TEXT: By Richard Pett
  Into the 
  Nightmare Rift
  
  Bring Me A Better Head!
  Madam Seeshaw Raccas runs the Shucked Oyster, one of Magnimar's more infamous 
  brothels. She's long competed with one of the city's other well-known brothels, the 
  House of Welcome, over who can boast of the most outlandish decorations. The 
  House of Welcome recently added a wyvern's head to the barroom. When 
  Seeshaw contacts the PCs, she scoffs, "Anyone can kill a wyvern—I want 
  something better for the Oyster!"
  Reward: Any non-undead corporeal monster that's CR 14 
  or higher works as a trophy. Do not count 
  increases to a monster's CR from 
  class levels for the purposes of this 
  requirement. Upon delivering the 
  trophy to Seeshaw, the PCs earn XP 
  equal to the monster's XP award 
  (provided the trophy is already preserved—Seeshaw has no interest 
  in rotten trophies), along with a rod of splendor—or, if the party 
  prefers, free services from the Oyster for life!
  A Strange SOurce of Power 
  Magnimar's most esteemed school of wizardry is the Stone of the Seers, an academy that 
  focuses primarily on abjuration and divination magic. The Stone of the Seers is small, for its 
  master Leis Nivlandis maintains that the larger a school grows, the 
  less its students learn—a thinly veiled jab at Korvosa's 
  Acadamae. Unfortunately for Master Nivlandis, the small 
  size of his school also means he has little free time to 
  do field research, a sacrifice he feels is, in the end, 
  a necessary one for the good of his students' 
  educations. So when he learns that Magnimar's 
  newest heroes are planning an expedition to 
  Guiltspur, a site he's always wanted to visit, he 
  quickly makes contact. His research suggests that powerful 
  abjurations ward parts of Guiltspur, and he would like to know more 
  about how these wards function—particularly, what source of energy powers the protection.
  Reward: For determining that the wards are powered by an abysium reactor and reporting that to 
  Master Nivlandis, the PCs earn 51,200 XP and a wand of stoneskin (12 charges) as Nivlandis's thanks. 
  KEYSTONE
  DOCKWAY
  
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  ADVENTURE PATH        PART 5 OF 6
  Into the 
  Nightmare Rift
  
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  CREDITS
  Creative Director • James Jacobs
  Editor-in-Chief • F. Wesley Schneider
  Senior Editor • James L. Sutter
  Development Leads • Adam Daigle and James Jacobs
  Editing • Judy Bauer, Logan Bonner, Christopher Carey, Ryan Macklin, and Patrick Renie
  Editorial Assistance • Jason Bulmahn, Rob McCreary, Mark Moreland, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and Sean K Reynolds
  Senior Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson
  Graphic Designer • Andrew Vallas
  Production Specialist • Crystal Frasier
  Cover Artist
  Wayne Reynolds
  Cartographers
  99 Lives Design and Robert Lazzaretti
  Contributing Artists
  Milivoj C´eran, Miguel Regodón Harkness, Roberto Pitturru, Dmitry Prosvirnin, Scott Purdy,  
  Mike Sass, Doug Stambaugh, Tyler Walpole, and Kieran Yanner
  Contributing Authors
  James Jacobs, Richard Pett, Sean K Reynolds, Greg A. Vaughan, and Bill Ward
  Publisher • Erik Mona
  Paizo CEO • Lisa Stevens
  Chief Operations Officer • Jeffrey Alvarez
  Director of Sales • Pierce Watters
  Sales Representative • Adam Lovell
  Finance Manager • Christopher Self
  Staff Accountant • Kunji Sedo
  Chief Technical Officer • Vic Wertz
  Senior Software Developer • Gary Teter
  Campaign Coordinator • Mike Brock
  Project Manager • Jessica Price
  Customer Service Team • Cosmo Eisele, Erik Keith, and Sara Marie Teter
  Warehouse Team • Will Chase, Michael Kenway, Matt Renton, Jeff Strand, and Kevin Underwood
  Website Team • Ross Byers, Liz Courts, Lissa Guillet, and Chris Lambertz
   This product makes use of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2, 
  Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3, Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Equipment, and Pathfinder RPG 
  Ultimate Magic. These rules can be found online for free as part of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document at paizo.com/prd.
  This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or the 3.5 edition of the world’s 
  oldest fantasy roleplaying game.
  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 or are in the public domain 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 Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content 
  may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
  Paizo Publishing, LLC
  7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120
  Redmond, WA 98052-0577
  paizo.com
  Pathfinder Adventure Path #65: Into the Nightmare Rift © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
  Paizo, Paizo Publishing, LLC, the golem logo, Pathfinder, Pathfinder Society, and GameMastery are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC;  
  Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Player Companion,  
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Tales are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC.
  Printed in China.
  
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  Foreword 
  4
  Into the Nightmare Rift 
  6
  by Richard Pett
  NPC Gallery 
  58
  by Richard Pett
  Shattered Star Treasures 
  62
  by Richard Pett
  Leng: The Terror Beyond Dreams 
  64
  by Greg A. Vaughan
  Lissala 
  70
  by Sean K Reynolds
  Pathfinder’s Journal: Light of a Distant Star 5 of 6 
  76
  by Bill Ward
  Bestiary 
  82
  by James Jacobs and Sean K Reynolds
  Preview 
  92
  
  I’ve made no secret of my admiration of Lovecraft’s 
  writing, but strangely enough, this adventure marks the 
  first time that I have personally hard-coded Lovecraftian 
  elements into an adventure during its outline stages. In 
  the early days of Pathfinder, in adventures like Pathfinder 
  Module: Crucible of Chaos and Adventure Paths like Rise of 
  the Runelords and Curse of the Crimson Throne, it was 
  Wolfgang Baur and Greg Vaughan who approached me 
  with the idea to include things like shoggoths, Azathoth, 
  hounds of Tindalos, and Leng in their adventures—
  suggestions I immediately green-lit, of course. Richard 
  Pett’s Pathfinder Module: Carrion Hill was likewise an idea 
  he’d had years and years ago for creating a fantasy RPG 
  version of Lovecraft’s “The Dunwich Horror,” and the 
  Lovecraft-heavy “Wake of the Watcher” mentioned above 
  was, if I recall correctly, as much Wes Schneider’s idea as 
  anyone else’s.
  H
  . P. Lovecraft is no stranger to the pages of Pathfinder 
  Adventure Path, and in this volume, his influence 
  returns once again to Golarion, courtesy of Richard 
  Pett’s “Into the Nightmare Rift” and Greg A. Vaughan’s 
  “Leng: The Terror Beyond Dreams.” There are three 
  monsters drawn from Lovecraft’s tales in this month’s 
  bestiary as well—which I converted to the Pathfinder RPG 
  and originally intended to include in the bestiary of 
  Pathfinder Adventure Path #46: Wake of the Watcher. At the 
  time, when I found out from Wes that these three monsters 
  had to be cut from that bestiary for space reasons, I was the 
  typical cranky author railing against the cruelties of the 
  editorial process. And as with most cranky authors railing 
  against cruel editors, it turns out I should have instead 
  been humbly thanking said editors, because as it happens, 
  the bhole, the flying polyp, and especially the nightgaunt 
  work SO much better as new monsters in this volume.
  4
  
  James Jacobs
  Creative Director
  james.jacobs@paizo.com
  The thing is, I’m quite aware of the fact that not everyone 
  likes Lovecraft in their fantasy games, and as such, I’ve 
  kind of been a bit too hesitant to suggest things like, 
  “Let’s put Cthulhu in this adventure too!” Fortunately, 
  my co-workers and freelance authors know what I like, I 
  guess, and judging from feedback from readers, a lot of 
  you out there like Lovecraft stuff in your games as well. 
  And so, when it came time to outline Shattered Star and 
  I was looking at themes from our first three Pathfinder 
  Adventure Paths to build upon, one of the things I kept 
  coming back to was Leng.
  We’ve been talking about Leng since Pathfinder Adventure 
  Path #6: Spires of Xin-Shalast, and in Pathfinder Campaign 
  Setting: The Great Beyond we officially made it one of the 
  planes, cementing its presence in Golarion’s cosmology. 
  But we’d never done much more than hint at it. This 
  adventure, as a result, was always “the one where we’d 
  finally go to Leng,” even before I settled on Cadrilkasta as 
  the villain and Guiltspur as the location. In fact, those two 
  choices were made, in large part, because it was easy to use 
  established lore and hints to make Guiltspur into a sort 
  of Leng embassy, where Karzoug first started talking with 
  that realm’s denizens to help him accomplish his goals in 
  the climax of Rise of the Runelords.
  As always when we do an adventure that draws so much 
  inspiration from Lovecraft, I’d like to give the fine folks 
  at Chaosium a shout-out for being one of the primary 
  influences on a young James Jacobs back in junior high. 
  Call of Cthulhu remains one of my favorite games, and in 
  a lot of ways, Golarion would be a very different place if 
  not for it. If the information on Leng we give you here isn’t 
  enough, by all means check out Chaosium’s H. P. Lovecraft’s 
  Dreamlands supplement for Call of Cthulhu.
  Because I’m assuming all of you have already read 
  Lovecraft’s novella The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. 
  Right? RIGHT?
  HigH-LeveL Dungeons
  One of my goals for the Shattered Star Adventure Path was 
  to build a campaign that was nostalgic and old school in a 
  lot of ways, primarily by having significant parts of each 
  adventure take place in a dungeon. Unfortunately, dungeon 
  adventures tend to be more and more difficult to finesse the 
  higher in level your PCs get because those pesky spellcasters 
  start getting access to spells like scrying, teleport, passwall, 
  and the like—spells that some GMs might think of as 
  having been invented specifically to destroy dungeons.
  I generally try to avoid including elements in dungeons 
  that simply and categorically shut down entire types of 
  spells. Teleport and scrying effects, in particular, are hit 
  with this limitation a lot. It’s frustrating to finally gain 
  access to spells like teleport and then be told that they don’t 
  work in any of the dungeons. I’ve avoided doing too many 
  anti-teleportation effects in previous high-level dungeons, 
  but here in the Guiltspur Depths, you’ll find two and a 
  half dungeon levels that do precisely that. One of the big 
  reasons I decided to go with this was not because I was 
  trying to rob spells from the players, but because I needed 
  a reason why a powerful dragon like Cadrilkasta would be 
  forced to dig out a buried dungeon using enslaved giants 
  rather than just teleporting into it. And it’s important to note 
  that even despite that, the effects of this anti-teleportation, 
  anti-scrying field don’t cover every room—and even better, 
  the PCs can eventually get to the cause of this effect and 
  break it. Not only does this give the GM a chance to enjoy a 
  dungeon the PCs can’t scry and teleport into and out of, but 
  it also gives the PCs a satisfying and perhaps therapeutic 
  opportunity to get revenge on it as well!
  A lot of the encounters in this adventure are difficult. 
  There are two reasons for this. First, high-level characters are 
  pretty good at escaping, resting, preparing, and returning 
  to hit adventures hard when they’re well prepared. Making 
  key encounters particularly difficult helps to play to this 
  truth. Second, we want to actually reward groups that bother 
  exploring dungeons rather than skipping straight to the 
  end. A group that painstakingly explores Guiltspur is going 
  to find a lot more treasure, build up a lot more experience, 
  recruit more allies, and perhaps most importantly, find out 
  a lot more about what lies ahead. So when the group that 
  carefully explores reaches these hard encounters, those PCs 
  will be better prepared than the group that simply skips to 
  the end.
  Have any advice of your own for high-level dungeon 
  crawling? Want to let us know what did and didn’t work 
  well for your group in this dungeon? Curious to find out 
  how other groups fared in this or other adventures? Head 
  on over to the paizo.com messageboards and find out—I’ll 
  be there to answer questions, give advice, and commiserate 
  with GMs whose players ruined their favorite dungeons!
  On tHe COver
  It’s hard to believe that it took us 65 volumes of Pathfinder 
  Adventure Path to feature a dragon as the iconic cover 
  character, but Wayne Reynolds’ elegantly menacing depiction 
  of the blue dragon Cadrilkasta is well worth the wait!
  5
  
  The PCs should be close to 16th 
  level by the end of the adventure. 
  13
  The PCs should be 13th 
  level when they begin this 
  adventure.
  14
  The PCs should reach 14th 
  level soon after they start 
  Part Two of the adventure.
  15
  The PCs should reach 15th 
  level at some point in the 
  Embassy of Leng—they should 
  certainly be 15th level before 
  progressing to Part Three.
  “Into the Nightmare Rift” is 
  designed for four characters and 
  uses the medium XP track. 
  ADVANCEMENT TRACK
  PART ONE: GIANTS OF WRATH
  The PCs journey into the heart of the Storval Plateau to the ruins 
  of Guiltspur, only to find it under the control of a group of giants 
  in the process of excavating the ruin. The Shard of Wrath must be 
  liberated from the giants’ sadistic chieftain!
  PART TWO: GUILTSPUR DEPTHS
  After the Shard of Wrath grants a vision of the path to the final 
  shard, the PCs delve deeper into the ruins of Guiltspur to face 
  ancient magical traps, mad ghosts, immense lake monsters, a drow 
  hunting party, horrors from beyond dreams, and a demilich. 
  PART THREE: TEMPLE OF THE CRAWLING CHAOS
  After activating a portal to Leng, the PCs face one final 
  challenge—a not-so-abandoned temple devoted to the Crawling 
  Chaos recently invaded by a blue dragon who now claims the final 
  shard of the Shattered Star as her own!
  PAGE 8
  PAGE 22
  PAGE 49
  INTO THE NIGHTMARE RIFT
  6
  
  ADVENTURE BACKGROUND
  During Runelord Karzoug’s reign in the final centuries 
  of Thassilon, the monolith of Guiltspur served a singular 
  purpose—to act as a bridge between the Material Plane 
  and the dread realm of Leng. Part embassy, part vile 
  laboratory, part portal, Guiltspur was built by Karzoug so 
  that he would have a place where he could always contact 
  his strange allies from that nightmarish dimension. 
  When Earthfall struck Golarion, the Kodar volcanoes 
  awoke and spewed ash and lava across the northern 
  Storval Plateau. Guiltspur lay in the path of one of the 
  largest of these lava flows, and while the strange building 
  had been constructed to withstand such devastation, 
  the lava engulfed and buried it nonetheless, trapping 
  its lesser denizens within while its rulers—denizens of 
  Leng, moon-beasts, and the Lissalan priest Mesmalatu—
  plane shifted to Leng for safety.
  The lava flow had another unanticipated effect on 
  Guiltspur—while it didn’t damage the structure’s upper 
  floors or underground levels, it did sever the planar 
  link to Leng. For many centuries, Mesmalatu stayed 
  among her strange allies in Leng and learned many of 
  their secrets. It was during this time that she became 
  a lich. Eventually, she and her allies rebuilt the portal 
  that linked the depths of Guiltspur to a temple devoted 
  to Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos, on Leng, only to 
  find Guiltspur had fallen into complete ruin over the 
  course of the Age of Darkness. This suited Mesmalatu 
  well, for without a runelord to bother her, she could use 
  Guiltspur’s remaining resources as she wished.
  For many thousands of years, Mesmalatu and her 
  Leng-spawned allies used Guiltspur as their own 
  private Material Plane laboratory, and it was during 
  this time that she abandoned her faith in Lissala for a 
  far more sinister patron—the Faceless Sphinx aspect of 
  Nyarlathotep. In time, even a lich’s attentions wander, 
  and as Mesmalatu’s final experiments wound down, 
  her allies were forced to abandon their holdings on 
  the portal’s far side after a disastrous war against the 
  spiders of Leng. The lich, in response, closed down the 
  portal once more and soon after fell into a centuries-
  long torpor. In that time, she became a powerful entity 
  known as a demilich, and the upper ruins of Guiltspur 
  became the haunt of all manner of strange creatures 
  from the Darklands.
  So Guiltspur lay, until relatively recently. Far to the 
  east in the Hold of Belkzen, a powerful blue dragon 
  named Cadrilkasta made a shocking discovery in a 
  Thassilonian ruin—in an ancient vault, she found the 
  Shard of Wrath. In her case, the shard’s curse of violence 
  had very little impact on her existing, quite sadistic 
  personality. Intrigued by the shard’s power and driven 
  by a vision of the next shard, Cadrilkasta came to a 
  barren field of ancient lava, only to realize she stood 
  atop what could be a treasure trove of ancient magical 
  power. After discovering that access to the underground 
  chambers was blocked via powerful magic, she swiftly 
  “recruited” (using mind control magic and intimidation) 
  a small army of fire and hill giants and set them to work 
  excavating the site, going as far as to move her own lair 
  into the area.
  But even a blue dragon can get in over her head. When 
  her giants managed to open the way into the deeper 
  levels, her growing obsession with finding the Shard of 
  Sloth became too much to ignore—so much so that she 
  abandoned the previous shard (which now lies in the 
  possession of one of her more powerful giant minions) 
  and any pretense of looting Guiltspur’s upper levels 
  entirely. Her flight through the lower levels, one assisted 
  by stealth and magic, eventually led her through the deep 
  portal to Leng, and not long thereafter she managed to 
  recover the Shard of Sloth only to fall victim to a much 
  more insidious curse. Cadrilkasta hasn’t been seen by her 
  minions in Guiltspur for weeks now, but the giants still 
  fear her and, believing she might return at any moment, 
  continue to toil at excavating the upper, lava-buried 
  chambers of the structure. What these giants don’t realize 
  is that Cadrilkasta’s headlong flight through the depths 
  of Guiltspur has awakened powers far more ancient and, 
  perhaps, deadly than a dragon alone, and it is now only 
  a matter of time before the ancient legacy of Guiltspur 
  awakens once again!
  Adventure SummAry
  After recovering the Shard of Envy from Ardathanatus, the 
  next vision sends the PCs back to the Storval Plateau—
  this time to its northern extremes, to Guiltspur. They 
  find the ruins to be an increasingly anarchic giant-
  held stronghold. Greed and fear are all that keep the 
  giants here. The Shard of Wrath is now the property of 
  the current leader of the giant tribes, a lumbering thug 
  named Jubbek, who has lashed the shard onto a club in 
  order to form a crude but effective pick. In order to gain 
  this shard, the PCs must defeat Jubbek.
  Once the PCs secure the Shard of Wrath, the final vision 
  reveals that the route to the Shard of Sloth is very close 
  nearby—somewhere within Guiltspur itself. Yet this 
  vision seems strange and shadowy, as if a sinister shadow 
  obscures the vision. The PCs journey into the lava-
  entombed chambers of Guiltspur, and then into caverns 
  below where they encounter a band of drow from House 
  Rasivrein who also seek the Shard of Sloth. These drow, 
  cultists of the demon lord Zura, are eager to track down 
  the powerful necromantic artifact they believe is located 
  in the dungeon—the Shard of Sloth. Do the PCs oppose or 
  ally with these sinister elves?
  7
  
  Delving deeper, the PCs enter the underground 
  laboratories once used by the lich Mesmalatu, who now 
  exists as an awakened demilich along with her alien allies. 
  Beyond her and her twisted experiments lies a portal to 
  Leng, and a temple to the Crawling Chaos Nyarlathotep 
  that has fallen back into degenerate anarchy.
  Finally, in the howling storms on the very edge of the 
  Plateau of Leng, the PCs face Cadrilkasta. Lost in the 
  clutches of the shard’s curse, the blue wyrm wakens to a 
  righteous fury when confronted in her new lair perched 
  atop a spur of rock overlooking the dread plateau of Leng 
  itself. In order to claim the final shard of the Shattered Star, 
  the PCs must find a way to defeat one of Varisia’s most 
  dangerous and powerful dragons!
  PART ONE: GIANTS OF WRATH
  If the PCs wish, they can stop by Heidmarch Manor in 
  Magnimar to let Sheila Heidmarch know their plans. As 
  at the start of previous adventures, she can supply the 
  PCs with an ioun stone (in this case, a deep red sphere) for 
  when they recover the next shard, but by now the PCs 
  should be well into 13th level and as a result are among 
  Varisia’s more powerful adventurers. There’s little that 
  Sheila can supply the PCs with that they don’t already 
  have. Other NPCs the PCs have allied with along the way, 
  such as Koriah Azmereen, may accompany them on their 
  adventures to come as you see fit. As the PCs prepare to 
  leave, Sheila tells them that she’s learned a bit more—
  that the ritual for rebuilding the Sihedron from the seven 
  shards requires a special stone as a sort of “mold” to hold 
  the fragments in alignment. Fortunately, the PCs have 
  already discovered one of these stones—the Sihedron 
  Shrine in the lowest chamber of the Crow. Sheila’s got 
  several lower-level Pathfinders on the task of hauling 
  this shrine up to the surface, and she tells the PCs that 
  when the time comes, she hopes to host a grand ceremony 
  atop the Irespan during which they will reforge the 
  ancient artifact. Pathfinders and other luminaries from 
  throughout the Inner Sea have taken note of the PCs’ 
  quest now, and many famous faces will no doubt be in 
  attendance at the ceremony. But now, she notes, with two 
  shards remaining to be found, the PCs still have a bit of 
  work ahead of them.
  This adventure doesn’t cover the journey from 
  Magnimar (or wherever the PCs are at the start of this 
  adventure) to Guiltspur, as it assumes the PCs can make 
  such an overland journey with ease using magic. Spells 
  like shadow walk and wind walk can make the journey pass 
  quickly, as can teleporting to a familiar site like Kaer 
  Maga and then traveling north. If you wish the PCs to 
  have some encounters along the way, feel free to have them 
  meet bands of giants, wyverns, rocs, or enormous crimson 
  worms (purple worms advanced to Colossal size), but the 
  sheer size of Guiltspur requires this adventure to focus 
  on the locations therein (and in the neighboring realm of 
  Leng, of course!).
  But before the PCs leave, they might wish to do some 
  research about their destination. If no PC succeeds 
  at the DC 25 Knowledge (geography) check required 
  to identify Guiltspur as their next destination while 
  focusing on the Shard of Envy, a few hours spent sifting 
  through Heidmarch Manor’s maps, almanacs, and tomes 
  is enough to secure this knowledge. Once the PCs know 
  they’re headed to Guiltspur, a Knowledge (history or 
  geography) check reveals the following information.
  GuiltSpur lore
  Knowledge 
  Lore
  Check  
  Gained
  DC 15 
  Guiltspur is said to be cursed—a site 
  avoided even by the giants that call the 
  Storval Plateau home. The site is little more 
  than a strange green pinnacle of stone 
  protruding from the ground, but even this 
  is enough to send chills down the spines of 
  those who believe in the area’s curse.
  DC 20 
  Guiltspur is in fact a Thassilonian ruin, a 
  building buried under a massive lava flow 
  that blanketed much of the northeastern 
  Storval Plateau during the fall of Thassilon. 
  The building itself is said to have been a 
  combination laboratory and embassy for 
  strange, otherworldly allies of Karzoug, 
  the Runelord of Greed.
  DC 30 
  The place was little more than rumor 
  until recent years, when stories began 
  to emerge of an immense excavation led 
  by the blue dragon Cadrilkasta. These 
  stories tell of entire tribes of hill and fire 
  giants, enslaved by the dragon and forced 
  to painstakingly dig out the chambers of 
  buildings buried in the ground below the 
  great green spur.
  DC 40 
  The ancient, nearly forgotten church of 
  Lissala, the goddess of runes, supposedly 
  ran the laboratories of Guiltspur, and were 
  instrumental in aiding Karzoug in forging 
  an alliance with the otherworldly realm 
  of Leng to which Guiltspur served as a 
  sort of embassy. Rumors of portals to this 
  nightmare realm deep under Guiltspur were 
  common during Thassilon’s height.
  If the PCs learn of Cadrilkasta’s association with 
  Guiltspur, a Knowledge (arcana) check is enough to learn the 
  following rumors about the relatively infamous blue dragon.
  8
  
  CAdrilkAStA lore
  Knowledge 
  Lore
  Check  
  Gained
  DC 20 
  The blue dragon Cadrilkasta is a powerful 
  creature—a blue wyrm, by all counts, who 
  once terrorized the Hold of Belkzen. That 
  she was viewed by the orcs of Belkzen as 
  a blight and a monster goes a long way 
  toward establishing her notoriety—she is a 
  monster’s monster.
  DC 30 
  Cadrilkasta had a large lair in Belkzen, but 
  abandoned it a few years ago and moved west 
  into the Cinderlands. She’s been sighted in 
  the vicinity of Guiltspur, and has recruited 
  hill giants and fire giants to aid in excavating 
  the ruin. Her reasons for this excavation 
  are unknown, although the fact that she 
  left Belkzen not long after exploring and 
  destroying a Thassilonian ruin there has led 
  some to believe she learned of a great treasure 
  supposedly hidden in the ruins of Guiltspur. 
  These same rumors speak of how after the 
  destruction of that ruin, the dragon seemed 
  to grow even more violent, to the extent that 
  the orc tribes of Belkzen still fear her return.
  ApproAChinG GuiltSpur
  Guiltspur is located about 530 miles northwest of 
  Magnimar. The site itself is located in a particularly rugged 
  range of badlands that comprise the foothills to the Kodar 
  Mountains. Much of this land was born of ancient lava 
  flows carved by centuries of wind into eerie shapes. This 
  same wind creates mournful and haunting sounds as it 
  blows through the landscape’s myriad hollows. The vision 
  granted by the Shard of Envy dulls as the PCs approach a 
  valley in the badlands that has been walled off by a wooden 
  stockade, beyond which a ramp switchbacks up to a higher 
  plateau surrounded by rocky bluffs. Here, a two-story 
  wooden building squats in the shadow of a towering green 
  spire of strange stone—Guiltspur.
  The region around Guiltspur has long been in the 
  hands of its giant excavators. While their draconic 
  overlord Cadrilkasta hasn’t been around lately, the giants 
  remain fearful of her punishment should she return and 
  find them lacking, and as such they continue to toil (albeit 
  much more slowly) at excavating the region and the upper 
  levels of the ruins. Still, morale is running low, with several 
  giants now languishing in impromptu prisons while their 
  leaders grow more and more decadent and bold in their 
  roles. The arrival of humans to torment and fight is a 
  welcome change for the giants, and at least initially they 
  rise to the defense of Guiltspur with frightening energy.
  Keep track of the number of giants the PCs defeat during 
  this part of the adventure. In all, there are 68 hill giants 
  and 24 fire giants associated with Guiltspur’s uppermost 
  levels, although only 34 hill giants and 12 fire giants are 
  present at the time the PCs first come to the region. If they 
  launch an attack on Guiltspur and then retreat, other giants 
  who were out in the surrounding badlands hunting or 
  scouting return to reinforce those giants who were defeated, 
  effectively replenishing exhausted encounter areas as long 
  as the numbers hold out (there are enough giants to fully 
  repopulate Guiltspur once in this manner). Once the PCs 
  have killed at least 30 hill giants and eight fire giants, all 
  remaining giants panic and flee the site not long after the 
  PCs leave these areas (either to regroup, or to explore deeper 
  levels below). Giants in the Punishment Pits (area B6) do 
  not count for any of these totals. Only Chief Jubbek and his 
  minions in area B8 stubbornly remain behind in this case.
  While the following encounter areas place giants in 
  specific parts of Jubbek’s fortress, you should strive to present 
  battles here in a dynamic fashion. Just as powerful PCs aren’t 
  required to tackle the encounter areas in numerical order, 
  the giants don’t have to stay in their assigned locations if 
  flying or teleporting PCs bypass one location to strike 
  another. Giants are noisy combatants, so feel free to have 
  those in neighboring areas come to aid in fights as soon 
  as a previous combat seems to be winding down. You can 
  string multiple battles together in this manner, having epic 
  clashes that can move through numerous locations until 
  the PCs are either victorious or forced to flee and regroup. 
  Stealth and trickery are powerful allies in this part of the 
  adventure, for a frontal assault against the giants is a sure 
  way to rouse the entire fort to arms.
  A1. StoCkAde (Cr 14)
  The ragged badlands split here, forming a wide valley that 
  rises up to a higher plateau nestled amid the peaks. A wide 
  ledge switchbacks up to this plateau, atop which a fifty-foot-
  tall wooden structure sits. Beyond this structure, deeper in 
  the valley, a green spur rises out of the cleft to tower over the 
  landscape. The entire valley entrance has been blocked off by 
  a twenty-foot-tall stockade built of tree trunks. A pair of forty-
  five-foot-tall watchtowers flank an immense wooden gate at 
  the eastern end of the stockade.
  This stockade and the ledge leading up to the actual 
  excavation above were among the first things constructed 
  by the giants—they don’t expect this defense to hold back 
  determined heroes or other powerful monsters, but as long 
  as it holds back lesser predators and creatures while giving a 
  chance for an early alarm, the stockade’s doing its job.
  A successful DC 15 Climb check is enough to scale 
  the stockade wall or climb one of the watchtowers. Each 
  9
  
  A1
  A2
  A3
  A4
  A5
  A6a
  A6b
  A7
  A8
  A10
  A9
  A11
  Jubbek’s SteadINg
  Guiltspur EnvirONs
  1 square = 10 feet
  1 square = 20 feet
  watchtower consists of a wooden framework with a single 
  floor 35 feet off the ground accessible by a sturdy ladder on 
  the northern side, inside the stockade’s bounds.
  Creatures: This area is watched over by four hill 
  giants—one stationed atop each watchtower and two 
  stationed behind the wall along with trained mastodon 
  mounts. Each watchtower is equipped with a handy stack 
  of a dozen boulders for throwing, along with a large horn 
  carved from a mastodon tusk. While these giants are more 
  worried about Cadrilkasta’s return, they quickly mobilize 
  as soon as they spot PCs approaching by blowing loud, 
  mournful alarms on their mastodon tusk horns. 
  Guiltspur Hill Giants (4) 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  Advanced hill giant fighter 1 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 150, 294)
  CE Large humanoid (giant)
  Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +16
  DEFENSE
  AC 26, touch 10, flat-footed 25 (+5 armor, +1 Dex, +11 natural, 
  –1 size)
  hp 117 each (11 HD; 10d8+1d10+67)
  Fort +15, Ref +4, Will +7
  Defensive Abilities rock catching
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk greatclub +18/+13 (2d8+13) or
  mwk lance +17/+12 (2d6+13/�3)
  Ranged rock +9 (1d8+13) or
  light ballista +8 (4d8/19–20)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks rock throwing (120 ft.)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The two giants on mastodons below 
  immediately prepare to attack intruders, waiting for the 
  giants stationed in the towers to pull open the gate—
  during this round, these two giants drink their potions of 
  haste. On the second round, the mastodon-mounted giants 
  charge out while the giants in the towers drop the ropes 
  used to open the gates (causing the gates to swing back 
  shut), then join the others in throwing boulders.
  Morale The giants fight to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 29, Dex 12, Con 23, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 11
  Base Atk +8; CMB +18; CMD 29
  Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (light ballista), Improved Iron 
  Will, Iron Will, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Vital Strike, 
  Weapon Focus (greatclub)
  Skills Handle Animal +7, Perception +16, Ride +9
  Languages Giant
  Combat Gear potions of cure serious wounds, potion of haste; 
  Other Gear +1 hide armor, giant bag
  10
  
  Mastodons (2) 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  hp 133 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 128)
  Treasure: Each of these giants carries a bag filled with 
  all sorts of strange objects he’s collected over the years. You 
  can randomly generate the contents of each bag by using 
  the table on page 32 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Giants 
  Revisited, or you can simply assume that each giant’s bag 
  contains miscellaneous valuables worth 3d6+60 gp.
  Development: Note that once the giants raise the alarm 
  with their mastodon tusk horns, the giants stationed atop 
  the hill at area A3 mobilize at the ballistae and begin firing 
  them at the PCs.
  A2. the lAvA riSe (Cr 12)
  This sloped ledge switchbacks up at a relatively gentle 
  angle to area A3; climbing one of the ledges up to the next 
  ledge (rather than simply walking the easy route up the 
  back-and-forth slope itself) requires a successful DC 20 
  Climb check. This ledge is 30 feet high at each highest 
  point, diminishing down to only a foot or so at each corner.
  Creatures: The giants keep three mastodons tethered 
  to the top of the ledge—and slather these mastodons with 
  thick sheets of tar to serve as armor. The mastodons are 
  used to the tar, but not quite used to the plans the hill 
  giants have for them. If PCs start up this ramp, the fire 
  giant at area A3 lights the tar-daubed mastodons and then 
  quickly gets out of way. The burning, panicked mastodons 
  then flee down the ramps, trampling and attacking PCs 
  all the way down. Once they reach the bottom of the ramp, 
  if the gates are closed, the frightened creatures reverse 
  course and race back up the ramp. The hill giants didn’t 
  quite plan for this contingency, and if the mastodons 
  live long enough to return to area A3, they attack any hill 
  giants that remain up there in preference to any other foes.
  Tar-Daubed Mastodons (3) 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  hp 133 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 128)
  Tar Daubed (Ex) Each of these mastodons has been smeared 
  with thick layers of tar. The sticky stuff functions as padded 
  armor, granting the mastodons a +1 armor bonus, but its 
  primary use is as a horrific attack. If the tar is lit on fire, the 
  mastodon take 1d6 points of fire damage per round, but 
  also deals +1d6 points of fire damage on each successful hit, 
  or +2d6 points of fire damage with its trample attack.
  A3. GuiltSpur hollow (Cr 13)
  This wide valley nestled between ragged badlands features a 
  fifty-foot-tall wooden fortress built on a scale twice what one 
  might expect for humans. This building, built from enormous 
  timbers, features no windows and only a single hefty door. A 
  flag depicting a giant atop a mound of dead elves and owlbears 
  hangs above the door. Braziers containing smoldering coals 
  burn near the entrance to the structure, while three large 
  ballistae sit on a ledge south of the fortress, looking out over 
  the valley’s entrance. Beyond, a large mound of rubble slumps 
  before a towering green spire that extends nearly two hundred 
  feet into the sky.
  The flag hanging above the door can be recognized with 
  a successful DC 30 Knowledge (local) check as the banner 
  of a relatively notorious tribe of Storval hill giants called 
  the Elfstompers. This check also confirms that the tribe’s 
  leader is an infamously vile and lecherous brute named 
  Chief Jubbek. The interior of the fortress is detailed in 
  areas A6–A11.
  Creatures: A group of three hill giants led by a fire giant 
  keep a watch on this area—if they hear the alarm raised 
  from the giants down in area A1, the hill giants quickly 
  man the light ballistae and begin firing them down at the 
  PCs. The fire giant moves to stand near the tar-daubed 
  mastodons kept corralled at the top of area A2 and uses 
  hurled rocks to support the ballistae—once he sees the 
  PCs moving up the ramp, he lights the mastodons on 
  fire with a thrown handful of hot coals scooped from one 
  of the braziers near the entrance to area A6a. As soon as 
  any of the PCs near A3, these four giants make a fighting 
  retreat toward the structure, hoping to join their brethren 
  in area A6a.
  Light ballistae are detailed on pages 160–161 of Pathfinder 
  RPG Ultimate Combat. They have a range increment of 120 
  feet, which puts all targets in area A2 in the first range 
  increment. It takes a giant 2 rounds to load a light ballista.
  Guiltspur Hill Giants (3) 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  hp 117 each (see page 10)
  Fire Giant 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  hp 142 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 148)
  A4. rubble mound
  A sizable mound of rubble lies heaped against a cliff side 
  here—a slope of boulders, ranging in size from small rocks to 
  masses larger than a human, that rises to a height of thirty feet.
  This mound of rubble marks the site of one of the 
  initial attempts made by the giants to dig down into 
  the underground chambers of Guiltspur, but in their 
  exuberance, they dug too quickly and a large chamber 
  below (once connected to area B7) collapsed. The 
  11
  
  Guiltspur
  giants have since grown much more careful with their 
  excavations, with the majority of the rock cleared away 
  from the northwest around area A5, being heaped in this 
  slowly growing mound.
  A5. GuiltSpur (Cr 12)
  A spur-shaped tower of blue-green metal protrudes from 
  the ground here, rising to a height of a few hundred feet. 
  The spur’s height seems even greater for the fact that the 
  ground around it has been meticulously chiseled away. 
  Ramps wind down along the spire’s sides to a point thirty 
  feet below, where an opening in its side reveals that the 
  structure is at least partially hollow.
  The excavation around this metallic protrusion extends 
  upward to the surrounding walls—an examination of 
  the walls of this entire section of the valley reveals that 
  the hollow was created artificially. The spur of blue-
  green is in fact the top of the tallest of Guiltspur’s lava- 
  buried towers, extending 
  down to area B8 
  below. The spur-shaped tower itself is made of magically 
  treated stone, but a closer examination reveals that the 
  entire spur has been coated in a seamless layer of blue-
  green metal. This metal is in fact an unusual abysium 
  alloy that was “painted” onto the tower to give it the 
  strange coloration. The alloy itself has bonded with the 
  outer layer of the stone, making it impossible to extract. 
  The entire tower glows softly (this glow is generally not 
  noticeable during the day, and casts 60 feet of dim light 
  at night), but perhaps of greater importance, the abysium 
  emits debilitating radiation to this extent as well. All 
  creatures within 60 feet of the exterior of this pinnacle 
  must succeed at a DC 14 Fortitude save each hour to resist 
  becoming sickened for 1 hour. This effect does not extend 
  into area B8 or its adjoining underground areas.
  Creatures: A group of three hill giants toils down in the 
  excavation, working as gently as possible to widen the dig 
  and expose more and more of the tower. These giants are all 
  sickened from the tower’s proximity, and the sound of their 
  mining picks and groans of distress impose a –6 penalty 
  on their Perception checks. If they notice a fight going on 
  in area A2, they abandon their picks, grab their greatclubs, 
  and shamble out to join that fight—if confronted here, they 
  fight until one of them drops, whereupon the remaining 
  giants shamble down the excavation ramp into area B8 to 
  seek aid from Chief Jubbek himself.
  Guiltspur Hill Giants (3) 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  hp 117 each (see page 10)
  A6. GreAt hAll (Cr 15)
  The wooden walls of this wide timber room are adorned 
  with dozens of trophies, some of which seem to be still alive 
  judging by their feeble twitchings and cries. The majority of 
  the trophies are animals—bears, aurochs, giant lizards, and a 
  few monsters—but here and there hang the mutilated bodies 
  of orcs or humans. A great fire pit lies in the room’s center, 
  forming a layer of smoke near the ceiling some fifty feet above, 
  while additional torches guttering on the walls only add to the 
  room’s foul scents. Slabs of dubious meat roast slowly over 
  the central fire, while a balcony twenty-five feet above the 
  eastern half of the room looks out over the hall.
  The air inside this great hall is musty, hot, 
  and smoky—upon first entering the room, a 
  creature must succeed at a DC 12 Fortitude 
  save or be sickened for 1d4 minutes before 
  becoming accustomed to the air. All of the 
  giants encountered here have had plenty of 
  time to become so adjusted. The meat cooking 
  on the fire is mostly aurochs or wyvern flesh.
  12
  
  Of the trophies on the walls, two aurochs and one bulette 
  are still barely alive but stable at 2d6 negative hit points. If 
  any of these creatures are cut down from the walls (this 
  requires 1d4 rounds of work with a slashing weapon) and 
  healed to positive hit points, they attack any giants in 
  the room out of anger before turning their attention to 
  smaller targets.
  The walls of the steading are constructed of wood, but 
  they’ve also all been treated with thick layers of resin to 
  somewhat fireproof them. The walls have fire resistance 
  20 as a result, and cannot catch on fire at all.
  Creatures: The main chamber of the steading was used 
  by Jubbek as a feast hall and throne room, with the balcony 
  above (area A6b) serving him as his personal quarters. After 
  the lower levels expanded enough and Jubbek fell further 
  under the curse of the Shard of Wrath, he moved downstairs 
  and ceded control of this level to a fire giant woman 
  named Stom. As Jubbek grows less and less interested in 
  commanding the giants, Stom has grown more and more 
  into the role of commander, and now prefers to be called 
  General Stom. Unlike most of the giants, Stom suspects that 
  Cadrilkasta met an ignominious end in the dungeons below 
  and won’t be returning. She hopes to gather the remaining 
  giants under her command (although she treats the hill 
  giants as little more than slaves), but isn’t comfortable 
  launching her coup so long as Jubbek still lives.
  Area A6a contains four regular hill giants and two 
  fire giants (plus any giants who fled here from outside). 
  General Stom lounges in area A6b above, and there’s a 50% 
  chance that 1d2 of the fire giants from below have been 
  called up to serve as Stom’s consorts.
  Hill Giants (4) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 each
  hp 85 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 150)
  Fire Giants (2) 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600 each
  hp 142 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 148)
  General Stom 
  CR 13
  XP 25,600
  Female fire giant fighter 3 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 148)
  CE Large humanoid (fire, giant)
  Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +14
  DEFENSE
  AC 26, touch 10, flat-footed 25 (+8 armor, +1 Dex, +8 natural, 
  –1 size)
  hp 212 (18 HD; 15d8+3d10+129)
  Fort +18, Ref +7, Will +10; +1 vs. fear
  Defensive Abilities bravery +1, rock catching; DR 2/—; 
  Immune fire
  Weaknesses vulnerable to cold
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee +2 thundering earth breaker +27/+22/+17 (2d8+18/19–20/×3)
  Ranged rock +15 (1d8+11 plus 1d6 fire)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks heated rock, rock throwing (120 ft.)
  TACTICS
  During Combat General Stom has a dozen rocks stacked 
  along the edge of the balcony, and as combat begins, 
  she supports the giants below by hurling these into the 
  fray. She makes the PCs come to her before engaging 
  in melee—if the PCs use ranged weapons or attacks, 
  though, she rushes down the stairs to attack them once at 
  least four of the giants below have been killed.
  Morale If reduced to fewer than 80 hit points, General Stom 
  makes a fighting retreat toward the exit, hoping to flee 
  the region entirely once she gets out of the building. If 
  no escape is possible, she surrenders if brought below 
  20 hit points, and offers to aid the PCs in killing Jubbek. 
  She knows the layout of Jubbek’s Halls quite well, and can 
  at the very least provide the PCs with a map and lists of 
  guards. She doesn’t know about area B11.
  STATISTICS
  Str 33, Dex 13, Con 23, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 14
  Side Quest: A Favor for Stom
  When the PCs first enter area A6a, regardless of how 
  many giants they’ve killed outside, the giants therein 
  don’t immediately attack. They stand up and call for 
  their general, who then steps to the edge of the balcony 
  and calls down to the PCs, complimenting them on their 
  battle prowess. Stom has an offer for the PCs—if they 
  can storm the chambers below and take out Chief Jubbek 
  and all the giants down there who are loyal to him, she’ll 
  take the remaining giants here and leave without a 
  fight. Which, she points out, incidentally leaves any of 
  the treasure found in the other rooms (areas A7–A11) 
  for the PCs as well. If the PCs agree, she has one of the 
  fire giants escort them to area A7, but none of them are 
  willing to aid the PCs in the fights below.
  Story Award: As soon as the PCs return with Jubbek’s 
  head or otherwise prove to Stom that the hill giant 
  has been defeated, she thanks the PCs, gathers the 
  remaining giants under her command, and makes ready 
  to leave the region within the hour. The PCs earn XP as 
  if they had defeated all the remaining foes in areas A6–
  A11, and an additional 19,200 XP for allying with Stom. 
  She also points out that there’s a fair amount of treasure 
  she’s leaving behind in the complex (as indicated in the 
  area descriptions).
  13
  
