TEXT: 1
  “For Pathfinder® Role-Playing game”
  ZEITGEIST Adventure Number 4 Add-On
  Crypta Hereticarum
   
  From the Pen of Ryan Nock
   
  Evocative Illustration by Eleni Tsami
   
  Stunning Cartographic Displays by James Hazelett
   
  with Layout and Graphic Design by Eric Life-Putnam
  Expertly Converted for Pathfinder by Russell Torres
  Ably Produced and Facilitated by Russell Morrissey
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  2
  Crypta HeretiCarum:
  the Vault of Heresies
  E
  vil lies trapped within the Crypta Hereti-
  carum—the Vault of Heresies. The Clergy believes 
  that true evil cannot be destroyed, and that killing 
  an unholy disciple or destroying a cursed item will 
  only free its malevolence to wreak havoc elsewhere 
  in the world. For centuries, whenever the priests and 
  godhands of the Clergy collected dangerous items, 
  captured evil acolytes, or rescued afflicted innocents 
  whose curses they could not break, they placed them in 
  the vault, built beneath the desolate isle of Odiem, off 
  the coast of the city Sid Minos.
  After the Great Malice, the Clergy fell into disarray for 
  years, and those responsible for maintaining the vault 
  had more pressing issues. They sealed it, tried to erase 
  knowledge of it, and used their divine power to compel 
  all those who had drowned in the rocky seas nearby to 
  rise up and slay any intruders.
  Many still tried to plunder its treasures—indeed, in 
  the default version of events, it’s already picked clean 
  by the time the PCs arrive in Adventure Four, Always 
  on Time. But these dungeon delvers are drawn not only 
  by the promise of rare riches and powerful magic, but by 
  the mysterious temptation of the vault’s greatest prisoner, 
  Ashima-Shimtu.
  Ashima-Shimtu.
  Known as the Lady of the Forked Tongue, the demoness Ashima-
  Shimtu has lived on this world for thousands of years. She served as 
  seneschal to the rulers of the vile Demonocracy, which the Clergy 
  overthrew in their liberation of the mortal races a millennium ago. The 
  Clergy captured her, but dared not kill her, for she alone knew a secret 
  that the Clergy feared could never be released. Only a handful know the 
  nature of that secret, but in her thousand years of imprisonment, the 
  Last of the High Fiends has only ever told the knowledge in full to two 
  intruders. Within a year one great civilization had collapsed, another fell 
  into chaos for decades, and the world was forever changed.
  using this Dungeon.
  Should you desire to give the party a full-fledged dungeon crawl during 
  Adventure Four, Always on Time, we present this more-detailed Vault of 
  Heresies, one which has not been so thoroughly ransacked.
  Alternately, you might run the dungeon as a stand-alone adventure for 
  a party of 6th-level PCs. The PCs might be a group of priests heading 
  in to fix things after some disaster breaks most of the trapped monsters 
  loose, a team of heretics determined to learn the most precious secret 
  held by Ashima-Shimtu, or simply adventurers with a contact in the 
  Clergy who can provide the necessary spell to get them out—after they 
  get as much treasure as they can carry. Or you might make it so the only 
  way to get out is to use a water breathing spell and go through the well 
  beneath the final chamber.
  The Zeitgeist adventure path returns to the Crypta Hereticarum 
  in Adventure Eight, Diaspora. In that adventure, the party will have 
  the Crown of the Lost Arc, an artifact that can make events from the 
  past manifest; this item provides the perfect excuse to include horrors 
  that weren’t here the first time around. To make this dungeon a viable 
  challenge for characters of 13th–14th level (the levels appropriate for 
  Adventure Eight), you can advance the monsters using the rules in the 
  Pathfinder Role-Playing Game Bestiary.
  At any level, the nature of the dungeon prevents simply withdrawing 
  to heal and regroup. The vault chambers become progressively more 
  horrific and unfair the deeper the party progresses. Though we in-
  clude sacred fonts as a way to keep an ill-prepared party from dying 
  due to hit point attrition, careless PCs will stumble into traps or curses 
  and die.
  If you’re afraid of killing your party mid-campaign, you can simply 
  tone down the lethality—for example, instead of perishing, a PC who is 
  “killed” is instead possessed by a demon that keeps his body functional 
  despite blood loss and broken bones. If the character manages to get 
  out of the crypt, the demon exits his body, leaving him horribly injured 
  but stable.
  Cursed Items Galore.
  Many of the chambers of the vault have a cursed item the PCs can come 
  across. Some might have niche uses, so don’t be surprised if the players 
  try to take lemons and make lemonade.
  
  3
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  Forces at Work.
  Though Ashima-Shimtu is the most notable prisoner, two other figures 
  hold power inside the vault. The first is Giovanni the Painter, a mag-
  ic-using artist from the pre-Malice era who could create small pocket 
  dimensions in his paintings. He was accused of debauched violence and 
  sex in these worlds, which he ruled like a petty god. When the godhands 
  came to arrest him, he hid in a massive painting and refused to emerge. 
  The painting was carted into the vault and bound so Giovanni could 
  never escape.
  Giovanni shared his knowledge with generations of intruders who be-
  came stranded in the dungeon, and over time they converted many of the 
  paintings in Giovanni’s chamber into more pocket dimensions where 
  these new prisoners could find food and slake all their carnal thirsts. His 
  chamber has effectively become a constant bacchanalia.
  The other figure of note, in Chamber Seven, Damned Souls, is the 
  bearded devil Belcamp of the Golden Chain, a squad leader in a long-
  forgotten devil army that tried to conquer this world ages ago. Belcamp 
  joined with the Demonocracy and eventually rose to a modest position. 
  He freed and gathered the various evil spirits in the dungeon, and occa-
  sionally recruits foolish treasure hunters to join his “legion.” Mostly he 
  just broods, since there is little to do other than squabble with Giovanni 
  for turf.
  Those who join Belcamp’s legion wear chains of lead—Giovanni pos-
  sesses the only gold in the entire vault. These chains take away both 
  their free will and their daily need for food or rest.
  Both figures wish to leave, but in several centuries neither has. Only 
  one intruder has ever made it into Ashima-Shimtu’s final chamber: the 
  lunatic godhand Gene Javerto. Gene went mad from a lifetime of facing 
  evil and believed if he freed Ashima-Shimtu he could rule the Clergy. 
  His assault on the vault killed dozens of priests and broke many of the 
  seals that held the evil here in place.
  He bargained with Belcamp, trading a spell that restored the devil’s 
  leaden chains to gold in exchange for a collection of lead sheets that had 
  once been golden mirrors. Then he performed a blood rite to enter the 
  final chamber and was never seen again.
  With no prospects of escape, Belcamp and Giovanni are motivated by 
  the wholly pointless and petty desire to overwhelm each other, and any 
  new intruder is seen as a possible tipping point in their conflict.
  architecture of the Damned.
  Except where otherwise noted, the subterranean vault is unlit. The halls 
  between chambers are 15 feet wide and tall—wide enough for some of 
  the massive cursed items to be carted in. Though depicted as straight 
  on the map, they actually curve and split with numerous small cubbies 
  and side rooms that contain minor heresies like piles of defaced holy 
  symbols. These pose no threat, but were stored here for political reasons.
  Religious carvings dot the stone walls, flecked with bits of gold dust 
  that makes teleportation out of the vault impossible. A Passwall ritual 
  or similar stone shaping magic would work, but the layout of the vault 
  makes such shortcuts of little use for escaping, though they can bypass 
  the curses on the doors at the entrance of certain chambers.
  The floors consist of a layer of thin concrete mixed with crushed bones 
  from generations of priests who chose to be interred here. Beneath that is 
  rusted iron grating, and under that a shallow channel of red-tinged sea-
  water. Beneath that is bedrock, though centuries have caused the island 
  to shift somewhat. Combined with the rust, in some places the floor has 
  simply collapsed and flooded.
  Heavy bronze doors mark the entrance and exit to the various cham-
  bers. All are unlocked, except the door to Chamber Nine, which is 
  bound by a spell. Normally only someone who has passed the seven tri-
  als of virtue (see below) can open the door to the final chamber.
  Infinite Hallways.
  Chamber One leads south to Chamber Two. Once a person passes 
  through the south door of Chamber One (Area I on the map), he is af-
  fected by the leaden curse. Subtle teleportation magic worked into the 
  hallways cause them to feed back into each other. Trying to head north 
  from Chamber Two leads to the southern doors of Chamber Eight, and 
  vice versa. Likewise, heading east from Chamber Six leads to Chamber 
  Four, and vice versa. Other scattered traps teleport explorers, which can 
  cause groups to become scattered and dispersed among hostile areas.
  When the leaden curse falls upon a character, any gold the character 
  carries is transmuted to lead, leaving them vulnerable to the teleporta-
  tion curses of the vault. (Priests would carry gold rings with them inside 
  extradimensional spaces, then put those rings on after coming inside.) 
  This spell is effectively a curse each person that functionas at caster level 
  20. If the curse is  dispelled, that person’s gold is returned to normal, and 
  he can then leave the vault by the normal exit in Chamber One.
  Seven Trials of Virtue.
  Short of casting a very lucky remove curse or break enchantment spell, 
  a character can be freed from the curse if he “passes the seven trials of 
  virtue.” This is just a flowery way of saying that a character must drink 
  from the holy water fonts in Chambers Two through Eight. At that point 
  he can either open the door to Chamber Nine or leave through Chamber 
  One. In the eyes of the designers of the crypt, anyone who chooses to 
  speak with Ashima-Shimtu must be corrupted and cannot be trusted 
  to leave the dungeon. Once a character enters Chamber Nine, none of 
  the holy water fonts function for him anymore, and any holy water the 
  character tries to drink evaporates on his lips.
  Golden Ward, 
  Leaden Curse.
  In Zeitgeist, rings of gold block teleportation. This element is critical to 
  the design of this dungeon. The stones in the walls are laced with gold, 
  preventing creatures from teleporting out. But the dungeon relies on 
  teleportation magic within to make the hallways a sort of infinite loop. 
  Normally a creature wearing a gold ring could bypass this and just walk 
  right out the front door, but the vault also has a special curse laid upon 
  it, which causes gold on any creature that enters the vault to turn to lead.
  The leaden curse was only known to a few who crafted the vault, 
  and none today are aware of it except those already trapped inside. 
  Supremely cautious or prepared characters might dispel the magic along 
  the threshold of the vault that turns lead to gold, or have the right magic 
  to break the curse, but they likely fall prey and become trapped within.
  Three ways out are likely: smuggle in gold rings inside an 
  extradimensional space like a bag of holding, take the gold chain from 
  Belcamp in Chamber Seven, or ignore the leaden curse altogether and 
  exit by gaining Ashima-Shimtu’s favor.
  
