TEXT: For 
  Queen & Empire
  by Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  
  C
  H
  E
  LI
  A
  X
  KINTARGO
  KANTARIA
  WESTCROWN
  CORENTYN
  WHISPERWOOD
  REMESIANA
  LAEKASTEL
  OSTENSO
  CITADEL DINYAR
  HINJI
  EGORIAN
  LONGACRE
  SENARA
  WINTER GROVE
  
  ON THE COVER
  HELL’S VENGEANCE        For Queen & Empire
  te 
   
   queen to 
  thin the 
  Vengeance 
  s,  l
  wer 
  Loza, 
  EWARD
  Part 4 of 6
  For 
  Queen & Empire
  by Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  Printed in China. PZO90106
  106
  PATHFINDER
  FOR QUEEN & EMPIRE
  Paizo Inc.
  7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120
  Redmond, WA 98052-0577
  paizo.com
  On the cover of this volume of the Hell’s Vengeance 
  Adventure Path, artist Wayne Reynolds gives us an 
  all-new wicked villain—Zelhara, the iconic inquisitor 
  of Zon-Kuthon!
  ADVENTURE PATH 4 OF 6
  Reference
  This book refers to several other Pathfinder Roleplaying Game products using the following abbreviations, 
  yet these additional supplements are not required to make use of this book. Readers interested in 
  references to Pathfinder RPG hardcovers can find the complete rules of these books available online for 
  free at paizo.com/prd.
  Advanced Class Guide 
  ACG
  Advanced Player’s Guide 
  APG
  Advanced Race Guide 
  ARG
  The Inner Sea World Guide 
  ISWG
  Mythic Adventures 
  MA
  Ultimate Combat 
  UC
  Ultimate Equipment 
  UE
  Ultimate Magic 
  UM
  This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or the 3.5 edition of the 
  world’s oldest fantasy roleplaying game.
  Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), 
  and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, 
  characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not 
  included in this declaration.)
  Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo game product are Open Game 
  Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game 
  Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
  Pathfinder Adventure Path #106: For Queen & Empire © 2016, Paizo Inc. All Rights Reserved. Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, 
  the Pathfinder logo, and Pathfinder Society are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; Hell’s Vengeance, Pathfinder Accessories, Pathfinder Adventure 
  Card Game, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Battles, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Cards, Pathfinder Flip-Mat, Pathfinder Map 
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  of Paizo Inc.
  Printed in China.
  Development Leads • Adam Daigle and Rob McCreary
  Authors • Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, Dave Gross, 
  Garrett Guillotte, Steven T. Helt, Luis Loza, 
  Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and Josh Vogt
  Cover Artist • Wayne Reynolds
  Interior Artists • Davi Blight, Ekaterina Burmak, 
  Yigit Koroglu, Ayran Oberto, Nikolai Ostertag, 
  Sara Otterstätter, Lydia Schuchmann, Dimitri Sirenko, 
  Bryan Sola, and Firat Solhan
  Cartographer • Robert Lazzaretti 
  Design Elements • Eva Widermann
  Editor-in-Chief • F. Wesley Schneider
  Creative Director • James Jacobs
  Executive Editor • James L. Sutter
  Senior Developer • Rob McCreary
  Pathfinder Society Lead Developer • John Compton
  Developers • Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, 
  Amanda Hamon Kunz, Mark Moreland, 
  Owen K.C. Stephens, and Linda Zayas-Palmer
  Senior Editors • Judy Bauer and Christopher Carey
  Editors • Jason Keeley and Josh Vogt
  Lead Designer • Jason Bulmahn
  Designers • Logan Bonner, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, 
  and Mark Seifter
  Managing Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson
  Art Director • Sonja Morris
  Senior Graphic Designer • Adam Vick
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  Publisher • Erik Mona
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  Julie Iaccarino, Erik Keith, and Scott Spalding
  Foreword 
  2
  by Rob McCreary
  For Queen & Empire 
  4
  by Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  NPC Gallery 
  54
  by Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  Meet the Villain: Zelhara 
  60
  by Adam Daigle
  Egorian, City of Thorns 
  62
  by Dave Gross
  The Bellflower Network 
  70
  by Crystal Frasier
  Pathfinder's Journal: Cowards and Crows 4 of 6 
  76
  by Josh Vogt 
  Bestiary 
  82
  by Garrett Guillotte, Steven T. Helt, Luis Loza, and Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  
  COURTLY INTRIGUES  
  AND AMUSEMENTS
  T
  he Hell’s Vengeance Adventure Path takes another 
  turn in this month’s adventure, “For Queen & 
  Empire.” The evil PCs have spent the first half of 
  the campaign directly opposing the efforts of the Glorious 
  Reclamation, but as Thrune Trusted Agents, their service 
  now takes them to the city of Egorian and the intrigues of 
  the Chelish imperial court.
  That means there is significantly less combat in 
  this adventure, and notably more social encounters, 
  wherein the PCs get to engage with a variety of NPCs, 
  both friendly and antagonistic. Many of these encounters 
  include mechanics for handling these interactions, but 
  you shouldn’t feel forced to use abstract skill checks to 
  resolve social challenges, especially if your players enjoy 
  more detailed roleplaying. If someone’s fighter doesn’t 
  have ranks in Bluff, but her player is a burgeoning actress, 
  let her roleplay her character’s socializing  instead. 
  Even if you do use the mechanics as written, you should 
  feel free to award bonuses to PCs’ skill checks based on 
  good roleplaying or how much fun the other players 
  are having. In short, you and your players can spend 
  as much or as little time on these encounters as you 
  wish, but I encourage you to give them a try, and give 
  your players a break from the more traditional combat 
  encounters found elsewhere in the campaign.
  One of the big challenges with having a large number 
  of social encounters comes in awarding experience. As 
  a result, you’ll see some significant story awards in this 
  adventure. In some cases, these awards might seem high 
  for simply roleplaying, but I went with the assumption 
  that the amount of time spent at the table playing 
  through these encounters is at least equivalent to that of 
  some encounters that focus on combat, and distributed 
  XP appropriately.
  2
  
  Of course, there are still plenty of opportunities in “For 
  Queen & Empire” for more combat-focused characters 
  to shine, particularly in the latter half of the adventure. 
  And if you want even more fights to throw a little extra 
  excitement the PCs’ way while they’re in Egorian, you can 
  use the Egorian Streets Encounters table on page 83 to 
  add extra encounters, or create some of your own. 
  MORE PARTY GUESTS
  The PCs receive invitations to several parties in this 
  adventure, where they have the opportunity to hobnob 
  with a variety of nobles and courtiers from Egorian’s elite. 
  The most important personages the PCs will meet are 
  detailed in the adventure, but a party’s not a party unless 
  there are plenty of guests to mingle with and engage 
  in small talk. To that end, here are several additional 
  NPCs whom the PCs can encounter at the parties in 
  the adventure. These characters appear nowhere in the 
  adventure or the campaign, and can be used, modified, 
  detailed, or expanded as much as you see fit.
  Archbaroness Laurencia Thortangion (female human): 
  A devout Asmodean with shockingly white teeth, 
  Archbaroness Thortangion is often found in prayer, even 
  in the middle of a party. Her greatest ambition is to take 
  a pilgrimage to Hell itself.
  Count Deinos Fallagon (male human): Having only 
  recently inherited his title, the heirless Count Fallagon 
  is visiting Egorian for the first time. He wants to get 
  married as soon as possible, but whether because of 
  his strange webbed hands, or the fact that he constantly 
  haggles over everything, the count has so far attracted 
  few potential spouses. 
  Demibaroness Figgra Opaldam (female dwarf ): Granted 
  her title 15 years ago under mysterious circumstances by 
  Infrexus, the previous king of Cheliax, this bald dwarf (a 
  favorite at Egorian’s parties for her “exoticism”) has spent 
  the last 5 decades unsuccessfully trying to impress her 
  disapproving parents in Druma.
  Duchess Asdoria Taraxion (female human): Prone  to 
  nervous laughter, Duchess Taraxion tries to act like a 
  commoner as a show of solidarity with the “little people,” 
  but actually comes across as condescending and offensive. 
  She is seeking a discreet partner for a torrid affair while 
  her husband is away touring the Fleshfairs of Okeno.
  Indarandael (male elf ): One of the Forlorn, Indarandael 
  earned a modicum of fame as a highly successful gladiator 
  at the Imperial Stadium. Now retired, the tall elf walks 
  with a limp, but the beauty of his muscular form has 
  made him a popular model for many of Egorian’s more 
  prominent artists.
  Philemus Groat (male human): A lanky man with a 
  glass eye, Philemus is a Thrune agent recently returned 
  to Cheliax from Sargava. He sniffs everything before 
  eating or drinking it, and is looking for a cure for a rare 
  affliction he contracted in the jungles of Garund.
  THE GLORIOUS 
  RECLAMATION’S PROGRESS
  Throughout the Hell’s Vengeance Adventure Path, the 
  Glorious Reclamation enjoys a number of victories in its 
  war against Cheliax and House Thrune, but if the PCs are 
  successful in their endeavors during the campaign, the 
  knights should also suffer some devastating defeats. The 
  inside front cover of each volume of the Adventure Path 
  displays a map of Cheliax with symbols of both House 
  Thrune and the Glorious Reclamation that tracks either 
  side’s progress in the wider conflict.
  As “For Queen & Empire” begins, the Glorious 
  Reclamation’s uprising continues to gather strength and 
  claim more territory. Many of Cheliax’s minor towns and 
  villages have changed hands between House Thrune and 
  the Glorious Reclamation, some more than once, as the 
  two forces battle for supremacy. So far, Cheliax’s legions 
  have been able to contain the uprising to the outlying 
  rural areas and smaller towns, predominantly in eastern 
  Cheliax, but the zealous knights are pressing ever closer 
  to the empire’s population centers. As a result, Her 
  Infernal Majestrix Queen Abrogail II has summoned all 
  of her Thrune agents to Cheliax’s capital city, Egorian, to 
  address the crisis.
  Nevertheless, the status quo between Cheliax and the 
  Glorious Reclamation is much the same as it was in the 
  previous adventure, “The Inferno Gate.” The Glorious 
  Reclamation remains in control of the city of Senara, but 
  it has not made any other major territorial gains.
  Skirmishes between the armies of Cheliax and the 
  Glorious Reclamation continue on the Sirmium Plains 
  and elsewhere, but recent reports from the front seem 
  to suggest that the Iomedaeans have withdrawn some of 
  their forces from the theater—though to where, and for 
  what purpose, remains a mystery. Additionally, scattered 
  accounts from Longmarch and Sirmium describe 
  isolated incidents of suspicious naval activity along 
  the coast, but whether these reports are related to the 
  Glorious Reclamation is unclear.
  What is clear is that Queen Abrogail has some strategy 
  in mind involving those agents sworn personally to 
  House Thrune. As part of that prestigious group, the PCs 
  have an integral part to play in these plans—provided 
  they can stand out among all the other Thrune agents 
  currently flocking to Egorian and gain the queen’s 
  personal attention.
  Rob McCreary
  Senior Developer
  rob.mccreary@paizo.com
  3
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, City 
  oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  4
  12
  10
  11
  PART 1: POLITICS AND PARTIES 
  5
  Thrown into the political machinations and social sparring of the imperial court in Egorian, 
  the villainous player characters find themselves caught up in a rivalry between two powerful 
  and influential courtiers.
  PART 3: ROYAL SACRIFICE 
  41
  The villains journey into the depths of the Barrowood to renew Thrune’s pact with Hell. 
  If successful, the evildoers can bind their souls to Queen Abrogail and Asmodeus with an 
  infernal contract, becoming Thrune Bound Agents and gaining a powerful infernal boon.
  PART 2: DIGGING UP BELLFLOWERS 
  30
  To gain the personal notice of Queen Abrogail, the villains must hunt down a secret cell of 
  halfling slave emancipators and put an end to their subversive activities in Egorian.
  The PCs begin this adventure 
  at 10th level.
  The PCs should reach 11th 
  level by the end of Part 1, 
  and before they take on the 
  Bellflower Network in Part 2.
  The PCs should be 12th 
  level  before facing Luthon 
  Malix at the Winter Grove in 
  Part 3.
  The PCs should reach 13th level by the 
  end of the adventure.
  “For Queen & Empire” is designed for 
  four characters and uses the medium 
  XP track.
  ADVANCEMENT TRACK
  FOR
  QUEEN & EMPIRE
  
  5
  protect her seat of power and to launch a counterattack 
  against the Glorious Reclamation, the queen also seeks 
  trusted and capable agents to fulfill her obligations to 
  Hell. She cannot depend on her nobles, who bicker 
  and squabble to gobble up the scraps of power that 
  fall from the queen’s table, then lie and murder 
  to keep those scraps. She cannot trust the 
  Church of Asmodeus, which harbors factions 
  that would like nothing more than to cast 
  down House Thrune and create an infernal 
  theocracy in the place of the empire. And 
  she cannot rely on the Hellknights, who are 
  too devoted to their own interpretations of 
  Hell’s laws and blind to the larger picture 
  of practical rule. Instead, the queen needs 
  to find talented and ruthless 
  individuals, loyal to Abrogail 
  herself and proven in battle, 
  who possess the dedication and 
  initiative to do what must be 
  done for queen and empire. 
  As her call goes out and 
  Thrune agents throng within 
  the walls of her capital, Abrogail keeps her ears to the 
  ground, listening to advisors and courtiers who have 
  daily dealings with the wild cards of Thrune’s power. 
  Abrogail has had a vision, which she is certain came 
  from Asmodeus himself, that a group of agents yet 
  unknown to her will rise above all others to become 
  true champions of House Thrune, serving as her dark 
  knights in this mission of utmost importance. These 
  agents have faced adversity—and treachery—and rather 
  than perish, they have instead been tempered by those 
  fires into a ruthless manifestation of fear and tyranny, 
  and will be instrumental in crushing the shining 
  rebellion that defies the will of the Infernal Majestrix. 
  As Queen Abrogail searches for these agents, she plots 
  and plans the means to enact Hell’s vengeance and take 
  back that which is rightfully Thrune’s. 
  PART 1: POLITICS AND PARTIES
  This adventure starts where the previous volume of the 
  Hell’s Vengeance Adventure Path, “The Inferno Gate,” 
  left off, and assumes the player characters defeated their 
  treacherous former patron, Archbaron Darellus Fex. But 
  though Fex’s defeat likely severed the PCs’ only direct 
  link to House Thrune, they are still Thrune Trusted 
  Agents, and are still beholden to a higher authority. 
  They may have gained some measure of independence, 
  but their services are still required by the empire. The 
  PCs’ exploits and victories have drawn the notice of the 
  imperial court in Egorian, the treacherous capital of 
  Cheliax, and even now, the crown’s agents are en route to 
  make the queen’s will known and demand the PCs heed 
  her call. 
  ADVENTURE BaCKGROUND
  Despite the best efforts of House Thrune, the Chelish 
  army, and the hosts of Hell, the Glorious Reclamation’s 
  movement 
  is 
  gaining 
  momentum, 
  threatening 
  the stability of the empire of Cheliax. Alexeara 
  Cansellerion’s knights march through the land, 
  bolstered by the recovery of Iomedae’s sword, 
  Heart’s Edge, and by victories in the east. The 
  Glorious Reclamation claims its goal is to 
  not carve out some petty new kingdom, but 
  to engender the fall of House Thrune, drive 
  Hell’s legions from Golarion, and establish 
  a shining new nation based on the precepts 
  of the Inheritor’s will. 
  Such stupidity and reckless 
  idealism cannot stand. The rule 
  of law can be enforced only with 
  an iron fist. Mortals cannot be 
  trusted with compassion, love, 
  or mercy. These things are 
  the seeds of chaos and at 
  the heart of good’s folly. 
  These are the teachings of 
  Asmodeus, and the will of Cheliax’s Infernal Majestrix. 
  While Cheliax has so far managed to hold the 
  Glorious Reclamation’s shining crusaders mostly at bay, 
  Queen Abrogail Thrune II knows that to create a fist, 
  all fingers must be brought together, just as her forces 
  must work with one will and one mind for the common 
  good of the empire. To accomplish this, she is calling 
  all agents of House Thrune to the imperial capital, 
  Egorian. With her most talented and loyal agents at 
  hand, the queen has grand plans to march forth and 
  put down this pathetic rebellion with decisive action. 
  But the gears of Cheliax’s imperial court are complex, 
  and full of those who plot to seize power for themselves. 
  While Abrogail is motivated to bolster the strength of 
  Thrune’s empire, factions within her court jostle to 
  grab power and control amid the chaos. 
  Even more troubling, the queen faces the yearly ritual 
  during which she must renew Thrune’s contract with 
  Hell with a sacrifice to Asmodeus at the Winter Grove 
  inside the Barrowood, the site where her ancestor 
  Abrogail I first bargained with Asmodeus and ensured 
  the rule of House Thrune over Cheliax. Failing to 
  perform the ritual and provide a suitable sacrifice would 
  have disastrous consequences to both House Thrune’s 
  supremacy and the stability of Cheliax, whether or not 
  the insipid banner of the Glorious Reclamation still 
  flies. Yet the danger these Iomedaean knights pose, 
  and the instability they have wrought throughout the 
  empire, put the queen’s life at risk outside the safety of 
  Egorian’s walls. 
  Abrogail’s recall of all Thrune agents has a dual 
  purpose. While its main aim is to rally strength to 
  QUEEN ABROGAIL THRUNE II
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  6
  THE QUEEN’S SUMMONS (CR 11)
  Queen Abrogail has sent flights of erinyes across 
  Cheliax to recall her Thrune agents to the capital, using 
  a combination of discern location, scrying, and sending 
  spells to find and communicate with them. Normally, 
  the PCs would have received word of the queen’s 
  summons from their patron, but with Fex’s defeat, 
  Abrogail has tracked them down with discern location 
  (the blood the PCs offered when they swore themselves 
  to the queen and became Thrune Loyal Agents in “The 
  Hellfire Compact” enables the spell to target the PCs).
  Creatures: Three erinyes—Galiona, Namah, and 
  Sylanth—have been sent to contact the PCs. The erinyes 
  appear as soon as the PCs have rested from their 
  last escapade and are ready for new challenges. This 
  encounter can happen anywhere, but the devils prefer 
  an outside area away from onlookers where they can 
  confront all of the PCs together and away from any 
  prying eyes.
  The queen’s messengers enjoy a dramatic entrance, 
  use greater teleport to appear near the PCs, hoping to catch 
  the Thrune agents off guard. The erinyes use minor image 
  to enhance the spectacle, creating an illusion of cold 
  crimson and black flames flickering about them as they 
  swoop into the midst of the PCs.
  Galiona leads the trio in a “V” formation, holding one 
  hand out to indicate that she should be heard first before 
  hostilities erupt. The two rear devils land with ebon 
  bows in hand and blackened arrows nocked. Galiona 
  produces a vellum scroll sealed with red and black wax 
  from a pouch at her side, and speaks in an arrogant and 
  otherworldly voice.
  “Trusted of Thrune. We come with tidings from the queen. 
  Show proper respect, prostrate yourselves, and be ready to 
  receive her word.” 
  While the erinyes serve the queen without question, 
  they find the work dull and somewhat demeaning. If 
  the PCs don’t show the proper respect, Galiona raises 
  one fist in the air. Namah and Sylanth then train their 
  bows on spellcasters, but it’s an idle threat—the devils 
  have been ordered to kill only those who refuse the 
  summons. Whether the PCs show Galiona deference or 
  not, she hands them the queen’s summons (see Handout 
  #1), orders them to read it, and then awaits their answer. 
  If the PCs answer affirmatively, the erinyes teleport 
  away, their task complete. If the PCs ask questions, 
  Galiona is arrogant and exasperated. She warns the 
  PCs that this is a royal summons from the queen’s own 
  hand. The PCs have taken an oath, and to refuse the 
  summons is treason. They can ask any questions they 
  might have in Egorian.
  If the PCs refuse the summons, the erinyes attack, 
  preferring nothing more than to disembowel a few 
  insolent mortals and hang their innards from the trees. 
  HANDOUT #1
  Trusted Agents of Thrune,
  With the encroachment of the traitors, brigands, and foreign 
  insurrectionists calling themselves the Glorious Reclamation, it 
  is time for those most loyal to Cheliax to gather beneath 
  the banners of Thrune. Your presence is required in Egorian 
  to await and execute your Queen’s will. Make haste to 
  the capital and register yourselves at Asmodeus’s Midnight 
  Temple. The Prince of Darkness’s loyal priests will provide 
  quarters while you await our orders. 
  Together, we will be the iron shield that defends the 
  homeland, and the Hell-forged blade that strikes back at 
  these tin upstarts and restores order to the empire. 
  Swear your devotion to my messengers, then fly to your 
  Queen. Fail to heed this summons only by death.
  Her Infernal Majestrix Abrogail the Second of the Thrice-
  Damned House of Thrune, by the Might of Asmodeus, Queen and 
  Empress of Cheliax, and of Its Other Realms and Territories
  
  7
  If one or more of the devils is slain, the others attempt to 
  escape via greater teleport, taking care to leave behind the 
  scroll containing the queen’s summons. The devils then 
  return to Egorian and report the encounter.
  GALIONA, NAMAH, AND SYLANTH (3) 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  Erinyes (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 75)
  hp 94 each 
  Development: As Thrune agents, the PCs are expected 
  to follow orders, not fight with royal messengers. 
  However, slaying the devils does not otherwise hurt 
  the PCs’ reputation—in fact, doing so could help it. 
  The imperial bureaucracy rigorously tracks the queen’s 
  couriers, and if the PCs fight the erinyes and at least one 
  of them escapes to report the conflict, the PCs earn 2 
  Notice Points (see the sidebar on page 12). Even if none of 
  the devils escapes the PCs, the assumption is still that the 
  PCs had something to do with erinyes’ disappearance, 
  and they gain 1 Notice Point.
  Story Award: If the PCs accept the queen’s summons 
  without fighting the erinyes, award them 14,400 XP, as if 
  they had defeated the devils in combat.
  ROAR OF THE HUNTER (CR 12)
  Once the PCs receive Queen Abrogail’s summons, 
  they should make their way to Cheliax’s capital city, 
  Egorian. The journey to the capital is not detailed in this 
  adventure, but the path to the city is mostly clear, as the 
  flights of erinyes have spooked most pocket cells of the 
  Glorious Reclamation and made the movement’s larger 
  hosts more cautious.
  Creature: One obstacle remains on the path to 
  Egorian, however—a lone leonal hunter named 
  Weoruf. Although not an official ally of the Glorious 
  Reclamation, the agathion has been drawn to Cheliax 
  by the conflict there and has taken it upon himself 
  to hunt down and slay any Thrune agents or fiendish 
  allies of House Thrune he can. Weoruf has been 
  tracking Queen Abrogail’s erinyes messengers and 
  has followed them to their latest targets, the PCs. He 
  attacks the PCs soon after they receive the queen’s 
  summons—the leonal has no wish to fight a trio of 
  devils and powerful Thrune agents at the same time. 
  Though a dedicated hunter, Weoruf doesn’t want to 
  perish in battle. He uses heal and his lay on hands 
  ability to stay in the fight, but when those options are 
  exhausted and he’s reduced to fewer than 70 hit points, 
  Weoruf attempts to retreat.
  WEORUF 
  CR 12
  XP 19,200
  Male leonal (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 20)
  hp 147
  Treasure: Weoruf wears pauldrons of the watchful lion 
  (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Equipment 267).
  The CiTy of Thorns
  The city of Egorian sits on the shores of Lake Sorrow, on 
  the western edge of the Egobarius Plain, south and east 
  of the Barrowood. Since the capital was moved here from 
  Westcrown more than 75 years ago, the city has become a 
  monument to House Thrune and its policies, and stands at 
  the heart of the Chelish Empire, literally and figuratively. 
  Egorian is fully detailed in the gazetteer beginning on 
  page 62, which provides a wealth of information to flesh 
  out the city if the PCs wish to explore beyond the bounds 
  of this adventure and immerse themselves deeper in the 
  dangers and intrigue Egorian has to offer. 
  Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs first 
  enter the city.
  Even with the chaos plaguing the empire, the streets of 
  Egorian hum with their normal hustle and bustle. In the 
  district of Whipcrack, crowds gather around the pens 
  holding newly arrived slaves, as auctioneers urge higher 
  bids for the lots. Beyond the flesh market, teamsters move 
  freight, merchants make deals, and residents go about their 
  daily business. There may be a few more Hellknights and 
  Asmodean inquisitors on the streets than is typical, not 
  to mention those bearing the mark of House Thrune, but 
  otherwise it seems to be business as usual.
  Moving west toward the city center, the strange angles 
  and harsh opulence of the city’s Arcadian marble facades and 
  its abundance of fiendish-looking gargoyles give the place a 
  wretched air. Towering edifices of Egorian School architecture 
  rise between patches of mercantile buildings, creating 
  a dark, sharp skyline that seems to oppress the cloudless 
  blue sky above with shades of shifting gray. In the riot of 
  commerce, brighter colors and beckoning storefronts seem 
  almost like asylums shut in by walls of red-veined ebony.
  Stretching out from the Imperial Palace, Thrune Square 
  swarms with potential courtiers and hopeful Thrune agents 
  seeking an audience with the queen, or at least admittance 
  to the imperial court, but both Egorian’s bureaucracy and 
  the queen’s Infernal Guard restrict entrance to the palace. 
  It’s obvious that personal access to Her Infernal Majestrix is 
  strictly controlled.
  A man walking nearby points to the crowd, and says with 
  a chuckle, “Waiting in line is not how one gains the notice of 
  the queen. One has to be useful.” 
  Once in town, the PCs should register at the Midnight 
  Temple, where they will receive their assigned quarters. 
  As the PCs establish themselves in the city, they will also 
  meet a pair of competing courtiers: Paraduke Thalgano 
  Sethic (see page 7) and Archcountess Levisvia Vasvion 
  (see page 10). Both seek to build a partnership with the 
  PCs—to further their own respective goals, of course, 
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  8
  but in exchange for kind words about the PCs in court, 
  and possibly, an audience with Queen Abrogail herself. 
  Which courtier the PCs collaborate with determines the 
  subsequent course of events in Part 1 of the adventure.
  Part 2 details the PCs’ efforts against the Bellflower 
  Network in Egorian. This will normally happen after the 
  events of Part 1, but since the PCs had the opportunity to 
  learn some information about the Bellflower Network in 
  “The Inferno Gate,” they may want to make their names 
  by going after that organization earlier rather than later. 
  If that is the case, you can run Part 2 of the adventure 
  whenever you wish.
  REGISTRATION
  As new arrivals to the city, the PCs should make it 
  their first priority to register at the Midnight Temple, 
  Egorian’s grand cathedral to Asmodeus, located just off 
  Thrune Square. Queen Abrogail has given the Church 
  of Asmodeus the responsibility of greeting the Thrune 
  agents summoned to the city and assigning them living 
  quarters. It’s an exercise that Grand High Priestess 
  Aspexia Rugatonn and her clergy find demeaning 
  and wasteful, but as loyal and obedient subjects of the 
  empire, they have dedicated a sizable chamber in the 
  pentagram-shaped temple’s southernmost point to the 
  task. However, only two low-ranking acolytes have been 
  assigned to greet new arrivals and process them, making 
  the procedure exacting, but hellishly slow. 
  Creatures: The same two cantankerous Asmodean 
  scriveners (LE human cleric of Asmodeus 3) register the 
  arriving agents most days from dusk to dawn. Their pace 
  is leisurely and they are unmoved by arguments, pleading, 
  threats, or bribes. The priests take a rest at midday, often 
  for more than an hour, and sometimes for more than 
  a couple. They take unscheduled breaks to perform 
  “religious duties” as well, but a PC who succeeds at a 
  DC 10 Knowledge (religion) check recognizes that these 
  supposed duties rarely match official Asmodean liturgy.
  No matter what time of day the PCs come to the 
  temple, the wait is at least 3 hours. When the PCs finally 
  reach the front of the line, they see the two scriveners 
  sitting at a desk. Both wear Asmodean cleric’s vestments, 
  but one is a bald and tattooed woman, and the other is a 
  much older man with bulging yellowed eyes.
  The tattooed scrivener is reading a book—some 
  unholy tome, one page illuminated with devils cavorting 
  around a glorious depiction of Asmodeus—and doesn’t 
  even look up from her book as she speaks, her long, 
  manicured nails drumming the desk in annoyance.
  “This might go more quickly if you register as a group. Please 
  provide your names and their most common spellings, and 
  VANEO KAVALDERIC
  EGORIAN
  LAKE SORROW
  0
  4,000 FEET
  ADIVIAN RIVER
  BELLFLOWER BOATHOUSE
  HELTHONDOUS’S VANEO
  TRICK ALLEY WAREHOUSE
  CLERK’S CLOISTER
  MAISIL JULUTH’S APARTMENT
  NICOLO ALAZARIO’S FLAT
  MIDNIGHT TEMPLE
  IMPERIAL PALACE
  VANEO GELLINTHA
  VANEO MELESIVA
  LAZARIC’S
  RAZORBACK PENS
  RIVERSIDE DOCKS
  LAWGIVER’S REST
  
  9
  speak loudly and clearly, as he is old and a little deaf.” She 
  nods to the priest next to her.
  The older scrivener looks up at the PCs and licks the 
  end of his pen, tracing a glistening line of black ink 
  on his already ink-stained tongue. He writes down the 
  PCs’ names in a ledger on the desk, though he stops 
  his scribbling often to ask for spelling clarifications 
  or details of a PC’s lineage in mumbling grumbles. 
  Eventually, when the priest is satisfied that all of 
  the information is correct, he yells, “In the 
  ledger!” At that, the younger priest releases 
  a dramatic sigh and pulls a sheet of 
  parchment from under her codex. 
  After consulting a list, she tells the 
  PCs their quarters are in 
  the Lawgiver’s Rest, an inn 
  located in the Devil’s Dance 
  district, and gives them a 
  voucher to exchange for 
  their quarters. They should 
  wait there until contacted 
  by agents of the queen. If 
  necessary, the scrivener can provide directions to the 
  PCs’ new quarters, though she does so with obvious signs 
  of annoyance. 
  Development: A PC who succeeds at a DC 15 
  Perception check while talking to the scriveners notices 
  a bent, hobbling man loitering nearby, accompanied by a 
  massive, scarred half-orc and a very tall halfling woman. 
  The man takes notice of the mention of the Lawgiver’s 
  Rest and has a brief conversation with his companions, 
  never taking his eyes off the PCs. An additional successful 
  DC 16 Perception check allows a PC to overhear snippets 
  of the strangers’ conversation, enough to learn they are 
  interested in the PCs because they are quartered in the 
  Lawgiver’s Rest and look “promising.” The man goes on 
  to say he will “snatch the inn away from that strumpet of 
  a widow.”
  Whether or not the PCs notice the attention, the 
  strangers approaches the PCs before they leave the 
  temple (see Meeting the Paraduke below).
  THE LAWGIVER’S REST
  Once they have registered at the Midnight Temple, the 
  PCs are free to seek out their quarters at the Lawgiver’s 
  Rest in the heart of the Devil’s Dance district, a 
  neighborhood awash in money, old and new. The inn 
  is a large one, occupying a large swath on the northeast 
  corner of Mandrake Circuit, a confluence of three smaller 
  roads into a bustling thoroughfare. The Lawgiver’s Rest 
  is a discreet and luxurious inn that typically caters to 
  visiting investors, but the current owner and resident of 
  the inn’s posh upper level, Archcountess Levisvia Vasvion, 
  has loaned the inn’s facilities to the queen’s cause. 
  When the PCs reach the Lawgiver’s Rest, read or 
  paraphrase the following. 
  The Lawgiver’s Rest is a four-floored complex of red stucco 
  with a facade of Arcadian marble and thick glass windows. 
  The property looks more like an upscale 
  apartment building than an inn, but a 
  simple brass plaque on the door reads, 
  “Lawgiver’s Rest. Ring bell for service.” 
  A jade green rope hangs down next to 
  the door.
  Pulling the rope rings a deep, loud 
  bell somewhere inside the building, 
  and within a minute or so, a well-
  dressed but rather plain-looking, 
  dusky-skinned man opens the door. 
  His eyes flicker with a hint of 
  hellfire that betrays his infernal 
  heritage. 
  After 
  establishing 
  the PCs’ identities, he ushers 
  the PCs inside and introduces 
  himself as Mr. Aleth (LE male 
  tiefling aristocrat 1/expert 5), the innkeeper. Mr. Aleth 
  provides the PCs with keys for their rooms (each 
  character can have her own private room if she wishes) 
  and explains that dinner is at 7 o’clock sharp; the PCs 
  must procure other meals for themselves elsewhere. He 
  also explains that they should be out of their rooms by 
  noon, so that the servants can clean. Lastly, he warns 
  that any drunkenness or violence will be greeted with 
  expulsion from the inn.
  Development: Once Mr. Aleth finishes explaining the 
  inn’s rules, a beautiful young woman enters the room. 
  See Meeting the Archcountess on page 10 for details on 
  this encounter.
  In addition to the PCs, a dozen other Thrune agents 
  are quartered at the Lawgiver’s Rest. All of them tend to 
  be newer agents, with little connection to the capital or 
  the court, and they have all been housed together here 
  for that reason. Their details are not necessary for the 
  adventure, but if necessary, you can use statistics in 
  the Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex for these agents, such as 
  the bloodfire sorcerer (page 164), cruel instructor (page 
  32), evasive slip (page 65), freelance thief (page 147), 
  investigator wizard (page 179), or spell hunter (page 83).
  MEETING THE PARADUKE
  Having overheard the Asmodean scriveners assigning the 
  PCs quarters in the Lawgiver’s Rest, a powerful Egorian 
  courtier seeks to use the PCs to further his own goals.
  Creatures: Paraduke Thalgano Sethic, a hunched man 
  dressed in a long, gold-trimmed burgundy velvet robe of 
  the fashion currently popular with well-to-do merchants, 
  approaches the PCs as they leave the Midnight Temple. 
  PARADUKE THALGANO SETHIC
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  10
  His sallow skin is pocked with the pinkish scars of some 
  past torture, and he leans heavily on a cane that clicks on 
  the tiles of the temple’s floor. 
  Hovering just behind the man is a massive, muscular 
  half-orc named Mr. Thope. While he wears a tailored 
  outfit in current Egorian style and carries a dandyish 
  walking stick, his long hair is pulled up in a topknot 
  adorned with bones. His face is a mass of orc tattoos 
  and ritual scars, with a horizontal iron spike piercing 
  his nose. A tall, lanky halfling woman named Bist also 
  accompanies the paraduke. Dressed in leathers of deep 
  crimson, she seems bored and preoccupied with the 
  contents of her own mind. Paraduke Sethic is fully 
  detailed in the NPC Gallery on page 56; stats for Bist and 
  Mr. Thope can be found on pages 19–20.
  Sethic draws close to the PCs, as if desiring a 
  confidential conversation, and his scent—a mix of 
  expensive perfumes and rotting breath—washes over 
  them. He smiles, showing his few remaining teeth, and 
  greets the PCs.
  “Allow me to introduce myself,” the well-dressed man lisps 
  through his mangled mouth. “I am Paraduke Thalgano 
  Sethic, and I may just be your new best friend. Please take no 
  offense, but you seem to be just a few more faceless drones 
  among countless others buzzing around the queen’s hive. 
  Unseen and unheard, and likely to remain that way.
  “I know Her Infernal Majestrix, however. Personally. And 
  she often heeds my advice. It occurs to me that we might 
  be able to do business with each other. Work with me, and I 
  will endeavor to ensure that you are seen as more than mere 
  pawns in her strategies.”
  Sethic is not lying. Although he has lost much of his 
  previous influence and most of his former fortune is 
  long gone, he remains canny and well connected, and he 
  does have the queen’s ear on a regular basis. When he first 
  gained his title, Sethic made a solemn vow to never lie 
  to Queen Abrogail, and has managed to give her honest 
  assessments of her city and nobles without making too 
  many enemies in the process.
  Assuming the PCs are willing to listen, Sethic gets 
  down to business. He doesn’t bother to introduce his 
  associates Bist and Mr. Thope, who stand silently by 
  while the paraduke talks. Sethic informs the PCs that he 
  was once the owner of the Lawgiver’s Rest, but he lost the 
  inn while he was “detained for some time” by the Order 
  of the Scourge. Sethic wants the inn back, but the current 
  owner, Archcountess Levisvia Vasvion, refuses to sell it to 
  him. The paraduke wants the PCs to purchase the inn, 
  and then hand over the title to Sethic. 
  Sethic would like to spend no more than 8,000 gp to 
  buy the inn, but he is willing to go as high as 15,000 gp if 
  necessary, and promises the PCs a percentage of the sale 
  price as a finder’s fee if they are successful. In addition, 
  the paraduke offers to use his influence to get the PCs 
  noticed by the court—and if they truly set themselves 
  apart, by Queen Abrogail herself.
  The PCs can agree to or reject Paraduke Sethic’s 
  proposal here and now, but he doesn’t need an answer 
  immediately. He gives the PCs a card with an address 
  and tells the PCs they can find him there when they have 
  an answer (or if they change their minds after initially 
  refusing his offer). See Returning to the Paraduke below 
  for the PCs’ next interaction with Sethic.
  RetuRning to the PaRaduke
  The address on the card Paraduke Sethic gave to the PCs 
  is that of a restaurant at the edge of Thorntown called 
  Lazaric’s, which is little more than a small dining room 
  attached to a large, sprawling kitchen. Some of the best 
  chefs in Egorian work in Lazaric’s kitchen, and well-
  dressed urchins deliver fully prepared, sumptuous meals, 
  from flatbreads to whole suckling pigs, to upper class 
  households in the neighborhood. Sethic owns Lazaric’s 
  and uses the establishment as a base for his day-to-day 
  business dealings and operations. 
  If the PCs ask for Sethic when they arrive, a waiter leads 
  them back to the kitchen, where they find the paraduke 
  waiting. If the PCs have come to accept Sethic’s offer, he 
  gives them the same details as above. If they are here to 
  give him the news that Archcountess Vasvion refuses to 
  sell the Lawgiver’s Rest (see Meeting the Archcountess 
  below), Sethic nods, as if he expected that.
  “Saw through my little gambit, did she? Levisvia’s crafty—I’ll 
  give her that much. You’ve done what I asked, and for that 
  I thank you, but I think we might still be able to help each 
  other. My original offer still stands—I can get you noticed at 
  court, if you help me ruin that jumped-up socialite.
  “I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already tried to recruit you 
  to her side—that’s all right, you don’t have to tell me—but 
  think about this. I may be a broken man, but I’m still a duke, 
  while young Levisvia is just a countess. She hasn’t managed 
  to marry higher than that, at least so far. Consider who has 
  more influence at court, and with Her Infernal Majestrix.”
  Paraduke Sethic accepts whatever answer the PCs give 
  him, though he is willing to add a payment of up to 5,000 
  gp to secure the PCs’ loyalty.
  Story Award: Award the PCs 25,600 XP if they choose 
  Paraduke Sethic as their patron.
  MEETING THE ARCHCOUNTESS
  Once the PCs arrive at the Lawgiver’s Rest and receive 
  their assigned quarters, they are greeted by the inn’s 
  owner, another influential courtier who has her own use 
  for the PCs.
  Creatures: As the PCs finish checking in, a young 
  woman wearing an elegant silk dress sways into the 
  
  11
  room. Her hair is done up in an elaborate style, and 
  any PC who succeeds at a DC 15 Knowledge (nobility) 
  check recognizes that the hairstyle denotes her status 
  as a widow and mistress of her own house. On her 
  arm is a handsome and rather toned young 
  man. He looks through all before him 
  except for the woman as if they were 
  beneath his concern.
  The woman addresses the PCs in a 
  saccharine tone.
  “Welcome to the Lawgiver’s Rest. I’m 
  Archcountess Vasvion, but you are my 
  guests, and the queen’s Trusted as 
  well, so please call me Levisvia. This is my 
  fiance, Nicolo Alazario. You can call him the 
  lord-mayor’s son.” She giggles at the joke 
  as the young man on her arm frowns, 
  mumbles pleasantries, and takes 
  his leave. 
  Paraduke Sethic is not the 
  only courtier in Egorian with plans 
  that might include the PCs. Levisvia Vasvion is a staunch 
  rival of the paraduke, and may well have a use for the 
  PCs herself, if for no other reason than to oppose Sethic. 
  She owns the Lawgiver’s Rest, and has called the inn 
  home since her third husband’s death 6 months ago. 
  Archcountess Vasvion is fully detailed in the NPC Gallery 
  on page 54.
  The 
  archcountess 
  proves 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  charming, 
  approachable, and benevolent host. She has dinner with 
  her boarders on most nights, and loves to hear stories of 
  her guests’ exploits, but she shares little about herself. 
  She keeps the conversation light, vapidly so at times, but 
  this is all an affectation (and a PC who succeeds at a DC 
  29 Sense Motive check suspects as much). Behind the 
  small talk and silly laughter is a strong and calculating 
  political mover. Like her rival, Sethic, the archcountess 
  has the confidence of Queen Abrogail. Vasvion regularly 
  reports bits of gossip she collects in her constant swirl of 
  parties and events to the queen, as well as information 
  about Alazario and his family (particularly his father, 
  Lord-Mayor Grachius Alazario) and those currently 
  staying at the Lawgiver’s Rest, such as the PCs.
  Development: If the PCs approach the archcountess 
  about selling the Lawgiver’s Rest, Vasvion stays pleasant 
  and unassuming, though what she tells the PCs betrays 
  her shrewdness. 
  “Oh, this place? I don’t know if I can part with it. My dearly 
  departed husband gave it to me. It has sentimental value. I 
  told that worm Thalgano Sethic the same thing. I take it he’s 
  trying to broker this little deal through you? These are the 
  games we play in Egorian, after all.”
  Nevertheless, Vasvion seriously listens to the offer, and 
  even seems to entertain it for a bit, before refusing. She 
  speaks without hurt or malice, but makes a counteroffer 
  to the PCs.
  “No. I don’t think I’ll sell the Lawgiver’s Rest. Not 
  to the paraduke, not to you. I’ve come to like this 
  place, and it will be my home until Nicolo and I are 
  married. But I’ll make you a counteroffer instead. 
  You can help me finally put that slime Sethic 
  in his place. I’ve had enough of his pathetic 
  scrambles for past glory. The Hellknights 
  should never have released him, or should 
  have put the broken bastard out of his misery.
  “The fact that you’ve been assigned quarters 
  here tells me you don’t have a patron in court. I 
  can be that patron. Her Infernal Majestrix 
  is an incorrigible gossip, but the affairs 
  of state prevent her from attending 
  many of Egorian’s balls and soirees. 
  Fortunately, I have no such demands 
  on my time, and I enjoy the privilege 
  of keeping her apprised of the social 
  happenings among her courtiers. It would be a simple thing 
  to mention the Thrune agents who were so bold and helpful 
  to the queen the next time I see her.”
  While Vasvion’s tone is still that of a smooth-tongued 
  courtier, the tenor of her relationship with the PCs 
  changes at this point. No longer are they simply guests, 
  but potential allies in her power struggle with Paraduke 
  Sethic, ones who can help her reach her goals of restoring 
  her family’s prominence and wealth. 
  The archcountess is willing to offer the PCs a retainer 
  of 5,000 gp, along with a promise to get them noticed by 
  the court and bend the queen’s ear in the PCs’ favor if 
  they serve her well.
  Even if the PCs don’t bring up the sale of the inn with 
  the archcountess, Vasvion approaches them within a few 
  days of their arrival at the Lawgiver’s Rest, looking for 
  competent foot soldiers for her little war against her 
  rival. She offers the same incentives detailed above if the 
  PCs agree to serve her directly.
  Story Award: Award the PCs 25,600 XP if they choose 
  Archcountess Vasvion as their patron.
  Choosing a side
  At some point the PCs are going to have to decide who to 
  work for—Paraduke Sethic or Archcountess Vasvion. The 
  adventure assumes the PCs choose one side or the other, 
  and that choice determines which of the events in Part 1 
  the PCs participate in. The remainder of Part 1 consists 
  of six events, though the PCs will likely not experience all 
  of them. Each event is a standalone encounter, and most 
  happen during the course of a day or an evening. 
  ARCHCOUNTESS 
  LEVISVIA VASVION
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  12
  If the PCs side with Sethic, run Events 1, 2, 5, and 6. If 
  they choose Vasvion instead, run Events 3, 4, 5, and 6. The 
  events normally occur in numerical order, but they can 
  be run in any order you wish, as long as Event 6 happens 
  last. This means that most groups will not play through 
  all of the events, but the adventure’s XP totals take this 
  fact into account, so the PCs won’t miss out on any 
  experience points. However, if you wish to give the PCs 
  more adventures or challenges while they’re in Egorian, 
  you should feel free to modify the unused events to work 
  with the goals of their chosen patron.
  The PCs might also attempt to work for both parties 
  at the same time, but if they participate in Event 1 or 
  Event  2, Archcountess Vasvion withdraws her offer 
  and treats the PCs as enemies from that point forward. 
  Paraduke Sethic does the same if the PCs participate in 
  Event 3 or Event 4. Even if the PCs try to participate in 
  any of those events covertly, the other party eventually 
  finds out. Sethic and Vasvion keep a close eye on one 
  another and love to taunt each other about their victories, 
  either in person or through intermediaries, and it’s only 
  a matter of time before one of them finds out the PCs are 
  working for the other.
  Although they should be discouraged from doing so, if 
  the PCs decide not to pick a side, go to Event 5, skipping 
  Events 1 through 4. The PCs will lose the potential XP 
  and Notice Points gained from those events and as a 
  result will have little chance of attracting the queen’s 
  attention. In addition, they will be unable to gain an 
  invitation to the Hellfire Ball in Event 6. To continue 
  with the adventure, the PCs will need to either eradicate 
  the Bellflower Network on their own (see Part 2), an act 
  that gains them an invitation to the Hellfire Ball, or find 
  another patron who can secure them an invitation.
  EVENT 1: WHISPERING CAMPAIGN
  This event occurs after the PCs agree to work for Paraduke 
  Sethic. Shortly after they’ve established themselves in the 
  city, Sethic asks the PCs to meet him at Lazaric’s. Once 
  again, Sethic can be found in the kitchen, where cooks 
  are working diligently at ovens, alchemical stoves, and 
  tabletops crafting a variety of meals. The paraduke gets 
  right down to business, leading the PCs out of earshot of 
  the busy cooks.
  “During my time with the Hellknights, I would go weeks 
  without meals. Now I spend my time surrounded by the 
  smells and tastes that were denied to me for so long. Too 
  bad I can’t eat most of it—my digestion is not what it was 
  before the Hellknights’ hospitality.
  “A good meal needs proper preparation. Meats need to be 
  cured, grains ground, and vegetables chopped. I’m planning 
  a new dish, one I intend to serve cold to Archcountess 
  Vasvion, and like any good meal, it’s important to lay the 
  foundation. I need some agents for a good old-fashioned 
  whispering campaign.” 
  Sethic has secured invitations to a soiree hosted by 
  Baroness Bramila Gellintha, a busybody and gossip 
  who enjoys holding court and assessing newcomers to 
  Egorian—for the queen herself, as rumor has it. Sethic 
  wants the PCs to go to the party and start raising questions 
  about Archcountess Vasvion’s suitability as a wife for the 
  youngest son of Egorian’s lord-mayor, Nicolo Alazario. 
  All he asks is that PCs try to convince as many partygoers 
  and guests as possible, and, if they can do so discreetly, 
  put the shadow of doubt into Baroness Gellintha’s mind as 
  well. The paraduke is happy to share some of the rumors 
  surrounding Levisvia Vasvion with the PCs, if they haven’t 
  heard them already (see page 55). Sethic encourages the 
  PCs to make up their own bits of scandalous gossip as 
  well, though he cautions them that “less is more” when 
  crafting rumors about the Egorian aristocracy.
  If the PCs ask for compensation, Sethic lets loose a 
  coughing, gravelly laugh.
  “I’m sending you to a party, and you want me to pay 
  you for the privilege? Have you already become jaded 
  courtiers? How about one of the best dinners of your 
  life from one of my finest chefs instead? This is the sort 
  of things that friends do for one another.” If the PCs 
  continue to press for a reward, Sethic reluctantly agrees 
  to pay them a sum of 5,000 gp, grumbling about the 
  “behavior of mercenaries” the entire time.
  Assuming the PCs agree to go to the party, Sethic gives 
  them the address and the time (the following evening), 
  and advises them, “Look your best—it can only help.”
  BaRoness gellintha’s soiRee
  The party is being held in Aspex Garden at Vaneo 
  Gellintha, the Egorian manor house of Baroness 
  NOTICE POINTS
  Parts 1 and 2 of this adventure take place in Egorian, the 
  capital of Cheliax, a city already crawling with courtiers 
  and dignitaries jostling for the attention and favor of 
  Queen Abrogail. Now Thrune agents, many of whom 
  have served the queen for years, if not decades, have 
  flocked to Egorian as well. If the PCs hope to distinguish 
  themselves from the jockeying throngs, they must first 
  gain the queen’s notice. 
  Throughout these sections, the PCs have opportunities 
  to earn Notice Points, detailed in specific events and 
  encounters. When the PCs have accumulated at least 
  7 Notice Points, they have made enough of an impact 
  in Egorian’s affairs to come to the attention of Queen 
  Abrogail, who summons the PCs to a royal audience 
  where she commands them to perform an important 
  sacrifice in her name (see Part 3). 
  
