TEXT: ADVENTURE PATH
  Second Darkness
  The 
  Armageddon 
  Echo
  By Jason Bulmahn
  
  Flauros
  Nocticula
  Abraxas
  Zura
  Shax
  Haagenti
  Jubilex
  Andirifhhu
  Areshkagal
  Cyth-V’sug
  Socothbenoth
  Mazmezz
  Demon Lord Runes
  
  ADVENTURE PATH      PART 3 of 6
  The Armageddon Echo
  Second Darkness
  
  TM
  “The Armageddon Echo” is a Pathfinder Adventure Path scenario designed for four 7th-level characters. By the end of this adventure, characters should reach 9th level. This adventure is compliant with the Open Game 
  License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the 3.5 edition of the world’s most popular fantasy roleplaying game. The OGL can be found on page 92 of this product.
  Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper 
  names (characters, deities, artifacts, places, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, language, incidents, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress.
  Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the contents of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a 
  Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Game License and the d20 
  System License, please visit wizards.com/d20.
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  Printed in China.
  Credits
  Editor-in-Chief • James Jacobs
  Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson
  Managing Editor • F. Wesley Schneider
  Editor • James L. Sutter
  Copy Editor • Christopher Carey 
  Editorial Assistance • Jason Bulmahn,  
  Sean K Reynolds, and Vic Wertz
  Editorial Intern • Claudia Golden
  Graphic Design Assistance • Drew Pocza
  Managing Art Director • James Davis
  Publisher • Erik Mona
  Cover Artist
  Steve Prescott
  Cartographer
  Rob Lazzaretti
  Contributing Artists
  Concept Art House, Julie Dillion, Andrew Hou,  
  Imaginary Friends, Ben Wootten, Kevin Yan
  Contributing Authors
  Jason Bulmahn, Jeff Grubb, Hal Maclean, Rob McCreary, Amber Scott, 
  David Schwartz, Greg A. Vaughan
  Paizo CEO • Lisa Stevens
  Vice President of Operations • Jeff Alvarez
  Director of Marketing • Joshua J. Frost
  Corporate Accountant • Dave Erickson
  Sales Manager • Christopher Self
  Technical Director • Vic Wertz
  Online Retail Coordinator • Jacob Burgess
  Special Thanks
  The Paizo Customer Service and Warehouse Teams
  
  Foreword	
  4
  The	Armageddon	Echo	
  6
  by Jason Bulmahn
  Celwynvian	
  48
  by Amber Scott
  Drow	of	Golarion	
  54
  by Jeff Grubb
  Lament	for	Emerald	Rains	
  66
  by David Schwartz
  Pathfinder’s	Journal	
  74
  by Greg A. Vaughan
  Bestiary	
  80 
  by Jason Bulmahn, Hal Maclean, and Rob McCreary
  Pregenerated	Characters 
  90
  Preview	
  92	
   
  Table of Contents
  
  4
  Second Darkness
  Eyes, Ears, and ENnies
  I
  t took us a while to figure out what role the drow 
  play in Golarion, and in the end it was Jason 
  Bulmahn, if my memory banks serve me right, who 
  came up with the idea that the ancient transformation of 
  elf into drow didn’t end in that one fell swoop; that the 
  transformation continues to this day, finding fertile soil 
  in the evil hearts and souls of Golarion’s most wicked 
  elves and, under the right circumstances, resulted in a 
  physical change from the purity of the elven race into the 
  corruption that is drow. Not all evil elves make the change 
  into drow, of course. The vast majority of drow in (under!) 
  Golarion today were born that way—an elf spontaneously 
  transforming into a drow is a rare event, one that the elves 
  have done their best to cover up over the years. Yet when 
  the transformation strikes a powerful and high-ranking 
  member of elven society like Allevrah, the BBEG (Big Bad 
  End Gal) of Second Darkness, simply covering it up isn’t 
  going to keep things contained.
  Just such an event was the kernel of an adventure 
  idea that Jason came up with about a year ago—we were 
  casting about for thoughts on how to handle Golarion’s 
  first drow-themed adventure, and we all agreed that we 
  needed our own take on the dark elves that at the same 
  time retained as much of their iconic role in the game as 
  possible. At first, we planned on introducing Golarion to 
  the drow in a Pathfinder Module, using a plot revolving 
  around an important elven general becoming a drow and 
  using her resources and knowledge to launch a surprise 
  attack against the elven nation.
  Of course, that’s a pretty big plot to cover in a mere 32 
  pages, so we swiftly moved on from there to start planning 
  what would have been an adventure arc covering three 
  successive modules. Yet that ended up being a poor idea 
  too, especially since we wanted our module line to be 
  relatively spry. The Pathfinder Modules are a great way 
  for us to stop by for brief visits throughout the Inner Sea 
  
  5
  Foreword
  James Jacobs
  Editor-in-Chief
  james.jacobs@paizo.com
  region, and locking that up with a three-part drow epic 
  gummed up that machine.
  All of which led us to the final realization that what we 
  had on our hands was the germination of an Adventure 
  Path. And fortunately, we already had a way to produce 
  and print Adventure Paths. So, like a ravenous hawk 
  swooping down to snatch a tender, succulent rodent from 
  the ground below, I claimed the drow from the modules 
  line for a Pathfinder Adventure Path.
  From our initial idea of an elven general transforming 
  into a drow, the rest of the plot (involving meteors and 
  aboleths and Riddleport and complex political intrigue 
  in a giant city of drow) fell into place pretty quickly. And 
  before Jason knew what hit him, I recruited him into 
  writing one of the adventures for the arc. The fact that 
  he’s an excellent adventure designer certainly helped, of 
  course, as did his sadistic streak and the almost childlike 
  glee he takes in designing encounters that make players 
  cry (typically encounters involving vrock demons).
  Jason was actually the first person I assigned to this 
  Adventure Path—I told him he had first choice on which 
  one he wanted to write, suspecting he’d want to take 
  on the first one or the last one. He tricked me though, 
  and took the middle adventure, when the PCs were first 
  scheduled to fight waves and waves of drow soldiers and 
  spellcasters. Of course, I think that a primary reason he 
  picked “Armageddon Echo” was because it was the earliest 
  he could sneak a vrock into the adventure while it could 
  still wreak havoc on a group of relatively tender PCs.
  What Big Eyes You Have!
  This adventure also marks a sudden rise in the number 
  of elf NPCs in the Adventure Path. At the same time, the 
  other side of the Editorial Pit is working on the second 
  Pathfinder Companion, Elves of Golarion (anyone wanting 
  to flesh out the elves of Crying Leaf with more elf-related 
  gear, magic, or prestige classes should certainly check 
  this 32-page supplement out). So for the past few weeks, 
  we’ve been pretty deep in pointed ears and big dark eyes 
  here at Paizo.
  Elf ears are a funny issue. They’re one of those things 
  that everyone seems to have strong opinions about, and 
  I’m not really sure why. The exact length and shape 
  of these things sends our readers into shockingly 
  passionate debates. I’m sure we didn’t help things by 
  going all over the board in the early days of Pathfinder as 
  we experimented with a look that would be Golarion’s. 
  I knew I didn’t want Spock-length ears (I wanted to save 
  those for our half-elves), but I also knew that the overly 
  huge “anime-ears” threw a lot of our readers into fits of 
  rage. The direction of those ears caused problems too; 
  do they stick straight up, straight out, or at some angle 
  in-between?
  It wasn’t until Pathfinder #3 that we found a look we 
  liked—Wayne Reynolds’s depiction of our iconic rogue 
  Merisiel on the cover was perfect. But Wayne didn’t 
  stop with the ears. He gave Merisiel huge dark eyes that 
  made her look almost like an alien. They looked great! 
  (So great that I just bought the original art for Merisiel 
  from Wayne at Gen Con a few days ago!) We immediately 
  latched on to the look… and for the next dozen months, 
  struggled to maintain it.
  You see, it was the eyes that were causing us the most 
  grief. Artists were used to elf ears being long and pointed 
  after several decades, but the large eyes with no visible 
  whites to them were new. It seemed for a while that every elf 
  piece we ordered came in with human-looking eyes, and we 
  had to send the art back to the artist for revision every time. 
  Fortunately, I think we’ve now finally built up enough eye 
  reference that, going forward, you’ll be able to recognize a 
  Golarion elf at a glance by those big beautiful peepers.
  Back from Gen Con
  I’m writing this foreword the second day after my return 
  from Gen Con 2008, and I’m still not quite recovered 
  from it. This Gen Con was Paizo’s best ever, and that’s 
  in no small part due to our readers—we may be the ones 
  designing and editing and creating the various Pathfinder 
  products, but it’s you, our customers, who have made 
  Pathfinder such a huge success. It was overwhelming to see 
  just how much support there is out there for what we’ve 
  been doing with Golarion—we sold out of the Pathfinder 
  RPG Betas we’d brought to the show in a mere 9 hours, 
  and the hardcover Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting 
  wasn’t far behind. We also launched the Pathfinder 
  Society organized play program at the same show, and 
  as early as 8:00 am on the first day of the convention, 
  the Pathfinder Society room was clogged with dozens of 
  eager players—and that room stayed clogged for 4 days 
  solid. And on top of that, we won 8 ENnie awards Saturday 
  night, including a gold for Best Adventure (Pathfinder #1’s 
  Burnt Offerings) and a gold for Best Publisher!
  It’s an exciting time for us here at Paizo and I just 
  wanted to take a moment here to thank all of you who 
  have been reading Pathfinder since the start and those 
  who are just now coming on board with Second Darkness. 
  You guys and gals are the best!
  
  Some things are best left forgotten. Terrible atrocities, grim sacrifices, 
  and cataclysmic reckonings are no strangers to the annals of history, 
  yet while those who survive such events can never hope to forget, 
  later generations do so in the vain hope that with ignorance comes 
  salvation. Unfortunately, among long-lived races, there are always 
  those who remember. A grudge harbored through centuries grows 
  in strength, waiting for a chance to settle its ancient debt. Many 
  horrific chapters have thus been entered and later scrubbed from 
  Golarion’s history as a result of such malice, but none more terrible 
  than the Age of Darkness.
  The Armageddon Echo
  Second Darkness
  Chapter      THree
  
  7
  Adventure BAckground
  These are dark times. The secretive and deadly drow, 
  wicked cousins of the graceful elves, used foul magic 
  to pull a star down from the sky to devastate the small 
  island of Devil’s Elbow. Yet despite the destruction, this 
  was just a test—far more terrible research is underway 
  in the elven ruins of Celwynvian. The city lay dormant 
  for innumerable years, crumbling and eroding, and when 
  the elves returned to Golarion from their self-imposed 
  exile, they sought out this ancient place in the hopes of 
  reclaiming what was once theirs. It was here the elves 
  first encountered the drow, and here they suffered their 
  first defeat at the hands of their evil kin. Yet the discovery 
  that Celwynvian had fallen to the dark elves was not the 
  end of the horror, for it soon became clear that the taint 
  of the drow was contagious. Spurred by equal parts of 
  terror and shame, the elves took drastic measures. They 
  established the community of Crying Leaf near the edge 
  of the Mierani Forest and have been using it as a base 
  to isolate Celwynvian and the dark elves within, hoping 
  to prevent the rest of the world from learning of their 
  twisted kin’s existence. This secret war under boughs of 
  the ancient wood has festered in stalemate for centuries, 
  with both elves and drow struggling for control.
  There are some among the elves who lobby for a more 
  extreme response to the drow threat, calling for their 
  outright eradication or even advising that the elves should 
  once again abandon Golarion. None are more capable 
  of acting on these urges than the Winter Council, a 
  conspiratorial shadow council working behind the scenes 
  of the elven government in Kyonin. One of the senior 
  members of the Winter Council, Allevrah, had the most 
  radical plan to deal with the dark elf menace. She lobbied 
  for the use of the same magic that caused the Earthfall 
  so long ago as a method to utterly eradicate the drow. 
  Unfortunately, having nurtured her hatred of the drow 
  for so long and having exposed her soul to vile methods 
  of extracting secrets better left hidden, the beautiful elf 
  found herself transformed into a drow herself as she 
  debated with her fellow councilors, her body changing to 
  reflect the darkness in her soul. After striking a mortal 
  blow to the Winter Council that very nearly destroyed 
  it, Allevrah fled to the Darklands, joining with her new 
  dark elf kin. Once there, she seized control of the drow 
  house Azrinae and made a change to her plans. No longer 
  did she desire to smite the drow with a falling star—her 
  new target was Kyonin itself. To this end, she traveled to 
  Celwynvian with the wizard Nolveniss Azrinae to unravel 
  and refine the powers necessary to call down a star. Even 
  though Celwynvian’s records from the time just before 
  the Age of Darkness were fragmented, they nevertheless 
  advanced the drow’s research greatly, allowing them to 
  begin preparations to test fire of the meteor-hurling 
  magic. This experiment, recently completed on the 
  island of Devil’s Elbow, was mostly a success—enough so 
  that Allevrah and her most powerful allies relocated to 
  a remote realm deep in the Darklands under Kyonin to 
  begin the long process of building the glyphs required 
  to call down a much larger star on their enemies on the 
  surface above. Yet the Devil’s Elbow incident, despite its 
  favorable outcome, still showed the drow several places 
  where they needed to refine their process.
  Using a portion of Riddleport’s famed Cyphergate and 
  fragments of ancient magic that still functioned in the 
  Celwynvian ruins, Nolveniss accessed a shadow version 
  of the ancient past, a place that the drow might explore 
  and observe the events of Earthfall firsthand. The wizard 
  calls this realm the “Armageddon Echo,” a demiplane 
  wherein Celwynvian is utterly destroyed by the cataclysm 
  again and again, and where the shades of ancient elves 
  are forced to endure their destruction over and over. 
  This pocket dimension has also proved invaluable to the 
  drow in their fight with the elves surrounding the city. 
  Whenever the fighting becomes too intense, they simply 
  flee into the Armageddon Echo, giving them time to heal 
  and regroup.
  Now, as Nolveniss draws near to the end of his research, 
  the time for the PCs to strike at Celwynvian’s invaders is 
  at hand.
  Adventure Summary
  This adventure begins when the PCs return to Riddleport 
  from Devil’s Elbow with the knowledge that the drow 
  caused the destruction on the island and that they have 
  a larger base in the ruined elven city of Celwynvian. 
  They also recovered a journal discussing a strange magic 
  refuge in the city, a hiding place in the past that the drow 
  have been using to perfect their research. They meet 
  again with their elven ally Kwava, who informs them 
  that the presence of drow in Celwynvian has long been 
  a secret—even he just learned of their presence in the 
  ruins. He reveals that the mercenary company he works 
  for has invited the PCs to join them in the town of Crying 
  Leaf to help assist in the struggle. The knowledge gained 
  on Devil’s Elbow might turn the tide. 
  Upon arriving at Crying Leaf, the PCs meet up with 
  Eviana Nirgassan, the leader of the local elves, and deliver 
  the information about the drow refuge, including its 
  formerly hidden location. The characters then travel to 
  Celwynvian with a sizable host. Over the next few days, 
  the PCs undertake missions designed to cripple the drow 
  and secure the city. These missions include claiming 
  one of the less obstructed roads into the city, rescuing 
  a trapped group of scouts, and destroying an alchemical 
  workshop. Once these are done, the final assault on the 
  drow headquarters commences.
  
  8
  Second Darkness
  Located in a ruined school of magic, this final battle is a 
  bitter one. The PCs reach the heart of the defenders only to 
  find the drow retreating through a magical portal guarded by 
  an aboleth. The window leads to the Armageddon Echo, and 
  worse, the drow have dragged some elf captives with them.
  Beyond the portal, the PCs find themselves trapped in a 
  Celwynvian of the past, just days before Earthfall. The city 
  is mostly empty, and those ancient citizens who remain 
  are convinced it is a false prophecy or are staying behind to 
  greet the end. Over the next few days, the PCs can explore 
  the city while dealing with drow lurking among the echoes 
  of long-dead elves and avoiding the undead drow left 
  behind in previous cataclysm cycles.
  With the apocalypse looming large in the sky, the 
  PCs finally uncover Nolveniss’s secret base in the city’s 
  observatory. This final battle puts an end to the drow in 
  the city and gives the PCs a chance to escape back into 
  the present, where the defeat of the Celwynvian drow 
  has granted the elves a unique opportunity to take the 
  battle deep underground to the mysterious drow city of 
  Zirnakaynin.
  PArt one:  
  the PAth Into PerIl
  The adventure begins as the characters return to Riddleport 
  after having explored the island of Devil’s Elbow, the 
  recent site of a massive meteorite strike. Through previous 
  adventures, the PCs learned that the drow caused the star to 
  fall upon the small isle, uncovered a secret drow base, and 
  learned that the drow were only part of a larger group located 
  in the ancient elven city of Celwynvian. As the PCs return to 
  Riddleport, perhaps with other survivors from the island in 
  their care, they are met by a clamoring mob.
  Riddleport
  After recent events, life in Riddleport has started to return 
  to normal, but rumors abound concerning what’s been 
  happening on Devil’s Elbow since the star fell from the 
  sky. Some explorers may have already returned from the 
  island before the PCs, bearing precious few fragments of 
  a valuable skymetal known as noqual (see Pathfinder #14) 
  and spreading tales of alien creatures and horrific undead. 
  To make matters worse, a host of charlatans now wander 
  the streets, offering supposed relics from the island at 
  exorbitant prices while spreading wild tales of vengeful 
  gods, rising runelords, and beautiful princesses descended 
  from the heavens.
  When the PCs’ ship (likely Captain Creesy’s Flying Cloud) 
  returns to port, a sizable crowd waits on the docks. Many 
  of these folks are laborers, still hard at work repairing the 
  port from the recent tsunami, while others hope to speak 
  with anyone from Devil’s Elbow. Chief among these are a 
  host of merchants eager to purchase any valuable metals 
  that might have been recovered. In addition, several Gas 
  Forge dwarves are on hand to arrange appointments for 
  the smelting and refining of noqual ore, as the Gas Forge 
  is the only forge in Riddleport capable of working with the 
  hard metal. Still not comfortable with the press of urban 
  crowds, Kwava waits to meet the PCs at the Gold Goblin—
  if they don’t go there, he sends an animal messenger to locate 
  them and arrange a meeting.
  Once the PCs find a secluded spot to speak to the wild 
  elf, Kwava asks them about their recent adventures. He is 
  particularly curious about any information concerning 
  the drow, the fallen star, and the journal the PCs found 
  among Shindiira’s possessions. When the characters are 
  finished with their tale, Kwava asks them to do him a 
  great favor.
  Kwava pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts, a deep 
  furrow worn into his brow. “These are grave tidings. When 
  you discovered Vancaskerkin was working with one of the dark 
  elves, I could hardly believe it. Now I realize there are far more 
  terrible events in motion. If the drow have learned how to pull 
  stars from the sky, none of us are safe.
  Room FoR DiveRsions
  We’re trying something a little different here. You’ll note that 
  this adventure is for a group of 7th-level characters, yet it’s 
  likely that after finishing the previous adventure, “Children 
  of the Void,” your PCs are still 6th level. This is by design—by 
  leaving a small gap in the adventure progression here, you can 
  further expand your own campaign as you see fit to give it a 
  more personal touch. Perhaps the PCs have some unfinished 
  business in Riddleport they want to complete before they 
  leave town, or maybe you’ve got another adventure you want 
  to send them on. You can expand the overland journey to 
  Crying Leaf as well, dropping in more encounters along the 
  way. Alternatively, you can send the PCs on the Set Piece 
  adventure from Pathfinder #14 (perhaps the Teeth of Araska 
  beat them into port and has been causing trouble), or once 
  they arrive at Crying Leaf they may be asked to handle a 
  certain situation in the nearby woods (giving you a chance to 
  run this volume’s Set Piece adventure if you care to change its 
  location). The start of “The Armageddon Echo” is deliberately 
  slow-paced—until the PCs arrive in Celwynvian, feel free to 
  let them take things at their own speed.
  Going forward to the rest of Second Darkness, we’ll 
  be returning to the more standard model of “end one 
  adventure and begin another,” but if you enjoy having a 
  level between adventures like this (or conversely, if you hate 
  it), drop us a line at paizo.com/paizo/messageboards to let 
  us know. The Adventure Path format is, after all, a constantly 
  evolving one, and the only way we know if new elements 
  work is if you tell us!
  —James Jacobs
  
  9
  The Armageddon Echo
  “I must ask a great favor of you. My employers, the 
  Shin’Rakorath, have only recently revealed to me the full extent of 
  the drow menace in Celwynvian. As much as I would dearly love 
  to see the city, they have ordered me to remain in the Riddleport 
  hinterlands to keep watch for any further drow influence. Yet they 
  have also expressed interest in hearing from you directly. This 
  journal you found, combined with the one recovered some time 
  ago from Vancaskerkin’s drow accomplice, would be of great use 
  to my kin in the Mierani Forest. The Shin’Rakorath and I ask you 
  to carry these journals to Crying Leaf, a small camp in the eastern 
  reaches of the wood. Take it to Eviana, the leader of Crying Leaf. 
  She will know what to do.”
  Kwava himself knows little of the secret war going on in the 
  Mierani Forest, and has little more to reveal to the PCs. He 
  can offer no reward to the PCs for undertaking the delivery, 
  but he promises that Eviana is sure to be appreciative of 
  their service. Kwava understands if the PCs need to take a 
  day or two to rest from their recent exploits, but he urges 
  them to leave for Crying Leaf as soon as possible.
  After taking his leave of the characters, Kwava returns to 
  his camp and sends an animal messenger to his contacts in 
  Crying Leaf, informing them of recent events.
  The Road to Crying Leaf
  The lands north of Riddleport are sparsely populated, with 
  a few struggling farms near the city and the occasional 
  hunter’s lodge further afield. A winding dirt road that 
  quickly becomes a Varisian caravan path leads north from 
  Riddleport, a route only infrequently used by travelers 
  making their way between Varisia and the Lands of the 
  Linnorm Kings. This road follows the Velashu River for 
  much of its length, rarely veering away from its winding 
  course to reduce travel time. The route to Crying Leaf 
  follows this road until the Calphiak Mountains recede to 
  the west. About 45 miles north of Riddleport, a hunter’s 
  trail branches off to the west—it is this road that leads 
  to the rim of the Mierani Forest and the settlement of 
  Crying Leaf. If the characters follow the road and trail, 
  the journey is about 90 miles long and should take about 
  3 days on horseback. The characters could attempt to cut 
  across open country to lessen the travel distance, but the 
  reduction in speed makes the journey take nearly the 
  same amount of time and certainly exposes the PCs to 
  further opportunities for peril.
  If the characters are running a bit behind in XP, 
  feel free to add a few wandering encounters along the 
  way—encounter charts for Varisia appear on page 71 of 
  Pathfinder #3, or in Appendix D of the Pathfinder Chronicles 
  Campaign Setting (use the tables for Temperate Hills or 
  Plains). In addition to any random encounters you might 
  throw at the PCs, they should certainly have the following 
  two encounters along the road to Crying Leaf as well.
  Velashu Horse Lords
  At some point after the PCs have left the main riverside track 
  and are well on their way toward the Mierani Forest, they 
  encounter a group of the region’s infamous “Horse Lords,” 
  rugged barbarians and rangers who travel through the 
  Velashu Uplands in nomadic groups, following the region’s 
  vast herds of wild horses and incidentally guarding Varisia 
  from incursions of the more violent tribes of barbarians 
  from the Nolands. The Horse Lords are primarily composed 
  of Ulfen explorers and travelers who abandoned the Lands 
  of the Linnorm Kings for a less violent life here on the 
  outskirts of Varisia. Over the generations, their blood has 
  mixed with both Varisians and the odd Shoanti—although 
  the Horse Lords aren’t officially part of the Shoanti tribes, 
  some scholars still refer to them as the “Eighth Quah.” 
  Never in front of a full-blood Shoanti, though.
  At about noon, any PC who makes DC 15 Spot check 
  notices a cloud of dust that seems to be approaching the 
  PCs’ location. A PC who exceeds the DC 15 Spot check by 
  10 or more can make out a host of mounted men riding in 
  front of the cloud, and that they’ll cross the PCs’ path in 
  about 10 minutes.
  The riders are a group of Velashu Horse Lords, nomads 
  who roam this area on their specially bred and expertly 
  trained mounts. Although they are armed, they do not 
  have weapons drawn as they approach the characters. One 
  of their outriders spotted the characters a few hours ago 
  and they have decided to come investigate (if the PCs are 
  taking pains to stealthily pass through the region, you can 
  omit this encounter if you wish, or you can simply explain 
  that the Horse Lords are on their way to confront a tribe 
  of goblins in the Calphiak Foothills and just happen to be 
  crossing the PCs’ paths). When the riders approach, read 
  or paraphrase the following to the players.
  Kwava
  Kwava (CG male elf ranger 4, see Pathfinder #13) is a wild elf 
  of the Ekujae tribe from the distant Mwangi Expanse far to 
  the south. His skin is deeply tanned and tattooed and his 
  raiment is quite simple. A few years ago, he had a vision of 
  an elf holding a light against the growing darkness. This 
  spurred him to leave his people and seek his fortune in the 
  north. After a few years, he found his way to Crying Leaf and 
  joined the Shin’Rakorath, whose creed is “the light against 
  darkness.” As a novice member, he was sent to Riddleport 
  to investigate a “renegade elf.” In the previous adventures, 
  Kwava learned that this renegade was in fact a drow. He has 
  come to help the characters on a number of occasions, and 
  now turns to them for a favor. Kwava is quick to mention 
  this debt if the characters rebuff his request. Kwava is 
  quiet and stern in urban environments, as they make him 
  uncomfortable. His camp is just outside of town.
  
  10
  Second Darkness
  The cloud of dust dissipates as the riders at its head slow to a 
  canter. They are barbarians by their dress, bearing distinctive 
  patterns of war paint on their faces and shoulders, marks repeated 
  in the same dark color on the necks of their equine mounts. They 
  are twelve in number, although they are followed by a train of two 
  dozen additional horses. As they pull to a stop, they hold up their 
  right hands, showing that they brandish no weapons.
  The leader of the group, a tall, sun-tanned man with dusty 
  black hair, urges his mount forward a few steps before speaking. 
  “Strange days these are when stars fall from the sky and the 
  walled-folk wander the plains of the Velashan. I am Windbraid. 
  What brings you here?”
  Windbraid (N human male ranger 5) is curious as to why 
  the PCs are traveling toward the Mierani Forest. Regardless 
  of their motives, he warns them that the elves control the 
  great woodland and do not take kindly to intruders. He 
  and his people have wandered these plains for generations, 
  and although the elves have never been overly friendly to 
  them, they have recently become almost hostile and have 
  barred the outlying areas of the Mierani to hunters. The 
  Horse Lords have also heard rumors of pitched battles 
  occurring deep within the woods, but little else is known, 
  as the elves do not speak of it.
  At some point in the conversation, Windbraid asks 
  about the markets in Riddleport. His band is heading to 
  the city to sell or trade a number of horses, but he’d rather 
  turn back now if Riddleport’s in one of its semi-traditional 
  uprisings or street wars between crime lords. If the PCs 
  express interest in the horses, Windbraid will sell them to 
  the PCs so long as they have acted in a polite and dignified 
  manner. The Horse Lords are very particular when it comes 
  to their horses, and those who buy them must agree never 
  to turn around and sell or give their horse to another. 
  Both light and heavy Velashan horses are trained for 
  war. These horses have the maximum number of hit points 
  and are expertly trained. Anyone riding a Velashan horse 
  receives a +2 circumstance bonus on Ride skill checks. A 
  light Velashan warhorse costs 400 gp, while a heavy Velashan 
  warhorse costs 1,000 gp. The horselords will accept coin 
  for their steeds, but they prefer items they can use, such as 
  masterwork weapons and magic items. Items deemed useful 
  to them are accepted as payment at their full value.
  After talking with the PCs and possibly trading with 
  them, Windbraid wishes them luck and “swift manes” in 
  their journey before he and his band depart. They ride to 
  the southeast, leaving the characters alone on the plain 
  once more.
  Hunters in the Forest (EL 8)
  On the final day of travel, the faint hunter’s trail dips 
  under the dense canopy of the Mierani. The forest itself is 
  a place of ancient life, with immense fir trees, pines, and 
  redwoods making up the majority of the flora. Off the trails, 
  undergrowth and ancient deadfalls make travel difficult, 
  but there are countless narrow trails crisscrossing the 
  woodland that can afford more rapid travel—discovering 
  them requires a DC 20 Survival check. Of course, no such 
  check is necessary if the PCs choose to remain on the 
  hunter’s trail; as narrow as the trail is, it constitutes the main 
  route into the woodlands and the settlement of Crying Leaf. 
  The route skirts the forest edge, never going further than a 
  half-mile into the depths as it winds its way for 5 miles. Yet 
  despite the fact that no elves step out of the woods to bar 
  their entrance, the warnings the Horse Lords gave them are 
  accurate—the PCs are watched from the moment they set 
  foot in the woods, and not only by elven eyes.
  Creatures: At some point not long after the PCs enter the 
  forest, they come to a point where some of the Mierani’s 
  more dangerous denizens, displaced from their deeper 
  forest lairs by the fighting near Celwynvian, have roosted 
  in the branches of a towering redwood that overlooks the 
  trail. This ambush is of three reptilian predators—forest 
  drakes. When the characters draw within 100 feet, the 
  drakes burst forth from the tree to attack.
  Yet the PCs are not alone in this fight. The Shin’Rakorath 
  are expecting them, after all, since Kwava used an animal 
  messenger spell to alert them. The elven mercenaries want 
  to observe the PCs from afar for a time before making 
  contact, but when the trio of forest drakes attack, they 
  swiftly move in to provide aid. The leader of this group of 
  mercenaries is an elf named Kaerishiel Neirenar—he and 
  his hunters arrive on the scene a few rounds after the battle 
  begins (time their entrance so that they arrive just after the 
  first drake is defeated or the first PC falls).
  Forest Drakes (3) 
  CR 5
  hp 59 each (see page 86)
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat The drakes only land to attack between uses 
  of their breath weapon.
  Morale A drake flees if reduced to 15 or fewer hit points.
  Kaerishiel Neirenar 
  CR 8
  Male elf ranger 8
  LN Medium humanoid (elf)
  init +8; senses low-light vision; Listen +15, Spot +15
  DEFENsE
  aC 22, touch 16, flat-footed 18
  (+4 armor, +2 deflection, +4 Dex, +2 natural)
  hp 47 (8d8+8)
  Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +5; +2 against enchantment
  immune sleep; Resist fire 10
  OFFENsE
  spd 30 ft.
  Melee mwk longsword +10/+5 (1d8+1/19–20)
  
  11
  The Armageddon Echo
  Ranged +2 composite longbow +12/+12/+7 (1d8+3/×3; Rapid 
  Shot) or
  +2 composite longbow +10 (2 arrows, 1d8+3 per arrow/×3, 
  Manyshot)
  special attacks favored enemy (elf +4, human +2)
  spells Prepared (CL 4th)
  2nd—barkskin
  1st—alarm, resist energy
  TaCTiCs
  Before Combat Kaerishiel casts resist energy (fire) and barkskin 
  before combat if possible.
  During Combat Kaerishiel prefers to fight at range for as 
  long as possible, backing away from foes that approach 
  him and using Manyshot as a standard action on rounds 
  he can’t use Rapid Shot.
  Morale Kaerishiel fights until reduced to below 10 hit 
  points unless the cause is vital, in which case he fights to 
  the death.
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 12, Dex 18, Con 12, int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8
  Base atk +8; Grp +9
  Feats Endurance, Improved Initiative, Manyshot, Point Blank 
  Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Track
  skills Heal +8, Hide +15, Knowledge (geography) +5, Listen 
  +15, Move Silently +15, Spot +15, Survival +13
  Languages Common, Elven
  sQ animal companion (fire pelt named Ashka), swift tracker, 
  wild empathy +7, woodland stride
  Combat Gear antitoxin (2), potion of cure moderate wounds 
  (2); Other Gear +1 studded leather armor, masterwork 
  longsword, +2 composite longbow (+1 Str), cloak of resistance 
  +1, ring of protection +2
  ashka 
  CR —
  Male fire pelt animal companion (MM 274, leopard)
  hp 19
  Elven scouts (4) 
  CR 5
  Elf ranger 2/rogue 3
  NG Medium humanoid (elf)
  init +8; senses low-light vision; Listen +11, Spot +11
  DEFENsE
  aC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13
  (+3 armor, +4 Dex)
  hp 28 (2d8+3d6+5)
  Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +2; +2 against enchantment
  Defensive abilities evasion, trap sense +1; immune sleep
  OFFENsE
  spd 30 ft.
  Melee short sword +5 (1d6+1/19–20)
  Ranged mwk composite longbow +10 (1d8+1/×3) or
  mwk composite longbow +8/+8 (1d8+1/×3; Rapid Shot)
  special attacks favored enemy (elf +2), sneak attack +2d6
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat The elves take up positions in the trees 60 
  feet from the battle and fire upon the forest drakes from 
  concealment. They only use their +1 flaming arrows if 
  the battle goes poorly (these are not factored into attack 
  values)—they want to avoid starting fires if possible.
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 12, Dex 18, Con 12, int 8, Wis 13, Cha 10
  Base atk +4; Grp +5
  Feats Improved Initiative, Rapid Shot, Track, Weapon Focus 
  (longbow)
  skills Climb +7, Hide +12, Listen +11, Move Silently +12, Spot 
  +11, Survival +6
  Languages Common, Elven
  sQ trapfinding, wild empathy (+2)
  Combat Gear +1 flaming arrows (5), potion of cure light wounds 
  (2), signal arrows (2); Other Gear masterwork studded 
  leather armor, short sword, masterwork composite longbow 
  (+1 Str) with 40 arrows, 10 gp
  Development: After the combat is over, the elves emerge 
  from hiding and slowly approach the characters, holding 
  their bows in a non-threatening manner but nonetheless 
  at the ready. Kaerishiel, the leader of the scouts, asks why 
  the PCs have come to the Mierani Forest, and as long as 
  they mention Kwava’s name or indicate they have critical 
  information about the drow that must be delivered to 
  Crying Leaf, he nods—he received descriptions of the PCs 
  from Kwava, but they aren’t exact. A naturally suspicious 
  soul, Kaerishiel doesn’t fully trust the PCs even if they 
  answer his questions properly, and he and his hunters 
  remain silent and grim for the remainder of the journey as 
  they escort the PCs the rest of the way to town. Apart from 
  explaining that Kwava sent a note informing the elves to 
  expect the PCs’ arrival, Kaerishiel has little to say to the 
  PCs. If the characters continue asking questions, Kaerishiel 
  abruptly informs them, “It would be best to allow Eviana 
  to answer your questions. You should keep silent, there are 
  many enemies in these woods.”
  Crying Leaf
  Up ahead, the forest begins to thin somewhat, but a screen of 
  plants prevents observation of what lies within. After a moment, 
  several elf scouts approach the screen, which turns out to be a 
  solid wall of thorny vines. One of the elves puts a small silver 
  whistle to his lips and blows three times. As the last twittering 
  note begins to fade, the wall of vines springs to life, pulling back 
  to reveal a small settlement in a clearing on the other side.
  The village of Crying Leaf is a modest one, with low strucures 
  made of gracefully shaped stone and wood that has been 
  carefully decorated and carved. What is immediately apparent 
  is that this settlement has seen battle recently. A number of the 
  
  12
  Second Darkness
  buildings bear burn marks and other damage, and most of the 
  citizens are armed with bows and swords.
  Crying Leaf, from without and within, is a community 
  on the edge of conflict. Just 1 day to the west lie the ruins 
  of Celwynvian, the site of a near constant skirmish with 
  the drow. As such, the elves use Crying Leaf as a staging 
  ground, a safe haven where weary combatants can get a 
  measure of rest and resupply. Although the drow have long 
  known of Crying Leaf’s location, the distance from the 
  drow holdings in Celwynvian has traditionally kept 
  the village safe, but recent attacks on Crying Leaf 
  in the form of conjured demons and swift-
  moving drow skirmishers have brought 
  the war uncomfortably close to home, as 
  evidenced by the tense nature of Crying 
  Leaf’s inhabitants and damage to some of 
  the buildings.
  This community has little contact with the 
  outside world. While the occasional merchant 
  caravan travels to Riddleport for supplies, 
  the community is primarily provisioned and 
  reinforced directly from Kyonin, the elven nation 
  far to the east, through the use of teleport and 
  similar magic. While many of the elves are interested 
  in the arrival of outlanders since they have seen so 
  few of them in the past couple of years, others are 
  skeptical, believing that they are not needed to solve 
  what is seen as an “elven problem.”
  When the PCs arrive, Kaerishiel quickly leads them 
  to a low stone building near the edge of town where they 
  can stable their horses and refresh themselves from their 
  hard journey. Many of the elves follow them and loiter 
  around outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the outsiders. 
  Kaerishiel, meanwhile, goes to report to Eviana and 
  prepare for the meeting. 
  The building to which the PCs are assigned contains 
  three chambers: a central room, a simple bathroom, and 
  a meditation room containing eight woven reed mats for 
  resting. An oak table surrounded by gracefully carved 
  chairs dominates the main chamber. Atop this table is a 
  mound of fruits and vegetables, freshly harvested. 
  After an hour has passed, Kaerishiel returns to escort 
  the PCs to Eviana. He leads them to the center of the town 
  to an ornate wooden long hall, roofed in broad, autumn-
  colored leaves. One end of the hall is open, revealing an 
  immense table that runs the entire length of the hall. 
  At the far end, seated upon a tall chair of polished white 
  wood, is Eviana, the leader of Crying Leaf.
  Crying Leaf
  Village conventional (ruling noble); aL CG
  GP Limit 200 gp*; assets 7,800 gp
  DEMOGRaPhiCs
  Population 780
  Type isolated (elf 98%, half-elf 2%)
  auThORiTy FiGuREs
  Eviana Nirgassan, CG female elf sorcerer 7 (leader of Crying 
  Leaf); Kaerishiel Neirenar, LN male elf ranger 8 (leader of 
  local chapter of the Shin’Rakorath)
  *Although the GP Limit of Crying Leaf is only 200 gp, supply 
  merchants from Kyonin teleport in on a monthly basis, at 
  which point special requests for additional 
  purchases can be made against a GP limit 
  of 100,000 gp; objects purchased are 
  delivered the next day via a second 
  teleporting merchant.
  Meeting with Eviana
  The leader of Crying Leaf has had a 
  tumultuous reign. Appointed by the elven 
  council in Kyonin, Eviana Nirgassan was 
  placed in charge of the community nearly 
  a decade ago after the previous leader was 
  assassinated by the drow. Although the low-
  grade war with the dark elves has been going 
  on for many years, it has intensified recently 
  as both sides seek an end to the conflict. 
  Eviana has also been forced to keep this 
  escalation quiet from both the outside 
  world and her own kin, who would 
  find such news quite disturbing. 
  The Shin’Rakorath, a group of elven 
  mercenaries founded ages ago by the 
  secretive Winter Council, also maintains a unit of hunters 
  and scouts here. Kaerishiel is the leader of the Shin’Rakorath 
  in Crying Leaf, and he and Eviana do not often agree on what 
  is best for the community—Kaerishiel has long pushed for 
  a stronger offensive against the drow, while Eviana prefers a 
  campaign of silence and containment.
  Eviana has been quite disturbed by the recent events in 
  Riddleport, as reported by Kwava. As such, she was quite 
  relieved when Kwava’s animal messenger arrived, informing 
  her that a group of heroes had recovered a journal that 
  might help turn the tide against the drow. Kaerishiel 
  argued against inviting these “heroes” into an elven 
  situation, but in the end her desires to recruit the aid of 
  the PCs won out over the other elf’s reservations.
  Seated in a high-backed chair of polished white birch, 
  Eviana is a striking figure. Her high brow is set with a thin 
  metal circlet, and small gemstones sparkle in her hair. 
  Although richly dressed in a finely made gown, the hilt 
  of a sword is clearly visible at her waist. Kaerishiel strides 
  up to take a seat at the table to her right. As she indicates 
  to the PCs that they should be seated at the table as well, 
  she speaks.
  Eviana 
  Nirgassan
  
  13
  The Armageddon Echo
  “Please, be seated,” Eviana says in light and friendly voice. “I 
  received word from your friend Kwava that you were coming, 
  bringing with you knowledge that might help us with our… 
  situation, deeper in the Mierani. My people and I are grateful 
  that you made this journey. As you can likely guess, we are 
  in a delicate position. It would be best if what you learn here 
  does not spread beyond the bows of the Mierani. Do we have 
  an accord?”
  Assuming that the PCs agree to keep this information 
  confidential, Eviana asks them to present what they have 
  learned. Although both Eviana and Kaerishiel are concerned 
  about the events that occurred on Devil’s Elbow, their true 
  interest lies in the two journals—Shindiira’s and Depora’s. 
  Shindiira’s has more information about the Armageddon 
  Echo where the drow of Celwynvian retreat to recover, but 
  both journals, especially when cross-referenced against each 
  other, contain a wealth of information. After the characters 
  are finished with their tale, Eviana offers them 2,000 gp for 
  the two journals as a reward—if the PCs decline the offer, 
  she smiles, visibly impressed by the move. Once she has the 
  journals, she resumes her speech.
  “Thank you for this. You now know why we have had to close 
  the borders of the Mierani, and indeed, why Crying Leaf 
  was established. The drow have a strong presence in the old 
  ruins of the once great city of Celwynvian. I tell you now that 
  the situation is far worse than you might suspect. The drow 
  control the ruins almost completely, and have for some time 
  now. We here in Crying Leaf have been locked in what seems 
  to be an unending struggle with them for many years, and 
  until recently we believed we had them contained. Yet your 
  conflicts under Riddleport and on Devil’s Elbow showed us 
  all this was not the case at all. And in Celwynvian, the drow 
  have been quite elusive. Whenever we prepare a major strike, 
  the city seems empty, but our gains are quickly eroded within 
  days as a renewed force pushes us back. We had thought that 
  the drow were fleeing into the Darklands, but now we know 
  the truth of it—they have been retreating instead into this 
  pocket dimension they call the Armageddon Echo.
  “I must confer with my contacts in Kyonin to determine what 
  is to be done with the knowledge. Might I ask you to wait until 
  we have decided? You have done well so far against the drow, 
  and there may be a place for you among Crying Leaf’s forces in 
  the battles to come. I assure you, if you are willing to join with 
  us, you shall be paid handsomely, at rates equal to those we 
  afford the Shin’Rakorath.”
  With that, Eviana leaves the hall, entrusting the PCs again 
  to Kaerishiel’s care. Once she has gone, the leader of the 
  Shin’Rakorath escorts them back to their lodge in silence, 
  an angry look on his face. Once there, he suddenly turns on 
  them. Read or paraphrase the following to the characters.
  “I suppose you are quite proud of your accomplishments. I have 
  been urging Eviana to all-out war with the dark elves for months, 
  but you have managed to push her to action almost by accident. 
  I would not get comfortable; you will be leaving here soon.”
  The characters are left on their own in the guest lodge 
  for rest of the day. They’re free to explore the small village 
  if they wish, but with the majority of the citizens out in the 
  field on missions in and around Celwynvian, there’s simply 
  not much to see. Just before sundown, a group of elves bring 
  them a dinner of fire-roasted vegetables, bread, and wine.
  Off to War
  In the morning, Kaerishiel arrives with a small host of 
  his guards and asks the PCs to accompany him to Eviana. 
  Returning to the lodge, the characters find the leader of 
  Crying Leaf dressed in a resplendent suit of shining elven 
  chainmail. There are a number of other elves here as well, 
  similarly dressed, poring over large maps of the forest. 
  Read or paraphrase the following to the players.
  “We have come to a decision,” Eviana begins, looking both tired 
  and grim. “We are going to war. The information you have 
  provided us has convinced me that we might be able to drive 
  the drow out of our city entirely. Further, I have decided that 
  you might play a useful role in this effort. Our numbers are few 
  and the drow are entrenched. Since you already have experience 
  elven Communities
  When your players reach Crying Leaf, try to impress upon 
  them how different it is from anywhere else they have 
  visited thus far. As an entirely elven town, Crying Leaf has 
  a number of oddities that you can play on to great effect. 
  Try to keep the following points in mind.
  •  
  There are no beds in Crying Leaf, since the elves do 
  not sleep. There are simple reed mats in nearly every 
  home to facilitate their daily meditations.
  •  
  Most of the elves here are vegetarians—meat is 
  never served. Similarly, ale and beer are not readily 
  available. The elves tend to drink water or wine with 
  all of their meals.
  •  
  Crying Leaf has little in the way of amenities for 
  visitors. There are no taverns, inns, or stores in the 
  community. All of the food and supplies are rationed 
  by Eviana and her men. Characters looking to make 
  purchases must do so from these stores, which are 
  guarded by several elf scouts.
  •  
  Although all of the elves can speak Common, Elven 
  is the only language spoken here. If the PCs do not 
  speak it, they will find that they won’t understand most 
  conversations. When speaking directly to the characters, 
  most elves are polite enough to speak Common
  
  14
  Second Darkness
  dealing with the drow, your assistance would be quite valuable. 
  What say you? Will you help us?”
  Assuming that the PCs agree, Eviana thanks them 
  deeply and asks them to return to their lodge to prepare 
  for the journey to Celwynvian—their role in the battle 
  will be explained when they arrive in the ruins’ vicinity. 
  If the PCs ask about payment for aiding the elves, Eviana 
  assures them that they will be awarded properly for their 
  help when victory is claimed—see page 19 for more details 
  about the rewards the elves are prepared to gift the PCs 
  with if they press for more details.
  After the meeting, Kaerishiel escorts the PCs back to 
  their lodge in silence, refusing to speak to them. When 
  the lodge is in sight, he points and says, “I think you can 
  find your way from here. I am done guiding you. You have 
  no idea of the danger you have walked into.” With that, he 
  storms off to prepare his men for the journey.
  PArt two:  
  the BAttle for celwynvIAn
  The fighting forces of Crying Leaf take another 4 hours 
  to fully mobilize. During this time, all of the able-
  bodied combatants are busy preparing to depart for the 
  final campaign. While the majority of the warriors are 
  members of the Shin’Rakorath mercenary company, there 
  is a sizable group of elves reporting directly to Eviana. 
  This mobilization leaves only a small contingent of elves 
  to defend and maintain Crying Leaf—the hope being that 
  if the gathering forces are successful and drive the drow 
  out of Celwynvian, Crying Leaf will face no further peril. 
  The PCs are left to their own devices during this time, 
  allowing them to pack up for the journey with ease. Just 
  after noon, the elves are ready to depart. Travel through the 
  tangled wilds of the Mierani precludes horseback riding, 
  and Eviana promises the PCs that if they wish to leave any 
  mounts at Crying Leaf, they will be tended and well-cared 
  for. With the army of several hundred elves assembled, 
  Kaerishiel blows a single note from his horn and the march 
  begins. The army does not march in a classic column—
  rather, the elves break apart into small groups of four to six, 
  both to make moving through the forest less onerous and 
  to present the enemy, if they are encountered, with smaller 
  groups to target. The PCs are expected to form their own 
  such skirmish group, but Kaerishiel is never far off, his 
  distrusting gaze lingering on the PCs if they fall behind or 
  otherwise get distracted along the way.
  The journey to Celwynvian takes just over a day to 
  complete, requiring the group to camp in the forest roughly 
  halfway to the ruined city. The journey is largely without 
  event, as the natural predators of the forest are quick to 
  hide or move aside against such a large mobilization of 
  elves. As the second day of the march begins, the first 
  sign of an abandoned civilization manifests in the form 
  of an ancient road of overgrown marble stones that leads 
  to Celwynvian. While tangled, this path still allows for 
  much faster travel than any other route. The road leads to 
  a clearing just half a mile from the ruins where many of 
  the scouts and skirmishers currently watching over the 
  city hold a temporary camp. The forest still blocks any 
  view of Celwynvian, but half-crumbled pillars and eroded 
  foundations testify to the site’s proximity.
  The elves spend the rest of the day setting up camp and 
  perimeter watches. Eviana’s pavilion is in the middle of 
  the camp, with Kaerishiel’s closer to the edge. The PCs 
  are given a spot not far from Eviana’s to make their camp, 
  and they are supplied with simple green tents if they do 
  not have any of their own. Just before dusk, one of Eviana’s 
  guards comes to inform the characters that the lady has 
  requested their presence at dinner to go over plans and 
  their role in the struggle.
  Planning the Attack
  Arriving at dinner, the PCs find Eviana seated with 
  Kaerishiel, a host of her personal guard, and a few 
  important-looking elves wearing gleaming armor. These 
  elves represents the leaders of the Celwynvian Watch, a 
  group that has been patrolling the edge of the city for the 
  past few years in an attempt to keep the drow inside. This 
  group is led by an elven ranger named Shalelu Andosana 
  (CG female elf ranger 4/fighter 2), an attractive woman who 
  seems strangely at ease despite the fact that she’s obviously 
  just returned from scouting. A Crying Leaf native, Shalelu 
  has only recently come home after spending many years in 
  the area around Sandpoint on the central Varisian coast.
  Dinner is a plain affair of steamed turnips, potatoes, 
  and carrots, served in a light vegetable broth along with 
  some simple bread. The wine is light and fruity, but it 
  is served in moderation. Eviana refuses to speak of the 
  conflict during dinner, asking Shalelu and the other 
  scouts about the flora and fauna in the area. After dinner is 
  cleared away, soldiers bring forth a large map of the ruined 
  city, unfurling it out onto the table. The elves look over the 
  map for a moment, and then Eviana turns to Shalelu and, 
  for the PCs’ edification, asks her to explain what they’re 
  looking at. Shalelu nods, then speaks.
  “This is a map of Celwynvian, based partially on old records 
  from Kyonin and modified as appropriate to the current state of 
  things. In some cases, we’ve had to make educated guesses as 
  to the condition of streets and buildings from our observations, 
  and much of the interior is not well known to us since venturing 
  inside can be quite dangerous. The streets are patrolled by both 
  drow and demons, making reconnaissance difficult. There are 
  only a few unobstructed ways into the city, and we must secure 
  them first if we are to have any chance of reclaiming the site.” 
  