  4
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  Foyer.
  Stairs lead down from the Odiem lighthouse to the centuries-old vault. 
  The foyer once provided a place of worship and reflection. Warnings 
  in an archaic language cover the walls, but most have been defaced. A 
  pair of bronze doors hangs open, warding sigils scraped and melted 
  off. A makeshift iron door-bar leans against the wall, formed from three 
  swords melted together, sufficient to bar oneself inside the vault to keep 
  out the drowned dead.
  A feminine voice speaks into your minds. “Religious magic marks this crypt 
  forbidden, but visitors may find shelter, wisdom, and wealth below, if such they 
  seek. But more precious by far is the chance of escape, for at the center of the 
  Vault of Heresies, its greatest prisoner offers freedom from the curse of the Isle 
  of Odiem. These strangers are bidden to enter, lest in the grasp of the dead they 
  shall drown by dawn.”
  This is the voice of Ashima-Shimtu. She has been trapped here for 
  centuries, and the whole island’s purpose was tied to her, so she has 
  gained the ability to telepathically contact any creature here, though she 
  does so sparingly. Her nature is reserved, and while she is prepared to 
  find opportunities to escape, she is normally content to wait silently in 
  her prison until someone sufficiently interesting comes along.
  Drinking Vessels.
  When anyone steps through the doors into Chamber One, they hear a 
  clatter behind them: seven conjured gold drinking vessels fell to the floor 
  because the stands meant to support them were long ago stolen. Each ves-
  sel can hold a pint. They last until the next sunrise and then disappear.
  Chamber One: Vault entrance.
  Water drips in the darkness, and puddles splash as the party walks. The 
  walls show signs of being slashed and burned long ago, but this evening 
  nothing stirs. The chamber is basically empty, but the party can become 
  familiar with its general layout; all chambers are arranged similarly.
  A. Main Gallery.
  Inscriptions on the wall describe the purpose of each chamber. The 
  inscriptions are damaged and vandalized, but the general gist of the re-
  maining pieces is that this vault houses creatures, items, and people that 
  contained evil, and that rather than destroying them and releasing their 
  evil back into the world, the Clergy entombed them here. The inscrip-
  tions warn that those who enter must be strong in the seven virtues, and 
  that they must resist temptation of the seven vices, for those who enter 
  will be judged, and those found impure will never be able to leave.
  The doors leading to area F have bronze plating over a rotted wooden 
  core, and they scrape the ground, requiring a Strength check (DC 20) to 
  push open as a move action, making an ear-wrenching screech. They are 
  embossed with the names of the nine chambers:
  1. Main Gallery.
  2. Heretical Texts.
  3. Unholy Arms & Armor.
  4. Blasphemous Artwork.
  5. Accursed Items.
  6. Afflicted Innocents.
  7. Damned Souls.
  8. Beasts of the Infernal Horde.
  9. The Prison of Ashima-Shimtu, Lady of the Forked Tongue, Last 
  of the High Fiends, Seneschal of the Demonocracy, Keeper of the 
  Secret Which Must Not Be Lost.
  Virtues and Vices.
  The walls briefly detail the Clergy’s seven virtues.
   • Honesty. Purity of word and thought.
   • Temperance. Restraint and moderation.
   • Charity. Generosity and self-sacrifice.
   • Diligence. Zealous, steadfast, and careful worth ethic.
   • Mercy. Resolving conflicts with peace.
   • Humility. Modest and selfless behavior.
   • Bravery. Courage to undertake dangerous tasks for the good of 
  others.
  And then its seven vices.
   • Hubris. Ambition and a sense of superiority.
   • Gluttony. Obsession with physical pleasures.
   • Greed. Rapacious want of material possessions.
   • Sloth. Failure to do as one is required.
   • Wrath. Uncontrolled hatred and anger.
   • Envy. Bitter desire to deprive others and take what they have.
   • Melancholy. Lack of joy toward life.
  Skeletal Priests.
  Throughout the vault, whenever blood spills on the ground (a living crea-
  ture is first reduced to half HP in an encounter, or someone intentionally 
  spills blood), a sacred skeleton animates within 30 feet, rising up from the 
  bone dust on the floor, and acts immediately. Normally these skeletons 
  attack indiscriminately. Mark the space where the blood fell. Further 
  blood shed there will not animate more skeletons.
  Sacred Skeleton  
  CR 1/2 • XP 200
  NE Medium undead
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0
  Defense
  AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)
  hp 6 (1d8+2); fast healing 1 
  Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +2
  Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, deathless; DR 5/bludgeoning; 
  Immune cold, undead traits
  Offense
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee 2 claws +2 (1d4+2)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentration +2)
  1/day—command (DC 13)
  Statistics
  Str 15, Dex 14, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 14
  Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 14
  Feats Improved Initiative
  Special Abilities
  Deathless (Su) A sacred skeleton is destroyed when reduced to 0 hp but 
  returns to unlife 1 hour later at 1 hp, allowing its fast healing thereafter to 
  resume healing it. A sacred skeleton can be permanently destroyed if it is 
  destroyed by positive energy, if it is reduced to 0 hp in the area of a bless 
  or hallow spell, or if its remains are sprinkled with a vial of holy water.
  
  5
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  
  6
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  B. Statuary.
  Cracked and toppled statues here depict seven saints of the Clergy who 
  embodied the saintly virtues, as well as a statue of the hierarch who com-
  missioned the vault.
  C. Lesser Exhibits.
  Two binding circles sit here, glowing dimly. If a creature enters one of 
  these circles (or those like it throughout the dungeon), he must succeed 
  an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check (DC 20) or else be trapped. 
  Outsiders take a –10 penalty to this check. A trapped creature cannot 
  leave the circle or affect the circle, and can neither attack anyone outside 
  the circle, nor use any sort of magic that goes beyond the circle. A crea-
  ture can attempt another ability check as a free action once per round to 
  try to escape. The creature can be released via forced movement, or by 
  damaging the circle.
  Each circle here has a pedestal supporting some item of note. One 
  supports a book on a stand, sitting open to a story about a cat that 
  taught mankind fire. An illustration actually moves as if it is a portal 
  into another world, showing a small cookfire next to a tiny house in 
  the woods, though there’s no sign of the cat. Beside the pedestal lies a 
  long-decayed human corpse that looks like it was mauled. The text, The 
  First Spellbook of Giovanni the Painter, contains guidance for creating 
  extradimensional spaces, and includes the rope trick spell.
  Anyone touching the book summons Agunn, Giovanni’s vicious white 
  house-cat familiar, which has the strength of a tiger. He attacks anyone 
  who does not treat him properly, but can tell of his master if sufficiently 
  flattered. Giovanni survives in Chamber Four, Blasphemous Artwork.
  The other circle contains an enchanted helm of ivory whose only pow-
  er is to grant the wearer the ability to speak and understand the language 
  of demons.
  D. Greater Exhibits.
  Three binding circles here contain the Legex Diaboli, a lawbook of the 
  old Demonocracy; the sword of remorse, which if the wielder ever re-
  leases it, it will teleport and stab the nearest other creature; and a simple 
  length of gold chain, each link of which is inscribed with a holy verse 
  asking for mercy.
  E. Hall of Wisdom.
  Down the side stairs, scripture and religious doctrine line both walls, 
  though most has been defaced.
  F. Pious Mount.
  This rise overlooks the Keystone Exhibit (Area I), and despite the best 
  efforts of previous looters, its hallowed enchantment remains. A mosaic 
  resembling the flag of Crisillyir lies here: a hand wrapped by a thread 
  and fishhook. A character might recall (Knowledge (religion) DC 18) a 
  ritual this set-up suggests.
  A person who cups a bit of holy water from the nearby font (Area H) in 
  one hand, then places his other hand upon the hand in the mosaic, then 
  drinks the water, is effected a blessing. First, he heals 3d8+5 hit points. 
  Second, he gains a +1 morale bonus to saving throws until he leaves the 
  vault, or for 24 hours, whichever is sooner.
  The blessings from Pious Mounts in other chambers are cumulative. A 
  character can only benefit from a given Pious Mount once per day (which 
  includes the healing effect).
  G. Trial Room.
  Originally priests would come to the vault and undergo tests of their 
  piety. Three skeletons in tattered priestly robes lie here, each burned 
  with a single hand-print that seared cloth and bone.
  H. Blessing Room.
  Broken and rotted benches here face a podium once used for organized 
  prayer. The bones of at least a dozen people have been arranged around 
  the podium, some of them showing partially burnt hand-prints. In one 
  wall, a cracked stone basin still drips holy water.
  I. Keystone Exhibit.
  The vaulted ceilings of this seemingly empty chamber rises up 40 feet. Magi-
  cal darkness shrouds the ceiling, and the moment anyone crosses the middle of 
  the room or attempts to examine the ceiling, this chamber’s prisoner plummets, 
  screaming. Then her descent snaps to a stop just at eye level, as she reaches the 
  end of her chains. Six golden chains descend from the ceiling, ending in silver 
  hooks that dig into her arms, legs, and back. Sinewy and starved, she thrashes 
  and screams again, reaching out desperately. Blood stains her feathered wings 
  the color of rust, and her eyes have sunken so deep they appear to be black pits.
  The prisoner, Linia, has lived on this world for thousands of years 
  after finding long ago that some magic prevented her from returning to 
  her homeland of gods and angels. She helped Triegenes defeat the De-
  monocracy and found the Clergy, but after his death she began to speak 
  out against some of the decisions of the hierarchs, who chose personal 
  profit over the welfare of all. For centuries she was a thorn in their side, 
  until they finally staged her death and used it as an excuse to launch the 
  First Victory.
  Though as an angel she needs no food, centuries of imprisonment 
  have left Linia feeble and mad. All she can do is wail and beg for death, 
  but mighty enchantments on her chains render her immune to physical 
  harm. Weapons simply bounce off as if she were stone. The hierarchs 
  feared in death she might somehow escape and report their betrayal.
  All she can offer the PCs is insane warnings.
  “He travels in your breath, on your words, in the rustle of your hair in the 
  breeze. You are not possessed. Don’t believe the voices in your ears. Believe only 
  the voice in your head. You have no torches. You’ll go blind. You’ll die of thirst, but 
  drink with the left hand! Please leave now and beg them to cut me down. I’ll agree 
  to their lies. I’ll call them gods. Please let me die.”
  There is nothing the party can do for her now, but she will be freed 
  when the Obscurati complete their ritual at the end of Adventure Nine, 
  which weakens the spells holding her.
  The Leaden Curse.
  Characters who pass through the doors to the south are affected by the 
  leaden curse. The curse converts all gold to lead, effectively trapping the 
  characters here by subjecting them to teleportation traps. It also simulta-
  neously teleports any of the exhibits that were in this room back to their 
  pedestals, unless they were carried in an extradimensional space.
  Make sure the players notice the effects of the curse. If the PCs try 
  to head back north into Chamber One, they end up entering Area I of 
  Chamber Eight, where they’re in for a nasty surprise.
  