  GEneral Stom
  Base Atk +14; CMB +26 (+28 bull rush); CMD 37 (39 vs. bull rush)
  Feats Dazzling Display, Improved Bull Rush, Improved 
  Critical (earth breaker), Improved Iron Will, Intimidating 
  Prowess, Iron Will, Power Attack, Shatter Defenses, 
  Toughness, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (earth breaker)
  Skills Climb +16, Intimidate +21, Perception +14; Racial 
  Modifiers +4 Acrobatics (when jumping)
  Languages Common, Giant
  SQ armor training 1
  Gear +2 adamantine breastplate,  
  +2 thundering earth breaker, bag  
  (see Treasure, below)
  Treasure: General Stom’s bag 
  contains the following objects of 
  interest: a heavy fur-and-wool cloak 
  with deep pockets within which 
  are a bloody ogre hand, a 
  corkscrew, and three knives 
  (one of which is a +2 
  dagger); a gnawed gnome 
  skull; two bags of coins 
  (one with 453 sp, and the 
  other with 309 gp and 
  99 pp); a meat cleaver; 
  a large meat saw; a vice; 
  two dozen meat hooks 
  (three of which still 
  have orc heads attached 
  to them); and a strange 
  jade icon of a faceless sphinx 
  worth 200 gp. Stom found this 
  symbol while exploring one of the 
  chambers in Jubbek’s Halls below—a successful 
  DC 35 Knowledge (religion) check correctly 
  identifies it as one of the countless symbols 
  of the Outer God Nyarlathotep.
  Other treasure lies strewn about areas 
  A6b as well—this treasure belonged to 
  Jubbek, and if the PCs make a deal with 
  Stom, she leaves all of this treasure behind 
  for them as thanks. Amid the countless 
  heads, limbs, and tusks hanging from 
  the roof or lashed to the walls are an 
  incredibly dirty but very fine rug 
  worth 600 gp, a masterwork pike, 
  three +3 crossbow bolts jammed 
  into a doorframe, a pair of 
  sable gloves worth 150 gp, a 
  tapestry depicting humans 
  vanquishing giants that is 
  covered with foul graffiti 
  in charcoal worth 200 
  gp if cleaned, a Medium +1 breastplate, and a scroll of 
  spell resistance unfurled and used as a knife target (this 
  damaged scroll has a 25% chance when used of, in addition 
  to its intended effect, affecting the user with a random 
  drawback from the table on page 538 of the Pathfinder RPG 
  Core Rulebook for 2d6 hours).
  A7. empty GuArdroom
  An enormous table sits in the northeast corner of this room, 
  while a flight of stairs leads down to the south.
  This room was originally used by the giants to guard 
  the entrance to the tunnels below, but as the giants have 
  become increasingly disorganized, the guards normally 
  posted here are now generally found in area A6a. The 
  stairs lead down to area B1.
  A8. pAntry
  Several large crates and oversized barrels lie 
  stacked about here, leaving very little room to 
  move around.
  The barrels here contain the steading’s 
  dwindling supply of water. In two days, 
  the hill giants in area A6a will be sent on 
  a trip a mile or so south to resupply the 
  water from a small, nameless river. If the 
  PCs spend time watching and waiting, this 
  could give the group a chance to attack the 
  giants when they’re split up.
  A9. GAme room (Cr 11)
  A large, stout table squats in the 
  center of this room, surrounded by 
  three equally stout and somewhat 
  scorched chairs. Several dripping 
  kegs lie on the table, with more 
  strewn about the floor, while to 
  the north, a freestanding shelf 
  sags under the weight of stacks of 
  weapons and bits of armor.
  Creatures: Three fire giants 
  have converted what was once 
  an armory into a game room 
  of sorts. The three giants are 
  seated at the table, howling in 
  delight at the game itself, which 
  involves drinking from the 
  various kegs of cheap 
  14
  
  ale they “liberated” from a band of orcs while building an 
  increasingly rickety tower made of human and orc skulls 
  and femurs. Each time a giant knocks the tower down, he 
  drains a keg—currently, the three giants are quite drunk 
  and both sickened and staggered. They ignore the sounds 
  of battle in area A6a in favor of playing one more round of 
  “drunk bones.”
  Upon noticing the PCs, the giants roar and leap to 
  action, although their drunken condition makes them 
  less dangerous than normal (reducing their CR score by 2). 
  One of the giants stumbles over to the door of area A10 and 
  calls the creatures inside to help them fight as the combat 
  begins, but since the door to area A10 is kept barred, the 
  giant needs to take a standard action to open it.
  Fire Giants (3) 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  hp 142 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 148)
  Treasure: The fire giants keep their treasure in a large 
  iron trunk, within which are two bags containing 1,000 sp 
  each, a smaller leather bag containing 500 gp, a black iron 
  weather vane depicting three pigs chasing a troll (the eyes of 
  each creature are made of jasper and the whole item is worth 
  275 gp), a dented church bell worth 40 gp, and an uncut 
  piece of violet garnet worth 400 gp. Heaped on the shelves 
  are Large lances and clubs, pieces of Large hide armor, and 
  various Medium weapons looted from orcs and Shoanti. 
  Most of the weapons here are mundane, but a +2 thundering 
  klar (The Inner Sea World Guide) sits on the bottom shelf.
  A10. kennel (Cr 12)
  The floor of this room is strewn with mounds of earth and 
  tangles of broken and scorched bones. The air feels particularly 
  hot and the walls are scorched.
  Creatures: A pair of nessian warhounds is kept here, all 
  that remains of a larger pack that, as the giant tribes have 
  grown more violent and uncontrolled, has been dwindling in 
  number. These last two warhounds are particularly vicious 
  and violent—each is an advanced specimen of its kind, and 
  they attack any non-giant creatures on sight.
  Advanced Nessian Warhounds (2) 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600 each
  hp 150 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 173, 294)
  A11. tool room
  This chamber is piled high with pit props, torches, spades, 
  miner’s picks, buckets, endless coils of rope, and other mining 
  and excavation gear.
  Treasure: The tools kept here are relatively mundane, 
  save for their size—they’re all built for Large workers. 
  A fair number of the tools look to be well used or even 
  broken. A search of the various containers and mounds 
  of tools (taking 2d6 minutes) and a successful DC 30 
  Perception check uncovers the one object of any real value 
  in the room—a rod of metal and mineral detection the giants 
  intended to use to assay for new excavation sites but 
  quickly forgot about due to organizational inefficiencies.
  Jubbek’S hAllS
  The upper section of ground below the valley is riddled 
  with lava tubes that connect to a few buried structures that 
  were once part of Guiltspur. The giants have stopped their 
  expansion work here. After Jubbek reported the discovery 
  of area B11 to Cadrilkasta, the dragon swiftly moved down 
  into the dungeon and hasn’t been seen again, and as such, 
  further excavation proceeds slowly.
  The giants found on this level are all loyal to Chief 
  Jubbek (save for those imprisoned in area B6), and as 
  long as the chieftain lives, they do not f lee combat. 
  Presented with proof of Jubbek’s death (either his head 
  or his weapon), a giant in this area must succeed at a DC 
  15 Will save or be shaken. Giants shaken in this manner 
  f lee the region and do not return if reduced to fewer 
  than half their hit points. This loyalty to Jubbek exists 
  in spite of (or, perhaps, because of) the chieftain’s 
  increasingly violent personality. Already a temperamental 
  creature, Jubbek has been made into a horrific sadist by 
  the Shard of Wrath. Driven by the shard’s curse, Jubbek 
  has mutilated many of his loyal giants, and all of the 
  giants encountered in this area are missing fingers, 
  toes, or bear hideous scars. These mutilations generally 
  do not significantly impact a giant’s effectiveness in 
  combat, but each giant the PCs encounter has a 20% 
  chance of being mutilated enough that it has 2 points of 
  Constitution or Dexterity drain (50% chance of either). 
  Recently, Jubbek’s taken to working his violence out on 
  captured trolls, granting his other minions a welcome 
  respite from his attentions.
  This upper level of the dungeons does contain a few 
  areas that once composed the higher reaches of Guiltspur 
  itself (areas B8 and B11), but they are not considered to be 
  properly part of the complex below and are not warded in 
  the same way as described at the start of Part Two.
  b1. GuArd poSt (Cr 13)
  This thirty-foot-wide chamber appears to have been widened 
  with picks and chisels. More natural-looking tunnels—
  ten-foot-wide circular lava tubes—extend from this larger 
  chamber to the north, south, and east, while to the west, a 
  roughly caved flight of stairs sized for giants leads upward. 
  15
  
  B1
  B2a
  B2b
  B3
  B11
  B10
  B4
  B5
  B8a
  B8b
  B8c
  B8d
  B9
  B6
  B7
  Jubbek’s HaLls
  1 square = 10 feet
  Large chunks of stone and debris lie scattered haphazardly 
  about the room.
  The stairs lead up 30 feet to area A7, but are sized for 
  giants. Medium and smaller creatures treat them as 
  difficult terrain.
  Creatures: A group of three fire giants stands on guard 
  here at all times, but these sentries are generally lax in 
  their duties, sitting in the middle of the room sharing 
  stories or bragging about past conquests. Distracted, they 
  take a –4 penalty on Perception checks, but once they 
  notice the PCs, they roar and rise up to attack. The giants 
  use the leftover boulders and chunks of stone as missiles 
  against the PCs while they holler for help down the tunnel 
  to area B2a—the giants there move to aid their allies here 
  as quickly as they can.
  As soon as one fire giant is defeated, the remaining 
  giants begin a fighting retreat to the east, hoping to lure 
  the PCs to the Butcher’s Highway (area B5) where they have 
  reinforcements and traps to use against the PCs.
  Fire Giants (3) 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600 each
  hp 142 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 148)
  b2. the lAvA tubeS (Cr 10)
  These natural lava tubes are roughly circular in cross-
  section. Fire giants have to crouch slightly to move 
  through here, and take a –1 penalty on attack rolls while 
  fighting in this area. The tubes to the south (area B2a) 
  have been extended recently by giants seeking new 
  Guiltspur ruins, while those to the north (area B2b) are 
  feared by the giants since they lead to area B11 and the 
  source of strange monsters that the giants would rather 
  not tangle with. The tunnel has been mostly blocked 
  by mounds of rubble, but gaps large enough for a Small 
  creature to wriggle through with a successful DC 30 
  Escape Artist check exist. It takes 2d6 hours of work 
  to clear enough room for Medium creatures to move 
  through to area B3 beyond.
  Creatures: At the end of each of the tubes in area B2a 
  toils a single hill giant with a mining pick. If they hear the 
  giants in area B1 call for help, they drop their picks, grab 
  their clubs, and rush into battle. If they are confronted in 
  these tunnels, the giants fight to the death.
  Hill Giants (3) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 each
  hp 85 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 150)
  16
  
  b3. An unuSuAl wAll
  The lava tube takes a sudden turn here, with the northern wall 
  taking on a strange greenish sheen in places.
  This lava tube came up against one of the fully buried 
  spires of Guiltspur here. Originally, only tiny fragments 
  of the wall remained visible, but Jubbek’s giants worked 
  diligently to clear more area, including the tunnel to the 
  northwest that eventually breaks through the wall into 
  area B11. The wall is plated with the same abysium alloy 
  as the pillar outside. All creatures within 60 feet of the 
  exterior of this wall must succeed at a DC 14 Fortitude save 
  each hour to resist becoming sickened for 1 hour—this 
  effect does not extend into area B11 itself.
  b4. the wArninG pillAr
  Half emerging from the rough stone floor is a curious pillar 
  of granite. The block has seven sides and rises up through 
  the roof above at an angle. The faces of the pillar still bear the 
  faint markings of runes that have all but worn away with the 
  passage of time.
  This menhir was erected in the early days of the Age of 
  Darkness by surviving giants who had escaped the yoke of 
  Thassilonian rule. Memories of the atrocities and horrors 
  of Guiltspur remained fresh in their minds, and so they 
  placed this stone as a warning to all who would come in 
  the ages after. Subsequent eruptions from the Kodars later 
  in that age, unfortunately, saw to this menhir’s eventual 
  obscurement under fresh lava flows.
  The menhir now functions more as a pillar in this room, 
  its top extending 20 feet into the ceiling above. Only a 
  small portion of the original warning remains visible, 
  and a successful DC 30 Perception or Linguistics check 
  by someone who can read Giant is required to decipher 
  it. Although written in Giant, ironically, Jubbek’s giants 
  haven’t deciphered the runes due to lack of skill and interest.
  The surviving runes read as follows:
  “...who sleep in Guiltspur’s shadow shall know this fear, 
  and what waits beyond shall...”
  b5. the butCher’S hiGhwAy (Cr 14)
  This long, thirty-foot-wide hallway is lit by periodic torches 
  guttering along the walls. Some of the torches have smoldered 
  out, leaving areas of the hallway in dimmer light, but the entire 
  length is lit enough to show off the grisly decor—limbs and 
  entrails and heads hewn from bodies both human-sized and 
  gargantuan litter the southern section of this hallway and hang 
  from the walls by spikes or chains. As a result, the air here is 
  rancid and foul.
  The hideous decorations in this hall are a manifestation 
  of Jubbek’s growing wrath—the limbs adorning this hall 
  are trophies put on display here by the chieftain. At first, 
  he decorated walls by hammering up limbs with spikes, 
  but as his sadism grew, he simply started tossing the 
  appendages into the southern section of the hall. The 
  cast-off limbs here are so numerous that for Medium and 
  smaller creatures, the ground south of the southernmost 
  door to area B6 is difficult terrain. The vast majority of 
  these severed arms and legs have been cut from trolls, and 
  a few of the fresher limbs still wriggle and twitch.
  Creatures: A trio of well-trained and relatively well-
  mutilated hill giants stand guard in the northern part 
  of this room. Each carries a stash of a half-dozen rocks 
  for throwing in addition to their bags of miscellaneous 
  treasure, and they use these rocks against foes to the 
  south. The giants know where the traps are located in this 
  hall, and while they move to avoid them with ease, they 
  often position themselves nearby, hoping that intruders 
  stumble onto one of the trapped areas. As soon as one of 
  these giants is slain, the remaining two make a fighting 
  retreat north into area B8a.
  Guiltspur Hill Giants (3) 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  hp 95 each (see page 10)
  Melee club +17/+12 (1d8+9)
  Mutilations (Ex) Each of these giants currently suffers from 4 
  points of Constitution damage and only has one arm. They 
  fight with regular clubs instead of greatclubs as a result.
  Trap: A total of five pit traps are hidden in the floor of 
  the hall’s northern half. Each of these pit traps drops into a 
  greased chute that descends to the west—creatures who fall 
  into one of these traps are deposited into a corresponding 
  punishment pit in area B6.
  Chute Traps (5) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 each
  Type mechanical; Perception DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location; Reset automatic
  Effect 20-ft.-deep pit (1d6 falling damage) and chute to area 
  B6; Reflex DC 20 avoids; multiple targets (all targets in a 
  10-ft.-square area)
  b6. the puniShment pitS (Cr 12)
  This chamber’s floor has been divided into three long forty-
  foot-deep pits, each separated by a ten-foot-wide wall. The 
  tops of these walls double as walkways between the three pits. 
  Openings ten feet off the ground in the east walls of the pits 
  connect to what appear to be greased chutes leading up. Each 
  17
  
  TOgbad
  of the pits is filled with a hideous, foul-smelling slurry of gravel, 
  water, splintered bones, and decayed globs of flesh.
  Three large buildings once stood next to each other 
  during the time of Thassilon; Jubbek had his giants dig holes 
  through roofs of each to create three large pits out of the 
  previously lava-encased structures. Into each of these pits, 
  Jubbek casts those who survive his mutilations or 
  anyone who displeases him. The walls of each 
  of the pits can be scaled with a successful 
  DC 30 Climb check, while the chutes 
  in the east walls that lead to area B5 
  can be climbed with successful 
  DC 35 checks (after the first 10 
  feet of wall is scaled to reach a 
  chute’s entrance, of course). The 
  foul mix that coats each pit floor 
  is a foot deep, making each pit floor 
  difficult terrain.
  Creatures: Normally, the Climb 
  checks required to clamber out 
  of the pits would be difficult 
  but not impossible for some 
  of the giants imprisoned in 
  the dungeons—which is why 
  Jubbek prefers to cut off the 
  hands of any giants thrown into these 
  pits. This not only prevents the giants from 
  climbing at all, but forces them to use their slam attacks in 
  combat. Jubbek is fond of coming into this room to watch 
  giants fight in the pits. Often, he’ll lower a giant into a pit 
  with the promise that if he kills all the current creatures 
  inside, Jubbek will let him out. Jubbek doesn’t always keep 
  these promises. The giants currently imprisoned in the pit 
  are, for the most part, nearly feral with rage, frustration, 
  and fear, and anyone foolish enough to come within reach 
  is attacked mercilessly.
  The room itself is guarded by a group of three wyvern-like 
  purple dragon-kin with large orange wings—rift drakes. 
  The drakes are relatively intelligent, and are not only smart 
  enough to tell free giants apart from the imprisoned ones, 
  but to know that humans and other “little” races don’t 
  belong here. The drakes are well fed by the giants, and are 
  quite loyal as a result. They fight intruders to the death, and 
  aren’t afraid of chasing foes into the pits themselves or even 
  out of the room into other parts of the dungeon.
  The current occupants of the pits are as follows 
  (since each pit’s occupants are stuck in there, they’re 
  all associated with their own CR and are not part of the 
  room’s overall CR above).
  Area B6a (CR 11): This pit currently contains two hill giants 
  and one fire giant, all of whom have had their hands lopped 
  off (and thus suffer from 4 points of Dexterity drain each).
  Area B6b (CR 11): This pit currently contains seven trolls.
  Area B6c (CR 7): The only current occupant of 
  this pit is a desperate hill giant named Togbad (see 
  Development, below).
  Rift Drakes (3) 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  hp 126 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 106)
  Handless Hill Giants (2) CR 7
  XP 3,200 each
  hp 85 each (Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 150)
  Handless Fire Giant 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600 each
  hp 142 each (Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 148)
  Trolls (7) 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  hp 63 each (Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 268)
  Togbad 
   
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  CN hill giant (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 150)
  hp 85
  Development: The lone occupant of area B6c is an 
  almost insanely terrified hill giant named Togbad. He 
  doesn’t attack the PCs—indeed, if the PCs approach him, 
  he prostrates himself at their feet and swears on the name 
  of all the giant clans to serve them faithfully to the end of 
  his days. Unlike the giants in area B6a, Togbad hasn’t had 
  his hands cut off, but he has been hobbled—both his feet 
  have been broken and his tendons are severed. As a result, 
  the giant suffers 6 points of Dexterity drain and can only 
  crawl until the drain is removed.
  Togbad can describe all of this level to the PCs, including 
  area B11 (he calls this place the “monster pit” and is 
  almost as afraid of it as he is of Chief Jubbek). If the PCs 
  heal his damage and help him out of the pit, he becomes 
  a loyal servant to whoever cured his damage, serving as a 
  bodyguard and minion. Togbad isn’t evil (indeed, Jubbek 
  mutilated him and threw him in this pit when Togbad 
  attempted to help a group of Shoanti prisoners escape but 
  got caught), but neither is he particularly strong-willed. 
  He fears Jubbek, but also hates him, and if the PCs help 
  him kill the chieftain, Togbad pledges his life to the PCs. 
  Despite his good intentions, though, Togbad remains 
  relatively unpredictable and doesn’t fully appreciate his 
  own strength—he may accidentally use a slam attack on 
  18
  
  an ally by clapping her on the back or might try to grapple 
  someone in a damaging hug if he’s particularly excited. 
  Whenever the giant is reduced to fewer than 30 hit points, 
  he runs away to hide, only to slink back in tears once he 
  thinks combat is over. As the PCs progress deeper and 
  deeper into Guiltspur, Togbad’s loyalties are put to the 
  test—each time the PCs enter a new dungeon level, Togbad 
  must make a successful DC 15 Will save to avoid panicking 
  and fleeing the party forever.
  Story Award: The giants in areas B6a and B6b cannot 
  escape their pits—only award full XP for defeating them if 
  the PCs are threatened by them (such as would be the case 
  if a PC falls into one of the pits). Otherwise, defeating these 
  giants earns only half the normal XP. If the PCs befriend 
  Togbad and gain his aid, they earn twice the XP they would 
  normally earn for defeating him (6,400 XP).
  b7. the burrow (Cr 13)
  This is a vast chamber torn into the volcanic stone. The room 
  arches up to a vaulted ceiling some sixty feet above, while a 
  natural ramp rises up to the east where mounds of ratty old 
  furs have been heaped in several nestlike mounds. To the 
  northwest, a large sinkhole slumps into the ground.
  This is where Jubbek’s rapidly dwindling tribe sleeps. 
  Jubbek’s increasing sadism has seen to the steady atrophy 
  of the total number of giants dwelling in the region, 
  and what were once relatively cramped quarters are now 
  almost spacious. The sinkhole to the northwest is used to 
  dispose of rubbish. A search of the hole reveals a foul mix 
  of human and orc bones, broken tools and gear, and a fair 
  amount of bodily waste.
  Creatures: The first time the PCs enter this room, 
  several hill giants are sleeping in the mounds of furs. If a 
  fight breaks out in area B5, these giants can attempt DC –5 
  Perception checks (but at a –20 penalty due to distance and 
  the fact that they’re sleeping) to wake up, at which point they 
  put on their armor and lumber out to investigate as soon 
  as possible. Caught unawares, the giants are unarmed and 
  unarmored, but still fight to the death.
  Guiltspur Hill Giants (2) 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  hp 95 each (see page 10)
  Hill Giants (4) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 each
  hp 85 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 150)
  Treasure: This cavern is disgusting, even if the PCs avoid 
  the filthy sinkhole. Rotting piles of refuse and infestations of 
  ticks and fleas are mixed in with the furs, making a search 
  of the place an unpleasant task. Nothing of value is in the 
  sinkhole, but a successful DC 25 Perception check reveals 
  a few doubtful treasures among the furs—a poorly cured 
  dire bear pelt worth 50 gp, an enormous hat made of sewn 
  mice and set with three fractured garnets worth 110 gp, 
  and a Medium suit of masterwork hide armor that’s been 
  stuffed with feathers for use as a pillow.
  b8. Jubbek’S throne room (Cr 16)
  This vast circular chamber rises to a height of sixty feet, the 
  smooth stone walls tapering upward to form a conical ceiling. 
  The floor of the chamber is made of a layer of wooden planks, 
  but periodic gaps between the floorboards reveal that a dark 
  hollow space extends below. Stone double doors sit to the 
  south, while to the east and west large sections of wall have 
  crumbled away to allow access to caverns. A lava tube to the 
  west winds deeper into the rock, although a side ramp seems to 
  lead up and out to the surface. To the east looms a large cavern 
  dominated by an immense throne made of wooden timbers 
  and mastodon bones. Beyond this huge throne rise two 
  ledges—the higher one is littered with a prodigious mound of 
  animal pelts and furs, while a large battered chest sits against 
  the eastern wall of the lower ledge.
  The central room of this complex chamber (area B8a) is 
  the interior of the single spire of Guiltspur that protrudes 
  above the lava today. Originally, all of the interior floors of 
  the spire had crumbled away, but the giants built a floor 
  of timbers at this level so they could move through the 
  area. These timbers are quite sturdy, but if destroyed or 
  removed, reveal a 30-foot-deep hollow that leads nowhere 
  below (the chambers below this level filled with lava that 
  has long since cooled to solid stone).
  Area B8b to the east is dominated by Jubbek’s throne—a 
  home-made thing made of furs and hides stretched 
  haphazardly over a frame of wood and mastodon bones. 
  Area B8c beyond the throne is a 10-foot-high ledge on which 
  Jubbek stores his wealth (see Treasure, below), while area B8d 
  is a 20-foot-high ledge occupied by Jubbek’s “bedroom.”
  Creatures: Even if the PCs don’t allow the giants from 
  other parts of the dungeon a chance to retreat to this 
  location, the number of foes in here makes for a dangerous 
  combat indeed. If combat breaks out in this area and the 
  giants in area B5 haven’t already been dealt with, they come 
  to join the fight immediately. While the toiling giants at 
  area A5, if they still live, can certainly hear the sound of 
  battle down here, they fear Jubbek enough that they instead 
  flee to area A6a, seeking help before returning to this 
  room. Reinforcements from the steading above should take 
  2d6+10 rounds to arrive after a battle begins here—or if the 
  PCs have already secured an alliance with General Stom, 
  such reinforcements never arrive at all.
  19
  
  Chief Jubbek
  Reinforcements aside, this set of rooms houses more 
  than just the surly hill giant chieftain Jubbek. He often 
  has giants dress up as the tribe’s enemies to enact mock 
  battles in area B8a. Currently, four hill giants dressed as 
  Shoanti barbarians fight in area B8a. Jubbek demands 
  realism, and as such, these four giants have each taken 
  damage from the fight. Jubbek is also attended by a fire 
  giant bodyguard who stands to the right of his throne, and 
  one of his hill giant concubines, who lounges to the left. 
  His other three concubines—obese giants who smell of 
  a sickly combination of sweat and honey—are located in 
  area B8d. His much adored pet, Skullcracker, an advanced 
  smilodon (the only thing Jubbek never vents his wrath 
  upon), sits atop the ledge to area B8c.
  This battle has the potential to be quite deadly for the 
  PCs, but fortunately, not all the combatants attack at once. 
  Chief Jubbek is somewhat arrogant and slow to fight his 
  own battles—watching violence is almost as satisfying to 
  him as perpetrating it, and he knows that, of late, once he 
  starts attacking, it’s difficult for him to stop. As a result, 
  Jubbek prefers to let his minions fight for him.
  Upon noticing the PCs, the giants take up a defensive 
  position. The three concubines in area B8d remain 
  where they are for the moment, but Skullcracker leaps 
  down from area B8c and moves to a position near the 
  throne. Jubbek’s fire giant bodyguard and his fourth 
  concubine remain at his side while Jubbek gleefully 
  orders the four hill giants in area B8a to kill the PCs. 
  When the first giant falls, he orders his concubine into 
  the fray—when a second giant falls, Jubbek orders his 
  bodyguard to attack and joins the battle himself as 
  detailed in his tactics. Any attack against Skullcracker 
  compels Jubbek to attack at once. The three concubines 
  in area B8d shriek and lumber down to join the fight as 
  soon as Jubbek takes damage.
  As long as Jubbek lives, the rest of the creatures here fight 
  to the death. If Jubbek is defeated or killed, his concubines 
  and Skullcracker continue to fight to the death, but any 
  remaining giants immediately make a fighting retreat 
  to area B9 and then flee up to area A5 before fleeing the 
  region entirely.
  Chief Jubbek 
  CR 14
  XP 38,400
  Male hill giant barbarian 7
  CE Large humanoid (giant)
  Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +13
  DEFENSE
  AC 29, touch 7, flat-footed 29 (+9 armor, +9 natural, 
  –2 rage, +4 shield, –1 size)
  hp 216 (17 HD; 10d8+7d12+126)
  Fort +19, Ref +5, Will +11; +2 vs. evocation
  Defensive Abilities improved uncanny dodge, 
  rock catching, trap sense +2; DR 1/—
  Weaknesses curse of wrath
  OFFENSE
  Speed 35 ft.
  Melee +1 morningstar +28/+23/+18 (2d6+17 plus 1 fire/ 
  19–20)
  Ranged rock +14 (1d8+16)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks rock throwing (120 ft.), rage 
  (21 rounds/day), rage powers (intimidating glare, 
  knockback, renewed vigor [1d8+9 hp])
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 17th; concentration +14)
  1/day—fireball (DC 10)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Once Jubbek joins the fight, he focuses his 
  anger on the creature that damaged him the most before 
  he got to act. He rages as he fights, and works his way into 
  20
  
  area B8a. Once there, he takes a standard action to smash his 
  morningstar against the floor, attempting a DC 20 Strength 
  check to knock a 5-foot-diameter hole into the floor. Once he 
  makes a hole, he and the other giants try to move or bull rush 
  PCs into the hole—it’s a 30-foot drop onto rubble below, and 
  the only exit from the area is the hole itself. Jubbek uses the 
  fireball spell-like ability granted him if faced by a group of 
  PCs clustering together for their own defense.
  Morale Chief Jubbek fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 38, Dex 10, Con 25, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 5
  Base Atk +14; CMB +29 (+31 bull rush); CMD 37 (39 vs. bull rush)
  Feats Critical Focus, Improved Bull Rush, Improved 
  Critical (morningstar), Improved Initiative, Improved 
  Iron Will, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Power Attack, 
  Staggering Critical
  Skills Climb +21, Intimidate +22, Perception +13
  Languages Giant
  SQ fast movement
  Gear +3 breastplate, +2 heavy wooden shield, +1 morningstar, 
  belt of giant strength +4, Shard of Wrath
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Curse of Wrath Jubbek is consumed by the Shard of Wrath’s 
  curse. He starts the battle sickened, but this condition 
  vanishes for 1 hour as soon as he reduces a creature to 
  negative hit points. Once he attacks a creature, Jubbek 
  must succeed at a DC 20 Will save or be unable to cease 
  attacking that creature until it is killed.
  Shard of Wrath Jubbek has lashed the Shard of Wrath to the 
  head of his morningstar—he deals +1 point of fire damage 
  or +1 point of cold damage (the energy type switches each 
  day) on a hit with his morningstar as a result of the shard’s 
  siccatite qualities.
  Hill Giants (4) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 each
  hp 85 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 150)
  Hill Giant Concubines (4) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 each
  hp 85 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 150)
  Fire Giant 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  hp 142 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 148)
  Skullcracker 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Advanced smilodon (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 265, 294)
  hp 133
  Treasure: Chief Jubbek has collected an astonishing 
  amount of clutter over the years, some of which is actually 
  rather valuable. The giant’s treasure is spread out over 
  areas B8b and B8c as detailed below.
  The walls of area B8b are festooned with objects, some 
  of which still twitch now and then, such as his staggering 
  collection of severed troll limbs. A long alphorn leans against 
  the northern wall. Beneath several layers of filth and dirt, 
  this instrument features fine gold filigree work depicting 
  rocs in flight, and is worth 450 gp. A scrimshaw mastodon 
  tusk of very high quality depicting mountain scenes hangs 
  on the southern wall—this item is worth 750 gp. 
  Jubbek’s throne is a relatively foul piece of furniture—
  the entire thing reeks of sweat and filth, and several bits 
  of leather and fur used to create it were only partially 
  preserved. A poorly hidden pouch on the side of the throne 
  (Perception DC 15) contains 4 potions of cure serious wounds 
  as well as 200 gp.
  Jubbek’s sleeping cavern (area B8d) is a mess as well, but 
  several minutes of searching the area are enough to uncover 
  the following unusual or valuable objects: a Small mithral 
  dagger, a Medium +1 handaxe, a selection of long iron 
  bars all bent into knots, a massive silver tankard etched 
  with rams attacking stirges worth 300 gp, an iron bottle 
  containing an elixir of love, a mummified horse’s head with 
  a silver tooth worth 25 gp, a masterwork manacle attached 
  to a wooden beam covered with 54 tiny notches, two huge 
  kegs of cider that taste eye-wateringly bitter (successful DC 
  14 Fortitude save upon drinking to avoid being sickened 
  for 1 hour), and a suit of half-plate horse barding scattered 
  around the place in pieces. No fewer than 21 pots of honey 
  (a favorite snack) lie amid 43 empty and shattered pots. 
  One of pots of honey contains an undiscovered “prize”—a 
  mummified dwarf’s finger that still wears a ring of minor 
  spell storing (currently containing web and shocking grasp).
  The bulk of what Jubbek considered his real valuables 
  is kept in the large dented chest in area B8c. The chest 
  isn’t locked, but a 900 pound rock sits atop it—requiring a 
  Strength score of 15 to merely push it off the top. Inside the 
  chest is a trio of exceptionally high quality furs worth 400 
  gp each, an average-locked iron box welded to a long chain 
  (break DC 28) that contains three bags of 1,000 sp and a 
  bag of 1,002 gp, a stout iron bound chest with a rod of enemy 
  detection thrust through the latch where the lock once was 
  (this chest contains seven gold-plated dwarf skulls worth 
  200 gp each), a huge jug with a silver handle worth 200 gp, 
  a cider keg brimming with copper coins (4,319 cp in all), a 
  +3 arrow of ooze slaying, and a small cork box containing a 
  rolled-up scroll of heal tucked into a ring of protection +4 that 
  simply doesn’t work for evil creatures (in fact, when worn, 
  it turns an evil creature’s finger a nasty shade of green).
  Development: The Shard of Wrath can be untied from 
  Jubbek’s Large morningstar with 2d6 rounds of work (or as 
  a standard action if fire or acid damage is focused on the 
  leather strips). Once the shard is free, the PCs can awaken it 
  21
  
  with a deep red sphere ioun stone and use it to gain a vision of 
  where the next and final shard is located. Unfortunately, 
  the Shard of Sloth is not currently located on the Material 
  Plane, so the best this vision can do is to urge the PCs 
  deeper, giving the somewhat inaccurate perception that 
  the final shard is located somewhere deep below Guiltspur. 
  Characters who sleep within the confines of the deeper 
  levels of Guiltspur may have more accurate visions of 
  where the final shard can be found, as detailed on page 23.
  Story Award: Recovering the Shard of Wrath, activating 
  it with a deep red sphere ioun stone, and using it to learn the 
  location of the next shard earns the PCs 25,600 XP.
  b9. outer rAmp
  The northern slope here leads up and out of Jubbek’s 
  Halls, exiting at area A5 above.
  b10. the wAtChpoSt (Cr 12)
  A solid-looking iron door sits in the center of the western wall 
  of this cave. An immense boulder has been pushed up against 
  the door.
  Not long after the giants uncovered area B11 from 
  area B3, Cadrilkasta abandoned them to investigate the 
  chambers below. Jubbek ordered a second entrance to 
  connect to area B10 for easier access, and within 24 hours 
  regretted the choice as monsters began clambering up 
  from the chambers below to attack the giants. The first 
  of these was a pair of unusually large cloakers the giants 
  managed to defeat, but what followed caused quite a 
  bit more damage. This second wave consisted of several 
  scorpion-shaped constructs made of bone—skull rippers. 
  Once these were pushed back into the depths, Jubbek 
  ordered the southern entrance sealed with rubble (see 
  area B2), and fitted an iron door and large boulder over 
  this room’s entrance. He didn’t want to completely seal 
  off the room, since if Cadrilkasta returned Jubbek wanted 
  a measure of plausible deniability on his side and didn’t 
  want her to think they’d tried to seal the dragon into the 
  dungeons below. But ever since the skull ripper incident, 
  the giants have been afraid of what lay beyond this door.
  The door itself isn’t locked, but it swings outward, so 
  before it can be opened the boulder in front of it must first 
  be moved. The 5-foot-tall boulder (hardness 8, hp 900, 
  break DC 65) weighs 9,000 pounds, and can be pushed 
  aside by a Medium creature with a Strength score of at 
  least 31 (or by a Large creature with a Strength of at least 
  26, such as a fire giant but not a typical hill giant).
  Creatures: Two nervous fire giants stand guard at this 
  door. They fight to the death to prevent anyone from 
  opening the door, but won’t pursue foes from this room. 
  Characters who manage to gain entrance to area B11 and 
  try to open the door from that side automatically frighten 
  the fire giants into fleeing their post—rather than report 
  their cowardice to Jubbek, they flee up the ramp at area B9 
  and do not return.
  Fire Giants (2) 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600 each
  hp 142 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 148)
  b11. dArkened ShAft
  A circular chamber with no floor fills this area. Above, the 
  smooth conical walls extend upward twenty-five feet before 
  tapering to a point, while below, a churning cloud of blue-green 
  fog obscures the shaft-like interior after a drop of twenty feet.
  This area is the interior of another of Guiltspur’s 
  spires, only one that’s been completely covered by lava. 
  The shaft drops 60 feet down into area C1—the fog being 
  a physical manifestation of the mage’s private sanctum that 
  wards the chambers below. The walls of this shaft can be 
  scaled with a successful DC 20 Climb check.
  PART TWO: GUILTSPUR dePTHS
  Although hints of Guiltspur’s architecture exist in Jubbek’s 
  Halls and in the green spire at area A5, it’s not until the 
  PCs descend from area B11 into area C1 that they truly 
  enter the preserved halls of Guiltspur itself. The change 
  in architectural style from caverns partially expanded by 
  giants to chambers of Thassilonian construction should 
  be a stark one indeed. With the exception of a few areas 
  where the ancient lava flow managed to destroy all in its 
  path, the chambers here are nearly perfectly preserved.
  As with the other Thassilonian dungeons the PCs have 
  explored, Guiltspur itself is protected by ancient magics 
  that ward it against erosion and decay. This same magic 
  is what protected the complex from destruction when the 
  lava flow hit it so long ago, but time has been a bit rougher 
  with Guiltspur than most Thassilonian dungeons. In 
  many places the dungeons have collapsed into ruin, as 
  indicated on the map—here, the preservative effects have 
  faltered, and nothing remains of Guiltspur’s chambers 
  beyond what is mapped.
  The Guiltspur Depths consist of three levels—the 
  Silent Halls (areas C1–C14), the Core (areas D1–D9), and 
  the Embassy of Leng (areas E1–E9). All worked-stone 
  walls, floors, and ceilings on this level and below are of 
  magically treated stone (Core Rulebook 411), and doors are 
  made of magically treated iron unless otherwise indicated.
  All three levels of the Guiltspur Depths are protected 
  in more significant ways by several magical auras that 
  have persisted for centuries without fail. Powered by an 
  immense mass of abysium in area E5, these magical effects 
  22
  
  all function at caster level 20th. A dispel magic renders 
  an effect dormant for 1d4 rounds in a 60-foot-radius 
  spread before the effect reactivates. The architecture 
  of the Guiltspur Depths radiates strong abjuration and 
  divination magic. These effects are listed below.
  •	 Construct Repair: The energies in the Guiltspur Depths 
  repair any construct within its walls, healing damage 
  dealt at a rate equal to 2 points per Hit Die possessed by 
  the construct each hour. A construct that is destroyed 
  remains destroyed.
  •	 Dimensional Lock: The Guiltspur Depths are warded by a 
  dimensional lock effect, a condition that Karzoug demanded 
  to prevent too much of Leng or its occupants from invading 
  should his alliance with the denizens deteriorate.
  •	 Mage’s Private Sanctum: Creatures in the Guiltspur Depths 
  are immune to detect thoughts, and divination (scrying) 
  spells cannot perceive anything within these three levels.
  •	 Nightmares and Visions: See below.
  •	 Tongues: All creatures with an Intelligence score of 3 or 
  higher gain the effects of a tongues spell while in the 
  Guiltspur Depths.
  niGhtmAreS And viSionS of lenG
  The Guiltspur Depths are infused with the influence 
  of Leng. Originating in area E9 and amplified by the 
  abysium reactor in area E5, these eldritch forces assault any 
  slumbering minds within the realm. Each time a creature 
  sleeps in the Guiltspur Depths, it dreams of Leng—these 
  dreams can be short and obscure, with nothing more than 
  feelings of being lost in a vast frozen tundra, or they can be 
  frightfully specific, such as being attacked by Leng spiders 
  while trapped within a cavern of glowing fungus.
  Nightmares of Leng: When a PC falls asleep, have her 
  attempt a DC 15 Will save. If the save is successful, she 
  merely has unpleasant dreams and wakes with a vague 
  feeling of unease but suffers no game effects. If a the PC 
  fails this save, her dreams are nightmarish and horrifying 
  ordeals. You can consult the gazetteer of Leng that starts 
  on page 64 of this book for inspiration—simply have the 
  victim endure a nightmare fight against a creature from 
  Leng in a location described in the gazetteer. You can even 
  run a few rounds of combat against the monster if you 
  wish—if multiple PCs fail their saving throws, they can 
  even share the same dream and take part in these fights. 
  The results of these fights are not entirely real—resources 
  expended, wounds suffered, and deaths endured vanish 
  as the dreamer awakens—but neither are they entirely 
  imaginary. Anyone who fails the Will save takes 1d10 points 
  of damage upon awakening and is fatigued (or exhausted if 
  already fatigued). A character who dies in a dream takes 
  an additional 1d10 points of damage and must succeed at a 
  second DC 15 Will save or be afflicted by a random insanity 
  (GameMastery Guide 250).
  A Helpful Vision: A character who has received a vision of 
  the location of the Shard of Sloth from the Shard of Wrath has 
  a specific dream the first time she sleeps in the Guiltspur 
  Depths. In this dream, she follows a compulsion through 
  Guiltspur, and knows she is being drawn forward to a portal 
  to another world. The dreamer enters a vast underground 
  chamber, the floor of which is almost entirely taken up 
  by a pit filled with silver smoke. Seven doors provide exits 
  from the chamber, but the dreamer knows the Shard of Sloth 
  lies beyond an eighth exit that itself lies beyond a circular 
  fountain of glowing water. Yet when the dreamer attempts 
  to use this portal, she realizes she must perform a ritual she 
  learned beyond one of those seven doors surrounding the 
  chamber. At this point, the silver mists in the pit part and a 
  nightmarishly immense worm rears up to level a bleached 
  end filled with hooked jaws at the dreamer, who must then 
  attempt the DC 15 Will save as detailed above. On a failed 
  save, the giant worm darts down and swallows the dreamer 
  whole (resulting in the increased damage and possible 
  insanity, as detailed above), but if the save is successful, the 
  dreamer recalls the ritual in time, opens the portal in the 
  fountain, and jumps through before the worm strikes (and 
  avoids taking any damage at all upon waking). This dream 
  is a vision of area E3 in the Embassy of Leng, manipulated 
  by the dreams of the stranded ghoul in area E4.
  Waking Nightmares: In certain parts of the Guiltspur 
  Depths, the presence of Leng is powerful enough that 
  horrific effects manifest to conscious characters. In several 
  of the following encounter areas, you’ll see the heading 
  Waking Nightmare similar to the call-out denoting 
  a Creature or a Trap. Waking Nightmares function 
  similarly to a trap or a haunt, and provide specific visions 
  or challenges for the PCs to experience or overcome. 
  Specific rules for waking nightmares vary, and are listed 
  each time one occurs. Some of these nightmares affect an 
  individual, whereas others affect entire parties. In each 
  case, a waking nightmare’s effects occur in seconds—no 
  matter how long the perceived nightmare takes, less than a 
  round passes in game time. Waking nightmares that occur 
  in areas with creatures can occur in the instant before the 
  battle commences. After a waking nightmare manifests, it 
  becomes inert for 24 hours. Waking nightmares are magical 
  mind-affecting effects. They cannot be disarmed as traps. 
  Rooms or objects infused with a waking nightmare radiate 
  an additional strong illusion (phantasm) aura in addition 
  to any other magic auras they may possess. Successfully 
  casting dispel magic or dispel chaos against one of these CL 
  20th effects renders a waking nightmare inert for 24 hours. 
  Each waking nightmare is listed with an XP value—this 
  XP award should be awarded to the party if they manage 
  to bypass the nightmare or if one of the PCs endure the 
  effects (successfully or not), but not if the PCs never run 
  the risk of triggering the nightmare at all.
  23
  