  15
  The Armageddon Echo
  At this point, Eviana begins talking strategy with the 
  assembled crowd. Using the information retrieved by the PCs, 
  she lays out a plan to strike at the center of Celwynvian, a place 
  called the Academy of the Arts—it is here that the journals 
  claim the drow refuge is located. Unfortunately, the Academy 
  of the Arts is well behind enemy lines, and before the final 
  assault on the core can be attempted, all of the major roads 
  into the city must be secured so that the army of Crying Leaf 
  can be brought against the drow with ease. This is where the 
  PCs are brought into the planning. Eviana explains that the 
  best road into the city crosses in front of the ancient library 
  of Reenai, and Shalelu reports that the drow have 
  been using this building to watch over the 
  road and prevent intruders from gaining 
  easy access. Eviana would like the PCs to 
  infiltrate this structure and take out the 
  drow hiding within while the rest of the 
  forces attack other critical spots around 
  the perimeter of the ruins. After this, 
  the army will march inward, making 
  its way toward the Academy. Since the 
  interior is not well known, the plans 
  get noticeably less organized from 
  this point onward and most of the talk 
  turns to contingencies. This is also a 
  good time for Shalelu to share any other 
  intelligence she has with the assembled group.
  As the meeting continues, Shalelu mentions 
  that there are more than just drow and demons in 
  the city. Two days ago, she saw a green dragon circling 
  the skies above. This bit of news sends a ripple of murmurs 
  through the gathered elves and instigates at least one 
  mention of the name “Razorhorn.” If the drow have a dragon 
  on their side, this battle could be quite a bit more difficult 
  than anticipated.
  Kaerishiel is mostly quiet through dinner and the 
  meeting that follows. He discusses the strength of his 
  company where appropriate, but disagrees with both 
  Shalelu and Eviana on a number of key points, the biggest 
  of which remains the involvement of the PCs. He offers 
  to send a group of his scouts in their place to secure the 
  library, suggesting that the characters should be used to 
  guard the base camp. Assuming that the PCs disagree, 
  Eviana disregards this suggestion and proceeds with the 
  planning. Not surprisingly, Kaerishiel fumes for the rest 
  of the meeting, casting cold glares at the characters when 
  no one else is watching.
  Adventuring in Celwynvian
  The following guidelines are presented to help track the 
  ongoing battle for Celwynvian. Since the PCs’ involvement 
  primarily revolves around a number of specific encounters 
  and not with the actual mass battle between large numbers 
  of elves and drow, it’s important to work larger battlefield 
  events and flavor in seamlessly with other random 
  encounters and occurrences. In addition, while the battle 
  continues to rage, certain elements make adventuring in 
  the ruins even more dangerous than normal.
  Movement: Although the roads shown on the map are 
  relatively clear, the underbrush has tangled all the other 
  areas, making them difficult to traverse and halving 
  normal movement rates (save for characters like druids 
  who can pass through undergrowth with ease). This is 
  especially true of the areas containing ruins. Moving 
  through a square that contains ruins reduces movement 
  rates to 1/3 normal.
  Recovery: The elves have many healers among their ranks, 
  mostly low-level rangers, clerics, and bards armed with wands 
  of cure light wounds and potions of lesser restoration. If the PCs 
  wish to take advantage of these services at the elven base camp, 
  they can have all of their wounds and ability damage healed 
  sHalelu’s intelligenCe
  Shalelu has gathered a great deal of information about 
  the drow in Celwynvian during her scouting expeditions, 
  some of which might be of use to the characters during 
  their assault of the city.
  •  
  Drow patrol the streets quite regularly after dark, 
  usually with more than one group in 
  an area to aid others in case of an 
  ambush.
  •  Many of the drow use 
  dangerous alchemical 
  weapons delivered through 
  specially designed 
  crossbow bolts.
  • There are a good number 
  of demons wandering 
  the city. Although they 
  do not attack the drow, 
  some appear to have bucked 
  their commanders and operate 
  independently.
  •  
  The number of drow in 
  the city seems to vary wildly. 
  Sometimes there appears to be 
  hundreds, while at other times the 
  city is almost deserted.
  • A building on the north side of the city is 
  being used for some foul purpose as it constantly 
  belches forth noxious smoke.
  •  Although no one else has seen it, Shalelu is positive 
  that the dragon she spotted is Razorhorn, the spawn 
  of a more powerful dragon that once savaged Crying 
  Leaf and was responsible for the death of her mother.
  Shalelu
  
  16
  Second Darkness
  after a short visit to the infirmary in the base camp—there’s 
  no need to track charges or roll for healing if they do. Just say 
  a few minutes pass and they get patched up swiftly. Ability 
  drain, negative levels, diseases, blindness, and other more 
  lasting effects cannot be cured quite so quickly. Each day, 
  the base camp has 1d6 uses of dispel magic, remove blindness/
  deafness, remove curse, remove paralysis, and remove disease (all at 
  CL 5th) and 1d3 uses of restoration (at CL 7th) available for the 
  PCs to take advantage of; once one of these resources is used 
  up, it doesn’t replenish until the next day.
  Resting: The battle for Celwynvian takes many days, with 
  the elves pressing the advantage against the drow during the 
  day and the drow pushing back at night—both forces are 
  often forced to retreat to safety to rest and recover, but the 
  actual skirmishing continues unabated during all hours of 
  the day and night. The PCs will undoubtedly need to rest, 
  recover from wounds, and resupply during this adventure, 
  likely after each of their missions. The encounters presented 
  here do not follow a set timeline, so you can allow the PCs to 
  recover as needed to ensure they are up to the challenge. Feel 
  free to push them, however, to the limits of what they can 
  accomplish. If the PCs elect to hunker down in the city itself 
  to rest, there’s a 20% chance every 2 hours of an encounter—if 
  they retreat to the elven base camp just in the city’s periphery, 
  though, they’ll be able to rest without fear of interruption. In 
  any event, excessive resting can impact their overall victory—
  each time the PCs rest more than once in a 24 hour period, 
  they loose 2  Battle Points (see page 19).
  Random Encounters: The city is full of drow and elves 
  fighting for every foot of ground. To help simulate this, 
  check for a random encounter each time the PCs move 
  through the ruined city from one location to another, 
  with the chance of an encounter occurring at a rate of 30%. 
  Likewise, if the PCs seek out a building to explore that’s 
  not otherwise detailed in this adventure or the gazetteer 
  of Celwynvian that begins on page 48, there’s a 30% chance 
  the building houses a random encounter. A list of random 
  encounters for Celwynvian during the battle appears at the 
  start of this volume’s Bestiary on page 81. If an encounter 
  doesn’t occur, roll instead for a random event. As always, 
  feel free to force or ignore encounters as best fits the flow 
  and need for your game.
  Random Events: Whenever a random encounter doesn’t 
  occur (or whenever you feel the need to punctuate a long 
  period of time with something to remind the PCs that a 
  battle is going on), roll on the table on page 17 to determine 
  a random event the PCs witness. Several of these random 
  events afford the PCs opportunities to earn additional 
  battle points (see page 19).
  Drow Statistics
  A large number of drow inhabit Celwynvian. The majority 
  fall into three categories: skirmishers (drow rogues who 
  serve as scouts, spies, and messengers), soldiers (the rank-
  and-file fighters), and arcanists (often commanders of 
  smaller units). All three stat blocks are presented here for 
  ease of reference.
  Drow skirmisher 
  CR 3
  Male drow rogue 2
  CE Medium humanoid (elf)
  init +7; senses darkvision 120 ft.; Listen +8, Spot +8
  DEFENsE
  aC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
  (+3 armor, +3 Dex)
  hp 11 (2d6+2)
  Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +1 (+3 against spells and spell-like 
  abilities); +2 against enchantment
  Defensive abilities evasion; immune sleep; sR 13
  Weakness light blindness
  OFFENsE
  spd 30 ft.
  Melee short sword +2 (1d6+1/19–20)
  Ranged mwk hand crossbow +5 (1d4/19–20 plus poison)
  special attacks sneak attack +1d6
  spell-Like abilities (CL 2nd)
  1/day—dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat Drow skirmishers avoid melee combat 
  whenever possible, preferring to use their more accurate 
  ranged weapons. They open with their poison bolts, 
  hoping to poison foes quickly while using darkness to slow 
  the advance of enemies. If forced into melee, skirmishers 
  always attempt to flank with one another.
  Morale Drow skirmishers flee if reduced to less than 4 hit 
  points, using smokesticks to create cover if necessary.
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 12, Dex 17, Con 12, int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12
  Base atk +1; Grp +2
  Feats Improved Initiative
  skills Balance +10, Climb +6, Hide +8, Jump +8, Listen +8, 
  Move Silently +8, Spot +8, Tumble +10
  Languages Common, Elven, Undercommon
  sQ trapfinding
  Combat Gear drow poison bolts (4), potion of cure light wounds, 
  smokestick; Other Gear masterwork studded leather armor, 
  masterwork hand crossbow with 20 bolts, short sword
  Drow soldier 
  CR 5
  Male drow fighter 4
  CE Medium humanoid (elf)
  init +3; senses darkvision 120 ft.; Listen +4, Spot +4
  DEFENsE
  aC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15
  (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +1 shield)
  hp 34 (4d10+8)
  
  17
  The Armageddon Echo
  Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +3 (+5 against spells and spell-like 
  abilities); +2 against enchantment
  immune sleep; sR 15
  Weakness light blindness
  OFFENsE
  spd 30 ft.
  Melee mwk rapier +9 (1d6+3/18–20)
  Ranged mwk hand crossbow +8 (1d4+1/19–20)
  spell-Like abilities (CL 4th)
  1/day—dancing lights, darkness, detect magic, faerie fire, 
  feather fall, levitate
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat Drow soldiers avoid melee combat until 
  absolutely necessary. Instead, they fire on foes using their 
  hand crossbows, often attacking from high ledges they’ve 
  levitated up to, hoping to down foes with their alchemical 
  bolts. In melee combat, they fight in pairs, teaming up on 
  weaker foes before taking on more skilled opponents.
  Morale Drow soldiers flee if reduced to less than 5 hit points.
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 13, Dex 16, Con 14, int 14, Wis 10, Cha 10
  Base atk +4; Grp +5
  Feats Dark Adept, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus 
  (rapier), Weapon Specialization (rapier)
  skills Climb +3, Hide +6, Listen +4, Move Silently +6, Spot +4, 
  Tumble +6
  Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Undercommon
  Combat Gear fire bolts (5), acid bolts (5), drow poison bolts (2), 
  potion of cure moderate wounds; Other Gear mithral shirt, 
  masterwork buckler, masterwork hand crossbow with 10 +1 
  bolts, masterwork rapier
  Drow arcanist 
  CR 7
  Male drow sorcerer 6
  CE Medium humanoid (elf)
  init +3; senses darkvision 120 ft.; Listen +8, Spot +5
  DEFENsE
  aC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 15
  (+4 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dex)
  hp 27 (6d4+11)
  Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +7 (+9 against spells and spell-like 
  abilities); +2 against enchantment
  immune sleep; sR 17
  Weakness light blindness
  OFFENsE
  spd 30 ft.
  Melee mwk dagger +3 (1d4–1/19–20)
  spell-Like abilities (CL 6th)
  1/day—dancing lights, darkness, detect magic, faerie fire, 
  feather fall, levitate
  spells Known (CL 6th; +6 ranged touch)
  3rd (4/day)—fireball (DC 17)
  2nd (6/day)—acid arrow, blur
  Celwynvian RanDom events
  d% 
  Occurrence
  01–10 
  Mysterious Cry: A cry for help echoes from a 
  nearby building. Roll for a random encounter. 
  If none occurs, the building is strangely empty.
  11–20 
  Blood Trail: A trail of fresh blood leads toward a 
  small copse of trees, where suddenly ends.
  21–25 
  Shadow Overhead: Something passes overhead 
  for an instant, causing a shadow to rush over 
  the characters. A DC 25 Spot check picks out a 
  large winged shape (the dragon Razorhorn, see 
  page 43) gliding over the city, quickly passing 
  out of sight beyond the ruined skyline.
  26–30 
  Hail of Arrows: A hail of elven arrows 
  accidentally falls onto the PCs. Each PC is 
  attacked 1d4–1 times at a +5 bonus. The arrows 
  deal 1d8+2 points of damage each.
  31–40 
  Crumbling Building: A nearby damaged building 
  collapses, dealing 4d6 points of damage to 
  anyone within 30 feet (Reflex half DC 15).
  41–50 
  Chance Meeting: The PCs run into a group of 
  1d4+1 elves making their way into the city. One 
  of them is a 5th level cleric who offers to cast cure 
  light wounds on every character who needs it.
  51–65 
  Dead Bodies: The bodies of 1d4 elves are 
  found in the middle of the street. There is a 
  60% chance that they are the bodies of drow 
  skirmishers, otherwise they are elven scouts. 
  In either case, there’s an 80% chance that their 
  gear has been stripped.
  66–75 
  Leftover Spell Effect: An errant spell blocks the 
  PCs’ path. Roll 1d6 to determine the spell: 
  1–entangle, 2–web, 3–stinking cloud, 4–wall of 
  fire, 5–wall of ice, 6–wall of thorns. The spell 
  effect functions at its minimum caster level.
  76–85 
  Wounded Survivor: The PCs find an elf that is 
  unconscious from his wounds, but stable. If it 
  is an elven scout (50% chance), there’s a 20% 
  chance he has important intelligence about the 
  drow—if he’s safely returned to the camp, the 
  PCs earn 1 battle point.
  86–95 
  Monster Sighting: The PCs find the horribly 
  crushed body of a drow soldier, his gear 
  completely ruined. If you roll this occurrence 
  again, a crazed treant (MM 244) attacks, driven 
  to madness by recent events. If the PCs defeat 
  the treant, they earn 1 battle point.
  96–100 
  Drow Slaves: The PCs run across a group of 
  4 troglodytes (MM 246) escorting a group of 
  elven prisoners back to their drow masters. If 
  the PCs free the prisoners and return them to 
  base camp, they earn 1 battle point.
  
  18
  Second Darkness
  1st (7/day)—enlarge person, mage armor, magic missile, ray of 
  enfeeblement
  0 (6/day)—acid splash, detect magic, ghost sound (DC 14), 
  mage hand, ray of frost, read magic, touch of fatigue (DC 14)
  TaCTiCs
  Before Combat If expecting trouble, drow arcanists cast mage 
  armor and use their wand of false life as soon as possible. If 
  given additional warning before a fight, they also cast blur 
  and use their scroll of haste on allies just before the fight.
  During Combat Drow arcanists try to take out their opponents 
  as quickly as possible, using fireballs against large groups, acid 
  arrows against spellcasters, and rays of enfeeblement against 
  melee-oriented foes. They avoid melee combat at all costs.
  Morale Drow arcanists flee from combat if dropped to below 
  5 hit points.
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 8, Dex 16, Con 10, int 12, Wis 13, Cha 18
  Base atk +3; Grp +2
  Feats Dark Adept, Empower Spell, Weapon Focus (ray)
  skills Concentration +9, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Spellcraft +7 
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Elven, Undercommon
  sQ summon familiar (bat)
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, scroll of haste, 
  wand of false life (10 charges); Other Gear cloak of resistance 
  +1, masterwork dagger, ring of protection +1
  Drow Captain 
  CR 7
  Female drow fighter 2/cleric 4 (Abraxas)
  CE Medium humanoid (elf)
  init +0; senses darkvision 120 ft. ; Listen +9, Spot +9
  DEFENsE
  aC 20, touch 10, flat-footed 20
  (+8 armor, +2 shield)
  hp 39 (6 HD; 2d10+4d8+6)
  Fort +8, Ref +1, Will +7 (+9 against spells and spell-like 
  abilities); +2 against enchantment
  immune sleep; sR 17
  Weakness light blindness
  OFFENsE
  spd 20 ft.
  Melee +1 whip +7 (1d3+2 nonlethal) or
  mwk flail +7 (1d8+1)
  Ranged mwk hand crossbow +6 (1d4/19–20)
  special attacks rebuke undead 4/day (+1, 2d6+6)
  spell-Like abilities (CL 6th)
  1/day—dancing lights, darkness, detect magic, faerie fire, 
  feather fall, levitate
  spells Prepared (CL 4th, CL 5th evil spells)
  2nd—desecrateD, hold person (DC 15), sound burst (DC 15), 
  spiritual weapon
  1st— bless, cure light wounds (2), divine favor, protection from 
  goodD
  0—cure minor wounds (2), detect magic, guidance (2)
  D domain spell; Domains Evil, Magic
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat In combat, a drow captain uses her spells to 
  best effect, using hold person against melee combatants and 
  spiritual weapon on spellcasters. If accompanied by undead 
  or other drow, she prepares for combat by casting bless on 
  her allies before casting divine favor and protection from 
  good on herself. She reserves sound burst for a grouping 
  of adversaries, catching her allies in the burst if necessary, 
  counting on the drow’s innate spell resistance to protect 
  them. If outside the fray, a drow captain uses her wand of 
  magic missile to disrupt spellcasters.
  Morale If a drow captain’s entourage is routed or slain, the 
  captain flees. Otherwise, she only flees if reduced to less 
  than 5 hit points.
  DRow alCHemy
  The drow have developed a number of alchemical weapons 
  to use in their fight against the elves. The following 
  weapons are common equipment among drow soldiers.
  acid Bolts: These metal bolts have a glass section in the 
  middle, filled with acid. On a successful hit, they deal normal 
  damage and 1d4 points of additional acid damage. Acid bolts 
  do not cause any splash damage. Cost: 40 gp per bolt.
  Fire Bolts: These carefully crafted wooden bolts have a 
  hollow core filled with alchemist’s fire. On a successful hit, 
  they deal normal damage plus 1d4 points of fire damage. 
  Alchemical fire bolts do not cause any splash damage, and 
  the fire burst isn’t enough to ignite targets (unless they are 
  particularly flammable). Cost: 50 gp per bolt.
  Drow Poison Bolts: These iron bolts have small resin 
  tips that break when the bolts strike their targets. Inside 
  is a dose of drow poison. Anyone struck by a drow poison 
  bolt must make a DC 13 Fortitude save or fall unconscious 
  for 1 minute. After 1 minute, the subject must succeed 
  on another DC 13 Fortitude save or remain unconscious 
  for 2d4 hours. Those using drow poison bolts do not risk 
  poisoning themselves, but the strange tip affects the bolts’ 
  accuracy. Double the range penalties when using a drow 
  poison bolt. Cost: 100 gp per bolt.
  abRaxas
  The drow of House Azrinae serve Abraxas, Master of the 
  Final Incantation, Demon Lord of Magic and Forbidden 
  Lore. Abraxas is believed to know countless magical 
  formulas, spells, and secrets, particularly those that 
  cause great devastation and pain—including the “Final 
  Incantation,” a potent word that, when uttered, strips away 
  and destroys magic. His clerics have access to the domains 
  of Chaos, Evil, Knowledge, and Magic, and his favored 
  weapon is the whip.
  
  19
  The Armageddon Echo
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 12, Dex 10, Con 12, int 15, Wis 16, Cha 12
  Base atk +5; Grp +6
  Feats Combat Expertise, Dark Adept, Exotic Weapon 
  Proficiency (whip), Improved Disarm, Improved Trip
  skills Concentration +8, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge 
  (religion) +5, Listen +9, Spellcraft +7, Spot +9
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Elven, 
  Undercommon
  Combat Gear scroll of cure moderate wounds (3), scroll of web, 
  wand of magic missile (CL 3rd, 10 charges); Other Gear 
  full plate, heavy steel shield, +1 whip, masterwork hand 
  crossbow with 10 acid bolts, masterwork flail, silver holy 
  symbol of Abraxas, 20 gp
  Victory!
  As the war for Celwynvian progresses, the PCs earn battle 
  points (BP) for accomplishing goals, defeating drow and 
  their kin, and supporting the elven effort to reclaim the 
  ruins. Some of the decisions they make during both the 
  set and random encounters can earn or cost them BP as 
  well. The number of BP they garner has a noticeable effect 
  on the conclusion of the battle, as noted at the end of this 
  adventure. Keep a running tally of the PCs’ accumulated 
  BP as the adventure progresses. At the end of the adventure, 
  this total represents how well the PCs have done and 
  indicates the final reward the elves are able to grant them 
  (since much of this reward money comes from reclaimed 
  gear and treasure taken from the drow, a stronger victory 
  generates more gold). The following table shows the gp 
  value of the item each character should be given. Each item 
  should be one chosen specifically for the character.
  BP 
  Reward
  0 or less 
  No reward
  1–5 
  2,000 gp
  6–10 
  5,000 gp
  11–15 
  8,000 gp
  16+ 
  10,000 gp
  PArt three:  
  the lIBrAry of dust
  Just before dawn on the morning of the attack, the elven 
  camp is a flurry of activity. The first groups leave well 
  before dawn to reach their appointed battlefields, scattered 
  around the outskirts of Celwynvian. Kaerishiel, who 
  nudges their sleeping forms and shakes the tents, awakes 
  the PCs. He says little to them aside from “I hope you don’t 
  plan on spending the entire battle unconscious,” before 
  wandering off to join his own soldiers.
  As mentioned the previous night, the characters have 
  been assigned the task of securing one of the main entries 
  to the city, a road that leads in from the west, passing 
  under the shadow of a building known to contain drow. 
  The assault is scheduled to begin as soon as the sun’s rays 
  touch the tallest remaining spire in the city; if the PCs are 
  spotted by drow before this time, they lose 3 BP for tipping 
  the drow off to the coming assault.
  When the PCs break from the forest and approach the city 
  for the first time, read or paraphrase the following to them.
  Leaving the ancient forest behind, the ruins of Celwynvian loom 
  out of the morning fog like ancient bones. Gnarled trees and 
  dense vines cover many of the crumbling structures, making 
  for a strange landscape of leafy walls and verdant towers. Up 
  ahead, a pair of weathered statues loom on either side of the 
  path, marking the entrance to the city. Not far beyond them, a 
  mostly intact library stands in the center of the road.
  A1. Approaching the Library (EL 8)
  Most of the outer walls of this ancient stone building remain 
  intact, but they show serious signs of damage and decay. Small 
  piles of rubble litter the ground and twisting creeper vines cling 
  to the pitted surface.
  The roof of the library is sloped, but the plants and cracks 
  in its surface make it easy to move across. Characters can 
  climb up to the roof, 20 feet above, with a DC 20 Climb 
  check. The stone doors on the south side of the building are 
  slightly ajar, but the doors on the north side are rusted shut 
  and obstructed on the other side by a mass of spider webs. 
  Opening these doors requires a DC 25 Strength check.
  Creatures: A group of drow hides on the library roof behind 
  a crumbling parapet. These snipers fire at anyone making 
  their way through the area, using poisoned and alchemical 
  bolts to hamper intruders. When the PCs approach to within 
  30 feet of the building, give them a Spot check to notice the 
  ambushers and prevent a surprise attack.
  Drow skirmishers (2) 
  CR 3
  hp 11 each (page 16
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat When the fighting begins, the skirmishers use 
  their crossbows from the roof, firing from behind cover at 
  the PCs, giving them a +4 cover bonus to AC and a +2 cover 
  bonus on Reflex saves. If the characters manage to reach the 
  roof, the skirmishers continue firing at those below if possible, 
  engaging in melee only if the drow soldiers are slain.
  Morale Due to the importance of this location to the drow, 
  these drow fight to the death.
  Drow soldiers (2) 
  CR 5
  hp 34 each (page 16)
  TaCTiCs
  
  20
  Second Darkness
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  During Combat The soldiers begin combat on the roof, 
  firing at the PCs with their hand crossbows along with the 
  skirmishers. They primarily target anyone attempting to 
  climb the walls. If anyone climbs up on the roof, the soldiers 
  break off from firing to engage the characters in melee, 
  flanking if possible.
  Morale Due to the importance of this location to the drow, 
  these drow fight to the death.
  Development: If the PCs seek shelter inside the library, 
  entering through either doorway, the drow soldiers descend 
  to rejoin the fight in area A2. The drow skirmishers 
  remain on the roof, waiting to fire at anyone who leaves 
  the building.
  A2. Spider Infested Lobby (EL 3)
  The dimly lit lobby of this building is obscured by rubble and 
  debris; scattered on the floor are dozens of crumbling books. 
  Thick sheets of webbing cover one entire side of the chamber, 
  concealing what lies beyond.
  This library has been used by the drow for many years 
  now, first as a defensive point and more recently as a site of 
  careful research.
  Creatures: Three enormous recluse spiders have dwelt 
  in this chamber for some time. While they leave the drow 
  alone, they viciously attack the PCs the moment they enter 
  the room.
  Giant Recluse spiders (3) 
  CR 1
  hp 11 each (Medium monstrous spider; MM 289)
  A3. Hall of Memories (EL 7)
  This circular chamber has a crumbling staircase on the 
  opposite wall, leading up to a balcony that rims the room ten 
  feet above the floor. Arranged around the balcony are a number 
  of short pillars, several of which support a faintly glowing 
  crystal globe.
  The elves once used this chamber to store specially 
  prepared globes containing complex illusions that 
  would answer simple questions and converse with guests 
  on specific topics. Each globe covered a different topic, 
  from the nature of magic to the history of the elven 
  people. Of these only a dozen remain intact, and their 
  magic is waning.
  Creatures: The drow stationed here command six 
  mischievous dretches. To keep these lesser demons occupied, 
  they placed them in this chamber so that their research 
  in the main library area could proceed uninterrupted. As 
  such, the dretches have been waiting in this chamber for 
  
  21
  The Armageddon Echo
  some time, chasing each other about the balcony, fighting, 
  and periodically watching the “pretty pictures” in the 
  globes (even though much of the information in the globes 
  is beyond them). When the PCs enter, the dretches hoot and 
  howl with glee and attack immediately.
  Dretches (6) 
  CR 2
  hp 13 each (MM 42)
  OFFENsE
  Ranged crystal globe +3 (1d6+1)
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat The dretches open combat by flinging heavy 
  crystal globes down at the characters. The globes shatter 
  on impact, releasing a burst of magical energy that deals 
  1d6 points of electricity damage to all creatures in a 5-foot 
  radius. A DC 11 Reflex save negates this damage. Those 
  hit by a globe do not get a save. Treat the globes as splash 
  weapons. Once the dretches each throw a globe, they 
  move on to other tactics, either filling the chamber with 
  stinking clouds or attempting to summon more dretches 
  before engaging in melee.
  Morale These dretches fight to the death.
  Treasure: Before combat begins, there are 12 crystal 
  globes stored here—subtract any the dretches hurl in 
  the fight when the PCs get a chance to investigate them. 
  Most of the globes only show vague shifting images of 
  an ancient elven city. One of the globes that survives the 
  fight still partially functions. This globe was meant to 
  convey information on elven history. Whenever anyone 
  picks it up, the image of a long dead librarian appears. 
  He identifies himself as Eloquan, Chief Lorekeeper of 
  Celwynvian. This flickering illusion only responds to 
  questions about ancient elven history, made with a +15 
  bonus on the check. Note that the globe only knows 
  about the elves of almost 10,000 years ago and earlier—as 
  such, it knows nothing of drow, Earthfall, or the events 
  since then. The globe weighs 10 pounds and is extremely 
  fragile. If a PC carrying it fails a Reflex save or takes 
  falling damage, the globe shatters and inflicts 1d6 points 
  of electricity damage to the PC. This lone functional 
  globe is worth 5,000 gp; the others are worth only 10 gp 
  apiece as curiosities.
  A4. Decayed Archive
  This chamber was once used for displaying expertly crafted 
  tapestries and paintings but over the years these have fallen 
  into ruin, with only a few scraps of ancient fabric hanging 
  on the walls. Thick spiderwebs cover much of the walls, 
  but the only spiders to be found are of ordinary size.
  The door leading into area A5 is locked and can only be 
  opened with a DC 25 Open Lock check—the key is carried 
  by the drow captain within.
  A5. Crumbling Stacks (EL 8)
  The center of this vast oval chamber is dominated by a number of 
  tall stone bookcases coated in dust and cobwebs. Some of these 
  shelves lean ominously to one side, their age clearly showing. 
  Scattered about the floor of the chamber are thousands of 
  crumbling tomes, most holding little more than scraps and 
  dust, their knowledge forever lost.
  This library was once one of many in Celwynvian. Now it 
  is little more than dusty tomb, holding little of value. The 
  drow have been meticulously combing through the remains 
  of this library, hoping to find any scrap of information that 
  might help in their research.
  The bookcases in this chamber are unstable and can be 
  pushed over with a DC 10 Strength check. They are 15 feet 
  tall—anyone struck by a falling bookcase takes 2d6 points 
  of damage, with a DC 15 Reflex save negating the damage. If 
  a bookcase falls into another bookcase, it makes a Strength 
  check to knock it over as well, with a +5 bonus to the roll. This 
  could create a chain reaction that causes half the bookcases to 
  fall all at once. A toppling bookcase creates a 20-foot-radius 
  cloud of dust that obscures vision, giving everyone inside 
  concealment (20% miss chance). Anyone inside the cloud 
  must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or begin hacking and 
  coughing for 1 round, unable to take any action other than a 
  move action. The dust cloud persists for 1d4 rounds.
  Creatures: A small group of drow is stationed in this 
  chamber to protect it from intruders and continue the search 
  for intact tomes. If a battle outside made a particularly large 
  amount of noise, these drow are aware of intruders and 
  move to hide between the stacks, waiting to ambush the 
  characters when they enter.
  Drow skirmishers (2) 
  CR 3
  hp 11 each (see page 16)
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat The skirmishers open combat by firing their 
  poisoned bolts. One of the skirmishers tries to remain near 
  the captain in order to flank with her in melee combat. 
  If the PCs move into the stacks, they try to push the 
  bookshelves over on them.
  Morale These drow fight to the death.
  Drow Captain 
  CR 7
  hp 38 (see page 18)
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat The drow captain casts her spells before 
  engaging in close combat if possible.
  Morale The drow captain fights to the death.
  Treasure: Beyond the gear carried by the drow, a fair 
  amount of information waits here for those with the time 
  
  22
  Second Darkness
  22
  Battle Points: Recovering the notes and returning them 
  to the base camp earns the PCs 1 BP. Defeating the drow 
  stationed here earns 2 BP.
  PArt four: AlchemIcAl rAId
  After securing the library, the PCs’ orders are to return 
  to the elven base camp for further assignment—of course, 
  they’re free to wander the ruins on their own as well and 
  plot their own course through the battle, but this may 
  well result in them missing several key opportunities to 
  earn Battle Points. The fighting in the city itself reaches a 
  steady pace, now that the surprise is over. A few fires burn 
  in the ruins, and the acrid smell of smokes hangs in the 
  air. Muted cries and the occasional sound of a sword fight 
  or an explosion of magic can be heard quite frequently.
  Once the PCs return to the elven camp, they find it quite 
  active. Off to one side is a large tent where the elves are 
  storing the dead until they can be properly dealt with. In 
  the center of the camp, Eviana’s tent is a flurry of motion. 
  Messengers stream to and from the tent, relaying reports 
  and receiving orders. If the PCs don’t head to the command 
  tent to report on their mission, a passing elven captain 
  to study the remains of crumbling books and scraps of 
  loose parchment. On the east wall of the room are a number 
  of ancient and crumbling desks of remarkably well-
  preserved wood. The one at the south end is still mostly 
  intact, and the drow have been using it to store books and 
  parchments that might be of interest to Nolveniss. An 
  inspection of these six tomes and assorted scraps reveals 
  that all of the books here deal with one of two subjects: 
  astronomy and the Great Beyond. Of particular note, one 
  bookmark denotes a page dealing with the properties of 
  the “realm of shadows” and how time can be “mutable in 
  such a domain.” All of these tomes are written in Elven. 
  In addition, a DC 25 Search check uncovers an ancient 
  scroll of clairvoyance and a blessed book, both buried under 
  an ancient pile of crumbling pages.
  Development: Once the PCs secure the site, a small 
  contingent of elven scouts comes in to hold the building 
  within 3d6 minutes. If the PCs abandon the site before 
  then, there’s a cumulative 1% chance per minute that more 
  drow arrive to reclaim the building, forcing the PCs to 
  repeat much of the work they’ve just done. Once the scouts 
  are in place here, the drow do not retake the library.
  
  23
  The Armageddon Echo
  directs them to Eviana to do so, indicating she has a new 
  assignment for them as soon as they’ve recovered from the 
  battle. When the PCs are ready for the next mission, read 
  or paraphrase the following to them.
  Eviana motions at a map of Celwynvian that has been carefully 
  tagged with a number of small flags, some black, some green. 
  “These green flags represent our current troop deployments 
  around the city, while the black flags indicate known drow 
  holdouts. One such holdout in particular has caught our attention, 
  and taking it out might help us greatly in the long run. We believe 
  these ruins,” she says, indicating a spot on the northern edge of 
  the city, “contain an alchemical workshop where the drow have 
  been producing many of their more insidious weapons. We want 
  you to storm this place and take it out. The sooner the better.”
  The Laboratory
  The location of this site is given on the Celwynvian map 
  that appears on page 50. Remember to check for random 
  encounters as the PCs make their way to the site. As they 
  approach, the laboratory is revealed to have once been a 
  much larger structure, but today, only one crumbling 
  dome remains. A hole in its top belches forth a noxious 
  cloud of sickly green smoke, and pools of smoking liquid 
  cover the area around the ruins. 
  B1. Dangerous Ruins (EL 7)
  The dome appears to have only one visible entrance, but this 
  approach is blocked by rubble and ponds of alchemical waste.
  This building was once the home of a powerful wizard, 
  but Earthfall ruined much of the building and it has been 
  decaying ever since. When the drow moved into the city, 
  they explored the ancient laboratory and cleared out most 
  of the rubble. The drow now use it to create many of their 
  alchemical items such as acid bolts and poison. 
  The area in front of the dome is full of ruined stone walls 
  and debris. To make matters worse, the drow also use it as 
  a dumping ground for all of their wastes. Moving through 
  this area requires 15 feet of movement for every 5 feet 
  traveled. In addition, the small pools of alchemical residue 
  cause 1 point of acid damage for every 5 feet traveled. These 
  pools also give off noxious fumes that cause creatures to 
  become sickened while in the area unless they succeed at 
  a DC 15 Fortitude save. This save must be made once per 
  minute while in the ruins.
  Creature: The drow have stationed a drider here in the 
  ruins to watch over the alchemical laboratory. The drider 
  has grown used to the fumes and does not need to make 
  saves against it—it avoids contact with the acidic puddles by 
  clambering across the broken walls.
  Drider 
  CR 7
  hp 45 (MM 89)
  TaCTiCs
  Before Combat As the PCs approach the ruins, the drider 
  hides behind one of the stone walls and casts mage armor, 
  levitate, and invisibility. Once prepared, it levitates above the 
  wall, preparing to strike.
  During Combat At the start of combat, the drider opens 
  with lightning bolt, catching as many of the characters as 
  possible. From there, it continues to use its spells to harass 
  the characters until they find a way to fight back. Once 
  anyone reaches the drider’s location, it climbs back down 
  the wall to attack in melee.
  Morale The drider fights to the death.
  B2. Laboratory (EL 9)
  Beneath the dome, a roaring fire blazes in the center of 
  a cluttered chamber. Above the fire, a trio of kettles bubble 
  furiously, with a column of green smoke rising up to a hole in 
  the ceiling. Beyond, a pair of tall glass tanks sits against the far 
  wall, one green and the other oily black. Tools and laboratory 
  equipment are scattered about the room on tables or hung from 
  hooks on the wall. There is an overpowering stench in the air, 
  mixed in with the smell of burning chemicals.
  This is the laboratory of Ilverae, a drow alchemist from 
  House Parastric hired by the Azrinaes to aid in supplying 
  their troops here in Celwynvian.
  This chamber contains a number of hazards that might 
  come into play during combat. The kettles above the fire can 
  be knocked over, creating a 10-foot line of burning acid that 
  deals 2d6 points of fire damage and 2d6 points of acid damage. 
  Anyone caught in this line can make a DC 15 Reflex save for 
  half damage. In addition, the tanks on the far wall might be 
  shattered (hardness 1, 5 hit points), in which cast they cause a 
  10-foot burst of liquid to splash all the characters in the area. 
  The green tank holds an acidic liquid that deals 4d6 points of 
  acid damage to those in the area. A DC 20 Reflex save reduces 
  this damage by half. The black tank holds a liquid that will 
  eventually be made into drow poison. Anyone struck by this 
  liquid must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or fall unconscious 
  for 1d4 rounds. Finally, the room is littered with large flasks 
  full of alchemical liquid. Ilverae and her servants know what 
  is in these bottles, but the characters do not. Throwing a flask 
  is a ranged touch attack that counts as a splash weapon. If the 
  PCs pick up random flasks and begin throwing them, roll on 
  the following chart to determine their effects. Ilverae and her 
  slaves can choose which effects they want.
  d10 
  Flask Effects
  1–4 
  harmless: The target takes 1 point of damage from 
  the flask, but the liquid causes no damage.
  