  13
  Bramila  Gellintha. Once the PCs arrive at the vaneo, 
  they find five other groups hovering around the rather 
  posh ballroom where the soiree takes place.
  The PCs have the opportunity to spread rumors to each 
  of the five groups and convince them of Archcountess 
  Vasvion’s questionable marriage record by succeeding at 
  a series of skill checks detailed in each group’s Influence 
  entry (these checks can be attempted in any order). 
  Each PC can attempt a given skill check only once, 
  though other PCs can attempt the same check if the first 
  character fails it, or assist their fellows with aid another. 
  However, failing a skill check by 5 or more increases the 
  DC of the same skill check by 2 for subsequent characters 
  attempting the check. Characters can take 10 on these 
  checks, but can’t take 20.
  Once convinced of the PCs’ rumors, many groups have 
  rumors or other information of their own that they’ll 
  share with the PCs, as detailed in each group’s Reward 
  entry. The PCs can approach any group they like at first, 
  except for Baroness Gellintha’s entourage. She invites 
  each group to speak with her individually. Once she 
  dismisses a group, she chats with her companions for a 
  period of time before inviting another group to pay its 
  respects. The PCs must attempt to sway the four other 
  groups before the baroness summons them. 
  As Sethic advised, dressing for the occasion helps. PCs 
  who wear normal clothing or adventuring gear to the 
  party take a –2 penalty on all Charisma-based checks to 
  influence any of the groups except the Troubadours and 
  the Adventurers (the PCs take no penalties with these 
  groups). If the PCs wear courtiers’ outfits, they receive 
  no bonuses or penalties on checks, unless they also wear 
  jewelry worth at least 50 gp, in which case they gain a 
  +1 circumstance bonus on all Charisma-based checks 
  to influence the groups. PCs who wear nobles’ outfits 
  (accessorized with jewelry worth at least 100 gp) gain a 
  PC a +2 circumstance bonus on those checks, while those 
  who appear in royal outfits (with jewelry worth at least 
  200 gp) gain a +4 circumstance bonus on those checks. 
  Using disguise self or a hat of disguise to emulate one 
  of these outfits might also work. A PC using a magical 
  disguise only to create an illusion of expensive clothing 
  gains not only the usual +10 bonus on his Disguise check, 
  but also an additional +5 bonus on the check (since 
  clothing is a minor detail). However, there is a chance 
  that some member of each faction will see through the 
  ruse during her interaction with the PCs. Each group has 
  a Perception entry at the beginning of its section, and 
  has a chance to attempt an opposed Perception check 
  to see through the disguise before the relevant checks 
  to influence the group are attempted. PCs who fail the 
  opposed Disguise check not only lose any circumstance 
  bonuses the illusory outfit would normally grant, but 
  also take a –4 penalty on their Charisma-based checks for 
  resorting to magic to fool the other partygoers.
  gRouP 1: the WiscRani
  Stuffy, almost insufferably arrogant, and either skinny or 
  bloated, these nobles from Westcrown admire each other’s 
  clever tailoring while dithering and worrying—that their 
  home city is in danger from the Glorious Reclamation, 
  and that they are powerless to do anything about it, as 
  they’re trapped in Egorian at the queen’s whim.
  Perception: +20. The Wiscrani are astute judges of 
  dress and fashion, and many absentmindedly touch and 
  inspect the PCs’ clothing during conversation.
  Influence: Their worries aside, of all the groups at 
  Gellintha’s soiree, the Wiscrani are the most gullible and 
  easy to convince of salacious rumors. Three successful 
  Diplomacy or Knowledge (nobility) checks (DC 17, DC 
  22, and DC 27) are all it takes to convince them. If the 
  PCs spend 20 minutes listening to the nobles’ hyperbolic 
  views of the troubles of their home city and showing 
  concern for their cause (by succeeding at a DC 25 Bluff 
  check if not sincere), they gain a +2 circumstance bonus 
  on the Diplomacy checks.
  Reward: Unfortunately, the Wiscrani have kept to 
  themselves while in Egorian and don’t know any good 
  rumors—not about “this backwater,” anyway. 
  Story Award: If the PCs successfully convince the 
  Wiscrani delegation, award them 6,400 XP.
  gRouP 2: the tRouBadouRs
  Annoyingly carefree in their speech and movement, with 
  no care for personal space, this group of minstrels flutters 
  about the ballroom, though most of the other groups give 
  them a wide berth. The troubadours seem not to care, 
  however, laughing and carrying on. They often make fun 
  of the Wiscrani and Brastlewark delegations, though they 
  show some deference to the PCs and the adventurers 
  just back from Katapesh, knowing better to anger those 
  armed with sword and spell.
  Perception: +15. While the troubadours are observant, 
  they are often too involved with their own antics and 
  jokes to pay close attention to what the PCs are wearing.
  Influence: The troubadours must first become at ease 
  with the PCs before they can be convinced of any rumors, 
  which requires three successful Acrobatics or Perform 
  checks (DC 15, DC 20, and DC 25). Any category of the 
  Perform skill will do, though PCs attempting Perform 
  (comedy) checks receive a +2 bonus on the checks. 
  Reward: Once the PCs have won them over, the 
  troubadours are willing to share information on a quid 
  pro quo basis, but they are already well versed in most of 
  the rumors circulating around Egorian. The PCs must 
  succeed at a DC 20 Knowledge (local) check to remember 
  a rumor the entertainers don’t already know. If the PCs 
  are attempting to spread a new rumor of their own 
  creation, they must succeed at a DC 20 Bluff check. Once 
  the PCs share a rumor, the troubadours provide the PCs 
  with one of the following rumors in exchange. 
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  14
  Rumor 1: “You really have to watch your step in this 
  city, especially now. The Order of the Scourge is purging 
  potential traitors, and the queen’s agents often use 
  petrification magic on enemies of the state, then present 
  the statues to the queen. We’ve heard her throne 
  room is filled with such ‘living’ statues.”
  Rumor 2: “This little get-together 
  is rather dull, but there are two 
  parties coming up that are must-
  attend events to see and be seen. 
  The first, thrown by notorious free 
  spirit Demibaron Kavalderic, is sure to 
  be a riotous affair, and the second is Duke 
  Melesiva’s Hellfire Ball. They say the queen 
  will attend both of these parties, so you know 
  invitations are going to be at a premium.”
  Story Award: If the PCs successfully 
  convince the troubadours, award 
  them 6,400 XP.
  gRouP 3: the adventuReRs
  This party of adventurers has 
  recently returned to Cheliax 
  from Katapesh. They focus on enjoying the free food and 
  drink and telling anyone who listens overblown accounts 
  of their exploits.
  Perception: +10. The drunk adventurers care little 
  about what the PCs are wearing.
  Influence: It’s hard to spread rumors to the adventurers 
  because some of them are extremely inebriated, and 
  the others don’t really care about the petty concerns of 
  nobles. The PCs can attempt to convince the drunks with 
  three successful Bluff checks (DC 15, 20, and 25) or try 
  to convince the indifferent to care with three successful 
  Diplomacy checks (DC 17, 22, and 27).
  Reward: When the PCs convince the adventurers, one 
  of the drunk members tells the PCs the following rumor: 
  “I hear the queen is looking for a group of smart and 
  loyal adventurers for some important mission. We may 
  not seem it, but we’re pretty sharp. And we might not be 
  as patriotic as some, but good coin and the queen’s favor 
  can win a lot of loyalty.” 
  Story Award: If the PCs successfully convince the 
  adventurers, award them 6,400 XP.
  gRouP 4: the BRastleWaRk contingent
  This eccentric clique of gnome astrologers (and one 
  nervous free halfling mystic) hails from Brastlewark, 
  having come to the capital to visit the Egorian Academy of 
  the Magical Arts. They keep mostly to themselves, arguing 
  over obscure matters of astrology and oneiromancy in a 
  babble of low voices.
  Perception: +15. The gnomes care more for their 
  esoteric subjects than the nature of the PCs’ clothing, but 
  are also fairly good at discovering magical fakes.
  Influence: The strangely uptight gnomes bristle at 
  any rumors of Archcountess Vasvion’s past scandals. 
  “We are not gossips,” they explain pleasantly but firmly. 
  However, the PCs can attempt to slip their rumor into 
  the conversation by casting the archcountess’s role 
  in current politics in terms of astrology and 
  the patterns of the stars. Keeping up with 
  the discussion requires three successful 
  Knowledge (arcana or religion) checks 
  (DC 10, DC 15, and DC 20). 
  Reward: Once the PCs successfully 
  engage the gnomes in conversation, one of 
  the astrologers agrees to create an astrological 
  chart for the PCs, which she presents to them 
  the following morning. The PCs can use the 
  chart at any time within 1 week to predict the 
  future, as per divination with a 75% chance 
  of success. Once used, or after 1 week, 
  the chart becomes useless.
  Story Award: If the PCs 
  successfully 
  convince 
  the 
  Brastlewark contingent, award 
  them 6,400 XP.
  gRouP 5: the BaRoness and heR entouRage
  As the PCs work the rest of the room, Baroness Bramila 
  Gellintha (LE female human aristocrat 6) and her 
  entourage of empty-headed sycophants eat, drink, tell 
  dreadful jokes, and courteously interrogate the soiree’s 
  invited guests. Once the PCs have had the opportunity 
  to interact with the other groups, a haughty and well-
  dressed halfling slave approaches them and informs 
  them the baroness will receive them now. The slave 
  escorts them to a dais at the far end of the ballroom 
  where Baroness Gellintha sits at a large table, stuffing 
  her face with Egorian delicacies and washing them down 
  with copious amounts of port.
  Perception: The baroness automatically discovers any 
  use of disguise self or similar magic, as a member of her 
  entourage possesses a gem of seeing affixed to a monocle, 
  and whispers his discovery into Gellintha’s ear as soon as 
  he discovers the ploy.
  Influence: Baroness Gellintha does not offer the 
  PCs chairs, food, or drink, forcing them to stand as she 
  questions them on their lineages and service to House 
  Thrune and Cheliax. She greets their answers with 
  indifference, unless the details are particularly violent or 
  involve some skullduggery, in which case she responds 
  with a great red smile, revealing her wine-stained, 
  yellowing teeth, accompanied by comical bouts of dainty 
  clapping. The rest of her entourage mindlessly follows 
  her lead.
  Just finding an opening to spread a rumor is difficult, 
  and convincing the baroness is even more so. A PC must 
  first succeed at a DC 20 Sense Motive check to determine 
  BARONESS BRAMILA GELLINTHA
  
  15
  an acceptable point during the questions to slip in an 
  aside. If this succeeds, convincing Gellintha requires two 
  successful Diplomacy Checks (DC 25 and DC 30).
  Reward: Baroness Gellintha chastises the PCs for 
  being crass rumormongers, but once the PCs have 
  convinced her, the baroness is willing to pass on some 
  juicy gossip of her own: “Everyone knows that ‘officially’ 
  the Bellflower Network isn’t active in the capital. You 
  didn’t hear this from me, but it’s looking more and 
  more like there may be some bellflowers sprouting up 
  among Egorian’s black roses. None of my slips have gone 
  missing—they love their ‘Mama Bramila’ too much—but 
  if those crafty slave-stealers have their way, there won’t be 
  a single household in the city with a proper service staff!”
  In addition, the baroness can fill the PCs in on any 
  other rumors of which the GM might want the players 
  to be aware.
  Development: No matter their level of success among 
  the various guests at the party, the PCs gain 1 Notice Point 
  for attempting to spread the rumor. If they manage to 
  convince all four groups of guests, or Baroness Gellintha, 
  the PCs earn 1 additional Notice Point (for a total of 2).
  Story Award: If the PCs successfully convince Baroness 
  Gellintha, award them 12,800 XP.
  EVENT 2: MURDER FOR HIRE
  A day or 2 after Baroness Gellintha’s soiree, Paraduke 
  Sethic summons the PCs to Lazaric’s again, where he 
  offers them a sumptuous repast prepared by one of his 
  best chefs in the restaurant’s dining room. The meal 
  is in thanks for the PCs’ whispering campaign, and 
  once they have eaten their fill, Sethic unravels his next 
  plan for ruining his rival Levisvia Vasvion: killing the 
  archcountess’s fiancé, Nicolo Alazario. 
  “While the tragic deaths of the archcountess’s previous 
  husbands were her own doing, and I have no doubt that 
  her newest beau, Nicolo Alazario, will suffer the same 
  fate eventually, I need expediency. I want young Nicolo to 
  die—soon, and under mysterious circumstances. In short, 
  I need him murdered, like all of dear Levisvia’s past pets. 
  And quite frankly, I think your talents are wasted spreading 
  salacious rumors when they could be directed toward more 
  direct action.”
  Sethic hopes the PCs will agree without argument, but 
  he is ready if any of them balk at his blatant disregard for 
  the law, weaving the following story in response.
  “Please, please, I’m not done. Fate and the Furies guide our 
  hands. I’ve recently discovered that Nicolo has a close friend 
  who has joined up with the Glorious Reclamation, and that 
  fop has been channeling information and treasure to the 
  rebels. His death will be justice served, and it will avoid a 
  scandal for the lord-mayor, who is no enemy of mine. At the 
  same time, of course, it will further disgrace Archcountess 
  Vasvion, who is.”
  The story is a lie, but a convincing one (Sethic’s Bluff 
  modifier is +23). If the PCs still refuse, he berates them. 
  “And you think you have what it takes to serve our queen 
  and her empire? There is an old Chelish axiom: ‘Power is not 
  given; it is taken.’ Ruthlessness is what is needed here. Take 
  charge of your own destinies. Don’t hide behind the laws 
  meant to control lesser people.”
  If the PCs accept the job, Sethic explains that Nicolo 
  Alazario has a secret opium habit, and has been holed 
  up alone in a flat in Five Favors for more than a day 
  indulging his addiction. It should be an easy task to slip 
  in, do the deed, and slip out again. Sethic recommends 
  that the PCs attack near dusk, and gives them directions 
  to the apartment.
  If the PCs ask for payment, Sethic suggests they make 
  the attack look like a robbery—anything they find in the 
  flat is theirs to keep.
  a. nicolo alazaRio’s Flat
  Nicolo Alazario has a secret sanctuary in Five Favors—a 
  small, private flat that he uses to get away from his family 
  and engage in clandestine activities—but the rest of 
  Paraduke Sethic’s story is fabricated. Nicolo does not 
  have an opium habit, but he does have a secret lover, and 
  his habits are much more occult and disturbing. Under 
  the tutelage of his paramour, a cleric of Asmodeus named 
  Nalia Melcoth, Nicolo is currently trying to awaken his ki 
  by way of an ancient, fiendish blood ritual. 
  Sethic knows of Nicolo’s relationship with Nalia, and 
  knows the two are together at the flat, but he does not 
  share this intelligence with the PCs, and is not aware of 
  the ritual the two are attempting. Nalia is the daughter 
  of Paracount Alexus Melcoth, who was once Sethic’s 
  business partner and confidant, but now is just a man 
  who owes the paraduke money. Besides killing Nicolo, 
  Sethic believes an attack on Melcoth’s daughter, or her 
  death, should give Paracount Melcoth proper motivation 
  to pay off his debt. 
  The following are brief descriptions of the flat’s 
  rooms; encounters are presented in greater detail below.
  A1. Courtyard: The entrance to Nicolo’s flat is through 
  a quiet courtyard 15 feet below the apartment. The 
  courtyard contains entrances to several other homes and 
  businesses, and a well sits in its center. At this time of day 
  the courtyard is empty, and any sign of trouble causes the 
  other residents of the area to bar their doors and wait out 
  the hostilities. 
  A2. Stairs: A 10-foot-wide flight of stairs leads upward 
  from the courtyard to the flat’s front door. This area is 
  detailed below.
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  16
  A3. Salon: This area is detailed below.
  A4. Study: Nicolo uses this simple chamber, equipped 
  with a small desk, as a study. Various receipts and contracts 
  sit on the desk along with a quill and bottle of black ink. 
  A5. Kitchen: The flat’s kitchen contains an oven, a pair 
  of tables, and several well-stocked pantries. 
  A6. Bedroom: A large, plush bed sits at one end of this 
  bedroom. Various pillows are strewn on the floor at the 
  other end of the room, presumably for visitors. A small 
  closet opens off the chamber, and contains Nalia’s armor 
  (see Treasure on page 18).
  A7. Washroom: This area is split into two chambers. 
  The first room holds a washbasin and mirror, while the 
  second room contains a shower fed by a rainwater cistern 
  on the roof, and a privy that drops directly to the sewers 
  far below. 
  A2. StAirS (Cr 11)
  The stairs wind up to a large, ironbound, oak double 
  door that is locked (hardness 5, hp 20, break DC 25, 
  Disable Device DC 30). A narrow balcony overlooks the 
  stairs from the flat above.
  Traps: The doors are warded with two magical traps, 
  both of which are triggered when a creature steps in 
  either of the squares in front of the doors. The first trap 
  targets an intruder with energy drain, while the second 
  trap follows with eyebite, targeting one creature within 
  range every round for 11 rounds. Note that a character 
  with temporary negative levels from the energy drain is 
  considered to have fewer Hit Dice for purposes of the 
  effects of eyebite. The traps are also keyed to an alarm 
  trigger that audibly rings in the flat’s salon (area A3) 
  when the traps are set off. Both traps are independent 
  of one another, which means each must be detected and 
  disabled separately, but a hidden lock on the landing’s 
  north wall bypasses both traps at once.
  ENERGY DRAIN TRAP 
   
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Type magic; Perception DC 34; Disable Device DC 34
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location (alarm); Reset none; Bypass hidden lock 
  (Perception DC 25, Disable Device DC 30)
  Effect spell effect (energy drain, Atk +10 ranged touch, 2d4 
  temporary negative levels, DC 23 negates after 24 hours)
  EYEBITE TRAP 
   
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  Type magic; Perception DC 31; Disable Device DC 31
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location (alarm); Duration 11 rounds; Reset none; 
  Bypass hidden lock (Perception DC 25, Disable Device 
  DC 30)
  Effect spell effect (eyebite, effects vary by target’s HD, 
  Fortitude DC 19 negates); multiple targets (1 random 
  target per round in 10-ft.-by-25-ft. area)
  A3. SAlon (Cr 12)
  This large room is the flat’s primary living area. Numerous 
  cushions and pillows for lounging lie on the floor, flanking 
  A. NICOLO ALAZARIO’S FLAT
  A1
  B. RIVERSIDE DOCKS
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  A3
  T
  A5
  A4
  A2
  A7
  A6
  B7
  B6
  B4
  B5
  B3
  B2
  B1
  
  17
  a large pentagram drawn on the floor in the center of the 
  room. Windows to the north look down on the courtyard 
  below, while doors and windows to the east and west 
  provide access to balconies overlooking the stairs and the 
  street outside, respectively. A large table stands near the 
  eastern balcony. The balcony doors are locked (hardness 5, 
  hp 15, break DC 18, Disable Device DC 30).
  Creatures: Nicolo Alazario and his secret lover Nalia 
  Melcoth are in this chamber, performing a ritual to 
  further unlock Nicolo’s ki. If the PCs trigger the traps 
  guarding the flat, the alarm likely alerts the duo, but 
  Nicolo and Nalia are fixated on the strange blood ritual 
  and the PCs may be able to catch them by surprise if they 
  can foil the trap and lock without making a lot of noise. 
  Nalia is not currently wearing her armor; the resulting 
  changes to her stat block are outlined below.
  NALIA MELCOTH 
   
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Female fire cleric (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 52)
  AC 12, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+2 deflection, –1 Dex, 
  +1 natural)
  hp 75
  Speed 30 ft.
  TACTICS
  Before Combat If alerted by the alarm, Nalia casts freedom 
  of movement and resist energy (electricity), and uses her 
  wand of shield of faith.
  During Combat Nalia casts spell resistance and fire shield 
  (warm shield), then attacks with her fire spells. If foes 
  turn out to be fire resistant, she casts blade barrier and 
  channels negative energy instead. During the battle, she 
  uses her few healing spells to support Nicolo in battle as 
  best she can.
  Morale If reduced to 20 or fewer hit points, Nalia casts wall 
  of fire in an attempt to cover her escape. 
  NICOLO ALAZARIO 
   
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  Male human monk (hungry ghost monk) 8 (Pathfinder RPG 
  Advanced Player’s Guide 110)
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +4; Senses Perception +13
  DEFENSE
  AC 23, touch 20, flat-footed 18 (+1 armor, +1 deflection, 
  +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +2 monk, +2 natural, +2 Wis)
  hp 71 (8d8+32)
  Fort +8, Ref +10, Will +8; +2 vs. enchantments
  Defensive Abilities evasion
  OFFENSE
  Speed 50 ft.
  Melee unarmed strike +9/+4 (1d10+2) or
  unarmed strike flurry of blows +9/+9/+4/+4 (1d10+2)
  Special Attacks flurry of blows, life funnel, 
  steal ki
  TACTICS
  Before Combat If alerted by the alarm, Nicolo drinks his 
  potion of barkskin.
  During Combat Nicolo uses his ring of blood calling on the 
  first round of combat to bring the bone devil Xanthut 
  into the fray. He attacks foes with flurries of blows and 
  punishing kicks, spending ki to enhance his attacks or 
  Armor Class as needed.
  Morale If reduced to 20 hit points or fewer, Nicolo tries to 
  bargain for his life, offering favors and wealth if spared.
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 10
  Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 27
  Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, 
  Gorgon’s Fist, Improved Unarmed Strike, Punishing 
  KickAPG, Scorpion Style, Toughness, Weapon Focus 
  (unarmed strike)
  Skills Acrobatics +15 (+31 when jumping), Climb +12, Escape 
  Artist +12, Intimidate +6, Perception +13
  Languages Common
  NICOLO ALAZARIO
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  18
  TACTICS
  Morale If Nicolo is killed, Xanthut calls for a truce. The 
  devil has no desire to be killed, and is willing to strike 
  a deal with the PCs in exchange for his life. This likely 
  involves a new agreement regarding the ring of blood 
  calling, the details of which are left to the PCs and the 
  GM to work out.
  Treasure: One of the key components of Nicolo and 
  Nalia’s blood ritual sits in the center of the pentagram 
  on the floor—an engraved helm carved from the skull 
  of a pit fiend. The helm is not magical and simply 
  provides a physical focus for those undergoing the 
  ritual, but it is worth 5,000 gp. In addition, Nalia’s 
  +1 breastplate and +1 heavy steel shield can be found in 
  the closet attached to the bedroom (area A6).
  Development: If the PCs complete their 
  mission and kill Nicolo, Sethic is very pleased, 
  and promises to speak well of them when he meets 
  the queen, though he is a bit cagey as to exactly 
  when that meeting will take place. In addition, the 
  paraduke has obtained invitations to Demibaron 
  Graithus Kavalderic’s upcoming party (see Event 5). 
  Sethic explains that he is too crippled to enjoy such 
  riotous festivities anymore, but suggests the PCs take the 
  invitations as a reward for their efforts, bidding them to 
  enjoy themselves.
  Although the PCs’ participation in this affair is unlikely 
  to become public knowledge, Sethic is impressed enough 
  by their efforts that his words about them in court earn 
  the PCs 2 Notice Points from this event, assuming they 
  were successful.
  The PCs also make an enemy of Archcountess Vasvion, 
  who eventually learns of their involvement in her fiancé’s 
  murder, even if she has no proof. She makes her own 
  arrangements in response, which come to fruition at the 
  Hellfire Ball in Event 6.
  Story Award: For killing Nicolo Alazario and 
  successfully completing Sethic’s mission, award the PCs 
  19,200 XP.
  EVENT 3: PREDAWN HEIST
  This event occurs after the PCs agree to work for 
  Archcountess Vasvion. Late one evening, after the other 
  guests at the Lawgiver’s Rest have retired to their rooms, 
  the archcountess invites the PCs to visit her in her suite 
  above the inn for a nightcap. Once Mr. Aleth has poured 
  everyone a glass of brandy and withdrawn, Vasvion 
  speaks with a mischievous smile.
  “I’ve heard a story. Our friend Paraduke Sethic has apparently 
  exhausted his goodwill among Egorian’s creditors, so he’s 
  sought the aid of a rather nefarious Corentyn moneylender. 
  The money is already on its way to the city. It’s due to arrive 
  early this morning before the sun rises, less than two hours 
  RING OF BLOOD CALLING
  Diabolists who have made special deals with individual 
  devils use rings of blood calling to conjure their infernal 
  allies when needed. These rings have also become popular 
  among wealthy Chelish nobles dabbling in diabolism.
  RING OF BLOOD CALLING
  PRICE
  12,000 GP
  SLOT ring
  CL 11th
  WEIGHT —
  AURA moderate conjuration
  This iron ring is set with a polished 
  bloodstone. When created, a ring of blood 
  calling creates a link between a single 
  mortal creature devoted to Asmodeus 
  and a specific devil with no more than 
  12 Hit Dice who willingly agrees to be 
  bound by the item. Once per day as 
  a standard action, the ring’s wearer can 
  place a drop of his own blood on the ring’s gem 
  (provoking attacks of opportunity) to immediately 
  call the devil linked to the ring to any space within 30 
  feet. While the wearer does not control the devil, most 
  wearers make agreements with the devil linked to the 
  ring for protection or some other service when called. 
  The called devil remains for 1 hour, or the wearer can 
  dismiss the devil as a free action. 
  If the devil linked to the ring is killed, the ring 
  crumbles to dust. If wearer linked to the ring is killed, 
  a new wearer can summon the linked devil, but can 
  compel the devil to perform only one service, as per 
  planar binding, which severs the devil’s link to the ring 
  when the task is completed unless the new wearer 
  makes his own deal with the devil, reestablishing the 
  link between the wearer, the devil, and the ring.
  Nicolo Alazario’s ring of blood calling is linked to 
  a bone devil named Xanthut. If Nicolo is killed, the 
  PCs will need to make their own arrangements with 
  Xanthut to link themselves to the ring to call the devil.
  CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
  COST 6,000 GP
  Forge Ring, planar binding
  SQ fast movement, high jump, ki pool (6 points; cold iron, 
  magic, silver), maneuver training, slow fall 40 ft.
  Combat Gear potions of barkskin +2 (2), potion of 
  invisibility; Other Gear amulet of mighty fists +1, bracers 
  of armor +1, ring of blood calling (see sidebar above), 
  ring of protection +1, signet ring, 200 gp
  XANTHUT 
   
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Bone devil (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 74)
  hp 105
  
  19
  from now. Wouldn’t it be a shame if those coins never made 
  it to Sethic?”
  Vasvion’s intelligence is very precise. She knows the 
  shipment is worth at least 50,000 gp, and that Sethic’s 
  lackeys, the halfling Bist and the scarred half-orc Mr. 
  Thope, are bringing the coins up the Adivian River. 
  They’ll land at a dock in Riverside at the appointed time, 
  and then take the gold to Sethic somewhere in the city. 
  It’s imperative the PCs intercept the shipment before it 
  reaches the paraduke.
  Vasvion intends to donate the entire sum of the 
  stolen gold to the queen to aid the war effort. The gift 
  would guarantee the archcountess a personal and private 
  audience with Queen Abrogail, and give Vasvion the 
  perfect opportunity to put in a good word for the PCs. 
  The paraduke’s guards will be well equipped, however, 
  and Vasvion suggests the PCs take whatever they want 
  from their fallen foes as incentive for taking the job.
  If the PCs hesitate or seem uninterested, Vasvion 
  playfully pleads with them. She reminds the PCs that 
  only the daring gain notice in Egorian, and opportunities 
  to thwart your enemies and gain the gratitude of court 
  don’t happen every day.
  Assuming the PCs agree to the caper, the archcountess 
  gives them a final bit of advice just before they leave: 
  “The Riverside docks are very quiet this time of night, 
  so it’s best not to call attention to yourselves if possible. 
  I would advise you to leave no survivors. Survivors often 
  cause problems.”
  B. RiveRside docks (cR 12)
  The boat carrying Paraduke Sethic’s loan is due to dock 
  in Egorian’s Riverside district in just under 2 hours. If the 
  PCs readily agreed to the heist and leave the Lawgiver’s 
  Rest right away, they should have enough time to 
  reconnoiter the area, take positions, and make any other 
  preparations for the theft. If the PCs tarry for more than 
  an hour, they reach the docks just as the boat arrives from 
  the south. The various locations at the docks are detailed 
  below. Use the map on page 16 for this area.
  B1. Workshop: This high building, nearly 20 feet tall at 
  the peak of its slate roof, is constructed of strong timber. 
  The good wooden door is locked (hardness 5, hp 15, break 
  DC 18, Disable Device DC 30), and the grimy windows are 
  barred from the inside. Most of the workshop is taken up 
  with its owner’s current project—a partially constructed 
  yacht. A small office to the northwest holds a desk filled 
  with sketches of boats and a lockbox with some receipts, 
  but nothing of real value. 
  B2. Bakers’ Kiosk: A group of bakers share this kiosk, 
  selling their pies to dockworkers from morning to 
  midday. The simple wooden door is locked (hardness 5, 
  hp 10, break DC 15, Disable Device DC 20), but the kiosk 
  is empty.
  B3. Fish Smoker: This flat-topped wooden building is 
  the source of the pungent smell that hangs over this area 
  of the docks. The building is not even 10 feet high, and 
  it’s easy to gain access to the roof by climbing up a huge 
  coil of rope piled near the building’s southwest corner 
  (Climb DC 5). The front door is locked (hardness 5, hp 15, 
  break DC 18, Disable Device DC 25) and the building has 
  no windows. The front room is bare, other than a small 
  table sitting in the corner with a stool. The smoker’s 
  main room is hot and miserable, and is currently filled 
  to the brim with river fish hanging from racks.
  B4. Beach: A gravelly beach lies 5 feet below the 
  docks. The sand and gravel are considered dense rubble 
  (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 430). Medium or smaller 
  creatures can easily traverse the beach under the pier 
  (area B5), but Large creatures must squeeze. Huge 
  creatures or larger can’t fit beneath the pier. 
  B5. Pier: Other than a stack of empty barrels at its 
  eastern end, this pier is bare.
  B6. Floating Dock: This smaller dock floats at water 
  level (currently 5 feet below the main pier). Two rusty iron 
  ladders grant access to the floating dock from the pier.
  B7. Boat: The boat carrying Paraduke Sethic’s money 
  from Corentyn arrives at the docks an hour before 
  sunrise. See Creatures below for the boat’s passengers. 
  The vessel is relatively flat, more barge than boat, though 
  it does grant cover to Medium or smaller creatures 
  within it. An iron strongbox holds the paraduke’s gold 
  (see Treasure on page 21).
  Creatures: Sethic’s retainers, Bist and Mr. Thope, 
  guard the paraduke’s gold on the boat, along with four 
  sellswords. The guards are on the lookout for trouble, 
  and tend to shoot first and ask questions later. Even the 
  slightest sign of trouble puts the group in crisis mode. 
  If attacked, the sellswords ignite sunrods and train their 
  bows on the shore, while Bist casts haste and Mr. Thope 
  eases the boat up to the floating dock. Their chief goal 
  is to secure the money, but they attempt to neutralize 
  attackers first before trying to break through the assault. 
  BIST 
   
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Female halfling rogue 3/sorcerer 4/arcane trickster 3
  N Small humanoid (halfling)
  Init +5; Senses Perception +8
  DEFENSE
  AC 25, touch 17, flat-footed 19 (+4 armor, +5 Dex, +1 dodge, 
  +4 shield, +1 size)
  hp 75 (10 HD; 7d6+3d8+34)
  Fort +6, Ref +12, Will +8; +2 vs. fear
  Defensive Abilities evasion, fated (+1), trap sense +1
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee +1 rapier +13 (1d4+2/15–20) or
  mwk dagger +12 (1d3+1/19–20)
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  20
  Ranged +1 shortbow +12 (1d4+1/×3)
  Special Attacks impromptu sneak attack 1/day, sneak 
  attack +3d6
  Bloodline Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +9)
  5/day—touch of destiny (+2)
  Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 7th; concentration +9)
  3rd (4/day)—haste, keen edge
  2nd (7/day)—blur, hideous laughter (DC 14), invisibility
  1st (7/day)—alarm, charm person (DC 13), disguise self, 
  grease, magic missile, shield
  0 (at will)—acid splash, detect magic, ghost sound (DC 12), 
  mage hand, message, ray of frost, read magic
  Bloodline destined
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Before the boat approaches the docks, 
  Bist casts blur and shield on herself and keen edge on 
  her rapier.
  During Combat Bist casts haste on herself and her 
  companions on the first round of combat, then supports 
  the battle from range with her spells, arrows, and touch 
  of destiny. She uses hideous laughter and grease against 
  opponents who approach the boat before she joins in 
  melee, staying as close as she can to Mr. Thope.
  Morale Bist is loyal to Sethic’s coin, not to the paraduke 
  himself. If reduced to fewer than 20 hit points, Bist casts 
  invisibility and attempts to flee.
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 14
  Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 21
  Feats Arcane Armor Training, Combat Casting, Dodge, 
  Eschew Materials, Toughness, Weapon Finesse, Weapon 
  Focus (rapier)
  Skills Acrobatics +16, Climb +8, Disable Device +15, Escape 
  Artist +13, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Perception +8, 
  Stealth +16, Swim +8
  Languages Common, Halfling
  SQ bloodline arcana (luck bonus on saves when casting 
  personal-range spells), ranged legerdemain, rogue talent 
  (finesse rogue), trapfinding +1
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, wand of 
  scorching ray (10 charges); Other Gear +2 leather armor, 
  +1 rapier, +1 shortbow with 20 arrows, mwk dagger, belt 
  of incredible dexterity +2, key to strongbox in area B7, 
  sunrods (6), thieves’ tools
  MR. THOPE 
   
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Male half-orc barbarian (scarred rager) 10 (Pathfinder RPG 
  Ultimate Combat 29)
  NE Medium humanoid (human, orc)
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +14
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (+8 armor, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, 
  +1 natural, –2 rage)
  hp 120 (10d12+50)
  Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +6
  Defensive Abilities orc ferocity, scarification (3), tolerance; 
  DR 2/—
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee +1 glamered greatsword +18/+13 (2d6+10/19–20)
  Ranged mwk chakram +13 (1d8+6)
  Special Attacks rage (24 rounds/day), rage powers 
  (auspicious markUC, guarded stance +2, powerful blow +3, 
  strength surge +10, unexpected strike)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Mr. Thope’s main goal is to protect the 
  strongbox and get it to Sethic, but he can’t carry the 
  heavy box and wield his greatsword at the same time, so 
  he remains in the boat or adjacent to it, always keeping 
  the chest within reach. If attacked, the half-orc rages, 
  attempting to demoralize his opponents using Dazzling 
  Display and his glamered greatsword (which appears to 
  be a fancy walking stick until used).
  BIST
  
  21
  Morale Mr. Thope has sworn to deliver the money to Sethic. 
  He does not stop until unconscious or dead.
  Base Statistics When not raging, Mr. Thope’s statistics are 
  AC 22, touch 13, flat-footed 19; hp 100; Fort +9, Will +4; 
  Melee +1 glamered greatsword +16/+11 (2d6+7/19–20); 
  Ranged mwk chakram +13 (1d8+4); Str 18, Con 14; 
  CMB +14; Skills Climb +8, Intimidate +18, Swim +8.
  STATISTICS
  Str 22, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
  Base Atk +10; CMB +16; CMD 27
  Feats Dazzling Display, Dodge, Intimidating Prowess, 
  IronhideAPG, Weapon Focus (greatsword)
  Skills Acrobatics +12, Climb +10, Intimidate +20 (+25 vs. 
  non-barbarian humanoids), Perception +14, Survival +6, 
  Swim +10
  Languages Common, Orc
  SQ orc blood, terrifying visage
  Combat Gear potion of lesser restoration; Other Gear +2 
  glamered breastplate, +1 glameredUE greatsword, mwk 
  chakramUE
  SELLSWORDS (4) 
   
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  Raider (Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide 280)
  hp 67 each
  TACTICS
  During Combat The sellswords initially target opponents at 
  range with arrows or javelins of lightning. Once the boat 
  has docked and enemies are within melee range, the 
  sellswords rage and attack with their spears.
  Morale If reduced to fewer than 15 hit points, a sellsword 
  attempts to flee. 
  Treasure: The iron strongbox in the boat (area 
  B7) is locked (hardness 10, hp 45, break DC 28, 
  Disable Device DC 30), but Bist carries the 
  key. The chest contains the full amount 
  of Sethic’s loan: a total of 50,000 gp.
  Development: If the PCs defeat 
  the guards, they should have no 
  trouble securing the strongbox 
  containing Sethic’s money. Disposing 
  of the bodies is as easy as dumping them 
  in the river. If the PCs successfully pull 
  off the heist without leaving any witnesses, 
  they earn 2 Notice Points. If any of Sethic’s 
  guards or retainers survive the attack, the 
  PCs gain only 1 Notice Point.
  No matter how careful the PCs are, 
  however, Paraduke Sethic ultimately finds out 
  (or at least strongly suspects) that they were 
  involved in the theft, especially if any of his 
  guards survive. The paraduke begins to plot 
  his revenge, which has consequences later at the 
  Hellfire Ball in Event 6.
  If the PCs betray their patron and steal the entire sum 
  for themselves, they earn no Notice Points and earn the 
  ire of Archcountess Vasvion, who severs her relationship 
  with the PCs and rewards their disloyalty by informing 
  Sethic that they were responsible.
  Story Award: If the PCs complete the archcountess’s 
  mission by successfully stealing Paraduke Sethic’s 
  money, award them 19,200 XP.
  EVENT 4: PIG SLAUGHTER
  A few days after the heist, Archcountess Vasvion gathers 
  the PCs together again to suggest a new mission to 
  financially destroy her rival, Paraduke Sethic, once and 
  for all.
  “Thanks to you, we’ve dealt a debilitating blow to that toad 
  Sethic, but now is the time to strike for the jugular. The only 
  reason that Sethic has been able to crawl up as far as he 
  has is because of those damned pigs he breeds. The man’s 
  MR. THOPE
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  22
  a paraduke, for Hell’s sake—one would think he could find a 
  hobby more suited to his position than pig farming, even if 
  the swine come from the Pit itself. It’s amazing what jaded 
  aristocrats will pay for such an exotic meal, not to mention 
  a way to permanently dispose of enemies. In any case, if 
  someone were to butcher Sethic’s pigs, it would kill any 
  chance of him getting in my way ever again. Are you up for a 
  pig hunt?” The archcountess smiles deviously.
  Vasvion knows little more about Sethic’s pig breeding 
  operation than its location, and the fact that the 
  razorbacks themselves are dangerous. She assumes the 
  valuable creatures are guarded, but does not know by 
  whom or what. Assuming the PCs accept the job, Vasvion 
  gives them directions to a location outside the city walls, 
  and leaves the rest to them.
  c. RazoRBack Pens
  Thalgano Sethic raises his Avernus razorbacks—infernal 
  swine bred in Hell itself—in a small cave complex south 
  of the Vice. Use the map on page 23 for this area.
  c1. FRont gate
  The entrance to the razorback pens is through a gate in an 
  iron fence divided by a large boulder. A sign on the gate 
  reads, “Dangerous Beasts. Keep Out.” The fence is 20 feet 
  high and nearly 3 inches thick. The fence’s longer side, 
  northeast of the boulder, is scraped and bent in places, 
  but still holds strong (hardness 10, hp 90, break DC 30). 
  The shorter side of the fence, southwest of the boulder, 
  stands in a swath of thick mud. The mud provides a weak 
  foundation for the barricade, and this side of the fence 
  has been replaced twice; two weakened, compromised 
  palisades lean drunkenly behind the newest, outer fence. 
  The mud functions as a shallow bog (Core Rulebook 427). 
  The northeast side of the fence and the boulder are 
  fairly easy to scale (Climb DC 15), but the slick mud and 
  succession of fences on the southwest side make for a 
  more difficult ascent (Climb DC 20).
  An iron gate (hardness 10, hp 60, break DC 28) stands in 
  the northeast portion of the fence, and is locked with an 
  adamantine padlock (hardness 20, hp 40, Disable Device 
  DC 30). In addition, a stone of alarm has been affixed to the 
  gate, alerting the pens’ guardian in area C4 if the gate is 
  opened without first speaking a command word.
  Treasure: Besides the stone of alarm on the gate, the 
  adamantine padlock is worth 400 gp.
  c2. uPPeR Pen (cR 9)
  This wide cavern lies just beyond the front gate. 
  Two sloping passages exit the cave leading southeast 
  toward the lower pen (area C3). Of the two tunnels, the 
  southernmost one descends at a steeper angle, but both 
  lead to fences of iron bars inset with blackened iron 
  doors. The doors are not locked, but the iron frame 
  around each door is inscribed with tiny magical symbols. 
  A character who succeeds at a DC 28 Knowledge (arcana) 
  check recognizes the symbols as a visual manifestation of 
  a binding spell encompassing the pens (see area C4). The 
  spell effect is not tied to the doors or the fences (which 
  serve to separate the razorbacks in the pens), and persists 
  whether the doors are opened or closed.
  Creature: A single male Avernus razorback dwells 
  in this pen. The razorback has not had fresh meat in 
  months, and has temporarily lost the use of its infernal 
  ferocity ability. It attacks intruders with abandon, hoping 
  for a corpse to feed on, and does not back down until it 
  has devoured a fresh corpse or has been killed. 
  AVERNUS RAZORBACK 
   
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  hp 137 (see page 84)
  c3. loWeR Pen (cR 11)
  This cavern is warm and humid. A large lake of mud, fed 
  by an underground hot spring, bubbles in the southeast 
  corner of the cave. The mud lake is deep enough to 
  function as a deep bog (Core Rulebook 427).
  Creatures: Two Avernus razorbacks sleep in the mud 
  here, but are awakened by the sound of the alarm in area 
  C1 or the loud grating noise of the doors from area C2, 
  and attack any intruders.
  AVERNUS RAZORBACKS (2) 
   
  CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  hp 137 each (see page 84)
  Development: If the PCs tripped the alarm on the gate 
  in area C1, the flayer devil Faugruath in area C4 moves 
  to the ledge overlooking the lower pen, waiting to see if 
  Sethic or his henchman Mr. Thope accidentally set off 
  the alarm. If he sees intruders instead, Faugruath casts 
  wall of fire to cut off their retreat and teleports down into 
  the lower pen to attack.
  c4. devil’s den (cR 11)
  This humid side cavern lies 15 feet above the lower pen. 
  The bloody, flayed skins of a variety of beasts hang on the 
  walls, and the floor is a jumbled mess of discarded bones.
  Creature: The primary guardian of Paraduke Sethic’s 
  razorback pens is a flayer devil named Faugruath, a 
  muscled fiend with leathery red skin, curling horns, 
  and claws honed to scalpel-like sharpness. Kept here 
  by a binding spell, his prison defined by the confines of 
  the caves, Faugruath must defend the caves from any 
  intruders. Provided he doesn’t harm any of the razorbacks 
  raised here, Faugruath will be released after 25 years, but 
  the pigs are an unending source of temptation to the 
  devil. Although he does not need to eat, Faugruath is a 
  consummate hunter, and revels in devouring chunks of 
  
  23
  bloody meat ripped off the bone with his claws. Only the 
  occasional gift of a squealing newborn piglet from Sethic 
  has prevented the devil from slaughtering all the beasts 
  under his charge.
  FAUGRUATH	
  CR	11
  XP	12,800
  Flayer devil (Tome of Horrors Complete 196)
  LE Large outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect good, see in 
  darkness; Perception +25
  DEFENSE
  AC 25, touch 11, flat-footed 23 (+2 Dex, +14 natural, –1 size)
  hp 147 (14d10+70)
  Fort +14, Ref +11, Will +10
  DR 10/good; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10; 
  SR 22
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee bite +20 (2d6+7), 2 claws +21 (1d8+7/19–20)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special	Attacks flensing, unholy burst
  Spell-Like	Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +14)
  Constant—detect good
  At will—greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects 
  only), scorching ray
  1/day—howling agonyUM (DC 15), wall of fire
  STATISTICS
  Str 25, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 12, Wis 18, Cha 14
  Base	Atk +14; CMB +22; CMD 34
  Feats Alertness, Cleave, Critical Focus, Improved Critical 
  (claw), Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (claw)
  Skills Climb +24, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (planes) +18, 
  Perception +25, Sense Motive +25, Stealth +15, Survival +21
  Languages Common, Ignan, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.
  SPECIAL	ABILITIES
  Flensing	(Ex) A flayer devil that scores a critical hit with 
  a claw attack rips the flesh from its opponent’s body, 
  dealing 1d3 points of Constitution damage.
  Unholy	Burst	(Su) Three times per day, a flayer devil can 
  release a burst of hellish black vapor in a 30-foot radius. 
  Creatures within this area must succeed at a DC 22 
  Fortitude save or be sickened for 1d6 rounds. In addition, 
  good creatures take 3d6 points of damage from the vapors 
  if they fail their saves (evil and neutral creatures take no 
  additional damage). The save DC is Constitution-based.
  Development: If the PCs successfully complete 
  Vasvion’s mission, she agrees to speak on their behalf to 
  the queen the next time she meets the Infernal Majestrix. 
  She also informs the PCs that she has procured invitations 
  for them to attend one of the best parties in the city, a 
  romp thrown by the eccentric Demibaron Graithus 
  Kavalderic (see Event 5). It’s been rumored that the queen 
  might attend the affair, and while that’s improbable, the 
  party could be an opportunity for the PCs to make an 
  impression personally.
  If the PCs slaughter all of the razorbacks in the pens, 
  the archcountess’s efforts on their behalf earn them 
  2 Notice Points.
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  C. RAZORBACK PENS
  C1
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  C3
  C4
  C2
  DEMIBARON’S BALLROOM
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  SHADED SQUARES CONTAIN CROWDS
  
  24
  familiar. Extravagantly dressed nobles compare hairstyles 
  and fashions or whisper and titter about the latest 
  juicy gossip while drinking wine and brandy. Crazed 
  intellectuals smoke hookahs and expound upon esoteric 
  theories and near-blasphemies, while amorous couples 
  and groups retreat to private, pillowed nooks, tastefully 
  concealed by silk curtains, for their own more intimate 
  celebrations of this free-spirited evening. Bards playing 
  foreign songs, supple acrobats and graceful dancers, and 
  jugglers entertain guests in one wing of the house, while 
  fire-eaters, snake charmers, and sword swallowers gather 
  crowds in other areas. 
  During most of the party, the PCs can mingle, 
  perhaps pick up a rumor or two, and meet the party’s 
  host, Demibaron Kavalderic. Eventually, however, an 
  unfortunate guest who has been unwittingly cursed by 
  a powerful and deadly item brings the party to a bloody 
  halt unless the PCs can stop the threat. 
  Mingling
  Winding their way around the party gives the PCs a 
  chance to interact with other guests, including Egorian 
  nobles and courtiers, Thrune agents, and even some 
  foreign visitors with ties to the court through Demibaron 
  Kavalderic. Most guests are enjoying the festivities with 
  drunken exuberance or glazed antipathy brought about by 
  drink or drugs, but there are a few pockets of discontent 
  scattered throughout the festivities. Small groups of 
  men and woman scowl at the celebrations, their stances 
  rigid, their eyes judging. Often one or more members of 
  these clusters wear the regalia of an Asmodean priest, 
  but not always. If the PCs take an interest in any of these 
  disgruntled groups, with a successful DC 15 Sense Motive 
  check, they confirm that most of these dour folk are just 
  making an opportunistic show of their vexation. As the 
  party continues, most relax and can be seen laughing and 
  having a good time. 
  ParTy Talk
  Through casual conversation, the PCs have the 
  opportunity to pick up the following rumors with 
  successful Diplomacy checks to gather information. 
  Result 
   Rumor
  15+ 
   “I don’t think the queen will make an appearance 
  tonight. She is far too busy dealing with those 
  tin-soldier Iomedaeans. If she shows up to any 
  festivity this month, it will be Duke Melesiva’s 
  Hellfire Ball. That party promises to be a much 
  more formal and less chaotic affair, though I’m 
  sure it will not be nearly this much fun.”
  20+ 
  “You really have to admire the pluck of Paraduke 
  Sethic. He is really making a go at a comeback 
  since his incarceration, but if you ask me, he 
  should try to marry that wench Levisvia—I mean 
  Story Award: For successfully completing Vasvion’s 
  mission and killing Sethic’s razorbacks, award the PCs 
  19,200 XP.
  EVENT 5: DEMIBARON KAVALDERIC’S PARTY
  This event can occur at any time. Not long after the 
  PCs arrive in Egorian, word spreads that Demibaron 
  Graithus Kavalderic, an outlandish and unorthodox 
  half-elven courtier, is throwing a party for the Thrune 
  agents who have heeded the queen’s summons. While 
  more the more tradition-minded Egorian nobles scoff 
  at Kavalderic’s dual heritage and free-spirited ways, few 
  miss his extravagant parties, even if it is only to hear 
  gossip about rivals and complain about their excesses 
  among more civilized company. 
  If the PCs have aligned themselves with either 
  Paraduke Sethic or Archcountess Vasvion, their patron 
  presses them to attend, explaining that the demibaron is 
  a favorite of Queen Abrogail, and that there is a chance 
  she may even attend the celebration. Sethic abstains from 
  such social forays, but Vasvion has used her influence to 
  gain an invitation for herself as well.
  While Demibaron Kavalderic has acquired a list of 
  Thrune agents in town from the church of Asmodeus, 
  any sworn agents of Thrune (Loyal, Trusted, or Bound) 
  can gain entry by revealing the invisible arcane mark that 
  identifies them as such. If the PCs have not yet chosen 
  a patron, they can still attend the party—if for no other 
  reason than to meet other Thrune Agents, members of 
  the court, and potentially, the queen herself.
  The venue of the party is Vaneo Kavalderic, the 
  demibaron’s Thorntown manor house. If the PCs attend 
  the event, read or paraphrase the following. 
  Even from blocks away, the glow of dancing lights and the 
  sound of drums make it impossible to miss the way to Vaneo 
  Kavalderic. Sitting on a small rise, the peculiar palace of the 
  eccentric demibaron sticks out like a bouquet of flowers 
  amid the thorns of the black-and-red buildings around it. 
  With its mismatched minarets, each a different color and 
  with its own style of tiled or gilded roof, the mansion is an 
  ode to exotic architecture from half a dozen far-flung locales. 
  At the doors, a cadre of halfling slaves manages a long line 
  of guests with skill and precision. The efficient servants only 
  rarely need ask to see the marks of Thrune, always offering 
  sincere apologies for the oversight when they do. Inside, the 
  scents of opium, pesh, perfume, and sweaty bodies assault 
  the senses. The place seems packed from wall to wall with 
  guests bedecked in clothing from the fashionable to the 
  outlandish and performers plying their trades to applause 
  and laughter.
  Kavalderic’s party is a riot of decadence and 
  debauchery. Guests can partake of a wide variety of food, 
  refreshments, and stimulants, from the exotic to the 
  