  THE CurATor
  the CurAtor (Cr 14)
  After the lava came and sealed Guiltspur away, some of its 
  inhabitants were trapped within the ruins. Of these, the 
  most powerful was a man named Kaiventlu, the curator 
  of the Silent Halls. While he lived, Kaiventlu served as the 
  caretaker of this upper level of Guiltspur, subservient to but 
  not the slave of Priestess Mesmalatu. Kaiventlu survived 
  Earthfall, but he was trapped within the building, unable 
  to flee via magic due to the abysium reactor’s effects 
  on the chambers. Attempts to call for help from 
  outside went unanswered as the world fell apart 
  above. Kaiventlu had ready sources of food 
  and water, but in time, madness took 
  over. He spent the last several years of 
  his life as the only free-willed creature 
  in the Silent Halls. As he died, he 
  hoped his spirit would find rest. 
  Alas, it did not.
  Kaiventlu has forgotten his name 
  and history, and thinks of himself 
  now only as the Curator of the 
  Silent Halls. His remains lie 
  where they fell in area C10, 
  but the ghost continues to wander 
  the Silent Halls, tending to the knowledge 
  stored here and seeing to it that none attempt 
  to deface or steal any of the exhibits or 
  objects in the halls. The Curator ignores any 
  visitors to the Silent Halls as long as they don’t attempt 
  to steal anything or damage objects within areas C1–
  C14. As soon as a PC does either of these things, there’s 
  a flat 20% chance that the Curator manifests within 2d6 
  rounds to confront the PCs (as detailed in his tactics). 
  If the Curator doesn’t confront the PCs immediately, 
  he certainly will in 1d8 hours, if the PCs remain in the 
  Silent Halls that long. Each time the PCs steal an object 
  of knowledge or damage anything in the Silent Halls, the 
  chance of the Curator manifesting and attacking within 
  2d6 rounds increases by 20%—once this chance reaches 
  100%, the Curator automatically appears as soon as an 
  object is stolen or damaged.
  The Curator appears as a handsome, elderly Azlanti 
  man wearing a heavy cloak and fine blue robes. He may 
  appear out of the corner of a PC’s eye even when no objects 
  he guards have been molested (feel free to have this 
  happen whenever someone makes a Perception check for 
  any other purpose and exceeds a DC 35 result). When he 
  appears and attacks, his form alternates between that of 
  an old man and a hideous rotted horror of leathery skin 
  and cracked bone.
  The Curator 
  CR 14
  XP 38,400
  Male old human ghost transmuter 13 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 144)
  LE Medium undead (augmented humanoid, incorporeal)
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +19
  DEFENSE
  AC 26, touch 18, flat-footed 26 (+4 armor, +8 deflection, +4 shield)
  hp 178 (13d6+130)
  Fort +17, Ref +9, Will +16
  Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, 
  rejuvenation; Immune undead traits
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)
  Melee corrupting touch +5 (14d6/�3)
  Special Attacks corrupting touch (DC 24), 
  intense spells (+6 damage), malevolence 
  (DC 24), telekinesis (DC 24), spell stealing 
  (DC 24)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th; 
  concentration +20)
  At will—change shape (beast shape III/
  elemental body II, 13 rounds/day)
  10/day—telekinetic fist (1d4+6 
  bludgeoning)
  Spells Prepared (CL 13th; 
  concentration +20)
  7th—quickened dispel magic, prismatic 
  spray, reverse gravity (2)
  6th—chain lightning (DC 23), disintegrate 
  (DC 24), flesh to stone (2, DC 24), quickened 
  glitterdust (DC 19)
  5th—baleful polymorph (3, DC 23), hungry pitAPG (DC 22), 
  extended mass reduce person (DC 23), quickened shield
  4th—black tentacles, extended haste, ice storm, mnemonic 
  enhancer (2), shout (DC 21), wall of fire
  3rd—dispel magic, fireball (DC 20), lightning bolt (DC 20), 
  pain strikeAPG (DC 20), slow (2, DC 21), twilight knifeAPG, 
  wind wall
  2nd—blindness/deafness (DC 19), flaming sphere (DC 19), 
  extended mage armor, pyrotechnics (DC 20), scorching ray, 
  shatter, whispering wind (2)
  1st—burning hands (DC 18), erase, grease (DC 19), magic 
  missile (2), ray of enfeeblement (DC 18), reduce person (2, 
  DC 19)
  0 (at will)—detect magic, light, mage hand, mending
  Thassilonian Specialization transmutation; Opposition 
  Schools enchantment, illusion
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The Curator casts quickened shield and 
  extended mage armor before attacking.
  During Combat The Curator casts extended haste and 
  quickened glitterdust on the first round of combat, 
  then follows up by favoring spells that cause lengthy or 
  permanent problems to the PCs rather than attempting 
  to simply hurt them—he wants to stop the PCs in their 
  24
  
  tracks with flesh to stone, baleful polymorph, or blindness/
  deafness if possible. If a lower-level spell is particularly 
  effective, he uses mnemonic enhancer to recall it. He’s also 
  fond of splitting up the party by using spells like hungry 
  pit or wall of fire to control the battlefield, and of forcing 
  the PCs to stumble into new rooms before they might be 
  ready. The Curator knows how all of the dangers in the 
  Silent Halls work, and does his best to try to lure the PCs 
  into those dangers.
  Morale The Curator knows that if he dies, he merely returns 
  in 2d4 days. He fights until destroyed without remorse, 
  but if reduced to fewer than 75 hit points, he knows that 
  he’s running out of time in the short term, and at this point 
  does his best to lure the PCs into peril to distract them, 
  preferring to use malevolence in the attempt to possess 
  a PC and then force that PC to go find an untriggered 
  encounter or unsprung trap.
  STATISTICS
  Str —, Dex 11, Con —, Int 24, Wis 17, Cha 26
  Base Atk +6; CMB +6; CMD 24 (cannot be tripped)
  Feats Extend Spell, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, 
  Improved Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, 
  Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (transmutation), 
  Spell Penetration, Toughness
  Skills Fly +24, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (nobility) +23,  
  Knowledge (planes) +23, Linguistics +23, Perception +19, 
  Profession (librarian) +19, Sense Motive +19, Spellcraft +23, 
  Use Magic Device +21
  Languages Abyssal, Aboleth, Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, 
  Cyclops, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, 
  Ignan, Infernal, Necril, Orc, Orvian, Sylvan, Terran, Thassilonian
  SQ Thassilonian specialist (transmutation), arcane bond (ring), 
  physical enhancement +3
  Gear cloak of resistance +3, headband of mental prowess +2 (Int, 
  Cha; grants ranks in Perception)—both ghostly objects can 
  be found in their physical form in area C10
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Rejuvenation (Su) The Curator’s remains are located in area 
  C10. In order to lay him to rest, these remains must be 
  brought to the surface and set before the one remaining 
  spire of Guiltspur that protrudes aboveground. This causes 
  the Curator’s ghost to manifest amid a swirling vortex of 
  dust over his remains—he glances around in anguish and 
  despair as he realizes that the time of Thassilon has truly 
  moved on. Within a few seconds, the vortex of air grinds 
  his remains away to dust and his spirit is released to seek 
  its reward or punishment in the afterlife. (Divination or 
  other magical investigation is likely required to discover this 
  method of putting the ghost to rest.)
  Spell Stealing (Su) Once per round as a free action whenever 
  any of the Curator’s spell effects affect a spellcaster, he can 
  attempt to steal one of that spellcaster’s prepared spells 
  or unused spell slots. The target can resist this attack with 
  a successful DC 24 Will save. If the save fails, one random 
  prepared spell or unused spell slot of the highest spell level 
  available to the caster is expended for the day as if it had 
  been used, but without any other effect save for healing the 
  Curator damage equal to twice the spell level stolen. The 
  save DC is Charisma-based.
  Thassilonian Specialization The Curator is a Thassilonian 
  specialist, which allows him to prepare the bonus 
  transmutation spell granted by his school specialization 
  twice rather than once. He treats enchantment and 
  illusion spells as if they were not on the wizard spell list. 
  Further details on this form of school specialization can 
  be found on page 17 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner 
  Sea Magic.
  C1. GuiltSpur librAry (Cr 13)
  This vast circular chamber rises up to a height of sixty feet, a 
  dome-like room with walls that may have once been smooth 
  but are now riddled with cracks and fissures. Twenty-foot-high 
  curving stone shelves fill the room, leaving a circular area open 
  in the center. Iron double doors lead out of the room in the 
  four cardinal directions. Splashes and splatters of blood mar 
  the floor here and there, and two huge leathery mounds lie 
  heaped in the middle of the room.
  While the walls of this chamber are riddled with cracks 
  (Climb DC 20 to scale), they still remain strong and 
  protected by the magic powered by the abysium reactor in 
  area E5. The passageways beyond the north, east, and west 
  doors are long collapsed and filled with lava, but all four 
  double doors open easily even after all this time.
  The contents of this vast library have mostly turned 
  to dust over the countless centuries, but some objects 
  still remain on the shelves. These objects are all the 
  more obvious for their prominence among the dust—see 
  Treasure, below. The ancients used levitation or flight to 
  reach the higher shelves, but a successful DC 10 Climb 
  check works as well.
  The blood splatters are evidence of the initial clashes the 
  giants had with the monsters in this area. The two leathery 
  mounds in the room are the bodies of two Huge cloakers 
  that once dwelled in the upper reaches of the library and 
  were held in stasis until the giants broke through—the 
  giants defeated the cloakers but weren’t able to do the same 
  to the room’s guardians below.
  Waking Nightmare (XP 2,400): The first PC to enter 
  this room after passing through the layer of fog visible 
  from area B11 (but not from within the room) has a 
  startling vision. He sees the library as it was during 
  Thassilon’s height—a vast repository of knowledge 
  stretching from floor to ceiling, its shelves holding 
  thousands of books, scrolls, maps, and grimoires. Eager 
  25
  
  Thassilonian students and wizards mill about the floor 
  below or float up to replace or retrieve books, when 
  suddenly, the dozens of men and women stop and turn 
  to stare hatefully at the PC—and the closest face is the 
  PC’s own! The books in the room suddenly writhe and 
  fly off the shelves, opening up and spilling forth foul 
  black mists and coils of corrupt secrets that should never 
  be known. The mist and coils engulf the wizards and 
  students and crush them to pulp. An instant later, the 
  vision passes and the room appears as it actually does. 
  The PC must succeed at a DC 15 Will save or be shaken for 
  1d12 minutes (this is a fear effect).
  Creatures: Once a pair of Huge cloakers guarded the 
  upper reaches of this room, held in stasis by magic. 
  Today, the only guardians are a pair of skull rippers, 
  ancient Thassilonian constructs built of magically 
  hardened bones built to look like immense scorpions. 
  Skull rippers are imbued with intelligence, and while 
  they excel at their guardian tasks, they are equally skilled 
  at plucking off the heads of their victims and mounting 
  the gathered skulls on their own bodies as decorations.
  Advanced Skull Rippers (2) 
  CR 11
  XP 12,800
  CN Large construct (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition 415)
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +3
  Aura dread visage (30 ft., DC 22)
  DEFENSE
  AC 28, touch 14, flat-footed 23 (+5 Dex, +14 natural, –1 size) 
  hp 147 (18d10+48)
  Fort +6, Ref +13, Will +9
  DR 5/adamantine; Immune construct traits; Resist cold 10; 
  SR 22
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
  Melee 2 claws +25 (2d6+8/19–20 plus grab), sting +25 (1d10+8 
  plus poison)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks behead
  TACTICS
  During Combat The two skull rippers lurk in the shadows 
  near the north and west doors, attacking as soon as anyone 
  comes within reach. Each focuses on the same foe if 
  possible, moving to flank if there’s room. They pursue foes 
  until heavily wounded (see Morale), even up into Jubbek’s 
  Halls above.
  Morale A skull ripper retreats to area C1 if reduced to fewer 
  than 50 hit points. Confronted there, a skull ripper fights 
  until destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 26, Dex 20, Con —, Int 9, Wis 17, Cha 16
  Base Atk +18; CMB +27 (+31 grapple); CMD 42 (54 vs. trip)
  Feats Bleeding Critical, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, 
  Improved Critical (claws), Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, 
  Skill Focus (Stealth), Toughness, Vital Strike
  Skills Climb +21, Stealth +20
  Languages Thassilonian (cannot speak)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Behead (Ex) A skull ripper is an expert at collecting its 
  favorite trophies: skulls. Once it has pinned a foe, it 
  can attempt to behead the victim with its claws. This 
  attempt is made as part of the grapple check to maintain 
  an existing pin, and if successful, deals 4d6+18 points of 
  damage to the victim. If this damage is enough to bring 
  the foe to fewer than 0 hit points, the victim must succeed 
  at a DC 27 Fortitude save to resist having his head torn 
  from his body; failure results in instant death for most 
  creatures. The save DC is Strength-based.
  Dread Visage (Su) A skull ripper’s fearsome appearance is 
  such that all creatures within 30 feet that can see the skull 
  ripper must succeed at a DC 22 Will save at the start of their 
  turn or be frightened for 1 round. If the victim recognizes 
  any of the heads affixed to the skull ripper’s body as having 
  once belonged to friends or allies, that victim takes a –4 
  penalty on the save. A character that succeeds at the save is 
  immune to the dread visage of that particular skull ripper 
  for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save 
  DC is Charisma-based.
  Poison (Su) Sting—injury; save Fort DC 18; frequency 1/round 
  for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Dex; cure 2 consecutive saves. The 
  save DC is Constitution-based.
  Treasure: A few objects of value remain on the shelves 
  of this room—they aren’t hidden, but some sit on higher 
  shelves than can be easily reached from the ground. 
  These include four thin silvery metal plates that contain 
  magical writings—these are sturdy cold siccatite plates 
  that function as spell scrolls—a scroll of ice storm, a scroll 
  of wall of ice, a scroll of cone of cold, and a scroll of polar ray. 
  Once used, the “scrolls” become nonmagical but are still 
  worth 25 gp apiece. Another shelf holds a series of metal 
  tablets edged with silver clasps that contain etchings 
  of the internal organs of a whale of prodigious size 
  (measuring nearly 500 feet from head to tail); the tablets 
  are worth 250 gp in all. Three round jars sealed with 
  silver contain baby aboleths preserved in embalming 
  f luid (each jar is worth 50 gp), while fragments of a 
  chuul’s shell sit on another shelf. A successful DC 25 
  Perception check made while examining this skeleton 
  reveals a pearl of power (5th level) embedded in one of 
  the shell’s claws; the pearl can be pried out with ease. 
  Finally, one shelf near the center of the room contains 
  29 enormous bone scroll rollers, some of which are 6 
  feet long. The contents of these scroll rollers have long 
  since turned to dust, but five of the smaller ones are 
  bound in silver and gold and worth 400 gp each. 
  26
  
  C1
  C2
  C4
  C6
  C3
  C5
  C7
  a
  b
  c
  d
  C8
  C10
  C11
  C12
  C13
  C14
  C9
  THE SileNT HaLls
  1 square = 5 feet
  C2. eChoeS of A welCominG hAll
  In each of the six corners of this hexagonal room, a statue 
  stands atop a dais—each is of a six-foot-tall woman dressed in 
  a short robe and wielding a silvery sword. The statues have four 
  wings (the lower pair of each being small and atrophied), and 
  have no faces whatsoever.
  This was once the welcoming chamber to a complex of 
  hexagonal display chambers meant to exhibit strange and 
  unusual magical phenomena gathered by the Curator and 
  his minions. Only a few of these chambers survive with 
  their exhibits intact today.
  The six statues in this room are nothing more than 
  statues—on a metagame level, their presence here is to 
  help make the animate faceless angels (see area C14) more 
  surprising. They also serve an in-game purpose, though—
  as soon as anyone steps more than 10 feet into the room, 
  permanent magic mouths activate on all six statue faces to 
  utter the following greeting in Thassilonian.
  “Welcome to the Hall of Arcane Wonder. Please treat all exhibits 
  with care and respect, and do not attempt unsanctioned 
  interactions within. Enjoy your visit!”
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 35 Knowledge (religion) check 
  realizes the true blasphemy these statues represent—
  angels in the service of Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos. 
  (In fact, Nyarlathotep is not served by angels, although he 
  and his cultists often adopt such guises to deceive.)
  Treasure: Each of the six statues wields a masterwork 
  cold siccatite longsword—a weapon made of cold siccatite 
  deals +1 point of cold damage on a hit. Each sword is worth 
  1,315 gp, but breaking a sword out of a statue’s grip requires 
  a successful DC 20 Strength check.
  C3. the fACeleSS Sphinx
  Half of this hexagonal room is buried under a wall of hardened 
  lava, including the hindquarters of a gray stone statue of 
  a faceless sphinx. The sphinx sits atop a two-foot-tall dais. 
  Shallow shelves have been carved into the side of the dais, 
  in which sit various objects that appear to be of an oracular 
  nature—crystal balls, censers, and the like, many of which have 
  fallen from their alcoves to crack or shatter on the stone floor.
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 35 Knowledge (religion) 
  check identifies the faceless sphinx as one of the many 
  forms of the Outer God Nyarlathotep (god of conspiracies, 
  27
  
  dangerous secrets, and forbidden magic). This chamber is 
  exempt from the mage’s private sanctum effect that cloaks 
  the rest of the Guiltspur Depths (allowing scrying effects to 
  function normally here), but all other magical effects from 
  the abysium reactor still function.
  Waking Nightmare (XP 4,800): The first person to 
  approach within 5 feet of the faceless sphinx statue 
  suddenly feels as if the room were spinning around him 
  while the sphinx statue grinds to life and turns to faces 
  him. He feels the faceless gaze hold him motionless while 
  the world crumbles away to be replaced by the vastness of 
  space. The certainty of a singular malevolence looming 
  behind the stars themselves, a darker dark amid the 
  blackness, fills the character’s mind, along with a myriad 
  of strange and horrific secrets. An instant later, the room 
  returns to normal, and the character who received the 
  vision remembers only that he stood before an entity 
  known as the Crawling Chaos. That character must also 
  succeed at a DC 15 Will save or be confused for 1d6 rounds.
  Treasure: The divination tools once on display around 
  the edge of the dais include long-spoiled or ruined spell 
  components for various divination spells, along with 
  several other objects that retain some value even today. 
  Among these are a dented mithral font worth 900 gp, 
  a handful of strange dice carved from a titan’s bones 
  (worth 500 gp as a set), a silver diviner’s rod (worth 200 
  gp), a curious metal orb set with tiny jet stones (worth 180 
  gp), and a cracked crystal ball (this item has the broken 
  condition and until it is repaired, it causes 1d4 points of 
  Intelligence damage each time it is used).
  C4. the hAnGinG firebAll (Cr 13)
  This chamber hums with an unsettling noise, for at its center 
  churns a great ball of fire. The sphere measures ten feet across 
  and hangs in the center of the chamber, periodically sending 
  short tendrils of fire out as if tasting the air around it.
  With a successful DC 27 Knowledge (arcana) check, a PC 
  can identify the sphere of flames as a delayed blast fireball 
  spell that has somehow been “paused” at the instant of 
  detonation. The fire is very real, and anyone standing 
  within 5 feet can feel the heat radiating from it as if from 
  a bonfire. The fact that the fire still roils and flickers 
  despite being frozen in time is very curious. A successful 
  DC 30 Spellcraft check reveals that this hanging fireball is 
  a boon to studying evocation magic—any spellcaster who 
  prepares an evocation spell in this room while studying 
  the fireball can prepare that evocation spell as if it were 
  enhanced by Empower Spell but without increasing the 
  spell’s actual level. Up to three spells may be prepared 
  in this manner, but doing so requires a successful DC 
  30 Spellcraft check—failure indicates that the spell is 
  prepared as normal and the spellcaster takes 2 points of 
  Intelligence damage from magical feedback. Spellcasters 
  who cast spells spontaneously cannot benefit from the 
  hanging fireball.
  Trap: The fireball is somewhat unstable, and if 
  any physical object touches it, the delayed blast fireball 
  immediately explodes into its full 20-foot radius. It then 
  collapses down to its hanging state again, ready to detonate 
  again automatically. If the hanging fireball is disabled, it 
  vanishes harmlessly forever.
  Hanging Fireball 
  CR 13
  XP 25,600
  Type magic; Perception DC automatic; Disable Device DC 32
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset automatic
  Effect spell effect (empowered delayed blast fireball, 15d6 fire 
  damage plus 50%, Reflex DC 20 for half)
  C5. the Serpentfolk JuGGernAut
  A hulking object lies upon a fifteen-foot-wide circular dais at 
  the center of this room. The object is made of stone and seems 
  to be a fragment of a much larger colossal stone carriage or 
  conveyance with immense stone rollers for wheels. Snake 
  motifs cover every corner of the object, while its front has 
  been carved to resemble an immense serpent’s skull. Smaller 
  shelves built into the edge of the dais contain numerous other 
  objects ranging from weapons to pieces of armor to more 
  mysterious objects.
  The serpentfolk empire was long an enemy of Azlant, 
  and by extension an enemy of the nation of Thassilon. By 
  the time Thassilon was growing, though, the serpentfolk 
  deity Ydersius had been defeated and the race was in 
  decline. Isolated pockets of serpentfolk control remained 
  in Thassilon (particularly near Viperwall and the Mobhad 
  Leigh) or in the Darklands below. The objects on display 
  in this room are all trophies collected from Thassilonian 
  conflicts with these serpentfolk.
  The large stone carriage can be identified with a 
  successful DC 30 Knowledge (arcana) as a sizable fragment 
  from a destroyed juggernaut of unknown qualities. This 
  check also reveals that juggernauts are powerful constructs 
  enhanced and powered by faith, and were used by ancient 
  religions as machines of war. This juggernaut is no longer 
  functional, but given the surviving portions, it must have 
  been a truly colossal monster when it lived.
  Treasure: While the juggernaut fragment is relatively 
  worthless save as an ancient curiosity, a few of the surviving 
  items around the dais’s rim are of note. One alcove contains 
  a serpent mask of beaten gold with amethyst eyes (worth 
  1,400 gp in all), while a second alcove contains a mummified 
  28
  
  snake that crumbles to dust if disturbed, revealing an 
  incandescent blue sphere ioun stone the thing had swallowed 
  (this ioun stone can be used to activate the Shard of Sloth). 
  A third alcove contains an iron wand of sepia snake sigil (8 
  charges), while a fourth contains a rod of the viper.
  C6. the dreAminG tower
  This sixty-foot-high room is almost completely filled by a 
  twisted metal pillar that rises up from the floor to apparently 
  pierce the ceiling above. A narrow flight of stone steps, only 
  two feet in width, winds up the side of the pillar to the ceiling. A 
  strange, butterfly-shaped rune with what appears to be closed 
  eyes on its wings is carved onto the middle of each step’s riser.
  With a successful DC 30 Knowledge (religion) check, a PC 
  identifies the rune on each step as an ancient Thassilonian 
  symbol for Desna, one associated particularly with her 
  power over dreams. The entire pillar and stairwell radiate 
  overwhelming conjuration magic. In fact, the metal pillar 
  is a powerful and curious artifact called the Dreaming 
  Tower that only partially exists on the Material Plane—it 
  extends below and above into the Dimension of Dreams. 
  The tower itself exists in a remote glen inside of a vast 
  enchanted forest in that dimension, extending well above 
  the surrounding canopy to a height of 1,200 feet. A 60-foot 
  section from the center of the tower also happens to exist 
  here in this room. While the pillar might seem to extend 
  below and above the limits of this room, it does not—if the 
  PCs manage to scrape away bits of the floor or ceiling, they 
  discover the curious fact that the tower simply ceases to 
  exist below the floor or above the ceiling.
  A character who attempts to scale the stairs must succeed 
  at a DC 12 Acrobatics check, for the narrow stairs slope 
  outward slightly, making it a vertiginous climb. The point 
  at which the stairs reach the ceiling is a dead end, but a PC 
  who succeeds at a DC 15 Will save while climbing the stairs 
  won’t actually reach the ceiling in this room, but instead 
  suddenly finds herself standing atop a 20-foot diameter 
  space high above the enchanted forest in the Dimension 
  of Dreams. A character who fails this save simply does not 
  make this transition (and may try again by starting from 
  the bottom stair and walking up the stairs again), while 
  those who succeed at the save simply vanish from view as 
  they step upon the 33rd step.
  The abysium reactor’s limitation on dimensional travel 
  is lifted in this specific case.
  Anyone standing atop the tower in the Dimension of 
  Dreams feels a chill breeze whip across the structure (this 
  wind isn’t enough to blow a character over the edge). A 
  peek over the side reveals the entire 1,200 foot drop into 
  the forest below, and that the winding staircase is the only 
  route down other than a horrific fall. A character who 
  falls from the tower top experiences that entire fall, but as 
  she lands, she does so in area C6 at the base of the tower, 
  taking 20d6 points of falling damage in the process.
  At the very center of the tower’s top stands a miniature 
  (10-foot-tall) version of the Dreaming Tower, held aloft by 
  three delicate metal statues of butterflies who cradle the 
  tower’s foundation in their wings. PCs who succeed at a 
  DC 15 Perception check get the impression the idea that 
  the three butterfly statues are in fact breathing and subtly 
  shifting their weight as if they were alive. An alcove at 
  the tower’s base contains a faintly smoking censer (see 
  Treasure, below).
  This tower top is a safe place to rest and recover 
  resources—the nightmares of the Guiltspur Depths do 
  not reach here. Further, any worshiper of Desna who rests 
  here overnight gains the benefit of aid (lasting 8 hours), cure 
  critical wounds, and restoration upon waking. A worshiper of 
  Desna who casts divine spells can prepare one additional 
  spell of each level she can cast. The healing and restorative 
  effects of resting atop the Dreaming Tower can occur once 
  per day, whereas the additional effects for worshipers of 
  Desna can occur up to once per month.
  A character who attempts to climb back down the tower 
  stairs finds herself returning to area C6 automatically 
  after reaching the 33rd step. A character who falls from the 
  tower likewise finds herself in area C6 upon landing (see 
  above), but a character who instead leaves the top of the 
  tower via flight feels herself swiftly caught up in powerful 
  winds. The flying character must attempt a DC 25 Fly 
  check—success means that she’s suddenly driven to the 
  ground in area C6 but takes no damage, whereas a failure 
  indicates the character is driven to the ground in area C6 
  and takes 6d6 points of falling damage.
  The magic that brought this section of the tower into 
  Guiltspur was made possible by the aid of strange advisors 
  from Leng—their exact purpose in aiding the Curator and 
  his assistants in bringing the fragment of the Dreaming 
  Tower into this complex is unknown, for the tower itself is 
  obviously sacred to Desna.
  Treasure: The incense burner at the base of the 
  miniature Dreaming Tower is a censer of dreams (see page 62). 
  The censer doesn’t exist here for evil or lawful creatures, 
  but a neutral good, chaotic neutral, chaotic good, or 
  neutral creature can see it, pick it up, and even carry it back 
  to area C6—once the censer of dreams is removed from the 
  Dimension of Dreams and is brought back to Guiltspur, it 
  can be seen and used by any creature. If the censer is taken, 
  the miniature Dreaming Tower creates a new one in a year.
  C7. exAminAtion ChAmber (Cr 14)
  The ceiling of this vaulted, cathedral-like chamber rises to a 
  height of sixty feet above. The northeastern corner of the room 
  29
  
  is somewhat collapsed, but the rest of the chamber seems to be 
  in good condition. Double doors open in the walls to the east 
  and west, while four alcoves to the north and four to the south 
  are occupied by statues of winged women with no faces and 
  silvery swords gripped in their right hands. Four ten-foot-wide, 
  fifteen-foot-tall glass jars capped with huge metal lids and filled 
  with cloudy green liquid sit in the middle of the room—large 
  shadowy shapes float inside of each jar.
  The statues along the north and south walls depict 
  angelic figures similar to those in area C2, but none of 
  them are the subject of a magic mouth spell.
  This room once featured a number of examination 
  tables and alchemy labs, but this equipment wasn’t 
  protected from the ravages of time and has long since 
  crumbled away. In those ancient times, the scholars 
  of Guiltspur used this room as a place to examine and 
  study the anatomies of a large number of creatures. The 
  scholars would typically spend weeks or even months 
  on a subject, and in order to combat decay or to preserve 
  specimens for study, they built the four huge glass 
  containers in this room.
  Creatures: Each of these containers is filled with a 
  cloudy magical embalming fluid that functions almost 
  like a temporal stasis spell when a specially prepared 
  and willing (or helpless) living creature is completely 
  immersed in the fluid. The Thassilonians used this fluid 
  to store captured creatures they wanted to examine later. 
  Originally, the fluid kept the embalmed creature alive but 
  apart from the passage of time, and maintained that stasis 
  for several hours after the creature was removed from 
  the fluid. Today, the fluid has spoiled somewhat—it still 
  preserves the bodies of the creatures contained within, but 
  the creatures have slowly grown more aware of the passage 
  of time and have gone mad as a result. 
  An examination of each of the containers requires a 
  successful DC 25 Perception check to make out the shape 
  of the creature within (the creature itself can then be 
  identified using the appropriate Knowledge skill). Tank A 
  contains a small badger-like creature called an aurumvorax. 
  Tank B contains the partially dissected (and dead) body of 
  a phase spider. Tank C contains a roper. Tank D contains a 
  young silver dragon that also happens to be the host to an 
  intellect devourer.
  Each jar is relatively fragile (hardness 2, hp 10, break 
  DC 15). A jar reduced to 0 hit points immediately shatters, 
  releasing a wave of spoiled and foul embalming fluid (all 
  creatures standing within 10 feet must succeed at a DC 
  15 Reflex save or be knocked prone). This immediately 
  revives the tank’s occupant (with the exception of the 
  body in tank B, which remains dead). The aurumvorax 
  and the roper are both insane from their long stay, and 
  function as if confused. The intellect devourer occupying 
  the silver dragon has weathered the years well, and is not 
  insane—but it pretends to be. After spending so many 
  centuries in one body in a jar, it’s eager to find something 
  new, and plays at being confused in the hope that its 
  dragon body will be slain (as with all intellect devourers, 
  this creature is starved for sensation, including the 
  sensation of being killed).
  As these creatures are slain, their bodies swiftly decay 
  into foul-smelling ooze. Once the dragon is killed, the 
  intellect devourer emerges from the dragon’s swiftly 
  dissolving head and is dazed for a round, but after that 
  it immediately tries to flee into the Silent Halls to seek 
  a hiding place. If it manages to elude pursuit, it follows 
  along behind the PCs quietly. The creature hopes to use its 
  body thief ability on a powerful foe the PCs leave dead in 
  their wake, at which point it seeks to ambush the PCs to try 
  to kill them using its new host body—or even better, find 
  them while they sleep so it can inhabit one of them!
  Aurumvorax 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  hp 114 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 35)
  Intellect Devourer 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  hp 84 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 180)
  Roper 
  CR 12
  XP 19,200
  hp 162 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 237)
  Young Silver Dragon 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  hp 104 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 110)
  Trap: The western doors bear a dangerous trap, laid 
  here ages ago by the Curator’s allies. Cadrilkasta bypassed 
  the trap by using gaseous form to seep through the door’s 
  cracks (just as she bypassed every door in the complex), 
  but anyone who opens the unlocked doors immediately 
  triggers the trap, which causes a thunderous peal of sound 
  to flood the room. This peal not only deals sonic damage 
  to all creatures in the chamber, but also automatically 
  shatters all four of the jars in the room, releasing their 
  contents simultaneously.
  Sonic Detonation Trap 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Type magic; Perception DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset none
  Effect blast of sound (12d6 sonic damage, Reflex DC 16 for half 
  damage); multiple targets (all creatures and jars in area C7)
  30
  
  Treasure: Unfortunately, since the weird embalming fluid 
  must resonate with the abysium reactor’s energies in order to 
  function, the stuff becomes inert if taken from the Guiltspur 
  depths—as such, it is relatively worthless as treasure.
  Each of the eight statues wields a siccatite longsword  
  (8 in all) identical to those in area C2.
  C8. the endleSS wAterfAll (Cr 13)
  A roar of water echoes from this chamber, and the air is damp 
  with cool mist. A dark pool fills much of the western end of the 
  chamber, while to the south a set of stairs leads up to another 
  room. Tumbling into this pool from a bronze-ringed gap in the 
  ceiling above is a column of frothy water, while a small ledge 
  sits just above the water level on the westernmost edge of the 
  pool itself.
  This chamber not only served as a source of water 
  and a place for meditation, but also still houses a pair of 
  guardians. The pool itself never overflows—the water 
  drains from a bronze-ringed drain and immediately 
  cascades back down through the drain above in an effect 
  similar to an immobile set of ring gates (this teleportation 
  effect is exempt from the abysium reactor’s effects). Other 
  minor magical effects ensure that new water is created in 
  the pool to offset evaporation.
  The 10-foot-wide ledge on the western lip of the waterfall 
  is infused with potent magic similar to the effect in area C4. 
  A successful DC 30 Spellcraft check made while studying 
  the strong aura of conjuration reveals its use—a spellcaster 
  may prepare up to three conjuration spells while meditating 
  on this ledge, enhancing them as if he had the Extend Spell 
  feat without increasing the spell’s actual level. Doing so 
  requires a successful DC 20 Spellcraft check; failure results 
  in 2 points of Intelligence damage from magical feedback.
  Creatures: The pool’s magic allows it to summon a pair 
  of elder water elementals once per day—and it does so as 
  soon as it sees any intruders (Cadrilkasta triggered this 
  effect but easily slew the two elementals before carrying 
  on to the north via a freshly cast gaseous form spell). The 
  two elder water elementals pursue foes throughout the 
  complex, although they prefer to fight from the comfort of 
  the pool. They fight to the death.
  Elder Water Elementals (2) 
  CR 11
  XP 12,800 each
  hp 152 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 127)
  C9. Shrine to the veiled mASterS 
  (Cr vAriAble)
  Four deep blue pillars support this chamber’s forty-foot-
  high ceiling. To the south, a detailed bas-relief depicts a city 
  of graceful towers and pyramids inhabited by humans, but 
  below the city lies a vast underground sea filled with tentacled 
  monsters. Many of their tentacles writhe up through the stone 
  above to manipulate and infest the city. Below the carving are 
  several shelves, most of which are empty save for two—one of 
  these holds a delicate-looking coral helm, and the other holds 
  a strange-looking horn. To either side, a churning fifteen-
  foot-diameter sphere of water floats in the air; a dark coiling 
  shape writhes within each sphere.
  This chamber is a monument to the veiled masters—
  the aboleths and their strange lords who manipulated 
  the empire of Azlant. Knowledge of this manipulation 
  became increasingly common in the final decades before 
  Earthfall, and Thassilon’s runelords often sought to ally 
  with the aboleths. These attempted alliances failed more 
  often than not, and in the end, the aboleths destroyed 
  Thassilon as surely as they destroyed Azlant. The mural 
  to the south shows an idealized image of an Azlanti 
  city under the influence of the veiled masters, and was 
  intended as a reminder to Thassilonian visitors of their 
  own free will.
  The floating globes of water each contain the body 
  of a long-dead and well-preserved aboleth. These two 
  creatures were kept here as much as trophies and as a 
  symbol over Thassilon’s mastery over elements that 
  Azlant could not control.
  Waking Nightmare (XP 6,400): As soon as anyone 
  approaches within 5 feet of one of the spheres of water, 
  that person suddenly feels a cold, unnerving pressure, as 
  if she were deep underwater. The victim must attempt a 
  DC 15 Will save—if she fails, her mind is overwhelmed 
  by a potent phantasm, making her believe that she has 
  appeared deep underwater before a living aboleth. Conduct 
  a combat between that character and the aboleth at once—
  in addition to fighting the aboleth alone, the character 
  must also contend with the possibility of drowning and 
  the fact that she feels like she’s deep underwater, subjected 
  to darkness and pressure damage as if she were 500 feet 
  underwater (see Core Rulebook 445). No matter how long the 
  battle takes, to others observing the event, the victim only 
  grows suddenly rigid for a brief moment before recovering. 
  If the victim defeats the aboleth, she emerges from the 
  waking nightmare safe and sound. If the victim is defeated 
  (by being killed, being dominated, or even by drowning 
  or succumbing to pressure damage), she collapses to the 
  ground, is reduced to –1 hit points, and takes 2d4 points 
  of Charisma damage as her personality is shattered by the 
  nightmare’s results.
  Phantasmal Aboleth 
  CR 7
  XP —
  hp 84 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 8)
  31
  
  Treasure: The coral helm is a helm of underwater action. 
  The horn is a finely made masterwork musical instrument 
  carved from a length of ivory (a PC who succeeds at a 
  DC 25 Knowledge [arcana] check correctly identifies this 
  ivory as a tusk from the walrus head of a strange variant 
  of chimera from the Crown of the World) and decorated 
  with scrimshaw carvings of coiling tentacles and bulging 
  eyes. While the horn itself is not magical, the largest of the 
  bulging eyes (one located at the upper end of the horn) is 
  in fact a pearl of the sirines. The pearl functions normally as 
  long as the horn is carried. It can be pried out of the horn 
  without damaging the horn, at which point the horn itself 
  is worth 800 gp. 
  C10. ChApel of the CrAwlinG ChAoS
  This large room seems to be some sort of chapel, yet no 
  pews or other concessions toward comfort are apparent. 
  The ceiling is low, just over ten feet in height, giving the 
  place a claustrophobic feeling compared to the high ceilings 
  in nearby chambers. The walls are of polished black stone, 
  while an upraised pulpit to the north supports a pale yellow 
  altar on which two fat candles flicker. A tall column stands to 
  either side of the altar; the length of each column is carved to 
  resemble an emaciated gargoyle-like figure that lacks all facial 
  features on its horned black head.
  This chamber was used by visitors from Leng as a 
  minor temple to carry out the more obscene acts of their 
  blasphemous cult. The temple itself can be identified as 
  one dedicated to the awful glory of the Outer Gods and 
  the Great Old Ones with a successful DC 30 Knowledge 
  (religion) check, although it doesn’t seem to be devoted 
  to any one entity in particular. The two candles on the 
  altar are lit with continual flame—a person who places his 
  hands over the top of each candle could communicate with 
  a person in the Temple of the Crawling Chaos in Leng, 
  but the far end of this communication network has been 
  destroyed for ages.
  Waking Nightmare (XP 9,600): The first player to 
  step up onto the raised pulpit area suddenly feels dizzy. 
  An instant later, the two faceless gargoyles (actually 
  depictions of nightgaunts—see page 90) suddenly 
  animate and lurch forward. A low, rumbling chanting in 
  an unknown language fills the room as the nightgaunts 
  move up to snatch the PC into the air between them. As 
  they do, the room itself crumbles away, revealing that the 
  PC is held aloft by the two monsters at a height of several 
  miles over a strange frozen mountain plateau below. As 
  the nightgaunts drop their captive, the character snaps 
  out of the vision and must succeed at a DC 17 Will save to 
  avoid becoming afflicted by a random form of madness 
  (Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide 250).
  C11. the CurAtor’S tomb
  A human skeleton lies slumped against the northern wall here, 
  draped in a fine cloak and clutching a haversack to its chest.
  Treasure: The skeletal figure here belongs to Kaiventlu 
  the Curator, slumped against the wall where he finally 
  succumbed to madness-induced self-inflicted wounds. 
  The wizard’s remains should have crumbled to dust long 
  ago, but tied as they are to his undead state as a ghost, 
  they’ve remained in relatively good (if dry and a bit dusty) 
  condition. If the PCs haven’t already encountered the 
  Curator, he manifests here immediately and attacks if his 
  remains are disturbed. The skeleton still wears its cloak of 
  resistance +3 and its headband of mental prowess +2. In addition, 
  a handy haversack contains the Curator’s spellbooks—these 
  books contain all his prepared spells, plus 2d4 additional 
  spells of each level (except for enchantment and illusion 
  spells) of your choice up to 7th level.
  C12. GueSt mAnSion
  The western wall of this octagonal chamber features a detailed 
  mural of a mansion’s facade. The front doors are painted life-
  sized, but the rest of the mural grows increasingly distorted in 
  size as it nears the edges of the room.
  The mansion mural radiates strong conjuration magic, for 
  its doors are the entrance to a permanent mage’s magnificent 
  mansion (CL 20th). Although the doors appear to be painted 
  on, they can be opened with ease, providing access to the extra 
  dimensional space beyond. This effect was placed here to 
  give visitors to the Silent Halls a place to stay—originally, the 
  northern doors led to one of the complex’s several entrances, 
  but this route is now blocked by hardened lava.
  This mansion is bedecked with Thassilonian objects 
  and imagery—none of which can be taken from the 
  mansion. Those sleeping in the mansion are not protected 
  from the influence of Leng, but one of the chambers in the 
  mansion is a sizable library that contains a fair amount of 
  lore about ancient Thassilon and Guiltspur. This library 
  grants a +2 bonus on all Knowledge (history) checks made 
  about Thassilon, and you can use the tomes here to reveal 
  some of the original uses of the Silent Halls and the nature 
  of some of its stranger exhibits.
   The mansion has a dozen rooms, including a dining hall 
  with stained glass windows that depict Runelord Karzoug, 
  a study, a fully functioning masterwork alchemist’s lab, 
  and 10 bedrooms. No fewer than 40 unseen servants tend 
  the magical mansion. The meals served are exotic: flaked 
  dragon turtle cooked in mead, potted wyvern flank in garlic, 
  selections of curious fungi, and lots of mead and very heady 
  wine. The servants, of course, only understand Thassilonian.
  32
  
  Faceless ANgel
  C13. the terrible window
  A short, curved flight of stairs leads down to double doors to the 
  south of this somewhat elongated octagonal chamber. To the 
  west, what appears to be a ten-foot-wide open window looks out 
  over an idyllic field of grass with a snow-capped mountain rage on 
  the horizon. A cool breeze wafts through the open window.
  The window is in fact a permanent image of a scene of what 
  the Storval Plateau looked like long before Earthfall—an 
  image placed here by a long-forgotten wizard.
  Waking Nightmare (XP 12,800): The first time anyone 
  approaches within 10 feet of the illusory window, the 
  scene depicted suddenly shifts from an idyllic noon-time 
  hillside to a nightmare vista of frozen Leng 
  aglow under the gibbous light of a bloated 
  moon. The landscape appears cracked and 
  desolate, and in the medium distance a troop 
  of pallid froglike monsters (moon beasts) leads 
  a line of chained denizens of Leng. A jagged 
  mountain range cuts the horizon, while beyond this 
  range the head of an immense jackal-like leviathan slowly 
  turns, as if to peer back through the window. All creatures 
  in area C12 or on the stairs leading down to area C11 who 
  continue to gaze upon the scene must succeed at a DC 17 
  Will save or be affected by feeblemind, essentially struck 
  dumb by the horror and scope of what they are looking 
  upon. A PC who immediately looks away instead must still 
  attempt a DC 17 Will save to avoid taking 1d6 points of 
  Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma damage.
  C14. the GrAnd Choir (Cr 14)
  A short flight of curving steps leads down to a staggering 
  sight—a twenty-five-foot-wide hallway that slopes downward 
  to the south as far as the eye can see. The hall is supported by 
  hundreds of stone columns spaced every five feet that rise up to 
  the curving ceiling forty feet above. The lower six feet of each 
  column has been carved to resemble a faceless winged angelic 
  woman carrying a longsword.
  This architectural wonder descends at a relatively steep 
  slope for half a mile until it reaches area D1.
  Creatures: Two of the columns in this hallway (the 
  two marked in red four rows in) are in fact powerful 
  constructs—advanced caryatid columns known as faceless 
  angels. As the PCs approach, any PCs who succeed at a DC 
  20 Perception checks notice that unlike the other columns 
  in the hall, these two angels seem to be armed with real 
  swords rather than carved stone swords. 
  Faceless Angel 
  CR 12
  XP 19,200
  Advanced quickling caryatid column (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 46, 
  Advanced Bestiary 209)
  N Medium construct 
  Init +13; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +4
  DEFENSE
  AC 27, touch 20, flat-footed 17 (+5 Dex, +5 dodge, +7 natural)
  hp 150 (20d10+40); fast healing 1
  Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +8
  Defensive Abilities shatter weapons; DR 5/—; Immune construct 
  traits, magic
  OFFENSE
  Speed 80 ft.
  Melee +2 siccatite longsword +28/+23/+18/+13 (1d8+8 plus 1 cold/ 
  19–20)
  33
  
  Special Attacks rapid attacks
  TACTICS
  During Combat The faceless angels wait until the PCs pass 
  them before stepping out to attack the characters at the 
  back of the party.
  Morale Once a faceless angel is activated, it fights until it 
  is destroyed. It does not pursue foes once they are out of 
  sight, nor will it pursue foes into area C13 or D1.
  STATISTICS
  Str 22, Dex 21, Con —, Int —, Wis 15, Cha 5
  Base Atk +20; CMB +26; CMD 46
  Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Quick Draw, 
  Spring Attack, Toughness
  Skills Acrobatics +15 (+35 when jumping), Perception +4
  SQ statue
  Gear +2 siccatite longsword
  the Core
  Located a half mile south of the Silent Halls and 
  approximately 300 feet underground, the second dungeon 
  level of Guiltspur was known as the Core, for its primary 
  cavern is an immense area that the complex’s architects 
  believed was cored out of the stone by some unknown force. 
  The Core is technically a part of Nar-Voth, the uppermost 
  layer of the Darklands, for an immense shaft drops down 
  into Sekamina just west of the central cavern. While the 
  caverns of the Core aren’t particularly numerous, their 
  scale is massive indeed—as are many of the monsters that 
  dwell within them.
  Cadrilkasta ignored much of the Core as she passed 
  through the cave; she avoided conflict with the mother of 
  oblivion in the waters of area D2 and used gaseous form to 
  seep through the rocks at area D5, following her obsessive 
  instincts ever toward the Shard of Sloth.
  d1. entrAnCe to the Core
  The vast hallway comes to a sudden end, looking out into a vast 
  underground lake. The dark waters ripple thirty feet below the 
  jagged edge of the hall’s end. A series of intermittently-spaced 
  stone pilings extends south, indicating that at one point the hall 
  transformed into a bridge that extended south over the lake, 
  but the bridge itself must have collapsed long ago.
  The passageway to the north leads back to area C14.
  d2. the nAmeleSS lAke (Cr 15)
  This vast cavern’s limits recede off into darkness, as do the 
  inky black waters of the lake that takes up the chamber’s 
  extent. The ceiling rises to form a cathedral-like space above. 
  Stalactites hang here and there, some of prodigious size, while 
  two irregular rows of stone pilings lead south, out across the 
  waters. The sound of gently cascading water echoes through 
  the cavern.
  Originally, a stone bridge led over the waters of this 
  nameless lake, connecting area D1 to a rocky island (area 
  D5) on which stood a small keep. This chamber, as well as 
  areas D4–D6, are all warded by the effects of the abysium 
  reactor, but these protections do not extend into areas D7–
  D9. When the end came to Thassilon, this cavern didn’t 
  withstand the earthquakes nearly as well as the more 
  solidly built areas of the Guiltspur Depths, and both the 
  bridge over the lake and the keep collapsed, killing all who 
  dwelled within.
  The lake itself is 70 feet deep at its deepest point, with 
  very little in the way of shallows along beaches. The 
  surviving pilings protrude anywhere from 5 to 30 feet 
  from the waters below; each is 5 feet across and can be 
  climbed with a successful DC 15 Climb check. The water 
  itself stays at a relatively constant level thanks to several 
  small waterfalls that trickle down the cavern’s southeastern 
  walls (groundwater runoff from the nameless river above 
  that also supplies the giants with their drinking water); a 
  survey of the lake’s bottom reveals several areas where the 
  water runs through submerged cracks in the northwest 
  that empty into area D8.
  Creature: Different creatures have dwelled in this lake 
  over the eons, but for the past several hundreds of years, 
  only one has ruled the nameless lake—a monstrous aquatic 
  outsider known as a Mother of Oblivion. Part sea serpent, 
  part octopus, part interdimensional monstrosity, this 
  monster was conjured into these waters by a cabal of derro 
  priests of Lamashtu who were eager to learn the creature’s 
  secrets. Unfortunately for the derro, their ritual was faulty, 
  and the enraged creature killed and ate them all—only to 
  learn that she’d eaten the only creatures who were capable of 
  sending her back from where she’d been conjured.
  The Mother of Oblivion is named Ognathooga. She 
  has long since eaten every creature that lived in the lake, 
  and now subsists on the spoils of raids into the purple 
  worm breeding ground in area D7—foul fare, even for a 
  creature as nightmarish as one of Lamashtu’s spawn. Over 
  the years, she’s grown in power and size and now rivals 
  Varisia’s most famous Mother of Oblivion: legendary 
  Black Magga of the Storval Deep. She suffers the presence 
  of the dark nagas at area D4, since she appreciates the idea 
  of being worshiped as a god, and hopes that they’ll some 
  day be able to devise a way to help her escape from the lake. 
  The arrival of the drow has given the Mother of Oblivion 
  a much needed distraction (she wisely let Cadrilkasta pass 
  through to area D5 uncontested). She’s already killed and 
  eaten two of the drow and all of their riding lizards, but 
  she hopes to eat more, and the PCs could certainly give her 
  a welcome change to her diet.
  34
  