  24
  Second Darkness
  5–6 
  alchemist Fire: Deals 2d6 points of fire damage on a 
  direct hit and 2 points of splash damage.
  7–8 
  acid: Deals 2d6 points of acid damage on a direct hit 
  and 2 points of splash damage.
  9 
  Frost: Deals 2d6 points of cold damage on a  
  direct hit and 2 points of 
  splash damage.
  10 
  Poison: Works like drow 
  sleep poison, but the 
  DC is 17. No splash 
  damage.
  Creatures: Ilverae rarely leaves this 
  chamber and views it as her domain. 
  As such, she is none too happy when 
  the characters interrupt her work. 
  The alchemist is attended by a 
  half-dozen troglodyte slaves that 
  serve as bodyguards, messengers, 
  assistants, or experimental stock 
  as the situation warrants—Ilverae is 
  accustomed to the foul stench of all six, 
  in any event.
  ilverae Parastric 
  CR 8
  Female drow bard 7
  CE Medium humanoid (elf)
  init +4; senses darkvision 120 ft.; Listen +11, Spot +1
  DEFENsE
  aC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14
  (+4 armor, +4 Dex)
  hp 48 (7d6+21)
  Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +4 (+6 against spells and spell-like 
  abilities); +2 against enchantment
  DR 1/—; immune sleep; sR 18
  OFFENsE
  spd 30 ft.
  Melee mwk dagger +6 (1d4/19–20)
  Ranged acid +9 (1d6 acid) or
  alchemist’s fire +9 (1d6 fire) or
  +1 hand crossbow +10 (1d4+1/19–20 plus 1d4 fire)
  special attacks bardic music 7/day (countersong, 
  fascinate, inspire competence, inspire courage 
  +1, suggestion)
  spell-Like abilities (CL 7th)
  1/day—dancing lights, darkness, detect magic, 
  faerie fire, feather fall, levitate
  spells Known (CL 7th)
  3rd (1/day)—confusion (DC 17)
  2nd (3/day)—cat’s grace, cure moderate 
  wounds, mirror image
  1st (4/day)—charm person, cure light 
  wounds, grease (DC 15), hideous 
  laughter (DC 15)
  0 (3/day)—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 14), mage hand, 
  mending, prestidigitation, read magic
  TaCTiCs
  Before Combat If Ilverae notices the combat occurring 
  outside with the drider, she casts cat’s grace and mirror 
  image on herself immediately and then drinks her potion of 
  bear’s endurance.
  During Combat Ilverae uses inspire courage on the first round 
  of fighting, then supports her troglodyte slaves with ranged 
  attacks and magic. She avoids melee combat if she can help 
  it, using levitate to escape if no other route presents itself.
  Morale Ilverae is fanatical about her laboratory and defends it 
  with her life.
  Base stats init +2, aC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14; hp 34;
  Fort +3, 
  Ref +7; Ranged acid +7 (1d6 acid) or alchemist’s fire 
  +7 (1d6 fire) or +1 hand crossbow +8 (1d4+1/19–20 
  plus 1d4 fire); Dex 15, Con 12; skills 
  Concentration +11, Tumble +11
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 10, Dex 19, Con 16, int 14, Wis 8, Cha 18
  Base atk +5; Grp +5
  Feats Brew Potion, Dark Adept, Skill Focus  
  (Craft [alchemy])
  skills Concentration +13, 
  Craft (alchemy) 
  +15, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +12, 
  Knowledge 
  (history) +12, Listen 
  +11, Perform (sing) +14, 
  Spellcraft +14, Tumble +13
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, 
  Elven, Undercommon
  sQ bardic knowledge +11
  Combat Gear acid (4), alchemist’s fire (6), 
  potion of cure moderate wounds (2), potion of 
  bear’s endurance; Other Gear adamantine 
  chain shirt, masterwork dagger, +1 hand 
  crossbow with 20 fire bolts 
  Troglodytes (6) 
  CR 1
  hp 13 each (MM 246)
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat The troglodytes each throw 
  one flask before closing in for melee combat (+0 
  ranged touch). 
  Morale The troglodytes are terrified of failing 
  their mistress and fight to the death.
  Treasure: After the combat, the PCs 
  can scrounge the laboratory for 
  Ilverae
  Parastric
  
  25
  The Armageddon Echo
  alchemical items and additional flasks. They can find eight 
  alchemical fire bolts, eight acid bolts, four drow poison 
  bolts, six smokesticks, and six random flasks (rerolling any 
  harmless results). The flasks can be identified with a DC 15 
  Craft (alchemy) or Knowledge (arcana) check.
  Development: There is a large supply of reagents and 
  alchemical ingredients in this room in addition to the liquid 
  in the tanks and the kettles. Destroying these ingredients is 
  vital to the war effort, but it must be done carefully. 
  Burning the chemicals destroys them, but also releases a 
  vast cloud of horrible vapor that drifts about the city (treat 
  as a permanent stinking cloud). From this point onward, 
  there is a 20% chance that any random encounter also 
  must deal with this roaming cloud.
  The chemicals can be dumped down a grate on the east 
  side of the room. Although this destroys the chemicals, it 
  poisons the water table for miles around, forcing the elves 
  to expend resources to create and purify water.
  The best option is to neutralize or otherwise spoil the 
  chemicals. This can be accomplished with 2 hours’ worth 
  of work and a DC 20 Craft (alchemy) or Knowledge (arcana) 
  check. Each casting of purify food and drink grants a +4 bonus 
  to the check and reduces the time required by 15 minutes 
  (to a minimum of 15 minutes). Check for encounters once 
  during this period.
  Battle Points: Creating the horrible vapor cloud costs 2 
  BP. Poisoning the water table costs 1 BP. Neutralizing the 
  chemical supply grants 2 BP.
  PArt fIve: rescue mIssIon
  At some point during the adventure after the battle for 
  Celwynvian begins, but before the PCs are ready to move 
  against the Academy of Arts, an elven scout contacts the 
  PCs with a breathless request from Eviana. This scout could 
  contact the PCs anywhere in the city—if you choose to start 
  this encounter at the elven base camp, he’ll simply urge the 
  PCs to come to Eviana’s tent at once to speak with her.
  This mission is simple—a group of elven scouts led 
  by none other than Kaerishiel himself has gotten itself 
  into a dreadful situation. Kaerishiel’s animal companion 
  Ashka managed to escape and made it back to camp to alert 
  Eviana of the situation after a speak with animals spell shed 
  light on the matter. Eviana learns that Kaerishiel and his 
  remaining men are pinned down in a ruined tower that 
  the drow are preparing to destroy. Someone must make 
  haste to the site to defeat the drow before the evil elves can 
  use a captured elven siege engine to destroy the tower and 
  thereby kill the elves pinned inside.
  The PCs are in the right place at the right time to 
  handle this task, wherever they may be; the tower in 
  question is only a few minutes away from their current 
  location if they hurry. Ashka may accompany the PCs if 
  one of them is a druid or ranger—otherwise the worried 
  animal companion waits for the return of his master at 
  the elven base camp. If the PCs hesitate for any amount of 
  time, the tower is destroyed by the drow and the elves lose 
  a valuable commander.
  This encounter is on a timer. From the moment the 
  PCs arrive at the scene, they have 5 minutes to deal with 
  the drow atop the tower before they have lined up the 
  ballista to fire on the pinned elves. These bolts cause the 
  ancient walls to crumble, eliminating their cover. If this 
  happens, the wall crumbles in 3 rounds and the elven 
  scouts are slain one per round until all of them are dead, 
  Kaerishiel included.
  C1. The Ruined Tower
  This is the location of the group of elven scouts. They are 
  pinned in this partially collapsed tower, and to this point 
  have managed to fend off any drow that attempted to enter 
  the area to deal with them in person.
  Elven scouts (4) 
  CR 5
  hp 28 each (currently 10 each, and two of the scouts are 
  unconscious from drow poison; see page 10)
  Kaerishiel 
  CR 8
  hp 47 (currently 22 and unconscious from drow poison; see 
  page 11)
  Developments: After the drow and the dragon are dealt 
  with, the surviving elves emerge from the ruins to greet 
  their rescuers. After recovering from the drow poison in 
  his system, Kaerishiel undergoes a change of heart due to 
  the PCs’ heroics and grudgingly comes to respect them. 
  As the adventure proceeds, Kaerishiel’s opinion of the 
  characters continues to grow.
  C2. Tower Base
  Approaching the tower is not a simple task. The drow 
  watch area C1 constantly, and every few minutes one of 
  them patrols the edge of the uppermost floor, looking 
  for anyone approaching. The characters can easily note 
  this pattern with a small amount of patience. If the PCs 
  approach from the southeast, they need not make Hide 
  checks (assuming they wait for the drow to wander to the 
  other side). Otherwise, they are spotted unless they succeed 
  on an opposed Hide check.
  There are two ways into the base of the tower occupied 
  by the drow. The first is through an ancient stone doorway. 
  This door is locked and requires a DC 25 Open Lock 
  skill check to open. The other way is through a hole in 
  the southern wall. This is difficult terrain and anyone 
  clambering over it must make a Move Silently check at 
  a –8 penalty. Once the PCs are inside the tower, read or 
  paraphrase the following to them.
  
  26
  Second Darkness
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  The bodies of a dozen drow lie heaped on the floor 
  here, a testimony to the amount of damage the desperate 
  elves in area C1 have managed to do so far. All of their 
  gear has been sent back to the Academy for allocation to 
  other drow.
  C3. Tower Roof (EL 9)
  This floor of the tower was once on the inside, but the walls have 
  crumbled, making it the roof. Sitting in the center of the floor, 
  mounted on a trio of iron wheels, is a large ballista, made from 
  scorched iron and stained wood.
  The drow have been using this location for some time 
  now as a watch post, where they can easily fire down upon 
  intruders. When Kaerishiel and his men approached, the 
  drow opened fire, and, after a short battle, they pinned 
  them into the ruins just to the north. They have been 
  moving around the ballista, and adjusting its angle, to 
  fire down at the trapped scouts. 
  The ballista has a range of 120 feet and does 3d8 points 
  of damage on a hit, with a critical threat range of 19–20. 
  Medium creatures can fire a ballista with a –4 penalty (–6 
  for Small creatures). A ballista is treated as a crossbow 
  in terms of proficiency. The ballista can be moved, but 
  it takes time. Turning the ballista 45% requires a DC 15 
  Strength check as a Standard action. The drow have a case 
  with 20 ballista bolts inside, two of which have a hollow 
  tip that acts as alchemist’s fire when it strikes (in addition 
  to normal damage). These bolts deal 4d6 points of fire 
  damage on a hit, with 1d6 points of fire damage dealt to all 
  adjacent creatures. The flames can be extinguished in the 
  same way as alchemist’s fire.
  Creatures: The six drow here know that they have a 
  commanding position and they fight to keep it. While 
  their current attention is focused on the scouts, that 
  quickly changes if they become alerted to the presence of 
  intruders in the tower. Due to the remnants of the walls, 
  the drow have cover from anyone firing on them from 
  below, granting them a +4 cover bonus to their AC and a 
  +2 cover bonus on Reflex saves. They can increase this to 
  improved cover by hiding behind the walls, and total cover 
  if they crouch down beneath them.
  Drow skirmishers (4) 
  CR 3
  hp 11 each (see page 16)
  Drow soldiers (2) 
  CR 5
  hp 34 each (see page 16)
  Battle Points: If the PCs rescue all of the elves, grant them 
  3 BP. If Kaerishiel is slain, reduce this award to 1 BP. If all of 
  the elves perish, the failure instead costs the PCs 2 BP.
  
  27
  The Armageddon Echo
  PArt sIx:  
  BAttle At the AcAdemy
  How long it takes the elves to penetrate to the heart of the 
  ruins depends primarily on how much fun the players are 
  having exploring the ruined city and fighting the drow, 
  and also on your own sense of timing. Between random 
  encounters, the three missions detailed in Parts Three 
  through Five, and additional missions or encounters you 
  add to the adventure, the PCs should spend at least a few days 
  fighting amid the ruins before you proceed with this part of 
  the adventure. At the very least, the PCs should achieve 8th 
  level before they attempt to tackle the Academy of Arts.
  The highest concentration of drow in Celwynvian is in 
  the vicinity of the Academy of Arts, which the drow use as 
  their base of operations. It is here that Nolveniss Azrinae 
  coordinates the defense of the city, and here that the portal 
  into the Armageddon Echo is hidden. If the PCs approach 
  this building before you’re ready to begin this part of the 
  adventure, you have two choices. You can either simply 
  proceed with these encounters as written (but without any 
  of the elven aid), or you can have the PCs encounter a drow 
  war party as they approach. This group of six drow soldiers 
  is an EL 10 encounter, and it should be enough to turn back 
  the PCs for now.
  Once the fight in the city has been going on for a few 
  days, and the number of drow are significantly thinned, this 
  building becomes open to them (as noted under the Battle 
  at the Academy). At this point, Eviana makes the decision to 
  mount the final offensive against the drow in an attempt to 
  claim the Academy and break the back of the dark elf presence 
  in Celwynvian. She calls her remaining commanders, 
  including the heroes, to her tent to discuss the situation.
  As she does this, consult the total BP the PCs have 
  accumulated so far. If they have at least 11 BP, things are 
  going well for the elves. If they’ve accumulated less than 11 
  BP, things are going quite a bit more roughly—even Eviana 
  herself is wounded, her arm in a sling. The drow have even 
  mounted a few attacks on the base camp aided by several 
  babau demons, and the situation is starting to look grim for 
  the elves—the push to strike at the Academy is thus more of 
  a move of desperation than anything else. This adventure 
  assumes that the PCs have come close to 11 BP, but haven’t 
  quite reached that point yet—if the PCs are doing well, adjust 
  the following text to make things seem more positive.
  When the PCs enter Eviana’s tent, she is glad to see them and 
  is particularly elated if the scouts were successfully rescued, 
  mentioning, “we need as many able-bodied combatants as 
  we can get right now.” If pressed, she goes on to state that 
  the efforts have been successful, but that they have come at a 
  terrible cost. Read or paraphrase the following to them.
  “The battle has been brutal,” Eviana says with a clenched jaw, “but I 
  feel that we still have a chance at victory. With the aid of these heroes 
  here, our forces have managed to clear a path to the Academy of 
  Arts. We won’t be able to hold this route for long, though. The time 
  for our decisive strike has come. I would like you to participate in the 
  attack. We have limited forces to commit here, with our kin spread 
  so far around the city or holding the route to the Academy, so you’ll 
  be one of three small teams moving against the building. It is my 
  hope that we can capture or kill the drow leadership, secure access 
  to the Armageddon Echo portal, and finally bring this war to a close. 
  I can understand if you feel this is beyond you, and I would find 
  another group if one was available, but this is just not an option. I 
  need you. Will you take on this last mission?”
  All of the bloodshed and life lost has led up to this 
  point, to give the elves a chance to strike directly at 
  the leadership of the drow in Celwynvian. The assault 
  is scheduled to take place at dawn the next morning, 
  giving the PCs time to rest and prepare for the battle 
  and hopefully catching the drow at the time of day when 
  they are most vulnerable. Eviana has little information 
  about the interior of the Academy of Arts to share with 
  the PCs, but she does know a bit about the exterior. She 
  explains that there appear to be three entrances into the 
  building—the main doors in the front and two holes 
  in the exterior, one to the west and one to the north. 
  Both of the holes look like the result of wear upon the 
  ancient structure. She also knows that the drow and their 
  servants fiercely guard all three entrances. The front 
  door is watched over by a host of drow and is by far the 
  most secure. The hole to the west is also well guarded by a 
  few drow and a number of dretches. The hole to the north 
  looks the easiest to breech, since it is close to the trees and 
  guarded over by a few drow and a number of troglodyte 
  slaves. After conveying this information, Eviana asks the 
  three groups which entry each would like to attempt.
  Apart from the PCs’ group, the other two groups both 
  consist of four elven scouts, each led by one commander. One 
  group is led by Kaerishiel, while the other is led by Shalelu. 
  If Kaerishiel has warmed to the party, he wordlessly cedes 
  the first choice to them and then makes his choice from the 
  remaining two. Shalelu chooses last, cheerfully accepting 
  the route that the PCs and Kaerishiel did not select.
  Academy of Arts Features
  The journey to the academy is a quiet one. There seem to 
  be very few drow on the streets and they are easily avoided. 
  As the large building draws in sight, both Shalelu and 
  Kaerishiel exchange well wishes with the PCs and each 
  other before taking their small groups off to prepare for 
  the assault. As they disappear into the brush, the first rays 
  of light illuminate the ancient structure. The time for the 
  strike is close at hand.
  The Academy itself is one of the more well-preserved 
  structures in Celwynvian, but still the passage of 
  
  28
  Second Darkness
  time has left its mark in places. The building itself is 
  made of stone and consists of three domed structures 
  surrounding a low, one-story stone bunker. The domes 
  are of white marble and thick with ivy and other creeping 
  vines. All doors are made of stone and cannot be locked 
  unless the text says otherwise. Ceiling height in the 
  central bunker is 10 feet, while that inside the domes 
  varies (and is indicated in the appropriate areas). None 
  of the rooms are illuminated unless otherwise indicated. 
  Unknown to the PCs or elves, the attack has hurt the drow 
  far more than they let on—the leaders of the effort have 
  already retreated into the Armageddon Echo by the time 
  the assault on the Academy of Arts begins, but they’ve left 
  behind enough defenders to give the PCs and the others a 
  strong run for their money nonetheless.
  D1. Entry Guards (EL 7–9)
  More than a score of drow once fiercely guarded the exterior 
  of the academy, but now, due to their losses and retreat, few 
  remain. The encounter faced by the PCs depends heavily 
  upon which entry point they have selected. As with the 
  initial assault on Celwynvian, the elves hope to mount this 
  assault on the Academy to begin precisely at dawn, and 
  again, if the PCs jump the gun, they lose one BP for giving 
  the drow an advance warning.
  Unfortunately for Shalelu and Kaerishiel, no matter 
  which entrance they pick, they are doomed to be captured 
  before making it all the way into the building. The PCs 
  can perhaps encounter and rescue them at a later point, 
  but if they investigate either of the two entrances after they 
  finish off the drow at their own choice, they find several 
  dead drow and elven scouts. In this way, the success or 
  failure to claim control of the Academy rests squarely on 
  the PCs’ shoulders.
  Creatures: Three groups of defenders guard the 
  entry points into the academy. Each group is detailed 
  below—the PCs need only contend with the defenders 
  at their chosen entry, since the defenders at the other 
  two are all either going to be killed by the elves or are 
  gone to the Armageddon Echo by the time the PCs get 
  to these locations, unless the PCs are so quick to reach 
  the other locations as to arrive within a few rounds of 
  the initial assault. In this case, you can give the PCs 
  the opportunity to save Shalelu and Kaerishiel before 
  they’re captured.
  D1a. (EL 9): The group at the main entry to the south 
  consists of a drow arcanist and four drow skirmishers. The 
  skirmishers’ primary job is to prevent the PCs from reaching 
  the arcanist who uses his spells to devastate intruders. If the 
  PCs take on and defeat this group, award them 2 BP.
  Drow arcanist 
  CR 7
  hp 27 (see page 17)
  Drow skirmishers (4) 
  CR 3
  hp 11 each (see page 16)
  D1b. (EL 8): The west entrance is through a hole in the 
  roof, leading to area D5. This area is guarded of a pair of 
  drow soldiers and three dretches standing watch on the 
  ground just under the holed roof above—the soldiers 
  levitate up to the roof to defend the entrance if necessary. If 
  the PCs take on and defeat this group, award them 1 BP.
  Drow soldiers (2) 
  CR 5
  hp 34 (see page 16 )
  Dretch (3) 
  CR 2
  hp 13 (MM 42)
  D1c. (EL 7): The north entrance is also through a hole in 
  the wall, this one leading into area D6. This guard group 
  consists of two drow skirmishers and four troglodytes. The 
  skirmishers use the troglodytes as fodder to slow down 
  approaching intruders while they rely on their ranged 
  weapons. The PCs earn no BP if they defeat this group.
  Drow skirmishers (2) 
  CR 3
  hp 11 (see page 16)
  Troglodytes (4) 
  CR 1
  hp 13 (MM 246)
  D2. Entry Hall (EL 8)
  What once might have been a fabulously decorated entry hall is 
  now a barren, empty chamber. Four white marble pillars support 
  the roof, while two stone benches sit on either side of the room. 
  The stone doors to the south have fallen away from the building’s 
  facade, but those to the north remain intact.
  Creature: The drow have built a terrible guardian to 
  watch over the entry hall. Made from the bodies of slain 
  elves, this hideous flesh golem is under orders to attack 
  anyone who does not give the correct password (“dshanvian,” 
  Undercommon for “terrible beauty”). The creature is 9 feet 
  tall and nearly 6 feet wide, and has four arms stitched to its 
  broad, fleshy body. Dozens of arrows are threaded through 
  loose folds of flesh and fat, piercing its body in numerous 
  locations. The golem wields a pair of magic composite 
  longbows in two of its arms, keeping its other two arms free 
  to fire arrows or smash foes as necessary. 
  Elven Flesh Golem 
  CR 8
  N Large construct
  init +4; senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +0, 
  Spot +0
  
  29
  The Armageddon Echo
  DEFENsE
  aC 23, touch 13, flat-footed 19
  (+4 Dex, +10 natural, –1 size)
  hp 79 (9d10+30)
  Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +3
  DR 5/adamantine; immune construct traits, golem immunities
  OFFENsE
  spd 40 ft.
  Melee 2 slams +10 (2d8+5)
  Ranged 2 +1 composite longbows +10/+10/+5/+5 (1d8+6/×3)
  space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat The elven flesh golem fires it bows at intruders 
  whenever possible, otherwise it uses its slam attacks.
  Morale The elven flesh golem fights until destroyed.
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 20, Dex 19, Con —, int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
  Base atk +6; Grp +15
  Feats —
  skills — 
  sQ berserk, flurry of arrows
  Gear +1 composite longbow (+5 Str) (2) with 40 arrows
  sPECiaL aBiLiTiEs
  Flurry of arrows (Ex) The elven flesh golem wields two 
  longbows at once, and can make attacks with each in the 
  same round at no penalty to its attack roll. Plucking arrows 
  out of its body to fire at foes is a free action for the golem.
  D3. Short Hall
  A tiled mosaic in the center of the floor of this chamber is 
  obscured by a pool of fresh blood, with a gory trail heading off 
  toward the east. This heavy scent of copper hangs in the air.
  After Shalelu’s and Kaerishiel’s groups were defeated 
  at the other two entrances, the surviving drow quickly 
  dragged their unconscious bodies through this room and 
  into the eastern dome, where they are preparing to escape 
  into the Armageddon Echo with their prisoners.
  D4. Slave Pen (EL 5)
  Several elven corpses are strung up along the walls of this 
  chamber, pools of blood congealing beneath their feet. It 
  appears that their throats have been cut. Along the north wall, 
  an ancient elven statue stands, but its skin has been painted 
  black and its face carved into a cruel scowl.
  This is where the drow kept prisoners. When it became 
  apparent that they could not hold the city, Nolveniss and a 
  group of his most trusted followers fled through the gate 
  in area A9. Before leaving, the cruel drow master had all of 
  the prisoners here slain. 
  Creatures: Nolveniss’s cruelty did not end with murder. 
  Before he fled into the Armageddon Echo, he cast animate 
  dead on these corpses and ordered them to attack any 
  intruders that entered the room. The zombies have been 
  waiting on the walls ever since. When the PCs enter the 
  room, the zombies slip free from their chains and attack.
  Elven Zombies (8) 
  CR 1/2
  hp 16 each (use human commoner zombies, MM 266)
  D5. Meditation Hall (EL 7)
  This long chamber has raised seating on opposite sides of a long 
  pool of water. The pool has a brightly colored rim, and the water 
  within ripples and splashes as waves travel from one end to the 
  other in an endless current. The seats on either side are populated 
  by dozens of decaying, dripping elven corpses, most of which seem 
  to have been crushed and twisted by some great force. A flight of 
  stairs ascends to the remnants of what may have been a wooden 
  balcony that overlooked the room, but now all that remains of this 
  long-crumbled upper floor are a few stone supports. 
  Creature: When the elves sought relaxation, they came 
  to this chamber to meditate. The waters in the pool helped 
  to soothe spirits. The drow have other, more violent 
  methods of relaxing, but they found a use for this chamber 
  nevertheless—they’ve repurposed it into an arena, and the 
  water elementals bound in the pool are used to crush and 
  destroy anyone placed within. The dead bodies stacked 
  on the seats represent several elves the drow have already 
  slain in this manner.
  The water elementals have learned to avoid drow, but 
  they lash out immediately at anything else that comes 
  within 5 feet of the pool’s edge.
  Large Water Elementals (2) 
   
  CR 5
  hp 68 each (MM 100)
  D6. Summoner’s Laboratory (EL 9)
  The horrid scent of decay fills the air of this circular chamber. 
  Ancient tables covered in arcane implements stand on either 
  side in front of a faintly glowing circle scribed into the floor. The 
  contents of the circle are a mystery, as thick black smoke fills the 
  interior from floor to ceiling.
  When the academy was at its height, this chamber was 
  used to summon all sorts of creatures from across the 
  planes so that the elves might expand their knowledge. 
  The drow have been using it to summon demons to assault 
  the elves and defend the city.
  Creature: Before abandoning the academy, Nolveniss 
  bound a vrock into this chamber. Since he did not have 
  
  Second Darkness
  30
  the time to properly negotiate with the demon, he made 
  a simple deal. The demon would be free to leave the 
  protective circle and cause havoc in the surrounding city 
  as soon as anyone other than the drow or their servants 
  entered the room. The vrock has been waiting here ever 
  since, eager to cause destruction and death.
  Vrock 
  CR 9
  hp 115 (MM 48)
  Treasure: When he left for the Armageddon Echo, 
  Nolveniss took with him most of the research and 
  materials he’d stored in this chamber. Underneath one 
  of the tables, however, is a scrap of parchment, bearing 
  various charts and calculations written in Undercommon. 
  These formulas pertain to the stars in the sky and how they 
  might have looked 10,000 years ago. 
  One particular note near the 
  bottom reads: “This time 
  is the key. We must study 
  Earthfall more closely, no 
  matter the cost.” 
  A few other trinkets 
  were left behind as well. 
  A pouch sitting on the 
  table contains 5,000 gp worth 
  of diamond dust, useful in a 
  number of spells and rituals. In 
  addition, there are 1,000 gp worth 
  of onyx gemstones here as well, for 
  animating undead, and five pearls worth 100 gp each, for 
  identifying magic items.
  D7. Vile Altar (EL 7)
  Set into the north wall of this antechamber is a black pillar of 
  stone, carved with hundreds of small, wicked symbols. A flicker 
  of purple light pulses from these runes, traveling up and down 
  the pillar’s length. In front of the pillar is a prayer rug made of 
  blood-soaked paper.
  What was once a small study has been converted into an 
  altar dedicated to Abraxas. The altar can be identified as 
  such with a DC 20 Knowledge (religion) check or a DC 25 
  Knowledge (the planes) check.
  Trap: The double doors leading into area D8 are trapped 
  and cannot be opened safely without first kneeling on the 
  mat and offering a prayer to Abraxas. Those who fail to 
  do this before opening the door set off the trap, causing a 
  blast of purple flame to fill the chamber 1 round later.
  Delayed Blast Fireball Trap 
  CR 7 
  Type magical; search DC 32; Disable Device DC 32
  EFFECTs
  Trigger touch; Reset none
  Effect spell effect (delayed blast fireball, 1 round after the trap is 
  triggered, 14d6 fire damage, DC 20 Reflex save for half)
  D8. Black Gate (EL 7)
  Unlike the other rooms of this place, 
  this large chamber has been restored 
  to its former beauty. Polished white 
  marble gleams from the walls, carved 
  in the likeness of dancing and frolicking 
  elves. Along one wall is a gigantic 
  sparkling pool of crystal clear water, 
  behind which stands a gateway made of 
  the purest alabaster, carefully shaped to look 
  like a ring of leaves. In the center of the pool, a 
  comely elven maiden reclines on a tremendous 
  floating leaf.
  All of this is an illusion created 
  using 
  mirage 
  arcana. 
  The 
  actual 
  chamber is as decrepit as the rest—the 
  walls filthy and worn, the pool fetid, and the 
  archway cracked and broken. Smears of blood (traces of the 
  elven prisoners led through here) lead across the floor to the 
  southern doors. The pool itself seems to be 50 feet deep and 
  is calm water, requiring only a DC 10 Swim check to navigate. 
  In fact, the “floor” of the pool is an illusory wall placed by 
  the pool’s occupant; this pool actually drops away into an 
  
  31
  The Armageddon Echo
  underground river that flows from the Calphiak Mountains 
  northward into the sea after several dozen miles.
  The gate behind the pool was once an elf gate, but it has not 
  functioned properly for years. The drow have corrupted the 
  portal so that now it leads to the drow city of Zirnakaynin, 
  but only intermittently and only with the portal key that 
  Nolveniss carries. Due to the timing of the elven assault, 
  the drow had to flee into the shadow version of Celwynvian 
  rather than to their home in the Shadowlands.
  Creature: This chamber is the home to an aboleth named 
  Ixilano who allied with the drow some time ago. Ixilano was 
  born well after Earthfall, but it has nevertheless been of great 
  use to Nolveniss’s research. Although thoroughly evil, Ixilano 
  feels no strong loyalty to the drow and is more than happy 
  to converse with the characters through its veil illusion for a 
  time before it grows bored and attempts to enslave them.
  The illusory elf claims to be an imprisoned spirit from 
  ancient times bound here to serve the drow. The aboleth 
  is curious about the adventurers and the forces arrayed 
  against the drow, so it asks as many questions about the 
  outside world as possible. If the PCs ask about what the drow 
  are up to, Ixilano informs them that the drow have traveled 
  to a hidden demiplane between the Material Plane and 
  the Shadow Plane to escape the elves, using another portal 
  in the next room. If asked about the elf gate in this room, 
  the aboleth informs them that it has been repurposed, but 
  without Nolveniss’s portal key, the portal is useless.
  After a bit of pleasant conversation, Ixilano’s illusion 
  asks the PCs to help free her from her bondage. She 
  explains that the only way to do that is to lift her leaf out of 
  the pool, requiring the PCs to swim in to assist her. Once 
  they are in the stagnant water, the aboleth attacks.
  ixilano 
  CR 7
  Aboleth (MM 8)
  hp 76
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat Ixilano attempts to enslave the PCs before 
  resorting to attacks with its tentacles.
  Morale Ixilano flees through the hidden underwater tunnel at 
  the bottom of the pool if dropped to below 20 hit points.
  D9. Gate to Armageddon (EL 9)
  Opposite the doors of this massive room stands a towering 
  archway made of shimmering black stone. The archway’s 
  
  32
  Second Darkness
  keystone seems strangely out of place—unlike the surrounding 
  black stone, the keystone is a pale gray and bears fragments of 
  a spiky set of Thassilonian runes. Inside the archway is a world 
  of shadows in which a strangely beautiful elven city can be seen. 
  Smears of blood along the floor seem to lead up to and through 
  the archway into the flickering world beyond.
  This chamber contains the gateway to the shadow 
  version of Celwynvian before Earthfall—a demiplane 
  called the Armageddon Echo. This is where Nolveniss 
  has been conducting research into that cataclysmic event 
  so as to learn how to refine the ancient aboleth glyphs his 
  mistress Allevrah hopes to use to destroy Kyonin. The 
  drow wizard and his most trusted lieutenants have fled 
  through the gate to avoid the fall of the academy and give 
  them time to plan on how best to retake the city from the 
  elves—or at the worst, await the elf gate’s recharge in area 
  D8 so they can flee back to Zirnakaynin.
  Anyone stepping through the archway is instantly 
  transported into the Armageddon Echo. The portal itself 
  is effectively a minor artifact, and as such its destruction 
  is impossible without potent magic like mage’s disjunction. 
  The keystone is in fact the fragment of the Cyphergate 
  Depora Azrinae sent to Allevrah several months ago—this 
  fragment was the final piece in the puzzle that allowed 
  Allevrah and Nolveniss to complete the creation of the 
  Armageddon Echo.
  Creature: Nolveniss left one of his most trusted servants 
  to cover his escape into the Armageddon Echo—a barbaric 
  drow pain taster named Kardrogas. The heavily scarred 
  drow stands at the base of the stairs that lead up to the 
  portal, and as he notices the PCs, a dark smile dances 
  across his lips. “Master Nolveniss bade me give you his 
  apologies,” he says in almost a whisper, “that he will not 
  be present to see you die.” Upon uttering this mocking 
  message, Kardrogas immediately attacks.
  Kardrogas 
  CR 9
  Male drow barbarian 8
  CE Medium humanoid (elf)
  init +3; senses darkvision 120 ft.; Listen +14, Spot +8
  DEFENsE
  aC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 14
  (+6 armor, +3 Dex, –2 rage)
  hp 89 (8d12+32)
  Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +7 (+9 versus spells and spell-like 
  abilities); +2 versus enchantment spells and effects
  Defensive abilities improved uncanny dodge, trap sense +2; 
  DR 1/—; immune sleep; sR 19
  Weakness light blindness
  OFFENsE
  spd 40 ft.
  Melee +1 shocking greatsword +14/+9 (2d6+6 plus 1d6 
  electricity/19–20)
  Ranged mwk hand crossbow +12 (1d4/19–20)
  special attacks rage 3/day
  spell-Like abilities (CL 8th)
  1/day—dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat Kardrogas rages in the first round of combat 
  and charges the nearest character, using Power Attack as 
  needed to increase his damage. He focuses solely on one 
  character, trying to knock him or her out of the fight before 
  moving on to another opponent.
  Morale While raging, Kardrogas fights to the death.
  Base statistics AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16; hp 73; Will 
  +5; Melee +1 shocking greatsword +12/+7 (2d6+3 plus 1d6 
  electricity/19–20); Str 14, Con 14; Grp +10; Climb +8, Jump +8
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 18, Dex 16, Con 18, int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12
  Base atk +8; Grp +12
  Feats Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greatsword)
  skills Climb +10, Intimidate +12, Jump +10, Listen +14, Spot +8
  Languages Common, Elven, Undercommon
  sQ fast movement, illiteracy
  Combat Gear drow poison bolt (2), potion of bear’s endurance; 
  Other Gear +1 shocking greatsword, +2 mithral shirt, mwk 
  hand crossbow with 10 bolts
  Developments: After the combat is over, the image of 
  the shadowy elven city in the portal begins flickering with 
  increasing intensity, even going so far as to vanish for a 
  few seconds at a time. A DC 15 Knowledge (arcana) check is 
  enough to confirm the fact that the portal is preparing to 
  close—its recent activation is apparently only a temporary 
  thing. The PCs have only a few minutes before it closes 
  entirely. If they hope to find the leader of the drow and 
  rescue the elves who were taken to the other side, they must 
  go through the portal immediately. Failure to do so allows 
  the drow to regroup and prepare for their return, leading 
  a host of new battles in the city streets, with Nolveniss 
  bringing his full power to bear against the elves.
  When the characters cross through to the shadow version 
  of Celwynvian, proceed with part seven of this adventure.
  PArt seven:  
  In ArmAgeddon’s shAdow
  When Allevrah Azrinae first came to Celwynvian, she made 
  great strides in her research in terms of how to manipulate 
  the stars in the sky. Yet for all of her progress, the methods 
  by which to actually aim a falling star to a specific point 
  eluded her. She arranged for one of her aboleth contacts, 
  the creature Ixilano, to relocate from the deep and hidden 
  Land of Black Blood (see Pathfinder #18) to aid them in 
  interpreting the ancient glyph magic. Yet their goal was 
  still out of their reach—what they needed was some way to 
  
  33
  The Armageddon Echo
  observe, first-hand, the actual event of Earthfall, in order 
  to study the interactions of magic upon the meteors and 
  falling stars that struck Golarion 10,000 years ago.
  Of course, traveling to the past to observe the events 
  first hand was not only impossible, but would have 
  been suicidal as well. It was Nolveniss who hit upon the 
  answer—a scholar of ancient Thassilon long before 
  Allevrah met him, for decades, Nolveniss had theorized 
  that Riddleport’s Cyphergate was an immense window 
  that allowed the runelords to look back or forward in 
  time. With a section of the Cyphergate to serve as a 
  primer, he theorized that he would be able to repurpose 
  one of Celwynvian’s non-functioning elf gates. Instead 
  of traveling to the past, Nolveniss believed that he could 
  recreate an “echo” of that era by drawing upon raw shadow 
  magic to create a demiplane. Impressed with the idea, 
  Allevrah stayed at his side long enough to aid in crafting 
  the potent portal before she returned to the Land of Black 
  Blood herself to prepare things there for the final stage 
  of her plan, leaving Nolveniss to utilize the Armageddon 
  Echo to observe the events of Earthfall with relative safety. 
  Even better, Nolveniss shortly discovered that after a brief 
  period of time, the echo would repeat itself again and 
  again, allowing him to view the events over and over and 
  thus perfect his knowledge. The gift of being able to watch 
  the ancient elves die as their city was ruined by a storm of 
  meteors was an unexpected but welcome bonus.
  When the elves attacked Celwynvian a few days ago, 
  Nolveniss was caught off guard. He had not expected such 
  a large force to move against him. His first inclination 
  was to retreat, since most of his research was completed, 
  but the portal to Zirnakaynin needed several more days to 
  recharge before it could be used again. He hoped to hold 
  off the invaders until the elf gate could be activated, but 
  unfortunately, this was not to be, and he was left with only 
  one option—to flee into the Armageddon Echo to wait for 
  the elf gate to recharge.
  When the PCs step through the gate into the shadow 
  version of Celwynvian, they find a city on the edge of 
  disaster. A large blot hangs in the sky, similar to the one 
  that floated above Riddleport but hundreds of times larger 
  and swirling like a vortex. The immense blot grows by the 
  hour, and the town is mostly deserted. Although a number 
  of drow are here, hiding among the ruins, Nolveniss’s magic 
  also created a number of shadowy “echoes” of elves and 
  other individuals who were present just before Earthfall. 
  Some of these stubborn few were convinced that the sages 
  and diviners were wrong and that the impending cataclysm 
  was nothing more than smoke and mirrors, while others 
  wanted to watch the world end and were confident that they 
  could use magic to escape to safety. These NPCs can be 
  interacted with on a limited basis, giving the PCs a chance 
  to explore the city and learn about its final days.
  Although they do not know it at first, the characters 
  have a limited amount of time to find Nolveniss and 
  flee the Armageddon Echo. When the PCs arrive, it is 3 
  days before Earthfall. Although the largest chunk of the 
  meteor impacts an area far to the south that will one day 
  be the Inner Sea, a sizable storm of devastating fragments 
  is due to strike much of Thassilon and the surrounding 
  regions, including Celwynvian. In his lair in an ancient 
  observatory, Nolveniss and his followers are protected 
  by the proximity of his portal key (the key simply shunts 
  them back to the Material Plane when the apocalypse 
  comes), but if the PCs can’t find the drow wizard soon, 
  they might become the latest victims of an apocalypse 
  that happened 10,000 years ago.
  Features of the Armageddon Echo
  Things function slightly differently in the shadow version 
  of Celwynvian’s past. While the PCs are exploring this 
  demiplane, keep the following points in mind.
  tRoublesHooting
  Although this adventure assumes the PCs leap bravely 
  through the portal into the Armageddon Echo before it 
  closes, there’s nothing forcing the PCs to do so. If they 
  hesitate too long, feel free to have the portal close. (What 
  you don’t want to do is have the portal close when some 
  PCs are in the Armageddon Echo and some are not.)
  But try your best to encourage the PCs to go through the 
  portal the first time, using the results of divination spells 
  if necessary to egg them on. You can even have them all 
  make Spot checks and then tell the character who rolls the 
  highest that he caught a glimpse of Shalelu and Kaerishiel 
  beyond the portal, chained prisoners of the drow.
  If the portal closes before the PCs enter, they’ll have a 
  tough time getting into the Armageddon Echo without 
  the portal key Nolveniss carries. You can allow a DC 25 
  Use Magic Device check to activate the portal blindly, re-
  opening it for a few more rounds. If none of the PCs can 
  make this check, you can certainly have one of the elves 
  step in to make the check for them—as long as they get 
  the portal open again before too many days pass, they’ll be 
  able to continue the adventure as scheduled.
  If the PCs decide to wait for Nolveniss to emerge, 
  they’ll have a wait of several weeks before the portal opens 
  again. And emerge Nolveniss does, with a new army of 
  drow, blast shadows, conjured demons, undead, the green 
  dragon Razorhorn, and undead vampiric versions of both 
  Shalelu and Kaerishiel. If Nolveniss encounters resistance, 
  there could be a terrific battle here against his army and 
  whatever forces the PCs have arranged to lie in wait for 
  him; if the PCs drive him back, they can pursue him into 
  the Armageddon Echo.
  
  Second Darkness
  34
  Nothing the PCs do in the Armageddon Echo has any affect 
  on Golarion’s history or the city of Celwynvian. This plane is 
  just a recreation of the past, not an actual portal to the past. 
  In addition, the demiplane is finite in size and doesn’t exist 
  beyond the boundaries of the city itself—any attempt to enter 
  the surrounding Mierani Forest simply results in the traveler 
  exiting the forest and entering Celwynvian from the precise 
  path by which he attempted to leave.
  Everything in the shadow plane is muted. Sounds 
  are dull, colors are drab, and tastes are bland. Although 
  everything is tangible, much of the substance is drained. 
  As a result, all Listen, Search, and Spot checks suffer a –4 
  penalty. Light sources remain dim at all times, as if in 
  deep twilight—shadowy illumination is the rule in the 
  Armageddon Echo, and as such the drow need not worry as 
  much about their light blindness.
  The primary inhabitants of the Armageddon Echo are 
  echo creatures—shades of real individuals who dwelt in 
  Celwynvian at the time of its fall, yet for all their apparent 
  physicality are in fact insubstantial and harmless. They 
  aren’t undead—they’re more like complex illusions that 
  react as if they were living creatures. In most cases, they 
  ignore the PCs entirely. Even if the PCs get into a fight 
  in the center of the street, nearby echo creatures pay no 
  heed to the events. If spoken to or attacked, they respond 
  normally, yet once physical contact is made between an 
  echo creature and anything real, the echo creature vanishes 
  immediately, only to reform with no memory of the event 
  2d6 minutes later. Since the drow have yet to be created 
  from their viewpoint, the echo creatures don’t know what 
  to think of the dark elves they’ve spotted moving through 
  their city—most think they’re ghosts or figments of the 
  imagination, while a few suspect that they are demons or 
  angels come to torment and tempt those who chose to stay 
  behind.
  Spells with the shadow descriptor (such as shades, shadow 
  conjuration, and shadow evocation) are 40% more real in the 
  shadow plane (to a maximum of 100%). In addition, the 
  save DCs of such spells increase by +2. Conversely, spells 
  with the light descriptor have their durations reduced by 
  half, and they cannot be used to dispel darkness spells.
  Most of the buildings in Celwynvian are shuttered, 
  their possessions taken by their owners during the flight 
  that happened just a few days prior to the PCs’ arrival. 
  
  The Armageddon Echo
  35
  The doors are not locked, allowing the characters to pick 
  one of countless homes in which to rest in relative peace.
  Treasure gathered from the demiplane is not real and 
  fades into nothingness once brought into the Material 
  Plane. Treasure and equipment garnered from the drow 
  and their servants is real and can be brought back to 
  the Material Plane normally—this includes all treasure 
  indicated in the text of the adventure.
  Exploring the Past
  When the PCs first arrive in Celwynvian, they do not 
  find it exactly as it appeared through the gateway in the 
  Academy of Arts. There is a slight time distortion, and the 
  events viewed through the gate occurred anywhere from 
  10 minutes to several hours ago. As such, Nolveniss and 
  the elven captives are nowhere to be found. When the PCs 
  arrive, read or paraphrase the following to them.
  Stepping through the portal is a dizzying experience, and it takes 
  a few moments for the world to right itself. After a time, the 
  surrounding elven city becomes clear, its tall, graceful spires rising 
  up among manicured boughs of a well tended forest. Some of these 
  buildings seem familiar, resembling those of ruined Celwynvian, but 
  strangely restored and made whole. Although this glimpse through 
  time is convincing, something is off. Colors seem dim, sounds are 
  muted, and the shadows appear strangely long and dark. Yet most 
  disconcerting of all is the sky above—for it is nothing more than a 
  vortex of gray clouds, spiraling around a dark blot in the sky.
  The first echo creature to encounter the PCs approaches 
  them as soon as they appear in the Armageddon Echo. 
  This imposing figure is an elf clad in resplendent robes 
  of muted green and silver. He does not appear to notice 
  the PCs as he is busy staring up into the sky at the vortex. 
  This elf is Ilamin Silverwind (CN male elf wizard 6), a 
  staunch traditionalist who refused to abandon the city 
  when the ruling caste decided to leave Golarion due to 
  the impending disaster. Ilamin is more than happy to 
  converse with the characters about the shadow in the sky, 
  something he believes to be nothing more than a strange 
  celestial event that will surely pass in a few days or years. 
  Ilamin informs the PCs that they should visit the library 
  if they wish to know more about the event, as Eloquan the 
  Librarian is an excellent source of information.
  Shadow Celwynvian
  There are a number of interesting places to explore in 
  the shadow Celwynvian, many of which still stand in the 
  Celwynvian of the present. These locations are described 
  briefly below.
  E. Gateway to Celwynvian: This is where the PCs arrive 
  when they step through the Echo Portal in area D9. The 
  portal deposits them atop a short stone stairway that may 
  have once led upward to a gate tower or other structure, but 
  now simply comes to an abrupt end at the city’s edge. The 
  stairs lead downward 10 feet to the east and into the city 
  itself. Depending on the PCs’ state of health and resources, 
  you may wish to greet them with a group of blast shadows 
  or other dangerous denizens as they emerge onto the stairs 
  here, postponing their meeting with Ilamin Silverwind 
  until after this fight.
  The air at the top of the stairs continues to whirl and 
  shimmer, but until the portal key that Nolveniss carries 
  is brought near, the portal does not reopen back to the 
  Material Plane (unless a character activates the portal 
  blindly with a DC 25 Use Magic Device check).
  F. The Library of Reenai: This building is similar to the 
  one in the Celwynvian of the present (area A), save that it is 
  well kept and orderly. All of the globes in the hall of memory 
  are functional, and master librarian Eloquan (CG male elf 
  expert 14), who refused to leave his precious library in the 
  face of the coming apocalypse, still tends to them. Eloquan 
  believes that the end is coming, but being extremely set in 
  his ways, he feels no need to abandon the library—if it is to be 
  destroyed, so must he. Eloquan knows that the elven seers have 
  predicted that Earthfall will occur soon. He also shares the 
  seers’ belief that Earthfall was brought down upon the world 
  as punishment for humanity’s (by which he means Azlant’s) 
  hubris before the gods. If the PCs want proof, he suggests that 
  they speak with Ekardani (see area H) or Talgoren (see area 
  O), the only two humans left in the city.
  The PCs might think to check some of the books in the 
  library to determine what the drow were researching. A DC 
  25 Search check takes 1 hour and uncovers the exact tomes, 
  restored to their original condition. While the tomes 
  discuss the mutability of the shadow realm in detail, the 
  books adjacent to them are of interest as well. They concern 
  the heavens and what is said to lie above, including stars, 
  planets, and meteors. One of these tomes even describes 
  powerful magic that might be used to manipulate these 
  objects. If the PCs find these books, Eloquan stops by to 
  mention that these books have been quite popular as of 
  late, but he does not remember who has been looking 
  through them.
  G. Verithes Park: This beautiful garden is carefully 
  nurtured and quite exotic, full of plants not seen in the 
  modern era. There are a few elves here all the time, either 
  tending to the garden or placing small floating candles 
  into the crystal clear pool, holding a silent vigil in hopes 
  of staving off the approaching doom.
  H. Ekardani’s Estate: This building is the home of 
  Ekardani (NE female human wizard 7/fighter 4/eldritch 
  knight 3), a representative of Alaznist, the Runelord of 
  Wrath. Although the runelord has gone into hiding, her 
  agents continue her work, confident that their mistress’s 
  magic is sure to protect them from the coming darkness. 
  
