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  C H E L I A X
  E m pI rE  o f  d E v I Ls
  
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  COMPANION
  Authors • Jonathan H. Keith, Colin McComb, Steven E. Schend,
  Leandra Christine Schneider, and Amber E. Scott
  Cover Artist • Matt Dixon
  Cartography • Jared Blando, Rob Lazzaretti
  Interior Artists • Jim Nelson and Craig J. Spearing
  Editor-In-Chief • James Jacobs
  Editing and Development • Christopher Carey,
  Sean K Reynolds, and James L. Sutter
  Editorial Assistance • Jason Bulmahn and F. Wesley Schneider
  Editorial Interns • David A. Eitelbach and Hank Woon
  Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson
  Senior Art Director • James Davis
  Publisher • Erik Mona
  Paizo CEO • Lisa Stevens
  Vice President of Operations • Jeffrey Alvarez
  Corporate Accountant • Dave Erickson
  Director of Sales • Pierce Watters
  Sales Manager • Christopher Self
  Technical Director • Vic Wertz
  Events Manager • Joshua J. Frost
  Special Thanks
  The Paizo Customer Service and Warehouse Teams
  Cheliax
   Empire of Devils
  Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names 
  (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.
  Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 
  1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
  Pathfinder Companion: Cheliax, Empire of Devils is published by Paizo Publishing, LLC under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and GameMastery are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Society,
  Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder Modules, and Pathfinder Companion are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. © 2009 Paizo Publishing, LLC.
  Printed in China.
  TablE of ConTEnTs
   Cheliax 
  2
   Egorian, City of Thorns 
  14
   Westcrown, City of Twilight 
  16
   social: adventurers and Traits 
  18
   Magic: Dazzling style, lethal substance 
  20
   Religion: a Tolerant Prison 
  24
   Combat: fight like a Devil 
  26
   Persona: allies, Cohorts, and Contacts 
  28
   Preview 
  32
  
  2
  COMPANION
  C H E l I a X
  In THE THRall of HEll
  Non-Chelaxians often ask the nation’s citizens, “How 
  could this have happened? How could you have let 
  devil-worshipers take over?” Such questions betray a 
  fundamental lack of knowledge of Chelish nature. 
  Cheliax has long imagined a central role for itself in the 
  history of Golarion. For more than 500 years, it was the 
  prime military and economic power on the continent. Its 
  rule featured prominently in the Starfall Doctrine, which 
  prophesied a time when the god Aroden himself would 
  return to take the crown and usher in a new reign of peace 
  and justice. Dreaming themselves to be the inheritors of 
  grand destinies, the Chelaxians grew proud—arrogant, 
  even—and expanded their empire mercilessly in the 
  name of their glorious fate.
  It came as a great surprise to them when Aroden 
  died. Desperate, the nation sought to hold onto its self-
  important stories and national mythology. How they 
  found themselves under the heel of a different leader, 
  Abrogail Thrune—who promised them the glory that 
  Aroden’s death destroyed even as she twisted the country 
  away from its most cherished ideals—is a riddle to which 
  few know the answer.
  The darkness that swept the country after their god’s 
  demise nearly destroyed the Chelaxians. They were 
  
  3
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  cheliax: empire of devils
  shattered and riven; 30 years of internecine warfare 
  turned families against each other. Small tyrants arose, 
  promising shelter from the increasing fury of the civil 
  war, and were just as swiftly swept aside by ambitious 
  underlings, crafty foes, and diseases that ravaged the 
  country. Chaos reigned, uncertainty in every breath, and 
  the dreams of Imperial Cheliax were a golden memory of 
  a time-that-was.
  The wars grew steadily more vicious, and the would-
  be rulers of the country turned to increasingly desperate 
  measures, until at last Abrogail Thrune struck a bargain 
  with the darkest powers of Hell. Whatever pact she made 
  that night was decisive: the hordes of Hell came to her 
  aid, and the House of Thrune ascended to the throne of 
  Cheliax. Her family has remained in power ever since. 
  Since the Thrune Ascendancy, the country has known 
  relative peace, but that physical peace comes at the cost of 
  peace of mind, and perhaps the soul itself. Devils—most 
  of them in the guise of mortals—roam to the very corners 
  of Cheliax, constrained by some force within the borders 
  that the nation rightfully claims as its own; Hellknights 
  and Asmodean Inquisitors enforce the law with brutal 
  clarity and vicious efficiency; the noble houses engage 
  in bloodsports and crush the lower classes for their 
  entertainment. The golden dream that was Cheliax lives 
  on, but in name only, and woe comes to those who dare to 
  voice their discontent.
  The Chelaxians have traded their freedom and their 
  future for the promise of the lash. 
  HIsToRy
  The assumption of power by the House of Thrune marked 
  a major shift in Cheliax’s history—largely because so 
  much of the nation’s history has disappeared, erased 
  from the archives and stricken from official records. The 
  government in Egorian revises this history constantly, 
  elevating allies of House Thrune and casting its enemies 
  into darkness. Those who have offered significant insult 
  to the queen, the nation, or the Church of Asmodeus find 
  their names stricken from histories and legal documents, 
  their existence erased from the birth and death rolls, 
  their properties seized and granted to their rivals, and 
  their families exiled, executed, or sold into slavery. Every 
  third month, the imperial printing presses roll out a new, 
  officially approved version of the histories for libraries, 
  schools, and universities; the Order of the Rack retrieves 
  the outdated copies from these same clients, with imperial 
  sanctions for those who fail to produce their previously 
  allotted copies.
  The official histories are thus spotty and occasionally 
  unreadable, with huge gaps from hasty excisions and 
  the blotting-out of heroes who have fallen from favor. 
  Although possession of unauthorized histories is a crime, 
  it is whispered that serious scholars pay enormous sums 
  for pre-Thrune volumes. An entrepreneur who managed 
  to find a complete set of the revised histories, stretching 
  from the birth of the Imperial Ministry of Historical 
  Accuracy to the modern day, would find herself wealthy 
  indeed—assuming she could find a client who was not an 
  informant for the Ministry.
  Understanding Cheliax
  The key to understanding modern Cheliax is recognizing 
  its need for power, and that if ever there were a concrete 
  illustration of power’s corrupting influence, Cheliax would 
  serve admirably in that role. For centuries, the people of this 
  land have paid tribute to the notion that power in any form 
  is the highest achievement in life. Even before the Thrune 
  Ascendancy took shape from the chaos that surrounded the 
  failure of the Starfall Doctrine, the people of Cheliax believed 
  in the goal of power for its own sake: military, economic, 
  political, or magical.
  This is what led to their downfall. When power becomes 
  the goal, concerns about the way one achieves it fall by the 
  wayside. It was only natural that some would seek to increase 
  their power by supernatural means, and then by diabolical 
  ones, and that once they achieved dominance, they would 
  consolidate their standing by crushing their rivals and 
  subjugating any who fell under their sway.
  Those outside Cheliax accuse the country’s ruling 
  class—and, indeed, any who seek standing in the country—
  of serving Hell. They point to the Hellknights, to the 
  bloodsports, to the sanctioned worship of Asmodeus, and 
  the increasing rigor and evil of the country as proof of their 
  claim. But the Chelaxians maintain that their critics have it 
  backward: Hell serves Cheliax.
  a Chelish Glossary
  The Chelish city-dwellers possess a wide vocabulary referring 
  to titles, places, and specifics relating to their home, particularly 
  in Egorian and Westcrown.
  Adel: A small, personal barge
  Dottari: The Westcrown city guard
  Durotas: A captain of the city guard
  Duxotar: Commander of the city guard
  Egorani: A person or thing from Egorian
  Haloran: A lantern-bearing staff
  Vaneo: A Chelish manor house
  Vira: A Chelish estate
  Wiscrani: A person or thing from Westcrown
  
  4
  COMPANION
  The basic touchpoints for the country’s history remain 
  constant, though as those who grew up under the Thrune 
  Ascendancy age, they find the recorded versions of their 
  memories have been officially altered. The battle for 
  the historical soul of Cheliax is underway—someday 
  the memory of Aroden’s promise will disappear from 
  Cheliax altogether, and Asmodeus will always have been 
  the patron of Cheliax.
  soCIETy
  Outside of its borders, Cheliax is imagined by people 
  across Golarion to be a place of twisted evil, its citizens 
  cringing under the lash as devils torment them. 
  The reality is more prosaic. None deny that House 
  Thrune’s diabolic allies have had an effect on the kingdom, 
  but Hell’s influence is subtler than popular caricature 
  would have it. Most of its citizens never see a devil—or 
  at least never know they’ve seen one. Life goes on, much 
  as it usually does, and if one has to be more careful when 
  speaking his mind, or finds his neighbors disappearing 
  at night while other neighbors become richer for 
  speaking out against them—well, it’s a small price to pay 
  to beat back the dark hordes beyond the borders, isn’t it? 
  Chelish patriotism—or rather, nationalism—is loud and 
  then louder; no citizens want to be noticed as being less 
  vocal about their love of their country than their fellows, 
  because that brings the eye of the Inquisitors.
  The word to describe most Chelaxians is “ambitious.” 
  The lower classes yearn to better themselves so that they 
  can lift themselves from the muck of the ghettos and 
  slums and live the life of the wealthy, free from care or 
  want. The wealthy want to be wealthier; to acquire more 
  power, more land, and more holdings. They want more 
  responsibility, and they want to be seen, to make their 
  mark on history and let the world know that they have 
  trod upon its surface.
  This ambition requires an outlet, and House Thrune 
  grants it to them. Whether it’s status-seeking, religious 
  zealotry, vices, or blood, one can find it in Cheliax. (See 
  Recreation and Entertainment for more information.)
  legal structure
  The laws of Cheliax, called the Asmodean Disciplines, are 
  based on the primary religious text of the Church of 
  Asmodeus, and are thus byzantine and myriad, weaving 
  in and out of one another like a tapestry. Prohibitions 
  and regulations reach into every corner of life, and 
  though most of these laws remain unenforced (some 
  might even say unenforceable), they remain an effective 
  way for Hellknights and more mundane police forces to 
  remove undesirable elements from society: either as an 
  exaggeration of a perceived violation, or as an incentive 
  for ordinary citizens to report to the Inquisitors about 
  their neighbors’ suspicious activities. 
  The Inquisitors are a branch of the Church of 
  Asmodeus. Their charge is to root out corruption and 
  disease in the tree of the unholy in order to maintain 
  orthodoxy in the Church. In their iron masks and black 
  robes, they are the country’s secret police, charged with 
  creating and developing informants. Their network of 
  spies stretches across the country, encouraged by rewards 
  of coin, prestige, position, or influence. Thus it is that 
  the citizens turn against each other in an atmosphere of 
  incrimination, backbiting, and fear. This poison is most 
  prominent in the cities, where few of the citizens know 
  significant official Dates in 
  Chelish History
  Reprinted by kind permission of the Imperial Ministry of 
  Historical Accuracy. To avoid potential external interference in 
  Chelish affairs, and for national security reasons, the Ministry has 
  denied requests to include more recent events in this timeline.
  3007 
  Taldor founds its westernmost colony, Cheliax.
  4081 
  Aspex the Even-Tongued, a Taldan governor, 
  consolidates his power by marshalling the armies 
  under his command and takes Galt and Isger under 
  his control. His diplomats convince the winged 
  men of Devil’s Perch and the populace of Andoran 
  to join his insurrection. This spells the end of Taldor 
  as a great power, and seals Cheliax’s fate as ruler of 
  nations. The date is celebrated as Signing Day among 
  the four nations; only the heretical winged men reject 
  the freedom offered by Cheliax.
  4137 
  The Chelish army and navy repel the forces of Garund 
  and win control of the Arch of Aroden, allowing 
  Cheliax to control the entrance to the Inner Sea.
  4138 
  Ungrateful Sargava is founded. 
  4305 
  The glorious Everwar begins, demonstrating the 
  Chelish desire to bring freedom and peace to the 
  benighted savages of the north and east. 
  4338 
  Chelish conquest of Nidal is complete, opening a 
  dialogue and mixing of ideas and trade.
  4407 
  Loyal Korvosa founded.
  4606 
  Aroden fails to fulfill his prophecy and abdicates his 
  power, allowing chaos to descend on the land. A time 
  of madness, darkness, and blood. 
  4632 
  Treacherous Molthune breaks from Cheliax, forsaking 
  the motherland in her time of need. 
  4640 
  The House of Thrune consolidates its power, binding 
  allies in Hell to quell the chaos and restore Cheliax to 
  the path of greatness.
  
  5
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  cheliax: empire of devils
  their neighbors well; it is far less common in the smaller 
  villages, where they keep a closer eye on their compatriots 
  and issue their own brand of rough justice rather than 
  draw the iron eyes of the Inquisitors to their homes.
  Police and guardsmen, sometimes called dottari, are 
  the primary law enforcement for each municipality. Some 
  towns are small enough to require volunteer militias, 
  rather than full-time enforcers. The law gives these city 
  watchmen power only to protect, defend, and detain; the 
  judges and lawmakers jealously guard their prerogative to 
  hand down decisions of justice. The feared Hellknights 
  technically exist outside of the legal system and Chelish 
  control entirely, their charter approved by House Thrune 
  itself, and may act as guard, judge, and hoodsman when 
  they see a violation of the laws.
  In the lesser towns, the mayor or headsman acts as 
  the judge for the criminals brought before him. In the 
  larger cities, the judges are both constrained by the law 
  and freed by it. They are invariably clerics of the Church 
  of Asmodeus, for they are the only people with the deep 
  knowledge of the Disciplines required to understand 
  the complexities of the law. In principal, they are 
  incorruptible, above bribes and other temptations to alter 
  the law: their reward comes from the power of the Lord 
  of Darkness. In reality, as they are experts in the legal 
  code, they know how to ask for and receive bribes, play 
  favorites, and improve the lots of their friends—all under 
  the blessing of the law.
  Though the Inquisitors are charged with protecting 
  against actual corruption (the breaking of the letter, 
  rather than a violation of the spirit), it is rare that they 
  investigate judges, and even rarer that they remove one. 
  The most recent case was that of Alaster Wolfstongue, 
  Senior Prelate of Kintargo, who was removed from office, 
  defrocked, scourged across his face and back, and set loose 
  in Devil’s Perch to die. He did not die, the stories say—he 
  now dispenses justice and vengeance along the caravan 
  routes, and has become a blight to the Hellknights and 
  priests of Asmodeus.
  The law constrains judges to sentences in accordance 
  with the class of crime, allowing discretion for the 
  severity of the crime and its effect on the city; the law 
  provides a complicated formula for sentencing, but many 
  of the lesser judges simple ignore these mandates rather 
  than try to make sense of these complex if-and-but-
  otherwise statements. 
  Punishments range from censure, such as the stocks or 
  branding, to excruciations in the city center. The Church 
  prefers to avoid quick and private executions, except in 
  cases of enemies of the state who must disappear efficiently 
  and quietly. House Thrune believes that a public morning 
  excruciation is a better deterrent to crime and revolt; its 
  memories linger throughout the day, serving as a telling 
  reminder of the perils of lawbreaking.
  societal structure
  Cheliax is primarily a feudal state, its society a pyramid 
  reaching from the lowest classes to the royal house itself. 
  Within each level, there are gradations and differences; 
  not all slaves suffer the same fates, just as not all the 
  wealthy possess the same holdings. In the cities, citizens 
  guard their status jealously: the rich and powerful expect 
  total deference from their inferiors, and this attitude 
  trickles down the social ladder. It’s not law yet, but it 
  might be someday.
  The base of the social pyramid is the slaves. The 
  market for slaves is huge in Cheliax: debtors, prisoners, 
  criminals and scofflaws, unfortunates in the wrong place, 
  and deposed nobility are all part of the vast slave network. 
  The complex code of laws regarding slaves classifies 
  them according to the sentence of their slavery, the 
  terms of their release, and what sorts of tasks each may 
  perform. Term-slaves, or those enslaved by order of the 
  law for a set period, may not be executed or permanently 
  disfigured, while life-slaves serve under the mercy of 
  their owners. Slavers’ practices vary across Cheliax, as do 
  their specialties; some, such as Valix Jeggare of Corentyn, 
  hire bounty hunters to fetch specific types of slaves for 
  the bloodsport arenas, while others, such as Oxophis 
  Frangister of Westcrown and Egorian, roam the hallways 
  of power in the capital, scheming to seize yet another of 
  Cheliax’s ancient bloodlines.
  Above the slaves are the serfs, who serve on the estates of 
  the nobles, are given land to till or farm, and must provide 
  a share of their yield to their local lord. They rarely travel, 
  and almost never receive an education, and their world 
  typically extends only to the borders of their lord’s land. 
  Although serfs have been known to rise to prominence 
  The outside View
  As the nation’s detractors see it, the highest members of 
  Chelish society use the words “ethics” and “morality” frequently 
  to keep the lower classes in line, implying that those who don’t 
  bow to their views are less pure, less devoted—less human. 
  They urge their inferiors to live within the social boundaries 
  established by the wealthy and the powerful, offering small 
  rewards for those who comply and who inform on those who 
  don’t—and delivering terrible punishments to the people who 
  refuse to participate in this rigged game. Small wonder that 
  there are rumors of resistance to the rule of Hell and Thrune 
  beginning in the slums and ghettos—and small wonder that 
  the agents of Hell keep their eyes trained on the tenements.
  