  7
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  Haunted Hallways.
  Encounter Level 9.
  While the chambers themselves hold the majority of treasures, many of 
  the greatest dangers lie in the hallways between them. Each hallway is 
  roughly 400 feet long, with cubbies and side tunnels that just lead to 
  minor chambers. The party encounters the following challenges as they 
  go from chamber to chamber.
  * 1 to 2 (or 2 to 8). Radiant curtain and invisible stalker.
  * 2 to 3. Infinite hallway and möbius wind.
  * 3 to 4. All disabled.
  * 2 to 5. Flooded sump.
  * 5 to 6. Stone pillar drop.
  * 4 to 6. World’s biggest portable hole.
  * 3 to 7. Pacifism penance.
  * 5 to 7. Spear fraises.
  * 7 to 8. Teleportation scatter trap.
  Hall One to Two (or Two to Eight).
  In this hallway lurks a free-roaming prisoner, the invisible stalker 
  Maensha’il. Wholly evil, it derives joy only from mayhem and suffering. 
  It would far prefer to drive a party to fight each other rather than engage 
  them in combat, so it tries never to make itself known (Perception DC 44).
  When the PCs are 300 feet in—100 feet from the next chamber—the 
  character farthese away from the next chamber hears a voice whispering in 
  some demonic tongue. This is Maensha’il, speaking from just outside the 
  area of the radiant cascade trap. It hopes to split the party up and confuse 
  them when the trap triggers.
  Maensa’il  
  CR 7 • XP 3,200
  Invisible stalker
  N Medium outsider (air, elemental, extraplanar)
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12
  Defense
  AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+4 Dex, +6 natural)
  hp 80 (7d10+42)
  Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +4
  Defensive Abilities natural invisibility; Immune elemental traits
  Offense
  Speed 30 ft., fly 30 (perfect)
  Melee 2 slams +12 (2d6+4)
  Statistics
  Str 18, Dex 19, Con 22, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 11
  Base Atk +7; CMB +11; CMD 25
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Focus (slam)
  Skills Acrobatics +14, Bluff +10, Fly +22, Knowledge (planes) +12, Perception +12, 
  Sense Motive +12, Stealth +14, Survival +12 
  Languages Auran, Common
  SQ improved tracking
  Special Abilities
  Improved Tracking (Ex) An invisible stalker takes no penalty to Survival checks 
  when tracking and moving at any speed. 
  Natural Invisibility (Ex) This ability is constant—an invisible stalker remains 
  invisible at all times, even when attacking. As this ability is inherent, it is not subject 
  to the invisibility purge spell. Against foes that cannot pinpoint it, the invisible 
  stalker gains a +20 bonus on Stealth checks when moving, or +40 when standing 
  still—these bonuses are not included in the statistics above.
  Radiant Cascade Trap  
  CR 5 • XP 1,600
  Type magic; Perception DC 29; Disable Device DC 29
  Effects
  Trigger location; Reset automatic
  Effect spell effect (wall of fire; 2d4 fire damage within 10 feet, 1d4 fire damage within 
  20 feet, 2d6+10 fire damage passing through); multiple targets (15-ft. long wall 
  appears 100 feet away, moves 10 feet closer each round)
  After the party gets past this trap, Maensha’il waits for the curtain to 
  finish its path, then flies easily through the hole in the top of the door. It 
  continues to follow the party throughout the dungeon, using whispered 
  madness occasionally to cause them to strike each other during combat 
  (this is especially nasty in Chamber Six), or moving valuable objects 
  nearby a particular PC, as if to imply that the character is unconsciously 
  taking them himself. If detected, it might try to throw a PC into harm’s 
  way, but then it flees. The stalker is just an option available to you to 
  make the dungeon eerie, and to make an easy encounter have a sudden 
  spike of danger.
  Hall Two to Three.
  A malfunctioning teleportation trap makes this path seem impassable. 
  About a hundred feet down the hallway, a beheaded statue of a priest 
  lies at the juncture of a T-intersection which slopes uphill to the left and 
  downhill to the right. As the party approaches, the severed stone head of 
  the statue slowly rolls from left to right down the hall. If they wait about 
  a minute, it returns, rolling past again, just as it has for centuries.
  Either direction proceeds for an apparent distance of 100 feet before 
  returning back to the same T-intersection. Originally several mechani-
  cal traps filled these side halls—falling spears, scythes that slashed feet, 
  and such—but previous tomb raiders disabled them, and their com-
  ponents lie shattered on the ground. The hall is now harmless, but a 
  seeming dead end.
  The statue at the T-intersection stands in front of a secret recessed 
  handle (Perception DC 30). If pulled, the statue is supposed to animate 
  and step aside, and then the T-intersection would transform into a 
  straight hallway. While the statue is missing its head, though, the con-
  flux of teleportation magic goes awry if the handle is pulled.
  Möbius Wind.
  The walls rumble, and the left hallway seals shut, but the right one flick-
  ers: half closed, half open. The air of the room starts to stir in a sudden 
  gust that spins in a ever-swifter loop through the malfunctioning portal. 
  After a round, the statue’s head is picked up and carried with the hur-
  ricane force wind. Any creature within 15 feet of the statue is in danger.
  Each creature in the area takes 4d6 nonlethal damage and is pushed 10 
  feet toward the right hall. A successful DC 16 Fortitude save reduces the 
  damage to 2d6 nonlethal and negates the push. A creature pushed into 
  the right hall is teleported back beside the statue and takes an additional 
  2d6 damage from unstable shunting.
  This recursive wind ends if the head is placed on the statue (Dexterity 
  DC 18 to catch it in mid-air), or if the handle behind the statue is pulled 
  again.
  Hall Three to Four.
  Various traps once existed here, but Giovanni’s people have disabled 
  them all. Sitting in the middle of the hallway is a mock ironic “guard 
  dog,” a cursed watchful hound.
  
  8
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  Crypta Hereticarum
  Cursed Watchful Hound
  This foot-tall magic statue depicts a wise hound carved from granite. Its eyes move to 
  watch anyone who approaches.
  Aura faint abjuration; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Weight 2 lbs.
  Description
  The owner of this item can say a command phrase – “buono cani” – which familiar-
  izes the statue to a given creature within line of sight. Otherwise, the statue barks at 
  the sight of any creature it isn’t familiar with. (Obnoxiously, it keeps barking even as 
  you try to familiarize it.) The statue has darkvision 60 feet. Several times each day, 
  if no one is watching the statue, food will disappear within 30 feet, leaving behind 
  mysteriously torn and chewed containers or packs. Shortly thereafter, foul-smelling 
  dog droppings appear beside the statue.
  Hall Two to Five.
  The stone here settled and cracked, and the middle 200 feet of this tunnel 
  flooded. The original trap that was here rusted away, so now all the party 
  needs to do is bypass the sunken area. Bear in mind that they probably 
  cannot use light sources other than torches, forcing them to swim blindly.
  Hall Five to Six.
  At twenty spots along this 400-foot tunnel, stone pillars are rigged to fall 
  from the ceiling, possibly crushing intruders. Each pillar is 5 feet square, 
  and falls either on the left, right, or middle of the hall.
  Every 20 feet the character in the lead effectively has a one-in-three 
  chance of picking the wrong spot. Have the lead character make Percep-
  tion checks (DC 26; see the stat block) every 20 feet until she succeeds, 
  and each time she fails roll 1d3; on a 1, she triggers the trap. Obviously 
  once the character triggers a trap, she can easily avoid it in the future, but 
  if a character is running in a hurry you might call for a Wisdom check 
  (DC 13) to recall all their locations.
  Falling Pillar Trap  
  CR 6 • XP 2,400
  Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
  Effects
  Trigger location; Reset automatic (5 minutes)
  Effect Atk +15 melee (5-ft. stone pillar; 6d6)
  Hall Four to Six.
  This hallway has a very simple trap, easily bypassed by an intelligent 
  creature. The floor is covered in an old tarp that has been painted to 
  resemble a pit, as wide as the hallway and 30 feet long. Indeed, a creature 
  that steps onto the apparently solid surface falls into the tarp’s painting, 
  plummeting 50 feet (taking 5d6 damage; Reflex DC 20 negates).
  The solution to bypass this is to shift the tarp slightly to create a path-
  way. It’s heavy, requiring a standard action to clear one 5-foot square. 
  Unseen servants will reset the trap five minutes later. Moving the whole 
  tarp requires at least a dozen people.
  Hall Three to Seven.
  Every 5 feet a character walks down this hallway, each weapon he is car-
  rying deals him 1 point of damage as each strikes him suddenly. The 
  magic is precise, though, and it won’t hurt a character if he just throws 
  his weapons, walks a few feet, then picks them up and throws them again. 
  Extradimensional spaces also work fine.
  Hall Five to Seven.
  The original traps here were disabled. Now Belcamp’s legion has placed 
  obvious and easily-avoided fraises of bone and stone spears pointing to-
  ward Chamber Five, intended to deter incursions by the rust monsters 
  there. A character that enters one of these spaces takes 1d6 damage un-
  less he moves slowly. The rust monsters are too big and stupid to avoid 
  the spears, so they just don’t come through here.
  Hall Seven to Eight.
  Belcamp’s legionnaires keep their doors sealed tightly just in case the 
  beasts in Chamber Eight start roaming. Additionally, the halfway point 
  in this hallway is marked by a 30-foot stretch of carvings of priests along 
  the walls, facing each other. If a creature is already in that stretch of hall-
  way and another creature enters the same area, both of them must make a 
  Will save (DC 16). If both succeed, they are teleported to the edges of the 
  area. If either fails, he is teleported to the doorway of a random chamber 
  in the vault (roll 1d8+1 to determine which).
  Hall Seven to Nine.
  The approach to the final vault has no traps. Normally the only way to 
  open the door to the final chamber is to perform the ritual atop the seven 
  Pious Mounts throughout the dungeon, but if you want to let the party 
  bypass that, you can include Gene’s ritual (detailed in Adventure Four, 
  Always on Time), which calls for a character to place a hand in the center 
  of a ritual circle and expend a use of channel energy or take damage 
  equal to a quarter of the character’s maximum hit points, which will 
  open the doors.
  Chamber two: Heretical texts.
  Encounter Level 7.
  The first PC to enter this chamber has a moment to see that the layout 
  is similar to Chamber One, and that creatures of some sort lurk in the 
  dark. But then he is immediately teleported onto a pyre in Area I, arriving 
  chained to an iron stake, standing upon a pile of books. The room is pitch 
  black for a moment, but then a fire kindles on all sides at the base of the 
  pyre, threatening to consume him. Any cries for help do manage to carry 
  all the way across the chamber, alerting the rest of the party of the danger.
  A. Main Gallery.
  Dozens of books that were stored in this area have been vandalized, 
  torn apart, and scattered across the floor. A half-dozen minor demons—
  dretches—sit among the clutter, holding onto pieces of book like they’re 
  reading them. At the sight of intruders they run for the greater exhibits, 
  where one reads a scrap of paper. The PCs hear a snarling voice recite, 
  “And there was no light but fire!” And then, for the next twenty-four 
  hours, no light sources of the party will function, forcing them to either 
  rely on torches or lanterns, or to walk in the dark.
  Light from the trap outside might shine in for a bit, and it should be-
  come obvious that there’s a fire brewing in Area I. Also, the dretches’ 
  eyes glow fiery red in the dark, so if the party has no torches handy, they 
  can still at least see well enough to stumble toward rescuing their friend.
  If slain, the dretches’ demonic essences flow like smoke into a nearby 
  creature’s lungs, trying to possess it. They remain there until the crea-
  ture dies, and a few days thereafter reform in Chamber Eight. The 
  dretches can be purged with spells like protection from evil, freeing the 
  character of possession, but they cannot be destroyed permanently.
  