  25
  Archcountess Vasvion. It could only improve his 
  lot at this point, at least until he ‘disappears,’ 
  like all her other husbands.”
  25+ 
  “I hear the time is near for the 
  queen to renew Thrune’s pact 
  with Hell, which means a 
  sacrifice in the Barrowood, if 
  I remember correctly. If you 
  ask me, she should capture 
  the leader of this so-called 
  Glorious Reclamation, Alexeara 
  Cansellarion, and disembowel the 
  troublemaker. That would make a 
  fitting sacrifice for Asmodeus.”
  30+ 
  “Oh, did you hear? Word is that 
  Archbaron Darellus Fex was murdered 
  by 
  his 
  own 
  retainers. 
  Imagine 
  the nerve! One of the archbaron’s 
  relations, a Hellknight they say, 
  is angling for revenge 
  against the scoundrels. 
  Good riddance, I say. 
  Hellknights 
  are 
  not 
  to be trifled with, and 
  these traitors couldn’t save 
  their sorry hides if they had the favor of Queen 
  Abrogail herself.”
  MeeTing The deMibaron
  With a good amount of effort, the PCs can eventually 
  track down the party’s host. Of all of Queen Abrogail’s 
  courtiers, none are as colorful and eccentric as 
  Demibaron Graithus Kavalderic. A patron of avant-garde 
  artists, radical freethinkers, and progressive entertainers, 
  the demibaron stands out like a whirlwind of chaos 
  amid the rigid conformity of the Thrune court. Many 
  ponder why Queen Abrogail tolerates the outlandish 
  and ostentatious Kavalderic, and even more were 
  utterly baffled when she granted him public favor and 
  a title. Some even speculate the two are lovers, but while 
  Kavalderic’s romantic tastes are flexible when it comes 
  to gender, the queen is too inflexible for his tastes, and 
  the demibaron is too old and flamboyant for her liking. 
  Instead, the queen finds Kavalderic merely entertaining, 
  like an irreverent court jester—but she values his talent 
  for putting foreign dignitaries at ease and then plying 
  them with enough drink and drugs to loosen inhibitions 
  and tongues.
  Demibaron Graithus Kavalderic (LN male half-elf 
  aristocrat 6) is a short, pot-bellied man dressed in garish 
  clothing, heavy makeup, and a powdered wig elaborately 
  decorated with miniature ebony skeletons cavorting 
  amid obviously illusory flames that seem to flicker 
  dangerously around the towering peruke. Kavalderic is 
  currently entertaining an artist from Jalmeray, who is 
  unveiling a “living painting”—a piece of artistry 
  crafted with inks infused with illusory magic 
  and alchemical reagents, painting a scene 
  that moves across the canvas. 
  The demibaron lets out a high-pitched 
  shriek of delight as the painting is 
  revealed as he gazes upon fluttering 
  angels and swooping devils in a 
  blue sky swirling with red clouds. 
  In places the angels and devils are 
  engaged in vicious combat, while 
  in others they kiss and embrace 
  blasphemously. 
  Anyone 
  viewing 
  the painting who succeeds at a DC 15 
  Knowledge (nobility) check notices that 
  many of the outsiders in the image bear 
  the faces of members of Abrogail’s 
  court (including depictions of 
  an angelic Paraduke Sethic 
  and Archcountess Vasvion as a 
  devil), though the queen herself 
  does not make an appearance 
  in the piece.
  “My dear, it is wonderful!” 
  Kavalderic squeals exuberantly. “It was worth every piece 
  of platinum. I cannot wait to show it to our queen—in 
  private, of course. And when you are well out of the city, I 
  should add. It’s delightfully sacrilegious!”
  If the PCs display at least a modicum of amusement 
  at the sight of the painting, Demibaron Kavalderic 
  invites them to chat more about art and philosophy 
  while offering them a drink of his finest absinthe. 
  Contributing to the conversation and keeping it going 
  requires three successful Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge 
  (arcana), or Knowledge (religion) checks, at DC 15, DC 20, 
  and DC 25. Art-related Craft or Perform checks can be 
  attempted instead, but the DCs increase by 5. If the PCs 
  fail any of these checks by 5 or more, Kavalderic excuses 
  himself, saying that he has other guests to attend to, and 
  bids the PCs to enjoy the festivities. If they succeed at 
  all three checks, the drunk demibaron proudly exclaims, 
  “You must be the Thrune Agents I’ve heard so much 
  about! You don’t seem nearly as bad as I had heard.”
  If the PCs inquire as to what he has heard, Kavalderic 
  says, “Oh, don’t you know? A cousin of your former patron, 
  one Maralictor Vokadus Fex, is very keen on meeting you. 
  The man is very vexed with you for the alleged murder of 
  the archbaron. I would keep away from him if I were you. 
  He is a vicious knave with powerful friends.” 
  If the PCs ask whether Maralictor Fex is at the party, 
  the demibaron just laughs. “I don’t make a habit of 
  inviting Hellknights to my parties. Those black-armored 
  thugs and I typically don’t see eye to eye on things. In fact, 
  I rather think most of them would like to see my eyes 
  DEMIBARON
  GRAITHUS KAVALDERIC
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  26
  ripped from their sockets.” Unfortunately, Kavalderic 
  doesn’t know where Fex is staying, or the depths of his 
  plans for revenge. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he will find 
  you,” is the last he says on the subject. 
  Other than the news of Maralictor Fex’s vendetta 
  against the PCs, Kavalderic can give the PCs information 
  about both Paraduke Sethic and Archcountess Vasvion 
  (he knows nearly all of the information in the NPC 
  Gallery on pages 56–59, though he does not know 
  about Sethic serving the diabolist in his youth, and like 
  most, he believes that Vasvion had a hand in all of her 
  husbands’ and lovers’ deaths). Lastly, the demibaron can 
  confirm that Queen Abrogail will not be attending his 
  party tonight. “Her Infernal Majestrix is far too busy to 
  appear at such a minor gathering, even one as exciting as 
  mine,” he says with a hint of regret.
  Story Award: If the PCs learn that Vokadus Fex is 
  looking to avenge Archbaron Fex’s death, award them 
  9,600 XP.
  PaRty cRasheR (cR 12)
  Unknown to any of the celebrants, a living bomb roams 
  the demibaron’s party. An otherwise unimportant 
  Thrune agent is in possession of a deadly cursed item, 
  and as the party reaches its hedonistic crescendo, the 
  unwitting agent finally succumbs to the deadly horror of 
  the curse. Use the Demibaron’s Ballroom map on page 23 
  for this encounter.
  After the PCs have mingled for a bit and met the 
  demibaron, read or paraphrase the following. 
  “Get away from me, you villains!” a harsh voice yells, as a 
  man in dark robes violently pushes nearby partygoers away 
  from him. A small black rock buzzes around the man’s head, 
  and he stares at the stunned guests around him with crazed 
  eyes. Suddenly, the buzzing stone plummets into the man’s 
  chest. Eyes wide, the man lets out an anguished scream that 
  is choked off by a torrent of blood spurting from his gurgling 
  mouth. The man drops to his knees, clutching his chest for 
  a brief instant, and falls to the floor, stone dead. A pall of 
  silence descends over the party.
  The dead man is one Berin the Blackhanded, a 
  sorcerer and Thrune agent who recently acquired what 
  he thought was an ioun stone on a mission for the crown, 
  but the unfortunate man had no idea the blackened 
  rock buzzing around his head would be his doom. In 
  fact, the stone is a cursed magic item called an egg of 
  Abaddon, which first afflicts its owner with paranoia, 
  and then burrows into his heart to release a terrifying 
  extraplanar monstrosity.
  Creature: Berin’s gruesome death is only the 
  beginning—1d4 rounds later, the egg of Abaddon “hatches,” 
  releasing a derghodaemon that violently bursts out of 
  Berin’s chest in an explosion of gore. Once released, 
  the derghodaemon uses creeping doom and quickened 
  summon swarm to cause as much havoc as possible, and 
  begins slaughtering guests with abandon. The daemon 
  fights to the death.
  Following the derghodaemon’s appearance, the 
  celebrants in Kavalderic’s ballroom flee, acting as 
  a crowd (Core Rulebook 436). Every combatant other 
  than the derghodaemon and its summoned swarms 
  must spend 2 squares of movement to enter a square 
  containing a crowd, as indicated on the map. The crowd 
  does not affect creatures flying higher than 5 feet above 
  the ground. After 4 rounds, the crowd disperses, as the 
  partygoers either lie dead on the floor or have escaped 
  the carnage.
  DERGHODAEMON 
  CR 12
  XP 19,200
  hp 161 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 66)
  Treasure: Once the derghodaemon is defeated, 
  Demibaron Kavalderic extracts himself from his 
  hiding spot and meekly asks for an explanation for the 
  carnage. If the PCs answer truthfully, their explanation 
  is corroborated by the surviving guests, and if the PCs 
  killed the daemon, the grateful demibaron rewards them 
  with 20,000 gp, promising to mention the PCs to the 
  queen herself.
  Development: Defeating the derghodaemon earns the 
  PCs 2 Notice Points. In addition, if the PCs are working 
  for either Paraduke Sethic or Archcountess Vasvion, 
  their patron informs them the following day that their 
  actions at the demibaron’s party have made them minor 
  celebrities at court, and they have received invitations to 
  the most prestigious party of the season, Duke Melesiva’s 
  Hellfire Ball (see Event 6).
  EVENT 6: HELLFIRE BALL
  This event occurs last, after the PCs have completed the 
  other events in Part 1 for their patron. All of Egorian is 
  abuzz with talk of Duke Raaven Melesiva’s upcoming 
  Hellfire Ball, which is widely assumed to be the social 
  event of the year. In addition, the fact that Queen 
  Abrogail was unable to attend any of the season’s other 
  parties has courtiers convinced that she will appear at the 
  Hellfire Ball, and competition for invitations to the party 
  is heated, to say the least.
  If the PCs are allied with Paraduke Sethic or 
  Archcountess Vasvion, they have already received 
  invitations to the ball, but if the PCs did not choose a 
  side, there is no way for them to get invitations without 
  patronage in the court. If the PCs have not yet made 
  enemies of either Sethic or Vasvion, they can choose one 
  of the courtiers to side with at this point. Allow them 
  to play through that patron’s events before returning to 
  this one. Alternatively, if the PCs go after the Bellflower 
  
  27
  Network on their own, their success in that endeavor can 
  also garner them invitations to the ball (see Part 2).
  Assuming the PCs have a patron, either Sethic or 
  Vasvion (depending on which courtier the PCs are on 
  friendly terms with) warns the PCs that they must be 
  dressed in formal attire for such an event—couriers’ 
  outfits, at the very least. Armor is typically frowned upon, 
  as is carrying more than two weapons. 
  The Hellfire Ball is held in the grand ballroom of 
  Duke Melesiva’s Egorian estate, Vaneo Melesiva, located 
  on Hellhound Hill, close to Thrune Manor itself. 
  Liveried servants confirm the invitations and identities 
  of everyone seeking entry to the ball, turning away 
  those without invitations, wearing armor, bristling with 
  weapons, or dressed in anything less expensive than a 
  courtier’s outfit. However, the servants have no means 
  to detect magically concealed armor or weapons, such as 
  those with the glamered special ability or obscured with 
  disguise self or similar magic. Heralds introduce all guests, 
  including the PCs, as they enter the ballroom. While the 
  PCs garner little attention and only faint applause, more 
  important or popular guests are greeted with greater 
  enthusiasm by the assembled partygoers.
  Duke Melesiva’s grand ballroom is lavish. The floor 
  is crimson-and-black Arcadian marble, and the walls 
  and fixtures mix the dark marble with a lighter stone 
  flickering with illusory flames, giving the expansive 
  chamber the look of an elegant Hellscape. 
  Where Demibaron Kavalderic’s party was organized 
  chaos, the Hellfire Ball is as orderly as a contract devil’s 
  wardrobe. Each guest is given a formal schedule of the 
  balls’ dances and events, and unobtrusive servants and 
  slaves are on hand to provide for the guests’ every need. 
  The guests are immaculately dressed, often in the red 
  and black of the empire, but some wear more flamboyant 
  and colorful outfits, and a few even seem to be decked out 
  in opera costumes.
  There is very little mingling, as partygoers clump 
  together in pockets of friends, business associates, and 
  social coteries around the room. These cliques work 
  hard to ignore others in the room, though individuals 
  occasionally take the time to look down their noses 
  at some stranger or perceived enemy. The buzz of 
  conversation drifts from the disparagement of rivals, 
  to bawdy gossip, to small talk, but the chief among the 
  topics is speculation on whether or not the queen will 
  appear tonight. 
  Several of the PCs’ acquaintances are attending the 
  ball as well. As the PCs dance and mingle, they have the 
  opportunity to interact with the following courtiers. 
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  28
   
  Archcountess Levisvia Vasvion: If the PCs are working 
  with Vasvion, she is here with her fiancé, Nicolo Alazario, 
  on her arm. She cheerfully greets the PCs and points out 
  the glum Paraduke Sethic across the room, commenting 
  with a sly wink on how far the paraduke has recently 
  fallen, and how quickly.
  If the PCs sided with Sethic instead, then the 
  archcountess is at the ball alone, dressed in mourning 
  (assuming the PCs murdered Nicolo). She glares at 
  the PCs from beneath her veil, and if approached, she 
  spits out the following with a bitter sneer: “Little flies 
  buzzing about the court. Look how fat you’ve grown on 
  the paraduke’s honey. But fat little flies are more easily 
  caught in the spider’s web, and then crushed like the 
  insects they are.” Vasvion storms away, and refuses to 
  have anything else to do with the PCs.
  Baroness Bramila Gellintha: As usual, Baroness 
  Gellintha can be found in the middle of a cluster of 
  busybodies and gossips. If the PCs successfully convinced 
  the baroness of their rumor at her soiree, she eagerly 
  waves them over. “Are you ready for tonight’s main 
  event?” she asks with a wide smile. “Oh, you didn’t hear? 
  I though everybody knew! I guess it will be a surprise 
  then. If nothing else, we’ll have quite a spectacle to talk 
  about tomorrow!” The baroness then excuses herself, and 
  refuses to say anything more.
  Demibaron Graithus Kavalderic: The normally 
  vivacious demibaron looks particularly somber tonight. 
  If the PCs befriended Kavalderic at his party and they 
  approach him, the demibaron discreetly whispers, 
  “Either leave this place before midnight or prepare for 
  battle. Your enemy is on his way. I can say no more.” 
  Kavalderic then walks briskly past the PCs and avoids 
  them for the remainder of the ball. 
  Duke Raaven Melesiva: If the PCs try to meet the host 
  of the ball, they find it difficult to gain his attention. 
  He is constantly surrounded by nobles and courtiers 
  attempting to curry favor or seeking his support, both 
  political and financial. The PCs can secure a brief 
  audience with the duke with a successful DC 30 Bluff 
  or Diplomacy check, though Melesiva has time only 
  to politely greet the PCs and welcome them to the ball 
  before he is drawn away on other business by a dignified 
  butler. The PCs will encounter the duke again in Part 3.
  Paraduke Thalgano Sethic: For once, the asocial 
  paraduke makes an appearance at a public function. If 
  the PCs allied themselves with Sethic, he makes sure 
  to draw the PCs’ attention to the grieving Archcountess 
  Vasvion, and toasts to a continuing partnership with the 
  PCs that will bring good fortune to both parties.
  If the PCs chose Archcountess Vasvion as their patron 
  instead, then Sethic sits alone on the fringes of the 
  festivities, his spirit seemingly as broken as his body. He 
  rebuffs any attempts at communication, glowering at the 
  PCs with unconcealed hate.
  The MaralicTor’s revenge (cr 13)
  The ball merrily continues for hours until shortly after 
  midnight, when the music and dancing abruptly stop 
  as if on cue. A few revelers leave the dance floor, heading 
  HELLFIRE BALL
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  
  29
  toward the balconies overlooking the ballroom and silently 
  ushering others to follow. Like a well-choreographed play, 
  the rest of the partygoers move away from the ballroom’s 
  center and the PCs. Not all of the guests know what is about 
  to happen, but enough do, and the rest soon follow suit, 
  knowing they’re in for a show. There is nothing quite like a 
  vengeful Hellknight out for blood. 
  Creatures: Once the floor is nearly empty, a barbed devil 
  leaps through the ballroom’s eastern doors with the grace 
  of a panther, scanning the crowd before its fiery eyes fall 
  upon the PCs. A moment later, a man in black Hellknight 
  armor strides into the room from a tunnel beneath the 
  stage to the west, and levels his mace at the PCs.
  “You!” he sneers. “Villains! Blackguards! Adventurers! 
  You have murdered my kin. Prepare for Hell’s judgment.” 
  This is Vokadus Fex, maralictor of the Hellknight Order 
  of the Scourge, and cousin of Archbaron Darellus Fex. 
  He is not wearing a helm, and the PCs can immediately 
  recognize a family resemblance to their former patron. 
  Maralictor Fex is a vain and stubborn man, and is used to 
  slaughtering those who cross 
  him or his family. When he 
  heard of his cousin’s death, 
  his thoughts immediately 
  turned to revenge, though 
  he had no target for his ire. 
  Things changed, however, 
  when the PCs found a new patron 
  in Egorian and made a powerful 
  enemy in the process. Whichever courtier 
  the PCs spurned (either Paraduke Sethic or 
  Archcountess Vasvion) has learned that the PCs 
  were working with that courtier’s rival, and holds 
  the PCs personally responsible for the greatest of 
  his or her recent misfortunes—in Sethic’s case, this 
  is the brazen theft of his money; for Vasvion, it’s the 
  murder of her fiancé Nicolo Alazario. When word 
  reached them that Maralictor Fex was also seeking 
  vengeance, the powerful noble engineered invitations for 
  the PCs to the Hellfire Ball, and made sure that Fex knew 
  they would be there.
  Maralictor Fex has come here with the full trust and 
  support of Paralictor Ivo Elliendo, commander of the 
  Order of the Scourge’s Egorian contingent, who granted 
  him the aid of the barbed devil. Fex and the devil dive 
  into their assault with vigor. They offer no quarter and 
  respond to any attempts at reason or parley with curses, 
  scorn, and more fervent attacks.
  VOKADUS FEX 
   
  CR 11
  XP 12,800
  Male human cavalier 6/Hellknight 6 (Pathfinder RPG 
  Advanced Player’s Guide 32, Pathfinder Campaign 
  Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide 278)
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +10
  DEFENSE
  AC 25, touch 11, flat-footed 24 (+10 armor, +1 Dex, +4 shield)
  hp 100 (12d10+30)
  Fort +13, Ref +8, Will +9 (+11 vs. charm effects, +13 vs. 
  compulsion effects)
  Defensive Abilities force of will
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 human-bane heavy mace +19/+14/+9 (1d8+6 plus 
  2d6 vs. humans)
  Special Attacks banner +2, braggart, cavalier’s charge, 
  challenge 2/day (+6 damage, +8 damage if Fex is the 
  only one threatening), smite chaos 2/day (+1 attack and 
  AC, +6 damage), tactician 2/day (Outflank, 6 rounds)
  Hellknight Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +13)
  At will—detect chaos
  4/day—discern lies
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  MARALICTOR VOKADUS FEX
  
  30
  TACTICS
  During Combat Fex’s plan is to work in concert with the 
  barbed devil to take out the PCs one at a time, starting 
  with the most powerful armed and armored combatant 
  among them. The Hellknight begins by using his tactician 
  ability to grant his Outflank feat to the devil. Fex then 
  challenges and charges his first target, using smite chaos 
  if possible, and making use of his combat feats.
  Morale Fex fights to the death to avenge his relative and 
  preserve the honor of his family name.
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, Cha 13
  Base Atk +12; CMB +17; CMD 28
  Feats Dazzling Display, Deadly FinishUC, Gory FinishUC, 
  Improved Iron Will, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, 
  OutflankAPG, Power Attack, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus 
  (heavy mace)
  Skills Handle Animal +7, Intimidate +21, Knowledge 
  (local) +4, Knowledge (planes) +1, Perception +10, 
  Ride +10
  Languages Common
  SQ braggart, disciplines (fearsomeness, vigilance), expert 
  trainer +3, Hellknight armor 2, Hellknight order (Order of 
  the Scourge), mount, order of the cockatrice
  Gear +1 Hellknight plateISWG, +2 heavy steel shield, +1 human-
  bane heavy mace, cloak of resistance +3
  BARBED DEVIL 
   
  CR 11
  XP 12,800
  hp 138 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 72)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The devil knows Fex wants to face his 
  enemies one by one, so it moves to flank Fex’s chosen 
  target, using the Outflank feat granted by Fex’s tactician 
  ability. If necessary, the devil casts hold person, order’s 
  wrath, or unholy blight to keep other opponents from 
  interfering with the Hellknight’s focused assaults.
  Morale The barbed devil fights to the death.
  Development: Defeating Maralictor Fex in such a 
  public setting earns the PCs 3 Notice Points.
  Once combat is over, the ball resumes, but it soon 
  comes to an end as more and more guests take their leave 
  after the excitement of the battle, especially once they 
  realize Queen Abrogail will not be making an appearance 
  at the party.
  If the PCs are allied with Sethic or Vasvion, their 
  patron approaches them before the party ends to share 
  their disappointment that the queen failed to attend the 
  ball, and asks to speak with the PCs the next day, once 
  they’ve had time to recover from the ball and the battle. 
  At this meeting, Sethic or Vasvion tells the PCs they’re 
  the talk of the court following their public battle with 
  Fex. Queen Abrogail is almost certainly aware of the PCs’ 
  identities at this point, but in order to truly earn her 
  favor and gain an audience with the Infernal Majestrix, 
  they’ll need to do something decidedly special to gain 
  her personal notice.
  Assuming the PCs have not yet gone after the Bellflower 
  Network, their patron mentions that now is the time to 
  do so, citing rumors that the underground halfling anti-
  slavery organization, long believed to have been purged 
  from Egorian, is active in the city once again. If the PCs 
  can root out this secret society that has infested the very 
  capital of the empire, their patron believes they can 
  secure the PCs a private audience with the queen. See 
  Part 2 for details on this quest.
  If the PCs do not have a patron, but received an 
  invitation to the Hellfire Ball because they already 
  put an end to the Bellflower Network in Part 2, then 
  they have likely earned enough Notice Points to attract 
  Queen Abrogail’s attention (just not as many as they 
  would have gained had they allied with Sethic or 
  Vasvion). In this case, Queen Abrogail summons the 
  PCs to an audience at the Imperial Palace in the days 
  following the Hellfire Ball. Go to Part 3 and Audience 
  with the Queen on page 41.
  PART 2: DIGGING UP 
  BELLFLOWERS
  At some point, either on their own initiative or at the 
  coaxing of their noble patron, the PCs should start 
  looking for evidence of the Bellflower Network in 
  Egorian with an eye toward eliminating the group from 
  the city. The Bellflower Network is a secret organization 
  of former slaves, primarily halflings, who rescue other 
  slaves and take them to freedom. Full details on the 
  Bellflower Network, as well as a list of coded terms the 
  group uses, can be found in the article “The Bellflower 
  Network,” which begins on page 70.
  In Pathfinder Adventure Path #105: The Inferno Gate, the 
  PCs learned important intelligence from Archbaron Fex’s 
  butler Blissy about the Bellflower Network’s operations 
  in Egorian—namely, the description of a key Bellflower 
  agent in the capital: a human woman missing her left 
  hand, known only by the code name “the Barrister.” Blissy 
  also told the PCs how to contact the Barrister, by leaving 
  a message for her at a tavern called Clerk’s Cloister.
  If the PCs did not learn about the Bellflower Network 
  and the Barrister from Blissy in “The Inferno Gate,” 
  their patron in Egorian (either Vasvion, Sethic, or 
  another courtier they have befriended) should pass 
  along this intelligence to them now. The PCs’ patron 
  is uninterested in personally doing anything about the 
  Bellflower Network—the PCs are far better suited to 
  such a task, and it would certainly be to their social and 
  political advantage if they took on the job themselves.
  If necessary, the PCs’ patron reminds them that simply 
  killing a few Bellflower agents will have little effect on 
  the network as a whole. Instead, they must shut down 
  
  31
  the organization’s entire cell in Egorian by closing 
  down its secret hideouts, disrupting its transport routes, 
  recapturing any freed slaves, and killing or arresting the 
  cell’s members.
  Part 2 details the Bellflower Network’s operations 
  in Egorian and the PCs’ efforts to eliminate the 
  organization as they track down the few clues they 
  have. There are a number of ways in which the PCs 
  might go about confronting the Bellflower Network; 
  the following sections are presented in the most 
  straightforward manner the PCs might do so, but they 
  should be modified as needed in response to the PCs’ 
  plans and actions. 
  The adventure assumes the PCs start by following the 
  only lead they have, and go to Clerk’s Cloister in search 
  of the Barrister. A description of the Barrister herself 
  then follows, detailing the information she has about the 
  Bellflower cell and its current activities, including their 
  plan to smuggle a new group of escaped slaves out of 
  the city in the near future. Finally, the PCs follow these 
  clues to the network’s hideout, a Bellflower barn, where 
  the PCs can defeat the cell’s leadership and eradicate the 
  Bellflower Network in Egorian.
  CLERK’S CLOISTER
  Clerk’s Cloister is a favorite tavern of lawyers, clerks, and 
  Abadarian clerics, located in the district of Sorrowside. 
  The bar is not hard to find, and the PCs can visit it at 
  any time. Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs 
  first visit the establishment.
  A simple basement tavern crammed under a towering 
  imperial government building, Clerk’s Cloister is dark and 
  unexpectedly quiet. There are a few tables on the common 
  floor, but none are in use. Instead, groups of men and women 
  sit in shadowed booths along the tavern’s walls, and though 
  their lips move in conversation, no words are audible.
  Clerk’s Cloister takes up the building’s winding cellar, 
  and while the bar is well tended, it’s still dusty in places. 
  The wall booths are warded with a permanent magical 
  effect similar to zone of silence (CL 10th), which keeps 
  conversations private outside the confines of the booths. 
  The tavern specializes in thick, malty, locally brewed 
  beers, but also serves the light and watery red wines of 
  the region and coffee boiled in large vats. During lunch 
  and dinner hours, a cadre of ruthless and competitive 
  bakers hawks meat pies and other morsels in the tavern’s 
  common room. 
  Creature: The proprietor of Clerk’s Cloister is a portly 
  and jovial man named Belnost (N male human expert 
  4/warrior 1; use the barkeep stat block on page 303 of 
  the GameMastery Guide if necessary). A group of armed 
  strangers entering the tavern garners instant and fearful 
  respect from Belnost, who tries to avoid conflict with a 
  BELLFLOWERS IN EGORIAN
  The Bellflower Network has only recently reestablished 
  operations in Egorian, after the Order of the Scourge 
  embarked on a highly public witch hunt of the group 
  and its members in the city some years ago. While the 
  new Egorian cell has thus far been rather successful in its 
  aims, it has managed to evade detection only by keeping 
  its operation small and its numbers low. 
  The cell currently has only 12 members, nine of whom 
  are halflings: six Bellflower rogues, a brawler named 
  Lyran, a sorcerer named Yereen, and the cell’s “tiller,” 
  Rimon Fessel. The only non-halflings in the organization 
  are the Barrister, a codename for Maisil Juluth, a 
  human cleric of Abadar; a half-elven wizard named 
  Helthondous, called “the Addled”; and a guardian naga 
  named Zsatha, who remains a secret to everyone but 
  Rimon. Messages are passed to the Barrister at a tavern 
  called Clerk’s Cloister, and the cell’s “barn,” or secret 
  safe house, is a manor house in Bilgetown owned by 
  Helthondous, where the Bellflowers hide escaped slaves 
  before smuggling them out of the city.
  mix of platitudes and whining. He constantly claims to 
  be a law-abiding citizen who only wants to help in any 
  way possible, even when his insincerity is obvious. 
  Belnost is not a member of the Bellflower Network, 
  but he feels he should be. Not only is he very sympathetic 
  to the organization’s cause, but he is also in love with 
  Maisil Juluth, the woman known as the Barrister. As a 
  result, while conversing with the PCs, Belnost attempts 
  to conceal anything he knows that could jeopardize 
  either Maisil or the Bellflower Network with Bluff checks 
  (his Bluff modifier is +8, and the depth of his emotions 
  for Maisil grants him a +2 circumstance bonus on any 
  check made on her behalf).
  Belnost will not betray the Barrister or the Bellflower 
  Network unless tricked or placed under duress. The 
  PCs can use Bluff against Belnost (his Sense Motive 
  modifier is +10, with a +10 modifier because he would be 
  revealing an important secret), or trick him into revealing 
  something with a successful DC 35 Diplomacy check 
  (Belnost is considered hostile for these purposes, and the 
  DC has been further increased by 10 because he would 
  be revealing an important secret). Threatening him 
  with a successful DC 27 Intimidate check (this DC has 
  also been increased by 10 because he would be revealing 
  an important secret) also does the trick, for as much as 
  Belnost wants to protect his dear Maisil, he capitulates 
  when faced with violence or the threat of it. If the PCs 
  succeed at any of these checks by 5 or more, Belnost’s 
  feelings for Maisil become evident as he blurts something 
  out about his love or begs the PCs to stay away from her.
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  32
  Magical coercion is also possible, but spells such as 
  charm person are ineffective, as Belnost will not give away 
  such dangerous information even to those he considers 
  friends. Compulsion spells like dominate person or spells 
  such as detect thoughts are required to force him to reveal 
  his knowledge.
  The following paragraphs detail how much Belnost 
  knows. What he actually reveals to the PCs depends on 
  their interactions with him.
  The Barrister: Belnost denies knowing anyone called 
  the Barrister. If the PCs describe the Barrister, he insists 
  he has seen no one matching that description. Both 
  are lies. Belnost knows the Barrister is Maisil Juluth’s 
  Bellflower codename and even takes messages for the 
  Barrister here at Clerk’s Cloister. She comes once a week 
  to pick up the messages, usually on Wealday or Oathday 
  night, and never later than Fireday night. Belnost never 
  knows what night she’ll arrive week by week. He does not 
  know where Maisil lives or works, other than a vague idea 
  that it might be somewhere east of Clerk’s Cloister in 
  Sorrowgate, a part of the city that’s a warren of tenements 
  and small dwellings.
  The Barrister’s Messages: Belnost doesn’t read the 
  Barrister’s messages, and he’s currently holding only 
  one message for her, which simply says, “A new crop is 
  in the barn, ready to be sowed at the next harvest moon.” 
  Belnost doesn’t know the meaning of the note, though a 
  PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Linguistics check or DC 30 
  Sense Motive check can decipher the code words used in 
  the message: a “crop” is a group of freed slaves, a “barn” 
  is the secret safe house where they’re hiding, “sowing” 
  is transporting freed slaves, and “harvest moon” is the 
  time they’ll be moved out of the city. Although the note 
  doesn’t give an exact location for the barn or time for the 
  sowing, it can be inferred that the Bellflower Network is 
  planning to smuggle a new group of escaped slaves out 
  of the city in the near future.
  The Bellflower Network: Belnost claims to know nothing 
  about the Bellflower Network, and while this is also a lie, 
  in truth he does not know much. He has knowledge of the 
  basic organization of the group as a whole, but regarding 
  the local cell, Maisil is the only member of whom he’s 
  aware—the messages he receives for the Barrister are 
  delivered by street urchins, not members of the cell. The 
  barkeep doesn’t know anything about the cell’s other 
  members, or the location of their secret hideout.
  Development: If Belnost is forced to reveal most or 
  all of the knowledge he holds, he begs the PCs to spare 
  Maisil Juluth’s life. He is sure she’s only a messenger, if 
  not just a sweet, unwitting pawn in Bellflower business.
  Once the PCs have questioned Belnost, they can turn 
  their attention to finding the Barrister herself. The 
  Barrister is described in the section below, along with 
  details on tracking her down and following her to the 
  "barn" where the other members of the cell are hiding.
  THE BARRISTER
  For the last couple of decades, the Bellflower Network 
  cell in Egorian has used the services of a trusted human 
  confidant whom they call the Barrister. The Barrister 
  is more a title than a specific person, as there have 
  been three different Barristers since the position was 
  established. Because the Barrister is human, he or she 
  can navigate the social and legal avenues of the city with 
  little suspicion, allowing the cell’s local halfling members 
  to keep lower profiles.
  Creature: Maisil Juluth is the cell’s third and latest 
  Barrister. A cleric of Abadar, Maisil has a deep and 
  nuanced knowledge of jurisprudence, both Egorian’s 
  local ordinances and the laws of the greater empire. 
  Although Maisil firmly believes in the rule of law, as a 
  person of conscience, she abhors slavery, and believes the 
  laws of Cheliax have been twisted by the corruption of 
  selfishness and bigotry. Maisil makes her living loitering 
  around the slave markets of Whipcrack, offering her 
  services to slave buyers by selling prewritten contracts 
  for low fees (often with hidden loopholes allowing slaves 
  to purchase their freedom after a number of years for 
  an ever-decreasing rate). She uses the knowledge gleaned 
  from this work, as well as information from other 
  sympathetic lawyers in the city, to track the locations of 
  slaves in the city, which she then passes on to the more 
  militant members of the Bellflower cell.
  Maisil is a human woman who stands about 5-1/2 
  feet tall. She wears a blue bellflower—the symbol of the 
  Bellflower Network—in her blond hair, and is missing 
  her left hand, which was taken from her when she was 
  arrested and tortured by the Order of the Scourge as 
  a younger woman. That torture led to the arrest and 
  disappearance of her uncle, who had served as the second 
  Barrister, a fact that Maisil feels a great deal of guilt 
  about. Maisil has lived her entire life in Egorian, and 
  though she loves her home city, she sees both Egorian 
  and Cheliax as tyrannical and repressive. 
  Finding the Barrister: With or without Belnost’s aid, the 
  easiest way for the PCs to find the Barrister is to stake out 
  Clerk’s Cloister and wait for her next message pickup, 
  which is on the next Oathday evening. Alternatively, 
  they can try to find her residence, a simple apartment 
  in Sorrowgate, but doing so requires a successful DC 
  35 Knowledge (local) or Diplomacy check to gather 
  information, as Maisil maintains a rather low-key 
  lifestyle and is not well known by her neighbors.
  The PCs might also use magic to locate the Barrister. 
  Since they don’t actually know her, they can’t find her 
  with locate creature, though spells such as discern location 
  or scrying are powerful enough to track her down.
  Following the Barrister: Once the PCs have found 
  the Barrister, the next step is likely to follow her. As 
  mentioned previously, killing a single Bellflower agent 
  will not significantly disrupt the network’s activities, and 
  
  33
  the Barrister is the PCs’ only link to the larger Bellflower 
  operation. Fortunately, Maisil is fairly easy to track and 
  follow as long as the PCs take proper precautions, such 
  as using Stealth or Disguise to blend in with the local 
  population. The Barrister tends to be on the lookout 
  for Hellknights and local troublemakers, and is prone 
  to ignore newcomers, to her peril. The truth is the 
  Bellflowers have been so successful lately that she has 
  become complacent. The Barrister is considered to be 
  distracted, taking a –5 penalty on Perception checks to 
  spot PCs using Stealth or Disguise to follow her, and even 
  then, she doesn’t get suspicious until she detects them 
  three different times—too often to be a coincidence.
  If the PCs successfully follow the Barrister without 
  arousing her suspicions, she leaves Clerk’s Cloister after 
  picking up her latest message and heads to an abandoned 
  warehouse in Trick Alley, where she meets an escaped 
  halfling slave, the final member of the Bellflowers’ current 
  “crop.” The Barrister emerges from the warehouse with a 
  handcart full of laundry (concealing the halfling inside 
  the cart) and travels through quiet, darkened side streets 
  to the Bellflowers’ barn—the vaneo of the half-elven 
  wizard Helthondous the Addled (see area  D)—where 
  the other members of the cell are preparing to move the 
  crop of halflings out of Egorian later that night under the 
  cover of darkness.
  Interrogating the Barrister: If the PCs are unable to 
  successfully follow the Barrister, they might capture 
  and question her for information instead. However, 
  Maisil is not nearly as craven as Belnost, and simple 
  persuasion or intimidation is not enough 
  to force her to spill her secrets—harsher 
  forms of interrogation are needed instead. 
  To successfully interrogate the Barrister, the 
  PCs must succeed at a DC 30 Intimidate check for 
  each question they ask Maisil during their interrogation 
  to extract a correct answer (Maisil’s past experiences with 
  the Order of the Scourge increase the normal Intimidate 
  DC by 5). A failed check increases the DC of further 
  checks on the same topic by 5. If the PCs fail a check by 5 
  or more, Maisil gives them a false answer and refuses to 
  divulge any more information on the subject, no matter 
  what the PCs threaten or do. 
  The PCs can also use magic when 
  interrogating the Barrister, but her mind 
  sentinel medallion makes her resistant to such 
  tactics. Spells that simply make a subject friendly, 
  such as charm person, are ineffective (betraying the 
  Bellflower Network is an obviously harmful order) 
  and even compulsion spells such as dominate person 
  allow Maisil to attempt a new saving throw against the 
  effect if she’s ordered to disclose sensitive information, 
  as that is against her nature. Spells like detect thoughts 
  or speak with dead (if she is killed) might also enable the 
  PCs to learn some of the Barrister’s information. 
  Maisil knows the location of the Bellflower barn and 
  the secret tunnel beneath it that leads to the boathouse, 
  the presence of the lead golem in area D7, and the 
  password for bypassing the glyph of warding in area D11. 
  She can reveal the identities of Lyran, Yereen, and the 
  Bellflower rogues who are members of the cell, but she 
  is not aware that Helthondous is anything more than 
  a sympathetic gardener, that he is currently hosting a 
  powerful guest at his house (the raelis azata in area D2), 
  or that a guardian naga resides in the boathouse (see 
  area D17). 
  If questioned about the local leader of the Bellflowers 
  or the location of the next Bellflower barn, Maisil names 
  Rimon Fessel only after great duress, and explains that 
  only he knows the location of the next barn in the “row” 
  that escaped slaves travel to freedom. If pressed further, 
  THE BARRISTER
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  34
  she can only share her suspicion that the next barn is in 
  Westcrown, due to the length of time it takes Rimon to 
  drop off a crop and return. 
  Other Methods: Inventive PCs can likely concoct a 
  number of bluffs, scams, or ploys to infiltrate or learn 
  the secrets of the Bellflower Network, but the Barrister 
  is mostly immune to such ploys. She doesn’t trust 
  newcomers who claim they are sympathetic to the cause 
  without months of vetting and heavy use of spells such as 
  discern lies and zone of truth.
  THE BARRISTER 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Female human cleric (separatist) of Abadar 10/expert 1 
  (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 32)
  LG Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +3; Senses Perception +15
  Aura freedom’s call (30 ft., 8 rounds/day)
  DEFENSE
  AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 24 (+8 armor, +3 deflection, –1 Dex, 
  +4 natural)
  hp 92 (11d8+43)
  Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +15; +2 vs. mind-affecting spells, spell-
  like abilities, and supernatural abilities
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee +2 heavy mace +9/+4 (1d8+2)
  Special Attacks channel positive energy 4/day (DC 16, 5d6), 
  staff of order (5 rounds, 1/day)
  Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +14)
  7/day—touch of law
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 10th; concentration +14)
  5th—break enchantmentD, flame strike (DC 19), greater 
  command (DC 19)
  4th—discern lies (DC 18), divine power, holy smite 
  (DC 18), order’s wrathD (DC 18), spiritual allyAPG
  3rd—archon’s auraUM (DC 17), blindness/deafness 
  (DC 17), dispel magic, magic circle against evil, 
  remove curseD
  2nd—hold person (DC 16), instant armorAPG, remove 
  paralysisD, shield other, silence (DC 16), spear of 
  purityUM (DC 16)
  1st—command (DC 15), detect evil, forbid actionUM (DC 15), 
  remove fearD, sanctuary (DC 15), shield of faith
  0 (at will)—guidance, light, resistance, stabilize
  D Domain spell; Domains Law, Liberation
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The Barrister casts shield of faith and 
  instant armor to conjure a suit of +2 chainmail. If she has 
  time, she also drinks a potion of barkskin.
  During Combat If fighting alone, the Barrister tries to even 
  the odds with spells such as flame strike, holy smite, 
  order’s wrath, and spiritual ally. If forced into melee 
  combat, she uses her Quick Draw feat to ready her mace 
  and casts divine power. When fighting with allies, the 
  Barrister falls into a support roll, using spells like archon’s 
  aura, magic circle against evil, and shield other, and 
  providing healing as needed.
  Morale The Barrister fights to the death, knowing her 
  capture could mean the downfall of the Bellflower 
  Network in Egorian.
  Base Statistics Without her spells, the Barrister’s statistics 
  are AC 9, touch 9, flat-footed 9; Speed 30 ft.; CMD 16.
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 12
  Base Atk +7; CMB +7; CMD 19
  Feats Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron 
  Will, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Quick Draw, Toughness
  Skills Bluff +10, Diplomacy +10, Knowledge (local) +15, 
  Knowledge (religion) +15, Linguistics +8, Perception +15, 
  Profession (barrister) +15, Sense Motive +15
  Languages Celestial, Common, Dwarven, Elven, Halfling, 
  Infernal
  SQ forbidden rite (liberation), liberation (8 rounds/day)
  Combat Gear potions of barkskin +4 (2), potion of cure 
  serious wounds, potions of haste (2), scrolls of cat’s 
  grace (2); Other Gear +2 heavy mace, mind sentinel 
  medallionUE, cleric’s vestments, spell component pouch, 
  golden holy symbol of Abadar (worth 100 gp), platinum 
  rings (2, worth 50 gp each), 28 gp
  Development: If Maisil suspects she is being 
  followed, she does not travel to either the Trick Alley 
  warehouse or the barn. Instead, after picking up any 
  correspondence at Clerk’s Cloister, she makes contact 
  with a nearby halfling urchin and passes a secret 
  message that she has been compromised (a PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 20 Sense Motive check can discern 
  she has passed a secret message; a PC can intercept 
  and understand the message if he or she exceeds the 
  DC by 5 or more). The Barrister then takes a more 
  roundabout route to the abandoned warehouse, giving 
  her Bellflower associates time to set a trap there for 
  the Barrister’s pursuers. Inside, the brawler Lyran (see 
  page  38) and two Bellflower rogues (see page 37) wait 
  with Maisil to ambush the PCs, a CR 13 encounter.
  Story Award: If the PCs successfully track down the 
  Barrister and use her to find the Bellflower barn, award 
  them 19,200 XP. 
  D. BELLFLOWER BARN
  The Bellflower Network’s hidden safe house, or “barn,” 
  in Egorian is the Bilgetown manor house of an eccentric 
  half-elf named Helthondous the Addled. While seemingly 
  nothing more than a mild-mannered gardener of rare 
  culinary herbs, Helthondous is actually a powerful 
  conjurer, and his home conceals not only freed halfling 
  slaves waiting to be transported out of the city, but also 
  powerful allies, deadly traps, and a tunnel that leads to a 
  secure boathouse on the shore of Lake Sorrow. 
  