  36
  Second Darkness
  Ekardani is a brash woman, prone to anger and profanity. 
  She always carries her fiery ranseur and is quick to use it to 
  threaten those who cross her path.
  Ekardani is certainly an unusual guest of an elven city, 
  but like Talgoren (see area O), her presence is one the elves 
  tolerated in a diplomatic way to avoid overly troublesome 
  interactions with nearby human empires like Thassilon 
  and Azlant. If the PCs decide to pay her a visit, Ekardani 
  is suspicious at first, accusing the PCs of being envoys of 
  Karzoug sent to sow havoc before the coming apocalypse. 
  If it becomes clear that this is not the case (likely requiring 
  a DC 15 Diplomacy check), Ekardani agrees to speak with 
  the PCs, but only briefly. She knows that the elves believe 
  humanity is responsible for the darkness in the sky, a 
  claim she rejects as preposterous. She says that the elves 
  are fleeing in fear of a new age of humanity, and that an 
  Age of Runelords is prophesized by the coming darkness in 
  the sky—why else would the runelords have retreated from 
  their empires to seclusion, if not to work a great magic to 
  usher in such a new age? Although she believes she is safe, 
  one of the falling stars destined to strike Celwynvian is 
  fated to impact directly on her estate.
  I. The Pavilion of Reason: This open-air pavilion is one 
  of a few places used by a group of elves who call themselves 
  the Doomsayers, an morbid sect which embraces the coming 
  catastrophe with group chants and prayers for the coming 
  darkness. The somber, haunting sounds of their chanting 
  can be heard at times throughout the Armageddon Echo, 
  periodically filling the air with menace and melancholy.
  J. The Academy of the Arts: If the PCs come here on 
  their first day of exploring the city, they find this building 
  occupied by a number of elven wizards, the last of those 
  preparing to leave Celwynvian for Kyonin. They have waited 
  behind in the hope of convincing some of the remaining 
  elves to join them, but have had little success. The elves 
  here are uninterested in non-elven PCs, but if there are 
  any elf PCs, the wizards implore them to step through the 
  elf gate that has opened a portal to Kyonin’s capital city of 
  Iadara. Although the gate appears to function, it does not 
  for the PCs, and any that attempt to use it find it to be an 
  unyielding surface, much to the surprise of the remaining 
  elf wizards. 
  If the PCs speak with the wizards here for any real length 
  of time, they’ll eventually hear them mention the strange 
  “foreign” elves who have been visiting as of late, asking 
  all manner of questions about the coming danger. These 
  foreign cousins have dark skin and claim to be from a distant 
  land called Zirnakaynin. The wizards complain that these 
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  37
  The Armageddon Echo
  strange elves have terrible manners, and conspiratorially 
  whisper to elf PCs that the foreigners have not been invited 
  to use the elf gate to flee to Iadara. They do ask the PCs if 
  they have time to contact the foreign elves themselves—
  perhaps the PCs might have better luck convincing the elves 
  to escape Celwynvian? The wizards can tell the PCs that the 
  foreign elves seem to have set up a camp at the abandoned 
  observatory (area Q) if they seem curious about them.
  At the end of the second day, the remaining four 
  wizards in the Academy of the Arts depart through the elf 
  gate, leaving this building empty. An exploration of the 
  structure reveals it to be similar to the current building, 
  yet in much finer condition and completely empty 
  of inhabitants.
  K. Vista of Visions: The statues of elven 
  heroes along this long avenue are in perfect 
  condition, appearing as if carved only a few 
  years ago. This street is sometimes used by 
  the Doomsayers (see area I) to preach about the 
  coming end. 
  L. The Crystal Conservatory: This 
  building is a greenhouse, with dozens 
  of tropical plants growing on its 
  many-tiered interior. In the center 
  of the building is a very young 
  tree that appears to have been 
  planted only a few months ago. 
  Many of the plants here bear 
  a strong resemblance to those 
  found in the Crystal Conservatory 
  of the present.
  M. The Fluted Goblet: This inn is 
  completely abandoned, the entire staff 
  having fled to Kyonin some time ago. 
  If the PCs desire a place with beds to 
  rest, this inn is the only one in town, 
  since the elves of Celwynvian generally 
  meditated on reed mats or patches of 
  soft grass. A fully stocked wine cellar 
  lies below, and there is still some edible 
  food in the kitchen.
  N. Garden of Eternal Ease: This 
  graveyard appears just as it does in the 
  future, although here it is well tended 
  and maintained. The departing elves 
  laid a large number of floral wreaths 
  on many of the graves, knowing that 
  this might be the last time they visit 
  the departed here. Eloquan visits this 
  garden once per day to lay a flower 
  on his wife’s grave.
  O. Talgoren’s Residence: This 
  elegant building is the home 
  of Talgoren (LN male human sorcerer 7/aristocrat 5), one of 
  the legendary Azlanti. Although human, Talgoren is one 
  of the “first humans” and has the high brow-line, piercing 
  eyes, and regal features typical of his kin. If the characters 
  pay a visit here, they find the front doors to his estate open 
  and inviting. Talgoren is inside, reclining on a velvet divan 
  and reading a book of elven poetry. He invites the PCs to 
  be seated and offers them refreshments, pleased to have 
  visitors in these dark times. Talgoren knows little about 
  the impending doom, but he is sure it has something to 
  do with his people’s conflict with the aboleths. He feels 
  confident that his people will repel the attack and that the 
  elves are simply overreacting, hence his rather nonchalant 
  attitude. If asked about dark-skinned elves, he admits that 
  he’s seen them but paid them little heed. He is, however, 
  concerned that the strange elves seem to be trafficking 
  with demons, troglodytes, and other sinister 
  creatures, although not so concerned that he’s 
  bothered to look into the situation in more depth. 
  He does know that the newcomer elves seem 
  to be congregated around the abandoned 
  observatory, and suggests that if the PCs 
  wish to know more, they should seek that 
  location out.
  P. Markets: These open-air markets 
  were once the working-place of vendors 
  and craftsmen from around the Mierani 
  and the occasional merchant from 
  beyond the boundaries of the forest. 
  Now they stand empty, with most of 
  the stalls packed up and deserted. The 
  Doomsayers now use these markets as 
  a place to preach their apocalyptic 
  vision of the future. If the group 
  of PCs includes any humans, these 
  Doomsayers verbally attack them, 
  blaming them for the disaster.
  Q. Observatory: This building houses 
  all of the elven astrologers in the city and is  
  the base of operations for Nolveniss and  
  his allies. The building itself is an impos-
  ing structure of black and white marble 
  with a tall tower rising from the center. 
  The doors to this building are locked at 
  all times, and a pair of astronomers stand 
  outside, telling all comers that their 
  masters are busy studying “the event” 
  and cannot be disturbed. The drow are 
  posing as astronomers using the disguise 
  self spell so as to better observe Earth-
  fall. For more information on this 
  building, see The Observatory 
  (page 40).
  
  38
  Second Darkness
  Dangerous Denizens (EL 8)
  Although the echo creatures that populate this shadowy 
  Celwynvian are harmless and can’t interact with the PCs in 
  any real physical way, that doesn’t mean that all the denizens 
  of the Armageddon Echo are similarly innocuous. 
  Babau Demons: While Nolveniss’s forces utilize a fair 
  amount of dretches, they aren’t the only demons the drow 
  of Celwynvian command. Babau demons are also favored 
  minions, and several of these have recently accompanied 
  the drow into the Armageddon Echo. Nolveniss keeps a 
  few of them nearby as guards in the Observatory (area Q), 
  but many more are simply allowed to wander the gloomy 
  streets of the shadowy city, patrolling for anyone foolish 
  enough to follow Nolveniss into the Echo. The demons 
  travel in bickering pairs, but if they encounter the PCs, 
  they fight in a coordinated manner to maximize each 
  other’s sneak attacks by flanking foes.
  Babaus (2) 
  CR 6
  hp 66 each (MM 40)
  Blast Shadows: One more type of creature dwells in the 
  shadows of this realm, and unlike the drow or the displaced 
  Shadow Plane natives, this final category of creature seems 
  to be growing. As the drow explored the Armageddon Echo, 
  they learned a terrible truth. Those who remain behind 
  during the recreation of Earthfall and are not within the 
  relatively small zone of protection afforded by Nolveniss’s 
  portal key are horribly slain by the disaster, despite its 
  only semi-real nature—so destructive and powerful was 
  Earthfall that even its echo can kill. Those slain in this 
  manner rise as monstrous undead creatures the next time 
  the Armageddon Echo “resets”—the drow have come to 
  call these creatures blast shadows. These wretched undead 
  prowl the streets of Celwynvian at night, completely 
  ignored by the other inhabitants and avoided by the 
  drow. If the PCs wander the streets after dark, 
  it won’t be long before a group of three 
  blast shadows confronts them.
  Blast  
  CR 5 
  shadows (3) 
  hp 68 (see page 82)
  Drow Patrol: Nolveniss stranded many 
  of his drow soldiers and followers in the 
  Material Plane when he retreated into the Armageddon 
  Echo, but not all of them. Several dozen of his drow 
  subordinates were able to escape with him into the 
  demiplane before the PCs’ arrival on the scene and 
  the portal’s closing shortly thereafter. While all of the 
  drow are stationed at the observatory or in nearby ruins, 
  most of them spend their time patrolling the 
  Armageddon Echo in groups of four (two skirmishers 
  and two soldiers). If the drow flee from battle, the PCs can 
  follow them directly to the observatory—alternatively, a 
  defeated drow can be carrying a quickly drawn map that 
  indicates the quickest route between the portal back to 
  the Material Plane (area E) and the observatory (area Q).
  Drow skirmishers (2) 
  CR 3
  hp 11 each (see page 16)
  Drow soldiers (2) 
  CR 5
  hp 34 (see page 16)
  Shadow Creatures: The drow and their minions are 
  certainly capable of causing problems for to the PCs, but 
  when the drow created this demiplane, they drew more 
  than shadowstuff from the Shadow Plane. Several ghoulish 
  natives of the Shadow Plane were pulled in as well, and 
  while small in number, these creatures prowl the darker 
  corners of the region and menace PC and drow alike 
  when they encounter them. Many of these creatures look 
  humanoid, but they have twisted deformities, demonic 
  features, vestigial wings, horns, or other vile mutations 
  that mark their sinister sources. Despite their varied 
  appearance, all of these creatures have the same 
  statistics as typical ghouls (excep that their bite 
  does not spread ghoul fever). In addition 
  to these shadowy creatures, actual 
  
  39
  The Armageddon Echo
  shadows and shadow mastiffs lurk in the Armageddon 
  Echo. Typically, all three types of creatures band together 
  in packs consisting of four shadow creatures, two shadows, 
  and a single shadow mastiff.
  shadow Ghouls (4) 
  CR 1
  hp 13 each (MM 118)
  shadows (2) 
  CR 5
  hp 19 each (MM 221)
  shadow Mastiff 
  CR 5
  hp 30 (MM 222)
  The Assassin (EL 9)
  As soon as any drow escape from a confrontation with 
  the PCs, the PCs make a big scene in the city, or they 
  assault the observatory but retreat before finishing the 
  job, Nolveniss knows they’re after him and charges the 
  drow assassin Arkaxis, one of his more trusted servants, 
  to eradicate the threat. Arkaxis sets out on the trail of the 
  characters immediately, and unless they take particular 
  pains to hide, he’ll locate them within a few hours of their 
  cover being blown.
  Creature: Arkaxis is a skilled assassin and well suited to 
  tracking down the PCs and eliminating them one at a time, 
  though at the same time he is trying to keep their attentions 
  away from the observatory. He first uses disguise self to make 
  himself appear as an echo elf, making sure that his colors 
  are muted and he speaks in a dull tone. He then searches 
  throughout the city for clues to the PCs’ location—one of 
  his greatest tools here is simply making Gather Information 
  checks among the echo elves, asking them if they’ve seen the 
  PCs. Due to the echo creatures’ inattentiveness, Arkaxis must 
  make a DC 25 Gather Information check to locate the PCs, 
  with each check taking 1d4+1 hours. Once he picks up their 
  trail, it’s another 1d3 hours before he locates them, at which 
  point he follows them about discretely, biding his time. He 
  is most likely to strike at the PCs while they’re engaged in 
  another fight, when they are sleeping, or whenever one of 
  them becomes separated from the others. Arkaxis also goes 
  out of his way to mislead and confuse the PCs. He leaves 
  them notes saying that the “dark-skinned elves” are hiding 
  in the old alchemist shop and other such false rumors. If 
  possible, he puts poison in their food or water. 
  arkaxis 
  CR 9
  Male drow rogue 5/assassin 3
  CE Medium humanoid (elf)
  init +4; senses darkvision 120 ft.; Listen +13, Spot +13
  DEFENsE
  aC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 16
  (+5 armor, +1 Deflection, +4 Dex)
  hp 38 (8d6+8)
  Fort +4, Ref +12, Will +3 (+5 against spells and spell-like 
  abilities); +2 against enchantment, +1 against poison
  Defensive abilities evasion, improved uncanny dodge, trap 
  sense +1; immune sleep; sR 19
  Weakness light blindness
  OFFENsE
  spd 30 ft.
  Melee +1 rapier +10 (1d6+2/18–20)
  Ranged hand crossbow +9 (1d4/19–20)
  special attacks death attack (DC 16), sneak attack +5d6
  spell-Like abilities (CL 8th)
  1/day—dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire
  spells Known (CL 3rd)
  2nd (1/day)—invisibility, spider climb
  1st (3/day)—disguise self, obscuring mist, true strike
  TaCTiCs
  Before Combat Arkaxis prepares for combat by studying his 
  chosen foe for 3 rounds so that he can use his death attack. He 
  often uses invisibility to garner the time he needs to do so.
  During Combat Arkaxis prefers to keep combats as short as 
  possible, striking quickly with killing blows and avoiding 
  prolonged melees.
  Morale Arkaxis flees if reduced to less than 20 hit points so 
  that he can rest before striking again.
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 12, Dex 18, Con 12, int 16, Wis 10, Cha 10
  Base atk +5; Grp +6
  Feats Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse
  skills Bluff +11, Disable Device +11, Disguise +11 (+13 acting 
  in character), Gather Information +8, Hide +15, Listen +13, 
  Move Silently +15, Open Lock +8, Search +13, Sleight of 
  Hand +10, Spot +13, Tumble +15
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Elven, 
  Undercommon
  sQ poison use, trapfinding
  Combat Gear drow poison (4), drow poison bolts (4), potion of 
  cure moderate wounds (2); Other Gear +2 glamered studded 
  leather, +1 rapier, hand crossbow with 20 bolts, cloak of 
  resistance +1, ring of protection +1, disguise kit
  Riding the Apocalypse
  Unless the PCs make a terrible mistake, they should be 
  long gone by the time Earthfall strikes the Armageddon 
  Echo. Yet that doesn’t mean you can’t play up the tension 
  as the final battle with Nolveniss draws near. As the end 
  approaches, precursor meteors begin to scythe down from 
  the vortex above, periodically smashing into buildings 
  and causing increasing amounts of panic. As the PCs 
  near the climax of this adventure, feel free to add more 
  falling stars to keep them moving and instill a sense of 
  urgency. A few well-placed meteor impacts should do 
  plenty to keep them hurrying along.
  
  40
  Second Darkness
  If the PCs are still in the Armageddon Echo when 
  Earthfall strikes and they’re within 300 feet of the shadow 
  key (even if they aren’t in control of the key), things rapidly 
  grow disastrous as a falling star emerges from the eye 
  of the vortex above. Only a tiny fragment of the size of 
  the Starstone itself, the burning meteorite is nonetheless 
  enough to finish off Celwynvian. The meteor strikes in the 
  southwestern corner of the city, filling the Armageddon 
  Echo with thunder and fire. Anyone in range of the 
  shadow key at this time is transported instantly back 
  to the Material Plane—all those beyond that range are 
  destroyed by the blast. The next time the Armageddon 
  Echo is entered, the spirits of those killed live on as the 
  newest blast shadows to join the cursed ranks of the city’s 
  host, doomed to repeat their deaths forever.
  The Observatory
  Eventually, various clues should lead the PCs to the 
  observatory, where Nolveniss, the dragon Razorhorn, and 
  the remainder of the drow are hiding. Nolveniss has used 
  this building for every iteration of the Armageddon Echo 
  to study the heavens and learn more about Earthfall. When 
  the elves sacked Celwynvian, he fled here to wait for the 
  corrupted elf gate to begin functioning again to allow 
  him to return home. Unfortunately, the PCs followed him 
  through, and by the time they arrive here, he undoubtedly 
  knows it. Although the drow wizard is supremely confident, 
  he does not like to take risks unless pressed. He is more 
  than happy to remain hidden in the observatory and allow 
  the recurring Earthfall to take care of the PCs for him.
  Although the number of drow in the observatory is 
  limited, the number of drow in the Armageddon Echo is 
  not. If the PCs assault the observatory and retreat before 
  they defeat Nolveniss, they find additional drow have 
  been recalled from patrols to repopulate areas that were 
  cleaned out during previous attacks. If the PCs defeat 
  key individuals such as Razorhorn or the babaus, they 
  are replaced by enough drow skirmishers to create an EL 
  equal to that of the previous encounter.
  Q1. Outside the Observatory
  Standing in the center of a small, well-kept park is a tall and 
  imposing building made of black and white marble and decorated 
  with beautiful celestial patterns. Four low domes adorn the 
  building’s corners. A tower rises from its central portion to form 
  a large domed structure from which three ornate telescopes 
  protrude from balconies.
  This observatory, once a popular destination in 
  Celwynvian, was one of the first structures to be deserted, 
  since the elves who dwelt here knew beyond a shadow of a 
  doubt what was coming.
  Two shadowy elven echoes stand to each side of the door, 
  all that remains of the observatory’s staff. When the PCs 
  approach, the guards attempt to turn them away, stepping in 
  front of the doors and barring access. Of course, being echo 
  creatures, the guards have no real ability to stop the PCs (or the 
  drow) from entering, and if they try, they vanish and reform 
  a few minutes later without memory of their observatory 
  being invaded. However, the echo elves are perfectly capable 
  of raising a din as they attempt to block entry into the 
  observatory; if they do, the building’s occupants know that 
  someone’s here and prepare for a fight accordingly.
  Q2. Entry Hall (EL 10)
  Inside the gilded doors sprawls a grand entry hall with a richly 
  woven carpet running from the doors to a large silver orrery—a 
  model of the sun and the planets—quietly spinning in time. 
  The orrery in this room is a complex illusion of the 
  11 planets (see Pathfinder #14 for more information on 
  Golarion’s solar system) slowly rotating around the sun. 
  This model is for show only, and it does not accurately 
  predict planetary movement.
  Creatures: As this is the only easy way into the building, 
  Nolveniss stationed a sizable number of drow here to 
  prevent intruders from gaining access. The drow have 
  been sitting bored in this chamber for some time, and they 
  are as impatient for a fight as they are to return home.
  Drow Captain 
  CR 7
  hp 38 (see page 18)
  Drow soldiers (4) 
  CR 5
  hp 34 each (see page 16)
  Q3. Seasonal Constellations (EL 8)
  A circular bench sits at the center of this dark, domed chamber. The 
  walls are a painted pastoral mural of forest beauty. Above, the dark 
  dome flickers with glowing points of light that faithfully recreate the 
  panorama of the night sky on a cloudless, moonless night.
  These four chambers were used to study the heavens. 
  The starfields on the domes are actually programmed 
  illusions that gradually shift over time to reflect the sky. 
  Each of these chambers is tuned to show the sky at a 
  different time of the year so that researchers might better 
  understand how the stars move and shift. Chamber Q3a 
  shows the stars in spring, and its mural depicts a forest 
  blooming with flowers. Chamber Q3b shows the stars in 
  summer, and its mural is a forest filled with nocturnal 
  life. Chamber Q3c shows the stars in fall, and the mural 
  
  The Armageddon Echo
  41
  depicts a wood of autumnal leaves. Lastly, chamber Q3d 
  depicts the stars in winter, its walls showing the forest 
  under a blanket of glittering snow.
  Creatures: Areas Q3a and Q3b have been converted into 
  barracks; numerous bedrolls and foodstuffs stored in sacks 
  decorate both chambers. Areas Q3c and Q3d have been 
  converted into prisons, although only Q3c currently contains 
  any living creatures; this chamber is where both Shalelu 
  and Kaerishiel are being held prisoner, guarded over by one 
  of Nolveniss’s favorite slaves, a troglodyte warrior named 
  Lagrozan. The troglodyte remains in this area to watch 
  over the prisoners and is more than a little frightened of 
  the dragon Razorhorn—he won’t exit this chamber without 
  Nolveniss for fear that the dragon might try to eat him. He 
  attacks any non-drow who enter the room.
  Both elven prisoners are conscious when the PCs 
  arrive, but only just. The poisons and abuse the drow 
  have inflicted upon them have left them weak, injured, 
  and unable to walk (Strength and Constitution both 
  reduced to 3). At first, neither believes that the PCs are 
  real, since Nolveniss is fond of using illusions to torture 
  his captives. Once convinced, the captives speak of the 
  cruelty of Nolveniss, who has tortured both of them 
  a number of times since their arrival in the hopes of 
  learning about the elven forces in Celwynvian. The 
  drow wizard has made clear his intent to keep both of 
  these prisoners alive as hostages, should his route to the 
  Darklands via the corrupted elf gate be guarded when he 
  emerges from this realm. Both elves suspect Nolveniss 
  dwells in the upper portions of the tower and know he 
  owns a portal key that allows both portals in area D9 to 
  function—if the PCs wish to escape from this demiplane, 
  the drow wizard holds the means for their freedom.
  If healed and patched up, both Shalelu and Kaerishiel 
  are eager to aid the PCs in finishing off their mission. 
  Their gear has been incorporated into Razorhorn’s hoard 
  in area Q7—if they recognize any of their possessions 
  among the treasure carried by the PCs, they’ll be sure to 
  ask for those items back.
  Lagrozan, slave Master 
  CR 8
  Male troglodyte warrior 8
  CE Medium humanoid (reptilian)
  init +0; senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +2, Spot –1
  aura stench (DC 18)
  DEFENsE
  aC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 20
  (+3 armor, +1 haste, +6 natural)
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  Second Darkness
  42
  hp 78 (10d8+30)
  Fort +12, Ref +3, Will +1
  OFFENsE
  spd 60 ft.
  Melee +1 heavy mace +14/+14/+9 (1d8+4) and
  claw +10 (1d4+1) and
  bite +10 (1d4+1)
  TaCTiCs
  Before Combat If alerted to the presence of someone trying 
  to break into the room, Lagrozan readies his potion of haste 
  and drinks it at the first sign of intruders.
  During Combat Lagrozan is overconfident in his abilities and 
  charges the largest character in the party. He fights using 
  his club and bite, using Power Attack for as much as 5 if he 
  is hitting easily.
  Morale Lagrozan fights to the death.
  Base stats AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 19; Ref +2, Spd 30 ft.; 
  Melee +1 heavy mace +13/+8 (1d8+4) and claw +9 (1d4+1) and 
  bite +9 (1d4+1)
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 14, Dex 10, Con 16, int 8, Wis 9, Cha 8
  Base atk +9; Grp +11
  Feats Cleave, Improved Sunder, Multiattack, Power Attack, 
  Weapon Focus (mace)
  skills Hide +6 (+10 in rocky or underground settings), 
  Intimidate +5, Listen +2
  Languages Draconic, Undercommon
  Combat Gear potion of haste; Other Gear patchwork armor 
  (counts as studded leather), +1 heavy mace
  Ad Hoc Experience Award: If the two elven prisoners 
  survive, award the PCs experience points as if they had 
  defeated them. 
  Battle Points: For each elven commander the PCs escort 
  back to the Material Plane, award them 1 BP.
  Q4. Star Maps
  The far wall of this small chamber is covered by a massive chart 
  showing thousands of stars. Over two dozen small pins have 
  been driven into the map, plotting a course through the heavens. 
  On the floor in front of the chart is a pile of discarded papers.
  The papers are written in Elven and discuss the 
  findings of astrological surveys the ancient elves made 
  over the course of 6 months prior to Earthfall. The papers 
  discuss an unexpected object that appeared in the heavens 
  and has been growing closer and closer. The papers 
  also describe strange magic emanations that have been 
  detected all across the globe, reported by elves through 
  the system of elf gates. These strange emanations should 
  seem familiar to the PCs: hails of black rain, strange 
  tides, earth tremors, and black shadows in the sky. They 
  are the same signs the citizens of Riddleport experienced 
  before the falling star struck Devil’s Elbow, but on what 
  appears to be a global scale.
  Q5. Hidden Repository
  The door leading into this 
  chamber is hidden and requires 
  a DC 25 Search check to locate. 
  Once found, the door slides 
  aside on silent hinges.
  A large table sits in the center of this cramped chamber. 
  Atop the table is a large, illuminated book, written in the 
  script of the elves.
  The book sitting on the table contains many of the 
  secret astronomical discoveries made by the elves 
  over the years. Of particular note are the several 
  recent entries that speak to the impending disaster. 
  They spell out in great detail the devastation that is to 
  come, predicting the fall of Thassilon and Azlant, the 
  forming of the Inner Sea, and the Age of Darkness that 
  will follow. The book goes on to discuss, in no uncertain 
  terms, that this apocalypse has been brought down upon 
  the world by very powerful magic. The last note included 
  in the book mentions that if more time were available, it 
  
  43
  The Armageddon Echo
  might even be possible to stop the apocalypse, but only if 
  the site of the original weaving of the magic were known. 
  A footnote concludes the book: “Even if there were time 
  to save this world, I doubt Azlant deserves such a mercy—
  they bring this doom upon themselves.”
  This tome is made of shadowstuff, and as such it cannot 
  exist outside of the Armageddon Echo. Nevertheless, the 
  complex notes within may become quite useful to the PCs 
  near the end of this Adventure Path—fortunately for them, 
  the Armageddon Echo isn’t going anywhere.
  Q6. Study (EL 8)
  This long chamber contains two tables, where a group of 
  scholars are hard at work, studying a host of charts and making 
  complex calculations. Watching over them is a pair of drow, who 
  immediately draw swords when you open the door.
  Creatures: A pair of babau demons mostly loyal to 
  Nolveniss stand guard in this chamber. They have a 
  grudging respect for the wizard, but not for the other drow; 
  if they hear the sound of battle in area Q2, they open the 
  door to watch and mock the drow as the PCs fight them. 
  They don’t attack the PCs unless they are attacked first or 
  the PCs attempt to enter this room.
  Babaus (2) 
  CR 6
  hp 66 each (MM 40)
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat The babaus attempt to summon additional 
  babaus on the first round of combat, then focus melee 
  attacks on the same target (preferably a religious-looking 
  target). They pursue foes tenaciously, even out of the 
  building if necessary.
  Morale The babaus, bound here by magic, fight intruders to 
  the death.
  Q7. Razorhorn’s Lair (EL 8)
  This vast chamber has forty-foot-high ceilings. The far side of the 
  room contains a ten-foot-high balcony before a set of immense 
  glass windows that look out upon a gloomy dark forest. Opposite 
  this, three one-foot-tall risers ascend to a pair of dull silvery doors 
  on which images of planets and stars are carved.
  Roosting up on top of the balcony is a terrible beast. Green 
  scales cover its powerful limbs and wings, and an oversized 
  horn sits at the end of its snout. The dragon looks down at 
  you, a vapor of sickly green wafting from its flaring nostrils.
  Creature: The dragon Razorhorn has lived in the Mierani 
  Forest for many years, and although he’s barely 48 years 
  old, he’s already well on his way toward building a name 
  for himself. Much of Razorhorn’s desire to make a name 
  for himself stems from the shadow of his more infamous 
  mother, a brutish dragon named Verchazmia. His mother 
  was recently slain for a second (and so far final) time after a 
  campaign of violence against the elves of Crying Leaf, and 
  Razorhorn is eager to carry on and exceed that tradition. 
  The dragon is no fool, and knows that the elves united are 
  a powerful force, and by seeking his own alliance with 
  the increasing number of drow that began to emerge into 
  Celwynvian over the past several years, he hopes to secure 
  a place in their history as a creature to be feared.
  Yet the recent assault on Celwynvian has put Razorhorn 
  at something of a disadvantage—he was hoping for at 
  least a few more decades of menace-building before being 
  forced to face the entire town of Crying Leaf at once. He 
  blames the sudden attack on his drow allies, believing that 
  their increase in activity inspired retaliation too soon, and 
  now, against his better judgment, he has sought out a place 
  of hiding in this eerie realm.
  Since arriving, the dragon has been waiting in this 
  room for a chance to return to what he considers to be 
  his city. He’s worried that his lair (a short flight south of 
  Celwynvian in the Calphiak foothills), and by extension, 
  his treasure, is unguarded, and wants nothing more than to 
  escape the Armageddon Echo and make his way back there 
  to recover and rethink his allegiance with the treacherous 
  dark elves. The sight of the PCs is enough to drive him into 
  a frenzy, even if they haven’t already encountered him in 
  Celwynvian, and he attacks them on sight.
  Razorhorn 
  CR 8
  Male juvenile green dragon
  LE Large dragon (air)
  init +0; senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., keen 
  senses; Listen +19, Spot +19
  DEFENsE
  aC 26, touch 9, flat-footed 26
  (+13 natural, –1 size, +4 shield)
  hp 133 (14d12+42)
  Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +11
  immune acid, paralysis, sleep
  OFFENsE
  spd 40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor), swim 40 ft.
  Melee horn +17 (3d6+4/19–20) and
  2 claws +15 (1d8+2) and
  2 wings +15 (1d6+2) and
  tail slap +15 (1d8+6/19–20)
  space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with horn)
  special attacks breath weapon (40 ft. cone; 8d6 acid damage; 
  Reflex DC 20 half)
  spells Known (CL 1st)
  1st (4/day)—shield, true strike
  0 (5/day)—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 12), mage hand, 
  prestidigitation
  
  44
  Second Darkness
  TaCTiCs
  Before Combat Assuming he is warned by a fight against the 
  babaus in area Q6, Razorhorn casts shield on himself in 
  preparation for combat.
  During Combat Razorhorn uses his breath weapon as often 
  as possible, starting in the first round. After that, he 
  makes any PCs that attempt to climb up to the balcony 
  pay with his melee attacks. Razorhorn has a somewhat 
  unusual fighting style for a dragon—rather than biting 
  as his primary attack, he gores and slashes with his 
  namesake, his immense nasal horn. Once he is engaged 
  in melee up above, he flies down below to attack softer 
  targets, hovering in the air if necessary, allowing him to 
  take advantage of his reach. If truly pressed, he takes a 
  round to cast true strike before using full Power Attack 
  on the next round to utterly maul one character with his 
  horn.
  Morale Razorhorn fights this battle to the death.
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 19, Dex 10, Con 17, int 14, Wis 15, Cha 14
  Base atk +14; Grp +22
  Feats Hover, Improved Critical (horn), Improved Natural 
  Attack (horn), Multiattack, Power Attack
  skills Concentration +20, Hide +16, Knowledge (arcana) +19, 
  Knowledge (nature) +19, Listen +19, Move Silently +20, 
  Sense Motive +19, Spot +19, 
  Languages Common, Draconic, Undercommon 
  sQ water breathing
  Treasure: In an attempt to soothe the dragon’s spirits, 
  Nolveniss has allowed the dragon to keep a few bits of 
  treasure here as extra payment until the drow are finally 
  able to retreat into the Darklands. This treasure consists 
  of loot stolen from elven victims, and includes a +1 mithral 
  shirt, a +1 keen composite longbow (+2 Str), and a pair of gloves 
  of Dexterity +2. In addition, all of Shalelu’s and Kaerishiel’s 
  gear is here as well.
  Battle Points: Defeating Razorhorn awards the PCs 2 BP.
  Q8. Star Map Staircase
  Two staircases wind up the interior walls of this tower. Between 
  them is an immense black field, suspended in the air, containing 
  hundreds of glowing stars.
  The stairs in the room are quite steep and count as 
  difficult terrain for those ascending them. The stairs rise 
  up to a second floor, 20 feet above.
  The star field between the stairs can be entered, 
  allowing characters to literally walk among the 
  stars. In the center of this mass is a brightly 
  glowing rock, slowly moving toward a blue 
  sphere down at the map’s base. A DC 20 
  Knowledge (geography) check reveals 
  this to be Golarion, with the Starstone 
  rapidly making its way toward history.
  Q9. Second Floor (EL 9)
  The stairs from the first floor wind up to 
  a balcony that crosses through the center 
  of the tower to another set of stairs 
  continuing up to the third floor. These 
  stairs are just as steep as those below 
  and count as difficult terrain for those 
  who climb them.
  Creatures: Nolveniss has stationed 
  a final pair of minions here to prevent 
  intruders from disturbing his work up 
  above. A pair of drow arcanists wait 
  here for intruders and use their spells 
  to harm anyone attempting to climb up 
  to their level.
  Drow arcanists (2) 
  CR 7
  hp 27 each (see page 17)
  
  45
  The Armageddon Echo
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat These drow alternate between casting 
  fireballs down below and selectively targeting anyone that 
  can fire up at them with acid arrows and magic missiles.
  Morale These drow fight to the death.
  Q10. Third Floor
  The stairs pause for a short run at a small balcony overlooking 
  the haunted city of Celwynvian and the vaguely shadowy expanse 
  of the eerily colorless Mierani Forest beyond. 
  Flying characters can use this landing to enter the 
  observatory, but any attempt to climb the smooth outer 
  walls of the tower requires a DC 25 Climb check. A fall 
  from this balcony onto the roof 50 feet below deals 5d6 
  points of damage.
  Q11. The Grand Observatory (EL 10)
  Looming at the center of this large, open-air rooftop is a gigantic 
  golden orrery, with each planet rotating on delicate golden arms 
  around a bright, polished sun. Three balconies overlook the 
  edge of the tower, each one outfitted with a massive telescope. 
  Above, almost as if the tower were aimed at its churning core, 
  the spiraling vortex of the sky looms.
  The golden orrery is a delicate device with gigantic, 
  carefully balanced gold spheres. If the device takes more 
  than 10 points of fire or sonic damage, the entire thing 
  begins to break apart as planets roll in every direction. 
  All characters on this floor are subjected to a bull rush 
  attempt, with a +10 bonus on the opposed Strength check. 
  Anyone pushed off the tower’s edge through one of the 
  balconies falls 80 feet to the roof below and takes 8d6 
  points of falling damage. Those who are pressed against 
  one of the half-height walls that make up the rest of the 
  walls take 3d6 points of damage from the sphere (Fortitude 
  half DC 15) and are grappled. The spheres have a +5 bonus 
  on grapple checks, but do not pin those they strike.
  Creature: Nolveniss Azrinae spends the majority of his 
  time here, meditating in the shadow of the immense orrery 
  and waiting patiently for Earthfall to arrive. He wishes 
  to watch the event one last time, then allow the portal 
  gem he carries to whisk him and those followers who are 
  fortunate enough to be within a few hundred feet back into 
  the Material Plane for one last dash toward freedom via 
  the corrupted elf gate. If the PCs reach here without the 
  noise from earlier battles alerting him, they find the drow 
  wizard studying the orrery and gazing thoughtfully into 
  the vortex above. Otherwise, he has cast several spells in 
  anticipation of battle. In this case, he hovers in the air as he 
  greets the PCs, his voice booming through the gloom.
  “So, you are the ones who led those fragile, delicate elves to my 
  city, who forced me to hide in my own creation. You think that 
  by this you have won? How foolish the sun has made you! My 
  mistress already has all that she needs. You will die here, by my 
  hand, and all you hold dear shall follow soon enough!
  Nolveniss is a high-ranking member of House Azrinae, 
  and one of Matron Allevrah’s most trusted arcanists. He led 
  the research team in Celwynvian for a number of years, and 
  now, just as his research was reaching completion, the elves 
  came to ruin everything. As a result, he is in a particularly 
  foul mood. 
  Nolveniss azrinae 
  CR 10
  Male drow illusionist 9
  CE Medium humanoid (elf)
  init +7; senses darkvision 120 ft.; Listen +3, Spot +3
  DEFENsE
  aC 22, touch 14, flat-footed 19
  (+4 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dex, +4 shield)
  hp 47 (9d4+23) 
  sHaDow Key
  This deep purple gemstone seems to be inscribed from 
  inside with the drow rune for “portal.” The gemstone is an 
  unusual variant of garnet harvested from the Shadow Plane, 
  and feels strangely cool to the touch. The shadow key radiates 
  faint conjuration magic, and serves as a key for the opening 
  of various portals. Originally intended as a key for the 
  corrupted elf gate that connects Celwynvian with the drow 
  city of Zirnakaynin, Nolveniss used it in the construction of 
  the portal into the Armageddon Echo as well.
  A person carrying the shadow key can activate the portal 
  between the Armageddon Echo and the Material Plane 
  at will. When he activates it on the Material Plane side, the 
  Armageddon Echo resets itself to a date 1d8 days before 
  Earthfall. While in the Armageddon Echo, the shadow key 
  creates a zone of safety that automatically transports the 
  carrier and all other creatures within 300 feet who are not 
  native to the Armageddon Echo back to the Material Plane 
  when Earthfall strikes the demiplane. The carrier of the stone 
  appears in area D9 of the Academy of Arts, while all other 
  creatures appear within a 300-foot radius of that location in 
  roughly the same relation to the carrier of the shadow key.
  The shadow key can also be used to activate the 
  corrupted elf gate between Zirnakaynin and Celwynvian, 
  although that gate’s erratic recharge rate (sometimes 
  requiring weeks to build up enough energy to function) 
  make it an unreliable method of travel.
  As a strange and unusual garnet, the shadow key is 
  worth 2,500 gp. To someone who wishes control over the 
  Armageddon Echo, it is priceless.
  
  46
  Second Darkness
  Nolveniss
  Azrinae
  Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +9
  immune sleep; sR 20
  Weakness light blindness
  OFFENsE
  spd 30 ft.
  Melee staff of dark flames +5 (1d6+1 plus 1d6 fire)
  spell-Like abilities (CL 9th)
  1/day—dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire
  spells Prepared (CL 9th; ranged touch +7)
  5th—empowered fireball (DC 18), 
  extended shadow conjuration (DC 
  21), shadow evocation (DC 21)
  4th—enervation, greater invisibility, 
  phantasmal killer (DC 20), 
  stoneskin
  3rd—dispel magic, 
  displacement, empowered 
  magic missile, fly, lightning 
  bolt (DC 18)
  2nd—false life, minor image (DC 
  18), mirror image, scorching ray 
  (2), see invisibility
  1st—disguise self, magic missile (3), 
  ray of enfeeblement, shield (2)
  0—detect magic (2), ghost sound (DC 
  16), mage hand, prestidigitation
  Prohibited schools Conjuration, 
  Enchantment
  TaCTiCs
  Before Combat When combat breaks out with the arcanists 
  in area Q9, Nolveniss goes to work casting a number of 
  spells to protect himself in the following order: fly, shield, 
  stoneskin, false life, and mirror image.
  During Combat On the first round, Nolveniss casts greater 
  invisibility on himself before unleashing his more destructive 
  spells against the characters, starting with his empowered 
  fireball and following it up with extended shadow conjuration 
  to summon 1d3 Medium fiendish monstrous spiders. 
  Nolveniss is extremely intelligent and he uses his spells 
  appropriately, responding to threats and attacking whenever 
  possible. While flying and invisible, he is very difficult to 
  pinpoint, especially since Nolveniss always takes his move 
  action to shift position after he has cast his spell.
  Morale Nolveniss refuses to back down and he fights  
  to the death.
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, int 20, Wis 12, Cha 10
  Base atk +4; Grp +4
  Feats Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Improved Familiar, 
  Improved Initiative, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (illusion)
  skills Concentration +13, Decipher Script +11, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +17, Knowledge (geography) +11, Knowledge 
  (history) +11, Knowledge (the planes) +17, Spellcraft +19
  Languages Abyssal, Aquan, Common, Draconic, Elven, 
  Undercommon
  sQ summon familiar (Vezzart)
  Combat Gear potion of cure serious wounds (2), staff of dark 
  flames (15 charges); Other Gear bracers of armor +4, cloak 
  of resistance +2, handy haversack, headband of intellect +2, 
  house Azrinae signet ring, ring of protection +1, shadow key, 
  1,000 gp in diamond dust, spellbook (contains all prepared 
  spells, all wizard illusion spells from the PH up to 5th 
  level, and four other spells of your choosing of 
  levels 1 through 4)
  Vezzart, Quasit 
  CR 2
  hp 23 (MM 46)
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat Vezzart uses invisibility on 
  the first round of combat, before moving 
  off to claw any archers that are firing at 
  his master, hoping that his poison 
  reduces their accuracy.
  Morale Vezzart withdraws 
  from combat the moment he 
  is wounded, to allow his fast 
  healing to restore him to 10 or more 
  hit points before attacking again.
  staff of Dark Flame
  aura moderate evocation and necromancy; CL 8th
  slot none; Price 44,716 gp; Weight —
  DEsCRiPTiON
  Made from bleached bones that have been fused together, 
  the head of this staff burns with an unholy fire. This staff 
  can be used as a +1 flaming quarterstaff (only one end of 
  the staff bears magical enhancement), and it retains this 
  property even if all its charges are drained. This staff can 
  cast the following spells:
  • Ray of enfeeblement (1 charge)
  • Scorching ray (1 charge)
  • False life (1 charge)
  • Fireball (2 charges)
  • Animate dead (3 charges)
  CONsTRuCTiON
  Requirements Craft Staff, animate dead, false life, fireball, ray of 
  enfeeblement, scorching ray; Cost 25,841 gp, 1,510 XP
  Developments: With Nolveniss defeated, the PCs can 
  collect the shadow key and use it at area E to open the portal 
  back to the Material Plane. Alternatively, they could remain 
  behind in the Armageddon Echo to watch the world end 
  and simply rely on the key to bring them back when this 
  incredible event occurs.
  Battle Points: Defeating Nolveniss and recovering the 
  shadow key awards the PCs 3 BP.
  
  The Armageddon Echo
  47
  concludIng the Adventure
  This adventure ends as soon as the PCs defeat 
  Nolveniss—without their commander and the shadow 
  key, the remaining drow in Celwynvian are cut off from 
  their escape route via the corrupted elf gate. Discord 
  spreads quickly through their ranks, and they scatter 
  into the surrounding woodlands. A few of them might 
  make it to the mountains or the relative safety of the 
  surface world, but for the most part the Shin’Rakorath 
  do a great job tracking these stragglers down and 
  eradicating them.
  The elves have a huge task ahead of them now—
  Celwynvian has been freed of the drow influence, and now 
  the long task of clearing the ruins of other monstrous 
  life and eventual restoration can begin. Eviana thanks 
  the PCs for all they have done, and depending on their 
  success and the total number of Battle Points they’ve 
  gained during the adventure, she awards them with 
  their choice of magical items, gems, or jewelry in an 
  amount as detailed on the table on page 19. (Magic items 
  can be brought in from Iadara the next time a delivery 
  of supplies arrives in Crying Leaf via teleportation.) Yet 
  even if the PCs gained few battle points, as long as they 
  defeat Nolveniss and claim the shadow key, victory is 
  theirs and there is cause for celebration. Eviana invites 
  the PCs to join her, Shalelu, Kaerishiel, and the rest of 
  the commanders that evening for celebration.
  Once there, a large banquet is held that night, in 
  honor of the characters. Eviana invites them to sit by 
  her side, and even Kaerishiel seems almost friendly. 
  Yet as the banquet draws to a close, Eviana invites the 
  PCs back to her tent to discuss an important matter. 
  The elf gate in the Academy still functions and the 
  shadow key can activate it. In time, the elves will be 
  able to clean the elf gate of its drow corruption, but for 
  now the portal has given the elves an unprecedented 
  opportunity—a chance to infiltrate the mysterious 
  drow capital of Zirnakaynin. A group of spies, properly 
  disguised, could learn much from a mission into the 
  dangerous city—perhaps, she asks coyly, the PCs know 
  of a team of adventurers who might be interested in 
  such a quest?
  