  9
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  Always On Time
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  B. Statuary.
  The statues here, mostly toppled, depict people holding books in vari-
  ous unpleasant scenarios. Some plunge into toothy maws of hell. Others 
  have their flesh peeled from their skulls for looking at a text. One is being 
  eaten by his own book.
  C. Lesser Exhibits.
  The binding circles here have been destroyed. One cracked podium has 
  a nameplate that reads, “Scroll of the Gods,” but it has gone missing.
  D. Greater Exhibits.
  These binding circles are also destroyed, but one noteworthy book page 
  is tacked to the wall. This is a sheet from the Book of Lorem, which can 
  tell no lies.
  E. Hall of Wisdom.
  This hall is thick with paper scraps, dangerous only if someone runs 
  too fast. The walls that once held sacred wisdom have been carved with 
  quotes from the heretical books the dretches tore to pieces.
  Vault Dretch  
  CR 2• XP 600
  CE Small outsider (chaotic, demon, evil, extraplanar)
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +5
  Defense
  AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+3 natural, +1 size)
  hp 18 (2d10+7)
  Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +3
  DR 5/cold iron or good; Immune electricity, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10
  Offense
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee 2 claws +4 (1d4+1), bite +4 (1d4+1)
  Special Attacks gorging evil
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd; concentration +2)
  1/day—cause fear (DC 11), stinking cloud (DC 13), summon (level 1, 1 dretch 35%)
  Statistics
  Str 12, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 5, Wis 11, Cha 11
  Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 12
  Feats Toughness
  Skills Escape Artist +5, Perception +5, Stealth +9
  Languages Common, Abyssal; telepathy 100 ft. 
  Special Abilities
  Gorging Evil (Su) When a vault dretch is reduced below 0 HP, its body collapses into a 
  cloud of smoke, which attempts to enter the mouth of a nearby living creature within 
  30 feet. The creature must make a DC 13 Will save or be possessed by the dretch.
    
  Multiple dretches can possess the same creature, and indeed they try to focus all 
  on one victim, because each dretch alone has trouble keeping control of a creature 
  it has possessed. The first time each encounter a possessed creature is reduced be-
  low half of its maximum hit points, it must make a DC 13 Will save or be dominated 
  by the dretches. A dominated creature can attempt a DC 13 Will save at the end of its 
  turn each round to end the domination effect and purge one dretch from its body. 
  A possessed creature takes a –1 penalty to all saves regarding this effect for each 
  dretch possessing it.
    
  When a dretch is purged from a creature’s body, the cloud of smoke emerges 
  from the victim, flees to Chamber Eight, and reforms into the dretch in a few days.
    
  This is a possession effect and can be blocked by spells like protection from evil. 
  The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.
  Scrap of the Book of Lorem
  This sheet has a dramatic illustration and appears to have been torn from an old holy 
  book. Text on one side reads, “And there was no light but fire.” The back says, “But that 
  flame only strengthens his resolve.”
  Aura faint abjuration and evocation; CL 3rd
  Slot —; Price 2,600 gp; Weight —
  Description
  Once per day as a standard action, the bearer of this item can read the front of the 
  sheet aloud. All light sources other than fire within 100 feet are extinguished. Crea-
  tures within that area are limited from producing light for 24 hours, except through 
  fire. Any non-fire light effects only last for a single round at most. If a character who 
  holds this scrap of the book of Lorem would be affected by a charm effect or be 
  dominated, the page bursts into flame, ends the effect, and makes him immune to 
  being charmed or dominated for three minutes.
  Construction Requirements
  Craft Wondrous Item, darkness, protection from evil; Cost 1,300 gp.
  F. Pious Mount.
  The dretches applied accursed glue from elsewhere in the vault to the 
  doors between areas A and F. A creature that touches the door is stuck 
  fast (Strength check or Escape Artist DC 13, 18, or 23 depending on how 
  much contact they made with the doors).
  The mosaic at the top of the stairs functions the same as in Chamber 
  One. It also affords an excellent view of a PC who might be burning alive 
  on the pyre.
  G. Trial Room.
  This room is empty.
  H. Blessing Room.
  A seventh dretch normally waits here, and as soon as it realizes they are 
  intruders, it flees out the doors of Area I to warn its master, Belcamp, in 
  Chamber Seven. The holy water font works here, but it doesn’t produce 
  nearly enough water to put out a campfire, let alone a bonfire.
  I. Keystone Exhibit.
  The mound of books here is 20 feet across and 10 feet high. The first 
  round a PC is trapped here, there are only harmless flames at the edge of 
  the pyre. On the second round the outer squares begin to burn, and any 
  creature that enters or ends its turn there takes 1d6 fire damage. On the 
  third round and onward, the whole pyre is burning. The character will 
  likely burn alive in about a minute unless rescued.
  Three options present themselves. First, the trapped character (or an 
  ally) can attempt a Strength check (DC 25) as a standard action to break 
  the chains holding him to the iron stake. Second, an ally can attempt to 
  break the chains (AC 15, hardness 10, 30 hit points).
  Third, the lashed character is oriented so that if he looks up he can see, 
  carved into the walls above him, the following phrase:
  “I recant my heresy. I ask forgiveness. Let me burn in this life so I will not burn 
  in the hereafter.”
  If the bound character says that phrase, the fire damage increases 
  to 3d6 per round, but it cannot reduce the character below 1 hit point. 
  Once he is at 1 hit point, the fire is suddenly snuffed.
  
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  Crypta Hereticarum
  Otherwise, the pyre continues to burn for half an hour, filling the 
  chamber with choking smoke, making it impossible to rest here. How-
  ever, enough scraps of books lie scattered about that the party can 
  assemble torches before they press onward. Outside the south doors, 
  the hallway splits into two paths. Right leads to Chamber Three, left 
  to Chamber Five.
  Chamber three:  
  unholy arms & armor.
  Encounter Level 9.
  A carving above the entrance door reads, “Let your labor aid your fellow 
  man. Thy task is to create, not destroy.”
  This chamber is overseen by Hilde, an evil and intelligent suit of full 
  plate armor adorned with a wolf motif, who sees the world through a 
  veinous black eye in the center of her helm. She telekinetically controls 
  any loose weapon within 30 feet of herself, and can be a deadly oppo-
  nent if angered. Though evil and desiring bloodshed, she loyally serves 
  Giovanni the Painter, whose chamber she guards.
  She lies inert against the wall in the statuary hall, able to listen to the 
  PCs. If she suspects they are agents of Belcamp or will try to harm her 
  master, she calls out, “Identify yourselves. Only friends of Giovanni may 
  pass, and I know all of Giovanni’s friends.” (Make sure to clarify that 
  this woman’s voice is not the same as the voice the party heard upon 
  entering the vault.)
  She’s willing to briefly talk with intruders, but won’t speak if anyone 
  is within sight of the armor, but clever parties can locate her if they figure 
  out that they don’t get responses while standing in the statuary. Hilde 
  asks if they’re willing to fight Giovanni’s enemies, the legion of Belcamp. 
  If they seem at least interested, she’ll let them pass. If they decline or 
  hesitate, she rises up and attacks them, shouting that the only way they’ll 
  get out of this pit is if they give in to their bloodlust and show that they’re 
  true warriors.
  Terrain.
  Each area of this chamber has various scattered weapons which Hilde 
  can animate and attack with. Whenever she animates a weapon, decide 
  which of the weapon types it is (see Unholy Animated Weapon, below).
  * A. Main Gallery. Eight weapons.
  * B. Statuary. Four weapons.
  * C. Lesser Exhibits. Two weapons.
  * D. Greater Exhibits. Two weapons. Hilde’s helm was originally 
  trapped here, and one of the binding circles is broken.
  * E. Hall of Wisdom. Five weapons, but all are daggers.
  * F. Pious Mount. No weapons. Its magic functions like in the other 
  chambers.
  * G. Trial Room. Seven weapons.
  * H. Blessing Room. One weapon.
  * I. Keystone Exhibit. Twelve weapons. A boulder sits in the 
  center, with bent steel rings that once held in place a massive 
  sword. When the Clergy was sealing the vault, the last entombed 
  item was this item—one of the fallen swords of the slain goddess 
  Srasama. Belcamp had it brought to his chamber, where he uses it 
  as a torture rack.
  Also present are discarded and broken implements and bits of armor 
  that play no mechanical role in the battle. Most of the binding circles are 
  active, and shoving Hilde into one is the best way to defeat her quickly.
  The doors beyond Area I lead to Chamber Four, and as long as there’s 
  no battle it’s easy to hear faint music coming from down the hall.
  Tactics.
  Hilde is linked to all the weapons throughout this chamber, and can tele-
  kinetically move and attack with any weapon within 30 feet of her. She 
  can sense through these weapons, even if she doesn’t have line of sight to 
  them. Attempting to harm her directly is somewhat futile because of how 
  resilient she is, but attacks against the weapons injure her and reduce her 
  arsenal. As she loses weapons, she moves to other rooms to rearm. Once 
  reduced to one-quarter her normal hit points she abandons her armored 
  torso and limbs, and her helm flies away toward Chamber Four.
  