  35
  The PCs should eventually find the location of 
  Helthondous’s vaneo, likely by following the Barrister 
  there or interrogating her to learn its location. 
  Once they have a few clues, the PCs can also ask around 
  for guidance, and a successful DC 25 Diplomacy check to 
  gather information reveals that there is a strange half-
  elven herb gardener who lives in a modest vaneo on the 
  outskirts of Bilgetown. His neighbors consider him to 
  be an addle-minded dreamer, but he is known to have 
  a few halfling friends or associates. The PCs might also 
  find the barn through magic, using such spells as discern 
  location or find the path.
  Read or paraphrase the following when the PCs first 
  arrive at Helthondous’s vaneo.
  A rather unassuming vaneo rises from amid the more 
  decrepit buildings in the neighborhood. A profusion of vines 
  and ivy climbs the manor’s pale gold stucco walls, and a 
  garden grows atop the roof. A lone iron gate seems to serve 
  as the residence’s only entrance. The scent of herbs and fresh 
  earth wafts through the air. 
  The vaneo’s external walls are constructed of superior 
  masonry covered in stucco (hardness 8, hp 90, break 
  DC 35, Climb DC 25). The walls surrounding the front 
  and rear gardens (areas D1 and D7) are 10 feet high. The 
  front gate is locked, but the lock is flimsy and easy to 
  break (hardness 10, hp 60, break DC 15, Disable Device 
  DC 25). Unless otherwise noted, the interior walls are 
  wooden (hardness 5, hp 60, break DC 20, Climb DC 21), 
  with good wooden interior doors, most of which are 
  unlocked (hardness 5, hp 15). During the day, the open 
  roof over the inner courtyard and a number of windows 
  on the second floor provide illumination in the house. 
  At night, Helthondous uses candles or light spells only 
  in the rooms he occupies, so most areas are dark unless 
  otherwise noted.
  The adventure assumes the PCs have followed the 
  Barrister to the house, where they can catch Maisil and 
  the other members of the cell in the act of transporting 
  escaped slaves. Upon arriving at the barn, the Barrister 
  goes to area D6, where the halfling traveling with her 
  joins the crop of escaped slaves already waiting there. 
  The group then heads upstairs, through area D11 to 
  the annex, and down into the secret tunnel that leads to 
  the grotto and eventually the boathouse (area D17). The 
  slaves move as fast as possible away from the sounds of 
  combat and on to the hope of freedom.
  The vaneo’s rooms are briefly described below. Those 
  areas containing actual encounters are presented in 
  greater detail following the brief descriptions. If the 
  PCs visit the manor at a different time, or if they have 
  captured or killed the Barrister or other members of the 
  cell before they investigate the barn, adjust the relevant 
  encounters accordingly. 
  D1. Front Garden: This garden contains a number of 
  local wildflowers, some of which produce savory berries. 
  Two stone birdbaths flank a path leading to the manor’s 
  front door, which is reinforced and locked (hardness 5, 
  hp 20, break DC 25, Disable Device DC 30).
  D2. Inner Courtyard: This area is detailed on page 36.
  D3. Dining Room: Helthondous takes his meals in 
  this room, which contains a table and a few chairs for his 
  occasional guests. 
  D4. Kitchen: This is a simple kitchen with an oven, 
  a preparation table, pickle barrels and wine casks, and 
  a pair of pantries containing vegetarian fare. A secret 
  door (Perception DC 20) in the east wall leads to the hall 
  between the front door and inner courtyard (area D2).
  D5. Lower Winch Room: This room houses a simple 
  winch for operating the retractable roof above the inner 
  courtyard (see area D2). A single person can winch the 
  roof open or closed in 1 minute. 
  D6. Storage: Gardening tools and seeds are stored in 
  this chamber, which is also used to temporarily house 
  “crops” of escaped slaves waiting to be smuggled out of 
  the city. A secret door (Perception DC 20) in the west wall 
  leads to the front hallway (see area D2 on page 36).
  D7. Rear Garden: This area is detailed on page 37.
  D8. Bedroom: Helthondous’s bedroom is a simple 
  affair with a comfortable bed, a nightstand with a pitcher 
  of water, a small dresser, and a chamber pot.
  D9. Roof Access: This room contains more gardening 
  tools and supplies. A ladder climbs up to a trapdoor in 
  the ceiling that leads to the vaneo’s roof garden.
  D10. Library: This cluttered library holds various 
  treatises on gardening and plants, as well as a full 
  century’s worth of farmer’s almanacs and charts of the 
  sun’s progress through the heavens. Hidden among the 
  hodgepodge of books is Helthondous’s spellbook, which 
  contains all of his 0-level spells and prepared spells, plus 
  dismissal, planar binding, lesser planar binding, and six other 
  spells (mostly conjuration) of 1st through 5th levels.
  D11. Upper Winch Room: This is detailed on page 37. 
  D12. Upper Annex: This relatively empty chamber 
  contains nothing more than a large woven rug on the 
  floor. To the north, a ladder leads to a trapdoor in the 
  ceiling that provides access to annex’s small rooftop 
  garden. The rug conceals a trapdoor in the floor 
  (Perception DC 15), though if the Bellflowers have already 
  moved their crop past this point, they have flung aside 
  the rug, revealing the trapdoor, in their haste to get to 
  the boathouse. Another ladder beyond the trapdoor leads 
  down to the lower annex (area D13). 
  D13. Lower Annex: This area is detailed on page 37.
  D14. Secret Tunnel: This area is detailed on page 38.
  D15. Grotto: This area is detailed on page 39.
  D16. Trapped Stairs: This area is detailed on page 39.
  D17. Boathouse: This area is detailed on page 39.
  D18. Boathouse Office: This area is detailed on page 41.
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  36
  D2. Inner CourtyarD (Cr 12)
  From the vaneo’s front door, a 5-foot-wide hallway 
  leads to the vaneo’s inner courtyard. Two secret doors 
  (Perception DC 20) face each other in the hallway, leading 
  to areas D4 and D6. Herbs grow in three neat rows in 
  the center of the courtyard, lit during the day by opening 
  a retractable roof 20 feet above. At night, a light spell 
  provides illumination. Stairways to the east and west 
  climb to the building’s second floor, while a door to the 
  north leads deeper into the manor.
  Creatures: If the Bellflowers are preparing to transport 
  their latest crop of freed slaves, Helthondous the Addled 
  can be found here, ready to defend his home and the 
  Bellflowers’ secret until the slaves are safely away. The 
  conjurer is nowhere near as addled as his name and 
  reputation imply, and he is accompanied by a raelis 
  azata named Klaymith. Helthondous first conjured and 
  befriended the azata years ago, and Klaymith is here 
  visiting his old friend. If the PCs make loud noises 
  during their entrance into the barn, both the conjurer 
  and his guest are able to prepare for the incursion.
  HELTHONDOUS THE ADDLED 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Male half-elf conjurer 11
  NG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
  Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +10
  DEFENSE
  AC 24, touch 15, flat-footed 21 (+4 armor, +2 deflection, +2 Dex, 
  +1 dodge, +1 natural, +4 shield)
  hp 89 (11d6+48)
  Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +12; +2 vs. enchantments
  DR 10/adamantine (110 points); Immune fire (120 points), 
  sleep
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk silver dagger +6 (1d4–1/19–20)
  Arcane School Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th; concentration +15)
  At will—dimensional steps (330 feet/day)
  7/day—acid dart (1d6+5 acid)
  Conjurer Spells Prepared (CL 11th; concentration +15)
  6th—chain lightning (DC 20), summon monster VI
  5th—cone of cold (DC 19), hungry pitAPG (DC 20), summon 
  monster V
  4th—acid pitAPG (DC 19), dimension door, ice storm, solid 
  fog, stoneskin
  3rd—aqueous orbAPG (DC 18), dispel magic, fly, lightning 
  bolt (DC 17), nondetection, protection from energy
  2nd—create pitAPG (DC 17), false life, glitterdust (2, 
  DC 17), scorching ray (2)
  1st—expeditious retreat, grease, mage armor, magic 
  missile, shield, unseen servant
  0 (at will)—acid splash, daze (DC 14), light, message
  Opposition Schools divination, illusion
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Helthondous casts false life, mage armor, 
  protection from energy (fire), shield, and stoneskin.
  During Combat Helthondous first attempts to slow down 
  or hamper intruders with his pit spells, ice storm, or 
  solid fog to block their way deeper into the barn. If that 
  T
  F
  F
  D. BELLFLOWER BARN
  D1
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  D3
  D4
  S
  S
  S
  D2
  FIRST FLOOR
  SECOND FLOOR
  D5
  D6
  D7
  D8
  D9
  D10
  D11
  D12
  D13
  D14
  D14
  D15
  D16
  D17
  D18
  
  37
  doesn’t work, he switches to more offensive spells, 
  summoning additional allies such as bralanis or a lillend 
  as needed.
  Morale Helthondous protects his home and the Bellflower 
  Network’s secrets with his life if need be.
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8
  Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 20
  Feats Combat Casting, Craft Wand, Dodge, Forge Ring, Great 
  Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Scribe Scroll, Skill 
  Focus (Profession [gardener]), Spell Focus (conjuration)
  Skills Bluff +8, Fly +8, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge 
  (nature) +15, Knowledge (planes) +15, Perception +10, 
  Profession (gardener) +15, Sense Motive +8, 
  Spellcraft +15
  Languages Celestial, Common, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, 
  Sylvan
  SQ arcane bond (wand of acid arrow), elf blood, 
  summoner’s charm (5 rounds)
  Combat Gear potion of blur, wand of acid arrow 
  (35 charges); Other Gear mwk silver dagger, amulet 
  of natural armor +1, cloak of resistance +2, ring of 
  forcefangsUE, ring of protection +2, spell component 
  pouch, diamond dust (worth 500 gp)
  KLAYMITH 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Raelis azata (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 39)
  hp 115 
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Klaymith casts invisibility and see 
  invisibility on himself.
  During Combat Klaymith casts haste on himself and 
  Helthondous, and uses greater invisibility to maneuver 
  around the battlefield and sneak up on foes who threaten 
  his friend, using spells or melee attacks as needed.
  Morale While Klaymith is more than willing to help 
  Helthondous, he won’t throw his life away for the 
  Bellflowers’ cause. If reduced to fewer than 30 hit points, 
  he apologizes to his friend and casts greater teleport or 
  plane shift to escape.
  Development: If the PCs visit the barn during the day 
  or when the Bellflowers are not moving escaped slaves, 
  Helthondous and Klaymith are most likely found in 
  the library upstairs (area D10), reminiscing about their 
  past adventures together and discussing the half-elf’s 
  collection of books over steaming mugs of whiskey-
  spiked coffee.
  d7. ReaR gaRden (cR 10)
  Helthondous grows vegetables and more herbs in this 
  garden behind his house.
  Creature: A lead golem stands like a statue in the 
  middle of the garden, guarding the barn’s rear entrance. 
  The golem has a secondary purpose as well, as its 
  divination screen ability helps ward the entrance to 
  the secret tunnel in the nearby annex from divinations. 
  The golem attacks anyone other than Helthondous who 
  enters the garden.
  LEAD GOLEM 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  hp 107 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 127)
  d11. uPPeR Winch RooM (cR 8)
  This chamber is relatively empty, containing only the 
  ropes connecting the winch in the room below (area D5) 
  to the retractable roof over the inner courtyard (area D2).
  Trap: As a favor to Helthondous, the raelis azata 
  Klaymith (see area D2) has placed a glyph of warding on 
  the door to the north leading to area D12. The glyph is 
  set to discharge a lightning bolt if an evil creature crosses 
  the door’s threshold. All of the Bellflower agents know 
  the password for bypassing the glyph.
  GLYPH OF WARDING 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  Type magic; Perception DC 28; Disable Device DC 28
  EFFECTS
  Trigger spell; Reset none; Bypass password
  Effect spell effect (glyph of warding [lightning bolt], 10d6 
  electricity damage, Reflex DC 17 half); multiple targets 
  (all targets in a 20-ft. line)
  d13. loWeR annex (cR 10)
  This simple room is windowless, but a continual flame 
  provides illumination. A ladder and trapdoor in the 
  ceiling lead to the upper annex (area D12), while a second 
  trapdoor in the floor opens to reveal another ladder that 
  descends 20 feet to area D14.
  Creatures: Two Bellflower rogues are posted in this 
  room to guard the entrance to the secret tunnel below. 
  They attack any intruders coming down the ladder from 
  the upper annex, especially if they have been alerted by 
  the sound of the lightning bolt from the glyph of warding 
  in area D11.
  BELLFLOWER ROGUES (2) 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  Halfling rogue (knife master) 9 (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate 
  Combat 72)
  CG Small humanoid (halfling)
  Init +4; Senses Perception +15
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +4 Dex, +1 size)
  hp 71 each (9d8+27)
  Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +5; +2 vs. fear
  Defensive Abilities blade sense +3, evasion, improved 
  uncanny dodge
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  38
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 kukri +13/+8 (1d3+2/18–20)
  Ranged dagger +11 (1d3+1/19–20)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +5d6
  TACTICS
  During Combat Bellflower rogues work together to flank 
  foes and make sneak attacks, staying close to one 
  another to make use of their teamwork feats.
  Morale The Bellflower rogues fight to the death in defense 
  of their barn.
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10
  Base Atk +6; CMB +6; CMD 20
  Feats Martial Weapon Proficiency (kukri), OutflankAPG, 
  Paired OpportunistsAPG, Shake It OffUC, Weapon Finesse, 
  Weapon Focus (kukri)
  Skills Acrobatics +18, Bluff +12, Climb +15, Disable 
  Device +10, Disguise +10, Escape Artist +16, Knowledge 
  (local) +8, Perception +15, Stealth +20, Swim +7
  Languages Common, Halfling
  SQ hidden blade, rogue talents (assault leaderAPG, bleeding 
  attack +5, combat trick, offensive defenseAPG)
  Combat Gear potions of cure light wounds (2); Other Gear 
  +1 mithral chain shirt, +1 kukri, daggers (3), 
  boots of striding and springing, thieves’ 
  tools, 6 gp
  d14. secRet tunnel (cR 12)
  This 
  tunnel, 
  which 
  leads 
  beneath Helthondous’s vaneo, 
  was originally part of an older 
  sewer system that is now blocked 
  off. The passage winds its way 
  nearly a quarter of a mile beneath 
  Bilgetown to a subterranean 
  grotto (area D15) and the boathouse 
  that the Bellflower Network uses to 
  smuggle escaped slaves out of the 
  city (area D17).
  Creatures: 
  Halfway 
  down 
  the tunnel, two more Bellflower 
  agents—a 
  former 
  halfling 
  slave 
  gladiator named Lyran and a free halfling 
  sorcerer named Yereen—make 
  a stand in the tight corridor 
  against any pursuers. Lyran 
  moves to the front and takes 
  the brunt of any assault with her 
  shield while Yereen stays in the rear 
  to cast spells. Yereen has cast light on the 
  corridor 40 feet west of their position 
  so the halflings can see intruders 
  approaching 
  while 
  remaining 
  hidden in darkness themselves.
  LYRAN 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Female halfling brawler (shield champion) 11 (Pathfinder 
  RPG Advanced Class Guide 23, 86)
  NG Small humanoid (halfling)
  Init +3; Senses Perception +10
  DEFENSE
  AC 26, touch 16, flat-footed 21 (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +2 dodge, 
  +6 shield, +1 size)
  hp 98 (11d10+33)
  Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +7; +2 vs. fear
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee +2 heavy shield bash +18/+13/+8 (1d6+6) or
  +2 heavy shield bash brawler’s flurry 
  +16/+16/+11/+11/+6 (1d6+5) or
  unarmed strike +16/+11/+6 (1d8+4) or
  unarmed strike brawler’s flurry +14/+14/+9/+9/+4 
  (1d8+4)
  Ranged +2 heavy shield +18/+13/+8 (1d6+5) or
  +2 heavy shield brawler’s flurry +16/+16/+11/+11/+6 
  (1d6+5)
  Special Attacks brawler’s flurry, close weapon mastery, 
  knockout 2/day (DC 18), martial flexibility 8/day, 
  throw shield
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Lyran uses martial flexibility as a 
  move action to gain the benefits of Deadly 
  Aim, Combat Reflexes, and Stand Still 
  when intruders come into view.
  During Combat Lyran throws her shield 
  at approaching foes, using brawler’s 
  flurry and returning shield to ricochet 
  her shield off multiple opponents. 
  Once in melee, Lyran fights defensively 
  or uses total defense, making use of 
  her feats to defend Yereen and 
  prevent enemies from getting 
  past her.
  Morale Beholden to the 
  Bellflower Network for 
  originally freeing her, 
  Lyran fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 8, 
  Wis 12, Cha 12
  Base Atk +11; CMB +13; CMD 28
  Feats Cautious FighterARG, 
  Desperate SwingARG, Greater 
  Shield Focus, Hammer The GapUC, 
  Improved Shield Bash, Improved 
  Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Power Attack, 
  Shield Focus, Shield Master, Shield Slam, Uncanny 
  DefenseARG, Weapon Focus (heavy shield)
  Skills Acrobatics +18 (+14 to jump), Climb +11, 
  LYRAN
  
  39
  Intimidate +8, Knowledge (local) +8, Perception +10, 
  Swim +9
  Languages Common, Halfling
  SQ brawler’s cunning, martial training, returning shield
  Combat Gear ring of ferocious actionUE; Other Gear +1 
  studded leather, +2 heavy steel shield, amulet of mighty 
  fists +1, belt of giant strength +2, 5 gp
  YEREEN 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Lucky mage (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 168)
  hp 63
  d15. gRotto (cR 12)
  This cavern, lit with a continual flame, was once open to 
  the waters of Lake Sorrow, but the Bellflowers sealed the 
  lake entrance with mortared boulders and drained the 
  cave. However, a system of pulleys can release weights 
  suspended on ropes, propelling them into the plug and 
  breaching the wall to bring water rushing into the grotto 
  and surrounding areas. A successful DC 15 Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) or DC 10 Knowledge (engineering) 
  check is sufficient to recognize the danger and intuit the 
  function of the ropes and pulleys. 
  A full-round action is required to cut the ropes of the 
  propelled weights and trigger the device, and it takes only 
  2 rounds for the water to fill the grotto, the secret tunnel 
  (area D14), and the stairs leading up to the boathouse up 
  to the second landing (see area D16). On the first round 
  after the wall collapses, each creature in the flooded 
  area must succeed at a DC 20 Reflex save or be pushed 
  back 20 feet from the collapsed wall and knocked prone. 
  During this first round, creatures can move through the 
  flooded areas, but they are considered difficult terrain. 
  On the second and future rounds, creatures in the area 
  will likely have to swim, but the water rushing into the 
  cavern is considered stormy (Swim DC 20). The water 
  settles after 1 minute, but is still considered rough (Swim 
  DC 15). If necessary, see the rules for aquatic terrain and 
  underwater combat on page 432 of the Core Rulebook.
  Creatures: Assuming she still lives, Maisil Juluth, a.k.a. 
  the Barrister, waits in the grotto with two Bellflower 
  rogues, willing to sacrifice their lives, if necessary, for 
  the freedom of the slaves and the continued existence of 
  the Bellflower Network in Egorian. The rogues move to 
  engage enemies while the Barrister supports them with 
  her spells and healing.
  THE BARRISTER 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  hp 92 (see page 34)
  BELLFLOWER ROGUES (2) 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  hp 71 each (see page 37)
  Development: If Maisil or any of the Bellflower rogues 
  feel they don’t have a chance of winning the battle (such 
  as if two of them have been killed), the survivor attempts 
  to flood the grotto by cutting the ropes and knocking 
  out the plug of mortared boulders. The noise of the 
  collapsing wall and the water rushing into the grotto 
  alerts the Bellflower agents in the boathouse above (area 
  D17) that danger is coming. 
  d16. tRaPPed staiRs (cR 9)
  A series of steep, narrow stairs carved out of the rock lead 
  up to a secret door (Perception DC 20) that serves as the 
  hidden entrance to the Bellflower boathouse (area D17). 
  Trap: Anyone setting foot on the stairs’ first landing 
  or entering the area above it (walking, swimming 
  or otherwise) triggers a shocking floor trap. If not 
  underwater, the trap affects only those on the landing for 
  1d6 rounds, but if underwater (because of flooding from 
  area D15), it affects all creatures in the water within 40 
  feet, as electricity courses through the water.
  SHOCKING FLOOR TRAP 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Type magic; Perception DC 26; Disable Device DC 26
  EFFECTS
  Trigger proximity (alarm); Duration 1d6 rounds; Reset 
  none; Bypass hidden switch (Perception DC 25)
  Effect spell effect (shocking grasp, Atk +9 melee touch [4d6 
  electricity damage]); multiple targets (all targets in the 
  water within 40 feet)
  d17. Boathouse (cR 13)
  This disused boathouse, located just south of the main 
  docks of Bilgetown, is the last stop in Egorian for 
  escaping slaves. The Bellflowers smuggle the halflings 
  out of the city by hiding them in barrels and crates, then 
  shipping them to the city of Westcrown on a barge, along 
  with legitimate freight in similar containers. 
  Creatures: Rimon Fessel is the leader and tiller of the 
  Bellflower Network’s cell in Egorian, the one responsible 
  for transporting crops of escaped slaves along the “row” 
  from Egorian’s barn to the next barn in Westcrown. When 
  the PCs reach the boathouse, Rimon and two Bellflower 
  rogues are loading the current crop of eight halfling 
  slaves onto the barge. The Bellflowers immediately drop 
  what they’re doing and attack any intruders, along with 
  Rimon’s secret ally, a guardian naga named Zsatha who 
  guards the boathouse and its secrets. The escaped slaves 
  (all halfling commoners or experts 1) do not engage in 
  combat; they are terrified and try to stay out of danger, 
  huddling together for safety.
  BELLFLOWER ROGUES (2) 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  hp 71 each (see page 37)
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  40
  RIMON FESSEL 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Male halfling rogue 5/bellflower tiller 5 (Pathfinder 
  Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige 10)
  CG Small humanoid (halfling)
  Init +4 (+6 in Egorian); Senses Perception +12 (+14 in Egorian)
  DEFENSE
  AC 23, touch 16, flat-footed 18 (+4 armor, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, 
  +3 natural, +1 size)
  hp 63 (10d8+15)
  Fort +6, Ref +14, Will +7; +2 vs. fear
  Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee +1 keen short sword +12/+7 (1d4+2/17–20)
  Ranged mwk hand crossbow +12 (1d3/19–20 plus blue 
  whinnis poison)
  Special Attacks scarecrow +2, sneak attack +4d6
  TACTICS
  Before Combat If warned of approaching danger, Rimon 
  drinks a potion of barkskin and designates the Bellflower 
  rogues and Zsatha as his bellflower crop.
  During Combat Rimon and the rogues stick together, 
  taking advantage of Rimon’s bellflower crop 
  abilities and teamwork feats to outmaneuver 
  and flank opponents.
  Morale Rimon fights to the death, 
  choosing death rather than giving 
  up any information about the 
  Bellflower Network.
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 8, Wis 12, 
  Cha 16
  Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 21
  Feats Agile Maneuvers, 
  Dodge, OutflankAPG, Paired 
  OpportunistsAPG, Shake It OffUC, 
  Toughness, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +15 (+11 to 
  jump), Bluff +12, Climb +10, 
  Diplomacy +10, Disable 
  Device +12, Disguise +12, 
  Escape Artist +12, 
  Knowledge (local) +8 
  (+10 in Egorian), 
  Perception +12 (+14 in 
  Egorian), Stealth +20 (+22 in Egorian), 
  Survival +9 (+11 in Egorian)
  Languages Common, Halfling
  SQ bellflower crop (6 allies), crop guardian, 
  favored barn (Egorian +2), rogue talents 
  (finesse rogue, powerful sneakAPG), swift 
  sower (+10 ft.), trapfinding +2
  Combat Gear potions of barkskin +3 
  (2), blue whinnis (4); Other Gear 
  mithral shirt, +1 keen short sword, mwk hand crossbow 
  with 10 bolts, cloak of resistance +2, thieves’ tools, key to 
  lockbox in area D18
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Bellflower Crop (Ex) As a standard action, Rimon can 
  designate up to six allies as part of his bellflower crop. 
  These allies must remain within 30 feet of Rimon to gain 
  the benefits granted by his other class abilities; if they 
  leave this range, Rimon must designate these allies again 
  for them to be included in his crop. 
  Crop Guardian (Ex) Rimon is dedicated to ensuring the 
  safety and success of those he guides. Whenever Rimon 
  uses the aid another action for a member of his bellflower 
  crop, he grants a +3 bonus instead of the normal +2.
  Favored Barn (Ex) Rimon is familiar with and has 
  developed trusted contacts in Egorian. While inside 
  the city, he gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks and 
  Knowledge (local), Perception, Stealth, and Survival 
  checks. Any ally designated as part of his bellflower crop 
  receives a +1 bonus on these skills. Rimon leaves no trail 
  and cannot be tracked while traveling through Egorian 
  (although he can leave a trail if he so desires).
  Provided he isn’t in immediate danger (such as 
  fleeing from pursuers right on his heels), Rimon 
  can always find a safe place in Egorian for him 
  and members of his crop to rest, where 
  they are fed, clothed, and provided 
  with basic medical attention (as if 
  attended by a character with a total 
  Heal bonus of +10).
  Scarecrow (Ex) Rimon receives a +2 
  morale bonus on attack and damage 
  rolls made against creatures that threaten 
  members of his bellflower crop.
  Swift Sower (Ex) Rimon’s base land speed 
  is treated as if it were 10 feet faster 
  when determining his overland 
  travel speed while he’s traveling 
  long distances and outside of 
  combat. Members of his bellflower 
  crop can use either the Rimon’s 
  overland travel speed or their own, 
  whichever is better. 
  ZSATHA 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Male guardian naga (Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 212)
  AC 31, touch 18, flat-footed 25 (+4 armor, 
  +3 deflection, +6 Dex, +9 natural, –1 size)
  hp 114 
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Zsatha casts mage armor on 
  himself every evening and shield of faith 
  on himself before combat. 
  RIMON FESSEL
  
  41
  During Combat The naga supports the Bellflower agents 
  with his spells and venomous spit.
  Morale Zsatha has sworn an oath to Rimon to protect the 
  Bellflower Network in Egorian, and will gladly sacrifice 
  his life to aid in that aim. 
  Development: One of halfling slaves in the crop is 
  named Ardin (N male halfling expert 1) and is missing 
  his left toe. If the PCs have the bill of ownership found 
  in the Longacre jail in “The Hellfire Compact,” they 
  can take legal possession of the halfling, who is highly 
  trained as a household servant. Alternatively, they can sell 
  him in one of Egorian’s slave markets, where he fetches 
  a price of 500 gp.
  d18. Boathouse oFFice
  This simple office holds a desk, a few chairs, and a stack 
  of crates in one corner. An ironbound, wooden lockbox 
  sits under the chest (Disable Device DC 25; Rimon Fessel 
  has the key).
  Treasure: The lockbox contains a number of encoded 
  papers. Once deciphered with a successful DC 25 
  Linguistics check, the documents detail much of the 
  Bellflower Network’s activity in Egorian, including the 
  nature of several local “rows” (paths from one safe house 
  to the next) and the location of the barn in Westcrown, 
  and serve as incriminating evidence against the members 
  of the Egorian cell.
  Development: The PCs can turn over any captured 
  Bellflower agents, escaped slaves, and the coded documents 
  in the lockbox to Egorian’s dottari, or city guard. If the PCs 
  manage to kill or capture all of the Bellflower agents, shut 
  down their barn and row, and recover the evidence in the 
  lockbox, they earn 4 Notice Points. A partial victory (some 
  agents escape or the PCs didn’t find the papers) yields 
  them only 2 Notice Points instead. 
  In addition, if the PCs eliminate the Bellflower 
  Network before they complete the events of Part 1, their 
  success attracts the attention of Duke Raaven Melesiva, 
  who sends the PCs invitations to his upcoming Hellfire 
  Ball (see Event 6).
  Story Award: For destroying the Bellflower Network 
  cell in Egorian, award the PCs 12,800 XP. If they also 
  recover the coded documents in the boathouse, award 
  them an additional 12,800 XP.
  PART 3: ROYAL SACRIFICE
  Once the PCs have completed Parts 1 and 2 of the 
  adventure, their actions have made enough of an impact 
  in Egorian to attract the personal attention of Queen 
  Abrogail Thrune II. The first encounter of Part 3, Audience 
  with the Queen, assumes the PCs have accumulated at 
  least 7 Notice Points. If they have not yet garnered that 
  much attention, they should play through more of the 
  events of Parts 1 and 2 to earn the requisite number of 
  Notice Points to draw the queen’s interest. Once the PCs 
  have acquired the requisite number of Notice Points, 
  Queen Abrogail summons them to an audience at the 
  Imperial Palace, where she presents them with a final 
  task to prove their loyalty and capability.
  AUDIENCE WITH THE QUEEN
  Part 3 begins when the PCs’ patron—Paraduke Sethic 
  or Archcountess Vasvion—informs them that they 
  have received a royal summons commanding them to 
  appear before Queen Abrogail at the Imperial Palace 
  the following morning. If the PCs have gotten this far 
  without a patron, then a royal page delivers the summons 
  to the PCs’ quarters.
  The Imperial Palace stands on the eastern side of 
  Thrune Square, the massive, 20-square-acre plaza in the 
  center of Egorian. When the PCs arrive at the palace, they 
  are immediately ushered inside to the throne room.
  The magnificence of the throne room of the Imperial Palace 
  is breathtaking. Massive columns of red marble shoot 
  upward to the domed ceiling above. The dome is painted 
  with a scene of Hell depicting various devils roasting and 
  torturing the enemies of the empire. Scaffolding conceals 
  one section of the great mural, where painters are adding 
  the likeness of Alexeara Cansellarion, lord marshal of the 
  Glorious Reclamation, to the ranks of those being tormented. 
  Members of the imperial court, nobles from Egorian and 
  across the realm, fill the audience hall. Behind the throngs 
  of courtiers stand an array of uncomfortably lifelike statues 
  in diverse poses—the queen’s collection of so-called “living 
  statues,” enemies of the state petrified and displayed here 
  for the queen’s pleasure and safety.
  Creatures: At the far end of the hall, atop a dais of 
  crimson and ebony marble, Her Infernal Majestrix, 
  Queen Abrogail Thrune II (LE female human aristocrat 2/
  sorcerer 16), sits on an iron-and-obsidian throne. The 
  queen looks like a figure wrought from alabaster. She 
  would almost look fragile if not for her steely eyes and 
  regal bearing. She appears to look through the entire 
  world, as if seeing some infernal truth behind the world’s 
  crude guise. Queen Abrogail is fully detailed in the NPC 
  Gallery on page 58.
  The queen’s advisor, Contessa Lrilatha (LE female 
  erinyes inquisitorAPG 13), stands just behind the throne. 
  Dressed in a fine black gown, the devil would not look 
  out of place at court were it not for her ebony wings, the 
  sheathed longsword at her waist, and the longbow on 
  her back. Members of the queen’s royal bodyguard, the 
  Infernal Guard, dressed in their characteristic flame-red 
  armor, flank the dais on either side.
  Among the lords and ladies gathered in the throne 
  room are several of the nobles whom the PCs likely 
  met during Part 1. Any PC who succeeds at a DC 15 
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  42
  Perception can also pick out their patron— either Sethic 
  or Vasvion—among the crowd. However, their patron’s 
  rival (whichever courtier the PCs did not ally with) is 
  notably absent.
  The PCs are escorted to the foot of the dais, where 
  a royal herald announces them to the court. A PC who 
  succeed at a DC 15 Knowledge (nobility) realizes that 
  proper etiquette requires them to bow or curtsy to the 
  queen at this point. If necessary, the herald clears his 
  throat and indicates that they should do so. If the PCs 
  don’t get the idea or they refuse to bow, one of the 
  Infernal Guards orders them to “pay proper obeisance to 
  your Queen!” in a tone that brooks no disobedience.
  Assuming the PCs show the proper respect, Abrogail 
  drops her gaze to the PCs. The queen’s stern demeanor 
  seems to soften somewhat, and her forbidding burgundy 
  lips lift into something approaching a smile as she speaks.
  “We have heard reports of your resourcefulness and 
  capability, but now we wish to hear it from the lips of our 
  own Trusted Agents. Tell us of your achievements, so that we 
  might determine whether you are suited for a mission of the 
  utmost importance.”
  This is the time for the PCs to recount their exploits 
  during the campaign that have led them to this point, 
  highlighting their service and loyalty to House Thrune 
  and Cheliax—such as the defense of Longacre, the 
  reconquest of Kantaria, Archbaron Fex’s betrayal and 
  his subsequent defeat, the status of the Inferno Gate 
  (whether closed or under the PCs’ control), and the 
  eradication of the Bellflower Network from Egorian. If 
  the PCs plan to hand over control of the Inferno Gate to 
  the queen, now would be the time to do so. Allow the PCs 
  to roleplay this encounter with as much detail as they 
  like, but they should keep in mind that this is more of 
  a professional report to a high-ranking superior than a 
  friendly conversation, and that the entire imperial court 
  is in attendance, watching and listening. 
  Through it all, Abrogail listens attentively, only 
  occasionally interrupting to ask for clarification or more 
  detail on specific points. After the PCs have finished 
  their narrative, the queen addresses them once again.
  “Your deeds demonstrate both your talents and your loyalty, 
  and it seems our faith in naming you Trusted Agents was not 
  misplaced. But we have one more test of your patriotism and 
  skill that will truly prove your worth to House Thrune.
  “Decades ago, my great-grandmother, Abrogail the First, 
  forged a pact with the Prince of Darkness in the Winter 
  Grove at the heart of the Barrowood. Now, once each year, 
  the Infernal Majestrix must undertake a pilgrimage to the 
  Winter Grove and perform a sacrifice to renew Thrune’s 
  contract with Hell. The time for the sacrifice is at hand, 
  and Hell’s full support is required while we put down this 
  upstart insurrection. Normally we would make this journey 
  ourselves, but our advisors are concerned that our absence, 
  even a temporary one, could give our enemies renewed 
  vigor and engender even more seditious thoughts among 
  those whose loyalty is not as resolute as we might hope. 
  We need someone to make the sacrifice in our stead, and 
  we have chosen you.
  “Do this for us, and your loyalty to your queen and empire 
  will be unquestioned, and well rewarded.”
  Assuming the PCs accept the mission, the queen 
  dismisses them, and they are taken to a smaller meeting 
  room for a more intimate, private audience with the 
  queen, away from the ears of the court. There, Abrogail 
  tells them the specifics of their mission.
  The PCs must travel to the Winter Grove, an ancient 
  and ruined druid’s grove located in the heart of the 
  Barrowood, west of Egorian. The queen goes on to 
  explain that the trip is a pilgrimage of sorts, and they 
  must make the journey on foot. On the way, the PCs 
  must visit nine standing stones, smearing the blood of 
  the intended sacrifice on each stone. Once they reach 
  the Winter Grove, the PCs must slay the sacrifice atop 
  the altar in the center of the grove. As Trusted Agents 
  of Thrune, the PCs are already empowered to act in this 
  capacity on behalf of the queen.
  If the PCs ask who or what is to be sacrificed, Abrogail 
  answers with a smile: “I must show my dedication to Hell 
  by sacrificing someone who is close to me. It must be a 
  personal loss—that is the nature of a sacrifice, after all. 
  But I must thank you, for you have helped me decide who 
  the sacrifice should be.”
  The sacrifice will be either Levisvia Vasvion or 
  Thalgano Sethic, whichever courtier the PCs worked 
  against during their rise to prominence. If the PCs did 
  not officially ally themselves with either noble, then it 
  should be the one they most angered or embarrassed. 
  The PCs must first capture the courtier, then keep that 
  person alive until they can perform the sacrifice. Queen 
  Abrogail ends the meeting with the following advice for 
  the PCs—and a chilling warning.
  “I recommend keeping your captive tightly restrained, 
  as much as possible. Performing the sacrifice is 
  dangerous, and though it must be living, the terms of the 
  contract are still met if the fruit is bruised. 
  “I trust you to defend the sacrifice with your lives, 
  if necessary. Our dealings with Hell are of great 
  consequence, and should the sacrifice not survive the 
  journey, one of you will be required to take its place and 
  complete the mission. You should be pleased. It means 
  you are important to me.”
  Development: If the PCs show disrespect to the queen 
  or refuse to accept her mission, they are likely done for, 
  as Abrogail has no use for agents who won’t follow her 
  orders. Besides Lrilatha and the queen’s Infernal Guards 
  
  43
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  PILGRIMAGE TO THE WINTER GROVE
  1 SQUARE = 5 MILES
  H
  LIVEOAK
  E. THE DUKE’S TREASON
  F. WINGS OF LEGEND
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  G
  F
  E
  EGORIAN
  LAKE SORROW
  CITADEL DEMAIN ◊
  
  44
  can be found in the NPC Gallery on pages 56–59; use 
  whichever stat block is appropriate for the encounter.
  Treasure: The PCs can claim the NPC’s gear as their 
  reward for successfully capturing the sacrifice.
  Story Award: Award the PCs full experience for 
  defeating and taking either Thalgano Sethic or Levisvia 
  Vasvion captive.
  PilgriMage To The WinTer grove
  Once the PCs have successfully captured the sacrifice, 
  they can depart for the Barrowood immediately. Queen 
  Abrogail gives the PCs a map of the region west of 
  Egorian, which shows the locations of each of the nine 
  standing stones they must visit between the city and the 
  Winter Grove (see the map on page 43).
  Several of the standing stones sit outside or near 
  various noble estates, or viras, clustered beyond the walls 
  of Egorian on the other side of the Adivian River, in 
  lands patrolled by the forces of Cheliax. But as the PCs 
  travel farther west, the countryside become wilder and 
  more lawless. While Cheliax claims the territory of the 
  Barrowood and the rough scrub around it, the ancient 
  forest remains home to fiendishly tainted wild animals, 
  wicked fey, untamed monsters, brigands, and outlaws—
  as well as some dangerous rivals of the crown 
  who threaten the PCs’ mission.
  With the queen’s map, the PCs should find 
  it relatively easy to locate each of the nine 
  standing stones. Each stone is a 7-foot-tall pillar 
  of dark, glossy, obsidian-like 
  rock native to Hell itself. 
  The stones are magical, 
  and radiate moderate 
  evil transmutation and 
  conjuration auras. If a 
  stone is destroyed or 
  removed, a new one 
  appears in its place 
  within 24 hours by 
  mysterious means. 
  As Queen Abrogail 
  explained, the PCs must 
  go on foot, and must 
  smear the blood of 
  the sacrificial victim 
  on each of the nine 
  standing 
  stones, 
  in 
  proper order from first 
  to ninth, before they can perform the sacrifice at the 
  Winter Grove. If the PCs skip any of the stones, they 
  must return to the first one and begin the process 
  all over again. The PCs should have no 
  trouble fulfilling this requirement at six 
  of the stones, but the other three (areas 
  E, F, and G) harbor dangers the PCs must 
  (you can use the sellsword stat block on page 283 of the 
  GameMastery Guide for these royal guards if necessary), 
  Abrogail is a powerful sorceress in her own right. Even 
  if the PCs somehow manage to survive an attack by 
  Abrogail and her allies and escape the Imperial Palace, 
  such an affront to the Infernal Majestrix is high treason, 
  and the PCs will be hunted down until they are dead, no 
  matter who their patron is or how many Notice Points 
  they’ve earned. 
  Story Award: The PCs receive a story award for finally 
  attracting the personal attention of Queen Abrogail. The 
  exact nature of this award depends on how many Notice 
  Points they have earned over the course of the adventure. 
  If the PCs officially turn over possession of the Inferno 
  Gate to the queen, increase the story award to the next 
  higher amount. If they are already receiving the highest 
  award listed, add an additional 12,800 XP to the total.
  7 or Fewer Notice Points: Award the PCs 9,600 XP.
  8 to 10 Notice Points: Award the PCs 12,800 XP.
  11 to 14 Notice Points: Award the PCs 
  19,200 XP.
  15 or More Notice Points: Award the PCs 
  25,600 XP.
  PROCURING THE SACRIFICE 
  (CR 13)
  Before they can embark upon their 
  mission for Queen Abrogail, the 
  PCs must first capture the intended 
  sacrifice—either Paraduke Sethic 
  or Archcountess Vasvion—and it’s a 
  sure bet that neither courtier will go 
  willingly with the PCs to an assured 
  death. The exact details of when and 
  where this encounter occurs are left 
  to the GM to determine based on 
  the PCs’ relationship with the courtier 
  in question, how the adventure has 
  progressed, and any plans the PCs 
  might make, but it’s likely to take place 
  either at Lazaric’s (for Sethic) or the 
  Lawgiver’s Rest (for Vasvion). 
  Fortunately, 
  the 
  queen 
  has 
  arranged for any of the noble’s 
  guards or allies to be called away, 
  distracted, or removed, leaving 
  the courtier to face the PCs 
  alone. Nevertheless, both Sethic 
  and Vasvion are dangerous 
  opponents in their own right, 
  and the fact that the PCs must 
  take their prisoner alive only 
  further complicates matters. 
  Full statistics for Thalgano 
  Sethic and Levisvia Vasvion 
  DUKE RAAVEN MELESIVA
  
  45
  face before they reach their final destination, the Winter 
  Grove (area H).
  There is no hard-and-fast time limit on performing 
  the sacrifice. It should be done as soon as possible, but 
  there are no problems if the PCs stop to rest between 
  encounters, as long as they follow the proper steps of the 
  ritual and do not procrastinate or waste time without 
  good reason.
  E. THE DUKE’S TREASON (CR 13+)
  The PCs can easily complete the steps of the bloody 
  ritual at the first four standing stones. As they make 
  their way to the fifth stone, they cross a fast-moving 
  stream, and the land beyond becomes dank and swampy. 
  Swarms of buzzing flies bite the PCs and their captive 
  as they navigate the slick and treacherous swamp paths, 
  and the entire place stinks of rot and swamp gas. The 
  fifth stone stands at the end of a relatively dry peninsula 
  jutting out into a dark lake of stagnant, silted swamp 
  water. The water around the peninsula is 20 feet deep in 
  most places, and because of the silt, a successful DC 15 
  Swim check is required to swim through the water. Use 
  the map on page 43 for this encounter.
  Creatures: Duke Raaven Melesiva inherited his 
  title when his father was arrested and excruciated for 
  “unsanctioned diplomacy” with the Umbral Court of 
  Nidal—in other words, disloyalty to House Thrune. 
  Although Raaven accepted his inheritance and took his 
  position as head of House Melesiva upon his father’s 
  death, he seethes with burning resentment toward 
  House Thrune and Queen Abrogail specifically. Duke 
  Melesiva has harbored dark thoughts of vengeance for 
  years, and now, with the chaos surrounding the Glorious 
  Reclamation’s insurrection, Melesiva has decided to get 
  his revenge by interfering with the queen’s sacrifice in 
  hopes of engendering the downfall of Abrogail and 
  House Thrune.
  Unfortunately, as the duke set up his ambush at the 
  fifth standing stone, he attracted the attention of a rusalka 
  named Syrellia who lives in the swamp surrounding the 
  peninsula. Syrellia quickly charmed Melesiva, and after 
  hearing his tale, decided to have some fun by letting her 
  new pet play out his fantasy of revenge. Obsessed with his 
  thoughts of vengeance and besotted with the beguiling 
  fey, Melesiva was easily manipulated by the rusalka. The 
  duke is now convinced that with Syrellia’s help, he can 
  defeat the PCs and stop the sacrifice, overthrow Queen 
  Abrogail, and seize power for himself. Melesiva will rule 
  Cheliax as king, and Syrellia will join him as his beautiful 
  fey queen. For Syrellia, she hopes to enjoy a good show, 
  and even if Melesiva dies, she might have a few new pets 
  to play with before she gets bored again.
  Melesiva now waits patiently for the PCs next to the 
  standing stone. Syrellia lurks in the dark, brackish water 
  nearby, lying invisible just beneath the surface. As they 
  near the peninsula, they can recognize the man as Duke 
  Raaven Melesiva, who hosted them at the Hellfire Ball (see 
  Event 6). Melesiva calls out to the PCs as they approach.
   “Greetings, my friends. I’ve seen your strength. I know you’re 
  capable and dangerous. But I must speak with you. I cannot 
  let you finish your quest for that farce of a queen, Abrogail, 
  but I can offer you a different ending. I have found a new 
  queen to serve, one who is above this petty squabbling and 
  pointless conflict. Forsake this fool’s errand, give me your 
  prisoner, and join us. Without the sacrifice, Thrune will fall, 
  and a new order will take its place—one where my love and I 
  can give you positions of prominence, even titles of nobility, 
  that would be unattainable as mere servants of Thrune.”
  If the PCs talk with Duke Melesiva, anyone who 
  succeeds at a DC 25 Sense Motive check can determine 
  that the duke is under some sort of enchantment. 
  Nevertheless, his offer is genuine (at least in his own 
  charmed mind), if highly unlikely, but he is not interested 
  in extended negotiations. He requires the PCs to hand 
  over the sacrifice to him before he will discuss terms, 
  attempting to lure them closer to him and Syrellia.
  If the PCs become overly suspicious or attack, Syrellia 
  begins to sing, using her beckoning call to draw the PCs 
  closer and quickened charm person to take individuals 
  out of the fight, while Melesiva engages those unaffected 
  with his spiked chain.
  RAAVEN MELESIVA 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Male human slayer 11 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class 
  Guide 53)
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +8; Senses Perception +12
  DEFENSE
  AC 23, touch 17, flat-footed 18 (+6 armor, +2 deflection, 
  +4 Dex, +1 dodge)
  hp 98 (11d10+33)
  Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +4
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 spiked chain +15/+10/+5 (2d4+4/19–20)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +3d6, studied target +3 (3rd, 
  swift action)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Melesiva makes use of his feats and slayer 
  talents to make sneak attacks as often as possible. If 
  these attacks are successful, he uses his studied target 
  ability as an immediate action. He fights primarily to get 
  the sacrifice away from the PCs, while also defending 
  Syrellia from their attacks.
  Morale Duke Melesiva knows his actions constitute treason. 
  Rather than suffer an agonizingly slow death through 
  excruciation as punishment, he fights until slain in battle.
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  46
  Witches, located in a grove of oak trees less than 20 miles 
  from the Winter Grove. If legend is to be believed, the 
  standing stones were once six of seven powerful witch 
  sisters, cursed by an ancient druidic order after they tried 
  to take control of the Winter Grove. Whatever the stones’ 
  origins, they are magical and radiate strong psychic 
  feedback. Anyone within 5 feet of one of the stones must 
  succeed at a DC 20 concentration check to cast any spells, 
  and anyone who starts her turn within 5 feet of a stone 
  must succeed at a DC 25 Will save or be staggered for 
  1 round. These are both mind-affecting effects. 
  Steep declines of loose dirt and rocks are located to the 
  northwest and southwest. The angle of the slopes and the 
  treacherous footing have the same effects as dense rubble 
  (Core Rulebook 428). To the northeast is an area of light 
  undergrowth (Core Rulebook 426).
  A narrow stream cuts through the grove from the 
  northwest to the southeast. It costs 1 extra square 
  of movement to leap over the stream, and doing so 
  provokes an attack of opportunity. With a successful 
  DC 10 Acrobatics check, a character avoids both the 
  movement penalty and attacks of opportunity. The 
  stream is deep and swift, requiring a successful DC 15 
  Swim check to navigate. 
  The standing stone that stands apart from the other 
  stones on the far side of the stream is the one upon which 
  the PCs must smear their sacrifice’s blood for their ritual. 
  Use the map on page 43 for this encounter.
  Creatures: The ancient griffon known as Ironwing 
  Kazi is a Barrowood legend. She served as a steed for 
  Iomedae herself when the Inheritor slew Segruchen 
  the Iron Gargoyle, the strange and powerful self-
  proclaimed King of the Barrowood. This battle became 
  known as Iomedae’s Third Act, and in its aftermath, 
  Kazi somehow ascended to mythic power. Some claim 
  Iomedae still speaks to Kazi, giving her guidance and 
  divine intelligence to protect the forest, while others 
  believe the griffon is a manifestation of the spirit of the 
  wood itself. Whatever the truth, Kazi has a preternatural 
  knack for tracking down those who would do harm to 
  the Barrowood. Ironwing Kazi has harassed nearly every 
  mission that House Thrune has sent to the Barrowood 
  or the Winter Grove. The crown has placed a 20,000-gp 
  bounty on the griffon, but Kazi has managed to avoid 
  capture or death since well before House Thrune came 
  into power.  In the centuries following her time with the 
  mortal Iomedae, Kazi has always chosen a druid of the 
  Barrowood as an ally to serve and protect. Together, the 
  griffon and her druid companion—currently, a human 
  man named Vlasko the Fang—defend the Barrowood 
  from evildoers, devil-worshipers, and anyone else who 
  might threaten the forest.
  As the PCs approach the grove containing the Witches, 
  Kazi and Vlasko fly overhead, making a few passes to 
  scout for trouble with Kazi’s detect evil ability. A PC can 
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12
  Base Atk +11; CMB +13; CMD 30
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency 
  (spiked chain), Furious FocusAPG, Improved Critical (spiked 
  chain), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, Shield 
  of SwingsAPG, Weapon Focus (spiked chain)
  Skills Acrobatics +15, Bluff +15, Diplomacy +10, 
  Intimidate +15, Knowledge (local) +9, Knowledge 
  (nobility) +11, Perception +12, Stealth +10, Survival +8, 
  Swim +7
  Languages Common
  SQ combat style (two-handed weaponAPG), slayer talents 
  (hunter’s surpriseAPG, powerful sneakAPG, ranger combat 
  style [2], weapon training), stalker, swift tracker, track +5
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds (2); Other 
  Gear +2 human-defiantUE mithral chain shirt, +1 spiked 
  chain, ring of protection +2, noble’s outfit, signet ring, 
  jewelry (worth 100 gp)
  SYRELLIA 
  CR 12
  XP 19,200
  Rusalka (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 232)
  hp 150 
  TACTICS
  During Combat Syrellia charms or entangles any opponents 
  not affected by her beckoning call, while Melesiva 
  fights those that are left. The rusalka uses her tresses to 
  pull any opponents who stray too close into the water, 
  followed by using her staggering touch against them. If 
  necessary, she summons a Huge water elemental to aid 
  her in combat.
  Morale If Melesiva is killed and Syrellia is reduced to 50 
  hit points or fewer, the rusalka attempts to flee into the 
  surrounding swamp.
  Development: If, after completing their quest, the 
  PCs inform Queen Abrogail that Duke Melesiva was a 
  traitor, the queen takes the opportunity to confiscate 
  the Melesiva lands and kill all members of the former’s 
  duke’s traitorous house that she can apprehend. If the 
  PCs manage to capture Melesiva alive, she also executes 
  him in a very public excruciation. As a reward for their 
  part in uncovering the traitor, the queen grants the 
  PCs a small castle formerly held by the Melesivas in the 
  Halikarnassos Hills in the archduchy of Longmarch. Of 
  course, before the PCs can truly claim the castle, they’ll 
  have to aid Thrune in finally defeating the Glorious 
  Reclamation, as well as defeat the surviving members of 
  House Melesiva who have holed up in the keep.
  F. WINGS OF LEGEND (CR 12+)
  This encounter occurs when the PCs approach the eighth 
  standing stone in their pilgrimage, which is one stone 
  among a circle of six ancient standing stones called the 
  