  6
  COMPANION
  (such as Hugh Fraxelles, who won his freedom and a title 
  of his own by defeating 16 challengers in a row during the 
  Dies Irae in Egorian 5 years ago), most of them are born, 
  live, and die in the same 10 square miles.
  Laborers of all kinds occupy the next social rung, 
  whether they be carters, scribes, or servants to the 
  wealthy. Some of them have educated themselves; most 
  have not. They are free to move about the country, to seek 
  their fortunes as they will, and to find new employers, 
  their job contracts permitting. They rarely advance in 
  the world, living in the slums and poorer districts of 
  the cities, or as farmers or hunters in the hinterlands. 
  Their entertainment is the taverns, vice dens, and the 
  bloodsport arenas; they either burn to improve their lot 
  or drown their ambition in drink and drugs to forget the 
  sting of their failure to rise. Mercenaries and enlisted 
  soldiers fall into this category.
  Craftsmen and artisans sit above these, creating 
  the goods that keep the economy moving. They have 
  generally received some brief education—reading and 
  writing to understand accounts and the tricks of their 
  trade. They too are free to move as they like, insofar as 
  their guild permits, but except in the case of itinerant 
  craftsmen and tinkerers, they’re frequently nailed down 
  by ownership: mortgages and loans on their businesses 
  and homes enmesh them in the body politic, with 
  slavery or debtors’ prison the punishment for walking 
  away, and the Hellknights’ Order of the Chain waiting 
  for them to try.
  The social betters of the craftsmen are the merchants, 
  the guildsmen, and the advocates. They provide structure, 
  community, and questionable services such as money 
  laundering for the majority of the cash that keeps the 
  economy moving. They are the first level of society for 
  which Egorian is truly solicitous; their contributions to 
  the public coffers and to the health of the nation are vital 
  to keeping the nation and the Church afloat and solvent, 
  and so the highest offices offer them the smallest voice 
  in the direction of the country. They can be community 
  leaders, and their influence may even be felt beyond their 
  home, their street, or their city block. Military officers 
  frequently come from this category or higher.
  Then come the wealthy, those who have through one 
  means or another achieved the measure of financial 
  stability that allows them the time and leisure to 
  invest, speculate, maintain multiple residences, involve 
  themselves in politics or other risky ventures, and 
  raise private militias. Their ambition is to make their 
  households Houses of the Empire, with even greater 
  status and power. They need muscle, they need brains, 
  and they need people with the resourcefulness to carry 
  out dangerous missions: it’s well known among the 
  How to offer a bribe
  Bribes are not illegal in Cheliax. In fact, the Disciplines 
  specifically encourage it. The eponymous codex containing 
  the nation’s laws lays out a specific formula for offering 
  and accepting a bribe to avoid punishment for crime or 
  infractions, and failing to follow the proper steps can result 
  in a significantly worse punishment than failing to offer one 
  at all. Ironically, the charge for this is “attempted corruption 
  of a public official.” Officials taking bribes must pass a certain 
  percentage to their superiors—withholding bribes results in 
  serious disciplinary action.
  The first step is determining how much the accused 
  can pay. Certain crimes require a minimum payment to 
  look the other way, and the most serious crimes—capital 
  crimes, for the most part—are well beyond the reach of 
  the lowest classes, though city guards may succumb to the 
  temptation to take the highest inducement the accused can 
  pay. Revolutionaries and radicals shriek that this system 
  favors the rich and the powerful; ordinary citizens consider 
  it the way things should be; after all, when they become 
  wealthy, they want the perquisites that come with power 
  (never mind that their chances of ever growing wealthy are 
  slim to none). 
  The next calculation is how much to pay for the alleged 
  offense, and to whom to pay it. Offering too little is insulting, 
  though it can reduce the severity of the charges without 
  making them disappear. Offering too much is considered a 
  far graver insult to the officer or magistrate. Offering it to a 
  Hellknight is an invitation to a beating.
  Next comes the offer. One cannot simply throw money 
  at an officer and walk away; this is a careful dance, delicately 
  negotiated without saying the word “bribe.” Offering to 
  donate to the officer’s favorite charity or simply asking the 
  amount of the fine and then offering to pay it on the spot are 
  the customary methods.
  Be careful, though: some officers and magistrates find 
  the offer of a bribe an insult to their integrity. Further, it is 
  important to note that bribes are for crime and vice; offering 
  an official a bribe to hurry government business implies that 
  the government is lax and inefficient, and is a crime on par 
  with blasphemy. Below are several common offenses and the 
  recommended bribes associated with them.
  Offense 
  Bribe
  Public Lewdness 
  5 cp–10 gp
  Breaking the Peace 
  1 sp–25 gp
  Larceny (depending on severity) 
  5 sp–100 gp
  Assault 
  10 sp–50 gp
  Murder (depending on victim) 
  200–20,000 gp 
  Blasphemy 
  1,000–10,000 gp
  
  7
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  cheliax: empire of devils
  adventuring classes in Cheliax that the ambitiously 
  wealthy are the source of most employment.
  The old nobility of Cheliax, most prominent in 
  Westcrown, still commands vast holdings and some 
  loyalty from the older members of the populace who 
  remember the days before the Thrune Ascendancy. The 
  families who have not yet proven themselves to the new 
  queen, or those who do not show sufficient devotion to 
  the infernal rule in Egorian, tend to congregate 
  in 
  Westcrown, 
  slowly 
  crumbling 
  into 
  eccentricity and dissolution. This group is 
  a hotbed of strife: its members know how 
  to play the political game, and the only 
  thing that keeps them from banding 
  together to rise up are the constant 
  traitors in their midst who are 
  eager to restore their families’ good 
  names in Queen Abrogail’s eyes.
  The new nobility in Cheliax 
  arose only in the past 60 years, their 
  fortunes tied intimately to House 
  Thrune. The first among their 
  number were those who had aided 
  the house in its ascent through the 
  bloody years of the interregnum, 
  and they have swelled in the 
  years since as each person, 
  family, or group finds favor 
  in Egorian. They earn their power through 
  service to the Crown, vicious innuendo and 
  brilliant politicking, assassination and espionage, 
  or feats of strength in the arenas of the kingdom; they 
  gain grants of land, secured from hapless old nobility, 
  over which they may exert as much or as little control as 
  they desire. They squabble endlessly among themselves, 
  seeking to raise themselves higher and tear their enemies 
  down in a zero-sum game in the courts of Egorian and 
  Hell. Some of the oldest families of the new nobility are 
  said to hold estates in Hell, with infernal titles to match. 
  The lesser houses control the apparatus of government, 
  populating the bureaucracy and filling out the vacancies 
  in the Church.
  The Church of Asmodeus and its functionaries sit above 
  all of them, though their official position removes them 
  from the hierarchy; the Church controls access to the 
  queen, and thus to anger the Church is to bring the wrath 
  of Cheliax to bear. Its clergy staff various portions of the 
  governmental bureaucracy, control the courts, and help to 
  create the laws that come before the queen for her approval. 
  They also provide a more valuable service: exorcisms, 
  bindings, and control of devils and other outsiders who 
  have stretched the noose of Hell’s restraint.
  At the very apex of the pyramid is House Thrune, the 
  largely uncontested rulers of Cheliax for over 60 years. 
  The lineage of the house is not direct; various clans 
  within it maneuver for power, seeking to place one of 
  their own upon the throne, though they unite against 
  outsiders who seek to move beyond the status of “pawn.” 
  The ruthless power struggles within the Thrunes have 
  brought Her Infernal Majestrix Queen 
  Abrogail II to the throne well before 
  she was due to ascend. Though she 
  is rumored to be immature, spoiled, 
  and demanding, she is also one of 
  the sharpest, most vicious political 
  infighters the House has seen in 
  decades. Her predecessors are:
  • Antoninus, Abrogail I’s son, who 
  took the throne over Abrogail’s bloody 
  corpse; 
  • Antoninus’s cousin, Terthule, who 
  ascended when the king’s safu’u fish was 
  incorrectly prepared; 
  • Terthule’s niece, Carellia, whose 
  mysterious drowning has never been 
  satisfactorily investigated; 
  • Carellia’s cousin, Infrexus, who 
  slipped under the ice on the Adivian River.
  Rumor has it that Abrogail II re-bound 
  the Courts of Hell to the contract signed 
  by her great-grandmother, bringing 
  the sharp eye of Asmodeus back to the 
  realm in the person of the pit fiend 
  General Gorthoklek. Those who have 
  been in the court when he is present report 
  that though he cloaks himself in human guise, the aura 
  of power and evil emanating from him is overwhelming 
  and unmistakable; they also say that Abrogail II seems 
  entirely unaffected by his power, and that though he 
  offers suggestions to her, it is clear that she is the one 
  who controls the direction of Chelish policy. Indeed, 
  they whisper, the devil reins in her worst impulses: Hell 
  truly serves Cheliax.
  Three primary groups exist outside the structure 
  laid down here, though their members frequently 
  adhere to decorum, politesse, and the demands of their 
  superiors who play the courtier game in Abrogail’s court: 
  Hellknights, Inquisitors, and the monks of the various 
  orders of the infernal church. They have the blessing and 
  the authority to operate on their own charters, largely 
  free of the interference of the normal engine of state, in 
  order to create an outside efficiency control, to root out 
  corruption, and to elevate the worship and devotion of 
  Asmodeus to a purer form among their countrymen.
  Queen abrogail II
  
  8
  COMPANION
  foreign affairs and the Military
  An Andoren joke asks, “How can you tell the difference 
  between a Chelish traveler and a Chelish spy?” The 
  answer? “Trick question—there is none.” 
  This isn’t strictly accurate, of course. Egorian 
  maintains a vast and convoluted spy network, but not 
  everyone traveling abroad is an agent of House Thrune. 
  Indeed, many of the educated classes take time to travel 
  to other countries, absorb their culture, and spread 
  Chelish influence while they’re there. Chelish travelers 
  are usually quite recognizable by their smug self-
  importance and certainty of their status.
  Cheliax’s vast army and navy are among the largest in 
  Avistan, and despite the decline of the Chelish empire, 
  they remain a threat to every other country on the 
  continent. The Chelish navy patrols the waters of the 
  Inner Sea, and controls the Arch of Aroden (and thus one 
  of the primary shipping lanes). The army likewise plays 
  an outsized role in determining the fates of the countries 
  surrounding Cheliax: it is its presence on the Chelish 
  plains that keeps those nations in line, and its threat 
  that keep Nidal and Isger friendly, Molthune in a state 
  of constant readiness, Galtans wary, and Andoran’s army 
  mobilized at the borders. 
  Cheliax fetishizes its volunteer military and, to a lesser 
  extent, its conscripted and enslaved military. Government-
  run printing presses report on their successes, minimize 
  their failures, and praise the casualties as heroes who 
  have given their lives and limbs to the service of the 
  country. Those who have distinguished themselves on the 
  battlefields can expect heroic treatment when they retire; 
  the others, though lionized during their careers, find that 
  their service is respectable only if they speak in favor of 
  House Thrune. Those who dare speak of the horrors of war, 
  or who question the latest military venture, find themselves 
  shunned, maltreated, and driven into poverty, their names 
  tarnished and their memories forgotten. Officially, they 
  cease to exist, but rumor has it that some of them have 
  gathered in Halmyris (or is it Longacre?) to begin plotting 
  against the corrupt leadership that has broken the morale 
  and spirit of so many of their comrades.
  The Chelish military is a tool of the economic interests 
  of the country. Though Egorian invokes the specter of 
  enemies on the border and the necessity of defending 
  Chelish interests and people (most especially the colonists 
  of such far-flung places as Sargava and Anchor’s End), the 
  government uses the military to promote the merchants 
  who trade in those areas and the houses they serve.
  Two types of general staff and admiralty exist: those 
  who work in the Ministry of War and advise the rulers 
  of Cheliax, and those who are responsible for carrying 
  out the orders, strategies, and placements suggested from 
  Egorian. In the field, General Arionus Dexter commands 
  the armies of Cheliax from his fortress in the Fields of 
  Chelam, and is said to be seeking scouts who can pass 
  into Andoran with no trouble—Chelaxians who don’t 
  look or sound Chelish.
  Internal Tensions
  It’s no secret that the country has changed dramatically 
  in the past hundred years, and that the 30 years of 
  interregnum and anarchy marked the Chelish character 
  indelibly. Chelaxians have become closed and suspicious, 
  and they reject outside influence in their lives, fearing 
  a return to those terrible days. They regard foreigners 
  with suspicion, and those who travel outside Cheliax—or 
  even to far reaches within the land—become tainted with 
  otherness. Chelaxians, especially those in small towns, put 
  down deep roots, and many have an inherent mistrust of 
  people who don’t share those roots; when something goes 
  inexplicably wrong, the rootless and the Other become the 
  first people to blame. Frequently, Hellknights are all that 
  stand between vigilante mobs and unsuspecting travelers.
  In larger towns and cities, one sees far fewer mobs; 
  the courts and the watch can take care of criminals 
  and saboteurs, and they’re fed a steady diet of both. 
  Inquisitors and Hellknights conduct secret (and not-so-
  secret) pogroms against various alleged enemies of the 
  state—revolutionaries, spies, malcontents, underground 
  printers, and any who dare to question the established 
  order. They have developed a ruthless efficiency for 
  rooting out trouble, and have developed mass operations 
  based on military movements that are calculated to 
  move large quantities of people, equipment, and supplies 
  long distances at short notice. Whether they move these 
  quantities back when they’re done is another matter 
  altogether—such are the ethics of efficiency.
  Recreation and Entertainment
  It has been said that, in Cheliax, anything not forbidden is 
  permitted, and the government recognizes that its citizenry 
  requires ample space to shake off the tensions caused by the 
  ever-present regulations and laws. This space, of course, is 
  vice. In most cities outside Cheliax, vice hides in back alleys 
  and away from respectable, gods-fearing citizens. Not so 
  here. In this land, the government owns many brothels, 
  drug dens, gambling houses, and theaters, which stand 
  glittering. These draw in the wealthy and their guests, who 
  mingle in the fleshpots and the cathouses, watching the 
  degradations of their friends and neighbors, few of them 
  ever realizing their own souls are as besmirched.
  Egorian regulates vice and taxes sin. Brothel owners 
  must pay monthly licensure fees and open their books 
  to government investigators. Drug dens pay a percentage 
  
  9
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  cheliax: empire of devils
  of their intake, and gossip says that half the addicts are 
  government informants listening for loose words and 
  secrets spilled. Some proprietors try to skip out on their 
  actual allotments, attempting to hide their businesses for 
  whatever reason—but when they’re discovered, they pay 
  back taxes or exorbitant bribes, and frequently go before 
  the courts. Easier, then, to 
  go through the hassle 
  of the bureaucratic 
  process, 
  purchase 
  inspection permits 
  and licenses, and 
  conduct 
  all 
  this 
  business openly.
  The poor have their 
  entertainments as well, 
  less officially sanctioned but 
  still legal under the Asmodean 
  code. Theirs are more brutal, 
  less refined, and their victims 
  less likely to stagger home after 
  the night’s end. The blood-
  spattered 
  fighting 
  pits 
  of the tenements and 
  ghettos see any number 
  of 
  prizefights—from 
  cockfights to more exotic 
  creatures, 
  bare-knuckled 
  boxing 
  to 
  all-out 
  death 
  matches—which 
  generate 
  real income for the owner of the 
  beast or the winner of the bout, up 
  to 20 gp nightly. In Ostenso, would-be 
  gladiators are advised to ask for Warrant Officer Tarantil 
  Veser at the Six-Eyed Mute; she’s got wide knowledge of 
  the best matches for the upcoming week, and can arrange 
  impromptu bouts within a few hours.
  The diversions of the wealthy can be both more refined 
  and more horrifying. In addition to many conventional 
  and renowned opera houses and theaters, Cheliax’s nobles 
  also have something they call the Theater of the Real. For 
  the high-minded and the intellectual, this is an exercise 
  in stripping away the true nature of humanity to connect 
  them to their primal selves, a way to open the sheltered 
  to a transgressive revelation of the human condition. To 
  less cultured theatergoers, these are snuff plays featuring 
  violence, blood, and gruesome ends perpetrated on 
  the unwitting or sacrificial victims—a way to indulge 
  bloodlust without having to rub elbows with the lower 
  classes. In Egorian, the most famous of these theaters lies 
  in Devil’s Dance, in a place called the Cowering Slave, its 
  proprietor a former priest named Tusco Felone. 
  The current gossip is that a new anti-government 
  movement has arisen that takes elements of the Theater 
  of the Real and combines them with revolutionary 
  sensibilities: by kidnapping the families of local 
  authorities and forcing them to participate—though 
  masked—on stage in these voyeuristic spectacles, the 
  radical new troupes hope to force an end to the Real.
  art in Cheliax
  In addition to theater, other arts also 
  thrive in Cheliax; people need 
  an outlet and inspiration, and 
  life in Cheliax provides plenty 
  of the latter. In sculpture, the 
  latest fashion is the Egorian 
  style, a brutal form of jags and 
  spikes that asserts dominance 
  over its surroundings through sheer 
  power and presence.
  The dominant painting style now 
  could best be described as realistic, 
  though the themes are decidedly 
  supernatural 
  and 
  infernal: 
  either depicting the leadership 
  of Cheliax in positions of 
  dominance over the Courts 
  of Hell, or denigrating 
  their political enemies.
  The latest music is both 
  harmonious and disturbing, 
  with sudden, harsh, and rhythmic 
  drives punctuating and puncturing 
  the eerie melody. The chamber orchestra 
  Five-Edged Square has been experimenting 
  with different instrumentation, their latest affectation 
  being woodwinds and strings made from the bones and 
  organs of dead radicals.
  Finally, a new movement is emerging, spurred by the 
  monks of the Third Stone Abbey in the eastern Menador 
  Mountains: the New Ascetic, devoted to stripping out the 
  inessential in art to focus on the bare truth. Asmodean 
  Prelate Astrid Consain calls this a deviation from the 
  complex interweavings of Hell, and is pushing to have 
  the practitioners of the art chastised, but the movement 
  continues to grow.
  GEoGRaPHy
  To understand the people of Cheliax, one must understand 
  the land, for the character of the land shapes the character 
  of its people. There are six primary Chelish regions, most 
  divided into smaller duchies, earldoms, baronies, counties, 
  and smaller fiefdoms claimed from the old nobility. 
  