  12
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  Hilde  
  CR 9 • XP 6,400
  Female unique phantom armor
  NE Medium undead
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16
  Defense
  AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20 (+10 armor, +1 Dex)
  hp 105 (10d8+60)
  Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +12
  Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2; DR 10/—; Immune undead traits;  
  Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 20
  Offense
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee 2 slams +12 (1d6+5)
  Special Attacks blasphemous eye, unholy steel
  Statistics
  Str 20, Dex 14, Con —, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 20
  Base Atk +7; CMB +12; CMD 24
  Feats Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (slam), Iron Will, Power Attack, 
  Toughness
  Skills Intimidate +18, Perception +16, Ride +7, Spellcraft +15, Stealth +15
  Languages Abyssal, Common
  SQ freeze (suit of armor), helm flight
  Special Abilities
  Blasphemous Eye (Su) As a standard action, Hilde can focus the gaze of the living 
  eye at the center of her helm on a living creature within 50 feet. The creature must 
  make a DC 19 Will save or become convinced that its weapons will turn against 
  it. The creature immediately drops any weapons or offensive items it is holding, 
  such as scrolls or wands, and will not draw or use any such items while under the 
  effects. The creature can attempt a new Will save each round at the end of its turn to 
  remove the eye’s effects. If it fails its first save against this effect, the creature further 
  believes its clothing has come alive. It must spend a move action each round if 
  possible to disrobe. If the creature is wearing armor, it takes a cumulative –1 penalty 
  to AC each round, up to the maximum bonus granted by its armor, until it takes the 
  time to don the armor properly again. A single save ends both of the effects of the 
  blasphemous eye. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.
  Freeze (Ex) Hilde can hold herself so still she appears to be a normal suit of armor. 
  She can take 20 on her Stealth check to hide in plain sight, disguised as normal 
  armor.
  Helm Flight (Ex) When Hilde is reduced below 25 HP, every part of her armor but her 
  helm collapses to the ground. She becomes Tiny-sized and gains a fly speed of 30 
  feet (perfect), but she can no longer make slam attacks.
  Unholy Steel (Su) As a free action, Hilde can animate unattended weapons within 
  30 feet of her. She can have up to four weapons animated at a time. They act 
  independently of her on her initiative count, but use her base attack bonus for their 
  attacks. If Hilde moves more than 30 feet from a weapon, it falls inert, but she takes 
  no damage. Any damage dealt to a weapon also deals half as much damage to Hilde.
  Unholy Animated Weapon  
  CR — • XP —
  N Small construct
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60, low-light vision; Perception –5
  Defense
  AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+1 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)
  hp 20 (2d10+10)
  Fort +0, Ref +1, Will –5
  Defensive Abilities hardness 5; Immune construct traits
  Offense
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee slam +8 (1d8/19–20 and special strike)
  Statistics
  Str 10, Dex 12, Con —, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
  Base Atk +7*; CMB +6; CMD 17
  SQ haunted
  Special Abilities
  Haunted (Ex) An unholy animated weapon takes damage from positive energy as if it 
  were an undead creature.
  Special Strike (Su) Each unholy animated weapon has an additional effect from the 
  list below. Most weapons here are swords. Try not to reuse the other effects until 
  the whole set has cycled through.
  * Unholy Sword: The target takes a –2 penalty on saves and attack rolls for 1 round.
  * Hellspear: The target is subject to a bull rush attempt. If it is moved adjacent 
  to a wall, it is automatically grappled by the weapon. Each round the weapon 
  maintains the grapple, it automatically deals 1d8 damage to the target.
  * Abyssal Scourge: The target is subject to a trip attempt.
  * Maggot-Skull Mace: The target must make a DC 11 Fortitude save or be blinded 
  and take 1d6 piercing damage a round for 1d4 rounds.
  * Stirge-Dagger Swarm: For 1 round, any ally that starts or ends its turn next to the 
  target takes 1d6 piercing damage.
  * Sticky Shield: The target is entangled until the weapon is destroyed.
  Chamber Four: Blasphemous 
  artwork.
  Encounter Level 7.
  Of all the chambers in the crypt, only this one is well-tended and neat. 
  The front door glides open with nary a creak. The statues all stand un-
  broken. Torches illuminate dozens of paintings that hang along the walls, 
  though a few along the Hall of Wisdom (Area E) are draped with tattered 
  black cloth. Fiddle music and gay laughter filter through the air, but at first 
  glance there seems to be no one here. Then the party can hear the distinct 
  vigorous sounds of sex coming through the cracked doors to Area F.
  Nearly every painting here is a portal to a small demi-plane, where the 
  
  13
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  images depicted in the painting come alive. Three dozen beings live in 
  these paintings, relying on the food within and only occasionally return-
  ing to the real world when they need to visit a different painting, or for 
  the intermittent parties thrown in Area I, in front of the grand painting 
  of Giovanni. No one here is physically a threat to the party, and if at-
  tacked they flee into paintings and then seal them so no one can follow.
  When sealed from within, these paintings require a password to enter. 
  Close examination of the frames reveal that they’ve been rubbed with 
  numerous layers of blood and carved with ritual symbols pledging the 
  souls of the creators to evil entities. Anyone who damages a painting 
  or its frame is struck by lightning from Giovanni’s painting (see below).
  Every item of art here somehow offended the Clergy. Some of note:
  * A. Main Gallery. A series of paintings depict six of the seven 
  vices in lurid detail: Sloth, for instance, shows a pile of bones in a 
  farmer’s outfit in the middle of a vineyard, with a copper name-
  plate reading, “Take from nature. Work not to fill your masters’ 
  coffers.” (Melancholy is in Area E; see below.)
  * B. Statuary. Statues depict numerous elaborate sexual positions, 
  many involving pairs of nuns, or elderly priests with young boys.
  * C. Lesser Exhibits. A large painting here is alive with a constant 
  orgy, including dozens of men and women among leashed beasts 
  and a handful of devils.
  * D. Greater Exhibits. A collection of jewelry and clothing with 
  vulgar depictions of saints, or skulls impaled on fishhooks (the 
  Clergy’s traditional icon), is stored here.
  * E. Hall of Wisdom. Various damaged or ruined paintings are 
  stored here. Some have torn canvas; others were just demi-planes 
  that were plundered and burnt from within. 
  One particular painting, that of the vice Melancholy, has a veil 
  that flutters in a constant light breeze. A character that enters a 
  space adjacent to the painting might be sucked in by a sudden 
  vacuum. If this happens, all creatures within 5 feet of the painting 
  must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or be pulled into a black void 
  20 feet across. The creature falls prone and takes 5d6 damage each 
  round it remains in the painting.
  * F. Pious Mount. Giovanni has decreed that two people must have 
  sex atop the Pious Mount constantly, even to the point of injury 
  and exhaustion, so he can watch. He calls this “performance art.”
  * G. and H. Blessing Room and Trial Room. Paintings hanging 
  here depict cities burning, torture chambers filled with illusory 
  angels, a skeletal orchestra playing a constant cycle of music, and 
  a series of five island landscapes where stone monuments praise 
  Giovanni as a god.
  * I. Keystone Exhibit. In front of the exit door stands a 20-foot high 
  painting of a stormy landscape. Standing boldly in the foreground 
  is the aged but muscular Giovanni, who towers over all who 
  approach but never moves except to speak. None can enter his 
  painting, and he can never emerge. Invulnerable and omnipotent 
  in his own domain, Giovanni is still trapped by old Clergy spells.
  Painting Defenses.
  While a painting is sealed, anyone who attacks it or attempts to remove 
  it from its mount takes 1d6 lightning damage, plus 2d6 more lightning 
  damage each round it carries the painting. Giovanni can also unleash 
  bolts of lightning from the front of his painting at will as a standard ac-
  tion, though he can only strike targets he can see from his immobile 
  position (in Areas F, G, H, or I). He can attack up to three creatures each 
  round, dealing 5d6 electricity damage to each (DC 14 Reflex for half).
  Festival of Endless Delights.
  If the party isn’t immediately hostile, as soon as Giovanni sees them, he 
  invites them to rest and share wine with his people. Revelers emerge 
  from paintings all around, offering wine, fruit, and succulent meats. A 
  naked woman dances by with a censer that releases floral incense, and 
  the couple atop the Pious Mount call down for the PCs to join in.
  The party is welcome to rest here, and Giovanni boisterously engages 
  them in conversation, but if they dally for more than ten minutes, the 
  incense begins to have an effect on them all. Each character in the area 
  of the incense must make a DC 14 Will save or be compelled to engage 
  in acts of lust and gluttony for the next two hours. At the end of this time 
  the character falls unconscious for six hours, after which he wakes with 
  the benefits of having rested for one night. Upon waking, the character 
  must immediately make another save against the effect. 
  The festival is mostly harmless, except to the characters’ sense of de-
  cency. Time is likely sensitive for the PCs, however, so any character 
  who resists the temptation can try to snap his fellows out of it by striking 
  them. Any damage allows them to make a saving throw to break free of 
  the compulsion, with a bonus equal to the amount of damage dealt.
  Dour Discussions.
  If the PCs decline to party, or if they attack the other revelers, Giovanni 
  glowers, but makes them an offer. He sees they’re talented warriors, and 
  he wants them to rescue one of his people, a lillend lyrist named Somnia, 
  whom Belcamp has taken prisoner. In exchange, he’ll have his people 
  prepare a “tame meal,” a feast nutritious enough to heal their wounds 
  without delaying them. Mechanically this meal grants anyone who eats 
  it the benefits of a night’s rest after one hour of dining.
  Alternately, if the party can capture Belcamp and bring him here so he 
  can be tossed into one of the prison paintings, Giovanni will give them 
  a whole painting of their own. Though hardly an easily-carried bit of 
  adventuring gear, the possible value of a perpetual portable pocket di-
  mension are vast. Each painting demi-plane is only 100 feet in diameter 
  (anything outside that area is just an illusion on an invisible wall), but 
  Giovanni will give them any from the chamber that they desire, other 
  than his own of course.
  Giovanni shares all he knows about Belcamp and the rest of the vault, 
  and warns that there are numerous traps near Chamber Seven which 
  change regularly, but usually involve fire, acid, and steel. But if they lose 
  a fight, he’ll disavow having met them, since he doesn’t want open con-
  flict with Belcamp’s warriors.
  Battle.
  Should the party manage to get the drop on Giovanni’s revelers, the 
  three dozen people try to flee to various paintings and seal themselves 
  in. None are trained warriors, but usually they have enough warning of 
  approaching enemies to hide before a fight occurs.
  Harming Giovanni himself is problematic, but if the party gets the 
  cursed rod of negation from Chamber Five, then uses it on the painting, 
  that expels Giovanni—he’s actually just a normal man, not the titan de-
  picted in his portrait. Scandalized, and in agony at being returned to a 
  fleshly form, he cannot defend himself. When he dies, however, every 
  painting in the chamber turns into a vacuous portal, like the one in the 
  Hall of Wisdom above, and intense sucking air currents pull creatures 
  toward the deadly traps.
  Each round, a creature must make a DC 15 Fortitude save at the end 
  of its turn or be pulled 2 squares toward the nearest painting. A creature 
  that manages to exit the chamber is no longer in danger.
  