  47
  spot the flybys with a successful DC 15 Perception check. 
  Knowing that the standing stones have an evil reputation, 
  Vlasko has cast a liveoak spell on one of the oak trees in 
  the grove (labeled “liveoak” on the map). As the PCs enter 
  the grove, Vlasko triggers the spell, animating the tree 
  as a treant. Unless the PCs somehow detected the liveoak 
  spell beforehand, the treant’s appearance is so sudden 
  that it gains a surprise round, during which time the 
  treant animates two of the other trees shown on the map. 
  The treant and animated trees attack on the following 
  round, as Ironwing Kazi and Vlasko the Fang strike from 
  the skies. 
  IRONWING KAZI 
  CR 10/MR 5
  XP 9,600
  Unique female advanced griffon (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 
  294, 168)
  NG Large magical beast (mythicMA)
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., greensightMA 60 ft., low-
  light vision, scent; Perception +14
  DEFENSE
  AC 26, touch 13, flat-footed 22 (+4 Dex, +13 natural, –1 size)
  hp 144 (9d10+95)
  Fort +11, Ref +12, Will +9
  Defensive Abilities deflect attacks, fortificationMA; DR 5/epic; 
  Resist fire 30
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., fly 80 ft. (average)
  Melee +1 bite +17 (1d6+8), 2 +1 talons +16 (1d6+8/18–20)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
  Special Attacks mythic powerMA (5/day, +1d8 surge), 
  pounce, power dive, rake (2 +1 claws +8, 1d4+8)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +10)
  Constant—detect evil
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Vlasko casts greater magic fang on Kazi 
  every day, and freedom of movement and resist energy 
  (fire) before they enter combat.
  During Combat Kazi loves to power dive at her opponents, 
  especially pesky spellcasters and ranged combatants. 
  Preferring hit-and-run tactics, she settles only when she 
  has the tactical advantage or as part of some desperate 
  gambit to defeat a spellcaster.
  Morale Kazi is nearly fearless, and would not hesitate to 
  fight to the death, but she has sworn an oath to protect 
  and defend Vlasko, so she retreats if he is reduced to 20 
  hit points or fewer.
  STATISTICS
  Str 24, Dex 19, Con 20, Int 9, Wis 18, Cha 12
  Base Atk +9; CMB +17; CMD 31 (35 vs. trip)
  Feats Flyby Attack, Hover, Iron WillM, Lightning ReflexesM, 
  Weapon FocusM (bite)
  Skills Acrobatics +14, Fly +8, Perception +14
  Languages Common (cannot speak)
  SQ Barrowood senses, legendary talons, longevityMA
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Barrowood Senses (Su) As a dedicated defender of the 
  Barrowood, Ironwing Kazi has the greensightMA ability 
  and detect evil as a constant spell-like ability.
  Deflect Attacks (Ex) Once per round, when Ironwing 
  Kazi or her rider is hit by a melee or ranged attack, she 
  can attempt a melee attack with a +16 attack bonus to 
  deflect the attack with one of her wings. If the result 
  equals or exceeds the result from the opponent’s attack 
  roll, Kazi or her rider is unaffected by the attack (as if the 
  attack had missed).
  Legendary Talons (Ex) Ironwing Kazi’s talons are as sharp 
  as the most masterfully forged sword, and have a critical 
  threat range of 18–20. 
  Power Dive (Ex) When flying, Ironwing Kazi can move 
  up to four times her speed when she charges. If her 
  charge begins 40 or more feet above her target, her first 
  attack deals double the normal amount of damage. Kazi 
  must be flying downward at an angle of 45 degrees or 
  steeper to use this ability.
  TREANT 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  hp 114 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 266)
  VLASKO THE FANG 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Male human druid 11
  NG Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +2; Senses Perception +23
  DEFENSE
  AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 22 (+6 armor, +2 Dex, +4 natural, 
  +2 shield)
  hp 86 (11d8+33)
  Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +13; +4 vs. fey and plant-targeted effects
  DR 10/adamantine (110 points); Immune poison; Resist 
  electricity 10, fire 30
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee +1 shock scimitar +13/+8 (1d6+4/15–20 plus 
  1d6 electricity)
  Special Attacks wild shape 4/day
  Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th; concentration +15)
  7/day—lightning arc (1d6+5 electricity)
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 11th; concentration +15)
  6th—chain lightningD (DC 20), fire seeds
  5th—call lightning storm (DC 19), control windsD (DC 19), 
  stoneskin
  4th—air walkD, cure serious wounds, freedom of 
  movement (2), ice storm
  3rd—call lightning (DC 17), cure moderate wounds (2), 
  gaseous formD, greater magic fang, spike growth 
  (DC 17)
  2nd—barkskin, bull’s strength, flame blade, resist 
  energy (2), wind wallD
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  48
  1st—cure light wounds, endure elements, entangle 
  (DC 15), magic stone, obscuring mistD, produce flame
  0 (at will)—detect magic, guidance, light, stabilize
  D Domain spell; Domain Air
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Vlasko casts greater magic fang on Kazi 
  every day. Before entering combat, he casts barkskin, 
  bull’s strength, freedom of movement, resist energy 
  (fire), and stoneskin on himself, and freedom of 
  movement and resist energy (fire) on Kazi.
  During Combat Vlasko harasses foes with call lightning 
  storm, chain lightning, fire seeds, ice storm, and spike 
  growth while in flight. When Kazi swoops in for an attack, 
  Vlasko attacks foes with his scimitar, using Death From 
  Above and Vital Strike. Vlasko also use his healing spells 
  on Kazi and himself when needed.
  Morale If Kazi is seriously wounded (reduced to fewer 
  than 30 hit points) and Vlasko is out of healing spells, he 
  guides her out of the fight. If Kazi is slain, Vlasko fights to 
  the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 8
  Base Atk +8; CMB +11; CMD 23
  Feats Combat Casting, Death From AboveUC, Improved 
  Critical (scimitar), Mounted Combat, Ride-by Attack, Vital 
  Strike, Weapon Focus (scimitar)
  Skills Fly +9, Knowledge (geography) +13, Knowledge 
  (nature) +15, Perception +23, Ride +13, Survival +15
  Languages Common, Druidic
  SQ nature bond (Air domain), nature sense, trackless step, 
  wild empathy +10, woodland stride
  Combat Gear scroll of cure critical wounds, scroll of greater 
  dispel magic; Other Gear +2 hide armor, +1 shock 
  scimitar, cloak of resistance +2, eyes of the eagle, holly 
  and mistletoe, spell component pouch, diamond dust 
  (worth 500 gp)
  Treasure: If the PCs slay or subdue Ironwing Kazi and 
  bring proof of the deed back to Egorian, they can collect 
  the 20,000-gp bounty for the griffon. 
  G. GLORIOUS PLOY (CR 14)
  As the PCs approach the ninth standing stone, the 
  Barrowood takes on a darker cast. This entire stretch 
  of woodland has been blighted by its proximity to the 
  hellish energy of the Winter Grove. Massive trees block 
  out most light, casting shadows that sometimes seem to 
  dance and contort disturbingly. The bark and leaves 
  of the trees take on a darker cast, the branches 
  twist unnaturally, and unhealthy sap the color 
  of the blood drains slowly from wounds in the 
  wood. The flowers, grasses, and shrubs of the 
  undergrowth give way to poison oak, poison 
  sumac, and briars. This close to the Winter 
  Grove, the temperature drops, and a strange, 
  cold wind starts blowing through the leaves. 
  Creatures: As the forces of the Glorious 
  Reclamation pushed deeper into Cheliax, the order 
  gained intelligence regarding the internal workings of 
  their enemies from pillaged documents and questioned 
  Thrune agents. Not long ago, they learned of the queen’s 
  sacrifice and hastily sent a contingent of knights to the 
  Barrowood to stop it. The Glorious Reclamation’s leaders 
  don’t know what will happen if they stop the sacrifice, but 
  they hope doing so will somehow prevent infernal aid 
  from flowing to the hated House Thrune.
  The daring and heroic Knight Banneret Lasida Kaesal 
  leads the contingent, which consists of two knight 
  inheritor paladins and a pair of movanic devas. Kaesal is 
  honorable and idealistic, and wishes to give the PCs a 
  chance to repent their evil ways before she resorts to 
  hostilities. She stands next to the ninth stone with 
  the paladins; the angels wait nearby, invisible. 
  As the PCs approach, Lasida Kaesal confidently 
  addresses them in a melodic voice that is both 
  steadfast and strong.
   “I urge you to stop now while you still have a 
  chance. You must know that good will triumph 
  KNIGHT BANNERET
  LASIDA KAESAL
  
  49
  Morale A true knight of the Glorious Reclamation, Lasida 
  fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 18, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 10, Cha 8
  Base Atk +7; CMB +11; CMD 23
  Feats Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Lightning 
  Reflexes, Skill Focus (Acrobatics), Toughness, Weapon 
  Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword)
  Skills Acrobatics +16, Intimidate +12, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +12, Knowledge (nobility) +5, Knowledge 
  (religion) +8, Perception +12, Ride +13, Spellcraft +17
  Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, 
  Gnome
  SQ elf blood, fighter training, knowledge pool, medium armor
  Gear +1 elven chain, mwk longsword, mithral daggers (4), 
  mwk longbow with 20 arrows, cloak of resistance +2, 
  silver holy symbol of Iomedae, spellbook (contains all 
  prepared spells, all 0-level spells, plus 10 additional 
  spells of 1st through 3rd level)
  KNIGHTS INHERITOR (2) 
   CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  Pious guard (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 117)
  hp 84 each
  TACTICS
  During Combat The paladins protect Knight Banneret 
  Kaesal, enabling her to rain down spells until she decides 
  to join the melee battle.
  Morale Loyal to the Glorious Reclamation’s cause, the 
  knights fight to the death.
  MOVANIC DEVAS (2) 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600 each
  hp 126 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 28)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The devas cast invisibility on themselves 
  and attempt to position themselves behind opponents to 
  outflank them when combat ensues. 
  During Combat One of the devas casts holy aura on their 
  allies while the other casts holy smite on their foes, and 
  they then enter combat with their greatswords. If the first 
  holy aura expires, the second deva casts it again. 
  Morale The angels fight to the death before giving up on 
  this holy mission.
  H. WINTER GROVE (CR 15+)
  Once they have completed the blood ritual at each of 
  the nine standing stones, the PCs can finally enter the 
  Winter Grove where they will perform Queen Abrogail’s 
  sacrifice. The grove was once a powerful druidic circle, 
  but when House Thrune first made its pact with Hell 
  here, this place of sylvan power was utterly desecrated. 
  As the PCs climb down a decline into the heart of the 
  Winter Grove, the reason for its name and the strange, 
  cool weather in this part of the forest becomes clear. 
  and the Glorious Reclamation will shatter Hell’s hold on this 
  land. We are blessed by Iomedae’s light, and she is the true 
  heart of this land. Your souls can still be saved. It’s not too 
  late to ask the Inheritor’s forgiveness and help us in our 
  quest. Turn your captive over to us. We can leave this place in 
  peace, with the hope of a brighter tomorrow.”
  While Kaesal hopes the PCs submit to her pleas, she’s 
  no fool. She doesn’t believe any changes of heart until 
  the PCs hand over their captive and throw down their 
  weapons and magic implements. If the PCs attempt to 
  draw out negotiations for an overly long period of time, 
  the two invisible devas attack, knowing that the PCs are 
  evil and likely not worthy of any form of redemption. 
  Once battle is joined, Kaesal, the paladins, and the angels 
  set upon the PCs with righteous fury, offering and taking 
  no quarter.
  LASIDA KAESAL 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Female half-elf magus 10 (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 9)
  LG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
  Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +12
  DEFENSE
  AC 23, touch 12, flat-footed 21 (+7 armor, +2 Dex, +4 shield)
  hp 78 (10d8+30)
  Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +9; +2 vs. enchantments
  Immune sleep
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +2 longsword +14/+9 (1d8+8/19–20)
  Ranged mwk longbow +10/+5 (1d8/×3)
  Special Attacks arcane pool (+3, 9 points), improved spell 
  combat, magus arcana (arcane accuracy, pool strike, 
  prescient defenseUC), spell recall, spellstrike
  Magus Spells Prepared (CL 10th; concentration +14)
  4th—dimension door, wreath of bladesUC (DC 18)
  3rd—fireball (DC 17), force punchUM (DC 17), greater 
  magic weapon, haste
  2nd—bull’s strength, defensive shockUM, frigid touchUM, 
  mirror image, scorching ray
  1st—grease (DC 15), magic missile (2), mount, shield, 
  shocking grasp
  0 (at will)—acid splash, dancing lights, detect magic, 
  mage hand, ray of frost
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Lasida casts greater magic weapon on her 
  longsword every day, and casts bull’s strength and shield 
  on herself before battle.
  During Combat Lasida casts haste on the first round of 
  combat, then moves forward cautiously, peppering her 
  enemies with ranged spells or arrows. Before entering 
  melee combat, she casts mirror image and wreath of 
  blades, then engages foes with her spell combat or 
  spellstrike abilities. 
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  50
  Four massive, blackened standing stones jut out of the forest 
  floor, seemingly thrust out of the ground by some past 
  catastrophe. Between the stones, a swirling mass of ice and 
  sleet hovers in the air, sending zephyrs of icy wind blowing 
  through the trees. A slab of ice-rimed stone that resembles 
  an altar stands in the middle of the wintry maelstrom.
  The Winter Grove lies in a depression approximately 
  20 feet below the level of the surrounding forest. The cliff 
  faces surrounding the grove are composed of dirt and 
  stray rocks, and are relatively easy to scale (Climb DC 15). 
  The two large areas of foliage located just inside 
  the entrance to the grove to the south are made up of 
  incredibly sharp and dangerous razor brambles native to 
  this part of the forest. These areas are considered difficult 
  terrain, and a creature starting its turn in a square of 
  razor brambles takes 1d6 points of bleed damage. 
  The icy tempest in the middle of the grove is similar 
  to a permanent ice storm. The maelstrom deals 5d6 points 
  of cold damage each round to every creature in the area. 
  Because of the heavily falling snow and ice, creatures 
  inside this area take a –4 penalty on Perception checks 
  and the entire area is treated as difficult terrain.
  Creatures: One more danger stands in the way of 
  the PCs from completing their mission for the queen. 
  There is a faction within the Church of Asmodeus that 
  resents the church’s alliance with House Thrune, and 
  would rather see Thrune’s rule replaced by a theocratic 
  government commanded by the church. This faction has 
  sent one its priests, Luthon Malix, and a pair of ice devils 
  to the Winter Grove not only to disrupt the sacrifice, but 
  to usurp it. Malix plans to offer the sacrifice to Asmodeus 
  on the church’s behalf, hoping to tear the patronage of 
  Hell away from House Thrune, so that the church can 
  reshape Cheliax into a pure diabolical theocracy, creating 
  a truly devoted seat of infernal power within the Inner 
  Sea region.
  As the PCs approach the heart of the Winter Grove, 
  Malix emerges from the swirling ice and snow of the 
  tempest. He approaches them like an old friend, regaling 
  them with flattery and lies, but the forms of the ice devils 
  behind him hint at his darker purpose.
  “Congratulations, servants of the empire. The queen and 
  Asmodeus salute you and your efforts. I have been sent 
  here to perform the sacrifice and ensure the rites of Hell are 
  carried out properly. Hand over the victim to me, and I will 
  take care of the rest.” 
  Malix is not a very good liar (his Bluff modifier is +2), 
  but he is hoping his story is plausible enough to convince 
  the PCs to turn over the sacrifice without a fight. If the 
  PCs do hand over their captive, Malix thanks them and 
  brusquely dismisses them, saying their presence is no 
  longer required. If the PCs balk at leaving or refuse to 
  give up their sacrifice, Malix simply mumbles, “So be it,” 
  and the priest and the ice devils attack the PCs. During 
  the battle, Malix tries to ensure that either the captive 
  or at least one of the PCs survives so he can make the 
  sacrifice in the church’s name when the others are dead.
  H. WINTER GROVE
  1 SQUARE = 10 FEET
  
  51
  ICE DEVILS (2) 
  CR 13
  XP 25,600 each
  hp 161 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 77)
  TACTICS
  During Combat At the start of battle, one ice devil 
  casts cone of cold while the other attempts to 
  seal off the entrance to the Winter Grove with a 
  wall of ice; then both move forward to engage 
  enemies in melee combat. If the gelugons 
  believe the battle is going poorly for their 
  side, they attempt to summon bone devils 
  to turn the tide.
  Morale Both devils are bound to serve Malix 
  and the church until death, but if the priest 
  dies before they do and they are 
  reduced to fewer than 40 hit points, 
  they cast greater teleport to 
  escape, believing they have 
  fulfilled the terms of their 
  contract with the church. 
  LUTHON MALIX 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Male fire cleric (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 52)
  hp 75
  Resist cold 30, fire 10; SR 23
  TACTICS 
  Before Combat Malix casts freedom of movement, resist 
  energy (cold), and spell resistance before the PCs arrive 
  in the grove.
  During Combat Malix casts shield of faith on the first round 
  of combat. During the battle, Malix assaults opponents 
  with blade barrier, flame strike, and fireballs, entering 
  melee combat only if absolutely necessary.
  Morale The priest knows that if he fails, his treachery will 
  end in a slow, painful death, so Malix would rather die 
  quickly in service to his god in combat.
  Development: Once the PCs defeat Luthon Malix and 
  his devils, they are free to perform the ritual sacrifice. To 
  do so, they must successfully deliver a coup de grace to 
  the victim on the sacrificial altar at the heart of the grove. 
  If the original intended sacrifice died before reaching 
  the Winter Grove, the PCs must replace him or her 
  with another suitable sacrifice, such as one of the PCs 
  themselves, as the queen alluded to when she charged 
  them with this mission. Alternatively, the PCs could 
  sacrifice the surviving courtier whom they originally 
  allied with instead. In this case, they’ll likely have to 
  return to Egorian, capture that person, and retrace their 
  path along the nine standing stones, repeating the blood 
  rituals with their new sacrifice.
  Once the deathblow is dealt to the sacrificial victim, the 
  altar stone seems to greedily absorb the victim’s blood, 
  and a pentagram burning with hellfire erupts from the 
  ground, centered on the sacrificial slab. A rime of ice 
  quickly encases the victim’s body as a gust of icy wind 
  blasts outward with a howling shriek (treat as a gust of 
  wind). All creatures in the grove hear a full, rich voice 
  that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere 
  at once: “It is done. The pact is renewed.”
  If the PCs bring news of Malix’s treachery 
  back to Queen Abrogail or the Church of 
  Asmodeus, there are few repercussions. 
  Grand High Priestess Aspexia Rugatonn 
  renews the church’s pledge of loyalty to 
  Thrune, claiming that Malix was acting on 
  behalf of a splinter faction within the church. 
  Although Queen Abrogail rebukes the church 
  for not uncovering the treachery earlier, 
  she can ill afford to lose the church’s 
  support during this time of chaos, 
  and so lets the matter drop—for 
  now, at least. 
  Story Award: For successfully 
  completing the sacrifice and 
  renewing House Thrune’s pact with Hell, award the PCs 
  76,800 XP.
  CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE
  Once the sacrifice is complete, the PCs can make their 
  way back to Egorian. Upon their return, they are hailed as 
  heroes of the empire, as Queen Abrogail has made sure 
  to spread word of their success as propaganda that Hell 
  favors Cheliax and that Asmodeus has agreed to aid in 
  crushing the rebellion that has thrown the edges of the 
  nation into chaos. 
  Once the PCs have had time to recover from their 
  endeavor, they are again summoned to the Imperial 
  Palace for an audience with Queen Abrogail before the 
  entire court in the queen’s throne room. After the proper 
  respects have been paid, the queen addresses the court.
  “The priests of Asmodeus teach us that Hell is the eternal 
  flame that truly guides all paths to power. Today, these 
  devoted subjects have ensured that Hell’s fires still blaze in 
  favor of Cheliax. Behold, one and all, what true dedication to 
  queen and empire can accomplish.
  “I, Abrogail the Second of the Thrice-Damned House of 
  Thrune, by the Might of Asmodeus, Queen and Empress of 
  Cheliax, hereby decree that these loyal and trusted agents 
  be welcomed into the ranks of the Bound, to share in the 
  glory of House Thrune and the empire of Cheliax. You have 
  already sworn your bodies and minds to us; now your souls 
  shall be promised to Asmodeus. In return, let the powers of 
  the damned be opened to you, so that you can use such gifts 
  to further our will!”
  It is obvious that this is not a request, but rather a 
  foregone conclusion for the queen. Accepting this 
  LUTHON MALIX
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  52
  honor will elevate the PCs to the rank of Thrune Bound 
  Agent, the highest level of authority within the Thrune 
  organization, and grant them personal access to Queen 
  Abrogail—though they will be damned, and their souls 
  will go to Hell when they die. In exchange, the PCs will 
  gain the ability to channel a small portion of the power 
  of Hell itself, in the form of an infernal boon granted by 
  Asmodeus himself (see Infernal Boons below). 
  Only PCs who are already Thrune Trusted Agents can 
  be promoted to Bound Agents; if a PC did not accept the 
  earlier honors in “Wrath of Thrune” and “The Inferno 
  Gate,” she can’t become a Bound Agent, though at your 
  discretion, you can allow such a character to join the 
  ranks of the Loyal or Trusted at this time, or even go 
  through all three stages at once.
  If any PCs refuse, the queen presses, but eventually 
  allows it, stating, “Very well. But you have still done us 
  a great service, and we are not unkind. Your reward shall 
  be keeping your life after such insolence.” She gives 
  any such PCs a stern look of disapproval and turns her 
  attention to those more amenable characters.
  After any quibbling is done, a contract devil (Pathfinder 
  RPG Bestiary 3 76) emerges from the shadows behind the 
  queen’s throne, holding a bundle of scrolls. “Now it is 
  just a matter of the paperwork,” the devil states.
  The PCs don’t have much of an opportunity to read the 
  full details of the contract, but a character who succeeds 
  at a DC 30 Linguistics, Knowledge (planes), or Profession 
  (barrister) check can quickly skim the document to learn 
  the gist of the agreement. In addition, the contract devil 
  lays out the general details of the contract, as follows.
  By signing this infernal contract, the PCs swear their 
  souls to Asmodeus, meaning their souls go to Hell 
  when they die. However, if the PCs defeat the Glorious 
  Reclamation, the fate of their souls will return to them. 
  If, before that time, the signatories break the contract, 
  such as by failing to vanquish the Glorious Reclamation, 
  providing aid to the Iomedaean order, or betraying 
  Queen Abrogail or House Thrune, the signatories’ souls 
  will be forfeit to Asmodeus and consigned to Hell for 
  eternity. In return, a signatory receives one infernal boon 
  for as long as her soul remains bound by the contract (see 
  Infernal Boons below). 
  However, the contract is with Queen Abrogail herself, 
  not Asmodeus, and the PCs’ souls are placed in escrow 
  with the contract devil until the terms of the contract are 
  fulfilled or broken. Because of this stipulation, the PCs’ 
  souls are technically not yet promised to the Prince of 
  Darkness, enabling clerics and other divine spellcasters 
  of gods other than Asmodeus to keep their divine powers, 
  and allowing slain PCs to be raised or resurrected for the 
  duration of the campaign.
  Once the PCs sign the contracts, Queen Abrogail rises 
  from her throne, and bestows a kiss upon each villain, 
  sealing the compact between the PCs, Hell, and herself. 
  The contract devil gathers the signed contracts and 
  returns to Hell to file them away. The ritual ends to the 
  sounds of cheers and applause from the assembled court 
  in honor of the newly minted Bound Agents.
  But the celebration abruptly comes to an end when 
  one of the crimson-armored Infernal Guards bursts into 
  the room and kneels before the queen.
  “My apologies, Your Infernal Majestrix, but I bear 
  urgent and terrible news. Westcrown has fallen to the 
  Glorious Reclamation.”
  The ramifications of this dire statement are further 
  explored in the next installment of the Hell’s Vengeance 
  Adventure Path, “Scourge of the Godclaw.”
  Treasure: In addition to their infernal boons, Queen 
  Abrogail also presents each PC with a sum of 25,000 gp 
  as a reward for their service. This can take the form of 
  magic items.
  Story Award: As long as at least one of the PCs signs 
  the infernal contract and becomes a Thrune Bound 
  Agent, the act of binding themselves to Queen Abrogail 
  and Asmodeus infuses the PCs with a surge of divine, 
  infernal power. Award the PCs a total of 215,000 XP, 
  which should be sufficient for them to reach 13th level. If 
  this is not enough to get the PCs to 13th level, adjust the 
  reward appropriately.
  infernal boons
  The contract that binds the PCs to Queen Abrogail and 
  Asmodeus sequesters the PCs’ souls, but it also grants 
  each PC one of the following infernal boons of the PC’s 
  choice once the contract is signed. Once the choice is 
  made, it cannot be changed.
  Blackguard: The recipient gains a +1 profane bonus 
  on all attack rolls and the ability to focus the might of 
  ADVANCING THROUGH  
  THE RANKS
  Those who work for the imperial government of Cheliax 
  and the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune are commonly 
  known as Thrune agents. Among these agents, however, 
  are those who serve House Thrune directly, often working 
  for the best interests of Cheliax’s ruling family rather than 
  for those of the nation (though these interests often 
  overlap). These agents swear their bodies, minds, or 
  souls (or all three) to Queen Abrogail II herself.
  The third and final level of sworn Thrune agent is 
  Thrune Bound Agent (referred to within the Thrune 
  organization as simply “the Trusted”). Having already 
  sworn their lives and loyalty to House Thrune, Bound 
  agents must swear their very souls to Asmodeus by 
  signing an infernal contract. In exchange, they gain an 
  infernal boon (see Infernal Boons below).
  
  53
  Hell into his armor and weapons. As a standard action, 
  the recipient can give a touched suit of armor the good 
  outsider-defiantUE armor special ability or a touched 
  weapon the unholy weapon special ability. This ability can 
  be used a total of three times per day, in any combination, 
  and the effects last for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 
  the recipient’s character level.
  Darkness: The recipient gains the see in darkness 
  universal monster ability and the ability to detach 
  his shadow once per day and animate it as a greater 
  shadow (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 245). The shadow’s 
  alignment matches that of the recipient, and it follows 
  the recipient’s orders and can communicate intelligibly 
  with the recipient. The shadow cannot be turned or 
  commanded, and it cannot create spawn. The shadow 
  remains for up to 1 hour or until slain or dismissed by 
  the recipient.
  Devil Hide: The recipient’s skin grows tough and scaly, 
  granting him a +4 natural armor bonus or increasing his 
  existing natural armor bonus by 4.
  Fiendish: The recipient is infused with hellish vigor, 
  gaining darkvision 60 feet, cold resistance 15, fire 
  resistance 15, and DR 10/good. In addition, once per day 
  as a swift action the recipient can smite good, adding 
  his Charisma bonus (if any) to attack rolls and adding 
  his character level to all damage rolls against good foes. 
  The  smite good effect remains until the target of the 
  smite is dead or the recipient rests.
  Fire: The recipient can cast the following spells as 
  spell-like abilities (the caster level for this ability is equal 
  to the recipient’s character level): at will—burning hands, 
  3/day—fireball, 1/day—flame strike.
  Pride: The recipient gains a +2 inherent bonus to one 
  ability score.
  Slavery: The recipient can summon an enslaved fiend 
  once per day as per the summon universal monster 
  ability with a 100% chance of success (the caster level for 
  this ability is equal to the recipient’s character level). The 
  type of fiend summoned is determined by the recipient’s 
  alignment: lawful evil—bone devil (Bestiary 74); neutral 
  evil—leukodaemon (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 68), or 
  chaotic evil—vrock (Bestiary 69). Summoned creatures 
  automatically return whence they came after 1 hour. A 
  nonevil character gains no benefit from this boon.
  Trickery: The recipient can use the following spells 
  as spell-like abilities (the caster level for this ability 
  is equal to the recipient’s character level): at will—
  vanishAPG, 3/day—displacement, 1/day—mirage arcana.
  Tyranny: The recipient can use the following spells 
  as spell-like abilities (the caster level for this ability 
  is equal to the recipient’s character level): at will—
  command, 3/day—suggestion, 1/day—hold monster.
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  54
  ARCHCOUNTESS  
  LEVISVIA VASVION
  Levisvia Vasvion’s rise has been slowed by the taint of a distant demonic bloodline and 
  the deaths and disappearances of past husbands and lovers. Yet this shrewd and charming 
  woman is not about to let a few setbacks stand in her way. 
  LEVISVIA VASVION 
  CR 13
  XP 25,600
  Female human arcanist 11/aristocrat 3 (Pathfinder RPG 
  Advanced Class Guide 8)
  NE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +5; Senses Perception +16
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18 (+4 armor, +1 Dex, +4 shield)
  hp 77 (14 HD; 11d6+3d8+25)
  Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +16; +4 vs. 
  enchantments
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +2 dagger +8/+3 (1d4+1/19–20)
  Ranged +2 dagger +10 (1d4+1/19–20)
  Special Attacks arcane reservoir (8/14), 
  arcanist exploits (counterspell, energy 
  shield [resist 20], flame arc [6d6+2 fire], 
  greater spell resistance [SR 22], potent magic, 
  spell resistance, swift consume), consume spells
  Arcanist Spells Prepared (CL 11th; 
  concentration +16)
  5th (4/day)—cone of cold (DC 21), 
  suffocationAPG (DC 20)
  4th (5/day)—ball lightningAPG (DC 20), 
  enchantment foilACG, phantasmal 
  killer (DC 19)
  3rd (5/day)—dispel magic, force 
  punchUM (DC 19), greater 
  stunning barrierACG (DC 18), 
  vision of HellUM (DC 18)
  2nd (5/day)—detect thoughts 
  (DC 17), frigid touchUM, 
  glitterdust (DC 17), mirror 
  image, scorching ray
  1st (6/day)—charm person 
  (DC 16), ear-piercing 
  screamUM (DC 17), 
  mage armor, 
  magic missile, 
  shield
  0 (at will)—acid splash, 
  detect magic, detect poison, light, mage hand, message, 
  prestidigitation, ray of frost, touch of fatigue (DC 15)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Levisvia casts enchantment foil and mage 
  armor every day, and casts mirror image and shield 
  before battle.
  During Combat The archcountess prefers to avoid combat, 
  but if she must fight, she casts greater stunning 
  barrier and activates her energy shield and spell 
  resistance arcanist exploits. Levisvia tries to take 
  out foes as quickly as possible, using spells such 
  as cone of cold, suffocation, phantasmal killer, 
  and her flame arc arcanist exploit.
  Morale A survivor at heart, Levisvia flees if 
  she is reduced to fewer than 35 hit points, 
  or if battle seems hopeless, drinking a 
  potion of fly or using her slippers of spider 
  climbing to evade pursuit.
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 20, Wis 12, Cha 14
  Base Atk +7; CMB +6; CMD 17
  Feats Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, 
  Extra Arcanist ExploitACG, Favored Enemy 
  SpellcastingACG (human), Improved Initiative, 
  Iron Will, Persuasive, Spell Focus (evocation)
  Skills Appraise +10, Bluff +19, Diplomacy +23, 
  Fly +10, Intimidate +23, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +22, Knowledge (nobility) +22, 
  Perception +16, Sense Motive +18, Spellcraft +22
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Elven, 
  Halfling, Infernal
  Combat Gear alluring golden appleUE, 
  potion of cure moderate wounds, potions 
  of fly (2), scrolls of baleful polymorph (2), 
  wand of fireball (25 charges), tanglefoot 
  bags (2); Other Gear +2 dagger, cloak of 
  resistance +3, scarlet and blue sphere 
  ioun stone, slippers of spider climbing, 
  noble’s outfit, signet ring, spellbook 
  (contains all prepared spells, all 0-level 
  spells, plus 10 spells of 1st–5th level), 
  jewelry (worth 300 gp), 193 gp
  
  55
  An old Egorian family that predates the Thrune 
  Ascendancy, the Vasvions have long wielded great 
  political and economic power, but families are often 
  like empires—withering from within as enemies loot 
  the fringes. Sometime long ago, the blood of House 
  Vasvion intermingled with that of a demonic interloper. 
  While the particulars are lost to the fog of time, rumors 
  live on, and the house has always been associated with 
  the Abyss, chaos, murder, and treachery, though often 
  unfairly. Unlike her ancestors, Levisvia Vasvion has not 
  accepted this fate with apathy or stoicism. A woman of 
  sharp wit and incredible will, enhanced by tantalizing 
  beauty and a knack for playing the games of romance 
  and politics, Levisvia has always wanted something 
  more for her family, and seems ever on the verge of 
  restoring the Vasvion name to power and prosperity. 
  Levisvia has been married three times before, most 
  recently to the Archcount of Nissitar, but all of her 
  past suitors and husbands (including the archcount) 
  have disappeared or met with unfortunate demises. 
  This, coupled with the fact that Levisvia often gained 
  financially by these tragedies, has made her love life 
  a rumormonger’s dream come true. It is commonly 
  assumed that Levisvia has taken to black-widow tactics 
  to achieve her goals, but there’s no truth to this supposed 
  scandal. Levisvia has sincerely been unlucky in love 
  and has had no hand in the deaths of any of her past 
  companions. She has found, however, that dead husbands 
  often ease the financial strain brought on by Westcrown 
  creditors, and that her notorious reputation keeps the 
  callow and weak from amorously pursuing her. 
  When the talented and influential Paraduke Thalgano 
  Sethic was arrested by the Order of the Scourge, 
  Levisvia turned her ruthless business acumen toward 
  taking over Sethic’s most successful enterprises to 
  rebuild the finances and name of House Vasvion. With 
  the paraduke gone and his organization in disarray, 
  Levisvia found it a relatively easy task, but it made an 
  implacable enemy of Sethic when he was released from 
  captivity a few years ago.
  But picking at the carcass of Paraduke Sethic’s 
  misfortune is not the only front in the archcountess’s 
  struggle to increase House Vasvion’s fortunes. With her 
  last husband only 6 months dead, Levisvia has once more 
  thrown herself into securing a politically advantageous 
  marriage with gossip-worthy zeal. To the surprise of 
  the Egorian elite, Levisvia already has a new fiance, the 
  youngest son of Lord-Mayor Grachius Alazario. While 
  the young couple seem well suited and happy, wagers in 
  the back alleys and high vaneos of the city give Nicolo 
  Alazario only weeks or months before suffering the tragic 
  fate of the Vasvion curse. If Nicolo’s days are numbered, 
  however, it will not be the archcountess’s doing, but 
  rather the scheming of her greatest rival, Paraduke 
  Thalgano Sethic. 
  CAMPAIGN ROLE
  When the PCs meet Archcountess Vasvion, she is at 
  a crucial crossroads in her endeavors to increase her 
  political power within Egorian. With Paraduke Thalgano 
  Sethic’s return, she faces a vicious enemy who will stop 
  at nothing to reclaim the commercial empire taken 
  from him through Levisvia Vasvion’s opportunistic 
  machinations. The archcountess knows success will 
  come only when she has put Sethic down once and for 
  all; to do that, she needs the help of talented outsiders 
  unafraid to engage in merciless behavior. She freely 
  uses her influence with Queen Abrogail to reward those 
  who aid her in this goal. This gets her not only what she 
  wants, but also might curry more favor with the Infernal 
  Majestrix by providing Abrogail with talent for her own 
  needs and purposes. 
  RumoRs
  After meeting Archcountess Vasvion, the PCs may want to 
  find out more about their potential sponsor. The result 
  of a successful Diplomacy check to gather information 
  or Knowledge (nobility) check reveals the following 
  information about the archcountess, as well as all of the 
  information that can be gained with a lesser result. 
  Result 
  Information
  10+ 
  The Vasvions are an ancient family, predating 
  the nation of Cheliax itself, but have slipped 
  into decline within the past century. Levisvia 
  Vasvion, Archcountess of Nissitar, is the family’s 
  best hope of survival and prosperity. She’s been 
  able to increase her house’s prestige and wealth 
  through shrewd business deals, her friendship 
  with the queen, and a series of brief marriages 
  to wealthy nobles.
  15+ 
  Some call Levisvia Vasvion a black widow. Though 
  only 27 years old, she’s been married three times 
  and all of her husbands have died suddenly and 
  under questionable circumstances. While the 
  archcountess has never been implicated in her 
  husbands’ deaths, many still question the wisdom 
  of the mayor’s youngest son, Nicolo Alazario, who 
  will soon be Levisvia’s fourth husband.
  20+ 
  With her third husband, the Archcount of Nissitar, 
  Livisvia bought much of Paraduke Thalgano 
  Sethic’s former businesses from the Order of the 
  Scourge during the paraduke’s imprisonment. 
  When the archcount accidentally drowned in his 
  own bathtub, Levisvia inherited her husband’s 
  title and full control over Sethic’s former assets. 
  Although Sethic wants many of his former 
  properties back, Levisvia refuses to sell. 
  30+ 
  Levisvia might seem like an empty-headed fool, 
  but she is shrewd and devious, with a sharp 
  political mind.
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  56
  Once a renowned merchant and power at the imperial court in Egorian, Thalgano Sethic 
  was brought low by the Order of the Scourge, who crippled his body and confiscated his 
  fortune. Although his influence is waning, Sethic will not fade away without a fight.
  THALGANO SETHIC 
  CR 13
  XP 25,600
  Male human rogue (spy) 7/sorcerer 7 (Pathfinder RPG 
  Advanced Player’s Guide 135)
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +4 (+6 in urban); Senses Perception +10 (+12 in urban)
  DEFENSE
  AC 24, touch 16, flat-footed 19 (+4 armor, +1 deflection, 
  +4 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 shield)
  hp 80 (14 HD; 7d6+7d8+21)
  Fort +8, Ref +13, Will +12; +2 vs. poison
  Defensive Abilities evasion, uncanny 
  dodge; Resist fire 5
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 sword cane +14/+9 (1d6+1 
  plus deathblade)
  Ranged mwk dagger +13 (1d4/19–20)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +4d6
  Bloodline Spell-Like Abilities 
  (CL 7th; concentration +11)
  7/day—corrupting touch 
  (3 rounds)
  Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 7th; 
  concentration +11)
  3rd (5/day)—lightning bolt 
  (DC 17), slow (DC 17), 
  suggestion (DC 17)
  2nd (7/day)—ghoul touch 
  (DC 16), hideous laughter 
  (DC 16), mirror image, 
  scorching ray
  1st (7/day)—charm person 
  (DC 17), magic missile, 
  protection from good, ray 
  of enfeeblement (DC 15), 
  shield, vanishAPG (DC 15)
  0 (at will)—acid splash, 
  daze (DC 14), detect 
  magic, ghost sound, 
  light, mage hand, 
  touch of fatigue (DC 14)
  Bloodline infernal
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Thalgano casts mirror image and shield 
  before combat and applies deathblade to his sword cane.
  During Combat Thalgano prefers to let his minions take on 
  the brunt of combat while he stays out of harm’s way. If 
  he must fight, he tries to take out enemies at range with 
  spells such as lightning bolt, magic missile, or scorching ray, 
  or weaken them with spells such as slow, hideous laughter, 
  or ray of enfeeblement. In melee combat, he casts haste 
  from a scroll, then tries to make sneak attacks with his 
  poisoned sword cane or touch spells.
  Morale If reduced to 20 or fewer hit points, 
  Thalgano attempts to flee, casting 
  vanish or mirror image to better 
  his chances of escape.
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 13, 
  Wis 12, Cha 18
  Base Atk +8; CMB +8; CMD 24
  Feats Combat Casting, Combat 
  Reflexes, Dodge, Eschew Materials, 
  Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Martial 
  Weapon Proficiency (sword cane), 
  Toughness, Weapon Finesse, Weapon 
  Focus (sword cane)
  Skills Bluff +20 (+23 on opposed 
  rolls), Diplomacy +20, Intimidate +20, 
  Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge 
  (local) +18, Knowledge (nobility) +10, 
  Perception +10 (+12 in urban), 
  Sense Motive +18, Stealth +17 
  (+19 in urban)
  Languages Common, Infernal
  SQ bloodline arcana (+2 DC for 
  charm spells), favored terrain 
  (urban +2), poison use, rogue 
  talents (charmerAPG, hard to 
  foolAPG, terrain masteryUC)
  Combat Gear potion 
  of cure moderate 
  wounds, scrolls of haste (2), 
  PARADUKE  
  THALGANO SETHIC
  
  57
  deathblade poison (2), giant wasp poison (2); Other Gear 
  +1 sword caneUE, mwk dagger, belt of physical might +2 
  (Dex, Con), bracers of armor +4, cloak of resistance +2, 
  ring of protection +1, noble’s outfit, signet ring, jewelry 
  (worth 150 gp), 53 gp
  Thalgano Sethic was born somewhere in Egorian’s 
  Cheapside, and not long after his birth, he was sold 
  as a slave to a diabolist. Although he managed to 
  avoid having his blood spilled on the sacrificial slab, 
  Thalgano’s childhood proved both horrifying and 
  desperate. Subjected to all manner of occult rituals and 
  corrupt experiments by his master, Thalgano eventually 
  developed arcane abilities with an infernal taint. Clever 
  and canny, Thalgano plotted for his release and revenge. 
  Finally, his opportunity came to turn the tables on his 
  master, and Thalgano plunged a ceremonial dagger into 
  the diabolist’s heart, sending the man’s soul to the depths 
  of Hell and infernal damnation.
  Enriched by what remained of the diabolist’s 
  scholarship and treasure, Thalgano became a cutthroat 
  for a string of ruthless merchants, learning the secrets 
  of intrigue and the ebb and flow of commerce within the 
  city until he could build his own power base in Egorian’s 
  lower-class neighborhoods. 
  The real backbone of his financial empire, however, 
  came from mastering the secret of breeding Avernus 
  razorbacks, fiendish pigs from the first layer of Hell. The 
  exotic meat of these infernal swine is a popular delicacy 
  throughout Cheliax and the shadowy courts of Nidal, and 
  the razorbacks’ unique digestion also allowed Thalgano to 
  make not only his own competition and enemies utterly 
  disappear, but those of his allies and clients as well. His 
  business savvy and financial success contributed to his 
  ascent within the imperial court, and Queen Abrogail 
  ultimately awarded him the title of paraduke.
  But though Thalgano Sethic’s rise may have been 
  meteoric, his fall came more suddenly than anyone 
  could have imagined. Without warning, he was hauled 
  off in the dead of the night by the Order of the Scourge 
  for undisclosed crimes, and spent 2 years as a “guest” of 
  the Hellknights, suffering grueling interrogations and 
  torture. The Hellknights released Thalgano several years 
  ago, his body mangled, with bones broken and reset 
  in agonizing ways that even the most powerful magic 
  couldn’t heal. 
  During Thalgano’s incarceration, most of his businesses 
  and properties were sold off to rivals like Archcountess 
  Levisvia Vasvion. And though Thalgano regained his title 
  upon his release, only a fraction of his former wealth 
  remains. Physically broken, but not defeated, Paraduke 
  Sethic has set out to restore his former prestige and 
  wealth, but the path is treacherous, and the scavengers 
  of the imperial court are always watching, waiting for the 
  first sign of weakness. 
  CAMPAIGN ROLE
  Paraduke Sethic poses as a person who can help the 
  PCs maneuver through the complexities of Egorian’s 
  political life, but he’s really looking for fresh muscle he 
  can manipulate in his struggles against Archcountess 
  Levisvia Vasvion. While he can and will aid the PCs, 
  he only does so if they serve his purpose. Allying with 
  Sethic and contributing to the restoration of his wealth 
  and influence creates a powerful friend who can get 
  Queen Abrogail’s attention as well as provide a means of 
  permanently disposing of enemies. Although a crafty and 
  heartless bastard, Paraduke Sethic can be very generous 
  to those who aid in his recovery.
  RumoRs
  After meeting Paraduke Sethic, the PCs may want to 
  find out more about their potential sponsor. The result 
  of a successful Diplomacy check to gather information 
  or Knowledge (nobility) check reveals the following 
  information about the paraduke, as well as all of the 
  information that can be gained with a lesser result.
  Result Information
  10+ 
  Thalgano Sethic is a self-made man who came 
  out of nowhere to build a mercantile empire from 
  failing trade concerns and dead-end businesses 
  in Egorian’s Cheapside neighborhoods. In doing 
  so, he earned the honorific of paraduke, a 
  nonhereditary noble title. Arrested by the Order of 
  the Scourge, Sethic was interned and tortured for 
  years. The Hellknights mysteriously released the 
  paraduke a few years ago, with both his body and 
  financial empire broken. 
  15+ 
  While Paraduke Sethic is a shell of the man he 
  once was, he is not vanquished. He is vigorously 
  rebuilding his empire, which has brought him into 
  conflict with Archcountess Levisvia Vasvion, who 
  refuses to sell back those assets that belonged to 
  him before his fall from grace.
  20+ 
  Of Thalgano Sethic’s many business ventures, 
  one of his most successful involves the breeding 
  and butchering of infernal swine called Avernus 
  razorbacks. Not only is the meat of these pigs 
  considered a delicacy among Egorian’s elite, but 
  any creature devoured by the hellish boars cannot 
  be raised from the dead.
  30+ 
  There are many rumors regarding Sethic’s arrest, 
  imprisonment, and torture by the Order of the 
  Scourge, but the most compelling involves his 
  relationship with Queen Abrogail. The paraduke 
  is a patriotic man, and when granted his title, he 
  swore never to lie to his queen. Sethic supposedly 
  confessed to some terrible crime during a 
  conversation with the queen, and she ordered his 
  arrest. Interestingly, she also ordered his release.
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  58
  QUEEN  
  ABROGAIL THRUNE II
  Great-granddaughter of Abrogail I, founder of the Thrune dynasty, the current Infernal 
  Majestrix of Cheliax has an imperial bearing touched by darkness. The absolute ruler of 
  her empire, Abrogail II is no puppet of Hell or anyone else.
  ABROGAIL THRUNE II 
  CR 18
  XP 153,600
  Female human aristocrat 2/sorcerer 16
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +4; Senses discern lies, see in darkness, true seeing; 
  Perception +30
  DEFENSE
  AC 34, touch 21, flat-footed 30 (+8 armor, +5 deflection, 
  +4 Dex, +2 luck, +5 natural)
  hp 162 (18 HD; 16d6+2d8+97)
  Fort +17, Ref +18, Will +27
  Defensive Abilities 
  nondetection; 
  Immune fire, mental 
  ability score damage, 
  mind-affecting effects, 
  poison, smite effects; 
  Resist acid 10, cold 10; SR 29
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee rod of withering +10/+5 
  (1d4 Str and 1d4 Con) or
  staff of power +11/+6 (1d6+2)
  Bloodline Spell-Like Abilities 
  (CL 16th; concentration +24)
  11/day—corrupting touch 
  (8 rounds)
  1/day—hellfire (16d6 fire, 
  DC 26)
  Sorcerer Spells Known 
  (CL 16th; concentration +24)
  8th (4/day)—greater 
  planar binding (DC 26)
  7th (6/day)—greater 
  teleport, limited 
  wish (DC 25), 
  prismatic spray 
  (DC 25), 
  summon 
  monster VII
  6th (7/day)—
  disintegrate (DC 24), 
  flesh to stone (DC 24), mass suggestion (DC 25), planar 
  binding (DC 24)
  5th (7/day)—cone of cold (DC 23), contact other plane, 
  dismissal (DC 23), dominate person (DC 24), lesser 
  planar binding (DC 23), wall of force
  4th (8/day)—charm monster (DC 25), greater false 
  lifeUM, greater infernal healingISWG, phantasmal 
  killer (DC 22), stoneskin
  3rd (8/day)—dispel magic, displacement, 
  enter imageAPG, ray of exhaustion (DC 21), 
  suggestion (DC 22)
  2nd (8/day)—burning gazeAPG (DC 20), 
  detect thoughts (DC 20), hideous 
  laughter (DC 21), mirror image, molten 
  orbACG (DC 20), scorching ray
  1st (8/day)—charm person (DC 22), 
  disguise self, magic missile, 
  protection from good, ray of 
  enfeeblement (DC 19), shield
  0 (at will)—acid splash, arcane 
  mark, detect magic, light, mage 
  hand, message, prestidigitation, ray 
  of frost, read magic
  Bloodline infernal
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Abrogail casts greater 
  false life. 
  During Combat Queen Abrogail does 
  not usually deign to join combat 
  herself, letting her devoted and 
  diabolic servants sweep away 
  those fools arrogant enough 
  to threaten her.
  Morale Abrogail doesn’t 
  usually loiter with 
  threats around. She 
  uses her getaway 
  boots to escape 
  to one of her 
  various safe 
  havens in Egorian 
  and beyond.
  
