a sign 
  from Zon-Kuthon—here she was trying to figure out the 
  best way to confront the Emperor of Old Korvosa to gain 
  access to Salvator Scream, when a handy group of specialists 
  showed up looking for the same thing. Assuming the PCs 
  don’t immediately attack her, she greets them cheerfully, 
  introducing herself as Laori and asking if they’re looking 
  for Salvator as well.
  While Laori doesn’t hide her allegiance to Zon-Kuthon, 
  and openly admits (if asked) that she wants to speak to 
  Salvator because his art has a lot of themes important to 
  Zon-Kuthon’s faith, she remains close-lipped about the 
  Brotherhood of Bones, never mentioning her group and 
  volunteering no information about her suspicions about 
  Queen Ileosa. She certainly doesn’t mention anything 
  about Kazavon. She hopes the PCs can help her secure 
  an audience with Salvator, but isn’t sure how far she can 
  actually trust them, especially if members of the group 
  include paladins or priests of Shelyn. Only if magically 
  compelled does Laori reveal this information—the fact 
  that Queen Ileosa’s new crown is made out of the teeth of 
  a notorious warlord of Zon-Kuthon is a revelation that the 
  adventure expects the PCs to learn at the end when they 
  rescue Neolandus Kalepopolis, but learning this a little 
  early from Laori works just as well—the PCs still need to 
  rescue the seneschal, if only to learn what he knows about 
  defeating such powerful magic.
  If the PCs voice concern that she might be planning 
  to harm Salvator, she brushes the very concept off with 
  a good-natured laugh: “Why would I want to hurt him? 
  He’s a talented artist! I would just like to ask him where 
  his inspiration comes from.” It shouldn’t be long before 
  Laori proposes that she and the PCs team up to find 
  Salvator. She mentions that she already found out who 
  took him and suspects she knows where he is, and to 
  further sweeten the deal, she insinuates that she found 
  something here she suspects the PCs would be very 
  interested to know about.
  Laori is referring to a fragment of cloth she found 
  in Salvator’s bedroom. When Neolandus staggered 
  into Salvator’s home in the pre-dawn hours, dreadfully 
  wounded and poisoned from his run-in with the Red 
  Mantis, his uniform was in terrible shape. Salvator did 
  what he could to tend Neolandus’ wounds, but was forced 
  to tear apart the seneschal’s uniform to get a splint on 
  the man’s broken arm. A fragment of the sleeve slipped 
  down between the bed and the wall—a fragment Laori 
  discovered and kept. She recognized the scrap as coming 
  from a government official’s uniform, but has not yet 
  deciphered its significance. She assumes that a blood-
  stained fragment of a politician’s uniform is of interest 
  to the PCs, though. She hands it over to them if they agree 
  to an alliance, and she also reveals that Salvator is held by 
  the Emperor of Old Korvosa.
  The bloodstained fragment is obviously from a high-
  ranking government official in Korvosa—the city’s coat 
  of arms appears on the fragment, but it takes a DC 15 
  Knowledge (nobility & royalty) check to determine that the 
  fragment is from a very singular source—the uniform of 
  the seneschal of Castle Korvosa.
  Laori displays her allegiance to Zon-Kuthon openly 
  in her choice of weapon and armor (a spiked chain and 
  hook-studded chainmail), yet her demeanor and attitude 
  are anything but grim. Laori is chronically cheerful, 
  always brimming with delight and quick to laugh. This 
  affectation has somewhat damaged her reputation among 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  19
  the church, as many of the more conventional worshipers 
  of Zon-Kuthon find her attitude to be irreverent and even 
  sacrilegious, yet none deny her contributions to the faith. 
  Even when discussing the finer methods of skinning 
  a living man, self-flagellation, torture, or her open 
  admiration of all things diabolical, her plucky attitude 
  remains. As a result, Laori can be unsettling to be around, 
  for both her fellow worshipers of Zon-Kuthon and those 
  who see her faith as a horror to be stamped out.
  As with many Forlorn elves, Laori never knew her birth 
  parents. She grew up on the rough streets of Riddleport, 
  and although she suspects her family dwelt in the nearby 
  town of Crying Leaf, she never bothered to contact them. 
  It was in Riddleport that she first learned of Zon-Kuthon, 
  and the Midnight Lord’s teachings quickly grew into 
  an obsession for her. Armed only with her indomitable 
  optimism and an appetite for pain, she made the 
  pilgrimage down to the shadowy nation of Nidal, and over 
  the course of several decades became an accomplished 
  priestess of Zon-Kuthon, despite her grating (to the 
  other priests) attitude. The culmination of her work 
  saw her induction into the Brotherhood of Bones, 
  and her familiarity with Riddleport and Varisia 
  made her a natural choice to take the search for 
  Kazavon’s relics there.
  Laori Vaus 
  CR 10
  Female elf cleric 10 (Zon-Kuthon)
  LE Medium humanoid
  Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Listen +5, Spot 
  +5
  DEFENSE
  AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 20
  (+7 armor, +3 deflection, +2 Dex)
  hp 88 (10d8+40)
  Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +10
  SR 22
  OFFENSE
  Spd 20 ft.
  Melee +2 spell storing spiked chain +12/+7 (2d4+6)
  Special Attacks smite 1/day (+4 attack, +10 damage), rebuke 
  undead
  Spells Prepared (CL 10th)
  5th—flame strike (DC 18), spell resistance, summon monster 
  VD (only summons 1d3 shadows)
  4th—air walk, greater magic weapon (already cast), inflict 
  critical woundsD (DC 17), sending
  3rd—contagionD (DC 16), dispel magic, magic vestment 
  (already cast), remove disease, speak with dead
  2nd—bear’s endurance, blindnessD (DC 15), bull’s strength, 
  lesser restoration, resist energy, silence (DC 15)
  1st—command (DC 14), cure light wounds, divine favor, 
  obscuring mistD, sanctuary (DC 14), shield of faith
  0—create water, cure minor wounds (3), light (2)
  D domain spell; Domains Darkness, Destruction
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Every morning, Laori casts greater magic 
  weapon and magic vestment on her spiked chain and 
  armor. If she has a chance before combat begins, she 
  also casts the following spells as well: air walk, bear’s 
  endurance, bull’s strength, and spell resistance.
  During Combat Laori’s first act in combat is to summon 1d3 
  shadows with summon monster V; on the second round, as 
  her shadows appear, she hits the thickest concentration of 
  her enemies with flame strike. She moves into melee against 
  laori Vaus
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  20
  foes on the third round, using her smite and unleashing the 
  inflict serious wounds from her spell-storing spiked chain on her 
  first attack. As she fights, she hums or whistles as if she were 
  merely doing some pleasant chore, periodically punctuating 
  a particularly solid blow with a giggle or a wink.
  Morale Laori enjoys pain, but would rather not give up her 
  life before she has a chance to see Kazavon reborn. If 
  brought below 20 hit points, she flees; if she escapes, she 
  appears again in “Skeletons of Scarwall” as scheduled.
  Base Statistics AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15; Str 13, Con 14
  STATISTICS
  Str 17, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 17, Cha 8
  Base Atk +7; Grp +10
  Feats Blind-Fight, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Diehard, 
  Endurance, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain)
  Skills Concentration +15, Knowledge (religion) +13
  Languages Common, Elven
  SQ spontaneous casting (inflict spells)
  Combat Gear wand of cure moderate wounds (11 charges), wand 
  of sound burst (19 charges), wand of death knell (34 charges); 
  Other Gear masterwork hook mail (spiked chain mail), +1 spell 
  storing spiked chain (contains inflict serious wounds), phylactery 
  of Wisdom +2, scrap of Neolandus’s uniform, 68 pp, 24 gp
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Darkness Domain This domain grants Laori Blind-Fight as a 
  bonus feat.
  Ad Hoc Experience Award: If the PCs deal with Laori 
  peacefully and form an alliance with her, award them 
  experience points as if they had defeated her in combat.
  B4. Fungal Incursion (EL 6)
  This room appears to have once been a combination kitchen 
  and storeroom, but is now a bewildering riot of brightly colored 
  fungus and mold. The stuff grows everywhere and in every color, 
  over tables, across cupboards, and in swaths along the floor and 
  walls, but seems thickest to the southwest, where puffy sheets 
  of yellow fungus cover several objects so completely that it’s 
  impossible to make out what lies beneath.
  In an effort to get just the right colors on canvas his 
  visions required, Salvator eventually resorted to cultivating 
  several brightly colored strains of fungus to craft his own 
  pigments, an endeavor in which he met with some success. 
  Since he was taken from his home, though, the fungus he 
  normally kept well maintained here has run riot, covering 
  much of the room’s otherwise mundane contents.
  B5. Sinkhole (EL 7)
  What once might have been a small house has been obliterated, 
  collapsed from within by a twenty-foot-diameter sinkhole. 
  Water from the Narrows fills the hole, creating a muddy pit 
  strewn with jagged bits of timber and flotsam. The edges of 
  the hole are muddy and patchy with fungus. Immediately south 
  of the sinkhole, the boardwalk has also collapsed, creating a 
  dangerous tangle of timber and crazily tilted pilings.
  The sinkhole isn’t quite as deep as it looks, although the 
  5 feet of standing water covers several more feet of mud. 
  Moving through the mud on the bottom of the hole is 
  considered difficult terrain.
  Creature: With Old Korvosa going under quarantine, 
  the soldiers normally in charge of keeping the island’s 
  indigenous otyugh population contained have not been 
  able to keep up their jobs, and the otyughs of Old Korvosa 
  are slowly coming to realize that they’re free. The sinkhole 
  here was created when several otyughs forced their way 
  out of the sewers through a drainage tunnel. Barely able 
  to fit, the otyughs’ struggles to escape caused the collapse 
  of the small shack that once stood here, and their further 
  thrashings caused the destruction of the boardwalk. Now, 
  the monsters wallow in the water and mud of the sinkhole, 
  periodically lurching out of the water to attack anyone who 
  comes too close.
  Otyughs (3) 
  CR 4
  hp 36 (MM 204)
  Development: If the PCs haven’t yet met Laori when the 
  otyughs attack, she emerges from area B3 a round after 
  combat begins. She shrieks in delight at the sight of the 
  battle, and rushes to provide aid to the PCs, hoping that 
  by helping them the PCs become more disposed toward 
  helping her contact Salvator.
  PArt two: the emPeror of 
  old korvosA
  Eventually, through conversation with Laori, magical 
  divination, or DC 20 Gather Information checks, the PCs 
  should learn that their quarry, Salvator Scream, has been 
  taken by the self-styled ruler of the region—the Emperor 
  of Old Korvosa. In his previous life, this Emperor was 
  a man named Pilts Swastel, the owner and director 
  of Exemplary Execrables, a notorious playhouse that 
  specialized in violent, gruesome productions. Already a 
  bit unhinged before Korvosa fell apart, the riots, a bout 
  with blood veil, and the quarantine were enough to push 
  Pilts the rest of the way. With his knack for showboating, 
  organizing crowds, and his horrifying imagination, it was 
  a relatively simple thing for him to make the transition 
  from director to ganglord.
  Today, Pilts’s position of power is growing. Every 
  day, his mob absorbs or murders more of Old Korvosa’s 
  remaining citizens, and his resulting influence grows.  
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  21
  The Emperor’s imagination is one thing that has 
  captured the admiration of his mob—from the gory 
  but entertaining real-life plays he produces to new 
  ventures, such as the extremely popular game of blood 
  pig, his followers looks to their Emperor as a source of 
  entertainment to distract them from the horror of their 
  new world. Yet the Emperor is also a primary source 
  of that horror. His obsession with an extravagantly 
  carved Galtan guillotine has created a constant need 
  for new victims, and when the mob can’t provide the 
  Emperor with victims on whom to use his favorite toy, 
  the Emperor is boundlessly creative in finding reasons 
  to punish random followers for transgressions against 
  his new laws.
  After his playhouse partially burnt to the ground, Pilts 
  decided to relocate his home to a group of buildings 
  located a bit closer to the core of Old Dock. Once several 
  tenements, Pilts has converted these structures into 
  a palace. He managed to save many of his old props 
  and gruesome backdrops, storing them for now in his 
  new palace while he works on plans for a new, larger 
  playhouse. He wasn’t able to save it all, though his newest 
  “acquisition,” Salvator Scream, is the first step Pilts has 
  taken to rebuild his assets.
  The Emperor of Old Korvosa has rapidly become one 
  of the most notorious figures in the quarantine zone. If 
  the PCs take the time to use Gather Information, they 
  can learn much of the man before they confront him. 
  Consult the following table to determine the results of 
  such checks.
  DC Check 
  Information Gathered
   
  10 
  The Emperor of Old Korvosa rules Old Dock 
  from his palace on Silk Street. He’s seized 
  control of several tenements there, and rarely 
  leaves the place. Mobs of his fanatics scour the 
  streets of Old Dock seeking more conscripts to 
  his cause. Those who resist are instead captured 
  for other purposes.
   
  15 
  The Emperor sees Old Korvosa as his stage. 
  He forces some of his prisoners to take 
  part in violent, deadly games or gruesome 
  performances, pitting them against the most 
  ferocious of his pets and followers. Others 
  he simply beheads with his favorite toy—an 
  extravagant guillotine imported all the way from 
  distant Galt.
   
  20 
  Those who seek to speak with the Emperor 
  must first earn his respect by providing him 
  with entertainment—of late, it is said that the 
  Emperor’s favorite entertainment is a violent 
  game he invented called blood pig. He’s 
  converted a large rooftop inside of his palace 
  into a playing field for this game, and the howls 
  and screams of those playing and watching can 
  be heard throughout Old Dock every evening.
  The Old Dock Mob
  The streets surrounding the Palace are littered with bodies, 
  rubble, and refuse; feral dogs, stirges, shingle spiders, and 
  other vermin scuttle around with a bravery not seen in the 
  city before the quarantine. The further one ventures into 
  Old Dock and draws near the Palace, the fewer citizens 
  appear behind boarded windows, and the more the signs 
  of the Emperor’s mob grow. Vandalism, brutalized bodies 
  hung up on display, remnants of fires, and other evidence 
  of public violence are everywhere.
  Of the hundreds of people who lived in Old Dock, most 
  have joined the mob, if only to avoid being branded traitors 
  by the Emperor and then forced to take part in his violent 
  entertainment. Those who revel in the chaos quickly 
  find themselves ascending to the role of soldier in the 
  mob, where they serve as leaders and commanders—the 
  majority of the petty thugs under their control obey out 
  of fear. Unless the PCs take pains to remain unobserved, 
  they are noticed by members of the mob within minutes 
  of entering Old Dock, and within a few more, they are 
  confronted by a group of these thugs who loudly and brashly 
  demand to know the meaning of the party’s intrusion into 
  the Emperor’s domain.
  Few have openly opposed the mob yet, and as a result, 
  these groups of thugs wildly overestimate their own 
  power and strength. Their attitude toward intruders is 
  one of haughty and profane disdain. Lewd comments 
  are hurled at female PCs, racial epithets howled at non-
  humans, and insults of all manner are levied against the 
  rest. The mob leader demands that the intruders quickly 
  explain their presence in Old Dock. Any response other 
  than “We’re here to join you,” is met with laughter and 
  disdain, swiftly followed by a demand to hand over their 
  weapons. Characters who do so are escorted to area C4 
  to be judged by the Emperor; their gear, in this event, is 
  stacked on the ground next to the Emperor’s throne as 
  an offering.
  The mob’s initial attitude is hostile. If the mob’s 
  leader can be made friendly, he agrees to escort the PCs 
  to meet the emperor but doesn’t demand their gear. If 
  made helpful, he’ll even agree to letting the PCs make 
  their own way to the Palace with no escort (but there’s 
  still a 20% chance per 10 minutes of encountering 
  another mob).
  Attacking the mob is certainly a possibility. Word 
  spreads quickly through Old Korvosa if the party adopts 
  an offensive approach, and 3d6 minutes after defeating 
  the first mob, two more arrive to confront the PCs. If the 
  PCs defeat this second wave, a fourth mob seeks them 
  out in 3d6 minutes to extend an invitation to speak with 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  22
  the Emperor—in this event, the PCs are watched by four 
  mobs from the surrounding streets but are allowed to 
  keep their gear.
  A single mob consists of 6 thugs and one captain who 
  serves as the mob’s leader—a single mob encounter is EL 7.
  Old Dock Thugs (6) 
  CR 2
  Male human warrior 2/rogue 1
  CN Medium humanoid
  Init +5; Senses Listen +1, Spot +7
  DEFENSE
  AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14
  (+3 armor, +1 Dex, +1 shield)
  hp 19 (2d8+1d6+9)
  Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +1
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft.
  Melee battleaxe +4 (1d8+2/×3)
  Ranged throwing axe +3 (1d6+2)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6
  TACTICS
  During Combat The Old Dock thugs are more brash and 
  foolhardy than they are brave. They focus their attacks on 
  less-armored foes if given a choice, and generally prefer to 
  gang up on one target at a time.
  Morale A thug flees combat if brought below 5 hit points. All 
  thugs flee or surrender if their leader is slain.
  STATISTICS
  Str 15, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10
  Base Atk +2; Grp +4
  Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Toughness
  Skills Climb +7, Intimidate +6, Spot +7
  Languages Common
  SQ trapfinding
  Gear studded leather armor, light wooden shield, battleaxe, 4 
  throwing axes
  Old Dock Captain 
  CR 4
  Male human warrior 2/rogue 3
  CN Medium humanoid
  Init +6; Senses Listen +6, Spot +8
  DEFENSE
  AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14
  (+3 armor, +2 Dex, +1 shield)
  hp 33 (2d8+3d6+10)
  Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +2
  Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft.
  Melee mwk battleaxe +7 (1d8+2/×3) or
  unarmed strike +6 (1d3+2)
  Ranged throwing axe +6 (1d6+2)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +2d6
  TACTICS
  During Combat An Old Dock captain attempts to Intimidate 
  the apparent leader of the PCs, ordering his thugs to 
  engage in melee while he takes the first few rounds to 
  throw axes before entering combat himself.
  Morale An Old Dock captain fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 15, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10
  Base Atk +4; Grp +6
  Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Improved 
  Unarmed Strike
  Skills Climb +9, Intimidate +7, Listen +6, Spot +8
  Languages Common
  SQ trapfinding
  Gear mwk studded leather armor, light wooden shield, 
  masterwork battleaxe, 4 throwing axes
  Pilts’s Palace
  The Emperor of Old Korvosa’s palace is located at 11 
  Silk Street in Old Dock, a collection of tenements and 
  abandoned stores that barely escaped destruction during 
  a recent fire that consumed much of the city block to the 
  west. The palace consists of six buildings, although only 
  the floors or roofs of immediate interest to the adventure 
  are shown on the map. All of these buildings are wood 
  and in relatively good repair, despite the large amount 
  of cosmetic damage the mob has inflicted on them in the 
  form of graffiti, scorch marks, and weapon damage.
  Not all of the Emperor’s citizens dwell in his palace—
  the vast majority live spread out through all of Old Dock. 
  Nonetheless, the Emperor retains a small contingent of 
  18 captains in his palace as personal guards. The captains 
  live in the abandoned tenements at area C5, but at any one 
  time only a third of them are at rest in these buildings. The 
  rest are stationed as indicated in the following encounter 
  descriptions.
  If the PCs are being escorted to the palace by a mob 
  of thugs, the mob announces their arrival with yells and 
  calls, forcing the PCs to enter at area C1 and then move 
  up to area C4 to stand before the Emperor. In this case, 
  all of the additional captains in the palace are on alert 
  and ready to join in the defense of the place; the thugs 
  and captains normally at rest are stationed on the roofs 
  of area C5.
  If the PCs aren’t being escorted, they can pick their 
  own route into the palace. As soon as any guards notice 
  them, they raise the alarm and launch the attack. Battle 
  with the guards could quickly turn into an all-out brawl 
  spread across the entire palace, with the Emperor barking 
  orders and aiding his minions from his throne as he can. 
  In this event, the PCs need not defeat every single thug in 
  the Palace. Defeating the Emperor is enough to cow the 
  entire mob (see area C3).
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
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  23
  C1. Palace Entrance
  The interior of this home has been gutted. A huge mound 
  of rubble—broken timbers, bits of wall, ruined furniture, 
  and more—lies heaped in the center of the room. Rickety 
  wooden stairs wind up to a splintered hole in the wall near 
  the roof above.
  Areas C1 and C2 are connected by a rope bridge 
  suspended 15 feet off the ground.
  C2. Guardroom (EL 8)
  What once might have been an attic has been cleared of all 
  clutter, leaving a large open area under exposed rafters and 
  the roof above. Rope bridges lead to other areas outside of 
  the room to the northeast and southwest, and a flight of stairs 
  descends to a lower floor to the northwest.
  While the northeast rope bridge is level, the southwest 
  one climbs an additional 10 feet to area C3, turning the 
  bridge into a somewhat unsettling (but still relatively safe) 
  “rope stairway.” The stairs descend into a lower floor that 
  has been filled almost completely with rubble to block 
  entry from below into this area.
  Creatures: If the alarm is not raised, four Old Dock 
  captains stand guard in this room, leaning casually 
  against the wall and deep in an argument about whether 
  chokers have skeletons or not—as long as they’re arguing, 
  they’re distracted and take a –5 penalty on Listen and 
  Spot checks.
  Old Dock Captains (4) 
  EL 4
  hp 36 each (see page 22)
  C3. The Emperor’s Throne (EL 12)
  This open-air balcony is shielded from rain and sun by a 
  brightly colored canvas roof that extends up over the area 
  like a dome, held in place by a wooden framework. The inside 
  of the canvas has been decorated in scenes of gruesome 
  debauchery: battlefields, executions, torture chambers, and 
  man-eating monsters all vie for space. The balcony itself 
  contains two major features of note. The first is a high-backed 
  throne that looks like a poor man’s version of the Crimson 
  Throne itself, a thing of blood-red cushions and silks and 
  spikes. Directly west of the throne stands an intimidating 
  device, a tall guillotine of carved wood and bone, its base 
  depicting grasping demonic feet and the housing that holds 
  its glittering blade a leering demonic face.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  24
  This balcony is where the Emperor of Old Korvosa 
  holds court, 25 feet off the ground and overlooking a large 
  open rooftop. The guillotine itself is one of the Emperor’s 
  most valued prizes—a device imported at great expense 
  from distant Galt, a land itself perpetually in the throes 
  of revolution. Known variously as the Tall Knife, Jabbyr’s 
  Tongue, and the Demon’s Maw, the guillotine was the 
  first thing Pilts rescued from his old lair when the fire 
  spread, and it remains his favorite method for disposing of 
  unneeded prisoners. It takes 3 rounds to strap a character 
  into place in the Demon’s Maw—the character must either 
  be willing or helpless during these 3 rounds, after which it’s 
  a DC 30 Escape Artist check (or another 3 rounds of undoing 
  the straps) to escape. The guillotine can be triggered as a 
  move action, at which point the serrated blade drops out 
  of the housing above to shear through the victim’s neck. 
  Treat this as a coup de grace attempt delivered by a Large 
  greataxe at Strength 26—the victim takes 9d6+36 points of 
  damage and must then make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the 
  damage dealt by the blade) to avoid death. To date, none 
  have survived the Tall Knife’s kiss.
  Creatures: The Emperor of Old Korvosa holds court 
  here daily. After waking and taking his breakfast in his 
  bedroom, he generally takes a seat here on his throne an 
  hour after sunrise and remains until dusk. During this 
  time, he hears reports from his mob and entertains pleas 
  from citizens of Old Dock desperate for more 
  food or shelter or safety, but most of his time is 
  spent being entertained, be it by directing his 
  latest grotesque play or observing a contest, 
  game, or execution. 
  Pilts is a hideous man—a thin 
  Chelaxian cursed from a young age 
  by acne, made worse of late by his 
  recent bout with blood veil. Pilts has 
  an extensive collection of costumes and 
  delights in mixing and matching them 
  to create an endless array of variations on 
  what he believes to be royal attire. That his 
  costumes are generally threadbare and ratty 
  gives him the look more of a vagrant king 
  than actual royalty, but all who have pointed 
  this out to him before have felt the Tall Knife’s 
  kiss. Despite his unsavory appearance, Pilts 
  has an almost hypnotic speaking voice and a 
  real talent for grandstanding and delivering 
  compelling soliloquies—this alone is his 
  greatest tool for gathering the desperate 
  and cruel to his banner.
  When he’s holding court, the Emperor is 
  always attended by four of his captains and 
  his cohort, a deranged gnome named Jabbyr. 
  Pilts found Jabbyr several years ago in a shipment of 
  torture devices he imported from Cheliax. Near death, 
  tongueless, and with one eye burnt out by a hot poker, 
  whether the gnome had accidentally been shipped in the 
  gibbet or on purpose Pilts never determined. At first, he 
  thought Jabbyr was dead, but when the tongueless gnome 
  shrieked and began babbling when Pilts tried to extract 
  him from the torture device, Pilts took the nearly dead 
  gnome under his wing. Over those years, Jabbyr never quite 
  recovered his mind from whatever nameless tortures he’d 
  Pilts swastel
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  25
  undergone, but he did indeed become a loyal minion of the 
  man he now calls “Unca Pit.” Today, Jabbyr serves primarily 
  as the operator for the Demon’s Maw, a role he has taken to 
  with great delight, especially since Pilts dressed him as a 
  court executioner. He even stitched up the eyehole in the 
  hood that one-eyed Jabbyr has no need for.
  Pilts Swastel, Emperor of Old Korvosa 
  CR 10 
  Male human bard 10
  CE Medium humanoid
  Init +4; Senses Listen +12, Spot –1
  DEFENSE
  AC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 19
  (+5 armor, +4 Dex, +4 natural)
  hp 51 (10d6+10)
  Fort +4, Ref +11, Will +6
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft.
  Melee mwk war razor +12/+7 (1d4/18–20)
  Ranged mwk light crossbow +12 (1d8/19–20)
  Special Attacks bardic music 10/day (countersong, fascinate, 
  inspire competence, inspire courage +2, inspire greatness, 
  suggestion)
  Spells Known (CL 10th)
  4th (1/day)—dimension door, modify memory (DC 18)
  3rd (3/day)—charm monster (DC 17), confusion (DC 17), 
  displacement, glibness
  2nd (4/day)—cat’s grace, detect thoughts (DC 16), hold person 
  (DC 16), tongues
  1st (4/day)—alarm, cure light wounds, undetectable alignment, 
  unseen servant
  0 (3/day)—dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound (DC 
  14), mage hand, open/close, resistance
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Pilts casts alarm on the door to Salvator’s 
  cell every morning, and unseen servant and undetectable 
  alignment as soon as he takes his throne for the day. As 
  soon as he realizes he’s about to have visitors, the Emperor 
  also casts glibness and tongues on himself. Before Pilts 
  enters combat, he makes sure to drink his potion of barkskin 
  +4 and cast cat’s grace. All of these effects are incorporated 
  into his stats.
  During Combat Pilts orders all available minions to the attack, 
  augmenting them with inspire courage on the first round 
  of combat. He then alternates casting spells like confusion, 
  charm monster, and hold person with activations of his rod 
  of wonder—each time he uses this unpredictable device, he 
  shrieks in delight and offers impromptu (and sometimes 
  witty) commentary on the rod’s results. As soon as it seems 
  obvious that he’s about to be attacked, he casts displacement 
  on himself  and fights back with his war razor.
  Morale The Emperor dimension doors into his bedroom (area 
  C11) if brought below 20 hit points, then takes 3d6 rounds 
  gathering up his favorite prizes before making an attempt to 
  escape through area C7 to hide in Old Dock and nurse both 
  his wounds and plans for revenge against the PCs. If brought 
  below 10 hit points and he’s unable to use dimension door, 
  Pilts’s bravado crumbles. He drops to his knees and begs 
  pitifully for his life—he offers up pretty much anything to the 
  PCs in return for mercy. In either event, as soon as Pilts is 
  killed or surrenders publicly (or 2d6 rounds after he flees), his 
  mob falls to pieces and the thugs scatter, seeking a safe place 
  to recover and figure out what to do next.
  Base Statistics Init +2, AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15; Ref +9; 
  Melee mwk war razor +10/+5; Ranged mwk light crossbow 
  +10; Dex 14; Skills Bluff +19, Sleight of Hand +17
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 19
  Base Atk +7; Grp +7
  Feats Craft Rod, Craft Wondrous Item, Leadership, Persuasive, 
  Weapon Finesse
  Skills Bluff +49, Concentration +14, Diplomacy +21, Intimidate 
  +8, Knowledge (local) +14, Listen +12, Perform (oratory) +17, 
  Sense Motive +12, Sleight of Hand +19
  Languages Common, Gnome
  SQ bardic knowledge +11
  Combat Gear potion of barkskin +4, rod of wonder; Other Gear 
  +1 glamered chain shirt, masterwork war razor, masterwork 
  light crossbow with 10 bolts, cloak of Charisma +2
  Jabbyr 
  CR 8
  Male gnome barbarian 8
  CE Small humanoid
  Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Listen +14, Spot +1
  DEFENSE
  AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 13
  (+3 armor, +2 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size, –2 rage)
  hp 97 (8d12+40)
  Fort +11, Ref +4, Will +7; +2 vs. illusions
  Defensive Abilities improved uncanny dodge, trap sense +2; 
  DR 1/—
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft.
  Melee +1 greataxe +16/+11 (1d10+8/×3)
  Special Attacks rage 3/day
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st)
  1/day—speak with animals
  TACTICS
  Before Combat As soon as combat begins, Jabbyr rages.
  During Combat Jabbyr follows Pilts’s orders exactly, attacking 
  whomever the Emperor orders him to. Left to his own 
  devices, though, Jabbyr tends to focus on whatever enemy is 
  the closest. The only exception to this are gnomes—Jabbyr 
  only attacks other gnomes in response to being attacked by 
  one of them first. Pilts knows better than to order the insane 
  barbarian to attack another gnome, in any event.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  jabbyr and 
  the tall knife
  26
  Morale Jabbyr fights to the death. If he discovers that Pilts 
  has been killed, he freezes for 1 round in shock before 
  continuing his rage. If, on the other hand, Pilts surrenders 
  in Jabbyr’s presence, something inside the gnome’s 
  dementia snaps and he focuses his wrath on the ex-
  Emperor. Surrendering is tantamount to treason in Jabbyr’s 
  mind, and he’d rather have his master slain at his own 
  hands than live with the ignominy of such a defeat.
  Base Statistics AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 15; hp 81, Fort +9, 
  Will +5; Melee +1 greataxe +14/+9 (1d10+5/×3); Str 16, Con 16
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 5
  Base Atk +8; Grp +9
  Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (greataxe)
  Skills Listen +14
  Languages Common, Gnome
  SQ fast movement, illiteracy
  Gear +1 leather armor, +1 greataxe, gauntlets of ogre power, 
  amulet of natural armor +1
  Old Dock Captains (4) 
  CR 4
  hp 36 each (see page 22)
  C4. The Emperor’s Stage
  The large, flat roof of this long building has been converted 
  into a strange sort of marshaling yard or game field. Two large 
  square areas have been marked with what could be blood, while 
  to either end to the west and east, small cages of wood have 
  been set up to the side of a hole in the roof that drops into the 
  upper floor of the building below. Flights of stairs lead up from 
  the roof to a balcony to the north and the gently slanted roof of 
  a building to the south.
  Lately, the Emperor’s favored distraction is a violent 
  game he invented called blood pig, a game that requires 
  an ever-increasing number of small animals to play. 
  The exact name of the game changes as needed 
  (blood dog, blood cat, and blood rat are common), 
  but the sound of a squealing pig delights Pilts 
  the most—blood pig is his favorite. The roof ’s 
  markings and additions are all set up to 
  play this game—the rules for blood pig are 
  presented on page 30.
  C5. Rooftops (EL 11)
  Two gently sloped rooftops overlook a flat roof 
  to the north. The northern slopes of these 
  roofs are littered with boards, shingles, and other 
  impromptu chairs, transforming the area into a 
  sort of arena-style seating. The southern slopes 
  are falling into disrepair—it’s obviously that the 
  materials to build the northern sides’ seating 
  were harvested from there.
  During 
  performances 
  and 
  games, 
  the roofs here quickly fill with thugs 
  and captains, eager to see what new 
  entertainments their Emperor has 
  crafted for them.
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  27
  Creatures: Once tenement buildings, this is where the 
  the Emperor’s personal guard of Old Dock captains dwell. 
  Their rooms are small and cramped; access to them is from 
  the ground below. At any one time, 12 captains are at rest 
  here. After an alarm sounds, 1d6 of these captains respond 
  per minute until all 12 have joined their companions on 
  the roofs above.
  Old Dock Captains (12) 
  CR 4
  hp 36 each (see page 22)
  C6. Storeroom
  Crates, boxes, and barrels fill this long storeroom, making it 
  difficult to judge the room’s actual dimensions.
  The majority of the props, tools, and other bits of salvage 
  Pilts scavenged from Exemplary Execrables are stored 
  here. There’s little of actual value kept here, with most of 
  the contents damaged by the fire in some way.
  C7. Choker Nest (EL 8)
  This large room might once have been an attic storage area, but 
  the open rafters above now brood over an empty chamber. To 
  the northwest, a large portion of the roof and floor below have 
  collapsed entirely, leaving a void looking out over the sodden 
  skyline of Old Korvosa.
  This could serve as a possible entry point into Pilts’s Palace, 
  provided the intruder can navigate the 25 foot distance 
  between the ground and this room. The area within 5 feet 
  of the collapsed floor remains unstable as well. A Medium 
  or larger creature that steps on a square within 5 feet of the 
  collapse causes that square to crumble. He can make a DC 
  15 Reflex save to stagger back to more solid footing behind 
  him—otherwise the fall deals 2d6 points of damage (and 
  likely defeats any attempt at a stealthy intrusion).
  Creatures: This room is the lair of four particularly 
  well-fed and cruel chokers, creatures who once dwelt on 
  the roof of Exemplary Execrables and with whom Pilts 
  Swastel had nurtured something of a friendship. He often 
  used these chokers to take care of victims from some of 
  his shows, and has come to rely upon the efficiency with 
  which the chokers dispose of bodies—the monsters 
  generally eat the choice bits, then carry the remains out 
  across Korvosa’s rooftops to stash in nooks, hollows, and 
  other hidden places in the Shingles for scavengers like 
  spiders and rats to feed upon. When Exemplary Execrables 
  burnt, Pilts offered to let the chokers dwell here—the 
  monsters agreed, and have continued to serve Pilts as a 
  disposal method. The chokers don’t mind that most of 
  the bodies they’re asked to get rid of now are headless.
  Choker Brutes (4) 
  CR 4
  Advanced elite chokers (MM 34)
  CE Small aberration
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +2, Spot +2
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 15
  (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)
  hp 45 (6d8+18)
  Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +7
  OFFENSE
  Spd 20 ft., climb 10 ft.
  Melee 2 tentacles +10 (1d3+5)
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks constrict 1d3+5, improved grab
  TACTICS
  During Combat The chokers lurk in the shadows in the rafters 
  up above, watching observantly if they notice anyone 
  attempting to move through the room. They swiftly move 
  to attack as soon as anyone entering from outside tries to 
  open the door, or 3 rounds after intruders from the south 
  have already opened the door and are moving about inside 
  the room.
  Morale The chokers fight to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 4
  Base Atk +4; Grp +9
  Feats Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Stealthy, 
  Weapon Focus (tentacle)
  Skills Climb +16, Hide +13, Move Silently +9
  Languages Common
  Treasure: The chokers have amassed a small amount of 
  treasure that they keep in a leather bag wedged between 
  two high rafters in the southeast corner of the room—
  locating this bag requires a DC 15 Search check. The bag 
  contains 44 gp, 3 pp, a single silk glove inset with tiny 
  pearls on the back of the hand worth 250 gp, a masterwork 
  hand crossbow, and a copper wand of slow (13 charges).
  C8. Collapsed Stairway
  This flight of stairs has been filled with rubble—clearing 
  the stairs takes 1d4 hours to access the two empty floors of 
  this building below.
  C9. Art Supplies
  Several barrels and crates sit against the walls here. Stacked on 
  some are many blank canvases and what appear to be ceramic 
  containers. A stack of paintings leans against the eastern wall, 
  bound on wooden frames and covered with sheets.
  The paintings leaning against the eastern wall are 
  all brand new Screams, identifiable as such with a DC 20 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  28
  Appraise check. If the Appraise check exceeds this DC by 10, 
  it’s also obvious that these paintings lack some quality that 
  his previous work contained—they seem muddled, dull, and 
  pedestrian compared to the brilliance of his work before 
  the death of King Eodred II. In particular, the use of the 
  color blue, a trademark in Salvator’s work, seems sloppy and 
  poor. The reason for this is simple—when Kazavon’s spirit 
  bonded with that of Queen Ileosa, it abandoned Salvator 
  and the other artists. Salvator’s muse has vanished.
  Treasure: Salvator’s paintings generally command 
  a strong price among his fans—and each of these 11 
  paintings incorporate themes those collectors value: 
  shadowy dragons, torture, violence, darkness, and scenes 
  of pain and despair in vivid colors. These paintings, while 
  maintaining the same themes, simply aren’t as good—
  each of the 11 paintings are worth only 20 gp.
  If Laori is with the party when these paintings are 
  discovered, she gleefully goes through them all, but 
  quickly becomes disappointed by their pedestrian nature 
  and wants nothing more to do with them.
  C10. Trophy Hall
  The air in this room smells sickly sweet—a combination of 
  flowers and vinegar. The unpleasant smell likely comes from 
  the fourteen poorly preserved heads mounted on the walls of 
  this grisly trophy hall. Most of the heads are human, although 
  two are elves and one is from a dwarf. To the north, a small, 
  child-size bed sits against the wall opposite a wooden table 
  decorated with a magnificent set of silverware.
  This room serves several purposes. The small bed is 
  where the Emperor’s cohort Jabbyr sleeps, and the table 
  is where the Emperor takes his meals (generally served by 
  one of his captains, who themselves usually bully these 
  meals out of local citizens). The grisly trophies on the 
  walls, preserved somewhat by a process of soaking in brine, 
  perfume, and other herbs, are the heads of enemies who 
  particularly vexed the Emperor. He sometimes carries on 
  mocking conversations with these heads in the late hours 
  of the night when he’s having trouble sleeping.
  The door to area C11 is generally warded by an alarm 
  spell; if triggered, it creates a mental alarm, alerting Pilts 
  that someone’s intruding in his home.
  Treasure: The silverware set on the table is the best that 
  Pilts could steal—the full set is worth 500 gp. A platinum 
  and crystal decanter filled with fine brandy sits on the 
  table as well—this item alone is worth 750 gp.
  C11. Emperor’s Chambers
  This extravagantly decorated bedroom would feel at home 
  in the richest of noble villas or monarchs’ castles—at least, 
  until one looks a little more closely at the sheets on the 
  four-poster bed and notes how stained and frayed they 
  are, or examines the tapestries and curtains and sees the 
  patches of mold and threadbare edges. A tall, well-stocked 
  bookcase to the south turns out to be leaning against the 
  wall for support; the contents of its sagging shelves are 
  poorly produced books with violent or erotic names on 
  their mildewed spines. Everything is slightly musty, stained 
  with age and well-beyond its prime. Only three paintings 
  hanging on the wall hold up to closer examination, but their 
  grisly subject matter might make them difficult to show in 
  most public venues. To the north, a simple wooden door is 
  secured with a lock and a heavy wooden bar.
  Most of the furnishings in this room are well-used 
  props from countless plays and productions—they’ve 
  seen much use, but Pilts finds no fault in their threadbare 
  natures. The Emperor can be found here after dark, 
  either sleeping fitfully or reading one of his scandalous 
  books of violence and erotica stored on the bookshelf. 
  For about an hour each night, he unbolts the door to area 
  C12 to speak with Salvator, give him his food, empty his 
  chamber pot, and remove any finished works to put into 
  storage at area C9.
  Treasure: The three paintings are all original 
  Screams—works produced before Salvator lost his 
  muse—that Pilts salvaged from his previous home. The 
  first depicts a full portrait of a thin humanoid wearing 
  shadows as he stands framed by a dolmen of great size. 
  The figure’s brilliant blue eyes are the only true points 
  of color in the piece, and they seem to almost glow 
  with anger. This painting is worth 450 gp. The second 
  picture depicts a rugged mountain range above a desert 
  under a brilliant blue sky. In the foreground, a quartet 
  of Vudran tusked camels ridden by N’darr tribesmen 
  race across dunes that, upon closer examination, consist 
  of tiny skulls. This picture is worth 1,100 gp. The final 
  portrait is perhaps the most disturbing, for it depicts a 
  handsome man in the process of peeling away the flesh 
  of his arms as if he were taking off a pair of gloves—
  underneath, his arms are muscular and covered with 
  glittering blue scales. The man’s expression is one of 
  delight, yet his eyes are empty pits of blackness. Half 
  seen in the shadows beyond him are what can only be 
  thousands of humans impaled on towering wooden poles 
  erected in the shadow of an indistinct shape looming 
  on the horizon—perhaps a castle, maybe a mountain, 
  but likely something more. This last painting is worth a 
  staggering 2,000 gp.
  If Laori is with the PCs, she asks if it’s okay for her to 
  keep all three paintings. She’ll settle on splitting the 
  paintings evenly among the PCs and herself, but soon 
  thereafter starts offering to buy them back.
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  salvator  
  scream
  29
  C12. Salvator’s Cell (EL 4)
  The air in this room is an unpleasant mix of body odor and 
  paint. A lumpy straw mattress lies on the floor in one corner of 
  the room, partially covered by a few blankets, while in the other 
  stands a large easel on which rests a nearly completed painting 
  of immense fiends attacking a village.
  Creature: This is where the Emperor has been keeping 
  Salvator Scream—the artist hasn’t left this room for 
  many days, and his initial despair has fallen into a numb 
  acceptance that this is his new life—painting for a madman 
  when his muse is gone. Still, he works desperately to create 
  and recapture his old inspiration, if only to produce a work 
  that the Emperor enjoys. With each failed painting, the 
  Emperor’s frustration and anger grows, and he regularly 
  beats Salvator after the ruined artist finishes a painting 
  these days. Yet Salvator sees no chance at rescue, and so 
  he continues to slave away at his easel, knowing with each 
  brush stroke that all he has to look forward to at the end 
  is a worse beating than the last one. Eventually, he hopes 
  that the Emperor goes too far, solving the problem of his 
  missing muse permanently.
  Upon seeing anyone other than the Emperor, though, 
  Salvator immediately falls to his knees and breaks into 
  desperate sobs, begging for rescue between each 
  heartbreaking shudder. He does or says anything to 
  reward his rescuers, but his mind isn’t so far gone 
  that he just hands out all his information to anyone. 
  Before he agrees to answer any questions the PCs 
  might have, he demands two things—the death 
  of the Emperor and to be escorted out of Old 
  Korvosa to the mainland. His initial attitude is 
  unfriendly; if made friendly, he agrees to talk if the 
  PCs just help him escape. If made helpful, he spills 
  what he knows immediately as long as the PCs 
  promise to rescue him. Intimidation and magic 
  can also serve to pressure him into revealing 
  what he knows—routes that Laori, if she’s with 
  the PCs, encourages.
  Salvator is a plain-looking man dressed in paint-
  stained rags. His skin is covered with flea bites and 
  his eyes are sunken—he’s barely been sleeping an 
  hour or two at a time. The man is desperate, and wants 
  only to escape the nightmare that has captured him.
  Salvator Scream 
  CR 4
  Male human expert 6
  LE Medium humanoid
  Init +1; Senses Listen +10, Spot +10
  DEFENSE
  AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10
  (+1 Dex)
  hp 29 (6d6+6)
  Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +4
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft.
  Melee unarmed strike +4 (1d3 nonlethal)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Salvator is no fighter, and he knows it. In 
  combat, he cowers behind his allies, throwing punches only 
  when there’s no other choice.
  Morale Salvator flees if all his allies are defeated, or if reduced 
  to less than 15 hit points. If he does so, his primary goal is 
  to find a small dark place to hide, and he eventually works 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  30
  his way back to his home only to be eaten by the otyughs if 
  the PCs haven’t defeated them.
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 9
  Base Atk +4; Grp +4
  Feats Alertness, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Craft [painting])
  Skills Craft (painting) +13, Knowledge (history) +10, Knowledge 
  (religion) +10, Listen +10, Profession (artist) +8, Search +10, 
  Sense Motive +8, Spot +10
  Languages Common, Draconic
  Gear stained clothes, painter’s equipment
  Development: If the PCs convince Salvator to talk here, 
  the man has relatively little to say. He admits that he spoke 
  with Vencarlo on several occasions, but if the PCs ask him 
  what that subject was about, Salvator grows nervous. He’d 
  rather not finish what he has to say unless he and the PCs 
  are obviously in a safe place where he can’t be overheard. 
  Once these conditions have been met, he continues his 
  story in a whisper.
  Salvator explains his relationship with Neolandus 
  Kalepopolis, going on to describe how the man showed 
  up at his home, desperate, bloodied, and poisoned, early 
  on the morning Eodred II died. Neolandus was delirious, 
  but managed to convey to Salvator that he needed a place 
  to hide. Salvator nursed him back to health, whereupon 
  Neolandus confided in him that Queen Ileosa had 
  murdered her husband, and that she’d entered an alliance 
  with the Red Mantis. They were the ones who tried to 
  assassinate Neolandus, and his escape was as much 
  luck as anything. Worse, Neolandus said that there was 
  something about Queen Ileosa that wasn’t quite right—
  that she’d changed recently. Grown “worse,” whatever that 
  meant. Neloandus refused to divulge more to Salvator, 
  saying that “the less he knew, the safer he’d be,” and that 
  the seneschal needed more time to think things through 
  and do some research before he decided on the proper 
  course of action.
  Yet an artist’s simple home is not a secure hideout—
  both Neolandus and Salvator knew this. Salvator had 
  connections with the Arkonas (they were one of his greatest 
  patrons), and when he suggested that Neolandus seek 
  them out for asylum, the seneschal begrudgingly agreed. 
  Salvator escorted his friend up to the Arkona Palace late 
  one night, just a few days before the quarantine occurred, 
  and hasn’t seen his friend since.
  Salvator says that the Arkonas seemed friendly enough, 
  and at the time he felt they could be trusted to hide 
  Neolandus from the queen. The artist even offers up the 
  fact that they haven’t given him up yet as proof that they 
  were the best choice at the time. Yet after his meetings 
  with Vencarlo, who revealed to Salvator his theories that 
  the Arkonas were more criminal-minded than Salvator 
  suspected, the artist has come to believe that he might 
  have just traded his friend’s danger for a different one. 
  He suspects that Vencarlo might have tried to infiltrate 
  Palace Arkona to find out more, and if told that he’s gone 
  missing too, the artist grows pale before begging the PCs 
  to find them both. “Korvosa’s not a safe place for them—
  they need to escape the city!” he cries. “Myself too. And 
  you as well!”
  Laori has her own questions for him, but would rather 
  not ask them in front of the PCs. If they give her no other 
  choice, she begrudgingly proceeds. Her primary interest 
  in Salvator is to determine where his ideas come from; 
  when he reveals to her that, before Eodred II’s death, his 
  muse inspired him in vivid dreams and he merely painted 
  these dreams, she grows excited and asks him to describe 
  to her his memories of these dreams. When she asks him 
  about why his current work doesn’t hold the same power, 
  she’s disappointed to learn that Salvator’s muse seems 
  to have left him. She has no desire to punish; though, 
  after all, if he’s allowed to live, his muse might someday 
  return. In any event, she volunteers to escort Salvator to 
  the mainland, and even though she’s a worshiper of the 
  god of pain, she can be trusted to deliver on this promise. 
  Once she learns what she can from Salvator, the strange 
  elf takes her leave from the party (with Salvator if the 
  PCs let her, but without if they don’t trust her to see to 
  his safety). She thanks them for their help, but says she 
  must now report to her superiors. Before she leaves, she 
  enigmatically predicts that she hasn’t seen the last of the 
  PCs, and tells them she looks forward to the next time 
  they meet before slipping into the lengthening shadows 
  of Old Korvosa.
  Ad Hoc Experience Award: For learning what Salvator 
  knows, award the PCs experience points as if they had 
  defeated a CR 8 creature.
  A Rousing Game
  Stealth and violence are two possible methods to secure 
  an audience with Salvator, but there is a more diplomatic 
  approach as well. If the PCs can meet with the Emperor 
  of Old Korvosa, be it as prisoners or as uninvited guests, 
  they might just be able to convince the lunatic to let 
  them talk with his pet artist. If asked about Salvator, the 
  Emperor proudly admits that the artist is his “guest,” 
  and that he won’t be going anywhere any time soon. 
  No amount of diplomacy or threat can convince the 
  Emperor to grant an audience with the artist. Magic 
  like dominate person or suggestion could work, but only if 
  the PCs can do so without being obvious—and if their 
  initial attempt fails, the Emperor realizes what the PCs 
  are up to and orders their immediate execution. A battle 
  against the Emperor, his cohort, and his 18 captains is 
  an EL 12 encounter.
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  31
  Yet the Emperor isn’t completely opposed letting 
  pepole visit Salvator. After negotiations have gone on for 
  a bit, the lunatic claps his hands as if to signal the end of 
  discussion, but then gives the PCs a chance to “earn” the 
  audience they so desperately seek. If they can win a game 
  of blood pig against the Emperor’s best players (eight of his 
  captains who comprise the notorious “Shinglesnipes”), 
  he’ll allow them 5 minutes with Salvator—under his 
  supervision, of course! If the PCs have given up their 
  gear, he even promises to return it and grant the party 
  an escort out of Old Dock after their interview if they can 
  win this game.
  If the PCs agree to his terms, he invites them to stand 
  in the western square in the middle of the blood pig field 
  (area C4d). As they do, another group of his captains take up 
  position in the other square (area C4c)—eight of them in 
  all—while the Emperor goes over the rules of the game.
  Blood Pig!
  The rules for blood pig are fairly simple; running the 
  match uses standard combat rules, save that the PCs aren’t 
  in it to fight.
  Goal: The goal of blood pig is to be the first team to 
  reach five points.
  Scoring Points: A player scores a point by throwing, 
  kicking, dropping, or otherwise placing a pig in his team’s 
  pit. The PCs’ pit is area C4f, while the Shinglesnipe’s pit is 
  area C4b. Each of these pits contains a starving wolverine. 
  The pig’s fate once thrown into a pit is a violent and swift 
  death—all part of the entertainment for the Emperor. 
  When a point is scored, a fresh pig is loaded into the cage 
  on the opposite side of the playing field at the end of the 
  next round.
  Starting Points: Every member of a team must start 
  the game within one of the 20-foot squares in the middle 
  of the field. The PCs must start in area C4d, while the 
  Emperor’s team starts in area C4c. Exact positioning in 
  these areas is left to the game players to decide. No more 
  than eight players can play on a team; if the PCs don’t 
  have enough players to round out their team, the Emperor 
  shrugs and says, “At least you won’t be as crowded when 
  the game begins.”
  Limitations: No weapons are allowed in a game of 
  blood pig. Casting spells before or during a match is 
  also not allowed. Each time one of these rules is broken, 
  the other team gets a point. The use of fists and other 
  unarmed attacks does not count as the use of weapons—
  players are allowed (and expected) to throw punches 
  during the game.
  The Game Begins: Once all the players are in position, 
  the Emperor flips a coin. If the result is heads, a trap door 
  opens in area C5a and a frightened pig is raised up into 
  the cage from a room below. If the result is tails, the pig 
  is raised up through the trap door in area C5e. The game 
  begins one round later as the Emperor cries out, “GO 
  GET YOUR PIG!” At this point, each PC and each of the 
  Shinglesnipes makes an Initiative check to determine 
  when they act.
  The Pig: Movement and fistfights between players is 
  handled normally. The pig itself has an AC of 15 (+2 size, +3 
  Dex) and 4 hp. Retrieving, carrying, and throwing the pig 
  is treated as follows.
  •  Picking Up the Pig: Retrieving the pig from a cage is a 
  standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. 
  Picking up a live pig that has been dropped on the field 
  requires a character to also make a successful touch attack 
  against AC 15. If a member of the Emperor’s team retrieves a 
  pig from a cage and has the time, he spends the next round 
  delivering a coup de grace attack against the pig.
  •  Carrying a Pig: A pig weighs 20 pounds. Each round that a 
  character carries a live pig, roll 1d6 and consult the Squirming 
  Pig sidebar to see how the pig reacts to being carried.
  •  Dropping a Pig: A character that takes damage while carrying 
  a live pig must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1 per point of 
  damage taken) to avoid dropping the squirming pig. (Damage 
  taken does not incur a chance of dropping a dead pig.)
  sqUirming Pig
  A live pig does not enjoy being carried. Each round a live pig is held, roll a d6 and consult the 
  following table to see how it reacts.
  d6 Roll Pig’s Action
    