  D1
  D2
  D3
  D5
  D6
  D7
  D8
  D9
  D4
  THE Core
  1 square = 25 feet
  Ognathooga 
  CR 15
  XP 51,200
  Mother of Oblivion (Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition 406)
  CE Gargantuan outsider (aquatic, native)
  Init +4; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft.; 
  Perception +22
  DEFENSE
  AC 30, touch 6, flat-footed 30 (+24 natural, –4 size)
  hp 232 (15d10+150)
  Fort +19, Ref +11, Will +9
  DR 15/cold iron and magic; Immune death effects, mind 
  affecting effects, petrification, polymorph; Resist acid 20, 
  cold 20; SR 26
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., swim 60 ft.
  Melee bite +24 (2d8+13/19–20 plus energy drain), 4 tentacles 
  +19 (2d6+6 plus grab)
  Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
  Special Attacks breath of madness, constrict (2d6+11), energy 
  drain (2 levels, DC 22)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +20)
  Constant—invisibility purge
  At will—death knell (DC 17), prayer
  3/day—demand (DC 23), dimensional anchor, divination, 
  dominate person (DC 20), greater command (DC 20)
  1/day—commune, dream, unhallow
  TACTICS
  During Combat Ognathooga starts combat by attempting to 
  dominate one of the PCs while herself remaining hidden 
  mostly underwater. If she manages to dominate the PC, 
  she uses her control to lure the rest of the party any way 
  she can into the waters of the lake, where she then risks 
  losing control of her dominated minion by ordering it 
  to attack its allies. She uses demand and other spell-like 
  abilities to try to scatter the PCs, so that she can then 
  swim in and attack them one at a time. Note that while 
  in the area of effect of the abysium reactor, two of her 
  abilities (transdimensional tentacles and warp dimensions) 
  do not work—Ognathooga is unlikely to pursue the PCs 
  beyond area D6, but if she does, these abilities (detailed 
  in full on page 406 of Rise of the Runelords Anniversary 
  Edition) function normally.
  Morale If brought below 75 hit points, Ognathooga retreats to 
  area D3. If encountered there, she fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 37, Dex 10, Con 31, Int 25, Wis 18, Cha 20
  Base Atk +15; CMB +32 (+36 grapple); CMD 42 (can’t be tripped)
  Feats Awesome Blow, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical 
  (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Lightning 
  Reflexes, Power Attack, Vital Strike
  35
  
  Skills Acrobatics +18 (+14 when jumping), Intimidate +23, 
  Knowledge (arcana) +25, Knowledge (history) +22, Knowledge 
  (nature) +22, Knowledge (planes) +25, Knowledge (religion) +22, 
  Perception +22, Sense Motive +22, Spellcraft +25, Stealth +6, 
  Survival +19, Swim +36
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, 
  Thassilonian, Undercommon
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Breath of Madness (Su) Ognathooga can exhale a cloud of 
  foul-smelling, narcotic breath as a standard action once 
  every minute. This black smoke fills a 60-foot cone. All 
  creatures in the area take 1d6 points of Wisdom damage 
  and become confused for 1d6 rounds (a successful DC 
  27 Will save halves the Wisdom damage and negates the 
  confusion effect). This is a mind-affecting poison effect. 
  The save DC is Constitution-based.
  d3. oGnAthooGA’S den
  The entrance to this flooded cavern is near the lake bed’s 
  bottom, 50 feet underwater. The chamber beyond serves 
  as Ognathooga’s den—a place for the Mother of Oblivion 
  to retreat to when wounded or tired, and a place for her to 
  store the various items of treasure she’s accumulated over 
  the ages from unfortunate victims who’ve wandered up 
  from the Darklands. The entire cavern is warded by several 
  unhallow spells placed by Ognathooga; invisibility purge is 
  linked to this area via the unhallow spells. The monster 
  has used several stalactites to carve a crude representation 
  of Lamashtu in the northern wall (identifiable with a 
  successful DC 20 Knowledge [religion] check).
  Treasure: Ognathooga keeps her treasures stacked in a 
  neat pile at the base of her primitive shrine to Lamashtu, 
  hoping that if she eventually places enough here, her 
  mistress will notice and rescue her. Currently, these 
  treasures consist of 2,800 gp, 108 pp, a small diamond 
  worth 1,200 gp, a set of ivory dice worth 30 gp and a 
  matching set of silver dice worth 75 gp, a copper scepter 
  carved with images of spiders worth 50 gp, an ornate silver 
  comb worth 75 gp, a polished coral chalice worth 50 gp, a 
  gold statuette of a red dragon worth 110 gp, a silver chalice 
  with carvings of a marilith on the sides worth 150 gp, a 
  potion of haste, a potion of resist electricity, a potion of water 
  36
  
  breathing, a mithral scroll tube worth 200 gp (containing 
  a scroll of charm monster, a scroll of summon monster V, and 
  a scroll of greater spell immunity), a wand of magic missile 
  (44 charges), a wand of call lightning (38 charges), a staff 
  of understandingUE, a +1 expeditious breastplateUE, and a 
  seducer’s baneUE. In addition, the crushed and ruined 
  body of a drow hunt mistress lies atop the treasure. She 
  still wears all of her gear (see area D6), and the relative 
  freshness of the remains should tell the PCs that more 
  drow may be nearby.
  d4. rituAl iSle (Cr 14)
  A barren, rocky isle rises barely above the level of the water here. 
  Something has cleared the island of all rocks and other bits of 
  debris—every stalagmite has been broken off at the root, and 
  the remaining rubble has been placed deliberately across the 
  isle in strangely complex and unsettling coiling patterns.
  Creatures: A cult of Lamashtu-worshiping dark nagas 
  led by a naga cleric came to the nameless lake several 
  months ago, drawn by visions of a powerful entity sacred 
  to their god that was trapped here. After a laborious 
  ascent of area D8 that took several days and numerous 
  magical spells, the naga cult came to area D6 whereupon 
  Ognathooga, quite hungry at that point, devoured the 
  clerical leader (who offered no resistance to “becoming 
  one with a child of the Mother of Monsters”), ironically 
  robbing the cult of its most powerful spellcaster and the 
  creature who would be most able to design the ritual 
  Ognathooga desired to flee this realm. Since then, the 
  nagas (who are an aquatic Darklands variant that possess 
  a swim speed and the advanced template) have done their 
  best to transform this island, their new home, into what 
  they hope some day will become a portal to the Abyss. 
  Unfortunately, their magical skill isn’t up to their 
  ambitions. With a successful DC 25 Knowledge (arcana, 
  religion, or planes) check, a PC can confirm that the 
  pattern of rocks on this island is the perfect arrangement 
  for the creation of a temporary portal to the Abyss, but 
  only if a powerful spellcaster spends several weeks 
  infusing the area with potent magic—magic beyond the 
  capability of these Guiltspur nagas.
  The nagas fill their days with prayer on the island’s 
  shores, and quickly attempt to capture the PCs alive if they 
  spot them. The nagas hope that by sacrificing the PCs 
  over the course of several days, they’ll gain insight or even 
  Lamashtu’s aid in building the portal—whether or not 
  such a gambit could even work is left to you. The nagas will 
  not abandon their rituals to come to Ognathooga’s aid; 
  they assume the Mother of Oblivion is capable of handling 
  herself in any battle. If the PCs defeat Ognathooga and 
  present proof of this deed to the Guiltspur nagas, the nagas 
  must each succeed at a DC 20 Will save to avoid becoming 
  frightened for 2d6 rounds.
  Guiltspur Naga (6) 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  CE advanced variant dark naga (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 211, 294)
  hp 105 each
  Speed 40 ft., swim 40 ft.
  Skills as standard naga but replace Knowledge (arcana) with 
  Knowledge (religion) +13, and replace Spellcraft with Swim +19
  Languages Abyssal, Undercommon
  d5. ruined tower
  A barren, rocky isle rises from the lake waters. Atop the island’s 
  thirty-foot-high peak lie the cracked foundations of a long-
  crumbled structure of some sort.
  Very little remains today of the ancient keep that once 
  sat atop this isle. Once home to a cabal of Lissalan priests 
  who stood sentinel over the Guiltspur side of the Embassy 
  of Leng below, the keep is now nothing more than a few 
  foundations and piles of rubble.
  A 20-foot square area in the center of the island is in 
  fact an open shaft hidden by four adjacent illusory walls 
  (DC 16 to disbelieve, CL 15th). Once, a much more complex 
  ward prevented entrance into this shaft, but today only the 
  illusions remain. Below, the shaft drops 300 feet down to 
  area E1. A successful DC 20 Climb check is needed to scale 
  the shaft’s walls. A creature that simply walks out onto the 
  open pit must succeed at a DC 20 Reflex save to stagger 
  back from the edge before falling; otherwise, the quick 
  trip to area E1 deals 20d6 points of falling damage.
  d6. StAlAGmite beACh (Cr 12)
  A wide beach of damp stone rises up from the lake’s edge 
  here. Numerous stalagmites and stalactites decorate the 
  region, which narrows down to a pair of twenty-five-foot-wide 
  passageways leading to the west. A twenty-foot-wide pathway 
  has been smashed through the stalagmites from the lake to the 
  southernmost entrance—this path is smeared with slime and 
  bits of strange, violet meat.
  The stalagmites here are thick enough that they make 
  passage through the area difficult terrain, save for a path 
  worn by Ognathooga’s periodic trips to area D7 to feed. A 
  PC who succeeds at a DC 27 Knowledge (arcana) check can 
  identify the chunks of meat as purple worm fragments.
  Once the PCs step across the dotted lines shown 
  on the map, they’re stepping out of the area that is 
  warded by the abysium reactor. This border is protected 
  against observation from the west as a mage’s private 
  37
  
  HuNT MistREss
  sanctum—viewed from the west, the dotted lines are 
  opaque walls of fog. Any character who has experienced a 
  vision of the Shard of Sloth is struck by a nagging feeling 
  of leaving something behind as she passes out of the 
  influence of the abysium reactor.
  Creature: Not long after the blue dragon Cadrilkasta 
  passed through the caverns, new arrivals came to the 
  Core—a band of drow who call themselves the Deep 
  Hunt. Led by a powerful cleric of Zura named Xaivanshee 
  Rasivrein, this small group of drow and monsters has 
  come to the Guiltspur Depths in search of the same thing 
  the PCs seek: the Shard of Wrath. The Deep Hunt arrived 
  in the Core approximately 1 day before the PCs reached 
  this level of the Guiltspur Depths, and as such they’ve 
  not yet had much of a chance to look around. The group’s 
  current base of operations is in area D9, but after a 
  first, somewhat disastrous attempt to explore the 
  nameless lake, the drow are taking a few days to 
  rest, recover, and plan.
  In the meantime, one of the group’s hunters 
  has taken up position here, levitating amid the 
  stalactites hanging over the northern 
  section of the beach. This lone drow is 
  under orders to watch and, if anyone of 
  interest passes through the area, she is 
  to follow quietly and attack only if she’s 
  attacked. The drow doesn’t expect to see 
  anyone, but is alert nonetheless.
  If the PCs attempt to speak to her, she tells 
  them that they are entering the domain of 
  the Deep Hunt, and that they should come 
  with her to speak to her mistress. She 
  won’t bother to ask the PCs to give up their 
  weapons, but tells them that if they are 
  foolish enough to attack that she and her 
  many sisters who wait in the shadows 
  will slay them without pause. This last 
  bit is a bluff, of course... until the PCs 
  have reached area D9.
  Hunt Mistress 
  CR 12
  XP 19,200
  Female drow noble ranger 12 
  (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 115)
  CE Medium humanoid (elf)
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 120 ft.; 
  Perception +23
  DEFENSE
  AC 27, touch 15, flat-footed 22  
  (+5 armor, +4 Dex,  
  +1 dodge, +4 natural, 
  +3 shield)
  hp 142 (12d10+72)
  Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +6; +2 vs. enchantments
  Defensive Abilities evasion; Immune sleep; SR 23
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk rapier +15/+10/+5 (1d6+2/18–20)
  Ranged +2 shock hand crossbow +18 (1d4+2/17–20 plus 1d6 
  electricity and poison)
  Special Attacks favored enemy (elves +6, gnomes +2, humans +2)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +12)
  Constant—detect magic
  At will—dancing lights, deeper darkness, faerie fire, feather 
  fall, levitate
  1/day—divine favor, dispel magic, suggestion (DC 13)
  Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 9th; 
  concentration +11)
  3rd—cure moderate wounds
  2nd—barkskin, bear’s endurance, cure  
  light wounds
  1st—alarm, gravity bowAPG, resist energy
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The hunt mistress uses 
  levitate to hide amid the stalactites, 20 feet 
  above the ground. She casts barkskin and 
  bear’s endurance once she notices the PCs 
  coming toward the beach. She watches 
  the PCs move through the area, and if 
  she’s not spotted, she drops down to the 
  ground via feather fall once the PCs move 
  on, then follows them. She only attacks if 
  they attack first.
  During Combat The hunt mistress casts 
  gravity bow on the first round of combat, 
  then levitates back down to the ground if 
  necessary. Once on stable ground, she uses 
  her crossbow, Deadly Aim, and Shot on the 
  Run to make a fighting retreat to area D9 to 
  rejoin her kin. When fighting with others, 
  the hunt mistress instead makes full 
  attacks, taking 5-foot steps as necessary to 
  avoid attacks of opportunity.
  Morale The slave collar worn by the 
  hunt mistress ensure that she fights to 
  the death as long as Xaivanshee lives. 
  If Xaivanshee dies, the hunt mistress 
  immediately flees back toward area D8, 
  leaps in, and feather falls back down to 
  Sekamina to return home.
  STATISTICS
  Str 15, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 14, 
  Cha 10
  Base Atk +12; CMB +14; CMD 29
  Feats Deadly Aim, Dodge, Endurance, 
  Improved Critical (hand crossbow), Point-
  38
  
  Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload, Shield Focus, Shot 
  on the Run, Toughness
  Skills Acrobatics +15, Climb +16, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +16, 
  Perception +23, Stealth +22, Survival +21, Swim +16
  Languages Aklo, Elven, Undercommon
  SQ camouflage, combat style (crossbow), elven magic, evasion, 
  favored terrain (underground +4, water +2), hunter’s bond 
  (companions), poison use, quarry, swift tracker, track +6, wild 
  empathy +12, weapon familiarity, woodland stride
  Gear +1 chain shirt, +1 buckler, +2 shock hand crossbow with 10 
  drow sleep poisoned bolts, mwk rapier, slave collar (attuned 
  to Xaivanshee Rasivrein)
  d7. worm-infeSted CAvern (Cr 15)
  The ground falls away here into an immense sinkhole, the floor 
  of which is littered with a carpet of rubble and bones. Three 
  large, deeper holes drop away in the middle of the room, while 
  dozens of smaller holes that look almost like partially collapsed 
  burrows pock the depths.
  The edges of this large sinkhole drop 30 feet onto 
  broken stone; the ground below is difficult terrain. A 
  successful DC 15 Climb check is needed to navigate the 
  sides of the sinkhole. While the smaller holes don’t go far 
  before ending in collapses, the three larger rifts in the 
  center drop down 80 feet into a large and tangled warren of 
  tunnels—an immense nesting ground for purple worms.
  Creatures: This cavern is a nesting pit for purple worms. 
  The massive creatures burrow and hunt in deeper, far larger 
  caverns that extend for miles under the area (the extent 
  of these caverns is beyond the scope of this adventure), 
  but come here to lay their eggs. At this time, two purple 
  worms are in the process of laying a new mound of eggs, 
  but if they notice PCs, they immediately abandon their egg 
  laying and dig down into the ground, burrowing through 
  the rubble and up to wherever the PCs are to attack them. A 
  purple worm fights until reduced to 30 or fewer hit points, 
  at which time it flees to the warrens deep below.
  Characters who climb (or fall) into the sinkhole have 
  more than just a few adult purple worms to contend with. 
  Only 1d4 rounds after someone enters the pit, a writhing 
  swarm of larval purple worms burrows up from the rubble 
  to attack anyone walking on the ground. 
  Purple Worms (2) 
  CR 12
  XP 19,200 each
  hp 200 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 230)
  Larval Purple Worm Swarm 
  CR 12
  XP 19,200
  Purple worm swarm (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 230, Advanced 
  Bestiary 45)
  N Tiny magical beast (swarm)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; 
  Perception +18
  DEFENSE
  AC 28, touch 15, flat-footed 25 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +13 natural, 
  +2 size)
  hp 152 (16d10+64)
  Fort +13, Ref +14, Will +6
  Defensive Abilities swarm traits
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
  Melee swarm +14 (6d6 plus poison)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
  Special Attacks distraction (DC 21)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The swarm attacks the closest foe within 
  reach, but does not pursue foes out of the sinkhole. Once 
  no foes are within reach on the ground, the swarm burrows 
  back into the rubble.
  Morale The swarm fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 3, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 1, Wis 8, Cha 8
  Base Atk +16; CMB +16; CMD 23 (can’t be tripped)
  Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack 
  (swarm), Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Skill Focus 
  (Perception), Toughness
  Skills Climb +4, Perception +18, Swim +5
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Poison (Ex) Swarm—injury; save Fort DC 21; frequency 1/round 
  for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Strength damage; cure 3 consecutive 
  saves. The save DC is Constitution-based. 
  d8. the dArk Gulf
  A vast, cold maw opens in the ground here, a bottomless pit 
  hundreds of feet, if not more, in diameter. Here and there, 
  ledges varying from five to ten feet in width cling precariously to 
  the shaft’s sides, offering a treacherous route around the edge.
  This immense cavern drops 600 feet down into the 
  darkness, where it opens into an immense cavern nearly 
  a mile in diameter in Nar-Voth, the upper realm of the 
  Darklands. The chambers below are wildlands inhabited 
  by all manner of monster— dangerous fungi, giant bats, 
  oozes, purple worms, ropers, and worse. It was through 
  this route that the drow of the Deep Hunt came to the 
  Guiltspur Depths, levitating up the shaft to establish their 
  base camp at area D9.
  The walls of the gulf can be scaled with a successful 
  DC 20 Climb check; a fall deals 20d6 points of falling 
  damage. Ledges run around the eastern rim, but in places 
  they’ve collapsed, so that an approach to area D9 requires 
  climbing, jumping, or some form of flight at times.
  39
  
  XaivANshee
  The vast caverns below are beyond the scope of this 
  adventure—if you wish to extend the PCs’ explorations 
  in Nar-Voth, Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Into the Darklands 
  provides details on running adventures set in this hostile 
  realm. If the PCs get too distracted by this direction, 
  however, feel free to have any PCs who used the Shard of 
  Wrath to divine the location of the Shard of Sloth feel 
  increasingly convinced that they’re drifting 
  astray from their goal, as a new vision 
  from the Shard of Wrath can confirm 
  at any time. 
  d9. the deep hunt  
  (Cr 17)
  A large cavern extends north from the 
  edge of the vast pit. The cavern itself 
  seems mostly empty, save for a thirty-foot-
  tall square iron tower that sits in the middle 
  of the cavern.
  The twenty-five-foot-wide entrance to 
  this cavern is warded by an alarm spell 
  that alerts the current hunt mistress 
  atop the tower (see Creatures, below) 
  with a mental warning.
  Creatures: The iron tower is in 
  fact an instant fortress owned by the 
  leader of the Deep Hunt, a drow cleric 
  named Xaivanshee Rasivrein. She leads a group of three 
  drow rangers (known as hunt mistresses), all three of 
  whom are bound to her will via slave collars. One of these 
  hunt mistresses watches in area D6, but the other two 
  remain here, one atop the instant fortress and one off duty 
  inside the fortress. The three switch duties every 8 hours. 
  The drow once had several riding lizards as well, but the 
  occupant of the nameless lake managed to gobble them 
  all down.
  The interior of the instant fortress consists of 2 floors. 
  The bottom one is a combination barracks and common 
  room, and the upper floor serves as both a temple and 
  boudoir for Xaivanshee. The hunt mistresses typically 
  move to and from the watchpost on the roof by levitating 
  outside rather than moving through their mistress’s 
  personal chambers.
  Xaivanshee’s slave collars inform her as soon as any of 
  her hunt mistresses are wounded or otherwise harmed. 
  In addition, the collars allow Xaivanshee to communicate 
  with her servants via telepathy as long as they are within 
  100 feet of her. The drow priestess of Zura herself remains 
  inside her fortress as the PCs approach—her second 
  hunt mistress exits out the front door to greet the PCs 
  and inform them that they stand in the presence of “the 
  most glorious mistress, Lady Xaivanshee of Zura, third 
  daughter of House Rasivrein.”
  Xaivanshee then speaks through this slave via their 
  telepathic link—the drow has no initial interest in 
  fighting the PCs, and would rather secure an alliance with 
  them once she finds out that their goals are similar to her 
  own. Xaivanshee is also not interested in downplaying 
  her perceived sense of self-importance—she’s 
  arrogant and secure in her position, and her 
  method of using slaves to essentially talk 
  down to the PCs may be more than some 
  parties can stomach.
  If the PCs choose to attack, Xaivanshee 
  orders the two hunt mistresses to attack 
  at once (or all three, if the hunt mistress 
  from area D6 has followed)—the 
  one on the ground levitates up to 
  the watchpost to join her sister. 
  Their mistress Xaivanshee takes 
  the time to cast her preparatory 
  spells as detailed on page 60 
  before emerging onto the upper 
  watchpost to join the fight, 
  which might gibe the PCs a few 
  precious seconds to establish 
  a foothold in the battle. She 
  does not pursue defeated PCs 
  from this area immediately, but 
  eventually tracks them down with her 
  remaining hunt mistresses as detailed below.
  If the PCs choose instead to parley with the drow, 
  Xaivanshee interrogates them on their purpose in the 
  area. If she learns the PCs seek a treasure (she doesn’t 
  necessarily need to be told the PCs seek the Shard of 
  Sloth—she assumes that’s why they’re here), she proposes 
  an alliance of sorts. If the PCs agree to let her use the Shard 
  of Sloth to finish her transformation into a vampire, she 
  and her minions will follow along behind them to provide 
  aid and support in the battles to come. The drow are true 
  to their word if the PCs agree to this arrangement; you can 
  use them to aid the PCs as you wish in battles, but the 
  drow won’t turn against them. At least, they won’t until 
  Xaivanshee becomes a vampire, at which case her attitude 
  toward the PCs changes drastically—see her NPC entry on 
  page 60.
  If the PCs can’t come to an agreement with her, or if they 
  are forced to flee, Xaivanshee waits about half an hour, 
  preparing for the PCs to return for a second attack. If this 
  doesn’t occur, she gathers her hunt mistresses to follow 
  and stalk the PCs. In this case, the drow follow the PCs’ 
  tracks but do not interfere, hoping that the PCs manage 
  to secure the Shard of Sloth at a point when their resources 
  prove low enough that Xaivanshee can simply demand 
  40
  
  the shard from them. At your discretion, if the PCs are 
  defeated in combat at a later point during this adventure, 
  the drow can step in at the last moment to save them, only 
  to require their servitude in helping recover the Shard of 
  Sloth in payment. Even if the PCs never reach this section 
  of the caverns, you can have the drow learn of their passage 
  through the eastern caves of this level, and ambush the 
  PCs at the end of the adventure.
  Xaivanshee Rasivrein 
  CR 15
  XP 51,200
  hp 172 (see page 60)
  Hunt Mistresses (2) 
  CR 12
  XP 19,200 each
  hp 142 each (see page 38)
  Story Award: If the PCs manage to secure an alliance 
  with the drow (even if that alliance later falls apart), award 
  them 25,600 XP.
  the embASSy of lenG
  The deepest portion of the Guiltspur Depths is a small 
  complex that combined the functions of a temple, a 
  neutral meeting ground, and a portal to the nightmare 
  realm of Leng. The embassy was overseen by a priestess 
  of Lissala named Mesmalatu back in Thassilon’s day, but 
  with the empire’s fall, Mesmalatu has become something 
  more than a mere ambassador—she is now an awakened 
  demilich and a worshiper of Nyarlathotep.
  For many centuries, the Embassy of Leng has remained 
  silent, but with the disruptive passage of a blue dragon 
  through these chambers, the rooms have activated. The 
  guardians are now eager to prevent further intrusions, 
  and Mesmalatu herself has risen from her torpor to aid in 
  the level’s defense.
  This is also the location of the abysium reactor (see 
  area E5). The proximity of the magical engine causes 
  this entire level to vibrate and hum slightly in a way that 
  can be unnerving. After an hour spent in the embassy, a 
  creature must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude save to avoid 
  becoming shaken for as long as it remains in the embassy. 
  Shutting down the abysium reactor also ends this effect. 
  The denizens of these chambers have long since grown 
  used to the reactor’s presence.
  e1. the forbidden portAl (Cr 14)
  A ten-foot-wide, fifteen-foot-long hallway extends from the 
  bottom of a deep pit, ending at a massive pair of black metal 
  double doors. The faces of these doors bear a detailed carving 
  of a vast mountain range under a night sky—an eerie castle of 
  immense size crowning the tallest of the mountains.
  These doors are immense adamantine portals, sealed 
  against all entry. With a successful DC 30 Knowledge 
  (planes) check, a PC recognizes the carving on the doors as 
  depicting Kadath in the cold waste of Leng, and a successful 
  DC 30 Knowledge (religion) check then confirms that 
  Kadath is one of the palaces of Nyarlathotep, the Crawling 
  Chaos. The adamantine doors are locked and the key to 
  open them is long gone—a PC who succeeds at a DC 40 
  Disable Device check can pick the lock, or the doors can 
  be destroyed in order to grant passage. While the doors 
  are closed and locked, their seals are not airtight—gaseous 
  form, wind walk, and similar effects can be used to bypass 
  the doors without setting off the trap that guards them.
  The shaft above area E1 leads 300 feet up to area D5.
  Trap: If the doors are damaged or forced, or the locks 
  are picked, a sudden wave of bone-chilling wind washes 
  out from them, filling all of area E1 with the sound of a 
  shrieking windstorm. All creatures in this area are blasted 
  by cold damage and may be driven temporarily insane by 
  the sound.
  Winds of Madness 
  CR 14
  XP 38,400
  Type magic; Perception DC 32; Disable Device DC 32
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset automatic
  THE Faceless SphINx
  Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos, is an ancient Outer 
  God associated with conspiracies, dangerous secrets, 
  and forbidden magic. Said to possess a thousand 
  different forms, he is unusual among the alien Outer 
  Gods in that he actively seeks to sow discord among 
  the various mortal races. Scholars of the Dark Tapestry 
  believe that Nyarlathotep himself is the prime mover in 
  preparing countless worlds for the devastating return 
  of the Great Old Ones. Thassilon was no stranger to his 
  influence, although his manipulations were vague. He was 
  worshiped in Thassilon in the guise of the Faceless Sphinx, 
  an incarnation also worshiped in ancient times in parts of 
  Osirion and to this day in parts of Leng itself.
  Worshipers of the Faceless Sphinx have access to the 
  domains of Air, Chaos, Evil, Knowledge, and Magic, and 
  to the subdomains of Arcane, Cloud, Divine, Memory, 
  Thought, and Wind. The cult’s unholy symbol is an 
  image of a featureless face, and its favored weapon is a 
  punching dagger.
  Additional information about Nyarlathotep and the 
  other Outer Gods and Great Old Ones can be found in 
  Pathfinder Adventure Path #46.
  41
  
  E1
  E2
  E3
  E4
  E8
  E5
  E7
  E6
  E9
  Embassy OF leng
  1 square = 5 feet
  Effect freezing wind (6d6 cold damage, Reflex DC 20 half); 
  shrieking wind (confusion for 1 round, Will DC 20 negates, 
  this is a sonic mind-affecting effect); multiple targets (all 
  creatures in area E1, to a height of 40 feet)
  e2. Shrine of the fACeleSS (Cr 14)
  A vast cathedral towers here, lit by flickering blue lights that 
  dance in the upper reaches of the yawning space. The floor is 
  of a sickly blue stone so polished and reflective that it almost 
  serves as a cerulean mirror. To the west, the ceiling is a mere 
  fifty feet high, but as the cathedral widens to the east, the 
  ceiling rises to twice that height. Stone pillars support the 
  space above, while to the west, six alcoves containing statues 
  of winged women with empty faces stand guard. A twenty-
  foot-tall stone double door sits in the cathedral’s northern 
  wall, its face carved with a depiction of a vast mountain range 
  capped by a towering castle. Far to the east, a series of steps 
  rises up to a wide pulpit on which crouches an elephantine 
  faceless sphinx carved from black stone.
  In Thassilon’s time, this vast cathedral was devoted to 
  the goddess Lissala, but after Mesmalatu’s return from 
  Leng many centuries after the onset of the Age of Darkness, 
  she transformed this cathedral to the worship of her new 
  patron, the Faceless Sphinx of Leng. Yet as this change 
  took place long after the fall of Thassilon, Mesmalatu was 
  destined to be the only one to offer prayer to the Crawling 
  Chaos in this chamber. In time, as she fell into torpor as 
  a demilich, even those prayers ceased. For centuries, this 
  vast chamber has lain empty.
  The faceless statues that stand in the alcoves are 
  similar to those found in the Silent Halls—faceless 
  angels blasphemously associated with the Crawling 
  Chaos. However, a PC who succeeds at a DC 35 Knowledge 
  (religion) check also confirms that these statues were once 
  depictions of the goddess Lissala, and that they have been 
  magically altered to depict their new subjects.
  The northern doors feature the same image as the 
  doors from area E1, save that unlike those doors, these are 
  neither locked nor trapped. The secret door to area E4 can 
  be found with a successful DC 30 Perception check.
  Creature: The cathedral itself is ominous in its silence, 
  but it is far from unguarded. A single alien entity, pulled 
  in from a distant world via a ritual even Mesmalatu has 
  forgotten, stands guard here and has done so for ages, 
  sustained without the need for food or drink for nearly 
  9,000 years. This creature is a flying polyp, a half-invisible 
  S
  S
  42
  
  malevolent aberration that views its long imprisonment 
  here as little more than an idle curiosity.
  The flying polyp lurks invisibly just before the statue 
  of the faceless sphinx, waiting patient and potent for 
  intruders to enter the cathedral. It activates its sucking 
  wind as soon as it notices intruders, targeting as many PCs 
  as it can in an attempt to first slow them and then hold 
  them in place so that it can slither forth and blast them 
  with wind and crush them with its tentacles. The flying 
  polyp fights to the death.
  Flying Polyp 
  CR 14
  XP 38,400
  hp 207 (see page 86)
  e3. the pit of Silver miSt (Cr 17)
  Over fifty feet across and nearly a hundred feet wide, the ceiling 
  of this immense chamber stretches up into the darkness like a 
  silo. The walls glitter with sparkling blue and purple crystals, 
  with those higher up giving the illusion of colored stars above. 
  A stone door sits at the end of a wide hall to the south, while 
  to either side of this entrance, three large black metal doors 
  loom in the walls (although one set of doors to the northwest 
  has been smashed to rubble). The far side of the room features 
  a wide alcove in which a fountain of glowing blue liquid ripples, 
  but the most significant feature of the massive hall is the vast 
  pit that takes up the majority of the floor, leaving a ten-foot-
  wide ledge around its edges. Silver light shines up from a 
  roiling bank of fog thirty feet down in this immense pit, and 
  now and then, immense rumblings and sloshing sounds, like a 
  whale floundering amid the waves of a distant beach, echo up 
  from the silver-limned depths.
  The vast pit in this room is the anchoring link between 
  the Material Plane and the nightmare realm of Leng—a 
  tether built by Karzoug with significant aid from minions 
  like Mesmalatu and allies on the far side of reality in Leng 
  itself. A successful DC 25 Knowledge (arcana or planes) 
  check allows a character to recognize the pit for what it 
  is, as does a successful DC 35 Spellcraft check made while 
  studying the pit’s strong conjuration aura. This Spellcraft 
  check also reveals the magical link between the pit and 
  the fountain, and that the fountain requires some sort of 
  ritual in order to activate the pit as a portal. 
  The pit is a two-way conduit that periodically allows 
  nightmarish monsters from Leng to stumble into the 
  Material Plane, but before any creature other than a native 
  of Leng can use the pit to enter Leng, a specific ritual 
  must be performed and the creature must be anointed 
  with the waters of the fountain (see Development below). A 
  character who enters the mist before these conditions are 
  met (by falling, flying, climbing down into the pit with 
  a successful DC 20 Climb check, or so on) can continue 
  downward forever, as if the pit were bottomless. Each 
  round a creature ends its turn within the silver mist, it 
  must succeed at a Will save (DC = 15 + 1 per previous save) or 
  take 1d4 points of Wisdom drain. If the save is successful, 
  the creature suddenly appears in the fountain to the north 
  of the pit with a great splash and takes 20d6 points of 
  falling damage.
  The doors to areas E4–E9 are all made of adamantine 
  and carved with depictions of Kadath, similar to the door in 
  area E1 but with no trap. Each door bears a placard above it 
  written in Thassilonian that lists the name of the chamber 
  beyond as given on the following pages. Any character 
  who approaches within 30 feet of the entrance to area E5 
  automatically notices an increase in the ambient humming 
  sound that fills the complex. The doors to area E8 have 
  been smashed down—with a successful DC 25 Knowledge 
  (arcana) check, a PC can confirm that the damage caused 
  to the doors seems to have been caused by a combination of 
  draconic claws and powerful electrical discharges.
  Creature: Creatures from across Leng periodically get 
  pulled through the transdimensional portal here, but 
  most of those, as with anyone who enters the mist without 
  first being attuned, are devoured by the legendary creature 
  that was used to create the deep portal in the first place. 
  This monstrous entity is an unimaginably vast worm 
  from the deep caverns below attacked—a creature called 
  a bhole. The conduit between Leng and the Material Plane 
  was, in fact, created by this monster’s burrowing after 
  Karzoug and his allies from Leng ensorcelled the creature, 
  using it to essentially dig a hole through reality. The bhole 
  remains trapped between worlds now, coiling eternally in 
  the pit. It emerges from the pit 1d4 rounds after any living 
  creature enters the mist, rising a bleached, monstrous 
  head up to attack those in the room. The smashed crystals 
  are the results of prior attacks—PCs could use the bhole’s 
  attacks to help destroy the abysium reactor in area E5 if 
  they open the doors and trick the creature into attacking 
  them. When it attacks, the bhole can essentially move 
  its space anywhere in the pit but cannot leave it—this 
  means that it can physically attack any creature within its 
  reach from the pit’s edge. Once its anger is aroused, the 
  monster remains active in the room for 1d4 rounds after 
  no creatures remain obvious targets, after which it retreats 
  back into the mist until awakened again. If the bhole’s hit 
  points are reduced below 0, it is not slain, but it retreats 
  into the mist and does not emerge again for 24 hours.
  Activating the fountain with the ritual does not cause 
  the bhole to appear, but if the fountain is forced to 
  malfunction, the bhole writhes in pain, emerges, and 
  immediately starts to attack any creatures in the room, 
  attempting to slay them before they can enter the mist and 
  travel to Leng.
  43
  
  Bhole 
  CR 17
  XP 102,400
  hp 290 (see page 84)
  Development: When Cadrilkasta came to this level, 
  she recognized the nature of the pit and fountain, then 
  explored several of the surrounding rooms until she 
  successfully communicated with the whisperstone in area 
  E6 to learn how to activate the portal. Since that point, 
  Mesmalatu (who was awakened from her torpor when the 
  dragon activated the portal) has claimed the resonance 
  crystal from the whisperstone—the PCs can use the stone to 
  learn how to use the portal as well but must first recover 
  the crystal from the demilich.
  In order to activate the portal, a character must expend 
  a nightmare or plane shift spell (either from spells known or 
  prepared, or by using a magic item that allows one of these 
  spells, like the nightmare rod in area E9) while pouring a 
  handful of abysium powder (obtainable at area E5) into the 
  fountain. This method of activation can be determined 
  from the whisperstone, or at your discretion, via spells like 
  divination, vision, or legend lore. Alternatively, destroying 
  or deactivating the abysium reactor and destroying the 
  demilich Mesmalatu causes the fountain to malfunction. 
  In either situation, a creature that then partially or wholly 
  immerses itself in the water and leaps into the silver mist 
  in the pit is transported to area F1.
  Once the portal is activated, the surge of magic causes 
  Mesmalatu to rise from her torpor in area E9—she arrives 
  in area E3 in 1d4+2 rounds if she still lives to investigate 
  and attack any intruders she finds here.
  Story Award: If the PCs manage to activate the portal 
  and step through into Leng without defeating the bhole, 
  award them full experience points as if they had defeated 
  the creature in combat.
  e4. the dreAminG Crypt (Cr 10)
  The walls of this room arch up like massive ribs to form 
  a corrugated ceiling. Between each rib stands an upright 
  sarcophagus—all of them have been pried open to allow the 
  contents to spill out onto the dusty floor. The bones appear to 
  have been gnawed and cracked open.
  The secret door to area E2 can be found with a successful 
  DC 30 Perception check.
  Creature: This room served as a crypt for previous 
  ambassadors to Leng where their bodies were buried 
  in a place of honor. The sarcophagi preserved each of 
  the bodies within, but a relatively recent visitor to the 
  embassy has been working his way through the contents 
  one by one. This visitor is a strange, otherworldly ghoul 
  from Leng named Morcruft. Leng ghouls are far more 
  powerful than standard ghouls, and their features are 
  more bestial, with canine snouts and hoofed feet. A 
  creature that succumbs to ghoul fever contracted from a 
  Leng ghoul becomes a normal ghoul unless in life it had 
  12 or more Hit Dice, in which case it rises from death as 
  a Leng ghoul.
  Morcruft stumbled into the embassy accidentally, 
  appearing in the fountain at area E3 after falling from the 
  ledge in area F1. He survived his fall, but didn’t initially 
  know how to return. He peeked into several of the rooms 
  surrounding area E3 but it was the contents of this room 
  he was the most intrigued by—and upon discovering the 
  dead of each sarcophagus were relatively fresh, he’s spent 
  the last several days enjoying the room’s contents as a 
  connoisseur of fine food might enjoy an exotic buffet.
  If the PCs fight the bhole in area E3, Morcruft hears the 
  battle and peeks out the door. He may even open the door 
  and call the PCs over, perhaps even promising them safety 
  in the tomb. Otherwise, the PCs find Morcruft leaning 
  against the last sarcophagus—he’s eaten all of the bodies 
  here, and while busily finishing off the last skull, he has 
  finally started to worry about how he might be able to 
  return home.
  While chaotic evil, Morcruft is also quite intelligent. 
  His primary desire is to return to the Temple of 
  the Crawling Chaos, and he realizes that powerful 
  adventurers might be able to help him if he helps them 
  in turn—further, he knows that he’s outnumbered and 
  likely outclassed by adventurers who are powerful enough 
  to reach this complex. When the PCs meet Morcruft, he 
  adopts a submissive pose and in a simpering voice begs 
  them to stay their hands. He offers them his aid if they 
  help him get back home, and if he learns that the PCs 
  seek to reach Leng as well, he capers in delight. He 
  watched Cadrilkasta come to area E3 and knows that she 
  performed some sort of ritual to activate the portal, and 
  that she used some sort of dust from area E5 as part of 
  that ritual after she spent about an hour in area E6. He 
  also knows that a short time after the dragon used the 
  ritual to activate the portal to return to Leng, a “sparkly 
  skull floating on a dust ghost” moved through the 
  central room, went into area E6, then returned with a 
  large crystal clutched in its jaws before it returned to area 
  E9, but he isn’t quite sure what this signifies.
  Beyond these observations, Morcruft promises the PCs 
  that if they accompany him back to the Temple of the 
  Crawling Chaos in Leng that he’ll make sure his brothers 
  and sisters who patrol the temple halls treat them well. 
  He can provide the PCs with a rough sketch of the temple 
  as well, although he only knows about areas F1–F6, since 
  he and his kin aren’t allowed deeper into the complex 
  (the Leng ghouls even avoid F6 because of the monstrous 
  guardian there).
  44
  
  Morcruft
  If Morcruft joins the party, play him as a simpering 
  coward in fights who, after a battle, is only too eager to feed 
  on the remains. If he ever realizes that he doesn’t need the 
  PCs to return home (he’s not aware of the fact that, being 
  from Leng, he only needs to jump into the mist in area E3 
  to return), he won’t hesitate to abandon the PCs... perhaps 
  after taking a few bites from a sleeping PC before he goes!
  Morcruft (Leng Ghoul) 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Advanced ghoul (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 146)
  CE Medium undead 
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +20
  DEFENSE
  AC 26, touch 18, flat-footed 18 (+7 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 natural)
  hp 126 (12d8+72)
  Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +13
  Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4; Immune cold, 
  undead traits
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
  Melee bite +15 (1d8+6 plus disease and paralysis), 2 claws +15 
  (1d6+6 plus paralysis)
  Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 1d6+9), sneak attack +2d6
  TACTICS
  During Combat Morcruft giggles and capers as he attacks, 
  preferring to lash out at unarmored foes since he dislikes 
  chipping teeth and claws on metal armor.
  Morale If reduced to fewer than 40 hp, Morcruft shrieks and 
  flees, seeking somewhere to hide. If flight isn’t an option, 
  he begs for mercy.
  STATISTICS
  Str 22, Dex 24, Con —, Int 17, Wis 20, Cha 20
  Base Atk +9; CMB +15 (+17 trip); CMD 35 (37 vs. trip)
  Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Natural 
  Attack (bite), Improved Trip, Toughness, Vital Strike
  Skills Acrobatics +19, Climb +29, Diplomacy +17, 
  Knowledge (planes) +9, Knowledge (religion) +12, 
  Perception +20, Sense Motive +20, Stealth +22
  Languages Aklo, Common
  Story Award: If the PCs secure an alliance with 
  Morcruft and learn what he knows, award them 
  25,600 XP.
  e5. the AbySium Core
  A column of blue-green crystal rises out of the floor to nearly 
  reach the room’s ceiling thirty feet above. To the left and right, 
  additional blue-green crystals protrude from the walls, and 
  flickering bolts of lightning arc back and forth from these to 
  the central crystal. The entire room vibrates with a thunderous 
  humming sound.
  The crystals in this chamber are refined abysium. In 
  this form, the rare skymetal looks more like a crystalline 
  material, and the radioactive energies emitted are much 
  more potent. These energies are what powers many of the 
  magical effects of the Guiltspur Depths. Any character 
  within area E5, or in E3 within the 60-foot spread from the 
  doors to area E5 once they are opened, must succeed at a DC 
  15 Fortitude save each round to avoid being staggered by 
  the potent radiation and taking 1d4 points of Constitution 
  drain. A successful save indicates the character is only 
  sickened for that round.
  Every round creatures are within area E5, there’s a 25% 
  chance a bolt of lightning arcs over to strike a random 
  target, dealing 10d6 points of electricity damage (Reflex 
  DC 15 half).
  The abysium reactor can be destroyed by dealing enough 
  damage to the central pillar (hardness 10, hp 3,600, break 
  DC 65–1 per 100 points of damage currently accumulated). 
  Each time the pillar is damaged by any effect, a bolt of 
  electricity arcs back to strike the source of that effect (see 
  above). As long as the pillar is functional, it repairs damage 
  to itself at a rate of 40 hp per hour. Note that canny PCs can 
  45
  
  use the bhole from area E3 to aid in destroying the pillar. 
  If the bhole attacks and misses a character that’s adjacent 
  to the pillar, the bhole’s momentum carries the attack into 
  the pillar, smashing against it. This causes the bhole to 
  take 10d6 points of electricity damage (no save), but allows 
  it to make a special Strength check modified by its size 
  modifier to break the pillar—this is a +33 Strength check. 
  The bhole gains a cumulative +5 bonus on this check 
  each successive strike it lands against the pillar, but after 
  striking the pillar 5 times it learns from its mistake and 
  no longer attacks foes physically if they’re within 5 feet of 
  the pillar.
  When the pillar is destroyed, it explodes in a 60-foot 
  radius burst that deals 10d6 points of electricity damage 
  and 10d6 points of sonic damage to all creatures in the 
  area (Reflex DC 20 half).
  Treasure: Over the centuries the abysium reactor has 
  hummed away, tiny motes of expended abysium have 
  flaked down to gather in small piles on the floor. Even a 
  cursory examination of the powder reveals a section to the 
  northeast of the central pillar where a massive draconic 
  claw seems to have raked through the stuff to gather 
  some up. Abysium powder is a deadly ingested poison in 
  addition to being a useful component to activate the Leng 
  portal. Rules for abysium powder appear on page 70 of 
  Pathfinder Adventure Path #61. A single dose of abysium 
  is worth 900 gp, and there are effectively 20 doses of the 
  stuff here.
  Development: If the reactor is destroyed, the effects 
  detailed on page 23 immediately cease. It’s now safe to 
  sleep in the Guiltspur Depths, and dimensional travel 
  and scrying now function normally. The Leng portal’s 
  energies fluctuate—if Mesmalatu is slain, the two forces 
  of power that kept the portal stable and mostly closed 
  (Mesmalatu’s faith and the reactor’s energy) vanish, and 
  the silver mist in area E3 now transports any creature that 
  enters the mist (with the exception of the bhole trapped 
  within) to area F1. Mesmalatu immediately notices the 
  reactor’s destruction, rises from her torpor, and comes to 
  investigate, attacking any foes she encounters.
  Story Award: If the PCs manage to deactivate the 
  abysium reactor, award them 51,200 XP.
  e6. whiSperStone SAnCtum
  This relatively plain room has but one feature—an ovoid, six-
  foot-long tan stone that floats two feet in the air above a three-
  foot-high riser. The side of the strange tan stone features a 
  faceted gap, as if some sort of key could nestle within.
  The large block of stone is an unusual artifact from 
  Thassilon’s era known as a whisperstone. Whisperstones are 
  infused with potent divination magic, and Thassilonian 
  wizards often used them to record information and 
  memories, treating them as a sort of telepathic mental 
  library of lore. Each whisperstone is keyed to a specific 
  crystal—in order to store information or access it, a user 
  had to insert the crystal into the stone and maintain 
  physical contact with the crystal for the duration of the 
  information transfer. This particular whisperstone key is 
  currently located in area E9, taken by Mesmalatu after the 
  dragon Cadrilkasta woke her from her torpor by activating 
  the Leng portal. Without the key, a user can still activate 
  the whisperstone, but he must succeed at a DC 35 Use Magic 
  Device check to do so.
  With the key crystal, a user can access the stored 
  memories within the whisperstone (this stone can no 
  longer accept new memories). Using the stone in this 
  manner requires the user to focus his thoughts on a 
  particular topic. If that topic is not one stored in the 
  stone, or if the user doesn’t focus his thoughts, the stone 
  merely infuses the user with the knowledge of how to use 
  the stone. If a user concentrates on a topic associated with 
  Guiltspur, Leng, or Thassilon, he must attempt a DC 20 
  Knowledge (arcana, history, or planes) check—this check 
  can be made untrained. Success indicates that the user 
  finds the information requested, while failure means the 
  user doesn’t find the information and must succeed at a 
  DC 12 Will save to avoid taking 1d4 points of Intelligence 
  damage from information overload. You can use this 
  stone to grant the PCs any information you wish them to 
  know about Guiltspur, Leng, and the like, but very little 
  information about the Temple of the Crawling Chaos can 
  be found here apart from how to use the Leng portal in 
  area E3 to reach it.
  Of special note—if the PCs search the whisperstone 
  for information about the Shard of Sloth, they learn 
  that Mesmalatu relocated the shard to the far side of 
  the Leng portal for safekeeping in the Temple of the 
  Crawling Chaos.
  e7. bindinG ChAmber (Cr 14)
  A set of three statues of a woman with no mouth stand in 
  three different alcoves in this room—the central statue is 
  twice as large, while the statues to the left and right hold out 
  coppery platters on which sit golden braziers that emit dark 
  gray smoke. A ten-foot-diameter blue-green metal grill is set 
  into the floor in the center of the room.
  The metal grill on the floor radiates strong conjuration 
  magic. A DC 30 Spellcraft check identifies this abysium 
  grill as a magical conjuration circle that increases the 
  save DC of all planar binding spells by 2. In addition, the 
  grill itself can be used once per week to target a creature 
  conjured onto the grill with a binding spell (CL 20th), 
  46
  