  10
  COMPANION
  nonsense. It’s only a matter of time before she’s replaced 
  with someone more obedient.
  The towns of the North Plains, bordering Nidal, are 
  low and face east, away from the wind that blows cold 
  from the Arcadian Ocean. The rains that sweep in 
  across the prairie turn to ice and sleet in the winter, 
  transforming the plains into vast and pitiless tundra. 
  Halflings live among the rolling hills and vales, hiding 
  their settlements from the scouts and merchants who 
  travel between Kintargo and the Uskwood—for who 
  knows what evils these travelers bear back and forth?
  The Asmodean keepers of Ravounel Forest have begun 
  reporting strange creatures in the wood; the worshipers 
  of Erastil, most especially the ranger-priest Triadan 
  Freedman, have kept quiet, saying they don’t know 
  a thing, but rumors of Rovagug’s cult have begun to 
  surface, and there may be a power struggle brewing in 
  these rough woods.
  The Righteous north
  The word that characterizes the people of the north is 
  “devotion.” It refers not necessarily to the worship of 
  Asmodeus or holding to the edicts of Egorian, but rather 
  the devotion necessary to hold a mountainous border. 
  These Chelaxians are the very image of tough and ready, 
  it is small wonder that many Hellknights have come 
  from the small towns that line the base of the northern 
  Menador Mountains. They are unforgiving because the 
  land is unforgiving; they believe in law because deviating 
  from best practices in the mountains leads to death. 
  In addition to the trappers and hunters of the area, 
  the mountains hold significant mineral deposits. The 
  mountainsides are latticed with mines, and work camps 
  spring up around the shafts of each. This brings the 
  slavers, who in turn bring their thralls—and the slave pits 
  of the north are legendary. Thousands of prisoners serve 
  the miners outside and enter the most dangerous areas of 
  the mine. These latter are frequently term slaves, serving 
  out their time in ways that are often fatal. For those who 
  seem to be in danger of surviving what the mines have 
  to throw at them, the many slave owners have a bustling 
  side business populating the impromptu fighting pits 
  and amateur arenas for the miners’ entertainment. 
  In any place where slaves are gathered, of course, there are 
  slave revolts and fugitives. In the hills near the headwaters 
  of the Jeni River, the hills are honeycombed with warrens 
  and caves into which slaves vanish, going on to hold their 
  new homes with a ferocity that astonishes even hardened 
  soldiers. Gossip has it that their leader is a woman whose 
  family the government erased. House Napaciza, the famed 
  archers of Cheliax, have sent some of their best trackers 
  and bowmen to the hills to eliminate the slaves. There’s 
  The Rebellious West
  The first of these regions is the mountainous west, where 
  the jag-toothed hills of Devil’s Perch protect the town 
  of Pezzack—home of winged seditionists who resist the 
  rule of the Imperium—from the Chelish army. The fliers 
  protect their territory jealously, and those travelers who 
  cannot give the proper sign and countersign are turned 
  away—bloodily, if need be. Outside of the winged men’s 
  mountains, the Western Lands extend from the Sallow 
  Coast, near Mount Spire, all the way down to the Pillars 
  of Anferita, at the mouth of the Maiestas River. 
  The people of the West are suspicious and dour, but of 
  all the Chelaxians, they are the most free-spirited. Nestled 
  behind the peaks of the westernmost Menador Mountains, 
  they have a long history of resistance to outside rule. 
  The ruins of the city of Narona in the southern part of 
  Hellmouth Bay attest to this; unlike Pezzack, its residents 
  never returned when the Chelish navy destroyed the place. 
  The towns are small and hardscrabble, with numerous 
  bolt-holes, hidden paths, and weapons caches and food 
  stores dotted throughout the hills. 
  The ruler of the west is nominally Paracount Marcellus 
  Thurivan, but he sees his days are numbered. If he cannot 
  subdue his unruly subjects soon and convince them to offer 
  their tithes and taxes, he will be summoned to Egorian and 
  replaced. He is preparing a last-ditch military response—
  with a devil on loan from House Thrune—to bolster his 
  governance from his home in Belde on the eastern side 
  of the mountains, and rumor has it that he would rather 
  exterminate the people than see them turn away from 
  Egorian yet again. The rebels of the Western Lands may 
  need allies to stand against this final push.
  The Cosmopolitan northwest
  North of the Devil’s Perch region lies the Ravounel Forest, 
  the North Plains, and Kintargo, the Chelish city most 
  exposed to outside influence: it sits on Nisroch Bay at the 
  mouth of the Yolubilis River, unprotected by mountains 
  or other natural barriers from those who might seek 
  to take its wealth for their own. Kintargo’s people are 
  less insular and more open to the outside world, and 
  the Asmodean religion’s influence is far less keenly felt 
  among them.
  This is not to suggest that the Church has no say in the 
  city. The city is a major port, after all, and many ships 
  of the Chelish Navy put in here; their commanders are 
  largely ardent advocates of the regime in Egorian, and 
  they enforce the desires of the Church hierarchy. The 
  mayor of Kintargo, Jilia Bainulus, accedes to their wishes 
  when the navy’s warships are in the harbor, and removes 
  the restrictions when the ships sail out—there’s no point, 
  she says, in depressing the area’s economy with all that 
  
  11
  11
  cheliax: empire of devils
  a story in there, but Narikopolus won’t confirm that their 
  enemy is the last scion of the family that used to rule the 
  city of Kantaria, where Narikopolus rules now. 
  Kantaria, just north of the Barrowood, is the only city of 
  note in the region. Its lifeblood consists of trade in minerals 
  and slaves from the mountains, merchant caravans, and 
  shadow-masters from Nidal traveling to Egorian.
  The marble-lined pool of St. Ilnea’s Fountain sits in a 
  rock-ringed vale along the southern wall of the Menador 
  Mountains, just to the west of the rough-and-tumble 
  trapper town of Taggun Hold. The first saint of Iomedae, 
  Ilnea was a gentle, pious woman who became a warrior by 
  necessity, rather than by choice. She acted as Iomedae’s 
  squire before the Test of the Starstone, and helped to 
  establish the earliest orders of the faithful. As she traveled 
  through Cheliax to marshal more forces against an 
  incursion of demons, she was set upon by brigands led by 
  the foul demon Karash’e’tor the Black. She slew the demon, 
  but died of her wounds in this vale. Her body disappeared 
  into the earth, and the spring rose a day later.
  Every year on Rova 19, the Day of the Inheritor, and 
  Lamashan 6, Ascendance Day, the fountain shimmers 
  and gouts hundreds of feet into the air, and all who stand 
  under the spray are said to receive the blessing of St. Ilnea. 
  This blessing is reputed to be a ward against demons, and 
  to heal curses and wounds delivered by evil creatures. 
  The Heartlands
  The vast central plains of Cheliax and the two major 
  forests of the interior comprise the Heartlands. The land 
  is broad, the sky is large, and mighty rivers flow from the 
  mountains and the woods into Lake Sorrow, on which sits 
  the capital city Egorian. From Dekarium on the east of 
  the Barrowood to Longacre at the west of the Whisper 
  Woods lie the Fields of Chelam, a fertile, rolling plain 
  filled with farms and small trade towns. 
  The Whisper Woods, they say, holds an unclosed gate 
  direct to Hell, through which the creatures of the Pit can 
  come and go as they please. Paladins of Iomedae have 
  vanished into the wood searching for the gate, and at least 
  two paralictors of the Order of the Gate have lost their 
  commands seeking to close it down. Thus it is that the 
  Hellknight Order of the Pike protects the western edges of 
  the wood, hunting down any of the creatures that seek to 
  stray beyond the wood’s borders. They’ve posted a reward 
  for bounty hunters and adventurers to help them: those 
  interested should apply to Master of Blades Tolsis Ruvadorn 
  in the order’s citadel in Senara. Rumors abound as to why 
  the Hell-allied House of Thrune wants this gate closed.
  The Whisper Woods also hold the Scar Thicket, one of 
  the reputed entrances to the Darklands, just east of the 
  Pillar of Palamia. The pillar is said to be a monument 
  to a forgotten god, or perhaps its prison, nailed into the 
  ground here, the wound the entrance itself. The thicket 
  is full of huge insects and other, more exotic creatures 
  (many of which fetch handsome rewards if one can lure 
  them to the fighting pits of the city); most who enter this 
  place never emerge again.
  The roads across the Heartland lead inexorably to 
  Egorian, whose spires reach grasping fingers to the 
  sky. If a traveler approaches the city from the east, then 
  well before the city’s limits she’ll come across the Slave 
  Citadel, a huge chain-walled pen that holds thousands of 
  poor souls. It’s a prison and a way station for the slaves 
  passing from the city’s docks to their eventual fates in 
  some remote corner of Cheliax, or for those coming in to 
  serve under the pleasure of the noble houses.
  In the Barrowood—rumored to be so named because 
  it stands sentinel over the graves of the many would-be 
  tyrants of the interregnum—the trees run thick and deep. 
  It’s a vast forest, said to hide secrets that hold the key to 
  Cheliax. Most especially, in the southern reaches of the 
  forest sits the Winter Grove, a blackened, ancient, ruined 
  druid’s grove that dates to before the days of the Taldan 
  Empire, when Cheliax was merely a western frontier. 
  In the heart of this grove, there is said to be an ancient 
  summoning circle, and it is from this circle that Abrogail I 
  made her infernal bargain with the Prince of Darkness. In 
  recent years, locals have spotted royals making frequent, if 
  secretive, pilgrimages to the site, always bringing sacrificial 
  victims with them. Whether they seek to appease Hell or to 
  increase their own power, none can say.
  The bulwark of the East
  To the east, the Aspodell Mountains and the River 
  Keld stand as barriers against invasion, with the cities 
  of Misarias and Brastlewark to hold armies fast until 
  reinforcements can march across the Fields of Chelam or 
  the Sirmium Plain to protect the nation. As the east is the 
  most accessible land route—mountains block the north, 
  the sea the west and south—the Chelish army keeps the 
  great bulk of its forces in the area. The region is largely 
  on a military footing, and great citadels loom over the 
  plains, ready to discharge their forces.
  Farms mark this land, a huge sea of maize, wheat, 
  oats, and barley; cattle ranches and pig farms take up the 
  rest, and in the fall, the animals are driven to market—
  sometimes locally; sometimes across the country to 
  Egorian, where the cityfolk pay premium prices for them; 
  and sometimes to Andoran or Isger. The army remains 
  their best customer in the area.
  The cities of the east include gnomish Brastlewark at 
  the head of the Brastle River; Laekastel at the other end of 
  the river, the first port for the ships that don’t want to stop 
  
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  COMPANION
  at Ostenso and a market destination for the farmers of the 
  Sirmium Plain; Misarias, the town bordering Isger and 
  waypoint for thieves, diplomats, brigands, and scouts; and 
  of course Ostenso, the home of the great Chelish navy. 
  Rumors suggest that priests of the Church of Asmodeus 
  disguised as hunters, trappers, and itinerants wander the 
  exact line of the eastern border, burying and replanting 
  tiny figurines, idols of the courtiers of Hell, as if they 
  were marching an army to the east. What purpose this 
  serves is still unknown, but third-hand accounts have 
  it that intrepid souls who unearth the idols have died 
  horrible, screaming, fiery deaths.
  The architects of Brastlewark are currently moving 
  their operations eastward, to help build fortifications 
  against the Andoren army. A massive wall is going 
  up, from the base of the Aspodell Mountains down to 
  Aspo Bay, filled with emplacements and only a single, 
  enormous gate. Cross-country merchants are protesting 
  the so-called Aspodean Wall, saying that their goods 
  will rot if they have to trek so many more miles before 
  they can cross the border into Andoran to trade, but the 
  military planners have so far ignored their petitions. 
  The southern Coast
  The southern border is the Inner Sea, stretching from the 
  Arch of Aroden in the west to the Bay of Deng in the east, 
  where the earthquake- and typhoon-ruined city of Deng, 
  brought low by the death of Aroden, overlooks the cape. 
  The Imperial Navy of Cheliax, with major ports in both 
  Ostenso and Corentyn, floats one of the largest fleets on 
  the Inner Sea, a force that provides more than enough 
  protection against the depredations of would-be rivals. 
  The cities of the Southern Coast are tall and walled on the 
  landward side, and rise on cliff sides and bluffs against 
  the winds and swells of the sea. Though the Chelish navy 
  is strong and nearly unbeatable in these waters, pirates, 
  smugglers, and shore-hugging brigands dare the wild seas 
  and churning currents to make encampments all up and 
  down the coastline. 
  The cities of the Southern Coast include Corentyn, 
  Macini, Hinji, Halmyris (not technically on the coast but 
  still considered part of the Southern Coast), Remesiana, 
  and Westcrown. Westcrown is an aristocratic preserve, a 
  menagerie of the old nobility, where they can pretend to 
  hold to their power and the new aristocracy can come to see 
  their downfall if they don’t toe the line.
  Fishing villages dot the coastline, from east to west, 
  subsisting on the hauls of the Inner Sea and trading to 
  the cities. They also hide crews of “wrackers,” murderous 
  fishermen who lure night-traveling ships onto treacherous 
  reefs and slaughter the survivors in order to salvage the 
  cargoes aboard.
  The dead of the city of Deng rise up under moonlit nights 
  and walk their old lives again, as if they’d been interrupted 
  in their tasks. Some of them have become more aware, and 
  reenact the moments of their individual tragedies endlessly 
  or weep unliving tears for the death of their god. Some are 
  said to seek life again, and legend has it that they protect a 
  treasure hidden in the heart of the old City Hall.
  oRGanIzaTIons
  For the few chaotic and individualistic people left in 
  Cheliax, the rigid imposition of power cries out for 
  expression from those who labor under it. In Egorian, they 
  say “stepping in waste spreads it out”—it’s still there, just 
  hiding in awkward places where you don’t notice it until 
  later. Either way, numerous organizations have grown 
  under the rule of the Thrunes. These are some of the 
  more notable and famous across Cheliax; there are other, 
  smaller groups who operate locally or more clandestinely 
  (such as the Aspis Consortium).
  The first of these are the Hellknights. Though the 
  Hellknights are not officially part of the hierarchy in 
  Cheliax, they have a charter from the Queen certifying 
  their rights, duties, and responsibilities to the law. Their 
  citadels cover the land, from north to south and east to 
  west, so that they can enforce the law. Contrary to popular 
  depiction, many—even most—of the Hellknights are not 
  evil; this is especially true of the lower-level Hellknights, 
  whose exposure to the world has not yet embittered them to 
  the criminals occupying it. Instead, like most Chelaxians, 
  they strive for order in an imperfect world, choosing to 
  model their organization and their methods on the armies 
  of Hell in the belief that the social contracts of civilization 
  are too tenuous to survive mercy. Further, the longer they 
  spend as law enforcers, the more often they see the law 
  broken by all manner of folk, leading to an inherent mistrust 
  of people, which itself gives rise to harder hearts. 
  The Inquisitors, the country’s secret police, have 
  the authority of the Church of Asmodeus and the tacit 
  blessing of the nobility. They are the law’s appointed 
  protectors, and the best way to avoid their notice is to 
  avoid breaking the law. Of course, given the nature of 
  the law, this is nearly impossible. Most people suggest 
  keeping one’s head down and going about one’s business 
  to avoid drawing attention.
  The repressive atmosphere breeds its malcontents, 
  naturally. Resistance groups—freedom fighters, rebels, 
  or terrorists, depending on your position—sprinkle the 
  breadth of the country, no matter how hard (or maybe 
  because) the government brings its infernal forces to bear. 
  These groups hide in every region, city, and town, hoping 
  to provoke a broader uprising against the Thrunes and 
  their allies. It’s said that some of these groups even have 
  