  48
  Second Darkness
  Celwynvian
  I
  n the depths of the Mierani Forest, the vital green 
  trees, thick with leaves and hung with cascading 
  vines, give way to cracked and spindly trunks bowed 
  under the weight of withered greenery. Farther in still, 
  the trees die out completely, leaving behind gnarled shells 
  stretching blighted branches to the sky. In the depths lies 
  a vast, ominous crater filled with pools of sickly water, 
  a foul memorial to an ancient calamity. Beyond stand 
  the remains of the elven city of Celwynvian, the City of 
  Emerald Rains, ruined, defiant, and shrouded by a haze 
  of green where the sheltering Mierani Forest still seeks to 
  heal an ancient wound.
  Untold centuries have passed since Celwynvian thrived 
  as an elven center for culture, trade, and research. After its 
  abandonment almost 10,000 years ago, Celwynvian stood 
  empty while the forest encroached upon it and wild animals 
  made it their home. After the elves’ return to Golarion, 
  they came to Celwynvian only to find the wild animals 
  were the least of their worries. The city’s enchantments 
  had faded and become unstable; dragons, monsters, and 
  undead inhabited the streets. Worst of all, a secret shame 
  had claimed the city for its own foul devices: dark elves, 
  having breached the world of light by perverting an 
  ancient elf gate within the Academy of the Arts. Desperate 
  to keep the perversion from the eyes of other races, the 
  elves declared Celwynvian off-limits to visitors and set up 
  a guard around the city. It would become a blockade that 
  would last for centuries and hide the fate of the ancient city 
  from all beyond the Mierani.
  Even after the passage of ages, great treasures remain 
  in Celwynvian, along with knowledge and research the 
  elves have long feared irretrievable. To explorers of iron 
  courage, the vaults and secret storerooms laying hidden 
  beneath the rubble of the City of Emerald Rains offer great 
  
  49
  rewards. But the challenges lurking within the city’s shell 
  are dangerous at best and insurmountable at worst, and 
  more than one treasure-hunter has breached Celwynvian’s 
  defenses, never to emerge again.
  Celwynvian’s DefenDers
  The elves of Crying Leaf, in cooperation with the 
  mercenaries of the Shin’Rakorath, fight to keep travelers 
  out of Celwynvian and the city’s nefarious occupants in. 
  Dense, overgrown vegetation renders entry into the City 
  of Emerald Rains difficult from any number of angles, 
  and the elves know exactly where the easiest entry points 
  stood—protecting them with constant watches and 
  magical sentinels.
  At any given time, three to six bands of a dozen elves 
  patrol Celwynvian’s borders, with numerous other watch 
  stations hidden in the surrounding woods. These defenders 
  are thoroughly trained and the majority have significant 
  combat experience—the most skilled defenders being 
  fighters or rangers, while a small number possess some 
  arcane ability. A handful of druids and local magic-users 
  supplement the defenders’ ranks.
  Captain Kaerishiel Neirenar (LN male elf ranger 8) 
  currently leads the defenders of Celwynvian. An experienced 
  soldier and member of the Shin’Rakorath, Kaerishiel earns 
  the respect of his troops through consistent, decisive 
  leadership. His quick reactions might seem rash to outsiders, 
  but he possesses unusual wisdom and the ability to quickly 
  evaluate situations. While experienced in melee combat, 
  Kaerishiel favors his longbow above all other weapons. 
  The ancient weapon traveled back with the elves when they 
  returned to Golarion and used to belong to his lieutenant 
  and close friend, Taisylveen. Drow slew Taisylveen the 
  first week she and Kaerishiel took charge of Celwynvian’s 
  defense. Kaerishiel wields the bow in her honor.
  Celwynvian at a GlanCe
  A mere shadow of the glory and beauty that was once 
  the City of Emerald Rains, the ruins of Celwynvian hide 
  dangers beyond mere beasts and drow invaders. Described 
  here are but a sampling of the best-known ruins and 
  untended landmarks still standing in Celwynvian.
  The Path of Fallen Shadows: This wide boulevard leads 
  to an area of crumbled ruins and dense vegetation. Months 
  ago, a band of drow set upon a patrol of Celwynvian 
  defenders, and a fierce skirmish ensued. Elves traditionally 
  carry home their fallen companions to give the dead a 
  proper burial and ensure no dark magic inhabits the 
  corpses. After the drow fled, however, the elves lifted the 
  bodies of the fallen and were horrified to see shadows 
  imprinted on the cobblestones where the bodies had lain.
  Fearing powerful magic—either a corruption of an 
  old Celwynvian defense or some new trick of the drow—
  the elves retreated and now refuse to enter this avenue. 
  Elven runes warning of danger mark several of the fallen 
  buildings that line the path. The shadows remain, inky-
  black, on the cobblestones, and a chill permeates the air. 
  Explorers who accidentally wander down the Path of Fallen 
  Shadows sometimes report hearing whispers too quiet and 
  slurred to make out, and leaves that rustle and sway even 
  when there is no breeze.
  The Library of Reenai: Scrolls of power, tomes of 
  ancient history, slim volumes of lyrical poetry, charts of 
  lineages stretching back thousands of years, all these and 
  more lined the shelves of the Library of Reenai. In the days 
  before Earthfall, many of the most important books and 
  documents left the city with the elves, but space and haste 
  dictated that some had to be left behind. The remains of 
  this building boast a graceful central spire, a wide plaza 
  out front, and white stone walls engraved with elven runes 
  and artwork depicting concepts of learning, knowledge, 
  magic, and art.
  Old bloodstains mar the library’s plaza, and cracks 
  in the walls tell the tale of missed crossbow bolts and 
  mace-swings. A band of drow claimed the library as their 
  stronghold some years ago, and the Celwynvian defenders 
  have thus far been unable to rout the squatters. 
  Elven lore suggests that a dozen vaults hide within 
  the library. Surely some of the vaults have collapsed over 
  time and others were likely emptied, their contents either 
  liberated during the evacuation or looted by the drow. Yet 
  some might still remain intact, guarding their contents 
  against time and pillagers.
  Verithes Park: In Celwynvian’s heyday, Verithes Park 
  was one of two areas of carefully cultivated wilderness 
  within the city. Exotic plants, tropical flowers, fruit trees, 
  berry bushes, and more grew in this lush, lovingly tended 
  area, surrounded by a border of native trees. 
  When Earthfall left the enormous crater in Celwynvian’s 
  side, the destruction impacted Verithes Park as well. The 
  west and south borders of the park hold rows of skeletal 
  trees, their limbs blackened and shriveled even thousands 
  of years after the catastrophe. 
  Farther into the park, the trees and plants survived 
  but grew twisted—whether from the effects of Earthfall, 
  or an ancient Celwynvian spell damaged or mutated 
  over time, no one knows. It always seems dark here. The 
  trees whisper and whip their branches at passersby, and 
  brambles and assassin vines lurk amid the seemingly 
  harmless greenery. 
  The Festering Crater: During Earthfall, a huge chunk of 
  rock struck Celwynvian and blasted a crater in the southern 
  edge of the city. The underground spring that feeds the 
  lake in Verithes Park bubbled up, but some contaminant 
  in the rock tainted the water—or perhaps it was an effect 
  of the myriad elven spells in the area erupting as the crater 
  
  50
  Second Darkness
  the remains of centuries’ worth of dust, mold, and rotted 
  plants. Beneath the filthy shell hides a crystalline statue 
  of the elven goddess of art, Findeladlara. (For more 
  information on elven deities, see Pathfinder Companion 
  Elves of Golarion.)
  The Pavilion of Reason: The raised central platform of 
  this pavilion has no walls, only wide archways that afford 
  a clear view within. Shattered benches form a semicircle 
  around a podium. Hooks in the ceiling once held aloft 
  sheer silk curtains. Three smaller platforms surrounding 
  the main pavilion bear stands, where spectators once sat to 
  listen to the debates within.
  The Pavilion of Reason was a place for conducting 
  lectures, debating philosophy and policy, and expressing 
  rational opinions. Anyone could speak, and when 
  someone’s time was up, the next speaker rose to take his 
  place. At times, debates lasted day and night for weeks as 
  speaker after speaker came to take the place of the next. 
  The open walls of the pavilions offer little shelter against 
  the elements or predators, and so the platforms remain 
  abandoned. Occasionally travelers make use of the raised 
  vantage point and relatively clean interior of the pavilion as 
  a temporary campsite. However, a lingering enchantment 
  remains about the pavilion which dampens noise in all 
  areas except the central platform so that spectators might 
  leveled buildings and wiped out ruins. A relatively clear 
  waterfall spills into the heart of the crater where sluggish, 
  sickly water churns. 
  While the water looks off-putting, it is—for the most 
  part—safe to drink. Forest creatures sometimes stray into 
  the area, and it’s not uncommon for bears or other large 
  predators to stalk the watering hole. Animals who drink 
  from the crater suffer no ill effects.
  Intelligent creatures, on the other hand, sometimes 
  experience unusual side effects. Divine spellcasters in 
  particular often report dizziness, hallucinations, and 
  uncontrollable discharges of positive or negative energy. 
  Some have theorized a connection between Urgathoa 
  and the crater—a connection too weak to inflict disease 
  on every creature that drinks, but enough to flare up in 
  the presence of a rival faith. Despite its reaction to some 
  divine casters, the water is clear and potable. 
  Temple of Watchers: This half-collapsed tower holds 
  shrines dedicated to the four deities worshiped by the 
  elves of Celwynvian: Calistria, Findeladlara, Ketephys, and 
  Yuelral. Little of the temple’s sanctuary was preserved to 
  modern times, the grand windows and tall altars having 
  been destroyed long ago. Amid the rubble, overgrown 
  by ivy, stands a lone crude statue of an elven dancer that 
  looks to be made of plain clay. In truth, this clay is but 
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  51
  Celwynvian
  more easily hear the debates. Move Silently checks made in 
  this area (but not within the central platform) receive a +4 
  circumstance bonus.
  Yuelral’s Rain: In ancient days, the teardrop-shaped 
  towers of this structure housed a number of herbalists 
  devoted to an elven god of magic named Yuelral. Here they 
  devised subtle magics, potions, and infusions meant to 
  encouraged the growth of natural things and coax plants 
  into wondrous shapes. Now a ruin, the dark elves have 
  claimed the building as their own, using the remaining 
  pools and fire pits to brew noxious alchemical creations.
  The Coliseum of Mask and Lyre: Where once epic 
  ballads and moving odes echoed through these halls, now 
  mournful laments and tragic sighs drift. The Coliseum 
  functioned as both playhouse and auditorium, and some 
  of the most talented actors and singers of the Mierani elves 
  once graced its stage. The Coliseum of Mask and Lyre is 
  detailed more thoroughly on page 66.
  The Academy of the Arts: This elegant structure 
  stands at the end of a wide path flanked by two statues of 
  elven scholars, each 12 feet tall. The marble statues once 
  displayed the two scholars in perfect detail as they studied 
  open books, but time and the elements have worn away the 
  details and cracked the limbs of the statues.
  At the Academy, elves learned the most ancient secrets of 
  magic and crafted new spells with which to aid and protect 
  their people. The walls thrummed with the power of the 
  Academy’s occupants; weapons, potions, and trinkets filled 
  the research labs and vaults. Rumor holds that stockpiles 
  of magical items, spellbooks, and valuable research notes 
  still lay hidden in the Academy, in rooms without doors 
  and vaults hidden behind illusory walls. Anyone wishing 
  to search for this lost knowledge, however, must first deal 
  with the drow who make the abandoned Academy their 
  base of operations.
  Vista of Visions: This long avenue slopes up from south 
  to north until reaching an apex, then slopes down to street 
  level again. All along the vista loom ruined statues, once of 
  exceptional quality, with each displaying an elven figure 
  from history, song, or legend.
  Here stands Faustinil the Winemaker, proffering a 
  goblet to the viewer, a smile on her lips. It’s said that she 
  could distill the green from the forest leaves and infuse 
  her wine with the taste of a rainy day. Leremi the Watcher 
  remains vigilant; during an assault against the city, 
  the guardsman refused to give up his post even against 
  overwhelming odds, and fell to enemy blades just as 
  reinforcements arrived. Sadrissil the Many-Hued stares 
  up at the sky, a distant look in his eyes, as if dreaming 
  up the next painting to draw spectators to the Constellar 
  Gallery. At the apex of the avenue rests an image of 
  Thelissia Seven-Starred, an elven wizard whose research 
  led to many of the arcane defenses that once protected 
  A View of CelwynViAn
  Several areas of historical and modern import lay amid the 
  shattered avenues and overgrown rubble of Celwynvian. These 
  locations correspond to those on the map of Celwynvian, as well 
  as those mentioned in “The Armageddon Echo.”
  1. The Path of Fallen Shadows
  2. The Library of Reenai
  3. Verithes Park
  4. The Festering Crater
  5. Temple of Watchers
  6. The Pavilion of Reason
  7. Yuelral’s Rain
  8. The Coliseum of Mask and Lyre
  9. The Academy of the Arts
  10. Vista of Visions
  11. The Crystal Conservatory
  12. The Fluted Goblet
  13. The Garden of Eternal Ease
  14. The Constellar Gallery
  15. Ruined Tower
  16. Raivanyiel Smithy
  17. Emerald Bough
  18. Miliaru Park
  and bolstered Celwynvian. A permanent image enshrouds 
  the statue in floating motes of purple and silver light and 
  colors the statue’s eyes a glowing emerald green. The 
  identity of any of these statues can be discerned with a DC 
  25 Knowledge (history) check—made unusually difficult 
  due to the sculptures’ decrepitude. The rest of the statues 
  have degraded to the point of anonymity, or cracked and 
  fallen from their bases.
  Save one. On the far southern end of the avenue, a new 
  statue stands on an old base. The sculpture is a wooden 
  bust of an elven man, very young, with a scar stretching 
  from his left ear to the corner of his mouth. There is no 
  nameplate or other identifying mark about the statue.
  The Crystal Conservatory: A crystal dome tops this squat 
  building, having miraculously survived the centuries. 
  A narrow flight of steps spirals around the outer wall to 
  an archway leading inside the dome. Within, dozens of 
  tropical plants and exotic flowers grow rampant, their 
  scents mingling to form a heady bouquet that perfumes 
  the air. The crystal dome focuses the sun’s light, keeping 
  the atmosphere within the conservatory hot and humid. 
  A hole in the center of the floor admits a few feet of trunk 
  and the leafy top of an ancient tree; the rest of its trunk and 
  roots remain hidden in the room below. 
  Amid the greenery resides a dryad named Ysila. While 
  not aggressive, Ysila has a difficult time trusting any 
  who enter the conservatory. Too many encounters with 
  drow and monsters have made her wary. Ysila uses her 
  
  52
  Second Darkness
  abilities to try to drive away trespassers without revealing 
  herself. If visitors spend time and effort reassuring Ysila 
  they mean no harm she might emerge from her tree to 
  discourse with them. Ysila knows a tremendous deal 
  about the plants in the conservatory and can recommend 
  herbs to combat diseases or poisons and speak a little 
  about the natural creatures living in the ruins.
  The Fluted Goblet: While Celwynvian boasted many 
  inns and taverns of fine quality, the Fluted Goblet carried 
  the reputation for the fullest wine cellar, the friendliest 
  workers, and the most refined patrons. A circular patio 
  surrounds three-quarters of the main floor, where wide 
  windows look into the moldering taproom. An upper level 
  served as a private dining room. 
  The embattled drow skirmishing against the Mierani 
  guards are not the only ones inhabiting the ruins. Fisaria, 
  a drow necromancer, and her apprentice, Bixus, have 
  made the Fluted Goblet their home while they conduct 
  experiments within the city. Fisaria believes that some of 
  the collapsing Celwynvian sorceries could interact with 
  her necromantic spells to create unique, arcane-infused 
  undead—though so far, all her attempts have resulted 
  in ordinary zombies, skeletons, and ghouls, which she 
  releases to roam the city unfettered.
  Fisaria and Bixus make regular excursions to the 
  Garden of Eternal Ease, which they dare not occupy 
  permanently due to its exposed construction and lack 
  of structures suitable to house a laboratory. The drow 
  skirmishers who operate out of the Library and the 
  Academy of the Arts know of Fisaria and Bixus, and they 
  occasionally trade supplies for information she gleans in 
  her midnight prowlings. Unbeknownst to Fisaria, Bixus 
  has recently made contact with the huecuva Vigonyis in 
  the Garden of Eternal Ease. He trades his mistress’s secrets 
  to the horror in exchange for the undead monstrosity’s 
  own knowledge, hoping to gain the wisdom necessary to 
  overthrow Fisaria and claim her arcane treasures.
  The Garden of Eternal Ease: This avenue once led to the 
  most somber garden of the City of Emerald Rains. Today, 
  rubble, fallen trees, and shattered buildings thrown from 
  the impact of Earthfall cover most of this vast field, but some 
  untouched land remains. Here is the Garden of Eternal Ease, 
  the final resting place for many of Celwynvian’s citizens. 
  Tiny stones, each one simply marked with a name in Elven 
  and a small symbol, cover the verdant expanse. Each stone 
  marks a grave; each symbol represents the person beneath. 
  Flowers decorate the tombstones of maidens, herbalists, 
  and gardeners; books and stars indicate the graves of 
  historians, wizards, and scholars; and an assortment of more 
  personalized symbols represent the hobbies or occupation 
  of those resting below.
  Mounds of dark earth indicate that some of these 
  graves—at least a dozen—have recently been exhumed. 
  This is the work of the drow necromancer Fisaria and 
  her necromantic experiments. The undead creatures she 
  creates from the corpse dust found within the ancient 
  graves sometimes wander back here, perhaps led by 
  some odd fragment of memory. Among the graves lurks 
  the huecuva Vigonyis (see Tome of Horrors Revisited). 
  Once a priest of the elven god Ketephys, Vigonyis was 
  tasked with leading a contingent of the city’s citizens 
  to safety in the days before Earthfall. Panicked by the 
  coming cataclysm and convinced that he’d never survive 
  with a legion of sobbing children and bumbling elders 
  in tow, the priest fled his charges. While racing across 
  the Garden of Eternal Ease, however, he trod upon the 
  grave of a long dead cleric of Ketephys. As he did, the 
  ivy upon the grave lashed out and tightened around 
  Vigonyis’s legs. The cowardly priest called out for help, 
  but none ever came. When the stars rained down from the 
  heavens, Vigonyis died screaming. Yet even in death the 
  betrayer’s pain did not end, and his hatred for Ketephys 
  and the Mierani elves still smolders within his charred, 
  deathless bones.
  The Constellar Gallery: This two-tiered, circular 
  building once housed the greatest works of art of the 
  Mierani elves. Now all the precious paintings, sculptures, 
  and tapestries have been salvaged, stolen, or ruined, and 
  only echoing halls remain. Beneath the two circular 
  galleries, lofty archways lead into the central plaza, where 
  empty marble bases show where statues once stood. 
  Canopies of dead vines hang from the central walls, 
  surrounding the sad and empty plaza.
  Short flights of steps flank the archways and lead to 
  the first-floor gallery. Four spiral staircases rise from 
  the first floor to the second. Part of the second-story roof 
  has caved in and left the floor below dangerous to tread. 
  Traveling through the collapsed section elicits ominous 
  groans and creaks from the structure, and any explorers 
  in the area risk plummeting down to the first floor.
  Worse, the open ceiling allowed a winged predator 
  to enter the gallery and make its nest there. A cunning 
  maftet (see page 88) named Hharvel lurks here, studying 
  the ancient magics of Celwynvian and gradually 
  determining whether the ruins might make a suitable 
  permanent lair. In her investigation, the maftet has 
  discovered a number of hidden vaults beneath the gallery. 
  Filled mostly with ancient statuary, the treasures within 
  hold little interest for the sphinx-like wanderer, but they 
  do make for an aesthetically pleasing place to claim as 
  a new home. Hharvel keeps herself concealed to avoid 
  the conflicts between the drow and elves, though both 
  factions have caught brief glimpses of her shadowy form. 
  None of the intelligent denizens of the area believe the 
  Constellar Gallery holds anything of worth, and thus far 
  Hharvel’s research has gone undetected.
  
  53
  Celwynvian
  Kaerishiel
  Neirenar
  Ruined Tower:  Once a community of elven homes, the 
  towers here are now little more than piles of rubble. One, 
  however, has become a watch post for the invading dark 
  elves and supports one of their terrible war machines.
  Raivanyiel Smithy: This simple, ovoid building sits 
  next to a still pond. A miniature dock, just large enough 
  for one person to stand upon, stretches a few feet across 
  the pond to where a pole stands in the water, supporting a 
  winch and bucket. A wide archway leads inside the smithy, 
  where two massive anvils flank a narrow pit that once held 
  glowing coals. An overgrown stove and an empty coal-bin 
  stand at one end of the pit.
  Once every hour, an elven blacksmith exits the smithy to 
  draw water from the pond. The blacksmith appears to be an 
  elf in the prime of his life, with long red hair pulled back 
  in a braid and lean muscles displayed under his sleeveless 
  leather jerkin. In life, his name was Annin Raivanyiel, 
  but he died during the final days before Earthfall. Now 
  a faint echo of his memory, this phantasm goes about 
  completing a half-finished task. Being incorporeal, the 
  spirit cannot actually affect the sword it is trying to forge 
  but still goes through the motions. When the spirit comes 
  to the end of its fruitless labor, it pauses, then starts over 
  again, repeating its pattern endlessly.
  Annin’s spirit neither talks nor appears to understand 
  speech. It doesn’t react to outside stimuli, and is both 
  insubstantial and harmless. The half-finished sword still 
  lies on the anvil, unclaimed, as the current inhabitants of 
  Celwynvian consider the haunted smithy bad luck.
  Any character who watches Annin’s spirit go through a 
  complete cycle of finishing the sword (a process that takes 
  6 hours) gains insight into elven smithing techniques, and 
  can use the forge to make a Craft (weaponsmithing) check 
  with a +2 circumstance bonus. If the half-finished sword is 
  removed, Annin’s spirit continues to go through its cycle 
  regardless. If the sword is ever completed and returned to 
  Annin’s workshop, the spirit bows its head to the sword’s 
  bearer and then vanishes forever.
  Emerald Bough: Not all elves attended the Academy 
  of the Arts; children could also go to one of the many 
  small schools in Celwynvian where they learned history, 
  literature, art, music, astronomy, and a dozen other 
  subjects. This was one such school, a delicate building 
  with a peaked roof and sloping sides. Half the building 
  has caved in or been knocked in; the uniform size 
  of the collapse suggests some large creature 
  forced its way into the school at some point in 
  the past. Aside from the strange shape of its 
  ruins, the destruction here hides a somber 
  legacy. An attic whisperer (see Pathfinder #1) 
  constructed of bird bones and dry leaves 
  lurks in the fallen school, filling the air with the tiny, 
  whimpering cries of a lost hatchling.
  Miliaru Park: The second park in Celwynvian retains 
  much of its original beauty and vitality. Miliaru Park, on 
  the eastern fringe of the ruined city, has been left alone so 
  long that it has grown into a riotous mass of lush, vibrant 
  greenery. The native plants and trees overwhelmed exotic 
  imports, and Miliaru Park offers a dense and healthy 
  tribute to the flora of the Mierani Forest.
  Native animals enjoy the abundance of Miliaru Park, 
  and rabbits, grouse, foxes, weasels, and squirrels all make 
  their homes in the greenery. It’s easy to hide in the park, 
  but difficult to move quietly or quickly due to the large 
  patches of overgrowth. Drow and other fighters in the 
  area avoid the park both for this reason and because of the 
  tendriculous rumored to hide within the wall of trees.
  
  54
  Second Darkness
  Drow of Golarion
  T
  en millennia ago, the elves inhabited the 
  surface of Golarion. But when the aboleths 
  called down calamity from the heavens, 
  wrapping the world in eternal night, the majority of the 
  elves retreated to their mysterious homeland of Sovyrian, 
  there to remain until the time was once again right. 
  A sizable part of the elven population, however, refused 
  to abandon Golarion. Instead, they sought shelter amid 
  the depths of the earth. As the world burned and turned 
  to ash above, they delved deeper, seeking ways to survive. 
  Untold thousands died as they journeyed deep into the 
  world’s deadliest wilderness. Preyed upon by unimaginable 
  horrors and enslaved by forgotten races, they endured 
  woe and suffering like none they had ever known. Their 
  travails made them colder and crueler, and their prayers 
  went unanswered by their distant gods. In the end, it was 
  savagery and demonic bargains that steeled them against 
  the darkness, and bitterness and dreams of revenge against 
  their cowardly brethren that drove them to survive. Over 
  the centuries, pain and hated and dark magic erased all 
  that made these orphans elves, and replaced it with a new 
  cruelty known as the drow.
  Decades after the elves of Sovyrian returned to Golarion, 
  they were shocked to discover that their distant relatives 
  had survived and the degree to which their brethren had 
  savagely changed. Fearing contamination and corruption 
  of their own bloodlines, the leaders of the elves sought to 
  conceal the drow’s presence in the world, both from their 
  own race and all others. 
  The drow, however, see tenacity and necessity where their 
  one-time kin see savagery. They view themselves as the true 
  descendents of the elven heritage; they have done what they 
  needed to in order to survive, despite the scars that now 
  eternally mar their society, their bodies, and their souls.
  
  55
  Drow Society
  The drow of Golarion are a class-oriented, patronage-
  based, matriarchical society that dominates large 
  reaches of the sprawling Darklands. The greatest 
  concentration of dark elves dwell deep beneath Avistan 
  in the underground metropolis of Zirnakaynin. In this 
  collection of interlocked caverns, the drow seethe and 
  scheme, readying their revenge on their brethren above. 
  Beyond this deplorable vault, though, there are other 
  communities, ranging from vaulted metropolises to 
  small family outposts throughout the Darklands’ central 
  reaches of Sekamina. 
  The basis of drow society is the family, with each being 
  by a matriarch who is typically the most powerful female. 
  In the dark times of the Abandonment (as the drow refer 
  to the centuries immediately following Earthfall), many 
  of their number fell to battles with dwarves, orcs, derro, 
  and fouler subterranean creatures. The greatest damage 
  was inflicted early in their migration below, with males 
  suffering the greatest losses. As a result, women came 
  to control more and more of drow social life, and it was 
  they who came to dominate the great nobles houses and 
  bargained away their families’ services to the princes of 
  the Abyss.
   In the years that followed, the gender split continued, 
  such that today an individual male drow may be prized 
  for his intelligence, battle prowess, or comeliness, but is 
  still considered secondary to females in social class. Drow 
  women are decision-makers and rulers within the family 
  and society at large. They are treated with respect, and 
  drow males are expected to carry out orders for the good 
  of the family.
  The concept of marriage or long-term relationships 
  broke down over the long years of wandering the 
  Darklands, such that descent and inheritance are 
  determined only through the female line. Drow women 
  take lovers regularly and are restricted only by their 
  own desires, which may vary from a lengthy affair with 
  a confidante to a quick succession of relationships. Drow 
  men are allowed the same supposed freedom, but there 
  is societal disapproval of a male that takes multiple 
  simultaneous lovers, as his ultimate loyalty may be called 
  into question.
  The more powerful and successful drow families 
  maintain harems of males who serve as bodyguards, 
  escorts, and chambermates for the ruling females. Such 
  groups may vary from a council of advisors, to a troupe of 
  youthful entertainers, to a unit of elite protectors, but it is 
  generally accepted that such groups are used as available 
  resources for the idylls of the matriarchs.
  As a result of this, along with the long lifespans of elves, 
  drow genealogy is a complete and utter tangle, and best 
  ignored. One’s mother is known, and one’s father is generally 
  assumed. Children are raised by the entire extended family. 
  Even children of the same mother refer to each other as 
  “cousin” as a term of endearment and fact. Young female 
  drow are taught how to rule and control by their aunts. Male 
  drow are taught how to follow orders. Both genders are 
  taught how to fight and protect their people.
  Among her offspring, a matron chooses the most 
  promising, bestowing upon them the titles of “first 
  daughter,” “second daughter,” “first son,” and so on. Such 
  titles are usually granted at the matriarch’s whim and 
  create an obvious hierarchy within a drow house. The first 
  daughter is the assumed heir to a matron’s throne should 
  the leader not choose another, with other daughters serving 
  as their mother’s lieutenants and emissaries. In the case of 
  males, it’s not unusual for a house to have no titled sons, 
  as many matrons look down upon the gender. When the 
  title first son is granted, though, it’s typically to a male of 
  exceptional talent, though no son—regardless of his rank—
  may ever command one of his sisters.
  Life in the DarkLanDS
  The drow were driven underground into a domain 
  without sunlight, their numbers reduced nearly to the 
  point of extinction. In addition, they fled into occupied 
  lands, the ancestral homes of dwarves, orcs, and other 
  subterranean creatures. They survived, but only by using 
  every resource available to them and bargaining with 
  powers beyond sanity. The drow make no apologies for 
  that survival.
  The Darklands are host to their own myriad ecologies, 
  which vary according to depth and location. There are 
  calcium-rich seas ringed with limestone shores, bog-like 
  understories and caverns filled with luminescent fungi, 
  columned chambers fertilized by the guano of blind, 
  bone-white bats, and entire civilizations living within the 
  crumbling halls of still-older and greater domains.
  The drow conquered all of that in order to survive.
  Taking ancient elven skills for shaping wood and plants 
  and turning them to other goals, the drow gradually 
  became masters of subterranean life—improving some, 
  eradicating others. With deadly patience, perverted elven 
  arts, and Abyssal magic, they warped their new realms to 
  their liking. Fungi were altered to serve as guardians and 
  sate a spectrum of culinary desires; blind, albino beasts 
  were bred and improved to be used as pack animals, 
  mounts, and food sources; and potent unguents and 
  the eerie light of a forgotten rainbow were coaxed from 
  grotesque vermin. What they couldn’t create or recreate, 
  they stole. From the vegepygmies, the peaceful mushroom-
  herding people in the depths of the earth, they stole their 
  fungal flocks and groves of ancient arcana-infused molds. 
  From the derro they took ancient alchemical secrets and 
  demonic lore, in the process of discovering methods of 
  
  56
  Second Darkness
  pretext for war. The drow feel that their enslaving of other 
  races is part of the natural order, and that less-enlightened 
  civilizations fail to recognize its advantages.
  Drow view the capture and enslavement of their own 
  kind as anathema, the work of barbarians. Captured enemy 
  drow are treated as guests and ransomed back at the end 
  of hostilities. That is not to say that, should negotiations 
  break down, said guest will not be returned in pieces as a 
  sign of a matron’s displeasure.
  Although the dark elves do not enslave their own, many 
  drow willingly seek to serve other, more powerful drow. 
  Particularly among the houses of drow nobles, scores 
  of dark elf servants might attend to the whims of cruel 
  mistresses. Such servants have a better lot than slaves and 
  suffer the barbs and tantrums of their employers for the 
  opportunity and respect afforded those close to nobility. 
  Drow nobles, however, often forget the difference between 
  servants and slaves, however, and many drow guards, 
  handmaidens, pages, and attendants bear the lash marks 
  of their mistresses’ furors.
  Aside from drow, certain creatures are considered too 
  powerful for enslavement. The aboleths and neothelids are 
  best avoided, or at most treated with respect when they rouse 
  themselves from their dreaming infinities. The brain-like 
  intellect devourers are similarly treated cautiously and as 
  potential enemies. Demons, the servants of the fiendish 
  patrons of the noble houses, are a special case. They are not 
  drow, and by normal conditions many lesser fiends would be 
  considered enslaveable, but they are spared as they are the 
  representatives of more powerful Abyssal lords. As a result, 
  many demons are considered slaves, but slaves on loan from 
  a fearsome ally. As a result, most drow order about allied 
  demons at will, but they tend to do so politely, just in case. 
  craft anD PerverSion
  According to drow legend, before Earthfall the elves were 
  masters of the surface world, wielding their abilities to 
  nurture new life. They took this belief with them far below 
  the earth, and as with all things, adapted it to their new 
  home. They had no great trees to modify, so turned to 
  other things: stone, iron, and fungus. And themselves. 
  Sporecrafting was the first of the drow’s adaptations 
  to the new world, transferring the skills used in shaping 
  plants to those of twisting yeasts, molds, and mushrooms, 
  increasing the yield of existing edible fungi, and 
  domesticating and rendering edible poisonous wild fungi. 
  Over the 10,000 year span of their underground empire, 
  the drow have created entire new species, some of which 
  have gone feral and spread far beneath the surface.
  In tandem with their fleshwarping abilities, the drow 
  have modified communities full of vegepygmies, reducing 
  the intelligence of this sentient race of mushroom people to 
  a level close to that of a common cow. These fleshwarps are 
  working the bones of the earth and perverting flesh. And 
  so, deep below the world they once knew, the dark elves 
  made themselves masters of a lightless paradise.
  But for all they took, the drow needed something 
  more: manpower. The drow exiles were beset on all sides 
  by natives of this land—derro and skum, deep gnome 
  and orc—who resented the intrusion of refugees. Given 
  their situation, it was little wonder that the drow turned 
  to enslaving their neighbors, waging war not out of self-
  protection, but out of necessity.
  The drow maintain a number of slave races, typically 
  referred to as “servitors.” These servitors range from 
  creatures serving under lash and chain to those who have 
  been molded, in body or mind, into more serviceable 
  forms. Those that require overseers are given the most 
  grunt-like tasks: mining, spore gathering, herding 
  the giant vermin useful for food, and beating the 
  underground forests and flushing out prey for more 
  capable drow hunters. Those that can be trusted that 
  have the capability are often promoted to butchers, cooks, 
  basic tool-makers, and builders. In large conflicts, these 
  more trustworthy servants drive hordes of their chained 
  brethren forward to smash against the front lines of the 
  drow’s enemies. The drow care little if such units return, 
  only that they end the day with more slaves than when 
  they started. 
  The most trusted servitors are those who have adapted 
  to the drow way of thinking. These are curiosities, kept 
  in the courts as novelties and traded as flashy trinkets. 
  A creature with a good voice, a not-regrettable face, or a 
  quick wit might be adopted by a family who has need of 
  such a creature. If said creature embraces the drow way of 
  life and does not need to be blinded, hobbled, or partially 
  trepanned, so much the better. Willing slaves are always 
  the best. Promising slaves might be branded with the 
  mark of their owners if the drow think they will survive 
  more than a year.
  To drow mores, anything and anyone who is not a 
  drow is a candidate for slavery. Their word for servitor is 
  anquestra, while their word for outlander is jenanquestrok, 
  which means “not yet a slave.” Sentients that are spoils 
  of war are always considered slaves, especially if the 
  purpose of the war is to gather more servitors. Similarly, 
  non-drow trespassers can be declared anquestra, and 
  this can happen even to non-drow offered protection 
  from a noble house, should another noble house want 
  to enslave them. 
  Most slaves are tools to be used, and if a tool is stolen, the 
  umbrage generated depends on the value of the tool. Low-
  level vermin herders are regularly rustled from one family 
  to another with little consequence, even if they are branded. 
  A highly-trained, non-drow courtesan liberated from a 
  powerful noble house, on the other hand, can be used as a 
  
  57
  Drow of Golarion
  known as halsora, the Weeping Beasts, because the areas 
  where their eyes had been are now little more continually 
  flowing water ducts. The halsora are tended to by chained 
  slaves of little value and intelligence.
  The drow have adapted fungi as food, lamps, and guardian 
  creatures. They have also used their sporecrafting to refine 
  and expand their use of poisons. While they are effective at 
  creating poisons lethal to almost any race, mere killing is 
  the work of a butcher. Better are those toxins that paralyze, 
  or remove just one of the senses of the target, or rob the 
  target of its voice. Most infamous are the drow-crafted 
  sleeping poisons that leave victims helpless to the 
  dark elves’ perverse wishes. Psychoactive poisons 
  used to make a potential slave more tractable 
  are also part of their fungal pharmacopeia. 
  Lithicrafting is a slower process, an 
  adaptation of the same traits that allow surface 
  elves to shape trees and crystals. Lithicrafting is 
  not mining—the drow keep slaves to extract 
  rock, ore, and gems by brute force, though 
  the skill may be used for that purpose in a 
  pitch. Instead, lithicrafting is utilized to 
  draw up the existing stone in stalactites and 
  stalagmites and hollow them as living spaces 
  without need for mortar or chisel. The 
  lithicrafter seeks to understand the will 
  of the stone and then turn that will into 
  what the shaper desires.
  Lithicrafting 
  can 
  be 
  employed 
  to create hidden watch posts and 
  secret doors in otherwise solid rock, 
  produce new windows, and seal off 
  prison cells forever. They may also be 
  used to create statues of water-shaped 
  stone, gargoyles that can also serve as 
  watchpoints, and plinths that contain 
  bodies that the creator does not wish 
  to be found.
  Coldwarping is weaponsmith-
  ing without fire or forge. The drow 
  do not lack these technological 
  advancements, and indeed have 
  teams of slaves whose job it is to 
  do nothing but toil at great fur-
  naces and anvils to make tools 
  and weapons. However, a cold-
  crafter is needed to make the 
  finest weapons.
  Coldwarping is akin to lithi-
  crafting, but instead of working with 
  stone, the crafter accesses the spirit of 
  the metal itself, drawing it out, making 
  it more fluid, and causing it to shape 
  into the desired form. Working from the ore, the crafter 
  pulls the metal out of the rock and works it without heat. 
  The metal is stretched out, then folded upon itself, then 
  stretched again and folded again until the layers of metal 
  bind into a firm, permanent blade. These are the blades 
  carried by the drow nobility, mastercrafted weapons be-
  yond the skills of enslaved peons. 
  Coldwarpers traditionally make the best weapons, but 
  jewelry is also part of the coldcraft skill, granting softer 
  metals greater strength and durability. The master 
  coldwarpers are few in number and considered racial 
  treasures by the drow, meant to be kept in safety and 
  guarded jealously by the great houses.
  Fleshwarping is the most frightening of drow crafting 
  abilities, as it is employed against living flesh. In a 
  society that admires its own dark beauty, such 
  a craft is quietly used to keep even the eldest 
  of its people looking young and bright. 
  But the craft has its own dark potential, 
  one that even the drow themselves are 
  uncomfortable with.
  Fleshwarping is a modification of 
  the body, and as such can be used to 
  smooth over scars and erase the more 
  blatant signs of age or despoiled living. 
  Alternatively, torturers use it to twist flesh 
  in painful variations, and then to restore 
  it to a state similar to new, only to start 
  again. It might also be employed to reduce 
  one’s enemies to monstrosities, to render 
  a target blind or mute, or to recreate 
  them utterly into half-drow figures, 
  destroying mind and soul in the 
  process of rending the flesh.
  Among the twisted forms 
  created by fleshwarpers, the most 
  well-known are the spider-like 
  driders—criminals, outcasts, 
  and unlucky drow who are repurposed to a 
  new form as hunters for the noble houses. 
  These 
  grotesque 
  abominations 
  serve 
  as deadly warriors, feared even by their 
  drow masters, unleashed only in the most 
  extreme circumstances, and typically kept 
  far from the sight of civilized drow. (See 
  Pathfinder #16 for more details on driders 
  and other specific fleshwarped creatures.)
  Even in drow society fleshwarpers are 
  regarded with suspicion, similar to the 
  role necromancers have among hu-
  mans. Most houses keep driders as 
  well, though typically far from 
  the sight of nobles. 
  
  58
  Second Darkness
  There are rumors among the drow of a society of 
  secretive cabals of fleshwarpers who venerate a patron 
  even more mysterious and evil than even the Demon 
  Prince Haagenti—the fiendish alchemist from whom the 
  first secrets of fleshwarping were learned. The matriarchs 
  know of these fleshwarpers, but rather than strike out 
  against them and their darker master, some covertly trade 
  victims to them, hopeful for some abominable and useful 
  leap forward in the profane science. 
  Drow PoLiticS
  The drow are ruled by great noble houses, each one named 
  after a family who protected the race during the dark 
  days of Earthfall. Each noble house has an cloud of lesser 
  families, mercenary companies, commercial fronts, and 
  other puppet groups that makes up its supporters. While 
  one faction might gain ascendancy within house politics, 
  and internal purges and blood feuds are common, a noble 
  house maintains a monolithic appearance of a unified 
  family to outsiders.
  While every noble drow owes fealty to its own family 
  and matriarch, within the larger structure of the race 
  the various family matriarchs owe their loyalty to no one. 
  Each of the noble houses has its own matriarch, who is 
  also called “great mother” by her subordinates. The noble 
  matriarch is responsible for distributing largesse and 
  patronage among her supporters, settling claims and 
  arguments, assigning rights and privileges, promoting 
  the worthy, demoting the unworthy, and eliminating the 
  disloyal. To each family among the drow, the favor of the 
  matriarch is highly sought.
  Outside of the various noble families, most common 
  drow seek fortune and power by allying themselves either 
  with nobles or other significantly powerful groups. Many 
  common families act as extensions of the noble houses, 
  providing manpower, resources, gold, and slaves as their 
  masters demand, without question or recourse. In return, 
  they supposedly gain protection, opportunities, and 
  prestige among their common peers, though the whims of 
  nobles often prove fickle and one-sided. There have been 
  rebellions through the years of families bridling against 
  the demands of a noble house, often at the agitation of a rival 
  noble house. Against a force as monolithic as a noble house, 
  though, common families typically stand little chance in an 
  out-and-out conflict. Dissension and espionage prove more 
  useful forms of rebellion—selling the secrets of a cruel 
  mistress to her family’s rivals—though such disloyalty 
  is often punished by the annihilation of an entire house. 
  Survivors of such failed rebellions and shadowy coups 
  might be murdered, taken as slaves—one of the rare times 
  drow might become slaves of their own people—or turned 
  over to fleshwarpers and remade as driders as a warning to 
  others of the punishment for unsuccessful rebellion.
  In addition to controlling the actions of her house, 
  the great mother also parleys with the house’s demonic 
  patron. In the darkness, the drow had been abandoned 
  by their gods as well as their people, and as such sought 
  out new beings of power to aid them. They found them 
  among the demons, and each in turn bound its loyalty to 
  a demon lords of the Abyss. The lords vary from amused 
  to demanding, from relatively benign to unforgiving, as 
  is the nature of demons. In general, the demon lords have 
  accepted the veneration and make few demands beyond 
  regular sacrifice, in turn providing what support they can 
  spare from their own battles and intrigues.
  Each great mother has an heir, usually a direct child 
  or grandchild, almost universally female. The heir sits 
  at the matriarch’s right hand and is expected to know the 
  precise state of the family’s fortunes, threats, and relative 
  strengths in regard to the other noble houses. Although 
  typically the first daughter of the house, matriarchs look 
  for heirs that have the bloodthirsty ambition to survive 
  familial intrigues, but who also possess sufficient loyalty 
  and wisdom that they will not themselves seek the reigns 
  of power without permission.
  Are There Good drow?
  No. Drow are by their nature cruel, calculating, and evil. 
  The argument can be made that they were always so, if 
  their own legends are to be believed, or that they have 
  become such as a result of the long millennia they have 
  been confined in a hostile territory. Regardless, drow are 
  motivated by advancement of self, of family, and of noble 
  house, in that order. Alliances are made to be broken, 
  friendships are made to be taken advantage of, and even 
  love is just a tool for advancement. Drow see a brutal 
  pragmatism in their behavior, and, if as a consequence of 
  their self-interest, fortune comes to another, this is merely 
  considered an undesired byproduct. 
  Within any organization, a drow betrays its fellows only 
  at the best possible moment. Indeed, the near-universal 
  fear and loathing of the race in some part guarantees that 
  drow remain loyal to their brethren, as they assume that 
  other races play by the same rules. It is this high level of 
  distrust that keeps the drow loyal to family and house; they 
  have no guarantee that future allies won’t betray them as 
  they themselves have betrayed their people.
  If a drow were to exhibit good behavior—inordinate 
  kindness, cooperation, or empathy—the individual would 
  be assumed to be either enchanted or ill. Attempts would 
  be made to cure the individual (because a good tool should 
  never be thrown away), but if the condition persisted, there 
  would be no choice but to enslave the obviously insane 
  drow or turn him over the fleshwarpers to create a drider, 
  as a warning to others.
  