  59
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 20, Cha 26
  Base Atk +9; CMB +9; CMD 30
  Feats Alertness, Burning SpellUM, Combat Casting, Empower 
  Spell, Eschew Materials, Expanded ArcanaAPG, Great 
  Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Persuasive, Quicken 
  Spell, Spell Focus (enchantment), Spell Penetration
  Skills Bluff +25, Diplomacy +25, Fly +10, Intimidate +33, 
  Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (nobility) +15, 
  Knowledge (planes) +25, Perception +30, Sense 
  Motive +30, Spellcraft +18, Use Magic Device +15
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal, 
  Shadowtongue
  SQ bloodline arcana (+2 DC for charm spells), exceptional 
  resources, on dark wings
  Combat Gear potion of cure serious wounds, potion of 
  invisibility, staff of power; Other Gear rod of withering, 
  amulet of natural armor +5, belt of physical might +4 
  (Dex, Con), bracers of armor +8, cloak of resistance +5, 
  Crown of Infernal Majesty (see sidebar), getaway bootsUE, 
  glove of storing, ring of protection +5, royal outfit, 
  diamond dust (worth 1,000 gp), jewelry (worth 1,000 gp)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Exceptional Resources (Ex) As queen of Cheliax, Abrogail 
  has access to all of that nation’s resources, and she has 
  the wealth of a PC rather than an NPC. In addition, her 
  ability scores use a 20-point build. These advantages 
  increase her CR by 1.
  Her Infernal Majestrix, Queen Abrogail II of the Thrice-
  Damned House of Thrune, has been the undisputed ruler 
  of Cheliax since 4709 ar, when her predecessor, Infrexus, 
  fell through the ice on the Adivian River and drowned. 
  Since Abrogail’s ascension to the throne, rumors have 
  persisted that the young woman is immature, petty, and 
  spoiled; in reality, she is a ruthless and effective monarch, 
  ruling the country with brutality and finesse, much like 
  her great-grandmother and namesake, Abrogail I. In fact, 
  Abrogail II may just be the most devious and intelligent 
  Thrune ever to wear the crown of Cheliax. Although she 
  receives the guidance and support of Hell, in the form of 
  both the pit fiend Gorthoklek (who served Abrogail I in 
  the same capacity) and the erinyes Contessa Lrilatha, it is 
  clear that it is Abrogail, and not the lords of the Pit, who 
  rules Cheliax.
  Abrogail deals with her enemies swiftly, sending 
  legions of erinyes to apprehend traitors or remove 
  threats. Against those who have personally wronged her, 
  the queen is fond of using petrification magic, bringing 
  her defeated foes to the Imperial Palace in Egorian where 
  they remain forever under the watchful eyes of her loyal 
  guards and advisors. Abrogail displays these statues as a 
  constant reminder to those in the court of a traitor’s fate: 
  an eternity in stone under her control, beyond either the 
  rewards of Hell or the mercy of Heaven.
  CROWN OF INFERNAL MAJESTY
  Gifted to Queen Abrogail I by Asmodeus himself, the 
  Crown of Infernal Majesty is the royal regalia of the 
  Infernal Majestrix of Cheliax, a token of House Thrune’s 
  pact with Hell and a symbol of their infernal right to rule.
  CROWN OF INFERNAL MAJESTY 
  (MAJOR ARTIFACT)
  SLOT head
  CL 20th
  WEIGHT —
  AURA strong abjuration and transmutation
  This engraved and filigreed silver diadem is fashioned 
  with three tines rising from the front of the circlet, the 
  central one of which bears the encircled cross emblem of 
  Cheliax. The Crown of Infernal Majesty grants its wearer 
  a suite of abilities. Defensively, it provides immunity to 
  fire and poison, immunity to mind-affecting effects, 
  immunity to mental ability score damage, acid and 
  cold resistance 10, and spell resistance equal to the 
  wearer’s CR + 11. In addition, the wearer is immune 
  to smite effects (including the smite evil ability of 
  celestial creatures and paladins, and the destructive 
  smite ability of the Destruction domain). A creature 
  that attempts to smite the wearer of the crown gets no 
  bonus on attack rolls against the wearer, and the crown 
  reflects any bonus damage from the smite back against 
  the attacker as evil-aligned damage that bypasses the 
  corresponding damage reduction.
  The wearer gains the see in darkness universal 
  monster ability, and the ability to use discern lies, 
  nondetection, and true seeing as constant spell-
  like abilities. The crown also grants its wearer a +6 
  enhancement bonus to her Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma scores (with ranks in Intimidate, Knowledge 
  [planes], and Sense Motive, as a headband of vast 
  intelligence, as well as the ability to speak and read 
  Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal). Lastly, the wearer 
  gains a +4 profane bonus on Charisma-based checks to 
  bargain or deal with devils (such as with planar ally or 
  planar binding spells).
  DESTRUCTION
  The Crown of Infernal Majesty can be destroyed 
  only by tricking Asmodeus into nullifying each of the 
  Three Damnations written into the infernal contracts 
  between Hell and House Thrune.
  CAMPAIGN ROLE
  Through much of the adventure, Queen Abrogail II is a 
  background figure. Once the PCs eradicate the Bellflower 
  Network in Egorian, Abrogail becomes convinced that 
  they are the agents she needs to renew her pact with Hell 
  amid the current political upheaval in Cheliax.
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  60
  ZELHARA
  Zelhara is the iconic torturer for the Hell’s Vengeance Adventure Path. Although she does 
  not appear as a character in the campaign, she can be used as an NPC or pregenerated 
  player character. Note that her CR is 1 higher than normal because she has PC wealth.
  MEET THE VILLAIN:
  ZELHARA 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  Female human inquisitor of Zon-Kuthon 7 (Pathfinder RPG 
  Advanced Player’s Guide 38)
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +5; Senses Perception +13
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +1 deflection, 
  +2 Dex, +1 dodge)
  hp 49 (7d8+14)
  Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +8
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 cruel spiked chain +9 (2d4+2)
  Ranged mwk dagger +8 (1d4+1/19–20)
  Special Attacks bane (7 rounds/day), judgment 3/day
  Inquisitor Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +10)
  At will—detect alignment, discern lies (7 rounds/day)
  Inquisitor Spells Known (CL 7th; concentration +10)
  3rd (2/day)—seek thoughtsAPG (DC 16), speak with dead 
  (DC 16)
  2nd (4/day)—cure moderate wounds, hold person (DC 15), 
  howling agonyUM (DC 15), zone of truth (DC 15)
  1st (5/day)—cause fear (DC 14), cure light wounds, forbid 
  actionUM (DC 14), interrogationUM (DC 14), shield of 
  faith, true strike
  0 (at will)—bleed (DC 13), create water, detect magic, 
  disrupt undead, guidance, light
  Domain Torture inquisitionUM
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 13
  Base Atk +5; CMB +6; CMD 20
  Feats Coordinated ManeuversAPG, Dazzling Display, Dodge, 
  Insightful GazeUM, Precise StrikeAPG, Weapon Finesse, 
  Weapon Focus (spiked chain)
  Skills Acrobatics +6, Bluff +8, Diplomacy +8, Heal +10, 
  Intimidate +16, Knowledge (local) +3, Perception +13, 
  Sense Motive +16, Spellcraft +8, Stealth +9
  Languages Common
  SQ monster lore +3, solo tactics, stern gaze +3, torturer’s 
  presenceUM, torturer’s touchUM, track +3
  Combat Gear potion of owl’s wisdom, scroll of cure 
  serious wounds, scroll of undetectable alignment, wand 
  of cure light wounds (46 charges), smelling saltsUE, 
  tanglefoot bag; Other Gear +2 studded leather, +1 cruelUE 
  spiked chain, mwk dagger, war razorISWG, belt of giant 
  strength +2, manacles of cooperationUE, page of spell 
  knowledgeUE (cause fear), ring of protection +1, barbed 
  manaclesARG, choke pear, iron holy symbol of Zon-Kuthon, 
  sawUE, spell component pouch, sunrods (3), surgeon’s 
  toolsUE, Nidalese thumbscrews, 8 gp
  Some beings—like those from the Outer Planes—are 
  intrinsically virtuous or malevolent; however, mortals 
  enjoy the unique characteristic of free will. No humans 
  are born evil. They become evil. 
  Like many children in the Nidalese city of Ridwan, 
  the girl who would one day be called Zelhara grew up 
  in a massive nursery run by the church of Zon-Kuthon. 
  This institution allowed parents to continue their 
  work without having to attend to their children’s daily 
  needs, and after a number of years, once the children 
  could physically contribute to the household, they were 
  returned to their families. Agents of Nidal’s Umbral 
  Court performed numerous tests on the children 
  during their time under the care of the Kuthite clergy, 
  selecting certain candidates for the state’s and church’s 
  future needs. Mere weeks before she was to rejoin her 
  family, Zelhara herself was brought before an Umbral 
  Court agent who claimed he could see something in 
  her that pleased the Midnight Lord. One day she would 
  share his message of pain and duty with thousands of 
  fearful inheritors. Her family, loyal Nidalese who worked 
  meager trades in the city, found delight in knowing that 
  their child would one day hold high status in the state.
  Zelhara and 12 other children from the nursery began 
  their training at a young age. Unlike shadowcallers, 
  Zelhara and her young companions didn’t undergo the 
  scrutiny of a nightglass, but were instead selected by 
  virtue of their mere presence and their reactions to fear 
  and pain. Zelhara proved a severe and obedient child, 
  perfect for the role of a state inquisitor.
  After their selection, the children in Zelhara’s group 
  were moved into a wing of dormitories within the 
  temple of Zon-Kuthon. The priests began the children’s 
  training with religious study and the dark history of 
  their nation. The Kuthites taught the children how to 
  identify enemies of the church and state. The members 
  
  61
  of Zelhara’s group received the best foods at mealtimes, 
  and as long as they performed their required duties 
  and showed the proper respect to their tutors, they 
  were allowed relative freedom to do as they pleased. 
  They were even allowed outside the temple, and 
  granted the privilege to occasionally spend time with 
  their parents, provided they lived within Ridwan. This 
  favorable treatment attracted jealousy and animosity 
  from the young shadowcaller initiates and prospective 
  clerics also training at the temple. Zelhara’s tutors told 
  her that the other children were envious because they 
  were too independent and didn’t properly understand 
  submission. Zelhara believed it was because they knew 
  they might one day have to withstand her ministrations.
  Zelhara’s training grew more rigorous as the 
  instruction continued. She and her colleagues were 
  encouraged to invent their own unique methods of 
  inflicting pain and drawing the truth from their victims. 
  Zelhara preferred emotional manipulation and stress 
  positions rather than direct pain, for she believed pain 
  to be a form of religious ecstasy that only the truly 
  devoted could enjoy. As she subjected dissidents of 
  Nidal to her ministrations, she felt strong and grew 
  proud of the service she performed for her nation 
  and her god.
  As Zelhara and her companions matured into 
  their teenage years, they moved to their 
  own building in the city near the volcanic 
  rift that splits Ridwan’s central 
  square, and their training 
  changed significantly. Their 
  tutors became more strict and 
  abusive. Zelhara, who had been 
  the standout student within 
  her group, started to be treated 
  with suspicion and disdain. She 
  couldn’t even perform simple 
  tasks in the dormitory kitchens 
  without being scolded and 
  punished. She and the others 
  suffered beatings, periods of 
  isolation, and the burden of 
  meaningless tasks at all hours of the 
  day. Their old names were stripped 
  away and their tutors provided new 
  ones. The Kuthites forced Zelhara and 
  her colleagues to torture and humiliate 
  each other as part of their training, yet 
  they still gave the students the chance to 
  voluntarily remove themselves from the 
  process and return to their families. Surprisingly, 
  none of the children accepted. Despite their 
  abuse, they wanted to be useful tools of the state, 
  and while their instructors dehumanized them, the 
  children formed bonds with one another, as they had 
  no one else to rely upon. During this period, Zelhara 
  grew close to Tornine, a boy she had known since her 
  time at the nursery. 
  Finally, Zelhara and the others were judged ready 
  to undergo a ritual called the Descent. More to test 
  loyalty than to extract admissions of guilt, prospective 
  inquisitors are placed in pairs within iron cages, their 
  faces mere inches from each other, and then lowered 
  into the rift in the center of Ridwan where the Midnight 
  Lord is said to have first manifested upon Golarion. 
  The oppressive heat causes intense pain and the cloying 
  smoke makes breathing an ordeal. As the inquisitors 
  are lowered into the rift, they must overcome their own 
  suffering and disorientation to force their counterparts 
  into absolute submission to their authority. Zelhara 
  found herself paired with Tornine, and as the iron cage 
  creaked down into the crevasse, they engaged in a 
  battle of wills. Tornine tried to remain strong 
  under Zelhara’s scrutiny as tears evaporated 
  from his cheeks, but Zelhara was unrelenting. 
  She knew her strength was superior. When 
  Tornine began to crumble within minutes 
  of hanging over the sulfurous fissure, Zelhara 
  felt utter disgust for her former friend and 
  continued to disparage him. She didn’t 
  give the signal to raise the cage until she 
  knew Tornine had died—just another 
  useless tool to be discarded. Having 
  passed the test, Zelhara achieved the rank 
  of full inquisitor, earning her family’s 
  pride and admiration. 
  As one of Nidal’s best and 
  most thorough inquisitors and 
  torturers, Zelhara now travels 
  throughout Avistan in service to 
  her nation and the Midnight Lord. 
  Zelhara claims that, with enough 
  time, she can make anyone divulge 
  what they know—yet she doesn’t 
  care for forced statements, when 
  people blurt out anything just to 
  make her stop. Zelhara hears 
  the real voices of her subjects 
  when they scream in agony, 
  and she can smell the truth 
  in the blood that she spills in 
  pursuit of her goals.
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  62
  EGORIAN 
  CITY OF THORNS
  F
  ew remain who can remember the red and white roses surrounding 
  Egorian. My mother described them so vividly that—although I was 
  born years after Aroden’s death turned the white roses black—I sometimes 
  fancy that I saw them with my own eyes. This nostalgia for our parents’ 
  memories is a kind of ephemeral chronicle, one we are obliged to pass along 
  to succeeding generations.
  “Long before the Thrune Ascendancy, Egorian was the grand dame of the 
  empire. She has witnessed the rise and fall of monarchs, national triumphs 
  and catastrophes, the visitation and death of a god. And although mortal 
  hands may alter the city’s official chronicles, so long as her children recall the 
  memories of their parents, her legend shall endure.” 
  —Count Varian Jeggare to a meeting of the Historical Society
  
  E
  gorian once provided Chelish aristocrats—
  and the artists their wealth supported—
  with a refuge from the political strife of the 
  former capital, Westcrown. Since Abrogail I moved 
  the empire’s seat of power, Egorian has transformed 
  into a bastion of law and bureaucracy without entirely 
  losing its former charms, so the lakeside city remains a 
  favorite destination for travelers. Despite the empire’s 
  formal alliance with Hell, much in the city remains 
  ungoverned. Criminal gangs, secret societies, subversive 
  movements, and even demon cults infest Egorian and 
  its subterranean shadow-city.
  The City of Thorns is not only the capital of Cheliax, 
  but also the nation’s largest political subdivision, 
  the Archduchy of the Heartlands. Its own municipal 
  government, 
  overseen 
  by 
  Lord-Mayor 
  Grachius 
  Alazario, struggles to balance the needs of Egorian and 
  its citizens with the demands of House Thrune and the 
  Chelish Throne. Thus, the upper echelons of Egorian 
  society are ever mired in bureaucratic gridlock, leaving 
  much of the city’s lower classes and less prominent 
  districts to fend for themselves; Duxotar Marcellano 
  Ratarion and his city watch and the local Hellknight 
  Order of the Scourge can be in only so many places 
  at once.
  APPEARANCE
  When seen from Lake Sorrow to its north, Egorian first 
  appears to be a picturesque community with winding 
  lanes following the course of streams and hills. The 
  wharves of the Adivian River curl around to the lake 
  shore, dispatching fishing vessels at dawn and receiving 
  them again near dusk. Along the eastern shore, finer 
  homes and manor houses (or “vaneos”) nestle among 
  the rolling hills of the districts collectively known as the 
  Old City. Many of the area’s residents have resisted the 
  politically advised, if not officially mandated, Egorian-
  style architecture, but the first signs of the black-and-
  red marble and gothic ornaments appear here.
  The city rises toward the southeast, and from the center 
  to the southern walls, spires and gargoyles dominate the 
  skyline above increasingly regular thoroughfares. The 
  most prominent buildings in the city core include the 
  Grand Opera House, with its domes and classical pillars 
  contrasting sharply with the prevailing Egorian style; 
  the pentagonal Midnight Temple to Asmodeus, with 
  sulfurous fumes perpetually rising from its vents; the 
  enormous Imperial Stadium; and the towering Imperial 
  Palace, which dwarfs the government buildings cowering 
  at its feet.
  To the southeast, Thrune Manor sits perched on the 
  city’s highest hill. By virtue of the manor’s lofty base, the 
  peaked roofs of its towers rise almost as high as those 
  of the Imperial Palace—a constant reminder of the royal 
  family’s house and origin.
  EGORIAN
  LE metropolis
  Corruption +9; Crime +2; Economy +5; Law +11; 
  Lore +4; Society +5
  Qualities decadent art, infernal laws, prosperous, 
  racially intolerant (halflings), rumormongering 
  citizens, unholy site (Asmodeus)
  Danger +10
  DEMOGRAPHICS
  Government overlord
  Population 82,100 (71,500 humans, 7,900 halflings, 
  1,350 tieflings, 1,350 other)
  Notable NPCs
  Advisor Contessa Lrilatha (LE female erinyes 
  inquisitorAPG 13)
  Duxotar Marcellano Ratarion (LE male human 
  fighter 8)
  Grand High Priestess Aspexia Rugatonn (LE female 
  human cleric of Asmodeus 19)
  Lord-Mayor Grachius Alazario (LE male human 
  bard 4/aristocrat 2)
  Queen and Empress of Cheliax Abrogail Thrune II 
  (LE female human sorcerer 16/aristocrat 2)
  Paralictor Ivo Elliendo of the Order of the Scourge 
  (LE male human fighter 5/HellknightISWG 5)
  Zandros the Fair (NE male human rogue 5)
  MARKETPLACE
  Base Value 20,800 gp; Purchase Limit 150,000 gp; 
  Spellcasting 9th
  Minor Items all available; Medium Items 4d4; Major 
  Items 3d4
  SPECIAL QUALITIES
  Decadent Art Egorians enjoy decadent art and brutal 
  stagecraft, including the Theater of the Real, which 
  features the gruesome onstage deaths of the principal 
  actors. This lends an ominous yet cosmopolitan air to 
  the city. (Society +4)
  Infernal Laws Egorian’s laws and legal system are based 
  on the byzantine Asmodean Disciplines, which are 
  expansive and attempt to regulate all aspects of public 
  and private life. Many laws go unenforced, however, 
  particularly if bribes are involved. The system allows 
  the government to remove undesirables on a whim 
  and gives citizens an incentive to spy on one another. 
  (Corruption +2; Law +4)
  Unholy Site Egorian is the seat of the Church of 
  Asmodeus’s power in the Inner Sea region. Many 
  high-level priests of Asmodeus live here, making it 
  difficult for outspoken adherents of other religions to 
  go about their lives undisturbed. (Lore –1; increase 
  spellcasting by 1 level)
  63
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  64
  0
  4,000
  FEET
  BRIARPATCH
  HELLHOUND HILL
  LONG MARKET
  MIRESIDE
  THE GRID
  BRIDGESIDE
  DEVIL’S DANCE
  DICE END
  PARLEY CIRCLE
  PROMENADE
  FIVE FAVORS
  NETMAN’S 
  REST
  FORT ADIVIAN
  RIVERSIDE
  SORROWGATE
  SORROWSIDE
  ASPEX GARDEN
  SOUTHGATE
  SUITOR’S CROSS
  THORNTOWN
  THUMBTOWN
  TRICK ALLEY
  TRIUMPH
  THE VICE
  WHIPCRACK
  BILGETOWN
  LAKE SORROW
  1
  2
  8
  12
  11
  14
  6
  3
  4
  10
  5
  9
  13
  7
  ADIVIAN RIVER
  EGORIAN
  
  Egorian is known for its iconic plazas, from the open 
  squares at nearly every major intersection to the more 
  extravagant and spacious Thrune Square and Ascension 
  Plaza near the city’s heart. Many of the lesser but more 
  ancient plazas include marble statues of war heroes 
  and the occasional famous composer. Others center 
  on sculpted fountains from which residents draw 
  their water, and where struggling artists offer to sketch 
  visitors. Plazas in the wealthier districts host symphonic 
  and choral concerts, events patrolled by dottari to ensure 
  that the riffraff do not mar the occasion.
  HISTORY
  Egorian began as a small fishing village. It grew with 
  the successive empires of Taldor and Cheliax until its 
  geography made it a critical trading hub second only to 
  Westcrown. Perfectly situated beside Lake Sorrow and 
  the Adivian River, Egorian provided a critical juncture 
  for shipping (and enforcing taxation) from western and 
  north-central Cheliax.
  With their wealth and hedonistic tastes, the aristocratic 
  residents of the city soon made Egorian a center of art and 
  culture. Rather than envying the political importance of 
  their southern neighbors, Egorians considered themselves 
  fortunate to escape the drudgery of governance. They 
  tended their estates (or “viras”) in summer and wintered 
  in their vaneos to enjoy the pleasures of the opera, the 
  symphony, and myriad other arts.
  Then Abrogail I seized power and declared Egorian 
  the nation’s new capital.
  The queen’s agents seized 20 acres of private land in 
  the center of Egorian to form Thrune Square. From that 
  focal point, the royal engineers paved the Prospects, four 
  enormous boulevards striking out in the four cardinal 
  directions, cutting through hills and obliterating 
  buildings. Casualties included the original outer wall, 
  through which four great gatehouses were established. 
  The unintended consequence of this enforced order 
  is increased chaos where the new gridded boulevards 
  intersect with the city’s original streets.
  SOCIETY
  Egorian’s principal sources of commerce include 
  shipping (especially wine, produce, meat, and lumber), 
  slave trading, stonecutting, copper and iron smelting, 
  weapon production, and martial training. Noble houses 
  from all over Cheliax send their soldiers to train with the 
  archers of House Narikopolus, and several of the finest 
  teachers of swordplay and unarmed combat have schools 
  within the city.
  While most slaves sold in Egorian endure menial labor, 
  those with a knack for letters, bookkeeping, painting, 
  music, or dance fetch the highest bids. Masters assume 
  the glory of their slaves’ talents for themselves, boasting 
  of their property’s accomplishments as if having achieved 
  it all on their own. Some employ their slaves as a political 
  weapon. More than one noted diva has left the stage in 
  disgrace after an adversary arranged for a more talented 
  slave to perform her most famous songs in public.
  Egorian justice has three long arms, each more feared 
  and incorruptible than the one before: the dottari, the 
  Order of the Scourge, and the Infernal Inquisition. 
  The dottari police the city streets and investigate all 
  crimes that neither Paralictor Elliendo nor Grand High 
  Priestess Aspexia Rugatonn claims jurisdiction over. 
  While the dottari have a reputation for accepting bribes, 
  Duxotar Ratarion has made it his mission to police his 
  own rather than suffer the humiliation of interference 
  by the Order of the Scourge or the Infernal Inquisition. 
  The dottari also have a reputation for doing little to help 
  the lower classes while turning a blind eye to the crimes 
  of the powerful.
  The Hellknight Order of the Scourge focuses its efforts 
  on corruption and organized crime. What constitutes 
  “organized” depends in part on the personal interest of 
  Paralictor Ivo Elliendo, who often oversteps his mandate 
  to investigate high-profile cases personally. Members of 
  the Order of the Scourge take special pride in arresting 
  those who deem themselves above the law. The Order of 
  the Scourge is headquartered in nearby Citadel Demain. 
  While the Hellknights don’t answer to Queen Abrogail, 
  the throne counts on the order’s cooperation in matters 
  of criminal investigation and civil order. Lictor Toulon 
  Vidoc (LN male human rogue 2/fighter 4/HellknightISWG 7) 
  seldom visits Egorian, entrusting the order’s supervision 
  to the local paralictor.
  While the Infernal Inquisition often acts in concert 
  with agents of House Thrune, it remains independent of 
  the ruling family and serves the Prince of Law first and 
  foremost. Inquisitors focus on crimes against Asmodeus 
  and any subversive activity that undermines the Infernal 
  Compact or Hell’s grip on Cheliax. Ultimately, the 
  Inquisition trumps the Hellknights, who outrank the 
  dottari, but clever officers sometimes find ways to 
  outmaneuver their rivals. 
  The Midnight Temple is the greatest cathedral in all 
  of Cheliax, and Grand High Priestess Rugatonn means 
  to keep it that way. While no Chelaxian is required to 
  worship Asmodeus, it is a capital offense to disparage the 
  official religion. No one advances in public life without 
  at least a modest display of reverence for the Prince of 
  Law. Any hint of worship directed at a devil other than 
  Asmodeus or worse, of any god of chaos, is sure to attract 
  the attention of the Inquisition.
  The worship of Abadar is not only tolerated but 
  almost encouraged, given how highly the regime values 
  commerce and financial stability. And while frowned 
  upon, the worship of Iomedae remains an irrevocable 
  element of national pride, since Cheliax has long claimed 
  the herald of Aroden as its particular saint. 
  65
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  RELATIONS
  As the empire’s capital, Egorian houses permanent 
  diplomats from virtually every nation in the Inner Sea 
  region. The city also sometimes welcomes special envoys 
  from distant Vudra or Tian Xia, occasions heralded with 
  great fanfare and a none-too-subtle message that such 
  visits represent the expansion of imperial influence. 
  In the decades since Abrogail I relocated the capital, 
  residents of Egorian and Westcrown have nurtured 
  an increasing rivalry. Government and mercantile 
  organizations continue to generally cooperate, both to 
  avoid irritating the queen and because their river-bound 
  commerce remains mutually dependent. On the other 
  hand, visiting Wiscrani endure being overcharged by 
  local merchants (who mark up prices for them even more 
  than for halflings and tieflings), targeted by roving street 
  thugs, and pounced on by the local dottari for even the 
  slightest misdemeanor.
  DISTRICTS
  Residents of Egorian identify more strongly with their 
  neighborhoods than with their city as a whole, leading 
  to such stereotypes as “snobby Sorrowsiders,” “mud-
  dull Miresiders,” or “ambitious Hellhounds.” The city’s 
  upper class residents often refer to less refined districts 
  collectively as “Cheapside.” This catch-all designation can 
  include such neighborhoods as Bilgetown, Devil’s Dance, 
  Dice End, Riverside, and Trick Alley districts. Nobility from 
  particularly old or established families might also include 
  such upper-middle-class neighborhoods as Briarpatch, 
  Parley Circle, and Triumph under this pejorative 
  descriptor. The city’s lower classes, for their part, have no 
  such conglomerate name for wealthier districts.
  Aspex Garden: This district on the eastern side of the 
  city contains luxurious shops and vaneos interspersed 
  with dozens of small gardens featuring exquisite 
  fountains and statues, mostly images of great artists 
  and performers. It is also home to Demibaroness Helia 
  Belunne (LG female human paladin of Iomedae 6), who 
  many suspect provides secret support for the Glorious 
  Reclamation. In fact, the paladin, while a devout 
  Iomedaean, is staunchly loyal to Cheliax, and she sees her 
  duty to the people as something to be worked out within 
  the system rather than through violent opposition. 
  Nevertheless, House Thrune has her manor under 
  constant surveillance, and visitors meeting her about 
  other business are likely to pick up their own tails as a 
  result of their association with her.
  Bilgetown: The northern district of Bilgetown is home 
  to prosperous working-class families, including most 
  of the city’s fishers. Nobles from neighboring districts 
  had the more noisome elements of the fishing industry 
  removed to Bridgeside and the Vice, but they love the view 
  of sailing vessels too much to remove the docks. The city’s 
  most frequently breached sewer grates are found here.
  Briarpatch: Residents of this district on the city’s 
  southern edge have tried to adopt the Egorian style of 
  architecture, but can afford only black and red paint and 
  cheap gargoyles and spikes on their roofs. They are among 
  the first to mass in any celebration or demonstration in 
  support of the crown.
  Bridgeside: The northwestern district of Bridgeside, 
  known for its market, gained its name from a now-
  collapsed bridge whose giant pilings serve as anchors for 
  shanties and wharves. Bunyip Dock is notorious as a spot 
  for assignations and the disposal of corpses.
  Devil’s Dance: The southwestern district of Devil’s 
  Dance is popular among diabolists drawn to the 
  pentagram-shaped arrangement of its streets in hopes 
  that it will strengthen their spells. The local taverns are 
  popular among young patriots, and the rooftops are 
  crawling with escaped imps who hide during the day lest 
  they be recaptured or sent back to Hell. They tell each 
  other marvelous stories about distant Korvosa, where 
  imps rule the skies and feast on the city’s abundant 
  house drakes.
  Dice End: This district is full of gambling dens and 
  other iniquitous establishments. The local tipsters can 
  arrange an invitation to underground clubs beyond the 
  watchful eyes of Hellknights. This district also provides 
  the headquarters for two of the more enduring crime 
  gangs, the Lashers (all women except for a few bruisers, 
  and known for blackmail and gambling) and the Bedlam 
  Boys (not exclusively male, and specializing in extortion 
  and kidnapping).
  Five Favors: This northern district is home to many 
  of the city’s finer shops, wine houses, and inns—some of 
  which host Egorian’s upper-class brothels and gambling 
  dens. A gang of burglars known as the Prowlers often 
  squats in unoccupied vaneos, hiding from the servants 
  left behind as a test of its members’ skill.
  Fort Adivian: This largely residential district stands 
  outside Egorian’s walls on the western shore of the 
  Adivian River. The fort itself rises from the shallow 
  waters of Lake Sorrow and houses a garrison of Chelish 
  marines, who patrol the waters of both the lake and the 
  upper reaches of the Adivian River. The soldiers and 
  their families live in the fort’s shadow, but typically cross 
  the river for their entertainment and shopping needs.
  The Grid: The Grid is the informal name for those 
  streets already “corrected” by the royal engineers. Many 
  other names have been proposed, but none have endured. 
  The district’s upper class residents have fled the constant 
  construction, but canny business owners have bought up 
  more properties in the expectation of higher traffic (and 
  thus higher sales) in the future.
  Hellhound Hill: This district, where the wealthiest of 
  the patriotic nobility live near Thrune Manor, rises above 
  the city’s southeastern corner. Thus, “hellhound” has 
  come to mean one who will do anything to win favor with 
  66
  
  the ruling regime. Nonetheless, the region is also home 
  to the Temple of Iomedae, and those who attend services 
  there do so knowing that those in the vaneos they pass on 
  the way to and from services are noting their identities 
  and questioning their loyalty.
  Long Market: This district is home to an eclectic 
  and noisy array of shops and market stalls. Along with 
  Whipcrack, it is also one of the two centers of the city’s 
  slave trade. Long Market has a somewhat undeserved 
  reputation for being a place where one can buy anything. 
  Street performers often make their start here before 
  moving along to more prosperous districts.
  Mireside: This district along Egorian’s southern wall 
  is mildly prosperous but considered unfashionable. 
  “Gone Mireside” means “turned respectable and boring.” 
  It is full of inexpensive playhouses and musical reviews 
  presenting family-oriented material scorned by the more 
  haughty theatrical connoisseurs. 
  Netman’s Rest: This scenic, middle-class district 
  overlooks the Promenade, and earned its name as a home 
  to retired seafarers, though it has been gradually gentrified 
  over the decades. Buskers and painters frequently work 
  these streets.
  Parley Circle: Named for its role as the site of a 
  conciliatory meeting between Lictor DiLavos of the Order 
  of the Thorn and Agahman Thrune after a disastrous 
  previous attempt resulted in a massacre, Parley Circle is 
  one of the city’s up-and-coming neighborhoods. Among 
  the superstitious and the elegant, it is considered an 
  auspicious place to discuss matters before signing a 
  contract or treaty.
  Promenade: The series of docks known as the 
  Promenade holds the “adels” (personal barges) of the 
  nobility. While nothing officially prohibits working boats 
  such as ferries, fishing vessels, and cargo barges from 
  mooring here, the docking fees are exorbitant enough 
  to keep lower-class sailors and stevedores to nearby 
  Cheapside docks. Visitors rent boats or hire local sailors 
  to take them on tours of the surrounding shoreline. 
  Riverside: This western district along the Adivian 
  River includes the most active portion of the waterfront. 
  While the warehouses are well patrolled and guarded, 
  the district remains notorious for robbery and murder. 
  Eel Street is home to the squalid lair of one of the city’s 
  most despicable gangs, the Goatherds. The Goatherds are 
  led by the cursed but charismatic Zandros the Fair, who 
  is known for collecting trophies from those who cannot 
  pay their ends of bargains they strike with the gang.
  The Sewers and Shadow City: While the sewers and 
  Shadow City are not formal districts of Egorian, both 
  harbor surprisingly large populations. The sewers 
  and storm drains have long served as a refuge of last 
  resort for the criminal and indigent populations. A 
  recent infestation of wererats is incorrectly believed 
  to have been exterminated by the dottari. Egorian’s 
  subterranean passages delve much deeper than most 
  imagine and include the headquarters of at least two 
  criminal gangs, the caches of half-a-dozen smugglers, 
  the shrine of at least one demonic cult, the lairs of 
  several bands of escaped slaves, one rapidly growing 
  colony of now-fiendish wererats, and—deep below all 
  of that—an increasingly bold colony of derros. Those 
  seeking to expand the network of secret doors and 
  passages would do well to note the weeping walls and 
  muddy floors that warn of dangerous proximity to the 
  lake and river.
  Sorrowgate and Sorrowside: These districts are 
  collectively known as the Old City because they most 
  closely resemble pre-Thrune Egorian. The Old City 
  holds the largest number of shrines to gods other than 
  Asmodeus. Because it is popular among emissaries from 
  other nations, it also boasts the widest variety of foreign 
  shops and restaurants.
  Southgate: Named for the great gate in the stretch 
  of wall that marks the city’s southern edge, Southgate 
  is a bustling center of overland shipping and holds the 
  homes and businesses of the rising merchant class. The 
  haughty aristocracy consider it embarrassing to be seen 
  there. It is also the hub of message couriers, bounty 
  hunters, and a band of former Gray Maidens known as 
  the Erinyes who now serve Queen Abrogail.
  Suitor’s Cross: This district just south of the Grid 
  gained its name either because of the many inns 
  frequented by petitioners to the court, or else because 
  of its many florists, confectioners, and jewelers. Many 
  jokes in Egorian wine houses concern a cuckold or 
  jilted lover, and the punchline is always “Suitor’s Cross.”
  Thorntown: Located southeast of the Imperial Palace, 
  Thorntown is the iconic wealthy district of Egorian, with 
  gargoyles peering down from a thorny skyline of spires, 
  towers, and minarets. Residents conspicuously display 
  their affluence via private menageries, extravagant 
  carriages, and gated gardens. One of its most prominent 
  residents is Lord Kassar Elazarin (LE male human 
  aristocrat 6), whose burned face terrifies local children 
  and serves as a reminder that one must never mention 
  his disowned son, Velmarius. 
  Thumbtown: Thumbtown is home to many of the 
  city’s skilled crafters, from cobblers to cabinetmakers, 
  pigment grinders to herbalists, and locksmiths to 
  alchemists. A substantial number of freed slaves make 
  their homes here, at last collecting wages for their labor. 
  They have formed their own vigilance committee to 
  protect themselves, as the dottari all too often look the 
  other way.
  Trick Alley: The twists, turns, and tunnels of this 
  Cheapside district are where people find most of 
  Egorian’s brothels, bordellos, and flophouses. The lowest 
  of pickpockets and robbers prey on the poor who cannot 
  afford to live elsewhere.
  67
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  Triumph: Among the most recently defined (and 
  redefined) districts, Triumph is home to the patriotic 
  middle class. The central square, known as Ascension 
  Plaza, features a giant bronze statue of Queen Abrogail 
  I climbing a stairway composed of adoring humans and 
  devils to reach the throne. The district teems with Thrune 
  agents and informers, and for that reason it is common 
  to see whole families evicted from their homes after one 
  or both parents have been taken by the Inquisition.
  The Vice: This district lies outside the city walls and 
  is centered around a repugnant pond full of industrial 
  waste. It was originally intended to be a home to 
  criminals and peddlers of contraband beyond the city 
  proper, but such industries are no longer banished from 
  Egorian. Rather, more noisome businesses like tanneries 
  and butcher shops, deemed too obnoxious to be located 
  within the city, now occupy the handful of buildings that 
  make up this remote neighborhood.
  Whipcrack: The district of Whipcrack, along with 
  Long Market, is one of Egorian’s two centers of the slave 
  trade. It is also home to the Imperial Stadium, where 
  spectacles and blood sports are held. The public houses 
  surrounding the stadium are among the most profitable 
  in the city.
  NOTABLE LOCATIONS
  Egorian is known for a number of famous locations, 
  including the following.
  1. Athenaeum: One of the most prestigious museums 
  in Cheliax, Egorian’s Athenaeum has stood for millennia, 
  and boasts a library of texts collected during Cheliax’s 
  period of expansion known as the Everwar. As part of 
  House Thrune’s efforts to place itself more prominently 
  in Chelish history, records of this site’s founding and 
  independent operation have been redacted, replaced 
  with accounts of House Thrune establishing the archive, 
  overseeing its collection, and gifting it to the people in 
  the wake of the Thrune Ascendancy.
  2. Blackrose Gardens: The place to see and be seen, 
  this garden boasts many topiaries and hedge mazes 
  that provide ample cover for private assignations. The 
  site remains popular despite rumors of invisible spies 
  listening for treasonous whispers or compromising 
  information for blackmail. Common folk are allowed 
  to visit the gardens on only four days of each month; 
  afterward, the custodians spend a full day “restoring” 
  the gravel paths and lawns to aristocratic standards. 
  The garden gained its name when all the rich, red roses 
  within turned black in response to Aroden’s death a 
  century ago. Local herbologists have proposed many 
  times since to investigate the strange occurrence, but 
  the government has adamantly forbidden any official 
  efforts to restore the roses.
  3. Dottari Headquarters: The dottari headquarters is 
  in the Grid, only a block west of Thrune Square, with 
  the city’s prison across the street. Every formal district 
  within the city walls features at least one and as many 
  as three local dottari stations, each housing up to six jail 
  cells. Perhaps the most important officer at each site is 
  the fines clerk who manages the collection and reporting 
  of fines, as well as the distribution of a cut of all bribes 
  to senior officers.
  4. Egorian Academy of the Magical Arts: Unlike the 
  Korvosan Acadamae, the capital’s school of magic does not 
  require students to specialize. Almost half of its students 
  remain generalist wizards, taking pride in their versatility 
  while secretly envying the fame of their colonial rivals. 
  Several of the school’s most prominent instructors are 
  members of House Leroung, renowned for academic 
  achievement in all fields, not only the arcane.
  5. Grand Opera House: Despite pressure from loyalists 
  and three substantial renovations since the Thrune 
  Ascendancy, the Grand Opera House retains its original 
  appearance. Thus, it is the most prominent edifice in 
  Egorian not in the Egorian architectural style. Well-
  dressed visitors can pay a token fee for a tour of the house 
  during the day. Any visitor can pay a somewhat larger fee 
  to the night watchman for a lantern tour focusing on the 
  site’s many historical murders, scandals, and ghosts—a 
  few of whom may be more fact than fiction.
  6. Greensteeples: One of the city’s eldest aristocrats, 
  the half-elven Count Varian Jeggare, resides in one of the 
  oldest remaining vaneos in Sorrowside, an ivy-smothered 
  manor of four stories with an unknown number of secret 
  passages and subterranean levels. On the roof between 
  four tapering steeples stands the famous hothouse in 
  which the half-elven count cultivates exotic flora, some of 
  which are rumored to hold magical properties. The count 
  himself is often absent from the city, pursuing the life of 
  a gentleman adventurer as a member of the Pathfinder 
  Society. At these times, he entrusts Greensteeples to the 
  care of a close relative whose family moves in until the 
  count returns.
  7. Imperial Palace: A city within a city, the royal 
  residence also acts as the seat of government for the 
  nation, archduchy, and Egorian itself. In addition to the 
  queen and her family (whom she monitors closely as 
  much for her convenience as to keep an eye on them), 
  countless bureaucrats, sycophants, and servants occupy 
  the palace day and night. Here more than anywhere 
  else in Cheliax is one most likely to encounter denizens 
  of Hell, from the queen’s advisors (the pit fiend 
  Gorthoklek and the erinyes Contessa Lrilatha) to the 
  menial imps who serve as familiars and messengers for 
  the government’s many agents.
  8. Imperial Stadium: This large arena houses events 
  ranging from gladiatorial combat to pageants displaying 
  the unique cultures of the various nations Cheliax has 
  conquered, fought, or befriended. The most popular 
  events are reenactments of Chelish victories over Taldor, 
  68
  
  69
  Sargava, and other enemy armies—seldom historically 
  accurate, but always spectacular.
  9. Midnight Temple: The center of Asmodeus’s 
  Golarion-bound faith, this pentagram-shaped temple 
  towers prominently over Thrune Square opposite the 
  Imperial Palace. In addition to holding multiple services 
  to the Prince of Lies each day, the temple provides legal 
  services to not only Asmodeus’s faithful but anyone who 
  comes seeking guidance and the support of the law. 
  Grand High Priestess Aspexia Rugatonn, while formally 
  the head of the temple, is generally occupied with political 
  and administrative matters, leaving the daily operation of 
  the cathedral’s business to a highly structured hierarchy 
  of clerics, acolytes, and lay bureaucrats.
  10. Order of the Scourge Garrison: Answering to 
  Lictor Vidoc at Citadel Demain, Paralictor Ivo Elliendo 
  commands the local contingent of Hellknights. Before 
  a family scandal tarnished the paralictor’s reputation, 
  he had free rein over the local Hellknights. These days, 
  he files weekly rather than monthly reports, and the 
  rumor among his subordinates is that Lictor Vidoc 
  has placed spies among their ranks. The Order of the 
  Scourge maintains satellite stations throughout the city, 
  concentrating on the more crime-ridden districts. Most 
  of these are small jails with several interrogation rooms.
  11. Plaza of Flowers: Once known for having cascades 
  of blossoms hanging from its window gardens, 
  this plaza south of Thrune Square along the 
  Imperial Promenade is now 
  home to the Judgment Day 
  ceremonies. Once a month, all 
  laborers are released from their 
  duties for 2 hours so that they can 
  witness the torment and execution 
  of those convicted of and unable to 
  bribe themselves out of charges 
  of sedition, forgery, breach of 
  contract, and all manner of 
  violent and property crimes. 
  While the implements of punishment—
  gallows; the giant-sized, two-pronged “tines” 
  upon which criminals are skewered; and 
  other torture devices—can be 
  broken down and removed 
  from the plaza when not 
  needed, they stand more often than 
  they are absent. The screaming convicts 
  and crow-picked corpses adorning 
  their spikes say much about the 
  current political climate in 
  the city.
  12. 
  Thrune 
  Manor: 
  Larger than any residence but the 
  Imperial Palace, the ruling family’s 
  vaneo houses more than half-a-dozen 
  branches of the family tree, each on its own floor of a 
  different wing. The rest of the spacious manor includes 
  multiple ballrooms, salons, summoning chambers, 
  proving grounds for those blessed or cursed with sorcery, 
  and forbidden vaults reserved for infernal allies.
  13. Thrune Square: The greatest of Egorian’s many 
  plazas, Thrune Square is the 20-acre open area lying at 
  the intersection of the Prospects, four great boulevards 
  extending in the cardinal directions. The most notable 
  landmarks of this vast public square are the Imperial 
  Palace to the east and the Midnight Temple to the 
  northwest. Like in most of the city’s plazas, statues of 
  military heroes and prominent members of House 
  Thrune decorate the space. While the Chelish government 
  holds executions and excruciations in the Plaza of 
  Flowers, the Church of Asmodeus deals publicly with 
  heretics and blasphemers in Thrune Square, before the 
  towering spires of the Midnight Temple. Eight 
  times daily, the Infernal Guard perform a 
  grandiose changing of the guard, meant to 
  prevent fatigue, and make a show of force 
  in the city’s heart.
  14. University of Egorian: Even 
  before the Thrune Ascendancy, the 
  city’s college of law was the most 
  prominent at the university. The colleges 
  of arts and letters are almost as 
  popular and famous for the 
  many composers, poets, and 
  historians they produce—
  the latter including both 
  the 
  officially 
  sanctioned 
  lackeys who serve the crown 
  and those rebels who publish 
  accurate accounts of Chelish 
  history—preferably after establishing 
  themselves as expatriates in countries 
  without extradition treaties.
  ASPEXIA RUGATONN
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  70
  THE
  BELLFLOWER NETWORK
  W
  e kept to the rows until about three hours past midnight. The clouds let 
  up just about then, and we caught a flash of moonlight off the Hellknights 
  on our trail. We’d been able to hear their armor for hours, but that break told 
  us there were four in all. Amilee split off into the brush while Nico scrabbled up 
  the hill. I kept our crop skirting the edge of the bog. Hardest thing in the world 
  is keeping a cornered soul from panicking, but they did good.
  “Nico’s rockslide broke their horses’ legs. They came at us, not thinking how 
  much more a person in plate mail weighs than a half-dozen starved slips. Three 
  of them sank into the peat before they could scream. Fourth managed to get a 
  shout off before Amilee starting putting arrows through her visor.
  “We ate horse that night. First hot meal any of us had in a week, and damn if 
  it didn’t taste better than any Corentyn caviar.”
  —Tiller Meava Milk
  
  C
  onsidered property more than people and 
  forever marked by their stature as a secondary 
  class, halflings live difficult lives in Cheliax. 
  Even those not officially chained to a yoke or kitchen 
  stove still carry a heavy burden, forever aware that their 
  people are servants, not leaders, and that one misplaced 
  scrap of paperwork could mean a lifetime of servitude 
  for themselves or their children. Some accept their lives 
  and make do as best they can, hoping to spare themselves 
  and those they care for from the master’s lash. 
  Others run.
  Alone, in families, in groups, they run. Though the 
  area has been inhabitated for thousands of years, much 
  of Cheliax remains wild and untamed, without signs or 
  roads to guide refugees. Those who flee oppression may 
  wander for months, or succumb to predators, starvation, 
  or simply a freezing night. Those who do survive the 
  wilderness face a far greater threat in the form of bounty 
  hunters, Hellknights, and even desperate peasants 
  hungry for a few gold pieces.
  The Bellflower Network is a guiding hand for those 
  halflings with the courage to flee imperial Cheliax, but 
  who lack the knowledge or skills to do so alone. Its 
  guardians and guides risk their own lives and freedom 
  to ferry others from the infernal empire. They mark 
  roads no tallfolk know and lead refugees through the 
  black of night, warding against nature’s dangers and 
  slaying the humans and devils that nip at their heels. 
  Their lives lack the comforts of home and hearth that 
  halflings so treasure, but they offer those same blessings 
  to thousands more.
  HISTORY
  Halflings have stood in humanity’s shadow as long as 
  both races have populated Avistan; for much of this time, 
  they have acted as assistants, servants, and slaves, with 
  the halfling desire for comfort and prosperity proving a 
  useful companion to human ambition. Taldor, and later 
  Cheliax, flourished in part thanks to legions of halflings 
  tending the fields, managing households, and accounting 
  for every coin. Prior to the Chelish Civil War, halflings 
  enjoyed a humble but valued existence alongside taller 
  humanoids—most of the empire’s small folk proudly 
  found employment as butlers, cooks, maids, and artisans. 
  With halflings widely believed to be frailer and weaker 
  than humans, and consequently unable to survive in a 
  prison environment, any halfling criminals and debtors 
  were instead punished by enslavement to those they 
  wronged. But in those simpler times, the families and 
  children of the enslaved, or of those who sold themselves 
  into slavery, remained free to find their own ways in life.
  With the rise of House Thrune and its diabolical 
  patrons, contracts and laws became far more restrictive, 
  and children quickly found themselves accountable for 
  their parents’ crimes and debts. House Thrune took 
  advantage of the post-war chaos to label halfling rabble-
  rousers and servants of rival families as escaped slaves, 
  placing formerly free citizens in bondage as the war 
  drew to a close. For more severe crimes—most notably 
  sedition—and large enough debts, parents’ sentences 
  passed to their children upon the parents’ deaths. Within 
  a generation, these radical changes became accepted fact. 
  Just as human veterans of the war began to feel the creak 
  of age, free halflings found themselves living in a nation 
  that required constant and well-documented proof that 
  they belonged to no one but themselves.
  The same tumultuous times that tightened the chains 
  around Cheliax’s halfling population also heralded 
  the first organized resistance to that enslavement: 
  the Bellflower Network. While many halfling secret 
  societies formed in the war to help slaves escape or to 
  funnel intelligence to whichever faction in the conflict 
  they supported, the Bellflower Network itself traces its 
  origins to the Bellflower Mutiny. Three days out of port, 
  the trading carrack Bellflower was set upon by the naval 
  forces of Oriah Bromathan—one of the many claimants 
  to Cheliax’s throne—who pressed the ship and its 
  halfling slave crew into service. Accustomed to a gentler 
  hand from their master, Eligio Zetrus, the crew resented 
  military service. After an overseer beat one of their 
  number to death for insubordination, the remaining 
  crew mutinied, tarring and burning their overseer 
  before throwing him overboard. The Bromathan forces 
  responded by firing on the Bellflower, setting it and its 
  alchemical cargo alight and scuttling the tiny ship. 
  Only nine of the Bellflower’s halfling crew survived, 
  pulling their former master into a longboat alongside 
  them and rowing for open waters, never to be seen 
  again. Bards in Corentyn witnessed the sinking on the 
  horizon and captured a sensational version of the event 
  in a ballad that described the mercy and rewards of 
  treating servants kindly. “The Ballad of the Bellflower,” 
  ironically, remained especially popular among Thrune 
  troops as they clashed with Bromathan’s own dwindling 
  forces the following year.
  What the songwriters never recorded was that the 
  survivors of the Bellflower finally reached Rahadoum’s 
  coast 5 days later. While adrift, the circle concluded they 
  should have died that gruesome day and that each new 
  day’s survival existed solely to defy anyone who would 
  claim them as property. A week under the sun led to long 
  confessions and gossip; by the time they arrived at solid 
  ground, the Bellflower survivors came to realize that their 
  collected knowledge could ruin entire noble estates—or 
  be used to guide their loved ones to freedom. Brandy 
  Whitewell—a debt-riddled sharecropper who had sold 
  herself into service to buy a future for her children—
  took the job of coordinating. Dubbed “The Farmer,” her 
  parlance and homespun wisdom eventually became the 
  guiding philosophy of their secret society. 
  71
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  to flourish, and the Bellflower Network prides itself on 
  waiting for the perfect moments to plant its seeds.
  In bondage, many halflings find solace in their faith, 
  and the Bellflower Network embraces many religions. 
  Strong ties bind members to the church of Cayden Cailean 
  in Cheliax, though the church’s precarious position under 
  the gaze of Asmodeans prevents any formal alliance. 
  Temples in Cheliax offer no overt support, but the larger 
  church invests time and resources campaigning for 
  abolition. Meanwhile, individual Caydenites offer what 
  resources they can in the way of food, coin, and healing, 
  and many clerics of the Drunken God also help operate 
  “barns”—secret locations where escaped slaves stop to rest 
  and resupply. The network also works with cults of Desna 
  and Milani within Cheliax, trading intelligence for access 
  to those hidden locations and smugglers both cults rely 
  upon for operations. Many halflings freed by the Bellflower 
  Network eventually find their way to the Everbloom’s 
  faith and continue to undermine Thrune rule. Members 
  of a more violent faction within the network, referred 
  to politely as the Irrigators, worship Norgorber’s Father 
  Skinsaw aspect and specialize in quiet assassinations of 
  slavers, slave-masters, and bounty hunters.
  The Bellflower Network prefers to recruit agents with 
  a blend of altruism and pessimism, who possess a desire 
  to help tempered by a tendency to prepare for the worst. 
  Aphorisms
  While the Bellflower Network’s clandestine nature 
  prevents any formal code of conduct from taking root, 
  its members use a few aphorisms, both to identify one 
  another and to remind themselves of their true strengths.
  A Few Today, a Few Tomorrow: Freeing the whole slave 
  stock of Cheliax—millions, all told—is an overwhelming 
  goal; however, carving a passage through a mountain is 
  a seemingly impossible task that even a humble stream 
  manages with time. No one person can save everyone, 
  but a helping hand can save a single soul who would 
  otherwise die with a chain around her neck. All Bellflower 
  agents must adopt a simple philosophy of patience and 
  safety, contenting themselves with any victory, no matter 
  how small.
  Nothing but Sweat and Seed and Soil: As an outgrowth 
  of its practicality, the Bellflower Network relies on 
  nonmagical 
  alternatives 
  whenever 
  possible. 
  Many 
  shun magic as too expensive to learn or use reliably, or 
  argue that carrying material components makes them 
  immediately suspicious to authorities. Others avoid 
  spells and magic items because so many of the Bellflower 
  Network’s enemies—especially Hellknights and the 
  church of Asmodeus—are well-versed in arcane and 
  divine magic, and can spot a magical disguise more readily 
  than a mundane one. Bellflower agents use this phrase to 
  alert others that someone in the area is on the lookout for 
  magic auras or stopping spellcasters for questioning.
  Eligio Zetrus eventually returned to Cheliax, as 
  did most of the other survivors, and used his family’s 
  merchant connections to sniff out any freedom 
  sympathizers. Many of those original family and friends 
  liberated by the Bellflower survivors chose to contribute 
  as well, gambling their newfound freedom to wrest more 
  of their kind from Cheliax’s grip. Over time, dozens of 
  independent smugglers and saboteurs working to free 
  the nation’s halflings allied—knowingly or not—into an 
  ever-expanding collective. Secret tunnels, bunkers, and 
  entire estates that passed from human memory in the war 
  became the backbone of their unseen operation. Within 
  a generation, the Bellflower Network had developed into 
  its modern form—thousands of hands each carrying the 
  burden of freedom a few steps forward at a time.
  CODES AND PHILOSOPHIES
  The Bellflower Network is the work of farmhands and 
  servants, and that background shines in the organization’s 
  core principles of patience and observation. To the halfling 
  eye, the world is overlarge, and humans—though bigger 
  and stronger—often underestimate a halfling’s capability 
  or even her physical presence. A tiller has no need to steal 
  the key ring from an estate’s master when the fool hands 
  it to his halfling servant to retire each night, and a fleeing 
  crop don’t need to fight their way past guards when they 
  can simply wait for a holiday and walk out in plain view of 
  a dozen human overseers too drunk to register their flight. 
  Human arrogance provides rich soil for halfling freedom 
  BELLFLOWER TERMINOLOGY
  Bellflower Network agents use farming euphemisms 
  as code words to discuss their activities without fear of 
  being overheard. Below are several examples.
  Barn: A secret hideout, such as a house, business, or 
  actual barn, where slaves are hidden during the day.
  Crop: A group of slaves being escorted to freedom.
  Farm: A place where slaves are held against their will, 
  such as a Chelish nobleman’s estate.
  The Farmer: The leader of the Bellflower Network.
  Grazing: Observing a location where slaves are held.
  Hand: One who tends a safe house.
  Harvest Moon: The best time to travel—namely, at 
  night. Also describes the night a slave begins his 
  journey to freedom.
  Harvester: One who frees slaves and sets them on the 
  road to freedom.
  Irrigating: Killing a slaver or slave owner.
  Plucking: Freeing a slave.
  Row: A path from one secret hideout to the next.
  Sowing: Transporting slaves along a “row.”
  Tiller: One who escorts slaves between secret hideouts.
  72
  