  AevaENThial
  provided opals, the necessary material components, are 
  scattered into the shallow hollow below the grill.
  The statues are of Lissala—Mesmalatu never bothered 
  defacing them since they weren’t part of an actual temple.
  Creature: Mesmalatu made great use of this chamber 
  many centuries ago before she became a demilich, 
  using the chamber to conjure up all manner 
  of outsiders to torment for secrets and 
  information via the binding effects. 
  Although she hasn’t used the room 
  in many years, the last two 
  of her subjects remain in a 
  metamorphosis binding, one 
  each in the fumes that waft up 
  from the censers held by the north 
  and east statues of Lissala.
  As soon as a living creature 
  enters the room, both bound 
  outsiders manifest their faces 
  in the fumes rising from the 
  censers. To the north appears the 
  foul, leering face of a nalfeshnee, 
  while to the east appears the 
  androgynous but beautiful face of an 
  astral deva. Both faces immediately 
  start howling for the party’s attention, 
  begging for release and attempting to yell 
  over the other.
  An antimagic field or a mage’s disjunction 
  can release one of the bound outsiders, 
  but otherwise there’s only one way to release 
  them, and this method requires destroying 
  one. By picking up one of the censers below a disembodied 
  visage and dumping the smoldering embers within 
  out, the life of the outsider associated with that censer 
  is snuffed out. Doing so immediately frees the other 
  outsider. Both outsiders know how this works and are 
  quick to impart this information to the PCs.
  Of course, there’s a catch. Neither outsider is what 
  it appears to be, for they’re the final result of one of 
  Mesmalatu’s crueler experiments. The minds of the two 
  outsiders have been switched, so that the angel must 
  endure the foulness of the demon’s body, while the demon 
  must endure the terrible purity of the angel’s body. The 
  astral deva imprisoned in the nalfeshnee’s body speaks 
  the truth in a raspy, bellowing pig-demon voice, warning 
  the PCs that a lich swapped their minds between the two 
  bodies, and that the supposed angel is in fact a demon. 
  The demon trapped in the angel’s body uses its melodic 
  voice to warn the PCs that the desperate nalfeshnee is 
  trying to trick the PCs into releasing it, and promises 
  to aid the PCs in their quest if they upend the “demon’s” 
  censer and kill it.
  Since both outsiders currently consist of strongly 
  aligned minds trapped in strongly aligned bodies, any 
  attempt to detect alignments on the two disembodied 
  faces detects good and evil in equal amounts. Both 
  also radiate chaos as well, and this 
  provides a significant clue—if 
  the “angel” is telling the truth, 
  it would be unlikely to radiate 
  chaos at all, since most angels are 
  neutral good (a successful DC 25 
  Knowledge [planes] check can 
  confirm this). The fact that the 
  “angel” radiates chaos indicates 
  the influence of chaos, such as 
  would result from such a creature 
  housing the mind of a demon. 
  The fact that the nalfeshnee is 
  more skilled at Bluff could well 
  spell disaster if the PCs merely 
  take both beings at their word.
  If the PCs release the “angel” by 
  killing the “demon,” the demon-
  possessed angel appears in the flesh 
  and immediately cackles in glee before 
  attacking the PCs, mocking them for 
  their gullibility and foolishness. The “angel” 
  fights to the death unless the abysium 
  reactor has been destroyed, in which case 
  it plane shifts to the Abyss to seek a way to 
  restore its former body once reduced to fewer 
  than 60 hit points.
  If the PCs release the “demon,” it 
  congratulates them on their wisdom and trust, then 
  apologies for its stomach-churning appearance. The 
  angel bears its condition bravely, and vows to aid the PCs 
  for the remainder of the adventure until it can find a 
  way back home. It refuses to use the unholy aura, demon 
  summoning, or unholy nimbus powers that its new body 
  grants it on principle, but otherwise seeks to aid the PCs 
  as best it can, going so far as to sacrifice itself for them 
  if necessary.
  In combat, the abilities of the mind-swapped angel 
  and demon are determined by their bodies, but their 
  actions in combat are governed by their minds. In time, 
  the angel in a demon’s body attempts to return to heaven 
  to submit itself to a painful but necessary “cleansing” to 
  restore its true body, whereas the demon in an angel’s 
  body seeks to capitalize on its new, seemingly innocent 
  form for its own nefarious purposes.
  Beruvexus, Possessed Astral Deva 
  CR 14
  XP 38,400
  hp 172 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 10)
  47
  
  Aevaenthial, Possessed Nalfeshnee (Greed Demon) 
  CR 14
  XP 38,400
  hp 203 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 65)
  Story Award: If the PCs choose correctly and release the 
  possessed demon and gain its aid, grant them XP as if they 
  had defeated it in combat.
  e8. GuiltSpur treASury
  Two stone pillars support the low ceiling of this vault. There are 
  no other furnishings in the chamber, and the room’s walls are 
  lined with empty niches. An immense and broken scorpion-
  shaped statue made of bones lies in the middle of the room.
  This room served Guiltspur as a treasury, but after the 
  end of Thassilon, many of the treasures kept here were 
  plundered by Mesmalatu. When she returned from Leng, 
  she slowly started to rebuild the stores here with items of 
  her own creation or discovery. When Cadrilkasta arrived, 
  she couldn’t resist the lure of treasure—she smashed 
  down the doors and killed the oversized skull ripper that 
  guarded the room, then loaded the chamber’s treasures 
  into her portable hole before moving on. The treasure she 
  looted can now be found in area F10.
  e9. GuiltSpur GrAnd hAll (Cr 17)
  A wide flight of stairs leads up to a large hall. Four black stone 
  pillars support the thirty-foot-high arched ceiling above, while 
  a pale green curtain hangs to the west. Two large faces are 
  carved into the walls to the north and south—the north face 
  grins and the south face scowls. Each face’s mouth is agape, 
  allowing access to a small alcove beyond.
  This room was once used by Mesmalatu and ambassadors 
  from Shalast who came to hold audiences with visitors 
  from Leng. Today, though, it serves as the demilich’s tomb.
  Although only two of the unusual mouth-shaped alcove 
  archways are visible when the PCs first enter the room, a 
  third one gapes far to the west behind the throne itself. 
  This third visage’s expression is one of abject fear. Upon 
  close inspection, a shimmering but mostly transparent 
  field of energy ripples in each of the mouths—the mouths 
  also radiate strong conjuration magic. A successful DC 
  28 Spellcraft check reveals that these mouths are portals, 
  and that anyone stepping into one of the mouths would 
  normally be transported to some unknown location. If the 
  Spellcraft check exceeds its DC by 10 or more, though, the 
  observer also notes that the energy field seems unstable, 
  as if the teleportation effect were malfunctioning. (A 
  character who observed and experienced first-hand the 
  problems with the damaged teleporter in the previous 
  adventure under Windsong Abbey automatically notes this 
  if her DC 28 Spellcraft check succeeds). The teleporters 
  once led to other areas in Guiltspur, but now merely cause 
  excruciating pain to anyone who steps through them, 
  dealing 10d6 points of damage (Fortitude DC 15 half).
  Creature: Mesmalatu’s days of research are long behind 
  her now. As an awakened demilich, she spends the majority 
  of her time in a physical torpor, her mind spiraling 
  through philosophical landscapes and boundless mental 
  explorations of the further realms of probability. While in 
  this state of torpor, she appears as nothing more than a 
  gem-studded skull siting atop a pile of dust on the seat of 
  the throne beyond the emerald curtain.
  The awakened demilich rises from this torpor to attack 
  if any of the treasures in the room are touched or if her 
  remains are disturbed. Mesmalatu also rises from her 
  torpor if the abysium reactor in area E5 is destroyed or 
  the portal to Leng in area E3 is activated—in such cases, 
  she moves to those locations to investigate. If she finds no 
  intruders to attack, she returns to her throne here and falls 
  back into her torpor.
  Mesmalatu 
  CR 17
  XP 102,400
  Female awakened demilich cleric of Nyarlathotep 13 
  (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 66)
  NE Tiny undead 
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., true seeing; Perception +19
  DEFENSE
  AC 25, touch 21, flat-footed 21 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural, 
  +5 profane, +2 size)
  hp 153 (13d8+91)
  Fort +18, Ref +12, Will +19
  Defensive Abilities channel resistance +5, rejuvenation, 
  unholy grace; DR 20/—; Immune acid, cold, electricity, 
  magic, polymorph, undead traits; Resist electricity 20
  Weaknesses priestly shame, torpor, vorpal susceptibility
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)
  Space 2.5 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
  Special Attacks channel negative energy 8/day (DC 21, 7d6), 
  devour soul (DC 21), hand of the acolyte (9/day), telekinetic 
  storm (DC 21)
  Demilich Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th; concentration +25)
  Constant—true seeing
  At will—greater bestow curse (DC 21), telekinesis (DC 20), 
  wail of the banshee (DC 24) (20-ft.-radius spread centered 
  on the demilich)
  Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th; concentration +19)
  9/day—lightning arc (1d6+6 electricity)
  2/day—dispelling touch
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 13th; concentration +19)
  7th—blasphemy (DC 23), still chain lightningD (DC 22)
  48
  
  MesMAlATu
  6th—still control windsD (DC 21), still flame strike (2, DC 21), 
  quickened still inflict light wounds
  5th—greater command (3, DC 21), still imbue with spell 
  abilityD, still spell immunity
  4th—still dispel magic (2), still dispel magicD, still contagion, 
  still inflict serious wounds (2)
  3rd—blindness/deafness (3, DC 19), still hold person, still 
  inflict moderate wounds, still wind wallD
  2nd—still inflict light wounds (3), still obscuring mist, still 
  sanctuary, still shield of faith
  1st—command (3, DC 17), forbid actionUM (3, DC 17), 
  obscuring mistD
  0 (at will)—bleed (DC 16), detect magic, flare (DC 16), light
  D Domain spell; Domains Air, Magic
  TACTICS
  During Combat Mesmalatu’s first action in combat is 
  to attempt to devour the soul of the most dangerous 
  looking target—if the possessed nalfeshnee from 
  area E6 is with the party, she targets it with 
  this ability in preference to the PCs. On the 
  second round, she uses wail of the banshee. 
  On the third round, she casts her most 
  devastating spell. She repeats this pattern, 
  periodically augmenting it with inflict 
  wounds spells to heal herself. If she’s 
  targeted by holy smite or shatter, 
  Mesmalatu’s next action is to cast 
  spell immunity to make herself 
  immune to these spells. 
  Morale Mesmalatu fights until 
  destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 6, Dex 17, Con —, Int 21, Wis 22, 
  Cha 21
  Base Atk +9; CMB +10; CMD 24
  Feats Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms and 
  Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Defensive 
  Combat Training, Dodge, Eschew 
  Materials, Flyby Attack, Quicken 
  Spell, Still Spell, Toughness
  Skills Fly +31, Knowledge (arcana) +21, 
  Knowledge (planes) +21, Knowledge 
  (religion) +21, Perception +19, Sleight of 
  Hand +16, Spellcraft +21
  Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Draconic, Giant, 
  Infernal, Necril, Thassilonian, Undercommon
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Priestly Shame Even though she abandoned her 
  faith thousands of years ago, Mesmalatu still 
  harbors a hidden reserve of shame. Forcefully 
  presenting any object sacred to Lissala 
  (including anything bearing the image 
  of the Sihedron, but not one of the 
  shards of the Shattered Star) as a standard action causes the 
  demilich to become staggered for 1d4 rounds. She can be 
  staggered in this manner no more than once per day.
  Hazard: The long green curtain that separates the 
  throne and western portion of this chamber from view 
  seems to be made of a flexible but strangely damp cloth. 
  It can be manipulated normally, but if subjected to any 
  amount of force (such as an attempt to pull it down, slash 
  it with a sword, or catch it in the area of effect of a damage-
  dealing spell), the entire curtain suddenly detaches from 
  the wall and reverts to its actual composition of green 
  slime. The stuff splatters all targets within 5 feet of either 
  side of the curtain—a successful DC 15 Reflex save enables 
  a PC to avoid being splattered with the slime.
  Green Slime 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200 (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 416)
  Treasure: Mesmalatu’s throne contains 
  more than her remains. A black horned 
  mask sits on the left armrest—this 
  is a nightgaunt mask. A deep purple 
  nightmare rod leans against the chair 
  back. Last but not least, sitting 
  under Mesmalatu’s skull when 
  she’s at rest is a large glittering 
  sapphire. This gem is worth 
  15,000 gp, but also serves as the key 
  to the whisperstone in area E6.
  PART THREE: TEMPle OF 
  THE CRAWLING CHaOS
  The Leng portal is a frightening and 
  nerve-racking method of transportation, 
  especially if someone simply leaps into 
  the pit in area E3 once the portal has 
  been activated. A leap into the mist isn’t 
  required—simply allowing the mist to envelop 
  a creature is enough, so a PC can climb or fly 
  down to the mist if she wishes. At the end of the  
  first round of being enveloped in the mist, the 
  PC suddenly feels the surrounding reality wash 
  away (climbing creatures feel the wall they’re on 
  simply vanish). There are a few moments of 
  vertigo when the PC floats in a silver void 
  without gravity, during which she glimpses 
  a coiling, writhing shape measuring 
  thousands of feet in length through the 
  thin mist—this is the writhing body of 
  the bhole trapped between worlds.
  After a few moments of this 
  unpleasant sensation and scene, 
  49
  
  the PC feels solidity reform around her. The mists part, 
  and the PC finds herself standing on a 40-foot-diameter 
  platform extending from a ragged mountainside—this is 
  area F1a.
  temple feAtureS
  This Temple of the Crawling Chaos is hardly the only one 
  in the realm of Leng, but it is one of the more remote. 
  Karzoug chose this temple as his point of contact for that 
  specific reason—he wisely wanted to limit the number 
  of Leng natives with which he would be dealing, and by 
  choosing a remote site in the far Windswept Range to begin 
  wearing thin the boundaries between Shalast and Leng, he 
  ensured a bit more privacy than had he established a link 
  to the cold wastes themselves.
  The temple itself is built into the side of a wind-blasted, 
  icy mountainside. A small ledge provides a sort of stoop for 
  the temple, but no trail leads up from the lowlands below. 
  A long tunnel connects the temple’s far side to a higher 
  ledge on the other side of the mountain. The rooms inside 
  are lined with porphyry tiles polished to a near reflective 
  sheen. The doors are made of obsidian, and ceiling heights 
  average at 40 feet in halls and 60 feet or more in rooms, 
  giving the interior of the temple an overwhelming and 
  intimating sense of scale, as if it had been built for giants.
  In fact, the temple itself rarely saw much use, and for 
  most of its time has been relatively abandoned save for 
  small numbers of caretakers and monstrous guardians. 
  The place was viewed by Karzoug’s Leng allies as a sort 
  of gathering place before visiting Shalast more than as 
  a temple. The temple is located at an elevation of about 
  20,000 feet. While Leng is not Golarion, the unfortunate 
  side effects from high altitude zones are in full force—
  none of the natives of Leng are affected by these conditions, 
  but the PCs must eventually make Fortitude saves to 
  avoid ability damage, as detailed on page 430 of the Core 
  Rulebook. In addition, the entire temple complex is below 
  freezing (severe cold) in temperature—see page 442 of the 
  Core Rulebook for rules on severe cold.
  f1. temple entrAnCe (Cr 12)
  An ice- and snow-crusted shelf of land over a hundred feet 
  across clings to the side of a mountain cliff. Above and below, 
  dark storm clouds roil and obscure sight of the sky and ground, 
  while to the left and right, the sheer black side of the cliff extends 
  as far as the eye can see. A freezing wind whips through the air, 
  carrying with it a strangely mournful howl. A forty-foot-diameter 
  pagoda-like structure, its domed roof supported by two thick 
  pillars, is attached to the ledge via a short flight of stone steps, 
  leading to a column-lined avenue flanked to each side by three 
  immense stone sphinxes. The avenue leads up to the cliff face, in 
  which wait two immense thirty-foot-tall black stone doors.
  The circular pagoda (area F1a) is the point at which 
  travelers to Leng appear when they use the Leng Portal. The 
  air between the two pillars maintains a swirling ripple, 
  similar to a vertically aligned but mostly transparent 
  vortex—any creature that steps into this vortex from the 
  west side is immediately transported back to the fountain 
  in area E3. The stone pagoda floats in the air, but is as solid 
  as if it were built atop the ground.
  The mountainside is sheer—the cliffs extend for over 1 
  mile up and 2 miles down. A character who steps or falls 
  off the ledge drops several hundred feet and passes into 
  the clouds—visitors to Leng who arrived here via the 
  portal vanish upon entering the clouds only to slam at 
  full falling speed into the fountain in area E3, taking 20d6 
  points of damage.
  The obsidian doors that open into the temple are 
  unlocked and swing open silently at a touch.
  Creatures: A flock of nightgaunts lurk in the nearby 
  crags. While they are forbidden from entering the temple 
  itself, they swiftly react to the arrival of anyone through the 
  portal. Cadrilkasta’s recent use of the portal has particularly 
  intrigued the nightgaunts, who have been waiting ever since 
  for new visitors to torment—hopefully, visitors not as large 
  and dangerous-looking as a blue wyrm. The arrival of the 
  PCs is precisely what they’ve been hoping for.
  Upon noticing the PCs, the 16 nightgaunts swoop down 
  to attack, seeking to torment, tickle, and tackle the PCs. 
  The nightgaunts hope to eventually grab up a PC and then 
  drop him over the edge into the clouds below, but once at 
  least half of their number have been slain, the remaining 
  nightgaunts lose interest and fly away, no longer eager to 
  interact with the obviously too-dangerous PCs.
  Nightgaunts (16) 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  hp 37 each (see page 90)
  f2. the hAllS of lenG
  The walls, floor, and vaulted ceiling of these twenty-foot-wide 
  halls are tiled with reflective slabs of polished purple stone, 
  scarred here and there with cracks and discolorations. Darker, 
  almost black, striations run through these tiles, and when 
  viewed from the corner of the eye, these veins seem to pulse 
  with deeper darkness. Towering statues of regal-appearing 
  men loom at the ends of side passages to either side of the 
  main hall.
  The walls of this temple are eerie and unsettling to 
  look at, and feel strangely clammy to the touch, but are 
  otherwise harmless and treated as normal stone. The 
  statues are images of Nyarlathotep in his guise as the 
  Black Pharaoh. These statues seem to shift and move 
  50
  
  F1a
  F1
  F2
  F3
  F8
  F8a
  F8b
  F9
  F10
  F4
  F5
  F6
  F7
  Temple OF THE CrawlINg CHaos
  1 square = 10 feet
  slightly when one looks away and glances back—again, 
  this is an eerie side effect of the realm of Leng and not 
  something more sinister. The cracked discolorations 
  on the walls are remains from Cadrilkasta’s lightning 
  breath. When she arrived here, she slew several Leng 
  ghouls who once guarded this area—the ghouls have 
  cannibalized those remains but didn’t bother repairing 
  the lightning damage to the walls.
  Creatures: The guardians of the outer chambers of the 
  temple were once powerful moon-beasts in the service 
  of Nyarlathotep, but today these areas are warded only 
  by a small band of Leng ghouls who agreed to serve as 
  caretakers of the tomb. When the PCs arrive, two of these 
  ghouls stand guard in the shadows near the doors to area 
  F3—if the ghouls notice the PCs first, they squeal in shock 
  and quickly move into area F3. If the PCs confront them 
  and destroy them before they can do so, reduce the number 
  of ghouls encountered in area F3 by 2.
  Leng Ghouls (2) 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600 each
  hp 126 each (see page 45)
  f3. ChArnel bAnquet (Cr 16)
  This forty-foot square room may have once been a fine 
  entry hall, but today it is strewn with heaps of half-gnawed 
  dismembered corpses from humans, animals, and things 
  strangely in-between. Only the freezing temperature keeps 
  the smell of this charnel chamber from being overwhelmingly 
  foul. Large black stone double doors stand in the center of the 
  room’s four walls, with those to the north hanging ajar.
  Creatures: The remaining eight Leng ghoul guardians 
  of the temple’s outer halls dwell here—the body parts 
  strewn about the room are the scattered remains of these 
  messy eaters’ last meal. The number of body parts on the 
  ground makes the room difficult terrain, although not for 
  the ghouls, who take a perverse glee in moving gracefully 
  through the frozen carrion.
  Although evil, these ghouls don’t immediately stop to 
  attack the PCs when they enter. Instead, the ghouls crouch 
  and cower and hiss and growl. One of the ghouls stands 
  up and addresses the PCs, demanding they take their 
  still-too-warm bodies back the way they came if they don’t 
  S
  S
  51
  
  want to become dinner. A successful DC 20 Sense motive 
  is enough for the PCs to get the feeling that this is mostly 
  bluster, and that the ghouls aren’t all that interested in 
  fighting. If the PCs attack, the ghouls flee south to area 
  F6, where they cajole the gugs there to help them fight the 
  PCs, but otherwise they fight until destroyed.
  If the PCs are accompanied by Morcruft, their ghoul 
  companion goes a long way toward calming the other 
  ghouls down by explaining how the PCs helped him 
  return to Leng. If Morcruft is not with the PCs, they 
  need to convince the ghouls of their sincerity by making 
  a successful DC 35 Diplomacy check to put them feel at 
  ease enough to talk. Providing the ghouls with a large 
  fresh carcass to eat (such as that of a moon-beast or no 
  fewer than four nightgaunts) grants a +10 bonus on this 
  Diplomacy check.
  If the PCs befriend the ghouls, they’ll allow the PCs 
  to delve deeper into the temple without opposition. The 
  ghouls can explain the purpose of the automatic abattoir 
  in area F4, and can warn them of the gugs in area F6. 
  Of the dragon Cadrilkasta the ghouls know little, save 
  that she killed a dozen of them before the survivors fled 
  and let her continue her rampage through the complex. 
  The dragon paused long enough before her attack to 
  demand the location of a “Shard of Sloth,” but when the 
  ghouls couldn’t answer (they do not know the shard has 
  rested within area F9 for the last 10,000 years or so), she 
  attacked and they fled or died. They know the dragon is 
  still somewhere deeper in the temple, and that the moon-
  beasts who now toil in the Grand Temple are preparing 
  a weapon to use against the dragon, but beyond this they 
  cannot help the PCs.
  Morcruft takes his leave of the PCs at this point, 
  and neither he nor the other ghouls are interested in 
  accompanying the PCs further—although they do 
  note that, if they should happen to kill anything or die 
  themselves, it would be ever so appreciated if the survivors 
  could take it upon themselves to return the delicious 
  remains of such a mortal failure back here for supper.
  Leng Ghouls (8) 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600 each
  hp 126 each (see page 45)
  Story Award: If the PCs manage to avoid fighting the 
  ghouls and learn what the creatures know, award them 
  XP as if they’d defeated the ghouls in combat (76,800 XP 
  for all eight ghouls).
  f4. AutomAtiC AbAttoir
  This awful chamber contains hundreds of hooks hanging from 
  chains dangling from the ceiling. Many of these chains contain 
  the partially butchered bodies of dead humans, animals, and 
  monsters. A bank of ten-foot-tall upright sarcophagi stand 
  along the north wall. Carved into the front of each is a highly 
  detailed image of a human being eaten from all sides by 
  ghoulish figures.
  After Thassilon fell and Mesmalatu returned to 
  Guiltspur, the guardianship of the temple’s outer halls 
  grew half-hearted. Rather than stay here themselves, the 
  moon-beasts who formerly tended the temple conscripted 
  a tribe of Leng ghouls to stand guard. As part of the deal, 
  they outfitted this chamber with six eldritch sarcophagi 
  that would reach out across Leng and even into the 
  Dimension of Dreams or the Material Plane and pluck 
  bodies of the recently slain from across these worlds, 
  placing them inside the sarcophagi at the rate of one body 
  per day. In so doing, the moon-beasts earned the loyalty of 
  the ghouls, who knew a good deal when they saw it.
  Today, five of the six sarcophagi here are empty, but 
  one random sarcophagus contains a fresh body harvested 
  from somewhere else. Feel free to have a little fun with 
  your players here if you want—the body could be someone 
  they recently slew, for example, or could be a body from an 
  entirely different campaign. It could even be a body from a 
  distant planet called Earth.
  f5. CroSSroAdS
  The hallway branches here into a crossroads. To the south 
  the hall ends at a pair of vaguely humanoid statues standing 
  next to each other and holding a purple sphere of crystal 
  between them, while to the west the hall ends at a wall 
  bearing a spiral of glowing runes. To the north the hall 
  extends back into the dark, while to the east the hall falls 
  away into an immense cavern.
  The dead end to the west bears a permanent phase door 
  that allows access to area F7. The spiral of runes is written 
  in Aklo and contain a long invocation to Nyarlathotep,  
  the Crawling Chaos—anyone who reads them aloud 
  activates the phase door and can use it to enter area F7, 
  but unless the speaker is a worshiper of Nyarlathotep, 
  speaking the blasphemous phrases aloud forces the 
  character to attempt a DC 15 Will save to avoid being 
  confused for 1d6 rounds.
  Treasure: The statues to the south hold a crystal ball 
  of the dark void between them, which the ghouls can use 
  to contact and communicate with the moon-beasts who 
  left them here as guards. The ghouls never had to use the 
  crystal ball until recently, when Cadrilkasta tore through 
  the temple. The surviving ghouls used it to report to the 
  moon-beasts, who swiftly traveled to the temple from 
  their lair in Sarkomand via the statue at area F8a.
  52
  
  Gug SavANt
  f6. bone pit (Cr 15)
  The floor of this huge cavern is adrift in dunes of bones. Skulls, 
  femurs, rib cages, and countless more from countless dead 
  stretch from wall to wall, while from stalactites above hang 
  thick cords of sinew on which dangle complex and disturbingly 
  artistic bone chimes.
  When the ghouls finish with their meals, the bones are 
  brought here for disposal—over the ages, they’ve resulted 
  in the massive heaps seen here. These bones (which are 
  stacked 10 feet deep) count as difficult terrain.
  Creatures: The occupants of this massive chamber 
  are a small group of gugs captured in the dark tunnels 
  under Leng and transported here by the temple’s old 
  masters ages ago. The gugs are long-lived, and their 
  inbreeding over the ages has bred into them increased 
  vigor. Only four of them dwell here now, but one of 
  those four has developed into a powerful gug savant. 
  As with most gugs, all four are strangely afraid of Leng 
  ghouls, and follow their commands without question. 
  The ghouls periodically ensure the gugs have food, 
  and have recently thrown them the remains of their 
  kin slain by the dragon—food the savant is eager 
  to eat in order to show his bravery to the others. The 
  bone chimes that hang from the ceiling are the gugs’ 
  creations—an eerie insight into the monsters’ hidden 
  artistic natures. This nature is nowhere in evidence 
  as soon as they see the PCs—they attack on sight and 
  fight to the death, pursuing them throughout the 
  temple unless confronted by a ghoul, in which 
  case they immediately cower and f lee. Canny 
  PCs who learn of this unusual fear can, 
  perhaps, capitalize on it if they can trick 
  the gugs into thinking they’re Leng ghouls 
  themselves, but unfortunately gugs are 
  quite perceptive.
  Gug Savant 
  CR 15
  XP 51,200
  Advanced gug savant (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 
  151, 292)
  CE Large aberration 
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +28
  DEFENSE
  AC 29, touch 13, flat-footed 25 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge,  
  +16 natural, –1 size)
  hp 230 (20d8+140)
  Fort +12, Ref +11, Will +19
  Immune poison, disease
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
  Melee bite +24 (1d8+10), 4 claws +24 (1d6+10)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
  Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 1d6+15)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +16)
  1/day—invisibility, spike stones (DC 20), transmute rock to 
  mud (DC 21), unholy blight (DC 20)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The gug savant hangs back, using its spell-
  like abilities on the PCs for a few rounds while its kin 
  engage in melee before it lumbers up to attack as well.
  Morale The gug savant fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 30, Dex 16, Con 22, Int 15, Wis 20, Cha 22
  Base Atk +15; CMB +26 (+28 bull rush); CMD 40 (42 vs. bull rush)
  Feats Awesome Blow, Dodge, Improved Bull Rush, Improved 
  Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Mobility, 
  Power Attack, Toughness
  53
  
  Skills Climb +41, Disguise +10, Escape Artist +30, Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) +25, Perception +28, Stealth +22, Survival +28
  Languages Undercommon
  Advanced Gugs (4) 
  CR 11
  XP 12,800 each
  hp 157 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 151, 292)
  f7. meSmAlAtu’S phylACtery (Cr 15)
  This chamber has no obvious exits. The wall to one side features 
  a spiraling pattern of runes, with a statue of a regal-looking 
  pharaoh to the right and a twenty-foot-long basalt sarcophagus 
  to the left in a curved alcove. Numerous empty shelves line the 
  walls, while the ceiling overhead is obscured by a thick tangle 
  of cobwebs.
  The spiral of runes is another permanent phase door 
  that functions identically to the door at area F5.
  This chamber is where Mesmalatu made her 
  transformation into a lich. The enormous sarcophagus 
  radiates faint necromancy—a successful DC 30 Spellcraft 
  check made while examining it reveals that the thing is 
  a single-use magical creation intended to aid a specific 
  individual’s transformation into a lich, and that it was 
  originally infused with potent necromantic energies 
  but was already used long ago. Mesmalatu underwent a 
  lengthy ritual to achieve lichdom using this sarcophagus. 
  The ritual ended with her teleportation into the hollow 
  within the sarcophagus, which she then filled with 
  necromantically infused incense smoke so that her body, 
  soon to be dead of dehydration, could steep in the vapors 
  for a year and a day.
  Creatures: A particularly powerful Leng spider 
  captured long ago by Mesmalatu has been placed in stasis 
  in this crypt as a guardian. Although her phylactery is 
  no longer stored here (in fact, she lost this item long ago 
  after she became a demilich), the Leng spider remains 
  in stasis among the webs above. It emerges from stasis 
  as soon as any other living creature enters the chamber 
  and immediately moves to attack. It doesn’t know that 
  Mesmalatu has forgotten about it, and hopes she’s nearby 
  and will keep her promise of releasing it once it kills the 
  next group of intruders.
  Advanced Leng Spider 
  CR 15
  XP 51,200
  hp 232 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 176, 292)
  Treasure: The spacious coffin-sized hollow within 
  the sarcophagus contains a few items of value—old 
  bits of jewelry and magical leftovers from Mesmalatu’s 
  transformation that she had little interest in keeping as 
  a lich. The sarcophagus must be smashed open to get to 
  these items (hardness 8, hp 900, break DC 65) if no one 
  wants to risk teleporting into its interior.
  Within the hollow lies a gold bejeweled brazier worth 
  5,000 gp, an iridescent spindle ioun stone, a belt of mighty 
  constitution +6, and a fine Thassilonian funeral robe made 
  of solidified shadows that shifts and flickers (this is a 
  minor magical effect) worth 7,500 gp.
  f8. bACk doorS
  The two secret doors here can be found with a successful 
  DC 40 Perception check. Behind each door lies a short 
  hallway ending at a statue of the Black Pharaoh with his 
  hands at his side, palms out. A native of Leng who touches 
  both of the statue’s palms is instantaneously whisked 
  away to another temple devoted to the Crawling Chaos—
  the statue in area F8a leads to a temple in the Leng city of 
  Sarkomand, while the statue in area F8b leads instead to 
  a temple on the moon looming high over Leng. A PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 30 Spellcraft check while examining either 
  statue’s strong conjuration aura identifies the use for the 
  statues and the fact that only natives of Leng can safely use 
  them—any other creature that attempts to travel via these 
  statues receives a brief mental image of the destination  
  before being blown backward from the statue by a powerful 
  blast of wind (treat as a tornado-force wind [Pathfinder Core 
  Rulebook 439] that affects only that creature).
  f9. the GreAt temple to the 
  CrAwlinG ChAoS (Cr 17)
  This vast temple rises to a looming height of just over a 
  hundred feet above. The ceiling is supported by pillars 
  of purple porphyry that match the polished sheen of the 
  chambers’ floor, walls, and ceiling. To the south, a flight of 
  stairs descends into the cathedral, while a pair of enormous 
  basalt statues of faceless sphinxes squat to the west. An 
  immense stone bowl, its mouth forty feet across, sits on a 
  huge stone altar to the east, beyond which a twenty-foot-
  wide rent in the east wall provides access to a natural tunnel 
  leading deeper into the mountain. The mangled and burnt 
  corpses of a half-dozen pallid froglike monsters with faces 
  made of tentacles lie haphazardly about the chamber
  This huge temple hasn’t been used for the worship of 
  Nyarlathotep in over 10,000 years. For much of that time, 
  it instead served as the vault for the Shard of Sloth, left 
  by Mesmalatu in the care of a group of undead moon-
  beasts. Those undead monsters still guarded the shard 
  when Cadrilkasta arrived not long ago—the dragon 
  made short work of the creatures and claimed the Shard 
  of Sloth for her own, only to immediately succumb to its 
  curse. Mistaking the lethargy brought on by the shard for 
  54
  
  Cadrilkasta
  exhaustion, the dragon retreated up the tunnel to area 
  F10 and decided to rest for a bit, and has remained there 
  ever since.
  The immense bowl was used at one 
  point in the ancient past to hold the 
  vast sacrifices Nyarlathotep often 
  demanded, but today it is being used 
  for something even more sinister.
  Creatures: After Cadrilkasta’s 
  attack on the temple, the Leng 
  ghouls contacted their moon-
  beast masters to report it.  
  These monsters quickly came 
  to the temple to investigate, 
  but when they first attempted to 
  confront the torpid dragon, 
  she slew three of them with 
  ease, forcing the others to 
  retreat and regroup. Their current 
  plan simmers and bubbles hideously 
  in the enormous sacrificial bowl. 
  The moon-beasts are performing 
  a blasphemous ritual to draw upon 
  the dreaming nightmares of countless 
  insane minds who have been touched 
  by Leng over the years, focusing those 
  nightmares on the dead cleric in the 
  bowl and infusing it with horror. The 
  ritual nears its completion—bubbling in 
  the bowl is an almost completely formed 
  shoggoth, a formless night-black monstrosity 
  born of myriad lunatic nightmares.
  The moon-beasts have been taking shifts 
  so they can constantly maintain the complex 
  ritual to grow the shoggoth to full size, and they are 
  only 7 days away from success at the time the PCs first 
  enter this room. Of the four moon-beasts, one of them 
  carries on the ritual while the others watch and rest 
  and guard—the arrival of the PCs gives them a rare 
  opportunity to speed the ritual to its conclusion. If the 
  moon-beasts can get the PCs close enough to the still-
  immobile but otherwise fully functional shoggoth, it 
  can lash out from the bowl and engulf them, drawing 
  enough life energy from their bodies to hasten the end 
  of the ritual. If the moon-beasts can’t magically compel 
  or otherwise grab the PCs and pull them within range of 
  the shoggoth’s location, they’ll do their best to render the 
  PCs unconscious and simply carry the bodies over to feed 
  it. The moon-beast currently performing the ritual can 
  afford to pause long enough to join in the battle as well.
  The shoggoth cannot move from within the confines 
  of the bowl or use its maddening cacophony attack until 
  the ritual is finished. The rim of the bowl is 25 feet off 
  the ground, which means that the shoggoth can reach 
  any creature standing on the ground in a square adjacent 
  to the bowl’s rim. Each living creature the shoggoth 
  manages to kill and engulf shortens the length of its 
  remaining 7 days by 3 days—if it kills and engulfs 
  three creatures (who must have at least 11 Hit Dice—
  PCs and moon-beasts alike count!), it 
  can slither up and out of its bowl. If 
  no one remains to lure the shoggoth 
  up to area F10, the creature begins 
  exploring the temple at random, 
  eventually confronting Cadrilkasta 
  as 
  the 
  moon-beasts 
  themselves 
  originally hoped.
  Note that while the shoggoth in 
  this encounter is normally a CR 19 
  foe, the fact that it is immobile and 
  cannot use all of its special attacks means 
  that the CR of the encounter CR itself is 
  only 17 in total, even including the moon-beasts.
  Advanced Moon-Beasts (4) 
  CR 12
  XP 19,200 each
  hp 161 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 195)
  Shoggoth 
  CR 19
  XP 204,800
  hp 333 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 249)
  Development: If the PCs kill 
  all of the moon-beasts, the ritual 
  to finish conjuring the shoggoth is 
  disrupted. The shoggoth begins to waste 
  away, taking 1 negative level per round, and 
  finally melting away once these negative levels equal its 
  total Hit Dice. A successful DC 30 Knowledge (arcana 
  or religion) check made while studying the strong 
  conjuration aura emitted by the bowl and its almost-
  conjured shoggoth reveals what the moon-beasts were up 
  to, and while it doesn’t impart to the PCs knowledge of 
  how to complete the ritual traditionally, they do know 
  that sacrificing enough creatures with 10 HD or more will 
  finish the summoning, perhaps allowing unscrupulous 
  or foolhardy PCs a particularly devastating tool to use 
  against the dragon. If they still survive, the Leng ghouls 
  can provide the PCs a somewhat guilt-free option for 
  fueling the ritual.
  Story Award: If the PCs prevent the shoggoth from 
  being freed by killing the moon-beasts and then kill the 
  creature (either by attacking it or just letting it accumulate 
  enough negative levels), award them an additional 25,600 
  XP. If instead they finish the ritual themselves and lure 
  the shoggoth onward to attack Cadrilkasta (or simply kill 
  55
  
  the shoggoth after it gets loose), award them experience 
  as if they had defeated the shoggoth in battle.
  f10. the CurSed drAGon (Cr 19)
  A twenty-foot-wide cavern opens onto a high mountain ledge 
  here. The air is unnaturally still and cool, and a mound of 
  rubble into which an immense nest of sorts has been built sits 
  against the cliff side to the south. But the view to the north 
  is far more overwhelming, for here, a ragged black mountain 
  range extends to the horizon. In the distance, brooding upon 
  the range’s highest peak, is an unsettling and impossibly tall 
  castle, its towers rising up as if a hand were reaching skyward 
  toward the gibbous moon.
  The castle in the distance is Kadath, the crown of Leng 
  and one of the Crawling Chaos’s many lairs. As detailed in 
  the gazetteer of Leng starting on page 64, gazing for too long 
  upon Kadath can have dangerous effects on mortal minds. 
  The mountain ledge drops away into a vast emptiness filled 
  with clouds—a character who flies down (or falls) into these 
  clouds returns to area E3, as detailed in area F1.
  Creature: The blue wyrm Cadrilkasta has been 
  slumbering here for weeks, her draconic metabolism not 
  yet having driven her to action to fight against the Shard 
  of Sloth’s curse. As a result, she’s acclimated to the high 
  altitude—she also protects herself from the cold with 
  endure elements. In time, she’ll rouse herself and make her 
  way back to Guiltspur, but without the PCs’ interference, 
  that day is still weeks, perhaps months, in the future. 
  When she notices the PCs, she raises a sleepy head off the 
  ground to regard them as she clutches the Shard of Sloth 
  possessively in one talon (she won’t make attacks with 
  this claw once combat begins). Unless the PCs attack her 
  on sight, the dragon rumbles an arrogant but somewhat 
  listless greeting to them.
  “And you would be those I have dreamed about. I can smell the 
  other shards on you. Thank you for bringing them to me, apes. 
  Leave them here with me, and I will not contest your immediate 
  and silent departure.”
  Cadrilkasta is willing to entertain other forms of 
  discussion and conversation for a short time as well—
  you can use this opportunity to answer questions that 
  curious players may have about the events that occurred 
  behind the scenes of this adventure. Eventually, though, 
  the dragon grows impatient with the delay and lashes out 
  with a breath weapon—allow PCs in a discussion with 
  her to make Sense Motive checks against her Bluff to 
  determine if this occurs during a surprise round or not.
  Of course, if the PCs lure a released shoggoth up to this 
  ledge to attack the dragon, there’s not going to be time for 
  discussion—the shoggoth’s maddening cacophony attack 
  prevents it from surprising the dragon, for its cries of 
  “Tekeli-li!” as it hurtles up the tunnel are impossible for 
  even a cursed dragon to ignore.
  Cadrilkasta 
  CR 19
  XP 204,800
  hp 351 (see page 58)
  Treasure: Beyond the significant amount of valuables 
  that Cadrilkasta wears in the form of jewelry and magic 
  (this treasure is listed in her stat block), the dragon has 
  much of treasure she looted on her way through Guiltspur 
  (mostly taken from Mesmalatu’s treasury in area E8) to 
  establish a hoard here in her temporary lair. A fair amount 
  of this treasure consists of loose coins and art objects—
  gathering it all up and sifting it out from the rubble and 
  snow in the dragon’s nest takes at least an hour, although 
  using detect magic can significantly speed up the process of 
  gathering the magic items. Cadrilkasta transported most 
  of the treasure here via a portable hole, but spread the wealth 
  out when she established her lair here.
  There’s a total of 120,300 cp, 65,750 sp, 22,075 gp, and 
  1,937 pp scattered around Cadrilkasta’s nest. In addition, 
  the collection of treasures includes a masterwork 
  longsword with a filigreed platinum handle worth 557 
  gp, four large darkwood and mother-of-pearl keys shaped 
  like demons that do not open any lock in this adventure 
  but are each worth 500 gp, a shrew statuette wearing 
  a pointed cap carved from smoky quartz worth 75 gp, a 
  magnificent mithral tray depicting a murder of crows 
  around a dead tree featuring tiny little flakes of jet for the 
  crows’ eyes and worth 2,500 gp, a Small +2 flaming spear, 
  a huge jug containing sand and 50 pearls worth 100 gp 
  each, a lens of detection in a silk pouch embroidered with an 
  image of a snake eating a hound (the pouch itself is worth 
  50 gp), a huge gilt-edged tureen depicting a dragon turtle 
  and set with a trio of diamonds (worth 5,300 gp in total), 
  an eversmoking bottle carved to resemble a fat man with an 
  open upturned mouth, a leather case containing a manual 
  of gainful exercise +3, a poorly taxidermied gnome with a 
  frozen elixir of firebreath in his mouth, the fully articulated 
  skeleton of a dog-man (the wire used to articulate the 
  skeleton is silver and worth a total of 250 gp), a glass jar 
  containing a two-headed owlbear fetus that clutches a 
  stone of good luck in one beak and a stone of weight in the 
  other, and a complicated adamantine puzzlebox scroll 
  tube worth 4,000 gp and containing a scroll of miracle 
  (opening the scroll tube requires a successful DC 35 
  Disable Device check) .
  Story Award: Recovering the Shard of Sloth and activating 
  it with an incandescent blue sphere ioun stone (such as the one 
  found in area C5) earns the PCs 38,400 XP.
  56
  
  CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE
  With the defeat of Cadrilkasta and the recovery of 
  the Shard of Sloth, the PCs’ quest for the Shattered Star 
  essentially comes to a close. The Adventure Path assumes 
  the PCs face no more significant threats before they 
  return to Magnimar with their prize (although should 
  the PCs wish to explore Leng further, there is certainly 
  no shortage of high-level adventure to be had there!). As 
  with the end of the previous adventures in this campaign, 
  once the PCs return to Magnimar and document their 
  experiences, the Fame scores of PCs who are members of 
  the Pathfinder Society increase by 16, and they earn 16 
  Prestige Points for their accomplishments.
  While the recovery of the seven shards is certainly an 
  accomplishment worthy of legend, actually rebuilding 
  the Sihedron itself is an even greater task. Once the PCs 
  return to Magnimar, Sheila Heidmarch informs them 
  that many famous individuals have come to or are en 
  route to Magnimar not only to witness the rebuilding of 
  the Sihedron, but also to meet the adventurers who braved 
  five Thassilonian ruins to recover the shards. She asks 
  them to take part in the reforging ritual, pointing out 
  that this is an opportunity for them to revel in their glory 
  and enjoy their fame—leaving unsaid but implied the 
  increased prestige that this accomplishment will bring 
  the Pathfinder Society.
  Unfortunately, the ritual is fated to have one significant 
  and unintended consequence: the contingent activation of 
  powerful ancient magic that has slumbered at the bottom 
  of the ocean for a hundred centuries. The ancient sunken 
  city of Xin rises, unleashing a series of monster-infested 
  tsunamis—a sign of a new danger on the horizon. The 
  quest for the Shattered Star was intended to arm Varisia’s 
  newest heroes with a potent artifact that could be used 
  to defend the land from future dangers rising from the 
  region’s ancient past. That its creation would trigger one 
  such danger is revealed in the final adventure: “The Dead 
  Heart of Xin.”
  57
  
  A native of the Hold of Belkzen, Cadrilkasta has abandoned her homeland and the orcs who have 
  come to fear her for a new venture: an expedition to the Storval Plateau in search of an ancient 
  treasure—the Shard of Greed.
  Cadrilkasta 
  CR 19
  XP 204,800
  Female wyrm blue dragon (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 94)
  LE Gargantuan dragon (earth)
  Init +2; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., dragon 
  senses; Perception +34
  Aura electricity (10 ft., 2d6 electricity), frightful presence (330 ft., 
  DC 28)
  DEFENSE
  AC 39, touch 4, flat-footed 39 (–2 Dex, +35 natural, –4 size)
  hp 351 (26d12+182)
  Fort +22, Ref +15, Will +20; +2 vs. conjuration spells
  Defensive Abilities evasion, freedom of movement; DR 20/
  magic; Immune electricity, paralysis, sleep; SR 30
  Weaknesses curse of sloth
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., burrow 10 ft., fly 125 ft. (clumsy)
  Melee bite +38 (4d6+16/19–20), claw +38 (2d8+16), tail slap +33 
  (2d8+19), 2 wings +36 (2d6+9)
  Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
  Special Attacks breath weapon (120-ft. line, 22d8 electricity, 
  Reflex DC 30 half, usable every 1d4 rounds), crush (4d6+19, 
  DC 30), desert thirst (DC 28), mirage, storm breath (DC 30), 
  tail sweep (2d6+19, DC 30)
  Dragon Spell-Like Abilities (CL 26th; concentration +35)
  At will—create water, ghost sound (DC 15), hallucinatory 
  terrain (DC 19), minor image (DC 16), veil (DC 21), 
  ventriloquism (DC 16)
  Shard of Sloth Spell-Like Abilities (CL 26th; concentration +35)
  1/day—summon monster III
  Spells Known (CL 15th; concentration +25)
  7th (4)—greater scrying (DC 22), prismatic spray (DC 22)
  6th (6)—chain lightning (DC 21), contingency, geas/quest
  5th (7)—dominate person (DC 20), nightmare (DC 20), 
  sending, teleport
  4th (7)—charm monster (DC 19), greater invisibility, 
  phantasmal killer (DC 19), wall of ice
  3rd (7)—dispel magic, displacement, gaseous form, slow (DC 18)
  2nd (7)—alter self, command undead (DC 17), detect thoughts 
  (DC 17), glitterdust (DC 17), scorching ray
  1st (8)—charm person (DC 16), endure elements, grease (DC 16), 
  magic missile, reduce person (DC 16)
  0 (at will)—bleed (DC 15), detect magic, light, mage hand, 
  message, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic, touch of 
  fatigue (DC 15)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Cadrilkasta casts endure elements every day.
  During Combat Although Cadrilkasta is a dangerous foe, the 
  curse that afflicts her helps to soften that danger somewhat. 
  She doesn’t bother casting many preparatory spells before 
  combat, and for the first few rounds of battle she doesn’t 
  bother taking more than a move action, and stays in her 
  nest. She clutches the Shard of Sloth tightly in one claw at all 
  times, which prevents her from making a second claw attack 
  even when she does start making full attacks. At the start of 
  combat, Cadrilkasta activates her storm breath ability, calling 
  down a bolt of lightning on the closest foe. She continues 
  calling down bolts each round until she’s reduced to fewer 
  than 250 hit points. At this point, she realizes she’s up against 
  significant foes. She then leaps into the air and starts taking 
  her full complement of actions (at which point her curse 
  makes her sickened). She prefers not to make full attacks, 
  and instead swoops back and forth while casting spells or 
  breathing lightning on the PCs. She also starts using Quicken 
  Spell to cast additional spells each round—displacement on 
  the first round, followed by glitterdust, scorching ray, magic 
  missile, grease, and reduce person. She saves a 7th-level spell 
  slot for summon monster VII, three 5th-level spell slots for 
  her teleport spells, and at least two 4th-level slots for charm 
  monster spells to be used as detailed in her Morale section 
  if she flees. Once she’s reduced to fewer than 150 hit points, 
  her contingency spell activates, turning her invisible. She then 
  casts teleport to retreat to area F3, where she casts summon 
  monster VII to summon 1d3 lillend azatas, then orders them 
  to heal her with cure serious wounds and cure light wounds. 
  Once they exhaust their healing, she uses her mirage ability 
  to create a duplicate image of herself farther up the tunnel, 
  making it appear that she’s come back to cast more spells and 
  breathe more lightning at foes while her lillends move up to 
  attack the PCs as well. As soon as her mirage ends or the PCs 
  confront her in F3, she lands in their midst and starts making 
  full attacks (still minus one claw attack).
  Morale Cadrilkasta tries to escape if reduced to 
  60 hit points or fewer, taking with her only the 
  58
  
  treasures she carries or wears and leaving the rest behind 
  in area F10. She casts teleport to return to area F1, then 
  flees through the portal back to area E3 in the Embassy of 
  Leng (she doesn’t realize she can do the same by fleeing 
  into the clouds below). The dragon makes her way back 
  through the dungeons—pausing to breathe a bolt of 
  lightning into the pit at area E3 to wake up and anger the 
  bhole so that pursuing PCs need to deal with it (unless 
  they’ve already damaged the bhole enough to make it 
  retreat for an extended time). As she works her way back 
  up through the dungeon, Cadrilkasta uses charm monster 
  to recruit additional creatures to slow down her pursuers. 
  Once she exits the dungeon (or immediately upon returning 
  to the Material Plane if the abysium reactor is no longer 
  functioning), she uses teleport to escape into an old lair in 
  the Kodar Mountains. 
  STATISTICS
  Str 37, Dex 6, Con 25, Int 20, Wis 21, Cha 20
  Base Atk +26; CMB +43; CMD 51 (55 vs. trip)
  Feats Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, 
  Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Improved Vital 
  Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Maximize Spell, Multiattack, 
  Power Attack, Quicken Spell, Staggering Critical, Vital Strike
  Skills Bluff +34, Diplomacy +34, Fly +13, Intimidate +34, 
  Knowledge (arcana) +34, Knowledge (geography) +34, 
  Knowledge (history) +34, Knowledge (nature) +34, 
  Perception +34, Sense Motive +34, Stealth +15
  Languages Aquan, Common, Draconic, Giant, Thassilonian, 
  Varisian
  SQ contingency, sound imitation
  Gear amulet of mighty fists +3, portable hole, ring of 
  evasion, ring of freedom of movement, Shard of 
  Sloth, contingency statuette worth 4,500 gp
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Contingency If Cadrilkasta is 
  reduced to 150 hit points or 
  fewer, greater invisibility 
  activates on her.
  Curse of Sloth Cadrilkasta is under the curse of sloth from the 
  Shard of Sloth she carries (Pathfinder #61 69).
  Cadrilkasta’s mother was slain by a party of adventurers not 
  long before Cadrilkasta’s egg hatched, but the miscreants 
  failed to locate the dragon’s lair. Having hatched with 
  no parents or siblings but inheriting a sizable treasure, 
  Cadrilkasta spent her early years making raids against 
  the orcs to the south and barbarians to the north. By the 
  time she was an adult, she was frustrated by her lack of 
  learning and relocated her lair to the Hungry Mountains. 
  There she spent many decades abducting scholars to force 
  them to broaden her education, particularly with stories 
  of ancient Thassilon. Once she felt she’d learned all she 
  could, she returned to Belkzen to build her legend among 
  the orc tribes—although killing orcs was generally only a 
  method for her to gain access to more Thassilonian ruins 
  to explore and loot.
  Campaign Role
  If Cadrilkasta makes it back to her old lair, she hides out 
  long enough to heal, during which time she uses greater 
  scrying to spy on the PCs and nightmare to show them she 
  will come after them someday. The dragon could track the 
  PCs all the way to Magnimar or even the city of Xin in an 
  attempt to kill them and get back her treasure!
  59
  
  Xaivanshee leads a small group of highly trained specialists far beyond the walls of the drow 
  city of Zirnakaynin in search of an artifact that she needs to complete her personal quest to 
  become a vampire.
  Xaivanshee Rasivrein 
  CR 15
  XP 51,200
  Female drow noble cleric of Zura 15 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 115)
  CE Medium humanoid (elf)
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 120 ft.; Perception +17
  Aura cloak of chaos (DC 23)
  DEFENSE
  AC 28, touch 20, flat-footed 22 (+7 armor, +4 deflection, +5 Dex, 
  +1 dodge, +1 shield)
  hp 172 (15d8+101); fast healing 10
  Fort +17, Ref +14, Will +18; +2 vs. enchantments, +4 vs. fear 
  and poison
  Defensive Abilities Zura’s favor; Immune sleep; SR 26
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +3 horacalcum rapier +18/+13/+8 (1d6+3/18–20), +3 keen 
  mithral rapier +17 (1d6+3/15–20)
  Special Attacks aura of madness (DC 22, 15 rounds/day), 
  channel negative energy 5/day (DC 19, 8d6), chaos blade  
  (7 rounds, 2/day)
  Demonic Obedience Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; 
  concentration +20)
  1/day—vampiric touch
  Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +20)
  8/day—touch of chaos, vision of madness (+/–7)
  Drow Noble Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +17)
  Constant—detect magic
  At will—dancing lights, deeper darkness, faerie fire, feather 
  fall, levitate
  1/day—dispel magic, divine favor, suggestion (DC 15)
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 15th; concentration +20)
  8th— cloak of chaosD (DC 23), rift of ruinBOTD2 (DC 23)
  7th—destruction (DC 22), insanityD (DC 22), mass cure serious 
  wounds (DC 22)
  6th—blade barrier (DC 21), heal, heroes’ feast, phantasmal 
  killerD (DC 21)
  5th—breath of life (2), dispel lawD, greater command (2, DC 20), 
  mass cure light wounds (DC 20)
  4th—air walk, confusionD (DC 19), cure critical wounds, 
  freedom of movement, greater magic weapon (2)
  3rd—bestow curse (DC 18), blindness/deafness (DC 18), cure 
  serious wounds (2), magic circle against lawD, magic vestment
  2nd—cure moderate wounds (2), hold person (DC 17), resist 
  energy, silence (DC 17), touch of idiocyD
  1st—command (DC 16), cure light wounds (3), lesser 
  confusionD (DC 16), obscuring mist, shield of faith
  0 (at will)—bleed (DC 15), detect magic, read magic, stabilize
  D Domain spell; Domains Chaos, Madness
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Xaivanshee uses her extend metamagic rod to 
  cast an extended heroes’ feast for herself and her allies every 
  day. She also casts magic vestment on her armor and greater 
  magic weapon on both rapiers, then casts cloak of chaos 
  on herself (this lasts for 24 hours due to her favor with her 
  deity). If she knows she’s about to enter combat, she casts 
  air walk and freedom of movement.
  During Combat Xaivanshee hangs back in combat, letting her 
  allies occupy foes in melee as long as possible. Her first act in 
  the battle is to cast rift of ruin to open a chasm under the feet 
  of any enemies standing on the ground. On the second round, 
  she causes the rift to close by summoning a bebilith through 
  it to fight alongside her. (If you don’t have access to rift of ruin, 
  replace this spell with summon monster VIII.) Xaivanshee uses 
  her ranged attack spells in following rounds. If she sees her 
  allies have become wounded, she moves in to aid them with 
  healing spells. She’s well aware that the longer they live, the 
  longer they can protect her. She enters melee combat if she 
  has to, but tries to cast divine favor beforehand. She saves heal 
  to cast on herself once she’s reduced to 50 hit points or fewer.
  Morale Xaivanshee goes to any lengths to remain alive if faced 
  with certain defeat, taking hostages to bargain for escape, 
  fleeing in outright cowardice, offering bribes, or begging for 
  mercy (in that order of preference).
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 20, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 20, Cha 15
  Base Atk +11; CMB +11; CMD 31
  Feats Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, 
  Demonic ObedienceBOTD2, Dodge, Toughness, Two-Weapon 
  Defense, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Diplomacy +13, Knowledge (religion) +12, Linguistics +6, 
  Perception +17
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Elven, Necril, Undercommon
  SQ elven magic, poison use, weapon familiarity
  Combat Gear extend metamagic rod; Other Gear +1 elven chain 
  60
  
  shirt, +1 horacalcum rapier, +1 keen mithral rapier, belt of physical 
  might +4 (Dex, Con), gloves of arrow snaring, instant fortress, 
  slave collar keys (3, each attuned to her hunt mistress’s slave 
  collars), spell component pouch, unholy symbol of Zura, fine 
  spidersilk robes worth 2,500 gp
  BOTD2 See Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lords of Chaos, Book of the 
  Damned, Vol. 2
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Demonic Obedience This feat grants Xaivanshee vampiric 
  touch as a spell-like ability and a +4 profane bonus on saving 
  throws against the supernatural abilities of undead. In order to 
  maintain Zura’s Favor and the other effects of the feat, every 
  day while she prepares her spells Xaivanshee must drink the 
  blood of a willing creature while allowing that creature to 
  drink some of her own blood.
  Profane Gift (Su) Xaivanshee has a +2 profane bonus to 
  her Constitution—a profane gift from the succubus 
  Liluresha, who serves the 
  demon lord Zura.
  Zura’s Favor (Su) 
  Xaivanshee currently 
  enjoys the favor of her 
  patron demon lord, 
  Zura. As a result, her 
  cloak of chaos spell lasts for 24 
  hours when cast, and she gains 
  fast healing 10. If she ever loses 
  Zura’s favor or fails to perform her 
  Demonic Obedience, she loses these 
  benefits forever, takes 2d6 points 
  of Wisdom drain, and gains 2d4 
  permanent negative levels.
  Xaivanshee Rasivrein has sworn her 
  life to the demon lord Zura. Instead 
  of playing the political game and 
  building relationships (healthy or 
  otherwise), Xaivanshee devoted 
  herself completely to Zura, 
  and in time became one of 
  her house’s most powerful 
  clerics—a fact she took great 
  pains to keep to herself.
  Xaivanshee’s greatest desire is to 
  become a vampire, and she hopes 
  that the newfound power such a 
  transformation would bring her 
  will allow her to seize control of 
  her House. Yet she rankles at the 
  thought of serving another—to the 
  domineering drow, submitting to a 
  vampire’s bite is akin to slavery. However, 
  with Zura’s favor and her own painstaking 
  research into a vile ritual, Xaivanshee has developed her 
  own method to achieve vampirism. 
  But as she has worked on her necromantic goals, the 
  city of Zirnakaynin grew increasingly unstable. When 
  one of the city’s most powerful groups, House Azrinae, 
  attempted a devastating attack on the surface elves only to 
  be defeated by heroes from the surface world, Zirnakaynin 
  was thrown into chaos. House Rasivrein, like the city’s 
  other noble houses, grew increasingly desperate to fill the 
  vacancy in power left by Azrinae’s fall. Xaivanshee watched 
  in amusement from the shadows as her kin struggled to 
  increase their house’s standing in the growing violence and 
  discord, enjoying the fact that the growing turmoil gave 
  her greater freedom to pursue her own goals. A final 
  series of visions from Zura recently showed her the 
  last step in her vampiric transformation ritual—she 
  must seek out a specific 
  powerful and ancient 
  necromantic artifact with 
  which to take her own life. 
  She must recover the 
  Shard of Sloth and use 
  it to slit her own throat.
  Campaign Role
  Xaivanshee can either compete 
  with the PCs or temporarily ally 
  with them. Leading a small group 
  of enslaved half-sisters, she’s come 
  to the Guiltspur Depths to seek 
  out the Shard of Sloth, but has not 
  yet begun her investigation of the 
  dungeons beyond the region known 
  as the Core. Wise in her ways, she 
  sees the PCs as tools first and enemies 
  second—she wants to recruit their aid 
  in recovering the shard, and is quick 
  to point out that she needs it only 
  for as long as it would take her to 
  commit suicide with the sharp-
  edged artifact. Once she’s done 
  with it, the PCs are free to keep 
  it for themselves.
  Assuming the PCs decide to work 
  with her instead of fighting her, she 
  proves to be a trustworthy ally—
  up until the point when she uses 
  the shard to become a vampire. 
  By then, she’s come to value the 
  PCs’ utility, and if the PCs allow 
  her to finish her ritual, she attempts 
  to dominate them all and, eventually, 
  transform them into her vampiric thralls.
  61
  
  The following unique treasures can be found in “Into the Nightmare Rift.” Player-appropriate 
  handouts appear in the GameMastery Shattered Star item card set.
  Censer of Dreams
  Aura moderate abjuration; CL 11th
  Slot none; Price 8,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
  DESCRIPTION
  Typically crafted of bronze, brass, or copper with an upper 
  section of silver or mithral, a censer of dreams protects sleeping 
  minds from the fell influence of magical nightmares. A censer 
  of dreams can burn any type of incense as per a normal censer, 
  but can also be commanded to emit lavender-scented fumes 
  that fill a 30-foot-radius spread for up to 8 continuous hours 
  per day, as long as the censer remains immobile. Strong winds 
  disperse this effect, and moving the censer causes the effect to 
  end immediately, but otherwise, any creature that sleeps in this 
  area gains a +4 bonus on all saving throws made against dream- 
  or nightmare-related effects, such as the nightmare spell or the 
  effects of the nightmares caused by the abysium reactor in this 
  adventure. A night hag cannot use her dream haunting ability in 
  an area under this effect, and at the GM’s discretion, the effect 
  can block other strange effects that target sleeping or dreaming 
  minds. All creatures who sleep for the full 8 hours in this area 
  awaken particularly refreshed, having had pleasant dreams in 
  which they explored idyllic landscapes and spoke with charming 
  and eccentric creatures. Upon awakening, these subjects heal 
  as if they’d taken complete bed rest for an entire day and night 
  (recovering twice their character level in hit points).
  CONSTRUCTION
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, dream; Cost 4,000 gp
  Crystal Ball of the Dark Void
  Aura moderate divination; CL 10th
  Slot none; Price 60,000 gp; Weight 7 lbs.
  DESCRIPTION
  Crystal balls of the dark void look like dark-colored crystal balls. 
  Upon inspection, most appear to be filled with roiling clouds 
  of midnight blue smoke, but some seem to contain motes of 
  light that evoke the night sky. This item functions as a standard 
  crystal ball, but can be used to cast sending once per day 
  targeting any creature observed in the crystal ball.
  Once per month, the user can attempt to use a crystal ball 
  of the dark void to contact a flying creature from the depths 
  of space called a shantak (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 244). 
  The user must attempt at a DC 25 Spellcraft check. If the 
  attempt to contact a shantak is successful, the monster flies 
  to the location where the user was when contact was made. 
  It arrives there in 3d20 hours, at which point the user must 
  use Diplomacy or magic to compel the shantak to serve him. 
  Failure to do so (or failure to meet the shantak) causes the 
  angry shantak to remain in the area for 2d6 hours, attacking 
  anything that comes near.
  Every time a crystal ball of the dark void is used, there’s a 
  5% chance that the item doesn’t work as intended and instead 
  reveals glimpses of alien horrors from the depths of the Dark 
  Tapestry to the user, who must immediately attempt a DC 20 
  Will save to avoid taking 1d4 points of Wisdom drain.
  CONSTRUCTION
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, scrying, sending; Cost 
  30,000 gp
  Nightgaunt Mask
  Aura moderate divination; CL 11th
  Slot head; Price 30,000 gp; Weight 1 lbs.
  DESCRIPTION
  A black, horned nightgaunt mask has two eyeholes but no other 
  facial features. When the mask is worn, even the eyeholes 
  vanish, leaving the wearer with no visible face at all. The wearer 
  gains the advantages shared by the faceless nightgaunts on 
  which the mask is based. The entire face of the mask functions 
  as a sort of “eye,” allowing the wearer to see normally. The 
  wearer also gains a +4 bonus on all saving throws against gaze 
  attacks, and does not breathe (and is thus immune to inhaled 
  toxins and scent-based effects). However, the wearer can’t 
  speak, and therefore can’t cast spells or use items that require 
  verbal components or command words.
  Once per day, but only after wearing the mask for at 
  least 1 hour, the wearer can summon 1d4+1 nightgaunts to 
  do her bidding, as if by casting summon monster VI. These 
  nightgaunts remain for 11 rounds. Alternatively, the wearer 
  can summon a single nightgaunt that remains for 24 hours. 
  She can communicate with and thus give orders to these 
  nightgaunts via telepathy to a range of 100 feet. If the wearer 
  removes the nightgaunt mask, any summoned nightgaunts 
  immediately turn on her and attempt to carry her off and drop 
  her from a great height before vanishing.
  CONSTRUCTION
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, alter self, blindness/
  deafness, summon monster VI; Cost 15,000 gp
  62
  
  Nightmare Rod
  Aura strong illusion; CL 13th
  Slot none; Price 80,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
  DESCRIPTION
  A nightmare rod is a wooden rod with a smooth, purple, 
  crystalline octopus clutching one end, its tentacles wrapped 
  around the length of the rod and its bulbous body serving as 
  a sort of mace head. Indeed, a nightmare rod can be wielded 
  as a +2 heavy mace. On a critical hit, a nightmare rod floods the 
  target’s mind with horrific visions of nightmarish dooms that 
  stagger the victim for 1 round if it fails a DC 15 Will save. This is 
  a mind-affecting fear effect.
  In addition, a nightmare rod has the following powers.
  •	 Once	per	day	as	a	free	action	when	the	rod	hits	a	living	
  creature, the user can affect the creature struck with a 
  phantasmal killer spell (Will/Fort DC 16).
  •	 Once	per	day,	the	user	can	cast	nightmare. If the recipient 
  is awake when the spell begins, the wielder need not 
  enter a trance (as he would if he had cast the spell)—
  the nightmare rod maintains its own sort of trance on 
  the spell and automatically finishes casting the spell as 
  soon as the recipient falls asleep. If the recipient does 
  not fall asleep within 24 hours, the nightmare rod ceases 
  attempting to cast the spell automatically.
  •	 As	long	as	the	wielder	carries	the	nightmare rod in his 
  hand, he is immune to fear effects.
  CONSTRUCTION
  Requirements Craft Rod, fear, nightmare, phantasmal killer, 
  remove fear; Cost 40,000 gp
  Slave Collar
  Aura moderate divination; CL 9th
  Slot neck; Price 25,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
  DESCRIPTION
  Slave collars are popular items among drow, duergar, and 
  other Darklands societies that require obedience and 
  servitude from slave castes. As these collars are relatively 
  costly, they are typically reserved for use on particularly 
  powerful or desirable slaves. A slave collar consists of a 
  simple ring of metal (typically brass or bronze) that latches in 
  place with a lock. Many feature additional adornments like 
  short lengths of chain. Each slave collar’s lock is attuned to 
  a unique key. The person who carries a collar’s key is aware 
  of that collar’s wearer as if it were the target of a constant 
  status spell. In addition, the key carrier can communicate 
  telepathically with the wearer of the collar as long as the 
  wearer is within 100 feet of her. As long as a slave collar is 
  worn, that collar’s key carrier automatically penetrates the 
  collar wearer’s spell resistance (if any), and the collared 
  creature takes a –5 penalty on all saving throws against the 
  key carrier’s spells. A slave collar’s lock can be picked with 
  a successful DC 40 Disable Device check, or broken open 
  with a successful DC 30 Strength check—either method 
  immediately destroys the slave collar. The wearer of a slave 
  collar takes a –10 penalty on Disable Device or Strength 
  checks made to disable the slave collar it wears.
  CONSTRUCTION
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, status, telepathic bond; 
  Cost 12,500 gp
  Censer of Dreams
  Crystal Ball of the 
  Dark Void
  Nightgaunt 
  Mask
  Nightmare 
  Rod
  Slave Collar
  63
  
  T
  he Shantak now flew lower, revealing beneath the canopy of cloud 
  a grey barren plain whereon at great distances shone little 
  feeble fires. As they descended there appeared at intervals lone 
  huts of granite and bleak stone villages whose tiny windows glowed 
  with pallid light. And there came from those huts and villages a shrill 
  droning of pipes and a nauseous rattle of crotala which proved at 
  once that Inganok’s people are right in their geographic rumours. For 
  travellers have heard such sounds before, and know that they float 
  only from the cold desert plateau which healthy folk never visit; that 
  haunted place of evil and mystery which is Leng.
  —H. P. Lovecraft, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath
  64
  
  meet. However, no two sojourners seem to describe the 
  lay of the land quite the same way, as if the topography 
  changes from the perspective of the viewer depending 
  on from whence his journey began. In fact, some of the 
  few Leng scholars speculate that it is a direct extension of 
  countless worlds at once, and therefore has a unique lay 
  of the land related specifically to each of its constituent 
  waking-world connections. It may be that Leng is truly 
  limitless, and that it is the Material Plane that is hedged 
  in by its impossibilities, or that each time a new dreamer 
  falls into a nightmare, those unconscious terrors work to 
  extend Leng’s borders just a little more.
  The easiest method of approach is by sea, but a daring 
  few who have managed to obtain local guides from 
  some of the dreaming lands have been shown hidden 
  pathways and passes that lead through the mountain 
  wall. In addition, on nights when the mysterious moon 
  sinks low and full over the plateau, black-hulled ships ply 
  the skyways and can provide another means of entry for 
  those with the bravado or ill-luck to try it.
  The plateau rises ever upward as it travels away from 
  the coastline, eventually encountering more barren 
  mountain peaks (though not as tall as those that hedge the 
  entire tableland) that must be somehow surmounted for 
  a traveler to continue. And beyond these warding peaks 
  stands the true horror of the demiplane—a mountain of 
  impossible height spanning countless miles, dwarfing 
  those found elsewhere within Leng, and upon whose 
  summit rests the terrible unknown city of Kadath where 
  dark gods are whispered to cavort and devour any who 
  dare intrude upon their solitude.
  T
  he Dimension of Dreams lies somewhere beyond the 
  conventional planes of the Great Beyond, a realm 
  both created and fueled by the collective dreams of 
  sentient beings from across the cosmos. And beyond its 
  distant shore lies Leng. This windswept plateau between 
  the arms of embracing mountain chains descends in an 
  inexorable slope to the Dreaming Shore. Upon the blasted 
  tableland sit scattered villages of stone huts, seemingly the 
  remnant of some immeasurably ancient civilization that 
  once held sway here. Usually long-abandoned, these dark 
  ruins occasionally teem with foul semi-human denizens 
  of Leng going about their own barbaric and unknowable 
  purposes. The few inhabited villages can be recognized 
  from afar at night by the evil fires that burn bright within 
  them, though even villages known to be abandoned often 
  show those same evil flames in the inky darkness of a 
  Leng midnight. 
  None travel the wastes of Leng lightly, and its cursed 
  villages are universally avoided. The tales that come out 
  of Leng are usually the ravings of dream walkers struck 
  mad by what they saw or the mumbling of vacant-eyed 
  indigents upon the streets of dreaming lands’ cities. 
  These luckless souls talk of the cold and crumbling ruins, 
  of horrific creatures that lurk among the stones, and of 
  terrifying hunts ending in violent debauches perpetrated 
  by the degenerate denizens. They speak of gruesome 
  acts and rituals conducted to propitiate a yellow-robed 
  monster known as the High-Priest Not To Be Described, 
  and hint darkly at even worse rituals conducted by that 
  same figure to propitiate who knows what horrors.
  Leng exists at a crossroads of sorts, a realm all its own 
  yet accessible from virtually anywhere via the Dimension 
  of Dreams. These dream travelers can spend a lifetime 
  learning the skill to walk lucidly among the streets of 
  dreams or find that they simply have the knack as young, 
  impressionable children, only to lose it as they age and 
  mature beyond the fantasies of youth. Many seek strange 
  drugs and unguents to enable them to achieve this dream-
  state, and some forfeit their waking lives altogether, 
  choosing to instead inhabit a half-remembered fantasy 
  realm of wonders. Yet when these dream travelers sink 
  into the realm of nightmares or venture too far into 
  the dreaming lands, they can find themselves upon the 
  bleak shores of Leng, looking up into a seemingly endless 
  plateau of ruin, and would be wise to find the means to 
  awaken or seek egress back to safer lands before night 
  falls and the inland fires light.
  The geography of Leng is one of extremes. Interminable 
  plains of desolate bleakness rise from a rocky coast 
  of black boulders and cold sea spray, then climb to a 
  cordon of impossibly tall mountain peaks hedging it in 
  on both sides and acting as a funnel, guiding the unwary 
  traveler to an unutterable fate in the valleys where they 
  Leng PLanar TraiTs
  Leng exists beyond the Dimension of Dreams where 
  nightmares overlap into a strange reality spawned by no 
  dreamer, except perhaps for the dreams of outer beings 
  of primordial madness. It has the following traits.
  Normal Gravity and Time
  Finite Size: Leng is bounded by mountains on three 
  sides and by a mysterious coastline on the fourth, giving 
  it a finite size, but its appearance tends to change based 
  on the point of origin of each traveler so estimates of 
  its size can vary widely. In addition, Leng overlaps with 
  various worlds on the Material Plane, and its size and 
  other qualities extend farther in the regions where these 
  convergences occur.
  Divinely Morphic: Who or what powers can transform 
  this realm to their whims is beyond the knowledge of 
  even the most erudite sages.
  Strongly Chaotic-Aligned, Mildly Evil-Aligned
  65
  
  Denizen of Leng
  DeNIZenS AND DANGERS
  Despite its cold and arid desolation, Leng hosts a 
  surprising number of different creatures. 
  Bholes: These immense burrowing horrors are found 
  only in the underworld deep below, and no reliable report 
  of the appearance or habits of a bhole has ever been 
  received. It is rumored that they are used as part of some 
  great breeding project by powerful inhuman arcanists, but 
  even that is only the barest conjecture. (See page 84.)
  Denizens of Leng: The eponymous inhabitants of this 
  nightmare land, these creatures have a largely humanoid 
  shape that is kept firmly shrouded beneath voluminous robes, 
  turbans, and veils. They ply the waters of Leng, the Dimension 
  of Dreams, and the waking world alike in black ships, trading 
  strangely flawless rubies for slaves and seemingly random 
  goods of unknown purpose. But even these denizens have 
  masters, and many are actually held in thrall to the hideous 
  moon-beasts and serve them as diplomats, slave labor, and 
  provender. (See Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 82.)
  Ghouls and Ghasts: The ghouls and ghasts of Leng are 
  different creatures than the relatively weak undead of the 
  waking world. In Leng, the typical ghoul is a more bestial 
  undead with a canine snout and hoofed feet—Leng ghouls 
  are more powerful than their waking world kin (see page 
  45 for a typical Leng ghoul’s stats), and often take levels in 
  alchemist, oracle, witch, or wizard. A Leng ghast is little 
  more than a Leng ghoul with a few more racial Hit Dice 
  and a stench aura, but deep under Leng, these two “races” 
  are often at odds. Leng ghouls are known to sometimes 
  be helpful to visitors in return for gifts of carrion, but the 
  ghasts are more feral and violent.
  Gugs: The four-armed giants of Leng’s underworld 
  maintain a hidden walled city somewhere within its dark 
  reaches. Gugs often war with and feed on Leng’s ghasts, but 
  many have an unusual fear of the region’s ghouls. A gug 
  can easily destroy a handful of ghasts and guarantee itself 
  a good meal, but for that reason 
  the ghasts tend to travel in 
  packs and attack gugs en 
  masse, so the battles are rarely 
  a sure thing for either side. Even 
  though ghouls are physically weaker 
  than their ghast cousins, gugs bear an 
  irrational fear of them and almost 
  always retreat when confronted by such creatures, 
  regardless of numbers. (See Bestiary 2 151.)
  Leng Spiders: These creatures were once the predominant 
  inhabitants of the Plateau of Leng, until a genocidal war 
  with the denizens of Leng untold ages ago pushed them 
  to the brink of extinction. Now these gigantic arachnids 
  lurk upon the fringes of Leng in shadow-haunted valleys. 
  They are always on the lookout for humanoids who come 
  too close to their lairs, snaring careless wanderers and 
  torturing them in order to momentarily relive the feeling 
  of dominance they once enjoyed. (See Bestiary 2 176.)
  Moon-Beasts: The true masters of the denizens of Leng, 
  the moon-beasts are bloated monstrosities with rolls of 
  pale flesh culminating in faces composed of pink tentacles. 
  They hail from the moon that hangs over Leng, and ply the 
  many waterways of the moon, hidden within black galleys 
  captained by their slave-thralls. The moon-beasts are 
  consummate slavers, seeing all other races as lesser beings 
  awaiting exploitation as laborers or victims bound for 
  other, darker purposes. (See Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 195.)
  Nightgaunts: Nightgaunts haunt Leng’s mountains and 
  Underworld, and have been known to kidnap lone travelers, 
  carrying them upon night flights of great distances to 
  unpredictable destinations. This is often done at the behest 
  of some master, for nightgaunts are somewhat like dogs 
  in their intelligence and can be trained to be intensely 
  loyal. For some reason, shantaks have an intense fear of 
  nightgaunts and flee from their presence. (See page 90.)
  66
  
  Prehistoric 
  Monastery
  Onyx 
  Quarry
  Lelag-Leng
  Storval  
  Thinning
  Windswept 
  Ridge
  Kadath
  Mhar’s 
  Fossa
  Spider Vales
  The Moon
  Sarkomand
  Nameless 
  Rock
  Leng
  W
  a
  tc
  he
  rs
   in
   t
  he
   
  W
  a
  s
  t
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  C
  ol
  d 
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  as
  te
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  e
  P
  l
  a
  te
  au
   o
  f 
  l
  e
  n
  g
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  he D
  r
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  a
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  re
  Scarlet Walkers: Not all arachnid inhabitants of the Spider 
  Vales are the purple Leng spiders. In some of the more 
  remote valleys, high upon canyon walls, hang immense sacs 
  made from coagulated blood and tissue. These are hives for 
  the scarlet walkers. Unlike Leng spiders, these creatures 
  hold no grudge against the humanoid races, but rather see 
  them as food, for the scarlet walkers subsist on living blood. 
  Equally at ease walking on earth or air, scarlet walkers have 
  been known to make the lengthy trek from Leng to the moon 
  by foot. (See Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition 414.)
  Shantaks: Shantaks dwell in great numbers upon the 
  Plateau of Leng, principally in the mountainous regions. 
  They can also be found dwelling in the shadows of the Great 
  Quarry, where they hunt unwary travelers. The shantaks of 
  Leng appear to be allied with the dwellers of Kadath and have 
  been known to serve the High-Priest Not To Be Described. 
  (See Bestiary 2 244.)
  Other Denizens: In addition to these primary 
  inhabitants, many other types of creatures also call the 
  nooks and crannies of Leng home. Examples of these 
  include ant lions, basilisks, and cockatrices upon the stony 
  plains; belkers, manticores, and wendigos in the frozen 
  heights; and shining children and winged urhags in the 
  Cold Wastes and shadowed quarries.
  GAZETTEER
  Though Leng appears desolate and monotonous, 
  enterprising explorers can find a surprising number of 
  unique features and locations if they know where to look—
  and can survive long enough to reach them! 
  Cold Waste: Beyond the Watchers in the Waste, where the 
  mountain walls of Leng converge toward Kadath, lies the 
  Cold Waste, a stony desert forever shrouded by night. The 
  sun never rises over the Cold Waste and Kadath beyond, 
  and distances are tricky here, sometimes seeming only a 
  short journey of a day or 2 to the northernmost point at 
  Kadath’s foothills and sometimes requiring a journey of 
  many months or even years through the night-dark lands.
  Dreaming Shore: A gray sea laps here at the edge of Leng, 
  where the plateau descends from its mountain-bound 
  heights, extending beyond the horizon and allowing one 
  to travel directly into the dreaming lands beyond. Here the 
  boldest ship captains from those same dreaming lands—
  realms with names like Celephais, Inganok, and Lomar—
  may come to test their luck or taste for adventure, but few 
  return twice. The risks of landing upon Leng’s shore are 
  great enough to make such a trip rarely profitable, and the 
  predatory black galleys of the moon-beasts that frequently 
  ply these waters render the shore doubly hazardous.
  67
  
  Kadath: Kadath, the impossible castle-city, is a vast 
  fortified citadel that sits atop the highest mountain at the 
  farthest extremity of Leng. The mountain of black stone 
  itself is dozens of miles high, far taller and steeper than 
  any natural geological formation should be. No known 
  paths lead to its heights, so only flyers or those with 
  formidable magic have any hope of making the ascent. 
  Occupying the entire summit of this colossal massif is a 
  fortress beyond imagining, built entirely of black onyx 
  and seemingly grown from the precipices around it. This 
  city is in itself several miles in height, brooding atop 
  the mountain peak below with countless chambers and 
  many miles of passages ranging in size from the most 
  squalid goblin warren to cyclopean thoroughfares fit for 
  the gods—for that is what resides within. Strange gods of 
  unknown pantheons are said to cavort within Kadath. What 
  they represent and what cultures worship them are great 
  enigmas, though some purport to venerate them in their 
  mystery. Whether their worship is noticed and rewarded is 
  anyone’s guess, for no one dares approach this impossible 
  height to bring obeisance directly to these unknown 
  deities. Those that have dared unfailingly run afoul of 
  their guardian and alleged caretaker—Nyarlathotep, the 
  Crawling Chaos, who it is rumored stands as door ward to 
  the will of the primal chaos at the center of the universe. 
  Few who have dared the Crawling Chaos’s abominable 
  presence have returned to tell of it.
  One interesting note regarding Unknown Kadath is 
  that the few who have braved some portion of its heights 
  and avoided confrontations with elder gods or outer 
  powers report that behind it the Plateau of Leng continues 
  to extend down between hedging mountain walls to a 
  gray coastline in no fewer than two different directions. It 
  seems that Kadath looks down not only upon the dreaming 
  lands of Golarion, but also upon those of other worlds as 
  well. Whether the Plateau of Leng that extends towards 
  these dreaming lands is a sort of mirror of that which is 
  known to Golarion or whether it is entirely different in 
  its inhabitants and locales remains a great mystery, for 
  these far reaches have only been seen from the vast heights 
  of Kadath’s upper slopes, and no one has yet been able to 
  journey down to them to see firsthand.
  Those who come too near to Kadath and look upon its 
  shape are often granted visions of the horrors that wait 
  within. The first time a sane mind gains a good view of 
  Unknown Kadath, it must succeed at a DC 15 Will save to 
  avoid taking 1d4 points of Wisdom damage at the ominous 
  sight—fully 25% of those who take Wisdom damage in this 
  way also go insane (the type of insanity developed should 
  be determined randomly from the list on page 250 of the 
  GameMastery Guide).
  Lelag-Leng: This crude village of huts of stone and wood 
  houses a singular and primitive race of short, bald-headed 
  humanoids with narrow eyes and brown, weathered skin. 
  Many consider them to be a degenerate tribe of humans, 
  but something about them seems otherworldly. They are 
  known for the exotic silks they trade with the denizens of 
  Leng and for the powerful sorcerer said to rule over and 
  protect their isolated settlement.
  Mhar’s Fossa: This tunnel of gargantuan proportions 
  opens at the end of a furrow descending from Kadath high 
  above. It marks the route taken by the Great Old One Mhar 
  when he attempted to bore directly into the Material Plane 
  near the Storval Thinning before becoming trapped in a 
  stony gestation. Numerous side passages branch off from 
  this central tunnel, leading to various pocket dimensions 
  and vaults. No one has dared plumb the farthest depths 
  of this excavation for fear that Mhar still restlessly waits 
  somewhere within.
  The Moon: This ghostly white planetoid hangs placidly 
  over the collective dreaming lands of the Dimension of 
  Dreams—for some a romantic orb of soft silver light, for 
  others a horrifying death’s head or a trigger of lycanthropic 
  madness. However, above the Plateau of Leng it gains its 
  most sinister aspect as the destination for the slave-driven 
  black galleys of the moon-beasts. Only by these strange 
  craft or other more fantastical means can the vast gulfs 
  separating this satellite from the lands below be traversed 
  and the true horror of its darkened far side be revealed—
  cities of cyclopean gray-white stone built upon the shores 
  of an oily sea.
  Nameless Rock: This bleak rock rises from the sea 
  several miles off the Dreaming Shore and serves as a 
  citadel of the moon-beasts. When a passing ship dares to 
  come close enough, the sides of the tapering rock reveal 
  strangely proportioned architecture like that found in the 
  moon-beasts’ city upon the moon. At the summit of the 
  island’s lone peak stands a great temple to unnameable 
  gods in which a bottomless pit is said to reach all the way 
  to the underworld. The entire island swarms with moon-
  beasts and their slaves.
  VisiTing Leng
  While Leng can be reached through the Dimension of 
  Dreams, you don’t need to physically travel there in order 
  to experience the place, as GMs can provide glimpses into 
  Leng through PCs’ dreams. These vignettes allow the 
  players to see the strange horrors that await them without 
  becoming stranded in an alien dimension or preyed upon 
  by the threats therein. These fleeting visions of Leng can 
  also be used to foreshadow a trip to the terrible realm so 
  that PCs have some sense of where they have arrived once 
  they step foot on the cold plateau that is Leng.
  68
  
  High-Priest Not To Be Described
  Onyx Quarry: Cut into the base of the mountains that 
  encircle Leng, this vast quarried pit is 5 miles wide, 10 
  miles long, and over 2 miles deep. It is said that the onyx 
  stones from which the great citadel of Unknown Kadath 
  was constructed were quarried here. Numerous smaller 
  quarries surround this great quarry and are still used by 
  the people living in the lands beyond Leng, who reach 
  them with yak caravans over the low mountain passes.
  Prehistoric Monastery: Atop the wind-swept tableland 
  stands this squat, windowless stone building in a circle of 
  stone monoliths. Below presides the High-Priest Not To Be 
  Described, a nightmarish figure venerated by the denizens 
  of Leng and many other inhabitants of the plateau, who 
  always keeps his bloated, lumpish form swathed head to 
  foot in a robe of yellow silk and his face covered by a blood-
  spattered veil of the same material. There he stands before 
  a shadow-filled well and plays strange melodies upon his 
  pipes as he waits for new victims to be delivered to him.
  Sarkomand: A crumbling ruin of cracked stone and 
  broken columns standing at the base of a tall basalt cliff, 
  Sarkomand formerly served as the capital of Leng. At its 
  center stand two oddly pristine sphinx statues guarding 
  a pair of stairways that descend into the unknown and 
  darkened depths of the plateau. Though the ruins are 
  haunted by an air of abandonment, those foolish enough 
  to camp here for the night find that when darkness falls, 
  black galleys dock upon the ruined quays and the city fills 
  with hordes of denizens of Leng in a ruthless carnival 
  of trade, debauchery, and violence visited upon any 
  trespassers they find within the ruins.
  Spider Vales: These shadowed vales are the last refuge 
  for the Leng spiders. Vast constructions of web and stone 
  create villages for these arachnid horrors where they 
  congregate in small groups and plot their vengeance 
  upon the humanoid races and the eventual conquest of 
  all planes.
  Storval Thinning: Rugged foothills mark where the 
  substance of Leng overlaps and comes very near to 
  northeastern Varisia. Whether this condition existed 
  before or because of Runelord Karzoug’s alliances with 
  Leng’s denizens, no living soul can say.
  Watchers in the Waste: Massive sculptures of two-
  headed wolflike guardians as tall as mountains 
  crouch before the approach to the Cold Wastes. 
  Shantaks are known to nest upon the watchers, 
  but the true horror lies in the fact that these 
  sculptures are themselves alive and possess 
  a malign intelligence and the capacity to 
  move to destroy any who dare to 
  cross the benighted threshold that 
  they guard.
  Windswept Ridge: This 
  ridge of bleak, knife-edged 
  stone stands at the farthest extremity of Leng, where its 
  hedging mountains converge below Unknown Kadath. 
  However, here the encompassing mountain ridge dips 
  slightly to create a shallow saddle over which arctic winds 
  blow in great storms and blizzards, making this the coldest 
  portion of Leng. Anyone gazing upon this saddle notices 
  strangely regular rock formations that seem almost cubic 
  in their proportions and are stacked one atop another, 
  as if some sort of intelligence placed them there. When 
  the wind blows strongest over this ridge, its song seems to 
  bear a mournful note, and one can almost hear an eerie 
  piping that sounds something like “Tekeli-li... Tekeli-li...” 
  in its dirge-like tones. Only two explorers have sought 
  this ridge and lived to tell of it, and neither dared to pass 
  beyond its leeward slopes. Strangely, their accounts of what 
  they glimpsed upon the far side do not match, with one 
  describing a seemingly endless range of mountains rife 
  with ancient temples barely visible through the crystalline 
  mist, and the other describing a vast frozen city spreading 
  out in a valley, reflected in the sky above and thus made 
  visible thanks to that same crystalline mist. Which of these 
  vistas actually awaits an intrepid explorer—or whether 
  both of them do, with the windswept ridge perhaps leading 
  to different places at different times on different worlds—
  remains to be discovered.
  69
  