  14
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  Cursed Item.
  If a fight occurs, one of the many prisoners who can be slain is a fiddle-
  player. He drops this wretched item.
  Obnoxious Fiddle
  Someone stained this fine fiddle a ghastly bright pink. It shows signs of having been 
  stabbed and bashed, but somehow never broke. When you touch it, a childish voice 
  chuckles and says, “You’re not a good person.”
  Aura faint divination; CL 5th
  Slot —; Weight 2 lbs.
  Description
  The fiddle itself grants no particular bonuses. Indeed, it telepathically talks to 
  whoever owns it, encouraging them to be honest in all things, and getting upset if they 
  don’t adhere to a childish sense of right and wrong. The only real power of the fiddle 
  is that it’s nigh-indestructible. The owner can never dispose of the fiddle, and cannot 
  tell any lies while he owns it. The GM is encouraged to be as obnoxious as possible in 
  roleplaying this thing.
  Chamber Five: accursed items.
  Encounter Level 8.
  This chamber has no doors; their metal was rusted away and devoured 
  long ago. Nearly everything of value here has either been stolen by loot-
  ers or destroyed by the two bear-sized rust monsters, known as rust 
  lords, that lair here. Belcamp and his legion never come here, since 
  the monster’s magical powers can dissolve any metal, even their leaden 
  chains. This frustrates Belcamp, because he believes a rod of negation 
  made of bone still lies somewhere in this chamber, and such an item 
  would let him defeat the defenses of Giovanni’s paintings and finally slay 
  the painter’s followers.
  Terrain.
  The whole floor is covered in a patina of rust, with a few piles of silvery 
  powder filling scattered squares (four dozen in the Main Gallery, one or 
  two in each other room, and ten in the Keystone Exhibit room). These 
  are the remains of dissolved magic items that still crackle with unstable 
  energy, which fills the chamber with dim light. A creature that enters a 
  space adjacent to this powder must make a DC 15 Reflex save or take 1d6 
  cold, 1d6 electricity, and 1d6 fire damage. A creature that says adjacent 
  or move away from a pile is safe; it only unleashes its dangerous energy 
  when a creature comes close.
  The binding circles in this chamber are all nonfunctional.
  Tactics.
  One rust lord lairs among the Statuary, on a pile of broken sculptures. 
  The other nests in the Blessing Room. They sleep most of the time (Per-
  ception +2 while asleep), but if a PC comes within 50 feet of a rust lord 
  while carrying metal items, it will awaken and attack hungrily. If a metal 
  item is thrown in front of one, it’ll spend a standard action eating it as 
  long as it hasn’t been attacked in the past round. Getting through this 
  chamber without a fight could be possible with a sufficient collection of 
  metal items, such as the arsenal in Chamber Three.
  Rust Lord  
  CR 6 • XP 2,400
  N Large aberration
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., metalsense 100 ft.; Perception +12
  Defense
  AC 22, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (+3 Dex, +10 natural, –1 size)
  hp 95 (10d8+50)
  Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +8
  Resist fire 10; SR 16
  Offense
  Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
  Melee 2 antennae +12 touch (rust or bloodrust), bite +14 (1d8+8)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (15 ft. with antennae)
  Special Attacks bloodrust, rust
  Statistics
  Str 27, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 8
  Base Atk +7; CMB +16; CMD 29 (33 vs. trip)
  Feats Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Skill Focus (Perception), 
  Toughness
  Skills Perception +12, Stealth +7
  SQ metalsense
  Special Abilities
  Bloodrust (Ex) A brush from a rust lord’s antennae against flesh or thin clothing 
  instantly draws forth the iron and other metallic minerals inside a creature’s 
  blood, tearing through the skin in a fine mist and causing 1d4 points of Constitution 
  damage.
  Metalsense (Ex) A rust lord can sense the twisting magnetic fields around metal 
  objects to such a fine degree that it can perfectly discern the location of any metal 
  object or creature with metallic blood (such as most humanoids) as if it could see it 
  clearly, out to a range of 100 feet. Stone, wood, invisibility, and magical barriers are 
  incapable of blocking this sense, and only an object containing significantly more 
  metal, placed between the rust lord and its target, provides concealment or total 
  concealment for this sense. For example, a man hiding behind a suit of discarded 
  full plate has concealment, and one hiding behind a wall of iron has total conceal-
  ment, though the rust lord might still be able to see him with its darkvision.
  Rust (Ex) A rust lord that makes a successful touch attack with an antenna causes the 
  target metal to corrode, falling to pieces and becoming useless immediately. The 
  touch can destroy up to a 10-foot cube of metal instantly. Magic armor and weapons, 
  and other magic items made of metal, must succeed on a DC 19 Reflex save or be 
  dissolved. Against creatures made of metal, a rust lord’s antennae deal 6d6+10 
  points of damage. The save DC is Constitution-based. A metal weapon that deals 
  damage to a rust lord corrodes immediately. Wooden, stone, and other nonmetallic 
  weapons are unaffected.
  Treasure.
  Stashed in the blessing room, under a pile of cracked and gnawed 
  bones, lies an unblemished rod made of ivory that gleams pristine and 
  white. This cursed rod of negation was once the chamber’s keystone ex-
  hibit, because once used it is nearly impossible to be rid of, with deadly 
  consequences.
  
  15
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  Cursed Rod of Negation
  You grasp the three-foot long, intricately carved ivory rod, and are acutely aware of 
  your own pulse beating in the veins of your hand.
  Aura strong varies; CL 15th
  Slot —; Weight 5 lbs.
  Description
  This functions as a standard rod of negation, but once a creature activates the rod, 
  he can never be the recipient of any beneficial magic. Hostile effects still function 
  normally (unless he counters them with the rod), but the cursed victim cannot be 
  healed magically, granted any bonuses from spells, or even have this curse broken 
  by magic. No other creature can use the rod’s powers until the cursed wielder dies. 
  Whenever the wielder uses the rod’s powers, he takes damage equal to one-quarter 
  of his maximum hit points. The ivory of the rod is stained with brilliant crimson, 
  spreading from the handle, until it is completely red when the wielder no longer has 
  hit points. When he dies, the rod returns to pristine white.
   
  The rod itself can be destroyed by snapping it in half. This breaks the curse, but 
  unleashes all the magic the rod ever thwarted in a 30-foot-radius spread. All creatures 
  and objects in the area take 15d6 damage (DC 17 Reflex for half). There may be other 
  consequences of the negated magic being restored, at the GM’s discretion.
  Additionally, when each rust monster dies it dissolves into a pile of 
  crumbled metal, with a glowing golden egg in the center. These two 
  eggs can briefly summon a new rust monster.
  Rust Monster Egg
  You throw the egg to the ground, and as it shatters a rust monster appears.
  Aura moderate conjuration; CL 11th
  Slot —; Price 2,250 gp; Weight —
  Description
  When the egg is crushed, smashed, or broken (a standard action), a rust monster 
  appears as if summoned by a summon monster spell. The rust monster is under the 
  control of the creature that broke the gem. It remains for eleven rounds or until it is 
  destroyed.
  Construction Requirements
  Craft Wondrous Item, summon monster V; Cost 1,125 gp
  Chamber Six: afflicted innocents.
  Encounter Level 11.
  Once this chamber contained dozens of people in magical stasis, hold-
  ing at bay various curses or possessions that the Clergy was unable or 
  unwilling to defeat. Most of those poor people were slaughtered, or re-
  leased and joined either Belcamp or Giovanni. Now only the keystone 
  exhibit remains: Ennio Adolini, the architect of the crypt.
  As the crypt’s construction neared completion, several chambers 
  were yet unstocked, and the Clergy hierarchs saw an opportunity to 
  ensure the secrets of the traps and defenses were never spoiled. They ar-
  ranged for Adolini to become possessed by an ice devil, then held a swift 
  trial and dragged him to the vault, where he has remained—trapped in a 
  pillar of fire—for nearly a thousand years.
  Vestige Demons.
  Carved into the lintel above the entrance door is the admonition, “Let 
  none cause harm to these afflicted innocents. Show them mercy.”
  A dessicated corpse lies just inside the doors, hands to its head as if it 
  clawed at its face as it died. It wears a distinctive helmet, and if removed 
  the PCs can see the man has only a single eye in the center of his forehead.
  Cyclops Helmet
  The ivory helmet is solid where eyes would need to look out, but has an opening over 
  the center of the forehead.
  Aura moderate necromancy; CL 12th
  Slot —; Weight 3 lbs.
  Description
  When placed upon the head, this item’s curse immediately takes effect (Will DC 15 
  negates). On a failed save, the target’s head is agonizingly reshaped, removing his 
  normal two eyes and replacing them with a single central eye which throbs with black 
  veins and a red iris. Whenever the character reduces a creature below 0 hit points, he 
  must spend a standard action as soon as possible to mutilate the body and remove its 
  eyes before he regains control of himself.
  A hush hangs over this chamber, but fire light flickers under the doors 
  at the end of the Main Gallery. As the party explores, small burning 
  motes float like embers through the air, but they follow the party as if 
  with intent. These are the remnants of demons that possessed people 
  who were entombed here. Their hosts died, and now they float seeking a 
  new body to claim as their own. A use of channel divinity can drive the 
  motes away for five minutes, but it’s nearly impossible to destroy them.
  If any character deals damage to another creature in this chamber, a 
  mass of motes try to fly down his throat, punishing him for transgressing 
  the commandment of mercy. He must make a DC 15 Will save or become 
  possessed by the demon, as per the dretches in Chamber Two (see the 
  vault dretches’ gorging evil power on page 10).
  This is of course an excellent place for Maensha’il the invisible stalker 
  to panic the PCs into attacking one another.
  Vault Architect.
  Ennio Adolini has long since stopped screaming. A broken shell of a 
  man, he whimpers at his plight as the fire perpetually burns his flesh, 
  but he will not beg for release. He knows that the fiend within him would 
  harm people were he released, and he does not wish to be party to that. 
  If addressed he can talk, though he cannot move or be moved from the 
  pillar of fire in the center of the Keystone Exhibit (Area I).
  Adolini warns the PCs not to try to free him. Any creature that touch-
  es the flaming pillar takes 5d6 fire damage and, in any case, the PCs have 
  no way to move Adolini’s body.
  Salving the Tortured Soul.
  Speaking to Adolini with friendship or pity can earn the party his trust. 
  He longs for human contact, and though he knows he has been trapped 
  far longer than a normal man’s life, he still hopes justice will find those 
  who trapped him here. If the PCs convinces him that they are good peo-
  ple, and if they agree to share his story when they get out, he asks them 
  to prove their purity by undertaking the ritual atop the Pious Mount, 
  drinking the holy water and being blessed. If they all do, he will offer 
  them the knowledge that will let them escape.
  First, he tells them the secret chant, “Noli me tangere, fratris. Saepi 
  cum fide, nobiles.” Spoken or whispered, it will cause any sacred skel-
  eton in the same chamber to ally with the party.
  