  1 
  Limp: Pig takes no action and simply hangs limp in the character’s grasp.
    
  2 
  Squirm: If the carrier doesn’t make a DC 12 Strength check, he drops the pig.
    
  3 
  Squeal: The noise draws a hearty round of laughter from the Emperor and his crowd.
    
  4 
  Bite: The pig makes a +4 melee attack against the carrier, dealing 1d3 points of  
   
   
   
  damage  on a hit; this may cause the carrier to drop the pig (see Dropping a Pig).
    
  5 
  Kick: The pig begins kicking. The carrier must make a DC 12 Dexterity check to avoid  
   
   
  dropping the pig.
    
  6 
  Panic: The pig explodes into a fury of action; apply the results of a squeal, a bite, a  
   
   
  squirm, and a kick all at once.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  32
  •  Passing a Pig: A character can pass a pig to a teammate as 
  a standard action if he is within reach of a teammate.
  •  Throwing a Pig: A pig is an improvised thrown weapon, 
  and thus imparts a –4 penalty on attack rolls. It has a range 
  increment of 10 feet. Catching a thrown pig requires a DC 
  12 Reflex check.
  •  Into a Pit: In order to throw a pig into a pit, the thrower 
  must hit AC 6 with the thrown pig. Dropping a pig 
  into an adjacent pit is a free action and is automatically 
  successful.
  •  Dropped Pig: A pig that is dropped runs in a straight line 
  away from the closest person on Initiative count 0 each 
  round, moving at a speed of 20 feet.
  •  Interceptions: A character can attempt to intercept a 
  thrown pig by successfully hitting it if it passes through a 
  square he threatens.
  •  Stealing a Pig: A character can grab a pig out of another 
  person’s hands by making a successful disarm attempt. 
  Roll 1d6 on the squirming pig table to determine how the 
  pig reacts to the second person trying to snatch it away.
  The Pits: Each pit contains a particularly hungry and 
  aggressive wolverine. The pits are little more than holes 
  that drop into a ten-foot-square room below; there are no 
  walls to climb up to escape a pit, forcing those who fall into 
  the pit to fly or make a standing 10-foot-high Jump check to 
  escape (for a Medium creature, this is a DC 16 Jump check 
  to leap up and grab the edge above; for a Small creature, 
  it’s a DC 48 Jump check). Bull-rushing an opponent into 
  a pit is a time-honored tactic to weaken the enemy team’s 
  resources. A character who kills one of the two wolverines 
  automatically forfeits the game for his team, in which case 
  the other team is declared the winner. The wolverines in 
  these pits are free to attempt their DC 16 Jump checks to 
  leap up and attack anyone standing at the edge of a pit.
  Wolverines (2) 
  CR 2
  hp 28 (MM 283)
  Development: The Emperor is a sore loser. If the PCs win 
  the game, he stands up and bellows, “BEST OUT OF THREE!” 
  He also has his cohort Jabbyr join the Shinglesnipes for any 
  additional games even if this is over the 8-man limit. If the 
  PCs then go on to win two out of three games of Blood Pig, 
  the Emperor cries out, “BEST OUT OF FIVE!” only to be 
  told by a nervous captain that they’ve run out of pigs. For a 
  moment, the Emperor seems ready to strap the captain into 
  the Tall Knife. An instant later he regains his composure, 
  congratulates the PCs on their victory, and invites them up 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  33
  to the balcony to follow him inside his palace. Jabbyr and 
  two captains accompany them. He bids the PCs wait in 
  area C10 and then brings a nervous-looking Salvator out to 
  speak to them. Of course, Salvator won’t speak at all (unless 
  magically compelled or successfully Intimidated) as long as 
  the Emperor lives. How the PCs handle the situation at this 
  time is up to them—but this may be the best chance to attack 
  the Emperor, since the area’s a relatively confined space and 
  he doesn’t have his 18 captains on hand to defend him.
  Ad Hoc Experience Award: If the PCs win their set of 
  Blood Pig games and secure an audience with Salvator, award 
  them experience as if they had defeated a CR 9 creature.
  PArt three:  
  wrAth of the ArkonAs
  The true goal of this adventure for the PCs should 
  eventually become a double rescue from the Arkona 
  family. Both Neolandus Kalepopolis and Vencarlo Orisini 
  are being held prisoner in the dungeons below the Arkona 
  Palace, and while they’re certainly protected from Queen 
  Ileosa there (for the time being, at least), they’re far from 
  safe. This adventure assumes that the PCs learn that their 
  quarry is held by the Arkonas through discussion with 
  Salvator Scream, but other methods like divination spells 
  or alternate lines of investigation can certainly lead them 
  to at least suspect the Arkonas at any point during this 
  adventure. A friendly visit to the palace shouldn’t be too 
  dangerous, but once the PCs decide to take the Arkonas on 
  in battle, they should be ready for a fight. For the Arkonas 
  are more than nobility, they are rakshasas.
  The Arkonas’ Secret
  That the Arkonas control crime in Old Korvosa is not 
  their true secret. The government knows that the Arkonas 
  are heavily involved with the underworld, but since this 
  crime is kept behind the scenes and doesn’t disrupt life in 
  Old Korvosa, the government has traditionally looked the 
  other way—the good the Arkonas do is held to outweigh 
  the bad. This is only because the true depravities and evil 
  they inflict upon the city are well-hidden indeed.
  The Arkonas first fell victim to the rakshasas many 
  years ago, when the family attempted to establish a trade 
  route with distant Vudra. What they found instead was 
  death. The entire trade ship was murdered, the captain 
  and family members replaced by rakshasas and the crew 
  replaced by charmed thralls. When they returned to 
  Korvosa, they found an entire city ripe for their harvest. 
  Building on the now-established trade route with Vudra, 
  the new Arkonas— rakshasas disguised as humans—were 
  able to build their stolen name into one of Korvosa’s most 
  powerful families. Over the decades, the rakshasas have 
  had their own secret internal wars for power, but their 
  continued control over the family has remained.
  Currently, the Arkona family is ruled by two rakshasas, 
  the children of the original rakshasas who replaced the 
  Arkonas so long ago. Of these two, Bahor has assumed the 
  role of patriarch Glorio Arkona, while his sister Vimanda 
  has assumed the role of Melyia Arkona, his lover. In private, 
  the two rakshasas are constantly embroiled in tiny power 
  plays to gain an advantage over the other, yet neither has 
  yet made a move so reckless as to threaten what they have 
  accomplished as a family so far. Under these two, several 
  other rakshasas dwell in the palace, most of them having 
  traveled from distant Vudra to join the Arkonas on their 
  grand experiment in Korvosa. Below the rakshasas are 
  the “kept men” of the family, humans who are kept in line 
  via magical control and honeyed words. These humans 
  do not suspect the Arkonas of being anything other than 
  criminal masterminds.
  Securing an Audience
  While the Arkonas have increased patrols of their human 
  guards in Fort Korvosa, the portion of Old Korvosa they’ve 
  kept under their own watch during the quarantine, they 
  have not closed their doors completely to the outside 
  world. During the day, visitors to Palace Arkona are 
  generally intercepted by a patrol of six house guards who 
  politely but firmly demand to know the party’s reasons for 
  approaching the palace. As long as the PCs respond with a 
  believable request (including requests for an audience with 
  Glorio Arkona), the guards nod and escort them through 
  the manicured, immaculately landscaped palace grounds.
  Palace Arkona is perched at the highest point atop 
  Endrin Isle in Old Korvosa. The palace is home to the 
  family alone; servants and guards dwell nearby in one 
  of two outbuildings. The grounds are generally open, 
  decorated here and there with tiny copses of trees, exotic 
  topiary animals (elephants, cobras, and tigers being the 
  most common), beautiful flower gardens, and exquisite 
  fountains. The palace is a breathtaking structure built in 
  the Vudran style, with golden pillars, high windows that 
  rise to tapered points, minarets, and domes decorated with 
  slender spires. Inside, walls are made of ebony and carved 
  with depictions of elephants, tigers, monkeys, and peacock, 
  all with shimmering mother-of-pearl eyes. Doors are made 
  of mahogany and carved with images of the Vudran deity 
  Chamidu, the God of Wild Beasts (identifiable as such with 
  a DC 30 Knowledge [religion] check). Chamidu appears as a 
  six-armed, four-faced giant who rides a tiger with human 
  hands for paws. All rooms are lit at night by everburning 
  torches. Exotic plants in clay pots are in abundance, and 
  each room is rich with their scent, mingled with that of 
  sandalwood incense burning in brass censers that hang 
  from the ceiling here and there. The rooms inside the 
  palace are spacious and grand—ceilings, unless otherwise 
  mentioned, are 20 feet high.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  Bahor
  34
  The PCs are led into the entry, whereupon the guards 
  return to their patrol and the PCs are greeted by a tall, 
  pleasant man who wears an eyepatch. He introduces 
  himself as Carnochan, the palace majordomo. Carnochan 
  hears the PCs’ request, and if they wish an audience with 
  Glorio (Melyia is not available), they are taken to the visitor’s 
  lounge (area D2), where Carnochan asks them to wait while 
  he determines if the master of the palace has time for them. 
  Characters may suspect that they are still under observation 
  even after they are left alone in the visitor’s lounge, and they 
  are correct. Carnochan shares a permanent telepathic bond 
  with Bahor, and alerts his superiors telepathically as soon 
  as the PCs arrive, giving Bahor brief descriptions of them. 
  Bahor then uses clairaudience/clairvoyance (using his third eye) 
  to observe area D2. If the PCs don’t wait and instead move 
  out to infiltrate the palace, Bahor alerts the others at once 
  and the palace goes on alert.
  If the PCs decide to wait, though, they are rewarded in 
  about 5 minutes with the patriarch himself. Bahor greets 
  the PCs warmly as Glorio Arkona, gently reprimanding 
  Carnochan for not supplying the guests with wine and 
  cheese to enjoy while they waited. As Carnochan scurries 
  off to rectify this faux pas, Bahor joins the PCs on one of the 
  room’s couches and asks them how he can be of service.
  Bahor plays the role of a concerned noble, saying that he’s 
  done what he can with his limited resources to keep Old 
  Korvosa from falling into complete anarchy, but he admits 
  there could be more done. He has nothing but kind words 
  and support to offer if asked about the queen, ruminating 
  that quarantine really was her only choice and hoping that 
  she’ll be able to lift it soon. Throughout his discussion, 
  though, Bahor drops hints that he thinks the queen is 
  driving Korvosa into the ground and that she needs to be 
  removed from power, using Bluff to communicate this 
  innuendo. If confronted point-blank with these thoughts, 
  he feigns shock and denies that’s what he said, while still 
  maintaining his Bluff to get across his true feelings.
  Bahor does indeed want Queen Ileosa out of power, 
  and he hopes to accomplish this goal by using seneschal 
  Kalepopolis when the time is right so that he can step in 
  to take her place. Maneuvering his agents and sycophants 
  throughout the city government and other noble families 
  to ensure that this end result occurs is a delicate procedure, 
  though, and Bahor estimates that he won’t be ready to make 
  his move for several more months. Until then, he hopes to 
  retain possession of Neolandus so that he can release him 
  to do his job at precisely the right moment. At least, that 
  was his plan until recently.
  Queen Ileosa’s shocking display of power at the start of 
  this adventure has put Bahor ill at ease. He now suspects 
  that the queen has gained a potent source of power, likely 
  something to do with her new crown. His interrogations 
  and mind readings of Kalepopolis have verified his fears. 
  Currently, Bahor is unsure how to proceed—he certainly 
  doesn’t want to risk his own life directly opposing the 
  queen, yet at the same time he knows something must be 
  done before her power grows too great.
  As it turns out, the PCs may be his salvation.
  Bahor uses detect thoughts and the conversation itself to 
  judge the PCs’ position on things. He suspects they’re here 
  to rescue Vencarlo, Neolandus, or both, but he certainly 
  can’t just hand them over without appearing weak before 
  his minions (an act he fears would give Vimanda the support 
  she’s seeking to seize control of the family). After speaking 
  with the PCs for some time, Bahor hints (again using 
  Bluff) that he knows that there’s something more 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  35
  to the queen than meets the eye. Furthermore, he hints 
  that he can put the PCs in contact with someone who may 
  be able to help them—if they can help him first.
  Among his other plans, Bahor wants to regain control of 
  Old Korvosa, and a major step in that direction would be 
  the removal of the Emperor of Old Korvosa. At this point, 
  Bahor drops all pretense of subtlety, stating flat out that 
  if the PCs can assassinate the Emperor, he’s certain that 
  the mob in Old Dock will collapse and his agents will 
  be able to step in and regain control of Old Korvosa. In 
  return, he promises to do what he can to help the PCs find 
  their friends. If the PCs have already done this, he smiles 
  broadly and proceeds to aid them as detailed below.
  Bahor has little more to say after this, and guides the 
  PCs back to the palace entrance where they are escorted off 
  the Arkona grounds by the guards. Bahor asks them not to 
  return until the matter they discussed is handled, wishes 
  them luck, and retreats back to the upper floor to continue 
  laying his complex plans.
  Bahor’s Offer
  Once the PCs have removed the Emperor of Old Korvosa 
  from the picture, it doesn’t take long for word to reach 
  the rakshasa. When the PCs return to the Palace, they 
  are greeted warmly and swiftly escorted upstairs into 
  the Baths (area D15), where Bahor lounges in the water. 
  He remains in the water as he congratulates them on 
  their success. In compensation for their service to the 
  family, he’s ready to offer an additional reward—a ring 
  of evasion set with a deep green bloodstone that sits on a 
  nearby shelf. Of course, this bloodstone is also linked to 
  Bahor’s third eye (see page 43); the cost of giving up such 
  a powerful magic item pales in comparison to the new 
  viewpoint Bahor could gain if the PCs accept the gift.
  Bahor then asks the PCs, point blank, what they wish of 
  him. Assuming they ask for Vencarlo or Neolandus, he gives 
  a rueful smile, then goes on to explain that simply handing 
  over these guests to the PCs may be a “trifle complicated.” 
  He goes on to explain that both these guests have been sent 
  into the Vivified Labyrinth. A DC 25 Knowledge (local) is 
  enough to recall rumors of this notorious dungeon, a place 
  said to be used by the Arkonas to torment and test prisoners 
  and agents alike. Bahor apologizes for the complication, 
  and won’t retrieve either “guest” for the PCs, but he will do 
  the next best thing. He tells them the secret of the elephant 
  statue in area D4, how to access the caverns below the 
  palace, and where to seek the secret door that leads down 
  to the entrance to the labyrinth. He’ll even tell the PCs that 
  the labyrinth can be adjusted by pulling key levers to rotate 
  the four sections, promising them that both the people they 
  seek are hidden therein.
  What he doesn’t tell them is that he’s also sending 
  Vimanda into the labyrinth to ambush them. To Vimanda, 
  he explains this away as a game, and by letting her finish 
  off the PCs, he’s giving her a great honor. Of course, 
  Bahor’s true hope is that the PCs kill his sister, allowing 
  him to seize control of the family without resorting to the 
  distasteful step of murdering one of his own blood.
  Bahor certainly expects the PCs to react to his offer with 
  anger, disbelief, and hostility, but he doesn’t see that they 
  have any other choice. If the PCs attack him, he fights back 
  as detailed in his stat block (see area D18), but he hopes 
  it won’t come to that. It would be a shame to waste such 
  excellent pawns, after all.
  Infiltrating the Palace
  Since Bahor hopes to use the PCs to help with his own 
  goals, his response to an infiltration of his palace is 
  unusual. When informed by his guards of the event, he 
  commands them to repulse the PCs but does not step in 
  to aid them. The rakshasa is somewhat curious to see how 
  well his defenses hold up against the PCs—only when 
  they finally confront him in his chambers or attempt to 
  damage his treasury in area D16 does he tempt them with 
  his offer, as detailed above.
  The following encounter areas assume that the Palace is 
  not on alert, and give the standard locations and activities 
  of the guards and rakshasas that dwell within. Once the 
  raksHasas HaVe glass jaws
  For the most part, the CRs assigned monsters in the MM 
  work out pretty well, but there are a few notable cases 
  where the numbers don’t quite match the creature’s power. 
  One such case is the poor rakshasa. While its damage 
  reduction and spell resistance are formidable, it really can’t 
  do much damage for a CR 10 creature. Against PCs who 
  can penetrate its defenses (perhaps by taking advantage of 
  its relatively low AC with Power Attack, scoring critical hits, 
  or using attacks that bypass DR and SR entirely, such as 
  conjuration spells or plain old fire), it simply doesn’t have 
  the staying power a CR 10 creature should have.
  For Pathfinder, we’ve reclassified the rakshasa’s CR at 8. 
  This is still a bit higher than his offensive abilities would 
  seem to indicate, but when matched with his incredible 
  defenses, the challenge works out about right. If, while 
  running this adventure, you find that those two defenses 
  really do make them dangerous, feel free to increase the 
  CR of all rakshasas encountered in this adventure by two 
  back to their SRD standard—but I suspect that as soon as 
  your players hit one with a few arrows or crossbow bolts 
  enhanced by align weapon (or get in a few critical hits with 
  an axe, scythe, or other high-crit weapon), you’ll see what 
  I’m talking about.
  —James Jacobs
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
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  Escape From old Korvosa
  37
  palace alarm is raised, all servants and human guards 
  flee the building, knowing full well that their masters 
  tend not to discriminate between intruders and the help 
  when defending their lair. Bahor retires to his chambers 
  in the event of an alarm, and sends Vimanda down into 
  the Vivified Labyrinth to await the PCs should they reach 
  that area. The four remaining rakshasas in the palace split 
  into two groups of two; one pair goes to the garden (area 
  D4) to take up guard positions, while the other pair patrols 
  the remaining rooms (patrolling in encounter number 
  order and spending a few rounds in each room searching 
  for intruders).
  Avishandu, Carnochan, Nudhaali,  
  CR 8 
  and Vennashti 
  Male rakshasas
  hp 52 each (MM 211)
  D1. Palace Entrance
  A black marble arch depicting dozens of elephants standing 
  one atop the other frames a great ebony door in the south 
  wall of this wide and airy entrance hall. Above the door, a 
  single one-eyed elephant looks out over the hall, its eye a 
  glittering bloodstone the size of an apple. Tall windows grant 
  a commanding view of the palace grounds, and a rich red 
  carpet, ten feet wide and luxuriously thick, provides a pathway 
  between doors to the west and north, and around a corner to 
  the east. Each of these doors, including a few smaller ones 
  just west of the northern pair, are decorated with images of 
  a six-armed, four-faced woman who rides a tiger with human 
  hands for feet.
  The palace doors are generally kept unlocked, even 
  after dark—a manifestation of the Arkona arrogance and 
  belief that anyone foolish enough to try to invade the 
  palace shouldn’t be detained from meeting his proper 
  punishment at the hands of the palace guards.
  A permanent magic mouth spell wards the door, 
  triggering an audible alarm that sounds like a bull 
  elephant trumpeting (including an illusion of the 
  elephant head above the door’s sudden animation) 
  whenever anyone not visibly wearing the Arkona family 
  crest walks into view of the effect. This alarm doesn’t 
  trigger if at least one person in a group wears the crest.
  Treasure: The bloodstone set in the one-eyed 
  elephant’s eye socket is one of several differently sized 
  bloodstones linked to Bahor’s third eye. He can look 
  through this stone as if it were his own eye, and does so 
  if the alarm goes off. This bloodstone’s faint divination 
  aura, like all of the third eye bloodstones, is hidden by a 
  magic aura spell cast at caster level 10th. The bloodstone 
  is worth 1,000 gp.
  D2. Visitor’s Lounge
  This comfortable room is warmed by a large fireplace, its marble 
  sides and mantle carved into a parade of capering monkeys and 
  tigers. A large sofa sits to the north, while a few comfortable-
  looking chairs sit to the south.
  This is where the Arkonas meet with visitors to the 
  palace, and likely where Bahor first meets with the PCs if 
  they seek his audience.
  D3. Statue of Chamidu
  A fourteen-foot-tall marble statue of a six-armed woman with 
  four faces on her head, one looking to each of the four cardinal 
  directions, stands under a dome of colored glass. The statue 
  wields numerous weapons in its six arms, and a small kneeler 
  at its base gives a place to pay respects to whatever deity the 
  statue represents. Each of the statue’s eight eyes is a sparkling 
  bright green orb.
  This statue is a depiction of the Vudran goddess 
  Chamidu, a deity with an affinity for the beasts of the 
  world. A DC 30 Knowledge (religion) check identifies the 
  exotic goddess.
  Treasure: The left eye in the statue’s west-facing face is a 
  200 gp third eye bloodstone.
  D4. Garden (EL 8 or 11)
  This chamber hardly seems to be part of a palace—it seems more 
  like a clearing at the heart of a vast jungle, teeming with life. The 
  sky above is a deep, cloudless blue, while in the distance, hazy 
  towers of distant structures rise above the verdant canopy. Exotic 
  bird calls fill the air, the scent of dozens of unfamiliar flowers and 
  plants assault the nose, and everywhere a riot of color demands 
  the eye, be it the wing of a tropical bird, the petals of a brightly 
  hued flower, or the glittering multicolored tiles that make up 
  a round fountain to the north, its central plume a stone pillar 
  around which entwine two cobra statues that clutch green gems 
  in their fanged maws. Opposite the fountain to the south stands 
  an immense, life-sized jade statue of an elephant, a howdah 
  perched on its back, its tusks and trunk raised high in greeting 
  to the southeast doors—doors that, from inside the room, look 
  more like gates set into a wrought iron fence that encircles the 
  garden. Other gates set in this fence doubtless lead to other parts 
  of the palace, and after a bit more observation the somewhat 
  static nature of the jungle and landscape becomes apparent—the 
  walls of this garden are in fact an incredibly realistic and clever 
  painting of a Vudran junglescape.
  The paintings along the walls bear minor illusions to 
  enhance their realism, but close inspection reveals that 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  38
  they, the “fence” enclosing the area, and even the gate-
  doors are little more than clever deceptions. The birds 
  and small animals dwelling in the garden, though, 
  are all very much alive. Temperature and humidity in 
  this chamber are maintained by magic, creating a self-
  sustaining ecosystem that effectively duplicates the 
  Vudran jungle—the Arkonas often come here to relax 
  in familiar surroundings, particularly on cold Korvosan 
  winter days.
  The windows in the walls all bear permanent silent 
  images that prevent them from breaking the illusion 
  created by the room while still allowing sunlight to filter 
  in on the plants. Skylights above do the same, including a 
  large glass dome above the northern portion of the room. 
  A balcony encircles the room as well at a height of 25 feet, 
  although from ground level looking up, it takes a DC 15 
  Spot check to be able to tell the edge of the balcony 
  apart from the upper walls and dome, so clever are 
  the paintings and illusions. If a creature stands on 
  the upper balcony so as to be visible to those below, 
  this additional point of reference makes it much 
  easier to see the balcony’s edge.
  The elephant statue is in fact one of the room’s 
  guardians—a variant figurine of wondrous power (see 
  Creatures and Treasure below). The 10-foot-diameter 
  stone platform on which it stands is a large circular 
  secret trap door that can be discovered with a DC 25 
  Search check. This door can be opened even when the 
  statue is standing on the platform by pressing a hidden 
  6-inch-diameter pressure plate at the disc’s center. 
  Doing so causes the entire disk to slowly rotate, 
  as if it were an immense cap unscrewing from a 
  container. The platform makes a 180-degree 
  turn, and as it does so, a curved opening 
  appears, granting access to a flight of spiral 
  stairs that descend into the ground to area D19. 
  From below, the secret trap door can be opened 
  by pressing a second hidden switch in the wall, 
  twenty steps down. Like the trap door itself, this 
  panel can be discovered with a DC 25 Search check. 
  Once opened, the door remains open for 10 minutes 
  before closing automatically. It can also be manually 
  closed by pressing one of the hidden pressure plates a 
  second time.
  Both of the double doors leading out onto the palace 
  grounds are kept locked (DC 30 Open Lock to unlock), 
  and each is warded with a magic mouth alarm similar 
  to the one in area D1 save that these doors are not fitted 
  with third eye bloodstones.
  Creatures: The fountain itself constantly replenishes 
  pure, cool water. The upward plume of water may appear 
  to be created by pressure or a hidden pump, but is in 
  fact generated by a huge water elemental bound to 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  39
  the room. It recognizes the Arkonas on sight, but does not 
  attack intruders unless they open the secret trap door or it 
  sees intruders attacked by the Arkonas themselves.
  The marble elephant remains passive until commanded 
  to attack, or unless someone attempts to pass through 
  the secret trap door without first uttering the passphrase, 
  “Chamidu is blind.”
  If the palace is on alert, two of the Arkona rakshasas 
  (Avishandu and Nudhaali) lurk in the howdah on the 
  elephant’s back, ready to ambush any intruders that 
  wander into this room or who pass along the balcony in 
  area D12 above.
  Large Water Elemental 
  CR 5
  hp 68 (MM 100)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The elemental does not start combat on 
  its own, and remains hidden as water until an enemy in 
  an existing combat comes within reach, at which point it 
  attacks. Once it attacks, the elemental leaves its fountain 
  to pursue enemies throughout this chamber but will not 
  chase enemies into other parts of the palace or out onto 
  the grounds, instead returning to this fountain.
  Morale The elemental fights to the death.
  Elephant 
  CR 7
  hp 104 (MM 272)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Once activated, the elephant follows the 
  commands of its activator. If it activates on its own, 
  it attacks anyone who attempts to use the trap door, 
  returning to this pedestal as soon as the trap door closes.
  Morale The elephant fights to the death. If slain, it reverts to 
  its small figurine shape.
  Avishandu and Nudhaali,  
  CR 8 
  Arkona Rakshasas 
  hp 52 each (MM 211)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The rakshasas cast mage armor as soon as 
  they go on alert. Once they take position in the elephant’s 
  howdah, they also cast shield, bear’s endurance, and 
  invisibility, recasting these spells 7 minutes later when 
  they expire if no one’s entered the garden yet. If no one’s 
  entered the garden after the second 7 minute period, the 
  rakshasas abandon their post to join the other two on patrol 
  until they’re certain that whatever triggered the alarm has 
  been dealt with.
  During Combat When combat begins, Avishandu activates 
  the elephant and orders it to attack the PCs, while Nudhaali 
  casts haste. The rakshasas use acid arrow on the PCs from 
  their howdah, or suggestion to go leap into the fountain to 
  cool off from the heat present in this room.
  Morale The rakshasas fight to the death.
  Treasure: The two gems in the cobra mouths on the 
  fountain are bloodstones, each worth 100 gp. The one 
  facing west is a third eye bloodstone.
  If the elephant is defeated, it reverts to its dormant 
  figurine of wondrous power shape. This figurine has an 
  additional power beyond those normally possessed by a 
  marble elephant, though—it can be commanded to assume 
  the form of a marble, life-sized statue of an elephant 
  rather than its normal figurine form. Treat this effect 
  as if the elephant were under the effects of a statue spell. 
  Assuming statue form counts as one of its activations 
  for the month, but it can remain in statue form for an 
  indefinite period of time. This additional function makes 
  the marble elephant a bit more valuable than most of its 
  kind—it’s worth 26,000 gp.
  D5. Garden Storage
  Maintaining the garden in area D4 requires a lot of water, 
  work, and landscaping. This room is used to store all the 
  tools necessary, including five huge casks of water and 
  dozens of buckets and other containers for the servants to 
  use to do just that.
  D6. Storerooms
  These storerooms are used to house all manner of tools, 
  firewood, food, and other necessities. There’s little 
  of interest in these chambers, except the fact that the 
  stacks of barrels and crates could provide lots of places 
  to hide.
  D7. Library
  Two floor-to-ceiling bookshelves decorate the south and west 
  walls of this chamber, facing a curved north wall on which hang 
  a half-dozen grotesque paintings depicting torture, murder, 
  cannibalism, and even necrophilia. Two glittering chandeliers 
  hang from the ceiling, providing more than enough lighting for 
  anyone sprawled on the dozens of cushions strewn about the 
  room to read by.
  The Arkona library is small, but well-stocked with a 
  wide variety of books ranging in topic from poetry to 
  philosophy to essays to fiction. Tawdry romances are 
  shelved next to detailed explorations of the nature of 
  conjuration magic in no apparent order. A fair number of 
  the books are written in Vudran and are concerned with 
  topics and themes common to that distant land, yet even 
  these books cover a wide range of subjects.
  Treasure: The six paintings on the wall are all 
  Salvators—and among that body of work, these six are 
  among the most stomach-turning and disgusting in 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  40
  subject matter. As always, the color blue plays a prominent 
  role in the paintings. Each painting is worth 800 gp.
  D8. Smoking Den (EL 8)
  A long couch and two stuffed chairs sit around an elegant 
  rug on the floor of this room, the walls of which are carved in 
  depictions of air spirits cavorting in the clouds. The scent of 
  strange and exotic smoke lingers in the air, and four bejeweled 
  hookahs sit in the room, two at either end of the couch, and one 
  next to each chair. A flight of stairs leads up to the floor above, 
  and a glass case built into the underside of these stairs displays 
  a wide collection of cigars, pottery jars, and bundles of dried 
  leaves in a range of colors.
  The four hookahs are each valuable, but the real treasure 
  in this room is the collection of exotic tobacco and cigars 
  in the case. The case itself is locked (DC 40 Open Lock to 
  pick; Bahor carries the only key), but it’s a relatively simple 
  matter to smash the glass to get to the contents.
  Trap: This room and the expensive collection in the 
  case are protected by a magical trap triggered by any 
  attempt to damage the glass case or pick its lock. Doing 
  so causes smoke to pour from the walls as two belkers are 
  summoned to defend the chamber. The belkers appear 
  near the 20-foot-high ceiling of the room. Their reach 
  allows them to attack creatures on the floor but prevents 
  most creatures on the floor from attacking them in turn.
  Hungry Smoke Trap 
  CR 8
  Type magical; Search DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset repair
  Effect When the glass case is damaged or the lock is 
  attempted with anything other than its proper key, two 
  belkers are summoned into the room. The belkers remain 
  summoned for 2 minutes, after which time they vanish.
  Belkers (2) 
  CR 6
  hp 38 each (MM 27)
  Treasure: Each of the hookahs is worth 350 gp. A third eye 
  bloodstone worth 100 gp has been incorporated into the 
  pipe of the hookah next to the southwestern chair.
  The contents of the glass case amount to 10 pounds of 
  exotic cigars, smoking weed, and other relatively minor 
  narcotics. In all, the collection is worth 1,400 gp.
  D9. Trophy Hall
  Glass cases line the north and south walls of this hallway. To the 
  north is displayed a wide collection of exotic weapons, many 
  of which resemble swords, spears, or starknives, hanging on 
  the wall around a suit of bright blue leather and ivory armor. 
  To the south is a somewhat gruesome display of a stuffed tiger 
  feeding upon a very realistic sculpture of a dead Vudran man.
  Both display cases are locked but not trapped; it’s a DC 
  20 Open Lock check to get to the contents of either case. 
  The tiger was once a real beast, but is now stuffed with 
  sawdust. The human it’s depicted as disemboweling looks 
  realistic, but is nothing more than a wax sculpture. The 
  body’s exposed heart, though, is in fact a large carved 
  bloodstone, identifiable as such from afar with a DC 20 
  Appraise check.
  Treasure: The bloodstone heart is a third eye bloodstone 
  worth 500 gp.
  The weapons in the northern display case consist of 
  six masterwork punching daggers, two masterwork sais, 
  two masterwork sianghams, a dozen masterwork daggers, 
  a masterwork falchion, two masterwork spears, and a +1 
  ghost touch kama. The suit of leather is a suit of +2 light 
  fortification studded leather.
  D10. Statuary
  A gracefully curving wall lined with tall windows presents a 
  commanding view of the western palace grounds. The room 
  itself is empty save for three human-sized statues, each 
  depicting a Vudran warrior holding aloft a glittering blue-green 
  javelin with a head carved from bloodstone.
  These three statues depict Vudran soldiers, yet another 
  display brought here by the Arkonas to remind them of 
  their homeland. Each of the the statues bears a magic 
  mouth spell that activates if any creature draws or carries 
  an unsheathed weapon into the room. Once triggered, 
  the three statues begin to shout highly insulting oaths in 
  Vudran, serving to alert the house guards (particularly 