  59
  Drow of Golarion
  At the matriarch’s left hand is the favored regent, a 
  position for the alpha male of the family. Deferring to the 
  matriarch, the favored regent can be a transitory lover or 
  a long-time advisor, and may even be the birth father of 
  the heir. Some matriarchs keep the same favored regent 
  for years, such that courtiers seek out his aid in petty 
  intrigues. Others use the position to send a message to 
  others about which faction or family within the house is 
  particularly in favor or disfavor. 
  The great noble houses are themselves extended families 
  that cover myriad generations, given the longevity of the 
  elves. As a result, there are always related factions that seek 
  control of the houses for their own gain, either through 
  political intrigue, assassination, or full-fledged internal 
  rebellion. Thus, drow politics are extremely fluid, and smart 
  matriarchs often play multiple contenders off each other to 
  maintain a balance of political power. However, while the 
  houses appear to be united, they are in truth fluid, the great 
  mothers holding power as long as they control the bulk of 
  their own family and the house’s supporters. This makes for 
  exciting court life and deadly gossip as individuals jockey 
  for position and power. 
  Drow citieS anD 
  SettLementS
  The largest drow city is Zirnakaynin, located deep 
  beneath the Fangwood in central Avistan. This chain of 
  three massive interconnected caverns holds the bulk of 
  the drow’s sprawling city and vast forges, with outlying 
  caverns rich in fungal farms and grounds for raising 
  edible giant vermin. The bottom-most of these cyclopean 
  caves holds a vast lake of fire, along the ironshod shores 
  of which drow smiths and coldwarpers create works of 
  deadly beauty.  The highest of these caverns is dominated 
  by the grounds and towers of the great noble houses, 
  whose supporting families clog the maze-like streets and 
  markets. Zirnakaynin is the so-called Last Home of the 
  Elves, as the drow view themselves as the true inheritors 
  of elven culture and the only elves of pure bloodline. 
  Zirnakaynin is not the only large drow city, though 
  it is the most important. There are others littering 
  the Darklands, usually founded by cast-out families 
  and exiled noble factions. Over the course of 10,000 
  years, a large number of these accumulated, ranging 
  from monastic havens consisting of a few families to 
  powerful cities almost half the size of Zirnakaynin. The 
  rulers of these outposts usually swear fealty to some 
  great noble house, at least on paper, but some rulers take 
  advantage of the distance to declare themselves noble 
  as well. The matriarchs of Zirnakaynin call these rag-
  tag independents the “Hinter Houses” and use them 
  as disposable pawns in their machinations, when they 
  think of them at all. 
  In addition, the great noble houses, and many of the 
  larger supporting families, have their own secret (or 
  hopefully secret) bases throughout the Darklands where 
  they can muster forces, conduct experiments, and plot 
  and plan out of the earshot of their noble neighbors. 
  These locations are constantly sought out and relentlessly 
  guarded, and they act as major bargaining chips in the 
  rivalries between the houses.
  The Darklands are not always smoothly connected, and 
  the spaces between the cities and outposts are often occupied 
  by hostile races of potential slaves. As a result, the drow use 
  magic and corrupted elf gates to cover large distances. The 
  ownership and activation of such magic, like everything 
  else involving the drow, is a closely guarded secret.
  Death of a Drow
  The drow serve their families, and their noble houses, 
  during life and after. The drow have learned not to waste 
  anything in their quest for survival, and that includes 
  services rendered upon death.
  A drow of common blood whose body can be reclaimed 
  is ceremonially chopped and mulched. The remains are 
  then used as compost within the family fungus fields or 
  gardens. If the deceased has given meritorious service to 
  the house, the family is honored by the fallen kin being 
  taken to the fleshgarden of their nobles and used to fertilize 
  the strangely fluted fungal plants that grow there.
  Dead nobility are also laid to rest in the house’s 
  fleshgardens, but undergo a different process. The brain is 
  drow FeATs
  Some drow draw upon the weird powers of the Darklands to 
  warp their innate elven abilities, manifesting powers beyond 
  those of typical dark elves.
  dark Adept
  You gain several additional spell-like abilities from your dark 
  elven heritage.
  Prerequisites Drow, character level 3rd
  Benefit You gain three new spell-like abilities, each usable 
  once per day. These spell-like abilities are detect magic, feather 
  fall, and levitate. Your caster level for these spell-like abilities 
  equals your total character level.
  Umbral scion
  You develop more advanced spell-like abilities related to your 
  drow heritage.
  Prerequisites Drow female, Dark Adept, character level 7th
  Benefit You gain four new spell-like abilities, each usable once 
  per day. These spell-like abilities are clairvoyance/clairaudiance, 
  discern lies, dispel magic, and suggestion. Your caster level for 
  these spell-like abilities equals your total character level.
  
  60
  Second Darkness
  removed and seeded with rare and specially prepared molds 
  by sporecrafters, and is then planted in the garden within 
  a terracotta shell and fertilized with the remains of loyal 
  retainers. The fungal bloom that grows out of this planting 
  has the waxy nature of living flesh and gleams like the skin of 
  a drow. The mushroom blossoms with flower-like buds, and 
  each of the buds opens to reveal a vaguely face-like bloom. 
  Through the use of magics typically utilized by dark elven 
  druids, the living might converse with the precious fungi as if 
  they were speaking with deceased, drawing upon knowledge 
  the dead drow possessed in life. As this magic 
  summons up the latent memories of the dead drow 
  and not her soul itself, nothing of the corpse’s 
  personality remains and her secrets are bared to 
  any with the magic to draw them forth.
  The drow-faced blooms of the flesh-
  gardens are, the sporecrafters state, 
  a mimicking of the original form, 
  not a resurrection or recreation of 
  the living being. The soul of a loy-
  al drow, regardless of social class, 
  is consigned to the care of its 
  patron demon. What happens 
  to it after it reaches this new 
  master is left for theolo-
  gians to discuss.
  Pain 
  taSter
  For some, whether 
  by their own choice 
  or 
  the 
  will 
  of 
  another 
  who 
  is 
  more 
  powerful, 
  a 
  willingness 
  to serve their vile 
  patrons with every 
  bit of strength and loyalty they 
  can muster is not enough. Sometimes 
  such service calls for more than an 
  ordinary mortal body can withstand. 
  To this end was created the pain 
  taster. 
  Largely 
  unknown 
  among 
  surface-dwellers, the pain taster is a 
  prestige class that has existed among 
  the drow of the Darklands for untold 
  centuries, though it is possible that 
  Zon-Kuthon and other evil deities 
  might have secret sects of them. 
  This prestige class is usually 
  applied somewhat against the 
  will of the recipient, usually 
  after suffering through some 
  terrible physical torture and developing an obsession with 
  pain as a result. Masochistic individuals who relish the feel 
  of the lash might also take this class as a means of increasing 
  their own personal prowess. To become a pain taster, a 
  special ritual is performed that involves extensive torture 
  and conditioning of the mind. The priestesses of the drow 
  excel at this sort of activity. The agony is so intense that the 
  recipient must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or die in the 
  process. Alternatively, the recipient can choose to forego the 
  Fortitude save and instead make a DC 20 Will save in the 
  ultimate exercise of mind over body. Once again, failure 
  results in death, but, if successful, the recipient receives 
  a permanent 1 point increase to his Constitution, having 
  discovered new depths of willpower in himself.
  Barbarians take to this class most readily, though 
  many fighters do so as well. Interestingly, the third most 
  numerous class to become pain tasters are fantastically 
  rare drow monks, who embrace its doctrine of will 
  over physical hardship, followed by clerics devoted 
  to some demonic liege. Though rangers are well 
  suited for it, they rarely follow this path. Other 
  classes typically avoid the path of the pain taster as 
  a distasteful, if not an outright insane, pursuit.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a pain taster, a character 
  must fulfill all of the following 
  criteria:
  Feats: Diehard, Endurance, Great 
  Fortitude.
  Skills: Concentration 4 ranks, 
  Intimidate 8 ranks.
  Alignment: Any nongood.
  Special: The candidate must survive 
  a special ritual designed to inure him 
  to pain.
  Class Features
  As they advance in the class, pain tasters 
  become more adept at absorbing injury 
  without 
  detriment. 
  Ultimately, 
  they 
  learn to use the anger caused by their injuries 
  to increase their own strength and combat 
  abilities. The following are class features of the 
  pain taster.
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Pain tasters 
  gain proficiency with all simple and martial 
  weapons and with the whip. Pain tasters are 
  particularly adept with whips, and they 
  can choose to inflict lethal damage with 
  a whip rather than nonlethal damage. 
  They gain no additional proficiency with 
  armor or shields.
  
  61
  Drow of Golarion
  Masochism (Ex): You have a perverse tolerance for pain 
  that grants you a +4 circumstance bonus on saving throws 
  against pain effects (such as that caused by symbol of pain 
  or other effects especially noted to cause pain) and gives 
  you damage reduction 5/— against nonlethal damage. You 
  gain a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls and weapon 
  damage rolls anytime you have sustained lethal damage in 
  the previous round (whether self-inflicted or otherwise).
  Disciple of Pain (Su): A pain taster gains insight 
  into the mysteries of self-torture and torment. Upon 
  becoming a pain taster, he gains access to the following 
  routines. When he first performs a routine, he must 
  spend an hour and 2,000 gp to prepare himself in the 
  proper way. After that, he may spend an hour performing 
  that routine to gain its benefits for 1 day. Once he has 
  prepared himself to perform a specific routine, he can 
  perform the same routine every day without spending 
  the 2,000 gp again. If at any time he wishes to change 
  his routine, he must spend another hour and 2,000 gp 
  to prepare himself for a different daily routine. He must 
  repay the preparation costs for his former routine if he 
  ever wishes to return to it. A pain taster can only benefit 
  from one routine at a time.
  Disciple of Acuity: By spending an hour performing a 
  regimen of increasingly difficult mental exercises while 
  clutching a length of razor-edged metal, the pain taster 
  gains a +2 enhancement bonus to Intelligence for 1 day. 
  Initial preparation for this routine involves obtaining 
  and scribing exercises from rare tomes of mnemonic 
  insight, which are rendered useless for this purpose in 
  repeat uses.
  Disciple of Flexibility: By spending an hour performing 
  complex stretches, the ascetic of self gains a +2 enhancement 
  bonus to Dexterity for 1 day. Initial preparation for this 
  routine involves purchasing, then bursting a complex 
  personal restraint.
  Disciple of Insight: By spending an hour performing 
  a regimen of deep meditation, the ascetic of self gains 
  a +2 enhancement bonus to Wisdom for 1 day. Initial 
  preparation for this routine involves obtaining and 
  burning a number of rare incenses.
  Disciple of Spirit: By spending an hour reciting famed 
  monologues and self-affirmations, the ascetic of self gains 
  a +2 enhancement bonus to Charisma for 1 day. Initial 
  preparation for this routine involves memorizing the 
  words of various obscure texts, which are then burnt as a 
  symbol of self confidence.
  Disciple of Torment: By spending an hour performing 
  deliberate physical self-tortures, the ascetic of self gains 
  a +2 enhancement bonus to Constitution for 1 day. Initial 
  preparation for this routine involves purchasing a set of 
  custom-made, incredibly sharp but fragile knives and 
  needles, which are destroyed after their initial use.
  Disciple of Vigor: By spending an hour performing 
  vigorous physical exercises, the ascetic of self gains a 
  +2 enhancement bonus to Strength for 1 day. Initial 
  preparation for this routine involves purchasing, then 
  ceremonially breaking a number of sturdy and precisely 
  weighted steel weights.
  Cruelty (Ex): At 2nd level, a pain taster gains the sneak 
  attack ability, but only when using slashing weapons. This 
  additional damage stacks with any sneak attack damage he 
  may possess from other classes.
  A pain taster is particularly adept at delivering cruelty 
  damage with a whip. As long as he chooses to inflict lethal 
  damage with his whip, he inflicts cruelty damage on 
  every strike. If he has sneak attack as well, the additional 
  sneak attack damage only applies if the conditions for a 
  successful sneak attack are met as well. When attacking 
  with a whip using cruelty, the pain taster ignores the 
  restriction on damaging creatures with high armor or 
  natural armor bonuses.
  At 4th level, the pain taster inflicts +2d6 points of 
  damage whenever he strikes with cruelty.
  Damage Reduction (Ex): Upon reaching 2nd level, the 
  pain tester gains the ability to shrug off some amount of 
  injury from each blow or attack. Subtract 1 from the damage 
  he takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon of 
  natural attack. At 5th level, this damage reduction rises 
  by 1 point. This damage reduction stacks with any other 
  damage reduction you may already have as a class feature 
  (such as damage reduction gained from barbarian levels).
  PAin TAsTer 
  hd d10
   
  Base Attack Bonus 
  Fort Save 
  Ref Save 
  Will Save 
  Special
  1st 
  +1 
  +2 
  +0 
  +0 
  Masochism, disciple of pain
  2nd 
  +2 
  +3 
  +0 
  +0 
  Cruelty +1d6, damage reduction 1/—
  3rd 
  +3 
  +3 
  +1 
  +1 
  Blood control, uncanny dodge
  4th 
  +4 
  +4 
  +1 
  +1 
  Cruelty +2d6, damage reduction 2/—
  5th 
  +5 
  +4 
  +1 
  +1 
  Pain mastery
  Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), 
  Jump (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex)
  
  62
  Second Darkness
  Blood Control (Ex): At 3rd level, the pain taster gains 
  precise control over the movement of blood within his 
  body. Any attack that deals hit point or Constitution 
  damage through bleeding (such as a bat swarm, stirge, 
  or vampire’s bite) reduces its damage by 1 point per 
  round per class level (minimum 0). This applies even 
  to bleeding damage from magical sources such as a 
  wounding weapon. 
  In addition, a pain taster can delay the effects of injury 
  poisons by attempting a Concentration check as a free 
  action. The DC of this check is equal to the poison’s save 
  DC. If the pain taster makes the Concentration check, the 
  poison’s initial and secondary damage are both delayed 
  by 1 minute.
  Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 3rd level, a pain taster can 
  react to danger before his senses would normally allow 
  him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) 
  even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible 
  attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC 
  if immobilized. If a pain taster already has uncanny dodge 
  from a different class, he automatically gains improved 
  uncanny dodge instead.
  Pain Mastery (Ex): At 5th level, the pain taster’s tolerance 
  and enjoyment of pain increases his resistance to nonlethal 
  damage so that he now has damage reduction 10/— against 
  all nonlethal damage. He also gains a +2 circumstance 
  bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls anytime 
  he sustains lethal damage in the previous round (whether 
  self-inflicted or otherwise).
  Furthermore, the pain taster can now combine two 
  routines when he uses his disciple of pain ability. The time 
  and cost required remains the same, but he can combine 
  the bonuses of two routines into one. Alternatively, he 
  can double any one routine, gaining a +4 enhancement 
  bonus to an ability score rather than two +2 enhancement 
  bonuses to any two scores.
  Demonic initiate
  Beyond the petty cruelties of mortals and the fickle 
  whims of gods watch beings of indescribable foulness. 
  
  63
  Drow of Golarion
  From lairs secreted amid the very bowels of existence, 
  these princes of the demon race rage with the primal 
  madness of demon kind and plot insane ends to all 
  reality. Individuals of indescribable might, kin to gods, 
  and whispered horrors of profane lore, the demon lords 
  seek to tip the balance of the planes toward the spiral 
  of devastation. For every soul that raises a voice in 
  obeisance and sacrifices his kin to honor the darkness, 
  these foul lords of the Abyss spread their eternal taint. 
  And for such foul devotion, they reward crazed mortals 
  with demonic might and control over all manner of 
  depravities. Yet these lords of the Outer Rifts merely 
  lend their powers, for in the end, the souls of their 
  devoted are the first to be consumed.
  Demonic initiate is a prestige class for those who seek 
  to worship and gain power from a specific demon lord. 
  Cultists, crazed mages, foul priests, and thaumaturges 
  delight in the adoration of demons and bargining for 
  their might. Depending on which demon lord a demonic 
  initiate devotes herself to, her suite of powers and 
  resistance changes. Yet, in the end, all demonic initiates 
  are damned, their souls claimed by their dark patrons 
  upon their deaths.
  Aside from the typical requirements necessary to 
  qualify for this prestige class, any who wish to take 
  levels in demonic initiate must foreswear themselves to 
  the worship of a particular demon lord. This is a profane 
  acknowledgment of devotion, typically involving a 
  sacrifice of the character’s blood before a congregation 
  of the demon lord’s cultists or a servant of the demon 
  lord itself. Upon performing such a rite, a character  
  who meets the class’s requirements may become a 
  demonic initiate.
  Currently, only the twelve demon lords worshiped by 
  the drow are presented as options for the demonic initiate, 
  but more fiendish patrons and types of demonic initiates 
  certainly exist; see Pathfinder #18 for further examples.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a demonic initiate, a character must 
  fulfill all of the following criteria:
  Feats: Iron Will.
  Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 8 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks.
  Alignment: Chaotic evil.
  Special: Foresworn to a demonic patron.
  Class Features
  As they progress, demonic initiates are drawn deeper 
  into the mysteries and profanities of their foul patrons, 
  trading ever more significant portions of their souls for 
  access to greater fiendish power. The greatest demonic 
  initiates foreswear themselves completely to their chosen 
  Abyssal master, becoming irredeemable slaves to these 
  princes of evil. The following are class features of the 
  demonic initiates.
  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Demonic initiates 
  gain proficiency with all simple weapons and with their 
  demonic patron’s favored weapon. They gain no additional 
  proficiency with armor or shields.
  Abyssal Resistance: At 1st level, a demonic initiate 
  gains a measure of resilience against the chosen perils or 
  pains most commonly employed by her demon lord. This 
  resistance varies depending on the character’s patron.
  Dark Mark: Demonic initiates innately recognize 
  those dedicated to their Abyssal patron. All demonic 
  initiates recognize other demonic initiates of the same 
  demon lord as well as demons in the service of their  
  lord. This does not allow them to immediately recognize 
  all creatures who worship their patron, merely the  
  most fanatical.
  Spells Per Day: From 2nd level on, when a new 
  demonic initiate level is gained, the character gains new 
  spells per day as if she had also gained a level in whatever 
  spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the 
  prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other 
  benefit a character of that class would have gained. This 
  essentially means that she adds the level of demonic 
  initiate to the level of whatever other arcane spellcasting 
  class the character has, then determines spells per day 
  and caster level accordingly.
  Demonic Boon, Lesser: At 2nd level, a demonic 
  initiate gains the lesser of two demonic boons from 
  demonic iniTiATe 
  hd d8
   
  Base Attack Bonus 
  Fort Save 
  Ref Save 
  Will Save 
  Special 
  Spells Per Day
  1st 
  +0 
  +2 
  +0 
  +2 
  Abyssal resistance, dark mark 
  —
  2nd 
  +1 
  +3 
  +0 
  +3 
  Demonic boon (lesser) 
  +1 level of existing class
  3rd 
  +2 
  +3 
  +1 
  +3 
  Abyssal tongue 
  +1 level of existing class
  4th 
  +3 
  +4 
  +1 
  +4 
  Summon demonic ally 
  +1 level of existing class
  5th 
  +3 
  +4 
  +1 
  +4 
  Damnation, demonic boon (greater)  
  +1 level of existing class
  Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (religion) (Int), 
  Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Cha)
  
  64
  Second Darkness
  her patron. This dark gift typically takes the form of a 
  number of spell-like abilities, each of which the demonic 
  initiate can utilize once per day. The demonic initiate’s 
  caster level for these spell-like abilities equals her total 
  character level.
  Abyssal Tongue: Beginning at 3rd level, a demonic 
  initiate may communicate in a way that is only understood 
  by those foresworn to the same demonic patron as her. 
  This includes thaumaturges, other demonic initiates, and 
  demons that worship the same demon lord.
  Summon Demonic Ally: Once per day, starting at 
  4th level, a demonic initiate can cast summon monster to 
  conjure a demon in service to her patron. The summoning 
  spell’s strength depends on the demonic initiate’s class 
  level, with a 4th-level demonic initiate able to use summon 
  monster IV, and a 5th-lvel demonic initiate able to use 
  summon monster V.
  Damnation: Upon dying, a 5th-level demonic initiate’s 
  soul is claimed by her demonic patron. The creature 
  cannot be returned to life by any means unless the demon 
  lord she worships allows it.
  Demonic Boon, Greater: At 5th level, the demonic 
  initiate’s patron demon lord grants her a second, more 
  significant boon. What this boon entails varies between 
  demon lords. 
  Abraxas
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane bonus 
  equal to your class level on saves made to resist 
  effects that employ a written medium, such as 
  sepia snake sigil or symbol of death. 
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast augury, 
  identify, and illusory script as spell-like abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater Heretical Revelation: Three times per 
  day, you may whisper a terrible secret of reality to an adjacent 
  target as a standard action. The target must make a Will 
  save or be affected by one of three effects of your choosing. 
  The Will save DC to resist any of your revelations is 15 + your 
  Intelligence modifier.
  Charm: Affects the target as per the spell charm monster, lasting 
  for a number of hours equal to your Intelligence modifier.
  Confusion: Affects the target as per the spell confusion, lasting 
  for a number or rounds equal to your Intelligence modifier.
  Nausea: The target becomes nauseated for a number of rounds 
  equal to your Intelligence modifier.
  Andirifkhu
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane  
  bonus equal to your class level on saves  
  made to avoid traps.
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast  
  fire trap, magic weapon, and snare as  
  spell-like abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater Any living creature you damage with 
  a slashing or piercing weapon continues to bleed, losing 1 hit 
  point per round thereafter. Multiple wounds do not result in 
  cumulative bleeding loss. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 
  10 Heal check or the application of a cure spell or some other 
  healing magic.
  Areshkagal
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane 
  bonus equal to your class level on saves 
  made to resist sonic or language-dependent 
  effects, like a bard’s suggestion or a harpy’s 
  captivating song.
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast hold portal, magic mouth, 
  and touch of idiocy as spell-like abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater Once per day, as a free action, you may 
  pass through one door and come out another elsewhere. This 
  effect functions as the spell dimension door, but may only be 
  activated as you pass through a door, archway, window, or  
  other portal. You can exit through any portal you know of  
  within 500 feet.
  Cyth-V’sug
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane bonus 
  equal to your class level on saves made to resist 
  any effect that causes nausea.
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast hold person, 
  ray of enfeeblement, and warp wood as spell-like 
  abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater Three times per day, as a standard 
  action, you can make a touch attack against an opponent. If your 
  attack succeeds, the target takes 4d6 points of damage, which 
  you gain as temporary hit points. These temporary hit points 
  disappear 1 hour later.
  Flauros
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane bonus 
  equal to your class level on saves made to resist 
  all fire-based spells or effects.
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast burning 
  hands, flaming sphere, and pyrotechnics as spell-
  like abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater You gain fire resistance 10.
  Haagenti
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane bonus 
  equal to your class level on saves made to resist 
  transmutation spells and effects.
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast blindness/
  deafness, enlarge person, and reduce person as 
  spell-like abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater You gain a malleable form and may 
  employ alter self as a spell-like ability at will.
  
  65
  Drow of Golarion
  Jubilex
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane bonus 
  equal to your class level on saves made to 
  resist poison.
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast curse 
  water, detect poison, and ghoul touch as spell-like 
  abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater Three times per day, as a free action, you 
  may add the effects of the spell poison to any melee attack that just 
  dealt damage. The target of your attack receives a Fortitude save to 
  resist the effects of the spell as normal. The save DC to resist your 
  poison is 15 + your Constitution modifier.
  Mazmezz
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane bonus 
  equal to your class level on all skill and grapple 
  checks made to escape bindings or grapples. 
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast animate 
  rope, summon swarm, and web as spell-like 
  abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater You gain a climb speed equal to half your 
  base land speed. In addition, you can communicate with all vermin 
  similarly to the spell speak with animals.
  Nocticula
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane bonus 
  equal to your class level on all Will saves made to 
  resist spells of the charm subschool and against 
  blindness effects.
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast charm 
  person, darkness, and darkvision as spell-like abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater Three times per day, as a free action, you 
  may add the effects of the spell blindness to any ranged attack that 
  just dealt damage. The target of your attack receives a Fortitude 
  save to resist the effects of the spell as normal. The save DC to 
  resist this blindness is 15 + your Wisdom modifier.
  Shax 
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane bonus 
  equal to your class level on all Will saves made to 
  resist illusions of the figment subschool.
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast disguise 
  self, invisibility, and true strike as spell-like 
  abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater You gain sneak attack +3d6 as per a 
  rogue. Your sneak attack damage stacks with other character levels 
  you possess.
  Socothbenoth
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane bonus 
  equal to your class level on all Will saves made 
  to resist enchantments of the compulsion 
  subschool.
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast alter self, 
  hypnotism, and suggestion as spell-like abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater Your enchantment spells and spell-like 
  abilities become hard to resist, granting you a +1 bonus to their 
  save DCs.
  Zura
  Abyssal Resistance You gain a profane bonus 
  equal to your class level on all saves made 
  to resist the supernatural abilities of undead 
  creatures.
  Demonic Boon, Lesser You can cast cause fear, 
  deathwatch, and spider climb as spell-like abilities once per day.
  Demonic Boon, Greater Once per day, you may draw power from 
  the blood of your victims. You may drink the blood of any creature 
  with a CR less than 2 lower than your character level and who has 
  been dead for less than an hour. For example, a cleric 10/ demonic 
  initiate 5 receives a the benefit of draining blood from creatures 
  of CR 13 or higher. Drinking a creature’s blood takes 1 minute but 
  grants you the benefits of the spell death knell for 1 hour.
  drow demon Lords
  Demon 
  AL 
  Portfolios 
  Domains 
  Favored Weapon
  Abraxas 
  CE 
  forbidden lore, magic 
  Chaos, Evil, Knowledge, Magic 
  whip
  Andirifkhu 
  CE 
  knives, traps 
  Chaos, Evil, Luck, Trickery  
  kukri
  Areshkagal 
  CE 
  portals, riddles 
  Air, Chaos, Evil, Trickery 
  sickle
  Cyth-V’sug 
  CE 
  fungus, parasites 
  Chaos, Earth, Evil, Plant 
  scimitar
  Flauros 
  CE 
  fire, salamanders 
  Chaos, Evil, Fire, War 
  spear
  Haagenti 
  CE 
  alchemy, transformation 
  Chaos, Creation, Evil, Strength 
  axe
  Jubilex 
  CE 
  ooze, poison 
  Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Water 
  heavy mace
  Mazmezz 
  CE 
  bindings, vermin 
  Animal*, Chaos, Destruction, Evil  
  flail
  Nocticula 
  CE 
  darkness, lust 
  Chaos, Charm, Evil, Darkness 
  hand crossbow
  Shax 
  CE 
  lies, murder 
  Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Trickery 
  dagger
  Socothbenoth 
  CE 
  perversion, taboos 
  Chaos, Charm, Evil, Travel 
  quarterstaff
  Zura 
  CE 
  cannibalism, vampires 
  Chaos, Death, Evil, Madness 
  rapier
  *Spells of the Animal domain affect vermin as well when cast by a priest of Mazmezz.
  
  66
  Second Darkness
  T
  he ancient elven city of Celwynvian held many 
  wonders, not the least of which was the Coliseum 
  of Mask and Lyre. Open to elves of all stations, the 
  conservatory’s graduates were renowned for their technical 
  acumen and breadth of their repertoire. Yet all things come to 
  an end, and in the wake of Earthfall the elves abandoned the 
  Coliseum as they did all of Golarion. Millennia later, chambers 
  previously filled with music now shelter choking vines and 
  skittering vermin. Yet stranger things lurk here as well, and 
  what once granted inspiration as a muse of music now takes 
  form in smoke and shadow and hunger. Even in a city long 
  lost to tragedy and beset by enemies, those who wander what 
  remains of the City of Emerald Rains avoid these echoing halls, 
  deeming it over all others a cursed, haunted place.
  “Lament for Emerald Rains” is an adventure for four 7th-
  level characters. In addition to working as a stand-alone 
  adventure, this Set Piece can supplement this month’s 
  Adventure Path installment, “The Armageddon Echo,” or 
  any campaign that might benefit from an ancient ruin.
  Adventure Hooks
  PCs might be compelled to explore the ruins of the Coliseum 
  of Mask and Lyre for numerous reasons. Adventure hooks 
  marked with an asterisk might prove especially useful to 
  GMs running “The Armageddon Echo.” 
  Music Hath Charms: When the elves abandoned 
  Celwynvian millennia ago, the residents of the conservatory 
  could not take all of their famed musical instruments with 
  them. They stored the most precious of these instruments 
  beneath the building to reclaim later. Farisein Tolinvinaar, 
  an ambassador from the elven kingdom of Kyonin, would 
  like to see the instruments returned to elven hands. 
  Meanwhile, Jillarmo Carez, a minor Taldan noble, has 
  heard these stories and desires the relics for his own 
  personal collection. Either patron would pay handsomely 
  for the retrieval of such priceless relics.
  *The Muse’s Revenge: Elven scouts (or perhaps even the 
  PCs themselves) report seeing a light inside the ruins of 
  the Coliseum of Mask and Lyre. Eviana, the leader of the 
  set PIeCe
  Lament for Emerald Rains
  
  67
  elves of Crying Leaf, believes this light must be the “spirit 
  of creativity” that, according to ancient tales, dwelt within 
  the school. She entreats the PCs to make contact with 
  the spirit and see if it might become an ally of the elves 
  defending Celwynvian. (The light is actually the resident 
  will-o’-wisp, though the muse—the ghost Jochareil—will 
  likely make her presence known.)
  Raiders of the Lost Art: Aetheri Irvos (NG female 
  elf expert 6), an elven sage and artist, learned of the 
  remarkable quality of the Coliseum of Mask and Lyre’s 
  frescoes in an ancient text and desires to copy them 
  for further study. She hires the PCs to defend her and 
  her assistant from whatever dangers might lurk in the  
  ruins. Meanwhile, her assistant, Thistle (CN male 
  elf rogue 3) is looking for easily pocketed relics to 
  supplement his salary. Aerheri wishes to visit every 
  room on the conservatory’s main floor, and revealing 
  the frescoes likely means removing some of the ruin’s 
  more invasive overgrowth.
  *Music of the Night: The scouts of Captain Kaerishiel 
  Neirenar report having seen dark-robed drow wizards 
  slipping into the Coliseum of Mask and Lyre several times 
  over the past week. The elves have no knowledge of the dark 
  elves’ designs on the conservatory, but Captain Kaerishiel 
  asks the PCs to discern their enemies’ intentions before 
  ordering an attack. (The drow have attempted to charm 
  the gray render lairing in the conservatory more than 
  once, meeting bloody ends each time. The bodies in area 3 
  are all that remain of their failures.)
  tHe ColIseum of mAsk  
  And lyre
  Unless otherwise noted, the conservatory has the following 
  common features.
  Ceilings: The main hall and mezzanine level have 
  20-foot-high ceilings, while the ceiling in area 3 rises 
  more than 35 feet above the floor.
  Walls: Although only a hand’s width thick, the walls 
  throughout the conservatory are of exceptional quality 
  (hardness 8, 90 hp per 6 inches, Break DC 35, Climb DC 15).
  Doors: Most of the conservatory’s stone doors have 
  weathered the ages well (hardness 8, 40 hp, Break DC 23).
  Illumination: Shattered domes and large cracks 
  provide shadowy illumination within the conservatory 
  during the day. The reception hall also receives partial 
  light during the day. The basement is dark.
  1. Forecourt
  Stone benches—a few still serviceable—surround this sizable, 
  domed building’s semicircular forecourt. The courtyard’s 
  stones are buckled and rent by tenacious plants. Glimpses 
  Oh stars, and air, and breath of being,/Muses of whispers and ether’s songs.  
  Oh moon, and boughs, and waters fleeing,/Grant me the voice of heavenly throng.
  In Emerald Rains sky deep and strong,/By falls’ light kiss and vernal excess,
  Amid lark-sung bowers we belong,/asleep, pale poets, in Yuelral’s caress.
  Our notes we raise in strident address/Our instruments singing your story.
  Our boundless devotion to impress/Our hearts reflections of your glory.
  In eternal Rains we take our pleasure/Our home, our city, our fair treasure.
  —“Hope for Emerald Rains,” translated from the traditional Elven
  Monstrous Music Lovers
  A number of dangerous creatures have taken up residence 
  within the Coliseum of Mask and Lyre.
  Ghost: The ghost Jochareil lurks in the ossuary, lamenting 
  the past. She ignores most noise from the ruins above, but 
  should she hear actual vocal or instrumental music, she rises to 
  kill whatever creature intrudes upon her mournful memories. 
  Jochareil does not consider the will-o’-wisp’s noises music.
  Gray Render: The gray render occupying the conservatory 
  has bonded to the will-o’-wisp that haunts the ruin. At night, 
  it roams area 3, peacefully listening to the creature’s weird 
  humming music. Should the music stop, though, the render 
  becomes enraged. 
  During the day, there’s a 70% chance the gray render is off 
  hunting in the city and surrounding forest. Every hour before 
  dusk there’s a 20% chance it returns. If spending the day in 
  the ruin, the monster wanders between areas 1, 2, and 3.
  Will-o’-wisp: The will-o’-wisp has developed a symbiotic 
  relationship with a local gray render. Every evening it floats 
  around the conservatory, shedding its ghostly light and 
  humming with strange music. Aside from attracting the 
  occasional curious creature, the music enthralls the gray render. 
  Once a potential victim is close, it stops its music, which sends 
  the render into a rage. The resulting terror sustains the will-o’-
  wisp, and the render enjoys the music and extra food.
  The will-o’-wisp performs from just after dusk to near 
  dawn, spending the time floating about areas 3 and 5. During 
  the day, though, it invisibly rests in area 8, though it might be 
  attracted to noises elsewhere in the conservatory.
  
  68
  Second Darkness
  of intricate stone carvings peer out from the building’s vine-
  covered façade like faces behind green veils. A large, half open 
  stone doorway reveals a gloomy interior, as does a section of 
  collapsed wall to the east.
  This area is the main entrance to the conservatory. 
  Although the forecourt doubled on occasion as an outdoor 
  theater, it was used daily as a place for students and faculty 
  to gather between classes. The de facto stage often hosted 
  impromptu performances.
  A DC 14 Search check of the area reveals that the doorframe 
  is damaged, as if something large has forced its way inside.
  2. Render’s Lair (EL 8)
  The stone door to this room has been torn off its ancient 
  hinges and lies amid the dust and vines nearby.
  The scent of sweat and a thick animal musk dominates this small 
  room. A large mound of leaves, rotting wood, and shattered 
  statuary lies heaped in the corner.
  Once a simple cloakroom, this chamber now serves as a 
  bed for the conservatory’s resident gray render. The rotting 
  vegetation serves as a cozy bed for the creature, while it 
  simply enjoys the statuary—having a particular affection 
  for sculpted stone hands.
  Creatures: When it is not hunting in the ruined city 
  or wandering area 3 listening to the will-o’-wisp, the 
  gray render spends much of its time lounging about the 
  forecourt or sleeping here. Should the PCs encounter the 
  creature, it defends its territory, bellowing in an attempt to 
  scare intruders off. If they don’t flee, the render attacks.
  Clever PCs might know about a gray render’s bonding 
  instincts with a DC 18 Knowledge (arcana) or DC 20 Bardic 
  Knowledge check. This particular render is bonded to the 
  will-o’-wisp that inhabits area 8, and it spends much of 
  the evening enrapt with the aberration’s eerie music and 
  flashing lights. Should another creature make a DC 12 
  Perform check, the gray render becomes docile for as long 
  as the music continues and it remains unthreatened.
  Gray Render 
  CR 8
  hp 125 (MM 138)
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat The gray render fights to defend its territory, 
  making frequent use of Improved Bull Rush and Power Attack.
  Morale The gray render usually flees if reduced below 25 hp, but 
  fights to the death if the will-o’-wisp is active nearby.
  3. Main Hall (EL 4 or 9)
  Despite a number of fallen and crumbling supports, a multitude 
  of stable marble columns holds the ceiling aloft. Mold and fungi 
  seem to grow in every corner and crevice, and the scent of rot and 
  dusty air gives the sizeable hall the feeling of unnatural closeness. 
  Several ancient stone doors provide access to numerous other 
  rooms and to the south stands a vine-tangled platform.
  Rats and vermin skitter amid the overgrowth that has 
  invaded this chamber. The platform to the south once 
  allowed featured performers to entertain students going to 
  and from their studies, but aside from vine-hidden images of 
  songbirds, no evidence of this remains.
  Anyone who wanders the hall finds two thoroughly 
  dismembered drow corpses against the northeastern wall of 
  the hall. These are the remains of a pair of drow wizards who 
  had hoped to magically coax the conservatory’s gray render 
  into their service. Needless to say, they failed. The gray render 
  gnawed a bit upon the corpses but, disliking the flavor of 
  drow flesh, has otherwise left the bodies to rot here.
  Creatures: The conservatory’s resident will-o’-wisp and 
  gray render nightly roam these halls. An encounter with 
  these two beasts is EL 9. 
  Also, at any time, shocker lizards might be found 
  hunting the vermin that infest the hall. Any time they pass 
  through the hall, the PCs have a 60% chance of stumbling 
  across 1d4 shocker lizards, an EL 4 encounter on average.
  shocker Lizards 
  CR 2
  hp 13 each (MM 224)
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat If approached (even accidentally), the shocker lizards 
  hiss and shoot stunning shocks at whoever disturbed them. 
  
  69
  Lament for Emerald Rains
  Morale The lizards continue to attack until the interloper leaves or 
  falls unconcious. They flee to area 10 should they take any damage.
  Treasure: Anyone who makes a DC 12 Search check of 
  the drow corpses here finds a pair of masterwork daggers, 
  a potion of darkness, 60 gold pieces, and a brief note written 
  in Undercommon that contains orders to enchant the 
  beast that lairs in “the domed ruin at the end of the city’s 
  northwestern arm.”
  4. Starry Hall
  This oblong chamber is about twenty-five feet long and half as 
  wide, with a doorway at either end and a riser of stone benchers 
  along the eastern wall. A continuous fresco of starry skies runs 
  the circumference of the room, obscured by unpleasant patches 
  of mold and mildew. 
  Devoid of trappings, only the murals along the walls 
  distinguish these former classrooms. To fully examine 
  these frescoes, the layers of mold must be carefully 
  removed—a simple process that requires 5 minutes of effort 
  per 5-foot square, 50 minutes for the entire chamber. If the 
  PCs are escorting someone interested in the conservatory’s 
  art, this area is particular intriguing. 
  5. Rotunda (EL 7)
  Motes of dust drift lazily through this airy chamber. A dome 
  rises high overhead, through which tangled vines tumble 
  like leafy curtains. Across from a pair of sturdy stone doors 
  engraved with chipped images of idealized elven dancers 
  lie the dilapidated, weed-covered remains of some complex 
  stone and metal device.
  This chamber once served as the conservatory’s most 
  impressive recital hall, the dome above allowing the colors 
  of the sun and moon to compliment the performance of 
  ancient elven masters. Against the far wall squats what has 
  survived of a hydraulis—a type of pipe organ employing 
  flowing water to compress air in the wind chamber. A 
  protuberance on the wall beneath the organ contains 
  pipes that convey water from an underground source to 
  and from the wind chamber. Although half collapsed, as 
  a testament to elven workmanship, the instrument can 
  still be partially played provided one or more stops are 
  removed. Any character with ranks in Perform (keyboard) 
  can recognize this and make the simple repair. Once fixed, 
  a faint hum fills the room. If a key is then depressed, the 
  pipes emit a loud note, which can be heard  throughout 
  the conservatory.
  Creatures: Four assassin vines lurk in the room, 
  constricting pillars or hanging from the dome above, 
  concealed by mundane creepers. These four hidden 
  menaces might be located anywhere in the room that the 
  GM so chooses.
  In addition to the assassin vines lurking here, making 
  use of the hydraulis poses an unexpected danger. The 
  sound of music in the halls above attracts the attention of 
  the ghost Jochareil languishing in area 11, who comes to 
  investigate and torment intruders. There’s also a possibility 
  that creatures outside the conservatory might be drawn 
  to the strange noises emanating from the ruin. There’s a 
  20% chance for every round the hydraulis is played that 
  a wandering monster (see page 81) comes in search of the 
  noise’s source.
  assassin Vines (4) 
   
  CR 3
  hp 30 each (MM 20)
  6. Evening Auditorium (EL 6)
  This chamber is a half-dome projecting out from the 
  conservatory, decorated with overgrown scenes of elves 
  attending to everyday activities accompanied by musicians. 
  Something glitters among these reliefs. High on the dome, 
  nearly thirty feet overhead, the ceiling—spider-webbed with 
  deep cracks—lets in natural light and hanging vines.
  The dome’s faded fresco depicts activities that typically 
  occur in the afternoon or evening. As in area 4, these vines 
  can be cleared with little effort, though they require an 
  hour to fully remove. Those who clear away the vines find 
  flecks of blue, green, and violet quartz crystal studding 
  the eye sockets of the reliefs. These gemstones can be 
  pried out of the walls with any pointed tool or weapon 
  and a DC 12 Strength check. A DC 14 Search check reveals 
  4d8 of these gems, worth 1d4 gp a piece. Repeated Search 
  checks discover no additional gems.
  Trap: An unintentional trap has formed in this chamber: 
  the ceiling is about to collapse. Only a few dead vines 
  outside the hall are currently keeping the roof together, 
  and any significant vibration threatens to dislodge them. 
  There is a 20% chance any round that a creature below 
  makes a loud noise, strikes the room’s walls, or tries to 
  dislodge a gem from the walls, that the ceiling’s center 
  collapses, affecting every square below that doesn’t touch a 
  wall. A PC might notice the dangerous ceiling with a DC 22 
  Spot check (includes a +2 modifier for the ceiling’s distance 
  from the ground). Characters with ranks in Knowledge 
  (architecture and engineering) or stonecunning get a +2 
  bonus on this check.
  Collapsing Ceiling
  Type mechanical; search DC 20; Disable Device DC 18
  EffECTs
  Trigger touch; Reset no reset
  
  70
  Second Darkness
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  Effect atk +20 melee (8d6 stone blocks); multiple targets (all 
  targets in the center of area 6)
  7. Hall of the Heavenly Ode
  A pair of stone double doors stand at either end of this 
  crumbling, roughly ovular chamber. Two small platforms 
  rise up from the floor, surrounded by stacked stone benches. 
  From the walls, obscured by vines and streaks of dirty 
  rainwater, protrude reliefs of elven pipers, swirling music, 
  and soaring dragons. 
  This hall once served as a classroom where two experienced 
  lecturers would instruct an assembly of students. If the PCs 
  are interested in the conservatory’s art or with someone 
  who is, this area is particularly significant. The vines here 
  can be removed just as in area 4.
  Treasure: The walls of this room bear a strange sort 
  of treasure. Anyone who can read Elven and has ranks 
  in Perform recognizes the swirling patterns upon the 
  walls as notations for elven music. The notes record the 
  original version of a famed work known as “Heaven in 
  Ode.” Anyone who was raised among elves and hears this 
  music played recognizes it—it’s an especially pervasive 
  traditional work. Should a character spend 10 minutes 
  copying the music upon the walls, the work can be sold 
  to nearly any elven scholar or researcher—particularly 
  those of Crying Leaf—for upwards of 1,500 gp.
  8. Shrine (EL 6)
  This cylindrical room boasts a domed roof featuring many 
  gaps for long shattered windows amid fanciful carvings. 
  Across from the door stands a stone altar bearing the symbol 
  of a pointng hand surrounded by a rainbow. To the right, 
  water still trickles in an ancient fountain. The entirety of the 
  room was once painted in bright colors, but only a few faint 
  pastel flakes remain.
  This shrine is dedicated to Findeladlara, elven goddess 
  of the arts. The walls bear images of her worshipers raising 
  songs and holding festivals in her name.
  Those who investigate the altar find numerous holes 
  carved into its surface and an inscription in Elven: “In 
  their names we raise their songs. With their voices our 
  notes take flight. Never will we mourn their loss.” A DC 16 
  Search check also reveals a simple mechanism attached to 
  the altar, allowing it to move, though there is no apparent 
  trigger. Any PC with ranks in Perform (wind instruments) 
  or who makes a DC 16 Intelligence check realizes that the 
  
  71
  Lament for Emerald Rains
  holes on the altar are similar to those on a flute. Blowing 
  into the largest hole and making a DC 12 Perform (wind 
  instruments) check causes the altar to slide aside, revealing 
  the stairs to area 11. Alternatively, a DC 22 Disable Device 
  check also allows the altar to be pushed out of the way with 
  a DC 14 Strength check.
  Creatures: A self-absorbed will-o’-wisp claims the 
  conservatory—and this room in particular—as its lair. The 
  aberration sleeps here during the day (but combat elsewhere 
  in the conservatory might awaken it). It is absent at night, 
  as that is when it stalks the ruins and surrounding areas 
  in search of fearful creatures on which to feed. At dusk and 
  dawn, the will-o’-wisp has a habit of flitting about this room 
  singing for its own amusement. The will-o’-wisp is aware of 
  the gray render, but has no love for anything besides itself. 
  If the PCs mistake it for a benign creature, the will-o’-wisp 
  might play along, but will only lead them into danger.
  Will-o’-Wisp 
  CR 6 
  hp 40 (MM 255)
  TaCTiCs
  During Combat If the gray render is still alive, the will-o’-wisp 
  flees to its side and aids it in attacking its foes. If the brute 
  is unavailable, the will-o’-wisp makes a few harrying attacks 
  against the PCs, attempting to lure them toward the assassin 
  vines in area 5, the weak ceiling in area 6, or the shambling 
  mound in area 10, all the while sniping them with hit-and-run 
  shock attacks.
  Morale The will-o’-wisp flees if reduced to half its hit points.
  9. Moldering Hall (EL 6)
  Thick molds and rotting vines cover the walls of this rectangular 
  hall. Significantly sized cracks in the ceiling let stagnant 
  rainwater pool in places upon the floor except for where the 
  stone rises to form a small circular platform and escalating 
  shelves. The growths upon the walls rise and fall, as if hiding 
  something beneath.
  Once a classroom, water and overgrowth obscure this 
  chamber’s original purpose. The walls here are covered 
  in well-preserved ancient elven artistry depicting young 
  elven couples reclining amid a grove of fruiting trees. 
  This artwork, however, is now entirely hidden by moss and 
  mold. The overgrowth can be removed, allowing characters 
  to examine the reliefs below, in the same ways as in areas 
  4 and 7, but here it is a more dangerous prospect. Some 
  of the vegetation along the eastern wall is yellow mold. 
  Any character with ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) 
  can make a DC 14 Spot check to notice this deadly growth. 
  Anyone who disturbs it releases a cloud of poisonous 
  spores in a 10-foot radius (Fort DC 15, initial 1d6 Con; 
  secondary 2d6 Con; see DMG 76 for details). Fire destroys 
  yellow mold, but also damages the painting underneath. 
  Sunlight (natural or magical) renders the mold dormant.
  10. Morning Auditorium (EL 8)
  Scenes of elven musicians welcoming the dawning of the sun 
  surround this dilapidated chamber. Numerous man-sized heaps 
  of rotting plant material spill out of a large alcove in the near 
  wall and across the floor. Amid the leaves and piled branches 
  sparkle bits of stone and other baubles.
  The heaps here are mostly leaves and small twigs 
  collected by this room’s shocker lizard residents to build 
  their nests. A DC 15 Search check reveals a dozen shiny 
  shocker lizard eggs half buried amid the refuse—the heat 
  of decay acting as an incubator.
  Creatures: The chamber is home to a colony of shocker 
  lizards that hunts small prey in and around the conservatory. 
  At any time, five lizards are in the nest, the rest out hunting. A 
  shambling mound also inhabits the room, having wandered 
  into the conservatory months ago. It doesn’t eat the lizards 
  because it enjoys the mild shocks they give it. The two types 
  of monsters live in relatively harmony, avoiding each other 
  as much as possible while instinctively acknowledging the 
  other’s potential usefulness.
  shocker Lizards (5) 
  CR 2
  hp 13 each (MM 224)
  TaCTiCs
  Before Combat The lizards hiss at anyone who enters the room.
  During Combat Half the lizards stand on the heap, bringing them 
  eye-to-eye with most characters. The other lizards position 
  themselves on the opposite side of the intruders. The lizards 
  start with stun shocks, but they quickly turn to lethal shocks if 
  the intruders don’t flee.
  Morale The shocker lizards are fearless in defense of their eggs, 
  though they will not follow PCs out of the room.
  shambling Mound 
  CR 6
  hp 60 (MM 222)
  TaCTiCs
  Before Combat The shambling mound lurks amid the shocker 
  lizards’ compost heaps, gaining a +12 racial bonus on its 
  Hide checks.
  During Combat The shambling mound attempts to grapple and 
  constrict anything larger than a shocker lizard that enters the 
  area, focusing on creatures that deal it the most damage.
  Morale The shambler withdraws if reduced to 15 or fewer hit 
  points or if fire is used against it. If pursued by a faster 
  creature, it fights to the death.
  Treasure: The shocker lizards instinctively decorate 
  their eggs’ incubator with whatever shiny objects they find. 
  