  16
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  Second, he explains the nature of the leaden curse and the teleporta-
  tion magic that makes the vault seem to have no borders. But if they’ve 
  met Belcamp and seen his golden chain, the PCs might realize they 
  could take it from him and fashion it into gold rings so the teleportation 
  wouldn’t affect them, allowing them to leave by heading north through 
  Chamber One.
  Third and finally, he explains that it might be possible to swim 
  through the well beneath Ashima-Shimtu in the final chamber. Though 
  the tunnel is nearly 500 feet long, and is specifically enchanted to dispel 
  shape-shifting and water-breathing magic, if they could make that dis-
  tance they would emerge just off the coast of the island.
  If Adolini should somehow be released, the ice devil inside him awak-
  ens and immediately takes fill control. Its first priority will be to escape, 
  but it wouldn’t mind eradicating a mortal or two on the way out if it can. 
  On the other hand, if Adolini is released pursuant to a bargain, the ice 
  devil will endure a short period of servitude (see “Counter-Offer,” below).
  Devil-Possessed Adolini  
  CR 11 • XP 12,800
  Male ice devil
  LE Large outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Perception +23
  Aura fear (10 ft., DC 20)
  Defense
  AC 26, touch 14, flat-footed 21 (+5 Dex, +12 natural, –1 size)
  hp 141 (14d10+84); regeneration 5 (good weapons, good spells)
  Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +8
  DR 10/good; Immune fire, cold, poison; Resist acid 10; SR 20
  Weaknesses atrophied
  Offense
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee +1 frost spear +17/+12/+7 (2d6+10/×3 plus 1d6 cold plus slow), bite +10 
  (2d6+6), tail +10 (3d6+3 plus slow)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +14)
  At will—cone of cold (DC 20), ice storm, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects 
  only), persistent image (DC 20), wall of ice (DC 19)
  Statistics
  Str 23, Dex 21, Con 22, Int 25, Wis 22, Cha 20
  Base Atk +14; CMB +17; CMD 32
  Feats Alertness, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, 
  Weapon Focus (spear)
  Skills Acrobatics +18, Bluff +18, Diplomacy +18, Fly +9, Intimidate +15, Knowledge 
  (planes) +20, Knowledge (arcana, history, religion) +17, Perception +23, Sense 
  Motive +23, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +14, Survival +19
  Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.
  Special Abilities
  Atrophied (Ex) Centuries of imprisonment has significantly reduced this ice devil’s 
  powers. It is currently suffering from four permanent negative levels. Its natural 
  armor and spell resistance are also lower than a typical ice devil’s, and it does not 
  possess the ability to summon bone devils. This reduces the creature’s CR by 2.
  Slow (Su) A hit from an ice devil’s tail or spear induces numbing cold. The opponent 
  must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save or be affected as though by a slow spell for 
  1d6 rounds. This effect comes from the devil in the case of its weapon; it is not a 
  quality possessed by the spear itself. The save DC is Constitution-based.
  Counter-Offer.
  When Adolini finishes sharing this knowledge (or when it becomes clear 
  the party isn’t going to earn his trust), the ice devil takes over his body and 
  growls out an offer of his own: free him, and he’ll carve a path to the exit.
  If the deal is accepted, and the pillar of fire is dispelled (such as with 
  the cursed rod of negation), Adolini wails as the ice devil within him 
  takes full control. Though he maintains his normal human body, a shell 
  of ice forms around him in the shape of the fiend. It is obliged to serve 
  the party for a time, though its appreciation is fickle.
  Chamber Seven: Damned Souls.
  Encounter Level 11.
  Two legionnaire guards stand in front of both the front and back doors to 
  this chamber. All the legionnaires have leaden chains wrapped around 
  their chest like double bandoliers, as well as various adornments of lead 
  either worn or pierced through their flesh. They have no interest in so-
  cializing, and if addressed will direct visitors to speak with Belcamp. If 
  attacked they roar to sound the alarm.
  A total of twenty-three legionnaires reside here—two each at the front 
  and back, four each in the Main Gallery, Statuary, and atop the Pious 
  Mount, two torturing the lillend Somnia in the Trial Room, and five in 
  the Keystone Exhibit room, serving as a throne for Belcamp. Most were 
  afflicted innocents or other damned souls, though a few were adventur-
  ers who got stranded.
  A trio of dretches also live here, serving as jesters for Belcamp when 
  he’s in an excitable mood. Normally they just sleep.
  Door Traps.
  The handles of all doors in this chamber have been shaped and sharp-
  ened so they have jagged teeth, then coated with sassone leaf residue 
  poison (Perception DC 25). A character touching one of these doors is 
  subjected to the poison. The doors can be opened safely if one has thick 
  enough gloves and knows to be careful.
  Sassone Leaf Residue
  Type poison (contact); Save Fortitude DC 16
  Onset 1 minute; Frequency 1/minute for 6 minutes
  Initial Effect 2d12 hp damage; Secondary Effect 1 Con damage; Cure 1 save
  Commander of the Leaden Legion.
  The bearded devil Belcamp (his beard even larger than normal on account 
  of his massive chin) once lead soldiers for the warlord Egal the Shimmer-
  ing, who attempted to conquer this world thousands of years ago. When 
  he was captured and brought here his golden regalia turned to lead, but 
  he eventually traded with the lunatic godhand Gene to receive the only 
  gold chain in the entire vault. It’s only 3 feet long, a pale imitation of his 
  former splendor, but it gives him some of the power he once wielded. He 
  tore apart a fellow prisoner—a chain devil—and uses the leaden chains 
  to adorn his followers, freeing them from the need to eat, drink, or sleep.
  Belcamp doesn’t realize that he could simply walk out of the vault if 
  he took his chain and fashioned a ring to protect himself from being tele-
  ported in an infinite loop. Instead, he has convinced himself he’s the 
  ruler of the crypt, and spends most of his time brooding and planning 
  how to destroy Giovanni and his followers. Of late he has found some 
  entertainment in the torturing of the lillend Somnia, captured from 
  Giovanni’s flock.
  
  17
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  Hostile Negotiations.
  Belcamp is willing to make a few offers. He’ll let the party join his legion, 
  which grants them resist fire 10 and an effect similar to a ring of suste-
  nance. In exchange, though, they must follow his orders, or else take 1d6 
  damage every time they try to refuse. With extra forces, he’d be willing 
  to try attacking the rust lords and recovering the cursed rod of negation.
  Alternately, he’d be willing to trade the lillend Somnia for the rod, and 
  let the PCs use the Pious Mount to receive their blessing. He claims he 
  just wants the rod to defend his people, but within hours of getting it he 
  would launch an assault.
  Finally, he might be cowed into handing over the lillend if the PCs 
  threaten him with the rust monster eggs. Belcamp doesn’t realize the 
  summoned creatures are so fragile, and he’s afraid of a fight.
  Combat & Tactics.
  The legion, despite its name, has pitiful military training. If forced into 
  a fight they swarm and try to force PCs into the binding circles. Belcamp 
  stays beside as many of his allies as possible to protect them. The sheer 
  number of enemies here is probably too much for the party to handle.
  Leaden Legionnaire  
  CR 1 • XP 400
  LE Medium outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft., blindsight 60 ft.; Perception +0
  Defense
  AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12 (+2 natural)
  hp 5 (1d10)
  Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +2
  DR 5/good or silver; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10
  Offense
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee spear +2 (1d6) or 2 claws +1 (1d4)
  Statistics
  Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 3, Wis 11, Cha 4
  Base Atk +1; CMB +1; CMD 11
  Feats Weapon Focus (spear)
  Skills Acrobatics +4, Climb +4
  Languages Infernal
  Gear spear
  Dretch  
  CR 2 • XP 600
  CE Small outsider (chaotic, demon, evil, extraplanar)
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +5
  Defense
  AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+3 natural, +1 size)
  hp 18 (2d10+7)
  Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +3
  DR 5/cold iron or good; Immune electricity, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10
  Offense
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee 2 claws +4 (1d4+1), bite +4 (1d4+1)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd; concentration +2)
  1/day—cause fear (DC 11), stinking cloud (DC 13), summon (level 1, 1 dretch 35%)
  Statistics
  Str 12, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 5, Wis 11, Cha 11
  Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 12
  Feats Toughness
  Skills Escape Artist +5, Perception +5, Stealth +9
  Languages Common, Abyssal; telepathy 100 ft. 
  Belcamp  
  CR 7 • XP 3,200
  Male bearded devil fighter 2
  LE Medium outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Perception +10
  Defense
  AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +7 natural, +1 dodge)
  hp 90 (8d10+42)
  Fort +13, Ref +8, Will +3; +1 vs. fear
  DR 5/good or silver; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10; SR 16
  Defensive Abilities bravery +1
  Offense
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee glaive +15/+10 melee (1d10+9/×3 plus infernal wound), or 2 claws +14 melee 
  (1d6+6)
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with glaive)
  Special Attacks beard
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +11)
  At will—greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only)
  1/day—summon (level 3, 1 bearded devil or 6 lemures, 50%)
  Statistics
  Str 23, Dex 17, Con 21, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
  Base Atk +8; CMB +14; CMD 27
  Feats Cleave, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Intimidating Prowess, Power Attack, 
  Weapon Focus (glaive)
  Skills Climb +17, Intimidate +18, Perception +12, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +14
  Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.
  Special Abilities
  Beard (Ex) If a bearded devil hits a single opponent with both claw attacks, it also 
  lashes at the same target with its spiky, filthy beard. The victim takes 1d8+3 points 
  of damage and must succeed on a DC 19 Fortitude save or contract devil chills. The 
  save DC is Constitution-based.
  Devil Chills: Disease—injury; save Fort DC 19; onset 1d4 days; frequency 1/day; 
  effect 1d4 Str damage; cure 3 consecutive saves.
  Infernal Wound (Su) The damage a bearded devil deals with its glaive inflicts per-
  sistent wounds that cause 2 points of bleed damage. Bleed caused from an infernal 
  wound is particularly difficult to stanch—a DC 17 Heal check stops the damage, and 
  any attempt to heal a creature suffering from an infernal wound must succeed on a 
  DC 16 caster level check or the spell does not function. Success indicates the healing 
  works normally and stops all bleed effects on the victim. The infernal wounds 
  caused by a bearded devil are a supernatural ability of the devil, not of the weapon.
  Aftermath.
  If the party rescues the lillend Somnia, she can perform a song that puts 
  the rust monsters or the beasts in Chamber Eight to sleep for five min-
  utes. The song doesn’t work on intelligent creatures.
  The torture rack used for Somnia is a 15-foot long mithral blade, which 
  deals 1 fire damage per round to any creature that touches it. Though 
  seemingly far too large to ever use in battle, it draws the attention of any 
  eladrin or any Vekeshi Mystic who sees it. If an eladrin or Vekeshi Mys-
  tic grasps its hilt, it transforms into an appropriately-sized blade.
  