  those who may still be at rest in area D14 above).
  Treasure: All three statues hold javelins that can be 
  removed from the statue with ease (an act that, once the 
  weapon is removed, triggers the statue’s magic mouth). 
  All three have bloodstone heads, but only the central 
  statue is a third eye bloodstone. Each javelin head is worth 
  150 gp.
  D11. Banquet Hall
  A magnificent mahogany table dominates this room, the 
  surface of which is decorated with an immense cover fashioned 
  from the brightly colored skins of various great snakes.
  This room is where the Arkonas take most of their meals, 
  feasting on sumptuous banquets prepared by the small 
  army of servants who dwell in the nearby outbuilding—no 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  41
  servants are allowed in the palace during dinner, as part of 
  a particularly restrictive Vudran custom. Of course, now 
  and then the Arkonas prefer to feed in their natural forms, 
  in which case their meals are much more living and loud 
  and wet. These meals typically take place behind locked 
  doors in the rakshasas’ bedchambers (or barracks, in the 
  case of the four guards), with use of prestidigitation to 
  clean up afterwards. 
  The double doors leading out onto the palace grounds 
  are kept locked (DC 30 Open Lock to unlock), and warded 
  with a magic mouth alarm similar to the one in area D1 save 
  that these doors are not fitted with third eye bloodstones.
  D12. Upper Balcony
  This walkway overlooks the garden on the ground floor 
  25 feet below, and as such this area is generally warmer 
  than the rest of the building as heated air rises up from 
  the chamber below. The sound of birdcalls and the gentle 
  babble of the fountain trickle up as well.
  D13. Washroom
  A large mirror hangs on the western wall of this washroom and 
  latrine. The air smells remarkably fresh, and the water-filled seat 
  of ease to the east seems unnecessarily comfortable-looking.
  Several minor magical effects in this room keep the air 
  fresh and the toilet clean. Waste placed into the water is 
  immediately transformed into clean water that is then 
  drained away by an ingenious set of pipes that feed into 
  the garden below.
  Treasure: The large toilet is something of a marvel, 
  worth 150 gp but weighing nearly 300 pounds, making 
  transport of the treasure both awkward and possibly 
  embarrassing.
  D14. Barracks (EL 12)
  The floor of this barracks is thickly carpeted and strewn with 
  numerous throw pillows and furs. The walls are carved with 
  erotic depictions of men and women engaged in all manner of 
  sexual acts. The only real furnishings in the room are the four 
  beds against the western wall.
  Creatures: This room is the home to four Arkona 
  “cousins”—rakshasas who don’t bear an actual blood 
  relation to the Arkonas, having recently come to live here 
  from Vudra. They are presented to Korvosa as distant 
  cousins, and as a result are now generally thought of as 
  members of the nobility. These four rakshasas are each 
  tasked with two roles in the palace—to serve as guards, 
  and to serve an additional role particular to that rakshasa’s 
  temperament. Although the rakshasas are careful to 
  retain their human disguises in public, they generally 
  prefer to lounge in their true forms when they’re off duty, 
  often with a beautiful woman or four abducted for their 
  entertainment and feeding. The quarantine has put a kink 
  in their standard hunt, preventing them from gathering 
  new “meals” with ease, and as a result the four rakshasas 
  have grown quite short-tempered with each other. As long 
  as the alarm isn’t raised, their arguments and bickering 
  gives them a –5 penalty on Listen checks to hear the alarms 
  in areas D1, D4, D10, or D11.
  Avishandu is a condor-headed rakshasa. His keen sight 
  and eye for grace makes him ideal for tasks like landscaping 
  and other types of delicate artistic maintenance on the 
  palace. One-eyed Carnochan has an orangutan’s head—
  his knack for knowing the right thing to say makes him an 
  excellent choice as the palace’s majordomo and the initial 
  point of contact for visitors. Nudhaali has a lizard’s head—
  his obsession with food makes him ideal for handling the 
  complex task of keeping the kitchen staff in line (and in 
  hiding the fact that much of the meat they prepare for 
  the Arkonas comes from humanoids). And boar-headed 
  Vennashti’s knack for security makes him the best nominee 
  to supervise patrol tactics and the overall security of the 
  palace. When the alarm goes off, it’s to Vennashti the other 
  three turn to for guidance.
  Avishandu, Carnochan, Nudhaali, and  
  CR 8 
  Vennashti; Arkona Rakshasas 
  hp 52 each (MM 211)
  D15. Bath
  The air in this chamber is incredibly warm and humid, filled 
  with steam rising from the bubbling oval bath set in the floor to 
  the southeast. The walls, ceiling, and floor are set with polished 
  marble tiles of alternating blues and greens, giving the entire 
  chamber a pervasive aquatic feel. Three lacquered wooden 
  benches sit just north of the bath itself.
  The bath’s temperature is maintained by several minor 
  magical enhancements, keeping the water hot at all times 
  and preventing the constant moisture from damaging the 
  surrounding structure of the room itself. The temperature 
  of the water can be controlled by the mental command 
  of anyone in the water, ranging from cold to not-quite-
  scalding. Unlike the toilet in area D13, though, this minor 
  magical marvel is not portable, and cannot be looted by 
  greedy intruders.
  D16. Leaves of Gold and Glitter (EL 9)
  The door to this room appears to be made of ebony, but is 
  in fact made of iron. The chamber beyond is the Arkona’s 
  treasury, one of the most secure rooms in the palace. The 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  42
  Cerulean Society) is in the Arkona’s pocket. The most 
  recent bit of correspondence between Glorio Arkona and 
  Guildmaster Boule commands the Cerulean Society to 
  “bottle up” during the quarantine, to let things unfold as 
  they may, so that the citizens will be “properly desperate” 
  when the Arkonas decide to make their move with “the 
  fool seneschal” to usurp the queen and gain control 
  over all of Korvosa. The letter closes with a promise 
  from Glorio to gift all of Old Korvosa to the Cerulean 
  Society to do with as they see fit. Even if the PCs don’t 
  kill every rakshasa in the palace, this stack of papers is 
  enough to politically destroy the Arkona family—once 
  the situation with Queen Ileosa is handled, of course.
  There are, nevertheless, some actual items of value kept 
  in the chest, including three leather bags of coins (4,000 
  sp, 2,000 gp, and 500 pp), 5,500 gp worth of assorted gems 
  and jewels, and a lacquered cherrywood and ivory +1 holy 
  light crossbow that a would-be assassin who discovered what 
  the Arkonas actually were once attempted to use on Bahor 
  several decades ago. Bahor knows that the weapon is a 
  danger, but its beauty was too much to bear destroying, so 
  he locked it in here, the most secure of the palace’s rooms, 
  for safekeeping on the theory that if his enemies made it in 
  here, he’d either be long gone or dead already.
  D17. Vimanda’s Room
  This austere chamber is apparently the sleeping chamber of 
  someone quite orderly. The bed is made, sheets drawn tight 
  against the mattress and pillows arranged perfectly at the head, 
  and a dressing table and chair at the bed’s side are both dust-
  free and polished to a shine.
  This chamber belongs to Vimanda, Bahor’s sister. 
  Publicly, the two play the role of lovers, yet privately, 
  the two have slowly grown to despise each other, each 
  maintaining the veneer of civility and cooperation out of 
  little more than tradition. Vimanda has spent much of 
  the last several years building her own contacts among 
  Korvosa’s underworld in preparation for her takeover of 
  the Arkona family. The death of King Eodred II threw 
  these plans into chaos, and of late, Vimanda’s been 
  spending an increasing amount of time in the dungeons 
  below, venting her frustrations on prisoners.
  D18. Bahor’s Room (EL 14)
  The crowning glory of this dazzling chamber is, without a doubt, 
  the four-poster canopied bed that takes up a full quarter of the 
  room. Silk sheets, gossamer curtains, ebony bedposts depicting 
  tigers and cobras chasing monkeys in an endless circle, and a 
  half-dozen huge pillows combine to create a resting place fit 
  for a king. Strange and ferocious animal heads are mounted on 
  door is locked physically (Open Lock DC 40) and magically 
  (via arcane lock at CL 15th; Bahor used a powerful scroll to 
  create this effect). The door is also warded by a permanent 
  alarm spell—unlike the others in the palace, this one is a 
  silent mental alarm that alerts Bahor if anyone enters the 
  room beyond.
  The plain ebony walls of this chamber seem to glisten with 
  moisture. Above, the chamber rises forty feet to a domed 
  ceiling set with eight wedge-shaped windows; to the north, 
  east, and south three additional tall glass windows rise up from 
  floor level to the dome. The room itself is empty, save for a 
  thirty-foot-tall tree with sparkling gold and green leaves, its 
  roots burrowing in and out of the floor. A breeze tickles the 
  branches above, and as the leaves waver, the sound of crystal 
  bells filters through the room.
  Bahor spared no expense in building this vault—it’s 
  somewhat ironic that the cost of the chamber itself may 
  even be more than that of the treasures kept inside.
  The “moisture” on the walls (and floor, windows, and 
  ceiling) is in fact permanent walls of force; the only opening 
  into this room is via the door. Furthermore, the chamber is 
  warded by a forbiddance effect (CL 13th, Will DC 21) keyed to 
  lawful evil. The third ward in place in this chamber is the 
  “tree” itself. A DC 30 Knowledge (religion) check correctly 
  identifies it as the Tree of Eternal Dawn, a mythical tree 
  said to grow on a lost island in northern Vudra, whose 
  leaves are reputed to grant eternal life at a terrible cost 
  (variously said to be the loss of all emotions, eternal life 
  without eternal youth, or eternal life only after the seeker 
  is himself turned into a tree in the surrounding grove). The 
  tree in this room is an illusion generated by a persistent 
  screen effect that masks the room’s actual contents: a single 
  iron cabinet. A character who interacts with the tree can 
  attempt a DC 23 Will save to see through the illusion.
  Treasure: The iron chest in the middle of the room is 
  locked (Open Lock DC 40) but not trapped. Sitting atop the 
  chest is a single third eye bloodstone worth 100 gp, placed 
  here so that Bahor can peer into his treasure as needed to 
  secure his paranoia that all is well. The chest contains the 
  majority of the Arkona family’s wealth. Unfortunately for 
  would-be looters, the majority of this wealth consists of 
  oaths of loyalty, debt, and servitude that show just how vast 
  the Arkona’s influence over Korvosa’s crime scene actually 
  is. This is the final level of protection—the Arkonas have 
  effectively spread their fortune through dozens, if not 
  hundreds, of different treasuries throughout the city. Even 
  if their palace were completely cleaned out of valuables, 
  they would be able to call in these various debts to replenish 
  what was stolen with relative ease.
  Sifting through these hundreds of documents reveals 
  that the entire roster of the city’s thieves’ guild (the 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  43
  the walls, their eyes looking almost alive. A towering redwood 
  cabinet stands against the eastern wall, while to the west sits a 
  massive desk covered with books and scrolls and a large green 
  paperweight the size of an apple. An exotic-looking five-foot-
  long stringed instrument sits on display on a bronze stand near 
  the desk, and a spherical birdcage containing several brightly 
  colored songbirds hangs from the center of the ceiling above.
  This, Bahor’s personal quarters, is perhaps the most 
  ostentatious chamber in all of Arkona Palace. The exquisite 
  furniture in here is worth a combined total of 3,000 gp 
  but is quite unwieldy—the more portable treasures in the 
  room are listed below.
  The papers on the desk are a combination of astrological 
  charts, maps of the world (including several of Vudra), 
  and various bits of non-incriminating paperwork 
  involving the day-to-day business of running a noble 
  family. The trophies mounted on the wall all bear names 
  identifying them as Vudran animals—a Barakot Peacock, 
  a Ukhrul Wolverine, a Khar Great Skink, a Kothar Great 
  Bat, a Vimerian Tiger and a Johar Long Viper. A DC 25 
  Knowledge (nature) check is enough to note that these 
  heads seem somehow “off,” and not really like real animal 
  heads at all. A DC 30 Knowledge (the planes) check reveals 
  the truth—these are all preserved rakshasa heads. Bahor 
  enjoys keeping trophies of his predecessors and children 
  (all of whom have, to date, disappointed the rakshasa).
  Creature: Bahor has been spending more and more of his 
  time brooding in this chamber, waiting patiently for the 
  quarantine to end so he can get about with the business of 
  displacing Queen Ileosa. News of the failed assassination 
  attempt against her has somewhat rattled the normally 
  confident rakshasa, though, and now his thoughts turn to 
  desperate plans.
  Bahor’s plans for the PCs are detailed above under 
  “Securing an Audience” and “Bahor’s Offer.” If the PCs 
  invade his palace, he patiently waits here in human form 
  for them to confront him, at which point he calmly invites 
  them to listen to his offer. If the PCs instead attack him, 
  he sighs with regret and does his best to put them down. 
  Bahor is a dangerous foe, easily the most dangerous enemy 
  the PCs meet in this adventure—they would be well advised 
  to listen to his offer.
  Bahor (aka Glorio Arkona) 
  CR 14
  Male rakshasa rogue 10
  LE Medium outsider (native)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +20, Spot +20
  DEFENSE
  AC 36, touch 19, flat-footed 30
  (+4 armor, +3 deflection, +6 Dex, +9 natural, +4 shield)
  hp 168 (17 HD; 7d8+10d6+102)
  Fort +14, Ref +18, Will +8
  Third Eye
  Aura moderate divination; 
  CL 11th
  Slot —; Price 20,000 gp; 
  Weight —
  DESCRIPTION
  The practice of third eye magic has 
  a long-standing tradition among a 
  Vudran mystical organization known 
  as the Daughters of the Blinding Night. 
  A practitioner of this mysterious sect visited 
  Bahor and Vimanda some years ago to grant 
  them this magic in return for a wealth of magic 
  and secrets the Arkonas stole from the Acadamae.
  As part of the process of gaining a third eye, 
  the creator grafts an actual eye into the palm of the 
  recipient’s hand. Generally human eyes are used, but 
  any eye harvested from a creature the same size as the 
  recipient will do. Once an eye is grafted into a palm, 
  it is undetectable while closed and doesn’t hinder the 
  user’s manual dexterity in the slightest. When in use, 
  the eye opens.
  The owner of a third eye can use it to see through the 
  donor creature’s remaining eye. The third eye can also be 
  attuned to specially prepared bloodstones, allowing the 
  user to observe things in that stone’s vicinity as if it were 
  an eye as well. Preparing a bloodstone in this manner 
  requires it to soak in a potion of clairvoyance/clairaudience 
  for a week, at the end of which the owner drinks the 
  potion and spits the bloodstone into the hand bearing 
  the third eye. These bloodstones are often incorporated 
  into magic items like phylacteries, rings, or amulets, 
  allowing the user to gift such items to other creatures and 
  thus gain a new viewpoint. This remote viewing ability 
  functions at any range while on the same plane. It also 
  allows the user to cast clairaudience/clairvoyance up to 
  three times per day.
  As long as the third eye is open in a hand that isn’t 
  holding an object, the creature gains all-round vision, 
  granting a +4 bonus on Spot checks and making it 
  impossible to flank them. Rakshasas, whose fingers bend 
  backwards, can use the powers of their third eyes while 
  holding an object since the eye effectively looks out of the 
  “back” of their hand.
  A third eye cannot be transferred between creatures—if 
  removed from the owner’s body, the third eye is destroyed. 
  A third eye that remains in the owner’s palm but is 
  damaged or otherwise permanently blinded becomes 
  useless until a remove blindness spell is cast upon it.
  CONSTRuCTION
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, clairvoyance/
  clairaudience, access to obscure Blinding Night traditions 
  and lore; Cost 10,000 gp, 800 XP
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  44
  Defensive Abilities evasion, improved uncanny dodge, slippery 
  mind, trap sense +3; DR 15/good and piercing; SR 27
  OFFENSE
  Spd 40 ft.
  Melee +2 kukri +22/+17/+12 (1d4+4/15–20) and
  claw +15 (1d4+1) and
  bite +15 (1d6+1)
  Special Attacks change shape, detect thoughts (DC 17), sneak 
  attack +5d6
  Spells Known (CL 7th, +20 ranged touch)
  3rd (5/day)—lightning bolt (DC 17), fly
  2nd (7/day)—invisibility, scorching ray, web (DC 16)
  1st (7/day)—charm person (DC 15), mage armor, obscuring 
  mist, protection from good, ray of enfeeblement
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, arcane mark, detect magic, mage 
  hand, mending, message, prestidigitation
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Bahor casts mage armor as soon as the prospect 
  of combat looms (such as hearing his alarms activated). 
  He then uses his third eye to check the various rooms in 
  his palace for intruders, using clairaudience/clairvoyance, if 
  necessary, to watch them. As soon as his foes seem to be 
  drawing near, he casts shield and protection from good.
  During Combat Bahor favors the use of his spells in combat, 
  since he only reverts to his true form if his enemies know 
  of his true nature. Even then, he only relies on his melee 
  attacks if his spells are exhausted or proving useless.
  Morale Bahor has little interest in risking everything on bad 
  luck—if reduced to less than 50 hit points, he attempts to 
  escape by a combination of invisibility and his boots of speed. 
  If he escapes, he retreats to the Cerulean Society guildhall 
  elsewhere below Old Korvosa to wait things out—he does 
  not return to vex the PCs. Bahor only stays behind to fight 
  to the death if his enemies show that they know of his true 
  nature—allowing anyone to escape his clutches with this 
  knowledge is the thing he fears the most.
  Base Statistics AC 32, touch 19, flat-footed 26
  STATISTICS
  Str 15, Dex 22, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 18
  Base Atk +14; Grp +16
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Critical (kukri), 
  Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Bluff +28 (+32 when reading minds), Concentration +16, 
  Diplomacy +20 (+30 using change shape, +34 when also 
  reading minds), Disguise +28, Intimidate +26, Knowledge 
  (local) +21, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +6, Listen +20, 
  Move Silently +26, Sense Motive +10, Spot +20
  Languages Common, Infernal, Vudran
  SQ trapfinding
  Combat Gear wand of illusory script (22 charges), wand of shield 
  (34 charges); Other Gear +2 kukri, amulet of health +2, ring of 
  protection +3, boots of speed, third eye, ring of keys (opens all 
  locks in and under Arkona Palace)
  Treasure: The bloodstone paperweight on the desk is 
  a third eye bloodstone worth 500 gp. The exotic stringed 
  instrument is a Jawassan Sitar. Decorated with gold filigree 
  work depicting crocodiles eating storks, it is worth 350 gp. 
  All of Bahor’s other treasures are either carried or kept in 
  his treasury.
  Ad Hoc Experience Award: If the PCs negotiate with 
  Bahor and learn from him where Neolandus and Vencarlo 
  are being held without resorting to violence, award them 
  experience as if they had defeated him in combat.
  D19. The Hidden Garden (EL 10)
  The air in this vast grotto is cool. An iron-framed flight of spiral 
  stairs winds up through a hole in the ceiling in the northwest 
  section of the room from the top of a semicircular ledge. The 
  ledge winds down along the cavern’s inner wall to a series of 
  rope bridges that descend even lower from ledge to ledge. 
  The upper ledge, before it reaches the ropes, is a strangely 
  breathtaking beauty—a garden of all manner of strangely 
  colored fungi, lichens, and molds. The fungi have been 
  cultivated, shaped into all manner of symmetrical patterns 
  normally not seen in nature, transforming the ledge into a 
  sort of underground fungal garden. Here and there, flickering 
  torches burn in sconces above the fungi, while from somewhere 
  in the darkness below comes the soft splash of water against an 
  unseen shore.
  This is the Arkonas’ hidden garden, a natural cave that 
  existed here before they built their palace above. In fact, 
  the location of this cave and its access to the sea was the 
  primary reason the Arkonas chose to live here.
  At the point where the stairs lead up to area D4 above, 
  the ledge is a 100-foot drop to the water of area D23 below. 
  At the point where the first rope bridge descends to area 
  D20 from the ledge’s southern end, it’s a mere 50-foot drop 
  to the water.
  The fungi, while colorful, is mostly harmless—the same 
  cannot be said of the guardians that lurk therein.
  Creatures: In Vudra, the use of genies is common—they 
  are often bound to the service of kings, queens, or warlords 
  as bodyguards, servants, or (with increasing frequency) as 
  lovers. The majority of these genies are in fact janni, as 
  they are the easiest to bind to servitude. While the Arkonas 
  do not have the magical skill to bind even janni to their 
  will, Bahor’s made use of the next best thing. With the aid 
  of several other scholars of all things fungal, he managed 
  to transform four imported janni slaves into faithful 
  guardians—that the janni had to die to create these fungal 
  guardians was unfortunate—almost as unfortunate as the 
  fact that the man responsible for creating them for Bahor, 
  a wizard named Innachi Naven, accidentally discovered 
  the Arkonas’ true nature. Bahor turned the one-time ally 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  garden guardians
  45
  over to Senshiir for her entertainment (see area E20), 
  but still wishes he’d kept the man around a bit longer to 
  create a few more of these delightful garden guardians for 
  him. Bahor’s experimented now and then with the fungal 
  creatures’ ability to create spawn, but these new creatures 
  uniformly lacked the ingrained loyalty to the family and 
  Bahor swiftly gave up on these plans.
  The guardians still possess many janni traits, but are at 
  their core little more than masses of fungi that have grown 
  over and through the bodies of their long-dead hosts. The 
  fungus now animates these bodies and has access to their 
  thoughts and memories, yet as part of their creation are 
  bound to the will of the Arkonas. Appearing as fungus-
  encrusted skeletons with gelid ooze and tufts of mold 
  where flesh once rode, the garden guardians attack anyone 
  they don’t recognize as an Arkona.
  Garden Guardians (3) 
  CR 7
  Fungal creature advanced janni (Advanced Bestiary 131, MM 116)
  NE Large plant
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +15, Spot +15
  Aura info
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18
  (+6 armor, +1 Dex, +2 shield, –1 size)
  hp 85 (9d8+45)
  Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +9
  Defensive Abilities elemental endurance; Immune plant 
  traits; Resist fire 10
  OFFENSE
  Spd 15 ft., fly 10 ft. (perfect)
  Melee scimitar +13/+8 (1d8+6/15–20) and
  light shield spike +12 (1d6+3) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks change size, create spawn, poison 
  spore cloud
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th)
  3/day—invisibility (self only), speak with animals
  1/day—create food and water (CL 7th)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The garden guardians become 
  invisible as soon as they hear anything 
  approaching this area. Once they determine 
  that the visitors are in fact intruders, they 
  change size to become Large just before they 
  move forth to attack.
  During Combat These fungal creatures open 
  combat with their poison spore clouds, 
  following that up with melee attacks.
  Morale The fungal janni fight to the 
  death, pursuing foes throughout the 
  entire cavern (but not into area D24 or 
  D25 or the palace above).
  STATISTICS
  Str 22, Dex 13, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 10
  Base Atk +9; Grp +15
  Feats Improved Critical (scimitar), Improved Initiative, 
  Improved Shield Bash, Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon 
  Focus (scimitar)
  Skills Appraise +14, Concentration +17, Craft (armorsmithing) 
  +14, Craft (weaponsmithing) +14, Escape Artist +13, Listen 
  +15, Move Silently +13, Ride +13, Sense Motive +15, Spot +15
  Languages Common, Terran, Vudran 
  SQ fungal metabolism, poisonous blood, rejuvenation, 
  worldbound
  Gear +1 chainmail, scimitar, spiked +1 light steel shield
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Create Spawn (Ex) A creature killed by Constitution loss 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  46
  Called the “Cat’s Cradle” by the Arkonas, this sturdy 
  rope bridge allows easy access between the palace above 
  and the cave below. 
  D21. Avidexu’s Room
  This simple chamber contains a single bed and a number of 
  shelves carved into the stone walls. All manner of animal 
  figurines, some crude and carved of wood, others exquisite 
  and sculpted from stone or even metal, decorate these shelves. 
  A heap of raw materials for crafting more of the animals lies 
  against the western wall.
  This chamber belongs to the rakshasa Avidexu, the most 
  powerful of the rakshasas who have come all the way from 
  Vudra to join Bahor and Vimanda in their grand experiment 
  in Korvosa. Avidexu has little interest in the politics of this 
  experiment, though, and instead finds the local wildlife to 
  be quite intriguing. He spends a fair amount of his time 
  here, crafting sculptures of various Varisian creatures out of 
  a wide range of local materials, but can currently be found 
  in area D24 tending to his pets.
  Treasure: Although Avidexu carries the majority of his 
  personal wealth, several of his sculptures are skillfully 
  made. The most valuable are a 1-foot-long blue-coral gecko 
  worth 300 gp, an exquisitely crafted firepelt cougar carved 
  from redwood worth 200 gp, and a gold flame drake with 
  tiny pearls for eyes worth 1,200 gp.
  D22. Secret Dungeon Entrance
  A secret door in the wall (DC 25 Search to locate) opens into 
  a long, winding tunnel that leads 100 feet southeast to the 
  Arkona Dungeons and area E1.
  D23. Secret Pier (EL 10)
  At the bottom of the vast cavern, a single wooden pier extends 
  out into a gently sloshing pool of sea water. A shallow-draft 
  barge is docked at the pier, a single unlit lantern hanging from 
  its bow. Supporting timbers and brickwork line parts of the 
  lower edge of the cave to the west and south, showing where 
  the original sea cave has been artificially expanded. To the 
  north, a twenty-five-foot-wide waterway provides an aquatic 
  exit from the cave—the distant, muted sounds of the surf echo 
  down from that direction.
  The Arkonas use this sea cave to move sensitive cargos 
  to and from the palace—cargos most often consisting 
  of unconscious victims stolen off the streets of Korvosa 
  and scheduled for an Arkona feast. The sea water in the 
  pool is 15 feet deep, and winds approximately 120 feet to 
  the northwest before ending at what appears to be a stone 
  wall. This is actually an illusory wall (CL 11th) placed there 
  from a garden guardian’s spore cloud transforms into 
  a fungal creature over the course of a day. Plant growth 
  halves the time required, while diminish plants doubles 
  it. Blight destroys the fungal spores and prevents 
  the corpse’s transformation, but spells that remove 
  disease are ineffective against the spores. Once a body 
  transforms into a fungal creature, the dead body from 
  which it grew is completely destroyed. A new fungal 
  creature lacks the class levels and memories of the 
  creature from which it gained its form—if the base 
  creature has 1 or fewer racial HD, use a 1st-level warrior 
  version of it as the base creature.
  Fungal Metabolism (Ex) The garden guardians do not breathe, 
  eat, or sleep.
  Poison Spore Cloud (Ex) Once per day, a garden guardian 
  can release a 15-foot-radius spread of yellow spores that 
  linger in the air for 10 rounds. This cloud functions as 
  an inhaled poison—any creature that inhales the spores 
  must make a DC 19 Fortitude save or take 1d2 points 
  of Constitution damage and be fatigued for 1 minute, 
  at which point the creature must save again to resist a 
  further 1d2 points of Constitution damage and another 
  minute of fatigue. A creature that continues to inhale the 
  spores must make Fortitude saves each round. The save 
  DC is Constitution-based.
  Poisonous Blood (Ex) A garden guardian’s blood and flesh 
  function as ingested poison. Any creature that makes 
  a bite attack against a garden guardian, swallows one 
  whole, or otherwise ingests part of one must make a 
  DC 19 Fortitude save or take 1 point of Strength damage 
  and 1 point of Dexterity damage. One minute later, the 
  creature must make a second DC 19 Fortitude save or be 
  nauseated for 1 minute and take 1d6 points of Strength 
  damage and 1d6 points of Dexterity damage. The save DC 
  is Constitution-based.
  Rejuvenation (Ex) So long as a garden guardian is in contact 
  with moist natural earth, it regains hit points as though it 
  were experiencing complete bed rest and long-term care (3 
  hit points per HD per day of rest).
  Worldbound (Ex) These janni have been bound to the Material 
  Plane by Vudran magic—as a result, they do not have 
  the ability to use plane shift or ethereal jaunt as spell-like 
  abilities, but their close tie to the Material Plane does 
  increase their health and endurance, granting them a +2 
  racial bonus on their Constitution scores.
  D20. The Cat’s Cradle
  Three rope ladders descend even deeper into the cave, 
  connecting three progressively lower ledges on the wall 
  until finally reaching a stony protrusion at ground level. This 
  protrusion rises from a rocky beach overlooking the sloshing 
  waters of a sea cave.
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  47
  to mask the entrance from traffic along the Jeggare River. 
  Anyone who interacts with the wall can attempt a DC 16 
  Will save to realize it’s an illusion.
  Creature: The sea pool is inhabited by an enormous 
  reefclaw that serves as a guardian for this chamber. The 
  monster was initially charmed by Avidexu, but over the 
  years, the regular offerings of food the Arkonas have given 
  the immense eel-like predator have caused it to adopt the 
  chamber as its territory, and it now lives here and stands 
  guard of its own accord. The reefclaw periodically leaves 
  the cave to swim out to sea to hunt or just to enjoy the open 
  water—the first time the PCs come through this area, the 
  reefclaw is doing just that. If they return to this area, likely 
  after having rescued Vencarlo and Neolandus and eager to 
  effect their escape from Korvosa, the reefclaw has returned 
  to present a final battle for the party.
  Enormous Reefclaw 
  CR 10
  Male elite reefclaw (Pathfinder #7 88)
  CN Large aberration (aquatic)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +2, 
  Spot +2
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 16
  (+3 Dex, +7 natural, –1 size)
  hp 136 (16d8+64)
  Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +12
  Resist cold 5
  OFFENSE
  Spd 5 ft., swim 40 ft.
  Melee 2 claws +20 (1d8+8/19–20 plus numbing poison)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks death frenzy, constrict 2d8+8, improved grab, 
  tenacious grapple
  TACTICS
  During Combat The reefclaw knows that the barge and pier 
  belong to its Arkona allies, and does its best not to damage 
  them. The same gentle touch is not extended to the PCs—
  the monster attacks anyone it recognizes as intruders with 
  a ferocious rage.
  Morale The enormous reefclaw gives up the fight if reduced 
  to less than 20 hit points, swimming swiftly out to sea to 
  seek new allies. It does not return.
  STATISTICS
  Str 27, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 10
  Base Atk +12; Grp +32
  Feats Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Improved 
  Natural Armor (3), Weapon Focus (claw)
  Skills Swim +35
  Languages understands Common
  SQ amphibious, ferocity
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Amphibious (Ex) Although a reefclaw is aquatic, it can survive 
  indefinitely on land.
  Constrict (Ex) On a successful grapple check, a reefclaw deals 
  2d8+15 points of damage.
  Death Frenzy (Su) When a reefclaw is killed, its body spasms 
  horrifically. Immediately upon dying, the reefclaw makes a 
  full attack action against all creatures it threatens. If more 
  than one creature is within reach, it makes each attack 
  against a random target (even against other reefclaws).
  Ferocity (Ex) A reefclaw is such a tenacious combatant that 
  it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled 
  or dying.
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a reefclaw must hit a 
  creature of any size with both claw attacks, or a creature 
  of no larger than Medium size with one claw attack. It can 
  then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without 
  provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple 
  check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.
  Numbing Poison (Ex) Injury, Fortitude DC 22, initial 1d8 
  Dexterity, secondary 2d8 Dexterity. This reefclaw’s venom 
  is much more toxic than its smaller, common kin. The save 
  DC is Constitution-based.
  Tenacious Grapple (Ex) A reefclaw gains a +8 racial bonus on 
  grapple checks.
  D24. Arkona Temple (EL 10)
  Four lit braziers illuminate this vast chamber, a cathedral-like 
  space made all the more immense by its lack of benches or 
  other concessions to comfort. The floor is polished tan marble, 
  with the walls rising up to form a domed ceiling sixty feet 
  above. Alcoves line these walls, six in all, inside of which stand 
  human-sized statues of a tiger-headed man. To the south, a few 
  steps lead up to a pulpit-like area with three more statues of the 
  same figure—the central one being twice as tall and holding 
  out before him two lances from which hang flags. The left is 
  the flag of Korvosa, while the right bears the coat of arms of 
  the Arkonas.
  While this large chamber may look like a temple, the 
  Arkonas themselves do not worship gods. Rather, they (like 
  most rakshasas) see themselves as the ones who should be 
  worshiped. Deep under his palace, this room is a nod to 
  Bahor’s suppressed ego and pride— the statues represent 
  him as the god-ruler of Korvosa.
  Creatures: The rakshasa Avidexu petitioned to be 
  placed in charge of defending this temple, and Bahor 
  granted him this responsibility even though the eldest 
  Arkona knew Avidexu was really only looking for a place 
  to keep his favorite pets, a pair of immense emperor 
  cobras imported from Vudra at great expense. The two 
  18-foot-long snakes dwell in this chamber, and Avidexu 
  spends much of his time in here with them, admiring 
  their beauty or watching them hunt and feed on animals 
  