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  cheliax: empire of devils
  angels advising them, envoys from beyond the mortal 
  sphere, here to help humans throw off the shackles of 
  Hell—but once a group out of Remesiana trusted such an 
  angel and followed it the very gates of Egorian to thrust 
  their knives into the queen, only to have the creature 
  throw off its disguise and reveal itself as an erinyes devil. 
  This ploy alone has helped to foil too many would-be 
  regicides to count. Anonymity breeds confusion, and this 
  plays to Egorian’s advantage.
  In Westcrown, the Westcrown Shadow Hunters pay 
  good coin for hunters of the shadow beasts that plague 
  their crumbling city. Led by a masked woman called 
  “Bluehood,” who is rumored to be a scion of the city’s 
  old nobility, the Shadow Hunters are trying to clean the 
  city of the fell creatures that were supposedly loosed here 
  decades ago by unscrupulous Nidalese sorcerers. There’s 
  a tavern near the old Leroung estate where bounty hunters 
  can drop their kills, and someone will bring them a bag 
  of gold the next night.
  The Molthune Armsrunners, a group of mercenaries 
  operating out of Logas in Isger, bring in shipments of 
  high-quality arms from out of the country. Whether 
  they’re being controlled by Andoren paymasters, obeying 
  Molthune’s governors, or doing it of their own accord, 
  nobody truly knows. Rumor has it the weapons go to rebels 
  and nobles alike. The Armsrunners supposedly smuggle 
  infernal weaponry back to Molthune, Andoran, and Galt. 
  Their agent is said to keep rooms in Misarias when they’re 
  looking for guards, customers, or scouts in Cheliax.
  In the Aspodell Mountains, high among the sheer 
  cliffs and snowy crevasses, lies a monastery, home to the 
  Children of the Upper Reach, devoted to Iomedae and the 
  study of a martial art developed to combat the dangerous 
  hamatulatsu, another fighting form patterned on the study 
  of barbed devils employed by the rival Sisters of the Golden 
  Erinyes in Isger. Based on the fighting styles of Melek Taus, 
  vanished archon of Heaven, it is called melekatha, and is a 
  soft art consisting of dodges, holds, and strikes that turn the 
  attacker’s energy upon the aggressor. The abbess, Helsan 
  Torvill, has not yet sent a ritual challenge to the Sisters of 
  the Golden Erinyes, and so they have not yet determined 
  which art is stronger, yet that day surely draws closer.
  In Hinji, a new hallucinogenic drug has taken hold of 
  the lower classes: “ice tears.” Said to be distilled from the 
  blood of daemons bound into captivity in some wizard’s 
  lair, it brings feelings of great power, and seems to grant 
  its user the ability to resist cold for hours at a time—and 
  people from the user’s past and future slip into and out of 
  his vision. Whether these are purely mental effects or actual 
  changes wrought by the drug, it has become increasingly 
  popular among the fishermen who brave the sea. They say 
  that ice tears come from Katapeshi smugglers who hug 
  the shores all the way from their Garundi homeland; 
  others suggest it’s a homegrown industry. Either way, a 
  shadowy group calling itself the Sons of the Tear now 
  appears to be in charge of supplying it. As the usage of 
  the drug is growing and spreading, people are starting to 
  grow concerned.
  Echoes of nobility
  Adventurers who grew up in Westcrown, particularly those 
  who have family still in the crumbling city, show it in their 
  personality. Many are descended from the old nobility (as 
  worthless as some of those titles may be) and bear the weight 
  of their family’s hopes: recovering a lost family fortune, 
  restoring a good name, or rebuilding an empire. Some have 
  nothing left of their heritage but stories of lost glory, and 
  nothing to direct their endeavors but burning pride and a 
  desire to claim their birthright. Others choose to ignore their 
  history, though they seem to live in shadow, tormented by 
  dreams of the past and haunted—sometimes literally—by the 
  shades of their ancestors.
  Westcrown natives generally bear some mark of their heritage: 
  an old signet ring, encoded documents without a cypher, a key to 
  an unknown lock, or a battered but beautiful dagger. Though they 
  may not know the significance of these heirlooms, most believe 
  the items will show their importance at some point. 
  The Hellfire Redeemer
  The legend goes that when Her Infernal Majestrix Abrogail I 
  rose to power, a devoted knight of Sarenrae and his companions 
  mounted an assault to destroy her and her fiendish allies. When 
  they breached the throne room, they found themselves stunned 
  by the unholy beauty of the Majestrix, who enspelled the knight 
  and forced him to cut down his allies. As the blood mingled on 
  the knight’s blade, the longsword turned pitch black, with swirls 
  of red seething beneath the surface. Abrogail commended her 
  new champion and declared him the first Hellknight.
  This legend is totally unsupported by history; no scholar 
  has found evidence that the story is true (and in fact the 
  Hellknights predate Abrogail’s time as queen). None can 
  even find the name of this supposed “first Hellknight” or his 
  eventual fate. From time to time, though, this weapon surfaces, 
  carves another memorable place in folklore, then disappears 
  again. The Hellfire Redeemer typically reveals itself to good folk 
  in their time of greatest need. It supposedly causes black rot to 
  spread through its victims whenever it strikes, ignites enemies 
  with a command, and sucks the souls of the fallen into its 
  blade. To wield the sword is to truck with the legions of Hell, 
  and most stories tell of it corrupting its bearer.
  
  14
  COMPANION
  K
  nown as the City of Thorns, Egorian is the heart 
  of the Chelish nation, the home of the Thrice-
  Damned House of Thrune, and—according 
  to ignorant foreigners—the closest place to Hell on 
  Golarion. While the influence of the infernal is obvious, 
  Egorian is actually much like any other bustling city, 
  with its share of nobles, slums, and regular people 
  just trying to put food on the table.
  HIsToRy
  Egorian spent much of its history 
  as a small fishing and trading 
  city, hugging the edge of Lake 
  Sorrow. As first Taldor, then 
  Cheliax rose to be the dominant 
  power of western Avistan, 
  Egorian rose with it, becoming 
  a major trading hub. Until the 
  Thrune Ascendency, Egorian 
  was Cheliax’s second-greatest 
  city. With the establishment of 
  the new order, Egorian achieved 
  its current place as the capital and 
  true center of the empire.
  Before the Ascendancy, Egorian 
  was a typical Chelish city with 
  twisting, organic roads. When 
  Thrune made it the new capital, 
  one of the first things they did was 
  embark on an urban renewal program 
  to remake the city in a more orderly image. 
  They added a 20-acre plaza, Thrune Square, right in the 
  middle of the city, and built four giant boulevards (the 
  Prospects) straight out from the square, one in each 
  cardinal direction, without any regard for the existing 
  layout of the city.
  The result is countless intersections where the new 
  streets intersect the old at odd angles. The West, South, 
  and East Prospects even pierced the outer wall, and 
  great gatehouses were erected for these new roads. The 
  government plans to slowly rebuild the entire city in its 
  image, and has made some small progress just west of 
  Thrune Square, where the new grid pattern intersects 
  in maddening and complex ways with the surrounding 
  streets and alleys.
  The Old City (as the locals call the northeast portion of 
  Egorian) was largely untouched by the building program, 
  though the outer wall has been broken by gates to the point 
  of indefensibility. Architecture has changed as well, with all 
  civic buildings and many noble dwellings being plated with 
  red and black Arcadian marble. The gothic Egorian School 
  style of architecture (which predates the Thrune 
  monarchy by centuries—see page 21) is now used 
  for all new buildings on pain of official 
  disapproval, and even preexisting 
  structures are often renovated, to the 
  extent of painting the plaster on half-
  timber buildings dark red, to provide 
  a more appropriate color scheme. 
  The Old City is the least compliant in 
  this regard, with locals dragging their 
  feet and using all sorts of bureaucratic 
  loopholes to minimize the impact of the new 
  imperial culture. Consequently the Old City is 
  the least oppressive-looking section of the city, 
  and the most popular with foreigners.
  Egorian
  Metropolis standard (imperial 
  government); AL LE
  GP Limit 16,000 gp
  DEMOGrAPHICS
  Population 82,100
  Type mixed (87% human, 9% halfling, 
  2% tiefling, 2% other)
  AuTHOrITy FIGurES
  Aspexia rugatonn, head of the Church of Asmodeus in Cheliax 
  (female human); Duxotar Marcellano ratarion, commander of the 
  city guard (male human); Lord Mayor Grachius Alazario, crown-
  appointed leader of Egorian (male human); Paralictor Ivo Elliendo 
  senior Hellknight officer of the Order of the Scourge (male human).
  GoVERnMEnT anD PolITICs
  Egorian is home to the most powerful members of the 
  Chelish nobility. All of the great noble houses have relatives 
  and agents seeded throughout the Mayoral Executive, the 
  city guard, and the imperial bureaucracy headquartered 
  in the city. Generally, high-level executive positions fall 
  to talented members of the lesser houses—House Thrune 
  doesn’t deign to do the actual work of governance, and 
  Egorian
  
  15
  15
  City of Thorns
  doesn’t want any of the other great houses to hold the 
  reins of government. Most of the municipal leadership 
  spends a great deal of time placating the Thrunes and 
  balancing the other great houses against each other while 
  simultaneously trying to actually run the city.
  Duxotar Marcellano Ratarion: Popular because of his 
  ability to root out corruption in the imperial bureaucracy, 
  Captain Ratarion has the unenviable task of trying to 
  keep the city guard out from under the thumb of the 
  Hellknight Order of the Scourge. Their missions are so 
  similar that the city guard is constantly being pushed out 
  of investigations that Paralictor Ivo Elliendo decides are 
  “Hellknight business.”
  Lord Mayor Grachius Alazario: The mayor is a master 
  of centrist politics. During his 10 years in office he 
  has managed to move the urban renewal campaign 
  forward just fast enough to keep the palace happy while 
  bureaucratically sabotaging enough unpopular projects to 
  keep popular anger in check.
  Most High Aspexia Rugatonn, Grand High Priestess 
  of Asmodeus: As the leader of the official Chelish 
  religion, Aspexia is powerful enough that none of the 
  non-imperial houses can work against her in any but the 
  most subtle manner.
  Paralictor Ivo Elliendo: A member of the Order of the 
  Scourge and the local commander of Egorian’s Hellknights. 
  A dour and driven man, he brooks little interference is his 
  administration of justice.
  DIsTRICTs
  Egorian is divided up into districts, both official and 
  unofficial. Most residents use the older, unofficial district 
  designations, of which there are 23. Of these latter, only 
  11 are described here, with each district bearing its own 
  distinct character.
  Briarpatch: This middle-class district has embraced the 
  new style of architecture, though its residents lack the finances 
  to make a full conversion. Citizens use red and black paint 
  liberally on even the most unlikely buildings and add spikes and 
  gargoyles to every rooftop, no matter the original style.
  Bridgeside: The bridge that gave its name to this district 
  is gone now, but the market remains, as do the giant pilings 
  which serve as the anchors for shanties and wharfs.
  Cheapside: This is actually a generic term for all lower-
  class portions of the city rather than a specific district. When 
  nobles say “Cheapside,” they usually mean anything other 
  than Aspex Garden, Riverside, Suitor’s Cross, Thorntown, 
  Thrune Manor, and Thrune Square, though more generous 
  nobles might not call Briarpatch, Triumph, and Parley 
  Circle by this condescending moniker.
  Devil’s Dance: The incidental arrangement of streets 
  into a pentagram makes this a routine haunt of diabolists. 
  Patriotic young nobles frequent the district’s drinking 
  establishments, and wizards and conjurers rent out lofts, 
  hoping the layout will help them with their summoning.
  Dice End: This district is given over largely to gambling 
  dens and similar entertainment establishments, and a 
  small bribe or a drink bought for the right vagrant can get 
  you an invite into an underground club that doesn’t have a 
  Hellknight informant watching.
  Hell Hound Hill: Climbing up the hill toward Thrune 
  Manor, this district is for the wealthiest of the patriotic 
  nobility. The term “hell hound” is used by the rest of the 
  populace to refer to those citizens who will do anything to 
  get in good with the ruling diabolical regime.
  Longmarket: Home to Egorian’s most eclectic market, 
  Longmarket is a chaotic and noisy place, typified by shops 
  and stalls of all descriptions.
  Mireside: This quiet residential district is the home of 
  the longshoremen who work the Riverside docks. It is mildly 
  prosperous in an unfashionable sort of way, and “gone 
  Mireside” is used to mean “turned respectable and boring.”
  Thorntown: This wealthy district prominently features 
  Egorian School architecture. The district’s skyline looks 
  like nothing so much as a bed of thorns, with narrow spires, 
  towers, minarets, and rooflines all made up of points and 
  vicious-looking gargoyles.
  Trick Alley: The twists, turns, and tunnels of this district are 
  home to most of Egorian’s brothels, bordellos, and flophouses. 
  Anybody living here is probably too poor to live anywhere else.
  Triumph: This residential district is home to the more 
  patriotic among the middle class. The central square 
  features a giant bronze statue of Queen Abrogail I climbing 
  a stairway of adoring men and devils to attain the throne.
  Whipcrack: This district houses the Egorian slave 
  market, along with industries and businesses with constant 
  labor needs. About half of the district is filled with halfling-
  proportioned dwellings of the rudest sort.
  City of Thorns
  Even from its earliest days, Egorian was known as the City 
  of Roses due to the vast fields of red roses that grew on the 
  plains around the town. When Aroden came to Cheliax, one 
  of his miracles was to turn half of the roses in Egorian white. 
  Even when the city overspread most of the old rose-fields, 
  a large garden was maintained to showcase the evidence of 
  Aroden’s special favor. The day Aroden died, every white rose in 
  the city turned black. Those still faithful to Aroden claim that 
  when Aroden returns, the roses will be white once more. In the 
  meantime, Egorian is known as the City of Thorns, its black-
  and-red architecture a subtle mourning or acknowledgement 
  that Aroden no longer watches over the people.
  
  16
  COMPANION
  Westcrown
  E
  very Chelaxian knows Westcrown’s terrible 
  history. Many have parents or grandparents who 
  lived in the city the day Aroden was to come and 
  claim his crown—and instead witnessed an empire’s 
  collapse. When the diabolic new rulers of Cheliax moved 
  the capital city, they left behind ruin and despair. 
  Westcrown crumbles under the weight of shattered 
  dreams and thwarted aspirations. Yet even after years of 
  emigration, it remains the largest city in Cheliax and one of 
  the largest in Avistan. Westcrown’s location ensures its place 
  as a major commercial trade hub, an important military 
  post, and a major port on the western Inner Sea. Boats laden 
  with food or slaves anchor at the floating marinas and ferry 
  their goods to the city’s many markets. Trade exports from 
  Westcrown include sea salt, seafood, sun pearls, timber, 
  sailcloth, textiles, wool, wine, olives, herbs, unique crimson 
  pottery, and quality ships. 
  The city’s many religious sites continue to draw the pious, 
  the curious, and the devious. The ruins of the northern city 
  draw interest among those looking for illegal goods or rare 
  treasures from the dangerous rubble. But once the sun sets, 
  only the foolish walk out of doors in Westcrown, for the 
  shadow beasts prowl every darkened lane and waterway. 
  HIsToRy
  Founded as a holy site to Aroden, the city was renamed 
  Westport in 3837 ar after an extended siege by greedy 
  noble families. After the Chelish king Korrado II moved 
  the capital there from Ostenso in 3991, he again changed 
  the name, this time to Westcrown, sparking massive 
  immigration and construction.
  Aroden’s death incited chaos in the city. Without the 
  mandate of divine rule, many families grabbed for power. 
  The civil wars among Chelish noble families only resolved 
  after 30-some years and more death in Cheliax than has 
  ever been recorded. Some said the rise of diabolism came 
  from all the blood spilled, and that the devils simply 
  came along to clean it up. Regardless, the strict order 
  imposed by these forces calmed many after the chaos of 
  a generation. House Thrune used those feelings of relief 
  to its advantage, and before any could question the nobles’ 
  diabolical alliances, House Thrune was unstoppable in its 
  power grab for the Imperial Throne. 
  Her Infernal Majestrix, Queen Abrogail I, wrenched 
  Westcrown’s pride away in a heartbeat as she and her bound 
  devils abandoned the city for her home in Egorian. For 
  nearly 70 years, Westcrown and its people have struggled 
  to recover from these losses. Westcrown has regained some 
  prominence and wealth as Cheliax’s main trading port, 
  but it remains a pale shadow of what it once was.
  Westcrown
  Metropolis standard (mayor backed by Chelish monarchy); AL LE
  GP Limit 16,000 gp
  DEMOGrAPHICS
  Population 114,700
  Type cosmopolitan (88% human, 7% halfling, 5% other races)
  AuTHOrITy FIGurES
  Lictor richemar Almansor, commander of Citadel Rivad, 
  leader of the Order of the Rack Hellknights (male human); 
  Lord Mayor Aberian Arvanxi, mayor of Westcrown, House 
  Arvanxi patriarch (male human); Vassindio Drovenge, House 
  Drovenge patriarch (male human); Duxotar Iltus Mhartis, 
  commander of the city guard (male human); Eirtein Oberigo, 
  House Oberigo patriarch (male human); Casarus Vitallain, 
  harbormaster (male human); General Vourne, commander 
  of the Gemcrown Bay imperial fleets (male human); various 
  other noble house matriarchs and patriarchs.
  GoVERnMEnT & PolITICs
  There are broad layers of power, politics, and government 
  in Westcrown, and while many are obvious, many more 
  remain obscure until one runs afoul of them.
  The Dottari
  The primary forces of law and order in Westcrown are the 
  dottari, the city guards. They all wear Aroden’s symbol 
  stenciled in black on a red field, usually on a shield or 
  tabard. Officers wear a reversed mark (red on black) on the 
  upper arm, forearm, or ring (indicating ascending rank). 
  They always travel in squads of seven—six soldiers and 
  one lieutenant. The leader of the dottari is the duxotar, 
  currently the mayor’s nephew Iltus Mhartis.
  noble Houses
  Twelve major noble houses stand as the powers that be in 
  Westcrown, each with several smaller minor noble families 
  beholden to them. Of these 12, it is important to note that 
  House Drovenge and House Oberigo cemented their 
  positions by covertly supporting the Thrune Ascension. 
  