  You’re Born to This Land: Each Bellflower agent is 
  only a small piece of a larger struggle, but that does not 
  diminish anyone’s importance. Instead, these limitations 
  allow each individual to flourish and master their unique 
  role. A tiller may know only 50 miles of road, but she 
  knows its every gully, every hidden glade, and every patch 
  of wild fruit along that trail. A human hand may never 
  learn the names of those he aids or travel beyond his 
  holding and the secret basement it offers as a refuge, but 
  he knows how others always approach his property, and 
  how to move between outbuildings unseen. Such limited 
  knowledge offers everyone a chance at excellence, as well 
  as safety—individual agents are nearly worthless in the 
  eyes of the law, making them less likely to be targeted or 
  harassed for suspected involvement.
  STRUCTURE
  While wealthier and larger anti-slaving operations have 
  collapsed, the Bellflower Network endures, due almost 
  entirely to its piecemeal structure. With few exceptions, 
  no one member of the network knows much beyond 
  her own job. A hand maintains a single safe house, and 
  knows how to point escapees on to the next haven. A 
  tiller knows a short leg of the route out of Cheliax and 
  her contacts at either end. Members rarely know 
  more than a handful of other agents by name, and 
  most identify themselves only with a telltale blue 
  blossom stitched somewhere on 
  their clothes, mounted on 
  a lapel, or worn in the 
  hair. While inefficient, 
  this system prevents any 
  one Network agent—or spies who 
  penetrate it—from doing much harm. 
  A traitor may compromise a single 
  barn or a handful of runaway slaves, 
  but other tillers simply change 
  their routes to circle whatever 
  obstacles appear. When the network 
  has a thousand hearts, no one loss 
  can end it.
  Most “pluckings”—slave-freeing 
  operations—begin with a Bellflower 
  agent gaining access to a new estate 
  or work camp, often by posing 
  as a slave herself. This harvester 
  may spend weeks or months 
  learning the local terrain and 
  scrutinizing slaves and servants 
  for sympathetic ears and needful 
  hearts. On moonless nights, 
  she points the desperate into 
  the hills, where a tiller waits 
  to guide them through the 
  darkness. One harvester 
  may remain in place for years, helping a few slaves each 
  month—perhaps even slyly gaining a master’s trust as all 
  his other slaves betray him. 
  Once beyond an estate’s walls, tillers guide their crop 
  of escaped slaves across the countryside, traveling only by 
  darkness and navigating unmarked, circuitous routes to 
  confuse any pursuers. Other times, they travel disguised 
  as children or the elderly alongside trusted human 
  agents, or pose as local slaves. Many nights are spent cold 
  in the wilderness—fires may attract attention and tents 
  slow an escape—but safe houses dot every tiller’s route. 
  Called “barns” within the organization, these safe houses 
  offer a vital place to rest, restock, and recover strength, 
  and the almost exclusively human hands there can offer 
  some small comforts before the refugees move on.
  While the Bellflower Network primarily operates 
  in isolated cells, a few, rare members are involved in 
  the entirety of the organization. The agents known 
  as “bluebirds” serve as messengers and spies, and are 
  responsible for coordinating dozens of harvesters, tillers, 
  and hands in a region, especially to plan large events. 
  Those called “scarecrows” are mostly unaware of other 
  members, but form small, tight-knit groups to spread 
  misinformation and confront slave-hunters. Standing 
  above it all, the Farmer coordinates the 
  entirety of the Bellflower Network as best as 
  anyone can. Many halflings have held the 
  title over the past 80 years; it’s currently 
  held by a pair of twins, Magdelena (CG 
  female halfling rogue 7/master spyAPG 6) 
  and Martum Fallows (CG male halfling 
  rogue  5/Bellflower tiller 8; Pathfinder 
  Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige 10). 
  Rescued by the previous Farmer over 
  10 years ago, the pair were raised from 
  childhood learning the ins and outs 
  of the Bellflower Network, the Eagle 
  Knights, and a half-dozen charities 
  and criminal cartels across the empire. 
  The siblings take turns appearing as the 
  legendary leader, or else hire actors to 
  play the role while they pose as guards 
  or advisors, contributing to the rotating 
  accounts of the Farmer’s appearance 
  and disposition.
  OPERATIONS
  The Bellflower Network focuses most 
  heavily on the nation that birthed it, 
  aiming to safely transport its crops 
  beyond Cheliax’s border by any means. In 
  eastern Cheliax, most risk crossing 
  the heavily guarded Andoren border, 
  often dodging Chelish patrols thanks 
  to bribes paid to sympathetic soldiers. 
  73
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  In western Cheliax, the Bellflower Network instead 
  works alongside many criminal organizations, aiding 
  any smugglers willing to carry halflings to Rahadoum, 
  Varisia, or the Isle of Kortos. Reflecting their distinct 
  backgrounds, the network’s agents in eastern Cheliax 
  tend to be far more idealistic and optimistic, and those 
  in western Cheliax more suspicious and savvy.
  Despite its reputation as a rural organization, the 
  Bellflower Network is deeply entrenched in every Chelish 
  city. Members still focus on freeing those enslaved, but 
  their operations rely more on conventional criminal 
  techniques than daring overland journeys. Indeed, many 
  halfling criminals in Cheliax work double-duty for the 
  Bellflower Network, pulling slaves—willing or not—to 
  freedom as they rob or assassinate their masters. While 
  urban activities attract more attention, they also appear 
  less organized—a robbed or murdered merchant with 
  an absentee slave looks more like the handiwork of one 
  halfling gone bad than the activities of a secret society. 
  Bluebirds are more plentiful in urban cells, while tillers 
  are rarer; the halflings rescued often remain in their 
  city for months or years, hiding in safe houses or under 
  assumed identities while they wait for a merchant or 
  sailor willing to ferry them beyond Cheliax’s reach.
  No corner of Cheliax goes untouched by the Bellflower 
  Network, but the organization’s reach extends far beyond 
  the Imperial borders as well. Its agents operate heavily along 
  Andoran’s western border and in port cities of Rahadoum 
  and Varisia to welcome refugees arriving from Cheliax. This 
  close association has become a point of political contention 
  in Andoran—while Andorens generally support freedom, 
  the Bellflower Network’s reliance on Andoran as a safe 
  haven steadily deteriorates relations with Cheliax along the 
  already-militarized border. To make matters worse, decades 
  of cheap immigrant labor have overwhelmed communities 
  along Andoran’s western border, fanning an undercurrent 
  of anti-halfling sentiment. Today, the Bellflower Network 
  scrambles to make inroads deeper into these nations, and 
  establish contact with farther-flung locations like Absalom 
  and Ustalav.
  HEADQUARTERS
  The Bellflower Network takes root wherever it finds a 
  crack. Within Cheliax, members meet by night in forest 
  clearings or dirty basements. They rarely rely on easily 
  compromised and expensive permanent structures, 
  instead taking advantage of whatever humans forget 
  or leave behind. Abroad in Andoran and Varisia, they 
  operate halfway houses and communes to help runaways 
  find their feet. 
  A typical Bellflower barn is either concealed or remote, 
  and—despite the name—may be rural or urban. The 
  halflings of the network prefer humble locations for their 
  safe houses over any degree of comfort. An old cistern 
  below a well makes a nearly impregnable rest stop, while 
  a pig shed behind a nondescript farmhouse offers a wide 
  view and a dozen ways to escape should slave-catchers 
  pick up the trail.
  The exception to the network’s emphasis on mobility 
  are a handful of dug-in isolationist compounds. Built from 
  ruins lost in the Chelish Civil War or ancient dungeon 
  complexes, these locations house small communities of 
  halflings dwelling apart from the world until conditions 
  improve. These “cellars” offer refuge to Bellflower agents 
  too infamous to cross the borders or too stubborn to leave 
  their nation entirely, and allow the network to stockpile 
  resources when they uncover treasure troves or receive 
  large donations. The largest of these, the Warren, extends 
  deep below Mount Emihym near the Nidalese border. 
  Carved millennia ago by Kellid hands, the Warren is a maze 
  of tunnels and large chambers once used as a redoubt by 
  refugees fleeing Taldor’s exploring armies. Halflings from 
  the Warren still periodically uncover hidden passages and 
  concealed chambers in their new home, and occasionally 
  stumble upon secrets best left forgotten.
  MEMBERSHIP
  For a secretive organization, the Bellflower Network 
  eagerly recruits new members, especially among the 
  slaves its agents liberate. Unsurprisingly, halflings make 
  up the bulk of the group, but almost anyone freed from 
  shackles is welcomed without question; the network even 
  features a handful of awakened animals and formerly 
  bound outsiders among its numbers. No one begins 
  his tenure knowing more than a short strip of land 
  or a single safe house, but those members who prove 
  themselves competent and trustworthy eventually earn 
  the deference of other members while gradually learning 
  of the organization’s local operatives and resources.
  Agents not rescued from slavery—mostly humans—
  are recruited from behind a veil of anonymity. Half-
  elves, half-orcs, and even elves are sometimes welcomed 
  as tillers, but human and tiefling tillers remain all 
  but unheard of. The majority of the network’s non-
  halfling agents never walk the rows themselves, 
  instead maintaining their public lives while acting 
  as the organization’s eyes and ears. This creates some 
  resentment among human agents, who feel halflings’ 
  preferred status is unfair and undermines their own 
  commitment to the cause, but ultimately most escaped 
  halflings distrust human tillers, and are more likely to 
  strike out alone than risk their freedom with the same 
  people who shackled them.
  The Bellflower Network is not completely without 
  sympathy for or interest in human agents. They work 
  frequently with the human-dominated Eagle Knights, 
  and most hail from human-dominated communities, and 
  so they lack the bitter malice many outsiders attribute to 
  them. Human agents prove invaluable for penetrating 
  Chelish bureaucracy and moving unnoticed among the 
  74
  
  network’s enemies. The Bellflower’s intelligence arm 
  especially benefits from human agents, and for high-
  profile or dangerous missions, such as daring rescues or 
  the elimination of persistent enemies. The organization 
  vastly prefers naming humans and other non-halflings 
  as scarecrows to help divert some of the suspicion away 
  from their vulnerable tillers.
  NEW ITEMS
  While Bellflower Network agents generally shun the use 
  of magic, fearing it might make them stand out as beacons 
  to investigators, they embrace many alchemical tricks to 
  conceal their operations and agents. In addition to the 
  items listed below, the Bellflower Network makes frequent 
  use of the following items from Pathfinder RPG Ultimate 
  Equipment in their operations: blackfire clay, defoliant, 
  ghast retch flasks, invisible ink, liquid blade, rusting 
  powder, scent cloak, smoke pellets, and vermin repellent.
  APPLECHEEK
  PRICE 10 GP
  WEIGHT 1 lb. 
  This sticky-sweet syrup is distilled from ivy and rabbit musk, 
  and causes a mild allergic reaction in halflings. The slight 
  swelling—especially in the face—and mild redness it induces 
  makes the face seem younger, granting a halfling who drinks 
  a dose of applecheek a +2 alchemical bonus on any Disguise 
  skill checks made to look like a human, elven, or half-elven 
  child. Crafting a dose of applecheek requires a successful DC 15 
  Craft (alchemy) check.
  BONIFACE PAINT
  PRICE 15 GP
  WEIGHT 5 lbs. 
  This thick whitewash is laced with exotic oils, and dries to a 
  lovely finish run through with subtle swirls. Difficult to notice, 
  these patterns help obscure seams and details 
  in whatever the paint coats; the Perception 
  DC to find a secret door or hidden 
  compartment on a surface covered 
  in boniface paint increases by 5. 
  One bucket of boniface paint covers 
  up to a 10-foot-by-10-foot area, 
  and its concealing effects last for 1 
  year. Crafting a bucket of boniface 
  paint requires a successful DC 20 Craft 
  (alchemy) check.
  COOKING POWDER
  PRICE 2 GP
  WEIGHT 1 lb. 
  By boiling certain seeds with handfuls of rust, halfling alchemists 
  create these red flakes, which smolder slowly when touched 
  by a spark or flame. If sprinkled over food and lit, a handful 
  of cooking powder can cook meat or vegetables in 20 minutes 
  without light or significant heat, though it lends a metallic flavor 
  to any foods. If held to a living creature’s flesh, smoldering 
  cooking powder deals 1 point of fire damage per minute for 20 
  minutes. One jar of cooking powder is enough to cook up to 5 
  pounds of food in 1-pound increments. Crafting a jar of cooking 
  powder requires a successful DC 15 Craft (alchemy) check.
  FOOL’S GLOW
  PRICE 45 GP
  WEIGHT 1 lb. 
  A greasy paste of beeswax, pyrite, and various monster fluids, 
  fool’s glow reacts with light to confuse magical senses. For 12 
  hours after being smeared over an object or creature (a process 
  requiring 1 minute), the fool’s glow detects as faintly magical 
  if examined with a detect magic or arcane sight spell, though 
  no school or specific spell can be identified. With a successful 
  DC 21 Craft (alchemy) or Spellcraft check, a character identifies 
  the coating for what it is. A single jar of fool’s glow can coat one 
  Medium, two Small, or four Tiny or smaller objects. Crafting a jar 
  of fool’s glow requires a successful DC 20 Craft (alchemy) check.
  HOUNDBANE DUST
  PRICE 75 GP
  WEIGHT 3 lbs. 
  A blend of finely ground plaster, burning spices, and insect 
  secretions, houndbane dust deters tracking animals. A single 
  pouch can be spread over a 5-foot area as a standard action. 
  For 24 hours thereafter, any creature with the scent ability that 
  enters that square takes 1d2 points of damage and loses its 
  sense of smell for 24 hours. Creatures that succeed at a DC 15 
  Fortitude saving throw take no damage and lose their sense 
  of smell for only 3d6 minutes. 
  Crafting a pouch of houndbane 
  dust 
  requires 
  a 
  successful DC 25 Craft 
  (alchemy) check.
  SPARKLE SMOKE
  PRICE 25 GP
  WEIGHT 1 lb. 
  When inhaled, this incense causes creatures to see dazzling 
  auras around light sources, drawing their attention to the 
  moon or stars and away from nearby distractions. Any creature 
  inhaling sparkle smoke that fails a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw 
  takes a –4 penalty on Perception checks to notice creatures 
  smaller then itself for 1 hour. Crafting a dose of sparkle smoke 
  requires a successful DC 15 Craft (alchemy) check.
  TILLER’S GUM
  PRICE 50 GP
  WEIGHT — 
  This small stick of minty gum has alchemical properties that 
  allow it to soak up magical energy and release it when the 
  gum is chewed. As a standard action, a stick of tiller’s gum 
  can be imbued with a touch spell, as if it were the target of 
  the spell. The gum holds the charge for 1 hour, during which 
  time, a creature capable of casting the stored spell can chew 
  the gum as a standard action to regain the spell’s effects, as 
  though holding the spell’s charge. All variables determined by 
  the caster’s level use the lower of the original caster’s level 
  or the chewing caster’s level. Crafting a stick of tiller’s gum 
  requires a successful DC 20 Craft (alchemy) check.
  75
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  I leaped aside as the flames roared toward me. In blind 
  haste, I lost my balance and tried to roll through. My 
  right ankle crackled as I fell. My shoulder struck 
  the road’s packed earth, and another snap 
  sounded loud; flares of pain shot down my 
  arm.
  Hollering, I clutched the limb as it went 
  numb.
  “Master Atrius!” Khem cried.
  I groaned, trying not to writhe like a 
  beetle on its back.
  The devilborn’s laughter burned 
  as much as her spell had threatened.
  “My, my. Despite your courtly 
  manners, it seems you have no 
  appreciation for Lady Ebela’s 
  advances.”
  I blinked tears of pain 
  out of my eyes as three 
  people emerged from the 
  thick woods behind the 
  devilborn—two scruffy men 
  and a scarred woman, 
  wearing leather armor and 
  wielding swords and daggers.
  Ebela swept her hands out, indicating her helpers. 
  “More manners are needed. Shall I teach you the proper 
  way to dance?”
  Jevlia’s soft voice reached my ears. “Atrius, get up. 
  Help us.”
  I met Jevlia’s eyes briefly, seeing wary concern in them. 
  To the side, Khem still squatted in the cart, gripping the 
  sides with gnarled hands. He looked both terrified and 
  focused, mouthing silently to himself. Likely trying to 
  conjure another spell. I couldn’t make myself believe 
  he’d be any more successful than last time.
  Even with Jevlia’s skill, I doubted the fight could be 
  won. Not with me wounded before I could land a blow. 
  Not with me trembling so. Not now. Please, not now.
  Back in Khem’s shop, I’d been foolish enough to fight 
  because I thought I’d held the advantage, if a temporary 
  one. And there’d been only one way out then. This forest 
  offered plenty of escape routes.
  Screams echoed in my memories. Ebela must’ve 
  sensed my distress, for she grinned cruelly and took a 
  step closer.
  Bracing my good arm, I lurched to my knees. Then I 
  made myself disappear. Ebela’s companions shouted to 
  each other, looking every which way as they fanned out. 
  I stumbled to my feet and dashed for cover. A flash of 
  light and another spew of smoke indicated a flame 
  hitting the ground where I’d just been.
  Trying to control my huffs, I ducked behind 
  a tree. The corners of my vision flickered red, 
  as if blood seeped into my eyes. I squeezed 
  them shut. I only had so much time before 
  my little trick wore off and revealed me 
  again, but I remained rooted, torn between 
  the terror of dying and horror at abandoning 
  my friends.
  At last, I dared to peek back around 
  the trunk. Ebela’s thugs clustered 
  around her while still casting looks 
  about for me.
  Jevlia took up a stance before the 
  cart, shielding Khem with her body. She 
  held her hands with palms 
  up in front of her face, 
  curled as if beckoning her 
  foes.
  At 
  a 
  gesture 
  from 
  Ebela, they rushed Jevlia 
  from three directions at 
  once. She swept into motion. While she’d taken Garrol 
  and Ewitt handily enough, she’d had surprise and their 
  bumbling skills to her advantage. These three harried 
  her slightly better. Oh, she made them stumble and flail 
  in turn, beautifully enough. Yet she couldn’t focus on one 
  quite long enough to drop them. They edged her away 
  from the cart
  As Jevlia fought, the devilborn stalked toward Khem, 
  who remained within the wagon. 
  “Your friend has abandoned you,” she said. “Now, 
  a lady never gets blood on her hands, but it would be 
  rude of me to leave you unattended. Whatever shall I 
  do with you?”
  She drew a tiny silver blade from her belt. With a flick 
  of her hand, it floated into the air and bobbed beside 
  her head, pointed at Khem. He pressed back against the 
  opposite side of the cart.
  Yet my eyes locked on her belt. A pair of silk pouches 
  dangled from it, such teasing targets for anyone with a 
  pilfering habit. I’d eyed enough purses to gauge what 
  they held in a glance. One sat heavy with coin, most likely 
  a handful of gold and silver. The other had a small lump, 
  yet hung lightly.
  Items for her spellcasting? Perhaps. But I dared to 
  hope otherwise.
  THE SCORPION’S STING
  Pathfinder’s Journal: Cowards and Crows 4 of 6
  Ebela follows Drayven’s orders, 
  attempting to retrieve the amulet for 
  him. A sadistic devotee of Asmodeus 
  and the powers of Hell, she 
  possesses a fiery tongue. Literally. 
  76
  
  I crept up behind Ebela as quickly as I could, ignoring 
  the spasms of my ankle with each step. She made her 
  blade weave through the air, giggling at Khem’s fear. 
  With a nimble twist, I opened the pouch and slipped 
  my hand inside. I drew out Khem’s medallion on its 
  crimson cord—just as my body reappeared. 
  Ebela glanced back. Her eyes widened right 
  before I slammed my forehead into her 
  temple. She screamed and, clutching her 
  head with one hand, lashed out at me with 
  the other. Her dagger sped at me. I dodged 
  and ducked just enough for it to merely 
  slash a cheek. Even as I stumbled, I tossed 
  the amulet to Khem.
  “Boy! Catch!”
  He made a clumsy swipe, but 
  somehow snagged the amulet 
  before it fell out of reach.
  The dagger swooped at me 
  again. I held my good hand up and 
  let it take me through the 
  palm, biting my tongue 
  to hold back a scream. 
  I 
  clutched 
  the 
  blade, 
  teeth gritted as I fought 
  whatever invisible force 
  animated the weapon.
  Ebela screeched at me. 
  “Fool. I’ll carve out your heart and drink your blood. 
  I’ll—” Then she noticed Khem and realized what I’d 
  done. A ball of flame appeared above one of her hands. 
  “No!”
  Khem slipped the amulet’s cord back around his neck. 
  The devilborn lunged for him, only to be knocked back 
  as white light once more exploded from his body. The 
  transformation only took a moment this time. He stood 
  in the cart, almost regal despite his dusty robe.
  In the blinding flash, Jevlia had downed two of her 
  opponents. The third—the other woman—threw savage 
  blows at the monk. Jevlia side-stepped a swipe, caught 
  the woman’s arm, and curled it around so the blade 
  slammed back into the attacker’s own chest.
  The other woman froze, stunned. She slumped to her 
  knees, gripping the hilt. Jevlia let her fall as she eyed me 
  across the way, expression indefinable.
  Then Ebela rose between us. She pointed at Khem, 
  hand and voice quivering with rage.
  “That doesn’t belong to you. It is my master’s.”
  Khem clutched the amulet. “My mother may have 
  damned herself to find this and my dearest friend may 
  have died to send it to me. If you think I’m going to let 
  you steal it, then you can burn in your own flames.”
  The devilborn snarled and started making arcane 
  gestures.
  Khem lifted a hand. “No.”
  He uttered a word I couldn’t understand and made a 
  precise angling of his fingers. A ghostly spiked sphere 
  winked into existence before him and flew at Ebela. She 
  flung her arms up at the last second. The orb, however, 
  shot into her stomach and rammed her to the ground. 
  The devilborn lay flat, but breathing. Spikes had 
  gouged her pretty dress and blood seeped through the 
  silk. I edged closer to make sure she wouldn’t 
  cause any more trouble.
  With a ragged gasp, Ebela sat up and 
  glared at Khem. She hissed through 
  her teeth.
  “You think that pathetic spell can 
  stop me? I, who have studied at the feet 
  of fiends and mastered the five-sided 
  flame? I, who—” 
  “Do shut up, m’lady,” I said.
  She snapped her head my way. 
  Shock flashed over her face just 
  before I backhanded her in the neck. 
  Her own blade, having 
  punched through my hand, 
  slashed her throat open.
  She collapsed, gurgling, 
  kicking, and clutching her 
  neck. Her body stilled in 
  moments.
  Khem 
  stared 
  at 
  me. 
  Stunned at the suddenness of her death or horrified at 
  my causing it? For one who saw his own death rapidly 
  approaching every time he looked in a mirror, I would’ve 
  thought him a bit more inured to our mortality. 
  “You’re,” he licked his lips, “you’re hurt.”
  I raised my pierced hand, which dripped blood. The 
  world wobbled a bit. I heard my own chuckle as if from 
  a great distance. “This? Oh, I suffered far worse during 
  my time as—” 
  That’s when I blacked out.
  I woke to darkness. At least, I think I woke, considering 
  I couldn’t see or feel anything. A few shifts and blinks 
  made me realize the darkness was natural. My eyes 
  adjusted so I could make out a copse of trees, wrapped 
  in the sable grip of night. I had initially detected no 
  sensation because I’d been waiting for the pain of my 
  injuries to gang up on me again. They refused to make 
  an appearance, though.
  I’d been laid out on a simple blanket beneath the 
  boughs of a massive evergreen, which blocked out the 
  light of the moon and stars. A squeal pierced the quiet. 
  I jolted upright, seeking my daggers, only to pause 
  when an owl hooted nearby and wings flapped into the 
  distance.
  Khem appeared in the gloom before me. He crouched 
  and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I thought you 
  Whenever I see someone so heavily 
  scarred, I often wonder what 
  stories accompany the marks. With 
  this woman, I doubt any of them 
  ended particularly well.
  77
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  would’ve been able to stand the sight of a little blood.” 
  His grin—a young man’s grin—held enormous relief.
  “Your mother’s the healer,” I said. “No doubt she’s 
  used to seeing bodies all out of sorts. I prefer my blood 
  properly contained.”
  “I’m not sure she’s much of a healer anymore,” he 
  muttered.
  “May I inquire as to how I came to be napping in 
  the thick of the forest rather than visiting Pharasma’s 
  Spire?”
  He nodded over at the wagon and mule. The beast 
  had been lashed to a tree where it could nibble nearby 
  foliage. 
  “Fortunately,” he said, “I remembered you’d purchased 
  a few healing potions with Lady Jevlia’s donation.”
  I grimaced. Those had cost the majority of our funds, 
  in fact. “I hope you didn’t use them all on me.”
  “Just one. Hopefully we won’t even need the others 
  now that we’ve dealt with that sorceress.”
  Of course, I thought. We’ll just trade the rest to 
  Drayven and I’m sure he’ll take them as fair exchange for 
  your mother.
  “Where are we?” I asked, leaning back against the tree.
  Jevlia shifted into sight. Her purple vestment had 
  blended her with the shadows until then. 
  “We loaded you into the cart and kept going the rest 
  of the day,” she said. “We left the main road but are 
  following what looks like an old logging path.”
  Khem chuckled. “You slept the whole way.”
  “Good that I did. Would’ve been boring watching 
  nothing but trees go by.” 
  Jevlia placed a golden-gloved hand on Khem’s head. 
  “Khem, could you go see to your ward? Make sure it 
  remains active.”
  He straightened and went to check a large stone a few 
  yards away.
  Jevlia sat beside me, close enough for our shoulders 
  and hips to brush against one another. I held quite still, 
  I assure you.
  “No campfire?” I asked. 
  “Fire would draw the attention of things we don’t 
  want to deal with,” she said. “Khem placed an invisible 
  alarm around us. He’ll let us know if anything dangerous 
  comes near.”
  “He must enjoy being able to do that so readily again.”
  She smiled slightly. “He keeps asking if I need any 
  particular spells cast. And he’s been picking up all sorts 
  of odds and ends as we’ve traveled. Leaves. Feathers. 
  Ruined spider webs. Even little mud balls and a scrap 
  of dried leather we found on the road.” Her expression 
  turned serious again. “You surprised me, Atrius.”
  I swallowed, dry-mouthed all of a sudden. “You 
  thought I’d abandoned you.”
  “I’ll not lie.”
  But we’re both so good at it, I thought.
  “I couldn’t deny the possibility.” She tucked her legs 
  up into a meditative pose. “Why’d you do it? Come back 
  to help, that is.”
  I shrugged. “Oh, I realized how foolhardy it’d be for 
  me to go running off into the woods, wounded as I 
  was. I needed a healing potion. So while you kept those 
  buffoons distracted, I intended to lift a vial from the 
  supplies before making my real escape. Then I noticed 
  a lovely bag of coin on that horrid lady’s belt. Old habits 
  and whatnot. Greed took over and I tried to lift it along 
  the way, but dipped into the wrong pouch. Mere luck.”
  Jevlia looked disappointed. “You must tangle your 
  tongue into the most painful knots telling such lies.”
  “It’s more painful when it’s the truth.”
  She sighed. “You’ve never forgiven yourself, have you?”
  “Forgiven himself for what?”
  We looked up to find Khem had returned. He studied 
  us with innocent curiosity.
  I pushed up and smiled. “For not getting the chance to 
  explain my plan, of course. Would’ve been far better if we 
  were able to coordinate our attacks.”
  “But it was clever,” he said. “I realized what you’d done 
  afterward. Making them think you’d run, letting them get 
  distracted, and then slipping in behind to save the day.”
  Jevlia tugged her hood up, hiding her face as she shook 
  her head.
  “Yes.” I nodded. “Exactly. Glad you figured out my ruse. 
  Now then, you snatch some rest while I keep watch, hear? 
  That cart makes an excellent bed, I must say.”
  They both dozed, though a couple times I caught Jevlia 
  watching me from the recesses of her hood. 
  As soon as it became light enough to see the path, 
  Khem drew out his silver raven and let it fly against 
  its leash. Once he pinpointed the proper direction, he 
  strode off, back straight, legs steady. I got the heroic duty 
  of guiding the mule and cart, which I minded not at all.
  This singular amulet has 
  been the cause of so much 
  death and disaster. At the 
  same time, it is able to cure 
  rather horrific curses and 
  give those affected a second 
  chance at life.
  78
  
  A day and a half’s travel brought us deeper into the 
  Anferita Wood than I’d ever been or hoped to go. The 
  trees crowded around us like gawkers waiting to be 
  entertained by the manner of our demise. Squawks, 
  chattering, and chirps rose from the brush and branches 
  almost constantly. This didn’t bother me so much as the 
  rare periods of total silence. I held my breath during 
  those until nature’s discourse resumed.
  The 
  path 
  narrowed 
  and 
  became 
  increasingly 
  overgrown until we lost it at last and had to navigate 
  by the raven statuette alone. Fortunately, I had bought 
  the smallest cart I could, and it was able to wend its way 
  through the trees and occasional clearings.
  Toward dusk of the second day, Jevlia pointed ahead. 
  “Do you see?”
  Beyond a few more rows of trees, boulders had been 
  set in an enormous ring. Even at this distance, graven 
  symbols were visible through the moss covering the 
  stones. Handmade, but by whose hands? All around 
  the area, wildflowers speckled the grass with vivid 
  blossoms. A welcome respite from the forest’s otherwise 
  somber atmosphere.
  “That must be where she is,” Khem cried. “Liset!”
  He raced ahead, Jevlia on his heels.
  “Wait, boy!” I called.
  Damnation. At least when on his cane, he moved slower.
  I jumped off the cart and lashed the mule to a low 
  branch. Then I pursued them until I found myself in a 
  small grove not far from the odd stone structure.
  The area looked wilder and yet more inviting than the 
  rest of the woods we’d traveled. Almost tended, but in a 
  way that encouraged nature to thrive. 
  Yet I barely noticed all this as my attention locked on 
  Khem. He knelt, head bowed, before a cairn—one large 
  enough to cover a body. Dismay slowed my steps on 
  seeing the raven statue lying inert on the pile.
  A rapier had been stabbed into the earth at one end as 
  a makeshift grave marker.
  Jevlia stood beside Khem. She laid a hand on his 
  quaking shoulders. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “You tried 
  your best.”
  “It wasn’t enough,” he said.
  I came up on his other side. “Most people wouldn’t 
  have tried anything at all. You honored her with your 
  effort.”
  “What good is it?” he growled.
  “What?” I asked. “Trying?”
  Khem spat words while trying to choke back his 
  tears. “What good is honor? What good is power? What 
  good are strength and health and life if I couldn’t even 
  save her?”
  He raised fists and pounded them against the cairn. 
  The stones shifted. A moan rose from within.
  “Liset! She’s in there. She’s alive.” Khem grabbed the 
  nearest rock and flung it aside. 
  After sharing a concerned look, Jevlia and I joined in 
  the effort. In moments, we’d cleared enough to reveal a 
  figure lying within. We worked until we disassembled 
  the whole pile, leaving stones strewn across the grass.
  A young woman lay interred, unmoving despite the 
  moan we’d heard. She wore ragged and bloodied armor. 
  A symbol of Nethys hung around her neck, and a few 
  muddied baubles glinted in her braided hair. Her face 
  had a gaunt look, cheeks hollow, dark skin tinted gray.
  “Gods, Liset.” Khem went to his knees again and 
  dragged her up into a sitting position. 
  Her arms dangled, listless. Her head flopped back 
  until Khem supported it against a shoulder. He shook 
  her gently. 
  “Liset? It’s me. I came for you. Please.” He blinked up 
  at us. “Is she... is she...”
  Jevlia frowned. “Khem, I’m not sure—”
  Liset’s eyes snapped open, revealing orbs as dark as 
  obsidian. 
  Khem gasped and fell back. Jevlia and I tensed. Was 
  this woman now some form of undead? An abomination 
  left as a trap by Drayven?
  Liset stood on trembling legs. Hugging herself, she 
  looked everywhere with a crazed expression. Then she 
  fixed on the sword and reeled toward it.
  “Liset.” Khem reached for her. “Wait, it’s all right.”
  A black aura snapped into being around the woman’s 
  body. Khem flew backward into Jevlia, who caught him 
  and spun, slowing his momentum. 
  Liset yanked the rapier out of the ground and slashed 
  it wildly. A wordless scream erupted from her mouth 
  while her dead eyes never blinked.
  Khem held hands up in pleading. “Liset! It’s me. What’s 
  wrong? What happened to you?”
  “Careful, boy.” I slipped a dagger into a hand. “We have 
  no idea what we’re dealing with.”
  Liset dropped to one knee. Her whole body shook, 
  but she kept the sword poised. “Monster. Liar. You...” 
  She wavered. Shook her head. “You took her from me. 
  Deceived her. Damned her.”
  “You’re talking about Drayven. About my mother.” 
  Khem displayed the silver raven. “You sent this to me, 
  remember? Along with this.” He tapped the medallion on 
  his chest. “It worked. I’m cured. And I came to find you.”
  “Khem.” The rapier drooped in her hand until its tip 
  touched the earth, “Is it really you?”
  He spread his arms. With a happy cry, she dropped 
  her weapon and staggered into his arms. He held her, 
  for once the strong one, as she sobbed into his chest. 
  They made a slow collapse until he sat with her head 
  in his lap. He murmured to her as she struggled simply 
  to breathe.
  The tremors racking her body increased with each 
  minute. At one point, she turned and spat dark blood 
  on the grass. Through the filth coating her body, I noted 
  79
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  multiple slashing and piercing wounds. These were 
  blackened, as if with rot, and purple, spiderlike veins 
  crept out from them.
  “What’s wrong with her?” Jevlia asked.
  Khem closed his eyes and spent a minute with his 
  palms pressed to either side of Liset’s head. He muttered 
  to himself, almost as if arguing with whatever he sensed. 
  “I don’t think it’s any sort of poison,” he said at last. 
  “Something worse.” He used his chin to point me toward 
  the cart. “Get one of the healing vials.”
  I retrieved one as asked and Khem carefully tipped the 
  contents between Liset’s lips. The woman spluttered a 
  bit, but managed to swallow most of it.
  She breathed easier and her shaking eased, but didn’t 
  stop entirely. Nor did the unnatural darkness in her eyes 
  fade. 
  “Is there something you know that might help her?” 
  Khem asked Jevlia.
  Jevlia bowed slightly. “I’m afraid not. If my order 
  possesses any healing arts, I’ve yet to learn them.”
  After several minutes, Liset steadied enough to sit up 
  with her own strength. She sat cross-legged opposite 
  Khem, holding his hands so hers wouldn’t tremble so 
  much. While her skin had gained a healthier flush, I 
  thought it might already be fading back to gray. That, or 
  it was a trick of the deepening shadows.
  Liset’s voice had firmed as well, but still came out 
  strained. “It won’t help. I’m sorry. You used up resources 
  on me you shouldn’t have.”
  He bent his head to hers, foreheads almost touching. 
  “Tell me what happened.”
  They spoke in hushed voices for a long while as Jevlia 
  and I watched the forest, ensuring nothing skulked, 
  waiting to attack. Finally, Khem rejoined us and explained.
  “After she snatched the relic from Drayven’s grasp, 
  she fled both him and my mother. She tried to reach me 
  on her own, but they caught her and...” He made fists. 
  “Drayven tried to slay her.”
  “Did your mother do nothing?” Jevlia asked.
  He hung his head. “Apparently my mother tried to 
  heal her but was more focused on securing the relic 
  for me.”
  I gestured to the young woman, who had drawn her 
  knees up to her chest and hugged herself. “So Drayven 
  did this to her?”
  Khem sighed. “No. To keep that devil from getting 
  what he wanted, she opened the relic and sent me 
  what she found inside. This.” He raised the medallion, 
  which glinted in the fading sunlight. “She opened a 
  scroll case holding a fragment of the Poleiheira. A part 
  of the same fragment that cursed me. Except the curse 
  triggered by the scroll case looks far worse. Instead 
  of killing her over a few decades, like me, she’s going 
  to die in a matter of days. It’s a miracle she’s lasted 
  this long. Perhaps some of her devotion to Nethys 
  sustained her.”
  “If we let her rest in the cart, maybe we can get her 
  back to Corentyn in time,” I said. “Get her attended to 
  by a priest.”
  The boy gave me a withering look. “Master Atrius, my 
  mother spent most of my life talking to every manner 
  of mage or priest and searching every archive she could 
  access. What makes you think we can succeed in a matter 
  of days where she failed?”
  I held palms up. “At worst, we can make her comfortable 
  before the end.”
  “No.”
  The determined glint in Khem’s eyes worried me. 
  “What other options do we have?” I tapped his robe, 
  thumping against the book he carried. “Unless you know 
  a spell that undoes the past?”
  “I came here to save her,” he said. “I intend to.”
  Pivoting, he strode back to Liset and knelt before her. 
  He reached for the medallion cord around his neck.
  “What’re you doing?” Her eyes widened and she 
  gripped his wrists. “No, you can’t. It’s yours.”
  He smiled softly. Sadly. “That means I can do whatever 
  I want with it.”
  In a swift motion, he shook her loose—she remained 
  too feeble to even resist—and slipped the cord off 
  himself and over her head.
  Potions of healing should be a 
  mainstay of any group venturing 
  into dangers unknown. Yet they are 
  precious supplies, and ought to be 
  used only in the most desperate of 
  circumstances. Don’t let them go 
  to waste.
  80
  
  After blinking away the now-familiar dazzle from the 
  explosion of light, I studied the results. Liset looked 
  flushed with vitality, devoid of any of the creeping 
  wounds she’d sustained. Khem, on the other hand, had 
  reverted to his grandfatherly appearance. 
  He sagged, wheezing. Liset cried out and started to 
  take the amulet back off, but he clasped her hand in his 
  knobbed one.
  “No. Keep it on. For me.”
  “But you’ll die.”
  “Not nearly as quickly as you would.” His chuckle 
  sounded too much like a death rattle for my liking. 
  “Don’t worry. I’m used to it.” Still, he groaned as she 
  helped him stand. 
  “Now let’s go,” he said. “We still have to save my mother 
  from a devil.” He gazed off into the gathering darkness. 
  “And herself.”
  “Go where?” I asked. “Will your trick with the raven 
  work still?”
  “No.” He frowned. “I admit I hadn’t thought this far 
  ahead.”
  I looked at Liset. “Do you have any idea where they 
  headed after...” I coughed at her glare. “No, I suppose 
  you were a bit too busy dying to pick up on that sort 
  of detail.”
  “Search the area,” Jevlia said. “Maybe we can find 
  some tracks.”
  “Drayven can fly,” Liset said. 
  I puffed a laugh. “Lovely. Any of you able to sprout 
  wings?”
  Khem patted at his robe. “I might know a spell that’d 
  work. Where’s that feather?”
  I raised a finger. “Do you remember what happened 
  the last time you tried to cast a spell in this condition?” 
  He scowled, but I waved him off. “Let’s try the less insane 
  option first. We’ll search, as Jevlia suggests. If we find 
  nothing, we can consider casting ourselves to the skies.”
  I retrieved Khem’s cane from the cart, and he hobbled 
  around with Liset as we scoured the clearing and nearby 
  trees.
  After ten minutes of searching, Liset gasped. We all 
  converged and found her and Khem studying a tiny pile 
  of rocks. They were stacked in a manner too structured 
  to be natural.
  “I know this sign.” Liset pointed her rapier northwest. 
  “Maharai left a trail.”
  When we discovered Liset’s cairn, I thought all was lost. Yet Khem 
  continued to hope and fight for her, even when confronted with the 
  nature of the curse that had ravaged her body and mind. I believe he 
  considers her to be far more than a mere friend, and her survival may well 
  be linked to his, in the end.
  81
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  82
  BESTIARY
  T
  he petitioners toiled before the furnaces as if in a trance, movements 
  mechanical and eyes hollow. A large, five-spoked wheel rolled slowly 
  through their ranks, the skin of its face pulled tight like a sentient drum. A 
  red eye gleamed at its center and the toothy, drooling mouth beneath ululated 
  hypnotically. All the while, the workers trudged on. When one of them slipped 
  and fell to the ground in exhaustion, the drum-wheel whirled around to face 
  it, collapsing in upon itself and rising as a long bone serpent in the same 
  grotesque motion.
  “Back to work, slime!” it gurgled. I could barely resist picking up a tool myself 
  and getting in line behind the other petitioners, ready to do my master’s bidding.
  —Reliparaxius, 66 Years in Phlegethon
  
  T
  his volume of the Hell’s Vengeance Adventure 
  Path sets the villains loose on Egorian to earn the 
  favor of House Thrune. The following bestiary 
  presents a new type of couatl, the bone-wheel slave 
  drivers of Hell’s forges and factories, the infernal boars 
  that feast on souls of the damned, and a daemon formed 
  from the souls of victims of falls from great heights.
  HEART OF THE EMPIRE
  In order to prove themselves as the most trusted agents 
  of House Thrune, the PCs must carry out a number of 
  tasks in the Chelish capital of Egorian. The random 
  encounter table presented here features dangers the 
  PCs can face while taking care of business in the City 
  of Thorns. During the course of the adventure, the PCs 
  have a 30% chance of a random encounter every hour 
  they spend out on the streets, but should have no more 
  than three random encounters per day.
  Since the adventure spans a range of levels, some 
  random encounters might be too simple or difficult for 
  the PCs, depending on where they are in the course of the 
  adventure. If the result rolled is outside the Challenge 
  Rating range appropriate for the PCs, roll again on the 
  table or choose a different encounter.
  Agnarania (CR 11): This avoral agathion (Pathfinder 
  RPG Bestiary 2 16) serves as a planar ally of an influential 
  Eagle Knight commander. When her master believes it 
  will be most unexpected or cause the most disruption 
  to the workings of Cheliax, Agnarania is tasked with 
  vanquishing agents of House Thrune in the Chelish 
  capital—in this case, the PCs. 
  Errant Devil (CR varies): Under the influence of 
  House Thrune, Egorian’s elite have spent much of the 
  past century summoning and binding devils in what has 
  become a hobby for nobles. While more skilled magical 
  practitioners summon such fiends for practical purposes 
  (such as to act as familiars or arbiters of contractual 
  matters), many far overstep their abilities and call greater 
  beasts to Golarion than they can hope to contain, all in 
  an effort to outdo their peers. One such devil breaks free 
  from its binding near the PCs’ location and runs amok 
  through Egorian’s streets, outraged at the slight against it. 
  Any of the devils in the random encounter table (denoted 
  with an asterisk) may be used for the rampaging fiend.
  Glorious Reclamation Sympathizers (CR 12): While 
  open support of the Glorious Reclamation in Egorian 
  or elsewhere in Cheliax is a capital offense, many of 
  the nation’s citizens nevertheless sympathize with the 
  Iomedaean movement to rid their land of infernal 
  influence. As the PCs increase their renown within House 
  Thrune, so too do they attract the attention of those who 
  would see the Glorious Reclamation succeed. One such 
  band of seditionists and traitors follows the villains 
  through the city, awaiting the opportunity to strike back 
  at the increasingly effective agents of their oppressors. 
  The band, which is led by streetwise fighter Blere Guswin 
  (use the statistics for a scheming fencer on page 86 of 
  the Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex), consists of two freelance 
  thieves (NPC Codex 147) and two low-ranking noble 
  scions with ambitions of greatness under a non-Thrune 
  regime (use the statistics for a diplomat on page 253 of 
  the NPC Codex). The Glorious Reclamation sympathizers’ 
  alignments are all lawful good or neutral good.
  Street Gang (CR 11): In Egorian’s Cheapside districts 
  (see page 68), thieves’ guilds, ruffian gangs, and bands of 
  aggressive beggars abound, taking every opportunity to 
  improve their fortunes when the Hellknights or dottari 
  aren’t looking. The PCs, established adventurers that they 
  are, make for attractive marks for such hoodlums, who 
  ambush the villains as they make their way through the 
  city’s less patrolled areas. The ringleader of this gang 
  is Euneria Aldair (use the statistics for a guild master 
  on page 267 of the Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide), 
  a former assassin who now takes on fewer contracts in 
  favor of naming her own targets and planning her own 
  schemes. She is assisted by a rotating coterie of fellow 
  thugs, which currently consists of two former slavers 
  (GameMastery Guide 266) and a con artist (NPC Codex 29).
  Selivess Rextanar (CR 13): An ambitious law professor 
  at the University of Egorian, Selivess Rextanar (use the 
  statistics for a devilbound sorcerer on page 56 of the 
  Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4) made a pact with the pit fiend 
  Xevgragoz to increase her own power. Xevgragoz is an 
  enemy of Queen Abrogail’s advisor, Gorthoklek, and tasks 
  Rextanar with disrupting the monarch’s plot by taking out 
  the PCs as they conduct business on her behalf.
  EGORIAN STREETS 
  ENCOUNTERS
  d%	
  Result	
  Avg.	CR	 Source
  1–7	
  1	alchemical	golem	
  9	
  Bestiary 2	135
  8–15	
  Agnarania	
  9	
  See	below
  16–22	
  1	bone	devil*	
  9	
  Bestiary	74
  23–28	
  1	bogeyman	
  10	
  Bestiary 3	42
  29–35	
  2	drowning	devils*	
  10	
  Bestiary 4 52
  36–39	
  1d3	festering	spirits	
  10	
  Bestiary 4	98
  40–45	
  1	barbed	devil*	
  11	
  Bestiary	72
  46–52	
  Bounty	hunter	
  11	
  NPC Codex 135
  53–60	
  Street	Gang	
  11	
  See	below
  61–67	
  1	aghasura	asura	
  12	
  Bestiary 3	23
  68–75	
  Glorious	Reclamation	 12	
  See	below
  	 	