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  48
  and vagrants the rakshasa supplies them with. When the 
  PCs first come to this region, Avidexu can be encountered 
  here—one of the cobras has just finished shedding, and 
  the rakshasa is sharing the shed skin as a meal with his 
  two pets.
  Avidexu, Arkona Rakshasa 
  CR 8
  hp 52 (MM 211)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Avidexu has already cast mage armor on 
  himself.
  During Combat The rakshasa’s first act in combat is to order 
  his snakes to attack the PCs while he becomes invisible. 
  He then casts haste, bear’s endurance, and shield before re-
  entering combat with his offensive spells.
  Morale Avidexu fights to the death.
  Emperor Cobras (2) 
  CR 5
  Eltie dire king cobra (Gary Gygax’s Necropolis 220, Tome of 
  Horrors Revised 387)
  N Large animal
  Init +10; Senses scent; Listen +6, Spot +11
  DEFENSE
  AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 16
  (+6 Dex, +7 natural, –1 size)
  hp 66 (7d8+35)
  Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +7
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
  Melee bite +11 (1d8+9 plus poison)
  Ranged spittle +11 (poison)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
  Special Attacks improved grab
  TACTICS
  During Combat Avidexu trained both cobras to attack creatures 
  at his command. The cobras attack the closest target.
  Morale The emperor cobras fight to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 23, Dex 22, Con 20, Int 1, Wis 14, Cha 2
  Base Atk +5; Grp +15
  Feats Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (bite), 
  Weapon Focus (bite)
  Skills Balance +14, Climb +14, Hide +11, Listen +6, Spot +11
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, an emperor cobra 
  must hit a creature smaller than itself with its bite 
  attack. It can then attempt a grapple check as a free 
  action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it 
  establishes a hold, it can make a bite attack against the 
  grappled foe as a free action.
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  Vimanda
  49
  Poison (Ex) Bite or Spittle, Fortitude DC 18, initial and secondary 
  damage 1d8 Con. The Save DC is Constitution-based.
  Spittle (Ex) An emperor cobra can spit venom as a ranged 
  attack. In order to be effective, the venom must strike a 
  foe’s eyes, mouth, or an open wound—therefore, this is a 
  standard ranged attack for the cobra and not a ranged touch 
  attack. The cobra’s spittle has a 
  range of up to 20 feet.
  D25. Tunnel to Dungeons
  This winding tunnel leads to area 
  E1 to the east.
  The Vivified Labyrinth
  The climax of this adventure takes 
  place in the Vivified Labyrinth, a deadly 
  obstacle course the Arkonas built for their 
  own entertainment, used at times to train 
  and test new recruits, and at others to punish 
  or torment prisoners (Bahor is particularly 
  fond of sending in a prisoner with a knife and 
  a loincloth, poisoning him with slow-acting 
  venom, and telling him that a pool deep 
  inside the labyrinth can cure the poison 
  if the victim can make it in time—so 
  far, no prisoners have survived this 
  challenge.) Making navigation of the 
  dungeon difficult are the numerous 
  obstacles and guardians bound within 
  its walls. Making navigation even worse 
  is the fact that the layout of the dungeon 
  itself changes.
  Four circular areas in the Vivified 
  Labyrinth are actually built inside of giant gears. By 
  activating various switches inside of the labyrinth, 
  these four gears can be rotated in the direction of the 
  arrow shown on the map, one-quarter turn per lever, 
  to alter the labyrinth’s layout. There are three levers 
  in the labyrinth (plus a fourth trapped lever)—
  when one is switched, it locks in place and cannot 
  be used for one minute. A DC 30 Disable Device 
  check (made as a full-round action) unlocks 
  a lever early so it may be used an additional 
  time. The four dungeon sections rotate 
  simultaneously, and take a round to rotate 
  90�, but openings between sections close 
  very rapidly. A character that’s standing in a 
  transitional square between sections must 
  make a DC 15 Reflex save; if he succeeds, 
  he can adjust five feet in either direction 
  to step out of the transitional square. 
  If he fails, the moving walls 
  scissor him, inflicting 10d6 
  points of damage and forcing him to adjust into a random 
  non-transitional adjacent square. Anyone standing in one 
  of the gear areas of the dungeon while it is rotating must 
  make a DC 10 Balance check to avoid falling prone.
  Since the central chambers of the Vivified Labyrinth 
  are mobile, keeping track of what areas of the dungeon 
  are accessible to others can be confusing. The dungeon 
  effectively has four different orientations—the layout 
  given on the map presents the first of these, and the only 
  one where entrance into the dungeon itself is possible 
  from area E2 without resorting to teleportation or other 
  alternate forms of travel. 
  Vimanda
  The second in command of the Arkona family, 
  Vimanda has secret designs on displacing Bahor. 
  Of course, Bahor suspects this, and although he 
  tells Vimanda that he sent the PCs down into 
  the labyrinth to give her a perfect opportunity to 
  ambush and slaughter them, his true hope is that 
  the PCs defeat her. In the ever-complex way 
  that rakshasas work, Vimanda suspects this is 
  her brother’s desire, and hopes to show him 
  up by either defeating the PCs or recruiting 
  them to help defeat Bahor.
  The true guardian of the labyrinth is the 
  darksphinx Sivit, an outsider bound by 
  tradition and magic to remain loyal to the 
  current patriarch of the house. As such, 
  Vimanda 
  avoids 
  the 
  darksphinx—she 
  doesn’t want to involve blind allies of Bahor 
  in her plans.
  In her true form, Vimanda is an attractive 
  humanoid woman with the head of a 
  fox. Graceful, elegant, and confident, 
  she exudes a dangerous sensuality that 
  she’s not afraid to use to leverage whatever 
  advantage she can in combat or diplomacy—
  only in rare occasions (such as her current plan 
  to deceive the PCs) does she take anything other 
  than a shapely feminine form.
  Vimanda (AKA Melyia Arkona) 
  CR 12
  Female rakshasa monk 6
  LE Medium outsider (native)
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +12, Spot +12
  DEFENSE
  AC 31, touch 17, flat-footed 27
  (+5 Dex, +1 monk, +9 natural, +4 shield, +2 Wis)
  hp 136 (13d8+78)
  Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +12
  Defensive Abilities evasion, slow fall 
  30 ft., still mind; DR 15/good and 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  50
  piercing; Immune non-magical disease; SR 27
  OFFENSE
  Spd 90 ft.; fly 60 ft. (good)
  Melee +1 ki focus shock kukri +19/+14/+9 (1d4+4 plus 1d6 
  electricity) and
  claw +15 (1d4+1) and
  bite +15 (1d6+1)
  Ranged javelin of lightning (120 ft. line, 5d6 electricity, Reflex 
  DC 14 half)
  Special Attacks change shape, detect thoughts (DC 15), flurry 
  of blows
  Spells Known (CL 7th; +17 ranged touch)
  3rd (5/day)—fly, suggestion (DC 16)
  2nd (7/day)—invisibility, locate object, scorching ray
  1st (7/day)—charm person (DC 14), magic missile, expeditious 
  retreat, shield, ray of enfeeblement
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, detect poison, ghost sound (DC 13), 
  mage hand, mending, message, prestidigitation
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Vimanda Arkona begins in area E13. As soon 
  as the first rotation occurs, Vimanda dons a ragged suit of 
  tattered leather armor (this ruined armor doesn’t impede 
  her spellcasting, but neither does it grant an armor bonus) 
  and changes shape to disguise herself as Vencarlo Orisini. 
  She then casts fly, invisibility, expeditious retreat, and shield. 
  If she knows the PCs carry an object familiar to her, she 
  casts locate object on that item to help her track them. 
  She then begins seeking out the PCs, either patrolling 
  the dungeon in a generally clockwise fashion or beelining 
  for them if she has locate object active. If she encounters 
  Sivit, she retreats immediately. Vimanda knows that there 
  are several symbols placed throughout the dungeon, and 
  even though they don’t affect her since she’s lawful evil, 
  she may decide to warn the PCs about a few of them in an 
  attempt to gain their trust once she meets them.
  During Combat When she first encounters the PCs, disguised 
  as Vencarlo, Vimanda tries to convince them that Bahor 
  sent them down here to die. She warns them about Sivit, 
  and tries to encourage the PCs to leave the labyrinth to 
  return to the palace above to confront Bahor (she explains 
  her kukri and javelins away by saying they’re the only 
  weapons she’s been able to recover in this dungeon). If this 
  works, she hangs back in any fight against Bahor—as soon 
  as Bahor realizes what’s going on (which shouldn’t take 
  long, especially if he successfully reads Vimanda’s mind), he 
  tries to blow her cover to win the PCs back to his side. If, on 
  the other hand, the PCs see through Vimanda’s deception, 
  she snarls and attacks. In combat, she takes to the air and 
  favors her javelins, scorching rays, and magic missiles. If 
  pushed into melee, she switches to her physical attacks, 
  delivering stunning fists with her ki focus kukri on her first 
  attack each round.
  Morale Vimanda attempts to flee the Vivified Labyrinth to 
  recover in area D17 if brought below 10 hit points.
  Base Statistics AC 27, touch 17, flat-footed 23; Spd 60 ft.
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 20, Con 20, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 16
  Base Atk +12; Grp +15
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Improved Critical 
  (kukri), Improved Disarm, Multiattack, Stunning Fist, 
  Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (kukri)
  Skills Bluff +17 (+21 when reading minds), Concentration +15, 
  Disguise +17 (+27 when using change shape, +31 when also 
  reading minds), Hide +17, Listen +12, Move Silently +15, 
  Perform (dance) +13, Sense Motive +12, Spot +12, Tumble +17
  Languages Common, Infernal, Vudran
  SQ ki strike (magic)
  Gear +1 ki focus shock kukri, javelins of lightning (3)
  Sivit, Lady of the Labyrinth
  Bound into the dungeon by Bahor’s rakshasa predecessor 
  via a binding spell, Sivit, the infamous Lady of the Labyrinth, 
  is a darksphinx—a dangerous outsider called from one 
  of the deeper circles of Hell. In the Outer Planes, the 
  darksphinxes are keepers of hidden secrets and forbidden 
  knowledge, yet here in the Vivified Labyrinth, she is little 
  more than a guard.
  She feels no loyalty toward Vimanda, but if Sivit learns 
  that she’s attempting to betray Bahor (such as if she discovers 
  she’s masquerading as Vencarlo and attempting to lead the 
  PCs back up to the palace), she focuses her attacks on the 
  rakshasa, bound by the same ancient magic that keeps her 
  inside the Vivified Labyrinth to protect her current master. 
  Sivit cannot leave the labyrinth—area E2 and beyond are 
  forbidden to her as long as the binding spell remains in 
  effect. There is no release clause to the binding.
  Sivit 
  CR 10
  Female darksphinx (Book of Fiends 156)
  LE Large outsider (evil, extraplanar)
  Vimanda’s raktaVarna
  In “Edge of Anarchy,” the PCs may have unwittingly 
  allowed a spy into their midst. The silver dagger in Verik 
  Vancaskerkin’s chamber was in fact a shapechanging 
  minion called a raktavarna that Vimanda created to keep 
  an eye on her dupe. If the raktavarna has managed to 
  remain in the PCs’ possession all this time, it continues 
  to provide its mistress with information about them, 
  giving her an excellent way to track them and prepare 
  for battle. When the PCs finally confront her, Vimanda 
  commands her loyal raktavarna to assume its true 
  form and return to her—the dagger does so at once, 
  attempting to bite its one-time owner at least once 
  before it takes its mistress’s side.
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  51
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +16, Spot +16
  DEFENSE
  AC 26, touch 14, flat-footed 23
  (+2 deflection, +3 Dex, +12 natural, –1 size)
  hp 76 (9d8+36)
  Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +10
  DR 10/good; Immune poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, 
  electricity 10, fire 10; SR 22
  OFFENSE
  Spd 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (poor)
  Melee +1 kukri +13/+8 (1d6+7/15–20) and
  +1 kukri +13/+8 (1d6+4/15–20) and
  tail slap +9 melee (1d6+3)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks pounce, rake 1d6+3, symbol
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th)
  3/day—clairaudience/clairvoyance, darkness, detect magic, 
  poison (DC 19), read magic, see invisibility
  1/day—comprehend languages, desecrate, dispel magic, legend 
  lore, locate object, remove curse, unholy blight (DC 19)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Sivit begins in area E20. As soon as 
  the first rotation occurs, she casts see invisibility 
  and then clairaudiance/clairvoyance on area E8 to 
  observe the PCs. She then casts locate object to 
  track one of the character’s more unusual items, and the 
  next time either area E18 or E19 open up to her chamber, 
  she moves in and 
  begins making her 
  way toward the 
  PCs. Sivit knows 
  the layout of the 
  Vivified Labyrinth 
  quite well, along with 
  the four orientations 
  of the dungeon—she 
  activates rotations now and 
  then to reorient the dungeon to 
  her advantage and to try to split up 
  the party. Sivit has placed multiple 
  symbols into various chambers in the 
  Vivified Labyrinth, and tries to time her 
  attack on the PCs for a point where they’re 
  dealing with the effects of one of them.
  During Combat Sivit opens combat with an unholy 
  blight, then roars into melee with her kukris. She 
  saves her poison spell-like abilities for spellcasters.
  Morale Bound by ancient magic, Sivit has no real 
  choice but to fight to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 23, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 22, Wis 19, Cha 21
  Base Atk +9; Grp +19
  Feats Improved Critical (kukri), 
  Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Defense, 
  Two-Weapon Fighting
  Skills Bluff +17, Climb +18, Concentration +14, Diplomacy +19, 
  Heal +16, Hide +11, Intimidate +19, Jump +22, Knowledge 
  (the planes) +18, Listen +16, Move Silently +15, Sense Motive 
  +16, Spot +16, Survival +16
  Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, Sphinx, Vudran
  Gear +1 kukris (2), amulet of health +4, ring of protection +2
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Pounce (Ex) If Sivit charges a foe, she can make a full attack, 
  including two rake attacks.
  Rake (Ex) Attack bonus +14 melee, damage 1d6+3.
  Symbol (Sp) Once each per week, Sivit can create a symbol 
  of fear, a symbol of insanity, a symbol of pain, a symbol of 
  persuasion, a symbol of sleep, and a symbol of stunning (caster 
  level 14th), except that each symbol remains a maximum of 
  one week once scribed.
  E1. Dungeon Entrance
  The tunnel curves sharply to the north 
  here, ending at a pair of large bronze 
  double doors, each carved with images 
  of tigers chasing other tigers in four 
  adjacent circles. At the center of 
  each circle of tigers, a snarling 
  tiger head looks out.
  These 
  doors 
  are 
  kept 
  unlocked and well-maintained; 
  they swing open silently at a 
  touch. The dotted line across 
  the passageway leading east is 
  an illusory wall (CL 7th). 
  A character that 
  sivit
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  52
  interacts with the wall here can attempt a DC 16 Will save to 
  recognize the illusion for what it truly is.
  E2. Labyrinth Entrance
  Two statues, each depicting a tiger-headed man, stand in 
  alcoves to either side of the doors. Their arms are wide, as if to 
  usher visitors forward into the room beyond.
  A DC 15 Search check is enough to notice the gap in 
  the floor, walls, and ceiling between this room and area 
  E3. The statues both depict Bahor Arkona in his true 
  form, and are thus recognizably the same figure from 
  area D24.
  E3. First Lever
  Two alcoves adorn either side of this otherwise empty room. In 
  one alcove, a long lever with an ebony handle protrudes from 
  the wall.
  This lever is one of the four that trigger a partial rotation 
  of the four central sections of the Vivified Labyrinth.
  E4. Corrupted Pool
  A five-foot-diameter pool of crystal-clear water nearly fills this 
  small circular room.
  Hazard: The “water” in this 10-foot-deep pool is magical—
  anyone who drinks from the water is affected by a poison spell 
  (Fort DC 16, CL 7th). A permanent magic aura spell cloaks 
  the pool’s aura of conjuration magic. Liquid taken from this 
  pool in a container loses its magical properties immediately, 
  becoming normal water. If combat with Vimanda occurs near 
  this pool, she (knowing full well the pool’s properties) might 
  cast suggestion on a PC to force them to drink from it.
  E5. Refreshing Pool (EL 7)
  A five-foot-diameter pool of murky green water nearly fills this 
  small circular room.
  Althoguh the water in this 10-foot-deep pool looks 
  fouled, it is in fact enhanced with potent curative effects. 
  Once per day, a creature that drinks from the pool gains 
  the effects of a heal spell (CL 11th). Both Vimanda and Sivit 
  know about this pool’s properties, and if badly wounded 
  or otherwise harmed, they could try to reach this pool to 
  drink from it. Liquid removed from this pool reverts to 
  nonmagical, gritty, foul-tasting water.
  Trap: Sivit has placed a symbol of fear on the wall opposite 
  the entrance to this room. The symbol activates as soon as 
  it is looked at.
  Symbol of Fear 
  CR 7
  Type spell; Search DC 31; Disable Device DC 31
  EFFECTS
  Trigger sight; Reset no reset
  Effect spell (symbol of fear; CL 14th, DC 21)
  E6. Hall of Pain (EL 6)
  Trap: Sivit has placed a symbol of pain on the floor of this 
  room. The symbol activates as soon as it is looked at.
  Symbol of Pain 
  CR 6
  Type spell; Search DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
  EFFECTS
  Trigger sight; Reset no reset
  Effect spell (symbol of pain; CL 14th, DC 20)
  E7. Three Flavors of Venom (EL 7)
  Three large wooden chests, their lids decorated with carvings 
  of cavorting tigers, sit against one wall of this room. Some sort 
  of message seems to be carved on each lid. The wall opposite 
  the chests is carved to depict hundreds of tigers marching in 
  widening circles around a single green gem the size of a fist, set 
  in the wall and itself carved to resemble a tiger’s head.
  This is one of several rooms Bahor designed to give 
  prisoners put into the Vivified Labyrinth a chance to 
  siVit’s symBols
  The darksphinx presents an unusual situation for adventure 
  design—her ability to create and maintain up to seven 
  different symbol effects at a time, and to do so at CL 18th 
  and relatively high static DCs is pretty ruthless for a CR 
  10 creature. I’ve lowered the caster level to 14th to match 
  her other spell-like abilities, and have made the save DCs 
  follow the standard rules for determining spell-like ability 
  save DCs. I’ve also taken the liberty of removing symbol 
  of death from Sivit’s available symbols; this symbol is a bit 
  too over-the-top even for this admittedly already deadly 
  environment. If you’d rather keep this symbol on her list, 
  I recommend placing it in the secret room in area E14 so 
  that it triggers once it is seen.
  Still, symbols can get old fast, especially if there’s no one 
  in the party who can dispel them, disable them, or fix the 
  damage they do. Too many symbols can start to feel like 
  arbitrary damage and penalties handed out by a lazy GM. 
  You know your group better than I do—if you think that 
  one or two symbols (or none at all) are your group’s upper 
  limit, you should adjust the number of symbols that appear 
  in this part of the adventure. 
  —James Jacobs
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  53
  provide him a bit more entertainment than simply 
  avoiding Sivit or the various active obstacles. The three 
  chests are identical in appearance except for a short phrase 
  engraved on each lid. This phrase is written in Vudran, 
  a hint from Bahor to at least give some small bit of aid to 
  those who speak his native tongue—of course, since these 
  hints are at a certain level misleading, they’re more like 
  threats to those who dare speak his native tongue.
  The left chest says, “By gentle caress shall truth be 
  known.” The right chest says, “Breathe deep your salvation.” 
  The middle chest says, “Life within but Death without.”
  Creature: Inside the middle chest are several potions 
  (see Treasure) and a relatively cranky blood-red cobra. 
  Bahor periodically feeds the cobra, but not nearly enough 
  to keep it happy. The snake is furious, and immediately 
  attacks the first person it sees.
  Blood Cobra 
  CR 1
  hp 9 (MM 280; see Medium viper)
  Trap: The left chest is coated in terinav root venom and is 
  empty. The right chest is air-tight and filled with insanity 
  mist and nothing else—opening it exposes everyone in 
  the room to the effects of the poison. The airborne poison 
  fades after 1 round.
  Terinav Root Chest 
  CR 7
  Type mechanical; Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset no reset
  Effect poison (Fort DC 16; 1d6 Dex/2d6 Dex)
  Insanity Mist Chest 
  CR 6
  Type mechanical; Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch (opening chest); Reset no reset
  Effect poison cloud (affects all creatures in room; Fort DC 15; 
  1d4 Wis/2d6 Wis)
  Treasure: Bahor generally keeps a helpful item or 
  weapon in the central chest to provide those exploring 
  his dungeon a glimmer of false hope. The middle chest 
  currently contains three potions of cure serious wounds and 
  three potions of lesser restoration in addition to the cobra.
  The gem embedded in the wall is a third eye bloodstone 
  worth 750 gp.
  E8. Hall of Madness (EL 9)
  A lever to rotate the Vivified Labyrinth protrudes from the 
  wall of this room.
  Trap: Sivit has placed a symbol of insanity on the lever in 
  this room. The symbol activates as soon as anyone triggers 
  the lever.
  Symbol of Insanity 
  CR 9
  Type spell; Search DC 33; Disable Device DC 33
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset no reset
  Effect spell (symbol of insanity ; CL 14th, DC 23)
  E9. The Biting Tigers (EL 7)
  Both walls of this twenty-foot-long corridor are decorated with 
  row upon row of tiger heads. Each head appears to be that 
  of an actual, once-living tiger. The heads are remarkably well 
  preserved—their gaping mouths and glaring eyes even appear 
  to be moist.
  This room is the first in a series of four rooms that 
  serve as a perilous obstacle course. All four of these 
  chambers were designed and created by Mapras, Bahor’s 
  father. Although Mapras died at Bahor’s hands, Bahor 
  never rebuilt these four rooms—they remain Mapras’s 
  only legacy in the Arkona dungeon, chambers too 
  ingeniously cruel in their creativity for even a murderous 
  son to ignore.
  The secret door leading to area E10 can be discovered 
  with a DC 35 Search check. If the biting tigers are slain, 
  they no longer effectively hide this door, and it can be 
  discovered with a DC 15 Search check.
  All four of these obstacles can be temporarily deactivated 
  by a hidden bypass switch. A switch is located on the wall 
  eVolVing tHe reVolVing dUngeon
  Running this section of the adventure can be complicated, 
  for not only does the dungeon itself move about, so too 
  do its two primary guardians. The following tips can help 
  make running this dungeon a bit easier.
  Tip 1: As the PCs explore the Vivified Labyrinth, have 
  them roll initiative as they trigger the first rotation in area 
  E3. Roll initiatives for Sivit and Vimanda as well, and track 
  their movements through the dungeon secretly on their 
  turns on your copy of the dungeon map.
  Tip 2: Before the PCs reach the dungeon, prepare four 
  8-inch-diameter circles of paper and sketch out a grid on 
  each so that you can place them on your gaming table. As the 
  PCs explore the dungeon, sketch in the map of the dungeon, 
  but since they’re on separate pieces of paper, you’ll be able to 
  rotate each of them 90º each time the dungeon rotates.
  Tip 3: If the PCs get completely trapped in an area where 
  they can’t access the levers, have an NPC elsewhere pull one.  
  Tip 4: Finally, don’t be afraid to toss out the rotating gears 
  aspect of the dungeon entirely if you think it’ll just frustrate 
  your group. It’s an easy thing to attach areas E3 and E4, E14 
  and E15, and E17 and E18 with tunnels, at which point there’s 
  no need for confusing rotating dungeons at all.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  54
  next to each entrance to room E9–E12; locating the switch is 
  a DC 30 Search check. Once pressed, the trap or guardian in 
  that room does not activate for the following 3 rounds—on 
  the 4th round, the trap or guardian reactivates (but may be 
  deactivated by again pressing the hidden bypass switch).
  Creature: The tiger heads lining the walls animate and 
  attack one round after the first person sets foot in the 
  chamber, writhing out of the walls on long serpentine 
  necks in a horrific storm of scales, fangs, and fur. Treat 
  the biting tigers as a single Gargantuan animated object 
  that has a speed of 0 feet and hardness 0.
  The Biting Tigers 
  EL 7
  hp 148 (MM 14—Gargantuan animated object)
  E10. The Fangs of Diomazul (EL 8)
  A ten-foot-wide, two-foot-tall well rises from the center of this 
  circular room. Inky water fills the well nearly to its rim, obscuring 
  its depths. A stone statue of a rearing snake rises from the 
  center of the well. Along the length of the serpent’s body are 
  carved dozens of arms crossed over the creature’s belly—each 
  arm grips a long curved blade. The statue’s serpentine head 
  rises ten feet above the surface of the water, gazing down coolly 
  to the northeast with amethyst eyes.
  A DC 30 Knowledge (religion) check identifies the 
  many-armed serpent as a statue of the obscure Vudran 
  deity Diomazul, the Serpent of Eighty Blades, a god noted 
  particularly for its ruthless fury and cruelty in battle.
  Trap: The well is in fact a shallow pool; the water is 
  only four inches deep, but is dark enough to hide the 
  fact that the lower section contains the workings of a 
  deadly trap. Two rounds after the first person enters 
  the room, a loud hiss issues from the statue as dozens 
  of curved blades spring out of the well’s base and spin 
  furiously around the room, striking anyone standing 
  on the ground within 5 feet of the well. As long as the 
  blades continue spinning, this region around the well is 
  considered difficult terrain.
  The Fangs of Diomazul 
  CR 8
  Type mechanical; Bypass hidden switch (Search DC 30); 
  Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location; Onset Delay 2 rounds; Reset automatic
  Effect falchion blades spin around fountain (all targets on the 
  ground within 5 feet of the room’s walls; 8d6 damage per 
  round; Reflex DC 15 negates one round of damage; blades 
  continue spinning for 1 minute)
  Treasure: Each of the statue’s amethyst eyes can be pried 
  out of the statue as a full-round action; each is worth 500 gp.
  E11. The Wailing Maidens (EL 7)
  Eight alcoves line this long, narrow hallway. Inside each 
  alcove stands a human-sized upright iron casket, the image 
  of a sobbing woman decorating its lid. The hallway’s floor is 
  smeared bright red, a mosaic of tiny red stones giving the 
  appearance that the hall is awash in blood.
  Trap: This is a cruel, two-stage trap that activates 3 
  rounds after someone steps on a square flanked by a pair 
  of the iron maidens. When the trap activates, the five-
  foot squares not flanked by iron maidens suddenly rise, 
  tipping up to a 45 degree angle that slopes to the south. Any 
  creature on one of these squares slides back into a square 
  between the iron maidens if he fails a DC 12 Balance 
  check. A creature that slides into an occupied square falls 
  prone. At the same time, the western iron maidens begin 
  shrieking and wailing. Any creature adjacent to a wailing 
  maiden must make a DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid being 
  stunned and deafened for 1d4 rounds. On the round after 
  the western maidens wail, the eastern maidens open to 
  reveal an interior lined with spikes. These spikes shoot out 
  on long shafts, nearly reaching the opposing iron maiden 
  and impaling anything in the way. The spikes retract and 
  re-fire once per round for the next 4 rounds, at which point 
  the hall returns to normal. The trap takes 5 rounds to reset, 
  during which time the area is filled with ominous clicking 
  and grinding noises.
  Wailing Maidens 
  CR 7
  Type mechanical and magical; Bypass hidden switch (Search 
  DC 30); Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location; Onset Delay 3 rounds; Reset automatic (after 
  5 rounds)
  Effect stunning wail (stun and deafened for 1d4 rounds, 
  Fortitude DC 15 negates); spike barrage (Atk +12 melee, 1d6 
  spikes per target for 1d6+5 damage each); multiple targets 
  (all targets flanked by iron maidens)
  E12. The Stinging Wasps (EL 7)
  The walls, floor, and ceiling of this chamber are decorated with 
  a complex mosaic depicting an immense swarm of wasps.
  Trap: This trap activates 1 round after someone enters 
  the room. At this point, thousands of 6-inch-long needles 
  stab out of the walls, floor, and ceiling of this room, 
  jabbing in and out of tiny holes several times each round. 
  The needles jab in waves, creating a beautiful rippling 
  effect as they stab and stab. Any creature walking or 
  climbing walls in this room is targeted by the needles. 
  The needles continue stabbing as long as anyone remains 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  55
  in the room; as long as they’re stabbing, this room is 
  difficult terrain. Each time a creature takes damage from 
  these needles, he must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or 
  take 2 points of Dexterity damage as magically generated 
  toxins numb his arms and legs.
  Stinging Wasps 
  CR 7
  Type magical and mechanical; Bypass hidden switch (Search 
  DC 30); Search DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location; Onset Delay 1 round; Reset automatic
  Effect numbing needles (Atk +5 melee, 1d6 damage plus 2 
  Dexterity damage); multiple targets (all creatures in contact 
  with walls, floor, or ceiling)
  E13. Meditation Chamber
  A six-inch-tall bronze dais on the floor in the middle of this 
  otherwise empty room supports a polished column of black 
  marble. The black stone seems to be vibrating softly, filling the 
  air with a faint hum.
  This pillar of black stone is another Vudran import—a 
  large magic item known as a sonorous stone. The stone’s 
  magic is as much tied to its hexagonal chamber as the 
  stone itself, and once created, requires a year to attune 
  itself to its surroundings, at which point the stone begins 
  to vibrate and hum softly. This vibration is soothing 
  and relaxing—a creature that spends a minute standing 
  within 5 feet of an active sonorous stone receives the 
  benefits of a calm emotions spell. In addition, a creature 
  that touches an active sonorous stone is targeted by a 
  restoration spell that also allows him to recall up to three 
  levels of spells he had prepared and then cast—the spells 
  are then prepared again, just as if they had not been cast. 
  A sonorous stone can be activated in this manner up to four 
  times per month, after which it becomes dormant for one 
  month while it rebuilds its charge.
  E14. Hidden Lever
  The floor of this empty room is strewn with bones and patches 
  of mold.
  The secret door in this room can be found with a DC 30 
  Search check. The alcove beyond the door contains a lever 
  to rotate the Vivified Labyrinth’s chambers.
  E15. Threatening Murals
  The walls of this oddly shaped hallway are decorated in a 
  complex mural depicting a jungle brimming with hungry life. 
  Predators of every sort stalk and maim and feed on dozens 
  of hapless men and women. In the canopy above, monkeys, 
  snakes, and birds seem to chatter and mock the victims below.
  Those who examine these murals swiftly find themselves 
  among the victims represented. This relatively minor 
  illusion has no further effect—it was created merely to 
  unsettle and frighten any who view it.
  E16. Transport Room
  Four alcoves in the walls of this room contain floating spheres 
  of mist, each floating three feet off the ground. Each sphere 
  is a foot in diameter—one is black, one white, one green, and 
  one gold. Just north of the strange floating spheres, two levers 
  protrude from opposite walls.
  This chamber serves as a way to relocate to one of four 
  specific areas in the Vivified Labyrinth; to someone who 
  knows the dungeon’s pattern, it allows increased mobility, 
  but to characters who don’t, it could well trap someone in 
  a room with no exit.
  Each of the four spheres are in fact teleporters—merely 
  touching a sphere is enough to send that person (or object 
  thrown into the sphere) into another area of the dungeon, 
  as if by greater teleport. The white sphere teleports anyone 
  who touches it to area E2. The black sphere teleports 
  anyone who touches it to area E13. The green sphere 
  teleports anyone who touches it to area E20. The gold 
  sphere teleports anyone who touches it to area E5.
  The eastern lever allows for a rotation of the Vivified 
  Labyrinth’s chambers, but the western lever alters the 
  destinations of the teleporters. When the western lever is in 
  the up position, the teleporters work as detailed above. When 
  the western lever is in the down position (as it is when the PCs 
  enter the room), all four teleporters instead transport anyone 
  who touches them into a random unoccupied cell in area 
  E21; if there are no unoccupied cells, these teleporters simply 
  won’t function when this lever’s in the down position.
  E17. Disposal Room
  The floor of this chamber is covered by a thick layer of rubble, 
  bones, and other debris.
  After victims succumb to the Vivified Labyrinth, Sivit 
  generally disposes of the bodies in this room. Some time 
  later, the remains are carried away by the Arkonas—
  typically for meals. There’s currently nothing of interest 
  in this chamber.
  E18. Hall of Slumber (EL 6)
  Trap: Sivit has placed a symbol of sleep on the floor of this 
  room. The symbol activates as soon as it is looked at.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  56
  Symbol of Sleep 
  CR 6
  Type spell; Search DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
  EFFECTS
  Trigger sight; Reset no reset
  Effect spell (symbol of sleep; CL 14th, DC 20)
  E19. Hall of Stunning (EL 8)
  Trap: Sivit has placed a symbol of stunning 
  on the floor of this room. The symbol 
  activates as soon as it is looked at.
  Symbol of Sleep 
  CR 8
  Type spell; Search DC 32; Disable Device 
  DC 32
  EFFECTS
  Trigger sight; Reset no reset
  Effect spell (symbol of stunning; CL 14th, 
  DC 22)
  E20. Sivit’s Throne
  A great green throne sits atop a dais in 
  the northern end of the room. To either 
  side stand statues of a tiger-headed 
  man—each holds aloft a pair of chains 
  from which manacles dangle. Dried blood 
  spatters the walls, floor, and even the throne and 
  statues, filling the room with its stale reek.
  This chamber is where Sivit the darksphinx spends 
  the majority of her time, languishing on her green marble 
  throne and daydreaming about the day she escapes her 
  binding and sees her revenge on the Arkonas. The manacles 
  can be unlocked with a key that Sivit keeps hidden under 
  her throne’s well-worn cushion (Search DC 20 to find), or 
  opened with a DC 30 Open Lock check.
  Creature: Often when a prisoner is placed in the 
  Vivified Labyrinth, Sivit captures them alive and brings 
  them back here, shackling them to one of the two statues 
  of Bahor. She does her best to keep her playthings alive 
  as long as she can—once they expire, she dumps the 
  bodies in area E17. Her current victim is manacled to 
  the western statue—dressed in tattered rags, his body a 
  display of bruises and partially healed cuts and scrapes, 
  head slumped, Vencarlo Orisini has languished here 
  for days. He is currently unconscious, suffering from 
  starvation and exhaustion, but wakens as soon as anyone 
  heals enough damage. Although beaten and in pain, his 
  expression brightens immediately upon seeing the PCs, 
  and he even manages a smile as he says, “I see you got 
  my note…” He eagerly tells the PCs that the key to his 
  manacles is hidden under the throne’s cushion if they 
  haven’t discovered this already.
  Vencarlo is in a rough state. Badly wounded and without 
  his gear, he is little help in a fight. Yet he still demands 
  to help in every way he can. If the PCs can equip and heal 
  him, he can be a valuable ally in the adventure’s remaining 
  fights. While Vencarlo is certainly curious to hear the PCs’ 
  story, he knows this isn’t the best time to get caught up. If 
  the PCs haven’t already rescued Neolandus from area 
  E21, Vencarlo suggests this should be their first 
  priority. Having spent some time himself in the 
  torture chamber, Vencarlo can show the PCs 
  where illusory walls hide the entrance to the 
  lower level.
  If the PCs confront Vencarlo about his 
  alternate identity as Blackjack, he laughs 
  and plays off the concept as if it were a joke. 
  If the PCs present proof (such as by being 
  dressed as Blackjack), he grows serious, then 
  says, “Looks like you caught me—well done. 
  But we don’t have time to talk about this. 
  Let’s rescue Neolandus and get the hell out 
  of Korvosa first—we’ll have plenty of 
  time to talk this over later.”
  Vencarlo Orisini  
  CR 9
  Male medium-age human rogue 2/fighter 
  5/duelist 2
  CG Medium humanoid
  Init +4; Senses Listen –1, Spot –1
  Aura info
  DEFENSE
  AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 10
  (+2 Dex, +2 Int)
  hp 48 (9 HD; 2d6+7d10) (currently at 11 hit points and 43 
  nonlethal damage)
  Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +0
  Defensive Abilities evasion
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft.
  Melee unarmed strike +10 (1d3–1 nonlethal)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6
  TACTICS
  During Combat Vencarlo’s favored melee weapon is the 
  rapier, and his favored ranged weapon are thrown daggers. 
  In combat, he prefers to fight with Combat Expertise to full 
  effect, both to aid in protecting his own hide and to draw 
  out the thrill of the fight itself.
  Morale Vencarlo never abandons an ally in a fight, but if alone, 
  flees to safety if brought below 10 hp.
  STATISTICS
  Str 9, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 9, Cha 15
  Base Atk +8; Grp +7
  Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Mobility, 
  Skill Focus (bluff), Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (rapier), 
  Vencarlo  
  orisini
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  57
  Weapon Specialization (rapier)
  Skills Balance +11, Bluff +12, Climb +4, Craft (weaponsmith) +7, 
  Diplomacy +11, Disguise +7, Hide +7, Intimidate +9, Jump 
  +8, Knowledge (local) +7, Move Silently +7, Perform (oratory) 
  +7, Profession (teacher) +8, Sense Motive +6, Tumble +11
  Languages Common, Elven, Varisian
  SQ canny defense, improved reaction, 
  trapfinding
  Ad Hoc Experience Award: For rescuing 
  Vencarlo, award PCs experience points as 
  if they had defeated a CR 10 creature.
  E21. Torture Chamber (EL 9)
  This large room is lit by a heartily burning 
  firepit in the room’s center. Cages hang on 
  chains dangling from hooks in the ceiling, while 
  racks, strappadoes, gibbets, and other 
  implements of torture fill the floor 
  space. A pair of immense wooden 
  doors stand in the wall to the north, 
  while to the south stand several 
  narrow cells.  
  Creature: 
  This 
  well-stocked 
  torture 
  chamber 
  is 
  where 
  the 
  majority of the Arkonas’ prisoners 
  end up. Although prisoners are allowed to 
  languish for a time in a cell, the chamber’s mistress 
  eventually gets around to spending some quality time 
  with each and every prisoner kept here. This being, named 
  Senshiir,  is a cruel outsider known as a beatific one.
  Senshiir struck a bargain with Bahor several years ago, 
  agreeing to serve him as a torturer as long as he keeps 
  her in a regular supply of fresh victims to work upon. 
  Although the majority of her kind seek enlightenment 
  through brutal combat and mastery of life-ending 
  weaponry, Senshiir has narrowed her focus a bit—she 
  seeks enlightenment through the observation of pain 
  and its effects on the mortal mind. She approaches her 
  role with a sort of detached and emotionless curiosity 
  that only a creature born in Hell could foster.
  Currently, Senshiir has only one guest—since the 
  quarantine and the Arkonas’ resulting introversion, no 
  new prisoners have come to this chamber. This, combined 
  with Bahor’s demand that the current guest not be 
  subjected to any pain, has angered the beatific one, and 
  she has recently decided to try her hand on some torture 
  that doesn’t leave any obvious marks on the exterior flesh. 
  As the PCs arrive, she’s just finished placing a sobbing 
  Neolandus Kalepopolis into one of the stretching racks, 
  but hasn’t quite begun her sadistic work.
  Senshiir, Beatific One 
   