  17
  17
  City of Twilight
  The other 10 major houses are, in descending order of 
  influence, Salisfer, Grulios, Arvanxi, Julistarc, Dioso, 
  Tilernos, Phandros, Khollarix, Rosala, and Mezinas.
  The River Edicts
  The Laws of Travel, also called the River Edicts, are well known 
  by those who ply the waters in and around Westcrown—and 
  finding ways around them has long been a pastime. First, 
  no one (not even imperial troops) can halt the water travel 
  of anyone on the river. Second, no canals can be blocked or 
  closed save by those given authority by the duxotar, officers of 
  the palace warden, or the city’s imperial naval commander. 
  Third, unauthorized encroachment of imperial waters (a 
  50-foot perimeter around any moving imperial craft, or 100 
  feet for a moored one) is punishable by immediate attack 
  and potential death. Fourth, attacks from shore to craft are 
  allowed only in the defense of city property.
  The shadow beasts
  These strange creatures first surfaced in 4676 ar. The 
  dottari were unable to deal with the problem, as were 
  mercenaries, so the mayor declared a curfew to keep 
  citizens off the streets; the curfew remains in place over 
  30 years later. Today, with the dying of each day’s light, 
  businesses hurriedly close and respectable homes light 
  lanterns outside their doors. The dottari light pyrahje 
  (man-sized torches) throughout certain major streets in 
  the city and patrol between these islands of light. Taverns 
  and similar establishments maintain sleeping rolls for 
  those who stay after dark, collecting a customary 2 sp 
  fee for boarders soon after twilight. Those forced onto 
  the street after dark typically carry halorans, 7-foot-tall 
  hooked staves hung with bright lanterns, made publicly 
  available along the city’s most traveled avenues.
  DIsTRICTs 
  What were once marshy wetlands, mud flats, and tidal 
  islets solidified into today’s Westcrown. Untold thousands 
  of tree trunks driven into the mud and rocks formed the 
  city’s foundations. Millennia of building and rebuilding 
  led to today’s stone-paved streets.
  The City of Twilight carves itself up into three distinct 
  paregos (“great regions”) used and understood by all 
  the city’s residents: the Regicona (“Floating Palace”), 
  Westcrown Island; the Spera (“Hope’s Altar”), the still-
  occupied sections of the city; and the Dospera (“Despair’s 
  Altar”), the ruined northern regions of Westcrown. When 
  locals provide directions in the city, though, they split it 
  up into regos (meaning regions or sectors).
  Rego Cader: What locals call the “Dead Sector” refers 
  to the northern ruins, though older Wiscrani can tell you 
  this used to be Rego Plea (formerly home to house slaves, 
  servants, and lesser trades). Now, most are squats and partial 
  homes for dens of thieves, or even the lairs of monsters.
  Rego Corna: “Crown Sector” encompasses the former 
  stronghold of power in Cheliax—the Imperial Court of 
  Cheliax and its attendant holdings and homes.
  Rego Laina: “Blade Sector,” is named for the many 
  nobles, smithies, and armories here.
  Rego Pena: “Coin Sector” holds the more lucrative trades 
  and many houses of dubious political or monetary standing.
  Rego Sacero: “Priest Sector” contains more shrines 
  and ecclesiastical real estate (extant or ruined) than five 
  other Chelish cities combined.
  Rego Scripa: “Scribe Sector” was once the center for the 
  bureaucratic work of the Chelish empire. Now it is mainly 
  cartographers, trade warehouses, and ship-related businesses.  
  noteworthy sites
  The following are some of the better-known and 
  interesting places in the city.
  A. The Korradath: Once the seat of Imperial Cheliax, 
  this massive fortified castle remains an impressive sight, 
  marred only by poor upkeep. Today, it is still used for 
  offices, temporary lodgings, or neutral meeting places for 
  nobles, rich traders, and ambassadors from far-off ports 
  who need to be impressed or protected from exposure to 
  “the common rabble on shore.”
  B. Vaneo Drovenge: This massive three-storied manor, 
  unlike many buildings in Westcrown, gets scrubbed clean 
  by its slaves every Fireday, so its green marble arches and 
  black slate shingles glisten compared to its surroundings.
  C. Vira Oberigo: This walled estate has been the 
  primary holding of House Oberigo for centuries.
  D. Miratanza: “The Floating Market” allows island-
  bound servants to shop for food and goods for their noble 
  masters. Anchored in place, the numerous platforms 
  allow vendors to rent spaces or simply sell directly from 
  their own craft.
   E. The Pleatra: This slave market is one of the largest 
  building complexes in the sector.
  F. Taranik House: The Order of the Rack rotates a new 
  complement of Hellknights to the local Paralictor here 
  every other Fireday. The official commander of Taranik 
  House is Paralictor Gonville Chard (male human).
  G. Aroden’s Rise: This large hill is now covered with 
  derelict shrines and a giant statue of the dead god.
  H. The Arodennama: Standing 90 feet tall from its 
  base atop Aroden’s Rise and shaped from massive blocks 
  of white marble, the statue predates recorded history in 
  the region and all other structures in Westcrown.
  I. Qatada Nessudidia: The largest temple to Asmodeus 
  in Westcrown, the cathedral’s crystalline skylight glows a 
  sinister red at all times.
  
  18
  COMPANION
  social
  C
  heliax has a long history of heroic adventurers 
  accomplishing great deeds, and the Thrune 
  alliance with Hell has only modified this 
  tradition, not suppressed it. The government continues 
  to churn out historical operas and epic tales that remind 
  the Chelish people of their nation’s superiority and the 
  fact that, while most are meant to serve, some are 
  destined to lead. What follows are the typical 
  attitudes that citizens of Cheliax have toward 
  the most common adventuring classes.
  Barbarian: Cheliax holds little respect for 
  those who find power in rage and brutality. 
  A few tales relegate foreign barbarians to 
  a condescending role of “noble savage” or 
  associate barbarians with demons.
  Bard: Opera, singing, and acting are 
  worthy of respect, and those who can 
  coax magic from a great performance are 
  true masters of their craft. Many 
  Chelish operas feature playwrights 
  or performers as protagonists.
  Cleric: 
  Modern 
  Chelaxians 
  admire the strong spirit needed for 
  priesthood, though they are reticent 
  to say so in public regarding any but 
  Asmodean clerics.
  Druid: Nature-priests are valued for 
  helping to keep the lands fertile, but 
  suspected of having ties to haunted woods 
  and the strange creatures within.
  Fighter: Cheliax’s military keeps the 
  people safe from the armies of 
  Molthune, 
  sea 
  pirates, 
  and 
  other undesirables, while the 
  Hellknights and city guards 
  protect them from criminals. 
  Before the Thrune Ascendancy, 
  most 
  Chelish 
  heroes 
  were 
  written as warriors in operas and 
  epics, though less so in recent decades.
  Monk: Most Chelaxians think of the art of self-
  perfection as a foreigner’s pursuit. Unarmed combat is 
  generally seen as inferior to traditional Chelish styles of 
  combat, though Isger’s Sisters of the Golden Erinyes are 
  changing this.
  Paladin: Once, paladins of Aroden and Iomedae were 
  the heroes of the greatest Chelish epics. Now they are 
  often depicted as lovable buffoons or misguided souls, as 
  their devotion to these gods did not help Cheliax in its 
  time of crisis.
  Ranger: Archery of all sorts is a noble 
  art, and many folk tales feature expert 
  rangers as leaders of communities. 
  Those who befriend animals are 
  usually treated like druids.
  Rogue: Heroic rogues are 
  usually fast-talkers, seducers, 
  and manipulators, while sneaks, 
  cutpurses, 
  and 
  assassins 
  are 
  usually the villains in stories. A 
  quiet rogue is typically considered 
  a dullard, a criminal, or both.
  Sorcerer: Most laypersons believe 
  sorcerers gain their magic from 
  Hell. They’re feared for their diabolical 
  power, yet respected for retaining their 
  humanity (unlike tiefling scum).
  Wizard: The modern attitude in 
  Cheliax is that wizards are valuable for 
  their ability to bargain with devils and 
  banish demons—both signs of incredible 
  intelligence 
  and 
  determination. 
  Even 
  “hedge wizards” are respected for their 
  presumed knowledge of Hell.
  CHElIsH TRaITs
  Growing up in a country in league with Hell 
  has its share of quirks, advantages, 
  and flaws. For more information 
  on traits, see the free Pathfinder 
  Character Traits Web Enhancement 
  at paizo.com/traits.
  Combat Traits
  These traits are available to all 
  characters, Chelish or otherwise.
  Accelerated Drinker: You know how to drink a potion 
  efficiently, such as by not using your hands, tossing it 
  in the air and catching it in your mouth, or opening it 
  with your teeth. You may drink a potion as a move action 
  
  19
  19
  adventurers and Traits
  instead of a standard as long as you start your turn with 
  the potion in your hand.
  Threatening Defender: You know how to avoid a blow 
  while still maintaining your offensive posture. When you 
  use Combat Expertise, reduce the number you subtract 
  from your melee attack rolls by 1.
  Magic Traits
  These regional traits are available to all Chelish characters.
  Desperate Focus: You’ve often found yourself in 
  situations where a lack of focus can lead to worse than a lost 
  spell. You gain a +2 trait bonus on concentration checks.
  Diabolical Dabbler: Each fiendish animal you conjure 
  with any summon spell gains +1 hit point per hit die for 
  the duration of the spell that summoned it.
  Theoretical Magician: You’ve studied more magic than 
  what you can actually perform. You gain a +2 trait bonus on 
  Spellcraft checks, or a +3 bonus if you aren’t a spellcaster.
  Race Traits
  These race traits are available to all characters of the 
  appropriate race.
  Brastlewark Businessman (Gnome): Your time among 
  the Brastlewark elite has led to an extensive knowledge of 
  alchemy and ready connections in the trade. You gain a +2 
  trait bonus on all Craft (alchemy) checks.
  Infernal Influence (Chelaxian): Your family boasts secret 
  diabolical ties that may go back much further than the 
  Thrune regime, and much deeper. You gain fire resistance 
  1 and a +1 trait bonus on Fortitude saves against poison.
  Masterful Demeanor (Chelaxian): As a proud Chelaxian, 
  you are confident that members of other, inferior races will 
  obey you, and quickly. You gain a +3 trait bonus on Intimidate 
  checks against members of non-human humanoid races.
  Successful Shirker (Halfling): Born and raised a slave 
  with no hope of advancement, you are adept at avoiding 
  your overseer’s ire and attention, the better to spend time 
  on your own interests. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Stealth 
  checks and a +3 trait bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks 
  to avoid punishment by lawful authority.
  Regional Traits
  These regional traits are available to all Chelish characters.
  Cliff Jumper (Cliffs of Fury): You spent your early years 
  exploring and foraging along the coastal cliffs. You gain 
  a +1 trait bonus on Acrobatics and Climb checks, and on 
  Reflex saves to avoid falling.
  Dump Salvager (Westcrown): You grew up in or around 
  Westcrown’s rubbish-strewn shores and spent your spare 
  time digging through trash looking for things worth 
  selling. You gain a +3 trait bonus on Perception checks to 
  search for concealed items.
  Egorian School Apprentice (Egorian): You studied under 
  one of the masters of the Egorian School style of architecture. 
  You gain a +3 trait bonus on Knowledge (engineering) checks 
  and a +2 trait bonus on Perception checks to find secret doors 
  or traps in buildings built in the Egorian School style.
  Wharf Rat (Ostenso): You may never have been on a boat 
  larger than a garbage scow, but you’ve been helping them 
  dock all your life. You gain a +2 trait bonus on skill checks 
  involving climbing and rope use, and a +4 trait bonus on 
  Appraise checks to determine the value of large quantities 
  of bulk goods without opening their containers.
  Whisper Woods Hunter (Whisper Woods): Your family 
  prepared you for a life of evading or destroying fiendish 
  creatures. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Survival checks 
  to track evil outsiders and a +2 trait bonus on initiative 
  checks when you know your opponent is an evil outsider.
  Religion Traits
  These religion traits are available to all characters of the 
  listed faith.
  Asmodean Demon Hunter (Asmodeus): Raised in the 
  church of Asmodeus (whether or not you are currently a 
  follower of the Prince of Darkness), you’ve focused your 
  indoctrinated fervor primarily on the elimination of 
  demons. You gain a +3 trait bonus on Knowledge (planes) 
  checks about demons and a +2 trait bonus on Will saves 
  against mind-affecting spells and effects from demons.
  Patient Optimist (Desna, Erastil): As a worshiper of a 
  good and kindly god, you know that Asmodeus’ dominion 
  over Cheliax will pass in time, and are used to having to 
  repeat arguments multiple times to convince even the most 
  stubborn believer. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Diplomacy 
  checks to influence hostile or unfriendly creatures, and if 
  you fail at such an attempt you may retry it once.
  social Traits
  These regional traits are available to all Chelish characters.
  Hellknight Ancestry: At least one of your parents was a 
  Hellknight, and you see the orders as the embodiment of 
  civic virtue. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks 
  to influence Hellknights and a +2 trait bonus on Intimidate 
  checks to influence enemies of the Hellknights.
  Lost Nobility: Your family was prominent before 
  the rise of Thrune, but that legacy is now forgotten by 
  all but you. You hold every Chelish government official 
  (including Hellknights) personally responsible for your 
  lost glory. You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack and damage 
  rolls against these officials.
  Nonchalant Thuggery: You are adept at keeping 
  witnesses from noticing that anything is wrong. You 
  gain a +4 trait bonus on Bluff checks to keep others from 
  noticing your aggressive actions.
  
  20
  COMPANION
  Magic & spells
  A
  mong the power players of Cheliax, style 
  counts for almost as much as efficacy. The 
  Chelish nobles, fiendish dabblers, and arcanists 
  continually jostling for power want badly to get to the 
  top, but they also want to look impressive getting there. 
  The following magic items remain in play not only 
  for their abilities, but also for their memorable 
  appearance, or in some cases the effect they 
  lend—such as whipping out a pact parchment 
  from a cloak pocket.
  Abrogalian Corset (specific armor)
  Aura moderate enchantment; CL 9th
  Slot armor; Price 17,175 gp; Weight 10 lbs.
  DESCrIPTIOn
  Devised by Her Infernal Majestrix, Abrogail I, 
  this +3 studded leather armor is lavishly adorned 
  with a bound swarm of hellwasps. Once ranking 
  among the most spectacular pieces of clothing 
  in Cheliax, the discomfort caused by during 
  the creation of this corset is as legendary as 
  the protection it offers.
  The wasps bound to the corset prevent the first 
  20 points of damage you take each day (resetting 
  at midnight). Once the wasps have prevented 20 
  points of damage for the day, they angrily animate 
  and swarm around you, and you must make a DC 
  18 Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. 
  After 1 round of activity, the swarm then returns 
  to the corset and goes dormant, and this ability 
  to prevent damage does not function until it 
  recovers at midnight.
  The swarm cannot be targeted 
  separately from the armor and 
  cannot be killed unless the 
  armor is destroyed (not just 
  broken).
  COnSTruCTIOn
  requirements Craft Magic Arms and 
  Armor, lesser planar ally, summon swarm, caster 
  level 9th; Cost 8,675 gp
  Cloak of Flash and Shadow
  Aura minor illusion; CL 3rd
  Slot cloak; Price 11,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
  DESCrIPTIOn
  Designed to meet the dual needs of the Chelish elite—glamour 
  and subtlety—the cloak of flash and shadow is a magic reversible 
  cloak. When worn one way, the cloak shimmers with heavy gold 
  and silver embroidery against richly colored silk, and grants 
  you a +2 enhancement bonus to Charisma.
  When worn inside-out, the matte-black lining 
  seems to absorb light, cloaking you in shadow 
  and giving you a +2 competence bonus on Stealth 
  checks. In this configuration you can cast blur three 
  times per day.
  Reversing the cloak’s position is a standard action 
  and requires at least one free hand.
  COnSTruCTIOn
  requirements Craft Wondrous Item, blur, 
  eagle’s splendor; Cost 5,500 gp
  Grudge Blade
  (specific weapon)
  Aura minor necromancy; CL 9th
  Slot weapon; Price 10,320 gp; Weight 2 lbs.
  DESCrIPTIOn
  Grudge blades play a role in many of the conflicts 
  driven by the diabolical elite, both petty and epic. 
  The dull, dark-gray steel of the blades almost 
  appears blunt on the edges, but these +1 rapiers 
  are wickedly sharp. Each elegantly carved hilt 
  displays an engraved, glaring eye that appears 
  to wink and flash as you fight.
  The true power of a grudge blade reveals 
  itself against an opponent you have already 
  injured with the sword. If you hit a 
  creature with the sword on your 
  previous turn, you gain an extra +1 
  bonus on damage rolls with the 
  sword against that creature. As long 
  as you continue to hit that creature 
  at least once per round and attack 
  no other creatures with the grudge blade, this 
  damage bonus continues to build, to a maximum of +5; 
  failing to hit that target or attacking anyone else resets the damage 
  bonus to +0. 
  COnSTruCTIOn
  requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, death knell, magic 
  weapon; Cost 5,320 gp
  