  72
  Second Darkness
  This mostly consists of broken glass and worthless rocks, 
  but a DC 15 Search check discerns gems and coins among 
  the detritus. If the PCs take the time to search the compost 
  heap, they find 119 gold coins of antique elven mintage, 11 
  beryls of various shades (each gem is worth 100 gp), and a 
  clear spindle ioun stone trapped amid the muck.
  11. Ossuary (EL 8)
  Two short passages gently slope down to an oblong chamber 
  bisected by three pillars. Stacked cavities riddle the walls, many 
  bearing ancient, cloth-wrapped skeletons in peaceful repose. 
  In others, skulls and other bones are stacked artistically. 
  Other remains—warped wood and tarnished metal from old 
  instruments—litter the room. The far wall is blank, save for a 
  single unadorned alcove.
  This ossuary contains the bones of conservatory 
  alumni. Famous musicians and composers were interred, 
  often with an instrument or sheet music (long since rotted 
  away). For others, only their skull, ribcage, and/or hands 
  were preserved. Mourners placed offerings to Pharasma in 
  the alcove at the rear.
  The stairs here rise to the hidden opening beneath the 
  altar in area 8.
  Creature: Once a spirit of creativity, the adopted daughter 
  of the Coliseum of Mask and Lyre’s first headmistress was 
  an assimar named Jochareil. For long centuries she lived, 
  learned, taught, and led the conservatory, gifting numerous 
  works of otherworldly beauty to her students and peers. 
  When finally she died, her spirit proved so committed to 
  the Coliseum that she lingered on, guarding over the bones 
  of those masters buried beneath her home and granting her 
  soothing song to initates in search of inspiration.
  But all that was a long time ago.
  Through the Age of Darkness, Jochareil was left alone. 
  For long centuries she tended the conservatory, waiting 
  for her people’s return. Yet, gradually, despair set in, and 
  eventually madness.
  Today, Jochareil is completely insane. Crazed by 
  loneliness and pained by the sound of any sort of music, 
  she lairs in the depths of the conservatory, hateful of her 
  surroundings but too terrified to pass on to a 
  final end.
  Jochareil 
   
  CR 9
  Female assimar bard 6
  CE Medium undead
  init +1; senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +22,  
  Spot +22
  DEfENsE
  aC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12
  (+2 deflection, +1 Dex)
  hp 38 (6d12)
  fort +1, Ref +6, Will +6
  Defensive abilities +4 turn resistance, 
  incorporeal; Resist acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5; 
  immune undead traits
  OffENsE
  speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)
  Melee incorporeal touch +5 touch (1d6)
  special attacks bardic music (6/day—countersong, fascinate, 
  inspire courage, inspire competence, suggestion), 
  corrupting gaze, corrupting touch, frightful moan, 
  manifestation
  spells Known (CL 6th)
  2nd (2/day)—blindness/deafness (DC 16), hold person (DC 16), 
  sound burst (DC 16)
  1st (3/day)—hideous laughter (DC 15), silent image, unseen 
  servant, ventriloquism (DC 15)
  
  73
  Lament for Emerald Rains
  0 (3/day)—dancing light, detect magic, ghost sound (DC 14), 
  mage hand, message, prestidigitation
  spell-Like abilities (CL 6th)
  1/day—daylight
  TaCTiCs
  Before Combat If Jochareil hears music in the conservatory above, 
  she becomes enraged, rising from beneath the ruins to kill the 
  offending musician.
  During Combat Jochareil begins combat by singing her terrible 
  song—her frightful moan ability—to scatter foes. She then 
  makes repetitive use of her corrupting gaze while attempting 
  to stay out of reach. If harmed, Jochareil retreats through the 
  nearest wall and attempts to stay out of reach while she uses 
  her bard spells and corrupting gaze to wear down her foes.  
  Morale If reduced to fewer than 5 hit points, Jochareil flees to the 
  ossuary. If confronted there, she fights to the death.
  sTaTisTiCs
  str 9, Dex 12, Con 8, int 11, Wis 12, Cha 19
  Base atk +4; Grp +3
  feats Alertness, Dodge, Mobility
  skills Bluff +13, Hide +5, Knowledge (history) +9, Perform (sing) 
  +13, Listen +22, Search +5, Spot +22, Spellcraft +9
  sQ bardic knowledge +6, rejuvenation, turn resistance +4
  Languages Celestial, Common, Elven
  spECiaL aBiLiTiEs
  Corrupting Gaze (su) 2d10 points of damage plus 1d4 Charisma 
  damage, 30 feet, Fortitude DC 17 negates. The save DC is 
  Charisma-based.
  frightful Moan (su) Jochareil can emit a frightful moan as a 
  standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread 
  must succeed on a DC 17 Will save or become panicked for 2d4 
  rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. 
  A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be 
  affected by Jochareil’s moan for 24 hours.
  Treasure: When the elves abandoned Celwynian, the 
  residents of the conservatory could not take all of their 
  musical instruments with them, sequestering many 
  in the ossuary. Here the dry and dark would preserve 
  them under the empty eyes of past masters. While many 
  of these instruments have decayed over millennia, four 
  masterwork instruments have survived. These include 
  the following:
  •	 A	lyre	of	finely	tooled	elven	steel	as	tall	as	a	man.	If	tuned,	
  it performs as a harp of charming.
  •	 A	 diaulos,	 an	 instrument	 consisting	 of	 two	 intertwined	
  horns, in this instance one of brass and one of silver, both 
  tarnished nearly black. It performs as a horn of good/evil.
  •	 Musical	bowls,	a	set	of	10	porcelain	bowls	marked	on	the	
  inside with an old elven note on the bottom and a fine line 
  that runs the circumference. If the bowl is filled to the line 
  with water and struck, it sounds the corresponding note. 
  This instrument is worth 500 gp as a set to a collector.
  •	 A	 recorder	 made	 from	 a	 kind	 of	 wood	 that	 defies	 all	
  attempts at identification and smells faintly of honey. This 
  instrument might fetch as much as 450 gp, double that if 
  the strange nature of the mysterious wood is revealed.
  ConCludIng tHe Adventure
  Although the last inhabitants of the ancient conservatory 
  have likely been destroyed, at least now the memories of 
  the artists who once filled this place with song can rest 
  in piece. With the creatures cleared from its halls, the 
  Coliseum of Mask and Lyre once again stands serenely, 
  all the more likely to be reclaimed by its people. News that 
  the conservatory’s legendary muse, Jochareil, had to be 
  destroyed saddens many, but all are pleased that the long 
  suffering spirit now rests. With any luck, the PCs or those 
  with them are capable of rediscovering some lost treasure 
  of the past—either physical or musical in nature—and 
  bring it back to enliven the world once more.
  eLven Music
  Characters exploring the Coliseum of Mask and Lyre can 
  discover much about ancient elven music from the murals 
  displayed on nearly every wall. Performances depicted include 
  drums and water bowls (percussion), lyres and sitars (stringed), 
  recorders, horns, and panpipes (wind), and vocalists (singing). 
  Built into the rotunda is an enormous pipe organ, though no 
  keyboard instruments are depicted in the frescoes.
  Interwoven into the representative paintings of elven life 
  is abstract musical notation. A simple pictograph represents 
  each note of the pentatonic scale; they resemble ancient 
  astrological symbols. These notes are strung together into 
  melodies. These lines of music are rarely straight; such 
  twists and turns do not affect how the music is played, but 
  are indicative of its purpose. For example, notes set in a circle 
  might signal repetition, while a melody that curves up and 
  down might be appropriate for dancing.
  Each musical phrase has a distinct purpose. Different 
  melodies are played at different seasons and different times 
  of day. There are melodies to express the panoply of elven 
  emotions. There is even music to accompany most occupations 
  and activities: from farming tasks, to crafting, to waging war. 
  Although the melodies are often simple (using only single 
  notes and no chords), a band of musicians can combine them 
  to create harmonies. Because each melody is specific to time 
  and place, the resulting harmony is a product of the individual 
  performance, and might never be repeated.
  To read music from these ancient musical notations, a 
  character must have ranks in Perform and be able to read 
  Elven (or be assisted by someone who does). Most of the 
  music inscribed upon the walls grants the reader no benefit, 
  but some are lost works that could prove quite valuable to the 
  artist who reintroduces them to the world (see area 7).
  
  74
  Second Darkness
  04 Neth, 4707 ar
  Progress at last… of a sort. Ever since leaving the gray 
  dwarves and the ruined city, the path I followed continued 
  to descend, usually at a mild grade but sometimes involving 
  scrambling over water-contoured terraces and down the 
  faces of old rockfalls. The whole time my wayfinder pointed 
  me ever onward down the path I was following. Whatever it 
  is that I seek, it lies deep. I have surely descended into the 
  upper reaches of Sekamina by now—the Darklands’ middle 
  layer—and I have begun to see signs of intelligent design 
  in the tunnels. No longer do the ways seem to follow old 
  watercourses or dry fault lines. Instead, I am now finding 
  traces of workmanship—the marks of tools on the stone 
  and a general smoothing of the floor to accommodate two-
  footed travel rather than just the slinking of multi-legged 
  predators or the oozing crawl of even worse.
  Today my footsteps brought me into a dry, barren cavern 
  with no other exits. In the center of the cavern stood a 
  small, stepped pyramid, no more than the height of two 
  men and perhaps as wide as four at its base. Ancient glyphs 
  in flowing serpentine motifs adorned its outer face in no 
  language that I could recognize, and the center of one face 
  was pierced by a deep-set stone door.
  Before approaching the door (where the wayfinder, 
  of course, indicated that I should go), I walked the 
  circumference of the pyramid to see if any visible tricks 
  or traps awaited me within or without. I even lit one of 
  my precious sunrods to gain a better view of the ceiling 
  to ensure none of the strange stalactite creatures that had 
  plagued my steps in previous days waited to drop on me 
  from above.
  All appeared safe, though my searches did reveal some 
  of the local fauna at the base of the pyramid’s rear side. 
  They were a half-dozen small, worm-like creatures, 
  perhaps a type of cephalopod, no longer than my forearm 
  with tiny leg buds along their bodies and four stunted 
  tentacles around their mouths. I have seen them before 
  in these dismal caves and have begun calling them slime 
  crawlers for the opalescent trails they tend to leave behind 
  when scuttling along the floor or other surfaces. I suspect 
  them to be a larval form of some larger creature that I have 
  fortunately not yet encountered.
  Whatever they are, their tiny, sucker-like mouths 
  seemed to be particularly well adapted to scouring any 
  organic materials—including their own slime trails and 
  …And Your Enemies Closer
  
  75
  sometimes each other—directly from the stone surfaces of 
  cavern floors, walls, and roofs. A few days back, I watched a 
  group of them efficiently break down and consume a dead 
  lizard many times their size in little more than an hour, 
  leaving nothing behind but a damp spot on a smooth-
  polished stone floor.
  These particular slime worms were busily tearing into 
  some sort of a spider the size of a large dog with strange, 
  whip-like tendrils. It was difficult to tell its exact structure, as 
  the creatures were already well along in their ministrations. 
  Whether they had brought it down themselves or just 
  happened upon its corpse, I could not say.
  I scouted the exterior of the pyramid one more time 
  to ensure that there were no more of the spider creatures 
  about or larger slime trails that might indicate the worm 
  larvae were not alone. Finding nothing, I turned my 
  attention to the pyramid door. It was inset several feet into 
  the pyramid face and made of plain stone, and very unlike 
  the decorative nature of the pyramid’s outer surface. It had 
  a simple sliding lock catch with a large handle that could be 
  easily manipulated by any creature with a prehensile limb 
  but was sufficient to keep out less-intelligent predators 
  and vermin such as the slime crawlers.
  When I was satisfied that the door was safe, I gripped 
  the handle with one hand and clutched my sword and 
  the sunrod together in the other. As the door grated 
  slowly open, I tossed the sunrod into the room for light 
  and to free up my sword hand for a fight if necessary. I 
  was disappointed that there was no puff of stale air or 
  dust as the door opened—so the pyramid had not been 
  so well sealed after all. My sunrod had clattered against 
  bare stone by the sound of it, and when I had the door 
  fully open, I saw that it more than illuminated the small 
  room within.
  The chamber was built as a four-way, corbelled arch, 
  each stone set upon and slightly overlapping the stone 
  beneath but held in place by the weight of the stone above, 
  so that the walls met in an apex not far above my head and 
  held the same general shape as the outside of the pyramid. 
  In the center of the ceiling’s peak was an opening into the 
  cavern outside—so much for my careful perusal. 
  A stone slab on a man-sized pedestal dominated the 
  center of the chamber. The borders of the slab were 
  incised with the same serpentine motif as the outside of 
  the pyramid. Lying atop this slab was a humanoid skeleton 
  wearing a tarnished copper breastplate and grasping a 
  short, wide-bladed chopping sword on its breast in skeletal 
  fingers. A thin veneer of dust and cobwebs covered the 
  ancient cadaver and, though it gave no sign of animation, 
  I watched it carefully as I took in my surroundings. It 
  bothered me that none of the little slime worms had 
  dropped in through the ceiling opening and consumed 
  the remains after all these years.
  My suspicions proved to be well founded as I approached 
  the pedestal, to which my wayfinder faithfully pointed, 
  and saw the skeletal form suddenly lurch. My blade shot 
  out almost of its own accord and removed the skull from 
  its position atop the spinal column in one quick swipe. My 
  elation was short-lived, however, as the skeleton clattered 
  harmlessly to the floor at my feet, pushed from its perch by 
  the creature crawling up from behind the pedestal.
  My first impression was of lashing whips, as two 
  searching tendril-like strands caromed off of the bare stone 
  surface, but these were followed quickly by two large pincers 
  on segmented arms. Soon, perched before me was another 
  one of those dog-sized arachnids, this one alive and well. 
  Behind the pincers and whips it had three more pairs of 
  legs, and finally another whip-like appendage as a tail that 
  undulated and wavered constantly as if testing the air. 
  I leaped back a pace to avoid its snapping claws and dug 
  into my pouch for something of use against this creature. 
  I didn’t relish the thought of moving within reach of 
  those whips to battle it with my short blade. Somewhere 
  in my pouch was a bag of exploding alchemical goo that 
  would enable me to pin the thing down and make for 
  a swifter kill. My free hand closed on a small ceramic 
  flask—not what I was looking for. I didn’t have time to 
  look further, however, as the creature suddenly jerked its 
  thorax upward and sprayed a fine mist directly into my 
  face. The caustic stench of vinegar filled the air, and I was 
  immediately blinded and unable to breathe.
  I tumbled to the floor in a panic, clawing at my sightless 
  eyes and trying to draw breath through my swollen throat. 
  In my flailing, I hurled the ceramic flask and heard 
  it smash against stone. Half a second before I felt the 
  burning, I realized what it was—another item purchased 
  in Urgir. I had just smashed a flask of alchemical fire in 
  the small burial vault with me in its midst.
  Fortunately, the explosion seemed to clear some of the 
  caustic fumes from the air, and my breathing became easier 
  almost immediately. In addition, by the sound of it I had 
  scored a direct hit on the monster, as I could hear a frantic 
  clicking and scuffling that soon slowed and stopped. With 
  my cloak and evidently part of my hair on fire, I rolled 
  frantically out of the pyramid and into the cavern, freeing 
  my waterskin and dousing myself as quickly as possible 
  while beating at the flames with my bare hands. Finally, 
  the last of my clothing was extinguished, and I lay in an 
  exhausted daze amid the smell of acrid chemicals, acidic 
  mist, age-old dust, and burned hair. That last probably 
  bothered me the most.
  I must’ve passed out for a moment, because I awoke to 
  the feel of something trying to scrape the charred flesh 
  from my scalp. Opening my eyes, I found my vision had 
  cleared enough to realize that one of the larval slime 
  crawlers was sitting on my face making a feast of my 
  
  76
  Second Darkness
  repeated themselves without beginning or end. Intertwined 
  with them were actual carvings of snakes of all sizes and 
  varieties. The walls were broken in places by alcoves that 
  held ten-foot statues of vaguely anthropomorphic snake 
  creatures, some with humanoid bodies and dozens of snake 
  heads on long necks, others of giant serpents with wings 
  and humanoid faces, and still others of beautiful women 
  whose lovely torsos merged into scaly monstrosities. The 
  supply of these varied monsters seemed endless as the 
  corridor went on and on, and I never saw any two alike.
  As I traversed this long, majestic hallway, frantically 
  sketching the statues in my journal, one of my footfalls 
  suddenly sounded different than the rest. I looked down, 
  only to find ripples extending out through the stone floor 
  like water in a still pond. The strange wavelets climbed the 
  walls and seemed to sink into one of the alcoves. Therein 
  stood one of the large statues, this one a creature with a 
  humanoid torso and arms but the coiled tail of a giant 
  snake extending downward from its waist. Where its head 
  should have been were a half-dozen fanged, serpentine 
  heads atop elongated, scaly necks with patterns of snake 
  scales. Grasped in its hands was a great axe of ornately 
  carved stone. With a rumble and a crack, a thin patina of 
  dust fell away and the statue slithered from the alcove. Its 
  heads wove menacingly atop sinuous stone necks, and it 
  raised its great axe to swing. 
  Luck was with me. As the axe swung down, I leaped aside 
  into a convenient alcove across the hallway that held a 
  statue of a hooded snake with a bearded man’s face, coiled 
  and arching forward as if to strike. The golem’s stroke 
  narrowly missed me as I found cover behind the other 
  statue, thrusting my journal into my shirt. As it recoiled 
  for another strike I cast a quick cantrip to send a spray of 
  acid sizzling toward the narrow base of the statue behind 
  which I hid.
  Upon completing the spell, I jumped up behind the 
  statue and grabbed the edges of its hood with my fingers. 
  This sudden move fooled the golem again, and its great axe 
  crashed into the base of the statue near where I had stood. 
  The blow, combined with the hissing acid, created a crack 
  across the statue’s base that I capitalized on by bracing 
  myself against the wall with my feet and pushing outward. 
  The top-heavy statue and damaged base were just enough 
  that, with a groan, the entire construction toppled forward 
  as the golem brought its axe down for another blow.
  The falling statue caught the golem’s axe in mid-
  swing, and momentum carried the golem down beneath 
  the statue. Before it could react, I was already up and 
  clutching the very item I had sought in vain the previous 
  day. I flung the small leather bag as the golem lunged and 
  snapped futilely, and it exploded amidst the many necks 
  of the statue, coating them in an impenetrable web of 
  expanding ooze that quickly hardened and immobilized 
  scorched flesh. I could feel another making its slimy way 
  up my arm. Somehow, having these ridiculously vile little 
  worms on me was the worst thing of all, and I spent some 
  time rolling frantically and smashing them flat. There 
  may have been screaming involved, but I couldn’t say for 
  sure—there was a lot going on at the time.
  When all was said and done, I rubbed my hand through 
  my hair, which succeeded only in painfully irritating 
  the scorched stubble. Fortunately, I still had a few minor 
  potions I had brought along just in case, and one of them 
  managed to heal the worst of the burns, leaving only pink, 
  tender flesh. The hair was another matter, and probably 
  made my head look decidedly lopsided. Not that anyone 
  was here to see it. I decided I really didn’t care and went 
  about gathering my things and repairing my charred 
  cloak as best I could.
  The inside of the pyramid was still thick and smoky, the 
  spider-thing little more than a curled ball of char on the 
  floor. I retrieved my fallen sword and the sunrod and went 
  to examine the beheaded skeleton now lying on the ground. 
  It appeared human enough at first glance, but a closer look 
  revealed some inconsistencies: its head was narrower with 
  elongated eye sockets, its lower jaw was long and able to 
  come unhinged, and its ribs were lighter and finer than 
  any human’s—and there were far too many of them for 
  any man or humanoid race I knew of. The creature bore a 
  distinct serpentine look, which made sense in light of the 
  snake motifs on the pyramid and bier.
  As I examined the cadaver, a curl of smoke near my head 
  in the still-cloudy confines of the pyramid caught my 
  attention. A current of air was flowing through the smoke, 
  and it wasn’t issuing from the doorway or the opening 
  overhead. A sudden thought occurred to me. I pushed on the 
  bier’s stone lip as hard as I could, and the stone gave a little 
  with a grating rasp. Bracing myself against the corbelled 
  walls of the chamber, I heaved with all my leverage and 
  the stone top of the pedestal slid free, revealing a stairwell 
  descending from the bier’s hollow interior. My wayfinder 
  quickly confirmed that this was the route I sought.
  05 Neth, 4707 ar
  After a cold camp to rest and gather my wits about me, 
  including taking inventory of what equipment had survived 
  my misadventure, I descended into the hidden stairway. It 
  continued down some ways before finally leveling off into a 
  passage that extended away in what appeared to be a straight 
  shot but after careful examination proved to be long, sinuous 
  curves, like the undulations of a giant serpent.
  The tunnel was high-ceilinged and obviously carved by 
  skilled artisans—probably the same who had constructed 
  the pyramid above—and it had no sharp corners or 
  edges. All was rounded into smooth contours. The walls 
  and ceiling bore long serpentine designs that endlessly 
  
  77
  Pathfinder’s Journal
  them, sticking the golem fast to the floor, its lower half 
  still partially pinned beneath the fallen statue.
  Moving quickly, I scooped up the fallen stone axe that 
  had been dropped when the golem fell. I was barely able 
  to lift it, but its weight was sufficient to shatter one of 
  the serpentine necks. In moments it was over, the last 
  snake head falling free, along with both arms for good 
  measure. Exhausted, I dropped the stone axe and paused; 
  for a moment, I had thought I heard a sound from up the 
  tunnel. I waited, holding my breath, but heard nothing 
  more, and decided that it was perhaps merely a strange 
  echo from the falling stone axe. I hastily gathered my 
  things and continued on my way, once more keeping a 
  watchful eye on my back trail.
  The tunnel stretched on, though the décor eventually 
  changed. There were no more alcoves, but new and more 
  varied serpent patterns began to appear on the walls, 
  floor, and ceiling. I finally came to a place where the 
  left wall was embossed to look like the back of a giant 
  serpent’s throat, while the floor was decorated like the 
  interior of the lower jaw of a snake’s mouth complete 
  with forked tongue, and the ceiling bore the image of the 
  snake’s upper jaw. This was not the first such bas-relief I 
  had come upon, and while they had made me distinctly 
  uncomfortable, none had proven to be dangerous. 
  Something was different about this one, though, and 
  made my hackles rise.
  I studied the thing for some time before I realized 
  what it was: the stone floor of the tunnel upon the snake’s 
  carven tongue was smoother and brighter 
  than the rest of the stone, as if the surface 
  of the stone had been polished away. 
  Slime crawlers had been down here and 
  consumed whatever organic substance 
  that covered the carved tongue, stripping 
  the tiniest layer of the stone beneath 
  in the process—probably some sort of 
  poison or grease. It seemed like a fairly 
  obvious tell for someone looking for a trap, but then 
  again, most creatures of the Darklands didn’t seem to 
  use conventional vision and made do without much color 
  variation. A creature traveling along this tunnel using 
  the natural darkvision of the nether realms would have 
  noticed no difference in the coloration of the tunnel floor 
  and walked unheeding to its doom.
  I spent some time examining the trap until I had sussed 
  out the basics of its workings. The floor beyond the snake’s 
  lower jaw was hinged and designed to drop open when 
  anyone stepped on the tongue. As the floor dropped 
  away, the teeth of the lower jaw rose from the 
  floor and the upper jaw lowered from the 
  ceiling, clamping together to mutilate the 
  victim before dropping him into whatever charnel pit lay 
  beneath. However, for the trap to function, a counterweight 
  set into the roof of the snake’s mouth had to rise into a 
  ceiling cavity, allowing the upper jaw to drop. I could make 
  out the shape of the counterweight disguised as part of the 
  image’s carved palette and finally decided upon a way to 
  counteract the trap, as the trapped section of tongue was 
  obviously too wide to jump across.
  Removing a rope from my pack, I worked a short cantrip 
  that allowed me to grasp the end of the rope with an invisible 
  force and carry it up to the counterweight. Concentrating 
  carefully, I threaded the rope through a small hole drilled in 
  the stone counterweight near its end, probably placed there 
  so the stone could be more easily removed and replaced if 
  repairs became necessary. The rope threaded, I summoned 
  the end back to myself, tied a knot in it, then pulled gently 
  to tighten it up against the counterweight. 
  The trick now was to pull on the rope as I walked across 
  the snake’s tongue and apply just as much downward 
  force on the counterweight as my weight was placing on 
  the floor beneath. This I did, carefully, an action made all 
  the more difficult because I had to shorten the length of 
  the rope as I neared the center and then lengthen it again 
  as I slowly stepped over to the opposite side. Other than a 
  few groans and slight shifts in the stone, along with some 
  I don’t normally deface 
  statues, but I enjoyed this one.
  
  78
  Second Darkness
  white knuckles of my own, I made it safely across. My spell 
  was spent, and I had no way to retrieve my rope, so I left 
  it dangling there, thinking perhaps I would need it for a 
  sudden departure.
  I started off down the passage, then on a hunch, 
  stopped short of the first sinuous turn and crouched 
  down, extinguishing my torch. For several long minutes 
  I sat in the cloying darkness, silent, convinced that at last 
  the tunnels were getting to me, making me paranoid. 
  Then, just as I was about to move on and denounce my 
  foolishness, I heard it: the telltale sounds of someone 
  examining the trap. As quietly as possible, I moved  
  back toward the sounds. Ahead, in the dim light of a 
  covered lantern, I could just make out a humanoid form. 
  Hand on sword hilt, I stepped from the shadows just as 
  the man finished using my rope to pull himself across 
  the trap. 
  Belzig paused in shock at my sudden appearance, and 
  then an oily smile split his face.
  “Why, there you are, Kline,” the sycophant simpered. “I 
  was hoping I’d catch up to you. Nice work with these traps, 
  by the way. This one would have gotten me for sure.”
  “Too bad,” I replied.
  “Is that any way to greet a comrade in arms?” Belzig’s 
  false smile was still plastered across his face. “We’re 
  Pathfinders. We’ve got to stick together.”
  I snorted. “One of us is, at least.”
  Belzig’s smile slipped a bit, and I could tell the barb had 
  struck home. He must have been nearly as tired as I was. 
  He continued regardless.
  “After you left, I grew worried that you might need 
  assistance in these dangerous caverns, and Lord Uldeth 
  graciously granted me leave to come help you.”
  “I’m sure he did,” I replied. “Just as you followed me out 
  of the goodness of your heart.” I paused, suddenly weary… 
  how long had it been since I’d last spoken to another 
  human? Weeks? “Go back to your orc master, Belzig,” I 
  sighed. “There’s nothing for you here.”
  Belzig dropped the phony smile altogether. “Now see 
  here, Kline. I know you’re onto something. You came to 
  Urgir to find your way down here, and I helped you make it 
  past Lord Uldeth. A part of whatever treasure you’re after is 
  mine by right, and you’re going to cut me in.”
  He took a step forward, and was met by my outthrust 
  hand, shoving him backward.
   “Even if there was a treasure, you’d get none of it,” I said. 
  “You think I would bring you along just so you can stick a 
  knife in my back the first chance you get? I don’t think so, 
  lapdog. Go on back to playing secretary in your orc city.”
  “You’re making a big mistake, Kline,” he hissed between 
  his teeth.
  “Not as big as yours, apparently,” I responded. “Or is 
  there something about living with orcs that appeals to 
  you? The women, perhaps? Presuming Lord Uldeth 
  doesn’t retain all your services, of course.” 
  Belzig lunged, swinging his fist. I was waiting for it, 
  and dropped to the ground. He moved in quick, trying to 
  bring his boot heel down on my neck, but I rolled aside 
  and scissored my legs, catching him behind the knees and 
  pulling him down hard on the stone. We both came up at 
  the same time, and I smashed a hard right into his ear, 
  splitting it open, then stepped inside his swing to make 
  two quick punches to the gut. The wind exploded out of 
  him, and he sat down hard on the floor. I backed up to let 
  him think about it a little bit.
  He stood up unsteadily, blood pouring from his 
  ruptured ear onto his pricey shirt. His face was flushed and 
  sweaty. For a moment, I think Belzig almost considered 
  backing down. But I should have known that he wasn’t 
  the kind to finish a fight fair if he didn’t have to.
  The only warning I had was the sudden gleam in his 
  eyes, then his ornate rapier was in his hand as if it had 
  jumped there of its own accord. He caught me off-guard—
  as he lunged, all I could do was raise my left hand to block 
  the thrust. The thin blade sliced cleanly, almost painlessly, 
  across my palm, but I managed to knock the force upward 
  so that the thrust passed harmlessly over my shoulder.
  Stumbling backward, I drew my own shorter, heavier 
  blade, the blood flowing freely from the stinging cut on 
  my left hand. “I should have known you couldn’t take a 
  hit,” I spat.
  “You’ll have to show me how it’s done,” he rejoined as he 
  lunged toward me in classical fencing form.
  My blade narrowly deflected his attack, and he followed 
  with a quick slash that I wasn’t able to block, leaving a 
  short cut across my forearm. He was faster than me with 
  that blade and, it quickly became apparent, better than 
  me at swordplay in general. But was he smarter? My 
  journey had taught me a lot of lessons—many of them 
  none too enjoyable.
  We danced around for a few minutes, neither gaining 
  an advantage, but neither giving ground either. My strokes 
  were shorter than his with my heavier blade, and many of 
  them he was able to avoid without even bringing his blade 
  to bear. He was tiring me and, we both knew, beating me.
  “We both know how this ends, Kline,” he said. “Just tell 
  me what you’re after and give me the wayfinder you follow, 
  and I’ll let you live. There’ll be other secrets to chase.”
  “No thanks.”
  His face took on a strange expression. “Very well,” he 
  said woodenly. “Your kind never makes the big discoveries 
  anyway, you know. You just keep trying until someone 
  better comes along and plucks it from your grasp. I suppose 
  I was going to kill you all along anyway.”
  We circled a moment, and he waited until I inevitably 
  made a misstep, tired as I was. Then he lunged in hard. 
  
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  Pathfinder’s Journal
  I couldn’t get my sword over to block it or get out of the 
  way in time. I twisted and took the blade through my left 
  shoulder instead of through the breast as he had intended. 
  He paused with a look of triumph—and then faltered as he 
  realized I had him.
  My sword swing, too slow to block his lunge, was already 
  en route to its destination. Before he could withdraw his 
  own blade, mine came down hard on the thin blade above 
  the pommel guard. The pain it sent ringing up through 
  my shoulder was excruciating, but the fragile rapier blade 
  snapped, and the force of it sent him stumbling backward, 
  out of the reach of my reverse swing.
  Belzig realized where he was when the floor started to tip. 
  Dropping his useless blade, he grabbed the still-dangling 
  rope and hauled hard on it to pull the counterweight 
  down and arrest the tilting of the floor. The trap’s jaws, 
  protruding from floor and ceiling about a foot, stopped. 
  Their thick, pulverizing stone teeth had only just begun to 
  close around where Belzig stood.
  Belzig, too, was quivering with exhaustion after 
  the fight. Without being tied in, as I had been, he was 
  supporting his entire weight with wearied hands, and he’d 
  grabbed it too late—the floor had already receded enough 
  for the rope to lift him off his feet, dangling helplessly. 
  He’d never make it off the trap alive without help.
  His eyes showed that he knew it. Desperate, he forced 
  his voice to remain calm.
  “Kline, don’t do this,” he urged. “It’s one thing to kill 
  a man clean in a fight, but this—this isn’t your way. If 
  you let me die, you’ll regret it forever. Get me out of 
  this, and I swear I’ll return to Urgir and leave you 
  to your search. My oath as a Pathfinder.”
  For the first time in days, I thought of Joskan. 
  Belzig was right—I didn’t 
  like leaving people to die.
  But damned if I wasn’t 
  getting good at it.
  His first indication of my 
  decision was the hurtling dagger 
  that sliced cleanly through the rope, 
  one of the better throws I’ve made. 
  Freed of its burden, the counterweight 
  rose swiftly through its gap in the ceiling. 
  Belzig only had time for a quick scream 
  as the stony jaws drew together, stone 
  teeth occluding my view and revealing 
  only a quick glimpse of the floor tilting 
  suddenly beneath him. Then the stones 
  slammed together with a muffled thud, 
  and all sound from within ceased.
  After a moment, the jaws retracted 
  and the ceiling rose back into place. 
  Where Belzig had stood was only a 
  bloody smear across the trap door, where his shattered 
  corpse had presumably slid into whatever ancient 
  ossuary awaited below. A fitting grave for any Pathfinder, 
  I suppose. And perhaps my own, before this whole thing 
  was over.
  Grabbing his lantern, I shuffled, bleeding, down the 
  hallway. When I entered the vast cavern and beheld the 
  vista of the massive city before me, its towers carved like 
  snakes and obelisks and ziggurats dominating the stale 
  air, I barely even noticed. Instead, I sat at the junction 
  where my tunnel opened out onto the incongruous 
  vault and stared without seeing as I withdrew one of 
  the precious healing potions from my pack and swiftly 
  drained it.
  I could feel a tiny niggling doubt at the back of my mind 
  as the healing magic did its work. Belzig was right.
  I regretted losing that dagger.
  What is it with giant 
  bugs and spitting?
  
  80
  Second Darkness
  B
  easts of wild magics and the inhabitants of 
  ancient ruins fill this month’s entry into 
  the Pathfinder Bestiary. Hidden behind the 
  wall of Varisia’s Calphiak Mountains or amid the dense 
  wilderness of the Mierani Forest lurk creatures rarely 
  seen by non-elves. Preying upon cervine herds, gigantic 
  insects, and the occasional unwary elf, a scant number 
  of hated and hunted forest drakes—bestial cousins of 
  green dragons—menace the elven woodlands. To the 
  west, amid the ruins of Celwynvian, horrors of the 
  ancient past take terrible shape, deadly blast shadows 
  forced to eternally suffer a death faced in centuries past. 
  Reclusive maftets, aloof ruin-dwelling kin to sphinxes, 
  also eye the glories of the elven city with thoughts 
  of carving a new home from the rubble. And to the 
  southwest, in human lands, the base magics of human 
  wizards conjure fierce constructs into being, creatures 
  like the ramshackle cutlass spider that lies hidden amid 
  broken timbers and rusting steel. Where beasts and 
  dark magics are concerned, time rarely denotes frailty, 
  and most grow more dangerous with age.
  Wandering Monsters
  The ruins of Celwynvian are a war zone. Where for 
  centuries the remnants of the City of Emerald Rains 
  rested in state, in recent decades the taint of drow magic 
  has transformed this esteemed ground into a battlefield 
  between elusive dark elves and the elven protectors of 
  the Mierani Forest. The secret battle for Celwynvian has 
  drug on for years, hidden from the eyes of the outside 
  world. Yet now, as the drow’s plot nears its catastrophic 
  revelation, there finally appears a chance to expunge the 
  dark elves from the fabled city and reclaim its storied 
  spires for its rightful guardians.
  Bestiary
  
  81
  Beyond the drow and their minions currently infesting 
  the City of Emerald Rains, innumerable others creatures 
  have come to occupy the city. Some are simple beasts of the 
  elven forest and creatures tasked long ago with defense of 
  the elven sanctuary. Over the centuries, however, deadlier 
  terrors have encroached upon the overgrown ruins, clawing 
  lairs among the pale stones. Although ruined long ago, 
  Celwynvian still pulses with deadly life.
  The following descriptions detail several encounters 
  a party might face among the ruined avenues of 
  Celwynvian.
  Dragon: The juvenile green dragon Razorhorn makes 
  his home in Celwynvian. Although he has a role to play 
  in this month’s adventure, the PCs might encounter him 
  at any time during their exploration of the elven ruins—
  even if this simply means sighting the dragon or having 
  him perform a hit-and-run attack. If this result is rolled 
  after Razorhorn is defeated, roll again.
  Drow War Party: The drow rarely move about Celwynvian 
  en masse, preferring to keep to the shadows and hide their 
  activities. At times, though, greater numbers and blatant acts 
  of force are required, either to establish new holdings or drive 
  back elven forces. At these times, groups of drow silently stalk 
  the Celwynvian night, and few of the ruin’s inhabitants dare 
  face them. A typical drow war party consists of 1d12 drow 
  soldiers, 1d8 drow skirmishers, and a drow captain serving as 
  leader. Such a group has an average EL of 11.
  Battle Points
  “The Armageddon Echo” makes use of a system of battle 
  points to determine how much aid the PCs provide in 
  the fight for Celwynvian. Defeating the drow and their 
  minions contributes battle points, regardless of whether 
  these skirmishes occur as part of the adventure or as 
  random encounters. Defeating any of the marked results 
  on the Celwynvian Random Encounters table nets the 
  PCs 1 battle point for encounters of CR 8 or lower, and 2 
  battle points for encounters of CR 8 or higher. See page 19 
  for a full description of how battle points factor into this 
  month’s adventure.
  The hunt for the drake known as Devilshrike goes poorly. Of the six hunting bands loosed to track the 
  beast, two have failed to report—even now my runners seek to make contact. With some surprise, the 
  groups scouring the terrain north of Crying Leaf, near the Gray Manor and Seeden Heath where the 
  brute is supposed to lurk, recount no sighting nor recent evidence of dragon sign. The others last reported 
  seeking near Geirdril Lan and the Ridge of Red Clouds to the south. The lost bands include a number of 
  my wariest trackers, so I don’t yet fear for their lives… yet there’s no denying the drake’s canniness. With 
  this news, the focus of our search turns southward, and, with Ketephys’s blessing, I hope to send word of 
  the monster’s demise and our kinsmen’s safety within the week. Clear skies and strong winds.
  —Missive from Hunt Leader Vitaim Idoiwren to Captain Kaerishiel Neirenar
  Celwynvian Random enCounteRs
  d% 
  Encounter 
  Avg. EL 
  Source
  1–2 
  1 unicorn  
  3 
  MM 249
  3–6 
  1d4 black bears 
  4 
  MM 269
  7–9 
  1d8 dretches* 
  5 
  MM 42
  10–12 
  1 forest drake  
  5 
  Pathfinder #15
  13  
  1 green hag 
  5 
  MM 143
  14–15 
  1 shadow mastiff 
  5 
  MM 222
  16–17 
  1d6 shocker lizards  
  5 
  MM 224
  18–20 
  1d12 troglodytes*  
  5 
  MM 246
  21–22 
  1 belker  
  6 
  MM 27
  23–25 
  1d6 caryatid column  
  6 
  ToHR 53
  26–31 
  1d6 drow skirmishers* 
  6 
  see page 16
  32–33 
  1d6 ghasts  
  6 
  MM 118
  34–36 
  1d4 giant stag beetles 
  6 
  MM 285
  37–38 
  1d6 shadows 
  6 
  MM 221
  39 
  1 shadow demon*  
  6 
  ToHR 128
  40–42 
  2d12 zombies  
  6 
  MM 265
  43–45 
  1d6 centipede swarms  
  7 
  MM 287
  46–47 
  1d4 crypt things  
  7 
  ToHR 75
  48–50 
  1 drow arcanist*  
  7 
  see page 16
  51–55 
  1 drow captain* 
  7 
  see page 18
  56–58 
  1d8 giant wasps  
  7 
  MM 285
  59–60 
  1d4 shadow mastiffs  
  7 
  MM 222
  61–62 
  1d4 babaus*  
  8 
  MM 40
  63–69 
  1d6 drow soldiers* 
  8 
  see page 16
  70–71 
  1d6 gibbering mouthers  
  8 
  MM 126
  72–75 
  1d8 harpies  
  8 
  MM 150
  76–78 
  1d4 shambling mounds  
  8 
  MM 222
  79–80 
  1d4 will-o’-wisps 
  8 
  MM 255
  81–82 
  1d4 black puddings 
  9 
  MM 201
  83–86 
  1d4 driders* 
  9 
  MM 89
  87–88 
  1d4 medusas 
  9 
  MM 180
  89–90 
  1 vrock*  
  9 
  MM 48
  91–93 
  1 bebilith* 
  10 
  MM 42
  94–95 
  1 stone golem 
  11 
  MM 137
  96–99 
  Drow war party 
  — 
  see description
  100 
  Dragon 
  — 
  see description
  * Awards battle points
  