  CR 9
  hp 85 (see page 82)
  Neolandus Kalepopolis 
  CR 5
  Male human aristocrat 3/ranger 3
  LG Medium humanoid
  Init +5; Senses Listen +11, Spot +11
  DEFENSE
  AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10
  (+1 Dex)
  hp 26 (6 HD; 3d6+3d8)
  Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +6
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft.
  Melee unarmed strike +4 (1d3–1 nonlethal)
  Special Attacks favored enemy (giant +2)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Although Neolandus 
  trained as a ranger, he realizes his true 
  skills are in diplomacy. As such, he 
  only fights when there is no other 
  choice, in which case he prefers 
  to do so with the longbow.
  Morale Neolandus won’t 
  abandon an ally, but if alone, 
  flees to safety if brought below 
  15 hp.
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 14
  Base Atk +5; Grp +4
  Feats Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, 
  Negotiator, Rapid Shot, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Track
  Skills Bluff +8, Diplomacy +19, Handle Animal +8, Knowledge 
  (geography) +8, Knowledge (nobility and royalty) +8, Listen 
  +11, Ride +9, Sense Motive +10, Spot +11, Survival +11
  Languages Common, Shoanti, Varisian 
  SQ wild empathy +7
  Development: If Senshiir is defeated, it’s a simple 
  matter to release Neolandus from the rack. He does 
  not recognize the PCs (having been holed up in Old 
  Korvosa during their entire rise to fame), and unless 
  Vencarlo is with the PCs, he avoids revealing his true 
  identity, instead claiming to be a thief named Velak 
  who was captured by the Arkonas for robbing one of the 
  merchants under the family’s protection. As Velak, the 
  seneschal begs to be rescued but also tells the PCs “a 
  friend” has been sent to the Vivified Labyrinth, and that 
  before they leave, they must rescue him as well.
  Of course, even if the PCs don’t know who he is initially, 
  the rags and grime Neolandus wears are not an effective 
  disguise. With a DC 15 Knowledge (local) or Knowledge 
  (nobility & royalty) check, anyone can recognize him for 
  neolandus  
  kalepopolis
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  58
  who he really is. In this case, Neolandus comes clean, but 
  continues to insist that the PCs rescue his friend Vencarlo 
  from the labyrinth. Neolandus offers to help the PCs in 
  any way he can, but can certainly be a greater help if he’s 
  first healed and outfitted with gear.
  Once Neolandus is sure that the PCs aren’t agents of the 
  queen and that they can be trusted, he grows quite excited; 
  here are the exact people he’s been hoping to find—heroes 
  who can act on the information he has about Queen Ileosa. 
  Consult “Concluding the Adventure” to see what he can 
  tell the PCs about the true peril facing Korvosa.
  Ad Hoc Experience Award: For rescuing Neolandus, 
  award PCs experience points as if they had defeated a CR 
  10 creature.
  E22. Torturer’s Home
  A narrow bed, stool, and table are this room’s sole furnishings—
  none appear to have been used in some time.
  This room once belonged to a vile man who served 
  Bahor’s father as a torturer, but he was put to the sword 
  not long after his previous master. The room has gone 
  unused since, with the periodic exception of Senshiir, who 
  sometimes retreats here to meditate on the floor.
  E23. The Gizzard (EL 11)
  This vast cavern stretches into the shadows, the true extent 
  of its area difficult to discern due to a thick maze of wooden 
  timbers that rises up to support the roof. A ledge winds along 
  the eastern and northern sides of the cave, with the floor 
  dropping away to a depth of thirty feet. Four immense stone 
  pillars support the ceiling ten feet above. Where these pillars 
  connect to the ceiling, a network of wooden braces and timbers 
  radiate out in a wheel shape, forming four forty-foot-wide discs 
  flush against the roof. Dozens of chains hang down from these 
  beams to attach to the pillars themselves, many of which are 
  decorated with rows and rows of bells.
  The maze of support timbers is not shown on the map 
  of this room, for the lowest 10 feet of the area are left quite 
  open to give the chamber’s denizens plenty of room to 
  toil. Above the 10-foot-mark, though, a creature can move 
  through this room on these tangled wooden beams with a 
  DC 10 Climb check.
  Creatures: This room is the source of the Vivified 
  Labyrinth’s power—the four pillars are in fact axles 
  attached to the four large gears above—the Gizzard. Each 
  of these pillars is attended by a single horrific beast, 
  undead elephants known as rajput ambaris. Each rajput 
  ambari is chained to a pillar, and as the levers in the 
  Vivified Labyrinth above are triggered, chains affixed to the 
  labyrinth’s workings cause the bells to ring and unlock the 
  four gears, signaling the rajput ambaris to walk a quarter 
  circle around each pillar—and in so doing, causing the 
  immense gears above to grind and rotate. Once a rotation 
  makes a 90-degree turn, the gears lock back into place and 
  the rajput ambaris once again become motionless.
  As long as no creatures attempt to damage them or damage 
  the surrounding structure, the rajput ambaris remain 
  passive. Once either of these conditions ends, though, the 
  rajput ambaris trumpet and immediately move to defend 
  the Gizzard. Each rajput ambari can move up to 15 feet 
  from its pillar to attack intruders; as they fight, the chains 
  that attach them to the pillars move and shake, causing 
  the rooms above to shake as well, but as long as the gears 
  remain locked, the rooms above won’t shift. If at least two 
  of the rajput ambaris are destroyed, the remaining rajput 
  ambaris are not strong enough to rotate the chambers of 
  the Vivified Labyrinth above and the rooms remain stuck in 
  their current configuration.
  Rajput Ambari (4) 
  CR 7
  hp 104 (see page 84)
  concludIng the Adventure
  Although the order in which the PCs tackle the various 
  situations and encounters in this adventure are quite fluid, 
  the ultimate goal remains the same—rescue Neolandus 
  and Vencarlo and then escape from the city. Even if the PCs 
  haven’t made public enemies of themselves and aren’t on 
  Queen Ileosa’s growing list of “problems to solve,” Neolandus 
  certainly is. He can’t stay in Korvosa—both he and Vencarlo 
  know this. Vencarlo himself wants out of the city as well, if 
  only to get some time to think things over and plan his next 
  move. His recommendation to the PCs is the same.
  Fortunately, Vencarlo has friends in the nearby town 
  of Harse, the same friends to which he sent young Trinia 
  Sabor to stay with at the start of “Seven Days to the Grave.” 
  He suggests that he, Neolandus, and the PCs find the fastest 
  route out of the city, likely by stealing the barge in area D23. 
  Once the fight with the enormous reefclaw there is over, this 
  is a relatively safe way to head up the coast a few miles, as long 
  as the PCs take care to do so under the cover of darkness or 
  magic to avoid being spotted. Eventually, Vencarlo suggests 
  they make their way inland to Harse, where they can catch 
  their breath and plan their next moves.
  During this voyage, Vencarlo and Neolandus ask the 
  PCs about how they came to Old Korvosa, pumping them 
  for information about what’s been happening in the city 
  over the past few days. When they learn about the incident 
  involving Marcus’s failed assassination attempt, their eyes 
  grow large and Vencarlo curses under his breath—this is 
  proof positive that Neolandus’s fears have, in fact, come 
  true. Queen Ileosa has become something more than 
  
  Escape From old Korvosa
  59
  human—she has become the reincarnation of a draconic 
  warlord long thought to be dead. And as long as she retains 
  this power, as long as she wears the Crown of Fangs, there 
  may be only one way to defeat her. Neolandus knows who 
  may know the secret of defeating this evil presence and, 
  perhaps, even saving the queen from her fate. For countless 
  years before Cheliax came to Varisia, the region known 
  today as Korvosa had been the tribal land of the Shoanti. 
  Although known by few, Neolandus explains that those 
  who dwelt in the shadow of the pyramid that now serves as 
  Castle Korvosa’s foundation believed that a great evil was 
  hidden within those ancient stones. Today, the keepers 
  of this knowledge, if they still live, are hidden among the 
  Shoanti tribes of the Cinderlands.
  Unfortunately, the keepers of that secret are preparing 
  for war, and Korvosa is their target.
  Ileosa’s Plans
  As this adventure ends, the PCs are expected to flee from 
  Korvosa—their home city is no longer safe for them, and 
  if they hope to save Korvosa from her new tyrant, they 
  must look for answers in the Cinderlands. Yet some PCs 
  may balk at the thought of abandoning their home, and 
  may even wish to stay in Korvosa to continue the fight 
  against Queen Ileosa there.
  Unfortunately, this plan is a poor one at best. Over the 
  days to come, Queen Ileosa’s power grows. With Kazavon’s 
  tactical genius growing in her mind, she is no longer the 
  petulant aristocrat she was when this campaign began. 
  PCs who seek to directly oppose Queen Ileosa will face a 
  very high-level bard with an artifact that protects her from 
  death and a loyal band of followers who include high-level 
  fighters, devils, and soon, even a black dragon. Things in 
  Korvosa quickly go bad after this adventure. Taxes quickly 
  eclipse the ability of the city’s citizens to pay them, and 
  slavery replaces honest work. Martial law enfolds the town, 
  and every day the Gray Maidens grow more violent and 
  brutal in their enforcement of the queen’s edicts, which 
  themselves become more and more strange and cruel as 
  her madness grows. Through it all, Field Marshall Cressida 
  Kroft continues to ride the delicate line between rebel and 
  loyalist, and PCs worried about friends and family who 
  they leave behind can rest assured that Cressida will do 
  everything in her power to keep them safe. Yet she cannot 
  do so forever—for as of the next adventure, Korvosa lives 
  on borrowed time.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  60
  Faces of the Earthbound Evils
  “N
  one dared accept an invitation to the Palace of Emerald and Ivy, the home of 
  Vanswati Jhonancore, called the Rani of Cloves or the Krait Queen. Thrice yearly 
  the jade gates opened, admitting all who had not heard the tales. Within, silk and spices 
  and slender ankles danced a dream of imperial luxury, of heady scents, and of stirred 
  passions. Long into the night, the royal madam showered her visitors in coins and 
  boascale gems, rewarding those who sung like olive thrushes and spun tales of glistening 
  thread. And with the morning, when those who remained were drunk on honeyed wine, 
  greasy quail, and spiced plantain, the bitter Lady of Coils would remove her face, don 
  her scales, and make a feast of her guests.”
  —Translated from Histories of the Impossible
  A PAthfinder’s Guide to r AkshAsAs
  
  FACES OF THE EARTHBOUND EVILS
  61
  R
  akshasas are born on Golarion, but they are not of 
  it. Although they possess the powers and shapes of 
  fiends, their fates are inexorably tied to the mortal 
  world, and there they seek to rule. The reincarnations of 
  manipulators, traitors, and tyrants obsessed with earthly 
  pleasures, they are the embodiments of the very nature of 
  materialistic evil. After dying violent deaths, these spirits 
  are so tied to worldly decadence and selfish concerns that 
  they take shapes better reflecting the baseness of their 
  lives and are reborn as rakshasas. Thus, in Vudra, sages 
  have come to know these fiends as the “earthbound evils.”
  History of tHe raksHasa
  Rakshasas are not natural creatures, born of neither the 
  gods nor the whims of nature. Rakshasa legend traces the 
  fiends’ existence back to a single progenitor, an incredibly 
  powerful and greedy Vudrani sorcerer-king who sought 
  to enjoy an eternal existence of hedonistic comfort and 
  control. Although the exact names, times, and details of 
  this legendary figure’s actions vary among the epic poems 
  rakshasas tell of his exploits, the broad strokes are similar 
  enough to outline a history. 
  The most common name for the arcanist who became 
  the first rakshasa is Mahka Abihcara. At some point 
  in his life, the sorcerer became obsessed with his own 
  mortality. Because of his great love of food, sleep, and 
  other physical entertainments, Mahka was unwilling to 
  become an undead creature or transform himself into 
  some spell-crafted abomination. He also rejected any idea 
  of paradise in an afterlife, for any such existence required 
  subservience to a god or similar entities. Instead, Mahka 
  conceived of an endless cycle, of living lives of pleasure 
  and power over and over. He called this idea the dhruva 
  jivita, or eternal rebirth. The philosophy of the dhruva jivita 
  remains common among rakshasas.
  To accomplish this, Mahka concluded he must absorb 
  so much life that his death would not destroy all of it. As 
  he was already ruler of a large stronghold, he set about 
  expanding his territory through a series of violent wars. 
  Mahka moved with his army so he could enjoy each new 
  sight, new smell, and new cultural entertainment of the 
  people he conquered. He also began the practice of eating 
  the mightiest heroes of his defeated foes, in great feasts to 
  which he invited his greatest generals and advisors. Those 
  who refused to partake were themselves served at the next 
  event. Each feast was a complex ritual as well, as Mahka 
  absorbed the life force of those he ate and tied together the 
  lives of himself and his generals.
  After a long lifetime of consumption, depredation, and 
  greed, Mahka became too frail for even his mighty spells 
  to maintain him. He was reviled as one of the most evil 
  beings in all Vudra, but was also honored as a great patron 
  of the arts and collector of wisdom and knowledge. Mahka 
  called his generals to him, and offered each an animal, 
  saying these would be their guides on a great journey. In 
  most traditions there are twelve generals, but what animals 
  they were offered vary too wildly to form a conclusion. 
  What all stories agree upon is that Mahka himself took 
  a tiger as his guide. Mahka explained that as long as even 
  one of them remained alive, any of the others could return 
  and be reincarnated as a new living creature. Then Mahka 
  killed and consumed his tiger, eating himself to death.
  Most stories agree the generals were horrified and 
  thoroughly convinced Mahka had gone mad, but each 
  took his animal guide and went about trying to take 
  control of Mahka’s empire. Of course, they fought among 
  themselves, and instead tore the empire apart. Only one, 
  Gopa Citrasena, a spear-warrior given a mongoose guide, 
  decried the laws of Mahka as evil and turned to building a 
  new kingdom instead.
  Thus the story would end, if not for Purusav Vagbha, a 
  young sorcerer who became prominent 20 years after the 
  death of Mahka. Purusav was immune to weapons, could 
  shrug off spells, and was a master of deception. He began 
  to reconquer the empire of Mahka Abihcara and to teach 
  the philosophy of dhruva jivita. Whenever he captured one 
  of Mahka’s old generals, Purusav killed him and his spirit 
  guide. In time, people came to understand Purusav was 
  Mahka, reincarnated as he had claimed. Many thought 
  Purusav was destined to prove a greater evil than Mahka.
  So he might have, if an aging Gopa Citrasena and his 
  gray-furred mongoose had not slain him in a mighty 
  battle atop the spires of his black, jungle-choked capital 
  of Jayat-Von. At the end of their epic conflict, both were 
  dead and only one of the city’s wooden spires remained 
  standing. In his death, Purusav was revealed to be a tiger-
  headed monstrosity with backward-bending hands. Yet, 
  by then, many of Mahka’s generals had been reincarnated, 
  and it is believed Purusav was as well, shortly thereafter. 
  According to rakshasas, so long as even one lives, all others 
  will return in accordance with the dhruva jivita, and as 
  knowledge of their foul philosophy survives and spreads, 
  more wicked souls might be reborn as new and terrible 
  rakshasas. Thus, like a disease upon the world, rakshasas 
  are born and spread, the machinations of each bent on 
  endless vice and domination of all Golarion.
  anatomy of tHe raksHasa
  Although the body of a typical rakshasa is essentially human 
  in form, each has a head that takes the appearance of a 
  creature native to Vudra. Great cats are common, especially 
  the leopard, lion, and tiger. Snakes are equally standard, 
  with cobras, pythons, and vipers being well represented. 
  Canines are less common, but jackal-, fox-, and wolf-headed 
  rakshasas are not entirely unknown. Most other rakshasas 
  have heads in the forms of rhinos, elephants, ibex, or vultures, 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  62
  although a rare individual might have a unique animal 
  head or even—in rare cases—that of a creature foreign to 
  Vudra. No rakshasa has a mongoose head, as mongooses 
  instinctively hate the evil outsiders. Some rakshasas prefer 
  to take the form of an animal-headed dwarf or elf, but their 
  true forms have human bodies.
  Rakshasas always have one reversed element of their 
  anatomy, which gives away their fiendish nature. Common 
  examples include having reversed hands (the most pervasive, 
  with the palms being face-up when at rest rather than face-
  down), ears that face backward, elbows that bend outward, 
  toes that go from the smallest on the inside to the big toe on 
  the outside, or (rarely) even reversed knees.
  Even when taking the form of another humanoid, at 
  least one element of the rakshasa is backward from the 
  norm, although they can control and change 
  what this element is, and it need not match the 
  reversal of their true form. Rakshasas are masters 
  of concealing these characteristics, using body 
  movements, loose clothes, and fake injuries. 
  Thus, only the most thorough scrutiny might reveal one of 
  these deceptive outsiders’ true nature. 
  Where their bodies are humanlike, rakshasas are always 
  well formed and attractive. Similarly, any animalistic 
  features they possess are always healthy and perfectly 
  proportioned. Although rakshasas can take the shape of 
  any humanoid, they very rarely choose forms that are less 
  than amazing in tone and appearance. Rakshasas are not so 
  foolish as to never use bent old men, scarred fisher-folk, or 
  splotchy-skinned young women as disguises if they must, 
  but when building a longer-term identity, they much prefer 
  to be the most attractive person in a given village or city.
  Older and more powerful rakshasas often have multiple 
  heads. Each head is said to be a soul the fiend has subjugated 
  completely, turning its eternal essence and spiritual vitality 
  into just another tool. Such heads are grown as the rakshasa 
  increases in power, summoned forth amid terrifying, soul-
  binding rituals. 
  Because rakshasas are the resurrections of evil mortals, 
  they are forced outside the normal cycle of eternal fates, 
  being neither sent to a final resting place nor returned 
  to mortal life. Thus, they are outsiders, creatures of the 
  boundless planes. Unlike those fiends that naturally exist 
  in other planes of reality, rakshasas age, eat, sleep, and can 
  be raised from the dead.
  early life of tHe raksHasa
  Rakshasas come into being in one of two ways: either they 
  are born to a couple including a rakshasa parent or they 
  are born to two non-rakshasas. It’s not unusual for a 
  rakshasa to be born to a single parent of its own species 
  and one humanoid who has no idea she is in a mixed-
  species union. Such rakshasas are born appearing to 
  be of the same species as their non-rakshasa parents, 
  their natural gift for deception functional before they can 
  even speak. As soon as they are old enough to understand 
  their legacy, rakshasa children are told of their true power 
  and form by their rakshasa parents. This rarely comes 
  as a surprise to the young outsiders—rakshasas are the 
  reincarnation of evil souls and come to understand their 
  difference from their fellows at a very young age. 
  In the same ways, a foul soul that spontaneously 
  resurrects as the child of unsuspecting, non-raksasha 
  parents fundamentally understands that it is different 
  from its parents, yet—for a time—dependent on them 
  for survival. Tragic tales of rakshasa young being born 
  to innocent parents, mauling mothers as they feed or 
  cannibalizing their brothers and sisters, fill Vudrani 
  lore. As such, new parents in the Impossible Kingdoms 
  are ever watchful of their newborns and rely on the 
  prognostications of priests and wise women to determine 
  if their children’s souls are clean. Sometimes even 
  these thorough divinations fail, though, leading to the 
  
  FACES OF THE EARTHBOUND EVILS
  63
  occasional stoning or drowning of innocents as paranoid 
  communities mistake destructive or otherwise “touched” 
  children for parivaka—devil children. Even worse, 
  occasionally, young rakshasas are not detected at all, and 
  like wolves raised by sheep, they invariably destroy the 
  families that sheltered them.
   Rakshasas mature quickly, but often hide this fact 
  from any non-rakshasas they grow up with. By the age of 
  14, a rakshasa is fully mature, although it can continue 
  to take the form of a younger humanoid if it chooses. 
  Rakshasas otherwise age like elves, giving them lives of up 
  to 5 centuries to build personal empires and acquire vast 
  wealth. Unlike most outsiders, rakshasas can grow old and 
  die of age, but their ability to change shape allows them to 
  look young for their whole lives.
  In families comprised of multiple rakshasas, the 
  relationship between parent and child is surprisingly 
  similar to that of a normal family. There are strict rules, 
  and punishment for violating them is harsh, but a strong 
  loyalty also exists between the two. A rakshasa child sees 
  the advantage of an older guardian to protect both the 
  family’s identity and its position, while the elder rakshasa 
  gains a future ally and aide. As for the non-rakshasa family 
  members, most rakshasas have little regard for those not of 
  their kind and rarely reveal their true identities. They are 
  sometimes possessive of these non-rakshasas, but they feel 
  no love—the attachment being similar to a human and a 
  useful work animal. When finally they do leave a community 
  they’ve hidden in, the rakshasas often kill and consume 
  their non-rakshasa family members as an honor.
  A rakshasa raised in a community of its kind leads a 
  somewhat different childhood. Rakshasas are ordered 
  members of a caste system, knowing from birth their place 
  among their own kind. While growing up, they are trained 
  and watched by older rakshasas for any sign of mercy or 
  disorganization, neither of which is tolerated. They are 
  also taught about their destined right to rule over weaker 
  races, and the natural blessings granted to them by fate to 
  accomplish this. If non-rakshasas are present, the young 
  are encouraged to emulate and fool them as preparation 
  for hiding their identities as adults.
  society of tHe raksHasa
  One cannot understand rakshasas without understanding 
  their belief in castes. Rakshasas believe that each and 
  every creature in the universe has a proper role to play, 
  and that success comes from understanding one’s role and 
  working to improve it. Rakshasas don’t see castes as good 
  or evil, but rather in purely pragmatic terms. To them, 
  victory comes through rigid application of their racial 
  and personal superiority over the lesser creatures of the 
  universe. Fighting against those of a different rakshasa 
  caste is a pointless waste of time and resources. Rakshasas 
  of higher caste should be respected for their great power 
  and those of lower caste should be pressed into willing 
  service to expand the holdings of their betters as they seek 
  greater wealth and influence for themselves.
  There are seven castes in rakshasa society (from lowest 
  to greatest): pagala (traitors), goshta (food), adhura (novices), 
  darshaka (servants), paradeshi (rakshasa-kin), hakima (lords), 
  and samrata (lords of lords). The rakshasa caste system 
  encompasses not just all of rakshasa society, but all of 
  life—although only rakshasas can attain the greatest 
  stations. While rakshasas believe individuals are born 
  with a destiny for a particular caste, they accept movement 
  between the castes. A rakshasa who becomes a hakima was 
  born destined to be one, and a failed samrata who is reduced 
  to a hakima had that as its fate from the moment it first 
  drew breath. Being acknowledged as a member of a higher 
  caste than one was born in is a great honor, while losing 
  one’s caste is among the greatest disgraces a rakshasa can 
  suffer. Of course, all rakshasas believe they themselves are 
  fated to become samrata, even if it is not obvious to others. 
  This system means rakshasas believe everyone is born into 
  Rakshasas in Real WoRld
  Mention of these shape-shifting demon illusionists dates back 
  to some of the earliest Vedic texts in Indian history. According to 
  legend, central India and Sri Lanka was rife with rakshasas in the 
  times of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Most rakshasas were 
  forest-dwelling cannibals who raided villages and devoured 
  people as they willed. Supernaturally strong, they were nigh-
  invincible to mortals, although one particularly mighty hero 
  named Bhima once killed a rakshasa in single combat (he later 
  married a rakshasa wife and begot a son by her).  
  According to the epic Ramayana, King Ravana ruled over 
  a kingdom of rakashasas.  Ravana was a Sanskrit sage who 
  worshipped Shiva, the ravager god.  Legend purports that Ravana 
  feared beheading and beseeched Shiva for a special blessing.  
  He grew several heads so that no one blow could strike him 
  down.  The center of Ravana’s power was the legendary Lanka 
  city located on the Nuwara Eliya hills of present-day Sri Lanka.  
  A report from the Ramayana by the monkey hero Hanuman, 
  who secreted himself in Lanka, tells:  “The Rakshasas sleeping 
  in the houses were of every shape and form. Some of them 
  disgusted the eye, while some were beautiful to look upon. 
  Some had long arms and frightful shapes; some were very fat 
  and some were very lean; some were mere dwarfs and some 
  were prodigiously tall. Some had only one eye and others 
  only one ear. Some had monstrous bellies, hanging breasts, 
  long projecting teeth, and crooked thighs; whilst others were 
  exceedingly beautiful to behold and clothed in great splendour. 
  Some had two legs, some three legs, and some four legs. Some 
  had the heads of serpents, some the heads of donkeys, some 
  the heads of horses, and some the heads of elephants.…”
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  64
  a station, but they themselves can change castes as they 
  move toward their “inevitable” final rank.
  The most disgraceful rakshasa caste is the pagala, who have 
  become either chaotic or good as a result of magic or some 
  unthinkable upbringing. Rakshasas do not blame pagala for 
  their unfortunate status but also cannot allow it to go on. If the 
  pagala might be useful, another rakshasa may try to return it 
  to a proper ordered and nefarious state of mind. Failing that, 
  rakshasas see killing a pagala as a necessity, so it might be 
  reincarnated as a “true” rakshasa.
  Any non-rakshasa is seen as goshta unless it is one of 
  the rare paradeshi. The closest translation for goshta is 
  “food,” which is an important part of rakshasa thinking. 
  Absolutely any thinking creature that is neither a rakshasa 
  nor an evil leader worthy of having rakshasas serve it 
  is food. That is the cosmic role of other creatures, and 
  rakshasas see nothing whatsoever wrong with accepting 
  a goshta family’s hospitality, sleeping under its roof, and 
  eating it in the morning. To the earthbound evils, that’s 
  what such creatures are there for.
  All rakshasas who are not yet fully adult fall into the 
  same caste, the adhura, or “novice.” These young rakshasas 
  are typically loyal to a parent or older sibling, though if 
  that family member has a lord, the adhura reveres that 
  master as well. An adhura is expected to be as serious 
  and ordered as any adult, as these are innate traits of the 
  species and not learned behaviors. An adhura is given 
  some leeway for making mistakes, befriending those who 
  cannot further their conquests, and showing insufficient 
  ambition—behavior unacceptable for mature members of 
  other castes. Upon reaching age 50, the adhura sheds this 
  station and joins the caste of his lower-ranking parent.
  The lowest caste of true, adult rakshasa is that of the 
  darshaka, or “servants.” These base rakshasas are expected 
  to improve their wealth and power through any means 
  necessary. Most darshaka begin laying out long-term plans 
  while seeking a lord worthy of their service, but some decide 
  to strike out immediately on their own. These are both seen 
  as valid means of acquiring wealth, power, and material 
  pleasures, with no bias toward those who seek to serve another, 
  as long as whatever master they choose is able to expand both 
  their own holdings and those of their servants. Even these 
  lowest of rakshasas are formidable and are the most likely 
  to be encountered preying upon communities, hunting for 
  lairs and power in ancient dungeons, or cementing power 
  bases in criminal underworlds abroad. Darshaka must obey 
  the will of higher-ranking rakshasas—either their lords 
  or those more powerful than their lords, although such 
  acts often prove beneficial and include rewards for service. 
  Among darshaka, rank is determined by a precise accounting 
  of slaves and displays of magical prowess.
  The rare non-rakshasa who is powerful, organized, and 
  ambitious enough to attract rakshasa servants is considered 
  to be of the paradeshi caste, or rakshasa-kin. Just because one 
  rakshasa sees a non-rakshasa lord as a paradeshi, though, 
  does not mean all rakshasas accept the rank. If a higher- or 
  lower-ranking rakshasa decides a rakshasa-kin is actually 
  just food, that rakshasa feels duty-bound to prove it, defeat 
  the imposter, and eat the creature. Doing so allows the 
  killer to claim all of that paradeshi’s rakshasa servants as 
  his own—one of the few ways a rakshasa can improve his 
  caste. Rakshasa-kin are typically devils, although some 
  particularly malevolent dragons, hags, efreeti, and mortal 
  wizards or clerics sometimes claim the title.
  Above the darshaka and paradeshi are the hakima—the 
  rakshasa lords. Hakima measure rank among themselves 
  by the number of rakshasa servants they control (paradeshi 
  servants might be useful, but they bring no rank). These 
  rakshasas typically dominate sizable territories, including 
  several communities or an entire city. Their works often 
  stretch to manipulating non-rakshasa governments, 
  corrupting religious bodies from within, or engaging in 
  shadow wars against other hakima, with their servants 
  ranging as far as their whims dictate.
  Even higher than the hakima are the rare samrata, the 
  lords of lords, the most respected rakshasa rank. Rakshasa 
  society expects samrata to take over kingdoms, lay waste to 
  opposing empires, and make bids to control vast sections 
  of the world. Failure to do so is proof the caste was not the 
  rakshasa’s final fate, resulting in other rakshasas refusing 
  to serve. Unsurprisingly, samrata are driven to expand far 
  and fast, and often find themselves the foes of coalitions 
  of neighboring rulers. Samrata are rare, and most keep 
  the rank for only a year or two, but history has records of 
  samrata who built vast, evil empires.
  raksHasa religion
  While rakshasas are forced to admit the gods have powers 
  greater than their own, most rakshasas scoff at the concept 
  of divinity. The gods are among the most powerful beings 
  in existence to be sure, but too many examples of powerful, 
  ambitious, or merely lucky mortals attaining divinity exist 
  for rakshasas to pay religious homage to such creatures. 
  Rakshasas see their own transitions from mortals to 
  otherworldly beings as marks of their own fathomless 
  potential and the initial steps on the path to godhood. 
  Thus, as a race, rakshasas deny the worship of deities, 
  although they welcome alliances with the servants of such 
  peerlessly potent beings.
  Despite their racial heresy, some rakshasas are dedicated 
  priests. Like many in Vudra, rakshasas often dedicate 
  themselves spiritually to a concept or ideology rather than 
  a specific deity. Unlike most others, rakshasas consider 
  concepts such as greed, ambition, tyranny, and raw power 
  to be worthy of religious veneration, and many meditate 
  on the value of seeking such traits in themselves.
  