  18
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  First Blade of Srasama (Minor Artifact)
  In your hands you hold a sliver of a goddess. The gleaming mithral weapon transforms 
  to a blade of fire or back at a thought. In your mind’s eye you feel the presence of 
  Srasama’s first aspect, that of the warrior-maiden.
  Aura strong divination and evocation; CL 20th; Weight 4 lbs.
  Description
  This +1 flaming transformative mithral longsword can only be bonded to one creature 
  at a time, and typically only an eladrin or someone who follows eladrin philosophy 
  and religion. Only the bonded wielder can use the weapon’s powers.
   
  The bonded wielder can teleport the weapon to her grasp as a swift action from 
  any distance across the world.
   
  The bonded wielder gains a +5 competence bonus on Acrobatics checks.
   
  The bonded wielder knows the status and location of all women within one mile, 
  and if she has met them before, she also knows their identities. If this power is ever 
  used to harm innocents, the wielder immolates, taking 5d6 fire damage each round 
  until the flames are extinguished (DC 15 Reflex save as a full-round action). The sword 
  teleports away and will never serve her again.
  Destruction
  If an eladrin matriarch who witnessed Srasama’s destruction willingly plunges the 
  blade into her heart, both she and the blade are incinerated, leaving behind nothing 
  but ash.
  Chamber eight: 
  Beasts of the infernal Horde.
  Encounter Level 11.
  The party ultimately only has one reason to go here: to perform the ritual 
  on the Pious Mount. The monsters here are horrendous and deadly, but 
  avoidable if the party has a few skeletons courtesy of Ennio Adolini, has 
  the ice devil on their side, or can get Somnia to sing and put the beasts 
  to sleep. If the party insists on fighting here, they get what they deserve.
  Vault Hell Hound 
   CR 3 • XP 800
  LE Medium outsider (evil, extraplanar, fire, lawful)
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +7
  Defense
  AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 15 (+1 Dex, +5 natural)
  hp 30 (4d10+8)
  Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +1
  Immune fire
  Weaknesses vulnerability to cold
  Offense
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee bite +5 (1d8+1 plus 1d6 fire)
  Special Attacks breath weapon (10-ft. cone, once every 2d4 rounds, 2d6 fire damage, 
  Reflex DC 14 for half)
  Statistics
  Str 13, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 6
  Base Atk +4; CMB +5; CMD 16 (20 vs. trip)
  Feats Improved Initiative, Run
  Skills Acrobatics +8, Perception +7, Stealth +13, Survival +7
  Languages Infernal (cannot speak)
  Bloody Juggernaut  
  CR 11 • XP 12,800
  Variant inverted giant
  CE Huge humanoid (giant)
  Init +6; Senses blindsight 60 ft.; Perception +9
  Aura fear aura (60 ft., DC 21)
  Defense
  AC 25, touch 10, flat-footed 23 (+2 Dex, +15 natural, –2 size)
  hp 152 (16d8+80)
  Fort +15, Ref +7, Will +7
  Defensive Abilities rock catching; Resist cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10
  Weaknesses vulnerable to positive energy
  Offense
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee bite +19 (2d8+9 plus grab), 2 claws +19 (1d8+9 plus bleed)
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
  Special Attacks bleed (1d6), grab (Large), rock throwing (120 ft.), swallow whole 
  (2d8+13 bludgeoning damage, AC 17, 15 hp), vomit gore
  Statistics
  Str 29, Dex 14, Con 20, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 16
  Base Atk +12; CMB +23 (+27 grapple); CMD 35
  Feats Awesome Blow, Cleave, Critical Focus, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, 
  Iron Will, Power Attack, Vital Strike
  Skills Climb +17, Intimidate +11, Perception +9
  Languages Abyssal, Giant (can’t speak)
  SQ blood absorption, flayed man
  Special Abilities
  Blood Absorption (Su) As long as the bloody juggernaut is within 30 feet of a foe 
  suffering bleed damage from its claw attacks, the blood that flows from the victim 
  writhes through the air into the juggernaut’s maw, healing the juggernaut by an 
  amount equal to the amount caused by that round’s bleed effect.
  Flayed Man (Ex) The bloody juggernaut has had the flesh torn from its body and its 
  feet removed. It crawls on hands and knees, constantly scraping its bloody muscles 
  across the rough floors and walls. Four sacred skeletons follow the juggernaut and 
  fight the enemies it targets. If any are destroyed, at the end of the juggernaut’s turn 
  enough animate from the ground to get to the full amount of four. (If commanded by 
  Adolini’s chant, the skeletons turn on the juggernaut.)
  Vomit Gore (Su) Three times per day, the bloody juggernaut can spit a blast of blood 
  and gore in a 20-foot cone that deals 6d6 points of damage (DC 23 Reflex save for 
  half). The slippery blood coats the ground in the area for 2d4 rounds, functioning as 
  a grease spell. The save DC is Constitution-based.
  Vulnerable to Positive Energy (Ex) If any form of healing from positive energy is 
  granted to the bloody juggernaut, its skin starts to grow back, overwhelming the 
  creature. Instead of regaining hit points, the juggernaut takes damage equal to one 
  and a half times the amount of healing and is staggered for 1 round.
  Treasure.
  A steel decanter has been placed beneath the holy water font in the 
  blessing room (Area H), and sits in an eternal flame created where the 
  heartsblood of a hellhound was spilled. The decanter effectively serves 
  as a tea kettle for the mixture of holy water and hellfire.
  
  19
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  
  20
  Always On Time
  Crypta Hereticarum
  Cursed Tea
  Despite the flames, the steel decanter is cool to your touch, and the water within smells 
  like fine tea.
  Aura moderate transmutation; CL 5th
  Slot —; Weight 2 lbs.
  Description
  Upon command, this decanter fills with either holy water or excellent tea. Each effect 
  can be used only once per day. A creature that drinks the tea heals 2d8+5 points of 
  damage. Whenever a creature drinks the tea, he is filled with heartwarming memories 
  of a friend or loved one, then feels a sudden chill and emptiness in his heart. That 
  friend or loved one becomes unfriendly and uncaring toward the drinker, and spurns 
  him for no discernible reason. It tends to affect people farther away first, so that the 
  drinker isn’t aware of the effect immediately. Drinking enough of his cursed tea will 
  leave the drinker bereft of any who care for him.
  Chamber Nine: Final Vault.
  If you are using these chambers when the party returns in Adventure 
  Eight, Diaspora, that adventure occurs before Gene ever entered the 
  vault, so the PCs find this chamber empty save for relics detailing the 
  history of the Demonocracy and the atrocities committed or directed 
  by Ashima-Shimtu. The meeting with the Lady of the Forked Tongue is 
  detailed in that adventure.
  If you’re running this dungeon as part of Adventure Four, Always on 
  Time, or as part of a stand-alone dungeon crawl, the party must fight past 
  Gene the lunatic godhand (Gene’s stats are reprinted on this page for 
  your convenience).
  If you’re running this dungeon as a stand-alone adventure, what hap-
  pens when the party meets Ashima-Shimtu depends on how generous 
  you’re feeling. She most likely finds them unworthy of her attention and 
  leaves them to their own devices, which means they probably drown try-
  ing to swim out or stay trapped here forever.
  If you don’t want a downer ending, she might direct them to a limited 
  wish scroll Gene possesses that can break the leaden curse, allowing 
  them to exit the way they came in, albeit with a chance the ritual itself 
  kills them. Or if the party consists of priests sent in to set things right, 
  Ashima-Shimtu asks only for a blessing that she might find forgiveness 
  for her sins, then allows them to leave.
  We suggest having the bloody juggernaut chase the PCs relentlessly 
  from Chamber Eight to the entrance of the final vault. When they open 
  the doors they have to deal with Gene, the golden doppelgangers, and 
  the juggernaut, but if they can get the juggernaut to follow them to the 
  well beneath Ashima-Shimtu, they can goad it into charging and falling 
  into the holy water, killing it. +
  Gene, Lunatic Godhand 
  CR 7 • XP 3,200
  Male human monk 6
  LE Medium outsider (augmented humanoid, human, native)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +20
  Defense
  AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 18 (+2 armor, +1 Dex, +1 natural +1 dodge)
  hp 70 (6d8+36); Fast Healing 5
  Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +9
  Defensive Abilities evasion variable resistance; DR 10/magic; Immune disease, 
  poison, aging
  Offense
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee unarmed strike +11 (1d8+6) or flurry of blows +11/+11/+6 (1d8+6)
  Special Attacks ki strike
  Statistics
  Str 18 Dex 17, Con -, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 2-
  Base Atk +4; CMB +10 (+12 when disarming); CMD 20 (22 vs. disarming)
  Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Im-
  proved Lightning Reflexes, Improved Unarmed Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, 
  Power Attack, Step Up, Stunning Fist, Toughness, Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike)
  Skills Acrobatics +6, Bluff +13, Climb +7, Escape Artist +6, Fly –3, Heal +7, Intimidate 
  +11, Perception +20, Ride –3, Sense Motive +20, Stealth +5, Swim –2
  Languages Common
  SQ high jump, ki defense, maneuver training, purity of body, slow fall 30 ft., still mind
  Other Gear bracers of armor +2, hands of heaven and hell (see Adventure Four)
  Special Abilities
  Demon’s Souls (Su): Gene is possessed by various demonic spirits which have 
  given him immortal life. In many respects, and as such, Gene does not possess a 
  Constitution score, but relies on his Charisma score for all Constitution related saves 
  and abilities.
  Variable Resistance (Su): Anytime Gene is struck by elemental damage during com-
  bat, he gains resist 10 to the triggering damage type until the end of the encounter.
  
  21
  Always On Time
  Open Game License 1.0a
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  15.  COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0a. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors: 
  Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary 
  Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: 
  Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip 
  Williams.
  Always on Time. Copyright 2012, EN Publishing; Author: Jacob Driscoll.
  Zeitgeist Player’s Guide, Revised Kickstarter Edition. Copyright 2014, EN Publish-
  ing; Author: Ryan Nock.
  Zeitgeist Campaign Guide, Revised Kickstarter Edition. Copyright 2014, EN 
  Publishing; Author: Ryan Nock.
  Crypta Hereticarum: The Crypt of Heresies. Copyright 2014, EN Publishing; 
  Author: Ryan Nock.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/EN Publishing/Zeitgeist/#04 ~ Always on Time (Crypta Hereticarum Supplement).pdf