  L
  issala (lis-SALL-uh) is an arcane goddess once worshiped by the 
  Azlanti and Thassilonians. She is precise, rigid, diligent, and 
  intolerant of disobedience, and her magic and philosophy were 
  critical to the success of Thassilon’s rise as an empire. Likewise, the 
  Thassilonians’ slow rejection of her faith over their empire’s last 
  centuries greatly contributed to its downfall. It appears that she has 
  withdrawn from Golarion and has no known presence in the Great Beyond. 
  Most modern scholars assume she has died, been subsumed by another 
  deity, or traveled beyond the known planes in search of infinite wisdom. 
  Common folk in Varisia who discover her runes attribute them to rune 
  giants or demon cults. However, it appears that some of the magical 
  runes of Thassilon retain some link to her, and rumors of new clerics 
  devoted to this absent and nearly forgotten goddess are spreading. 
  70
  
  fulfilling prophecy, whereas Lissala’s fate aspect is more 
  about accepting necessary burdens, persevering despite 
  hardships, and planning for the long term. She considers 
  divination magic unworthy of study. Not only does she not 
  deem it a true school of magic (it is not, in fact, associated 
  with any of the seven types of rune magic), but she 
  believes using it bypasses the proper methods of learning. 
  Divination is not forbidden, but the faithful disdain it as 
  the mark of an amateur. Worshipers are encouraged to 
  plan their lives and magical research years in advance. 
  For example, those planning to become liches 
  usually have time allotted every year 
  for advancing that goal, even from 
  apprenticeship.
  As the goddess of runes, her touch 
  is in every spellbook, every graven 
  glyph, and every sigil and symbol 
  spell, as well as on the flesh of every 
  rune giant, whose race owes its 
  existence to Lissalan rune magic. 
  She teaches that writing is power, 
  whether magical writing or letter-runes 
  used to preserve or convey knowledge. Her 
  followers would sooner burn their own flesh 
  than burn a book, and in her 
  church it is considered a high 
  honor for the dead to have their 
  skin tanned into vellum for 
  use in spellbooks and religious 
  texts, forever associating the 
  person’s remains with magic. 
  The living worshipers prize these books, and a mentor 
  may award such a tome to a journeyman priest or wizard 
  who worked hard or who showed great talent. Tattoos and 
  branding are common among the faithful, and some 
  worshipers even have the text of their favorite books or spells 
  etched upon their flesh while still alive, in anticipation of 
  becoming books once they are dead. 
  Lissala manifests as a stern-looking, fair-skinned woman, 
  likely of Azlanti descent, but there is something strange and 
  alien about her eyes, and she has no mouth—the lower part of 
  her face is smooth flesh, though she is able to speak and cast 
  spells as if she had a mouth. She normally appears wearing 
  severe robes of green and gold, usually with a snakeskin 
  pattern and a Sihedron rune, and faintly visible on her 
  back are six ghostly, transparent bird wings. Alternatively 
  (especially when she expects battle), she sometimes takes the 
  form of a lillend-like creature with a snake body, wings, and 
  a Sihedron in place of her head. In her presence, time feels 
  slightly stretched, and spoken words and spells often briefly 
  manifest as illusory writing around the speaker. In art she is 
  usually depicted in her humanoid form, though her “battle 
  form” is favored in murals commissioned by evokers and 
  L
  issala’s origin is unknown, as there are no records 
  from Azlant that explain how she became a goddess 
  or when she first intervened in the mortal world. 
  She could have been a creation of the Vault Builders, an 
  ascended serpentfolk or Azlanti mage, an early attempt 
  by the aboleths to establish control over the dry lands, or 
  one of the first mortals to learn and perfect dragon magic. 
  Regardless of how she came to be, she was a well-established 
  deity during the empire of Azlant, and (unlike several other 
  Azlanti gods) her power survived after Azlant’s fall 
  thanks to Thassilon’s founder Xin making her 
  religion a key part of the new country. 
  At the height of her worship, she 
  was generally aloof, but responded to 
  questions from those with a desire 
  to learn and the willingness to 
  work for knowledge. Most scholars 
  believe that her eventual withdrawal 
  from Thassilon was probably 
  deliberate, but so slow that most 
  of her worshipers never realized 
  it was happening.
  As the goddess of harsh duty and 
  obedience, she represents the power gained 
  from practice, study, and 
  deference to one’s masters. As 
  such, she is favored more by 
  wizards than by other arcane 
  spellcasters 
  (in 
  particular 
  bards and sorcerers, who 
  develop magic on their own 
  or are encouraged to challenge authority). She is intolerant 
  of insolence and disobedience, and supports the use of 
  corporal punishment or magical forms of discipline 
  (including temporary curses and transformations) for 
  would-be wizards who do not appreciate their mentors. 
  Apprentices pray to her so they may stoically perform 
  their chores without their masters punishing them 
  unreasonably for errors; wizards pray to her so their 
  apprentices are efficient, talented, and worth the master’s 
  time—for a foolish or incompetent apprentice is useless at 
  best and dangerous at worst.
  As the deity of rewards of service, she teaches that the 
  only worthwhile rewards are those which come from great 
  effort. Anything given as a gift is of dubious value, and the 
  receiver should be suspicious of the source’s motivation. 
  Apprentices ask that their minds be open to all that their 
  masters can teach them; wizards ask that their students be 
  appreciative of the knowledge they are given, and that they 
  become useful allies once they strike out on their own.
  As a goddess of fate, she has a complicated relationship 
  with Pharasma (who was also worshiped in Thassilon). 
  Pharasma’s fate aspect is intertwined with discerning and 
  “No worthwhile reward comes 
  without work, service, or sacrifice.”
  —Devotion to the Seven Forms
  71
  
  wrath-priests. She is often accompanied by snakes—either 
  actual snakes, snakes of pure energy, or elements of her 
  clothing animating in the shape of serpents.
  Lissala shows she is pleased through the momentary 
  appearance of her strange eyes, snakeskin patterns or subtle 
  runes materializing on paper or stone surfaces, and single 
  peals of deep-toned bells. She may cause a spellcaster to 
  retain a prepared spell after casting it or prevent a scroll 
  from fading when used. When she is angry, work slows, 
  writing becomes incomprehensible, plans are delayed, and 
  minions disobey their masters or mishear commands.
  Lissala is lawful evil and her portfolio is runes, fate, duty, 
  obedience, and the reward of service. Her favored weapon 
  is the whip. Her holy symbol is a variant of the Sihedron 
  rune, though practitioners of rune magic sometimes use 
  a symbol of a whip twisted into the shape of their keyed 
  rune. Her domains are Evil, Knowledge, Law, Nobility, 
  and Rune. During Thassilon’s heyday, she was revered by 
  most of the population as the goddess of magic, but now 
  her faith is all but forgotten by humans and only persists 
  among rune giants, as her faith led the Thassilonians 
  to create their race. Rumors of scattered cults of Lissala 
  appear in some parts of Varisia, but there is no organized, 
  public institution of her religion. Historically, most of her 
  priests were clerics, with some especially devout wizards 
  taking roles in the church hierarchy. Among the scattered 
  modern cults devoted to her, the proportion is closer to 
  half and half, with a few oracles (usually with the bones, 
  flame, or lore mysteries) making an appearance. All have 
  ranks in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (history); 
  otherwise, others in the cult would not respect them.
  Snakes, nagas, and magical ophidians (including couatls 
  and lillends) are sacred to Lissala’s church. The faithful avoid 
  conflicts with such creatures, even if there are alignment 
  issues (such as an evil priest with a lawful good guardian 
  naga). Her followers dislike magic-destroying creatures and 
  things that consume books and other writings, including 
  mundane creatures such as silverfish and moths. This 
  opposition to moths (and butterflies, due to overzealous 
  precautions) often starts feuds with Urgathoa’s and Desna’s 
  followers. Some Lissalans take this aversion to moths to 
  such an extreme that they refuse to wear garments made of 
  silk, though this is not required by the goddess.
  A typical worshiper of Lissala is a wizard, cleric, scholar, 
  historian, or taskmaster. The faithful perform magical 
  research, train others to use spells, use their knowledge 
  to fortify their communities, or magically control 
  creatures for that purpose. They are hard-working, driven, 
  fastidious, and used to slow progress toward goals.
  Worship services involve reading aloud and transcribing 
  scrolls, spellbooks, or Lissala’s holy text. Priests create or 
  reinforce the magical wards in and around the temple 
  and report progress on magical research. Apprentices and 
  acolytes have almost no role in temple ceremonies, as they 
  have not yet proven themselves. During services these 
  minor members of the church busy themselves fashioning 
  quills for writing; grinding styluses for scribing stone or 
  clay; preparing parchment, vellum, and paper; polishing 
  stone plates for scribing; or firing marked clay tablets.
  Lissala teaches that marriage is an excellent cultural 
  tradition and a long-term commitment between two (or 
  more) people. Whether a marriage is for love or arranged 
  for political or familial purposes, she expects spouses to 
  fulfill their marital oaths, and is intolerant of adultery or 
  other violations of the expected contract. She expects that 
  one person in the marriage is dominant and the other(s) 
  should defer to that one. She does not require this pattern 
  of dominance to be defined in the marriage oaths, though 
  if the spouses wish to do so, it suits her. Members of the 
  church are not required to have children (whether they are 
  conceived naturally, adopted, or magically created), but 
  children are expected to obey their parents or guardians. 
  Parents may raise their own children or rely on employees 
  or an external institution to do so for them.
  TEMPLES AND SHRINES
  Temples are traditionally built or carved from dense stone, 
  and constructed to last for hundreds of years. Wood is too 
  combustible and brick is too fragile (especially against 
  earthquakes) for a sacred space devoted to the goddess. 
  Many holy sites are made of magically conjured stone or 
  by creating chambers in natural rock with acid, disintegrate 
  spells, or the work of enslaved giants. The entry and ritual 
  chambers are usually septagonal and decorated with a 
  large Sihedron mosaic. During the era of Thassilon, most 
  of the temples adopted one of the seven vices as a theme 
  (usually associated with the runelord who controlled that 
  territory), but this was not a requirement, and there are a 
  few temples that are not dedicated in this fashion.
  The few people living today who have explored Lissalan 
  temples may assume they are hidden, convoluted affairs 
  with traps, but those were only nominally temples and 
  primarily served as secret places to perform obscure 
  rituals in service to the runelords. During the time of 
  Thassilon, Lissala’s worship was public and common, 
  and her temples had a very different structure. A typical 
  public temple was a large, sprawling building or complex 
  with spaces for many priests, servants, and slaves to live 
  and work, with kitchens and food stores to support all 
  of the temple’s inhabitants. Most activity related to the 
  crafting and maintenance of spells and items to protect 
  and expand the reach of Emperor Xin or the runelords; 
  this required creating parchment and vellum, inscribing 
  scrolls or glyphs, carving blocks into runestones, 
  inscribing weapons and armor with protective runes, 
  practicing means of magical tattooing and branding, and 
  72
  
  so on. Amid all of this activity, priests whose labors had 
  earned them time to study established lore or to engage in 
  magical research, usually in secluded rooms that muffled 
  the noise of the temple’s other activities. Most temples 
  also contained a small cemetery or crypt for important 
  members of the faith who had passed on. These features 
  made the Lissalan temples much like self-contained cities 
  or fortresses and allowed the priests to survive the many 
  food riots that happened as Thassilon declined.
  Shrines to Lissala were common, typically human-sized 
  blocks of hard stone graven with the Sihedron rune and 
  traced with dozens of smaller runes, often added long after 
  the original stone was consecrated. Green marble and gray 
  stone with flecks of gold were the most common types of 
  stone used for the shrines. Often these shrines were used 
  to store, direct, or reinforce wards or other magical effects, 
  such as magic that prevented slaves from rebelling. Many of 
  these shrines have a lingering magical power, long dormant 
  but still waiting for a priest to awaken them.
  A PRIEST’S ROLE
  Priests are taught that obedience to one’s superiors is 
  absolutely necessary, that following orders is a minor form 
  of prayer, and that the goddess awards knowledge to those 
  who serve faithfully. Every priest knows exactly whom 
  she reports to in the church hierarchy and exactly which 
  underlings she can command, as well as whose instructions 
  are merely suggestions and whose minions are to be left 
  alone. Each day is a regimented list of activities, with work, 
  worship, meals, leisure, celebration, and sleep all given 
  specific time periods so the temple as a whole functions 
  smoothly. To deviate from these plans causes disruptions; 
  for example, being late to a meal means the kitchen is 
  overtaxed feeding extra people at a certain hour, loud 
  worship or celebration at inappropriate times may awaken 
  others scheduled to sleep at that time, and so on. Priests 
  quickly learn the value of this kind of scheduling and tend 
  to anger quickly when dealing with others who are more 
  relaxed about schedules and deadlines.
  In an adventuring party or even a common travel 
  situation, a priest likes to create a schedule for the group 
  and expects everyone to comply with it, including brief 
  rests during the day and assigning who is on watch at 
  night. If the priest’s companions fail to comply, the priest 
  may retaliate by exaggerating her activities to bother 
  others, such as praying loudly to herself when others are 
  trying to sleep.
  Priests appreciate others who are knowledgeable and 
  willing to teach about an area of expertise. For example, 
  if a priest has no interest in or talent for battle tactics 
  but travels with an experienced mercenary or military 
  officer, the priest looks to that person for advice in combat 
  about which foe is the most dangerous, which allies are 
  73
  
  expendable, and when to retreat. A smart priest is able to 
  compartmentalize when he is directing others (such as 
  by setting a schedule for a caravan) from when he should 
  follow another’s orders (such as obeying an officer’s battle 
  commands). Others may find the transition from bossy 
  schedule-maker to taciturn battle healer jarring and 
  uncharacteristic, but to the priest it is a well-developed 
  coping mechanism learned in a temple of complex 
  overlapping hierarchies.
  As Thassilon grew more decadent, so did Lissala’s 
  priesthood, though this was a reflection of the country’s 
  culture and not a directive of the goddess. In earlier 
  centuries, the church encouraged lazy acolytes to seek 
  careers outside the priesthood and sold weak-willed slaves 
  to other temples; over time the priesthood hardened and 
  flagellation became a common practice among underlings 
  and slaves, either as punishments for minor errors or 
  for the gratification of the superior clergy. Lissala’s whip 
  became an active threat rather than a subtle reminder of 
  encouragement. Each temple adopted one of the seven 
  vices and focused its magic on that vice. Self-mortification 
  became common practice; priests branded runes into their 
  flesh to show their devotion, impress colleagues, and purge 
  weak impulses and rival vices from their bodies. Senior 
  priests often had dozens or hundreds of runes decorating 
  their bodies, and learned how to invest these runes with 
  power, much as was done with the creation of rune giants. 
  The factions within the churches delved deep into magical 
  research and unlocked great and terrible powers: gluttony 
  priests created rituals to turn themselves into vampires, 
  sloth priests slowed their metabolisms and lived in a 
  dream-like meditative state for weeks at a time, and so on. 
  Over time, these practices became more important to the 
  priests than actual worship of Lissala, and their divine 
  powers weakened even as their arcane mastery improved. 
  These acts did not conflict with Lissala’s teachings (and 
  were practiced for decades by priests in good standing), 
  but when secular ceremony becomes a replacement for 
  true devotion and worship in any religion, a cleric risks 
  losing the connection to her deity that powers divine 
  magic. Eventually, Lissala was only granting spells to a few 
  members of the priesthood, with the rest having long since 
  become arcane spellcasters or magical beings (including 
  Runelord Krune, her high priest).
  With the fall of Thassilon, her few remaining priests 
  went into hiding or suspended animation (or became 
  undead). They instructed their followers to practice the 
  goddess’s teachings in secret and persevere until the time 
  came to awaken the leaders. Most of these hidden cults also 
  revere the seven sins rather than being purely devoted to 
  Lissala, but this may change if she returns in full force and 
  unites her scattered followers.
  A priest usually has a mental list or schedule of things 
  to accomplish each day. These efforts are coordinated 
  with others in the cult, working together toward 
  a distant but achievable goal. In civilized lands, 
  her priests may pretend to be followers of Nethys 
  or Pharasma, speaking words of wisdom about 
  magic and fate. In evil lands they may pretend to 
  serve Asmodeus, encouraging obedience and diabolical 
  conjuration. Her priests are patient and methodical, 
  enduring hardships, indignity, and the inner outrage of 
  speaking false prayers to another god instead of true 
  ones to Lissala. If a priest follows a mortification cult, 
  a hidden space on her body may be the site of many 
  overlapping cuts—a secret ritual of faith and obedience to 
  honor the priest’s true beliefs.
  74
  
  Formal dress for the clergy is a tan or yellow robe 
  with a billowing green cloak. Snakeskin and Sihedron 
  decorations are common but are not required except for 
  higher-ranking clergy. Ceremonial garb may include 
  a snake-patterned skullcap and a metal frame worn on 
  the shoulders that supports several majestic but fragile 
  wings crafted of wire and bird feathers. Scars, brands, and 
  tattoos in the shape of runes are common (especially in 
  mortification cults) but not necessary.
  Traditionally, the church of Lissala was heavily involved in 
  the local community, contributing magic to build defenses 
  and providing slaves and charmed minions to assist in tasks 
  throughout the city. For a secret cultist, interaction with 
  the community follows a similar role to whatever faith the 
  priest is emulating, though usually emphasizing service.
  HOLY TEXT
  The official holy book of the church is Devotion to the 
  Seven Forms, consisting of eight chapters. The first chapter 
  explains the tenets of the faith, with the others each 
  explaining one of the seven worthy schools of magic 
  (abjuration, conjuration, enchantment, evocation, illusion, 
  necromancy, and transmutation), and emphasizing the 
  relationship between runes and magical power. In the 
  most valuable copies, the opening page of a chapter is 
  made of human skin donated by one of the faithful, and 
  the introductory text was tattooed or branded on it while 
  the person was still alive. Most copies of her book were 
  lost or destroyed in the fall of Thassilon, and those in the 
  hands of sin cultists may have been revised to inflate the 
  importance of their chosen sin.
  APHORISMS
  Because her faith changed much over the last few hundred 
  years of Thassilon and the surviving cults are hidden and 
  may be practicing corruptions of her original teachings, it 
  is unclear which phrases date back to the original faith, as 
  none are direct quotations from her holy text.
  HOLIDAYS
  The holy text describes various holidays associated with 
  stellar conjunctions and their specific relationships to 
  the seven schools of true magic. The decadent church has 
  added its own holiday and ritual tied to rune magic.
  Feast of Sigils: In its original form, the priests held 
  this ritual on 3 holy days during the year. The feast links 
  the souls of the participants—drawing their power into 
  runes drawn in wine, wax, blood, perfume, and food—
  amplifies this energy, then returns it to the feasters, who 
  gain more than what they put in. In decadent Thassilon 
  (and in modern practice), nonspellcasters joined the feast, 
  inadvertently losing their life energy to the feast, which 
  increased the power of the priests.
  RELATIONS WITH OTHER RELIGIONS 
  Lissala is an evil goddess but had amiable relationships 
  with all the deities of Thassilon, even Desna (though 
  modern Desnans would have little love for her church). 
  She had a fierce rivalry with Amaznen, the Azlanti god 
  of magic, but he may have been killed during Earthfall 
  and his worship was outlawed in Thassilon, leaving her 
  supreme in magic. In modern Golarion, she has had no 
  interaction with any known deities for thousands of years.
  NEW SPELLS
  Clerics of Lissala may prepare sepia snake sigil as a 3rd-level 
  spell and explosive runes as a 3rd-level spell. In addition, her 
  priests have access to the following spell.
  Lissalan Snake Sigil
  School see text; Level cleric 3, sorcerer/wizard 3 (Lissala)
  Duration permanent until discharged; 1 day/level; see text
  There are seven variants of this spell, one for each of the 
  Thassilonian schools of magic. Each functions like sepia snake 
  sigil (and counts as that spell for the purpose of combining 
  other spells that hide or garble text), except instead of 
  trapping the subject, the triggered sigil’s effect depends on 
  this spell’s school. This effect lasts for 1 day/level. This is a 
  curse effect that can be removed via remove curse.
  Abjuration: All beneficial magical effects on the target last 
  half as long as normal.
  Conjuration: The target is nauseated. This is a poison effect.
  Enchantment: The target takes a 1d6 penalty to Intelligence, 
  Wisdom, and Charisma. This is a compulsion effect.
  Evocation: The target gains vulnerability to an energy type, 
  chosen randomly from the following: acid, cold, electricity, or 
  fire. This is an acid, cold, electricity, or fire effect.
  Illusion: The target’s vision is blurred, giving it a –4 
  penalty on Perception checks relating to vision, and the target 
  treats all other creatures as having displacement. This is a 
  glamer effect.
  Necromancy: The target is exhausted. This condition cannot 
  be removed with rest.
  Transmutation: Target is affected by slow.
  CustomizEd summon List
  Lissala’s priests can use summon monster spells to summon 
  the following creatures in addition to the normal creatures 
  listed in the spells. 
  Summon Monster VI
  Advanced kyton evangelist (lawful, evil)
  Dark naga* (lawful, evil)
  * This creature has the extraplanar subtype but otherwise 
  has the normal statistics for a creature of its kind.
  75
  
  PATHFINDER’S JOURNAL: LIGHT OF A DISTANT STAR 5 OF 6
  Y
  ou,” was all he said, stomping toward me with 
  bloody hands. 
  The wererats had seized me before I even knew 
  what had happened. One to either side, they dragged me 
  from the foul-smelling straw that had broken my fall. 
  My left hand and wrist throbbed painfully where I had 
  landed on my hand, having extended my arms in a foolish 
  attempt to arrest my descent. Fortunately, the trapdoor 
  was only some ten feet above the moldering straw pile. 
  Whoever had set the trap obviously wanted those who fell 
  into it alive and in good condition.
  Looking into the Gundsric’s wild eyes, I had to wonder 
  how long that would last.
  He lumbered over to me, the heavy pewter flask he 
  wore around his neck swaying like a pendulum, his 
  hunchback giving him a strangely lopsided appearance. 
  The basement was lit by a few sputtering candles, but 
  even in such low light I could see nearly the entirety of 
  the room with uncommon clarity, no doubt the continued 
  effects of the gleam in my system. Beyond the small 
  alcove into which I had fallen—which could be locked up 
  like a prison cell with the closing of a barred gate at one 
  76
  
  end—the basement was long and rectangular, its dirty 
  plaster walls flaking away in patches to reveal ill-fitting 
  stone blocks. The scribblings of gleam addicts filled 
  every section of plaster that had not yet crumbled to the 
  ground, stretching from floor to ceiling like a detailed 
  map of an insane mind. 
  But it was the bodies that were the core of the place—
  dozens of men and women, nearly all of them human, 
  stacked in piles or lying in the few cots scattered around 
  the room. The thick smell of blood and rot in the air 
  seemed only magnified by the underlying mustiness of the 
  basement, and I choked back the rising bile in my throat. 
  The dingy cots gave the impression of long use, like those 
  in the common room of some cheap flophouse. But there 
  were far more bodies than beds, and many of the oldest 
  corpses were stacked against the wall opposite the alcove, 
  heaped up like swollen sandbags bracing a levee. 
  I screamed then, shouting for Shess or Mordimor or 
  some other deliverance. The rats to either side of me 
  hauled me farther into that gallery of death, and I could 
  see that there were more hunched shape-shifters in the 
  basement all around me. 
  Riding on instinct, not caring at all about the futility 
  of my struggle, I drove my heel into the bare foot of the 
  one on my right, then tried to pull him off balance. He 
  staggered, but his center of balance was lower than mine, 
  and his tail kept him from tipping. Snarling, he slammed 
  a blow into my stomach, and I dropped to my knees. He 
  clamped a hand over my throat and jerked my head close, 
  chittered threats or promises in my ear. His garbage-foul 
  breath washed over me, and I retched.
  The rat to my left was running his paws over my body, 
  taking his time. Upon finding the long knife under my 
  jacket, he snatched the weapon from its sheath and threw 
  it into the corner. There was another such blade in my 
  boot that he didn’t find, and I hoped I’d have a chance 
  to use it.
  Gundsric loomed over me, a misshapen, palpable 
  malignance. He smiled, teeth filmed with fresh blood, 
  his beardless face wrinkling up like crumpled paper.
  “I don’t remember making an appointment with you 
  today, elf.” His laughter bubbled thickly up from blood-
  filled lungs. The harsh chemical reek he exuded was 
  almost a welcome respite from the sickly sweet stench of 
  decay that filled my nostrils.
  I didn’t reply, doubting the claw-tipped hand around 
  my neck would allow any speech.
  “Check upstairs,” Gundsric barked. “This spy has 
  friends.” Dark shapes in the corner moved out of my line of 
  sight, and I heard the faint sounds of feet scraping up stairs. 
  It was then, while trying to follow the movement of the 
  second group of wererats, that I noticed the final detail 
  about the corpses that lined the basement.
  They were gleamers, of course—that much was 
  obvious from the markings on the wall. But these bodies 
  told a further tale. Shess hadn’t seemed to know how or 
  why gleam users disappeared eventually, but they always 
  turned up dead, if they turned up at all. Dead and blind. 
  And here they were: each face devoid of eyes, the sockets 
  yawning a deeper black in the dark.
  “Go with them, my sweet.” Gundsric’s murmur had 
  taken on an oddly affectionate tone. “See all.” 
  I turned back to him, wondering whom he was speaking 
  to, only to find him shrugging as if in a seizure. Beneath 
  his clothing, his malformed shoulder twitched and jerked, 
  the hunch shuddering as if it had a life of its own.
  And it did. Emerging from beneath his jerkin was a 
  lopsided mass of flesh like a lesion, a cancerous growth 
  made animate. It chirped once through a pore-like 
  orifice, unfurled membranous wings the color of burned 
  skin, and took flight after the departing wererats. Riding 
  above a sudden heaving nausea, my thoughts tracked 
  back to the persistently circling bat I had seen the night 
  before, the one that had hunted the skies as the wererats 
  arrived at the Clippers’ hideout. 
  Gundsric chuckled. “So, you’ve seen dear Carchima 
  around, perhaps? He gave a most specific report about 
  you. Though neither of us has yet deduced who it is you 
  work for.”
  I started to speak, gurgling out a response as the 
  wererat tightened his grip on my throat. Gundsric 
  stepped forward and backhanded me across the face.
  “One or the other of them,” he growled. “I don’t care! 
  Cromarcky would be most likely, yes? Croat and his boys 
  would have a better use for the likes of you. Right now the 
  both of them are at a stalemate, pacing around outside my 
  home like gulls waiting for the tide to bring in the trash. 
  After tonight it won’t matter. I’ll tread on their charred 
  corpses and watch this whole damn town burn.”
  The hand that had slapped me came back around to 
  cup my chin. “And it’s because of you,” he crooned. “I 
  had been complacent. Me, complacent! But you made 
  me step things up, made me round up as many of these 
  insects”—he waved a bloody hand in the direction of a pile 
  of corpses—“as I could get hold of last night. Made me 
  come out here and do it myself, take the rest of them all 
  in one go.” 
  Gundsric scooped a gnarled hand into the sealskin bag 
  he wore at his side and produced a palmful of glistening 
  eyeballs, each glowing with its own light.
  “No one upstairs, not even that vicious little badger of 
  hers,” hissed a voice I faintly recognized. I tore my eyes 
  away from Gundsric’s palm, his handful of luminous orbs 
  like bloody organic pearls. Carchima fluttered clumsily 
  back to Gundsric’s shoulder and landed with a wet smack. 
  The wererats had returned from their exploration, and 
  77
  
  in their lead was the scarred, black-furred female I had 
  fought at the Clippers’ wharfside hideout. She fixed 
  beady eyes upon me and licked her lips. “I’ll take that elf’s 
  eyes now.”
  “No,” Gundsric said flatly. Carchima squirmed its 
  way back under his clothing with nauseating intimacy. 
  “I can better use her, I think. She wasn’t given that 
  street garbage, she’s as pure as I am. And... she showed 
  me the way.” He leaned in close to me, and it was then 
  that I noticed for the first time that his own black eyes 
  shone as intensely as Idrek’s had. Gundsric nodded at the 
  recognition, and I wondered if my own eyes were filled 
  with such light.
  “Is the fire behind your eyes, elf?” Gundsric was nearly 
  whispering now. The stink of sulfur and dizzying reek 
  of carbauxine poured out of him as if he were some 
  poisonous fissure in the earth. “Do you hear the radiant 
  choir, as I first did all those years ago? The others said I 
  was mad, wanted no part of my search, but I kept digging. 
  Digging toward the voice—the burning voice like a pyre 
  for all the world!” He smiled his bloody smile at me, his 
  eyes luminous and searching.
  “Ziphras didn’t send us out to be dog-slaves to a mad 
  dwarf,” the female wererat interrupted. She spat on a 
  corpse, and hissed something at the wererats to either 
  side of her. There were half a dozen of them in the 
  basement, all wearing their in-between forms, standing 
  on their hind legs as hideous, man-sized rats. “I owe this 
  elf a debt of blood. Her gang killed my kin, ruined our 
  trade. Ziphras will mark me for this failure.” The livid 
  scar beneath her eye twitched. “You owe me her life, 
  blood-debt to be paid.”
  Gundsric only growled, then began to cough. The other 
  rats in the basement chattered among themselves, and I 
  could sense the anxiety of the two that flanked me, their 
  uncertainty as to which way this challenge to Gundsric 
  would go. It seemed all was not well in the dwarf’s employ. 
  The black-furred female was padding closer to 
  Gundsric’s back, and I saw the glint of a hooked blade 
  in her hand. “No trade now, and no Clippers. No more 
  buyers—all dead or fled. I wonder... how much longer 
  will Ziphras make deals with you for a drug he can’t sell?” 
  The alchemist’s coughing had subsided to a rhythmic 
  hitch, like a second heartbeat. Gundsric didn’t speak, 
  didn’t turn, but I saw his hand stray to the belt he wore 
  beneath his stained and scarred leather apron. 
  “Take your hand off the potion, dwarf,” the wererat 
  hissed, creeping yet closer to the alchemist’s back.
  Gundsric spat a gob of black mucous onto the floor. 
  Keeping his eyes on me, he pulled his hand away in a 
  flash, withdrawing a coin pouch from beneath his apron. 
  The nervous rats next to me tensed as if an electric jolt 
  had pulsed through them, then relaxed just as quickly 
  when they saw what the dwarf had been reaching for. 
  Gundsric raised the coin pouch high, tipped it, and 
  spilled out a small fortune in gold sails that rang upon 
  the stones of the floor. Every rat in the room watched 
  them fall, the gold reflected in their beady eyes.
  Then he spun and threw something with his other 
  hand, straight at the black-furred wererat. With uncanny 
  accuracy it struck her face, exploding in a blast of white 
  and blue fire.
  I flinched, feeling the blast even from half a room away. 
  The wererat shrieked as alchemical flame engulfed first 
  her face, then the entirety of her body. Rats darted away 
  from her, a few suffering minor burns themselves. But 
  the female blazed like a torch, stumbling blind before 
  toppling over one of the corpse-filled cots and crashing 
  to the ground. The other rats stood stunned for a moment 
  as the female writhed on the ground, her body roiling in 
  sulfurous white flame that clung to her like tar.
  Gundsric raved then, shouting threats at the rats, 
  telling them their choice was between the gold on the 
  floor and the burning body on the ground. The stink of 
  scorched fur and flesh filled the room, and smoke stung 
  my eyes and brought tears. But even through my blurred 
  vision I noticed the silent figure that had just entered the 
  room from the far corner, where I knew the stairs to be.
  It was Gyrd, but not as I had ever before seen him. 
  His mail glistened silver, polished and well maintained 
  in contrast to the dirty and rent hauberk the fighter 
  routinely slept in. He stood taller, straighter, like a noble 
  warrior out of some Ulfen saga. His beard was trimmed 
  close and clean, and his long hair was gathered neatly 
  into thick plaits. There was no gray in the fiery red mane, 
  no flush of drunkenness on his fair skin, and no shadows 
  under the clear, proud eyes. 
  He drew a mirror-bright sword and opened his mouth 
  in a silent roar.
  The wererats saw him. They crashed around the 
  room in surprise, some heading for the shadows, one 
  even managing to fall over the smoldering form of the 
  dead female on the floor. Some let fly a few knives and 
  darts, which sliced through the dark with no effect. 
  Gyrd advanced, rolling his wrist so that his blade danced 
  deadly circles in the air. 
  I could hear Gundsric’s shouts over the din and squeal 
  of the panicking rats. He had noticed the same thing I 
  had: That this bright image of Gyrd, standing tall like a 
  hero of legend, wasn’t real. It was an illusion.
  But the blade that ripped through the wererat next to 
  me was real enough.
  The image of Gyrd vanished. The rat let out a piercing 
  wail and crumpled to the floor, limbs twitching in his 
  78
  
  death throes, and then Shess was next to 
  me, sword in hand. 
  I spared no time marveling 
  at the gnome’s skill in sneaking 
  undetected into and around 
  a basement full of wererats. 
  Whipping my newly freed right arm 
  around in an arc, I drove my palm into the face of my 
  remaining captor, smashing the soft nose at the end his 
  snout. He chattered in anger, jerking me forward and 
  raking his claws against my shoulder and chest. Warm 
  blood flowed from the stinging wound. 
  Ignore it, Taldara. Push it aside. My father’s words rang 
  in my mind. Everything is won or lost in the head, not the 
  body. Without focus, you’re no better than your human blood. 
  I had always challenged him when he said such things 
  about humanity, but he would laugh and make a joke of 
  it, claiming he only said them to rile me, to challenge 
  and push me. He was right about focus, though, and a 
  great deal more, even when he was so infuriatingly 
  wrong. I sometimes suspect my rebellion against him 
  was his object all along—my final graduation from his 
  academy of life.
  I kept my focus. The pain, the panic, the fear—these 
  were like old memories. Ducking the wererat’s next 
  strike, I turned my momentum into a forward roll, 
  drawing my boot knife in the same motion. I came up 
  in a crouch next to my attacker, well inside his guard, 
  and drove my blade into his guts. Black blood spurted 
  from the wound as he f lailed at me, and I struck again. 
  He jerked back, collapsing in a twitching heap, his rat-
  screams mingling with the chaotic din of the basement. 
  I sprang to my feet in time to see Gundsric raise the 
  pewter flask he wore around his neck to his lips. 
  More rats converged on Shess and me, blocking my 
  view of the alchemist. The gnome spun and darted 
  among them, a maddeningly nimble and unpredictable 
  opponent. I fought defensively, with knife and fist, my 
  back to the wall. The rats were enraged now and, in their 
  half-human forms, they seemed disinclined to draw 
  their weapons, fighting instead with claws and teeth.
  “Keep them off me!” Shess yelled. I turned my head in 
  time to see her repel her attacker with a quick chop to 
  the thigh. In almost the same movement she tossed her 
  sword to me. I barely caught it in my off-hand, then threw 
  my own dagger over her head, at the wererat nearest her. 
  Taking her short sword in my newly freed right hand, I 
  stepped forward to cover the gnome.
  Shess’s sword was as light as my boot knife, and keen as 
  a razor. I slashed, backing the rats off, ignoring a glancing 
  blow to my arm. There were three wererats left, though 
  the one Shess had wounded was keeping his distance, 
  hobbling along the edge of the combat and looking for an 
  opening to throw a knife. I kept slashing, more to create 
  space around us than to do damage. And in that moment, 
  I noticed the change that had come over Gundsric.
  He was broader and taller, the muscles bulging beneath 
  his dirty clothes like those of some Shoanti barbarian 
  fresh down from the Storval Plateau. The remnants of a 
  potion stained his lips, mingling with the bloody sputum 
  of his black lung that ran down his chin. The insane light 
  of his eyes was as bright as a lamp now. As bright as a 
  bonfire. As bright as—
  The basement exploded in multicolored light, a 
  rainbow of blinding force. I had been ready for it, but 
  even still I found myself temporarily blind. Shess’s child 
  hand closed over my wrist and dragged me to the right, 
  while the snarls and shouts of our enemies reverberated 
  in our ears.
  “Come on!” Shess shouted as I tripped over the first of 
  the stairs. “Straight up this way.”
  I ran blindly up the stairs, the world black as night after 
  the blast of blinding color from Shess’s spell. We came 
  to a landing, and then a small room whose walls I could 
  see as faint blotches of gray in the dark. Shess guided 
  me to the door, taking her sword out of my hand as she 
  did so, and I squinted to bring the world back into focus. 
  “That’s no 
  ordinary 
  familiar.”
  79
  
  The afterimage of the spell was wearing off quickly, but 
  even still it was as if I had been staring at the sun before 
  plunging into a dark cave.
   There was light in the short hall we entered, and I 
  realized it was from the lantern in the common room 
  of the Forty Fathoms. We darted down the hall quickly, 
  arriving in the alehouse’s dusty front room, and I vaguely 
  recognized the furnishings through my blurred vision. 
  Behind us someone was clambering up the stair.
   “Stick to the left wall,” Shess told me. 
  We were almost at the door when it burst open, 
  slamming against the wall and rattling the thick glass in 
  the alehouse windows.
  “Hrushgak!” Shess said cheerily. “And I see you 
  brought Idrek.”
  The half-orc wasn’t the first thing I would have 
  wanted to see with my restored vision. Almost as big 
  as Gyrd, he was leaner, sharper-featured, but no less 
  muscled than the Ulfen warrior. He wore a scarred black 
  leather vest with rings sown on to it, but his thick arms 
  were bare save for vambraces of silver-chased steel and 
  pale scars like worms tracking over his greenish skin. 
  Protruding from his piggish face was an asymmetric 
  jumble of dirty fangs.
  He clutched a dripping axe in his right hand. In his 
  left, held up by his black hair, was the head of the gleam 
  addict Idrek. 
  “He said you would be here, little thief.” Hrushgak 
  flung Idrek’s head contemptuously into the room, where 
  it struck the floorboards with a sound like dropped sack 
  of meal. More thugs were pushing into the room behind 
  him, all tough-looking half-orcs—Boss Croat’s drug-
  trade enforcers. “I never liked you, gnome.”
  Shess began to protest, her feelings clearly—and 
  strangely—hurt. And then Gundsric stomped into the 
  room behind us.
  He looked more a monster than a dwarf. Grotesquely 
  muscled, his body now sprouted mottled thorns like 
  the spikes of some shelled sea creature. At his shoulder 
  Carchima spread his wings of skin and shrieked. The 
  alchemist’s eyes burned like Riddleport’s beacon tower.
  “I will kill every one of you,” Gundsric said, his voice 
  flat and emotionless.
  Hrushgak smiled, baring his jumble of 
  wicked yellow teeth. “I was just about to say 
  the same thing.”
  Both sides moved at once, with Shess 
  and me caught in the middle. Hrushgak 
  feigned a strike at me and I leapt back as 
  he barreled past, intent on Gundsric. One 
  of the half-orcs went after Shess with a 
  spiked club, but she deftly maneuvered 
  him over to the trapdoor. He dropped 
  through with a yelp, smacking his head 
  on the lip of the f loor as he did so.
  An explosion tore through the 
  room, knocking me forward in a 
  wave of heat and force. Another 
  alchemical bomb. I caught myself 
  on the wall, one of Hrushgak’s 
  thugs inches away. He thrust a 
  knife at me and I slipped to the 
  side, but he caught me across the 
  forearm with a wild backswing. 
  I was unarmed now, and the knife-
  wielding half-orc probably weighed 
  twice what I did. Shess had her own 
  “Gundsric’s potions don’t 
  make him any prettier.”
  80
  
  problems in the shape of a nearly naked maniac with a 
  short-hafted axe in each hand.
  I kept my arms out, hoping to catch my attacker’s 
  wrist or else turn aside his thrust. I was close to the 
  door—a well-timed roll could take me past him and out 
  into the street. 
  The half-orc chuckled, noting the direction of my 
  gaze. Weaving the serrated blade in an intricate pattern 
  between us, he licked his lips. “Ain’t no one gonna save 
  you now, sweet meat.”
  A streak of black and white burst through the open 
  door and proved him wrong. Mordimor, snarling and 
  yipping, launched himself at the half-orc’s legs. Blood 
  flew and the half-orc screamed and staggered. I lunged 
  forward, catching his knife hand in both of mine, and 
  drove the weapon through his eye. He collapsed heavily 
  to the floor, the bone-handled weapon lodged in his face 
  to the hilt.
   “I was worried about you, Mord,” I said. Mordimor 
  looked at me in the way he does, adorable despite the 
  bloody froth that ringed his muzzle.
  Shess had finished with her own attacker and the 
  way was clear, the rest of the thugs having converged on 
  Gundsric and one of his remaining henchrats. We darted 
  out of there—Shess handing me one of the axes she had 
  taken from the berserker—just as another explosion 
  shook the place. The windows of the Forty Fathoms blew 
  out into the street.
  “Let me go in first next time, Tal,” Shess said 
  breathlessly next to me as we turned back to watch 
  the alehouse from the cover of a nearby alleyway. The 
  muddy street was littered with glass, glistening in 
  the afternoon light like ice. Inside the Forty Fathoms, 
  f lames blossomed. 
  Mordimor looked up from his cleaning and chuffed 
  agreement, wiping his bloody face with a moistened paw.
   “I’ll insist on it, Shess. In fact, I think you’ll get the 
  chance within the hour.” She looked at me in surprise, 
  one green eyebrow quirked upward.
  Was I really thinking about doing this? With Gundsric 
  busy fighting Croat’s thugs—or, even better, dead at their 
  hands—now seemed like the opportunity I had been 
  waiting for. I was exhausted, wounded, frayed to my last 
  nerve. All this sneaking and fighting, the gangs and their 
  squabbles, Gundsric’s own hideous plot in supplying 
  drugs to the city for whatever strange destructive revenge 
  this would grant him—it was all secondary to my 
  purpose. To the story as it had to be told. I could almost 
  see Master Shaine shaking his head; in amusement or 
  disappointment, who could say? 
  “We’re going to break into that crazy dwarf’s house 
  and finish this for good.” It felt good to say it—more, 
  it felt right somehow. Shess added her own enthusiastic 
  agreement. We spent some time tending our wounds, 
  my own minor healing magic knitting the slash on my 
  shoulder closed and hopefully rendering it free of the 
  bad humors associated with wererats. I told Shess of my 
  real purpose in finding employment with Gundsric, 
  finally telling her the whole truth. She relished every 
  detail, excited not only at the prospect of stealing 
  treasure, but at rediscovering the lost adventures of a 
  famous Pathfinder.
  Gundsric’s house was close, only a few squalid blocks 
  from the tavern, but Shess and I made the journey with 
  deliberate caution, wary of encountering another group 
  of half-orcs, or surviving Clippers, or Desna knows what 
  else. We made a brief detour when Shess spied an odd 
  jobs man pushing his tool cart through the street. For 
  a ridiculous sum I bought a length of rope from him, 
  frayed and tarred, and Shess picked up a few stout nails 
  she said would help her climb. With a wink he unrolled 
  a square of oilcloth to expose a worn set of thieves’ picks, 
  but Shess declined. Clearly the man catered to all sorts 
  of clientele.
  Part of our caution was also due to Gundsric’s ravings 
  about his home being surrounded by the forces of Croat 
  and Cromarcky. I didn’t want to be seen approaching by 
  any suspicious guards. How Shess and I would manage to 
  get around a patrol and somehow climb to a third floor 
  window—a window that was hopefully still unlocked—
  was something I was not prepared to worry about just yet. 
  If the last few days had taught me anything, it was to take 
  things one step at a time. 
  The place was indeed surrounded, and more thoroughly 
  than I had imagined. Black-clad half-orcs with an array 
  of brutal weapons shared the space around the heavy 
  stone walls of the house with Cromarcky’s uniformed 
  gendarmes. Together they shouted off bystanders and 
  smacked around the occasional too-curious passerby. 
  They glared uneasily at one another, hands always 
  upon their weapons. Their truce was an uneasy one, 
  and no doubt whoever was to eventually win the right 
  to Gundsric’s home would be something decided at the 
  highest levels. So until the bosses made their decision, 
  the guards would continue to pace belligerently back 
  and forth outside, spoiling for a fight. Shess was 
  already proposing we distract them before climbing 
  up—either with an illusion, or a fire, or a barrage of 
  fish. Her suggestions grew steadily more absurd, but 
  I wasn’t paying attention. Instead, I stared in disbelief 
  at the figure moving easily among the guards. I could 
  only shake my head, not even daring to guess what his 
  presence meant.
  Kostin Dalackz strutted and joked with gendarmes and 
  half-orcs alike, a ready smile on his face and the scepter 
  bundled in an old cloak at his side.
  81
  