  FACES OF THE EARTHBOUND EVILS
  65
  raksHasa Weaknesses
  The skin of a rakshasa is remarkably resistant to physical 
  damage, able to ignore or greatly reduce most weapon 
  attacks. Even holy weapons only do significant harm if 
  they can easily penetrate the rakshasa’s skin and reach 
  the less-resistant flesh beneath. Rakshasas are well aware 
  of this, and target foes with bows, crossbows, or spears 
  first. Of course, sages of Vudra—and, to a lesser extent, 
  the world over—are aware of this as well, and more holy 
  piercing weapons are created in this region than anywhere 
  else in the world.
  This “weakness,” however, is only a removal of a rakshasa’s 
  extraordinary defenses. Unlike a vampire, rakshasas don’t 
  take extra effects from these weapon designs. Rakshasas 
  often go to great lengths to disguise their true nature (easy 
  enough given their shape-changing power) to prevent foes 
  from seeking a weapon than can more easily hurt them. If 
  a group of opponents seems particularly clever, a rakshasa 
  might well take the form of some other evil creature, such as 
  a fiendish humanoid, lycanthrope, or vampire, to misdirect 
  efforts to discover its exact type.
  The only other true weakness of a rakshasa is its 
  ambition and greed. A rakshasa never has enough slaves, 
  wealth, power, land, or magic. While other evil creatures 
  can sometimes be satisfied with what they have, a rakshasa 
  never is, and can sometimes be tempted into mistakes 
  with the right material as bait. A rakshasa is not so 
  foolish as to step into an area with gold scattered about, 
  but it might be drawn to an old ruin with rumors of 
  a recently discovered treasure, or enticed to lead its 
  forces into a town supposedly rich with plunder. 
  Taking advantage of rakshasa greed is a dangerous 
  game, however, because the prize must be great enough 
  to overcome their natural caution, and rakshasas are 
  powerful enough that they often survive traps laid for 
  them and walk free with the very lure that brought them, 
  both richer and stronger as a result.
  raksHasa adventures
  Subtle and patient, rakshasas’ quests for dominance and 
  wealth can take them far from their native Vudra to nearly 
  any land in Golarion. GMs interested in creating their own 
  plots involving these earthbound evils might consider the 
  following hooks.
  Beachhead: A rakshasa samrata covets the exotic wealth 
  of the west and sends his three adhura sons to establish 
  individual bases there, funneling riches, magic, and exotic 
  slaves back to his court in Vudra. When the artistic and 
  beautiful scions of several noble families go missing—
  kidnapped gifts for the fiendish lord—the lesser local 
  rakshasas must be discovered and dealt with before they 
  send their captives all the way to the Impossible Kingdoms.
  Betraying the Betrayers: A far-reaching rakshasa plot 
  to topple a local government and replace its leaders is 
  revealed—by another rakshasa. This turncoat claims to 
  have turned from the malicious ways of his people, having 
  even joined the church of Sarenrae, but can this tiger-
  headed menace truly change his stripes?
  Faces of Evil: A local brigand lord puts out the call for 
  skilled warriors to combat another underworld warlord 
  moving in on her territory. In truth, those who answer 
  become embroiled in a war between two disguised rakshasa 
  rivals, each determined to claim the other’s soul as its own.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  66
  The Red Mantis
  “W
  e assured Inabrin that he was quite safe with twenty Hellknights’ blades 
  around him, but his unease continued through midmorning, and by noontime 
  had spread among the wagon men and caravan regulars. He begged me to board 
  the windows, reinforce the locks, and taste the water in the fresh carafe the servant 
  brought, so I did, yet nothing set him at ease.
  “The next morning we found Inabrin. He drowned in his own blood when they cut 
  his throat. No sound in the night, no trace of a killer, nothing but a vexed detachment 
  of Hellknights and a corpse they were supposed to keep breathing. That was the first 
  time I believed the Red Mantis were more than myth. The first time I saw their deadly 
  handiwork with my own eyes.”
  —Savanda Thrice-Slain, Prologue of Lives Writ in Blood
  Those Who Walk In Blood
  
  The Red Mantis
  67
  A
  ll who have wronged, who have enemies, or who cling 
  to coveted power fear the Red Mantis. For decades, 
  this order of peerless assassins has stalked the nights 
  and nightmares of their victims. Dutiful and discreet, 
  professional and deadly effective, these killers’ blades cull 
  commoners and counts with equal ease, with no spell, 
  secret safe house, or army of guardians comforting those 
  taken as a mantis’s mark. And for those with the gold and 
  guile to attract the attentions of the Red 
  Mantis, their coin buys the assassins’ 
  promise that those slain by their 
  sawtoothed sabers do not just die, 
  but will never rise again.
  Some whisper the Red Mantis 
  are death cultists, others murmur 
  they are an insidious brotherhood of 
  fiends for hire, but no one speaks of 
  the Mantis without the tremble of 
  fear on their lips. The scars of their 
  murderous blades stretch through 
  history, taking bloody prominence 
  in modern times with the public 
  assassination of the famed Cheliaxian 
  Duke Kotaros in 4609. History is fraught 
  with mysterious demises of generals on the 
  eve of key battles and heroes laid low in their 
  beds by unseen knives. Thus, many believe the 
  Red Mantis have murdered for centuries, not just 
  for coin and profit, but to rework the world to suit ancient, 
  mysterious, and doubtlessly blood-soaked ambitions.
  The Way of The ManTis
  The Red Mantis operates throughout Golarion, although 
  they hide their presence from the common people under 
  veils of subtlety and shadow. In criminal circles the world 
  over, they are known as the finest assassins for hire, whose 
  zealous commitment to death exceeds professionalism. 
  Those who hire the Red Mantis pay for annihilation, as the 
  assassins guarantee not just a mark’s death, but an absolute 
  and permanent end. Through arcane and secret methods, 
  the Mantis guarantees that those they kill are the correct 
  target—not some clever magical duplicate or sacrificial 
  lamb. In addition, they keep tabs on their victims even 
  after death, and should a target return from the dead their 
  mark is renewed, the assassins moving to eliminate their 
  prey as many times as it takes.
  Red Mantis assassins are purists. They do not dabble 
  in other illegitimate enterprise to the extent that many 
  of Golarion’s shadowy guilds do, letting nothing distract 
  them from the purity of the assassin’s art. Consummate 
  professionals, they kill by contract alone and choose not 
  to muddy the needs of their order by allying with other 
  criminal organizations. Their claws reach far, though, and 
  agents of the Red Mantis, whether furtive or overt, maintain 
  ties with governments, religious orders, guilds, and 
  merchant groups throughout Avistan and Garund. Thus, 
  there is little they cannot obtain if a mission requires it.
  PaTh of The ManTis God
  Although few outside the Red Mantis realize 
  it, the assassins’ effectiveness springs not 
  just from obsession and elitism, but true 
  religious fervor. To a Mantis assassin, 
  completion of a contract isn’t about 
  money or reputation, but rather 
  furthering the goals of his merciless 
  organization and doing honor to its 
  enigmatic patron deity, the Mantis 
  God, He Who Walks in Blood. Little 
  is known of the Red Mantis’s faith, 
  but the Book of Maan, Path of Ways, 
  and several other ancient religious 
  texts mention Achaekek, a servant 
  of the deities and the terrible 
  assassin of the gods. It is said that he 
  sleeps among the Outer Rifts of the 
  planes, bathed in the blood of heretics 
  and worshipers, a killer to fell those 
  who would rival the true gods or to destroy worlds 
  past redemption. Thus, the leaders and highest-ranking 
  initiates of the Red Mantis see their work and worship as 
  one and the same. Every life claimed delights their dark 
  god and spills blood into the pool of his immortal rest.
  In homage to its deity, the Red Mantis refuses all 
  contracts on rightful monarchs. Just as the Mantis God 
  serves as the weapon of the gods, so too do members of the 
  Red Mantis see themselves as agents of righteous death. 
  They view the murder of kings and queens as blasphemy, 
  honoring the right of rulers as the mortal world’s parallel 
  of godhood. Anyone else, though—even religious figures, 
  princes, the leaders of non-monarchies, or the mightiest 
  of generals—are food for He Who Walks in Blood. (More 
  details on the Mantis God can be found on page 80.)
  eMPloyinG The Red ManTis
  Those who seek the deadly services of the Mantis do so at 
  great risk. Word spread among the shadier personalities 
  in any city eventually reaches the assassins, but more 
  remarkable is the Red Mantis’s ability to select their 
  clients before they even know they have need of the guild’s 
  lethal services. Many a man betrayed by his brother or 
  merchant cheated by a rival finds himself approached by a 
  businesslike agent of the Red Mantis, able to recount every 
  misdeed with uncanny accuracy and offering absolute 
  vengeance for a price. This payment is often a sum set in 
  gold, but the assassins also accept compensation in the 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  68
  in blood, the Vernai lead the organization and interpret 
  the will of  He Who Walks in Blood from their hidden 
  island redoubt, the Crimson Citadel. The majority of these 
  leaders are known as mistresses, although the rare master 
  exists. Each mistress has a particular country or region of 
  influence, deciding where to send agents, choosing what 
  marks to act upon, and directing subordinates to further 
  the order’s will. Above these mistresses stands the Blood 
  Mistress, the leader of the Red Mantis and most potent 
  vassal of the Mantis God, a title currently held by the 
  aging Blood Mistress Jakalyn. This deadly honor can only 
  be held by a woman, and brings with it great influence—
  yet not absolute control—over the Vernai, command of 
  any individual Mantis agent, unquestioned authority in 
  interpreting the will of the Mantis God, and sole access to 
  the Sarzari Library. 
  The CRiMson CiTadel
  Although many believe this cabal of knives and death is 
  based in Ilizmagorti, the scum-tide city of smugglers, 
  demon whores, and degenerate pirates, the Red Mantis’s true 
  stronghold lies deep in the shadowy jungles of Mediogalti, 
  form of possessions, titles to land, and—as nefariously as 
  any servants of Asmodeus—future favors. Stories also tell 
  of Mantis agents leaving methods of payment vague until 
  after their work is complete, forcing their employer to part 
  with the things they value most, like athletic daughters or 
  charming sons. The method of determining the price the 
  Red Mantis requests for an assassination is known to the 
  order’s leaders alone. Where a fickle merchant-baron might 
  be dispatched for a mere handful of coins, the price for 
  killing a cheating landlord could cost the buyer his family’s 
  most treasured heirlooms. In any case, the assassins’ fees are 
  as much a factor of who wants the killing performed as who 
  is marked for death. When the time to pay finally comes, 
  those who renege are condemned. Although they might flee 
  far and hide for years, the lives of those who cheat the Red 
  Mantis are sure to end on sawtoothed blades.
  leadeRs of The Red ManTis
  Beneath the Mantis God, agents of the Red Mantis answer 
  to a cabal of deadly assassin lords known as the Vernai, 
  the High Killers. Comprised of several dozen master 
  assassins, tried in the field and with reputations written 
  
  The Red Mantis
  69
  inland of the port city. A majestic 
  castle shrouded by the tropical canopy 
  of leaf and vine, borne on a crag of obsidian, 
  is where the Red Mantis train its finest and 
  pay respects to its inscrutable deity. The 
  tales of those who claim to have seen the 
  assassins’ citadel describe it as a dream 
  above the jungle—a sinister palace, both 
  wondrous and terrible—where within a 
  crimson waterfall of fresh gore flows over a 
  towering idol to He Who Walks in Blood. 
  This is the Crimson Citadel.
  The lair of the Red Mantis holds dozens 
  of floors and hides countless halls and traps, 
  being divided into three areas. The mantises 
  call the lower levels of the castle Ruvari, the Ruby 
  Halls. These darkened corridors are filled with 
  poisoned razors and countless lethal traps. Poisonous 
  beasts and monsters collected from the world over also 
  stalk the bloodstained labyrinth, rare terrors that hunt 
  noiselessly and kill with venomous thoughts. This is the 
  Red Mantis’s training ground, where the finest of the order 
  prove their worth against trials that murderously cull all 
  but the most skillful initiates.
  Matching Ruvari’s level of lethality with unbridled 
  opulence are the central halls of Sivlamlik, the Honeyed 
  Gardens, a sprawling complex of pleasure groves where 
  guardian slaves and mind-whirling narcotics flow as freely 
  as the blood-bubbling fountains of this gory paradise. 
  Here, the Red Mantis’s elite rest among the rewards of a 
  thousand nefarious deeds, collecting themselves for future 
  missions and paying homage to their crimson god. While 
  most members of the Red Mantis only visit these halls 
  for a day or two—so as to not let their murderous edges 
  dull—for the halls’ warrior-slaves, the Honeyed Gardens 
  are a lavish prison. Most of these deadly servants are men—
  paragons of physical beauty, strength, and fitness—for the 
  predominantly female leaders of the Mantis to enjoy and 
  dispose of afterward. 
  Collectively, the spires of the Crimson Citadel form the 
  Odalis, the Lavish Heart, the living quarters, meeting 
  halls, workshops, and treasuries of the Red Mantis elite. 
  While most Red Mantises never even visit the citadel, 
  the finest assassins, most cunning minds, and members 
  of the Vernai make their home in this lofty assassin’s 
  refuge. From here, the work of every Red Mantis member 
  is considered and coordinated, marks are selected and 
  missions meted out, all carefully chosen to advance the 
  organization’s needs and mysterious goals. Somewhere 
  within Odalis lies the Faynas, the Iron Heart, the hidden 
  home of the Blood Mistress, the order’s greatest treasures 
  and weapons, and the Sarzari Library—said to be among 
  the largest collections of lost knowledge in Garund. 
  Red ManTis assassin 
  Initiates of the Red Mantis begin their training as rogues 
  or multiclassed fighter/rogues, as stealth and skill at arms 
  are both prerequisites to joining the order. Initiates are 
  subjected to rigorous brainwashing and indoctrination 
  into the convoluted religion of He Who Walks in Blood, a 
  regimen of trials and tortures that strips away fear of death 
  and replaces it with fear of failure. Those who survive 
  become the claws of the Red Mantis, elite killers who deal 
  death with impunity born of unnatural skill: the sly and 
  subtle Red Mantis assassins.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a Red Mantis assassin, a character 
  must fulfill all the following criteria. 
  Alignment: Lawful evil.
  Skills: Hide 8 ranks, Intimidate 5 ranks, Move Silently 
  8 ranks. 
  Feats: Alertness, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (sawtooth 
  sabre), Weapon Finesse 
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the Red Mantis assassin 
  prestige class.
  Mask of the Mantis
  As much as they are veils to hide the assassins’ identities, 
  the insectile masks of the Red Mantis are tools of murder 
  and death and symbols of dread to those they hunt. 
  The equally distinct weapon of the Red Mantis, the 
  sawtooth sabre, appears in the Curse of the Crimson 
  Throne Player’s Guide. 
  Mantis Mask
  Aura faint divination; CL 3rd
  Slot head; Price 6,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
  DeSCriPtion
  Upon becoming a Red Mantis assassin, a new recruit is 
  gifted a mantis mask by his superior. These masks cover 
  the entire face, and give the assassin the well-known look 
  fostered by the organization over the years—an assassin is 
  expected to wear his mask at all times while on a job.
  A mantis mask has three daily charges. The wearer 
  can spend a charge to gain darkvision to a range of 60 feet, 
  the effects of see invisibility, the effects of deathwatch, or a +5 
  competence bonus on Spot checks. Once a charge is spent, 
  the effect granted persists for 30 minutes before fading. 
  Multiple effects can be active simultaneously. Charges used 
  replenish after 24 hours.
  ConStruCtion
  requirements Craft Wondrous Item, darkvision, see invisibility, 
  deathwatch; Cost 3,000 gp, 240 XP
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  70
  he is typically beheaded. A victim who survives the coup de 
  grace is no longer fascinated, but the Red Mantis assassin 
  can attempt a new prayer attack against the same victim if 
  she so desires. Activating or concentrating on maintaining a 
  prayer attack does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
  The victim can escape fascination before this coup de 
  grace attack if the Red Mantis assassin ceases to concentrate 
  on maintaining the effect. Alternatively, the victim may 
  attempt a new saving throw to resist the fascination each 
  time a potential threat (other than the fascinating Red 
  Mantis assassin) approaches him. Taking damage from any 
  source automatically breaks the victim’s fascination, as can 
  a fascinated creature’s ally who takes a standard action to 
  shake the victim free of the effects. This assassination attack 
  is therefore most effective against foes who are alone.
  Red Shroud (Su): At 3rd level, the Red Mantis assassin 
  gains the supernatural ability to create a veil of swirling 
  red mist around herself a number of times per day equal to 
  her Constitution bonus (minimum once per day) as a move-
  equivalent action. The red shroud persists for 1 round per 
  Red Mantis assassin level. As long as the shroud is active, the 
  Red Mantis assassin gains a +1 dodge bonus to her Armor 
  Class and fast healing equal to her Constitution bonus 
  (minimum of fast healing 1). The mist is supernaturally 
  resistant to wind and cannot be dissipated by such before its 
  duration ceases. When a Red Mantis assassin is slain, at the 
  moment of her death, she can choose to remain corporeal or 
  disintegrate into a cloud of red mist that disperses quickly, 
  leaving behind no trace of the assassin’s existence.
  Call Mantis (Sp): At 4th level, a Red Mantis assassin may 
  cast a specialized version of summon monster IV once per day 
  to summon 1d4+1 fiendish giant praying mantises or 1d3 half-
  fiend giant praying mantises. Both types are blood red, and 
  thus do not gain the typical bonus on Hide checks in foliage.
  Resurrection Sense (Su): At 5th level, a Red Mantis 
  assassin becomes supernaturally sensitive to the movement 
  Red Mantis Assassin  
   
   
   
   
   
   Hit Die: D8
   
  Base
   
  Attack Fort 
  ref 
  Will 
   
   
   Spells per Day
  Level Bonus Save 
  Save Save 
  Special 
  1st 
  2nd 
  3rd 
  4th 
  5th
  1st 
  +0 
  +0 
  +2 
  +2 
  Sneak attack +1d6, Weapon Focus 
  0 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  —
  2nd 
  +1 
  +0 
  +3 
  +3 
  Prayer attack 
  1 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  —
  3rd 
  +2 
  +1 
  +3 
  +3 
  Red shroud 
  2 
  0 
  — 
  — 
  —
  4th 
  +3 
  +1 
  +4 
  +4 
  Call mantis, sneak attack +2d6 
  2 
  1 
  — 
  — 
  —
  5th 
  +3 
  +1 
  +4 
  +4 
  Resurrection sense, Weapon Specialization 
  3 
  2 
  0 
  — 
  —
  6th 
  +4 
  +2 
  +5 
  +5 
  Mantis form 
  3 
  2 
  1 
  — 
  —
  7th 
  +5 
  +2 
  +5 
  +5 
  Sneak attack +3d6, Greater Weapon Focus 
  3 
  3 
  2 
  0 
  —
  8th 
  +6 
  +2 
  +6 
  +6 
  Blood mantis form, fading 
  4 
  3 
  2 
  1 
  —
  9th 
  +6 
  +3 
  +6 
  +6 
  Mantis doom, Greater Weapon Specialization 
  4 
  3 
  3 
  2 
  0
  10th 
  +7 
  +3 
  +7 
  +7 
  Death mantis form, sneak attack +4d6 
  4 
  4 
  3 
  2 
  1
  Skills (6 + int bonus per level) Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Disguise, Escape Artist, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, 
  Knowledge (religion), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Spot, Tumble.
  Spells: Beginning at 1st level, a Red Mantis assassin gains 
  the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells. To cast a 
  spell, the Red Mantis assassin must have an Intelligence score 
  of at least 10 + the spell’s level. Red Mantis assassin bonus 
  spells are based on Intelligence, and saving throws against 
  these spells have a DC of 10 + the spell level + the caster’s Int 
  modifier (if any). When the Red Mantis gets 0 spells of a given 
  level, she gains only bonus spells. A Red Mantis assassin 
  prepares and casts spells just as a bard does, and does not 
  suffer arcane spell failure chance when wearing light armor.
  At 6th, 8th, and 10th level, a Red Mantis assassin can choose 
  to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows. The 
  new spell’s level must be the same as that being exchanged.
  Sneak Attack (Ex): This is exactly like the rogue ability 
  of the same name. The extra damage increases by +1d6 at 
  4th level, 7th level, and 10th level. This stacks with sneak 
  attack bonuses from other sources.
  Sawtooth Mastery (Ex): A Red Mantis assassin continues 
  to improve at using the sawtooth sabre as she gains levels. 
  At 1st level, she gains Weapon Focus (sawtooth sabre) as a 
  bonus feat. At 5th level, she gains Weapon Specialization 
  (sawtooth sabre) as a bonus feat. At 7th level, she gains 
  Greater Weapon Focus (sawtooth sabre) as a bonus feat. 
  At 9th level, she gains Greater Weapon Specialization 
  (sawtooth sabre) as a bonus feat.
  Prayer Attack (Su): At 2nd level, a Red Mantis assassin gains 
  this deadly attack. The mantis must be within 30 feet of her 
  victim and must be visible to her victim. While wielding a 
  sawtooth sabre, the  assassin can begin weaving her weapon 
  in a hypnotic pattern, fascinating her victim. Her victim can 
  resist fascination by making a Will save against DC 10 + the 
  Red Mantis assassin’s class level + the Red Mantis assassin’s 
  Charisma modifier. By concentrating, the Red Mantis 
  assassin can maintain this fascination, and after 3 rounds 
  of fascination, she may make a coup de grace attack against 
  her fascinated target—if her victim is slain by this attack, 
  
  The Red Mantis
  71
  of the souls of those she killed. This allows the Red Mantis 
  assassin a chance to notice if anyone slain by her within 
  the last year is brought back to life. If such an event occurs, 
  the Red Mantis assassin notices the resurrection unless it 
  takes place on another plane or in an area that prevents 
  scrying effects, and even then, she can sense the previously 
  assassinated life the instant it returns to Golarion or steps 
  out of the protected area. The sensation does not tell the 
  mantis where the resurrected victim is located, only which 
  victim has returned to life. If a Red Mantis assassin senses 
  such a resurrection, she is honor-bound to track down the 
  previous target and attempt to kill him again.
  Mantis Form (Su): At 6th level, a red mantis assassin 
  may change into a giant praying mantis, as per the spell 
  polymorph. She may make this change once per day. The 
  mantis form is blood red in hue, and as such does not gain 
  the bonus to Hide checks in foliage. While in mantis form, 
  the Red Mantis assassin may cast a quickened still silent 
  fear spell once every hour. She may remain in mantis form 
  a number of hours equal to her class level.
  At 8th level, the mantis form grows more powerful, and 
  is known as the blood mantis. In this form, the Red Mantis 
  assassin gains a +2 bonus to Strength and Constitution, and 
  causes 2 points of Constitution damage when she makes a 
  successful bite attack as she drains blood from her foe.
  At 10th level, the mantis form gains distinctive black 
  stripes and black eyes—this is the death mantis. She now 
  gains a +4 bonus to Strength and Constitution while in 
  this form, and her first successful attack in a round also 
  imparts a negative level. Each negative level inflicted heals 
  5 points of damage to the Red Mantis assassin. The save DC 
  to remove this level is 10 + the Red Mantis assassin’s level 
  + her Constitution modifier. In addition, while in death 
  mantis form, the Red Mantis assassin gains DR 10/good.
  Fading (Su): At 8th level, the Red Mantis assassin gains 
  the ability to momentarily and partially fade into the 
  Ethereal Plane. This is a free action that can be used a 
  number of times each day equal to the Red Mantis assassin’s 
  Constitution modifier (minimum once per day). Whenever 
  the Red Mantis assassin is struck by a weapon or is forced 
  to make a Reflex saving throw, she may choose to fade (she 
  must chose to do so before damage is rolled for the attack, 
  but after the hit is confirmed or the Reflex saving throw is 
  made). This grants a 50% miss chance for that attack, or a 
  50% chance to evade all effects of the attack that forced the 
  Reflex saving throw. Fading represents an additional miss 
  chance; if the Red Mantis is currently protected by a second 
  effect that provides a miss chance (such as concealment), 
  opponents must check twice to determine if the hit strikes.
  Mantis Doom (Su): At 9th level, a Red Mantis assassin may 
  call forth a mantis doom as a full round action, targeting any 
  one creature within 100 feet. This ability summons a swarm 
  of fiendish mantises that quickly shroud the targeted creature 
  and begin biting and cutting away at exposed flesh. The Red 
  Mantis assassin rolls 1d8 per class level and compares the 
  result to the target’s current hit points. If the result equals 
  or exceeds the target’s hit points, the target is immediately 
  slain by the swarm of mantises and his body (but not gear) 
  is devoured. If the result is lower than the target’s current 
  hit points, he takes nonlethal damage equal to the amount 
  rolled and becomes panicked for 1d4 rounds. He can negate 
  the panic and halve the damage with a successful Reflex save 
  against DC 10 + the Red Mantis assassin’s class level + the Red 
  Mantis assassin’s Charisma modifier. The swarm’s attack is 
  non-magical, so spell resistance does not apply. The mantis 
  doom’s damage penetrates damage reduction as if it were a 
  magic and evil weapon. Each mantis only does one point of 
  damage on a bite, so any damage reduction it cannot bypass 
  grants complete immunity to this effect.
  Red Mantis assassin spells known
   
   
   Spells Known
  Level 
  1st 
  2nd 
  3rd 
  4th 
  5th
  1st 
  2* 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  —
  2nd 
  3 
  — 
  — 
  — 
  —
  3rd 
  3 
  2* 
  — 
  — 
  —
  4th 
  4 
  3 
  — 
  — 
  —
  5th 
  4 
  3 
  2* 
  — 
  —
  6th 
  4 
  4 
  3 
  — 
  —
  7th 
  4 
  4 
  3 
  2* 
  —
  8th 
  5 
  4 
  4 
  3 
  —
  9th 
  5 
  4 
  4 
  3 
  2*
  10th 
  5 
  5 
  4 
  4 
  3
  *Provided the Red Mantis assassin has sufficient Intelligence to 
  have a bonus spell of this level.
  Red Mantis spell list
  Red Mantis assassins choose their spells from the following list:
  1st Level: animate rope, cause fear, change self, darkvision, 
  detect magic, expeditious retreat, feather fall, ghost sound, inflict 
  light wounds, jump, magic fang, obscurement, silent image, spider 
  climb, true strike
  2nd Level: alter self, blur, cat’s grace, darkness, fog cloud, hold 
  person, inflict moderate wounds, invisibility, keen edge, levitate, 
  minor image, scare, see invisibility, summon swarm
  3rd Level: clairaudience/clairvoyance, deeper darkness, fear, fly, 
  gaseous form, giant vermin, inflict serious wounds, major image, 
  rage, scrying
  4th Level: dimension door, improved invisibility, inflict critical 
  wounds, insect plague, modify memory, phantasmal killer, 
  polymorph self, solid fog
  5th Level: mark of justice, nightmare, prying eyes, slay living, 
  word of recall
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  72
  26 Rova, 4707 ar
  There’s a comfort to the wilderness I don’t find in cities. 
  Everywhere I travel I see life of all different types, each 
  creature thriving in its own particular environment. From 
  bogs to forests, mountain slopes to grassy plains, every 
  living thing in Golarion has a place to call home.
  Except, perhaps, in the mountains of Belkzen. Never have 
  I seen such an inhospitable place. Peaks seem to spring 
  fully formed from the rocky plains. Sheer cliffs drop so 
  suddenly that I keep an incantation to slow my fall always 
  at the forefront of my mind. The lower mountains slope 
  sharply into points as menacing as a row of spearheads. 
  Not a shrub or bush grows in this rocky soil, and crags of 
  razored stone jut from the rock walls, sharp enough to tear 
  a hole right through my cloak and shirt and into my skin. 
  I think the only way this place could be less hospitable is if 
  it were actually on fire.
  My mood darkened steadily this morning as Joskan 
  and I climbed further into the hills. The sun beat down 
  in the empty sky, and I saw no birds, no snakes—not 
  even any insects. I almost would have welcomed a 
  dragonwasp. The lack of any activity made me anxious, 
  and the vastness of the empty sky made it seem as if the 
  sun weren’t moving at all.
  By the time dusk finally settled we had covered a good 
  deal of ground. I took out my wayfinder, and though we’d 
  had to wind and double back a bit due to the restrictive 
  mountain trails, I guessed we had made progress.
  There was no wood with which to build a fire, but the 
  night air wasn’t too cold. Joskan volunteered the first 
  watch and I found the least rocky patch of ground on which 
  to sleep. As I drifted off, a crag of rock digging into one 
  shoulder and gritty mountain-dust clinging to my face, I 
  thought a person would have to be utterly, raving insane to 
  try and make a home in this wasteland.
  I woke in darkness with terror gripping my heart. I scrabbled 
  for a weapon without knowing what was going on. I knew 
  only that I couldn’t see, that I was cold and my shoulder 
  ached, and that I was as frightened as I’d ever been.
  “Shh!” Joskan’s voice brought me back to reality. I crouched 
  beside my guide, shivering and stiff, holding my blade in 
  numb fingers. I scanned one direction, then another, but 
  saw nothing but vague shapes in the blackness.
  “What is—” I began.
  Then a howling erupted that chilled the marrow in my 
  bones. Not a scream, not a wail, but a vicious, wordless 
  Thin Air
  
  Pathfinder’s Journal
  73
  howl that rose from a chorus of throats to rattle over the 
  slopes and peaks. The cacophony carried with it promises 
  of death—and not a quick and heroic one, either. I crouched 
  motionless, paralyzed with fear, until the howl died away. 
  More mundane shrieks and the bangs of fists on drums 
  followed, but the sounds did not seem to be drawing closer.
  “Joskan!” My voice shook, and I wondered if I could 
  blame it on the cold. “What in this blasted land was that?”
  I could barely make out Joskan’s features in the dark, but 
  I thought I saw a look of revulsion and fear cross his face. 
  “Mountain orcs,” he spat.
  A high-pitched screaming overlaid the savage roars. A 
  mountain cat, perhaps, or an unfortunate traveler. I started 
  to rise to my feet, but Joskan put a hand on my shoulder 
  and shook his head.
  “They travel in packs,” he said, “and rip apart anything 
  they find. When they can’t find anything else, they rip apart 
  each other. We wouldn’t last a minute against a pack of 
  mountain-dwellers. We’ll circle around them after dawn. 
  Can’t risk moving in the dark.”
  “That’s interesting,” I managed to whisper.
  “What?”
  “Apparently, you do have to be totally insane to live here.”
  27 Rova, 4707 ar
  Joskan told me more about the highland orcs the next day, 
  as we ventured further into the mountains rather than 
  risk exposure in the orc-infested foothills around the pass 
  between Varisia and Belkzen. “Raving,” “bloodthirsty,” 
  and “savage” were his favorite adjectives.
  As always, Joskan was reluctant to provide details when 
  asked direct questions. I inferred from his stories, though, 
  that Joskan’s people were lowlanders and somewhat 
  more civilized—or at least organized—than their bestial 
  cousins. “Some of them don’t even enslave their prisoners 
  before they eat them,” he noted with a sniff. “Some say they 
  made their homes so high on the slopes that they went 
  mad from the thin air and from staring too long at the 
  empty sky.” I had noticed that the higher up we climbed, 
  the harder I had to work to keep up with Joskan. I couldn’t 
  seem to get enough air, thin and lifeless as it was this high 
  in the tors. 
  Joskan also pointed out the stirrings of life in this 
  seemingly unlivable wasteland. What I had taken for 
  barren earth contained burrows for the small mammals 
  that lived in the area. Scrubby brush the color of slate 
  clung to the ground, and once I spotted mangy mountain 
  goats leaping from rock to rock.
  I watched for the highland orcs from the night before, 
  but saw no signs of pursuit. When I said as much to Joskan, 
  he grunted in his particular way that I’ve yet to interpret. 
  “What do we seek up here?” he asked. “I’ve no wish to stay 
  any longer than we must.”
  The hard weight of the wayfinder swung inside my 
  pocket. “Good question. I have a feeling I’ll know it when I 
  see it.” I squinted up at the horizon, passed a hand in front 
  of my eyes, and stopped. “Maybe that’s it there.”
  Joskan looked up and also stopped.
  Wrapped around the mountain peak ahead of us was  
  a dragon.
  It was so large that, had it hunched up between peaks, I 
  might have mistaken it for another mountain. Its immense 
  size allowed me to see the beast in exquisite detail, even at 
  this distance. Scales as large as a man covered its sinuous 
  body. Claws as long and thick as trees dug into solid 
  rock, shearing aside the ancient stone as if it were flesh. 
  Its mouth, large enough to fit a house in, was open, and 
  its tongue unfurled as if tasting prey on the wind. White 
  smoke drifted from its mouth as the monster breathed.
  Its hide was stone-colored as if in a pitiful mockery of 
  camouflage. Nothing could disguise this beast. Beside me, 
  Joskan clutched fruitlessly at the haft of his axe. 
  We stood there for several breaths. Finally I relaxed, 
  realizing that the great beast couldn’t possibly care about 
  prey as small as we, and had not seemed to notice us. In 
  fact, it didn’t seem to notice anything, not even the lone 
  bird that circled near its head. Its gaze remained fixed and 
  unblinking, its tongue still unfurled, and although the 
  white smoke issued from its mouth, its sides did not move 
  with each breath.
  “It’s a statue,” I murmured.
  Joskan grunted again, but it lacked the usual implied 
  disdain. He pointedly released his axe and folded his arms, as 
  if feeling more confident against a few thousand tons of rock.
  I shook loose of my awe and took a few steps forward. 
  “Come on!” I shouted as I resumed the climb. “I want to 
  get a better view.”
  With a final grunt and a shake of his head, Joskan 
  stalked after me.
  “That’s the spirit,” I said. “Just keep your eyes out for 
  trouble and try not to think about golems.”
  “I’m not thinking about golems,” Joskan said. He spat 
  into a pile of scrub and joined me in the climb. “I’m 
  thinking about what could have built something like that, 
  and if the sculptor’s still here.”
  He does have a knack for snuffing my enthusiasm.
  28 Rova, 4707 ar
  We spent most of the day climbing and camped another 
  night without incident. Joskan found trails I admit I would 
  have missed—steep, narrow, and rock-strewn, to be sure, 
  but they eased our passage nonetheless.
  I focused on the scenery as we passed, and the more I 
  looked, the more I discovered. Belkzen came to life around 
  me. Rust-red lichen blended into the rock face so perfectly, 
  I only discovered it when I put my hand out to steady myself 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  74
  nothing worse than a skinned knee, I couldn’t shake the 
  sensation that I was extraordinarily, dangerously high 
  up. I looked up at the dragon again, at the stretch of sky 
  above and around. No clouds marred the azure expanse, 
  nor birds—only miles of blue nothing. For a moment I 
  felt dizzy, and I could well imagine a man going mad with 
  too much time staring up.
  Then movement caught my eye. Another bird circled by 
  the dragon. Even though I knew the monster to be a statue, 
  I half expected it to come to life and snap up the intruder 
  in its jaws. 
  I frowned. The bird was far away and indistinct, but 
  it seemed to be the same type as the one I’d seen before. 
  The enormity of the dragon skewed all proportions, but 
  it seemed the bird was too large. It struck me, too, that 
  I’d seen no other birds of any type, and now that I knew 
  life indeed thrived in this barren place, their omission 
  seemed odd.
  I turned to Joskan to comment about the birds. He was 
  stopped, body rigid, and looking over his shoulder with a 
  face as gray as campfire ashes.
  “Joskan?”
  “We’re being followed.”
  Joskan and I raced up the mountain slope with as much 
  speed as we could muster. Unfortunately for us, our 
  mustering was embarrassing.
  “It’s hard... to hurry... this high up,” I panted. I leaned 
  forward as I climbed, grabbing rocks and shrubs to pull 
  myself higher and ease some of the burden on my legs 
  and lungs.
  “I’ve been away... too long.” Joskan huffed. “Takes time to... 
  get used to moving like this again.”
  Retreat was impossible. The five orcs had waited until 
  we were midway up the slope, exposed and trapped, before 
  they ventured out from the rocks below. I glanced back 
  only once, but that was enough.
  Crude tattoos, brands, and scars covered their bodies in 
  chaotic patterns. They wore tattered outfits that they must 
  have assembled from mismatched bits and pieces of their 
  victims’ armor. Each bristled with as many weapons as he 
  could carry. Bone and metal needles pierced their ears, 
  nostrils, and cheeks. Now that they were in the open, they 
  screamed and caterwauled with the same terrifying yells 
  that woke me my first night here.
  “Bad luck... we only notice them now,” I gasped as we 
  struggled onward. “Earlier we might have... doubled back... 
  lost them...”
  “No chance,” Joskan said. “They chose now... to be seen. 
  To trap us.”
  “There has to be a way forward.” I breathed rapidly, 
  panting, trying to draw enough of the thin air into my lungs 
  to continue. “Maybe on the other side... of the dragon.”
  and felt its stiff-soft bristles. Dun-colored shrews huddled 
  among the rocks and scurried off once we’d passed. My 
  cloak caught on a thorny, dead bramble, and when I paused 
  to untangle myself I saw the black wood oozing oily sap; 
  what I’d taken for thorns were seed-pods, tightly screwed 
  to pointy tips.
  Every now and then I looked up and caught sight of 
  the massive, fantastic dragon coiled on his mountainous 
  throne. Each time, the sight sent a shiver running through 
  me and refreshed my awe.
  “I take back what I said before,” I commented. We halted 
  for a moment so I could catch my breath, and to allow a 
  mountain cat the size of a sheep to prowl by. She snarled at 
  us but had no desire to tangle with such large prey. “This 
  place is beautiful, once you get used to it.”
  By this time, we had left the narrow, treacherous 
  trail for the broader and more comfortable mountain 
  slope. I felt nervous with no stone walls on either side. 
  Although the slope was gradual and a fall would bring 
  FLORA AND FAUNA OF BeLkzeN
  Numerous plants and animals thrive in Belkzen. Although not 
  unique to the area, they are indigenous.
   Aurochs: The primary source of meat, wool, and leather in 
  Belkzen, the great herds of Belkzen aurochs are of a breed 
  distinct from their counterparts on the Storval Plateau, having 
  thick, yak-like fur designed to keep them warm as they migrate 
  back and forth from the Realm of the Mammoth Lords to 
  Belkzen’s southern tip, often following the Flood Road.
   Belkzen Brambles: These twisted, thorny branches appear 
  dead at first glance, but a closer inspection (DC 10 Spot or Search 
  check) or prior knowledge (DC 12 Knowledge [nature] check) 
  reveals supple wood and living sap. The sharp, tricorn thorns can 
  be used as caltrops if harvested carefully (DC 15 Survival check), 
  although the thorns are destroyed after use.
   Belkzen Puma: These tawny mountain lions move with 
  exceptional stealth and hunt the other native creatures of 
  Belkzen. Smaller than regular mountain lions (use leopard 
  statistics), Belkzen pumas rarely attack adventurers unless a 
  pack comes upon a lone traveler.
   Firemoss: This rust-red moss catches fire slowly and burns 
  steadily. A fist-sized clump of firemoss burns for an hour, 
  making it a favored substance for crafting torches. 
   Mountain Goat: The brown mountain goats of Belkzen possess 
  razor-sharp horns and phenomenal dexterity, and are prized for 
  their milk and flesh. Use statistics for a donkey but add a gore 
  attack (+1 melee, 1d4 damage) and increase Dexterity to 16.
   Pickpocket Shrew: These rodent-like creatures measure 
  6–10 inches in length and make their homes in burrows. Their 
  name comes from the shrews’ uncanny silence and penchant 
  for gnawing their way into stores of food while travelers sleep 
  (use statistics for a cat).
  