  21
  21
  Dazzling style, lethal substance
  Hellcaller’s Edge (specific weapon)
  Aura moderate evocation; CL 9th
  Slot weapon; Price 20,350 gp; Weight 8 lbs.
  DESCrIPTIOn
  Bestowed as rewards for unwavering loyalty to Hellknight 
  paravicars of great renown, these filigreed +2 greatswords pulse 
  with a sickening carmine light in rhythm with the heartbeats 
  of their bearers. Prized trophies, these weapons are brandished 
  eagerly by staunch champions of Cheliax.
  Once per day as a standard action, you may strike the blade 
  against the ground to create a one-way rift from Phlegethon (the 
  fieriest layer of Hell) centered where the sword hits. The rift spews 
  magical flames upward in a 10-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder. 
  All creatures in this area (including you) take 9d6 points of damage 
  (Reflex half DC 17). Half the damage is fire, but the other half 
  results directly from divine power and is therefore not subject to 
  fire resistance or immunity.
  COnSTruCTIOn
  requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, flame strike, caster 
  level 6th; Cost 10,350 gp
  Pact Parchment
  Aura moderate enchantment; CL 11th
  Slot —; Price 3,500 gp; Weight —
  DESCrIPTIOn
  Written and signed in blood, a pact parchment ensures the 
  utter and undeniable fulfillment of the actions stated within. 
  Upon a pact parchment, you can inscribe a contract, defining a 
  certain service or course of action by one or more creatures. If 
  all listed creatures willingly (without magical influence, threats, 
  and so on) sign this pact in blood, they are bound to fulfill this 
  agreement. Henceforth everyone breaking the pact suffers a 
  –4 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks, 
  until they either satisfy the pact’s conditions (if still possible) or 
  the parchment is destroyed.
  COnSTruCTIOn
  requirements Craft Wondrous Item, geas/quest; Cost 1,750 gp
  ring of Terrible Cost
  Aura moderate transmutation; CL 9th
  Slot ring; Price 20,000 gp; Weight —
  DESCrIPTIOn
  These rings once displayed the smiling face of King Gaspodar, 
  and were forged in limited quantities to celebrate the end of 
  his reign. After Aroden’s death, the rings were cast aside or lost. 
  Recently, several resurfaced, but changed by unknown means—
  Gaspodar’s face now bears a sorrowful expression, and flames 
  loom behind him.
  As a standard action, you may charge the ring with a +1 profane 
  bonus by sacrificing 2 of your hit points. These hit points remain 
  lost and cannot be healed by any means until the ring’s power is 
  expended. You may do this multiple times, up to a maximum of a 
  +5 profane bonus stored in the ring.
  As an immediate action, you can add the stored profane 
  bonus to any single attack roll, damage roll, skill check, or saving 
  throw, which expends the charged energy from the ring. You 
  must declare this use after rolling the die but before you learn 
  the result of the roll. You must expend all the ring’s power at 
  once. Once the charge is expended, you can heal your lost hit 
  points normally. Expending this charge does not ruin the ring, 
  and you may charge it again by sacrificing more hit points.
  The charge in the ring can come from multiple donors, but 
  none of the donors can regain their sacrificed hit points until the 
  ring’s charge is spent or the ring is destroyed. For this reason, 
  owners of a ring of terrible cost guard the item carefully.
  COnSTruCTIOn
  requirements Forge Ring, aid, resistance, vampiric touch; Cost 
  10,000 gp
  Verdict of the nether Court
  Aura strong necromancy CL 13th
  Slot weapon; Price 32,000 gp; Weight 2 lbs.
  DESCrIPTIOn
  Infused with the power of Hell’s courts, this blood-quenched 
  steel gavel emits an ear-splitting din when struck against a hard 
  surface. Once per day, as a standard action, you can use it to 
  judge a single foe within 30 feet, who then suffers the effect of 
  a dictum spell.
  The gavel bestows one negative level on any chaotic or good 
  creature attempting to wield it. The negative level remains as long 
  as the weapon is in hand and disappears when the weapon is no 
  longer wielded. This negative level never results in actual level loss, 
  but it cannot be overcome in any way (including restoration spells) 
  while the weapon is wielded. If the creature is chaotic good, these 
  negative levels stack.
  COnSTruCTIOn
  requirements Craft Wondrous Item, dictum; Cost 16,000 gp
  Egorian school architecture
  The black-and-red gothic look of Egorian’s architecture is seen 
  as nearly synonymous with the rule of House Thrune, but the 
  architecture preceded the regime that popularized it across 
  Cheliax. Egorian School architecture, typified by narrow, sharp 
  towers and points, as well as its use of red and black stone, 
  has been around for centuries. Egorian School edifices can 
  be found in many of the great cities of Avistan, though those 
  in Andoran have mostly been resurfaced in lighter colors, a 
  gesture of defiance toward the Thrune regime. The Acadamae 
  in Korvosa and the Gibbous Moon Inn in Oppara are merely 
  two of the most famous examples of Egorian School buildings 
  gracing the skyline of other cities. In the capital city of Cheliax, 
  the Egorian School is mandatory for all new construction.
  
  22
  COMPANION
  SpellS
  While most foreigners assume that all of Cheliax’s magic 
  is devoted to bargaining with and summoning devils, the 
  country has a long history of magical traditions predating 
  the royal house’s infernal alliance.
  Aura of the unremarkable
  School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level bard 3, 
  sorcerer/wizard 4
  CASTInG
  Casting Time 1 full round
  Components V, S, M (a white feather)
  EFFECT
  range 30 ft.
  Target non-allied creatures within a 30-ft. emanation
  Duration 1 minute/level (D) and instantaneous
  Saving Throw Will negates; Spell resistance Yes
  DESCrIPTIOn
  An invisible sphere of magic surrounds you, clouding the 
  minds of creatures in the area so they regard even the strangest 
  actions as innocuous. For example, if you and your allies are 
  beating a city guard for information, creatures within the area 
  do not think this is unusual or cause for alarm; if your ally is 
  aiming a crossbow at the queen from a balcony, the affected 
  creatures accept this as normal and unworthy of concern. Any 
  hostile actions by you or your allies against a creature break 
  the effect of the spell for that creature. When the spell ends, 
  observers see things normally but altered perceptions from the 
  earlier events remain. Any mention of the events as noteworthy 
  (such as being questioned about them by an authority figure) 
  allows the target another Will save to break the effect and 
  remember things normally.
  Burning Disarm
  School transmutation (fire); Level cleric 1, druid 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
  CASTInG
  Casting Time 1 standard action
  Components V, S
  EFFECT
  range Short (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Target Held metal item of one creature or 15 lbs. of unattended metal
  Duration Instantaneous
  Saving Throw Reflex negates (object, see text); Spell resistance 
  Yes (object)
  DESCrIPTIOn
  This spell causes a metal object to instantly become red hot. 
  A creature holding the item may attempt a Reflex save to drop 
  it and take no damage (even if it is not their turn), otherwise 
  the hot metal deals 1d4 points of fire damage per caster level 
  (maximum 5d4). Circumstances that prevent the creature from 
  dropping the item (such as a locked gauntlet) mean the creature 
  gets no saving throw. The heat does not harm the item, and it 
  does not get hot enough or last long enough to ignite flammable 
  objects. The item cools to its previous temperature almost 
  instantly. If cast underwater, burning disarm deals half damage 
  and boils the surrounding water.
  Dirge of the Victorious Knights
  School illusion (shadow); Level bard 6
  CASTInG
  Casting Time 1 full round
  Components V, S, F (a medal from a dead Hellknight or a copy of 
  a Chelish opera script)
  EFFECT
  range 120 ft.
  Effect 120-ft. line, 10 ft. wide
  Duration instantaneous
  Saving Throw Reflex half; Spell resistance yes
  DESCrIPTIOn
  By performing part of the Chelish opera Victory of the 
  Hellknights, you call forth spectral illusions of mounted 
  Hellknights to trample your foes under the hooves of their 
  glorious steeds. The incorporeal knights appear in your square 
  and ride forward in the direction you indicate, dealing 1d6 
  points of damage per caster level (maximum 20d6) to all 
  creatures in their path. Half of this damage is cold damage, 
  while half results directly from arcane power and is not subject 
  to cold resistance or immunity. The knights cannot pass 
  through force effects or barriers that block incorporeal creatures 
  or undead.
  Dweomer retaliation
  School abjuration; Level sorcerer/wizard 3
  CASTInG
  Casting Time 1 immediate action
  Components V
  EFFECT
  range Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
  Target one creature you counterspelled since your last turn
  Duration instantaneous
  Saving Throw none; Spell resistance yes
  DESCrIPTIOn
  You may only cast this spell immediately after successfully 
  counterspelling an opponent. Drawing upon the residual 
  energy of the countered spells, you gain a number of temporary 
  hit points equal to the level of the countered spell plus your 
  Charisma or Intelligence modifier (for sorcerers and wizards, 
  respectively); your counterspelled opponent takes damage equal 
  to this amount.
  If the countered spell was at least 4th level, you and your 
  opponent make opposed concentration checks. If you beat your 
  opponent by 10 or more, you retain this spell (or its spell slot, if 
  you are a sorcerer) as if you had not cast it.
  
  23
  23
  Dazzling style, lethal substance
  Emergency Force Sphere
  School evocation (force); Level sorcerer/wizard 4
  CASTInG
  Casting Time 1 immediate action
  Components V
  EFFECT
  range 5 ft.
  Effect 5-ft.-radius hemisphere of force centered on you
  Duration 1 round/level (D)
  Saving Throw None; Spell resistance No
  DESCrIPTIOn
  As wall of force, except you create a hemispherical dome of force 
  with hardness 20 and a number 
  of hit points equal to 10 per 
  caster level. The bottom edge 
  of the dome forms a relatively 
  watertight space if you are 
  standing on a reasonably 
  flat surface. The dome shape 
  means that falling debris (such 
  as rocks from a collapsing 
  ceiling) tend to tumble to 
  the side and pile up around 
  the base of the dome. If 
  you make a DC 20 Craft 
  (stonemasonry), Knowledge 
  (engineering), or Profession 
  (architect or engineer) check, 
  the debris is stable enough that 
  it retains its dome-like configuration 
  when the spell ends, otherwise it collapses. 
  Normally this spell is used to buy time for 
  dealing with avalanches, floods, and 
  rockslides, though it is also handy in 
  dealing with ambushes.
  Signifer’s rally
  School conjuration (teleportation) 
  [evil]; Level cleric 7, sorcerer/
  wizard 7
  CASTInG
  Casting Time 1 standard action
  Components V, S, M (100 gp worth of bloodstone for every 
  ally teleported)
  EFFECT
  range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
  Target one willing ally/5 levels
  Duration instantaneous
  Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell resistance yes (harmless)
  DESCrIPTIOn
  You teleport up to one ally per five caster levels to your location. 
  You determine which allies you want to teleport at the time of 
  casting; these allies have 1 round to decide to allow or refuse 
  your spell, and they teleport immediately upon accepting. Allies 
  are teleported as if you had cast teleport on them (your current 
  location is at least “studied carefully” for this purpose), appearing 
  in a puff of brimstone in a space adjacent to you. If you are in 
  combat and your allies were not, your allies may roll initiative 
  upon arrival but are not considered flat-footed even though they 
  have not taken any actions. The spell does not function in areas 
  warded against intrusion by evil creatures (such as a magic circle 
  against evil effect).
  Twine Double
  School illusion (shadow); Level sorcerer/wizard 3
  CASTInG
  Casting Time 10 minutes
  Components V, S, M (cloth and twine)
  EFFECT
  range 0 ft.
  Effect One duplicate creature
  Duration 1 minute/level (D)
  Saving Throw None; 
  Spell resistance No
  DESCrIPTIOn
  As simulacrum, 
  except you can only duplicate 
  yourself, and the duplicate 
  is created from cloth and twine 
  rather than ice and snow. The double 
  looks exactly like you except its eyes 
  are balls of twine (DC 10 Perception 
  check to recognize double’s 
  strange eyes). It wears clothing 
  and gear that appear exactly 
  like what you are wearing at 
  the time of casting. Its copies 
  of your magic items are 
  nonfunctional but radiate 
  magic and have the same 
  auras as your items. Its aura is 
  identical to yours. Attempts to 
  scry you while the double exists 
  have a 50% chance of targeting the 
  double instead of you.
  The double cannot attack, has no special abilities, and has 
  a +0 bonus on all saves and checks. You may verbally give the 
  double orders as a free action, or control it telepathically as a 
  standard action. You know what the double is experiencing, 
  and when controlling it telepathically you can see and hear 
  everything it sees and hears, though events at your location may 
  drown out the sensory inputs from the double. The double has 
  hit points equal to half your hit points at the time of casting. If 
  brought to 0 hit points, it is destroyed, reverting to cloth and 
  twine. The double is an animated object.
  
  24
  COMPANION
  Religion
  F
  rom outside Cheliax, it appears that the dominant 
  facet of life in this country is the worship of Hell, 
  and all the excesses it represents. To a citizen, 
  however, the picture is markedly different. True, the yoke 
  of Asmodeus lies across the necks of the citizenry, but the 
  burden is not actually so great as one might imagine.
  A great difference between the aristocracy and the 
  commoners is the worship of Asmodeus. The commoners 
  pay lip service to the Lord of Hell; they celebrate the 
  sacred days and keep the mandatory shrines 
  in their homes, but most of them quietly 
  hold to the worship of other gods.
  The aristocracy must set an example, 
  though, and so often try to outdo each 
  other in their displays of devotion. Most 
  of them see the worship of Asmodeus as 
  a tool, a way to justify their lifestyles 
  and the tyrannical treatment of 
  their subjects, and few consider the 
  longer-lasting 
  ramifications 
  of 
  their worship. What they do see 
  is that those who fail to show 
  enough enthusiasm watch their 
  political fortunes dwindle, and 
  sometimes disappear altogether. 
  Thus, the noble families build 
  their private chapels and hold 
  regular services, always expecting 
  to see the Inquisitors come 
  to audit their devotion. Some 
  among the aristocracy treat it as 
  a game of who can commit the 
  most outrageous acts without 
  tarnishing their souls completely, others are deadly serious, 
  but all of them participate.
  The citizens of Cheliax are not all evil. Many of them, 
  in fact, have hearts as great as any on Golarion. How is it, 
  then, that they reconcile the worship of Asmodeus with the 
  essential goodness of their spirits?
  fEIGnInG CElEbRaTIon
  There are certain philosophies of goodness that allow 
  no compromise. These sects believe it impossible for 
  Chelaxians to remain pure and free from the taint of Hell, 
  their souls all destined for utter damnation. This is false. 
  In a world with many gods, appeasing one of them 
  in the heart of its secular power cannot properly be 
  called worship. When forced into chapels, services, and 
  observations, the truly upright among the Chelaxians 
  still bow their heads and bend their knees, still open 
  their mouths for prayers to Asmodeus—but  while they 
  acknowledge his power in this place, they grant him 
  no dominion in their hearts. It is not expedience or 
  apathy that guides them: it is the instinct of self-
  preservation, and only the most narrow-minded 
  would judge them for it.
  Others among the Chelaxians 
  find no conflict in worshiping 
  an admittedly evil god. 
  They have grown up with 
  the teachings of the Church 
  of Asmodeus all their life, yet they 
  harbor no cruelty in their hearts, 
  nor do they burn with ambition, 
  rage, or pride. As with so 
  many 
  religions, 
  people 
  follow this god by choosing 
  the teachings they heed, 
  and ignoring the ones they 
  find inconvenient.
  Indeed, as the Hellknights 
  would attest, there is much 
  to admire in the teachings 
  of Hell: efficiency, order, 
  hierarchy, knowing one’s 
  place in the world, cleansing 
  uncertainty 
  and 
  chaos—
  these are all aspects of life 
  lost with the disappearance of Aroden, and the rise of 
  Asmodeus fills a hole many good Chelaxians barely 
  realized was there. 
  CElEbRaTInG HEll
  Some expect the worship of Asmodeus to be an extravagant 
  affair, full of orgies, bloodshed, and the sacrifices of 
  innocents. Grimmer celebrants scoff at these juvenile 
  theatrics, calling them the external echoes of an immature 
  faith. What both of them fail to recognize is that there are 
  many paths to Hell, many ways to reach the Pit, and that its 
  infernal gravity calls to each in a separate voice.
  