  Sympathizers
  76–81	
  1	xiuh	couatl	
  12	
  See	page	86
  82–88	
  1	ice	devil*	
  13	
  Bestiary	77
  89–96	
  1	ixion	worm	
  13	
  See	page	90
  97–100	 Selivess	Rextanar	
  13	
  See	below
  83
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  AVERNUS RAZORBACK
  The coarse, ebon fur of this massive boar is mottled with patches 
  of crimson. Its eyes are blood red and its jagged tusks seem more 
  like obsidian than bone.
  AVERNUS	RAZORBACK	
  CR	9]
  XP	6,400
  LE	Large	outsider	(evil,	extraplanar,	fire,	lawful)
  Init	+3;	Senses	darkvision	60	ft.,	low-light	vision,	scent;	
  Perception	+21
  DEFENSE
  AC	21,	touch	8,	flat-footed	21	(–1	Dex,	+13	natural,	–1	size)
  hp	137	(11d10+77)
  Fort	+13,	Ref	+6,	Will	+6
  Defensive	Abilities	infernal	ferocity;	Immune	disease,	fire
  Weaknesses	vulnerable	to	cold
  OFFENSE
  Speed	40	ft.
  Melee	gore	+16	(2d10+6/19–20	plus	bleed),	bite	+16	
  (1d8+6)
  Space	10	ft.;	Reach	10	ft.
  Special	Attacks	bleed	(1d8),	devour	body	and	essence,	
  trample	(2d10+9,	DC	21)
  STATISTICS
  Str	23,	Dex	8,	Con	22,	Int	3,	Wis	12,	Cha	9
  Base	Atk	+11;	CMB	+18;	CMD	27
  Feats	Improved	Critical	(gore),	Improved	Initiative,	Iron	Will,	
  Power	Attack,	Skill	Focus	(Perception),	Toughness
  Skills	Perception	+21,	Survival	+15
  Languages	Infernal	(can’t	speak)
  ECOLOGY
  Environment	any	(Hell)
  Organization	solitary,	pair,	herd	(3–20),	plague	(21–100)
  Treasure	standard
  SPECIAL	ABILITIES
  Devour	Body	and	Essence	(Su)	When	an	Avernus	
  razorback	eats	a	fresh	corpse,	it	devours	every	single	
  part	of	the	body,	even	the	hardest	bones.	When	an	
  Avernus	razorback	devours	a	body	that	has	been	dead	
  for	no	more	than	24	hours,	it	also	consumes	the	soul	
  or	spirit	of	the	creature.	The	creature	can’t	be	brought	
  back	to	life	by	any	means	short	of	a	miracle	or	wish	
  spell.	It	takes	a	single	Avernus	razorback	10	minutes	to	
  devour	a	Medium	or	smaller	creature	plus	an	additional	
  10	minutes	for	every	size	category	above	Medium	the	
  creature	is.	The	feeding	time	can	be	reduced	by	10	
  minutes	for	each	additional	Avernus	razorback	joining	in	
  the	feast	(minimum	10	minutes).
  Infernal	Ferocity	(Su)	An	Avernus	razorback	remains	
  conscious	and	continues	to	fight	even	when	reduced	
  to	0	or	fewer	hit	points.	The	razorback	is	staggered,	
  but	instead	of	losing	1	hit	point	per	round,	it	gains	
  regeneration	5	(cold)	until	it	has	1	or	more	hit	point.	An	
  Avernus	razorback	loses	this	ability	if	it	has	not	eaten	at	
  least	one	Small	or	larger	fresh	corpse	in	the	past	month.	
  It	regains	the	ability	as	soon	as	it	finishes	consuming	
  such	a	corpse	that	has	died	within	24	hours.
  Infernal scholars have long debated the origin of the 
  Avernus razorback. Some claim the beasts came into 
  being fully formed as a manifestation of the malice and 
  hate birthed by the unforgiving landscape of Hell’s first 
  layer. Others theorize an infernal duke or archdevil once 
  led a massive herd of daeodons to Avernus from the 
  Material Plane to drink from the River Styx and feed on 
  the foul reeds growing amid the waters of Eridanos; over 
  countless generations, these fell influences infused the 
  survivors with the essence of Hell.
  Whatever the genesis of these beasts, they now roam 
  Avernus in huge packs that even most devils avoid. 
  Powerful and fierce, they are territorial animals with a 
  ravenous hunger for both plant and animal life. Their 
  strange Hell-empowered digestion not only devours the 
  body, but also obliterates the soul, ripping a creature’s 
  very life essence out of the multiverse entirely—a fate 
  that scares even the denizens of Hell.
  Ecology
  Avernus razorbacks are the most versatile of omnivores, 
  and will eat all manner of grasses, scrubs, and meat, no 
  matter the condition they’re in. The beasts prefer the 
  fresh corpses of living creatures (sentient beings most 
  of all), as it not only nourishes their bodies but also 
  empowers their magical nature. Razorbacks that don’t 
  eat a fresh corpse on a regular basis lose their infernal 
  ferocity ability. But these aggressive creatures don’t wait 
  to happen upon a corpse; they actively hunt their prey, 
  with a viciousness more akin to that of wolves than swine.
  Mating within a herd or a plague happens nearly 
  constantly on Avernus and the other layers of Hell, and 
  gestation is a mere 4 months. The spawn, once birthed, 
  have to fend for themselves, though mature females 
  try to protect the young creatures from males in the 
  grouping, which are quick to scoop up the babies as a 
  quick but unsatisfying snack. Thus do only the strongest 
  and meanest of young razorbacks survive their first year 
  of life. While boars and daeodons nurse their young, 
  female Avernus razorbacks lack the anatomy to do so. In 
  order for spawn to grow up strong and fierce, they must 
  hunt and feed upon fresh corpses. This magical energy 
  sustains the spawn like mother’s milk would a terrestrial 
  mammal, and without it, the spawn weakens and is 
  abandoned, trampled, or devoured by the adult males. 
  Habitat and SociEty
  Once native to Avernus alone, the razorbacks have 
  expanded their territories to the other layers of Hell, 
  though not as deep as Nessus, due in part to Asmodeus’s 
  strategic use of Nessian warhounds to guard his 
  borders, as the Prince of Lies sees razorbacks as a blight 
  84
  
  and refuses to let them linger for long in his domain. 
  Strangely, razorbacks typically do not fare well outside 
  of Hell. While they can survive for a time elsewhere, 
  their prodigious breeding activity is greatly diminished 
  when they are away from Hell’s infernal energies. The 
  Pit’s greatest minds postulate the razorbacks need the 
  waters of either the marshy ocean of Eridanos or the 
  lethargic run of the River Styx to trigger their breeding 
  cycle, though a handful of breeders on other planes 
  have cast some doubt on such a theory, claiming an 
  alchemical formula can replicate the catalyst throughout 
  the multiverse.
  Razorback groupings are ruled by the largest and 
  meanest female. She has to be strong enough to cow the 
  other females into obedience, and to keep the far more 
  aggressive but typically smaller males in check. The 
  females of a group wage a constant war for dominance, 
  with older, weaker females quickly supplanted by younger, 
  stronger candidates for leadership. On the rare occasions 
  when a male claims dominance over a group, its days are 
  inevitably numbered—a male alpha will eventually tear 
  the group apart through its own aggressive nature and 
  unthinking hunger.
  Domesticated Avernus razorbacks are sparse outside 
  of Avernus itself, in part because the savage boars often 
  turn on their masters. In Cheliax and other mortal realms 
  where people are used to treating with the forces of Hell, 
  some brave or foolhardy souls keep Avernus razorbacks 
  to assist them in getting rid of their political enemies 
  without leaving any physical evidence or chance of 
  resurrection in their wakes.
  Among those who know about these secret 
  razorback farms, rumors circulate that some 
  of the infernal livestock have escaped 
  and begun breeding in the Chelish 
  wilderness. Skilled hunters have 
  attempted to track the beasts to verify 
  the rumors and hopefully end the 
  threat they pose, but no evidence of 
  razorback plagues in the wild has yet 
  come to light. That the beasts’ victims 
  have no corpses to discover leads many to 
  believe no evidence is to be found. 
  byproductS
  The strange gastric peculiarities of Avernus 
  razorbacks aside, these animals are coveted for a 
  number of byproducts particular to the species. The 
  blood, meat, and tusks can all be harvested for special 
  use, as detailed below. 
  Avernus Razorback Blood: The fresh blood of the 
  Avernus razorback seems to keep some of the strange 
  soul energies of the digested for a period of time. As 
  long as a razorback has feasted on a sentient creature 
  within the last month, it can be slaughtered and its 
  blood harvested in place of a blood sacrifice of a sentient 
  and even innocent creature, for up to 1 week after the 
  slaughter occurs. 
  Avernus Razorback Meat: Though it may seem 
  strange given the beasts’ diverse, often disgusting, and 
  sometimes morbid eating habits, the meat of the Avernus 
  razorback is a delicacy craved throughout Cheliax, 
  especially in Egorian. Connoisseurs of the infernal flesh 
  say that you can taste the hate of the beast, which adds to 
  its delectable flavor. Not only that, the meat acts as a mild 
  narcotic. See page 236 of the Pathfinder RPG GameMastery 
  Guide for complete rules on drugs and addiction.
  AVERNUS	RAZORBACK	MEAT
  Type	ingested;	Addiction	minor,	Fortitude	DC	18
  Price	100	gp
  Effects	1	hour;	+1	alchemical	bonus	to	Strength	and	
  Constitution
  Damage	1d4	Wisdom	damage
  Avernus Razorback Tusks: The tusks of the largest 
  razorback can be fashioned into vicious daggers, and 
  count as 151 gp worth of raw materials needed in the 
  creation of a masterwork dagger. A successful DC 26 
  Craft (weapons) check and 1d3 days of work are required 
  to create a masterwork dagger from such a tusk.
  85
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  COUATL, XIUH
  Wreathed in flame, this winged serpent sports brightly colored 
  feathers sparking with electricity.
  XIUH	COUATL	
  CR	12
  XP	19,200
  NG	Large	outsider	(native)
  Init	+9;	Senses	detect chaos/evil/good/law, darkvision	60	ft.,	
  thoughtsense	60	ft.;	Perception	+29
  DEFENSE
  AC	29,	touch	14,	flat-footed	24	(+5	Dex,	+15	natural,	–1	size)
  hp	157	(15d10+75)
  Fort	+14,	Ref	+10,	Will	+16
  Immune	electricity,	fire;	SR	23
  OFFENSE
  Speed	30	ft.,	fly	80	ft.	(average)
  Melee	bite	+22	(2d6+12	plus	burn,	grab,	and	poison)
  Space	10	ft.;	Reach	10	ft.
  Special	Attacks	breath	weapon	(60-ft.	line,	6d6	fire	and	
  6d6	electricity,	Reflex	DC	22	half,	usable	every	1d6	
  rounds),	burn	(1d6	fire,	DC	22),	constrict	(2d6+12),	poison
  Spell-Like	Abilities	(CL	15th;	concentration	+21)
  Constant—detect chaos/evil/good/law
  At	will—detect thoughts	(DC	18),	invisibility,	plane	shift	
  (DC	23)
  1/week—atonement
  Psychic	Spells	Known	(CL	15th;	concentration	+21)
  7th	(4/day)—greater arcane sight,	vision
  6th	(7/day)—greater dispel	magic,	legend lore,	veil	(DC	22)
  5th	(7/day)—commune	with	nature,	mind thrust V*	
  (DC	21),	psychic crush I*	(DC	21),	wall of force
  4th	(7/day)—divination,	dream,	locate creature,	sending
  3rd	(7/day)—clairaudience/clairvoyance,	deep slumber	
  (DC	20),	dispel	magic,	haste
  2nd	(8/day)—anticipate thoughts*	(DC	18),	augury,	
  aversion*	(DC	18),	demand offering*	(DC	18),	scare	
  (DC	19)
  1st	(8/day)—anticipate perilUM	(DC	17),	charm person	
  (DC	18),	forbid actionUM	(DC	18),	mindlink*,	sleep	(DC	18)
  0	(at	will)—bleed	(DC	17),	detect magic,	detect poison,	
  ghost sound	(DC	17),	know direction,	light,	mage	hand,	
  read	magic,	stabilize
  STATISTICS
  Str	26,	Dex	20,	Con	20,	Int	23,	Wis	25,	Cha	23
  Base	Atk	+15;	CMB	+24	(+28	grapple);	CMD	39	(can’t	
  be	tripped)
  Feats	Alertness,	Flyby	Attack,	Hover,	Improved	Initiative,	
  Persuasive,	Power	Attack,	Quicken	Spell,	Wingover
  Skills	Acrobatics	+20,	Diplomacy	+28,	Fly	+21,	Intimidate	+8,	
  Knowledge	(arcana)	+13,	Knowledge	(geography)	+14,	
  Knowledge	(history)	+24,	Knowledge	(local)	+24,	
  Knowledge	(religion)	+24,	Perception	+29,	Sense	Motive	+29,	
  Spellcraft	+21,	Survival	+22,	Use	Magic	Device	+21
  Languages	Celestial,	Common,	Draconic;	telepathy	100	ft.
  SQ	instrument	of	retribution
  ECOLOGY
  Environment	any	mountain
  Organization	solitary	or	pair
  Treasure	standard
  SPECIAL	ABILITIES
  Instrument	of	Retribution	(Su)	As	a	full-round	action,	a	xiuh	
  couatl	can	transform	into	any	simple	or	martial	weapon.	
  The	weapon	is	always	a	+2 flaming shock	weapon	and	can	
  be	sized	for	any	creature.	The	xiuh	couatl	is	limited	to	only	
  light	or	one-handed	weapons	if	sized	for	a	Gargantuan	
  creature	or	light	weapons	if	sized	for	a	Colossal	creature.	
  In	weapon	form,	the	xiuh	couatl	gains	hardness	equal	to	
  that	of	a	weapon	of	its	type	and	retains	its	type,	senses,	
  hit	points,	saving	throws,	and	telepathy.	A	xiuh	couatl	can	
  return	to	its	normal	form	as	an	immediate	action.
  Poison	(Ex)	Bite—injury;	save	Fort	DC	22;	frequency	
  1/minute	for	10	minutes;	effect	1d6	Str;	cure	2	
  consecutive	saves.
  Psychic	Spells	A	xiuh	couatl	casts	spells	as	a	15th-level	
  psychic	(Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures	60).	Spells	
  marked	with	an	asterisk	(*)	can	be	found	in	Chapter	4	of	
  Occult Adventures.
  Xiuh couatls are a fierce variety of couatl commonly 
  associated with vengeance and retribution. They seek 
  out vile creatures, offering one final opportunity at 
  redemption. Those who do not accept this offer or cannot 
  be redeemed face the xiuh couatl’s fearsome and absolute 
  punishment. In cases where its might alone is not 
  enough, a xiuh couatl offers its assistance to a powerful, 
  righteous figure to mete out justice on its behalf. The 
  winged serpents glow with an intense plume of flames, 
  draped in arcing electricity. Their feathers range in color 
  from bright crimson to deep violet, encompassing the 
  shades of the setting sun. A typical xiuh couatl is 20 feet 
  long with a wingspan of 25 feet. It weighs 4,500 pounds.
  Ecology
  Unlike their cousins, the common quetz couatl (Pathfinder 
  RPG Bestiary 49) and the roving auwaz couatl, xiuh couatls 
  are rarely seen, but are a sight to behold when they make 
  themselves known. The beat of each wing is a brilliant 
  display of terrifying flames and magnificent flashes of 
  lightning that send cacophonous echoes through the 
  sky. The couatls’ flight can be heard up to a mile away. As 
  they move through the air, they resemble thunderstorms 
  with flaming rain. These fiery tempests are said to be 
  omens signaling the imminent fall of wickedness or a 
  forthcoming new beginning, born of a purifying inferno. 
  A xiuh couatl’s snout glows red hot for minutes 
  after spewing forth its elemental breath. This breath, 
  like the xiuh couatl’s wings, is a coalescence of fire and 
  electricity—a fearsome ray of powerful energy. The 
  breath is used not only to attack enemies, but also to burn 
  away decayed or corrupted lands with cleansing flame. 
  86
  
  The couatl’s tail ends in a small conflagration that moves 
  and flickers in response to the couatl’s moods.
  The mind of a xiuh couatl is powerful and wise, 
  bordering on the transcendent. It uses its extraordinary 
  psychic gifts to track down evil foes, making use of its 
  ability to see into possible futures to quickly find its 
  targets. Once it locates a creature, the xiuh couatl sends 
  portents to the target’s dreams to dissuade it from a life 
  of evil. If these visions are not enough, a xiuh couatl 
  visits the creature and offers to share its knowledge of 
  goodness and virtue. The xiuh couatl shows the creature 
  the differences in its life if it continues on a path of 
  evildoing and if it accepts redemption. If these steps fail, 
  the xiuh couatl destroys the creature’s body or its mind, 
  whichever is found to be a more fitting punishment, as a 
  last resort.
  Xiuh couatls are extremely long-lived, with some said 
  to have been alive before Earthfall. During its lifetime, a 
  female xiuh couatl lays only a single egg. The egg is as 
  black as ash and hatches anywhere from a single couatl  
  to a litter of eight to 10. As native outsiders, xiuh couatls 
  must eat, and they are known to feed on large wildlife such 
  as bison, deer, or wild horses. Occasionally, they consume 
  larger creatures that pose threats to local civilizations or 
  environments, such as rocs or young dragons.
  Habitat and SociEty
  Unlike their more common cousins, xiuh 
  couatls are seen only during the gravest 
  of times. When not actively seeking 
  foul creatures to redeem, they nest in 
  dangerous, remote places where they 
  are likely to be undisturbed. Volcanic 
  calderas, remote valleys, and high 
  mountaintops wrapped in continual 
  lightning 
  storms 
  are 
  notable 
  locations where xiuh couatl nests 
  have been found. For years after they 
  have been abandoned, the nests are 
  known for their tendency to attract 
  fire and lightning elementals. 
  Xiuh couatls and their nests are 
  extremely rare in Avistan, but are 
  more frequently found in central 
  and southern Garund and the 
  mountains of central Arcadia. 
  While solitary creatures, xiuh 
  couatls occasionally form a close bond 
  with a partner with whom they may 
  even mate (should they have not done 
  so previously in their long lifetimes). 
  The closest of these relationships are 
  forged between a couatl and one of 
  the offspring born from its sole 
  egg. While a parent cannot mate 
  again, such a bond is universally platonic and can span 
  centuries, far longer than most similar pairings. While 
  a partnership may last as long as a millennia, nearly all 
  xiuh couatls eventually return to lives of solitude. They 
  can acquire many allies during a crusade for good, but 
  move on as soon as they have vanquished a particular evil.
  Though they tend to rely on their own visions and 
  divinations to seek out evil, xiuh couatls are sometimes 
  called on by the gods to tackle given tasks. Sarenrae, in 
  particular, makes the most of use of all types of couatls, 
  but xiuh couatls can be called upon by Desna, Shelyn, or, 
  in Arcadia, Kazutal, goddess of community, liberty, and 
  safety. As usual, xiuh couatls first attempt to redeem the 
  creatures they are tasked with destroying, but follow with 
  violent retribution if required. Gods may also assign xiuh 
  couatls to aid individuals who require assistance in times 
  of adversity. These individuals are gifted weapons by their 
  divine patrons, and may never know they actually wield 
  xiuh couatls, even after their tasks have been completed.
  87
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  DAEMON, LAPSUDAEMON
  This grotesque and malevolent creature appears to be a crushed 
  ball of broken humanoid body parts spraying blood.
  LAPSUDAEMON	
  CR	14
  XP	102,400
  NE	Medium	outsider	(daemon,	evil,	extraplanar)
  Init	+10;	Senses	blindsense	200	ft.,	darkvision	60	ft.;	
  Perception	+26
  Aura	frightful	presence	(30	ft.,	DC	22)
  DEFENSE
  AC	29,	touch	24,	flat-footed	18	(+3	deflection,	+10	Dex,	
  +1	dodge,	+5	natural)
  hp	199	(19d10+95)
  Fort	+11,	Ref	+21,	Will	+15
  Defensive	Abilities	amorphous,	vertigo’s	grace;	DR	10/
  good;	Immune	acid,	bludgeoning,	death	effects,	disease,	
  poison;	Resist	cold	10,	electricity	10,	fire	10;	SR	25
  OFFENSE
  Speed	fly	200	ft.	(perfect)
  Melee	slam	+23	(2d6+6	plus	momentum/19–20	and	grab)
  Spell-Like	Abilities	(CL	14th;	concentration	+16)
  At	will—greater teleport (self	plus	50	pounds	only)
  3/day—quickened	gust of wind	(DC	15),	reverse gravity
  1/day—fickle windsUM,	summon	(level	7,	1d3	
  suspiridaemons	[Pathfinder Campaign Setting: 
  Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Book of the Damned, 
  Vol. 3	56]	80%)
  Special	Attacks	momentum,	must	come	down	(DC	22)
  STATISTICS
  Str	18,	Dex	31,	Con	21,	Int	13,	Wis	18,	Cha	16
  Base	Atk	+19;	CMB	+29	(+31	bull	rush	or	trip,	+33	grapple);	
  CMD	43	(45	vs.	bull	rush,	can’t	be	tripped)
  Feats	Acrobatic,	Agile	Maneuvers,	Combat	Expertise,	Dodge,	
  Improved	Bull	Rush,	Improved	Critical	(slam),	Improved	
  Trip,	Mobility,	Power	Attack,	Quicken	Spell-Like	Ability	
  (gust of wind)
  Skills	Acrobatics	+32,	Bluff	+21,	Escape	Artist	+28,	Fly	+35,	
  Knowledge	(geography)	+14,	Knowledge	(local)	+14,	
  Knowledge	(planes)	+14,	Perception	+26,	Sense	
  Motive	+26,	Stealth	+23	(see	below)
  Languages	Abyssal,	Common,	Draconic;	telepathy	200	ft.
  SQ	constant	motion
  ECOLOGY
  Environment	any	(Abaddon)
  Organization	solitary	or	storm	(2–11)
  Treasure	standard
  SPECIAL	ABILITIES
  Constant	Motion	(Su)	Lapsudaemons	never	cease	their	
  falling	motion.	They	must	move	their	full	movement	speed	
  in	straight	lines	every	round,	making	their	slam	attacks	
  and	grabs	without	stopping.	A	lapsudaemon	doesn’t	lose	
  altitude	or	speed	for	aerial	maneuvers	and	makes	no	
  Fly	checks	when	changing	directions.	It	“falls”	vertically,	
  horizontally,	or	diagonally	and	attacks	any	creature	in	its	
  way,	regardless	of	the	number	of	creatures	in	its	path.	It	
  can	change	directions	each	round	to	maximize	the	number	
  of	creatures	it	can	slam,	moving	through	other	creatures’	
  spaces	without	the	need	for	an	Acrobatics	check	regardless	
  of	their	size,	but	it	still	provokes	attacks	of	opportunity,	
  and	it	can	only	attack	a	particular	creature	once	per	
  round.	It	can	fall	at	its	full	speed	while	grappling	a	single	
  creature	without	needing	to	succeed	at	a	check	to	do	so;	
  while	grappling,	it	can	make	slam	attacks	only	against	the	
  grappled	creature,	and	it	can’t	use	its	grab	ability.	
  Lapsudaemons	are	immune	to	effects	that	change	their	
  movement	speed	or	alter	their	flight	ability,	even	if	the	
  effect	would	be	harmless	or	beneficial.	Lapsudaemons	
  don’t	take	damage	from	falling	or	from	bludgeoning	
  attacks.	The	only	exception	is	that	any	lapsudaemon	
  somehow	prevented	from	moving	takes	1d6	points	of	
  damage	each	round	for	every	30	feet	it	doesn’t	move.	So	
  great	is	the	creature’s	supernatural	propulsion	that	forcing	
  the	lapsudaemon	to	remain	still	eventually	tears	it	apart.	
  Because	lapsudaemons	shout	in	horror	as	they	fall,	if	
  a	creature	can	hear,	it	can	always	notice	the	sound	of	a	
  lapsudaemon’s	presence	with	a	Perception	check	DC	of	
  –10,	regardless	of	the	daemon’s	Stealth.
  Momentum	(Ex)	When	a	lapsudaemon	makes	a	slam	
  attack	while	moving	into	a	creature’s	square,	the	attack	
  deals	an	additional	1d6	points	of	damage	for	every	10	
  feet	that	the	lapsudaemon	moved	since	the	last	time	it	
  made	a	slam	attack	or	struck	a	surface,	to	a	maximum	of	
  20d6.	This	damage	isn’t	multiplied	on	a	critical	hit.
  Must	Come	Down	(Su)	Any	flying	creature	struck	by	a	
  lapsudaemon	must	succeed	at	a	DC	22	Will	save	or	lose	
  its	ability	to	fly	for	1	round.	Such	a	creature	falls	until	it	
  regains	the	ability	to	fly	or	it	hits	the	ground,	whichever	
  comes	first.	This	affects	both	natural	and	magical	flight.	
  This	doesn’t	dispel	magical	flight	effects,	but	instead	
  suppresses	them	(functioning	similar	to	antimagic field)	
  for	1	round.	When	a	lapsudaemon	dies,	it	unleashes	
  this	ability	a	final	time	on	all	creatures	within	30	feet.	A	
  creature	falling	for	1	round	generally	falls	200	feet.	The	
  save	DC	is	Charisma-based.
  Vertigo’s	Grace	(Su)	A	lapsudaemon’s	constant	motion	
  protects	it	from	attacks.	It	gains	a	deflection	bonus	to	AC	
  equal	to	its	Charisma	bonus.
  A mortal that dies hopelessly after a sudden fall may 
  eventually serve the Four Horsemen as a powerful 
  lapsudaemon. On the bleak plane of Abaddon, these awful 
  creatures exist in a state of perpetual plummeting, never 
  ceasing their movement. Even when addressed by ranking 
  daemon lords, lapsudaemons never stop their falling 
  motion or incessant screaming. Their lieges frequently 
  must teleport to some great height and fall with them to 
  maintain telepathic conversation. Lapsudaemons always 
  shriek as they fall—a residual impulse taken from the last 
  moment of their mortal lives. Loud cries and cold blasts 
  88
  
  of wind herald their approach as they teleport into combat 
  mid-fall and continue their merciless assault.
  Lapsudaemons attack their victims by falling into 
  them, whether they approach vertically or horizontally. 
  They frequently employ spell-like abilities before 
  attacking as many enemies as possible in melee, colliding 
  for one mighty strike against each target until every foe 
  is dead. When not outnumbered, they prefer to murder 
  their nonflying targets by pushing them from ledges or 
  carrying them to great heights before releasing them to 
  their doom.
  A lapsudaemon appears as a crushed human—often 
  an amalgamation of the parts of several victims of such 
  terminal tumbles seamlessly fused together. Its limbs 
  protrude at awkward angles and strike out as it collides 
  with its enemies. A lapsudaemon is between 5 and 6 feet 
  tall and weighs 150 pounds.
  Ecology
  Unlike other daemons, lapsudaemons actively reproduce 
  their own kind by searching out vulnerable creatures 
  and dropping them from cruel heights. Longer gambits 
  involve the daemons tracking down a gullible adventurer 
  and offering the victim a deeply desired prize, high 
  atop a mountain or spire. The desperation of the climb, 
  combined with the hopelessness of a fatal fall, launches 
  the dead soul to the volcanic peaks and stone towers 
  of Abaddon. From the new lapsudaemon’s 
  perspective, the fall never ends. It slips out 
  of the mortal realm only to land in its new, 
  tortured afterlife, and then commences 
  an eternity of perpetual motion.
  Calling 
  lapsudaemons 
  is 
  a difficult and sadistic affair.  
  They prefer a sacrifice of wings 
  cut from a living celestial 
  being, bound to, and then 
  born aloft by, a willing intelligent 
  creature, who must fall to his or her 
  death as part of the calling ritual.
  Habitat and SociEty
  While most daemons have at least a 
  modicum of subtlety and manipulative 
  savvy, the average lapsudaemon falls far 
  short of the mark in that regard, and so 
  lapsudaemons are primarily employed by 
  ambitious harbingers as killers for hire. 
  Powerful mortals bring lapsudaemons 
  to the Material Plane to engineer fatal 
  “accidents” that kill their rivals while 
  avoiding any suspicion of foul play. When 
  a lapsudaemon finds itself without a task assigned by 
  its liege, it typically retreats to some lofty 
  aerie and spends its time ceaselessly 
  falling toward the ground and teleporting high into the 
  air just before impact. In the highest places of their home 
  plane, storms of lapsudaemons fall from the sky like an 
  apocalyptic rain. These screaming storms can last for 
  months or years before enough lapsudaemons are called 
  away to work elsewhere and the maelstrom subsides.
  While on other planes, lapsudaemons display an 
  immediate grasp of local climate and geography. They 
  naturally hide themselves far from civilization, where 
  their constant falling and shouting goes unnoticed. They 
  favor abandoned ruins and uninhabited wastelands that 
  resemble their blasted home.
  Lapsudaemons are intelligent and cruel, but their 
  plight allows them little opportunity to focus on studies 
  or more advanced machinations. As such, they focus 
  almost exclusively on tasks assigned by more powerful 
  daemons. They frequently serve immortal harbingers 
  such as Uaransaph or Geon, evil deities like Zyphus, 
  or the Four Horsemen as assassins or insane heralds 
  of an imminent military force. Where legends speak 
  of a storm of falling daemons dropping mortals from 
  the sky, they also speak of the ruin of entire city-states 
  shortly thereafter. 
  89
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  IXION WORM
  A cyclopean face stretches grotesquely across the hub of a tall, 
  knobby wheel of bone.
  IXION	WORM	
  CR	13
  XP	25,600
  LE	Large	outsider	(evil,	extraplanar,	lawful)
  Init	+4;	Senses	darkvision	60	ft.,	low-light	vision,	true 
  seeing;	Perception	+23
  DEFENSE
  AC	27,	touch	14,	flat-footed	22	(+4	Dex,	+1	dodge,	+13	natural,	
  –1	size)
  hp	187	(15d10+105)
  Fort	+16,	Ref	+9,	Will	+14
  Resist	fire	10,	sonic	10;	SR	24
  OFFENSE
  Speed	30	ft.
  Melee	bite	+20	(2d6+6	plus	energy	drain	and	grab),	slam	
  +20	(1d8+6)
  Space	10	ft.;	Reach	5	ft.
  Special	Attacks	constrict	(2d6+9;	serpentine	form	only),	
  energy	drain	(2	levels,	DC	22),	euphoric	gaze	(3/day;	
  wheel	form	only),	hypnotic	wheel	(DC	22;	wheel	form	
  only),	powerful	charge	(slam,	2d8+9;	wheel	form	only)
  Spell-Like	Abilities	(CL	14th;	concentration	+19)
  Constant—true seeing
  At	will—castigateAPG	(DC	17),	enthrall	(DC	17),	hypnotism	
  (DC	17),	lock gazeUC	(DC	16),	mage hand
  3/day—mass suggestion	(DC	20),	miserable pityUM	(DC	18),	
  persistent image	(DC	19),	telekinesis	(DC	20)
  1/day—synapse overload	(DC	21;	Occult Adventures)
  STATISTICS
  Str	22,	Dex	19,	Con	24,	Int	15,	Wis	20,	Cha	21
  Base	Atk	+15;	CMB	+22	(+26	bull	rush,	+26	grapple,	
  +26	overrun);	CMD	37	(39	vs.	bull	rush,	39	vs.	overrun)
  Feats	Dodge,	Greater	Bull	Rush,	Greater	Overrun,	Improved	
  Bull	Rush,	Improved	Overrun,	Mobility,	Power	Attack,	
  Spring	Attack
  Skills	Bluff	+23,	Diplomacy	+23,	Intimidate	+23,	Knowledge	
  (planes)	+20,	Perception	+23,	Sense	Motive	+23,	
  Spellcraft	+20,	Stealth	+18
  Languages	Celestial,	Common,	Infernal;	telepathy	100	ft.
  SQ	dual	form
  ECOLOGY
  Environment	any	(Hell)
  Organization	solitary,	pair,	or	caravan	(4–6)
  Treasure	standard
  SPECIAL	ABILITIES
  Dual	Form	(Ex)	An	ixion	worm	can	take	one	of	two	forms:	
  a	serpentine	skin-sack	of	clattering	bones,	and	a	taut,	
  self-ambulatory	wheel.	An	ixion	worm	in	its	wheel	
  form	possesses	the	euphoric	gaze,	hypnotic	wheel,	and	
  powerful	charge	special	abilities.	When	in	serpentine	
  form,	the	ixion	worm	gains	a	10-foot	bonus	to	its	
  speed,	a	climb	speed	of	10	feet,	a	+2	dodge	bonus	
  to	its	Armor	Class,	and	the	constrict	special	attack.	
  Changing	between	its	forms	is	a	standard	action	that	
  provokes	attacks	of	opportunity,	though	an	ixion	worm	
  in	its	wheel	form	that	becomes	prone	may	take	on	its	
  serpentine	form	as	a	free	action	that	does	not	provoke	
  attacks	of	opportunity.
  Energy	Drain	(Su)	This	ability	functions	as	the	universal	
  monster	rule	of	the	same	name,	but	rather	than	granting	
  the	ixion	worm	temporary	hit	points,	it	instead	grants	
  1	additional	use	of	its	3/day	spell-like	abilities	per	level	
  drained.	This	additional	use	is	available	for	1	hour	and	is	
  consumed	only	after	the	ixion	worm’s	normal	daily	uses	
  of	its	spell-like	abilities	have	been	expended.
  Euphoric	Gaze	(Su)	Three	times	a	day	as	a	move	action,	
  when	in	its	wheel	form,	an	ixion	worm	can	unfocus	its	
  eye	and	spin	it	in	a	mesmerizing	whirl	to	gain	a	gaze	
  attack	that	affects	all	creatures	within	30	feet	as	per	
  euphoric tranquilityAPG	(CL	14th,	Will	DC	22	partial).	
  The	effect	is	persistent	but	immediately	ends	if	the	
  ixion	worm	threatens	or	is	threatened	by	a	creature,	
  uses	any	other	special	abilities,	or	moves	in	any	way	
  but	a	straight	line.	The	effect	also	ends	for	creatures	
  that	move	beyond	the	range	of	the	gaze	attack.	While	
  sustaining	this	effect,	the	ixion	worm	also	takes	a	–8	
  penalty	on	visual	Perception	checks.
  Hypnotic	Wheel	(Su)	A	rolling	ixion	worm’s	face	is	
  hypnotically	grotesque.	An	ixion	worm	in	wheel	form	
  can	take	a	full-round	action	to	move	up	to	twice	its	
  speed.	If	it	moves	at	least	20	feet	as	part	of	such	an	
  action,	it	can	target	a	creature	within	30	feet	that	is	
  visible	from	any	square	in	its	path	with	a	14th-level	
  mesmerist’s	hypnotic	stare	(Pathfinder RPG Occult 
  Adventures	39)	that	has	the	allure,	susceptibility,	
  and	timidity	bold	stare	improvements	(Occult 
  Adventures	42).	The	stare’s	effects	last	until	the	start	
  of	the	ixion	worm’s	next	turn,	regardless	of	the	ixion	
  worm’s	location.	The	save	DC	is	Charisma-based.
  Ixion worms are both literal and figurative cogs in 
  Phlegethon’s workings. Each is forged of flesh stretched 
  over massive bones, and each bears the identical face of 
  a hypnotically entrancing male cyclops. Its bones can 
  slither as a crooked serpent or join at the ends to form a 
  wheel, with its face freely sliding around the structure to 
  spin on one side of the hub as it rolls itself around. The 
  rotation amplifies the ixion worm’s hypnotic abilities, 
  which it uses to motivate Phlegethon’s petitioners into 
  working harder in the layer’s mines and forges.
  The ixion worm’s mouth dribbles with a prismatic oily 
  residue that corrodes and absorbs the souls of whatever 
  creatures with which it mingles. The worm’s size and 
  mass—5 feet wide, 9 feet in radius in wheel form, nearly 
  30 feet long unrolled, and 600 pounds in weight—
  also make the creature a terrifying physical force as it 
  careens down the narrow paths of Phlegethon’s crags. 
  90
  
  The ixion worm’s entrancing gaze and mental powers, 
  however, are what make it an effective and intimidating 
  enforcer; few of Phlegethon’s lesser inhabitants consider 
  challenging what they quickly believe is their only friend 
  in Hell.
  Ecology
  When petitioners slack in their work, an ixion worm 
  snakes into place, forms a wheel, and lulls them into a 
  trance by rolling in hypnotic patterns until the rocky 
  layer of Hell seems to become a twisted fantasy: a rolling 
  field of rotting food to the gluttonous, for instance, or 
  an endless sea of writhing, formless flesh to the lustful. 
  The few who dare to disobey are either smashed under 
  the wheel’s rim or suckled in its warped mouth, where 
  its soul-draining spit strips away what little individuality 
  and vitality a creature retains.
  Belial smiles upon ixion worms that excel at their 
  tasks and promotes them to serve as pulley wheels 
  in his forges’ machinery. The most prized are sent to 
  Dispater to become gears in Dis’s gates and wheels in 
  the groaning carts that carry piles of petitioners through 
  the layers of Hell. These elevated ixion worms endlessly 
  plead for devils and broken souls alike to show gratitude 
  to their diabolic benefactors, lest they too become little 
  more than implements of Hell.
  In ancient tales passed down by the 
  duergar of Nar-Voth, a handful of 
  elevated ixion worms escaped Hell 
  and taught the duergar the secrets of 
  Phlegethon’s forges in a daring double-
  crossing of the lord of betrayal himself. The 
  duergar venerate the ixion worms in these 
  stories with the hope that they’ll one day 
  return to the Darklands bearing new 
  infernal secrets of binding souls to 
  stone and metal.
  Habitat and SociEty
  Crafted from the souls of those who betray 
  their relatives, ixion worms are all built 
  from a singular namesake template—
  the ancient cyclops mesmerist Ixion, 
  who psychically cowed a tribe of cyclopes 
  under his rule during the nascent days of 
  the kingdom of Ghol-Gan.
  In his covetous lust for his mother-in-law, the 
  self-styled King Ixion lured his own father to 
  death in a spiked pit trap. His flagrant betrayal 
  garnered the attention of Belial, archdevil of 
  Phlegethon and master of betrayers, and the archdevil 
  dispatched an agent to Ixion’s wife and mother-in-law 
  to expose the king’s plot and tempt them into killing 
  him for vengeance. Belial’s ploy worked; the women 
  stabbed Ixion into submission, strapped his body 
  to an oxcart’s wheel, and then plowed him through his 
  kingdom’s mud until he died.
  When the cyclops’s soul reached Belial’s pleasure 
  palace of Idolisque, the archdevil presented Ixion with 
  a choice: to serve in the forges or join his twisted harem. 
  Ixion spitefully responded by expressing his distaste for 
  Belial’s palace and declaring the archdevil’s finest souls 
  far too ugly. In a fit of mirthful wrath, the archdevil 
  ripped the former king’s soul apart and had him 
  reforged into a worm of bones. Devils stretched Ixion’s 
  comely face across its length, then rolled his new form 
  into the shape of a wheel.
  The ever-defiant mesmerist king nonetheless tried to 
  hypnotize Belial into admitting his poor taste, and the 
  archdevil rewarded his persistence by tossing him from 
  Idolisque and into the jagged rocks below. To further 
  mock Ixion, who still searches Phlegethon in anonymous 
  bitterness for the souls of his wife and mother-in-law, 
  Belial commanded his forges to craft the souls of every 
  familial betrayer sent to Phlegethon into the cyclops 
  king’s likeness.
  91
  For  
  QUEEN & 
  EMPIRE
  Foreword
  Part 1:  
  Politics and 
  Parties
  Part 2:  
  digging UP 
  Bellflowers
  Part 3:  
  royal sacrifice
  NPC Gallery
  Meet the VillaiN:  
  Zelhara
  eGoriaN, 
   City oF thorNs
  the BellFlower 
  Network
  PathFiNder’s 
  JourNal
  Bestiary
  
  92
  Next Month
  Open Game License Version 1.0a
  scOurGe Of the GOdcLaw
  By Larry Wilhelm
  Now bound to Queen Abrogail by infernal contracts, 
  the villainous adventurers are tasked with defeating 
  the Glorious Reclamation in the former citadel of the 
  Hellknight Order of the Godclaw, where they face angels, 
  paladins, and even a gold dragon once allied with the 
  goddess Iomedae! With the dragon bested and the citadel 
  secured, the vile characters set about performing a heinous 
  ritual by defiling sacred waters, harvesting innocent blood, 
  and destroying a repository of knowledge—all before 
  attempting to use the dragon’s severed head to craft a 
  legendary weapon capable of defeating the Glorious 
  Reclamation’s army of valorous knights.
  GeryOn
  By F. Wesley Schneider
  Learn more about the archfiend Geryon, the lord of Hell’s 
  fifth layer, Stygia, and archdevil of forbidden knowledge, 
  heresy, and snakes. Discover where his cults gather and 
  how his clergy furthers the Serpent’s nefarious goals.
  BeyOnd the BOrders
  By Alex Greenshields
  As Cheliax descends into instability, its neighbors begin 
  looking across their borders at the diabolical empire. 
  Find out how various nations and organizations might 
  react to the Glorious Reclamation’s open rebellion in this 
  speculative article.
  And mOre!
  Ghosts of the past in the Pathfinder’s Journal by Josh 
  Vogt! Plus several new monsters in the Hell’s Vengeance 
  Adventure Path bestiary.
  suBscriBe tO pathfinder adventure path
  The Hell’s Vengeance Adventure Path continues! 
  Don’t miss out on a single exciting volume—visit 
  paizo.com/pathfinder and subscribe today to have each 
  Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, 
  Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Player Companion, 
  Pathfinder Tales, and Pathfinder Accessories product 
  delivered straight to your door! 
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  governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.
  13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all 
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  sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
  14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision 
  shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors: Jonathan Tweet, Monte 
  Cook, and Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Advanced Bestiary © 2004, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Author: Matthew Sernett.
  Angel, Monadic Deva from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., 
  published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material by 
  Gary Gygax.
  Angel, Movanic Deva from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., 
  published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material by 
  Gary Gygax.
  Daemon, Derghodaemon from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, 
  Inc., published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material 
  by Gary Gygax.
  Devil, Flayer from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer Games, Inc., published 
  and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene.
  Pathfinder Adventure Path #106: For Queen & Empire © 2016, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Stephen 
  Radney-MacFarland, with Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, Dave Gross, Garrett Guillotte, Steven T. 
  Helt, Luis Loza, and Josh Vogt.
  
  M
  irian Raas comes from a long line of salvagers—adventurers who use magic to 
  dive for sunken ships off the coast of tropical Sargava. With her father dead 
  and her family in debt, Mirian has no choice but to take over his last job: a dangerous 
  expedition into deep jungle pools, helping a tribe of lizardfolk reclaim the lost treasures 
  of their people. Yet this isn’t any ordinary dive, as the same colonial government that 
  looks down on Mirian for her half-native heritage has an interest in the treasure, and the 
  survival of the entire nation may depend on the outcome.
  From critically acclaimed author Howard Andrew Jones comes an adventure of sunken cities 
  and jungle exploration, set in the award-winning world of the Pathﬁ nder Roleplaying Game.
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  Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.; Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem 
  logo, Pathﬁ nder, and the Pathﬁ nder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; Pathﬁ nder 
  Roleplaying Game and Pathﬁ nder Tales are trademarks of Paizo Inc. © 2016, Paizo Inc.
  L
  arsa is a dhampir—half vampire, half human. In 
  the gritty streets and haunted peaks of Ustalav, 
  she’s an agent for the royal spymaster, keeping peace 
  between the capital’s secret vampire population 
  and its huddled human masses. Meanwhile, in 
  the cathedral of Maiden’s Choir, Jadain is a young 
  priestess of the death goddess, in trouble with her 
  superiors for being too soft on the 
  living. When a noblewoman’s entire 
  house is massacred by vampiric 
  invaders, the unlikely pair is drawn 
  into a deadly mystery that will reveal far more 
  about both of them than they ever wanted to know.
  From Pathﬁ nder co-creator and veteran game 
  designer F. Wesley Schneider comes a new adventure 
  of revenge, faith, and gothic horror, set in the award-
  winning world of the Pathﬁ nder Roleplaying Game.
  ISBN–13: 978-0-7653-7546-9   Paperback $14.99
  Amazing Stories Set in the 
  Pathﬁ nder Campaign Setting
  Explore New Horizons
  ISBN–13: 978-0-7653-7453-0   Paperback $14.99
  
  AND THE DEAD SHALL 
  OUTNUMBER THE LIVING!
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Horror Adventures Takes Your Heroes into 
  the Darkest Reaches, Where the Dead Hunger for the Living, Alien Gods 
  Brood in Dreams, and Madness and Death Lurk Around Every Corner!
  •	 Corruptions	turn	PCs	into	monsters,	including	blood-drinking	vampires	and	savage	werewolves!
  •	 Horror-themed	archetypes,	feats,	spells,	and	more!
  •	 Rules	for	sanity	and	madness	to	drive	characters	to	the	brink	and	beyond.
  •	 Tips	and	tools	for	running	a	scary	game,	expanded	rules	for	curses,	haunts,	and	fleshwarping.
  AVAILABLE JULY 2016
  Horror  adveNTUres
  Horror  adveNTUres
  Horror  adveNTUres
  Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and the Pathfinder logo are registered trademarks of 
  Paizo Inc.; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Inc. © 2016, Paizo Inc.
  paizo.com
  
  Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and the Pathfinder logo are registered trademarks of 
  Paizo Inc.; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Inc. © 2016, Paizo Inc.
  paizo.com
  Bestiary 5 is the newest indispensable volume of hundreds of monsters for use 
  with the award-winning Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, 
  Pathfinder RPG Mythic Adventures, and Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures.
  AVAILABLE NOW!
  CREATURES STRANGE BEYOND IMAGINING AND MORE TERRIFYING THAN ANY NIGHTMARE
   LURK IN THE DARK CORNERS OF THE WORLD AND THE WEIRD REALMS BEYOND.
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  THE NIGHT 
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  TERRORS
  OF 
  
  Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and the Pathfinder logo are registered trademarks of 
  Paizo Inc.; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Inc. © 2016, Paizo Inc.
  paizo.com
  UlTImaTe 
  INTr¹gUe
  UlTImaTe 
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  Be the Life 
  Be the Life 
  Party
  Party
  of the
  of the
  Behind the scenes of heroic battles and 
  magical realms lies a seething underbelly of 
  danger and deception. In the pages of Ultimate 
  Intrigue, heroes duel with words instead of steel, 
  plot daring heists, and pit their wills against relentless 
  nemeses. This hardcover rules reference for the Pathfinder 
  RPG includes tons of intriguing new subsystems, spells, feats, 
  and magic items perfect for skullduggery and high society. The 
  new vigilante class puts players under the mask, with a secret 
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  These angels act as officers 
  in Heaven's armies. Though 
  pride is typically considered a 
  sin, monadic devas hold their 
  weapons dear. Some of them 
  even lend their armaments to 
  mortals to aid in the fight 
  against the fiends of the 
  Outer Planes.
  onadic Deva
  M
  Resembling dark angels, 
  erinyes soar through Hell's 
  skies on black wings. Found 
  in greatest numbers in Dis, 
  these devils serve there as 
  executioners and torturers. 
  They delight in snatching 
  mortal foes and dropping 
  them from great heights. 
  rinyes Devil
  E
  
  H 
  er Infernal Majestrix Queen Abrogail II of 
  Cheliax summons her agents to the city of 
  Egorian to address the current crisis with the 
  Glorious Reclamation. Upon arriving in the bustling capital, the 
  adventurers find themselves swept up in the cutthroat politics of the 
  imperial court. To impress the queen and secure a royal audience, the 
  wicked characters must scour the City of Thorns to root out and eradicate 
  a secret organization that works to free halfling slaves. But to truly earn 
  Queen Abrogail’s trust, the adventurers must perform a sacrifice for the queen to 
  renew House Thrune’s contract with Hell, and there are many—both within the 
  court and without—who wish to see the monarch dethroned.
  This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path continues the Hell’s Vengeance 
  Adventure Path and includes:
  • “For Queen & Empire,” a Pathfinder adventure for 10th-level characters,  
  by Stephen Radney-MacFarland.
  •  A gazetteer of Egorian, the City of Thorns and capital of Cheliax,  
  by Dave Gross.
  •  A look into the secretive abolitionist organization known as the Bellflower 
  Network, by Crystal Frasier.
  •  A costly sacrifice in the Pathfinder’s Journal, by Josh Vogt.
  •  Four exciting new monsters, by Garrett Guillotte, Steven T. Helt, Luis Loza, 
  and Stephen Radney-MacFarland.
  HELL IS ITS OWN REWARD
  Printed in China. PZO90106
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/Adventure Paths/PF103-108 - Hell's Vengeance/Hell's Vengeance - 04 - For Queen and Country.pdf