  Pathfinder’s Journal
  75
  Above us, the massive figure of the stone dragon cast 
  its shadow over the mountain slope. We climbed past one 
  of its forelimbs. Its stone claws sank three or four feet 
  down into the solid rock. Ahead, the stone ribbon of its 
  tongue touched down on the rocky slope. A haze of white 
  mist spurted from the dragon’s mouth, but when the haze 
  cleared, I noticed something.
  “Joskan! Look at the dragon’s mouth. It’s not solid, it’s 
  hollow. I think we can get inside.”
  Joskan grunted as he heaved himself up. The angle of 
  the slope grew steeper. “So?”
  “Maybe we can hide there, lose the orcs in the fog and 
  then double back.”
  Even as I spoke, though, I realized the flimsiness of the 
  plan. I scanned the dragon and saw patches of stone scales 
  ripped away in spots, and the blackness beyond suggested 
  these holes were windows into some structure within 
  the statue. But what laired there or how large (or safe) it 
  was, there was no way to tell. Better to continue down the 
  slope on the other side and lose ourselves in the twisting 
  mountain trails. 
  I opened my mouth to say so, 
  when Joskan halted near the stone 
  tip of the dragon’s tongue. I scrambled up 
  next to him and stared down in dismay. 
  The opposite slope of the mountain was nothing but 
  narrow, broken ledges punctuating a series of sheer drops. 
  Far below, a rare patch of scrawny evergreen trees provided 
  a welcome splotch of green. Some of the hardy mountain 
  scrub grew from cracks in the wall, and narrow crevices 
  offered hand- and foot-holds, but it was clear our progress 
  would be painstaking at best. I risked another 
  look over my shoulder.
  The orcs were closing the gap between us 
  as if they were part mountain goat. One had 
  drawn a bow, and fixed me with an ugly grin. 
  My gaze met Joskan’s. He shrugged. 
  “In we go,” I said.
   
  Joskan and I scrambled up the dragon’s tongue with all 
  haste. The pursuing orcs broke into a trot and drew their 
  weapons, shouting. I took heart—anything that angered 
  the orcs was fine by me. I hoped it meant they didn’t know 
  what the dragon’s innards held, either.
  Its mouth was dark, cool, and misty. The source of the fog 
  was a stone block the size of an altar, covered with strange, 
  symmetrical runes. White smoke periodically issued from 
  a concave opening in its front. With neither the time 
  nor experience to deciper the mysterious contraption’s 
  purpose, I left well enough alone.
  Joskan and I paused but a moment in the dragon’s mouth 
  to catch our breath. I was prepared to make a light, but the 
  occasional missing scale let in dusty yellow daylight, just 
  enough to see by. 
  Rows of benches lined the walls of the cavernous mouth, 
  and the dragon’s teeth, which curved up and down like 
  scimitars, formed a prickly barricade for any who might try 
  to enter. “I think this used to be a guard post,” I whispered.
  Joskan nodded and ran a hand over one of the benches. 
  Although wooden, it seemed as solid as if it were 
  fashioned yesterday. Dust puffed in a cloud when he 
  lifted his hand. “We can move these to form a barricade. 
  Make a stand here?”
  My fluttering heartbeat steadied, finally, and I felt as 
  if my lungs were working properly again. I peered into 
  the back of the cavern. A tunnel stretched on. “Let’s go 
  deeper. I’d rather not fight if we don’t have to. Five raving 
  orcs against two ordinary—albeit exceptionally brave and 
  handsome—travelers sounds like poor odds.”
  We hurried through the mouth, and I longed to be able 
  to stop and investigate the carvings on the wall—scenes 
  of battles, mostly, in which I recognized the dragon statue 
  With any luck, the 
  highland orcs will kill 
  you before they begin 
  eating you.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  76
  in several backgrounds—and a strange circular motif in 
  the architecture that kept repeating. It might have been a 
  calendar or record of events. With the orcs coming up fast 
  behind us, though, I had only time for a longing 
  look as we raced past.
  From the mouth, a tunnel threaded 
  through the dragon’s curving neck. The 
  floor was solid, but I noticed patches 
  of scales chipped away above and 
  thin cracks in the walls. How old 
  this statue was I couldn’t guess, 
  but whatever enchantment held 
  it together seemed to now be 
  weakening.
  A two-foot-tall opening ran 
  the entire length of the tunnel. 
  I had a breathtaking, panoramic 
  view of the surrounding area as 
  we raced past, and again I noticed 
  elaborate carvings above and 
  below it. These ones made me stop 
  and risk a few precious seconds to 
  look closer.
  “Joskan, look at this!” I whispered. 
  “The carvings—they match the scenery 
  outside. See? This slope continues here,” 
  I traced where the landscape 
  became the drawing. “And look, 
  this waterfall must flow into a 
  lake, you can see it on this—this 
  map, I guess. Wait, the drawing 
  shows a mountain here, but there’s none outside. How old 
  do you think this place is?”
  “How old do you think we’ll get to be if those orcs catch 
  us?” Joskan snarled.
  I tore myself away from the bizarre and beautiful 
  panorama and followed Joskan, but couldn’t resist 
  sticking my hand through the window.
  I heard the rustle of armor, the growls of the orcs, and 
  the clash of their weapons beating together, distant but 
  fast approaching, as we neared the end of the tunnel. A 
  larger room opened up before us, probably the first of 
  many chambers hidden in the dragon’s abdomen. Years of 
  experience led me to slow down and tug on Joskan’s sleeve.
  “Easy, now. No sense jumping out of the kettle and into 
  the fire.”
  Joskan grunted but stopped. I stepped ahead of him and 
  moved quickly and quietly to the next room.
  The sight overwhelmed me. The large chamber held 
  eggs—eggs of all shapes and sizes, from robin to roc, 
  but each one fashioned from some precious material. 
  Gold glittered in the dim sun. Sapphire flashed as deeply 
  blue as the sky outside. Marble gleamed white as bone, 
  and obsidian glistened like the oily sap of the Belkzen 
  brambles. For a moment, I forgot about the orcs chasing 
  after us and stared in wonder at the collection.
  Some eggs stood on pedestals, others in niches in 
  the walls. Light that came from nowhere illuminated 
  each, and I caught a glimpse of etchings on several 
  of the larger ones. I couldn’t look too closely, 
  though, because something stirred deeper in 
  the room.
  Along one wall, a large patch of stone scales 
  had broken away and left a jagged hole like 
  a giant picture-window. On the floor next 
  to the hole, two bizarre creatures slept.
  I saw the nearest one most clearly. 
  Its hind legs, those of an oversized 
  mountain goat, kicked restlessly as 
  it slept. Long, golden hair covered its 
  hindquarters but gave way to sandy 
  scales and a ridged spine further 
  up its back. Its front legs ended in 
  huge paws, from which I saw the 
  tips of retracted black claws, each one 
  probably as long as my dagger. 
  Two leathery wings wrapped around 
  the creature’s midsection, and I realized 
  with a sinking feeling why there were no 
  birds in this area. It would take 
  a lot to feed a creature with three 
  heads, I’d imagine.
  The head nearest to me was 
  that of a mountain goat, one 
  with spear-like horns and unnaturally sharp teeth.  
  The middle head was a mountain cat like the one Joskan 
  and I had passed earlier, but three times as large.  
  The last head looked like a miniature replica of the 
  dragon’s head through which we’d entered this strange 
  place. Chimeras. I’d read of such creatures before,  
  and from what I knew, they were as ill-tempered as they 
  were ugly.
  I backed up as quietly as I could and found Joskan 
  waiting, muscles tense and axe in hand. The clatter of our 
  pursuers grew louder, and I wasn’t sure if the orcs would 
  catch us before the chimeras awoke and devoured us.
  “Well?” Joskan asked.
  “Definitely the fire,” I replied. “Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan.”
  The hardest part was waiting until the orcs caught up to 
  us. It took only a minute for the orcs to come around the 
  curve, spot us, and charge, but it seemed much longer. 
  Even though I expected it—anticipated it—the sight of the 
  five orcs in their makeshift armor, spittle flying from their 
  mouths as they gnashed their teeth, cast serious doubts on 
  my scheme.
  What possible function could 
  these strange eggs fulfill?
  
  Pathfinder’s Journal
  77
  I had no time for insecurities, though; the chimeras 
  were waking up. I grabbed Joskan’s arm and we bolted into 
  the egg chamber.
  My heart sank at the sight of the lovely sculptures as 
  we dashed through the room; how I wished I had time 
  to come back and study them all! The chimeras pulled 
  themselves out of sleep, and the one nearest to me lifted 
  its goat head and blinked while its cat head yawned 
  hugely. Heart in my throat, I leaped over the dragon 
  head and pulled Joskan between the two sleeping beasts. 
  My foot caught on the chimera’s horn and I almost fell, 
  turning my stumble into a sharp kick in the monster’s 
  flank. The beasts came fully awake and sprang up with 
  roars and bleats.
  The growls of the pursuing orcs turned to screams of 
  rage as they realized the trap. Without pausing, Joskan 
  and I pushed past the chimeras and flung ourselves out 
  the jagged hole.
  A sheer cliff dropped hundreds of feet. Joskan and I 
  fell through the air; vertigo assaulted me as I struggled 
  to complete the phrase on my lips. Joskan shrieked 
  something, but the wind caught his words and tore them 
  away. I reached out, my hand scraping the cliff face as we 
  fell, and gasped the last syllable.
  Instantly our fall was arrested. Instead of plummeting to 
  our deaths, Joskan and I floated down at a steady, peaceful 
  rate, light as feathers.
  “How’s that for a plan?” I grinned at Joskan, and he 
  grunted back. From above us, the sounds of orcs howling 
  and chimeras roaring drifted down the cliff.
  “That should keep them busy for a while.” I let us 
  sink magically as long as I dared, then reached out 
  and grabbed at the cliff until I found solid hand and 
  footholds. Joskan stretched out a hand and grasped the 
  edge of my cloak, and I reeled him in like a fish on a line. 
  Together we inched our way down and west until we 
  reached a ledge capable of taking the two of us abreast. 
  In that one leap, we’d circumvented at least a solid day’s 
  worth of hard climbing.
  I checked the wayfinder—still pointing due east, as 
  always.
  “Joskan,” I said with a sigh as we picked our way down 
  the slope, “we make a pretty good team.”
  He gave a brusque nod, which I interpreted as his version 
  of a smile. “Dangerous. And foolish. We should be more 
  careful from now on.”
  “If there’s one thing I’ve learned,” I said, “it’s that 
  trouble finds the prepared and unprepared alike. No 
  matter how careful you are, something new is always 
  coming.” I inhaled as deeply as I could in the thin 
  mountain air. “You can smell it on the wind.” Joskan 
  only grunted.
  Side by side, we continued down into the darkening 
  forest.
  With three heads, you’d 
  think at least one would 
  be friendly.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  78
  Bestiary
  “L
  egend tells of a terrible monkey god who sired a thousand young one night,  
  and afterward he laid down to rest. In the dark, his pink idiot young were 
  born, ever hungry and full of appetites worse than their father’s. By the shadows they  
  sniffed out their sire, wet and stinking upon the leafy ground, and with daylight they 
  fed upon his bones and left naught but the skull. 
  “May you never meet the monkeys like the dead children, my son, and if you hear 
  their screams on the wind, run—run for all you are worth, for I have seen these 
  creatures take the flesh off an elephant and leave the bones standing”
  —Rivani Dhatri, Shadows under Green
  EscapE from old Korvosa
  
  Bestiary
  79
  F
  ar deadlier than the urban jungle of Old Korvosa, the 
  impenetrable undergrowth and grasping vines of Vudra’s 
  vast and eldritch rainforests hide terrors unseen and 
  unimagined in the supposedly civilized countries of Avistan. 
  With Korvosa’s connections to the Impossible Kingdoms of 
  the distant east, the wealth and wonder of Vudra flow readily 
  to the Jewel of Varisia—largely through the efforts of the 
  unscrupulous Arkona family—bringing with them fantastic 
  treasures and unbelievable tales.
  This month’s entry into the Pathfinder Bestiary unveils 
  a handful of horrors from the humid jungles and spice-
  choked palaces of Vudra. The homeland of the earthbound 
  evils, from these distant mahajanapadas the lords of the 
  beast-headed fiends turn their multiple faces to the strange 
  riches and uncouth countries of Avistan and Garund, eager 
  to subjugate and enslave. With them they bring dread from 
  the darkest jungles, the bones of behemoths given unholy 
  life, and swarms of squealing, howling things insatiably 
  hungry for flesh. Yet the wonders and terrors of the east pale 
  in comparison to those of the planes, the domains of the 
  deities and their unfathomable assassin known to mortals 
  as the Mantis God.
  Golarion is a deadly place, and those unwilling to brave 
  its wonders had best stay at home.
  Wandering Monsters
  With Old Korvosa consumed by chaos, those menaces that 
  formerly hid in gurgling sewer drains and crumbling 
  warehouses now stalk the street. Yet, as bad as the random 
  monsters and human-hungry predators can be, the 
  unscrupulous citizenry and agents of the city’s cold-hearted 
  queen are far worse. The following details a few of the 
  local unfortunates and nefarious mercenaries one might 
  randomly encounter wandering the blood-spattered streets 
  of Old Korvosa.
  Eccentric Local: Old Korvosa has always been a place 
  where the unfortunate and uncivilized might hide away from 
  the scorn of the everyday citizen. The events of the past weeks 
  have made such outcasts even more desperate, with rambling 
  beggars, zealous doomsayers, and the insane being common 
  sights throughout the beleaguered slums. See page 12 for 
  examples of Old Korvosa’s more colorful unfortunates.
  Gang: Whether men whose desperation has led them 
  to alleyway banditry or members of a local thieves’ 
  guild, groups of dangerous residents wander the streets 
  unchallenged. Such an encounter might involve young 
  toughs up to no good, thugs shaking down their neighbors, 
  or even heavies in the employ of Pilts Swastel. These 
  encounters can range in EL from very low—requiring only 
  a little sword rattling to disperse some skittish vandals—to 
  very high, potentially employing the Old Dock Thug stats 
  on page 21. The Guide to Korvosa might also prove helpful 
  in fleshing out groups of Old Korvosan thieves. 
  Gray Maidens: Even though Old Korvosa chokes in the 
  grip of a full quarantine, Queen Ileosa’s ironclad elite 
  conduct occasional forays into the area, abusing the locals, 
  beating down the worst of the rabble, and seemingly 
  searching for someone or something. Gray Maidens are 
  female human 4th-level fighters, and an average patrol 
  of 2d4 soldiers has an EL of 6. Complete stats for Gray 
  Maidens can be found in Pathfinder #8.
  Plague Victims: Although the blood veil plague has 
  run its course in most of the city, in Old Korvosa, away 
  from the ministrations of healers and basic sanitation, 
  the disease still thrives. In reeking homes and huddled 
  in alleys, victims of the plague still languish, their very 
  touch being all the contagion needs to pass on to the next 
  generation of victims. Most plague victims are simple 1st-
  level commoners with no EL.
  Blood Veil—contact or injury; Fortitude DC 16; incubation 
  1 day; damage 1d3 Constitution and 1d3 Charisma.
  Red Mantis: Agents of one of Golarion’s most feared 
  orders of assassins are at work in Old Korvosa. A party 
  might encounter Red Mantis agents in the employ of 
  Queen Ileosa either as the killers search for Neolandus 
  Kalepopolis or as they attempt to assassinate the PCs 
  themselves. A typical pair of Red Mantis assassins make 
  an EL 8 encounter. See page 15 for complete stats for Red 
  Mantis assassins and page 66 for further details on this 
  lethal organization.
  Old KOrvOsa randOm EncOuntErs
  d% 
  Monster 
  Avg. EL 
  Source
  1–4 
  1d4 otyughs 
  6 
  MM 204
  5–12 
  1d12 pseudodragons 
  6 
  MM 210
  13–18 
  2d4 rat swarms 
  6 
  MM 237
  19–26 
  2d12 stirges 
  6 
  MM 236
  27–32 
  2d4 chokers 
  7 
  MM 34
  33–38 
  2d4 wererats 
  7 
  MM 171
  39–40 
  1 succubus 
  7 
  MM 47
  41–43 
  1 vampire* 
  7 
  MM 250
  44–49 
  2d12 zombies** 
  7 
  MM 265
  50–53 
  1 dark naga 
  8 
  MM 191
  54–61 
  2d6 imps 
  8 
  MM 56
  62–65 
  1d8 mimics 
  8 
  MM 186
  66–67 
  1 rakshasa 
  8 
  MM 211
  68–69 
  1d10 shadows 
  8 
  MM 221
  70–71 
  1 night hag 
  9 
  MM 193
  72–81 
  Eccentric local 
  — 
  See description
  82–89 
  Gang 
  — 
  See description
  90–94 
  Gray Maidens 
  — 
  See description
  95–98 
  Plague victims 
  — 
  See description
  99–100 
  Red Mantis 
  — 
  See description
  * 5th-level human fighter.
  ** Human commoner zombies.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  80
  achaekek,  
  the Mantis god
  It is almost too enormous to comprehend: a 
  titan nightmare clad in blood-red armor, a typhoon of grasping 
  claws and toxic stings. Its legs are shuddering pylons, trees 
  whose trunks bear bark of polished chitin. Its eyes are faceted 
  crystal domes, lit from within by angry volcanic fire. Yet when 
  the behemoth walks, its body moves with a silence made all the 
  more horrific by the impossibility of its size.
  Achaekek, The Mantis God 
   
  CR 30
  LE Colossal outsider (lawful, evil, extraplanar)
  Init +21; Senses darkvision 240 ft., deathwatch, true seeing; 
  Listen +44, Spot +44
  Aura unweaving aura
  DEFENSE
  AC 45, touch 15, flat-footed 32
  (+13 Dex, +30 natural, –8 size)
  hp 765 (34d8+612); regeneration 40
  Fort +37, Ref +32, Will +28
  Defensive Abilities freedom of movement, improved 
  evasion; DR 20/epic; Immune ability damage, ability drain, 
  blindness, death effects, energy drain, fire, mind-affecting 
  effects, paralysis, poison; Resist acid 20, cold 20, electricity 
  20; SR 42
  OFFENSE
  Spd 180 ft.; climb 80 ft., fly 180 ft. (average)
  Melee 4 claws +42 (2d8+16/15–20) and
  bite +40 (4d6+8/15–20) and
  sting +40 (2d8+6/15–20 plus poison)
  Ranged 2 spikes +39 (2d8+16/18–20 plus poison)
  Space 60 ft.; Reach 60 ft.
  Special Attacks create gate, rend 4d8+24
  TACTICS
  During Combat The Mantis God focuses its fury 
  solely upon its intended target, attacking other 
  foes only in response to legitimate threats or in 
  order to reach its primary target. Matched 
  against a particularly dangerous 
  foe, the Mantis God sometimes 
  creates a gate and bull rushes 
  its foe through it, then ceases 
  concentration to strand the foe 
  in a distant, inhospitable plane. 
  It prefers melee attacks over 
  ranged attacks.
  Morale Achaekek fights to the 
  death, yet things have, to date, 
  never progressed to this stage.
  STATISTICS
  Str 43, Dex 36, Con 46, Int 6, Wis 
  24, Cha 20
  Base Atk +34; Grp +66
  Feats Awesome Blow, Combat Reflexes, Hover, Improved 
  Bull Rush, Improved Critical (claw, bite, sting), Improved 
  Initiative, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack, Wingover
  Skills Climb +61, Hide +34, Listen +44, Move Silently +50, Spot 
  +44, Tumble +50
  Languages Infernal
  SQ savage criticals
  ECOLOGy
  Environment any
  Organization unique
  Treasure none
  Advancement 35+ HD (Colossal)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Create Gate (Su) Once per minute, as a move action, the 
  Mantis God can create a portal between planes by raking 
  one of its claws through the air. This duplicates the effects 
  of a gate spell used for planar travel. The gate remains open 
  as long as Achaekek concentrates.
  Deathwatch (Su) The mantis god can sense life and death, as if 
  under the effects of a deathwatch spell at all times.
  Freedom of Movement (Su) Achaekek is constantly protected 
  by freedom of movement, as per the spell.
  Improved Evasion (Ex) This ability works like the rogue special 
  ability of the same name.
  Poison (Su) Injury, Fortitude DC 45, initial and secondary 
  damage 1d4 negative levels. Creatures that are immune to 
  poison can still be affected by this supernatural venom’s 
  secondary damage (not its initial damage), although they 
  gain a +10 circumstance bonus on their saving throw to 
  resist the toxin. The save DC is Constitution-based.
  Regeneration (Su) Only damage dealt by a creature of 
  
  Bestiary
  81
  demigod or greater status deals lethal damage to the 
  Mantis God. Achaekek regenerates even if it fails a saving 
  throw against a disintegrate spell or a death effect. If the 
  Mantis God fails its save against a spell or effect that 
  would kill it instantly, the effect instead deals nonlethal 
  damage equal to the Mantis God’s full normal hit point 
  total +10 (normally 775 points of damage). The mantis 
  god is also immune to effects that produce incurable or 
  bleeding wounds (such as a clay golem’s cursed wound or a 
  wounding weapon). There are rumors of specific weapons 
  or legendary monsters capable of dealing lethal damage to 
  the Mantis God as well.
  Rend (Ex) If the Mantis God hits a creature with two or more 
  claw attacks, it latches onto the opponent’s body and tears 
  the flesh. This attack automatically deals an extra 4d8+24 
  points of damage.
  Savage Criticals (Ex) All of Achaekek’s natural weapons 
  threaten a critical hit on a roll of 18–20 (and with its 
  Improved Critical feats, these attacks threaten on a 15–20). 
  Any creature the Mantis God strikes with a critical hit 
  must make a DC 43 Fortitude save to avoid being stunned 
  for 1 round from the force of the blow. The save DC is 
  Strength-based.
  Tail Spike (Ex) As a standard action, the Mantis God can hurl 
  two poisoned spikes from its stinger. Spikes hurled are 
  replenished immediately. This ranged attack has a range 
  increment of 100 feet.
  True Seeing (Su) Achaekek continuously uses this ability, as 
  the spell.
  Unweaving Aura (Su) Achaekek is surrounded by an invisible 
  aura of abjuration energy to a radius of 360 feet. Each 
  round, a creature in this area must make a DC 32 Will save. 
  Failure indicates that a random ongoing magical effect on 
  that creature is dispelled, as if by a successful dispel magic 
  effect. If the creature has no applicable magic auras to be 
  dispelled, it takes 2 points of Charisma drain instead on a 
  failed save. The save DC is Charisma-based.
  Achaekek is known to only a very few by its name—most 
  know of this legendary assassin by its more common 
  (although somewhat misleading) name of He Who Walks 
  in Blood, or the Mantis God. Yet Achaekek is not a true 
  god, but rather one of the first creatures given life by 
  the gods. Even early on, long before mortal life came to 
  dominate the Material Plane, some of the gods realized 
  they would need an agent to carry out their divine justice, 
  an agent they could send without compromising their own 
  standing among the divine or dirtying their hands tending 
  to immortals and demigods who could someday, if left 
  alive, rise in power to a point to challenge them. Achaekek 
  was created to be an assassin, a creature the gods could 
  use against nascent enemies. Yet the gods did not wish 
  to create a creature capable of being used against them, 
  and thus created the Mantis God with the fundamental 
  inability to act against the gods themselves—it can only 
  slay those of demigod status or lower.
  The faiths of Golarion disagree upon which of the 
  gods created Achaekek. The churches of Asmodeus, 
  Zon-Kuthon, Norgorber, Lamashtu, Rovagug, Gorum, 
  Pharasma, and Calistria all have compelling arguments 
  that point to their patrons as the source of the Mantis God. 
  Others believe that it was not one god but a convocation 
  of gods who gave the divine assassin its life. Still others 
  believe that the gods who created Achaekek are themselves 
  now dead, in some cases victims of their own murderous 
  creation after their powers caused them to lose enough 
  of their divinity to merely become immortals. One thing 
  seems certain, though—although not all of Golarion’s 
  deities approve of the Mantis God, none have yet stepped 
  in to unmake it. And to date, none have openly admitted 
  to ever issuing a kill order to the Mantis God. It’s almost 
  as if Achaekek knows instinctually who or what must be 
  slain, or perhaps is receiving its orders from a source 
  beyond that of the pantheon itself. He Who Walks in 
  Blood strikes only rarely, and its victims seem strange 
  and inconsequential at times.
  VictiMs
  In past centuries countless demagogues and would-be 
  deities have perished at Achaekek’s scything claws. 
  Arrogant Marsis: Revered as the most beautiful man in 
  the world during the early years of the Age of Enthronement, 
  Marsis’s beauty drew thousands of admirers away from 
  revering the gods, finally drawing the ire of the gods and the 
  claws of the Mantis God.
  Yazanova: The murderous queen of the Tusk Mountains, 
  Yazanova feasted on the hearts of a hundred rival chieftains, 
  aspiring to the mantle of goddess of the North. She and her 
  armies fell to the Mantis god in –212 ar. 
  mantis cultists
  The Red Mantis venerate the Mantis God as their patron, and 
  just as He Who Walks in Blood cannot kill a God, so have the 
  Red Mantis adopted this tradition to their ways such that they 
  never assassinate a king or queen. A small concession, yet one 
  that nevertheless works well in their defense, for many are the 
  kings and queens who would not be as moved to oppose the 
  cult in knowing that they cannot be touched.
  Most of the Red Mantis are rogues, fighters, or bards—
  many take levels in various prestige classes (the Red Mantis 
  assassin being the most common). Yet a few of their number 
  are actual clerics—particularly in their hidden fortress, the 
  Crimson Citadel. A cleric of the Mantis God’s favored weapon 
  is the sawtooth sabre, and he has access to the domains of 
  Death, Evil, Law, Trickery, and War.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  82
  BeatiFic one
  This tall, feminine figure has golden tanned skin and well-formed 
  curves, suggesting years of activity and work toward physical 
  perfection. Beneath her diaphanous robes, the creature’s legs cross 
  over one another, while six arms—two facing toward her back—
  wave in a continuous dance. Three fanged heads sit atop a sturdy 
  neck, studying every direction.
  Beatific One 
   
  CR 9
  Always LE Medium outsider (asura)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +14, Spot +21
  DEFENSE
  AC 25, touch 17, flat-footed 18 (+7 Dex, +6 natural, +2 monk 
  AC bonus)
  hp 85 (11d8+33)
  Fort +10, Ref +14, Will +14; +2 against enchantment spells 
  and effects
  Defensive Abilities improved evasion; DR 10/good; Immune 
  disease, poison; Resist acid 10, electricity 10; SR 17
  OFFENSE
  Speed 70 ft.
  Melee temple sword +17/+12/+7 (1d8+6) and spear +17 (1d8+3) 
  and kukri (1d4+3/18–20) or
  flurry of blows +11/+11/+11/+8 (1d10+6)
  Special Attacks continuous barrage, flurry of blows
  Spell-like Abilities (CL 6th)
  At will—disguise self, feather fall, see invisibility, ventriloquism
  3/day—blindness/deafness (DC 16), blur, hypnotic pattern (DC 
  16), levitate, magic weapon
  1/day—dimension door, hold person (DC 17)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Beatific ones are rarely surprised and 
  use the moments before combat to cast blur and magic 
  weapon upon themselves and their weapons.
  During Combat Beatific ones hold their opponents in 
  complete disdain and offer no quarter or honorable 
  advantage. They enjoy tripping or disarming opponents, 
  battering them with unarmed strikes, and using their foes’ 
  weapons against them. 
  Morale If foes present sufficient threats, beatific ones redouble 
  their efforts, but under no circumstances flee the field of battle.
  STATISTICS
  Str 22, Dex 24, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 24, Cha 19
  Base Atk +11; Grp +21
  Feats Deflect ArrowsB, Dodge, Improved DisarmB, Improved 
  GrappleB, Mobility, Snatch Arrows, Spring Attack
  Skills Appraise +17, Balance +23, Climb +20, Concentration 
  +17, Escape Artist +21, Hide +14, Jump +22, Knowledge (the 
  planes) +10, Listen +14, Move Silently +21, Perform (dance) 
  +11, Spot +21, Tumble +23
  Languages Celestial, Common, Infernal, Vudrani; telepathy 
  100 ft.
  SQ monk qualities, summon asura
  ECOLOGy
  Environment any
  Organization solitary or band (2–4)
  Treasure standard
  Advancement by character class; Favored Class sorcerer
  Level Adjustment —
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Continuous Barrage (Ex) If a beatific one hits with the last 
  attack of its flurry of blows, it may attempt an additional 
  attack at a –2 penalty. If this attack hits, the beatific 
  one may continue to make additional attacks, with a 
  cumulative –2 penalty for each subsequent attack (–4 
  for the second attack, –6 for the third, and so on). If any 
  attack misses, the barrage ends.
  Flurry of Blows (Ex) The beatific one can attempt a flurry 
  of blows as per the monk ability. It may use this ability 
  whenever it has at least two of its six hands free or a special 
  monk weapon equipped (see page 40 of the PH).
  Monk Qualities A beatific one emulates many of the 
  
  Bestiary
  83
  strengths of the monk character class. On top of its own 
  racial abilities, the beatific one receives the AC bonus, 
  unarmed damage, bonus feats, speed bonus, and weapon 
  proficiencies of a monk with a level equal to its Hit Dice, 
  along with the diamond body, flurry of blows, improved 
  evasion, and still mind abilities. All of these benefits are 
  included in the statistics above.
  Summon Asura (Sp) Once per day, a beatific one can attempt to 
  summon 1 beatific one with a 40% chance of success. This 
  ability is the equivalent of a 3rd-level spell.
  Scions of the vast and enigmatic pantheon of Vudrani 
  deities, beatific ones torment mortal warriors, torture 
  evil souls, and mete out the wrath of the gods. Paragons 
  of physical perfection, these fiends are said to be masters 
  of every weapon ever crafted and innately familiar with 
  the forms and ways of every martial art imagined. When 
  loosed upon the mortal world, these asuras—fiendish 
  servants of the Vudrani deities—bring woe to warriors, 
  brutally test the philosophies of martial orders, and seek 
  great battles in which to participate.
  Beatific ones move with the grace of master martial 
  artists and hone their fiendish forms through endless 
  combat and morbid meditations. They stand 7 feet tall and 
  weigh approximately 240 pounds.
  haBitat and societY
  Most beatific ones spend the majority of their time in 
  Hell, specifically in the freezing and flaming domains of 
  destructive Vudrani deities. The burning sand shores of 
  Agniagon—the vast boiling lake of the three-headed serpent-
  god Vritra—attract numerous asuras and the corpse-strewn 
  halls of dozens of beatific one ziggurat-like lairs. Left to their 
  own devices, beatific ones either spend the centuries deep 
  in meditative practice of cruel fighting styles or—like most 
  asuras—sow strife and make trouble for mortals.
  If killed, a beatific one reincarnates, typically as another 
  beatific one or as another type of asura.
  vudrani WEaPOns
  For centuries, Vudrani warriors and martial artists have crafted and cultivated a wide variety of weapons and fighting styles not seen 
  in the lands of Avistan. Although rare, some of these unusual weapons might find their way west, either in the hands of foreign 
  merchants or exotic fiends. 
  Bich’hwa: Also known as the waveblade or, literally “scorpion’s tail,” this short, double-curved blade has no hilt but features a knuckle 
  guard and can easily be used in either hand. A bich’hwa provides a +2 bonus on any roll made to keep from being disarmed in combat.
  This weapon is considered a special monk weapon for the use of flurry of blows and other monk abilities.
  Katar, Tri-bladed: Although most katars (or punching daggers) boast a single long, thick blade, some feature a fan of three 
  splayed razor edges.
  Pata: An evolution of the standard katar, the pata is a short sword that ends in a full, fingerless gauntlet hilt. You punch rather 
  than stab with the weapon, allowing you to put more force behind each strike. A pata provides a +10 bonus on any roll made to 
  keep from being disarmed in combat.
  Temple Sword: Typically used by holy men and guardians of religious sites, temple swords have distinctive crescent-shaped 
  blades, appearing as an amalgam of a sickle and sword. Many temple swords have holes drilled into the blade or places on the 
  pommel where charms, bells, or other holy trinkets might be attached.
  You can use a temple sword to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the temple 
  sword to avoid being tripped.
  Urumi: This terribly sharp longsword appears as a coil of steel, similar to a metal whip, but is capable of cleaving flesh and 
  holding an edge as well as any forged blade. An urumi has reach and can strike opponents 10 feet away, but can also be used to 
  attack adjacent foes.
  With an urumi, you get a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an enemy. 
  Built for flexibility, an urumi takes only half damage from attempts to sunder it.
  Exotic Weapons 
  Cost 
  Dmg (S) 
  Dmg (M) 
  Critical  
  Weight 
  Type
  Light melee weapons
  Bich’hwa 
  5 gp 
  1d3 
  1d4 
  19–20/×2 
  2 lb 
  Piercing or slashing
  Katar, tri-bladed 
  6 gp 
  1d3 
  1d4 
  ×4 
  2 lb 
  Piercing
  Pata 
  14 gp 
  1d4 
  1d6 
  ×3 
  3 lb 
  Piercing
  One-handed melee weapons
  Temple sword 
  18 gp 
  1d6 
  1d8 
  19–20/×2 
  4 lb 
  Slashing
  Urumi 
  30 gp 
  1d6 
  1d8 
  19–20/×2 
  3 lb 
  Slashing
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  84
  raJPUt aMBari
  Standing motionless, this creature could easily be mistaken for 
  a huge skeletal display of a long-dead war elephant. At further 
  glance, its eyes burn a smoky black and pieces of stench-ridden 
  flesh hang from crusty bones. Rusty barding drapes loosely over 
  its skeletal spine, and ancient, rotten finery hangs over its skull 
  and drapes flaccidly toward the ground.
  Rajput Ambari 
  CR 7
  CE Huge undead 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +0, Spot +0
  DEFENSE
  AC 21, touch 9, flat-footed 20
  (+1 Dex, +12 natural, –2 size)
  hp 104 (16d12)
  Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +10
  Defensive Abilities undead traits; DR 10/slashing
  OFFENSE
  Spd 40 ft.
  Melee slams +14 (2d6+8) and 2 stamps +9 (2d6+4); or
  gore +14 (2d8+8/×3)
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks trample 2d8+13, war stomp
  TACTICS
  During Combat Rajput ambaris immediately 
  attack anyone their creator or handler 
  directs them to. They start by 
  trampling the nearest enemy 
  and then use war stomp to knock down foes, following up 
  with slams and gores to finish off opponents.
  Morale Rajput ambaris fight until destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 26, Dex 13, Con  —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1
  Base Atk +8; Grp +24
  SQ undead servitor
  ECOLOGy
  Environment warm forests
  Organization any
  Treasure standard
  Alignment neutral
  Advancement 17–22 (Huge); 23–29 (Gargantuan)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Trample (Ex) Reflex half DC 26. The save DC is Strength-based.
  War Stomp (Su) Rajput ambaris are trained to slam their 
  skeletal front feet hard into the earth, creating a small 
  shockwave that can knock nearby opponents prone. Any 
  opponent standing immediately adjacent to a rajput ambari 
  when it uses this ability must make a DC 25 Reflex save or 
  be knocked prone. War stomp is a full-round action. The 
  save DC is Strength-based.
  Undead Servitor Rajput ambaris are completely subservient to 
  their creators and any other creature capable of commanding 
  undead. A rajput ambari is treated as an undead creature of 
  half its Hit Dice for the purposes of being commanded and 
  when counting the total Hit Dice of undead an evil cleric has 
  under his control.
  A rajput ambari always understands the language of its 
  master and anyone controlling it.
  Carrying Capacity: A light load for a rajput ambari is up to 
  1,836 pounds; a medium load, 1,837–3,678 pounds; and a 
  heavy load, 3,679–5,520 pounds. A rajput ambari can drag 
  27,600 pounds.
  Horrors born from the depths of Vudra’s endless jungles, 
  rajput ambari are undead elephants granted terrible powers 
  through necromantic rites. Massive and terrifying, many 
  of these earth-shaking undead behemoths retain the exotic 
  trappings and elegant finery of the Vudrani princes who once 
  doted upon them. The glory of such beasts is long forgotten, 
  