  T
  his bizarre world, capped endlessly in the tenebrous veil of 
  night, teems with dangerous creatures ripped straight from 
  a madman’s nightmare. Silhouetted against a pallid moon, 
  hundreds of strange humanoid creatures flit through the sky far 
  above the windswept cliffs and mountains, at times chased by larger, 
  more unfathomable horrors. Every so often, they lift a squirming 
  creature from the ground below, wrestling with it for a few 
  moments like a kitten pawing at a lizard, before dropping it to the 
  cold ground once again.
  —Atilia Spirliu, A Sight into Dreams and Nightmares
  82
  
  T
  his month’s Pathfinder Bestiary brings you to the 
  heights of the Storval Plateau, where you can discover 
  the threats that lurk just below the surface, as well 
  as those that have leaked over from another dimension. 
  Here we explore otherworldly horrors from the mind 
  of H. P. Lovecraft—the bhole, the flying polyp, and the 
  nightgaunt—as well as a herald of a forgotten deity.
  ChanCe Meetings, MalContents,  
  and Monsters
  As the PCs search for another shard of the Sihedron, this 
  adventure takes them to Guiltspur. Once used by Karzoug 
  as a bridge to the dread realm of Leng, Guiltspur frequently 
  leaks threats from that plane into Golarion. Here you’ll 
  find a random encounter table suitable for Guiltspur and 
  its environs—including Leng—as well as three encounter 
  hooks to add to your Shattered Star campaign.
  Some of the creatures on the table can be encountered on 
  the way to Guiltspur or in its immediate vicinity, while others 
  can be encountered in the dungeons below—or the realm 
  of Leng itself. If the result is a creature not suitable for a 
  random encounter in the PCs’ current environment, roll on 
  the table again or simply choose an appropriate encounter.
  Dreaming Dangers (CR 13): Those sleeping in the 
  proximity of Guiltspur frequently find themselves plagued 
  by unsettling dreams. Some of these nightmares are 
  simply the result of mundane dreaming, but sometimes 
  nightmares are the direct result of Siebetha, a night hag 
  (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 215) who preys on mortals while they 
  sleep in hopes of collecting some savory souls to add to her 
  collection. With the aid of four particularly nightmarish 
  animate dreams (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 29), Siebetha 
  seeks out those sleeping in the area, then uses her dream 
  haunting ability to slowly wither her victims to nothing. 
  In recent days, this group of nightmare peddlers has been 
  seeking out giants that have been laboring at Guiltspur, but 
  the group is always looking for more intelligent and thus 
  tastier victims for its phantasmagoric predations.
  Raiders (CR 14): Sometimes members of the Shoanti 
  clans violate the codes of their clans and find themselves 
  exiled to the harsh badlands of the Storval Plateau. These 
  exiles either perish in the harsh climate or persevere, using 
  their strength and brutality to eke out an existence raiding 
  other clans or preying on those who travel this land. 
  Benkor and his fellow exiles fit into this latter category. 
  Benkor (use the stats for a bandit lord on page 259 of the 
  Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide) leads a group of eight 
  bandits and raiders (use the stats for a viking on page 
  281 of the GameMastery Guide) in a campaign of theft and 
  murder across the plateau. Here they fought some of their 
  previous enemies in other clans, and then took on tribes 
  of giants, which led them to the area around Guiltspur. As 
  they have gained power and confidence, they have begun 
  threatening any creatures they come across that have 
  something they want—including powerful adventurers. 
  They prefer setting up ambushes and traps, using their 
  knowledge of the environment to their advantage.
  Sinister Fiendcallers (CR 15): When the lost city of Xin-
  Shalast was rediscovered high in the Kodar Mountains, it 
  drew those interested in history, power, and riches from 
  all across Avistan. Not all of these visitors’ however, had 
  benevolence in their hearts. Knowing the lost city to be a 
  dangerous place, Kistad, a demon-worshiping cleric with 
  roguish skills (use the stats for a cult leader on page 279 of 
  the GameMastery Guide), prepared herself and her group of 
  adventurers by stealing powerful magic items before setting 
  out across the Storval Plateau. Enlisting the aid of a ranger 
  named Frantoc (use the stats for a bounty hunter on page 
  283 of the GameMastery Guide) and an adventuring scholar 
  named Thanli (use the stats for a sage on page 297 of the 
  GameMastery Guide), the group set off to uncover ancient 
  Thassilonian riches. Kistad and Thanli successfully made 
  use of a stolen cache of scrolls to bind two vrocks (Bestiary 
  69) to their service. Now they visit lost Thassilonian sites 
  collecting more power and wealth in order to pay off the 
  other fiends they manage to bind to their service. Defeating 
  this group not only rids the world of the members’ foul 
  presence, but also gives adventurers access to a large 
  collection of stolen scrolls and other potent magic items.
  Guiltspur Environs EncountErs
  d% 
  Result 
  Avg. CR Source
  01–09 
  1 fire giant 
  10 
  Bestiary 148
  10–15 
  2d8 nightgaunts 
  10 
  See page 90
  16–20 
  1d8 wyverns 
  10 
  Bestiary 282
  21–23 
  1d6 destrachans 
  11 
  Bestiary 2 83
  24–28 
  1d4 night hags 
  11 
  Bestiary 215
  29–32 
  1d4 rift drakes 
  11 
  Bestiary 3 106
  33–35 
  1d4 rocs 
  11 
  Bestiary 236
  36–42 
  1d8 denizens of Leng 
  12 
  Bestiary 2 82
  43–49 
  1d4 gugs 
  12 
  Bestiary 2 151
  50–54 
  1d6 mastodons 
  12 
  Bestiary 128
  55–58 
  1 roper 
  12 
  Bestiary 237
  59–62 
  1d8 shantaks 
  12 
  Bestiary 2 244
  63–66 
  1 shining child 
  12 
  Bestiary 2 245
  67–71 
  1d8 stone giants 
  12 
  Bestiary 151
  72–75 
  1d4 carnivorous crystals 13 
  Bestiary 3 45
  76–81 
  1d4 moon-beasts 
  13 
  Bestiary 3 195
  82–87 
  1 Leng spider 
  14 
  Bestiary 2 176
  88–92 
  1d4 scarlet walkers 
  14 
  Rise of the Runelords  
   
   
   
  Anniversary Edition 414
  93–99 
  1d6 stone golems 
  14 
  Bestiary 163
  100 
  1 shemhazian demon 16 
  Bestiary 2 80
  83
  
  BHOLE
  This titanic worm heaves its endless bulk into the air, raising a 
  bleached end as if ready to strike with a massive set of hooked jaws.
  Bhole 
  CR 17
  XP 102,400
  CN Colossal magical beast 
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, tremorsense 
  120 ft.; Perception +28
  Aura frightful presence (300 ft., DC 26)
  DEFENSE
  AC 33, touch 1, flat-footed 33 (–1 Dex, +32 natural, –8 size)
  hp 290 (20d10+180)
  Fort +21, Ref +13, Will +11
  DR 10/—; Immune acid, disease, fire, magical control, 
  paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning effects; SR 28
  OFFENSE
  Speed 50 ft., burrow 50 ft.
  Melee bite +29 (6d6+25/19–20 plus grab), slam +29 (3d8+25/19–20)
  Space 30 ft.; Reach 60 ft.
  Special Attacks breath weapon, overwhelming strength, 
  swallow whole (20d6 acid damage, AC 26, hp 29), trample 
  (2d8+25, DC 37)
  STATISTICS
  Str 44, Dex 8, Con 28, Int 3, Wis 21, Cha 23
  Base Atk +20; CMB +45 (+49 grapple); CMD 54 (can’t be tripped)
  Feats Awesome Blow, Critical Focus, Improved Bull Rush, 
  Improved Critical (bite), Improved Critical (slam), Improved 
  Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Staggering 
  Critical, Vital Strike
  Skills Perception +28
  Languages Aklo (rarely speaks)
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any underground
  Organization solitary
  Treasure none
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Breath Weapon (Su) Once every minute, a bhole can expel 
  a prodigious amount of thick slime from its gullet. This 
  breath weapon has a range of 900 feet, and creates a 
  40-foot-diameter spread of slime in its targeted area. 
  Any creature within this area must succeed at a DC 29 
  Fortitude save to avoid being stunned for 1d4 rounds. 
  The slime transforms the area it coats into difficult 
  terrain. Furthermore, any creature that is in the area 
  (or that attempts to enter the area) must succeed at a 
  DC 29 Reflex save to avoid becoming entangled by the 
  slime. Bhole slime persists for 2d6 hours—bhole lairs 
  are typically pre-caked with the stuff. A bhole can move 
  through bhole slime without penalty. The save DC is 
  Constitution-based.
  Immune to Magical Control (Ex) A bhole is immune to 
  nearly all forms of mind control, including all charm 
  spells, suggestion spells, and dominate spells. It is similarly 
  immune to magic jar and possession attempts. Confusion 
  and other mind-affecting effects that don’t allow another 
  creature to directly control a bhole work normally. Rare 
  effects that allow a creature to manipulate the exact 
  effects of confusion on a creature provide one of the 
  few ways to magically control a bhole. Other methods, 
  particularly those tied to strange and powerful artifacts, 
  may work as well. 
  Overwhelming Strength (Ex) A bhole always applies 1-1/2 
  times its Strength modifier on all natural weapon attacks.
  Known on some worlds as dholes, bholes are among the 
  largest of living creatures, wormlike leviathans of such 
  size that few can claim to have seen one wholly from 
  head to tail, and those who do tend toward madness and 
  other afflictions that carry with them a heavy burden of 
  doubt. The coloration of these creatures’ coiling bodies 
  ranges widely—from darker blues and purples to paler 
  grays, yellows, or bleached white—with a cavernous mouth 
  consisting of long, bony jaws that extend and unfold from 
  the creature’s head when it feeds.
  eCology
  By all accounts, bholes are incredibly long-lived—those 
  that exist in remote worlds or on other dimensions have 
  done so for countless eons. The bholes themselves seem 
  to have no interest in their history, perhaps as a result 
  of their limited intellect, but by all accounts a bhole can 
  live forever, barring death by violence. For a creature 
  as immense and dangerous as a bhole, such conditions 
  essentially amount to immortality.
  Regions inhabited by bholes are always barren 
  wastelands. What creatures survive there do so with a 
  combination of stealth and speed, and even then they 
  quickly learn to make themselves scarce when the telltale 
  rumbling of an approaching bhole begins to shake the 
  ground. Bholes themselves seem able to eat and digest 
  anything and everything, and in time can reduce a 
  huge area to a honeycombed network of immense 
  tunnels. These regions swiftly collapse, leaving behind 
  crumpled, rubble-filled pits of vast and terrifying size. 
  Legends speak of entire worlds being reduced to rubble 
  by bholes—they also tell of the danger of allowing these 
  monsters into inhabited worlds, for their hunger is 
  eternal, and a relatively small number of bholes can do 
  incredible damage on a continental scale.
  habitat & soCiety
  Legends state that even larger bholes exist in distant 
  realms below the Dimension of Dreams or deep under 
  Leng. These legends state that no one has actually seen 
  one of these truly enormous bholes; while someone 
  84
  
  must have witnessed one for the legend to spread, the 
  number of those who have survived an encounter with 
  a bhole with body and mind intact is so small that the 
  hyperbole is for all intents and purposes the truth. 
  Certainly the immense burrows in certain regions of 
  the underworld below Leng or the Dimension of Dream 
  speak of massive creatures indeed—holes into which 
  typical bholes might fall and vanish forever. If these 
  monsters do indeed exist, they do so on a scale that may 
  make them impossible denizens of such constraining 
  habitats as mere planets.
  Bholes are more intelligent than animals, but only just. 
  They rarely speak, and their vocabularies are generally 
  limited to only a handful of words in ancient, mostly 
  forgotten languages—those words they do know and 
  speak in more widespread tongues are generally limited 
  to a few phrases in Aklo. Yet bholes rarely have cause to 
  speak, for little seems to interest them apart from eating 
  and slithering.
  No active bholes currently exist on Golarion, although 
  dormant ones may certainly dwell in the deepest reaches 
  of the Darklands, or may well be trapped between this 
  world and other dimensions. Explorers are most 
  likely to encounter these creatures on 
  other planes, other planets, or in other 
  dimensions. Certain members of the cult 
  of Groetus have long sought a way to bring bholes 
  to Golarion, or if they already exist in its depths, 
  methods of locating and awakening them, for what 
  swifter doom could one bring to a planet than to infest 
  it with creatures capable of coring it out as a worm 
  might devour an apple from within?
  enCounters with bholes
  A typical bhole is only 30 feet wide, yet is hundreds of feet 
  long and weighs thousands of tons. Combat with such 
  immense monsters might present some challenges 
  for games based around miniatures and play mats. 
  When you include an encounter with a bhole in 
  such a game, it might be best to describe the 
  immense worm as extruding itself out of the 
  earth to attack those nearby—if the bhole needs 
  to move, it simply burrows to a new location, 
  sticks out its head, and starts attacking new 
  targets. Alternatively, you can treat the bhole’s 
  head as its only actively dangerous portion. In 
  this case, attacks directed at its immense body 
  are irrelevant, with only those directed at its 
  head (which consists of a 30-foot space) actually 
  reducing its hit points. You might even run an 
  encounter with a bhole using a truly enormous 
  space on your Flip-Mat—a space of 100 feet or more, 
  perhaps. This solution presents its own challenges, 
  obviously, particularly if your gaming area lacks for 
  space. Of course, if these options for handling immense 
  monsters don’t sit well with you, the best solution is 
  to simply downsize bholes in your game; assume they 
  coil up on themselves and fit entirely into their 30-foot 
  space, with their length accounting for their unusually 
  enormous reach. Finally, you might consider not using 
  miniatures at all for a fight against a bhole, with the 
  assumption that once combat begins, the immense 
  monster poses a significant threat to all in the area and 
  that even several rounds of flight might not put a victim 
  outside the monster’s reach. Pick the solution that works 
  best for your style of game play; in the end, the point is 
  that a fight with a bhole should be one that your players 
  remember for a long time.
  85
  
  FLYING POLYP
  This nauseating tapered tower of flesh, eyes, and tendrils coils 
  through the air, surrounded by a strange vortex of sucking wind.
  Flying Polyp 
  CR 14
  XP 38,400
  CE Huge aberration (air)
  Init +6; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft.; 
  Perception +26
  Aura frightful presence (90 ft., DC 24)
  DEFENSE
  AC 29, touch 16, flat-footed 26 (+5 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, 
  +13 natural, –2 size)
  hp 207 (18d8+126)
  Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +16
  Defensive Abilities amorphous, deflecting winds, partial 
  invisibility; DR 10/magic and slashing; Immune acid, cold, 
  sonic; SR 25
  Weaknesses vulnerable to lightning
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect)
  Melee 4 tentacle +21 (1d8+9/19–20 plus grab)
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
  Special Attacks constrict (1d8+9), sucking wind, wind blast
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th; concentration +19)
  At will—alter windsAPG, gust of wind (DC 17), whispering wind, 
  wind walk
  3/day—control winds (DC 20), river of windAPG (DC 19),  
  wind wall
  1/day—control weather, whirlwind (DC 23)
  STATISTICS
  Str 28, Dex 15, Con 24, Int 19, Wis 20, Cha 21
  Base Atk +13; CMB +24 (+28 grapple); CMD 42 
  (can’t be tripped)
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, 
  Improved Critical (tentacle), Improved 
  Initiative, Mobility, Power Attack, Vital Strike, 
  Weapon Focus (tentacle)
  Skills Fly +27, Knowledge (engineering) +22,  
  Knowledge (history) +22, Knowledge (nature) 
  +25, Perception +26, Spellcraft +25, Stealth +15, 
  Use Magic Device +23
  Languages Aklo
  SQ amphibious
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any
  Organization solitary, pair, or storm (3–10)
  Treasure standard
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Deflecting Winds (Su) A flying polyp’s control over wind 
  allows it to surround itself with blasts of precisely aimed 
  gusts, effectively granting the creature a +5 deflection 
  bonus to its Armor Class and a +4 resistance bonus on 
  Reflex saving throws.
  Partial Invisibility (Su) A flying polyp’s body constantly 
  flickers and shifts, passing from visibility to invisibility 
  in a seemingly random pattern and often not wholly 
  at once, leaving the creature’s body in what appears to 
  be multiple sections. This ability, combined with the 
  flying polyp’s amorphous, elastic form, makes it difficult 
  to target a flying polyp, granting it a 20% miss chance 
  against all attacks. By concentrating, a flying polyp can 
  become fully invisible.
  Sucking Wind (Su) This attack allows the flying polyp to 
  send an eerie “sucking” wind out to slow and eventually 
  stop a creature’s escape. The wind itself isn’t particularly 
  strong, but it creates a peculiar sucking sensation as 
  86
  
  if it were attempting to pull things back toward the 
  flying polyp. Activating this ability is a full-round action 
  for a flying polyp, and it must concentrate each round 
  to maintain the sucking wind’s effect, as if it were 
  concentrating to maintain a spell duration. The sucking 
  wind manifests as a 100-foot-radius spread, with the 
  flying polyp at the center. Each round the polyp maintains 
  concentration, the sucking wind’s radius increases by 
  100 feet, to a maximum radius of a mile. A flying polyp 
  can detect creatures within this area via tremorsense. As 
  a free action, it can increase the effects of the sucking 
  wind on up to five different creatures within the area at 
  one time. Each targeted creature must succeed at a DC 
  26 Fortitude save each round it remains in the area of 
  the sucking wind or be slowed until it leaves the area. A 
  creature already under the effects of any slowing effect 
  (such as from this sucking wind or a slow spell) that fails 
  this save is held in place for 1 round—it is not helpless, 
  but cannot move via any means. Freedom of movement 
  protects against the effects of the sucking wind, and 
  control winds negates its effects in the area of effect of the 
  control winds spell. Natural windstorms or other powerful 
  winds have no effect on a sucking wind. A flying polyp can 
  activate a sucking wind once per day, and can maintain 
  concentration on the effect for up to an hour. The save 
  DC is Constitution-based.
  Wind Blast (Su) Once every 1d4 rounds as a standard 
  action, a flying polyp can create a powerful blast of wind 
  at a range of up to 120 feet. This blast of wind creates a 
  sudden explosion of flesh-scouring wind in a 30-foot-
  radius burst. All creatures within this area take 14d6 points 
  of bludgeoning damage, with a successful DC 26 Reflex 
  save halving the damage. In addition, these winds can 
  check or blow away creatures as if they were tornado-
  strength winds (see page 439 of the Pathfinder RPG Core 
  Rulebook). The save DC is Constitution-based.
  A flying polyp is a hideous mass of flesh, eyes, tentacles, 
  and mouths suggestive of a particularly nauseating 
  evolutionary path. A typical flying polyp measures 30 feet 
  in length but is unusually light for its size, weighing no 
  more than 2,000 pounds. These creatures seem to have 
  no maximum lifespan, but their violent, warlike nature 
  ensures that death eventually occurs—even if it takes 
  eons for the polyp to encounter something capable of 
  defeating it.
  eCology
  A f lying polyp is a physical being, but one composed of 
  material strangely unlike the flesh that garbs most living 
  creatures. While the stuff that makes up the exterior of 
  a f lying polyp’s body might seem similar to ordinary 
  f lesh, it often behaves in ways that should be impossible. 
  The material seems to fade in and out of visibility, almost 
  at random, at points becoming transparent enough that 
  the nauseating inner workings of the thing’s body are laid 
  bare to view. Although the polyp feels moist and damp to 
  the touch, what might serve as blood in other creatures 
  behaves more like strange vortices of wind within a 
  flying polyp’s body. When wounded, its damaged flesh 
  does not bleed so much as whistle and gust.
  A f lying polyp’s association with wind is particularly 
  noteworthy, and goes far beyond the strange storms 
  that surge through what passes as veins and arteries 
  in its massive body. These creatures have a remarkable 
  ability to control the air around them, both via a wide 
  array of spell-like abilities and through the use of 
  potent supernatural powers. They do not wield tools 
  or weapons as a rule, instead using their mastery of 
  the winds themselves to wage war and build their grim 
  cities, scouring towers and chambers out of basalt with 
  precise blasts of sand-laden wind.
  habitat & soCiety
  Although flying polyps certainly display some of the 
  features of other sentient races, particularly in their 
  habit of building cities (although these towering cities 
  incorporate architectural features that most other races 
  find awkward and unsettling), in other areas they seem 
  strangely primitive or disinterested. They are as aberrant 
  in mind and philosophy as they are in physical form. For 
  example, they seem to have neither a name for their own 
  race, nor a language to call their own. Their cities, while 
  unnerving in their vast scale, seem to serve little other 
  purpose than to unnerve, for flying polyps do not engage 
  in trade or politics or other social constructs.
  The primary exception to this, to the detriment of 
  other creatures unfortunate enough to dwell in regions 
  claimed by f lying polyps, is war. Flying polyps excel 
  at genocide, using their mastery over wind to scour 
  clean entire cities and civilizations when they come 
  upon them. Some among their kind can even travel to 
  other planets by bringing with them a sizable sphere of 
  purloined wind and air to carry them aloft and sustain 
  them, and with this power they lead armies from 
  planet to planet as necessary, relentlessly tracking their 
  chosen enemies across worlds. Every so often, f lying 
  polyps encounter a race that is their equal in war, and 
  on some worlds, including Golarion, they still endure 
  the humiliation of these ancient defeats after being 
  imprisoned in extensive underground chambers where 
  they are cut off from the outside world. Yet flying polyps 
  are long-lived, and when an unforeseen tectonic event 
  creates new exits to their prison chambers in forgotten 
  corners of the Darklands, they emerge with unabated 
  fury to seek revenge.
  87
  
  KURSHU THE UNDYING
  This large creature has the upper body of a winged woman and the 
  lower body of a snake. She looks withered, like a preserved corpse.
  Kurshu the Undying 
  CR 15
  XP 51,200
  LE Large outsider (evil, extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +10; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., low-light 
  vision, scent; Perception +25
  DEFENSE
  AC 30, touch 17, flat-footed 24 (+2 deflection, +6 Dex, +13 natural, 
  –1 size)
  hp 229 (17d10+136); regeneration 5 (acid)
  Fort +20, Ref +11, Will +17
  DR 10/cold iron and magic; Resist cold 30, electricity 30, fire 30, 
  sonic 30; SR 26
  Weaknesses divine separation
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee 2 slams +21 (1d6+5 plus 1d4 Intelligence drain), tail slap 
  +16 (1d8+2 plus grab)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks constrict (1d8+5), power surge
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; concentration +22)
  At will—detect magic, floating disk, mage hand, read magic, tongues
  3/day—cure serious wounds, dispel magic, displacement, 
  fireball (DC 20), greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects 
  only), hold person (DC 20), lightning bolt (DC 20), limited 
  wish, magic missile, plane shift (DC 24), slow (DC 20), 
  stinking cloud (DC 20), vampiric touch
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 23, Con 26, Int 31, Wis 20, Cha 25
  Base Atk +17; CMB +23 (+27 grapple); CMD 41 (can’t be tripped)
  Feats Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Craft Wondrous 
  Item, Great Fortitude, Hover, Improved Initiative, Improved 
  Iron Will, Iron Will, Scribe Scroll
  Skills Diplomacy +24, Escape Artist +23, Fly +21, Heal +22, 
  Intimidate +24, Knowledge (arcana) +30, Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) +27, Knowledge (history) +27, Knowledge 
  (planes) +30, Knowledge (religion) +27, Perception +25, 
  Sense Motive +25, Spellcraft +30, Stealth +22, Swim +22, Use 
  Magic Device +27
  Languages Aklo, Azlanti, Draconic, Infernal, Terran, 
  Thassilonian; telepathy 100 ft.
  SQ change shape (human; alter self ), feed, spell-like crafting
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any land (extraplanar)
  Organization solitary or cabal (herald and 1d4 charmed 
  outsiders of CR 5 to CR 10)
  Treasure standard
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Divine Separation (Su) The herald has been separated from 
  Lissala for thousands of years and does not know where 
  her master is. The loss of her connection to the goddess 
  severely weakens the herald, and she gains 1 negative 
  level per day, up to a maximum of 16 negative levels. 
  These negative levels cannot be suppressed or removed 
  in any way (including restoration spells), except by using 
  her feed ability. If Lissala returns and the herald regains 
  her connection to her master, she permanently loses this 
  weakness and its associated negative levels.
  Feed (Su) Once per day, the herald can devour an outsider’s 
  corpse as a full-round action. For each Hit Die of the 
  devoured outsider, the herald automatically removes 1 
  negative level gained from her divine separation ability. The 
  consumed outsider must have at least 8 Hit Dice.
  Intelligence Drain (Su) The herald drains 1d4 points of 
  Intelligence each time she hits with her slam attack. (The 
  herald does not heal any damage when she uses her 
  Intelligence drain.)
  Power Surge (Su) Three times per day as a swift action, the 
  herald can increase the DC of her next spell-like ability (if it 
  is cast that round) by +2.
  Spell-Like Crafting (Su) The herald may use any of her spell-
  like abilities when crafting magic items as if they were 
  actual spells.
  Lissala’s herald is Kurshu the Undying, a powerful and 
  dutiful agent of magic who has been suffering in her 
  master’s long absence. Known as “Kurshu the Divine 
  Serpent” during the time of Thassilon, she possesses 
  a powerful serpentine lower body, a female humanoid 
  upper body, and three pairs of feathered wings. Her 
  humanoid half is more serpentine than that of a 
  lillend; she has tiny scales on her arms and a scaly cobra 
  hood that blends into her hair. She looks haggard, as 
  if aff licted with a chronic wasting disease, and her 
  movements betray an ancient and resigned weariness. 
  Her voice is thin and susurrant, and she tends to hiss 
  when she speaks, especially when angry. She tends to 
  verbalize in Thassilonian even when communicating 
  telepathically. She is a lost being without a purpose, 
  devoted to Lissala but unable to find her.
  Records of the herald’s origin are lost to passing 
  centuries, but she claims she was created in her current 
  form by the goddess, who used parts from several different 
  creatures and then granted her true life. The goddess’s 
  withdrawal has taxed the herald’s ability to maintain her 
  own life, and eventually she may fragment back into her 
  component pieces (which may or may not be alive after 
  this transformation). Bound to Lissala by magic and 
  an unshakable sense of duty, she resents her master for 
  leaving her behind to wither away, and despises herself 
  for knowing that if Lissala returns, she will crawl back to 
  the goddess like a sheltered, neglected child who has no 
  alternative but to love her creator and jailor.
  88
  
  eCology
  Kurshu’s degenerative condition means that (unlike most 
  outsiders) she must eat to survive; otherwise, she wastes 
  away into a skeletal, nearly helpless version of herself. 
  She reached that lowest point only once, but was lucky 
  enough to catch suitable prey unawares and work her way 
  back to an exhausted but functional level. Consequently, 
  Kurshu makes sure to feed at least every few days.
  As there are few creatures in Lissala’s service who have 
  the power to conjure her, Kurshu is mainly left to her own 
  devices, but (unlike heralds of active deities) may choose to 
  respond to a summons from any spellcaster. In exchange 
  for her services, she demands that she be given outsiders 
  she can enslave for later feeding, Thassilonian magic 
  items, or items that bear some lingering piece of Lissala’s 
  power. She is knowledgeable about Thassilonian magic, 
  rune magic, and Azlanti practices, though she is hesitant 
  to speak of the latter when on Golarion lest it attract 
  unwanted attention from slaves of the aboleths; 
  having witnessed Earthfall at a distance, she has 
  no desire to subject herself to a direct attack by 
  entities who control that kind of magic.
  Kurshu has no compunction about killing 
  something that defies her or appears to be 
  withholding information or objects she wants 
  (if she has to, she can compel answers from its 
  corpse using limited wish to duplicate speak with 
  dead). She feels her pseudo-mortality at all 
  times and fears death, and is likely to flee any 
  encounter in which she feels outmatched.
  habitat & soCiety
  Kurshu is alone in the multiverse. Her 
  goddess is gone, Lissala’s other divine 
  servants have perished or converted to other 
  faiths, mortals who knew her at the height of 
  Thassilon are long dead or in suspended 
  animation, and her existence has no 
  purpose. Her hunger for outsider souls 
  repulses her (as she never had to eat 
  while Lissala was present) but she accepts it as a 
  necessary embarrassment because she is unwilling 
  to accept death—or an eternity spent as an invalid.
  She normally keeps a “stable” of charmed outsiders 
  near her (using her limited wish spell-like ability to 
  duplicate charm monster) so she can slay and consume one 
  if necessary. Her devotion to law and hatred 
  of chaos means her minions are usually 
  daemons, demons, or proteans; though she 
  finds their flesh repugnant, she would rather 
  destroy a minion of disorder than a devil or 
  similar lawful evil outsider. She is stern but 
  courteous to these minions, who obey and 
  respect her power even beyond the enforced friendliness 
  of the magic that binds them to her.
  Because of her chaotic associates, she has survived many 
  hostile encounters in which opponents attacked her with 
  lawful magic (such as order’s wrath)—such attacks do not 
  harm her, giving her a few vital seconds to decide whether 
  she wants to retaliate or abandon her minions and flee.
  The herald spends her infinite hours wandering the 
  planes in search of Lissala or visiting Golarion to bask 
  in places sacred to her missing goddess, trying to detect 
  echoes of her master’s presence like an old widower 
  smelling his dead wife’s clothes for a hint of perfume to 
  spark a long-forgotten memory.
  89
  
  NIGHTGAUNT
  This lanky ebon humanoid has batlike wings and a long 
  prehensile tail, yet its most unsettling feature is its lack of a face.
  Nightgaunt 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200
  CN Medium monstrous humanoid 
  Init +6; Senses all-around vision, blindsight 60 ft.; Perception +6
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural)
  hp 37 (5d10+10)
  Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +6
  Defensive Abilities faceless; Immune cold, gaze weapons, 
  inhaled toxins, scent-based attacks
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (average)
  Melee 2 claws +9 (1d6+4 plus grab)
  Special Attacks clutches, tickle
  STATISTICS
  Str 18, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 11
  Base Atk +5; CMB +9 (+13 grapple); CMD 22
  Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
  Skills Fly +7, Perception +6, Stealth +11; Racial Modifiers 
  +4 Stealth
  Languages Aklo (cannot speak)
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any mountains
  Organization single, pair, flight (3–12), or colony (13–50 plus 
  1–4 nightgaunt elders)
  Treasure none
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Clutches (Ex) Although a typical nightgaunt stands only half a 
  foot taller than most humans, it is a remarkably tenacious 
  grappler. A nightgaunt gains a +8 racial bonus on all combat 
  maneuver checks made to grapple (rather than the typical 
  +4 bonus most creatures with the grab ability gain). If a 
  nightgaunt uses its fly speed to move itself and a grappled 
  target, it can fly at full speed.
  Faceless (Ex) A nightgaunt has no face, yet it can still see 
  with remarkable clarity in all directions as if its entire 
  body were a single strange eye. This unusual form of 
  vision renders it immune to gaze attacks, but not to 
  illusions that rely upon vision to function. A nightgaunt 
  feeds on the despair and horror of its victims, which 
  replaces the creature’s need to eat and drink. It has no 
  need to breathe at all, and is immune to all inhaled or 
  scent-based effects.
  Tickle (Ex) A nightgaunt’s long, sinuous tail is covered with 
  razor-sharp barbs. While this appendage looks dangerous 
  and is exceptionally agile, a nightgaunt’s tail doesn’t have 
  much strength, and thus cannot be used as a natural 
  weapon. Yet when a nightgaunt grapples a foe, its tail 
  can slither along the target’s flesh to tickle and tease with 
  nauseating efficiency. Tickling a foe is a swift action, and the 
  foe must either be helpless or grappled by the nightgaunt 
  in order for it to use this ability. When a creature is tickled 
  by a nightgaunt, the victim must succeed at a DC 14 
  Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC is 
  Dexterity-based.
  Nightgaunts haunt the deepest and darkest chasms of 
  dream. They lurk in the shadows that loom at the edges 
  of sane slumber, but are ready at any moment to snatch a 
  blithe dreamer away, carrying it off into realms of endless 
  nightmare and tickling it terribly all the way. They appear 
  as stooped, emaciated humanoids, yet possess a strength in 
  their sinewy limbs that far surpasses that of most humans. 
  With inky black skin, batlike wings, long spiny tails, and 
  demonic horns protruding from their skulls, nightgaunts 
  are fearsome foes—yet it’s their lack of any facial features 
  makes the creatures truly nightmarish.
  A typical nightgaunt is 7 feet tall and weighs 175 pounds.
  eCology
  Nightgaunts’ most singular feature—their uncanny lack 
  of features—is perhaps their most intriguing biological 
  facet. That the creatures can see is manifestly obvious, 
  for they react to purely visual stimulus with speed and 
  precise action, as if their whole bodies can see in all 
  directions. Scholars have yet to determine how the 
  bizarre creatures accomplish this eerie stunt, but the 
  fact that they were spawned originally in the depths of 
  ancient nightmares might indicate that no sane or logical 
  explanation for their sight exists.
  Nightgaunts feed on emotions; while fear and 
  horror are the usual staples of nightgaunts’ diet, the 
  creatures actually prefer a meal of varied emotions. A 
  mix of laughter and terror provides a succulent meal 
  for nightgaunts. Little else can provoke as delectable 
  a bouquet for a nightgaunt as lifting victims high into 
  the air while tickling them with its long, whip-like tail, 
  a situation that those who have survived relate as one 
  that can never be forgotten. During this frightening 
  feeding, a nightgaunt often carries its victims aloft for 
  miles as it continually tickles and torments the poor 
  souls, finally dropping its prey into a remote area where 
  monsters and worse lie in wait once it has gorged itself. 
  Although nightgaunts won’t hesitate to drop particularly 
  troublesome or dangerous creatures from a great height, 
  they prefer to release those they carry off from heights of 
  only a few feet, as if to ensure their survival in whatever 
  eldritch wilderness the nightgaunts have brought their 
  victims to. Nightgaunts rarely return to feed on creatures 
  they’ve dropped off in a dangerous region (although the 
  same cannot be said of victims who escape to safety), 
  provoking theories that the creatures have some sort 
  90
  
  of ancient pact with the monstrous denizens of these 
  remote locales.
  habitat & soCiety
  Nightgaunts dwell in the parts of the world that inspire 
  nightmares, where dreamers pray for dawn. They can be 
  found amid the creaking boughs of haunted forests, lurking 
  in the caves of desolate mountain gorges, or perched atop 
  crumbling gravestones in forgotten boneyards. Yet when 
  they grow hungry, they take wing from their eerie lairs 
  to seek out victims, scouring cities and towns for open 
  windows from which to snatch their meals.
  Although nightgaunts can be found throughout 
  Golarion, this is not their original home. The first 
  nightgaunts were spawned deep in the Dimension of Dream 
  from the nightmares of a forgotten poet whose fears were 
  so consuming that every night he dreamt, his nightmares 
  grew more and more powerful and overwhelming. 
  Dreams of being carried over horrific landscapes and 
  mind-numbing vistas of eldritch blight drove the poet 
  deeper and deeper into madness, and in desperation he 
  sought out the aid of a strange alchemist who supplied 
  him with an elixir that would rid him of his fears forever. 
  The poet took the draught and immediately fell into a 
  deep slumber, and in that slumber, his nightmares 
  fled his mind, transforming into the first and most 
  powerful of the nightgaunt race. Unfortunately 
  for the poet, the nightgaunts also took his muse, 
  and when he woke the next morning, he found 
  his ability to write had vanished forever—he had 
  traded his soul for a life of gentle sleep. When he found 
  he could not go on without his poetry, he sought out that 
  strange alchemist in hopes of reversing what he’d done. 
  The stories do not reveal 
  what fate eventually met  
  this strange and forlorn 
  poet, but the nightgaunts 
  have certainly prospered.
  Most nightgaunts have little drive  
  to be anything more than predators of slumbering 
  societies. They often gather in large colonies, entertaining 
  each other by sharing emotions they’ve fed upon via 
  strange touches and lingering caresses. Powerful 
  warlords, wizards, priests, and the like often enjoin 
  nightgaunts to serve them as guardians or even 
  forms of travel, promising them slaves or other 
  captured prey in return for their services, 
  but those who traffic with nightgaunts must 
  take care to stay in their faceless friends’ good 
  graces, for a nightgaunt can turn upon its allies at the 
  smallest slight.
  Nightgaunts often war with the other 
  creatures found in their desolate realms, 
  led into battle by elder nightgaunts who carry strange 
  magical tridents and command considerable magical 
  powers. These elder nightgaunts typically have levels 
  as magi or oracles—a nightgaunt colony led by such a 
  powerful creature is a much more dangerous threat than 
  most, for these colonies often have agendas that go beyond 
  mere predation upon kinder societies. Nightgaunt elders 
  are typically chaotic evil, and many use their followers 
  to keep humanoids as cattle in horrific pens or cages in 
  lightless caverns.
  The most powerful nightgaunts, though, are those 
  original creations pulled from the mad poet’s nightmares. 
  These creatures are all-powerful spellcasters of prodigious 
  size, and dwell in the deep underground realms below the 
  Dimension of Dream, or else rule vast rookeries on the 
  ragged borderlands that surround the dread Plateau of 
  Leng. What their goals might be is not for sane minds 
  to know.
  91
  
  92
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  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc; Authors: Jonathan Tweet, 
  Monte Cook, and Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Advanced Bestiary © 2004, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author: Matt Sernett.
  Aurumvorax from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., 
  published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original 
  material by Gary Gygax.
  Caryatid Column from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., 
  published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original 
  material by Jean Wells.
  Vegepygmy from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., 
  published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original 
  material by Gary Gygax.
  Pathfinder Adventure Path #65: Into the Nightmare Rift © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC; 
  Author: Richard Pett.
  The DeaD hearT Of Xin
  by Brandon Hodge
  The seven shards of the Shattered Star have been 
  recovered, and the Pathfinders prepare a grand festival 
  on Magnimar’s Irespan to celebrate this incredible 
  achievement. The culmination of this celebration is to 
  be the reassembly of the seven shards into the legendary 
  Sihedron itself, rebuilt for the first time in more than 
  10,000 years. But a great deal can change in that amount 
  of time, and as the ritual to reforge the artifact finishes, 
  ancient contingencies rumble to life. As the dead heart of 
  Thassilon begins to beat again, all of Magnimar is put in 
  terrible danger. With the power of the Sihedron on their 
  side, the heroes make a stand against this risen evil—but 
  will even the aid of an ancient artifact be enough to save 
  them all?
  cOnTinuinG The campaiGn
  The end comes to the Shattered Star Adventure Path, but 
  more adventure awaits! Learn what happens if the PCs 
  don’t successfully meet their goal, and explore other ways 
  to keep your campaign going if they do save the day. 
  runeLOrDs Of ThassiLOn
  Discover more about the ancient Thassilonian wizards 
  who once ruled Varisia. Learn about these sin-wielding 
  wizards, the lands they once held, and important 
  discoveries they brought to light during their reign.
  anD mOre!
  Bizarre rituals and terror from beyond the stars in 
  the final installment of “Light of a Distant Star,” the 
  Pathfinder’s Journal by Bill Ward! Also, encounter 
  monsters from lost empires in the latest installment of 
  the Pathfinder Bestiary!
  subscribe TO paThfinDer aDvenTure paTh!
  The Shattered Star Adventure Path concludes! Don’t 
  miss out on the world-shaking climax—head over to 
  paizo.com/pathfinder and subscribe today to have each 
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  L
  uma is a cobblestone druid, a canny ﬁ ghter and spellcaster who can read the chaos 
  of Magnimar’s city streets like a scholar reads books. Together, she and her siblings 
  in the powerful Derexhi family form one of the most infamous and eﬀ ective mercenary 
  companies in the city, solving problems for the city’s wealthy elite. Yet despite being the 
  oldest child, Luma gets little respect—perhaps due to her half-elven heritage. When a 
  job gone wrong lands Luma in the fearsome prison called the Hells, it’s only the start of 
  Luma’s problems. For a new web of bloody power politics is growing in Magnimar, and it 
  may be that those Luma trusts most have become her deadliest enemies... 
  From visionary game designer and author Robin D. Laws comes a new urban fantasy 
  adventure of murder, betrayal, and political intrigue set in the award-winning world of 
  the Pathﬁ nder Roleplaying Game.
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  Paizo, Paizo Publishing, LLC, the golem logo, and Pathﬁ nder are registered trademarks 
  of Paizo Publishing, LLC. Pathﬁ nder Tales and Pathﬁ nder Roleplaying Game are 
  trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. © 2012, Paizo Publishing, LLC.
  I
  n the deep forests of Kyonin, elves live secretively 
  among their own kind, far from the prying eyes 
  of other races. Few of impure blood are allowed 
  beyond the nation’s borders, and thus it’s a great 
  honor for the half-elven Count Varian Jeggare 
  and his hellspawn bodyguard Radovan to be 
  allowed inside. Yet all is not well in the elven 
  kingdom: Demons stir in its depths, and an 
  intricate web of politics seems destined to catch 
  the two travelers in its snares. In the course of 
  tracking down a missing druid, Varian and a team 
  of eccentric elven adventurers are forced to delve 
  into dark secrets lost for generations—including 
  the mystery of Varian’s own past.
  From fan-favorite Dave Gross, author of Prince of 
  Wolves  and Master of Devils, comes a fantastical 
  new adventure set in the award-winning world of 
  the Pathﬁ nder Roleplaying Game.
  ISBN–13: 978-1-60125-463-4   Paperback $9.99
  Amazing Stories Set in the 
  Pathﬁ nder Campaign Setting
  Explore New Horizons
  ISBN–13: 978-1-60125-456-6   Paperback $9.99
  
  paizo.com
  Paizo, Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo, and Pathﬁ nder are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, 
  and the Pathﬁ nder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC. © 2012 Paizo Publishing, LLC.
  Available Now!
  EVERY CORE CLASS ♦ EVERY LEVEL ♦ $39.99
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  Find Your Path
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  paizo.com/pathﬁ nder
  Paizo, Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo, and Pathﬁ nder are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, 
  and the Pathﬁ nder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC. © 2012 Paizo Publishing, LLC.
  The Runelords
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  of the most beloved fantasy campaigns ever published!
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  Our Lady of Blessed Waters 
  Seerspring Garden, a park boasting a spring of crisp, clear water, marks the 
  northeastern corner of Keystone. The park itself is a fine place to relax, but its most 
  striking feature is the bronze, strangely verdigris-free statue of a lithe woman that 
  stands at the center of the water. The statue is said to be an 
  image of the spirit believed to linger within the Seerspring, but 
  none in Magnimar know who built the mysterious monument. 
  The oddly soothing statue is said to have simply appeared in 
  Seerspring Garden overnight not long after the park itself was 
  established—its source remains unknown to this day.
  Monument Boon: Spend 10 minutes in prayer to 
  the spirit of the Seerspring, then attempt a DC 15 
  Knowledge (religion) check. Success grants a +1 
  morale bonus on all caster level and concentration checks 
  for divine spells for 24 hours. This bonus increases 
  by 1 for every 5 points by which your check exceeds 
  the DC.
   
   
   
  the Guardians
  Just within Twins’ Gate stand the Guardians, one of the city’s larger monuments. 
  These 200-foot-tall colossi depicting the young heroes Cailyn and Romre Vanderale 
  face each other with burning staves held high, forming a giant arch. The Guardians 
  stand at the southernmost end of the broad Avenue of Hours, which runs from 
  the city wall all the way north to Indros cul Vydrarch Plaza and 
  the Pediment Building, and as such they serve as one 
  of the most notable landmarks for both Naos and the 
  Capital District. The brothers Vanderale themselves are 
  well regarded in the town's history, and many young 
  Magnimarians strive to "be like the brothers" when they 
  grow up.
  Monument Boon: Meditate for 10 minutes below the 
  arch and make a successful DC 15 Knowledge (arcana) 
  check to gain a +1 morale 
  bonus on all concentration checks for 24 hours. This bonus increases 
  by 1 for every 10 points by which your check exceeds the DC.
  NAOS
  KEYSTONE
  
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  Giants in the EArth
  With five shards of the Shattered Star secure, visions point the PCs toward one of Varisia’s most 
  remote corners as the site protecting the sixth fragment of the powerful artifact. Yet the heroes 
  are not the first to search for this shard—upon arriving at the ancient ruin known as Guiltspur, 
  they find a small army of giants excavating the site on the order of a blue dragon. Even this 
  is not the entirety of the danger, however, for as the heroes soon learn, there are other forces 
  searching for the final shards as well—some hailing from the Darklands below, and some from 
  beyond reality in the nightmare realm of Leng!
  This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path continues the Shattered Star Adventure Path  
  and includes:
  •	 “Into	the	Nightmare	Rift,”	a	Pathfinder	RPG	adventure	for	13th-level	characters,	by	
  Richard	Pett.
  •	 Previously	unknown	secrets	about	H.	P.	Lovecraft’s	famous	Plateau	of	Leng	in	a	
  special gazetteer of this strange realm of dreams and horrors, by Greg A. Vaughan.
  •	 The	lost	and	ancient	secrets	behind	the	forgotten	faith	of	Lissala,	goddess	of	runes,	
  fate,	duty,	and	obedience,	by	Sean	K	Reynolds.
  •	 Alchemists	and	wererats	in	the	Pathfinder’s	Journal,	by	Bill	Ward.
  •	 Four	new	monsters,	including	Lovecraftian	horrors	and	Lissala’s	herald,	 
  by	James	Jacobs	and	Sean	K	Reynolds.
  Printed in China. PZO9065
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/Adventure Paths/PF061-066 - Shattered Star/Shattered Star - 05 - Into the Nightmare Rift.pdf