  25
  25
  a Tolerant Prison
  The sacred Texts
  The Courts of Hell produce libraries of books, and the 
  printing presses of Cheliax emulate them in many ways. 
  The most crucial to the worship of Asmodeus is his 
  sacred text, the Asmodean Monograph. The earthly version 
  is a mere 1,000 pages, and its supplemental texts number 
  in the hundreds—each focusing on explicating a greater 
  truth, adding codicils and caveats, or filling in lacunae 
  in the original text. These volumes, alone of all books in 
  Cheliax, are immutable by human hand; changes come 
  from the heart of Hell or not at all. 
  In the cathedrals of the land, the priests dress in their 
  red and black and choose the direction of their flocks. 
  The texts they may choose to teach from are limited, and 
  so these priests must take direction from the central 
  church in Egorian, and must also please the aristocrats 
  who are their lords. Though church and state work hand-
  in-hand, local needs present themselves with greater 
  urgency—which is to say the local lords occasionally 
  coerce the priests into offering sermons that bolster the 
  lords’ secular power.
  The Unholy Days
  There are seven major Chelaxian festivals, mandatory 
  events originating from the capital’s bureaucracy.
  Equinoxes and Solstices: Four times a year, on the 
  equinoxes and the solstices, come the Dies Irae, or Days 
  of Wrath. These are the days when bloodsports move 
  from the slums and ghettoes into the stadiums of the 
  cities. Slaves and servants of any master may choose to 
  enter the arena to test their mettle against each other, 
  one on one in bloody battles to the death. No master or 
  mistress may forbid the slave from entering. Free men 
  and women of all castes and classes are free to enter 
  as well, to fight and kill without censure or penalty—
  although, if they die, their families are obliged to pay 
  burial and clean-up expenses. The entrants fight in 
  rounds and waves, eliminating an opponent in each 
  round, until at last one stands alone. The winner is 
  granted freedom from slavery or servitude, erasure of 
  all debts, and a purse of gold.
  The Winter Solstice sees the culmination of the Dies 
  Irae, with all the winners of the three previous bouts 
  summoned to Egorian and made to fight to the death 
  for the amusement of the nobles. The winner joins their 
  ranks, given a title of baronet and a plot of land. 
  Calistril 19, Loyalty Day: This honors the Treaty of 
  Egorian, in which the House of Thrune solidified its control 
  over Cheliax. This is a feast day, and the local governments 
  and Asmodean churches provide a repast that fills every 
  stomach to bursting. It is a day of gluttony, to remind the 
  populace of the bounty their government provides. 
  Rova, Second Oathday, Signing Day: This is a day of pride 
  in Cheliax and Isger—as well as in Andoran and Galt, though 
  few in those lands speak of it. It honors the day that Cheliax, 
  Andoran, Galt, and Isger agreed to a mutual defense pact and 
  threw off the shackles of the tyrants of Taldor. Observances 
  vary, but most involve huge pyrotechnic displays, feats of 
  strength, and public debates to allow opponents to show off 
  their speaking and rhetorical skills.
  Neth 14, Even-Tongued Day: This is a day of 
  remembrance of the conquest of Aspex the Even-Tongued, 
  who brought Andoran, Galt, and Isger under Chelish 
  control. Once it was a day of celebration, but it’s now a day 
  of mourning for the lost glories of Cheliax, and a dark 
  promise that the treacherous allies will be brought into 
  the fold again by word or by sword. Citizens wear black on 
  this day, public speaking is forbidden, and old feuds are 
  brought to memory again, burnished and sharpened—
  and sometimes brought to sudden and terrible ends.
  oTHER RElIGIons
  Outsiders often express surprise at the tolerance shown to 
  other religions, even those of good-aligned gods, and expect 
  that this is another infernal ruse designed to lure good 
  worshipers into the open and then crush them, as Egorian 
  crushes all dissent. But no—Chelaxians are invited to offer 
  their praise to other gods as well, so long as they abide by a 
  few strictures: First, they must not speak against Asmodeus, 
  nor against his priestly hierarchy or followers. They must 
  not speak against the aristocracy, nor encourage dissent. 
  They must abide by the laws of Cheliax. They must live 
  quietly, and avoid drawing attention to themselves. Finally, 
  the ranking priests of the faith must register themselves, 
  and keep records of all priests within the country.
  Other rules exist, naturally, in such profusion that it 
  is clear an Inquisitor seeking to charge a priest could 
  find an excuse close at hand. Thus, seen in this way, the 
  tolerance on which the Chelaxians so pride themselves 
  could be interpreted as merely a wave toward an ideal the 
  country sees in itself. That is, in theory these religions 
  can find a home here; in practice, they are forced into 
  strictures that grip faith by the throat. 
  Priests of Abadar act as judges in remote villages and 
  towns where the strength of Egorian is thin. Erastil’s 
  worship is strong near the Barrowood and Whisper Woods. 
  Iomedae, who was originally Chelaxian, enjoys a remarkable 
  popularity among the people of the north and east, and 
  many of the Hellknights there venerate her above all others. 
  Sarenrae’s worshipers are rare but welcome, for Asmodeans 
  have not forgotten her work in imprisoning Rovagug.
  Some faiths, however, are forbidden upon pain of torture 
  and execution. These include the worship of any god of 
  chaos or any demon or devil other than Asmodeus.
  
  26
  COMPANION
  Combat
  I
  n the darkened streets of Egorian, muggers and 
  assassins target their victims with Hellcat Pounces. 
  Hired mercenaries defend their charges with fierce 
  Cornugon Smashes. Spies protect themselves with 
  Osyluth Guile, and seductresses and informants make 
  use of Fury’s Fall when in need of a quick getaway.  It’s 
  no surprise that many of the special tactics and combat 
  tricks designed by Chelaxians mimic the abilities of 
  actual devils, such as the hamatulatsu style first taught 
  in Isger (see page 83 in the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign 
  Setting). Sometimes these practices migrate to other areas, 
  carried away by travelers or exiles, but they usually lose 
  their infernal names outside of Cheliax.
  belier’s bite [Combat]
  Your unarmed strikes cause your opponent to bleed.
  Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike.
  Benefit: When you damage an opponent with an 
  unarmed strike, you deal an extra 1d4 bleed damage.
  Special: This ability does not stack with 
  other special abilities, attacks, or items 
  that allow you to deal bleed damage. 
  The belier devil appears in Pathfinder 
  Adventure Path volume #12.
  Cornugon shield 
  [Combat]
  You can use your spiked chain 
  as both armor and weapon.
  Prerequisites: Dex 
  15, Weapon Focus 
  (spiked chain).
  Benefit: When wielding a spiked chain, you gain 
  a +1 shield bonus to your AC. When you are fighting 
  defensively or using the total defense action, this shield 
  bonus increases to +2.
  Cornugon smash [Combat]
  Your terrible attacks strike fear into your enemies.
  Prerequisites: Power Attack, Intimidate 6 ranks.
  Benefit: When you damage an opponent with a Power 
  Attack, you may make an immediate Intimidate check as 
  a free action to attempt to demoralize your opponent.
  Cornugon stun [Combat]
  You are able to make stunning attacks with special 
  monk weapons.
  Prerequisites: Stunning Fist.
  Benefit: You may use Stunning Fist when making 
  melee attacks with special monk weapons as well as when 
  making unarmed attacks.
  Normal: You can only use Stunning Fist when making 
  an attack with an unarmed strike.
  Cornugon Trip [Combat]
  You can throw your spiked chain to make trip attacks.
  Prerequisites: Dex 15, Improved Trip, Weapon Focus 
  (spiked chain).
  Benefit: You may throw your spiked chain (as if it were 
  a thrown weapon with a range increment of 10 feet) and 
  can make trip attacks when throwing it. Failing at this 
  attack does not knock you prone.
  fury’s fall [Combat]
  You can use strength and agility to send foes crashing to 
  the ground.
  Prerequisites: Improved Trip.
  Benefit: When making a trip attack, add your Dexterity 
  bonus to your CMB.
  fury’s snare [Combat]
  You entangle your foe in your weapon.
  Prerequisites: Fury’s Fall, Improved Trip.
  Benefit: If you successfully use a whip to trip a foe, 
  you can choose to drop your whip. Your tripped target 
  gains the entangled condition. The target can break free 
  of the whip by making a DC 10 Strength check or a DC 
  
  27
  27
  fight like a Devil
  15 Escape Artist check (add the enhancement bonus of 
  the whip to these DCs), or by using a full-round action 
  to disentangle himself. Escaping the whip by making 
  a Strength check means the whip gains the broken 
  condition. If the whip has a magical quality such as 
  flaming, apply this quality’s damage to the target every 
  round on your turn.
  Hamatula Grasp [Combat]
  You deal terrible damage to impaled foes.
  Prerequisites: Hamatula Strike, Improved Grapple, 
  Strength 13, base attack bonus +9.
  Benefit: When attacking an impaled opponent (see 
  Hamatula Strike) with the weapon that impales them, you 
  only suffer a –2 penalty to your grapple check. If the check 
  succeeds, you deal an extra 1d6 damage.
  Hamatula strike [Combat]
  You can catch your opponents on your weapon and hold 
  them in place.
  Prerequisites: Improved Grapple, Strength 13, Base 
  Attack Bonus +7.
  Benefit: Whenever you damage an opponent with a 
  piercing weapon, you can immediately make a grapple 
  check; success means the opponent is impaled on your 
  weapon and you both gain the grappled condition. While 
  the opponent is impaled, as an attack action you may make 
  a grapple check on your turn at a –4 penalty to damage the 
  opponent with your weapon, even if your weapon cannot 
  normally be used in a grapple.
  Normal: You can only attack with an unarmed strike, 
  natural weapon, or light weapon against opponents you 
  are grappling.
  Hellcat Pounce [Combat]
  You attack unsuspecting foes twice.
  Prerequisites: Hellcat Stealth, Skill Focus (Stealth), 
  sneak attack +2d6.
  Benefit: Whenever you attack and damage an opponent 
  in the surprise round, you may immediately make a 
  second attack against the same opponent using the same 
  attack bonus. The target is not considered flat-footed 
  against this second attack.
  Special: This ability only functions when carrying a 
  light load or less.
  Hellcat stealth
  You are difficult to see in the light.
  Prerequisites: Skill Focus (Stealth), Stealth 6 ranks.
  Benefit: You may make Stealth checks in normal or 
  bright light even when observed, but at a –10 penalty.
  Normal: You cannot make Stealth checks while observed.
  osyluth Guile [Combat]
  You are skilled at misdirecting an opponent’s attacks.
  Prerequisites: Bluff 8 ranks, Dodge.
  Benefit: While you are fighting defensively or using the 
  total defense action, select one opponent. Add your Charisma 
  bonus to your AC as a dodge bonus against that opponent’s 
  melee attacks until your next turn. You cannot use this feat if 
  you cannot see the selected opponent.
  Combat slang
  Much Chelish slang refers to devils or devilish activities. Other 
  terms evoke images of nobility, or have no clear etymology 
  whatsoever. Here are a list of commonly used Chelish slang 
  terms regarding combat and weapons.
  Barbs: Armor spikes.
  Binding Contract: A tanglefoot bag.
  Claw: A scimitar; a bladed weapon larger than a dagger.
  Double-Cross: An attack made from a flanking position.
  Dealbreaker: A good-aligned weapon.
  Devil’s Blood: Alchemist’s fire; whiskey.
  Fang: A dagger.
  Favor: A healing spell; to “do a favor” means to cast a 
  healing spell in combat. Some clerics of Asmodeus take the 
  term literally, and expect compensation after the battle.
  Formal Introduction: An attack made in a surprise round; 
  an ambush.
  Lemure: An outclassed opponent; one who poses no threat.
  Long Arm: A spiked chain.
  Exotic Weapon: barbazu beard
  Cost 25 gp; Dmg (S) 1d3; Dmg (M) 1d4; Critical ×2; range 
  Increment —; Weight 5 lbs.; Type Slashing
  Popular in Egorian but rarely seen elsewhere, a barbazu 
  beard is an intimidating helm with a full facemask wrought 
  to look like a snarling barbazu’s head. Extending from the 
  chin area of the face guard is a razor-sharp blade much like an 
  actual barbazu’s beard, usually 8 inches long but sometimes 
  longer. A barbazu beard can be used as an off-hand weapon 
  that requires no hands to use; thus, a warrior could combine 
  use of a barbazu beard with a two-handed weapon. It otherwise 
  follows all rules for using an off-hand weapon. Attacking with 
  a barbazu beard provokes an attack of opportunity. Because it 
  is so close to the wearer’s face, using a barbazu beard against 
  creatures harmful to touch (such as fire elementals and 
  acidic oozes) has the same risks as using a natural weapon or 
  unarmed strike against these creatures.
  A barbazu beard is a light melee exotic weapon.
  
  28
  COMPANION
  Persona
  C
  heliax can be a dangerous place, and even the 
  most canny local can always use a friend to watch 
  his back. These four characters are presented as 
  sample Chelish citizens. With your GM’s permission, you 
  could hire them to help with a difficult adventure or select 
  them as cohorts with the Leadership feat. Alternatively, 
  your GM may introduce them as local contacts. Because 
  they’re intended to be allies rather than opponents, 
  none of them have Challenge Ratings or XP values 
  listed. Each also includes a short section 
  about upgrading their gear and appropriate 
  character traits if you want to use these 
  NPCs as quick and easy player characters; 
  if you do, remember to update the 
  characters’ information (saves, armor 
  class, and so on) to reflect these changes.
  baTsEl Hoon
  Batsel is a mid-level bureaucrat in 
  Asmodeus’s Grand Temple in 
  Egorian. While his duties 
  have nothing to do with 
  uncovering threats 
  to the faith, he 
  has 
  become 
  obsessed with 
  finding groups and 
  individuals who wish harm on 
  Asmodeus and his followers. His 
  list of suspects includes the Order of 
  the God Claw (see page 192 of the Pathfinder 
  Chronicles Campaign Setting), elements of the 
  Chelish nobility, and many foreign groups. 
  Speculations about conspiracies fill up almost all of 
  Batsel’s spare time, and his private apartments are full 
  of charts, bits of loose paper, books, and pieces of string 
  connecting them. He’s learned to play things close to his 
  vestments—his warnings to his superiors have thus far 
  fallen on suspiciously deaf ears.
  Batsel Hoon is slightly overweight and going bald. At 
  50, his hair (what’s left of it) has gone salt and pepper. 
  Meticulous in his grooming and in all other aspects of 
  his life, he can often be seen fussing with his vestments 
  to arrange them just so, even while in the midst of an 
  important meeting or task.
  Batsel Hoon
  Male human cleric of Asmodeus 7 
  LN Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +0; Senses Perception +7
  DEFEnSE
  AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor)
  hp 38 (7d8+7)
  Fort +6, ref +2, Will +9
  OFFEnSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk heavy mace +6 (1d8) 
  ranged mwk heavy mace (with hand of 
  the acolyte) +10 (1d6) 
  Special Attacks channel energy (negative, 
  4d6, DC 15, 5/day)
  Spell-Like Abilities
  7/day—hand of the acolyte, touch of law
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 7th)
  4th—discern lies (DC 18), order’s wrathD, sending
  3rd—bestow curse (DC 17), dispel magicD, 
  invisibility purge, searing light
  2nd—align weaponD (law only), augury, 
  cure moderate wounds, hold person 
  (DC 16), silence
  1st—comprehend languages, 
  cure light wounds, detect chaos, 
  obscuring mist, protection from 
  chaosD, sanctuary (DC 15)
  0—detect poison, light, mending, read magic
  D Domain spell. Domains Law, Magic
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Batsel uses obscuring mist to help 
  hide him from enemies.
  During Combat Batsel casts searing light to show he is dangerous 
  and bestow curse to debilitate an enemy, then converts his other 
  spells to inflict spells if he wants to deal damage.
  Morale Batsel flees if outnumbered or at risk of death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 18, Cha 14
  Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 15
  Feats Alertness, Alignment Channel (law), Combat Casting, 
  Persuasive, Selective Channeling
  Skills Heal +8, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (local) +3, 
  Knowledge (planes) +11, Knowledge (religion) +11, Perception 
  +7, Profession (librarian) +8, Profession (scribe) +8, Sense 
  batsel Hoon
  