  82
  Second Darkness
  Blast shadoW
  Burnt pieces of flesh still cling to the charred bones of this walking 
  horror. A pale light and thin wisps of smoke issue from cracks in 
  its body, as if an inferno hides within, barely contained by the 
  scraps of melted armor and gear fused to its flesh. Two burning 
  orbs peer out from where its eyes should be, and a trail of smoke 
  rises up from its skull. The thing reaches out with gnarled and 
  twisted claws that glow with intense heat.
  Blast Shadow 
  CR 5
  CE Medium undead (fire)
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +14, Spot +14
  DEfEnSE
  AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14
  (+4 Dex, +4 natural)
  hp 68 (10d12+3)
  fort +3, Ref +7, Will +8
  Immune fire, undead traits; Weakness vulnerable to cold
  OffEnSE
  Spd 40 ft.
  Melee 2 claws +10 (1d8+2 plus 1d6 fire) 
  Special Attacks cloud of smoke and flame, death burst
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Blast shadows sneak up on their 
  foes, using the shadows to hide their presence.
  During Combat Once combat begins, blast shadows 
  move close to the enemy, attacking any they can 
  reach with their burning claws.
  Morale Blast shadows never retreat and 
  doggedly follow foes that attempt to flee.
  STATISTICS
  Str 15, Dex 18, Con —, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 16
  Base Atk +5; Grp +7
  feats Improved Initiative, Toughness, Weapon 
  Finesse, Weapon Focus (claw)
  Skills Hide +17, Listen +14, Move Silently +17, Spot +14 
  Languages Common
  ECOLOGy
  Environment any
  Organization solitary, pair, or disaster (3–8)
  Treasure none
  Alignment always chaotic evil
  Advancement 11–30 HD (Medium)
  Level Adjustment —
  SpECIAL ABILITIES
  Cloud of Smoke and fire (Su) A blast shadow can, as a free action, 
  surround itself with a cloud of smoke that burns living flesh. 
  While active, the blast shadow gains concealment, and all 
  living creatures within 5 feet take 1d6 points of fire damage per 
  round. If the blast shadow takes any cold damage, this cloud is 
  dispelled and cannot be renewed for 1d6 rounds.
  Death Burst (Su) When a blast shadow is reduced to 0 or fewer 
  hit points, it explodes in a blast of flame. All creatures within 30 
  feet take 5d6 points of fire damage. A DC 18 Reflex save results 
  in half damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.
  Death by fire is a horrible fate, but far worse is death by 
  a fiery apocalypse. While most are incinerated by such 
  conflagrations, others are infused with the energy of 
  that terrible act and rise again as blast shadows. These 
  undead creatures linger on after the inferno, seeking 
  to spread their pain to the living. Blast shadows haunt 
  the wastelands that spawned them, waiting for victims 
  to come and learn of the catastrophe. Only then do they 
  strike out from the shadows to show them the horrors 
  up close.
  Blast shadows typically have the form of the creatures 
  they were in life, though scorched and withered by 
  their fiery deaths. Little more than humanoid skeletons 
  with bits of flesh and hair fused to charred bones, blast 
  shadows usually weigh little more than 60 pounds, and 
  
  83
  Bestiary
  stand at a height typical for the race of which they were 
  formerly members.
  Ecology
  Blast shadows are created when creatures die because of 
  a magical holocaust that claims numerous lives in an act 
  of wanton destruction. A fireball is not terrible enough to 
  spawn a blast shadow, but a firestorm, incendiary cloud, or 
  meteor swarm might be. While most are made through 
  fire, there are tales of blast shadows that drip with acid or 
  radiate extreme cold (see “Variant Blast Shadows”).
  Some blast shadows are created as the result of a natural 
  catastrophe, as long as the event was precipitated by an 
  intentional act of magic. A meteor pulled from the sky or 
  an unnatural blizzard are both good examples of how a 
  blast shadow might be created.
  Those who die as a result of a blast shadow’s death burst 
  rise as blast shadows in 1d4 days. Creatures slain by a blast 
  shadow’s claws do not rise in this manner.
  Habitat & Society
  Blast shadows tend to stay in the area that was destroyed 
  when they were created. As such, they are most often 
  found in smoldering ruins and burnt-out buildings. If 
  left on their own, blast shadows tend to reconstruct their 
  environment as it once was, using the charred remains 
  to rebuild an area. They even go so far as to arrange the 
  bodies of the dead into the poses they held before dying. 
  Burnt corpses sitting on chairs, propped up behind 
  the bar, or reclining in a bed are all common in a blast 
  shadow’s haunt. The blast shadows then hide among 
  these corpses, waiting for the curious to draw near before 
  revealing their true nature. 
  Blast shadows frequently hunt in packs. Although they 
  rarely communicate with one another, they have been 
  known to work in groups to morbidly recreate an entire 
  devastated area.
  Creating a Blast Shadow
  Blast shadows usually spawn as the result of a magical 
  catastrophe, but can also be artificially created. 
  Pyromaniac magic users, worshipers of evil fire deities, 
  and the servants of powers that crave burnt offerings 
  favor these undead horrors. A spellcaster of 14th level 
  or higher can create a blast shadow using create undead. 
  In addition to the normal components of the spell, the 
  spellcaster must use the body of a creature that died as a 
  result of a fire spell or effect. The spell must be one that 
  affects an area. Scorching ray is not sufficient, but fireball 
  is. The creature must have died within 24 hours of the 
  casting of create undead. Blast shadows created in this 
  way are loyal to their creator, but those created by a death 
  burst are beholden to no one.
  Variant Blast Shadows
  Although most blast shadows are created through fire, 
  others are known to exist. The following variants have 
  different abilities than the standard blast shadow.
  Acid Shadow: Created using an acid fog or similar effect, 
  the claws, cloud, and death burst of an acid shadow deal 
  acid damage instead of fire damage. The cloud of an acid 
  shadow does not grant concealment, but any weapon that 
  strikes an acid shadow takes 2d6 points of acid damage.
  Freezing Shadow: Those who die from supernatural 
  cold, such as the cold created by control weather, sometimes 
  rise as freezing shadows. The claws, cloud, and death 
  burst of a freezing shadow deal cold damage instead of fire 
  damage. A freezing shadow can move across ice and snow 
  without penalty.
  Lightning Shadow: These undead are created through 
  terrible lightning storms, such as those manifested by call 
  lightning storm and storm of vengeance. The claws, cloud, 
  and death burst of a lightning shadow deal electricity 
  damage instead of fire damage. The cloud of a lightning 
  shadow does not grant concealment, but anyone who 
  strikes a lightning shadow with a metal weapon takes 1d6 
  points of electricity damage.
  Ire in the Ashes
  Although an exceedingly rare form of undead, there are 
  numerous scorched and blasted locations throughout 
  Avistan and Garund where blast shadows lurk.
  Buried Alive: In 4607, Mt. Kuvetheir in Taldor’s reach 
  of the World’s Edge Mountains unexpectedly erupted, 
  burying the mining communities of Milon’s Wait and 
  Voredding. Although the pyroclastic flow scoured the 
  two towns from the map, the extensive mines connecting 
  the communities remained. Now, the scarred and 
  poisoned corpses of those buried alive linger on in a 
  maze of copper and lead, digging endlessly in a futile 
  attempt to escape.
  The Burning Lake: Deep in the Mwangi Expanse hides 
  Lake Kiwavu, and on its shore the village of Taimbwin. 
  Thirteen years ago, the lake began bubbling mysteriously. 
  Shortly thereafter, Taimbwin was engulfed by a tsunami 
  of scalding water. Nearly all of the small village’s 200 
  residents died, but some have not rested easy, as a number 
  of the village’s elders—believing the unexplained disaster 
  stemmed from an ancient lake god’s anger—returned to 
  ward intruders away from their cursed home.
  Professional Hazard: In the autumn of 4705, the furnace 
  “Black Bhronha” at Magnimar’s Golemworks exploded, 
  killing six laborers. Due to unpredictable alchemical 
  and magical reagents in close proximity, the warehouse 
  housing the furnace was swiftly bricked over. Yet, judging 
  by the eerie noises that sound from inside, something 
  within the charred workshop might have survived.
  
  84
  Second Darkness
  Cutlass sPider
  This spider-like creature seems to be made entirely of weapons and 
  splintered planks, with thick and curved blades held together by 
  strange reddish sparks at their tips and pommels. Sleek and lethal, 
  its eight legs each composed of three deadly “joints,” it never stays 
  completely still, swaying with a deadly grace that hints at great 
  power and speed. 
  Cutlass Spider 
  CR 6
  Always N Large construct
  Init +3; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., low-light 
  vision; Listen +4, Spot +4
  DEfEnSE
  AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 16
  (+3 Dex, +7 natural, –1 size)
  hp 74 (8d10+30)
  fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2
  Immune construct traits; DR 5/adamantine 
  OffEnSE
  Spd 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
  Melee 2 legs +10 (2d8+5) and
  bite +5 (1d8+2)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks collapse, weapon thief
  TACTICS
  Before Combat A cutlass spider’s creator often orders the construct 
  to lurk above the sites of potential battles, such as on ceilings or 
  hidden amid a ship’s rigging, so it can drop down to attack.
  During Combat A cutlass spider typically attacks several 
  opponents at once, using at least one attack a round to 
  disarm foes.
  Morale Possessing no sense of self-preservation, a cutlass 
  spider fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 16, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
  Base Atk +6; Grp +15
  feats Improved DisarmB, Power AttackB
  Skills Climb +13, Hide +11 (when collapsed), Listen 
  +4, Spot +4
  SQ shared enchantment
  ECOLOGy
  Environment any
  Organization solitary
  Treasure none
  Advancement 9–16 HD (Large); 17–23 HD (Huge)
  Level Adjustment —
  SpECIAL ABILITIES
  All-Around Vision (Ex) A cutlass spider can see through the 
  blades that makes up its body as if they were eyes, providing 
  a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks. A cutlass spider 
  can’t be flanked.
  Collapse (Su) As a full-round action, a cutlass spider may 
  withdraw the magical energy holding its body together and 
  fall into a heap of blades and wooden pieces. Any creature 
  occupying a square adjacent to a cutlass spider must make a 
  DC 14 Reflex save or take 2d6+5 points of damage. The save DC 
  is Dexterity-based. A collapsed cutlass spider may reform itself 
  as a standard action.
  Shared Enhancement (Su) Should a cutlass spider have a 
  magical weapon incorporated into its body (either given 
  to it by its creator or stolen through the use of its weapon 
  thief ability), it shares the weapon’s enhancement bonus and 
  special abilities with all of its natural attacks. The construct 
  only benefits from the abilities of the highest-value magical 
  weapon incorporated into its body. For example, a cutlass 
  spider that disarms an opponent, stealing his +1 flaming short 
  sword, gains a +1 enhancement bonus and the effects of the 
  flaming weapon special ability on its leg and bite attacks. 
  Should the cutlass spider later disarm a +3 holy quarterstaff, 
  the effects of the cheaper short sword are replaced, granting 
  the creature’s legs and bite a +3 enhancement bonus and the 
  holy special ability.
  Weapon Thief (Ex) A cutlass spider that succeeds on an opposed 
  roll to disarm an opponent incorporates the disarmed weapon 
  into its body. The weapon cannot be retrieved until the cutlass 
  spider is destroyed.
  Skills A cutlass spider has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and 
  can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed 
  or threatened. A cutlass spider gains a +8 racial bonus on Hide 
  checks when using its collapse ability. This bonus increases to 
  +12 when collapsed amid trash and other debris.
  
  85
  Bestiary
  Terrible, spider-like accumulations of hundreds of 
  weapons given arachnoid shape and unreasoning purpose, 
  cutlass spiders serve as favorite creations of magic-users 
  removed from the rare materials and exotic components 
  of civilized lands. Named for their association with mages 
  in the service of privateer crews and pirate lords, cutlass 
  spiders serve their creators as enforcers, bodyguards, and 
  occasionally assassins. Regardless of its name, a cutlass 
  spider can be made of weapons of any sort, though blades 
  feature prominently among the frames of the most 
  fearsome constructs.
  A cutlass spider typically stands approximately 8 
  feet tall and weighs at least 1,500 pounds, although the 
  materials used in the creatures’ construction cause their 
  appearances to vary widely. 
  Ecology
  As artificially constructed beings, cutlass spiders have 
  no niche in the natural world and do little to impact their 
  surroundings. Created from weapons, the appearance 
  of a cutlass spider often reveals a great deal about the 
  construct’s creator. While most such creatures are made 
  from discarded weapons and bits of scrap wood, cutlass 
  spiders comprised wholly of exotic, specially made, or 
  masterwork weapons exist (such components don’t affect 
  a cutlass spider’s statistics).
  Habitat & Society 
  The creators of cutlass spiders typically use them as 
  guardians, particularly in the ramshackle fortresses 
  and disguised lairs that thieves, pirates, and other such 
  scallywags tend to inhabit. Requiring nothing in terms 
  of food or supplies, cutlass spiders sometimes lurk in 
  deserted seaside ruins, still following the commands 
  of long-slain or departed masters. Occasionally mages 
  order their cutlass spiders to hide amid tide pools or 
  submerged within flooded chambers, thinking that 
  rusty weapons appear more threatening and hoping to 
  enhance their servants’ deadliness with the additional 
  threat of tetanus. (See Pathfinder #8 for more details on 
  tetanus and other diseases.)
  Construction
  A cutlass spider is an amalgam of weapons worked into 
  a cage-like frame of wood or metal. They are crafted 
  from 1,000 pounds of wood or metal and covered with 
  dozens of weapons and oils distilled from urchins and 
  crustaceans costing at least 400 gp. Assembling the body 
  requires a DC 13 Craft (weaponsmithing) check.
  There 
  are 
  two 
  arcane 
  methods—of 
  varying 
  reliability—for creating cutlass spiders, the differing 
  formulas being known as the Principal Design and 
  Varghant’s Gamble. 
  The Principal Design requires the following elements: 
  CL 8th; Craft Construct, geas/quest, keen edge, limited wish, 
  caster must be at least 8th level; Price 18,000 gp; Cost 
  9,000 gp + 720 XP.
  Varghant’s Gamble requires the following elements, 
  but leaves the construct with the berserk special quality: 
  CL 7th; Craft Construct, geas/quest, keen edge, limited wish, 
  caster must be at least 7th level; Price 16,000 gp; Cost 
  8,000 gp + 667 XP. 
  Berserk (Ex) When a cutlass spider enters combat, there 
  is a cumulative 1% chance each round that its animating 
  energies malfunction and the construct goes berserk. The 
  uncontrolled construct goes on a rampage, attacking the 
  nearest living creature or smashing some object smaller 
  than itself if no creature is within reach, then moving on 
  to spread more destruction. Once a cutlass spider goes 
  berserk, no known method can reestablish control.
  Intelligent Cutlass Spiders
  Cutlass spiders have a unique interaction with intelligent 
  magical weapons as a side effect of their weapon thief and 
  shared enhancement abilities. If a cutlass spider steals an 
  intelligent magic weapon with a gp value higher than any 
  other magic weapon it currently possesses, the construct 
  immediately collapses. It spends 1 round inert, after 
  which it reforms free from the commands of its master, 
  now fully controlled by the newly subsumed intelligent 
  magic weapon. If the intelligent magic weapon is not the 
  highest value weapon in the cutlass spider’s body, there is 
  no special effect. Should a cutlass spider controlled by a 
  weapon’s intelligence add a new non-intelligent weapon of 
  higher value then the intelligent weapon to its body, the 
  intelligent weapon’s consciousness is repressed and the 
  construct collapses, remaining an inert pile of weapons 
  until reactivated by its creator.
  Although an exceedingly rare occurrence, there are 
  multiple documented cases wherein magical weapons 
  have gained control of cutlass spider bodies.
  Captain Saws: Originally a +2 wounding falchion known 
  as Throat Cleaver, when the weapon took over a cutlass 
  spider body, it took on the persona of Captain Saws 
  and began rounding up a crew out of Drenchport. A 
  mysterious captain whose true identity is only known to 
  his first mate, the one-armed elf Levechael, the merciless 
  Captain Saws hunts the western coast of Garund, ever 
  searching for weapons to add to his collection. 
  Nana Sharpe: A +3 defending morningstar, this intelligent 
  weapon was an avenger of neglected children. When 
  stolen by a cutlass spider, the morningstar was released 
  by its wielder, a cleric of Erastil, and departed with its 
  new body to defend an Andoren orphanage on the coast of 
  the Inner Sea. Although it has not been seen for years, the 
  children of Almas all know the tale of Nana Sharpe.
  
  86
  Second Darkness
  Forest drake
  Two long, leathery wings sprout from the green-scaled back of this 
  ferocious creature. Its head bears a long snout full of razor-sharp 
  teeth, and a green vapor drifts from its mouth. Two emerald eyes 
  peer from its brow with the cunning of a skilled predator. A foot-
  long spike adorns the tip of its sinuous tail, swishing from side to 
  side, waiting to strike. 
  forest Drake 
  CR 5
  LE Large dragon (air)
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Listen 
  +12, Spot +12
  DEfEnSE
  AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 17
  (+2 Dex, +8 natural, –1 size)
  hp 59 (7d12+14)
  fort +7, Ref +7, Will +5
  Immune acid, sleep, paralysis
  OffEnSE
  Spd 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (average), swim 30 ft.
  Melee bite +10 (1d8+6 plus 1d6 acid) and
  tail +8 (2d6+4)
  Special Attacks acidic cloud breath, speed surge
  TACTICS
  During Combat Forest drakes prefer to ambush prey, attacking 
  from amid the trees or underwater, unleashing their breath 
  before leaping into melee. They often fight in the middle of 
  their own acidic cloud, using their immunity to 
  their greatest advantage.
  Morale Forest drakes are fierce, but 
  they often retreat if brought below 10 
  hit points. They have been known 
  to carry a grudge and frequently 
  hunt stronger foes from a distance, 
  waiting for an opportune moment to get 
  their revenge with ongoing hit-and-run strikes.
  STATISTICS
  Str 19, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 12
  Base Atk +7; Grp +15
  feats AlertnessB, Hover, Multiattack, Power Attack
  Skills Hide +8, Listen +12, Move Silently +12, Spot +12, Swim +22 
  Languages Draconic
  SQ water breathing
  ECOLOGy
  Environment any forest
  Organization solitary, pair, or rampage (3–12)
  Treasure standard
  Alignment usually lawful evil
  Advancement 8–13 HD (Large); 14–21 HD (Huge)
  Level Adjustment —
  SpECIAL ABILITIES
  Acidic Cloud Breath (Su) A forest drake can, as a standard action, 
  breathe a ball of acid that dissipates into a cloud on impact. 
  This attack has a range of 60 feet and deals 4d4 points of acid 
  damage to all creatures within the 10-foot-radius cloud. A 
  successful DC 15 Reflex save halves this damage. The cloud 
  remains for 1d4 rounds once created, but a strong wind 
  disperses it in a single round. Once a forest drake has used its 
  acidic cloud breath, it cannot do so again for 1d6 rounds. The 
  Reflex save is Constitution-based.
  Speed Surge (Ex) Three times per day, a forest drake may draw 
  on its draconic heritage for a boost of strength and speed that 
  allows it to take an additional move action. Using this ability is 
  a free action that can only be used once per round.
  Water Breathing (Ex) A forest drake can breathe underwater 
  indefinitely and can freely use its breath weapon and other 
  abilities while underwater. The acidic cloud breath dissipates 
  after 1 round if used underwater.
  Skills Due to the coloring of its scales, a forest drake has a +8 
  racial bonus on Hide checks made in a forest environment. A 
  forest drake has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check made 
  to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can 
  always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted 
  or endangered. It can use the run action while swimming, 
  provided it swims in a straight line.
  
  87
  Bestiary
  The degenerate cousins of green dragons, forest drakes 
  are cunning predators. While they lack the intelligence 
  and wit of true dragons, they make up for it with savage 
  instincts, hunting prey through the forest in packs. 
  Travelers making their way through drake-infested 
  woods know to bring a company of archers with them to 
  drive the beasts off, but if the drakes attack in numbers, 
  even this defense is not enough. It is not uncommon to 
  find acid-scorched wagons and burnt bones along the 
  paths in a forest drake’s domain.
  Forest drakes typically stand approximately 12 feet 
  tall, with wing spans nearing 30 feet. With only slight 
  differences between genders, the drakes typically weigh 
  around 3,000 pounds. 
  Ecology
  Despite centuries of inbreeding and coupling with lesser 
  species, forest drake are still similar in many ways to their 
  green dragon cousins. Although today the forest drake has 
  come to breed true, there are still a number of different 
  subspecies with slightly varying characteristics. 
  Forest drakes are hatched from eggs, like most dragons, 
  but their parents do little in the way of rearing. The 
  parents stay with the eggs only until they are hatched, at 
  which time they go their separate ways. Each such mating 
  produces between four and eight eggs. Once hatched, the 
  young forest drakes quickly begin hunting as a small pack. 
  Once they reach 5 years old, the pack splits, with males and 
  females going their separate ways. Forest drakes mature 
  rapidly, reaching full size in only 5 years. While many die 
  from violence, forest drakes can live to be up to 200 years 
  old.
  Like their green dragon relations, forest drakes have a 
  particular taste for the flesh of elves and fey creatures. Less 
  subtle and clever than true dragons, drakes are prone to 
  attacking communities of such forest-dwelling creatures, 
  intent on gorging themselves amid the ensuing carnage. 
  Rather than instigate an all-out attack, warier drakes 
  often prowl the region around elven and fey communities, 
  seeking to prey upon any morsels foolish enough to wander 
  from their homes alone.
  Habitat & Society
  Forest drakes tend to have communal lairs, which they place 
  in secluded spots deep in the forest. The less accessible the 
  spot by land, the better. This means that forest drakes often 
  lair in dense thickets or remote clearings far away from 
  established trails. The pack often brings food back to the 
  lair to allow it to properly rot before being eaten. As such, 
  the lair of a forest drake or pack is littered with decaying 
  flesh, broken bones, and discarded (and frequently ruined) 
  equipment—usually of elven origin. 
  Forest drakes can be found in nearly any forest 
  environment, although temperate forests are the most 
  common. Such environments allow the forest drakes to 
  hide more easily in the foliage and surprise their prey.
  Forest drakes spend most of their lives hunting with 
  their siblings, breaking from the group only when it 
  is time to mate. If a forest drake is lost or abandoned, it 
  quickly joins another group if one is available. Such packs 
  often have established orders, and while new members are 
  welcome, they are forced to eat last and have few options 
  for mates, with more senior members of the pack getting 
  first choice. Solitary forest drakes tend to take on lone 
  targets or merchant wagons, whereas a large pack might 
  attack heavily guarded caravans or even a small town close 
  to their lair. If prey grows scarce, a pack of forest drakes 
  splits up, moving to different forests before turning on 
  each other as a last resort.
  Treasure
  Although forest drakes have little interest or need for 
  treasure, they find the scent of past meals enjoyable. To 
  such end, they’ll often keep the bones, clothes, armor, and 
  other equipment of those they’ve consumed hoarded away. 
  Any investigation of a forest drake’s lair likely reveals a 
  variety of gnawed-upon equipment, typically of elven or 
  fey design.
  Variant Forest Drakes
  Although all part of the same species, forest drakes tend to 
  vary a bit in their physical qualities, owing to their murky 
  and convoluted heritage. Each forest drake has one of the 
  following variations. Although uncommon, forest drakes 
  from the same parents might have different variations. A 
  forest drake with two of these variant abilities has a CR +1 
  higher than normal.
  Dragon Senses (Ex): Some forest drakes inherit the 
  keen senses of their draconic kin. These forest drakes have 
  blindsense out to 30 feet.
  Frightening Roar (Ex): Like a true dragon, this variety 
  of forest drake can unsettle foes by emitting a terrifying 
  roar. The forest drake can use this ability once per day as 
  a free action. All creatures (other than other forest drakes) 
  within 60 feet that can hear the forest drake must make a 
  DC 15 Will save or be shaken for 1 minute. This is a mind-
  affecting fear effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.
  Hard Scales (Ex): This breed of forest drake’s scales are 
  as hard as stone. Increase its natural armor bonus by +2.
  Long Wings (Ex): This type of forest drake has longer 
  than normal wings. Increase its fly speed to 90 feet and its 
  maneuverability to good.
  Quick Breath (Ex): This breed of forest drake’s breath 
  weapon recharges faster than most and can be used once 
  every 1d4 rounds.
  
  88
  Second Darkness
  MaFtet
  This creature drops soundlessly out of the sky on broad hawk 
  wings that support a lithe humanoid body. From the waist up, it 
  looks like a bronze-skinned human, with a human head and stern 
  face, but its legs are those of a tawny bipedal lion, complete with 
  a twitching feline tail. Bare-chested, its shapely torso is decorated 
  with strange tattoos that glow faintly with eldritch power. The 
  creature wields a wickedly curved scimitar in each hand, weaving 
  them in an intricate pattern of cuts and slashes.
  Maftet 
   
  CR 6
  Usually N Medium monstrous humanoid
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +8, Spot +8
  DEfEnSE
  AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 17
  (+4 armor, +5 Dex, +3 natural)
  hp 58 (9d8+18)
  fort +7, Ref +11, Will +10
  OffEnSE
  Spd 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (poor)
  Melee mwk scimitar +11/+6 (1d6+3/18–20) and 
  mwk scimitar +11/+6 (1d6+3/18–20)
  Special Attacks aerial pounce, paired weapons, raptor dive
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th)
  3/day—magic weapon
  1/day—cat’s grace, mage armor, protection from evil
  TACTICS
  Before Combat A maftet activates its runic tattoos, 
  casting cat’s grace, mage armor, and magic weapon. 
  If facing a foe it suspects to be evil, it also casts 
  protection from evil.
  During Combat A maftet prefers to attack by 
  surprise from the air, charging into combat 
  with a raptor dive and aerial pounce. Once 
  engaged in melee, a maftet makes full attacks 
  and uses Combat Reflexes to take attacks of 
  opportunity against mobile foes.
  Morale If reduced to fewer than 15 hit points, a maftet takes to the 
  air and flees.
  Base Statistics When its runic tattoos are not activated, a maftet 
  has the following statistics: Init +3; AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 
  13; Ref +9; Melee mwk scimitar +10/+5 (1d6+2/18 –20) and mwk 
  scimitar +10/+5 (1d6+2/18 –20); Dex 17; Skills Move Silently +13
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 21, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
  Base Atk +9; Grp +11
  feats Combat ReflexesB, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Iron 
  Will, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (scimitar)
  Skills Knowledge (history) +6, Listen +8, Move Silently +15, Spot +8
  Languages Common, Sphinx
  SQ runic tattoos
  Gear 2 masterwork scimitars
  ECOLOGy
  Environment temperate and warm deserts and mountains
  Organization solitary, pair, or pride (6–10)
  Treasure standard
  Advancement by class; favored Class ranger
  Level Adjustment +4
  SpECIAL ABILITIES
  Aerial pounce (Ex) When making a raptor dive, a maftet can take 
  a full attack.
  paired Weapons (Ex) A maftet is ambidextrous and fights with 
  a scimitar in each hand. Because of its intense training with 
  these weapons, the maftet’s off-hand scimitar is treated as a 
  light weapon and the maftet adds its full Strength bonus to 
  damage with it.
  Raptor Dive (Ex) Maftets begin combat from the air. When airborne, 
  they can swoop down and strike at lightning speed. This is 
  equivalent to an aerial charge, allowing a maftet to dive at twice its 
  normal flying speed and granting it a +2 bonus on its attack roll. 
  Runic Tattoos (Su) The eldritch tattoos scribed on a maftet’s body 
  power its spell-like abilities and glow faintly when those abilities 
  are used. A maftet can activate any number of spell-like abilities 
  as a standard action. It may also make a Fortitude save to resist 
  the effects of an erase spell cast on its tattoos, but if it fails the 
  
  89
  Bestiary
  save, it loses access to its spell-like abilities for 24 hours.
  Skills Maftets have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.
  Inhabitants of crumbling ruins and lost cities, maftets are 
  a race of winged feline humanoids. Also called sphinx-
  kin, aslani, or singhala, maftets appear similar to bipedal 
  sphinxes or lamias, although in fact they are neither. 
  Accomplished hunters and stalkers, maftets are also highly 
  skilled in fighting with paired scimitars. While not quite 
  xenophobic, maftets are often hostile towards interlopers 
  in their territory. As forbidding as the ruins they inhabit, 
  maftets keep their own counsel. 
  A typical maftet stands over 7 feet in height and weighs 
  between 250 and 300 lbs. Their upper bodies are humanoid, 
  with bronze skin and human faces, although their eyes 
  have the vertical pupils of felines. All maftets have a pair of 
  broad, feathered hawk wings on their backs, usually dark in 
  color. Their lower bodies are those of lions, covered in short 
  fur that ranges in coloration from a light buff to yellowish 
  or reddish brown, with feline tails as well. In some climates, 
  maftets have the spotted lower bodies of leopards, and, 
  rarely, a maftet is born with either white fur and pale skin, 
  or black fur and grayish-purple skin. Such individuals 
  frequently rise to positions of power among their kind. 
  Ecology
  Although maftets are omnivorous, they prefer fresh meat 
  and the thrill of the hunt. Typical prey includes aurochs, 
  mountain sheep, deer, and other large herd animals. While 
  maftets use javelins and nets in hunting, they disdain the 
  use of such weapons in combat.
  Maftets are very protective of the ruins they inhabit. 
  What an adventurer may see as a dungeon ripe for plunder, 
  a maftet views as its home, and will defend it against any 
  intruders, regardless of their intentions. A particular pride 
  might inhabit a ruin for generations, claiming the ancient 
  place as its ancestral home—much to the frustration of 
  historians and would-be treasure-seekers alike. This 
  doesn’t, however, prevent the maftets from exploring and 
  utilizing the treasures in their own lairs. While maftets 
  are usually indifferent to other races, they have an instinctive 
  hatred for lamias and their kin. Maftets attack lamias on sight, 
  and no maftet pride will suffer the presence of a lamia in its 
  territory for long. Indeed, many of the maftets’ combat and 
  defensive abilities were developed and honed over centuries 
  specifically for use against lamia-kin.
  Habitat & Society
  At home in dry deserts and mountains, maftets prefer to 
  lair in abandoned ruins, seemingly drawn to such desolate 
  places. They also make do with dens in cliffside caves or 
  mountaintop eyries, but only if no suitable ruins can be 
  found. Although the origin of maftets is unknown, some 
  sages believe they are related to sphinxes in some way, 
  and their predilection for such ancient dwellings has led 
  to speculation that maftets may be the fallen remnants 
  of a sphinx empire that predates humanity. Thus far, 
  however, no evidence of such a prehistoric civilization 
  has been discovered. 
  Like lions, maftet society is organized into prides of 
  four to six related females, their children, and a coalition 
  of two to four males. A pride claims a territory centered on 
  a given ruin that serves as the group’s home. A particularly 
  large ruin may be home to multiple prides that share the 
  surrounding territory, but such occurrences are rare. 
  Maftet females cooperatively share the responsibility 
  for the majority of a pride’s hunting, while males train 
  the pride’s children in warfare and guard the pride 
  from outside males attempting to claim leadership of 
  the group. Both sexes defend the pride and its territory 
  against intruders. Ruins are sometimes home to a lone 
  pair of maftets as well, frequently a mated couple seeking 
  to establish a new pride.
  Maftet children learn to fly after only a few years and 
  begin studying the combat arts almost as soon they can 
  hold a wooden scimitar. When a young maftet turns 12, it 
  receives its runic tattoos from a shaman, usually the eldest 
  female in the pride. The art and magic of creating these 
  tattoos has been passed down from mother to daughter 
  for thousands of years, along with a healthy dose of racial 
  history and legend. The tattoos are always the same (with 
  minor cosmetic variations between the sexes and between 
  different prides) and always have the same effects, their 
  origins lost to history. Under no circumstances are these 
  tattoos ever given to non-maftets. 
  Once a maftet receives its tattoos, it must embark on the 
  final step of its coming-of-age journey: the lamia hunt. 
  In a fire-lit nighttime ceremony, the adolescent recites 
  the deeds of its ancestors and is gifted with its paired 
  scimitars. As the ritual concludes with the sunrise, the 
  magic of the young maftet’s tattoos is activated. Together 
  with other children of age and the pride’s warriors, the 
  youths track, stalk, and kill a lamia. Only once it has 
  taken part in such a hunt is a maftet considered an adult. 
  At this point, females join their mothers’ pride, while the 
  young males are exiled to become nomads, find a mate, or 
  join another pride.
  Religion
  Maftets worship an aspect of Curchanus, the ancient and 
  nearly forgotten god of beasts. Although Curchanus is long 
  dead, maftet clerics and shamans still receive divine spells 
  from Curchanus’s successor, Desna. Their reverence of 
  Curchanus is more than partially the root of the maftets’ 
  enmity towards lamias, whose own goddess, Lamashtu, 
  killed Curchanus and stole his portfolio of beasts.
  
  90
  Second Darkness
  Sajan
  Lini
  Male HuMan Monk 7
  FeMale GnoMe DruiD 7
  str
  str
  defense
  HP 49
  AC 18
  touch 17, flat-footed 15
  Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +6 
  (+2 against enchantment)
  Special Defenses evasion, 
  slow fall 30 ft., still mind; 
  Immune nonmagical 
  disease
  defense
  HP 56
  AC 17
  touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+4 
  bonus against giants)
  Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +9 
  (+2 against illusions)
  Special Qualities  low-
  light vision, nature 
  sense, woodland stride
  offense
  Melee unarmed strike +8 (2d6+1) or
  flurry of blows +7/+7 (2d6+1) or
  +1 temple sword +7 (1d8+2/19–20)
  Base Atk +5; Grp +6
  Special Attacks ki strike (magic), 
  stunning fist 8/day (DC 14), 
  wholeness of body (14 hp/day)
  offense
  Melee sickle +4 (1d4–2)
  Ranged +1 sling +8 (1d3–2)
  Base Atk +5; Grp –1
  Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls 
  against goblins and kobolds, wild 
  shape 3/day
  Spell-Like Abilites (CL 1st)
  1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound 
  (DC 11), prestidigitation, speak with 
  burrowing mammals
  Spells Prepared (CL 7th; +7 ranged)
  4th—air walk, dispel magic
  3rd—call lightning (DC 17), neutralize 
  poison (DC 17), quench (DC 17)
  2nd—barkskin, cat’s grace, lesser 
  restoration, resist energy
  1st—entangle (2, DC 15), longstrider, 
  produce flame (2)
  0—cure minor wounds (3), guidance, 
  light, mending
  skills
  Climb 
  +11
  Escape Artist 
  +13
  Jump 
  +21
  Sense Motive 
  +11
  Tumble 
  +15
  feats
  Deflect Arrows, Dodge, 
  Exotic Weapon Proficiency 
  (temple sword), Improved 
  Trip, Mobility, Stunning 
  Fist, Weapon Finesse
  skills
  Concentration 
  +13 
  Craft (alchemy) 
  +2
  Handle Animal 
  +11
  Knowledge (nature) 
  +12
  Listen 
  +6
  Ride 
  +11
  Survival 
  +6
  Wild Empathy 
  +8
  feats
  Augment Summoning, 
  Natural Spell, Spell Focus 
  (conjuration)
  animal ComPanion
  Droogami (snow leopard; 
  MM 274)
  Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, potion of fly (2); Other Gear +1 temple sword, 
  bracers of armor +1, ring of protection +1, monk’s belt, wooden holy symbol, belt pouch
  Combat Gear wand of flame blade (50 charges), wand of cure moderate wounds (50 charges); Other 
  Gear +2 leather armor, sickle, +1 sling with 10 bullets, ring of protection +1, periapt of Wisdom +2, belt 
  pouch, mistletoe, spell component pouch, rations (2 days), collection of special de-barked sticks, 5 gp
  align LN 
  init +3 
  sPeed 50 ft.
  align N 
  init +1 
  sPeed 20 ft.
  dex
  dex
  con
  con
  int
  int
  wis
  wis
  cha
  cha
  13
  6
  16
  12
  14
  16
  10
  10
  12
  18
  8
  13
  abilities
  abilities
  Lini always seemed to possess a certain affinity with various creatures of the woodlands near where 
  she grew up—particularly with larger predators like bears and snow leopards. In the years since her 
  departure from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, Lini has collected more than a dozen sticks—one 
  from each forest or wood she visits.
  Sajan Gadadvara and his twin sister Sajni were separated when the lord they served was shamed 
  and forced to cede half his army to the victor—among them Sajan’s sister. Sajni was taken away 
  from Vudra by her new master, and Sajan abandoned his own responsibilities to follow. He spent 
  years trying in vain to find her, but has not yet given up. Sajan knows he cannot return to Vudra, 
  for the padapranja there would execute him as a deserter. He cares not for his home country, 
  however, and continues to seek out any clue that might point him toward his sister.
  deity: Irori   
  Homeland: Vudra
  deity: Green Faith 
  Homeland: Land of the Linnorm Kings
  
  91
  Characters
  SeLtyieL
  amiri
  Male HalF-elF  
  FiGHter 1/evoker 5/elDritcH kniGHt 1
  FeMale HuMan BarBarian 7
  str
  str
  defense
  HP 40
  AC 19
  touch 15, flat-footed 16
  Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +3; 
  +2 against enchantment; 
  immune to sleep effects
  defense
  HP 72
  AC 17
  touch 12, flat-footed 16
  Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +3
  Special Defenses trap 
  sense +2, improved 
  uncanny dodge; DR 1/—
  offense
  Melee +1 longsword +7 (1d8+2/19–20)
  Ranged mwk shortbow +8 (1d6/×3)
  Base Atk +4; Grp +5
  Special Qualities low-light vision
  Spells Prepared (CL 5th, +7 
  ranged touch, 10% spell failure)
  3rd—fireball (DC 16), still 
  scorching ray
  2nd—bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, 
  still magic missile, mirror image
  1st—enlarge person, burning hands 
  (DC 14), magic missile (2), shield
  0—flare (DC 13), light, mage hand, 
  ray of frost, prestidigitation
  Prohibited Schools enchantment, 
  necromancy
  offense
  Melee Large +1 bastard sword 
  +11/+6 (2d8+7/19–20)
  Ranged +1 comp. longbow +9/+4 
  (1d8+5/×3)
  Base Atk +7; Grp +11
  Special Attacks rage 2/day
  Special Qualities fast movement, 
  illiteracy
  barbarian rage
  HP 86
  AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 14
  Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +5
  Melee Large +1 bastard sword 
  +13/+8 (2d8+10/19–20)
  Str 22, Con 20
  raging Power attaCk
  Melee Large +1 bastard sword 
  +6/+1 (2d8+24/19–20)
  skills
  Concentration 
  +10
  Craft (alchemy) 
  +10
  Diplomacy 
  +2
  Gather Information 
  +2
  Intimidate 
  +4
  Knowledge (arcana) 
  +10
  Listen 
  +0
  Search 
  +3
  Spellcraft 
  +10
  Spot 
  +0
  feats
  Combat Expertise, Dodge, 
  Mobility, Scribe Scroll, Spell 
  Focus (evocation), Still Spell, 
  Weapon Focus (longsword)
  familiar
  Dargenti (bat)
  skills
  Climb 
  +12
  Intimidate 
  +9
  Jump 
  +12
  Listen 
  +11
  Spot 
  +3
  Survival 
  +11
  feats
  Exotic Weapon Proficiency 
  (bastard sword), Improved 
  Bull Rush, Power Attack, 
  Weapon Focus (bastard 
  sword)
  Combat Gear potion of barkskin +2; Other Gear +2 leather armor, +1 longsword, dagger, 
  masterwork shortbow with 20 arrows, gloves of Dexterity +2, ring of protection +2, flask of fine 
  absinthe worth 50 gp, gold holy symbol worth 75 gp, spellbook, 8 gp
  Combat Gear potion of barkskin +3 (2), potion of fly; Gear +2 hide armor, Large +1 bastard sword, +1 
  composite longbow (+4 Str), javelins (2), throwing axe, gauntlets of ogre power, amulet of health +2, 
  ring of protection +1, 20 gp 
  align LE 
  init +3 
  sPeed 30 ft.
  align CN 
  init +1 
  sPeed 30 ft.
  dex
  dex
  con
  con
  int
  int
  wis
  wis
  cha
  cha
  12
  18
  17
  13
  14
  16
  14
  10
  8
  12
  10
  8
  abilities
  abilities
  Amiri never quite fit in to the expected gender roles of her tribe, and when the tribe attempted to send 
  her on a suicide mission, she returned with an enormous trophy—a frost giant’s sword. She has since 
  abandoned her people, and has come to value her oversized sword (even though she can only truly wield 
  it properly when her blood rage takes her). She never speaks of the circumstances that forced her to flee 
  her homeland. Some things are better left unsaid.
  Born from a dead mother amid screams and disgrace, Seltyiel grew up surrounded by shame and abuse. 
  Before he came of age, his stepfather attempted to murder him, but after Seltyiel turned the tables, he fled 
  into the wild. Since then, his life has been a cruel series of betrayals and pain. His brief reunion with his 
  true father (a notorious bandit) ended with the half-elf being betrayed and imprisoned. Recently released, 
  Seltyiel longs for revenge against both his fathers for his stolen childhood.
  deity: Asmodeus  
  Homeland: Cheliax
  deity: Gorum  
  Homeland: Realm of the Mammoth Lords
  
  Next Month in
  TM
  92
  Second Darkness
  AbominAtions of the DArk
  by J. D. Wiker and Darren Drader
  Murder, demon worship, and genocide: these are the least 
  of the dark elves’ sins. In the shadows of the Darklands 
  mad drow alchemists revel in the madness of a perverse 
  new art: fleshwarping. Witness the drow’s dark science, 
  capable of twisting flesh into bizarre new forms, granting 
  strange powers at a deadly price, and transforming men 
  into unspeakable monsters.
  AnD more!
  A new subterranean Set Piece adventure, a discovery that 
  dares to change Eando Kline and all of Golarion forever, 
  and five new denizens of the depths—including a truly 
  ancient horror—all coming up next month!
  subscribe to PAthfinDer!
  Don’t miss out on a single encounter! Venture over 
  to paizo.com/pathfinder and subscribe today! Have 
  each Pathfinder, Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder 
  Companion, and GameMastery product delivered to your 
  door! Get every Second Darkness adventure or pick up 
  volumes of past Adventure Paths online!
  enDless night
  by F. Wesley Schneider
  The way to the Darklands stands open and the plot 
  of the drow takes shape. With the dark elven taint in 
  Celwynvian purged, the elves seek to learn more of their 
  foul cousins’ terrible scheme. Through guile and strange 
  magic, someone must don the cruel visage of the drow 
  and infiltrate their merciless ranks. Do the PCs dare to 
  trespass into the realm of the drow? Can they hope to 
  weather horrors that have lain hidden in the darkness for 
  millennia? And will their cunning be enough to pass as 
  drow themselves?
  ZirnAkAynin
  by F. Wesley Schneider
  Deep beneath the surface, in a land untouched by the 
  scouring sun, grows the root of a forgotten evil, a city of 
  magic-warped stone and bladed iron: Zirnakaynin, the 
  Last Home of the Elves. Brave the twisted streets and 
  deadly caverns of the deadly subterranean refuge, learn 
  the ways of the drow’s demon-sworn families, and take 
  part in the depredations of the dark elves in this gazetteer 
  of one of the foulest metropolises in all Golarion.
  add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open 
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  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document. Copyright 2000. Wizards of the Coast, Inc; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip 
  Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Pathfinder 15: The Armageddon Echo. Copyright 2008, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn.
  Tome of Horrors. Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark Peterson, Erica Balsley, 
  Kevin Baase, Casey Christofferson, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Patrick Lawinger, and Bill Webb; Based on original 
  content from TSR.
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
  The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc 
  (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
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  93
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  I
  mmerse your character in the world of the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign 
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  this massive 256-page full-color hardcover tome primed and ready to go for your new campaign! 
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  Written by  
  Keith Baker, Wolfgang Baur, Jason Bulmahn, Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb, James Jacobs, Mike McArtor,  
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  including mini-essays on world creation by R.A. Salvatore and Robert J. Kuntz.
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  Caldrana
  Misraria
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  Rasivrein
  Vexidyre
  Parastric
  Tracinoa
  dolour
  Vonnarc
  Udrinor
  Sardavic
  Moivas
  Drow Runes
  
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  Printed in China. PZO9015
  T
  he city of Celwynvian hides a terrible sin. For countless centuries the elves of the Mierani 
  Forest have barred outsiders from the fabled City of Emerald Rains, in a desperate attempt to 
  contain an ancient shame. But as a new power rises in the depths, the elves’ secret threatens 
  not only to escape, but to rain down devastation upon the entire world. In desperation, elven 
  eyes fall to a band of outsiders for aid. Tread the forsaken ground of Celwynvian, once one of the 
  greatest capitals of elven culture, now a graveyard haunted by the spirits of the past, foul dragons, 
  demons, and worse. Discover the darkest secret of the Mierani Forest and the truth of the cataclysm 
  known as Earthfall. And dare to shed the bonds of eternity and pay witness to an apocalypse that 
  has borne out a thousand times and threatens to devastate Golarion once more!
  This volume of Pathfinder includes: 
  ◆  “The Armageddon Echo,” an adventure for 7th-level 
  characters, by Jason Bulmahn.
  ◆  The drow of Golarion exposed! Revelations on the most 
  fabled and feared race to haunt the Darklands’ abyssal 
  depths, by Jeff Grubb.
  ◆  An exploration of Celwynvian, the abandoned City of 
  Emerald Rains, a vast elven ruin that refuses to sleep 
  peacefully, by Amber Scott.
  ◆  Eando Kline discovers that even familiar faces are not always  
  welcome in the Darklands—an entry into the Pathfinder’s  
  Journal by Greg A. Vaughan.
  ◆  Four new monsters by Jason Bulmahn, Hal Maclean,  
  and Rob McCreary.
  The End is Nigh!
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/Adventure Paths/PF013-018 - Second Darkness/Second Darkness - 03 - The Armageddon Echo.pdf