  Bestiary
  85
  though, as most serve as unholy slaves and fearless beasts  
  of war for uncaring necromancers and deathless masters.
  ecoLogY
  The size of a rajput ambari varies widely depending on which 
  part of the world the original elephant skeleton came from—
  Vudrani elephants typically near 16 feet in height, while 
  Mwangi elephants grow up to 18 feet tall. Juvenile elephant 
  skeletons are almost never used to create a rajput ambari. 
  In Vudra, undead elephants are feared abominations, but 
  terrifying rumors tell of lumbering mastadons from the 
  distant north being animated in rituals akin to those that 
  create rajput ambaris.
  haBitat & societY
  Rajput ambaris have no societal structure, functioning only 
  as their creators command. Vudrani necromancers typically 
  use rajput ambaris much like living elephants, though 
  without the need for handlers. Thus, when encountered, 
  most are found performing menial tasks, serving as guards, 
  or transporting undead warriors.
  Although rajput ambaris are unintelligent undead, 
  necromantic scholars postulate that some facet of the rites 
  used to create the undead beasts causes them to retain some 
  vestige of instinct. The evidence of this theory rises in the 
  rare cases in which a rajput ambari is left without a master. 
  When no longer able to perform past orders or left without 
  commands for weeks, a rajput ambari sometimes begins 
  walking of its own accord. In these rare and seemingly 
  impossible situations, the undead elephant tends to wander 
  back to the lands where it was captured and might even 
  readopt some of the motions and tendencies of life—much 
  to the horror of local hunters and living elephants alike.
  creating a raJPUt aMBari
  A spellcaster of 18th level or higher can create a rajput 
  ambari utilizing the create undead spell. In addition to the 
  usual components required by the spell, though, the rite 
  to animate a rajput ambari requires the full skeleton of an 
  adult elephant and adornment of a regal bearing. At the very 
  least, these additions add 400 gp to the spell’s total cost.
  origins oF the raJPUt 
  aMBari
  Although none can say who created the first skeleton or 
  raised the first zombie, the rajput ambari is an unusual 
  undead in that its creation is well documented in Vudrani 
  lore. In 4465 ar, the necromancer-priest Rajput Shivji 
  Shashibhushan, known as the Vile Prince, gathered 
  together his cult of followers in the mountains and jungles 
  of northern Vudra and set about building a dark citadel, a 
  temple to all the foul powers of Vudrani lore and a personal 
  palace where his experiments would go largely unnoticed.
  Shivji’s first need was labor—labor that didn’t need rest 
  or sleep to realize his grand designs. Thus, his morbid 
  imagination fell upon the great elephant graveyards of the 
  Ajitesh Valley. In short order, he raised an army of undead 
  elephants, which his followers took to calling rajput 
  ambaris—a combination of their necromantic lord’s title 
  and the Vudrani word for the carriage house that living 
  elephants sometimes carry upon their backs. With insight 
  to see past his megalomania, Shivji left his minions 
  susceptible to the commands of other worshipers of dark 
  deities, bestowing his most trusted lieutenants with the 
  knowledge to command them in his absence.
  With the aid of his titanic undead, Shivji’s fortress rose 
  with frightening speed—a citadel of a thousand thousand 
  skulls he called the Palace of Ivory and Bone. Once the 
  fortress was completed, dozens of rajput ambaris were put 
  to work pulling the massive winches required to open the 
  heavy, elephant-tusk gates of the citadel.
  Shivji Shashibhushan’s war against the Vudrani 
  mahajanapadas ended 40 years after the completion of the 
  Palace of Ivory and Bone, with the necromancer slain at the 
  head of his largest rajput ambari host. Even as his horror-
  filled castle eventually sank into obscurity and lore, Shivji’s 
  rajput ambaris—his greatest feat as a necromancer—linger 
  on even as his name is slowly forgotten. 
  ElEPhants in vudra
  For more than just the people of Vudra, trained elephants make 
  intimidating and reliable mounts. Capable of transporting 
  numerous passengers, large loads, and even siege-scale 
  weaponry, these titans are respected and coveted for the fortitude 
  they exhibit in traversing vast distances, harsh environments, 
  and raging battles. Held as symbols of wealth and prestige in 
  many cultures, elephants often wear the finest trapping their 
  owners can afford: fine silken coverings, precious jewelry, and 
  gold-trimmed howdahs. They are equally coveted in battle, as 
  their ability to transport warriors, crush opponents, and strike 
  fear in enemies is second to none in the animal world. Elephant 
  handlers are typically known as mahouts, who use a sharp hook 
  called an ankusha to steer the beasts.
  Carrying Capacity: A light load for an elephant with 
  Strength 30 is up to 3,192 pounds; a medium load, 3,193–6,384 
  pounds; and a heavy load, 6,385–9,600 pounds. An elephant 
  can drag 48,000 pounds.
  Movement: An unencumbered elephant can travel 4 miles per 
  hour and 32 miles per day. With a load between 3,193 and 9,600 
  pounds, it can travel 3 miles per hour and 24 miles per day.
  Price: In Vudra, a young domesticated elephant costs 
  600 gp. An adult elephant trained to carry passengers costs 
  1,800 gp. An adult elephant trained for battle or other work—
  typically trained with four of its six possible tricks (see Handle 
  Animal, PH 74)—costs 2,800 gp.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  86
  rakshasa MaharaJah
  Floating serenely with legs crossed over one another, this exquisitely 
  attired being casually examines the curved, long-handled blade in 
  its hands. The face staring contemplatively ahead bears beautiful 
  human features, but from the creature’s neck emerge several 
  fearsome animal heads, each considering a different direction.
  Rakshasa Maharajah 
   
  CR 18
  Always LE Medium outsider (native)
  Init +11, extra initiative; Senses darkvision 60 ft., all-around 
  vision; Listen +27, Spot +31
  DEFENSE
  AC 35, touch 17, flat-footed 28 (+7 Dex, +18 natural); cannot 
  be flanked
  hp 207 (18d8+126)
  Fort +18, Ref +18 Will +17
  DR 20/good and piercing; SR 30
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., fly 30 ft. (good)
  Melee +3 falchion +26/+21/+16/+11 (2d4+10)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th)
  1/day—dominate monster (DC 24)
  Spells Known (CL 15th)
  7th (5/day)—delayed blast fireball (DC 26), mass hold person 
  (DC 26)
  6th (7/day)—flesh to stone (DC 25), greater dispel magic, mass 
  bull’s strength 
  5th (7/day)—dominate person (DC 24), seeming (DC 24), teleport
  4th (7/day)—dimension door, greater invisibility (DC 23), lesser 
  globe of invulnerability, solid fog
  3rd (8/day)—fireball (2; DC 22), slow (DC 22), vampiric touch 
  (DC 22)
  2nd (8/day)—darkness, misdirection (DC 21), resist energy, see 
  invisibility, touch of idiocy (DC 21)
  1st (8/day)—identify, mage armor, magic missile, obscuring mist, 
  ray of enfeeblement (DC 20)
  0 (6/day)—arcane mark, daze (DC 19), detect magic, flare (DC 
  19), mage hand, message, prestidigitation, read magic, touch of 
  fatigue (DC 19)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Most rakshasa maharajahs are 
  surrounded by loyal (or enchanted) servitors at all times, 
  making it obvious when a threat is approaching. In 
  addition to bolstering themselves with spells like mage 
  armor, these creatures use illusions to confuse their foes. 
  Once confronted with enemies, a maharajah uses spells 
  like darkness, solid fog, and obscuring mist to hide itself and 
  attack from concealment.
  During Combat Rakshasa maharajahs prefer to get the 
  maximum benefit from their extra initiative to hurl spells more 
  than once per round. A favorite tactic is to hurl a delayed blast 
  fireball, then a pair of fireballs the following round, hoping to 
  overwhelm even the strongest of magical defenses.
  Morale A rakshasa maharajah views itself as the epitome of its 
  kind—a rakshasa so powerful that no force, no matter how 
  great, can ultimately succeed against its superior might. If 
  faced with overwhelming evidence to the contrary (if the 
  rakshasa is reduced to 20 hit points or less), it attempts to 
  flee the battlefield—but only for long enough to heal its 
  wounds using a hidden cache of potions or other stored 
  magic. Thus restored, the maharajah begins combat anew, 
  attempting to restore its honor and that of its species. 
  If even this becomes dangerous, a well-timed greater 
  invisibility and teleport allows the maharajah to escape long 
  enough to formulate a better plan.
  STATISTICS
  Str 21, Dex 24, Con 24, Int 25, Wis 22, Cha 29
  Base Atk +18; Grp +23
  Feats Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Hover, Improved 
  Initiative, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell, Widen Spell
  Skills Appraise +28, Bluff +30 (+32 acting), Concentration +28, 
  
  Bestiary
  87
  Decipher Script +28, Diplomacy +36, Disguise +30, Hide +28, 
  Intimidate +32, Knowledge (arcana) +28, Knowledge (nobility 
  and royalty) +28, Listen +27, Search +32, Sense Motive +27, 
  Spellcraft +30, Spot +31, Survival +6 (+8 following tracks)
  Languages Common, Vudrani, and five others
  ECOLOGy
  Environment any
  Organization solitary
  Treasure double standard plus +3 falchion
  Advancement by character class; Favored Class sorcerer
  Level Adjustment —
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  All-Around Vision (Ex) A rakshasa maharajah’s many heads 
  allow it to look in any direction, providing a +4 racial bonus 
  on Spot and Search checks. A maharajah rakshasa cannot 
  be flanked.
  Change Shape (Su) A rakshasa maharajah can assume any 
  humanoid form, or revert to its own form, as a standard 
  action. In humanoid form, a rakshasa maharajah retains 
  all its powers, abilities, and spellcasting. A rakshasa 
  maharajah remains in one form until it chooses to 
  assume a new one. A change in form cannot be dispelled, 
  but the rakshasa maharajah reverts to its natural form 
  when killed. A true seeing spell reveals its natural form: a 
  perfect human body with a single human head and a ring 
  of three to five additional animal heads springing from 
  the same neck.
  Detect Thoughts (Su) A rakshasa maharajah can continuously 
  use detect thoughts as the spell (caster level 15th; Will DC 
  25 negates). It can suppress or resume this ability as a free 
  action. The save DC is Charisma-based.
  Extra Initiative (Su) At the beginning of an encounter, the 
  rakshasa maharajah rolls twice for initiative. The rakshasa 
  acts normally on the higher of the two initiative counts each 
  round; on the lower initiative count, the rakshasa maharajah 
  may take a single standard action.
  Spells Rakshasa maharajahs cast spells as 15th-level sorcerers. 
  The save DCs are Charisma based. 
  All rakshasas aspire to power, but there are those for whom 
  this hunger is more than an obsession, it’s a birthright. 
  Legends among rakshasakind tell of the maharajahs—those 
  rakshasas whose depredations and acts of cruelty have 
  elevated them above others of their kind remaking them 
  as embodiments of every myth, fable, and cautionary tale 
  involving the beast-headed fiends. Accorded the respect and 
  deference of their lessers, maharajahs inspire one emotion 
  that few can in the race: fear.
  ecoLogY
  A rakshasa maharajah emerges only after a rakshasa 
  of great power and influence has spent several lives as 
  a member of the samrata, the height of the rakshasa’s 
  social-spiritual caste system. In a method not altogether 
  understood even by the fiends, when rakshasas of legendary 
  cruelty reincarnate, sometimes their new forms exhibit 
  the increased powers and multiple heads of a maharajah. 
  When a rakshasa ascends to maharajah status, others of 
  its kind take notice, with rakshasas coming from far and 
  wide to serve even a young maharajah—eager to curry 
  its favor at an early age. The appearance of a maharajah 
  denotes that great change is imminent: the maharajah 
  will fulfill some terrible destiny, found a lasting nation of 
  rakshasa, undergo some manner of divine ascension, or 
  face some greater foe who breaks its domain into large-
  enough chunks for its lieutenants and servants to claim 
  and still have room to expand. It is rare in the extreme for 
  more than a handful of rakshasa maharajahs to emerge 
  in the same century.
  There are tales of even greater rakshasa forms than 
  the maharajah, great beings with more heads than can 
  be counted and more power that can be imagined. Such a 
  state might be a further evolution from maharajah, or it 
  might be a unique form created by the creature’s destiny 
  and ambition. 
  HABITAT & SOCIETY 
  So great is a rakshasa maharajah’s power and influence that 
  it can spend most of its time enjoying the luxury of its years 
  of toil. When not manipulating armies or the machinations 
  of lesser rakshasas, it can often be found surrounded by the 
  most beautiful of its servitors—often charmed or dominated 
  humanoids, or, if the maharajah is powerful enough, good-
  aligned outsiders—lounging in opulence.
  The lair of a rakshasa maharajah is typically a glorious, 
  decadent thing. After decades or centuries of work, gold 
  filigree decorates the columns, and great friezes of 
  rakshasa myths and folklore decorate the walls. Rather 
  than couches or divans, great pillows stuffed with exotic 
  feathers—and crafted from the hides of even more exotic 
  creatures—serve for furniture, and all about hang the 
  trophies of a centuries-long life of tyranny: the crowns of 
  defeated rulers, the wealth of ruined countries, and the 
  heads of failed lieutenants.
  A rakshasa maharajah’s great experience and power, 
  however, does not make it immune or ignorant to threats. 
  Disloyal servants, powerful kings, ambitious rivals, and 
  meddling adventurers all might step forth to challenge 
  a rakshasa maharajah’s rule. To that end, a maharajah 
  employs devious methods to ensure its own safety, with 
  assassination, false rumors, and illusory doubles serving 
  as useful tools to ferret out threats. Wary of attack and often 
  with wide territories to control, most rakshasa maharajahs 
  have several secluded palaces and lavish redoubts, and 
  travel among them endlessly.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  88
  STATISTICS
  Str 5, Dex 21, Con 15, Int 3, Wis 16, Cha 5
  Base Atk +7; Grp —
  Feats Agile, Alertness, Lightning 
  Reflexes, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Balance +15, Climb +21, Escape 
  Artist +11, Listen +9, Spot +10 
  SQ diseased
  ECOLOGy
  Environment warm forests
  Organization solitary, fury (2–5 swarms), 
  frenzy (6–12 swarms)
  Treasure none
  Advancement —
  Level Adjustment —
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Diseased (Ex) Sikari macaque swarms are driven to 
  attack as a symptom of a disease infecting their species. 
  A remove disease, heal, or similar malady curing 
  effect instantly halves a swarm’s hit points, 
  causing dozens of the normally benign primates 
  to stop their attack and wander off.
  Distraction (Ex) Any living creature that begins its 
  turn with a Sikari macaque swarm in its square must 
  succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 
  round. The save DC is Constitution-based.
  Sikari Rage (Ex) When a creature is damaged by a Sikari 
  macaque swarm, it must succeed at a DC 17 Fortitude 
  save or be affected as if by the spells confusion and 
  rage—a kind of blind fury known as Sikari rage. These 
  effects last for 1d6 rounds, and the effects of multiple 
  bites are cumulative.
  While the fast-acting nature of this effect is similar to a 
  poison, it is actually a disease, and the spell remove disease 
  immediately ends the effects. Creatures that are immune 
  to disease are also immune to this ability. The save DC is 
  Constitution-based.
  Skills Sikari macaque swarms have a +8 racial bonus on 
  Balance and Climb checks. They can always choose to take 
  10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. They use 
  their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier 
  for Climb checks.
  Often called the Red Wind, a churning mass of Sikari 
  macaques feels no fear, barely acknowledges pain, and 
  destroys everything in its path. A species of monkeys native 
  to the Sikari region of Vudra, Sikari macaques are small, 
  hairless, and mean. Their appearance and temperament 
  are not native traits, however, as within recorded Vudran 
  history nearly every member of the species has fallen victim 
  to a mysterious affliction known as Sikari rage. Thus, what 
  was once a highly social and endearingly curious breed 
  of tawny-furred monkeys has been reduced to gangs of 
  sikari MacaqUe sWarM
  Hundreds of tiny, hairless, reddish-hued 
  monkeys burst from the thick jungle canopy. 
  All at once, they’re climbing every tree, 
  swinging from every branch, covering every 
  inch of the ground. Their mouths seem permanently open 
  in a yowling shriek, a cacophony of rage only half as fearsome 
  as their tiny, bulbous black eyes.
  Sikari Macaque Swarm 
  CR 5
  N Tiny animal (swarm)
  Init +5; Senses low-light vision, scent; Listen +9, Spot +10
  DEFENSE
  AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 12
  (+5 Dex, +2 size)
  hp 65 (10d8+20)
  Fort +9, Ref +14, Will +6
  Defensive Abilities half damage from slashing and piercing 
  weapons, swarm traits
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
  Melee swarm (2d6 plus Sikari rage)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach —
  Special Attacks distraction, Sikari rage
  TACTICS
  During Combat Sikari macaque swarms attack as many foes 
  as possible, attempting to induce their own horrific rage in 
  their opponents.
  Morale Sikari macaque swarms are filled with constant fury 
  and always fight to the death.
  
  Bestiary
  89
  flesh-hungry brutes shrieking through jungle boughs, 
  consuming and demolishing anything in their path.
  A typical Sikari macaque stands just over 1 foot tall 
  and weighs less than 5 pounds. Swarms of these deadly 
  primates usually number from 30 to nearly a hundred.
  ecoLogY
  For the overwhelming population of Sikari macaques 
  infected with Sikari rage, life begins exactly as they live 
  it: enraged. After a relatively short gestation period of 4 
  months, a Sikari macaque is born into a tumultuous 
  world of spinning fur and gnashing teeth. Snatched up 
  by its mother or another female and carried along with 
  the swarming host, a newborn Sikari macaque is a naked, 
  squealing thing, all thrashing limbs and snapping teeth. 
  In only a few days’ time, though, these infantile tantrums 
  become the wild rages of a swiftly moving, sharp-clawed, 
  and dangerously crazed member of the primate swarm.
  Sikari macaques in captivity have lived nearly 20 years, 
  but in the wild their lives are much shorter, usually no more 
  than 5. The Red Wind doesn’t just leave a sea of destruction 
  and shattered plant life in its wake, it also leaves a path 
  of twisted primate corpses. The monkeys might not feel 
  pain when deep in the thrall of their rage, but the vicious, 
  clawing mass of fellow macaques inevitably overwhelms 
  sickly children and crippled or infirm adults. Those unable 
  to keep up and fend for themselves—against both prey and 
  the beatings of their fellows—are either consumed or tossed 
  aside to bleed their last into the soft jungle soil.
  The macaques subsist on meat from any creature they 
  can pick off alone or overwhelm as a swarm. They’re 
  generally nocturnal, preferring to find perches high in the 
  jungle canopy in which to rest while the sun slips across 
  the sky. During mating season, however, Sikari macaques 
  can be found awake and restless for weeks on end. Mating 
  season seems totally random and many scholars believe 
  that a family unit instinctually knows when it has room to 
  grow and does so.
  An individual Sikari macaque is gaunt, thin, and 
  completely lacking hair. Their pale skin is splotchy and 
  covered in patches of angry red welts—a symptom of the 
  disease that infects their species. Bulbous onyx eyes stare 
  blankly out of high eye sockets and their mouths seem to 
  perpetually hang open, revealing thin rows of knife-edge 
  teeth. Their hands and feet end in needle-like claws, and 
  their grip is far stronger than one would expect from an 
  animal of such small stature.
  haBitat & societY
  Even in their diseased rage, Sikari macaques form tight 
  family units of up to a hundred genetically linked monkeys. 
  These families are constantly on the move, their incensed 
  natures driving them rabidly onward. Swarms of the 
  ravenous primates slow and finally rest only during the 
  hottest hours of the day, and even then usually only for a 
  period of 4 to 6 hours. Although rarely spied by outside 
  observers, during these exhausted hours the primates 
  nurture their offspring, although this extends to little more 
  than mercilessly teaching their young how to hunt and 
  fight, and where to best attack larger beasts.
  Although interactions between Sikari macaques are 
  typically violent, their disease-addled deadliness increases 
  tenfold when directed toward prey or actual threats. 
  Without warning, dozens of individual  macaques merge 
  into a single roiling mass of red-hued flesh, capable of 
  shredding even a tiger as they tear their way through the 
  jungle. Having no real attachment to any one specific 
  location, Sikari macaques travel aimlessly and often 
  far from their native breeding grounds, swarming over 
  anything slow or stupid enough to cross their path.
  Sometimes, swarms of Sikari macaques cross paths. 
  Those members not killed outright in the resulting 
  violence come together to form a larger swarm. In extreme 
  cases, multiple swarms might collect and travel together, 
  forming large, dangerous groups called furies or frenzies. 
  Vudrani hunters have a special and rightful fear of Sikari 
  macaque frenzies, with many paying monthly penance to 
  Lahkgya of the Red Face, Patron of Monkeys, in hopes that 
  he won’t unleash his deadly children upon their hunting 
  grounds or villages.
  Sikari macaques can most commonly be found in the 
  thick, vine-choked Sikari region of northern Vudra. 
  Although they fear nothing, their swarms tend to stay 
  far away from civilization, preferring vegetation-choked 
  mountain slopes or deep river valleys.
  sikari rage
  Sikari macaques suffer from a deadly, highly virulent 
  disease known in Vudra as Sikari rage. Symptomatically 
  akin to stages of rabies, the disease is spread by scratches 
  and bites dealt by infected monkeys. Although most 
  animals are immune to Sikari rage, humanoids and other 
  types of macaques have dramatic reactions to the disease, 
  almost immediately falling into a furious stupor as the 
  affliction attempts to gain purchase. This rage passes in 
  mere moments, however, as the highly selective malady 
  swiftly dies outside of its chosen host species.
  The first case of Sikari rage appeared near the village 
  of Bannaquet in 4679 ar, not far from the ruins of 
  Reverchaldam, former home of the ousted society of 
  insidious alchemists known as the Breathers of Ash. What 
  began as isolated attacks by crazed monkeys turned into a 
  siege that the village barely withstood. Even today, most 
  of the citizens of Bannaquet live upon the bare slopes of 
  Sadar Vosdeol, forsaking outcasts and the poor to the 
  lower neighborhoods of Old Monkey Town.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  Deity: Iomedoe  HomelanD: Katapesh
  90
  EzrEn
  SEElah
  Male HuMan Wizard 7
  FeMale HuMan Paladin 7
  str
  str
  Defense
  HP 26
  AC 13
  touch 10, flat-footed 13
  Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +8
  Defense
  HP 57
  AC 22
  touch 10, flat-footed 22
  Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +5
  offense
  Melee cane +3 (1d6)
  Ranged light crossbow +2 
  (1d8/19–20)
  Base Atk +3; Grp +3
  Spells Prepared (CL 4th, +2 ranged 
  touch)
  4th—ice storm, stoneskin
  3rd—dispel magic, fly fireball (DC 17)
  2nd—bull’s strength, invisibility, 
  scorching ray, web (DC 16)
  1st—alarm, mage armor, magic 
  missile (2), shield
  0—daze (DC 14), detect magic (2), 
  light
  offense
  Melee +1 flaming longsword +12/+7 
  (1d8+4/19–20 plus 1d6 fire)
  Ranged mwk composite longbow 
  +8/+3 (1d8+3/×3)
  Base Atk +7; Grp +10
  Special Attacks lay on hands (14 
  hp/day), smite evil 2/day, turn 
  undead 5/day (+4, 2d6+6, 4th)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th)
  At Will—detect evil
  Spells Prepared (CL 3nd)
  1st—lesser restoration, protection 
  from evil
  Special Qualities  aura of courage, 
  divine grace, divine health, remove 
  disease 2/week, special mount
  skills
  Appraise 
  +8
  Concentration 
  +10
  Knowledge (arcana) 
  +14
  Knowledge (geography) +14
  Knowledge (history) 
  +14
  Knowledge (the planes) 
  +7
  Spellcraft 
  +14
  feats
  Combat Casting, Empower 
  Spell, Great Fortitude, 
  Improved Initiative, Scribe 
  Scroll, Spell Penetration
  familiar
  Sneak (weasel, MM 282)
  skills
  Heal 
  +5
  Knowledge (religion) 
  +6
  Ride  
  +4
  Sense Motive 
  +6
  feats
  Cleave, Mounted Combat, 
  Power Attack, Weapon 
  Focus (longsword)
  mount
  Aristide (heavy warhorse, 
  MM 273)
  Combat Gear alchemist’s fire (2), potion of cure moderate wounds, scroll of scorching ray, wand of magic 
  missile (CL 3rd, 46 charges); Other Gear cane (as club), dagger, light crossbow with 20 bolts, bracers of 
  armor +3, cloak of resistance +1, headband of intellect +2, ring of protection +1, backpack, rations (6), scroll 
  case, spellbook, spell component pouch, diamond dust (250 gp), 100 gp pearls (2), 100 gp
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds (2), wand of cure light wounds  (42 charges); Other Gear +1 
  full plate, +1 heavy steel shield, +1 flaming longsword, dagger, mwk composite longbow (+3 Str) with 20 
  arrows, cloak of Charisma +2, phylactery of faithfulness, backpack, rations (4), silver holy symbol, 64 gp
  align NG 
  init +3 
  sPeeD 30 ft.
  align LG 
  init +0 
  sPeeD 20 ft.
  dex
  dex
  con
  con
  int
  int
  wis
  wis
  cha
  cha
  11
  16
  9
  10
  12
  14
  19
  8
  15
  13
  9
  14
  abilities
  abilities
  Seelah’s parents were slain by gnoll raiders within months of their settling in Solku. When a group of 
  Iomedae’s knights arrived to help defend the town, Seelah was taken with their beautiful, shining armor. 
  She stole a helm from one of the paladins, but became overwhelmed with guilt. Worse, before she had a 
  chance to return the helm, the paladin was herself slain during the Battle of Red Hail. Wracked with guilt, 
  Seelah confessed her guilt to the paladins and vowed her life to their cause. Over the years, her guilt has 
  transformed into a powerful faith and conviction. She values Ezren’s wisdom and Harsk’s conviction, but 
  it is irreverent Lem who Seelah is most amused by, even if she sometimes feels his jokes go too far.
  The son of a successful spice merchant, Ezren’s childhood was pleasantly safe. This changed when his 
  father was charged with heresy by the church of Abadar. Ezren spent much of his adult life working to 
  repair his father’s ruined reputation, but when he discovered proof of his father’s guilt he abandoned 
  his family and set out into the world. Lacking the spry limbs of youth, Ezren fell naturally into the 
  ways of wizardry, swiftly becoming a gifted self-taught spellcaster. While he often argues on the value 
  of religion with Seelah, and his atrophied sense of humor often makes him the butt of Lem’s jokes, his 
  world experience and keen wit are quite valued by his younger traveling companions.
  Deity: Atheist  HomelanD: Absalom
  
  Characters
  Deity: Shelyn  HomelanD: Cheliax
  91
  harSk
  lEm
  Male dWarF ranger  7
  Male HalFling Bard 7
  str
  str
  Defense
  HP 49
  AC 19
  touch 13, flat-footed 16
  +4 against giants
  Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +3
  +2 against poison, spells, 
  and spell-like abilities
  Defense
  HP 34
  AC 20
  touch 16, flat-footed 16
  Fort +5, Ref +11, Will +6
  +2 vs. fear
  offense
  Melee +2 greataxe +11/+6 
  (1d12+5/×3)
  Ranged +1 heavy crossbow +11/+6 
  (1d10+1/19–20)
  Ranged +1 heavy crossbow +9/+9/+4 
  (1d10+1/19–20)
  Base Atk +7; Grp +9
  Special Attacks favored enemy 
  (giants +4; undead +2), +1 on attack 
  rolls against orcs and goblinoids
  Spells Prepared (CL 3rd)
  1st—entangle (DC 12), resist energy
  Special Qualities darkvision 60 ft., 
  stability, stonecunning, woodland 
  stride
  offense
  Melee +1 short sword +6 (1d4/19–20)
  Ranged mwk sling +11 (1d3–1)
  Base Atk +5; Grp +0
  Special Attacks bardic music 7/day
  Spells Known (CL 7th)
  3rd (1/day)—charm monster (DC 16), 
  major image (DC 17)
  2nd (3/day)—alter self, c. moderate 
  wounds, mirror image, sound burst 
  (DC 15)
  1st (4/day)—c. light wounds, feather 
  fall, hideous laughter (DC 14), silent 
  image (DC 15)
  0 (3/day)—detect magic, ghost 
  sound (DC 14), light, message, 
  prestidigitation, summon instrument
  skills
  Heal 
  +11
  Hide 
  +13
  Listen 
  +11
  Move Silently 
  +13
  Spot 
  +11
  Survival 
  +11
  Wild Empathy 
  +5
  feats
  Crossbow Mastery, 
  Endurance, Point Blank 
  Shot, Rapid Reload  
  (heavy crossbow), Rapid 
  Shot, Track
  animal ComPanion
  Biter (badger, MM 268)
  skills
  Bardic Knowledge 
  +8
  Bluff 
  +13
  Climb 
  +1
  Concentration  
  +9
  Diplomacy 
  +15
  Hide 
  +8
  Jump 
  +3
  Listen 
  –3
  Move Silently 
  +8
  Perform (comedy) 
  +13
  Perform (wind instruments) +11
  Tumble 
  +14
  Use Magic Device 
  +13
  feats
  Dodge, Mobility, Spell Focus 
  (illusion)
  Combat Gear antitoxin, potion of cure moderate wounds (2), smokestick, tanglefoot bag; Other Gear 
  +2 leather armor, +2 greataxe, +1 heavy crossbow with 30 bolts, screaming bolt (3), mwk silver dagger, 
  amulet of natural armor +1, bird feather token, backpack, rations (4), signal whistle, tea pot, 12 gp, 30 pp
  Combat Gear scroll of haste, wand of cure moderate wounds (50 charges); Gear +2 leather armor, dagger, 
  +1 short sword, mwk sling with 20 bullets, cloak of resistance +1, gloves of Dexterity +2, ring of protection +1, 
  backpack, masterwork flute, rations (6), spell component pouch, sunrods (3), 49 gp, 20 pp
  align LN 
  init +3 
  sPeeD 20 ft.
  align CG 
  init +4 
  sPeeD 20 ft.
  dex
  dex
  con
  con
  int
  int
  wis
  wis
  cha
  cha
  14
  8
  16
  18
  15
  13
  10
  12
  12
  8
  6
  16
  abilities
  abilities
  Although Lem was raised in the lap of luxury, his childhood was anything but comfortable. Growing up a 
  slave in the devil-haunted empire of Cheliax exposed Lem to a shocking range of decadence and debauchery. 
  He rarely speaks of his childhood, but one can see its effects in his high disdain for law and order, and his 
  intolerance for cruelty. Always quick to side with the underdog, Lem has learned that his most powerful trait 
  is his optimism and sense of humor—skills that almost make up for his small stature and impulsive nature. 
  Lem’s reasons for traveling with his current companions vary upon the day and his mood, but he certainly 
  values their strengths—and the never-ending supply of comedy material their antics provide him with.
  Harsk is, in many ways, not your standard dwarf. He prefers strong tea over alcohol (to keep his senses 
  sharp), the wildlands of the surface world (where giants can be found), and the crossbow over the axe 
  (which allows him to start fights faster). Yet few dare to mock him for his choices, for if there’s anywhere 
  that Harsk is dwarven, it is in his gruff and offputting attitude. Much of his anger stems from the death 
  of his brother’s warband. Slain to a man by giants, Harsk came upon the slaughter moments too late to 
  save his brother. Harsk’s hatred of giants has fueled him and shapes his life. His companions value his 
  skill at combat even if they’re somewhat afraid of him.
  Deity: Torag  HomelanD: Druma
  
  Preview
  Next Month  
  In Pathfinder
  92
  A History of AsHes
  by Michael Kortes
  The only hope for Korvosa’s salvation lies far beyond its 
  walls, in the barbaric hands of its oldest enemies, the 
  Shoanti. Any who would dare break the Curse of the 
  Crimson Throne must first journey into the burning 
  expanse of the Cinderlands, a merciless wasteland of ash 
  and fire. Even then, aid is only given to those who prove 
  themselves to the bitter natives through an exhausting 
  and perilous series of trials, feats that might be impossible 
  even without enraged savages, minions of the god of pain, 
  terrifying gargoyles, and the assassins of the Red Mantis 
  in hot pursuit!
  tHe CinderlAnds
  by Jacob Frazier
  What can live in a land that burns? In the hellish 
  Cinderlands—a barren place of scrub, ash, and flame—only 
  the heartiest creatures and most tenacious plants flourish. 
  Learn how to endure scorching emberstorms, avoid 
  explosive cinder cones, hunt the region’s blistering beasts, 
  and survive as you traverse Varisia’s blazing wastes. 
  tHe sHoAnti
  by Eric Boyd and Michael Kortes
  Walk the unforgiving path of Varisia’s native barbarians, 
  the Shoanti. Learn of the proud heritages of their seven 
  quahs, the fearless traditions of their dauntless warriors, 
  and their indomitable resolve to tame one of the harshest 
  wildernesses in all Golarion. 
  PAtHfinder’s JournAl
  Eando Klein’s trek through the orc-dominated Hold of 
  Belkzen puts him on a warpath few can hope to survive in 
  the next entry of the Pathfinder’s Journal.
  BestiAry
  Undead unnatural disasters, beasts of the burning plains, 
  colossi too titanic for one stat block, and worse! 
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  Don’t miss out on a single encounter! Head over to  
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  get harrowed
  All trademarks are property of Paizo Publishing®, LLC. ©2008 Paizo. All Rights Reserved
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  While the old King of Korvosa lays dying, a new ruler gathers power, sending shockwaves through a populace already 
  plagued by unrest. In the face of anarchy, new heroes gather at the call of a mysterious patron which sets them on a 
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  Lords of Old  Korvosa
  Emperor of Old   Korvosa
  P ilts Swastel
  T he Arkonas
  Korvosa’s Enemies
  Jabb yr
  Old Dock
  Captains
  Old Dock
  T hugs
  Bahor 
  ( Glorio Arkona)
  Sab ina Merrin
  Seneschal  T ogomor
  Gray Maidens
  Red Mantis
  Queen Ileosa Arabasti
  Vimanda
  (Mel yia Arkona)
  Avidexu
  Avishandu
  Carnochan
  Nudhaali
  Vennashti
  Choker Brutes
  Sivit
  Senshiir
  Various Criminal 
  Organizations
  Cerulean
  Society
  Guildmaster
  Boule
  Lesser
  Grou ps
  
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  Printed in China. PZO9009
  F
  ear stalks the streets of Old Korvosa as the Curse 
  of the Crimson Throne continues! Anarchy, 
  plague, and the mandates of a pitiless queen have 
  thrown the island community into chaos. Forsaken 
  by the government and cut off from the rest of the city, 
  hundreds of unfortunates stand helpless against the 
  rising criminal warlords, each eager to carve out a slice of 
  Korvosa as his own. Yet, amid the turmoil of warring gangs 
  and sinister power mongers hides the only man who might 
  be able to restore sanity to the beleaguered city. But why has 
  he remained silent for so long? What secret of the new queen 
  does he hide? And what fiendish power grows in the shadows, 
  ready to sink its claws into the heart of Old Korvosa?
  This volume of Pathfinder includes:
  ► 
  “Escape from Old Korvosa,” an adventure for  
  8th-level characters, by Richard Pett.
  ►  
  A glimpse into the world of assassins and the  
  blood-soaked path of Golarion’s peerless killers,  
  the Red Mantis, by James Jacobs and Nicolas Logue.
  ►  
  The merciless manipulations and earthbound  
  evils of the rakshasa, by Owen K. C. Stephens.
  ►  
  Eando Klein finds more to fear than orcs in the heart of  
  the Hold of Belkzen, a new entry into the Pathfinder’s 
  Journal, by Amber Scott.
  ►  
  Five new monsters by Brian Cortijo, Joshua J. Frost,  
  James Jacobs, and Richard Pett.
  They Walk Among Us!
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/Adventure Paths/PF007-012 - Curse of the Crimson Throne/Curse of the Crimson Throne - 03 - Escape From Old Korvosa.pdf