  29
  29
  allies, Cohorts, and Contacts
  Motive +16, Spellcraft +11
  Languages Common, Draconic, Infernal
  SQ spontaneous casting (inflict)
  Combat Gear elixir of hiding, masterwork heavy mace, scroll of 
  summon monster II, wand of cure light wounds (10 charges), 150 
  gp; Other Gear headband of inspired wisdom +2, chain shirt
  PC Gear Replace his chain shirt with a +2 chain shirt and his 
  masterwork heavy mace with a +1 heavy mace; add an amulet of 
  natural armor +1, a +1 cloak of resistance, a pearl of power (2nd 
  level spell), a +1 ring of deflection, and 250 gp; Suggested Traits 
  Hellknight Ancestry, Masterful Demeanor
  JEMET WInDERbolE
  Jemet has spent his entire life as a slave—
  at least on paper. He lives with his 
  master, the aged patriarch of a 
  noble family living in a manor 
  east of Westcrown. His quick 
  wits and the senility of 
  his master allow him to 
  sneak away, sometimes for 
  a week at a time, during 
  which time he does his best 
  to impede the workings of 
  the empire, usually in small and 
  whimsical ways. Jemet isn’t very 
  ambitious, but he is passionate about 
  striking back against Cheliax. If the 
  opportunity presents itself, Jemet may be 
  willing to give up the protection of anonymity 
  and dive into rebellion with both feet.
  Jemet is 25 years old and has kept 
  his body in prime physical condition, 
  performing his physically taxing chores 
  with gusto, even while avoiding most 
  of the others. He can often be found 
  juggling or walking on his hands. His 
  ready smile and penchant for flattery 
  make him popular with every halfling 
  woman he meets, and even less-prejudiced 
  human women can fall for his charming antics. He’s 
  often used the good graces of the female house servants 
  to escape detection or punishment.
  Jemet Winderbole
  Male halfling rogue 7 
  CG Small humanoid (halfling)
  Init +4; Senses Perception +13
  DEFEnSE
  AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 
  size); uncanny dodge, +1 vs. traps
  hp 38 (7d8+7)
  Fort +3, ref +10, Will +4; evasion, +2 vs. fear, +1 vs. traps
  OFFEnSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee +1 dagger +6 (1d3–1) 
  ranged light crossbow +10 (1d6) 
  Special Attacks sneak attack +4d6
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Jemet attacks from ambush or if he has superior 
  numbers on his side. Before combat he places himself where 
  he can get at least one sneak attack in before he’s spotted.
  During Combat Jemet fights cautiously, using Combat Expertise 
  and feinting or flanking each round to use his sneak attack.
  Morale If Jemet falls below 10 hit points and victory 
  isn’t imminent, he flees to fight another day.
  STATISTICS
  Str 6, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 16
  Base Atk +5; CMB +2; CMD 17
  Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, 
  Improved Feint, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +16, Bluff +13, Climb 
  +10, Escape Artist +14, Knowledge 
  (local) +11, Perception +13, Sense 
  Motive +11, Sleight of Hand +14, 
  Stealth +23
  Languages Common, Gnome, Halfling
  SQ fast stealth, trapfinding, trap 
  sense +2, slow reactions, stand up, 
  uncanny dodge
  Combat Gear +1 dagger, 
  light crossbow, bolts 
  (10), potion of cure 
  light wounds; Other 
  Gear masterwork studded 
  leather, cloak of elvenkind, 39 gp
  PC Gear Replace his masterwork armor 
  with +1 studded leather; add a belt of 
  dexterity +2, boots of striding and springing, 
  a hand of the mage, a handy haversack, a hat of 
  disguise, potions of cure moderate wounds (2), a ring 
  of protection +2, and 600 gp; Suggested Traits Dump 
  Salvager, Successful Shirker
  nICkloD sTaRWEaTHER
  Nicklod is the last of a once powerful Chelish noble 
  line. The Starweathers long ago fell out of favor with 
  the Thrunes and their allies, and all Nicklod inherited 
  was a crumbling mansion among the haunted streets 
  of the old city, which he can’t visit because the dottari 
  don’t allow anyone in that part of town. Already a noted 
  scholar of devil anatomy, Nicklod has recently been 
  doing more direct summoning on his own. He has an 
  imp familiar whose advice has always been good so far, 
  Jemet Winderbole
  
  30
  COMPANION
  as well as nascent relationships with a couple of more 
  powerful devils with whom he treats. His long-term plan 
  is to increase his arcane power to the point where he can 
  leverage it to bring his family back to prominence.
  Nicklod is a strikingly handsome Chelish man with a 
  shock of black hair offset by white at his left temple. In 
  his early thirties, Nicklod has maintained his youthful 
  appearance and physique, but his eyes often have a 
  haggard, feverish look. While he dresses fashionably, 
  even boldly, his abstracted demeanor marks him as a 
  scholar, not a socialite.
  nicklod Starweather
  Male human wizard (conjurer) 7 
  LN Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +2; Senses Perception +7
  DEFEnSE
  AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge)
  hp 31 (7d6+7)
  Fort +3, ref +4, Will +5
  OFFEnSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee dagger +3 (1d4) 
  ranged acid dart +5 (1d6+3 acid) 
  Spell-Like Abilities
  7/day—acid dart (30-ft. 
  ranged touch)
  Wizard Spells Prepared 
  (CL 7th):
  4th—dimensional 
  anchor (DC 18), 
  summon monster IV
  3rd—dispel magic, 
  fly, summon 
  monster III
  2nd—glitterdust (DC 16), resist energy, summon monster II (3)
  1st—burning disarm (DC 14), charm person (DC 14), protection 
  from evil, summon monster I (2)
  0—daze, detect magic, mage hand, message, prestidigitation
  Opposition Schools evocation, illusion
  TACTICS
  Before Combat If he cannot avoid combat, Nicklod casts resist 
  energy, protection from evil, and summoning spells so he has 
  minions ready when combat starts.
  During Combat Nicklod uses his summoned minions to protect 
  him, charming weak-willed opponents and using more 
  summoning spells to replenish destroyed creatures.
  Morale Nicklod is a scholar, not a fighter. He tries to flee combat 
  unless he is guaranteed victory.
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 13
  Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 15
  Feats Augment Summoning, Dodge, Extend Spell, Improved 
  Familiar, Mobility, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (conjuration)
  Skills Appraise +9, Fly +12, Knowledge (arcana) +14, Knowledge 
  (local) +11, Knowledge (planes) +14, Knowledge (religion) +14, 
  Linguistics +8, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +14
  Languages Common, Draconic, Ignan, Infernal
  SQ arcane bond (familiar), summoner’s charm (+3 rounds)
  Combat Gear potions of cure light wounds (2) and hide from 
  undead; scrolls of detect thoughts (DC 13), dispel magic, hold 
  person (DC 14), hold portal, and resist energy; Other 
  Gear headband of intellect +2, 210 gp
  Spellbook All spells prepared plus 3rd—magic 
  circle against evil, phantom steed; 2nd—
  darkvision, detect thoughts, summon swarm; 
  1st—alarm, cause fear, hold portal, mount, 
  unseen servant; 0—all except those from the 
  evocation and illusion schools.
  PC Gear Replace his potions of cure light 
  wounds with potions of cure moderate wounds. 
  Add an amulet of natural armor +2, bracers 
  of natural armor +2, a cloak of resistance +2, 
  scrolls of dimension door (2), a wand of magic 
  missile (7th level, 10 charges), and 150 gp; 
  Suggested Traits Diabolical Dabbler, 
  Lost Nobility
  Mezatine
  Nicklod’s Imp Familiar
  LE Tiny outsider (devil, evil, 
  extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 
  60 ft., detect good, detect 
  magic, see in darkness; 
  Perception +7
  DEFEnSE
  AC 21, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +1 
  dodge, +5 natural, +2 size)
  hp 16 (3d10); fast healing 2
  Fort +1, ref +6, Will +4; improved evasion
  Dr 5/good or silver; Immune fire, poison; resist acid 10, cold 10
  OFFEnSE
  Spd 20 ft., fly 50 ft. (perfect)
  Melee sting +8 (1d4 plus poison)
  Space 2-1/2 ft.; reach 0 ft.
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th)
  Constant—detect good, detect magic
  At will—invisibility (self only)
  1/day—augury, suggestion (DC 15)
  1/week—commune (6 questions, CL 12th)
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 14
  Base Atk +3; CMB +1; CMD 14
  nicklod starweather
  
  31
  31
  allies, Cohorts, and Contacts
  Feats Dodge, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +9, Bluff +8, Fly +21, Knowledge (arcana) +7, 
  Knowledge (planes) +7, Perception +7, Spellcraft +7
  Languages Common, Infernal
  SQ alternate form (beast shape I, boar, giant spider, rat, or 
  raven), deliver touch spells, empathic link, share spells, speak 
  with master
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Poison (Ex) sting—injury, save Fort DC 13, frequency 1/round for 
  5 minutes, effect 1d2 Dex, cure 1 save. The save DC is 
  Constitution-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus.
  PonTIa RUnaRIo
  Pontia has risen quickly in the Order of 
  the Scourge, where she has specialized 
  in apprehending dangerous criminals, 
  including 
  murderers, 
  high-ranking 
  guild thieves, kidnappers, and slaving 
  operations running outside the law. 
  She often investigates the suspects 
  herself, 
  and 
  has 
  developed 
  a 
  sophisticated 
  network 
  of 
  informants in her home 
  city, with a few others 
  elsewhere. 
  If 
  the 
  Order’s common 
  informants don’t 
  stumble onto the 
  evidence 
  she’s 
  discovered, she’ll 
  usually have her 
  own contacts nudge 
  the Order’s informants 
  in the right direction. 
  As far as the Order is 
  concerned, Pontia is 
  strictly an enforcer, not an 
  investigator, and she doesn’t see 
  any need to divest them of that notion, especially since 
  she’s found that one of her Hellknights superiors is not 
  quite as disciplined as has been supposed, which she 
  wouldn’t have discovered if he had any suspicion of her 
  talents for analysis.
  Pontia is a slightly heavyset and physically powerful 
  woman. She’s a mixture of Chelaxian, Taldan and 
  Varisian, with somewhat darker skin than is usually 
  seen in the Chelish heartland. The Varisian part of her 
  heritage shows in her wavy black hair and her generous 
  smile (though she displays it only rarely). Pontia spends 
  most of her time in her armor—she wants to be ready for 
  combat at any time, and it deters cutpurses and others who 
  might otherwise prey on a lone traveler on the street. 
  Pontia runario
  Female human fighter 7 
  LN Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +4; Senses Perception +9
  DEFEnSE
  AC 19, touch 10, flat-footed 19 (+9 armor)
  hp 38 (7d10)
  Fort +5, ref +2, Will +4; +2 vs. fear
  OFFEnSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 longsword +14 (1d8+7/19–20) 
  ranged light crossbow +7 (1d8) 
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Pontia doesn’t enter combat 
  unless she expects to win, as she believes 
  her knowledge of the situation is usually 
  too valuable to risk. If she can’t easily 
  overpower her opponents or they are likely 
  to slip away forever, she waits for backup 
  before starting a fight.
  During Combat If playing for time, Pontia 
  uses Combat Expertise. If her opponents 
  are lightly armored, she uses Power 
  Attack and Cleave to finish the fight 
  as quickly as possible.
  Morale Pontia retreats if brought 
  under 20 hit points or if 
  circumstances change so that 
  she no longer believes she’s 
  going to win.
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 14, 
  Cha 12
  Base Atk +7; CMB +10; CMD 20
  Feats Cleave, Combat Expertise, 
  Cornugon Smash, Improved Critical 
  (longsword), Improved Disarm, 
  Improved Initiative, Power Attack, 
  Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization 
  (longsword)
  Skills Diplomacy +7, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (local) +9, 
  Knowledge (planes) +3, Perception +9, Sense Motive +9
  Languages Common, Infernal
  SQ armor training 2, bravery +2, weapon training (heavy blades +1)
  Combat Gear +1 longsword, potion of cure light wounds; Other 
  Gear +1 full plate, 49 gp
  PC Gear Replace her armor with +2 full plate and sword with a +2 
  longsword. Add a belt of physical might (Strength and Dexterity 
  +2), a cloak of resistance +1, potions of cure moderate wounds (2), 
  +1 bolts (10), elixirs of truth (3), a potion of delay poison, a potion 
  of disguise self, and 490 gp; Suggested Traits Egorian School 
  Apprentice, Threatening Defender
  Pontia Runario
  
  32
  COMPANION
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  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 Companion: Cheliax, Empire of Devils. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: 
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  CoMInG nEXT
  Use your darkvision to peer into the tunnels and unearth 
  new treasures of lore and magic in the next Pathfinder 
  Companion, Dwarves of Golarion!
  DWaRVEs
  The dwarves of Golarion are an old race, but 
  still a mystery to some. What motivates 
  them? What is their history? What is 
  with their obsession with beards, 
  ale, and blacksmithing? How big 
  are their Sky Citadels? Do they 
  have any other gods? These 
  secrets and more lie inside!
  MaGIC
  by David Eitelbach
  Learn how dwarven bards 
  use drums and chants to 
  summon the spirits of 
  their ancestors, returning 
  to fight ancient enemies or 
  lend strength in the form of 
  spectral ancestral weapons! 
  See how dwarven rangers 
  attune themselves to the stone 
  to peer through living rock!
  CoMbaT
  by Hank Woon
  Master the dorn-degar, a deadly 
  spinning weapon of elite 
  dwarven bodyguards. Bounce your throwing axe off 
  the ground for extra distance, or your hammer off an 
  enemy’s skull so you can catch it!
  THE fIVE kInGs MoUnTaIns
  by JD Wiker
  Surrounded by isolationist elves, aggressive humans, and an 
  atheist merchant-nation, this kingdom is trying to retain 
  its own identity in the face of time and progress. Discover 
  their great cities and the miles of labyrinthine warrens 
  under the earth!
  anD MoRE!
  Shaped by ancient tradition, a dwarf’s beard style and 
  decorations can have many layers of meaning. Dwarven 
  brewmasters are respected almost as much as smiths, 
  with the greatest of them trying to recreate the lost 
  recipes of the fallen Sky Citadels. And driven by old 
  feuds, bold dwarven settlers forge new colonies in 
  hostile territory.
  sUbsCRIbE foR MoRE loRE!
  Discover Golarion and learn more about this rich, 
  detailed campaign world. Head over to paizo.com and 
  subscribe today to have each player-friendly Pathfinder 
  Companion delivered straight to your door with new 
  information about fantasy races and nations, combat 
  techniques and magical discoveries! Or, if being a GM is 
  more your style, subscribe to the Pathfinder Chronicles, 
  Pathfinder Modules, or Pathfinder Adventure Path. 
  Missed out on a juicy secret? Log on and pick up every 
  volume of past Pathfinder products online!
  
  Bridgeside 
  Dice End 
  Thumbtown 
   
  Long Market 
  Netman’s Rest 
  The Promenade 
  Lake  
  Sorrow 
  to Belde
  4 
  3 
  2 
  5 
  1 
  Bilgetown 
  Sorrowside 
  Trick Alley 
  Sorrowgate 
  Five Favors 
  Parley Circle 
  Triumph 
  Whipcrack 
  to Dekarium 
  to Halmyrisr 
  1 Thrune Manor 
  2 Imperial Palace 
  3 Grand Temple to Asmodeus 
  4 Egorian Academy of the Magical Arts 
  5 Blackrose Gardens 
   
  Thorntown 
  Aspex Garden 
  Hellhound Hill 
   
  Southgate 
  to Citadel Demain 
  Egorian  
  City of Thorns 
  The Grid 
  Devil’s Dance 
   
  Suitor’s Cross 
   
  Riverside 
   
  Briarpatch 
  Mireside 
  The  
  Vice 
  to Westcrown 
  Thrune  
  Square 
  N 
  0 
  6000 
  feet 
  Bridgeside 
  Dice End 
  Thumbtown 
   
  Long Market 
  Netman’s Rest 
  The Promenade 
  Lake  
  Sorrow 
  to Belde
  4 
  3 
  2 
  5 
  1 
  Bilgetown 
  Sorrowside 
  Trick Alley 
  Sorrowgate 
  Five Favors 
  Parley Circle 
  Triumph 
  Whipcrack 
  to Dekarium 
  to Halmyrisr 
  1 Thrune Manor 
  2 Imperial Palace 
  3 Grand Temple to Asmodeus 
  4 Egorian Academy of the Magical Arts 
  5 Blackrose Gardens 
   
  Thorntown 
  Aspex Garden 
  Hellhound Hill 
   
  Southgate 
  to Citadel Demain 
  Egorian  
  City of Thorns 
  The Grid 
  Devil’s Dance 
   
  Suitor’s Cross 
   
  Riverside 
   
  Briarpatch 
  Mireside 
  The  
  Vice 
  to Westcrown 
  Thrune  
  Square 
  N 
  0 
  6000 
  feet 
  
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  Printed in China. PZO9407
  S
  eventy years ago, the Thrice-Damned House 
  of Thrune defeated its rivals in a bloody 
  civil war following the death of the god of 
  humanity, bringing order to the war-torn nation 
  of Cheliax—but at a price. Now the imperial 
  bureaucracy enforces devil-worship as the state 
  religion, and the common people bow their 
  heads in perpetual servitude to the dark lord 
  of Hell. Fortunately, Cheliax still has heroes: 
  crusaders and revolutionaries motivated by 
  glory, honor, greed for the throne, or hatred of 
  what their land has become under the infernal 
  thumb of Asmodeus.
  This Pathfinder Companion describes the 
  nation of Cheliax, its diabolical capital of 
  Egorian, and its shadow-haunted former capital 
  of Westcrown. Inside you’ll also find new 
  character traits, magic items, spells, combat 
  feats, and Chelish NPCs suitable for cohorts 
  or contacts. This book is perfect for use in the 
  Council of Thieves Adventure Path, set in the city 
  of Westcrown, or any adventure taking place in a 
  nation of devils and decadence.
  In League WIth heLL
  ®
  ™
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/Cheliax, Empire of Devils.pdf